Rainy day in Hamburg

Today was the first real rainy day we've had since I got here.  Still not too chilly, which is nice.  It was actually kind of fun to walk to and from school in the rain (of course, the umbrella and waterproof jacket make a world of difference!  I'm really glad I decided to bring a vinyl shoulder bag for my school supplies too, or my folder and sketchbook would have been soaked).

Petra and I walked to class today instead of taking the train.  We got turned around though, because there was no sun to help us get a sense of direction, and so we ended up being a little late for our class orientation.  But it was okay.  The professor for Picture Book is named Bernd, and he seems really nice.  There are five international students taking his class: me, Marni, Petra, Malin (from Sweden) and Josephine (from Denmark).  The class involves making our own picture or concept book, and we can have it printed and bound at the end if we want!  I can't wait!!!

The five of us went to Boesner, the student art store, after that, and I bought all the acrylic paints I needed for Nude Painting.  After that I went back to school for my orientation of Mezzotint Printmaking.  The teacher for this class is named Louise.  She is pretty and has a nice voice.  I understood very little when she was speaking to the rest of the class in German, but it was really nice to listen to.  She seemed really nice as well.  I'm excited for her class too--we get to do engravings on zinc plates, which I've never done before.  Actually, I've never done any kind of printmaking before, so this will be really cool.

By the way, I've found that German isn't nearly as harsh a language as films about the Nazi regime make it seem.  True, Germans are very precise and very punctual, but when they speak, their language is surprisingly soft and pleasant to the ear in most cases.  I really enjoy hearing it spoken . . . I wish I knew how to speak it myself.  Got to start studying those basics books I brought with me!

Tonight a bunch of students are going to the opening night of Hamburger Dom, the spring fair.  Hamburger Dom takes place two or three times a year, and runs for about four weeks each time.  I think I'll go another day, when it's NOT raining (and less crowded)!