March 28 - A Day in my Life

Approximately 7:00-8:00 AM: wake up

approximately 7:30-7:45: make breakfast
8:25: leave dorm
8:30: catch bus
8:30-8:45: ride bus to language class
university complex

9:00-10:30: German class
stumped

10:30-11:00: break11:00-12:30: more German class
12:30-1:15: catch bus and take it back into town
1:15-2:00: lunch at the "Mensa"

2:00-2:15: walk to history and culture class
2:15-4:00: history and culture class
(this photo was before class started and not everyone had arrived yet, so the group is usually a bit larger)
4:30: get back 'home'
Chill out for a while (My room is the window in the middle under the German flag)
5:30-6:30: play soccer with neighborhood kids
7:00: make dinner

8:30-11:30: go to party at Christian Wolfe House, another dorm on the other side of town.
Some of the folks in our group live here and some guy was about to leave, so they had a little going away party for him. and invited us. In the above picture, thats Tim, Eric and Andrew from left to right. Those blokes in the back I hadn't met before. In the picture below, thats Karl playing guitar.
12:00: get back home, chat with Eric, read Bible and go to bed.

This was a fairly typical day. It was only the second time I'd played soccer, and I'd never been to Christian Wolfe House before, but that gives you the drift of my routine. Hope you all are well. I miss Lancaster, but not desperately yet.

Blessings,

Jared

Snow

I woke up on Tuesday morning and there was snow on the ground! Then it snowed again yesterday. Very stange. I got to throw snowballs at Eric, the guy from Southern California who hadn't ever seen it snow before. I know it looks from these four pictures like its just one big forest over here. That's a bit of a misrepresentation. My dorm is situated on the side of one of the hills that surrounds Marburg and is only about a 15-20 walk or 5-10 busride from downtown. We're kind of on the edge of where it stops being developed and turns into woods. My language class is further up the hill away from town in a large complex building; not in the city. My other classes are in town. So its not all a winter wonderland here, even though its seems like it from the photos. Oh well.

Ja®ed

This is on the way to our language class building just after getting off the bus.

The view from my window.

Waiting at the bus stop to go to class

The front of my dorm

Frohe Ostern! (Happy Easter!)

I'm having a very nice and relaxing long weekend for Easter. Yesterday morning I went to a French cafe in town (I'd like to think it was morning, but by the time I woke up and got down there it was probably early afternoon). It was very nice. I even said goodbye to my waitress in French. Also, I returned in the evening for dinner and when I was walking back home it was snowing lightly! Was ist das?! Marburg actually has had very strange weather so far. It often changes several times a day. It might be sunny in the morning and then get cloudy and rain a little bit or snow a little and then get sunny again and then foggy, etc. I'm told its not always like this though, just in the spring.
We recently took a guided walking tour of Marburg for our history and culture class. It was fascinating and amazing to learn about this very old city. Our tour guide pointed out a house (typical of the 'old town') where they had carbon dated the large wooden beams criss-crossing the outside of the structure (you'll see in the pictures). It turns out that the beams, which are original, date from the 1300s. Marburg was not bombed during WWII, so it is known as one of only a few intact Medieval cities. As I understand, the rest of the unique wooden beam houses would also date from around this time. Its interesting because they are often crooked and asymmetrical from being so ancient, but they're all in such nice shape; always perfectly painted and maintained. Its like I'm in a Dr. Suess book.
Also, we visited the old university building. It was founded in 1527 and is the oldest protestant seminary/university in the world. I'm not entirely sure if it has been continuously operational, but it at least was the first to exist. Luther came here in 1529 for a council of sorts to discuss a theological issue. We also walked by a church which dates from 1180. You could see where crusading pilgrims had chipped off parts of the corners of the stone walls to serve as sort of a poor man's relic. Wow, I think my definition of 'old' is being rearranged.

Warmest Regards,

Jared

French bistro

Bible + Cappuccino = Splendid

This building is the oldest protestant university in the world

Six hundred year old house

Ancient original beams

German flowers

The view from my window

Hannover

I took a trip to Hannover this weekend with three other folks from my group. It was nice. It took about four hours by train to get there. I enjoyed seeing what the countryside is like here. Its was a little strange to my eyes actually. There are many fields, but virtually no houses or structures built out amongst them. All the dwellings are condensed into the towns instead of being spread out everywhere.
We arrived in Hannover around 10:30 and walked around the city for a while and visited the botanical gardens. They were impressive even though it is still essentially winter here. Maybe I'll post some pictures of it some time.
Things got interesting on the ride home. We didn't realize that our train split at one of the stops, with one half going towards Marburg and the other half to a place that was definitely not Marburg. We were on the wrong half. It was a while until we realized it and there were no trains going all the way back to Marburg that late. So we spent the night at the train station in Bebra. The German guys in my dorm haven't even heard of Bebra. It was a little chilly so we took shelter in some phone booths for a while. I have to say that was a new experience for me. God was good, though, and everyone handled the ordeal exceptionally well, I must say. We eventually made it back this morning safe and sound, but what an adventure!

German countrysideAre we there yet?

Hannover

Neat clock and cafe

Charming rowhomes

We walked all the way down, and all the way back that long straight path through the park

Statue in front of the train station

Cathedral where we ate dinner

Andrew, Laura and Bobby

We inhabited these phone booths to stay a little warmer

This was our hangout until we discovered the phone booths

I went on another little exploring expedition on Sunday afternoon and took these pictures. How about that old church and gravestone! Ancient to be sure.
I had a pretty relaxing weekend. I did a fair bit of sleeping, cooking, reading, walking, studying and conversing. I also went to the English service on Sunday evening at Christus-Treff. I met some guys in my dorm from Yemen and there are two guys in one of the other language classes from Benin. We played foosball while on break one day. They speak French in Benin. Its amazing how many people there are here from all over the world. I enjoy talking with some of them and getting a little international flavor.
For culture and history class today, we went to a local radio station. We got to see how they operate and even record a little show. Embarrassing or cool? I'm not quite sure.
Did you know:
sales tax in Germany is 19%.
Regards,
Jared

amazing door

mildly amazing sign

"Heinrich Unkel"

sweet street

very old gravestone

very old chapel

bike parking at the train station

all the bikes

Smart car

me and Smart car