In which I acquire a social life

I went to a party last night. Just a small celebration, about 15 people drinking beer and eating crisps. It was in my building, one floor above mine, so I didn’t even have far to walk home. J, the giy who’s party it was, had applied to a programme (Fulbright I think) that arranges student exchanges to the US. Yesterday he heard that he’s been accepted, meaning he’ll be given a stipend and sent off to study abroad for a year. I proofread his application for him (it had to be written in English) which is why I was invited to the party. Well, it was a reason. Hopefully not the only reason. So I got my much needed drink… plus several more. Jan and I didn’t get to bed til 4 o’clock this morning!

Then this afternoon I went to meet a friend for coffee. We went to a cafe called Zero. They do this amazing hot chocolate. Erakleon or something it’s called – sounds Greek but the menu claims it’s Italian. Anyway, it comes in random flavours like strawberry and lychee or white chocolate and hazelnut and it’s just incredible. It’s so thick that you can’t actually drink it. It has to be scooped up a bit at the time and eaten with a teaspoon. Heavenly! Really it’s not quite cold enough for such things yet (today was gorgeous – sunny and quite warm for the time of year) but I decided to treat myself anyway.

So I have actually managed to socialise two days in a row. And this is the third weekend that I’ve been invited to a party. I’d better watch out… at this rate I’m going to find myself turning into a person who has a life, and then when will I find the time to blog? 😉

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Hot, cold, hot, cold

I woke up at 5 o’clock this morning because my throat was killing. This is a new one on me – I’ve been kept awake by sore throats before but never had one that woke me up in the middle of the night. It was horrible, nasty sore throat as well – the kind where even the thought of swallowing causes intense pain. So I lay awake for half an hour, quilt shoved tightly up to my throat wishing I didn’t only have an hour of sleepy time left before the alarm went off.
By the time the alarm did go off the intense pain had died down to a kind of scratchy feeling, which was much easier to cope with. I feel like crap though – all weak and like my head’s been stuffed with wet cotton wool. I spent the last few hours of work freezing to death and thinking longingly of my nice warm bed, a cup of hot chocolate and a good book. Except I forgot I said I’d meet a friend this evening didn’t I? And since she has a 45 minute tram journey to get to Karlsruhe it’s a bit late to cancel on her now. Back out into the cold air I go then…
Actually a bit of cold air sounds quite appealing at the moment. After three hours of feeling like I was in an igloo with no clothes on my body now seems to have gone into eskimo in a rainforest mode. I still wouldn’t turn down a hot chocolate and a good book though. I’m halfway through terry Pratchett’s Going Postal (for about the 5th time!) and my new one is just begging for me to get started on it. But I shall be brave and go socialise.

It’s Saturday, hip hip hooray

Actually Saturday is pretty much over at this point but the title was too good not to use. (OK, it wasn’t actually that good but I couldn’t think of a better one).

A friend of mine who used to be a language assistant with me has come back to Germany to do a second assistantship. This time she’s living in another town roughly 45 minutes away from Karlsruhe, but today she came into town so Jan and I went to see her. We went to Cafe Emaille for lunch then to Gelbe Seiten Cafe so that we could have coffee and I could pick up some books. I needed new ones to read on my daily journey to work and they have a bookcrossing zone there. Hooray for free books!

After coffee we headed to C&A so that Jan could buy me some clothes. (And before you start thinking I’m one of those girlfriends I should point out that normally I buy my own clothes, but this particular shopping trip was part of my birthday present. He doesn’t like to surprise me with clothes in case a) I don’t like them or b) they don’t fit, so instead I got a birthday card promising me a shopping trip at a later date).

Currently Jan is at his flat where he has to pick up a few things. But soon he’ll be coming over again so we can have dinner. Then we plan to spend the rest of the evening eating Ben & Jerry’s icecream and watching films. Not a bad Saturday I’m sure you’ll agree.