Still Freezing...

So, I am sitting in my bed at my host student's apartment and I am STILL cold. I swear, I have yet to really feel warm in this country. I start to, and I make a movement to remove a layer of clothing, and it's like a gust of wind comes in from nowhere and I start from the beginning, delving deeper into my layers and shivering. I'm liking the laptop, because without the base it gets SO hot, and right now, that's definitely a good thing.

I really love Leipzig, as a city. It has so much personality as a city - the mixture of old and new is wonderful, even if what my host says is true and some of the "old" is not so old but made to look old. The roads are confusing as anything, but I like to wander them (accompanied by someone who knows where they are going, of course).

Yesterday evening, my host & I met up with Ed & his host and we walked around the city center. The city center is really something - if I were a sweet photographer like the kids in the "I'm a PC" commercials, I could maybe take a series of pictures and show you a panoramic view, and even then it would do no justice. It is a winding and confusing series of shops and pubs, weaving in and outdoors and in an around each other. Fun fact: in Leipzig, you can sit outdoors in the cooler weather and enjoy your brew, because there are heated areas for you! It looks super fun, and I definitely plan on trying it.

We then traveled to a party, the one I mentioned before - delicious drink alert: white ale with grapefruit - of course a Belgian beer, I think. Sooo good! I ate pasta & drank a martini - was wonderful and quiet. Still didn't try out my German, but I will soon (I will have to in class on Tuesday, I can't really avoid it in a class of 3 people).

Today, we went to this thing called the Panorama - it was a huge display of a part of the Amazonian Rainforest - it was really neat, but nothing like the museums in the states. I took some pictures, but without the flash, so don't count on anything spectacular. By far the coolest part of the day was our trip down the highway to an area by a lake. It was not as chilly as the days previous (though, still too cold for mee) so we walked by the shore and then went and sat outdoors at a cafe where my host, Ed's host, and I had the good sense to order warm drinks, while Ed had a vanilla milkshake mixed with cold hot chocolate. Why do I remember all of this? The houses near here were adorable, apparently this section of the surrounding area is where all the wealthy people live. I captured some of the houses on camera, and I will post those soon.

Tomorrow is my first day of real life in Leipzig - I have an orientation from 11 am to 5 pm, which feels like a long time, but for you guys at home, you will be asleep for most of it. =] Don't worry, more photographic memory passages to follow.

<3