Tweet tweet

So, Hamburg is pretty far north.  By my rough estimates from Google Maps, it's about as far north as Hudson Bay.  Luckily for us here, the ocean's proximity keeps us from getting too cold; and according to my Vermieter, it gets to about 34 C (93º F) in the summer, which isn't so bad at all.  Being so far north, the sun sets around 9:30 PM, and rises around 5 AM.  This is all according to a web search I just made, but I always feel like the sun sets closer to 10 PM and rises closer to 4 AM.  For example, it's 10:20 right now, and it's still  light out.  Of course, accompanying the rising sun are the rising birds.  Tweet tweet tweet!  I think I'm getting accustomed to them though, and sleep right through their chirping.

Work has been great lately.  I'm becoming more and more the go-to guy for any and everything related to English.  Granted, people there have decent English, but they can't whip out things like "...and hereafter, the aforementioned client shall remain the sole authorized agent...".  Granted, that one was a little over done, but my English skills have come in handy in writing letters to clients, understanding letters from clients, and translating different forms.  Yesterday, Maria had me carry a box down to her car, and then she remembered she needed a box of her business cards, only to realize she had forgotten her Handy on her desk, and then only to realize she needed this one business card that was still up in her office.  So after 4 trips back and forth, she profusely apologized and bought me a double-scoop ice cream.  Totally worth it.

One really cool thing about work is that they have a basket of free fruit for the Mitarbeiter (employees).  Granted it's not organic or anything, but it's better than nothing!  Today there was a little market on the street near work.  A small little deal, with a few little vendors and their German food.  I ended up getting a smoked salmon Brötchen for lunch today, which was quite good, and decently priced.

The rest of today, however, was a pain.  I woke up earlier than usual, and went to the Ausländerbehörde, to get all signed up and to get my visa.  Of course when I got there, they had given out all of the numbers, and I would have to wait if I wanted to try to get an appointment.  Keep in mind, none of this process is posted anywhere.  Not online, not on the wall, not in a poster or leaflet.  The only way to figure out this process is to go and do it wrong once, and be corrected.  Then you'll know how to do it the second time.  The only other way is to go with someone who's done it, or have them explain it in precise detail.  Either way, that process involves them screwing it up on their first time.  So, after I wait in line, and finally get in, the lady starts talking, and informs me that in order to get my work visa, I need to register with the city.  And no, even though I had asked her earlier what to do, and had asked up at the information, no one bothered to mention that.  So that took another hour of waiting, but I'm now officially a resident of Hamburg.  Meaning I'm registered with the city, but don't have my residence or work visa yet.  Which is really really dumb, and I didn't find a single person today who thought otherwise.  But on the upside, I got a free pass to the theater, for one showing in the next three months.

Tomorrow's casual Friday at work, which should be nice.  I'll take (and link) more pictures once I start to get more into the swing of things.