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In other news I finally have a washing machine. Not too excited, but it is actually quite confusing. I have never seen a washing machine like this. It is a top loading machine, but it spins like a front loader. So you have to put your clothes in, then close the spinning drum and then close the lid. The choices for washes are also very different.
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| Too many options... |
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| Top load, but spins like a front loader |
I still don't really know which cycle to pick. The options are cook/cotton, easy (?), fine, shirts/blouses, hand wash (cold), wool and mixed/fast. The cycles vary from half an hour to two and a half hours! Depending on the cycle the amount of clothes you can put in varies. For the fast wash you can only put in 1.5 kg where as the cook/cotton cycles take 5.5 kg. For many of the cycles you then have to choose the temperature (30,40,60 or 90 degrees for cotton). And finally you pick the spin speed, from 300 to 1000, I presume rpm. It is all so confusing, I don't know what to pick, and for what clothing! So far I don't think I have ruined anything, clothing or machine :)
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Yesterday I went into Frankfurt. I wanted to go to Staples and then meet up with some friends. I took a bus for the first time because they were redoing the tram lines and had a bus replacing the tram. Confusing when they explain the changes in German and then everyone gets off the tram (which is at a stop I didn't think it went to) and then I don't have a clue what is happening... I can't wait to learn more German.
I spent a long time at Staples checking out all the stationary. It was great! I bought one of the pencil cases that all the kids have. They come with everything you need, and everything has it's own spot. I also bought a fountain pen to go with it. The pencil case has a spot for it, and lots of ink replacement cartridges. Oh, and of course I bought a purple one!
There were a lot of "back to school" items on sale since school has already started. I bought some other things that I need, like tape and notebooks.
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After my trip to Staples I headed back to the Zeil, where I met up with one of my fellow TAs. We wandered around the Zeil, the Römer, and through that area, as she showed me various places of interest. Good to know where the best chocolate stores are! She spent a year in Frankfurt about 8 months ago and is a good person to know! We tried to go to the library so I could get a library card, but it had already closed.
We did go into the cathedral. Inside they have some information about the archaeology of the site. Since it had to be rebuilt after WWII they found out some things during construction. I saw where they found the grave of the young girl from about 1500 years ago (the items from the grave are in the archaeology museum). They also showed a map of the various foundations underneath.
The black was the first church hall built in 680. The red is something from the Merovingian era. Then the church expanded with the beige in 790, and in 840 the yellow (extension and covered hall leading to the kings hall which is where the archaeological garden is. This is something else I learned about at the archaeology museum). The orange, included a "Salvatorbasilika," in 900, then in 1150 more expansions and a new west facade was built (green). In 1240 the blue extension was built. I think this is when part of the skull of St. Bartholomäus was enshrined in the cathedral. I am trying to piece all this information together from what I can read in the photo and from wikipedia. I will have to go back and read it properly. The black drawing is the church today.
Here are some other photos of the church. When it was rebuilt it was decorated with donated pieces. In some places things creates a rather interesting style because different parts have been put together. I took some pictures of the nave and the HUGE organ.
After some wanderings I headed home for dinner. Later in the evening I went back to Frankfurt to meet up again with my friends. 4 of us met up at an Irish pub right by the Hauptbahnhof. The place was huge, and apparently is a hang out for English speaking Frankfurt. It was nice to relax and hang out with some friends.
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This morning I repeated what I did yesterday and went for a bike ride. Yesterday I went through the fields and came back through the forest. Today, after stopping at a post box, I headed straight for the forest. This one piece of forest isn't too big, but has lots of paths. I took the main one straight up to the road on the north side, but then found a side path to come back on. I saw lots of people walking, some other bikers and even one person on horse back.
You can see my lovely purple bike. It is a bit squeaky but I love having it. I am looking forward to more exploring, especially when the weather isn't so muggy. Sometime I want to make it closer to the Taunus hills. One great thing about where I live: it is not at the top of a huge hill. If I ride in one direction I go up hill first and the other way, down first. It is great because I go downhill to the train station - so I can go quickly if I'm trying to catch a train. But if I want to ride for fun I go the other way and get to save the downhill for the way home. No 8th Avenue hills after a day of riding :)
If I get homesick I can just jump on my bike and ride through the forest. Or head to my friends house in the west end of Frankfurt. Near her house reminds us both of Yaletown.
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I am going to have a relaxed rest of the day - I need to rest for the school week. I have been cleaning and organizing a bit, and later I'll probably turn on the TV. See what I can find to watch in German!
Tomorrow I have Hort after school, but then in the evening I might be going to the movies. The one movie theatre that shows movies in English has a special on Monday nights, the CineSneak. They show a movie that hasn't yet come out, but you don't know going in what movie will be played. They are all played in their original form, so most I think are in English. One of my friends and I have agreed that if it is a scary movie we will leave!
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!!
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