Well it is actually the start of Day 5, but I worked late last night so I didn’t get around to blogging.
I’ve decided the bus is perfect fine for getting to work. I found the ATM Martin pointed me to and after checking out the hours, I decided to get cash now. They have a card reader for the door, but I don’t know if my bank card will work with it.
Lunch was pork with potatoes and a really tall coke (not large in volume, just tall) Actually was maybe 20oz. My first soda since last week!
I was able to get a rudimentary channel player working so work is going well. Today is documentation day I think.
The stores all close early here, around 7 or 8 pm. The ATM, for example, closes at 5 on MWF and 7 on T-TH. Most places are closed on Sunday.
I skipped dinner last night as I wasn’t very hungry. Grapes and juice were enough. I spent the evening with Martin and his GF Jeanette (sp?) who is leaving for 4 months to work in Munich.
Martin was installing XP onto Jeanette’s laptop and it is interesting to see it is just as bad in German. The machine has no wifi so he bought a USB WiFi adaptor. When he went to install the drivers, it said it needed SP2, but he has no wifi of course. They actually included SP2 on the CD (luckily) so he went to install that, but after 30 mins of checking the hardware, he cancelled. I suggested removing the USB device as the drivers are not working yet, so he did, and it continued on. I have no idea how well it worked or not, as I left for bed.
I ended staying up and getting my code to work as I had designed on the bus.
Jeanette suggested that Martin and I go to Potsdam, which is a very historical, small city here in East Germany, home of one of the early kings. They said it is similar to Versailles. So maybe that can happen this weekend! I’m not quite sure.
On the list of things to buy are: A Map of the city, of Germany and of France. A translation book. A sweater. I think that is all I need for now.
It appears as if there is one theater in town. Martin’s friend had to go to a different city to see a new movie.
They have a DVD rental service here where you get an account at a store, then you can reserve a DVD online. You go to a kiosk, use your thumbprint and it spits the DVD out. The cost of the rental depends on how long you have it. As little as three hours even, which only costs you about 1 euro. ($1.23 or so US)
I’m tying hard to learn pronunciation of words – I am sure everyone is getting tired of me asking how to say this or that, but it is interesting at least.
I need to get a full bus schedule – I learned there are many less modes of transportation overnight.
I have learned that ß is called “es-zett” “scharfes s”
Oh well, I am going to nap a bit before starting out today!