One fourth of the way

Well apparently blogging is harder than I expected, especially when you are a full-time student writing academic papers on a regular basis. So what am I at now? One fourth of the way from finishing my masters and currently sitting in the living room of my friend Manu in Kyrgyzstan. Yes, Kyrgyzstan!! Although, I would love to fill you in with all the juicy details of my fantabulous summer vacation, I will leave that for another post, and for now, I can only say that this globetrotter is spending 21 days travelling through Kyrgyzstan, Tibet, and Nepal. Woot!! As for the past few months… study, study, study. Well really a balanced mixture between school work and social life. I’m still amazed by how different the German schooling system is to that of America… specifically to that of Berkeley. As a Cal alumna, I am used to endless hours at the library solving problem sets, not to mention the gnarly mid-terms and finals that would leave you zombified. Here in Germany problem sets are non-existent and so are mid-terms. You only have one final and some academic writing. They believe that that is sufficient, and So. Do. I! Mind you, that does not mean it is easier, for having to demonstrate understanding of a subject in one evaluation proves to be difficult, but rather, it means you have more time to understand the material, question it, and go in depth if desired. I find this a lot more useful than information overload.

As for summer in Germany, it is the bomb! Goettingen just lights up. Music festivals, friend gatherings, and of course, lots of beer drinking at the platz. Not to forget the awesomeness of riding your bike at night, through the old streets of Götti, while drinking some wicked German beer. Aaahhh, it’s always the little things with this gal! :) That said, although I didn't get to spend summer in Germany/Europe, I am more than excited for the summer ahead. For now, I’ll leave you guys with one of my new favorite songs by the French singer Barbara about the one and only Göttingen.