Wo sind alle die Sterne am Himmel?

Hello all.

Before I provide my normales update, (you know, I am a little sorry about all the Denglish, but really I'm not sorry because I find it amusing), I have to rant a bit about something that is bothering me.

Wo sind alle die Sterne am Himmel???

There are no stars here in Munich. Well I'm sure there are, you just can't see them. See, that's what I don't like about big cities. And that is what I REALLY miss about New Mexico and Montana. But mostly New Mexico. You can see the stars clearer there than anywhere in the world I think. A sky so speckled with tiny glimmering lights that it feels like you shouldn't ever look away. Because who would ever look away from such a truly awesome sight.

No, can't see that here. Maybe if I made a weekend trek to the Alps I will be able to see the sky better there. I wish I could go camping. A little late for that I think...

So anyway... let's see. What has been happening...

The Election Results Party was really awesome. I showed up with a press pass at about 8 p.m., had some Goulaschsuppe mit Brot, chatted with this nice girl, Susan, who has been living in Munich for about a year and a half. The atmosphere was wonderful and when it was announced that Obama had it in the bag, I don't think I've ever heard such loud cheering before in my life. It was SUCH a happy occasion! And it was just an illuminating experience to be smack dab in the center of such a historical event. (Well, it might have been a tad more exciting to have been at Grant Park, but this I couldn't achieve. So I settled. And it was a good settlement!)

I put up pictures of this event and you can find them here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2064064&l=548d9&id=23500703.

I also wrote a story about it all, but I couldn't find anyone who wanted to pick it up. (Ain't that just the story of my life right now...) But maybe I will put it up here. It wasn't one of my best... I am out of practice! Which means I really need to get a job now before all the practice I got at The New Mexico Free Press is rendered useless.

Which brings me to my next point: This past weekend I went to the Fulbright Welcome Meeting that was held in Frankfurt am Mainz. I met a lot of really cool/intelligent/knowledgeable/nice people, spoke German almost the entire time, attended a few fairly useful and thought-provoking workshops and acquired what will hopefully be non-dead-end media contacts. I decided to attend very last minute, after a spot in Florian's (who is the head of the Munich Fulbright Alumni group) carpool opened up, and after I also knew I had many people with whom I could stay with in Frankfurt. I ended up staying with most of the Munich Fulbright group at Anne's house, a residence of Frankfurt and a psychology student.

So yes, this was fun, except for the mini heart attacks I had while driving in Florian's car as he bounded down the Autobahn, swerving in and out of cars and stopping so suddenly behind the people in front of him. Man, Germans are crazy drivers. But somehow I still think they know more about driving and are better drivers than Americans. You just have to be one with a strong stomach to learn this fact.

Oh yes, I have posted photos of this meeting here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2064066&l=72bad&id=23500703.

But you will be glad to know that I got many things accomplished these past week or two.

For one, I got my Aufenthaltserlebnis. Look how pretty it is!!! Took me all of three hours to get it, and I even thought that was pretty fast. Of course it didn't go smoothly. The girl who checked me in left out the "Noel" when she wrote out the registration, so the woman at the Kasse first made me wait 20 minutes before she decided to tell me I had to go back and have her write the "correct" name. But oh well. It could have been a LOT worse. At least I had all of my stuff. So then, while I was there, I went on over to the MVV office and used my Studentenausweis to get my discount for the public transit system. Pretty sweet actually, knocked off about €12 off my monthly price. Which is nice.

Then, on Monday, I got a call from the Hubert Burda Media Verlag saying they had received my information but that we had sent it to the wrong place. But then the woman politely informed me that she would pass it along to the human resources department and see if they couldn't find a spot for me within one of their magazines. (Burda publishes 262 magazines worldwide—including Elle, Glamour, Vanity, Vogue, etc.) So that would be lovely but I am trying not to get my hopes up.

I walked down the street a ways today to the Kommunikationswissenschaft buildings of LMU (which is the subject they assigned me to—communications studies) and I had a nice chat with the head of the program there (who was much friendlier than I thought he'd be) and he basically said if I didn't get on with Burda Media that he was sure they could find something for me.

So that's a start. A big start.

Now I am just hoping that this Berlin Capital Program I must attend next week will also be a help. I am a bit upset about it because the commission makes hotel reservations for myself and Stephanie (she is the journalist living in Frankfurt) for half of the program. Then they say if we want to stay for the whole thing, we have to do it at our own expense. But that is unfair I think because the grantees living in Berlin—of which there are four—don't have to pay anything at all and can attend the full program if they wish. And I just received the schedule and there is a seminar I am very interested in going to but it takes place before I will arrive in Berlin. And I wish I had known this because I might have made my reservations for different days. But Fulbright urges you to do everything far in advance. And I understand. But still, it's frustrating. And a little unfair I think.

BUT, things are looking up, I am hopeful and all I wish now is that the sun would stay out and the rain would never come.

And perhaps a glimpse of some stars.