Got my first payslip today. The total tax: 47%. That includes such gems as €50 a month 'church tax' and €98 a month to pay my bit towards the bill for Germany's 5 million unemployed. I feel myself drifting towards the right wing even now.. I worked out that in the UK, after income tax and NI,I would take home €850 more per month. Clearly these kinds of comparisons are somewhat artificial, but I will try to remember this when I'm working in Britain and think I'm being taxed too much..

Ok, money moaning finished. Tonight I'm going to try to get some tickets for a night train from Karlsruhe to Hamburg on Friday night. I have to stay for my German class Friday evening, and I'll miss the last fast train, so the night train looks like the best option. I bought a German railcard on Sunday, which will hopefully make it a bit cheaper (I'm not sure if it's valid for Nachtzugs). I'm quite looking forward to it, there's something quite cool about night trains. I have to get to Hamburg to meet San Yuan, a Taiwanese friend who's in Europe for a conference.