Pea Soup

Well folks, it's here.  The usual fall cold or, as we call it in German, Erkaeltung.  However, it isn't the swine flu like last year, so I'm quite content with merely having a sore throat, head ache and being tired.  I just finished making myself some pea soup (out of a can; don't kid yourself) and I'm taking it easy all day.  I'm doing laundry and just finished cleaning up the apartment, and the windows are all open; the weather is simply gorgeous today.  Sadly, it will probably be the last day I can have my windows all wide open before the winter cold sets in.  Oh well I suppose.  I went to language class this morning but excused myself at the half-way break to run to the pharmacy and get some medicine.  The teacher told me to take the rest of the day off so here I am. 

Pharmacies here are kind of different than back home, which to me is fascinating considering my background in Pharmacies and what not.  At home, when you're sick, you go see a doctor and they write you a prescription.  Pharmacists merely check the drug and instructions after filling it, they don't prescribe anything.  Even little eye drops and antibiotic creams; gotta see the doc for the good stuff.  However, here, pharmacists are kind of like doctors.  Granted, they don't give out antibiotics or hardcore drugs by their own free will; there is some structure to it.  However, for things such as some little creams and simple cold medicine, they are able to recommend, "prescribe" (in a sense?) and dispense the medication to you.  I had a cut a few weeks back and went to the pharmacy with Senta and I got an antibiotic cream from behind the counter without a prescription.  It was pretty nifty.  I must say, I'm quite the fan. 

It's only a week until my final exam in my language course, and I have to say, I'm panicking.  My teacher, being the unique individual she is, basically taught me close to nothing, so, my apartment is now slowly becoming literally covered in note cards.  We covered so much in short a period of time, and she barely taught it.  But like usual, I'll do my best to get the grade, so next week my social life will basically be non-existent.  But oh well.  Wish  me luck? 

I don't know if I mentioned this already, but, milk is not refrigerated here.  Ok, well, fresh milk is.  But usually when I buy my milk, I have to get it off a regular shelf in the store.  It tastes perfectly fine; Germany just has different pasteurizing methods.  They also drink normally 3.5% milk compared to our usual skim, 1% or 2%.  No wonder Sarah and Manon would always tell me it was like drinking water at my house. hm.  I keep buying weird versions of things because of my lack of attention to the labels.  I mean when I see milk, I assume its milk, I don't try to read the rest of the German mumbo-jumbo on the label.  However, I've now bought lactose-free milk, vegetarian spaghetti meat sauce, sugar free cough drops, etc.  It's just never a dull day here.  Seriously.

In other news, I've now booked a train to Paris.  The travels keep adding up, but it's so much cheaper than you'd think to travel between European countries, that how can you not?  This is my itinerary for travel so far...

Oct. 15- Heidelberg
Oct. 21-23  Prague
Oct. 28-31  Hamburg
Nov. 12-14  Essen (Germany.. going with our Program)
Nov.  18-21 Paris
Nov.  26- 28 Nuremberg (Christmas Market)
Dec.  2-5  Hamburg
Dec. 10-14th Budapest

There is still opportunity for a trip on the first weekend of November, and I'm thinking of visiting a close friend of mine in Norway, or doing another blind booking.  Oh the travels. 

Side note.. I just got my laundry and apparently something in the load or my detergent turned all of my underwear blue.  Awesome.  Again with the daily excitement.  ughhhhh.

Ok well I'm off to get some sleep.  No pictures this time because my Internet is acting up again and the wireless hasn't arrived yet either.  Ohhh Germany.