13/12/2010 Going down… Miami Beach

We stand up early this morning to pick up my rental car. Unfortunately, (or by purpose) my brother forgot his driving license, so I drove all the way down to the everglades by myself. Surprisingly, I was not as stressed and tired, as I expected to be after a 7h nonstop drive. And we were also lucky to catch the last air boat leaving in the Everglades. It was a bit cold, so there were not that many alligators; however, we have had the chance to see 3 of them in the free nature. Later in the evening we met up with my old colleague and enjoyed ourselves with drinks and dancing. Sweet.

10/12/2010 Graduation Day

It is my day. Graduation! Finally. I have this black robe, my hood, and my heat on when I am going my very last time (for this year) to my university. The ceremony takes from noon until 5 pm. Pretty long, and to be honest, also pretty boring. It is kind of formal, you go together with you fellow students in the hall. Than you sit and wait until they call your name, you take your degree and go back. Funnily, when you get back to your seat and look in the nice cover of your degree, there is no degree inside. Only a letter, congratulating and telling you will receive the degree somewhat later by mail. Ah, ok.
Some students tried to pimp the ceremony up by customizing and altering their robes. Several girls personalized their heats by putting glitter on it and wrote greetings to their family and friends on it. Sometimes, when a student stepped up, their family starts cheering them. In special the black families were very proud and active in shouting the name of their baby or even blowing air horns, which woke all the others up a bit.

After that, we met with my friends for a really nice steak dinner at Outback’s. Some people might argue that an Outback steakhouse is not an adequate place for a graduation dinner. I think it is humble and honest, and I love their steaks. In addition, I do not care that much about fancy food, and it is my graduation, so I can choose whatever I want, even if it would end up in Häägen Daz. After that, we went for drinks, bars and even more drinks. Great.

Btw… It was the first time that I drove my new, not yet insured car… So I was the sober driver on my own party. And it was not too bad.

09/12/2010 Discovering the neighbor

Today is a day off. So my brother and I make a day trip to the small neighbor city “St. Augustin”. It is considered to be the oldest city in the United States, and the Spanish heritage is obvious. The city has a wonderful historical down town, beautiful residential areas and a very romantic light house. Really pretty and I am sure, I will go there more often with my friends for just enjoying the view with a coffee.

24/11/2010 - I make my driving license

Yes. I decided today to make my driving license. I will buy my first car soon. It is not, that I want to buy one. I think, it is costy and ... I do not like it. Well, mostly because it is costy and I have to arrange so much... invest time, money, effort... all those things. and I have never had a own car... I do not feel that I need that.. I like my bike a lot... But I am rational and I know my friends will kill me, if I do not buy my own car soon and drive them for the next 2 months. And they are right. In Florida, you need a car. The urban planning is ... weak. No public transportation and no efficient ussage of the space. So, you need already a car from your housedoor to the letterbox or garbage can, because they are a half mile away. They do not have a 2nd or 3rd floor, so everything is pretty wide. And because they do not have public transportation, each house has to have plenty parking slots in front for all the people with their huge trucks. And this spreats the city much more out... A devil cycle. And now, I am in it. So I need a car. I have never had an accident, however I am rational enough to buy an insurans (here we see the german low risk tolerance). The US-insurance system is kind of funny. They are not interested in my 10 year accident free driver report. No, they are only interested in an Florida driving licensen to calculate my insurance fee. And the difference is huge. With my german driving license I have to pay 100 USD per month on insurance, with an Florida licenses 30 USD. And the license costs 50USD... So... well for sure I will do this amazing test....
And so it comes, that i am busy with statements like:

Hitting a row of bushes is better than hitting a tree, post or solid object

Aha... good to know.

13/10/2010 Hope & Disappointment

I applied for a very good and very well paid position with a big fantastic company. Today, they called me. They told me, how interested they are, and that they also forwarded my CV to other devisions. They want to meet me tomorow morning to discuss 3 positions.
-Wonderful!
Than, 5 minutes later, a second call... If I need some future sponsorship for my Visa. I said that I have the Visa for the first time already, the following, I would need to get it with the company. ... "Sorry, than we cannot go on."

So sad.

20/09/2010 My first Bachelorette Party

My friend marries in November, so we decided to throuw for her a bachelorette party.
The party was a blast! We went to a mock wedding with her, we bought her a wedding dress, and a crown and we were dressed as her bride maides.
There was a real wedding cake, buquette trouwing, soap bubbles, glow masks and tons of freaky guests! We have had lot of fun! And I am sure, this was one of the best Bachelorette parties ever!

15/09/2010 We are Florida ladies

Back in Florida, I enjoy my live with my friends. Sun, pools, drinks and nice people around you. It is sooo much better than I expected it to be. I am happy. Tonight we have "Girls night" in my hot tube. eating pizza while swimming? We can do that!

05/09/2010 Little Havanna

Yesterday night, I got sick. Soooo sick. I ate wrong, too late and too much. This resulted in a short visit in my favorite club. Too short. On the roofdeck of Clevelander at the Oceans drive, there was an amazing party. It was so great, cool music and me with 10 other friends. You could party and enjoy the wind in the hair. Looking down, on the people dancing on the ground floor and looking over the town and the ocean. On the roof, they have had rainbow waterfalls, waterfalls from which the wattter was falling down in rainbow colors. I worn my new dress and all was great... But my belly. So I stayed 5 minutes and went sad home for sleeping.

The next day was a bit better, i thought. but soon I found out, that I only felt good, if I was lying in my bed or at the beach. sitting and walking was not a very good idea for my belly. However, somewhen in the afternoon, it was ok and we started a cool sightseeing tour. (Remeber, I was the only person allowed to drive the car) We went to Miami Ink and after that to Little Havanna. Little havanna was nice, but rather empty... Well we should predicted, that sundays is not that much action in latino, catholic districts. But it was nice and we ate the cheapest and best food at the whole miami trip.

In the night I worn again my new dress. The guys came over in our room, we drank, we talked, it started raining and it never stopped. We were staying and waiting while drinking, but it was like a hurrican. Somewhen at 2 we took the risk and left the hotel. I wanted to go to the Mansion Club on Washington, because I ahve had always a good time there. Unfortunately, the club requiered an entrance fee of 40$. Way too much, in special, if I can stay only for 2 hours, because I have to sleep to be ready to drive the 7h back tomorrow. So, I went back on the rainy street, towards my hotelroom. Seems, this dress is not done for party :(

25/08/2010 - Hurricans & Starbucks

Today, I saw this advertisment on our Starbucks. Yes. Our Starbucks. We have one Starbucks on the campus. :-)

23/08/2010 First day in classes... American classes

Classes started! I have 5 courses (plus my thesis). For europeans, this sounds not that much, but in fact, in US it is a bit diffirent. WE have to read a lot of books and have finals, midterms, projects, homeworks and quizzes. A lot of names for tests, tests, tests and ok, groupworks. So I will be really busy. (This is alsy, why I post this article now and not already some days ago)
Also the classes itselves are different. We have no morning classes, but somethimes we are sitting until 22:30 in the lecture. I have no idea how I shall do that without sleeping in. One day we have classes from 12:00-19:30, with only 2 breakes of 15 min in between. This is not long enought to eat and change the room. And it is almost a whole working day ... I will be starving.
However, the people there are great. I am very happy and I already met a lot of nice new friends. It is so easy to meet new people. The semesters starts, and we have a lot of orientation meetings, registration things and other events, where we meet other new starters. Everyone is looking for new contacts,a dn so forming groups is really easy. I also appreciate that there are open classes, where other people, than my normal fellow students participate. This makes a good mixture.

18/08/2010 - Trailors, Trucks and the confideration flag. Welcom in Florida

I am in USA since yesterday. I made my long way over Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chicago to Jacksonville, where I got a late in the night pick up from my friends. Due to my late arrival I could not check in in my appartment and I slept the first night at their place. They are living in a very cute area, called river side. It is near to the river and all the houses are this "american style". Solo standing, nice frontyard, nice garange and wooden surfaces in yellow, white, pink or baby blue. And a lot of american flags everywhere.
Next day, I checked in in my appartment housing. There was also an american flag, just to make sure, you are still in the same country. My appartment complex is nice, there are 3 floor houses, 2 pools and a club house. In my appartment there are with me 3 girls living. All are nice, and maybe I will write you later a bit about them.
One of them is a girl from greece and she also just moved in. My friend (now our friend) wanted to help us to buy a car and he drove us to the car buying place. A white old men met us on the street and told us to follow his car. He has had a lot of tattoos and only a few fingers left. The final destination was an interesting trailorpark. Here was also a flag, but the south staate flag. So, just to make sure, where we are... US... somehow. Our friend is half black and he was imediatly pissed off of the flag and the person and the place and everything. But he is a nice american sales guy and he did not showed it, when we went to the 30 car wracks, which were parked behind the trailor. Than the man and our friend started their "ghetto talk". about the brothers and the neighbourhood, and that you have to help the people and so on. Interesting.... I never have had such an experience in my live. Finally, the car was too bad and we went home.