Not so Much!

Today I got up rather early in the morning, had breakfast and cleaned the bathroom. This took me something like two hours, since the bathroom seemed to not have been cleaned for at least half a year! After the cleaning I was quite tired and my arms and hands were hurting.

I however changed and went to uni to have a meeting with my group for the presentation tomorrow. We went through the material and some things. When we finished I went home and had lunch. Then I started reading some texts for my upcoming exams. However in the afternoon I got a headache and was super tired; I couldn't go on reading!

Anyways, now I am knackered, like the other days of the week and will go to bed already! Tomorrow I have the presentation, will then come home quickly, change and grab my backpack. I will be in quite a hurry to catch my train to catch my ride from Cologne; I'm going to Hamburg again. Can't wait!

~M~

Stress!

Although I do not have so much to do I have stress! The only things I still have to do are holding a presentation and preparing & writing three exams. This is all very easy and shouldn't be too much of a problem, but I am stressed because of something else: my thesis!

The thesis itself wont be that much of a problem, when I finally get there. The bigger problem is to find a thesis topic. I really don't know what to write about and that causes a lot of stress; mental stress! I am sitting at my desk and try to figure out what topic I could take and what I am interested in. I am checking websites for offers, I am reading articles about tourism and the hospitality industry and I am just sitting around and brainstorm what might be interesting, but still nothing!

Source: iStockphoto

By now I am quite desperate. In about four weeks I should start writing my thesis; in between I still have to learn for my exams and write them. Although four weeks sounds much, it isn't! I don't wanna kick around after my exams, I want to go on working straight away and start writing as soon as possible. This is because I want to finish as soon as possible. This not-knowing, what I am going to do after my exams is giving me stomach pain and sleepless nights (exaggerating!) and I simply want to know how I'm going to go on!

~M~

Fireworks and being sick!

I know I didnt write for quite a while, but after being at the Rhein in Flammen fireworks I got very very sick and stayed in bed basically for 6 days. Now I am recovering slowly, I'm still not totally fine, but am finally able to go out and be a bit active again!

It all started with the Rhein in Flammen event I have been writing about before. I went down to the island Grafenwerth to meet some people. We were quite a big group, just sitting in the grass, talking. Over time more and more people came and finally the fireworks started!

After the fireworks we went over to the stage. Around the fireworks there is always some kind of supporting program, which is basically a carnival! There are many stalls for eating, drinking and also games like shooting galleries and stuff. At the one end there was a stage where a band from Hamburg was playing all evening. We were in front of the stage, dancing and having a good time. When the band stopped playing we went to the Rheinsubstanz, the club here in Bad Honnef, to finish the evening.

The next morning, when I got up I felt like sh*t! I thought it was a normal hangover, but over time I realized that I actually had caught a nasty gastro-intestinal infection. I will spare the details, but this thing caused me to sleep basically 6 days straight. 

On Tuesday I went to the doctor, where I first of all got an IV to re-hydrate my body and to get some electrolytes. She also gave me some medicine and put me on sick leave for the rest of the week. Therefore I called my dad, who is working in Bonn, just on the other side of the Rhine, and asked him to pick me up and take me to Aachen. I just wanted to go home; home, still, is the best place when you are sick like that!

I anyways had intended to go to Aachen that weekend in order to visit my grandpa, who wasn't doing very well in the retirement home. I wanted to visit him, just in case he would get worse. Then, exactly in the night, when I was back in Aachen the one thing happened I had feared: He died!

He, however, did not get worse, he did not suffer, he just fell asleep and didn't wake up. He died at the age of 96, I guess it was his time. My mum, who saw him lying in bed said, that he looked very peaceful and somehow happy. The next days she spent together with her sister taking care of all the formalities and bureaucracy that is connected to dying!

I spent the weekend in bed and on the couch and walking aimlessly around the house. I had told A. not to come to Aachen, since I was anyways not really up for doing anything; it was the right decision for her to stay in Hamburg!

The funeral of my grandpa was today! On Monday I went with my dad to Bonn and then took the car over to Bad Honnef. I went to university for one lecture and picked up my suit for the funeral. In the evening we went back to Aachen.

The funeral today was quite emotional. I have to say, that I liked my grandpa very much. Although I didn't see him so often in the last years and going there was more a hassle, than a joy - thats at least how I perceived it - I know that I will miss him. Every time I saw him it was funny. He was all the time joking and he was all the time happy. He was like a grandpa has to be!

 

 

Now I am back in Bad Honnef. After the funeral and the get-together my dad brought me to the train station and I took the train back to Bad Honnef. I went straight to my last lecture in Change Management and was happy, that I went there. In the afternoon I went together with my flatmate S. to the island of Grafenwerth and now I just started cooking; I'm making lamb and potato croquettes!

~M~

Nothing but Work!

This day was dedicated to my education! After having stayed in yesterday evening I slept until something like 10.30, got up and had breakfast. Then I started working on my uni stuff and had a couple of breaks for coffee, lunch and other random stuff.

Now I am finished with this one assignment and I am a bit proud. I started working on it today - and with started I mean started, I didn't work on it before at all - and finished it in one day. Since I was so productive today I decided to go out tonight. Not long, since I have to work tomorrow one a lot of other things for uni, but I will go. 

 

There is an event called Rhein in Flammen, which means Rhine in Flames, today. It is an event where many ships, decorated with lights go down the river and stop at several highlights along the Rhine and at each stop there are fireworks. So we will meet up on the island of Grafenwerth in the Rhine to watch the fireworks. Every year this is kinda nice. Pictures will follow!

~M~

Time to Celebrate!

Yesterday was time to celebrate! Many people were through with their re-sit exams and one of our colleagues from university has his birthday today. So we went out to party. 

I actually wanted to go there just for one beer and had just 5€ with me. However, when I arrived at the bar I realized, that I had forgotten the entrance fee on Thursday evenings. So I walked to the bank to get some money, but the ATM didn't have any 5- or 10- Euro bills and the minimum to take out was 20€. Since I had no choice I took out the money and invested it with a good percentage into a couple of beers and in the end of the evening also in some shots.

Anyways, this morning, after just 3 hours of sleep I got up to go to the field trip with my Hotel Engineering course. We were about to visit the Kameha Grand Hotel in Bonn in order to see some real life examples of the technologies and facilities behind a hospitality operation. I got dressed according to our dress-code for field trips and finally could use the gift A. had given me for my birthday.

After the field trip I had hangover lunch and was putting in my laundry. The rest of the day I was just hanging around. After the evening yesterday I was not motivated at all to do anything! Also tonight I stayed in. I somehow felt like it. 

~M~

Back to Normal!

I am back in Bad Honnef since Sunday evening, but haven't been writing yet, because I was too tired and also wasn't really in the mood. I came back after a really nice time in Hamburg and feel now a bit displaced; I really don't feel like being in Bad Honnef anymore!

Anyways, after my last post A. and I still had some good days. We had a really good time. We had a two viewings during the days and for one flat we actually got an OK. Now we are already tenants and have our own small flat in Hamburg. And the best thing is, that the former tenant left so much stuff in the flat, that you basically could move in already without bringing ANYTHING! She even left linen.

The part of the city is called Uhlenhorst, which means "owl-nest" and is just 5 minutes walk from the Alster, the big lake in the middle of the city. The area is rather good and there are rich people living there; that's why we fit in so well! It also has a lot of small bars and cafés by the canals and on each street corner. I know we will like it there!

Moving some stuff to the new flat!

Anyways, I am now back in Bad Honnef, after a rather exhausting ride from Hamburg. I actually started writing this post this morning, but then had too much to do for uni and now I am finishing it in the evening.

So the day was nice, I worked for uni again, was reading and went for a lecture. Then in the afternoon I talked to A. and we booked our hotel and flights to Prague in June. We had gotten the trip from my parents for Christmas (talking about rich) and now finally decided to do it directly after my midterm exams, since this will be the least busy time for me presumably!

I talked to my flat mate S. about it, while eating the delicious dinner he had cooked for us, and he already gave me the name and address of a very good traditional restaurant in the city. I have been to Prague before and loved it. It is such a beautiful city and I cant wait to get back there.

Now I am going to finish. I am quite tired and will watch some Modern Family, have a shower and then go to bed. I hope that I find the motivation to write more often again; right now it is running very smoothly I have to say, so let's hope I can keep that writing-mood up!

~M~