Real Germans, Homework, and a verdammtes System.

Immediately upon the return from Prague I realized that I have almost no time left to study for my finals. So this last week was spent taking care of everything possible to clear my schedule and "to Do's" for just studying.

Fortunately, there were a few breaks where I actually hung out with real Germans. I know it's not a big deal, they're somewhat like Americans but with a different language...but it's such a relief and so much excitement just to solely speak in German here in Germany, finally! (Granted my German still has a lot of errors, but it's better than doing everything in English). And...the more I hang out with the friends from Prague, the more real Germans I meet!

The title summarizes all that I've been busied with this week. Homework. I'll get that system in a moment. The only thing not included was a long jog Viktor and I ran. He normally trains for 1/2 marathons and said I should go jogging with him. So we meet Saturday at 7:00 a.m. (yeah, Saturday. I thought 7 a.m. didn't exist on Saturday--maybe that's just becuase I forgot since I haven't seen in since 1999.) Hearing him earlier in the week say that any jog under 1 hour is just not worth it, I decided to train all week, just for this jog. Fortunately the pace was much better than what I normally take, but we ran approx 10 KM and for 58 minutes. I didn't know I could even stand up for that long, let alone run.

Now for this system. The University Library is officially among the worst in the world. The whole school complains that they don't get enough funding so they need this "Study Fee" (Tuition) of ONLY $500 a semester. (I just want to scream --"QUIT WHINING!") But their entire University is so beaurocratic that nothing can be accomplished without the proper stamp, that you get from the one specific person, who is in the that other building, who only has office hours each monday morning from 8-8:30 and every 5th Thursday of the month from 12:00-1:00.

This anger has been rooted since I first had to check out a book. Now it escalated when I wanted to study at home. The business library ONLY let's you check out books on Friday night and then they have to be back by 9:00 a.m. Monday morning. (In case someone wants to use it. But forget the fact that there are already 4copies of each edition. They ALL have to be back). So I comply, and I got to the Business library at 8:50 a.m. and returned my book and started studying. (Trying to get through 13 chapters today). I work until 8:00 p.m. (when the bloody thing closes--I miss 24 hour libraries, or at least open 'til Midnight). And I ask if I can take the book home tonight and then bring it back tomorrow morning before 9:00 a.m. NO. I have to first prove I am a Diplom student in Business to the one manager who isn't around and then get the one special stamp on my little green card....THEN I can take the book home. Because if the guy at the gate could lose his job if he lets me take the book home. (Yes, they have a single entrance that is GUARDED to make sure no book comes in or goes out.) He kept asking if I understood and Yeah, I understood all the German, I didn't understand ANY of the rationale behind it.
If they complain about having too little money, then WHY do they so many employees who sit on their bums to watch people walk in and out, when they could allocate all these personell expenses to a book replacement fund, which probably wouldn't even be necessary. Oh not to mention that when I check a book out for the weekend, I have to write my name, address, phone number, book details, and sign for it on a piece of paper. Nothing centralized, nothing computerized. Beurocratic inefficiency.

Ask me what it takes to print a single piece of paper at the Library, that'll be the next story with
-account access
-wire transfers
-printing stations
-password verifications and even more.

Later Days,
Rick