Road Trip

The days before new years eve, Ellen and I did a bit more travelling around texas. We drove to Houston to visit the NASA Space Center and had a humongous chinese buffet dinner. Filled with delicous Seafood and Sushi we hit the road again to drive up north to Dallas. Once again driving overthere is so boaring and honestly the hardest thing really is not to fall asleep. However we made it to Dallas and visted another outlet center, where we were lucky to finally find some jeans. Lateron that day we saw all the JFK sites. Quiet interesting, I definitely recommend it.
The next day we saw some of Dallas, had a nice mexican lunch on a patio and at night we attended a game of the Dallas Mavericks. After leading the whole game, unfortunately they lost the game in the fourth quater. So I guess I have to retrun one day to see Dirk winning. Anyway, the game was good and the atmosphre inside the stadium is not comparable to anything in Germany.

First picture: The withe X markes the place where JFK was shot.
Second Picture: The shot was fired from the corner window of the 5th floor.
4th + 5th picture: American Airlines Arena
6th picture: Reunion Center

Fredericksburg and Johnson City

Hi,

today we visited the geman dominated town of Fredericksburg. It a good hours drive west of Austin. At least some german traditions have survided here. Thus, there is a Beergarden with german food I can definitely recommend. On the way back we passed Johnson City where we saw some nice lit up houses. Retruning to Austin, we went to HulHut for dinner and later saw The Chronicles of Narnia at the Alamo.

Holiday Shopping

Today we got up early to drive down to San Marcos Outlet Center for shopping. Since people are getting crazy when it comes to shopping some stores already opened at midnight. We arrived there around 8am, on hour later as planed. It was fun to stroll through the some hundert shops again, but by noon it was the perfect choas. Lines and messed up stores everywhere. However, we fought on until 5pm, when we left to have dinner at Austin´s best BBQ: The Salt Lick. As say have BYO alcohol we stoped at a gas station, to pick up some of the true to texas stuff. We arrived there around six and where suprised to face a 40 - 50 min wait. Well, what can you do right. So we sat there for a little while with, I guess, another 50 people waiting to get stuffed. Anyway, cars just kept coming into the lot. One after another. So at the time we fianlly got in, the wait had increased to over 2 hours! Imagine, you arrive hungry as hell and the one has to wait that long. No one could get my name on that list. When we returned home, quiet tired and of course close to burst, I missed my good friend "Willi".

Christmas Day

Well, now offically !!!MERRY Xmas!!!
The weather today was awesome and we headed out to visit Austin´s lakes. Town lake, Lake Austin and Lake Travis. We also drove a bit around the Hill Country from where you have cool views of the city and the lakes. For the sunset we went to Mount Blonell, an austin-known and always crowded spot.

Merry Xmas

Wow,

its christmas eve. Over here most people celebrate christmas on the 25th, so the 24th is still a very busy day, where everybody shops for last minute christmas presents.
We picked up our rental car today and where lucky to see its a big ass car. A nice Chevy Impala. Acutally it is even bigger than the car we had to go to South Padre Island.
As we followed german traditions we celebrated xmas toaday and set up a nice german dinner. Rinderbraten mit Knödel. Hm delicious....

Hope everybody back in Germany had a nice Xmas, too.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Austin

Trail of lights

Hi,
there is really nothing much to say about the past weeks. I was just pretty busy studying for the finals. Ellen arrived on the 14th, what of course made me very happy (and I guess her too ;-)). As the icy weather is over, temperatures are setting new record highs for December. To give you an idea, we are still having day high temperatures of the upper 70ies. Imaging how this feels in the sun ;-). Thus, Ellen and I decided to walk along town lake towards downtown. The walk took around two hours and we just arrived as the sun was setting. Next we jumped on the next bus to have a look at the trail of lights, probably a typical american thing. For two weeks, every night a section of the Zilker Park was lighted through hunderets of thousands of lights. Actually it looks quiet cool, but the place was so crowded that I was happy when we passed the exit too.

Eisfrei

Hi guys,

believe it or not, last week two days of school were canceled because of cold temperatures! ;-) Amazing isnt it. Where in Germany school gets canceld because of hot temperatures, Texas goes crazy wenn temperatures turn torwards negatives degrees. Here is a link to the article. Click

However, it was thursday night so we still went out as usal and I guess Allen does not like alcohol after this one any more. So take this and till the next one.

Houston the double feature

HI guys,

I know since the last one it has been a while, but I have been pretty busy the last 2 weeks. Right now, just before the finals start, the last papers are due too. Plus, I have been to Houston for the last two weekends to vistit Allen and have some fun in America's 4th largest city.
The last November Weekend was Thanksgiving, definitely a thing they should introduce in Germany. Not only that there is no school on Thursday and Friday, some professors even cancel class on Tuesday and Wednesday. Amazing isnt it. Friday after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. Some shops already open at midnight others at 4 or 5am. It is the biggest sale of the year. Stores even give away products, like Hard Drives for fee. Thus, we got up, after a partied night at 5 in the moring to stroll through the galleria shopping center. Later on we visited some electronic stores. Take a look at this. Fires had 64 cashiers open, but the line still seems endless.

At night, we have been to a couple of different places in the woodlands. A fancy part of Houston 30 miles north of downtown. Here is one of the clubs we have been to.

Unfortunately this weekend ended somehow misteriously short and therefore we had to come back last weekend. So once again we made the 3,5 hour boring as hell drive to the east. Lucky I brought my Laptop. The only differnce, this time I did not have to take the Greyhound to get there. Thank god, because this greyhound station in downtown Houston is really scary. It is just black gold faces around you everywhere.
Friday night we went to some clubs downtown, all pretty nice with dresscode. I felt good, having something else compared to 6th street. On the roads a met a girl from Kitzing, diributing flyers, so we went into her club as well.


Next day we got up around 11am to drive to th e Reliant Park, where UT was playing ther Big12 Final Games against Colorado. As the game was already sold out for weeks, we only went there to tailgate in one of the parking lots. Finally, we found a good spot where a little party was going on. So we decided to stay. After a small chat, we suddenly had 2 tickets in our hands. Thanks to Mick who gave us the tickets for FREE! Image what is the chance something like this to happen. 10 min later we conquered the stadium and finally enjoyed the 70:3 masaquer. Unbelieveable. Here is the stadium. 80000 people sold out, hardly any colorado fans. Lets go, try to find them.

After the game we returned for more tailgating. Of course we were hungry bcause we havent eat all day. Lucky they got some aligator sausage, deer, shrimps, beef, ribs and even sauerkraut! Of course we were thirsty, so we had some liquor, too. The weather was chilling warm, I wished I had brought my shorts. At 6pm we broke up after the place was cleaned and the left overs distributed. We ended up having a Cap, a Shirt and some spirit.
We conituned partying in one of the tailgator's houses, before we went to an Irish bar and later to club downtown.
Well, guess what, next day we didnt do much and it felt good beeing home on Sunday.

The End

6th as usual

Hi,

this Thursday we first saw a Maverick's game on TV and believe it or not, had a Julius Echter Hefeweißbier. Hmmmm, still not the same as back home, but way better than everything over here. We ended up downtown as usual. To be honsest, its just to long ago, so I cant remember the details. Thus, just take the pics from the velvet spade, do not miss the details on the second one! ;-)