Lass es schnee, lass es schnee...

Yes, it's snowy in Bochum. And currently -8 C. According to Glen's landlady, it could be -20 C at the weekend. I don't want to believe her, that seems stupidly cold. Surely nowhere could ever be that cold? I was pretty much wearing all my clothes today, and it was still a bit nippy. Have pre-warned my sister, who's visiting Koeln (rather than Bochum) at the weekend to see me...guess she didn't fancy the tin mining museum, one of Bochum's many attractions.

(NB. I just looked on wetter.de. It's not going to be -20. Silly Barbara..)

Tomorrow I get to move into my new WG, with my new German friends. I hope they really are as cool as they seemed when I met them; we've not had much time to hang out. Still, they don't have much to live up to; I talk to my current 'flatmates' so little, they don't even know I'm moving. Seems a bit of an awkward thing to announce when we usually say literally nothing to each other. Apart from the guy who insists on speaking to me in French. How many times will we have to go through the usual 'quoi? er...quoi? je ne comprends pas...' before he gives up and realises my French is not sufficient to have a conversation?

I also just got back from Bergamo, where I visited the lovely Alex de Mare on her birthday. It was my first ever trip to Italy! I can't remember the last time I went to a country where I could not communicate at all. It was weird. I hated it, actually. Felt like a right dick, having someone ask me something at the bus stop, and just having to say "I don't speak Italian". It also meant I couldn't argue my own way in the club when they refused to give me tap water. I caused a bit of a scene, then angrily reached behind the bar and stole a handful of ice (I was really drunk...it seemed acceptable at the time). Got a right evil glare from the bar woman.

That and the hungover plane ride home aside, epic weekend.

Hopefully expect an upbeat post tomorrow, with pictures of my empty new room.

Dora.
xxx