Classes, Oktoberfest, Polizei, Oh my!

My first week of classes went by REALLY fast in just the blink of an eye!  The days are still long and tiring, just as they would be if I were back taking classes in Portland, but at least I only have classes 4 days a week, which is absolutely amazing! I really like how my class schedule is balanced out this year.  All of my classes start at 9am Monday to Thursday and I only have three classes a day, which gives me some good blocks of time to finish my homework so I have time to go exploring on my three-day weekends.  So far I like my classes, but some are a little on the boring side (such as Political Science and Theology), but I try to find them interesting.  But I know that I will get a lot out of them.  Afterall, I am studying abroad in Europe for 8 months!I really like my Fine Arts and Music History Class- of course! 
This weekend I went to Munich for Oktoberfest.  It was totally not what I was expecting.  I thought it was just all beer gardens (well there were about 5 diffferent beer gardens there that seat about 1,500 people each!).  From my perspective, I saw it as a more liberal and foreign vesion of the Puyallup Fair, excluding the animals.  I had never seen so many guys wearing Liederhosen-it was darling!  Since it was the opening day of Oktoberfest, it was extremely crowded and hardly any room to move.  Unfortunately, we didn't get to go to one of the beer gardens because they were way too crowded and thousands of people were crammed into all of them.  It is said that appoximately 1 million people attend Oktoberfest each day.  Wow!  I also got to have my first Bratwurst yesterday-quite tasty!  And I bought a small beer stein as a souvenir to prove that I've been to Oktoberfest.  It was a fun, but exhausting day.  My group left Salzburg at 8am, took a 2 hour train ride to Munich, and got back to Salzburg at 10pm.  Luckily I was able to sleep in this Sunday morning and I'm committing the rest of my day to finishing my homework, which is mostly to finish my mass load of Political Science reading. 
Okay, so I had quite an interesting experience on Friday.  The other day, these two guys who live on the first floor of the Center got there wallets stolen.  Apparently, some stranger came into the center while there door was unlocked and stole their wallets.  That same day, I was upstairs in my room with the door opened a jar. Out of the corner of my eye, I see someone open the door and I just thought it was my roommate coming in.  It was some random guy who stepped into my room a few inches and once he noticed I was there he said "sorry" and left.  I just assumed he was some maintenance man and here to fix something and I didn't really think of him being some creep.  Later that night, the two guys couldn't find thier wallets, so it was obvious that they had been robbed.  The next morning, our program director calls me in my room and asks me if I saw anyone suspicious in the center the other day.  I told him about some random guy coming into my room and so he asked me to come with he and the two guys who got there wallets stolen to the police station.  We were there for 2 1/2 hours as the police had to ask us all these questions.  The reason why I was asked to come with them was to act as a witness because I was the only one at the center who really got a glimpse at the stranger.  Well, that was quite an interesting (and wild) European experience!  I sure hope that they can find the guy and the two guys get their wallets back.  Don't worry, my roommate and I ALWAYS lock the door whenever we leave our room now!
On Thursday morning, my mom called me to tell me that my Grandpa Bill passed away.  I was prepared for that to happen while I was here.  I'm not at all worried because I know everyone back home is taking good care of my mom.  And all the other 39 people I'm living with here (especially my roommate) took really good care of me and all signed a sympathy card for me and gave me a boquet of flowers.  I was so happy and extemely thankful.  I have yet another family in addition to my St. Paul's family and my blood-related family!  I don't think there is anyway I could be filled with more gratitude and happiness right now.  But I do miss you all and my cat Rio! 
Well, it was all a lot to pack into one week, but I'm still having a lot of fun.  I've only been here for 12 days and I'm already getting really close to everyone here and having incredible experiences.  Next Thursday I get to go to Vienna once again.  I can't wait!  Alles gut!