Video Study Abroad 2008-2009

It's HERE.
The moment you've all been so anxiously, eagerly awaiting.

You know what it is? You know what it is??

My Study Abroad video!!!

In my defense, it took me this long for a number of reasons, primarily including great shortage of time during school after my return, various frustrations with video editing, compatibility issues after the installation of Windows 7, and most of all, waiting on the transfer of several precious clips from Liechtenstein on a friend's camera that still never came and may, possibly, supposedly, apparently, agonizingly be lost to me forever.

But thank goodness my camera battery hadn't died before at least one small clip from Liechtenstein, so let's put that behind and without further ado, make way for!--:

I Spy

Sometimes while I'm walking on the street, I don't feel as if I'm being watched, but rather, recognized. Regensburg is certainly big enough that you only may or may not run into people you actually know on the street, but it's also small enough that there are certain strangers in the population who I definitely recognize by face now. I predict that we simply have frequently crossing routes in our daily lives. In my mind, I say hello to the people who sometimes get on the same buses as me on some days of the week.

(On a side note, there are even several people I recognize now because I recognize their dogs. One of them, for example, is a lean, tan-orange dog whose front right paw sticks out at a funny angle and he limps a bit. Another is a mixed white dog with brown patches who has funny and almost bunny-like ears that I can recognize instantly. Very noticeable dogs. In my mind, they are named Lean Tan-Orange Funky Leg Dog and Mostly White Bunny Ears Dog, respectively. In my mind, I wave hello to them.)

I imagine, If I can recognize them, then what would keep anyone from recognizing me, too?

In addition, we will consider the fact that I am Asian, which already brings me out in the general crowd here. Unless you would like to use the stereotype that all people of one general race all look the same as your argument. (Yeah, thanks. I must admit that I don't feel so bad about it because to me, all white people with vaguely brown-ish hair look precisely the same to me. Damn, but how I hope for the day when I can finally tell them all apart.)

In addition to that, we will also consider that I frequently practice juggling and poi in certain locations around the main city when the weather is nice outside.

A non-tourist, juggling, striped-sock-spinning Asian.

... If I can recognize random people here, they have got to be recognizing me. Case rested.

Regenbogensburg

Today was a public holiday (Ascension), and as a day itself, it was quite a marvelous one for me.

I spent the morning organizing things, and making yogurt. Yes! I am experimenting with bacterial yogurt cultures. But I forgot to take pictures. But it's okay. I'm planning to try again this weekend. (Because my roommate will be away, and consequently, not here to be too totally weirded out by this innocent experiment to thwart my adventurous attempts).

At noon, I scarfed a quick not-hungry sandwich, and headed out to the large square, Neupfarrplatz, where I juggled and swung poi. It rained lightly for a little while. Some German children came up and stared, completely mesmerized, at my throws and catches, which were mesmerizing. OoooOOoooh. One picked his nose and pulled out a blood-clot booger. Wait! You didn't want to know that.

I left Neupfarrplatz when it started crowding up and went to the Stadtpark ("city park") . Remarkably, I have only discovered this place within the last month. It is now one of my favored haunts of the city. I go there to read, study, stare into space, people-watch, duck-watch, juggle, poi, and as I did today, re-lace my shoes. (*Ask me sometime about my sneakers. I am a unique lacer :P . )

HOWEVER, I do hate adding to the internet's tedious, ever-growing collection of infinite blog posts that are all rant and no photos. And the main point of this post was, indeed, to show some photos.

Today, my dear readers, was most incredible, because one of my very, very favorite types of weather came and graced Regensburg.

Heavy rain in radiant sunlight.


I love this weather with so much of my being. It makes me close my eyes and breathe in deeply, hand to my heart, and want to run free in the open.


But I did not run outside, for Sunlit Rain lasts but minutes.
And I would have burned the frittata that I was making.


But the fantastic feeling will remain with me, as well as a photograph of a faintly shining rainbow over the cathedral of Regensburg. (This one's for you, Michael! :D )


As woefully predicted, the rain vanished soon after, but behind it rolled a sky of grand, darkening, slate-gray clouds..... So beautiful! Elegant and foreboding and unearthly and stately... my camera does no justice...


And a last look at the sky over Regensburg today.


I think I fell into a swoon and couldn't get up for a while.

Today, dear readers, was a most lovely and fantastic of days.



(Oh, and the frittata turned out nicely.)

Jugglers Unite!

By the way,

From Die Universität

I forgot to mention this earlier,

From Die Universität

but I found fellow jugglers :] .

From Die Universität

(You knew that I would! )

There is a juggling meet every Tuesday night at 20:00 at the university's Sportzentrum (sport/rec center). The space reserved for us is excellent, and as with just about all juggling groups, everyone does a little or a lot of everything, from beginners to experts. There's even a big stock of unicycles!! And for kicks, this is how it looks like to be on a unicycle.

From Die Universität

But I promise it's not as scary as it looks.