So, to start 2009 with a bit of blog bang, I thought a sweet double post would do the trick. The first part is actually blog, the other a bit of odds and ends and posting of answers to comments and things.
This holiday season, our noble adventurer (i.e. Me) was home in the good ol' US of A for some well-earned R&R. Now before you get all up in arms over me not seeing you, I need also mention I was only home for a scant 10 days, 2 of which were consumed by travel. Which, by the way, is a novel concept when one lives in Europe. My time was spent in the company of my wonderful family, with many anecdotes, adventures, and good times too numerous and of a familial nature to post here. It bears mention that I had enough pizza, burgers, and glorious tacos, burritos (I'm thinking of you Cancun) and general American cuisine to catch me up on my supposed deficiencies this fall.
However, I was slightly hesitant to post a blog, especially a travel blog, on a trip involving a return to my home country. Wouldn't it be just like going home? I spent a lot of time contemplating such a question. My problem is this: Just where am I from? Does it involve where my family lives? Where they're from or I'm from? Part of my identity is so rooted in a sort of geographic free-form that for me to not write about going on a trip to America would be counter to who I am and where I'm at as a person right now. In that same sense, after really integrating into a German/European mindset and worldview (to some extent anyway on that last point) it was utterly fascinating to experience America as someone who had never been here. I mean that in the sense that obviously I knew where I was and recognized things I knew and loved, but in a very real sense, a lot of things felt very foreign. The sights, the smells, the weather, simply everything, but particularly the land itself. Distances in California, and having places sufficiently far away to drive to, but still in the same state was simply mind-boggling! I can't understand how people come to terms with just how big America, or even California really is. Driving to my mom's in lovely but remote Humboldt, is roughly the distance from Berlin to 3 different European countries.
Anyway, to close, California and my family was great, but I must say it was quite another very odd sensation coming back to Berlin. It felt like when I left, that I had had a good time, but that it was time to get back home and in the swing of things. Which of course, set my mind in motion once again. Is home really where the heart is, or is it where we make our place, our niche in the world?
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
From Brussels With Love
First things first, a couple of newsworthy bits for everyone out there. As I'm sure you've noticed, this here blog got a face lift from its rather austere origins, as well as a name change. This name change was necessary for me to better reflect this blog's aim and purpose: rather than help me to adjust to Germany (of which it was quite successful) to instead share with everyone what it is that I am up to in this strange land.
And, as the title might suggest, this blog marks the first in a multi-part travel series! I hope to capture the essence of my madcap adventures throughout Europe and give all the folks back home something to talk about.
This weekend found us on the road to Belgium. We decided to capitalize on Adam's sister's hospitality and spend a weekend in Brussels. Being the excellent planners and logistical coordinators that we are, the only available option was a nine hour bus ride through exciting locales like Magdeburg, Braunschweig, Hannover, Antwerp, and finally Brussels. Few have experienced the magic that is a nine-hour bus ride through the night, replete with the noisiest snoring people ever thrown together in a small space.
Despite the lovely bus ride, we were undeterred in our efforts to experience Belgium. Upon stumbling out of the bus at the bleak hour of 6 in the morning, Adam's amazing sister Agnes met us at the station, and then proceeded to begin showing us all that Belgium had to offer with a half-hour car tour. We finally arrived at her flat, and after some catching up (Adam) and some much needed Z's (me) we hit the town. It really was quite amazing, with the Grote Markt, the City Hall, the Palace of Justice, and the EU Quarter dazzling us as we walked through the city. To be honest, our trip truly started when we hit the historic pub A La Mort Subite (which translates in French to the Sudden Death). We ordered gigantic beers and proceeded to drink away, finishing the tasty brews in no time, unaware that such drinks are meant to be enjoyed in the Belgian style (i.e. they take an hour to drink). Thoroughly feeling our oats, we toured the Marollen district, with some awesome comic pictures on the walls, stopped for another beer, and then got thoroughly drenched by the lovely Belgian weather. (In the same day it was clear, cloudy, rainy, foggy, and windy.) Day one ended at a lovely dinner party thrown by a friend of Adam's sister, in which we were introduced to a monstrous 10.5% beer, a portent of the following day.
After sleeping off our numerous libations from the night before, we woke up early and decided that we needed to see Bruges. We arrived an hour later (Belgium is tiny btw), having successfully smuggled ourselves in first class without paying. Bruges is of course famous for its historic atmosphere and apparently for its enormous churches. On the recommendation of Agnes, we embarked on a brewery tour of the Halve Maan Brauwerij (Half Moon Brewery). I feel it necessary here to comment on the Flemish language. Like its mother tongue Dutch, it seems as if a stupid, illiterate German person is attempting to communicate important information. Images of Calvin from C&H speaking with aliens/Suzy frequently came to mind throughout our Belgian encounter. French also sucks. Anyway, while the brewery tour was rather pro forma, the beer they made was delicious. One of our stated goals for Belgium was to try as many of their amazing brews as possible, and if we got loaded on the way, all the better. We proceeded to tour two of the finest local pubs, sampling some heavy beers (11.3%!) and mostly delicious and memorable beers. (If you too love beer, let me know and I'll give you our list of tasties) Satisfied that we had soaked up enough Brews/Bruges culture, we headed back to Brussels for some uninspiring Cuban food with Agnes.
Here's where the fun begins. After a couple of pubs with Agnes sampling a good number of beers, Adam and I proceeded to Delirium, a pub that prides itself on having 2504 beers in house, and some 100 on tap. Round after round, beer after beer, we drank until we couldn't remember what we had ordered. Finally, we managed to pull ourselves away in order to catch the last Metro back to our flat, and arrived at the stop without incident. As we were waling back however, we had a disagreement (as we are often wont to do) that resulted in us tearing down the street shouting at one another, complete with monumental falls. We were almost home (to the door in fact) when a voice behind us asked, "Is there a problem here?" Any mild-mannered drinker knows the answer to that question and we aced that exam, but there we were faced with no less than three squad cars of Brussels' finest. Apparently, two people had been seen in the neighborhood vandalizing cars and making noise, and since we were in the neighborhood, drunk and making noise, we were suspects one and two. Manhandled to the nearest wall, Adam and I were handcuffed, thrown into squad cars, and hauled off to the station.
After a lengthy period of statements, searches, and scowls from what seemed like half of the Brussels' police force, yours truly was put in the holding cell for what seemed an eternity. I was rudely awakened, escorted in, and signed a statement of what we had managed to tell the nice policemen. We left the station 6 hours later, feeling a bit more sober, and quite upset. Not only had we been arrested for basically nothing, but also the police had managed to lose my Berlin flat keys and 15 euros in small bills from Adam's wallet. We grumbled back to the apartment, collapsed on our bed, and wasted most of our Monday sleeping off what should have been a very bad dream.
Sadly, our Belgium excursion took on a bit of a sour note after that. We managed to score some of the most amazing pommes frites (that's be French fries to all you Americans) this side of the solar system, and also experienced the awesomeness of buying pizza by the kilo (750g is plenty for anyone, let me tell ya). We spent most of Monday lounging around, waiting for our Berlin airlift, but took the time to enjoy a couple more Belgian beers.
In all, an amazing weekend.
And, as the title might suggest, this blog marks the first in a multi-part travel series! I hope to capture the essence of my madcap adventures throughout Europe and give all the folks back home something to talk about.
This weekend found us on the road to Belgium. We decided to capitalize on Adam's sister's hospitality and spend a weekend in Brussels. Being the excellent planners and logistical coordinators that we are, the only available option was a nine hour bus ride through exciting locales like Magdeburg, Braunschweig, Hannover, Antwerp, and finally Brussels. Few have experienced the magic that is a nine-hour bus ride through the night, replete with the noisiest snoring people ever thrown together in a small space.
Despite the lovely bus ride, we were undeterred in our efforts to experience Belgium. Upon stumbling out of the bus at the bleak hour of 6 in the morning, Adam's amazing sister Agnes met us at the station, and then proceeded to begin showing us all that Belgium had to offer with a half-hour car tour. We finally arrived at her flat, and after some catching up (Adam) and some much needed Z's (me) we hit the town. It really was quite amazing, with the Grote Markt, the City Hall, the Palace of Justice, and the EU Quarter dazzling us as we walked through the city. To be honest, our trip truly started when we hit the historic pub A La Mort Subite (which translates in French to the Sudden Death). We ordered gigantic beers and proceeded to drink away, finishing the tasty brews in no time, unaware that such drinks are meant to be enjoyed in the Belgian style (i.e. they take an hour to drink). Thoroughly feeling our oats, we toured the Marollen district, with some awesome comic pictures on the walls, stopped for another beer, and then got thoroughly drenched by the lovely Belgian weather. (In the same day it was clear, cloudy, rainy, foggy, and windy.) Day one ended at a lovely dinner party thrown by a friend of Adam's sister, in which we were introduced to a monstrous 10.5% beer, a portent of the following day.
After sleeping off our numerous libations from the night before, we woke up early and decided that we needed to see Bruges. We arrived an hour later (Belgium is tiny btw), having successfully smuggled ourselves in first class without paying. Bruges is of course famous for its historic atmosphere and apparently for its enormous churches. On the recommendation of Agnes, we embarked on a brewery tour of the Halve Maan Brauwerij (Half Moon Brewery). I feel it necessary here to comment on the Flemish language. Like its mother tongue Dutch, it seems as if a stupid, illiterate German person is attempting to communicate important information. Images of Calvin from C&H speaking with aliens/Suzy frequently came to mind throughout our Belgian encounter. French also sucks. Anyway, while the brewery tour was rather pro forma, the beer they made was delicious. One of our stated goals for Belgium was to try as many of their amazing brews as possible, and if we got loaded on the way, all the better. We proceeded to tour two of the finest local pubs, sampling some heavy beers (11.3%!) and mostly delicious and memorable beers. (If you too love beer, let me know and I'll give you our list of tasties) Satisfied that we had soaked up enough Brews/Bruges culture, we headed back to Brussels for some uninspiring Cuban food with Agnes.
Here's where the fun begins. After a couple of pubs with Agnes sampling a good number of beers, Adam and I proceeded to Delirium, a pub that prides itself on having 2504 beers in house, and some 100 on tap. Round after round, beer after beer, we drank until we couldn't remember what we had ordered. Finally, we managed to pull ourselves away in order to catch the last Metro back to our flat, and arrived at the stop without incident. As we were waling back however, we had a disagreement (as we are often wont to do) that resulted in us tearing down the street shouting at one another, complete with monumental falls. We were almost home (to the door in fact) when a voice behind us asked, "Is there a problem here?" Any mild-mannered drinker knows the answer to that question and we aced that exam, but there we were faced with no less than three squad cars of Brussels' finest. Apparently, two people had been seen in the neighborhood vandalizing cars and making noise, and since we were in the neighborhood, drunk and making noise, we were suspects one and two. Manhandled to the nearest wall, Adam and I were handcuffed, thrown into squad cars, and hauled off to the station.
After a lengthy period of statements, searches, and scowls from what seemed like half of the Brussels' police force, yours truly was put in the holding cell for what seemed an eternity. I was rudely awakened, escorted in, and signed a statement of what we had managed to tell the nice policemen. We left the station 6 hours later, feeling a bit more sober, and quite upset. Not only had we been arrested for basically nothing, but also the police had managed to lose my Berlin flat keys and 15 euros in small bills from Adam's wallet. We grumbled back to the apartment, collapsed on our bed, and wasted most of our Monday sleeping off what should have been a very bad dream.
Sadly, our Belgium excursion took on a bit of a sour note after that. We managed to score some of the most amazing pommes frites (that's be French fries to all you Americans) this side of the solar system, and also experienced the awesomeness of buying pizza by the kilo (750g is plenty for anyone, let me tell ya). We spent most of Monday lounging around, waiting for our Berlin airlift, but took the time to enjoy a couple more Belgian beers.
In all, an amazing weekend.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Alive and Kicking in the Frozen North
Wow...I realize it has been a long time since I updated my lovely little blog. It must be said that equal parts laziness and business have contributed to this dearth of writing. However, a fair part also lies in the fact that I feel like I belong here. After 3 months and a fair share of grief, it feels natural and comfortable to be here in Berlin. Call me presumptuous, but I consider myself a Berliner, however transitory such a feeling might be. It is amusing to note as well that this realization came in a discussion with my roommate over McDonald's hamburgers and their ubiquitous Monopoly game (it really does taste better in Europe). It raises a number of questions for me, however: Where/when was the so-called "hump"? Does it work the same way for someone in America? Hmmm. Harder still to believe that Christmas is so soon! Where have my three months gone? Though I am returning to the States for the holidays, I wonder if I too will experience this same sensation of acclimatization that I have undergone here. Is there a period of time?
In any case, for the scant three of you that have wondered what it is that I have been up to, the answer is not a simple one. Though I have not yet left the Capitol City, my weeks have been a whirlwind of shows, parties, dinners, snow (mind-boggling for a Texifornian), class, and all manner of interesting though not necessarily noteworthy interactions with Germans and the strange construct that is being "German."
As the title might suggest, its fricking freezing here. Literally. But I suppose it is winter, so I will stop grousing about the weather.
In any case, for the scant three of you that have wondered what it is that I have been up to, the answer is not a simple one. Though I have not yet left the Capitol City, my weeks have been a whirlwind of shows, parties, dinners, snow (mind-boggling for a Texifornian), class, and all manner of interesting though not necessarily noteworthy interactions with Germans and the strange construct that is being "German."
As the title might suggest, its fricking freezing here. Literally. But I suppose it is winter, so I will stop grousing about the weather.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Take My Love, Take My Land...
So as I sit here at the ungodly hour of 5 am, I marvel at the wonder of the internet. Sure, just about anyone with a connection north of 56k can marvel at the wonder that is the World Wide Web, but for me, being in this far off place (but by no means less wonderful) nothing makes me feel more comfortable than having some of my favorite things and people at my fingertips. Hearing that western twang (as the title might suggest) of violin and guitar, as well as receiving emails from friends and family all over, really help to bridge the gap from me to what makes me happy.
As for Berlin, classes begin in earnest tomorrow! Faced with such daunting topics like the history of public communication in Europe in the 19th and 20th century to the culture of modernity in Berlin, I daresay our intrepid hero may find himself actually experiencing what he came here for: academia! (Insert dramatic music here) I'll try not to over exert myself waking up at the crack of noon, as classes tend to orient more towards later in the day, but in truth, the prospect of sitting in on lecture, even if it is a topic I know and love is a little frightening. But in an case, we shall see. Wish me luck!
As for Berlin, classes begin in earnest tomorrow! Faced with such daunting topics like the history of public communication in Europe in the 19th and 20th century to the culture of modernity in Berlin, I daresay our intrepid hero may find himself actually experiencing what he came here for: academia! (Insert dramatic music here) I'll try not to over exert myself waking up at the crack of noon, as classes tend to orient more towards later in the day, but in truth, the prospect of sitting in on lecture, even if it is a topic I know and love is a little frightening. But in an case, we shall see. Wish me luck!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Where's My Silver Lining Dammit?
So, despite my best efforts to attend arguably one of
But in answer to the question posed in the title of this blog, all is not lost for our fearless hero. Friday night I went out on the town, fully enjoying the sensation of going to bed as the sun comes up (read: 7 am). Saturday took me to the amazing and historic Olympiastadion to watch the local team and a small gathering of 42,000 fans play some football. Entering the stadium and hearing the roar of the faithful, with the cheering, the chants, the banners, and of course the football made me in an instant one of the converted. Just thinking about the game makes my hair stand on end. Unfortunately, the home side didn't win, but there's always next weekend. It was crazy to notice on the approach to the stadium the 25-30 police riot vans, with the concourse ringed by hundreds of police in full riot gear, as well as the Ubahn stocked to the gills with people going to and from. For all you Bay Area kids reading the blog, imagine the BART and Muni in SF for a Giants game then triple those numbers. And of course, the night simply wasn’t complete without some Ubahn hijinks. (details on request)
And then, as if the weekend couldn't get any better, it did. I just got back from an amazing show featuring the opener, Anais Michell and a personal favorite, Bon Iver. The girl, Anais was pretty awesome, but she played like a 30 minute set! She had some amazing guitar tunings, and did some really awesome songs. Definitely worth checking out. After a short wait, Bon Iver came on, and played pretty much their whole new album, plus two new tracks! Utterly awesome. It was a little awkward, in that
I’m sure Adam had an awesome time at Oktoberfest, clearly it was a ton of fun. So where was my silver lining? Right here in
Friday, September 19, 2008
When in Berlin....Buy a Jacket 'cause it's Freezing
So I realized it's been a month o' Sundays since be done published on this here blog, and I simply must say there is much to report, though its importance can of course be interrogated.
School is going well, other than bashing my head against the desire to have a more comprehensive vocabulary. Nothing can be more humbling than explaining something that is so completely obvious to your historical and analytical mind and being brought to your knees by the word for.....different. (It's Unterschied as noun and verschieden as adjective) Sigh. But the transit system here in Berlin is amazing; I have no problem going to a school some 45 minutes distant.
Bureaucratically speaking, I am progressing nicely in the festering quagmire that is the German political machine. I can safely say that the police now know where I live (a potentially disturbing prospect) but on the plus side, I can also avoid the large fine associated with not registering. (Humorously enough, the police issue the citation) Was faced with the briefest of Catch-22's when I realized in order to register at University I needed to pay my fees, but to pay my fees I needed a bank account for which I needed to register with the police. I then needed all of these forms to get my visa. Lots of fun to be sure.
As the title would suggest, it is outrageously cold here in Berlin. There are actually places in this world in which fall as a season is experienced (oh how I miss thee California). Needless to say the high and low temps forecasted for this weekend hover around 15/8 C (that's 59/46 for you standard kids), which calls for scarves and sweaters, and gasp! layers. Well, that's me in a nutshell for the last week or so, which I must say simply flies by.
I'll leave you all with heartfelt thanks for the reads and comments, and some shots of the Casa de Will/Adam.
School is going well, other than bashing my head against the desire to have a more comprehensive vocabulary. Nothing can be more humbling than explaining something that is so completely obvious to your historical and analytical mind and being brought to your knees by the word for.....different. (It's Unterschied as noun and verschieden as adjective) Sigh. But the transit system here in Berlin is amazing; I have no problem going to a school some 45 minutes distant.
Bureaucratically speaking, I am progressing nicely in the festering quagmire that is the German political machine. I can safely say that the police now know where I live (a potentially disturbing prospect) but on the plus side, I can also avoid the large fine associated with not registering. (Humorously enough, the police issue the citation) Was faced with the briefest of Catch-22's when I realized in order to register at University I needed to pay my fees, but to pay my fees I needed a bank account for which I needed to register with the police. I then needed all of these forms to get my visa. Lots of fun to be sure.
As the title would suggest, it is outrageously cold here in Berlin. There are actually places in this world in which fall as a season is experienced (oh how I miss thee California). Needless to say the high and low temps forecasted for this weekend hover around 15/8 C (that's 59/46 for you standard kids), which calls for scarves and sweaters, and gasp! layers. Well, that's me in a nutshell for the last week or so, which I must say simply flies by.
I'll leave you all with heartfelt thanks for the reads and comments, and some shots of the Casa de Will/Adam.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Homesickness Op.57 no.6 in E Minor
Yesterday and today more than ever I've been struck by a sudden and gripping wave of homesickness. I miss all the things from back home, I miss going home, the people there, my stuff, just everything. And while I understand that separation is part of the whole studying abroad thing, emotionally its really hard to come to terms with. If only you could mail a hug.
Not much else to report as of late, but if you're still reading this little blog here, I'd love some feedback to see what the four of you think of it.
Not much else to report as of late, but if you're still reading this little blog here, I'd love some feedback to see what the four of you think of it.
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