One thing that always makes me smile on UM's campus is how nice the Blue Bus drivers are. I have literally been able to run across South University waving into the bus driver's mirror as they are parked in front of the UMMA and have them wait for me. Perhaps this is why it takes forever to get anywhere on UM's campus with the bus. Still, you can imagine my surprise yesterday when, after arriving only seconds after the SaarVV bus doors had closed, the bus driver shook his head at me, refusing any late entry. Even better was this morning when another young person had the EXACT same experience. Are they trying to teach us some kind of lesson about being on time? With all due respect to the SaarVV, I think that this particular government agency could use a lesson in its ability to keep a consistent schedule. The buses with the mean drivers were 2 minutes early, last week the bus that departs from right outside my work didn't even show up, and in general the last bus that should theoretically bring me to work on time never does because it's always 5+ minutes behind. AHHH! In general, though, the transport system here is very convenient and far superior to what Ann Arbor/Washtenaw County have. Then again, it's not a fair comparison due to tax structures, public priorities, etc.
In other news, I just wrote a letter in French! If I've experienced anything on this trip, it is realizing how much my 7ish years of studying French has really paid off. German is still a work in progress... I hope that the last 7 or so weeks here will yield even better results. One thing that I've noticed is that once I realize someone speaks English better than I speak German, it's hard to coax my mind into speaking German again. I'm not sure what that is - some kind of personal problem about them judging my German negatively? It's very silly, to be sure. I'm understanding almost everything now, though the local dialect is still sometimes challenging.
Now it's back to printing off tickets. This week we have Mahler's Symphony No. 3, with a second performance at the Arsenal in Metz. According to my French friend, the Arsenal was inaugurated with the help of Dmitri Shostakovich and the acoustics are quite good. But I think that I am going to stay in Saarbrücken this weekend and have a quiet weekend here.
Pictures from Paris are coming, I promise! I'm just struggling a bit with how to organize/arrange the album on Flickr. Bis später, alle!
Your story about the bus was hilarious because I had the exact opposite experience this weekend! Both a train and a bus waited for me. I would have been completely screwed if both hadn't. And I was late each time :) I guess you just need to look like me!
ReplyDelete