Today, I had a relatively short day, (I'd only needed to work 32 hours this week, which meant that after the previous 3 days, all I needed was to work until 12:18). After running two rheometer tests, each time burning the tests, in addition to the other tests that were being done in the building, there were a whole lot various fumes going on, so I was done working in that building for the day. I came back after lunch (spaghetti bolognaser Art), and Mirko and Bianca wanted to go through their presentations (in English). They asked me to help them out and look through to correct any English errors. It was a nice break from the regular daily work.
Once we were done with all that, I decided that I would browse the internet for a while and went through several www.nichtlustig.de comics. Turns out, Bianca loves Nichtlustig as well, so we spent some time laughing at that for a while. Around 3:30, I left and went home.
After getting home, I decided to take a bike ride. I went and visited the Burg in Markt, then south to Biberbach, then back to Meitingen because it looked like it was threatening to rain, again. Eventually, Hr. and Fr. arrived back home, so Hr. and I sat and talked for a while together. Topics ranged from the names of American Football teams vs. the names of German Fussball teams. Football teams tend to be named after fierce animals (except for the Schwabing Unicorns and the Toledo Rockets) and theirs after the name of the sport club (FCA Bayern München = Fussball Club A___ Bayern München) etc. We also took out a Globe and looked at where we were in Germany and compared it to North America. Turns out, we are at a similar latitude as southern Canada. (Lansing is roughly equal to Florence in Italy).
Samstag, 29. Mai 2010
Post 17: Thursday of Week 2
Today was Flo's birthday. He baked a cake for everybody and his mother baked a cake for everybody. They were good. Other than that, there really wasn't a whole lot that happened today. One of my Rheometer tests burned in the oven today, so the room was filled with a light smoke for a while until the windows were opened. It rained a lot today. It rained while I was on my bike home, literally, until I got home. I arrived home and it stopped raining.
Today, Tim sent me an e-mail regarding a "pre preg" (pre (resin) impregnated carbon fibers) assignment. Basically, once I have some values from the rheometer, I'll be able to use an equation that some guy came up with in 2000 to determine the best time and pressure to press the prepreg together to create a thicker piece. It aught to be interesting to figure out how that all will work out, and how I will get to understanding what I am doing.
Today, Tim sent me an e-mail regarding a "pre preg" (pre (resin) impregnated carbon fibers) assignment. Basically, once I have some values from the rheometer, I'll be able to use an equation that some guy came up with in 2000 to determine the best time and pressure to press the prepreg together to create a thicker piece. It aught to be interesting to figure out how that all will work out, and how I will get to understanding what I am doing.
Post 16: Wednesday at SGL
Got an e-mail from Fr. Gierl regarding both the Lohnsteuerkarte and the possibility of loaning a bike for the summer. After getting a call from the person in charge of everything to do with payment and taxes, I found out that I didn't need to have a Lohnsteuerkarte at all since I will be here for less than 6 months. So I won't have to pay taxes. And I got a bike from Herr Schwarzbart for the summer. It is one of the company bikes. It doesn't have any more than one gear setting.
When I got the call from the guy in the finance department, I noticed that my phone didn't make any sounds when it "rang". So I asked Bionca if she knew how to get it working properly. She said that she did, so we got it working properly after searching through all 48 possible ring tones. So, I currently have "the Flintstones" as my ringtone. We also found out that you can set different pictures as your background. So I now have Tux the linux penguin as my phone background picture. We all had quite a laugh together going through it all. It was a lot of fun.
Later on in the day, I got to have a lot of fun playing with Excel and a program called Origin. lots of "fun. Bionca and Mirko (two of the other Diplomanten) have presentations next week on Tuesday to discuss their projects. Their presentations are supposed to be in English, so I've gotten several questions regarding particular translations. I took a short bike ride through Herbertshofen and Meitingen for about 40 minutes.
When I got the call from the guy in the finance department, I noticed that my phone didn't make any sounds when it "rang". So I asked Bionca if she knew how to get it working properly. She said that she did, so we got it working properly after searching through all 48 possible ring tones. So, I currently have "the Flintstones" as my ringtone. We also found out that you can set different pictures as your background. So I now have Tux the linux penguin as my phone background picture. We all had quite a laugh together going through it all. It was a lot of fun.
Later on in the day, I got to have a lot of fun playing with Excel and a program called Origin. lots of "fun. Bionca and Mirko (two of the other Diplomanten) have presentations next week on Tuesday to discuss their projects. Their presentations are supposed to be in English, so I've gotten several questions regarding particular translations. I took a short bike ride through Herbertshofen and Meitingen for about 40 minutes.
Entry 15: Tuesday of Week 2 at SGL
Well, back to work today. I started off at the Gemeinde Meitingen (Meitingen's town hall) to get my Lohnsteuerkarte (income tax card). They told me that I needed to get that from SGL. So after arriving at work, I sent off an e-mail to my contact in the Personnelabteilung (HR department). I spent a lot of time today reading up on various things. Other than that, I really didn't do a whole lot today at work. After I arrived back home, I had dinner then watched probably my new favorite Fernsehsendung (=TV episode) Galileo. For those who don't know, Galileo is a show where somebody asks a question of the team, then they go about finding the answer.
Today, it started with everything you ever wanted to know about the Chili pepper (which part of the pepper causes the most heat (the seeds)? What is the name of the scale used to measure hotness (serville scale sp)? and does hot food A. Put you in a good mood, B. Help you lose weight, or C. Increase the Libido (turns out, it's all three). ) The second part was based off of the question, what is under Berlin (U-bahn, Wasserleitung (=water system), and ice/bier cellars. Apparently, on one level, they store boxes of ice, the next level down is a cellar for the bier. In this way, they were able to keep bier cool during the summer before refrigerators. Third part was a study looking for the world's strongest glue. They tried store bought glue to glue a car to the ground, which didn't quite work. They used instant glue, which required the strength of a car to remove. They then found a specific type of glue (specially made) which they used to clamp two pieces of steel together (with only 0,2 mm of glue). They brought in two tow trucks that were designed each to carry 20 tons and latched them both up to both plates and started to pull. And with a combined force of 40 tons, the glue held, but one of the tow trucks was being pulled toward the other one. It was quite impressive.
Today, it started with everything you ever wanted to know about the Chili pepper (which part of the pepper causes the most heat (the seeds)? What is the name of the scale used to measure hotness (serville scale sp)? and does hot food A. Put you in a good mood, B. Help you lose weight, or C. Increase the Libido (turns out, it's all three). ) The second part was based off of the question, what is under Berlin (U-bahn, Wasserleitung (=water system), and ice/bier cellars. Apparently, on one level, they store boxes of ice, the next level down is a cellar for the bier. In this way, they were able to keep bier cool during the summer before refrigerators. Third part was a study looking for the world's strongest glue. They tried store bought glue to glue a car to the ground, which didn't quite work. They used instant glue, which required the strength of a car to remove. They then found a specific type of glue (specially made) which they used to clamp two pieces of steel together (with only 0,2 mm of glue). They brought in two tow trucks that were designed each to carry 20 tons and latched them both up to both plates and started to pull. And with a combined force of 40 tons, the glue held, but one of the tow trucks was being pulled toward the other one. It was quite impressive.
Post 14: Monday Pfingstmontag
Today, Monday, is Pfingstmontag, aka Pentecost Monday. Same as last year with BMW, nobody at SGL had to go to work. It was a good day off. We started with mass at 10am. Afterward, I practiced a little more organ for about an hour before heading back home. After arriving home, Hr. Bergmeir asked if I wanted to go for a bike ride. I agreed and so Hr. Bergmeir loaned me his bike while he took Fr. Bergmeir's. Unfortunately, the one that I had was several inches too tall and my feet wouldn't touch the ground which wasn't exactly ideal.
So, we started off at a pace of about 18 kmph north toward Donauwoerth. 45 km later, we arrived back home. When I was asked about a bike ride, I wasn't expecting 45 km. So, again it was a long time out in the sun without sunblock. Half way through we stopped at Rain am Lech for the flower sale and exhibition that they had there. It was a very interesting ordeal. Loads of tents, lots of flowers, and plenty of tents with wares for sale ranging from pottery to stone bathtubs. And of course, as an event in Bayern, they had a tent with food, bier, and live music. It was an enjoyable stop. After arriving home, we sat out on the porch again for a while.
So, we started off at a pace of about 18 kmph north toward Donauwoerth. 45 km later, we arrived back home. When I was asked about a bike ride, I wasn't expecting 45 km. So, again it was a long time out in the sun without sunblock. Half way through we stopped at Rain am Lech for the flower sale and exhibition that they had there. It was a very interesting ordeal. Loads of tents, lots of flowers, and plenty of tents with wares for sale ranging from pottery to stone bathtubs. And of course, as an event in Bayern, they had a tent with food, bier, and live music. It was an enjoyable stop. After arriving home, we sat out on the porch again for a while.
Entry 13: Sunday walk along the Lech
This day was a very nice day with regard to the weather. The sun was shining quite brightly, and there was a slight breeze. As it was a Sunday, we had Church at 10 am. The church choir was to practice at 9am that morning. It was a fun rehearsal, though a lot of the latin was stuff that I'd never heard before. After Mass, we came back home. I went downstairs to prepare a little bit of lunch for myself. I had planned to take a walk this afternoon, so I packed the lunch into my bookbag. For my walk I first went North toward SGL to see if maybe one of their bikes were available for use, but the gate was locked. So I continued on the road until the point where I met up with the bridge after crossing over a cornfield.
Once I got to the bridge, I turned North along the river Lech and walked until the river and canal joined together. At this point there was a bridge to cross over the canal, so I crossed over to the other side of the canal and continued North. I reached the Wasserkraftwerk Ellgau (hydro power plant of Ellgau) and crossed over the Lech at that point. Once on the other side, I continued south with the intent to take the next bridge after the one in Meitingen. I continued through the nature preserve area and south along the Lech until I came to the next bridge across; which was located 8 km south of the one in Meitingen at Langweid. Conveniently, at this point there was a place where you could stop and get a drink. So, I stopped for some Apfelschorle (an amazing drink) before continuing. So, I crossed the Lech, and then proceeded North until I got to Meitingen.
After arriving back home, I sat down with Hr. and Fr. Bergmeir and little Timon on the patio to chat. At this point, I found out that I'd walked more than 20 km in the course of 6 hours. Though, 6 hours in the sun without sunblock is not a good thing. Admittedly, I'd expected it to be shorter, and expected for there to be a bridge quicker after the one in Meitingen than 8 km. Had I known that the next one would be in 8 km, i would not have gone as far. Anyway, the new shoes are pretty well broken in, and my feet were doing well all things considered.
Once I got to the bridge, I turned North along the river Lech and walked until the river and canal joined together. At this point there was a bridge to cross over the canal, so I crossed over to the other side of the canal and continued North. I reached the Wasserkraftwerk Ellgau (hydro power plant of Ellgau) and crossed over the Lech at that point. Once on the other side, I continued south with the intent to take the next bridge after the one in Meitingen. I continued through the nature preserve area and south along the Lech until I came to the next bridge across; which was located 8 km south of the one in Meitingen at Langweid. Conveniently, at this point there was a place where you could stop and get a drink. So, I stopped for some Apfelschorle (an amazing drink) before continuing. So, I crossed the Lech, and then proceeded North until I got to Meitingen.
After arriving back home, I sat down with Hr. and Fr. Bergmeir and little Timon on the patio to chat. At this point, I found out that I'd walked more than 20 km in the course of 6 hours. Though, 6 hours in the sun without sunblock is not a good thing. Admittedly, I'd expected it to be shorter, and expected for there to be a bridge quicker after the one in Meitingen than 8 km. Had I known that the next one would be in 8 km, i would not have gone as far. Anyway, the new shoes are pretty well broken in, and my feet were doing well all things considered.
Entry 12: Saturday in Augsburg and Meitingen
Today, Saturday was an interesting day. I'd arranged that at 10 am today, Herbert from the Maennerchor would let me in to the Organ loft at St. Wolfgang's so that I could practice for a little bit. I arrived at the church with plenty of time to spare before 10am, but as it turned out there was a wedding going on at the Church that was going to start at 1pm, so the musicians had already arrived to practice. That meant that we needed to postpone my practice time until later that day. Specifically 2:30.
Between the morning and my practice time, I went in to Augsburg. After picking up a new pair of shoes (ones that I would be able to wear next year at Marching Band without having water seep in all sides, or being able to look through a hole in my sole). Following this, I stopped by the local burger king where they had unlimited free wireless so that I could post my blog posts from the previous week. Unfortunately, due to not having internet at Schurbeinstrasse 10 and not exactly being allowed to post in a blog while at work, this was the easiest (and cheapest) way that I could make my posts. After taking care of that, I went back to Meitingen for the practice time. As I arrived they were just finishing the ceremony.
After waiting a while, Herbert arrived and I was able to go up to the loft and start practicing. I practiced the "Carillon de Westminster" by Vierne, and "Sortie in E-Flat" by some guy with a whole bunch of last names (but it's a really cool piece and a lot of fun to play), and followed it up with "Tocatta and Fuge in d minor" by J.S. Bach. It was a lot of fun. The organ was (according to Fr. Bergmeir) newly re-built in the last few years. The console was part digital/pneumatic and part manual. The stops (=Registern) are digital/pneumatic but then the keys (=Tasten) are manual (such that the more stops pulled for one of the three keyboards, the heavier the keys are to press). It was a lot of fun to play. Herbert pointed out that the Church Choir would be singing Mozart's Missa Brevis in C Major the next morning at Mass. After this, I came back home for dinner. This weekend, Timon (Fr. Bergmeir's grandson) was staying for a visit. (seems to be about 3-4 years old and has better German than I do :-/ )
Between the morning and my practice time, I went in to Augsburg. After picking up a new pair of shoes (ones that I would be able to wear next year at Marching Band without having water seep in all sides, or being able to look through a hole in my sole). Following this, I stopped by the local burger king where they had unlimited free wireless so that I could post my blog posts from the previous week. Unfortunately, due to not having internet at Schurbeinstrasse 10 and not exactly being allowed to post in a blog while at work, this was the easiest (and cheapest) way that I could make my posts. After taking care of that, I went back to Meitingen for the practice time. As I arrived they were just finishing the ceremony.
After waiting a while, Herbert arrived and I was able to go up to the loft and start practicing. I practiced the "Carillon de Westminster" by Vierne, and "Sortie in E-Flat" by some guy with a whole bunch of last names (but it's a really cool piece and a lot of fun to play), and followed it up with "Tocatta and Fuge in d minor" by J.S. Bach. It was a lot of fun. The organ was (according to Fr. Bergmeir) newly re-built in the last few years. The console was part digital/pneumatic and part manual. The stops (=Registern) are digital/pneumatic but then the keys (=Tasten) are manual (such that the more stops pulled for one of the three keyboards, the heavier the keys are to press). It was a lot of fun to play. Herbert pointed out that the Church Choir would be singing Mozart's Missa Brevis in C Major the next morning at Mass. After this, I came back home for dinner. This weekend, Timon (Fr. Bergmeir's grandson) was staying for a visit. (seems to be about 3-4 years old and has better German than I do :-/ )
Samstag, 22. Mai 2010
Post 11: Friday, end of my first week in Meitingen
Today I arrived quite early to work so that I could get a few tests in through the day. I got a lot of tests done today. The other Diplomanten didn't arrive until about 10. For lunch, Flo (Florian) had gotten some Leberkäs for the department. So we had normal Leberkäs, we had pepperoni Leberkäs, we had Breze, and some really spicy mustard. The spicy mustard and the pepperoni Leberkäs made one person cry. I tried it and it was indeed quite spicy. I wound up staying quite late today as well. Until about 6. I had expecte to get some nice results from my last test, but the program had crashed during the last 30 minutes meaning that my 3 hour test only had values for 2,5 hours and the file was not saved properly, so it opens, but doesn't show the proper lines. Ah well....
I came home and went off for a walk. It was a nice walk. I found the Freibad Meitingen, so perhaps I'll be able to make it there sometime.
I came home and went off for a walk. It was a nice walk. I found the Freibad Meitingen, so perhaps I'll be able to make it there sometime.
Post 10: Thursday; Aufenthaltstitel try two
There wasn't a whole lot that went on today. I ran a few tests, read some more stuff and what not. There was a presentation given by Christian on Carbon Fiber Reenforced Carbon. It was an interesting presentation. At 4 I headed off so that I could take care of my Aufenthaltstitel in Augsburg. It took a while to get there due to the train only coming every 20 minutes. After this, I went for a little bit of a walk through Augsburg before heading back to Meitingen.
After arriving back in Meitingen I headed off quickly to the Alte Post (old post office) where the Männerchor hold their weekly practice. We sang a lot of different pieces, including one from Die Fledermaus. After practice, we all went downstairs to have a bier. It was interesting talking with them. As it turns out, a fair number of them had previously worked with SGL as well. It was nice to find such a musical group, but I felt a little out of place being the only person without grey hair.
After arriving back in Meitingen I headed off quickly to the Alte Post (old post office) where the Männerchor hold their weekly practice. We sang a lot of different pieces, including one from Die Fledermaus. After practice, we all went downstairs to have a bier. It was interesting talking with them. As it turns out, a fair number of them had previously worked with SGL as well. It was nice to find such a musical group, but I felt a little out of place being the only person without grey hair.
Post 9: Wednesday
Today was spent mostly reading and building up to being able to do the work that I need to do.
I spent many hours reading today. The day started early (7:40 there) and I started with evaluating some data that Tim sent to me. Around 8:20-8:50 Tim and I were sitting at my computer trying to get a program installed while on the phone with one of the computer administrators. Eventually we got it to work, and I spent a while getting to know the program and to be able to work with it to more accurately evaluate the data that Tim sent to me. After lunch, I read some more before my 14:15 doctor's follow-up appointment. The doctor told me that I was healthy, and that a 3 hour drive from my home to "Michigansee" (lake michigan) is a really long way to a German and that Americans don't want to learn a language other than American, and that for Americans the world ends at the coasts. He then told me that my German was quite good.
Tim came down around 14:40 and we went over and prepared and ran a test program with the Rheometer. That took just a little bit trying to find everything; he mostly let me try to figure it out myself. After this, I got the data and tried analyzing it on my computer station which worked out pretty well. I pulled out the Rheology book that I was loaned and flipped through it until I found what I needed.
I had a nice conversation with Bionca about the differences in the German-American education systems. They don't have to do the homework that they are assigned unless they need to. They don't really have an equivalent to the FE exam that we have to be a Professional Engineer. They have what is termed Diplomarbeit. In other words, 6 months of them working in their field, and at the end they submit at 60-120+ page paper on the topic.
I wound up staying quite late at work, but eventually came home and chilled for the rest of the evening.
I spent many hours reading today. The day started early (7:40 there) and I started with evaluating some data that Tim sent to me. Around 8:20-8:50 Tim and I were sitting at my computer trying to get a program installed while on the phone with one of the computer administrators. Eventually we got it to work, and I spent a while getting to know the program and to be able to work with it to more accurately evaluate the data that Tim sent to me. After lunch, I read some more before my 14:15 doctor's follow-up appointment. The doctor told me that I was healthy, and that a 3 hour drive from my home to "Michigansee" (lake michigan) is a really long way to a German and that Americans don't want to learn a language other than American, and that for Americans the world ends at the coasts. He then told me that my German was quite good.
Tim came down around 14:40 and we went over and prepared and ran a test program with the Rheometer. That took just a little bit trying to find everything; he mostly let me try to figure it out myself. After this, I got the data and tried analyzing it on my computer station which worked out pretty well. I pulled out the Rheology book that I was loaned and flipped through it until I found what I needed.
I had a nice conversation with Bionca about the differences in the German-American education systems. They don't have to do the homework that they are assigned unless they need to. They don't really have an equivalent to the FE exam that we have to be a Professional Engineer. They have what is termed Diplomarbeit. In other words, 6 months of them working in their field, and at the end they submit at 60-120+ page paper on the topic.
I wound up staying quite late at work, but eventually came home and chilled for the rest of the evening.
Post 8: Anmelden, Aufenthaltstitel, Lohnsteuerkarte, usw.
I had a very early start to the day and had to move my follow-up appointment with the SGL doctor to 14:15 on Wednesday, because...
Today I registered with the city of Meitingen
First, I went to the Auslandsbehörde in Augsburg in the hopes of registering there (Anmelden), getting my Residency Permit (Aufenthaltstitel), and my Income Tax card (Lohnsteuerkarte). I filled out the forms that they gave to me, got my appointment to meet with one of their workers at 9:00 that morning then went to wait outside of their room. They were late and I didn't actually meet with them until 9:15.
He made copies of my stuff, then noticed that my address was Meitingen. He told me that I needed to register at the Landratsamt if I live in Meitingen (because Meitingen is in the Landkreis Augsburg, but not in the city of Augsburg).
I made my way to the Landratsamt, (which I had passed on my way from the Hauptbahnhof to the Auslandsbehörde). There they told me that I needed to register with the Gemeinde in Meigingen before I could get my Aufenthaltstitel in the Landratsamt which I need in order to get the Lohnsteuerkarte in Meitingen. In order to get the Aufenthaltstitel, though, they need to get some paper from München from last year in order to be able to complete it correctly.
So I arrived at Meitingen, and it took all of about 20 minutes to register, and I needed to give them the address that I had lived at in München as part of the registration process.
After this fun adventure, I went back to SGL, picked up my ID badge and got back to my work station in time for lunch. While at lunch with Bionca, Mirko, and Flo, the Choir that was in town on a cultural tour through Europe came in to have lunch. I was able to impress my collegues by knowing that this was a choir from Indonesia, and that there was a concert that night.
After this, I went on a bit of a walk around tour through the plant with Tim so that he could explain the Rheometer Room to me, and where I could find everything. Eventually, I was done, and went on my way home.
The Choir from Indonesia (Mia Patria) gave a concert at 19.30 in the Bürgersaal (town hall). (very nice room. wood panelling, second floor, with reception room right outside). The concert was amazing. Not only was the music outstanding, but it was also a very colorful group (very colorful clothing, instruments, etc.) The second half of the concert was a display of various dances that are part of their culture. It was all quite amazing.
During Intermission, I purchased a CD from them and Fr. Burgmeir bought a glass of Champange for each of us. At the end of the concert, the choir played a song on their bamboo instruments. It was really cool. It's name was "An der Schönen Blauen Donau". Quite cool. Afterward, they sang a German song about a Fischerei an der Bodensee that I'd never heard before. Then they sang "Guten Abend, Guten Nacht". Probably better known as "Lullaby, and good night" to us. All in all, the concert was a little longer than 2 hours. The Burgermeister was invited up to dance for one of the dances. This one had four women, and four bamboo sticks. They were paired in a cross fashion on the floor. The women would tap the sticks on the floor twice, then lift them up about 10cm and tap them together twice, then repeat in rhythmn with the song. The dancers were to then dance between them, and put their foot in and out of the sticks quick enough so as not to disrupt the rhythmn.
Of course, the whole thing started with a Frau welcoming all of us, Hr. Burgermeister, Fr. Burgermeister, and their daughter, the Pastor, the Vicar, the person who helped coordinate everything for the choir to be there, the choir, a Frau who housed 18 of the choir members, and about 4 other people. Then the person who helped coordinate everything for the choir to be there got up to speak and welcomed all of us, Hr. Burgermeister, Fr. Burgermeister, and their daughter, the Pastor, the Vicar, the choir, a Frau who housed 18 of the choir members, and about 4 other people. Then the Pastor got up and welcomed all of us, Hr. Burgermeister, Fr. Burgermeister, and their daughter, the Vicar, the person who helped coordinate everything for the choir to be there, the choir, a Frau who housed 18 of the choir members, and about 4 other people. It was a long and drawn out ordeal.
It was a long day.
Today I registered with the city of Meitingen
First, I went to the Auslandsbehörde in Augsburg in the hopes of registering there (Anmelden), getting my Residency Permit (Aufenthaltstitel), and my Income Tax card (Lohnsteuerkarte). I filled out the forms that they gave to me, got my appointment to meet with one of their workers at 9:00 that morning then went to wait outside of their room. They were late and I didn't actually meet with them until 9:15.
He made copies of my stuff, then noticed that my address was Meitingen. He told me that I needed to register at the Landratsamt if I live in Meitingen (because Meitingen is in the Landkreis Augsburg, but not in the city of Augsburg).
I made my way to the Landratsamt, (which I had passed on my way from the Hauptbahnhof to the Auslandsbehörde). There they told me that I needed to register with the Gemeinde in Meigingen before I could get my Aufenthaltstitel in the Landratsamt which I need in order to get the Lohnsteuerkarte in Meitingen. In order to get the Aufenthaltstitel, though, they need to get some paper from München from last year in order to be able to complete it correctly.
So I arrived at Meitingen, and it took all of about 20 minutes to register, and I needed to give them the address that I had lived at in München as part of the registration process.
After this fun adventure, I went back to SGL, picked up my ID badge and got back to my work station in time for lunch. While at lunch with Bionca, Mirko, and Flo, the Choir that was in town on a cultural tour through Europe came in to have lunch. I was able to impress my collegues by knowing that this was a choir from Indonesia, and that there was a concert that night.
After this, I went on a bit of a walk around tour through the plant with Tim so that he could explain the Rheometer Room to me, and where I could find everything. Eventually, I was done, and went on my way home.
The Choir from Indonesia (Mia Patria) gave a concert at 19.30 in the Bürgersaal (town hall). (very nice room. wood panelling, second floor, with reception room right outside). The concert was amazing. Not only was the music outstanding, but it was also a very colorful group (very colorful clothing, instruments, etc.) The second half of the concert was a display of various dances that are part of their culture. It was all quite amazing.
During Intermission, I purchased a CD from them and Fr. Burgmeir bought a glass of Champange for each of us. At the end of the concert, the choir played a song on their bamboo instruments. It was really cool. It's name was "An der Schönen Blauen Donau". Quite cool. Afterward, they sang a German song about a Fischerei an der Bodensee that I'd never heard before. Then they sang "Guten Abend, Guten Nacht". Probably better known as "Lullaby, and good night" to us. All in all, the concert was a little longer than 2 hours. The Burgermeister was invited up to dance for one of the dances. This one had four women, and four bamboo sticks. They were paired in a cross fashion on the floor. The women would tap the sticks on the floor twice, then lift them up about 10cm and tap them together twice, then repeat in rhythmn with the song. The dancers were to then dance between them, and put their foot in and out of the sticks quick enough so as not to disrupt the rhythmn.
Of course, the whole thing started with a Frau welcoming all of us, Hr. Burgermeister, Fr. Burgermeister, and their daughter, the Pastor, the Vicar, the person who helped coordinate everything for the choir to be there, the choir, a Frau who housed 18 of the choir members, and about 4 other people. Then the person who helped coordinate everything for the choir to be there got up to speak and welcomed all of us, Hr. Burgermeister, Fr. Burgermeister, and their daughter, the Pastor, the Vicar, the choir, a Frau who housed 18 of the choir members, and about 4 other people. Then the Pastor got up and welcomed all of us, Hr. Burgermeister, Fr. Burgermeister, and their daughter, the Vicar, the person who helped coordinate everything for the choir to be there, the choir, a Frau who housed 18 of the choir members, and about 4 other people. It was a long and drawn out ordeal.
It was a long day.
Post 7: First day of work at SGL
* Note, for now, I'll just copy my notes here, then later I'll go through and expand on them a bit.
Tim picked me up at 8
drove to SGL
got introduced to a lot of people
Florian (G....)
Florian (not there)
Christian
"Der Chef der Chef"
Tobias
Tobias (the other one)
Stefan W....
Mirko (diplomanten)
Christian
Bionca
and several others
Went to Fr. Gierl's office to pick up papers
Signed and filled out a few papers
Gruppenrunde.
9:15 Artzuntersuchung
Drug, Hearing, Eye, Blood pressure tests
Back to gruppenrunde
Came back down to the Diplomanten/praktikanten room
Read some Hintergrundlektuere
Florian (Flo) took me to get arbeitskleidung
Started to rain heavily
ran outside to get back
started to hail
ducked into another building which happened to be the laboratories
made it back
Bionca made cake and cupcakes as her "I'm the new person" thing
Went to lunch
Schwein medallion
there were birds flying in and out of the room
Back to work
finished with the rest of the papers
went on a tour of the labs
rheometer, cellar, ovens, touched carbon fibers
back to D-room
talked with everybody
Quatsch
read
Came home around 5:15
Ate dinner
Went on a walk with Fr. Bergmeier to Herbertshofen and Erlingen
Watched "Vermisst", "Wer will Millionär" and the end of the Rostock/Ingolstadt game
ingolstadt won 2-0
The host of Millionär is much more enthusiastic than his american equivalent
drove to SGL
got introduced to a lot of people
Florian (G....)
Florian (not there)
Christian
"Der Chef der Chef"
Tobias
Tobias (the other one)
Stefan W....
Mirko (diplomanten)
Christian
Bionca
and several others
Went to Fr. Gierl's office to pick up papers
Signed and filled out a few papers
Gruppenrunde.
9:15 Artzuntersuchung
Drug, Hearing, Eye, Blood pressure tests
Back to gruppenrunde
Came back down to the Diplomanten/praktikanten room
Read some Hintergrundlektuere
Florian (Flo) took me to get arbeitskleidung
Started to rain heavily
ran outside to get back
started to hail
ducked into another building which happened to be the laboratories
made it back
Bionca made cake and cupcakes as her "I'm the new person" thing
Went to lunch
Schwein medallion
there were birds flying in and out of the room
Back to work
finished with the rest of the papers
went on a tour of the labs
rheometer, cellar, ovens, touched carbon fibers
back to D-room
talked with everybody
Quatsch
read
Came home around 5:15
Ate dinner
Went on a walk with Fr. Bergmeier to Herbertshofen and Erlingen
Watched "Vermisst", "Wer will Millionär" and the end of the Rostock/Ingolstadt game
ingolstadt won 2-0
The host of Millionär is much more enthusiastic than his american equivalent
Post 6: Sunday with the Bergmeirs
Today, I went to church with the Bergmeirs. The priest came from india and brought a canon that he likes. Faked my way through that with Fr. Bergmeir. I'll have to look at it before next week. The church has a pretty big pipe organ.
Came back and went on a walk with Hr. Bergmeir. We walked for about 2 hours along the Lech river, and the Canal and then came back through Meitingen. We arrived later we were expected. Fr. Bergmeier was not too pleased. She had cooked some roast beef, spaetzle, carrot/pea/broccoli and salad. Tasted wonderful. She then offered that I could stay the rest of the summer if I wanted to.
We then drove out to a small town where there was a street market going on. It was a street market that took up most of the center part of the town. Wandered through for a bit. I saw a sign on a shop that said "Heute bei mir: 50% Rabatt fuer alles (ausser Socken)" (Today, 50% off everything (except socks)) on a shop that only sold socks.
Stopped in a Cafe for a slice of cake and a coffee where I had a piece of cake with Strawberries on it. It was really good. Hr. Bergmeir paid for me. Then we came back to Meitingen for about n hour.
Fr. Bergmeir and I went back out to the church because there was going to be a choir from Indonesia there singing at Mass. It was wonderful. Very colorful,
Came back for about an hour.
Went to mass again and heard a choir from indonesia sing during the mass. We found out that there would be a concert on Tuesday given by this choir in the Bürgersaal (town hall). Fr. Bergmeir introduced me to a member of the Männerchor (men's chorus) and we found out that they sing on Thursdays at 8 at the Alte Post (old post office). That should be an interesting group to be part of for the summer.
Came back and went on a walk with Hr. Bergmeir. We walked for about 2 hours along the Lech river, and the Canal and then came back through Meitingen. We arrived later we were expected. Fr. Bergmeier was not too pleased. She had cooked some roast beef, spaetzle, carrot/pea/broccoli and salad. Tasted wonderful. She then offered that I could stay the rest of the summer if I wanted to.
We then drove out to a small town where there was a street market going on. It was a street market that took up most of the center part of the town. Wandered through for a bit. I saw a sign on a shop that said "Heute bei mir: 50% Rabatt fuer alles (ausser Socken)" (Today, 50% off everything (except socks)) on a shop that only sold socks.
Stopped in a Cafe for a slice of cake and a coffee where I had a piece of cake with Strawberries on it. It was really good. Hr. Bergmeir paid for me. Then we came back to Meitingen for about n hour.
Fr. Bergmeir and I went back out to the church because there was going to be a choir from Indonesia there singing at Mass. It was wonderful. Very colorful,
Came back for about an hour.
Went to mass again and heard a choir from indonesia sing during the mass. We found out that there would be a concert on Tuesday given by this choir in the Bürgersaal (town hall). Fr. Bergmeir introduced me to a member of the Männerchor (men's chorus) and we found out that they sing on Thursdays at 8 at the Alte Post (old post office). That should be an interesting group to be part of for the summer.
Post 5: Saturday in Meitingen
I woke up today around 8, which for the first time was after the Bergmeirs were already awake. I walked around Meitingen for a while. I found the town Friedhof (=cemetary. For those who have heard the story from last year, this cemetary is no where near big enough to run in, so there will be no repeat.) Coincidentally the Friedhof is directly across from SGL. After walking around Meitingen for a while, I went to Augsburg and saw the Rathaus, Dom, Kloster, Theater, and Merkurbruin in a 3 hours walk. They have a hofgarten somewhere that I found that had a fountainstatues, flowers, and a public bookshelf. I thought that was interesting.
I also found out that the correct way to pronounce "Augsburg" is "Augschburg". Yay Bayrisch!
I came back to Meitingen and had dinner with the Bergmeirs. It was wurst, bread and a bier. After this I watched the Bayern / Bremen Fussball game with Herr Bergmeir. It was 4-0 Bayern. The game was played for the DF? Porkal. The champions game should be next weekend.
I also found out that the correct way to pronounce "Augsburg" is "Augschburg". Yay Bayrisch!
I came back to Meitingen and had dinner with the Bergmeirs. It was wurst, bread and a bier. After this I watched the Bayern / Bremen Fussball game with Herr Bergmeir. It was 4-0 Bayern. The game was played for the DF? Porkal. The champions game should be next weekend.
Post 4: First Day in Meitingen
I woke up early expecting that Florian would be there early. Didn't come when I thought he would
Went to Augsburg and found the AVV customer service center to purchase a ticket to go to Universitaet Augsburg. I wanted to visit the Augsburg Studentwerk but they were closed. I did see 3 apartment offers. After contacting all 3, one said "nichts", another set up a meeting for the 17th of May. While there, Florian called me on the phone that I picked up in Frankfurt. So I went back to Meitingen
After a long ride on the train, (on which I wound up chatting with somebody the whole way back to Meitingen about geography, politics, language, etc. He thought I was German until I told him that I didn't just come from America after a short stay. This was about 20 minutes into our conversation that he found out that I was American. He complimented my German. That made me feel happy. )
Florian arrived at 10. Schnurbeinstrasse to pick me up. He brought along another collegue named Bianca. We went to a localGasthaus for a bier with two other colleages. One was Tobias, and the other's name I didn't catch. They all spoke Bayrisch to some extent. They started making fun of the fact that we were all drinking bier, except for Bianca, who was drinking tea, with not 4, not 5, not 6, but 7 spoonfuls of sugar in it.
After 2 hours or so, we left, and I went and crashed for the night.
Went to Augsburg and found the AVV customer service center to purchase a ticket to go to Universitaet Augsburg. I wanted to visit the Augsburg Studentwerk but they were closed. I did see 3 apartment offers. After contacting all 3, one said "nichts", another set up a meeting for the 17th of May. While there, Florian called me on the phone that I picked up in Frankfurt. So I went back to Meitingen
After a long ride on the train, (on which I wound up chatting with somebody the whole way back to Meitingen about geography, politics, language, etc. He thought I was German until I told him that I didn't just come from America after a short stay. This was about 20 minutes into our conversation that he found out that I was American. He complimented my German. That made me feel happy. )
Florian arrived at 10. Schnurbeinstrasse to pick me up. He brought along another collegue named Bianca. We went to a localGasthaus for a bier with two other colleages. One was Tobias, and the other's name I didn't catch. They all spoke Bayrisch to some extent. They started making fun of the fact that we were all drinking bier, except for Bianca, who was drinking tea, with not 4, not 5, not 6, but 7 spoonfuls of sugar in it.
After 2 hours or so, we left, and I went and crashed for the night.
Post 3: Arrival in Meitingen
The flight over was fairly uneventful, though I was literally surrounded by babies. I arrived at the train station with some extra time. So after checking e-mails and what not, I got on the train to Meitingen. On the way there were a bunch of drunk students singing Sweet Caroline by Niel Diamond. It was really bad.
Upon arrival in Meitingen, I found Herr. Witzke on the platform waiting for me. Right off the bat, he asked me to call him Tim. In München last year, it took a few days at least until I could call people by their first names.
He then took me to my apartment, and gave me a box of food because it was a holiday, and as such no where is open. I'll be living with a very nice couple, Herr and Frau Bergmeir. They have two cats; each with a full set of claws and can be a bit touchy if you rub them the wrong way.
Tomorrow, I'll be meeting with one of my coworkers, Florian.
Upon arrival in Meitingen, I found Herr. Witzke on the platform waiting for me. Right off the bat, he asked me to call him Tim. In München last year, it took a few days at least until I could call people by their first names.
He then took me to my apartment, and gave me a box of food because it was a holiday, and as such no where is open. I'll be living with a very nice couple, Herr and Frau Bergmeir. They have two cats; each with a full set of claws and can be a bit touchy if you rub them the wrong way.
Tomorrow, I'll be meeting with one of my coworkers, Florian.
Mittwoch, 5. Mai 2010
Post #2: What I will be doing at SGL this summer
I will be working im Bereich R&D/Faserverbundwerkstoffe (=in the Research and Development area/fiber reinforced materials. I will be working to characterize matrices for the manufacturing of fiber reinforced materials.
My Task
- The creation of a selection of mixtures of various Harz / Haerterkombinationen (fibers / resin combinations). There are four phenol based resins available in various compositions. I am to test them in a Platte-Platte Rheometer (plate plate Rheometer).
- I will be testing these mixtures with lab thermal analysis techniques (DSC, TGA, eventually, DMTA) then analyzing the results myself
- Based on my results I will be selecting the mixture that has the best properties
- Based on my results eine größere Menge (a whole lot) will be produced to achieve the desired properties. I am also to recommend a process profile with process times and temperatures.
For now, I'll leave that at that.
My Task
- The creation of a selection of mixtures of various Harz / Haerterkombinationen (fibers / resin combinations). There are four phenol based resins available in various compositions. I am to test them in a Platte-Platte Rheometer (plate plate Rheometer).
- I will be testing these mixtures with lab thermal analysis techniques (DSC, TGA, eventually, DMTA) then analyzing the results myself
- Based on my results I will be selecting the mixture that has the best properties
- Based on my results eine größere Menge (a whole lot) will be produced to achieve the desired properties. I am also to recommend a process profile with process times and temperatures.
For now, I'll leave that at that.
Sonntag, 2. Mai 2010
Post #1: Blogging - Take 2
The purpose of this blog is to keep friends and family updated on my doings in Germany this summer. It will probably be written in a mixture of English and German, but I'll do what I can to make it understandable in both languages.
I'll be working for a company (=Firma) called SGL TECHNOLOGIES gmbh in the small town of Meitingen, in Bayern (=Bavaria) Germany. This company is a subset of the SGL Group "The Carbon Company". www.sglgroup.com This company works with carbon in the form of carbon fibers (=Kohlenstofffasern), graphite, carbon based alternative energy.
Currently, I am working with Frau Petra Griel of SGL to find housing for the summer in Augsburg Germany.
My task for the summer, as best as I understand it, is to test various mixtures of resin and fibers to create a carbon fiber of sufficient properties through the use of various tests and at the end of the summer suggest a process for the manufacturing of eine grosse Menge (= a whole lot) of the stuff.
My internship will run from May 17th to August 18th. I have been informed that I will be a Rank Leader Candidate for the 2010 season of the Michigan Marching Band. Due to that, I will be starting band on August 20th. I fly out on May 12th.
On Friday, I moved out of my room at Thieme House in Baits 2 for the last time after playing some trombone duets with my big brother in Phi Mu Alpha, Mike Steiger. On Saturday, President Obama spoke at my classmates Graduation ceremony at the Big House, and in August I will be moving to a new room, new building, and new campus: North Quad, on Central Campus.
Pictures of Thieme House and North Quad to come (when I figure out how to post a picture on a blog post.)
I'll be working for a company (=Firma) called SGL TECHNOLOGIES gmbh in the small town of Meitingen, in Bayern (=Bavaria) Germany. This company is a subset of the SGL Group "The Carbon Company". www.sglgroup.com This company works with carbon in the form of carbon fibers (=Kohlenstofffasern), graphite, carbon based alternative energy.
Currently, I am working with Frau Petra Griel of SGL to find housing for the summer in Augsburg Germany.
My task for the summer, as best as I understand it, is to test various mixtures of resin and fibers to create a carbon fiber of sufficient properties through the use of various tests and at the end of the summer suggest a process for the manufacturing of eine grosse Menge (= a whole lot) of the stuff.
My internship will run from May 17th to August 18th. I have been informed that I will be a Rank Leader Candidate for the 2010 season of the Michigan Marching Band. Due to that, I will be starting band on August 20th. I fly out on May 12th.
On Friday, I moved out of my room at Thieme House in Baits 2 for the last time after playing some trombone duets with my big brother in Phi Mu Alpha, Mike Steiger. On Saturday, President Obama spoke at my classmates Graduation ceremony at the Big House, and in August I will be moving to a new room, new building, and new campus: North Quad, on Central Campus.
Pictures of Thieme House and North Quad to come (when I figure out how to post a picture on a blog post.)
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