When Internet and TV are taken away...

I knew before I came to Germany that I liked using the Internet and watching TV, but I didn’t know how much time it took up until I came here and had both of those distractions taken away. We have Internet here at the house, but it is dial up and I have to take the computer out, hook it up to the phone line, actually connect, and then wait for things to load. It really not that slow, but it’s no DSL, or wireless, aw, don’t ya love it? Now I’m not complaining, because to be able to use the Internet at the house is fantastic, but because of these different elements of use, I am not on the Internet all the time. I check my e-mail once a day if I’m lucky, and once every couple days if I’m busy. Before I would use it as something to do if I was bored, maybe at night when I didn’t want to go out, but wasn’t ready for bed. Now that is just not an option. There’s also the issue of TV. When I moved to Berkeley, I downsized from digital cable, to a 7-station antenna. Which, after a little while, I realized was fine. They have most of the good shows anyhow, and it just makes it all the more special to watch Food Network, when I go home to mom and dad’s. But here, I get CNN, MTV (on which only songs are in English), and the Euro Sport channel, which announces most of the sports in English. Needless to say, I am not thrilled to sit down and watch TV in the evenings like I was before. So with all this free time, what’s a girl to do? Well, sometimes I go out in the evenings… Pub Quiz on Tuesdays, Volleyball until 10 on Thursdays (I should try going to eat with the team after practice on Mondays and Thursdays too, but I have yet to venture out for that) And other than that I READ. I know many of you have discovered this jem a while ago, but it took being out of college and not being forced to read school books, for me to rediscover this great activity. Not only do I read at home, but the book is always there in my bag to make the s-bahn/bus/waiting time pass a little faster. So, in the time I’ve been here, 7 weeks, I have finished the following titles:

•The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night – eh, it was ok. Read it on the plane over, little weird
•Secret Celebrity – The $1 book Laura picked up for me while working at Barnes & Nobel. By no means fine literature, it was a fun little glimpse into LA lifestyle and culture
•Jane Eyre – It took me a little while in the old English, but definitely enjoyable, and a great story
•Saint Maybe – hmmm… easy read, especially after Jane Eyre, had some interesting concepts, but nothing too exciting
•The World According to Garp – I got a couple of good laughs out of this one, but for the length of the book, not nearly enough. It had some really weird characters and affairs.
•The God of Small Things – still working on this one, very disjointed writing, I feel like I’m not getting it, but I’ll have to see how the next 50 pgs go. May need to reread in a while…

So those are it. If you have any recommendations, send them my way, just the names, or the whole book if you like  There is an English library in Stuttgart, but I have not been to check it out. I’ve been reading the titles I brought, and some of the family’s.