Remember, remember the fifth of December

The week was not so successful for studies. My diploma thesis stucks in bureaucracy. Now my home university claims that I would not have done my semester abroad yet. Funny guys. It's not the first time they forget me. And I really do not get it. All they have to do is to check their computer system or a folder. Or phone the coordinator for semester abroads. He knows me. This whole stuff is so annoying. German service. That's one of those things why I do not want to go back. I think, a German civil servant is a person you can easiest replace with a machine.

Yesterday was the 5th of December. That's one day before St.Nikolaus in Germany. But it is exactly the day for the Dutch equivalent called Sinterklaas. The Dutch version equals the German "Wichteln" or Secret Santa. But it has some specialities. The present must be packed in a "surprise". I thought, a present itself would be a surprise. Tuesday night I learned that it is a selfmade package for the present. And to the present belongs a poem. So my schedule for Wednesday morning was quite full, although I did not create the surprise by myself (thanks here to Madelon and Maritha). In the morning I went to town buying new winterboots. I quickly found some. At university I thought until lunchtime about the poem. Afterwards I prepared a master-defense for Friday. Straight from university I went on to Norrmalms where Sinterklaas was celebrated. And it was so funny. The presents were funny and the surprises awesome.
Afterwards we went to Kåren. To our own party. The first pure exchange-party at Kårhuset. Although we had announced it a lot no Swedish showed up. But that did not matter. Almost everybody from the exchangers has been there. For me one of the best partys ever. Jens did a really great job on his first evening as DJ. The music was good. Most rock, but also a lot of requests from different genres. And everbody was singing and dancing! I am looking forward to the pictures: Stefan, Ward.
We arrived home at 3am. It became really slippery outside. It is warm, and water runs down the Nacksta hill everywhere and washed the compressed snow to a slippery track. On my way home I fell down. Between 3 an 4am Jens, Christian and I ate pasta at Christian's flat. At 4am I was finally in my bed. Long planned I took today free in order to recover from the party. And I did not much more. Sliding to ICA and back. And cooking with the three in the afternoon.
Tomorrow will be the big day. In the afternoon will be the master-defense I have to attack. But the highlight comes in the evening: at half past nine our train to Kiruna will start. 13 hours later we will arrive there and we will come back on Wednesday morning. We can hardly wait for it.