Mitfahrgelegenheit brings all the boys to the yard.

"I want to speak, to sing to total strangers.

It's my way of talking to the world."

A German word clearly excessive in length for "car pool". Mitfahrgelegenheit (okay, lets go MFG for short) is a network where you go online to see if anyone is driving in the same direction you're going, and then request to ride with for a (usually) small fee. Vice versa, if you're the driver, you post to the site and find willing passengers and make some dinero to cover petrol and whatever else. Anyway its a great scheme, popular amongst cash-strapped students, and it's a win-win situation for the most part.

The strange but yummy advertisement for MFG

MFG was to be my means of transport to Karlsruhe which is about an hour from Darmstadt. That is, an hour on the German highways and probably 2 on Australian roads - yes the 200km/h freeways do exist! I headed to the hauptbahnhof which is the "main train station" at 9:38am, 22 minutes early from my 10am pickup*. I say, what's a better way to kill time than to have a good perv?

Nothing overly delicious. Just as I was about to give up, I spotted a McSteamy in the not too far distance. McSteamy was holding an assemblage of flowers (those really eclectic looking ones). The first thing that came into my head was "man, why can't I find a boyfriend who buys me expensive flowers, and he himself be as pleasing as them flowers he holds?" Anyway my attention diverted quickly away from McS.. boys with girlfriends aren't as exciting for the imagination; oh but hurrah, my lift is here!

As I started approaching the car another girl was also nearing the vehicle. I guess they had more than one passenger. Wait, now make that three - yep be it who else but McS himself. They all had a brief conversation in German about where everyone was going (or at least I assumed) as the bags were being loaded into the boot. I just heedlessly nodded when I heard the driver say Karlsruhe.

So is it strange sitting in a car with 4 randoms? ..pretty much. For the first 25 or so minutes the girl was making small talk in German with the driver and his wife, whilst McS anti-socially had his earphones in. The warmth from his leg on mine was unexpectedly arousing though *insert girly giggle*.

A few kilometres further along, McS takes out his earphones, faces me and asks me, "So where are you from?" How random, yet so normal. I've gotten use to being asked random questions here in Germany, it happens on the regular. McS's name is Carlos; he's an exchange student from Columbia and has already been here for 2 years out of his 3 year program. The boy was gorgeous, and I mean that in terms of his personality as well. Extremely charismatic and witty - the exact type that I always and should never go for. The best part was when he told me that he was heading to Karlsruhe to visit his previous host family and the flowers were just a little something as a gift. I knew I was right, good-looking boys and beautiful flowers don't go together!

Peter Parker AND flowers - "it only happens in movies"

Once we arrived at Karlsruhe, we exchanged numbers and he told me to let him know when I was free so that he could show me around Mainz (his city just 20 mins from Darmstadt) and meet his friends - so lovely.

And I'm thinking I might just take him up on that offer..

*You need to be VERY particular with time here, never arrive late - you'll be the only one who does. Rach, I bet you'll like this one - are you sure you're not some closet-German?