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Friday, October 3, 2008

How did I not know this!

So this is a first, 2 posts in one day, I know it's amazing. However since I promised to post funny stories, I just had to throw this one out there and let you all laugh at me.... So today was my first day almost since I got here when I had nothing to do. So I thought I'll get some shopping done, actually stock up on some real food, since I was basically out of everything except some rice. So I googled the closest Aldis and walked over. When I got there it was completely closed, this was 4 in the afternoon. I was a little surpised by this, but I knew that Aldis keeps pretty limited hours and figured that they closed early on Fridays. So I started walking to the other grocery store that's close to my apartment, it was about 4:30 when I got there, and they were also closed. I was really surprised at this, because I've seen them open in the pretty late evening. However I needed food so I thought, okay I'll walk downtown to the train station, there should be some food there (the train station is huge! It has an Aldis inside of it) So I got there about 5 and the Aldis there is closed as well. But the Hauptbahnhof (train station) is packed, I'm starting to get pretty suspicious at this point. Something weird has to be going on today. So because I have no food I stop at a bakery in the Hauptbahnhof, get something to munch on for today, and head home, it now being 5:30 and I've been walking around for an hour and a half, for just Half an hour in the insanely crowded Hauptbahnhof, and those of you who know me know how much I hate crowds. So I'm exausted, feeling slightly anxious from all the people, and beyond confused as to way the entire city is closed on a Friday. So I go back to my apartment jump on google and type in "October 3rd Germany" To very quickly discover that today is "Reunification Day" The day East and West Germany became one country again, equal basically to our 4th of July.

My question is with all of the orientation that I've been having for the last 3 weeks why did no one think it important to mention this? I think I heard about it in one of my classes at home, but I havn't heard a single thing about it in this country that has completely closed for the day.

4 comments:

Jordan said...

That is kind of an important thing that someone should have told you about. Sorry you had to walk around for nothing- hope your shopping goes better next time!

starletblaze said...

In learning about the culture, this would be an important thing for them to tell you in orientation. Did you at least get to see fireworks?

steeley42 said...

About half way through your post I thought to myself... "Didn't the Wall come down sometime around now, I wonder if they celebrate that?" I didn't think they'd close everything though. In the US the Walmart is open on the Fourth of July; I guess they consider it pretty major there though.

Michelle Glauser said...

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