Bonn Appétite

Well, as usually happens before I get settled in in a new city and establish a regular eating pattern, disturbingly large tangles of hair are accumulating in the drain trap of my shower. I had a whopping two meals today though! Spaghetti (with anise - surprisingly delicious) and salad at the Mensa (followed by university-funded champagne at the reception with the Dean!), and then currywurst with fries (and mayo, not ketchup, of course). I went for a walk in the miserable rain on Saturday. I wouldn't mind the weather here so much if it weren't so damn windy constantly. A walk along the Rhine is all well and good, until you have to chase your umbrella into the river. On that same walk a sweet old lady stopped me and asked me to help her load a box into her car. She asked if I was from England at first (you can tell the old people where you're from because they remember after the war when the Amis were the reason they didn't starve to death), and she managed a very respectable "thenk you fery mutch". The university is all about the free alcohol actually. Saturday night's welcome dinner included a solid liter and a half of beer, which provided me the opportunity for the ultimate litmus test of flaneury: walking home drunk cause you've been chattin' up the Germans til half an hour after your last train left. Fake class starts for real tomorrow, when I find out what level of German class I've been "eingestuft" in. Until I get mugged or something, don't push too hard!