Hot hot hot

Tuesday was a long, busy day for me. I left my dorm that morning and didn't get back until after midnight. I don't have German class on Tuesdays, so I went in to work in the institute all day. Well, until 2:30. This week, we had a technical tour scheduled as part of our program. We were going to Saint Gobain Glass to see the glass-making process, and then next door to their sister company Saint Gobain Sekurit, where we would see the glass take shape as an automobile rear window. It was pretty neat to see. It was already a hot day, and by the furnace where the sand and other materials were melted, it was unbearable. I didn't know that going outside on a 95 degree day could actually feel relieving. I was wearing long pants and socks and tennis shoes too, which didn't help the temperature situation. Our tour guide didn't seem to be sweating at all; he must be used to it. The glass is made by floating the melted stuff on a layer of liquid tin (the densities are different, so they stay separate, kinda like oil and water). This creates a very smooth surface. We saw humongous sheets of glass. We didn't get back from the tour until around 6:30, and that night, the MSU guys and I had signed up with some of the UROP students to go see a Shakespeare play: A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was in German, but Shakespeare is already impossible for me to understand, so it didn't matter. It was performed in an outdoor theater, in the courtyard of a very small castle. I never knew Aachen had a castle. The play was modernized. I'd read the synopsis online beforehand, so I kinda knew what was going on. They had a lot of dancing and bright costumes, so there was enough visual to keep me entertained. By the time it was over and I made it back to my dorm, it was very late.
The next day was very hot also. I wore a dress, since that tends to keep me cooler. Secondly, I hadn't had a chance to dress up for the play the night before, coming directly from my tour, and I wanted to. Simone had arranged to meet me for lunch. It would be just us two; she wanted to hear about Warsaw, since she's thinking of travelling there sometime. Also, she wanted to make sure everything was okay. Maybe she sensed that I had been feeling a little lonely. I wish I wasn't such a social retard and didn't need people to take special care of me. I suppose I shouldn't be insulted but rather appreciate that Simone cares. She encouraged me to talk to the guys and ask about their future travel plans. She said there may be some miscommunication, and they think I've found my own friends here and don't want to hang out with them, while I think they're ignoring me. It's up to somebody to simply talk, and why don't I take that initiative?
Simone also told me that a whole weekend in Brussels might be a little much and that I should try taking a day trip from there to another Belgian city. I'll have to try to think about that tonight and make a few plans. And she's perfectly okay with me missing the farewell dinner to go to Baden Baden, so I'm pretty sure I'll go.
That afternoon was a huge thunderstorm. Even with an umbrella, I got completely soaked walking back from the institute. That evening, Sascha invited me to a music night near my dorm. It was just some people playing their instruments and then singing from a songbook accompanied by guitar/piano. There was this guy there who was very talented at the piano, really good at playing the chords while guiding us singers through the melody. It was cool that he could improvise like that, given only the chords and playing by ear. I hardly knew any of the songs we sang except "Let It Be." We were just hanging out. Not as many people came as expected, probably because of the rain.