Week 2 | Alpirsbach, New Bicycle!, Spanish Dinner, & Gengenbach

There's just simply too much pictures to show and too much stuff to write (as always)!! So, I'll just cramp all of it in this one post. I've actually uploaded most of the pictures in my Facebook too but just for the sake of my blog, I'll upload it here again.. with a few extras! 

6th March 2015

Alpirsbach Excursion

In this short trip, we manage to visit the Kloster and also had some beer-tasting session. 

Sarah & Álvaro!

Me & Marta!

Exploring google map??

We took the regional train (I think?) to Alpirsbach from Offenburg. The view from the train ride was very enjoyable and simple beautiful.

So, I'm going to take this chance to introduce some of my friends. A weird space to do so, but whatever. *smiley face*. My first friend I made there was Berit, who hails from Denmark. She's super funny and very friendly! Marta and Álvaro and Marta, a very interesting, amusing and warm-hearted couple, from Taragona, Spain. There's also Sarah, from Australia who will be taking the same course as me! There's also Ruth and Alejandro from Chile. And a few from France and many from Brazil. But I'm closer to Berit, Álvaro and Marta. We just cliqued and plus I think it's because we don't really know how to speak in German. So, we are always speaking in English. Hahaha!

Unfortunately, being photobomb-ed a lot of times, this is the best picture of the "Alpirsbach" sign that I have.

I think I need to get a pair of sunshades too! They look very fashionable here and they ARE very useful for sunny days

I love how this building looks.

And we're here at the entrance of the Kloster.

Everyone waiting for the tour to begin. Unfortunately for us English speakers, they only have the tour in German. So, I have no idea what the tour guide were saying but one of our tutors, Lukas helped explain the important parts. I think it made no difference for me because even if I understand what they were saying, I wouldn't be interested because I'm not very good with learning histories and I'm always wondering around to take pictures.. Whoops. 

Guardian of the gates.

Look up look up!

They look so happy, I don't know why. Hahaha!

Where the monks goes to sleep.

One of the room inside the Kloster.

Frankly, the rooms kind of freak me out. I don't know why. It just feels so creepy when standing in there. But every different rooms have different painting and doodles on the walls. They are pretty interesting to look at though.

Karin and Sarah!

There was a space inside the Kloster which was covered with feathers. It doesn't really symbolize anything. It's just some leftovers props from the last event that was held there. They were suppose to clean it up after the event but they didn't. Well, I thought it gave a very interesting effect. At first, I thought they were snow! But on closer inspection,... feathers. 

Age of empire.... Just kidding! :P

Tour ends! Time for beer and breads!

And on that day, it was my first time tasting alcohol-free beer. Yes, it's alcohol free!!! But it tasted the same to me,  and I still don't like drinking beer. But at least I got to try it. Got to eat some bread with cheese spread which were really good. They also gave us lard (it was also my first time having lard). Everyone got a souvenir too! Free beer cup!!! Awesome! 

So happy after a few bottles of beers. Hahaha! Got the chance to take a group picture of some of the exchange students too. Happy memories!

7th March 2015

Mr Franz Roser fixed a bicycle for me!

Mr Roser from Senior Service invited me to his house and repaired a bicycle for me. It took 4-5 hours because the first bicycle I chose had a gear problem and after a few hours, we decided to fix another bicycle which was then became mine. It was a shame because Mr Roser and his wife were busy that evening, so we did not have time to have dinner together but Mrs Roser baked apple muffin and they gave me a lot. They were delicious and I finished all 5 muffins right after I got back home. I'm gonna be so fat in a few months. Hahaha.

7th March 2015

Exploring around with my new old bicycle. 

Say hello to my new blue bicycle! It's nothing much but very useful for getting around town and get my shopping done. :) 

And now, pictures from my bonding time with my new ride!

Breathtaking panorama. :)

Wine garden in Ortenburg

some random valley I cycled by.

Le Chef Alvaro.. threatening to kill me if I don't finish the food. Hahaha!

I cycled to Marta's and Alvaro's crib because they invited us for dinner. I got to taste real homemade Spanish dinner! And it was actually Alvaro's first time cooking a spanish tortilla. *nervous*

Berit and Alvaro! 

The menu of the night, Tortilla de Patatas, toast with cheese & jamon serrano. Simple but very satisfying. Yum yum. Jamon serrano is "la leche". *cries and laugh*

9th March 2015

Gengenbach excursion!

The Hoschule have another campus in Gengenbach so we had a little tour inside and outside of the campus. It's a really small town so there were nothing much.

The Gengenbach campus.

Majestic paintings and artwork in the building.

and look what I found. :X

I think the building was once a part of some church or something. My housemate told me a bit of the history but I forgot. I told you, I'm not good with histories.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee~

The girls. :D That's Marta, Berit and Amanda.

Credits to Marta's Facebook Album. :P

Spotted a cute building.

The Kinzig Gate Tower

I felt sorry for the tour guide. He was explaining so many things during the tour but I just didn't have the patience to listen to them. So, I just did my own thing. I'm such a bad listener. Haha!

The town hall. It has many interesting sculptures on the building but it's too small in the picture here. Zoom in if you're interested.

The five season statues

Credits to Marta's Facebook Album. :P

Yes, this is a real house where people lives in it. And it looks superb.

The most romantic street in Gengenbach... Or so they say.

A visit to the church

Tour ends and we got to enjoy some ice creams! Yoghurt flavour for me!

Foods and some interesting things I found out from the last two weeks.

This is a Schnitzel 

I bought this in the campus. I think this is one of the must try in Germany? I'm not sure but I remembered my boyfriend telling me about it. It's just so-so for me but I think I need to try it again at another food stall.

And this is a Calzone.

This was a f*cking surprise for me as I didn't know it was gonna be this HUGE. The pictures on the menu were so much smaller. Luckily Ruth shared with me. So I took half, but it's still a lot for me. I tell ya, the food served here, I can eat for 2-3 meals. The calzone taste like pizza for me but it's still good as I also love pizza.

Here's some interesting fact about Germany:

• They drive on the right side. It's unusual for me as we drive on the left side in Malaysia. I always got confused. Since I'm always riding with my bicycle, I have to follow the correct side too. At first I ignored the direction but then I had to find out the hard way, of the importance of staying on the right lane. 
• Downloading is illegal here. I didn't know about it and I downloaded a software via PirateBay on my first week here. I think I'm going to receive a 800€ fine in a few months time. *AHHH*
• Germans loves to be tidy and clean. Recycling and energy saving is very important! I have to learn and figure out which rubbish bin to throw my stuff into, even at home. There's paper, plastic, glass (which is then subcategorized to brown, white and green), food waste, and etc. I didn't really research much into it and some times I throw into the wrong bin. My housemate have to pick it up and throw it at the correct one. :X Oops.

About the German people, I think they are very very very friendly. During my random walks around the city, I'm always greeted by people. At first, I didn't even bother to make eye contact because I'm so used to walking and not greeting anyone. But they still greeted me "Halo!". It still catches me off guard, and I stumbled with my greetings too when I reply. And there's this one time, a women stopped her bicycle to let me cycle through the path and said "bitte schön" (translated: "please, very much"). Culture shock, they are all so nice and polite. Oh my, I think I'm the rudest person in this town right now. LOL. 

I also love it when I walk around town on a sunny day, you can see many people will be walking on the streets or just chilling at some park. I think the Germans love their coffee and cake time too and they absolutely love to chat. You will not see people on their Handys here, everyone is very sociable in real life. And I really like this. Because in Malaysia, everyone is always on their phone or iPads! Even the older people. It's so common to see a Malaysian family sitting around a dinner table and everyone is on their phones and nobody will be talking. It's like social platforms are more important than daily lives. And I admit, I am always on my phone too with LINE, Facebook and Instagram. Give me time, I'll change for the better! :D

Oh oh, and one more thing, I think all the Germans are really artistic because you can see, at every corner, you'll see different kinds of building. They all have their own characteristics and the houses are all very very fun to look at because they are all one of a kind! They really put a lot of thought into arts and deco. For example, Mr Roser not only repairs bicycle, he also makes furniture as a hobby and he showed me some of his creations. The handicraft is just superb and very detailed. You won't see arts being expressed in Malaysia, it's kind of sad and I don't know we don't do it either.

And here's an awesome doodle from our German crash course teacher, Mr Karl-Heinz. Just to end this post. It's a privilege. And I'm doing a very weird and abrupt "end of a post" thing again. I know. 

Until the next post!