Traveling abroad...

Hey there 2o2p community...I'm blogging from Germany!! Yes, Germany, as in the European country!

I'm on a business trip and so I had to leave at least one blog entry while I'm here. I'll add some pics from Germany when I return to the States so anyone that's curious can see what it's like. I'm in the hotel room on a wireless connection so at least I can keep up with the site here and everything going on back home!

The time here is 5 hours ahead and after a 7 1/2 hour plane ride, I'm still adjusting to the time difference. So, everyone knows what that means...no 360!!! Waaahhh!! Actually, I've come to the conclusion that I can live for a week without my 360, but I did buy GRAW2 before leaving and I didn't play it once. I'm leaving that for when I return. I did bring my Halo disk, so I can play some of that if I really have gaming withdrawals. But playing PC games is hard now that I've had my 360, especially on a laptop!!

So, here's my list of things good and bad about Germany (for those that may not know), in my humble opinion:

• Only one English TV channel at the hotel, and that's CNN
• No "non-smoking" areas in the restaurants (I'm a non-smoker; no offense to anyone who smokes, it just clogs up my sinuses and gives me a headache)
• Apparently no law about opened alcohol containers in public; so if you want a beer while walking through the park or just down the street...have at it!
• A lot of people speak English, though some older folks who work at the shops or restaurants don't.
• Food is great! Whether it's traditional German or an Italian place, the food is really good!
• All glasses are marked with a line showing the exact volume. If you order a pop or juice and the menu says 0.2 liters, you get exactly 0.2 liters and no ice. The ice takes up unnecessary space. In Germany, you get exactly what you pay for. You don't pay for 0.1 liter of pop and the rest ice; if you pay for 0.2 liters, you get it!!
• Beer comes in half-liter glasses; no other option!!
• They actually have a good public transportation system which works.
• Dogs are allowed in restaurants
• Once you are seated at a restaurant, you can stay as long as you want. They don't bring the check to you in order to "force" you out, you have to ask for the check
• Unlike some people may think, they do drive on the right side of the road.
• Air conditioning does not exist in Germany; in July and August, I've been told it's brutal.
• The pricing on goods in the stores is the exact price you pay, the taxes are already "built-in", so you don't have to add 6, 8, or 10% sales tax to the price that's marked. You pay what's exactly on the tag.

Well that's all for now. I'm visiting some other cities tomorrow, so I may not be able to blog, but I may just add some other info later!