post-Hamburg

It's been a month since my last blog on 'meanwhile back home'. I've been neglecting it. Again. In my defense, I did write a lot for my criminology blog. Reluctantly I open up my journal, has really nothing interesting happened in my life, that is worth writing about?
I wrote a couple of application-letters, well, 6 to be exact, had a few coffee-dates and a dentist appointment, went to Hamburg. What the...? Did I not write about Hamburg? I guess I didn't. That's unfair, because my weekend in Hamburg deserves it's own blog.

When I saw my old Canterbury friends come up with a plan to meet in Germany on Facebook, I realised with a pang of jealousy that I wanted to be part of it. And my current situation allows for instant plan-making, so I booked a cheap flight.
Obviously it was really nice to see my Canterbury group, Evi, Jenny, Verena, Sandra, Nicolas and Yarin, again. They are a good bunch and I am proud to call them my friends. My weekend was calm and mellow. Just like life in a warm country slows down, the same goes for the freezing cold. With my limbs unable to heat up and my head suffering from a contstant brainfreeze, I was punished for packing wrong. Layering up might seem like a good idea to avoid check-in luggage, but when it's -5, you need proper snowboots and two pairs of jeans. Lesson learned.
But, we managed to deal with he cold and with an extra pair of Verena's legwarmers, I was even persuaded to do some ice-skating on a frozen lake. Along with the rest of Hamburgs inhibitants. My brave moves were rewarded with a nice plastic cup of mulled wine. Hot cocao might have worked when I was 5, but I now I need better bribery.
Other than that, it was the perfect weekend getaway that involved the right mixture of friends and food (lots of kaffee, kuchen and gewurst). Picking up roommates and boyfriends scattered throughout the city allowed for some interesting sightseeing. Watching a half-Turkish Yarin and a half-Greek Evi cook together in a tiny kitchen whilst listening to their ideas on politics and criminology, makes me believe in Europe. My meeting with Hamburgs nightlife was a one off. My cold limbs and tired body only allowed me to go dancing once, in a dark reggea basement. Dark because of the weedy smoke, not necessarily the lack of proper lights. Highlight must have been spending an afternoon on a boat, muddling through slushpuppy-like icewater, watching both the coast of Hamburg and the containerships pass by at a very slow pace. I felt truly blessed that I have been able to meet these guys and spent some extra time with them after my 6 weeks in Canterbury. I can't wait to see them again, and I hope they know that they are welcome in Rotterdam.