Last weekend I went on an au pair outing with my fellow au pairs at Au Pair Openminds. It was SO much fun! I was a little nervous at first, because I knew no one and it was my first time riding the trains in Germany and I was by myself. B had showed me how to do everything the day before and surprisingly everything went off without a hitch!
waiting for my train!
there is green everywhere i look here. i love it.
look, mom, wow! i'm a big kid now :)
the rhine river...try to look past the dirty window..
My train to Mainz took less than 20 minutes and I was early for our meet time of 2 p.m., so I got to get a coffee with a brötchen (my favorite German snack) and got to get my people-watch on! Once all the au pairs arrived, we left our meeting point at the Mainz train station and headed to the Marktplatz; where the festival was set up.
a fountain on the way to the festival
it is for carnivale: a big holiday that is celebrated in many european countries.
i actually learned about it in my italian class i took.
johannes gutenburg
the big cathedral called 'the dom'
i will actually go inside next time i come to mainz!
The festival was really cool; I never realized how diverse Germany was! Everywhere you looked there were booths set up by different cultural groups with their native food as well as crafts they had made. There was beautiful jewelry from countries like Mexico, India, and China. I had a delicious dessert from Pakistan and noodles from Korea. There was a big stage where all the groups could display their native song/dance/instrument.
tae bo from china
tea dancers from japan
these girls were probably my favorite!!!
\they had serious swag.
some other au pairs and me!
(sorry the picture is so orange, the lighting in the cafe wasn't cooperating)
mainz fun fact: this is where they piled dead bodies during plagues!
just a road in mainz. i just like the buildings here :)
germany=a giant schlitterbahn
what a great view!
overlooking mainz
Our walking tour of Mainz countinued as we wound our way down the streets of the city. We passed by a brand new salon that was having a grand opening party and they invited us in for champagne! I guess being a part of a group of 20-something women definitely has it's perks!
this picture has no significance. other than the fact that i like it :)
the cutest little coffee shop. the man that owns it reminded me of my grandpa :)
the window to the candy shop had a display for oktoberfest!
and we're back to where we started a (different) fountain
My day in Mainz was awesome. I got to meet some awesome girls from all over the world who are in the same position as me right now; living in a foreign country, miles and miles from family and friends, learning German, and just trying to have a great time. It was awesome. I learned that Mainz is an incredibly diverse area, with people from all over the world that embrace the German culture while still holding on to their own.
Now this is the part where I decided to do something new. I'm getting my readers involved. If you are satisfied with this story and the version of myself in it (we'll call her sunshine & rainbows Rachel) then by all means stop reading now. BUT if you are interested in hearing about conspiracy-theorist Rachel, then read on. At your own risk, of course.
The Mainz train station is a lot bigger than the one in Groß-Gerau. So I was a little nervous about finding my right train. But surprisingly I (sunshine and butterflies Rachel) found it very easily and thankfully, my train was there almost as if it were waiting for me! So I board my train, and away I go! I've read enough articles online and in newspapers, and since I am traveling alone, in a foreign country I (conspiracy theorist Rachel) take every precaution.
There were some pretty shady characters on this train, I don't know if it was because of the time or if it was just my imagination. Almost immediately I knew something wasn't right. I wasn't recognizing any of the names of the stops and I couldn't even find them on the map. Panic mode set in. I didn't want to appear lost, because I knew that would make me a target; of what exactly? I don't know. But who wants to be a target? So I waited until we got to a big enough train station that I felt safe.
The whole time I maintained a defensive stance near an exit and made eye contact with anyone that looked me way (that's what the magazine articles suggested)..I ended up in *drumroll* Frankfurt! Definitely not right. I went to the nearest help desk (thankfully someone spoke English) where I got instructions to get back to Groß-Gerau. So I boarded another train. Said a little prayer and hoped for the best.
Then a guy came around and asked for people's tickets. I was having trouble finding mine, so while he was waiting for me, he checked other tickets. I noticed that people were also showing him their IDs. I always freak out about getting asked for my ID, even though I am here legally, I still have deportation nightmares. But I found my ticket and he didn't ask for my ID.
I finally arrived, two hours later, to one of two train stations in Groß-Gerau. I was supposed to wait for a bus to take me to the other train station (where my bike was). But it was cold and dark and conspiracy theorist Rachel wasn't taking any chances. She paid for a cab. Best 6 Euros she ever spent.
So, moral of this story: don't board a train just because it is on the right platform. Double check your travel plans. Don't cry in public train stations (I didn't cry, so you shouldn't either). And of course, taxis are so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.
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