My day was off to a good start, even if I had to wake up at half past six. I finally slept well, even if it wasn’t enough, but what else is new? I got ready more or so less on time. Had some pineapple for breakfast along with my customary slice of bread and butter. I think it helped carry me through till almost eleven.
Got to the train all right, but it was beginning to rain. It actually poured last night and stopped for a bit, then rained again sometime this morning. The clouds looked rather threatening, but it’d been sunny just ten minutes ago. So, I had my umbrella, but not my rainboots. I really hoped it wouldn’t open up on me from the Vilingen train station to the museum.
It didn’t and I made the walk to work in about seven minutes. I didn’t dawdle this morning to take pictures. I let myself in the door, with my own key, then I went up to my work space. I didn’t see or hear anyone, so I just sort of hung out, staring out the window and daydreaming. After a bit I decided I might as well look busy if Frau Auer or anyone else came down. So I started reading the last of the magazines she gave me yesterday. I think it took me about two hours to read seven or eight pages. Partially because I was incredibly bored, and partially because I don’t have a dictionary to look up words when I don’t know them. Which is sadly often.
Let me fill you in on my reading material. I mentioned yesterday that they’re all scholarly articles. Still true. Written in very elevated language that I haven’t really been exposed to, ever. I think I’ve been understanding the main point of these readings, but as for details, forget it. One, the information is not obtainable for me right now. Two, I have no solutions to remedy that. Third, I am not motivated to read these any more, because I have spent almost two days reading them, I am pretty sure I will never be questioned about these articles, and therefore, they are all useless to me right now. I know that’s not a very good attitude, but really, its just busy work so I’m not sitting there doing nothing. I have been trained as a teacher, and still have the mindset of a student, so I think I know what’s going on. If I know what I’m doing is mostly pointless, then why should I have motivation?
Anyways, around nine o’clock I went upstairs to Frau Auer’s office to see if she was there. I figured someone would have checked in with me by then. I knocked on the door, and she told me to come in.
I said, “Uh, I’m here” which was also code for, “What am I supposed to be doing?”
She replied, (literal translation, which is why it may sound harsh) “I have no time for you right now. Do you have something to read?”
“Yes.”
“OK, later I’ll pick you up.”
“Okay, till then”
Needless to say, I was a little hurt. I want to be doing something, not just reading for hours on end. I want to be useful. And the way she said it was a little blunt. I’m sure it wasn’t meant to be, and there is the difference in languages (their meaning, that is). But I still felt like a little kid who just wants to help their mom or dad, or play with them, and the parent tells them to go watch tv or something. And she didn’t give me a time when she’d come and get me.
Well, after maybe reading some more (I don’t remember) and daydreaming a lot, it was ten o’clock and Frau Auer came. She first told me about the mail box key, and showed me the mail box (how to open it which isn’t difficult) and said that while their secretary was gone, I should get the mail, file it in the correct individual mailboxes, and put the newspapers in one of the break rooms upstairs. There was oddly an issue of Vogue in with the mail; I do wonder who that belonged to, but Frau Auer didn’t put it in a mailbox. Then, she said she forgot to show me something yesterday.
So down the stairs we went, through all the doors and hallways, to the cloisters of the Museum. Up between two of the windows on the corner was a monster. She said it was part man, monkey and wolf (because of the large canine teeth). They don’t know why the monks built it in, but maybe to remind themselves to be good and pray to God. I personally thought it might go along with the theme of gargoyles, which are ugly to scare away the real devils and demons. But I kept this to myself.
On we went, upwards to the part of the museum she didn’t show me yesterday. She, so far, doesn’t tell me why or where we’re going till we get there. I do kind of like knowing, not that I fear I’ll get an unwelcome surprise, but that’s my personality. And I think she maybe forgets to tell me. But, basically, she showed me the four interpretations the Museum owns of St. George slaying the dragon. Her next tour that she’ll write and I’ll translate, is partially about dragons, and heroes, and fables.
She also told me the story of one of the town legends, Romaeus. Apparently he’s just famous for escaping a prison tower (by digging into the mortar with a smuggled knife, then placing pig bones into the holes to make a ladder) and stealing another town’s door. Maybe we have more exciting legends in the
Frau Auer also showed me all the mystical creatures. I think she was under the impression that Americans only know what Griffins are because we’ve seen Harry Potter. Which, they’re not even really in there, except mentioned as the mascot for Gryffindor. It’s not like the Hippogryphs, who played a major animal role. I was going to tell her that I also just like mythology and that’s why I knew what a
The whole time I was away from my desk was about thirty minutes. I wish it had been longer. She told me that her next tour she’d be writing would be about plants and if I wanted, I could go back to the Museum when it was open (at one o’ clock) and look around more slowly and look for plants. And take pictures, which was nice. I said I would want to, and so that was that.
I “read” until lunchtime, which for me was about eleven-thirty. After spending some time with Frau Contenz and Ruediger (Matthias was off today and again tomorrow), it was one-thirty and I went off to the museum. I carried my purse with me (it’s weird to leave it in still new and strange places), a notebook for recording where plants were, and my camera. Once in the museum, I was approached by a woman who asked if I had my entrance card. I told her I was a Prakticum student of Frau Auers and that she had said I could come and look around. That was fine, so I didn’t have to pay or leave.
The woman also asked if I was acquainted with the Museum, and gave me a very small tour of the storey (which Frau Auer already had done). Then she left me alone, after confirming that I could indeed take pictures of whatever I wanted. So, I wandered very slowly as to see everything at my own pace this time.
I did a lot of pictures; the displays have everything from reliquaries, lanterns, paintings, torture devices, wagon wheels, gigantic grinding stones, shoe soles, pottery shards, costumes, toys, and old tv’s. The modern stuff did not interest me at all, but I did get some good pictures of the Narrenshopf costumes they wear around Carnival time. The ones I went to the museum for in Triburg, but couldn’t take pictures. Well, now I have some examples and you can see how ugly and scary they are. I had no idea if Frau Auer would be looking for me this afternoon, so when I saw that it was quarter to three, I booked it out of there. Well, I tried.
As I was leaving the woman who’d met me when I’d arrived, stopped me to ask a few questions. She asked what exactly I was doing, so I told her I was going to help Frau Auer write a tour, and I was looking for plants. I gave her a few examples I found, and then she took me over to look at some more. I had missed some, but that’s more because I didn’t know there were drawers that opened. So added “palms” to my list. After a few more minutes, I was able to leave, thanking her for the help.
So, I went back to my workspace, gathered my things and went to sit up in the room where Frau Contenz’s and the other’s desks are. Frau Auer had said yesterday that I could also sit with them if I want, but I had initially thought that was only for yesterday. Which was why I sat alone the entire morning. But tomorrow I think I’ll just go up. The company is nice and maybe I’ll have access to an online dictionary. I started reading again, and Frau Auer never came looking for me. Which means I could have gone by the cloisters on the way and taken some photographs. But, I have another six weeks to do that, so there’s no rush.
No one was in the room, because they were all working on a project. I probably could have gone and helped, but I wasn’t sure if I’d get in trouble if Frau Auer went looking for me to, maybe, tell me something. Nope. So, at about four pm, I packed my things, stopped by her room to say goodbye (she looked surprised and like she was wondering why I was there) and was on my way.
Part of on my way was stopping by the T-Mobile store to get a European sim card. This was successful. The store clerk didn’t start speaking to me in English, for one. And two, because I figured out how to put it in my phone. First, he had to make sure one of their cards would work (which I knew it would) and then he asked to see my passport. Or some form of identification. I initially pulled out my driver’s license and student ID. But I think he didn’t want to figure those out. So I got out a copy of my passport, and watched very carefully that he didn’t try to copy down the number or anything. He didn’t; he just wanted my name and date of birth. I’m not sure why he couldn’t look at my license, but I’m quite sure my passport information is safe.
The entire time I was in the store, I could hear people singing on the street. It became apparent, when I paused to receive a pamphlet from a woman who was with the choir (whom I figured out was singing something about Jesus saving everything). Boy am I never doing that again. I paused, to receive the flyer, thinking she would just hand it to me and that would be that. That’s what all the groups did in
I got to the train station after all that with ten minutes to spare, which I spent putting in the new sim card and then deleting all the bad pictures I’d take today. The train ride was fine, and the walk home was, too. Though, I did manage to get behind two rambunctious youths during the walk. Actually, they were just dumb. They were either Italian or Yugoslavian, I’m guessing. As we passed by a small soccer field where some kids where playing, they started singing the Italian soccer theme song (Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole) and some “Sha-la-la’s,” taunting the kids. Then they started saying, in English, “Bayern stinks!” This was really all quite stupid, because they were much older than the kids they were taunting and the kids didn’t even say anything first. And I was stuck behind them and their stupidness.
Dinner’s a bit later tonight, because Herr Brause just got home (it’s seven before seven pm). I think Frau Brause said she made a noodle casserole with ham and broccoli. Oh boy. We’ll see how that tastes. After dinner, I’ll get on the internet as usual, write back all the lovely people who write me, and upload what I’m writing at this exact moment.
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