Honk! Deutschland!

Deutschland has just won a match in the Euro Cup. They now advance to the semifinals. The people in Darmstadt (and all throughout Germany for that matter) are celebrating noisily. People drive their cars around waving flags and honking constantly (no matter that it is 11pm here). Fire crackers fly up in the air and children lean out of their windows shouting Deutschland! No joke - I saw all of this. The party will go on for at least a few more hours. If tomorrow was not a work day, people would be "making party" in the streets all night long.

I watched the game at a crowded bier garten where I had my first German beer. It was a Pfungstadter - apparently the local equivilant of bud or miller, but of course much better. Not the best beer I've ever had, but not a bad start.

As for why I am in Germany for the summer - A chemistry research position at TU Darmstadt provided by the DAAD RISE program - more on that later. For now I need to sleep (or try to, with the noise of honking cars) so I can wake up early to start my first synthesis reaction of the summer.

Chus!