Well I'm Here...

I took a train and a bus from the airport over to the campus at Garching and then walked to the Chemistry building, met with the people that invited me, had a little introduction to some people, my work area, and was given a tad bit of advice by a few people.

I knew coming in that most of the research group I'm working with isn't German... but it seems as though they are almost entirely Russian but furthermore, it seems like they don't like to speak German unless they have to. So it seems I'll have to go out of my way to find opportunities to speak German.

Then they passed me off to Egor, one of the (Russian) grad students and he showed me the Gaesthaus where I'll be staying. It's a small little room, a little smaller than my dorm was, with a bed, tiny desk, big window, and a big armoire type thing called a "Kleiderschrank" I believe but it's a single so it's not so bad. The only true downside to the guesthouse is that it has no internet access in it which is why I'm not sending this out until now.

Egor and I went to a cafeteria type place connected to the math department. I actually don't know what it is that I ate but it was good and I had some beer to go along with it (of course). We talked for a while about Russia, the US, Germany, Chemistry... I got told probably five or six times to repeat myself more slowly because he couldn't understand my "accent".I also found it strange because he seemed to really buy into American stereotypes. Like "This place is good but it is no 'McDonalds' yeah? I hear that in America everybody eats McDonalds all the time." and "I hear all American women are huge?" Also, they all knew I was from the US and asked me where exactly in the US and it was the first time I've gotten blank stares after saying "Florida". This is in complete contrast to the first time I met the head professor and told him I was from the area south of Gainesville and he said "Oh, Tampa?" and I told him further south and he said "So like Fort Myers?"

After that I went back to my room, unpacked, set myself up and went to sleep. I'm working on pictures and more info and such... so far no luck though.

Shane