Well, well, well. It has been quite the busy weekend. It all started on Thursday, when Carola had her next-to-last exam up in Munich. We started off from Oberaudorf, and headed to the train station to catch the train to Munich. However, the trains were not going for some reason. We called Carola's grandmother, and she quickly came to pick us up and take us to the train station in Rosenheim. From there we could take the next train to Munich. However, that train was running a bit late too. So, time was getting short for Carola to get to the University in time for her exam. The train we were on went into the Munich main train station. We pushed our way to the front of this train so we would have less ground to cover once we got off. The door opened and we were on our way, sprinting through the crowds. We ran underground, hoping to catch the subway to Marienplatz, the downtown area of Munich. We had luck, and got on a train just as it was leaving the main station. Then, we got off at Marienplatz, and had to sprint down an escalator even further underground. Now, in order not to get in trouble, Carola had to validate our tickets. I ran ahead to see if I could hold up the subway train. We had luck again and there was a train just sitting there with the doors open. However they started to shut just as Carola was sprinting toward the train. I held the doors open as best I could and somehow we both squeezed through and exploded into the train car, welcomed by a few wide-eyed German commuters. All the effort payed off, and Carola arrived at her exam five minutes early!!

After Carola got a good grade on her exam (I have to brag), we met her Grandma. We went to a cafe for tea, coffee and cake!! I am told this cafe has some of the best cakes in Munich. I tasted them and I think it is possible. Carola ate a strawberry cake (Jenna: Erdbeeretorte) with a big smile on her face.

Then, while Carola went to go talk with her other professor, I got a guided tour of Munich from Carola's grandma. It was really nice and I got to learn alot of the history and meaning behind the buildings, parks and shops. Everything was in German too, which was really good for me.

After Carola was done with her professor, she met us at Marienplatz. Now it was time for her to meet some friends for a bachelorette party. I stayed with her long enough to meet with some girls and then I left to get on the underground train to meet an old Estonian friend who now lives out in the suburbs of Munich. I found her ok, and I got to see a part of Munich that I had never seen before. This is an area that is mainly state-subsidized student and low-income housing. All in all it is quite nice and nothing like what one imagines inner-city US cities to be like. I had a nice dinner and walk with Liis, and we caught up on what each other has been doing, and then it was time to head back into Munich proper.

Carola was having too good of a time to come back to Rosenheim with me, so she decided to spend the night in Munich and come to Rosenheim in the morning.

We had a nice day hanging out with Magnus, who has just gotten back from Ireland. Friday night we went to the Polterabend for Carola's friend. The Polterabend is a tradition in Germany. It is a reception for friends and family that is generally held the night before the wedding. People bring all kinds of porcelain - plates, cups, dishes, and even sometimes a toilet or sink - and they smash it on the front steps of the engaged couple. The couple then has to clean up the broken pieces. Carola and I brought two plates and we smashed them for good luck. If you smash glass, it bring bad luck.

After all the smashing was done we had BBQ and pot-luck. Carola and I made cookies. They were a big hit. Everyone loved them. I just used the Tollhouse recipe off the internet. The only chocolate chips I could find were in little tiny bags and intended for placing on the top of a cake (why else would they have such a small box of them ;) ). No big bags of chocolate chips here.

Then, after we woke up the next morning, it was Carola's birthday!!!! Magnus was really thoughtful and he got the breakfast table ready for Carola with a newspaper, tea, and decorations. She was indeed the birthday girl. Then Walter and Nora came, and we had a really nice relaxing time. We went into Rosenheim, did some shopping, and came back and played a board game.

The next day was busy, but nice. We got a train ticket that allows for unlimited travel for 5 people, and so we went for a hike above Oberaudorf. It was really nice to get outside, and it was a great sunny day. The Alps were clear and we could see all the mountains in Austria as well. The bad news is that the Alps are alot more crowded than the Rocky Mountains, however, the good news is that when you get to the top, there is usually a nice lady waiting to serve you a cold beer. On the way down we took a luge that runs all the way to the bottom of the hill. It was a ton of fun - I can't wait to do it again. Magnus and I raced to the top of the jungle-gym and then we went to go meet Carola's grandma. She was very very happy to see Magnus, as he has been in Ireland for the past six-months. We had a nice time there, and then headed back to Rosenheim to watch the European Cup final, German v. Spain.

It was a hot summer day, and I have never seen so many German flags. They were everywhere. In America flags everywhere usually means fireworks and hot dogs and parades. In Germany, it means that there is about to be an important football game. So, along with a few thousand of our friends, we headed in to downtown Rosenheim. We walked through Max Joseph Platz where there was a live band and thousands of football fans waiting to watch the game on a huge outdoor screen. We were not up for such things and headed to a small beer garden instead. They also (of course) had a tv where we could watch the game. It was a fun, festive atmosphere - until Spain scored their first goal. Then it became really clear which team was the better team as Germany could hardly get any shots on goal.

After the game we got the last train back to Oberaudorf, and Nora and Walter headed back to Kufstein, Austria continuing on the same train line. There were big thunderhead coming over the mountains and Carola and I got home just before the skies opened up. It was nice to have some relief from the heat of the day.

Now today was much more relaxed. I just did some research and read a bit. Carola is back studying hard for her final exam on Friday. More about that later.

Last weekend was the Langenpfunzen beer festival. I had gone to it last year, and it was nice to see things repeat again. All the locals got dressed up in their lederhosen and dirndl. It was a very nice time and Carola's brother, Walter and his girlfriend, Nora, were also there. Each of the beers served is one liter - so no light drinking allowed.

Well, I am now sitting here in Oberaudorf, in southern Germany. I have recently accepted a contract with the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. I will be working for their microfinance spin-off, the European Fund for Southeast Europe, or EFSE. This is where I did my internship last summer, so it is not anything so new, and it will be nice to already know some people when I start.

This is an article from the Financial Times about EFSE: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/9114deb4-33e1-11dd-869b-0000779fd2ac.html

...and in German:
http://www.ftd.de/karriere_management/karriere/:Neu%20Handelsroute/370597.html


Above is a picture of where I will be working.




However, despite all this progress, I still need to get a work visa. And due to the way the system works, it could be as late as mid-August before I start. So now I have a bit of a vacation time, which has been great. I can spend some time with Carola while she is working hard on her final exams. It looks like she will be done on the 4th of July. So if you see some fireworks on that day it is most likely us celebrating the fact that Carola and I are both done with school now.

As for Oberaudorf, it is a small village tucked here in the shadows of the Bavarian Alps. It is really nice to be out of Denver and in a small town where the pace is a little less hectic and everyone knows everyone else. Everything is really safe here and everyone looks after one another. It is really nice. To the left is a photo I took of the house where I am living. It is Carola's aunt's house. Her Aunt Renate is currently living for a year in Scotland with her family, so Carola is house-sitting while she is studying for her exams. The house is situated quite nicely next to a big hay-meadow. In the photo you can see the wood stacked under the carport in front of the house. It seems to be much more common for people to heat their houses with wood here. The main Catholic church for the village is just off to the left. The priest of this church is the one who led Carola's trip to Israel last year.