Sunday, July 6, 2008

KLAAR!

For those of you who don't know freaky deaky Dutch, 'klaar' means done. I'm officially done with my MA! Hurray! Some people experience a post-graduation dip, but to be honest, I feel euphoric! Life could not be any better really. I finished my thesis not too long ago and just received the grade; I'm happy to say it was exactly what I was hoping for! It was great news and a great feeling after four months of hard work. It's still hard to believe that it's over though.

The day after I handed in my thesis, I headed to Hamburg to visit my adopted family from Berlin - Ines, Volker, and Anton. The timing was perfect. I didn't think I would be able to go, but I finished my thesis earlier than expected. It all worked out great. I stayed there with them and Volker's parents. It was possibly one of the most relaxing weekends ever spent, and they completely spoiled me the whole time. Hamburg left quite an impression on me. The old harbor was fascinating as well as the diversity of the city. You can find everything there from posh to sex shops. The best part was watching the ships pass at the harbor on the sandy beach with Ines and Volker. I finally had the feeling that summer officially started.


Could they get any cuter?
Actually maybe if I mention that they're officially getting married in one month!

Could he be any more German?

Old harbor of Hamburg. Tea and oriental rugs are stored there.

Herbert and Anton playing board games on a sunny afternoon.

While I was in Hamburg last Sunday night, Germany played against Spain in the finals for the European Soccer Championships. It was really cool to be in Germany for that game but unfortunately the boys didn't pull through. It was clear though that Spain was the better team. I had some major flashbacks of Berlin during the World Cup. The atmosphere during tournaments is crazy! And, I would safely say that the Dutch have the craziest fans! Orange everywhere! They won all three of their first matches and everyone was in such a good mood. But then, they sadly lost to Russia. The mourning stage is officially over now for the Dutch but let's just say I'm glad I was at a Germany party the night they lost rather than a Dutch one.

Out of control Dutch fan
Huh?