Going Postal

Today I recieved my first piece of post. I know that a number of people have sent things, so everyone's waiting on baited breath to see whose post arrived first. Well, to draw it out even further, all I recieved was a little orange piece of paper from Deutsche Post informing me that they couldn't deliver the post to me. I didn't quite understand whether it was because I wasn't home to collect a package, or whether they couldn't fit it through my mail slot. So I trekked out to the post office to get it.

The main post office is about a thirty minute walk away, and there's no subway station close to it. Buses - yes, but I'm not brave enough to venture onto those yet. Plus I actually have to purchase a ticket to get on, I can simply feign ignorance on the subway if stopped by the inspectors (I hope, hasn't happened yet, and rest assured I've only travelled two days on the subway without tickets). So with the sun on my back I headed out. That's right, the sun is back, and it's supposed to be bumper weather on the weekend and beyond. Some say the 30 degree heat will return. I like their style. Tangent. Sorry. Returning to the story at hand, I headed out to the post office and got the front desk only to be told that my mail is sitting at the post office round the corner from my house. Little annoyed to have walked all that way, but I figured with the nice weather it's all good.

So I find the post office, which is hidden in a little square off the street, and get my package. The postal lady and I joke about the box (the German word for black being the same for illegal - schwarz), and I head on my merry way. Walking down the street I must have been a real sight, I was laughing so hard when I saw the customs sticker on it which simply announced: "Confectionary" to the value of "$15". You trying to get me fat Mum?

As for the goodies, inside. Here you are. Apparently I'm supposed to share it with my German friends. In the short space I've been away so far, certain traits have obviously been forgotten then. Since when do I share? Especially confectionary. And we all know how impatient I can get with food taunting me, sitting so happily in my room. We also should know how quickly I eat junk food. But it's good to know that people want me coming home with a wider girth, I have been slimming down and toning up with all the healthy food I'm cooking and all the walking and stretching I'm doing.

I'm sure if I eat it, I'll find some way of replacing it for my friends. There's rumour of a store in Hamburg with kiwi food and delicacies such as Pineapple lumps. Actually, ferreting it out might be a bad idea. At least German goodies are cheap.

In other news: Kathryn, the other exchange student from VUW, arrives here tomorrow morning and we've touched on making plans for the weekend. She'll be awesome to have around, what with her speaking fluent German and all I should be able to get in some good practice. And much needed help if I can't convey my point clearly enough. But, yay! Friends!

Before I leave you for today, couple of quick notes:

• I managed to figure out how to light my oven. Trink gave me the idea of igniting it from the broiler. Turns out the ignition point is through a little slidey thing in the bottom of the oven. So it's Kat's fish for dinner tonight. Yum.
• IKEA is huge, and I will return and have another proper gawk at it. I promise I'll take photos no matter how touristy it makes me look.
• I now have Skype with video up and running, so if you want to see what I look like and hear what I sound like in Germany, you can chase me up there. Email me if you've forgotten my Skype details.

Finally, something to think about for the day, not that I agree:

Humor is the first of the gifts to perish in a foreign tongue
- Virginia Woolf

And a huge thanks to my Mum for sending me the care package.