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.

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.

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!

Where's My Silver Lining Dammit?

So, despite my best efforts to attend arguably one of Germany's most revered and tourist-frequented social events, namely Oktoberfest, I have been thwarted. For the third time in as many weekends my social calendar has been destroyed by poor planning, destitution, and Fate. Sigh.

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 Germany seems to suffer from completely awkward, graphic, and blatant PDA’s. Not just handholding, but full-on makeouts. At a concert, in the U-bahn, wherever. All the random couples aside, it was awesome and I can't wait to see more shows here in Berlin!

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 Berlin where I left it. Life is good.

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.

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.

A Night At The Museum(s)

Last night we were privy to anmazing and wonderful experience unique to (as far as I know) Berlin. Every museum in the city, all 98 of them, were not only open late (2 am) but for one price of a ticket, you could see them all! Needless to say, I and my roommate took advantage of this, starting our epic crusade at the interesting meld of the Automobil Forum. On the lobby floor, we were treated to a number of delicious new models from German auto companies, of which Volkswagen persuaded us that we needed the sexy new Scirocco and fully loaded VW vans. Another side note is that Bentley and Bugatti decided to crash the party, the latter with its impossibly fast/expensive "yeah-its-that-close-to-sex-on-wheels" Veyron. After that, we walked back to the Museums Island, only after pausing for a few minutes of thrall as the State Opera performed a free opera in the adjoining plaza. Beautiful strains of Beethoven's Fidelio, though unfamiliar, transfixed the sidewalk in its beauty. Sadly, we had to pull ourselves away and meet our friends underneath the brilliantly lit Berliner Dom. From there, we proceeded to the German History Museum, a collection of material and artifacts I've yet to see everywhere and in presentation so completely unvarnished and plainspoken. Amazing. After an adventure of wedging the six of us into a totally full accordion bus, we made it to the equally amazing New National Gallery (rough translation) with exhibitions by Hiroshi Sugimoto (awesome photographer) and a centenarian artist whose name escapes me sadly.
Regrettably, we ran out of gas after the National Gallery (mind you it was like 1 am) and proceeded home, but with a greater appreciation of the amazing wealth of knowledge that Berlin has to offer. This year is going to be amazing without a doubt! On a side note, I really appreciate any and all of you guys who are reading me blather on about my experiences here. It's really good to my experiences in written form, and I hope that you enjoy reading as much as I do writing.

FU Berlin...or Deutschland 1, Will 0

So today was the first day of my language study course before I start my actual studies in Germany. Being the amazingly wise guy/student that I am, I decided to enroll in the the absolute farthest University in the area, requiring some 3 train transfers. Of course this course starts at 8 am, so I roll out of bed at 7 with my roommate Adam, whose disturbing insistence on near Nazi-like hygiene regimens ensured that we hit the S-bahn at 730. One must give the Berlin transit system credit; when one is in a hurry, rest assured that it is not, but it is committed to the most confusing and unintelligble schedules and stations. So, having navigated this particular tribulation with typical style and aplomb (read: barely contained fury) we flew out of the Thielplatz station only to examine the most convoluted and senseless directions given to me by my language program. After wandering around the Dahlem area in search of this mystical Free University (intellectually, not financially), we finally found some semblance of the directions given. Finally, we arrived at the "main building" with no signs posted, no listings, no directions to the exam whatsoever. We asked the information desk, who helpfully pointed us to a map and implied we were stupid.
Alright here it is: You WIN Germany. Apparently poor stupid Americans like myself have no business wandering your hallowed and quite frankly enormous halls of academia.Utterly defeated, we slunk off to Henry-Ford Bau, realized it was worthless too, and got some breakfast at a cafe. We then retreated to our favorite hangout (it has free Wi-Fi and occasionally good drinks) Espresso Ambulanz and I proceed to check my email...
My course starts on Monday. Oh yeah. I'm pretty much amazing.

Berlin Baby!

Here at last! Berlin is by far one of the most amazing cities on the planet! We've only been here two days and already our list of things to do and see is the length of my arm.

Had a bit of an adventure trying to get to our hostel in trying to navigate the airport, taking the massive transit system, wandering the streets of Mitte (downtown) for two hours until finally arriving. Upon hurling our massive bags on our bunks, we proceeded to make some awesome friends and get spectacularly drunk. Poor Adam (my traveling companion) got a little green about 2, but managed to feel better to have our first Doener Kebap! Kind of weird, but absolutely ubiquitous to Berlin. Today we went to see our prospective apartment, and found one of our friends and his wife not two blocks from the hostel! Good times all around.

It hit me on the way to the U-bahn again that I'm actually in another country! It just feels so natural and familiar that I feel right at home. It still feels a little scary to interact with everything so new and well, foreign but we're trying our best. The only regret/complaint thus far is that everyone we've met speaks English! We've been told this will change, especially in where we want to live and at Uni, and we expect it to, but still its hard to fully integrate into Germany as of yet. I hope to include some photos in this here blog soon as I figure out how, so stay tuned.

Prelude to Panic

Hey there everyone (well all three of you anyway),


I wanted to really capture the experience and wonder of what should be an amazing year-long trip to Berlin for me and everyone back home. While a blog might seem a bit passe, I think it would be the best way to keep in touch with everyone and not have to tell the same stories 19 times (Thanks Brad for the words of encouragement). Plus, twitter just sounds dumb. I can't imagine myself honestly investing time and energy into something so named.


Anyway, I realize this is kind of cheating, as I haven't actually left yet, but I just wanted to capture some thoughts I've been having before leaving. It just refuses to set in that in a week, everything I know will be 7,000 miles behind me. As I've been driving around my old Sacto haunts, I just can't seem to get my mind ready for this. Equal parts terrified, excited beyond compare, and melancholy. I hope that if you're reading this, I've made plans to either see you or at the very least talked to you. And if I haven't, I'm of course a terrible person and will hopefully rectify such a glaring oversight and get back to you.

But yeah, tune in as often as you like; I hope to post a couple times a week, with pictures and commentary on Berlin, Germany, my roommate, or whatever else should happen to happen while on adventure. -W