But For the Grocery Store, I'd be a Local

Day three and I already feel all settled in. It seems as if I've been here much longer. That seems to be the general consensus of all of us students. We are so busy trying to fit in everything like rockstars, which we are not. Study study and more study - over 80 pages of reading a night AND the professors are not giving us a break because it's summer and we're in Germany - they are Socratic method all the way! Then of course we all want to take in as many of the sights as we can, which consists of waking up early to take in some culture (or finish up the reading!) before the 9:00 AM class, visiting different areas and restaurants for lunch (after speed reading the last 30 pages for the afternoon class!), and finally either finding a true German beer hall for dinner (only one beer please, I must comprehend what I'm reading tonight!) or simply taking the scenic route home to our apartments through the English Garden (stopping to read chunks of 20 pages or so on this bench or that!).

Above is the famous Hofbrauhaus. It is conveniently right around the corner from our classes and I walk by it everyday. A group of us are planning a good time there on Thursday night. I can't wait!

Before I chatter on about the pictures below, I must comment on my trip to the grocery store... never go at 6:00 PM. It is way too busy and when you don't really know German and the cashier is simply refusing to speak English (of course she knows it - she was about 20 years old and the store was in Maxvordstadt!), everyone behind you just wants to get their groceries and go home. There I was trying to make change and holding everyone up because I didn't know what chocolate I wanted! Not the best way to meet my neighbors. One of my neighbors is French by the way, we share the balcony. I actually spoke a little French with them : ).

This is the inner courtyard of the residence of the last King of Bavaria, Ludwig I (don't quote me on that, I haven't done my homework, he could've been the II or the III or something like that). We take our classes across the street from the residence, but on the actual grounds of the estate. It is kind of neat to think that modern intellectual property geniuses (not me ... hell no ... the Institute (they say) is the largest and most innovative in the world for IP research) are postulating on the same grounds as royals once did. Past meets present.

A couple of new friends from D.C. wanted to see my apartment, and we detoured through the English Garden on the way. This string quartet was playing, and they were so wonderful!

Here he is, the man of the manor - Ludwig! When I get some time (yeah right) I'm going to look up his history. I'm actually quite interested on where I go everyday, who walked there and what they did. Maybe the guides on the bike tour tomorrow will fill us in.

The infamous Glockenspeil! A couple of us went adventuring for lunch, an ATM and a SIM card today and wandered into the Marienplatz. It's a one minute walk from where we have class. We are truly close to everything : ).