Deutsche Boerse
I had a great day at the German Stock Exchange today. Very interesting as each part of today was not as expected! The stock exchange broking floor was very calm...I was expecting a made frenzy in the pit...rather there were people chatting, watching the news, eating and one broker had even brought in her daughter! We then went to the headquarters of the Deutsche Boerse. They operate the stock exchange, the clearing house and also Eurex and Xstra the trading platforms. Basically it is just a big software company. The headquarters is pretty plush! Very interesting firm.
FOMO
I heard the saying tonight:
FOMO
"Fear Of Missing Out"
I've just recently written a friend a note talking about this issue but until now I have not heard it so well put!
Addie suggested the NO card to try to help my obsession of trying to do everything offered to me. It helped to some degree but I still spread myself too thinly at Uni and back in Adelaide! I now know i'm not alone and other suffer the symptoms of FOMO!
FOMO is probably similar to greediness...we want everything possible. It also comes back to the world we live in where we have access to so much information so we always live in the knowledge that somewhere, someone is doing something that we too would want to do. We have so many opportunities before us. Sadly it can seem as though whatever we have now is not good enough. I can only resolve to be aware of this from now on...and try to take up as many quality (not quantity) opportunities that arise.
FOMO
"Fear Of Missing Out"
I've just recently written a friend a note talking about this issue but until now I have not heard it so well put!
Addie suggested the NO card to try to help my obsession of trying to do everything offered to me. It helped to some degree but I still spread myself too thinly at Uni and back in Adelaide! I now know i'm not alone and other suffer the symptoms of FOMO!
FOMO is probably similar to greediness...we want everything possible. It also comes back to the world we live in where we have access to so much information so we always live in the knowledge that somewhere, someone is doing something that we too would want to do. We have so many opportunities before us. Sadly it can seem as though whatever we have now is not good enough. I can only resolve to be aware of this from now on...and try to take up as many quality (not quantity) opportunities that arise.
Berlin
Berlin:
Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/ajoest/Berlin#
After our first set of exams a group of eager adventurers decided it was worth visiting Berlin on our first free weekend. Not only was it a free weekend for us but also the Mauerfall Celebration - the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall.
Brent, Jorsia, Hamsa, Petronela and I hired a car to be our method of transport. I hogged all the driving and enjoyed every second of pushing the hire car to its limits. I soon learnt that a) Hire cars don't like going over 170kph and b) the speed limit is not always unlimited limit (eg I might have got a speeding fine - which if I do I will hang up as a trophy to say I got a speeding fine on the Autobahn...high novelty factor!)
We stopped via Nurnberg on the way. It is a very beautiful city particularly around the Alt-Stadt. We walked up to the castle and also around the Marktplatz. We had lunch before hitting the road again.
It was good thinking time on the open road. Brent kept me company as we chewed up the bitumen while the girls slept three across the backseat for most of the way...
I had heard that U2 were playing at the Brandenburg Gates as part of an MTV event on the Thursday evening we were to arrive in Berlin. Unfortunately we were unable to get tickets. As we rolled into Berlin we heard on the radio that U2 had been delayed and as such we headed as close as we could to the gates to see what we could see. We parked the car just as the first song started and while listening to the following three songs tried to get as close as possible to the stage. The concert ended just as we arrived at a vantage point of the backstage area. Our closest brush with fame was to peer over the fence to Bono and the boys get into their black combi vans and speed off into the night.
I stayed with Chrissi at her apartment while the others stayed at a very cheap and good hostel in Moabit.
What is immediately striking about Berlin is the open space. There is no feeling of being in a big city at all. When standing at the Reichstag (the parliament) you can see buildings in the distance that don't at all look big. In fact the buildings are huge but the open space dissipates any claustrophobic feelings.
We spend most of Friday walking around the city and seeing all the touristy sights. We were lucky to have spectacular weather (allbeit cold when out of the sun). The official figure was that 200,000 extra tourists were in Berlin for the weekend.
Touristy things we saw
- Berlin Dom
- DDR Museum
- Alexanderplatz - outdoor exhibition
- Rotes Rathouse (Town hall)
- Breakfast east side
- Oranienburger Str
- Hackische Markt
- Flea Markt (girls singing, lots of english speakers)
- Checkpoint Charlie
- Standing sections of the wall
We didn't get super touristy but got aimed to get a feel of the city and the people. Most impressionable is Berlin's recent history. It's hard to comprehend what has happened in the city even over my lifetime. When the wall stood, there was huge division in Germany and Europe. This had all sorts of effects on the people. Leading up to the opening of the wall people were restless and in the end it was this people pressure that allowed for the wall to be opened. Some still argue that it should never have happened. It's pretty mind blowing.
Still it is noticeable which sections of the city are east and which west. We spent some time trying to get out of the city centre and experience the suburbs. This was quite rewarding, not in a touristy way, but just to see the rough, grubby, in-you-face side of Berlin; the features that make it such an amazing city. We stumbled across an artist colony who's back yard was full of metal sculptures. It was dark and industrial but yet somehow very creative and inspiring. Only 50m was a modern office building. This contrast is Berlin.
On Friday evening we hit the town and had a night out in the Hackische Markt area. It was a fun night that ended rather late but that is what Berlin is all about!
Saturday included many of the same activities - seeing different areas. Breakfast was deep in the eastern suburbs, while lunch back in the west!
Gabor (Chrissi's boyfriend) was also in Berlin for the weekend and it was great to catch up with them both. Moabit has a really nice feel about it. Nice tree lined streets with small shops and cafe's. Really comfortable.
After a long touristy day on Saturday we planned to head to a restaurant / wine-bar called Weinerei. I had heard about it via the New York Times - 36 hours in Berlin article. What attracted me is the theme of the bar. It operates on an honesty system whereby you pay however much you feel the drinks and food is worth. They have been running since 2003, before you ask if it is a viable business model! In fact they worked out that people on average pay more than their share. There were 6 reds to try and drink as well as 4 white wines from all over Europe. They simply put food out on a side-board with a help yourself type system. The food was wholesome and well made. Not over the top but simple appropriate food. The night was going along really well until Hamsa had her bag stolen. This obviously changed the dynamics of the evening sadly. (Luckily the story ended reasonably well in that she got her bag and most of the belongings back the next day.)
Sunday, after some time with Chrissi and Gabor it was time to head back to Mannheim for class. We dropped into the big flea markets but didn't find anything exciting purchases. Although it was a great visit. One notable part was two girls singing and playing guitar to attract people to their mini-garage-sale and also homemade cake and tea. A great way to spend your Sunday morning!
We dropped into Leipzig for dinner but really spent most of the day in the car trying to get home. It was a long drive but well worth while. I really hope I can get to Berlin for an extended period of time sometime soon!
http://picasaweb.google.com/ajoest/Berlin#
Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/ajoest/Berlin#
After our first set of exams a group of eager adventurers decided it was worth visiting Berlin on our first free weekend. Not only was it a free weekend for us but also the Mauerfall Celebration - the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall.
Brent, Jorsia, Hamsa, Petronela and I hired a car to be our method of transport. I hogged all the driving and enjoyed every second of pushing the hire car to its limits. I soon learnt that a) Hire cars don't like going over 170kph and b) the speed limit is not always unlimited limit (eg I might have got a speeding fine - which if I do I will hang up as a trophy to say I got a speeding fine on the Autobahn...high novelty factor!)
We stopped via Nurnberg on the way. It is a very beautiful city particularly around the Alt-Stadt. We walked up to the castle and also around the Marktplatz. We had lunch before hitting the road again.
It was good thinking time on the open road. Brent kept me company as we chewed up the bitumen while the girls slept three across the backseat for most of the way...
I had heard that U2 were playing at the Brandenburg Gates as part of an MTV event on the Thursday evening we were to arrive in Berlin. Unfortunately we were unable to get tickets. As we rolled into Berlin we heard on the radio that U2 had been delayed and as such we headed as close as we could to the gates to see what we could see. We parked the car just as the first song started and while listening to the following three songs tried to get as close as possible to the stage. The concert ended just as we arrived at a vantage point of the backstage area. Our closest brush with fame was to peer over the fence to Bono and the boys get into their black combi vans and speed off into the night.
I stayed with Chrissi at her apartment while the others stayed at a very cheap and good hostel in Moabit.
What is immediately striking about Berlin is the open space. There is no feeling of being in a big city at all. When standing at the Reichstag (the parliament) you can see buildings in the distance that don't at all look big. In fact the buildings are huge but the open space dissipates any claustrophobic feelings.
We spend most of Friday walking around the city and seeing all the touristy sights. We were lucky to have spectacular weather (allbeit cold when out of the sun). The official figure was that 200,000 extra tourists were in Berlin for the weekend.
Touristy things we saw
- Berlin Dom
- DDR Museum
- Alexanderplatz - outdoor exhibition
- Rotes Rathouse (Town hall)
- Breakfast east side
- Oranienburger Str
- Hackische Markt
- Flea Markt (girls singing, lots of english speakers)
- Checkpoint Charlie
- Standing sections of the wall
We didn't get super touristy but got aimed to get a feel of the city and the people. Most impressionable is Berlin's recent history. It's hard to comprehend what has happened in the city even over my lifetime. When the wall stood, there was huge division in Germany and Europe. This had all sorts of effects on the people. Leading up to the opening of the wall people were restless and in the end it was this people pressure that allowed for the wall to be opened. Some still argue that it should never have happened. It's pretty mind blowing.
Still it is noticeable which sections of the city are east and which west. We spent some time trying to get out of the city centre and experience the suburbs. This was quite rewarding, not in a touristy way, but just to see the rough, grubby, in-you-face side of Berlin; the features that make it such an amazing city. We stumbled across an artist colony who's back yard was full of metal sculptures. It was dark and industrial but yet somehow very creative and inspiring. Only 50m was a modern office building. This contrast is Berlin.
On Friday evening we hit the town and had a night out in the Hackische Markt area. It was a fun night that ended rather late but that is what Berlin is all about!
Saturday included many of the same activities - seeing different areas. Breakfast was deep in the eastern suburbs, while lunch back in the west!
Gabor (Chrissi's boyfriend) was also in Berlin for the weekend and it was great to catch up with them both. Moabit has a really nice feel about it. Nice tree lined streets with small shops and cafe's. Really comfortable.
After a long touristy day on Saturday we planned to head to a restaurant / wine-bar called Weinerei. I had heard about it via the New York Times - 36 hours in Berlin article. What attracted me is the theme of the bar. It operates on an honesty system whereby you pay however much you feel the drinks and food is worth. They have been running since 2003, before you ask if it is a viable business model! In fact they worked out that people on average pay more than their share. There were 6 reds to try and drink as well as 4 white wines from all over Europe. They simply put food out on a side-board with a help yourself type system. The food was wholesome and well made. Not over the top but simple appropriate food. The night was going along really well until Hamsa had her bag stolen. This obviously changed the dynamics of the evening sadly. (Luckily the story ended reasonably well in that she got her bag and most of the belongings back the next day.)
Sunday, after some time with Chrissi and Gabor it was time to head back to Mannheim for class. We dropped into the big flea markets but didn't find anything exciting purchases. Although it was a great visit. One notable part was two girls singing and playing guitar to attract people to their mini-garage-sale and also homemade cake and tea. A great way to spend your Sunday morning!
We dropped into Leipzig for dinner but really spent most of the day in the car trying to get home. It was a long drive but well worth while. I really hope I can get to Berlin for an extended period of time sometime soon!
http://picasaweb.google.com/ajoest/Berlin#
LOL
LOL, standing for "Laugh Out Loud" is a terrible blight on the English language used often in sms, twittering and Facebook.
I'm still trying to understand Germans and Germany and in particular why there are not openly loud at celebrating or being proud of their wonderful country. On the whole, Germans are very good as being openly negative but not as good at being openly positive. This is a generalisation and not reflective of perhaps the intense following of sport (eg soccer!) but an observation nonetheless. I've seen it at the supermarkets, i've seen it with MBA related instances and i've seen it on the faces of people walking the streets of Germany.
LOL came into my head the other day because I was somewhat taken aback hearing roaringly loud laughter in the street from a group of German's having a beer at a cafe in town. It was just so unusual to hear open hearty laughter! I have no idea what they were talking about and their level of intoxication not that it mattered anyway.
Germany is a great country and is a role-model to the rest of the world. Although they have had a relatively volatile history over the past century (not that I pretend at all to understand it or neigh-say it) as time heels wounds of past/recent events Germany probably feels more able to express itself and I hope this infiltrates exponentially through the population as soon as possible!
Again, this is a generalisation and an observation. I hope i'm wrong and I keep hearing more laughter in the street!
I'm still trying to understand Germans and Germany and in particular why there are not openly loud at celebrating or being proud of their wonderful country. On the whole, Germans are very good as being openly negative but not as good at being openly positive. This is a generalisation and not reflective of perhaps the intense following of sport (eg soccer!) but an observation nonetheless. I've seen it at the supermarkets, i've seen it with MBA related instances and i've seen it on the faces of people walking the streets of Germany.
LOL came into my head the other day because I was somewhat taken aback hearing roaringly loud laughter in the street from a group of German's having a beer at a cafe in town. It was just so unusual to hear open hearty laughter! I have no idea what they were talking about and their level of intoxication not that it mattered anyway.
Germany is a great country and is a role-model to the rest of the world. Although they have had a relatively volatile history over the past century (not that I pretend at all to understand it or neigh-say it) as time heels wounds of past/recent events Germany probably feels more able to express itself and I hope this infiltrates exponentially through the population as soon as possible!
Again, this is a generalisation and an observation. I hope i'm wrong and I keep hearing more laughter in the street!
Term 1, Part 1 = Tick
So it's been a while since I've written something and I apologise to all those who I have promised to write to and haven't yet. All in good time! I guess it's because i've been a good-boy and put studies before play (or so I keep telling myself!).
Last week was the end of the first part of term one. The week before everyone submitted their Decision Analysis assignments and last week we sat two exams; Financial Accounting and Macro Economics for open economies. It was a huge relief and reminded me of the day when I completed my Engineering only a couple of years ago. The exams went well having prepared well for what we were asked on. I am actually looking forward to the next exams in December for some strange reason! Maybe i'll review that excitement when I get the marks back for these first two exams!
Being eight weeks into the program it was great to get some time to reflect over the weekend on our time so far. After exams a group of five of us hired a car and drove to Berlin for the weekend. Another blog will follow...Upon 1400kms of driving time I had time to contemplate the last couple of weeks. It will be a fast ride to September next year when we hand in our last assignments and graduate!
I have had so many thoughts about:
Subjects
Lecturers
Personal future goals and ambitions
People in the class and the amazing cultures
Social events and Mannheim/Germans
But you'll have to ask me about them directly! Not because I don't want to publish it but more because I need to get on with some other things tonight! The to-do list is always huge after a holiday - but i'm not complaining!!
Last week was the end of the first part of term one. The week before everyone submitted their Decision Analysis assignments and last week we sat two exams; Financial Accounting and Macro Economics for open economies. It was a huge relief and reminded me of the day when I completed my Engineering only a couple of years ago. The exams went well having prepared well for what we were asked on. I am actually looking forward to the next exams in December for some strange reason! Maybe i'll review that excitement when I get the marks back for these first two exams!
Being eight weeks into the program it was great to get some time to reflect over the weekend on our time so far. After exams a group of five of us hired a car and drove to Berlin for the weekend. Another blog will follow...Upon 1400kms of driving time I had time to contemplate the last couple of weeks. It will be a fast ride to September next year when we hand in our last assignments and graduate!
I have had so many thoughts about:
Subjects
Lecturers
Personal future goals and ambitions
People in the class and the amazing cultures
Social events and Mannheim/Germans
But you'll have to ask me about them directly! Not because I don't want to publish it but more because I need to get on with some other things tonight! The to-do list is always huge after a holiday - but i'm not complaining!!
Porsche Factory
Today we visited the dream factory!
What is brilliant about Porsche is they have a design and marketing background but support it with a great product.
My favourite is the 356 by far. So simple, so elegant, so beautiful...
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ajoest/PorscheMuseumVisit#
What is brilliant about Porsche is they have a design and marketing background but support it with a great product.
My favourite is the 356 by far. So simple, so elegant, so beautiful...
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ajoest/PorscheMuseumVisit#
Expectations
This last couple of months have been a roller coaster ride. The key aspect has been managing the 'expectations' of each step of the way. Many would argue that it all comes down to ones personality to worry about what the future holds and hence develop expectations upon too little knowledge. After some conversations that I have had over the past weeks, it's good to know i'm not alone.
Clearly it is dangerous to develop an expectation of what the future holds. But this is natural. While you can't predict everything going into each day or each step there are a set of details that one can digest to develop an opinion or expectation into the short term and long term future. In some cases your expectation is that you can't predict what will happen and your expectation is that you won't have a defined level of expectation. But more often than not you have a stab at what that future aspect is. What happens when you develop an expectation that isn't met - positively or negatively?
- Is it better to lower expectations to ensure they are always met and hopefully positively influenced?
- Is it a matter of expecting / guessing better? Developing knowledge to formulate views better?
- Try not to develop expectations. Eg Don't judge?
- Accept that expectations will rarely be met and thus make an expectations but don't get disappointed when it's not met.
- Fight to ensure that your expectations are met.
After all there is nothing greater than having a high expectation of something and it being exceeded. Wouldn't that be nice for everything!
I guess it comes down to different situations. The answer is then perhaps a combination of all options. Either way what has been interesting is having the time to sit back and look at each of these times to evaluate the delta change of these expectations and real situations in the hope that intuition will be optimised and better 'expectations' can be made.
Schoenen Abend.
Clearly it is dangerous to develop an expectation of what the future holds. But this is natural. While you can't predict everything going into each day or each step there are a set of details that one can digest to develop an opinion or expectation into the short term and long term future. In some cases your expectation is that you can't predict what will happen and your expectation is that you won't have a defined level of expectation. But more often than not you have a stab at what that future aspect is. What happens when you develop an expectation that isn't met - positively or negatively?
- Is it better to lower expectations to ensure they are always met and hopefully positively influenced?
- Is it a matter of expecting / guessing better? Developing knowledge to formulate views better?
- Try not to develop expectations. Eg Don't judge?
- Accept that expectations will rarely be met and thus make an expectations but don't get disappointed when it's not met.
- Fight to ensure that your expectations are met.
After all there is nothing greater than having a high expectation of something and it being exceeded. Wouldn't that be nice for everything!
I guess it comes down to different situations. The answer is then perhaps a combination of all options. Either way what has been interesting is having the time to sit back and look at each of these times to evaluate the delta change of these expectations and real situations in the hope that intuition will be optimised and better 'expectations' can be made.
Schoenen Abend.
Singen Weekend
I had Friday (2nd of Oct) free to do some work which was good. It meant I had a little time to head to Singen (am Bodensee - Lake of Konstanz) for the weekend to visit my Oma and aunty. It was great to see them after what's been about two years. My visits always end up being a combination of hearty food, lots of coffee, walks around the area and lots of German listening. My German still isn't good enough to discuss things in two much detail sadly. A highlight of this trip was a walk up the Hohentweil with Gabi, my aunty. It was quite steep but provided a great view over Singen, across to Switzerland and the Bodensee. The big industries of Singen could also be seen easily - Alcan, Maggi and also a car axle manufacturing plant. I mention these because Singen is a very industrial town also.
The train ride from Mannheim to Singen is very spectactular. The line winds its way along the Rhine Valley into the Schwarzwald, the Blackforest. The last time I did the journey was in the middle of Winter so very cold, wet and not so green as the grasses and trees were dormant. This time the views were very green and beautiful. There are large areas of forest but also plenty of agriculture scattered along the train line. The large farm houses with their huge all encompassing roofs are very typical of the area but look great. It's a very clean and tidy part of the country. On the train there were lots of people ready to go hiking for the day. In fact it was a public holiday. Only Germans would put their public holidays on the weekend! Hopefully I get a chance to come down and do some walking also. Riding the train also gave me a good chance to catch up on emails and this blog!
The train ride from Mannheim to Singen is very spectactular. The line winds its way along the Rhine Valley into the Schwarzwald, the Blackforest. The last time I did the journey was in the middle of Winter so very cold, wet and not so green as the grasses and trees were dormant. This time the views were very green and beautiful. There are large areas of forest but also plenty of agriculture scattered along the train line. The large farm houses with their huge all encompassing roofs are very typical of the area but look great. It's a very clean and tidy part of the country. On the train there were lots of people ready to go hiking for the day. In fact it was a public holiday. Only Germans would put their public holidays on the weekend! Hopefully I get a chance to come down and do some walking also. Riding the train also gave me a good chance to catch up on emails and this blog!
Class
From now until Christmas we are studying core business subjects. We started Financial Accounting and Macroeconomics for Open Economies as our subjects for the coming five weeks. Now, after Decision Analysis we have two great Mannheim based lecturers who also share their teaching time at Wharton and Stanford Uni's in the US. This alone was impressive! What became also very apparent was that each of the two subjects are being taught in two very different styles. Financial Accounting is being taken as a very intense somewhat strict learning experience while Macro Economics is being taken in a more relaxed way. Both are advisors to high level European policy making so we get exposure to stories at all levels which adds significantly to our learning. What I am really enjoying is the fact that I am learning formally what I have seen in the past with Palmerston Projects and reading the Financial Review. For me it is fascinating and most enjoyable. As long as I keep staying on top of the work i'm happy!
Goldman Sachs / Deutsche Bank
On Tuesday and Thursday respectively after class this week we had presentations by Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank. Luckily for me the Goldman presentation was taken in English meaning I understood what was going on and got a great insight into how they have structured their investment bank. We were given a little insight into the Financial Crisis but GS faired so relatively well that they weren't too concerned with the situation! I had a good chat to the recruiting officer after giving me confidence in the job market for when I graduate next year.
The Deutsche Bank presentation on the other hand was held in German. I think I understood about a third of what was going on! Rainer Neske, the Global Manager of Private Wealth, spoke about a variety of things but gave a good insight into the market. He fielded some hot questions about banks which I thought he handled well. I can't imagine it would be too much fun fielding questions from pesky finance and business undergrad students! The Deutsche Bank presentation ended with a great 'meet and greet' session in the foyer. There are so many aspects to a bank's structure as I learnt with Goldmans and again with Deutsche. Although speaking with the Investment Bankers was, I had a really interesting chat with the inhouse consulting group. Not only was she a lovely person, but got me very excited about that area of the banking industry. I will look to apply for some summer positions and also for their graduate programs at the respective banks. I look forward to getting as much insight from a variety of organisations (not just Finance) over the coming months. I plan to keep making things hard for myself by leaving most decisions open for as long as possible with regard to industry.
The Deutsche Bank presentation on the other hand was held in German. I think I understood about a third of what was going on! Rainer Neske, the Global Manager of Private Wealth, spoke about a variety of things but gave a good insight into the market. He fielded some hot questions about banks which I thought he handled well. I can't imagine it would be too much fun fielding questions from pesky finance and business undergrad students! The Deutsche Bank presentation ended with a great 'meet and greet' session in the foyer. There are so many aspects to a bank's structure as I learnt with Goldmans and again with Deutsche. Although speaking with the Investment Bankers was, I had a really interesting chat with the inhouse consulting group. Not only was she a lovely person, but got me very excited about that area of the banking industry. I will look to apply for some summer positions and also for their graduate programs at the respective banks. I look forward to getting as much insight from a variety of organisations (not just Finance) over the coming months. I plan to keep making things hard for myself by leaving most decisions open for as long as possible with regard to industry.
Tim and Alina - To visit
I had a lovely weekend visit by Tim and Alina. They are working in the UK and travelling Europe each time they save enough to leave the hospital! When I travel there is nothing I appreciate more than having access to a kitchen, a washing machine and the internet. Only after that is a bed is a priority for me! Unfortately my apartment is just too small for me to have offered them a proper bed but we made do. Friday afternoon / night was the tour of Mannheim - it doesn't take long! The highlight was heading to Heidelberg for the Heidelberg Herbst. For me it is great to have people to visit because I can be a tourist too! Heidelberg is great at the best of times but when 100's of 1000's of people decend on the town it gives it a great atmosphere. The Hauptstrasse was chocker block with food and art/craft stalls as well as music. We found plenty of places to have a beer and Zwiebelkuchen (onion quiche), the Autumn specialty. We watched the traditional street parade which included music and flag twirling! All very German but fun. We climbed up to see the view over the city from the Schloss (castle). We timed it close to perfection as the sun was setting throwing glowing colours over the old stone castle. It was beautiful to look over the bustling city from the relative quietness of the castle. Heidelberg is a understandable tourist attraction due to the combination of the Neckar River, the castle, the old city and the green hills that enclose the whole lot. Tim and Alina couldn't find Mannheim in the Lonely Planet but were able to read a lot about Heidelberg! Just before the sun set totally we quickly headed back to the Steingasse and each bought a litre Vetter (local beer) each to drink on the Altebruecke! We were treated with buskers, a setting sun and great home brew! For me it was extra special to be with mates from home. Throughout the streets there were plenty of small stages playing all sorts of music. We did a bit of a music, flammkuchen and beer crawl before catching the tram back to Mannheim! A cracking day. Sunday was a little quieter! Tim and Alina had been to the Market on Saturday while I was studying so had bought a lovely selection of goods for a picnic which we devoured in the Luisen Park. We were lucky to have such nice weather to sit in the park, eat, drink and read. After the long picnic I got Alina and Tim on bikes meaning we ended the day cruising the streets on Mannheim. At one point we were in the Jungbusch area which, politely said is a very cultural and 'interesting' area. It would be fair to say we passed through there as quickly as possible! That's Mannheim! We finished the day with some beers with MBA kids. Monday was an early start to get Tim and Alina on the train to Bonn and me to school. I was very sad to see them leave - my last organised contact with Australia!
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ajoest/GransburyRogersWeekend#
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ajoest/GransburyRogersWeekend#
Schneckenhof
The Uni of Mannheim students have a famous party series held in the Schneckenhof (snail court yard or something!). In winter the party moved to the dungeons under the castle. It was one of the first times I have had (because I had been away for all the weekends so far) to meet my classmates. Furthermore up until this evening I really hadn't had many opportunities to speak German as the common denominator is English for everything to do with the business school. Beers were only a E1.50 so it was an agreeable night indeed. It didn't take long to figure out who the party players are and who wasn't so much. After a huge show at the Schneckenhof we sampled some further Mannheim nightlife afterwards in the city. The rumour mill has not been churning as much as in the first weeks of St Mark's but there was activity!
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