The Worst Kind of Neighbour
11 years ago
15.8.09
2.8.09
last night in the fatherland.
I feel a bit nauseous today. I cant seem to settle down. Each time I sit, my leg starts shaking. Its a weird feeling. I am anxious about the next few months, about settling down back in Chicago. Only it wont be settling at all- it'll be crazy and busy, full of BA writing and jobs and becoming an American again.
At the same time I want to sit and enjoy this last evening with the Heidemanns. Appreciate how wonderful it is with them here in Deutz.
I tried to pack a year into 2 bags and 46 kg. It didnt work.
I could try to pack a year into this entry, but it wouldnt work either. All I can say is thank you. Its been good.
Thanks to everyone who read this throughout the year. The more you read, the more I wrote, and writing has been wonderful. I will continue to blog from Chicago, only probably from a new site. I will post the link here when I set it up.
Until then, this is Alex signing off from mein Jahr in Heidelberg.
Love.
24.7.09
ciao heidelberg.
It's my last night in Heidelberg. Forever? Of course not. So many loved ones here, I'll of course find my way back in the next, let's say, 5 years.
But my year here, my "Jahr in Heidelberg", ends tomorrow morning. Thorsten and I will pack up the dishes in the kitchen, load up the car, and head north to Köln am Rhein.
Today was as close to perfect as the day can get. Thorsten and I slept in and I made him my last cup of coffee. We sat in the kitchen for a while, enjoying the slowly waking day. We then wandered to my seminar building where I handed in my last documents for die Universität Heidelberg. It felt good, sliding those envelopes into the steel mailboxes. It was so anticlimactic that it was nice- I think if it had been climactic I'd have been disappointed.
We then enjoyed a last latte in the Mensa with my last few euro on my ID card. (note- coffee #2, already at 12. Must be with a Heidemann.) We then changed shoes and went for a hike up to the castle, one last time. Though overcast, we could see quite far. We went further into the forest, enjoying the Odenwald and its moist undergrowth and creepy vampire houses.
On arrival back in the Altstadt, sweating and hungry, we went to Falafel. We ate falafel there. Best I've ever had.
After a little relaxation we met with Philipp for a walk along the Philosophenweg. Also beautiful. I sat for a bit in the garden up top, looking at the beauty and taking it in.
We then met Philipp's girlfriend and son on the Neckarwiese. Heidelberg threw its best at me today. The weather report called for rain, rain, rain. And the actual weather was bluest of blue skies and sun in bunches. Perfect.
We then eventually wandered to Schnitzelhaus for a final meal. In Heidelberg. And I went back to the standard, the Rhöner Bauernschnitzel, with eggs, bacon, and onions. Mmm.
And then we grabbed a couple Vetters bottles, 1 liter each, and sat on the Neckar bank. And it rained.
Heidelberg, it's been real, real good. At times I've hated it here-- thousands of tourists, stupid bureaucrats, annoying professors, annoying amis-- but days like today remind me why I loved it here. It's a magical place here. It feels removed from the rest of the world, somehow stuck in a sunny version of the 17th century. I'll miss it.
Alt Heidelberg, du feine, du Stadt am Ehren reich. Am Neckar und am Rheine, kein andre kommt dir gleich.
Thanks, Heidelberg. Auf Wiedersehen.
Love, Al.
credit photo: Thorsten Heidemann
But my year here, my "Jahr in Heidelberg", ends tomorrow morning. Thorsten and I will pack up the dishes in the kitchen, load up the car, and head north to Köln am Rhein.
Today was as close to perfect as the day can get. Thorsten and I slept in and I made him my last cup of coffee. We sat in the kitchen for a while, enjoying the slowly waking day. We then wandered to my seminar building where I handed in my last documents for die Universität Heidelberg. It felt good, sliding those envelopes into the steel mailboxes. It was so anticlimactic that it was nice- I think if it had been climactic I'd have been disappointed.
We then enjoyed a last latte in the Mensa with my last few euro on my ID card. (note- coffee #2, already at 12. Must be with a Heidemann.) We then changed shoes and went for a hike up to the castle, one last time. Though overcast, we could see quite far. We went further into the forest, enjoying the Odenwald and its moist undergrowth and creepy vampire houses.
On arrival back in the Altstadt, sweating and hungry, we went to Falafel. We ate falafel there. Best I've ever had.
After a little relaxation we met with Philipp for a walk along the Philosophenweg. Also beautiful. I sat for a bit in the garden up top, looking at the beauty and taking it in.
We then met Philipp's girlfriend and son on the Neckarwiese. Heidelberg threw its best at me today. The weather report called for rain, rain, rain. And the actual weather was bluest of blue skies and sun in bunches. Perfect.
We then eventually wandered to Schnitzelhaus for a final meal. In Heidelberg. And I went back to the standard, the Rhöner Bauernschnitzel, with eggs, bacon, and onions. Mmm.
And then we grabbed a couple Vetters bottles, 1 liter each, and sat on the Neckar bank. And it rained.
Heidelberg, it's been real, real good. At times I've hated it here-- thousands of tourists, stupid bureaucrats, annoying professors, annoying amis-- but days like today remind me why I loved it here. It's a magical place here. It feels removed from the rest of the world, somehow stuck in a sunny version of the 17th century. I'll miss it.
Alt Heidelberg, du feine, du Stadt am Ehren reich. Am Neckar und am Rheine, kein andre kommt dir gleich.
Thanks, Heidelberg. Auf Wiedersehen.
Love, Al.
credit photo: Thorsten Heidemann
22.7.09
19.7.09
letzte woche in HD
Hello- I apologize for the long break. I have been wanting to write, but things really have been busy here in romantic Heidelberg.
Wednesday last week I met with Badi and Phillip for beers after their last exam. This began around 4 pm. By 7, I'd had a few, and was to meet with Hanna for a walk after her last exam. Badi came along.
As we headed out along the Neckar towards the Karlstor Bridge, Hanna turned right towards the square where the Schnitzelhaus is. I remarked to Badi, as he was leaving the next day, how sad it was that we wouldn't be able to eat there. But he should definitely try it out.
And to my surprise, outside the restaurant is Rick, Ben, Kathi, Babsi, Teresa, and Anni. No way. They had organized my birthday dinner. I assume my seat at the head of the table, and delve into a Schnitzel "a la Meyer". That's one huge schnitzel, grilled onions, and two fried eggs on top. Mmm.
After dinner a few of us climbed up to the castle gardens for music, beer, and candle-lit star gazing. Perfect.
Thursday was a mammoth day- I played two hours tennis, three sets of beach volleyball, and rode my bike 30 km. Plus went dancing. It was also our WG-Dinner, where Rosa and Ahron made pizza for Irmela, Liz and I. I had a blast- I wish our apartment had eaten together more this year.
After a loungy Friday came Saturday, my birthday. The weather was weak. Cold, rainy, cloudy, and overall sad. But Liz and I went for a walk, I got all dressed up, and we ended up at Rick's cafe for a free birthday beer around 1. We then had pizza and this fantastic Italian place which I'd meant to visit the whole year. It was wonderful- maybe even worthy of Thorsten this week.
Then after a little power nap, we headed to the Neckarwiese for my Birthday/Goodbye party. I followed the formula of last year's birthday party, my best on record: one needs only loved ones, meat, and beer to be completely satisfied. We had each of the three in plenty, and a good time was had by all. The skies even cleared up by the end- some stars were visible by the time we all left around 1:30.
I've said some tough goodbyes in the last week, and that won't stop soon. But I want to say here: thank you to each of you wonderful people who've been with me this whole year. Vielen, vielen Dank an euch alle, die das ganze Jahre lang so wunderbar zu mir waren. Ihr habt mein Jahr so bedeutend gemacht.
I'm going through the thousands of photos I recieved as a final parting gift. It's been good.
Love from Heidelberg,
Alex.
Wednesday last week I met with Badi and Phillip for beers after their last exam. This began around 4 pm. By 7, I'd had a few, and was to meet with Hanna for a walk after her last exam. Badi came along.
As we headed out along the Neckar towards the Karlstor Bridge, Hanna turned right towards the square where the Schnitzelhaus is. I remarked to Badi, as he was leaving the next day, how sad it was that we wouldn't be able to eat there. But he should definitely try it out.
And to my surprise, outside the restaurant is Rick, Ben, Kathi, Babsi, Teresa, and Anni. No way. They had organized my birthday dinner. I assume my seat at the head of the table, and delve into a Schnitzel "a la Meyer". That's one huge schnitzel, grilled onions, and two fried eggs on top. Mmm.
After dinner a few of us climbed up to the castle gardens for music, beer, and candle-lit star gazing. Perfect.
Thursday was a mammoth day- I played two hours tennis, three sets of beach volleyball, and rode my bike 30 km. Plus went dancing. It was also our WG-Dinner, where Rosa and Ahron made pizza for Irmela, Liz and I. I had a blast- I wish our apartment had eaten together more this year.
After a loungy Friday came Saturday, my birthday. The weather was weak. Cold, rainy, cloudy, and overall sad. But Liz and I went for a walk, I got all dressed up, and we ended up at Rick's cafe for a free birthday beer around 1. We then had pizza and this fantastic Italian place which I'd meant to visit the whole year. It was wonderful- maybe even worthy of Thorsten this week.
Then after a little power nap, we headed to the Neckarwiese for my Birthday/Goodbye party. I followed the formula of last year's birthday party, my best on record: one needs only loved ones, meat, and beer to be completely satisfied. We had each of the three in plenty, and a good time was had by all. The skies even cleared up by the end- some stars were visible by the time we all left around 1:30.
I've said some tough goodbyes in the last week, and that won't stop soon. But I want to say here: thank you to each of you wonderful people who've been with me this whole year. Vielen, vielen Dank an euch alle, die das ganze Jahre lang so wunderbar zu mir waren. Ihr habt mein Jahr so bedeutend gemacht.
I'm going through the thousands of photos I recieved as a final parting gift. It's been good.
Love from Heidelberg,
Alex.
11.7.09
goodbyes
I just spent the evening with two great people-
three hours walking and cooking dinner with Hanna.
three hours drinking beer and listening to music with Badi.
I'm going to miss these people. It's tough right now.
I'm thankful for meeting such great folks.
Both of them have concrete plans to come visit Chicago. I can't wait.
Bis dann.
three hours walking and cooking dinner with Hanna.
three hours drinking beer and listening to music with Badi.
I'm going to miss these people. It's tough right now.
I'm thankful for meeting such great folks.
Both of them have concrete plans to come visit Chicago. I can't wait.
Bis dann.
9.7.09
8.7.09
6.7.09
(klausur)stress
it's that time of the semester again... when German university students do their best UChicago impression and study their butts off for exams. No friends are available, everyone's pissy, and the sun shines beautiful and hot anyways.
I'm feeling the stress too. Turns out the Germans use a bookend scheme with their bureaucracy. The first month is hell, the 10 months in between they forget you exist, and the last month is shaping up to be quite annoying. I'm pretty much out of money, offices are only open from 10-12 every day, which isn't too practical for the student schedule, so I can't get much done. I need to officially leave the university, cancel my health insurance, and officially leave the city. And write two papers in two weeks. I am a bit stressed too.
But Thorsten is coming soon!
Bis bald, Chicago-
Alex.
I'm feeling the stress too. Turns out the Germans use a bookend scheme with their bureaucracy. The first month is hell, the 10 months in between they forget you exist, and the last month is shaping up to be quite annoying. I'm pretty much out of money, offices are only open from 10-12 every day, which isn't too practical for the student schedule, so I can't get much done. I need to officially leave the university, cancel my health insurance, and officially leave the city. And write two papers in two weeks. I am a bit stressed too.
But Thorsten is coming soon!
Bis bald, Chicago-
Alex.
2.7.09
we weresterdam
amsterdam is rivers and smiles and flowers and boats and bikes and bikes and bikes and bridges and blooms and rembrandt and van gogh and prince orange and firefighters from kentucky.
sam and i went local with rented bikes and rural with pitched tents. we wandered canaled boulevards for hours and hours, we sat on canaled ledges for days, we sipped espresso in canaled cafes for weeks. we simmered in the dutch oven until ready for dishing.
i've said it a few times this year: i could live here. bonn, vienna, köln, berlin, and onward. but the dam was different. i want to live there. i'll get me a black bike, a tailored navy blue suit with slick brown shoes, and i'll be on my way.
visit amsterdam. discounting the chi, the coolest city i've ever seen.
love, al!
sam and i went local with rented bikes and rural with pitched tents. we wandered canaled boulevards for hours and hours, we sat on canaled ledges for days, we sipped espresso in canaled cafes for weeks. we simmered in the dutch oven until ready for dishing.
i've said it a few times this year: i could live here. bonn, vienna, köln, berlin, and onward. but the dam was different. i want to live there. i'll get me a black bike, a tailored navy blue suit with slick brown shoes, and i'll be on my way.
visit amsterdam. discounting the chi, the coolest city i've ever seen.
love, al!
27.6.09
Ich lerne die Sprache
Editor's note: This guest blog post does not represent the views of "Ein Jahr in Heidelberg" or any of its executives.
Alex Meyer can speak German. A lot of kids I know claim to be able to speak a second language, but that just means they took, at best, a couple quarters of Spanish in college and maybe watched "Y Tu Mama Tambien" without the subtitles on. They can't really talk, make no effort at an accent, and only really learned enough to pass some competency test. Alex is not like this. He speaks effortlessly and with a preposterously good accent that pervades his entire expression; I could swear that his laugh is German. He knows almost every bit of relevant slang, and never pauses to search for a word. Not one of his friends pities him with English (unless I'm there and they're being polite), they realize that even their prodigious European linguistic prowess is staring at a far greater beast.
Now, you're probably saying to yourself, "Big deal. The guy spent a year in Germany, he BETTER be able to speak the language." To you I say, you've never studied abroad. If you had, you would have learned that most American students, while abroad, are like an acquaintance I knew who spent a quarter in Barcelona: they hang out with other Americans, get drunk every night, and ask for the English menu when they eat out. They come back with 264 photos of them with their three "abroad friends" arm in arm in front of, or deep in the bowels of, various monuments and nightclubs, respectively. His pipe-ness used his time in Germany well.
To me, language is a failsafe test of how considerate a person really is. Learning another language is a fundamentally selfless act: one spends years of his life practicing and learning just so that other people won't be inconvenienced by his native tongue. One learns a language so that he will not be a problem for anyone, so that they won't have to adjust to him. The benefit is that other people will be impressed by your efforts, and their opinion of you usually rises. My friends tend to be the ones like Alex, who make the effort, as opposed to the type to yell at a cab driver for speaking "----ing foreign."
Al has shown me a great time here, and I'll never forget it. His friends, for the most part, are great people. Heidelberg is a town so beautiful that it seems like, 500 years ago, a King walked here and said "this will someday make great post cards." And even with all the German he's learned, Alex is still the greatest. Martin, out.
Alex Meyer can speak German. A lot of kids I know claim to be able to speak a second language, but that just means they took, at best, a couple quarters of Spanish in college and maybe watched "Y Tu Mama Tambien" without the subtitles on. They can't really talk, make no effort at an accent, and only really learned enough to pass some competency test. Alex is not like this. He speaks effortlessly and with a preposterously good accent that pervades his entire expression; I could swear that his laugh is German. He knows almost every bit of relevant slang, and never pauses to search for a word. Not one of his friends pities him with English (unless I'm there and they're being polite), they realize that even their prodigious European linguistic prowess is staring at a far greater beast.
Now, you're probably saying to yourself, "Big deal. The guy spent a year in Germany, he BETTER be able to speak the language." To you I say, you've never studied abroad. If you had, you would have learned that most American students, while abroad, are like an acquaintance I knew who spent a quarter in Barcelona: they hang out with other Americans, get drunk every night, and ask for the English menu when they eat out. They come back with 264 photos of them with their three "abroad friends" arm in arm in front of, or deep in the bowels of, various monuments and nightclubs, respectively. His pipe-ness used his time in Germany well.
To me, language is a failsafe test of how considerate a person really is. Learning another language is a fundamentally selfless act: one spends years of his life practicing and learning just so that other people won't be inconvenienced by his native tongue. One learns a language so that he will not be a problem for anyone, so that they won't have to adjust to him. The benefit is that other people will be impressed by your efforts, and their opinion of you usually rises. My friends tend to be the ones like Alex, who make the effort, as opposed to the type to yell at a cab driver for speaking "----ing foreign."
Al has shown me a great time here, and I'll never forget it. His friends, for the most part, are great people. Heidelberg is a town so beautiful that it seems like, 500 years ago, a King walked here and said "this will someday make great post cards." And even with all the German he's learned, Alex is still the greatest. Martin, out.
Grilling, hiking, posting up.
This week has been quite the whirlwind. I've shown Sam pretty much all there is to see in Heidelberg: the castle, the Neckarwiese, the University, the Hauptstrasse, cafeteria, cafes, the forest, the Philosophenweg, the nightlife, my friends, etc. I think I got it all.
He seems to like it here. Despite a little writing I've actually surprisingly gotten in, it feels like vacation. We've been getting along about as well as you'd expect two people who spend every hour of one week together- a potent mixture of gunpowder, open flames, and water.
We leave Monday morning for Amsterdam. We're going to rent a tandem. So pumped.
Highlight of the week has been hands down the grill evening on Wednesday. Something about grilling with Sam makes the world feel right. Good food, good beer, good people. Our time.
Love from romantic Heidelberg, especially to the Meyer Family reunion in St. Louis,
Alex
He seems to like it here. Despite a little writing I've actually surprisingly gotten in, it feels like vacation. We've been getting along about as well as you'd expect two people who spend every hour of one week together- a potent mixture of gunpowder, open flames, and water.
We leave Monday morning for Amsterdam. We're going to rent a tandem. So pumped.
Highlight of the week has been hands down the grill evening on Wednesday. Something about grilling with Sam makes the world feel right. Good food, good beer, good people. Our time.
Love from romantic Heidelberg, especially to the Meyer Family reunion in St. Louis,
Alex
21.6.09
schnitzelhaus
Sam is here!
He got in today in Frankfurt, I picked him up, we took the train back to HD, and promptly visited a local gem which I hadn't yet seen: the Heidelberger Schnitzelhaus. Over 100 types of Schnitzel. Fantastic. Sam was craving an oniony creation from the start, and went for the Schnitzel with onions. I, however, went for the behemoth: Schnitzel, eggs, bacon, onions. Heart attack on a plate. After a couple beers we went for a walk on the river and I showed off romantic Heidelberg. He was way into it. It's now early to bed due to jet lag, and tomorrow is a day full of university!
Happy Father's Day Dad, and all other dads out there.
Love Al.
He got in today in Frankfurt, I picked him up, we took the train back to HD, and promptly visited a local gem which I hadn't yet seen: the Heidelberger Schnitzelhaus. Over 100 types of Schnitzel. Fantastic. Sam was craving an oniony creation from the start, and went for the Schnitzel with onions. I, however, went for the behemoth: Schnitzel, eggs, bacon, onions. Heart attack on a plate. After a couple beers we went for a walk on the river and I showed off romantic Heidelberg. He was way into it. It's now early to bed due to jet lag, and tomorrow is a day full of university!
Happy Father's Day Dad, and all other dads out there.
Love Al.
15.6.09
a long, long three days
I'm back! Been back in romantic Heidelberg for a few days now, but haven't really gotten around to writing about the trip.
It was wild. And I don't really have the time or energy at the moment to give it the detailed analysis it deserves. It will come, I promise. Let's just say we cycled ca. 160 km over 2 days, without money or a map, nowhere to camp, one exploded tire, many many overly kind Germans, rain, thunder, hail, sunny skies, beautiful German countryside, concrete factories, many many middle of nowhere towns, castles, and raw fish for dinner. Only the last detail wasn't true.
Until then, please see Rick's blog (on the right hand side of this blog, under Rick S) for some details he's written up.
And here some pictures:
So now it's crunch time. My goal is to finish a draft of paper one (of two): A classification of a play by Ludwig Thoma, Moral. Is it a comedy, satire, or thesis-exchange? Elements of all of them, I'd say. But the draft has gotta be done before Sam Work Martin lands in the Fatherland. I can do it.
Until then!
It was wild. And I don't really have the time or energy at the moment to give it the detailed analysis it deserves. It will come, I promise. Let's just say we cycled ca. 160 km over 2 days, without money or a map, nowhere to camp, one exploded tire, many many overly kind Germans, rain, thunder, hail, sunny skies, beautiful German countryside, concrete factories, many many middle of nowhere towns, castles, and raw fish for dinner. Only the last detail wasn't true.
Until then, please see Rick's blog (on the right hand side of this blog, under Rick S) for some details he's written up.
And here some pictures:
So now it's crunch time. My goal is to finish a draft of paper one (of two): A classification of a play by Ludwig Thoma, Moral. Is it a comedy, satire, or thesis-exchange? Elements of all of them, I'd say. But the draft has gotta be done before Sam Work Martin lands in the Fatherland. I can do it.
Until then!
9.6.09
morgen geht's ab
(tomorrow it's goin down...)
I'm leaving tomorrow with Rick for a bike tour along the Neckar River, 175 km south to Tübingen to visit Aaron, who's been studying there this year. From one Uni-Stadt to another. It'll take two nights; we're hauling along sleeping bags and a tent, and are going to camp out where we stop at 7:00 tomorrow evening. I'm pumped!
To Lemon: I promise, the first day I am back in Chicago, I will take you for a long, long ride, one you'll never forget- it'll be vigorous, energetic, and enjoyable for both of us, I'm sure of it. But sadly you're not here, so I'm riding Goldie tomorrow.
Also, Sam is coming. I'm proud of the guy. He graduated college! I've got a couple nice trips planned with him as well, in addition to showing him around romantic Heidelberg: we'll hop up to Amsterdam for a couple days to look at art, and do a bike tour to Weilbach, in Bavaria, to see the town that my dad's mom's family comes from. Pumped.
Lem's, see you in 8 weeks!
Love, Al.
I'm leaving tomorrow with Rick for a bike tour along the Neckar River, 175 km south to Tübingen to visit Aaron, who's been studying there this year. From one Uni-Stadt to another. It'll take two nights; we're hauling along sleeping bags and a tent, and are going to camp out where we stop at 7:00 tomorrow evening. I'm pumped!
To Lemon: I promise, the first day I am back in Chicago, I will take you for a long, long ride, one you'll never forget- it'll be vigorous, energetic, and enjoyable for both of us, I'm sure of it. But sadly you're not here, so I'm riding Goldie tomorrow.
Also, Sam is coming. I'm proud of the guy. He graduated college! I've got a couple nice trips planned with him as well, in addition to showing him around romantic Heidelberg: we'll hop up to Amsterdam for a couple days to look at art, and do a bike tour to Weilbach, in Bavaria, to see the town that my dad's mom's family comes from. Pumped.
Lem's, see you in 8 weeks!
Love, Al.
7.6.09
angie!
Angela Merkel came to romantic Heidelberg yesterday to give a speech in a final campaign push before the European elections today. Despite the rare sprinkling of rain we experienced, a good time was had by all, I'd say.
She gave a pretty standard speech, focusing on our democratic right to vote. No matter who we choose, or why, the most important thing is to vote. I found this quite refreshing, as Merkel was acting as spokeswoman for the CDU (conservatives), her party, rather than as Chancellor of Germany. The event yesterday was really just a party rally, with Merkel as the headliner, but the focus was CDU (Christian Democratic Union) candidate for the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering. No one is directly voting for or against Merkel today, but they are voting for Pöttering. I am very excited about this election, if only because it seems to be a movement towards a further united Europe. In essence, Europe is, or may become very soon, a very loose version of the USA with extremely strong and inalienable states' rights. The election tomorrow is like a congressional election, sending representatives from member states to Brussels to debate legislation that affects all of Europe. Merkel spoke in depth about what Europe can do for Germany, and what it shouldn't. She lauded the open market and single currency. As a country of 80 million, Germany doesn't have a ton of influence in the world of 7 billion people. But in cooperation with the European Union, Germany places itself in a situation of a bit more influence, with 450 million people. The European Union multiplies possible consumers of German products more than fivefold. But certain policies need to be controlled by the countries themselves, and Merkel brought up a rather humorous example- earlier this year, panic struck German bakeries due to a possible regulation from the EU on salt levels. German bread had too much salt and was making its customers fat. Merkel stoked the populist revolt by chanting, "Unser Brot ist gut!" (Our bread is good!). Just as the federal government leaves many decisions up to the states, here Merkel employed an example where the EU has really no business intervening, but rather where the country itself should protect its culture, tradition, and culinary prowess from encroaching EU regulation.
What also struck me was the labeling of the CDU as the conservative voice in German politics. In the US two-party system, the CDU would be the Republicans, and the SPD (Social-Democratic Party of Germany) would be the Democrats. In addition, Germany has a strong tradition of smaller, more specific parties, with a prevalent Green Party and many other representatives of smaller, "fringe" interests. This is possible due to the percentage system used to elect representatives, as well as the possibility of coalition governments, where multiple parties are forced to pair together to create an overall majority. The percentage system means simply that people vote for a party, and each party has a list of representatives, and depending on what percentage of the national vote the party receives, they are then allowed to send that percentage of the Congress to Berlin.
Anyway, so the heavy hitters and the representative of mainstream right-left politics would be the SPD and the CDU. In American politics, I generally fall left of center. I appreciate sound environmental practices, think trickle-down tax concepts are worthless, and support gay marriage and quality healthcare for everyone in the country. And with this in mind I went to a "conservative" party rally in the main square of Heidelberg. And what were the main points of Merkel's speech? The continuation of vigorous research in renewable energy and the regulation of banks to avoid another crisis. It seems that the political spectrum in Germany is shifted to the left, whereas in America we are so tied up by backwards political games. Take evolution and global warming. The fact that these two concepts are even debated in the US is cause for laughter here. In the case of global warming, Germany takes the stance that it most likely exists, and even if it doesn't, we're not hurting anyone by avoiding the use of (finite) fossil fuels. It seems that Germany has already solved and moved on from some of the arguments
So what makes this party conservative? One comparison is to the SPD, which would fall far left of the Democrats in the US. The SPD stands for social justice, modernization of the economy into a social market economy, improvement and advancement of the welfare state, worker's rights, world peace, etc. But something happened yesterday at the end of the rally that friends of mine noted as quite conservative, but that I found commonplace- the politicians on stage and supporters in the crowd sang the national anthem at the end. Supposedly the SPD would never do that. I can't imagine a political rally in the US that wouldn't be full of American flags and national anthems. If singing the national anthem is conservative, then I may have to rethink my political alignment.
Of course I'm ignoring the elephant in the room when it comes to German pride. But that's super complicated and something we could maybe discuss later.
Anyway, it was pretty cool to see Ms Merkel in person.
I am definitely biking to Tübingen this week, either on Wednesday or Thursday. Rick and I are going to camp one night, then get to Tübingen on day 2, spend a day sightseeing, and ride the train back. Very pumped.
She gave a pretty standard speech, focusing on our democratic right to vote. No matter who we choose, or why, the most important thing is to vote. I found this quite refreshing, as Merkel was acting as spokeswoman for the CDU (conservatives), her party, rather than as Chancellor of Germany. The event yesterday was really just a party rally, with Merkel as the headliner, but the focus was CDU (Christian Democratic Union) candidate for the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering. No one is directly voting for or against Merkel today, but they are voting for Pöttering. I am very excited about this election, if only because it seems to be a movement towards a further united Europe. In essence, Europe is, or may become very soon, a very loose version of the USA with extremely strong and inalienable states' rights. The election tomorrow is like a congressional election, sending representatives from member states to Brussels to debate legislation that affects all of Europe. Merkel spoke in depth about what Europe can do for Germany, and what it shouldn't. She lauded the open market and single currency. As a country of 80 million, Germany doesn't have a ton of influence in the world of 7 billion people. But in cooperation with the European Union, Germany places itself in a situation of a bit more influence, with 450 million people. The European Union multiplies possible consumers of German products more than fivefold. But certain policies need to be controlled by the countries themselves, and Merkel brought up a rather humorous example- earlier this year, panic struck German bakeries due to a possible regulation from the EU on salt levels. German bread had too much salt and was making its customers fat. Merkel stoked the populist revolt by chanting, "Unser Brot ist gut!" (Our bread is good!). Just as the federal government leaves many decisions up to the states, here Merkel employed an example where the EU has really no business intervening, but rather where the country itself should protect its culture, tradition, and culinary prowess from encroaching EU regulation.
What also struck me was the labeling of the CDU as the conservative voice in German politics. In the US two-party system, the CDU would be the Republicans, and the SPD (Social-Democratic Party of Germany) would be the Democrats. In addition, Germany has a strong tradition of smaller, more specific parties, with a prevalent Green Party and many other representatives of smaller, "fringe" interests. This is possible due to the percentage system used to elect representatives, as well as the possibility of coalition governments, where multiple parties are forced to pair together to create an overall majority. The percentage system means simply that people vote for a party, and each party has a list of representatives, and depending on what percentage of the national vote the party receives, they are then allowed to send that percentage of the Congress to Berlin.
Anyway, so the heavy hitters and the representative of mainstream right-left politics would be the SPD and the CDU. In American politics, I generally fall left of center. I appreciate sound environmental practices, think trickle-down tax concepts are worthless, and support gay marriage and quality healthcare for everyone in the country. And with this in mind I went to a "conservative" party rally in the main square of Heidelberg. And what were the main points of Merkel's speech? The continuation of vigorous research in renewable energy and the regulation of banks to avoid another crisis. It seems that the political spectrum in Germany is shifted to the left, whereas in America we are so tied up by backwards political games. Take evolution and global warming. The fact that these two concepts are even debated in the US is cause for laughter here. In the case of global warming, Germany takes the stance that it most likely exists, and even if it doesn't, we're not hurting anyone by avoiding the use of (finite) fossil fuels. It seems that Germany has already solved and moved on from some of the arguments
So what makes this party conservative? One comparison is to the SPD, which would fall far left of the Democrats in the US. The SPD stands for social justice, modernization of the economy into a social market economy, improvement and advancement of the welfare state, worker's rights, world peace, etc. But something happened yesterday at the end of the rally that friends of mine noted as quite conservative, but that I found commonplace- the politicians on stage and supporters in the crowd sang the national anthem at the end. Supposedly the SPD would never do that. I can't imagine a political rally in the US that wouldn't be full of American flags and national anthems. If singing the national anthem is conservative, then I may have to rethink my political alignment.
Of course I'm ignoring the elephant in the room when it comes to German pride. But that's super complicated and something we could maybe discuss later.
Anyway, it was pretty cool to see Ms Merkel in person.
I am definitely biking to Tübingen this week, either on Wednesday or Thursday. Rick and I are going to camp one night, then get to Tübingen on day 2, spend a day sightseeing, and ride the train back. Very pumped.
2.6.09
bittersüß
I leave Germany two months from tomorrow.
I have been living in Heidelberg now for 8 full months, and been in Germany for almost 9.
The end is really, really close- I can't imagine June and July feeling so small in my life. Normally June and July are the longest months of the year-- besides August-- because of summer vacation. Months full of unplanned time, where you live by the day and by what the shift schedule for the next day looks like. If it's an opening shift, plan on a light night, because you're rising with the sun. Any other shift, and it's all good. It stretches on into eternity because planning is kept to a bare minimum.
This "summer" will fly by. I have 7 weekends left here in romantic Heidelberg. They are (almost) all completely filled already:
June 5-7: Angela Merkel is coming to HD. Also hiking.
12-14: Thinking of a bike ride to Tübingen. Still in planning stages.
19-21: Sam is coming. Or is he? Maybe he'll tell me one of these days.
26-28: Will Sam be here? Otherwise, hiking and helping friends move in.
July 3-5: Actually wide open... Party at the military base? Don't really want to. Maybe I'll spread some American culture somewhere.
10-12: Choir concert.
17-19: 21 years old! Most likely doing a Feuernacht redux, or something of the sort.
24-25: Thorsten drives down to pick me up. I'm very, very excited to show him my Heidelberg. He brought me here the first day to enroll, and he'll leave with me. Thanks, Thorsten!
And that's that. The last week will be spent in Köln with family.
Sadly the best word to describe my feelings is bittersweet, only because that word sucks. I figure I'll reflect a bit more in the next few weeks, but it's enough to say that I cannot wait to hug my mom and dad at the airport in Chicago. I also want these next few weeks to streeetch so I can run around inside of them until my legs are tired and I collapse. Thus bittersüß: or bittersweet.
Listening to: Lives- Modest Mouse
"It's hard to remember, we're alive for the first time. It's hard to remember, we're alive for the last time. It's hard to remember, to live before you die."
I have been living in Heidelberg now for 8 full months, and been in Germany for almost 9.
The end is really, really close- I can't imagine June and July feeling so small in my life. Normally June and July are the longest months of the year-- besides August-- because of summer vacation. Months full of unplanned time, where you live by the day and by what the shift schedule for the next day looks like. If it's an opening shift, plan on a light night, because you're rising with the sun. Any other shift, and it's all good. It stretches on into eternity because planning is kept to a bare minimum.
This "summer" will fly by. I have 7 weekends left here in romantic Heidelberg. They are (almost) all completely filled already:
June 5-7: Angela Merkel is coming to HD. Also hiking.
12-14: Thinking of a bike ride to Tübingen. Still in planning stages.
19-21: Sam is coming. Or is he? Maybe he'll tell me one of these days.
26-28: Will Sam be here? Otherwise, hiking and helping friends move in.
July 3-5: Actually wide open... Party at the military base? Don't really want to. Maybe I'll spread some American culture somewhere.
10-12: Choir concert.
17-19: 21 years old! Most likely doing a Feuernacht redux, or something of the sort.
24-25: Thorsten drives down to pick me up. I'm very, very excited to show him my Heidelberg. He brought me here the first day to enroll, and he'll leave with me. Thanks, Thorsten!
And that's that. The last week will be spent in Köln with family.
Sadly the best word to describe my feelings is bittersweet, only because that word sucks. I figure I'll reflect a bit more in the next few weeks, but it's enough to say that I cannot wait to hug my mom and dad at the airport in Chicago. I also want these next few weeks to streeetch so I can run around inside of them until my legs are tired and I collapse. Thus bittersüß: or bittersweet.
Listening to: Lives- Modest Mouse
"It's hard to remember, we're alive for the first time. It's hard to remember, we're alive for the last time. It's hard to remember, to live before you die."
31.5.09
not an occupied country.
I went for a run today. I tried the Philosophenweg again, after my rousing success in conquering the Castle incline a few days ago. The Philosophenweg is a bit taller, a bit steeper, and I pretty much made it, only to stop and walk right at the top for a while. But I did make it all the way up. Definitely a vast improvement on my last attempt.
But once I made it over the bridge and back into the tourist mayhem that is the Heidelberger Altstadt, I heard those familiar celebratory bagpipes that U of C tends to claim as its own. I turned off my running music (went with a classic today: Led Zeppelin Mothership) and looked around to see what was going on. I approached the church and saw the bagpipes streaming out, followed by a procession of blue-robed and hatted students. Cool!, I think. I didn't know that Uni Heidelberg even had graduation ceremonies, and definitely didn't expect them to take place in the Heiliggeistkirche. But then I think some more, and realize we don't finish the semester (and thus no one would celebrate graduating) until mid July. And as I near the huge group of older people now filing out of the church I hear that oh-so-familiar twang of southern-American. Everyone's all fancy, decked out in their Sunday finest, streaming out of the church on Pentecost and invading the town's main square with diplomas and cheap Nikons in hand. It's the graduation ceremony for Heidelberg High School, filled with sons and daughters of servicemen and women stationed here.
I met Babsi's father this weekend- they took me out to a delicious steak dinner last night, and we went to church this morning. After church we had a cappucino and he talked to me about immediate postwar Germany, about its divisions into Russian, American, French, and British zones, and the ways in which this division manifested itself. He told me how the license plates from 1945-1949 designated the city of origin as well as which occupying power controlled that region- for example, B-M (British Münster) or A-H (American Heidelberg). These symbols fell away once Adenauer became the hand-chosen new Kanzler of West Germany. He told me of how the Americans spared Heidelberg from massive bombing because of its inherent beauty and quaint Old-German feel. About how the French, British, and Americans invited Adenauer to Bonn for a signing ceremony in a 5 star hotel overlooking the Rhine valley. They took a group photo, but had originally symbolically intended for the representatives of the 3 occupying powers to stand on a carpet, with Adenauer off it to demonstrate distance and power. Adenauer, defiantly, stepped onto the corner to show his (and Germany's) willingness to rejoin the democratic West. He told me of the huge British population that used to reside near his home in Osnabrück (in NW Germany)- how people would take in stride automobiles with steering wheels on the wrong side and some streets with traffic flipped as well. But they all left in the 70s. He tells me today not a single British person lives in Osnabrück; while that is certainly not true, the population went from about 15,000 to under 100 very quickly. When I ask why, he responds quickly, matter-of-factly, and somewhat surprised, by saying, well, we're not an occupied country.
And so with these memories and this conversation fresh in my mind, I encountered the masses of Americans celebrating a truly American tradition, and certainly one worth celebrating, thousands of miles away from America in the center of a German city. And my question, and annoyance, is formed in this way: what the hell are these people doing here? I'll put away my passing annoyance with loud, whining bagpipes piercing an otherwise calm Sunday afternoon. Why are American students graduating in a centuries-old Protestant church in the center of a German city? Why is there an American population of over 30,000 in a German city? And no, not people who've immigrated here and work here, not people attempting to learn the language and appreciate the culture. No, they don't apply for visas or get driver's licences. They live on a base. An arm of American military might, leftover from American involvement in World War II. And because the Allies had the kindness, and the foresight, to not bomb Heidelberg into the stone age, 64 years later the American government supports a massive army base here, the center of American military operations in Europe.
I keep coming back to Herr Frenk's answer, that simple, obvious answer as to why the British population in Osnabrück so quickly fell- Germany is not an occupied country. So how do I explain hundreds of Americans streaming out of a church in the center of Heidelberg, on Pentecost Sunday, after their graduation ceremonies? They study here, yet they don't have student visas. They're identified as relatives of members of the US military. But what are they doing here? What are our tanks, and jets, and guns, and bombs doing here? What are we afraid of?
Germany is not an occupied country. We should stop occupying it.
But once I made it over the bridge and back into the tourist mayhem that is the Heidelberger Altstadt, I heard those familiar celebratory bagpipes that U of C tends to claim as its own. I turned off my running music (went with a classic today: Led Zeppelin Mothership) and looked around to see what was going on. I approached the church and saw the bagpipes streaming out, followed by a procession of blue-robed and hatted students. Cool!, I think. I didn't know that Uni Heidelberg even had graduation ceremonies, and definitely didn't expect them to take place in the Heiliggeistkirche. But then I think some more, and realize we don't finish the semester (and thus no one would celebrate graduating) until mid July. And as I near the huge group of older people now filing out of the church I hear that oh-so-familiar twang of southern-American. Everyone's all fancy, decked out in their Sunday finest, streaming out of the church on Pentecost and invading the town's main square with diplomas and cheap Nikons in hand. It's the graduation ceremony for Heidelberg High School, filled with sons and daughters of servicemen and women stationed here.
I met Babsi's father this weekend- they took me out to a delicious steak dinner last night, and we went to church this morning. After church we had a cappucino and he talked to me about immediate postwar Germany, about its divisions into Russian, American, French, and British zones, and the ways in which this division manifested itself. He told me how the license plates from 1945-1949 designated the city of origin as well as which occupying power controlled that region- for example, B-M (British Münster) or A-H (American Heidelberg). These symbols fell away once Adenauer became the hand-chosen new Kanzler of West Germany. He told me of how the Americans spared Heidelberg from massive bombing because of its inherent beauty and quaint Old-German feel. About how the French, British, and Americans invited Adenauer to Bonn for a signing ceremony in a 5 star hotel overlooking the Rhine valley. They took a group photo, but had originally symbolically intended for the representatives of the 3 occupying powers to stand on a carpet, with Adenauer off it to demonstrate distance and power. Adenauer, defiantly, stepped onto the corner to show his (and Germany's) willingness to rejoin the democratic West. He told me of the huge British population that used to reside near his home in Osnabrück (in NW Germany)- how people would take in stride automobiles with steering wheels on the wrong side and some streets with traffic flipped as well. But they all left in the 70s. He tells me today not a single British person lives in Osnabrück; while that is certainly not true, the population went from about 15,000 to under 100 very quickly. When I ask why, he responds quickly, matter-of-factly, and somewhat surprised, by saying, well, we're not an occupied country.
And so with these memories and this conversation fresh in my mind, I encountered the masses of Americans celebrating a truly American tradition, and certainly one worth celebrating, thousands of miles away from America in the center of a German city. And my question, and annoyance, is formed in this way: what the hell are these people doing here? I'll put away my passing annoyance with loud, whining bagpipes piercing an otherwise calm Sunday afternoon. Why are American students graduating in a centuries-old Protestant church in the center of a German city? Why is there an American population of over 30,000 in a German city? And no, not people who've immigrated here and work here, not people attempting to learn the language and appreciate the culture. No, they don't apply for visas or get driver's licences. They live on a base. An arm of American military might, leftover from American involvement in World War II. And because the Allies had the kindness, and the foresight, to not bomb Heidelberg into the stone age, 64 years later the American government supports a massive army base here, the center of American military operations in Europe.
I keep coming back to Herr Frenk's answer, that simple, obvious answer as to why the British population in Osnabrück so quickly fell- Germany is not an occupied country. So how do I explain hundreds of Americans streaming out of a church in the center of Heidelberg, on Pentecost Sunday, after their graduation ceremonies? They study here, yet they don't have student visas. They're identified as relatives of members of the US military. But what are they doing here? What are our tanks, and jets, and guns, and bombs doing here? What are we afraid of?
Germany is not an occupied country. We should stop occupying it.
30.5.09
28.5.09
not a bad thursday...
I made it to the castle today! About 6 weeks after I started running, I jogged up to the castle, around the park 3 times, and back down. Pretty sweet. When I made it home I wanted to see how far I'd gone, and for the first time since 10th grade, used trigonometry (or basic geometry?) to measure how far I'd gone. You see, normally I run on a pretty much even course, with slight but never prolonged inclines. The jog up to the castle, though, is 1.32 km long with a total height difference of 95 m, or .095 km. I used the famous a(a) + b(b) = c(c) equation to figure out the actual distance I ran, but came up with 1.323 km. All the ridiculous hard work that I put into jogging up that ascent equals 3 m. Unless I did the math wrong. Oh well. But I felt quite accomplished, and it is a beautiful run. Again tomorrow?
I also had English class today. I'm teaching graduate students conversational English- one from Bulgaria, one from Poland, and one from Argentina. It was a lot of fun- I get to talk alot and listen to their stories, and they get to improve their English. I also enjoy the teaching element- it will be nice to watch them improve over the next two months I get to work with them. Also, I get paid... 10Euro per hour, and I suggested more time for each of them today, moving my hours per week from 2 to 5! Good times.
RIP Chicago Blackhawks, go Chicago Fire. Maybe they will be the team to bring us joy this year.
Love from rainy, romantic Heidelberg.
Al
I also had English class today. I'm teaching graduate students conversational English- one from Bulgaria, one from Poland, and one from Argentina. It was a lot of fun- I get to talk alot and listen to their stories, and they get to improve their English. I also enjoy the teaching element- it will be nice to watch them improve over the next two months I get to work with them. Also, I get paid... 10Euro per hour, and I suggested more time for each of them today, moving my hours per week from 2 to 5! Good times.
RIP Chicago Blackhawks, go Chicago Fire. Maybe they will be the team to bring us joy this year.
Love from rainy, romantic Heidelberg.
Al
25.5.09
breakfast in germany. a poem.
morning.
achy bones, dusty eyes.
sun comes in too hot,
makes us sweat, makes washing even more tardy.
coffee.
dark brown, no milk.
drips down the cup,
adds color, ignites the talk-engine.
chairs.
4 or 5, maybe six.
wait to be filled,
with refreshed yawns and pajamas.
bread.
a basket, and heaping.
butter all over,
with chocolate and honey at the ready.
morning.
slow thoughts, slow thoughts.
close the curtains,
let's sit a while longer.
achy bones, dusty eyes.
sun comes in too hot,
makes us sweat, makes washing even more tardy.
coffee.
dark brown, no milk.
drips down the cup,
adds color, ignites the talk-engine.
chairs.
4 or 5, maybe six.
wait to be filled,
with refreshed yawns and pajamas.
bread.
a basket, and heaping.
butter all over,
with chocolate and honey at the ready.
morning.
slow thoughts, slow thoughts.
close the curtains,
let's sit a while longer.
24.5.09
a weekend on the bodensee
This weekend I went to the Bodensee (Lake Constance) with Hanna, Babsi, Teresa, and Liz.The Bodensee is on the southernmost tip of Germany- bordering it are the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Bayern, Switzerland, and Austria. Liz came down to Heidelberg on Wednesday, and the next morning, bright and early, we all hopped on the Bummelzug south towards Konstanz. We rode on the Baden-Württemberg ticket, a wonderful deal by which 5 people ride all day on the slow trains through the entire state for 28 euro. It's cheap and beautiful- from Karlsruhe southwards we rode the Schwarzwaldzug (Black Forest train) through the small towns and villages of southern Germany. The Schwarzwald is breathtaking. Rolling hills, castles, rivers, cows, churches, farmers. We arrived in Konstanz around 1:30 and met Teresa, who met us after a night at home in the area.
We took the bus to another part of the city, all based off of Teresa's memories of a school field trip 7 years ago. Hanna asked a lady for directions and the lady thought she wasn't German due to her crass northern accent. We found the camping spot after a short walk and were told there was no room left- Teresa, doing her best impression of my mom, wiggled us into being allowed a spot. She's a girl you're happy to have on your side. We set up camp, shocked by the hospitable size of both tents. We were exhausted and promptly exhausted the food reserves we'd packed- the sun was very strong and we hid in the shade. Eventually we suited up and headed to the lake.
Expectations for this lake shed light on the differing notions of size between Germans and Americans. I live (and study) in Chicago on Lake Michigan. We consider Lake Michigan to be huge, but I think it's so big we all kind of consider it as an ocean. Its surface area is 58,000 km squared. A bit larger than Croatia. It's huge. But I feel like that's never really discussed, because it really is so huge.
The Bodensee, by comparison, is said to be this massive landlocked ocean, nestled between three countries and a must-see vacation location for millions of Europeans each year. Don't get me wrong, it is beautiful. From our camping location we could look southeast across the lake to the Austrian alps, covered in snow while the sun browned (or reddened) our skin. But its surface area is 536 km sq. That's less than 1/100th of Lake Michigan. Teeny. Wimpy. But still jaw-droppingly stunning.
Thursday evening we met up with Teresa's friend from grade school, Sina. She took us on a walk around Konstanz, ending up at an Asian take out place, from which we grabbed some noodles in boxes and headed towards the waterfront. There's something incredibly relaxing about a city, at night, on water. And add to that the German prowess at lighting buildings, it makes for a beautiful evening. We ate there and talked for a while and eventually made our way back to the campground and our tents. The skies had been threatening all evening, and once we had safely entered our tents Mother Nature decided it was appropriate to let loose. While enjoying wine and candlelight in the tent, the heavens let loose and we decided to call it a night before it got any worse. The rain continued for hours but we stayed (mostly) dry. Sleeping outside in the rain isn't quite as enjoyable as watching a storm from a balcony- it's less spectator and more participant, but we made it through the night unscathed and were given the gift of beautiful weather on Friday.
Friday we had breakfast on the lake, with the rising sun beating onto us. I went for a swim early. The lake was bitter, bitter cold, but after 20 minutes or so it was quite refreshing. And the evaporative cooling once you left was also nice. We relaxed in the sun for most of the day, reading, swimming, and laying in the sun. In the evening we went to Sina's apartment for dinner. Sina's roommate, his brother, her dad, and her boyfriend joined our ranks for a party of 10- we all wandered to the grocery store and got our wares. On their sweet and sizeable balcony we grilled sausages, chicken, veggies, cheese, and more, but the absolute highlight of the night was the Bärlauch brought by Sina's dad. Bärlauch in english is called ramson, wild garlic, or bear's garlic. I'd never seen, tasted, or heard of it before coming to Germany, but I'd never eaten it fresh until Friday. Bärlauch is basically a highly concentrated spread, rich in Vitamin C and tasting sharp-spicy-garlicy. It was fantastic, with bread, sausage, chicken, what have you. Sadly the leaves bloom around mid May and become not so tasty, so that may have been my last chance to eat it fresh. Thanks to Sina for her hospitality and a wonderful evening.
Saturday we decided to do one more day in Konstanz, soaking up rays and reading books. I finished "Der Vorleser" (The Reader). More on that later.
We packed up the camp and headed towards Konstanz for lunch. From Konstanz we rode the train to Teresa's home in Waldshut. Along the way the train passed through Schaffhausen, Switzerland- a new country! We also saw through the windows the Rheinfall, or Rhein Waterfall- huge, and cool, but again, Niagara is 52 m tall and the Rheinfall is 23m. I'm not saying, I'm just saying.
Teresa's home is beautiful. Waldshut is directly on the border of Germany and Switzerland, as far south as one can live in Germany. It's right on the Rhein and one can see Switzerland from her balcony. Her home is perched on a hill overlooking the town, looking south. Again, breathtaking. Saturday night (after showering for the first time in three days) we had a late dinner of garlic bread and tomato-mozzarella salad on their patio by candlelight. Lot's of wonderful beer was enjoyed, and eventually the guitar came out. My favorite song was Nowhere man. Pure joy.
I slept in a bed (!) and we woke to another beautiful day today in southern Germany. We had a perfect, traditional breakfast and hopped on the train back towards romantic Heidelberg. I'm tired.
I said goodbye to Liz again. Each time it's tougher than before, but as we said, it's sad because it's so happy.
So as I mentioned, I finished Der Vorleser yesterday. I got home today and found the movie online. I haven't finished it yet, but a few things have jumped out to me, and they mainly pertain to the adaptation, in general, of a book into a movie. I'm watching this movie directly after finishing the book, and I'm shocked by how subtle a book can be, and by comparison, how blunt a movie is, at least in this case. When the character is well known (I'd spent the last 3 days with them), and the plot is also no surprise, one can analyze other elements more closely. Certain moments, intended to be subtle upon first screening and prophetic upon later screenings, appear slow, unnecessary, and indulging. I don't want to give away anything in the film, but I gained an appreciation today of the power of literature to introduce and guide, as opposed to film's ability, or tendency, to bluntly affront.
Anywho, I hope all is well with everyone. My next trip is hopefully a bike tour along the Neckar to visit a friend studying in Tübingen. It'll be a two day ride with a layover in some little village. Maybe this weekend? Another great thing about the trip this past weekend- excluding food, it cost each of us a grand total of 34 euro. Unbelievable.
The first photo is our view from the campground beach area. The second is a tree on the shore, and the third is the view from Teresa'sliving room. The power plant is in Switzerland.
Love from Heidelberg,
Al
14.5.09
schwarz und gelb! 4-0!
Last weekend I had the absolute pleasure of going to a Bundesliga match. I've been told since my arrival that it is really a memorable experience and one I ought to have while here. And so Saturday morning I rose with the sun to attend Dortmund vs. Karlsruhe SC, in Dortmund.
Attending an American football game, though I never have (except a preseason game) is, I assume, an all-day experience. You wake up, drive to the game, tailgate with beer and brats, then watch the game, and drive home. But I move to remove the label "all-day" from that experience. Because I am assuming that, unless you live far, far away from the stadium, you'll be back in your comfy lazy boy by 10 so you can watch the highlights of the game you attended on ESPN. This was not the case.
I woke up at 6 am on Saturday. I jumped under the shower and threw on my bright yellow polo shirt- to represent the schwarz und gelb (black and yellow). I went to the bakery to get some rolls for the long journey and was in front of Hanna's as the church bells rang for 7 am. We made the 15 minute bike ride to the train station and bought our ticket- a "Schönes Wochenende" (Nice Weekend) ticket that lets you travel with up to five people throughout all of Germany for one day. It's super cheap- for 37 Euro/5, it could cost at cheapest 8 Euro. But it was just Hanna and me, so it was about 20 per. The catch: you can only ride the Nahverker, or local rail. (Very brief primer on German train categories, from slowest to fastest: ICE (300 km/h), IC, RE, S). S is close, but not really, to the Chicago "El" train. The RE is similar to Metra in Chicago. And IC is Amtrak. We don't have anything that compares to ICE.)
So on this ticket we're only able to travel on the slower two. The match started at 15:30, but our connections were going to get us there a whopping 1.5 hrs beforehand. If you're counting at home, that means the journey would be 6.5 hrs of touring painfully slow through the boonies of Germany. Now don't get me wrong, I love Germany. It's why I took one year off of the grueling academic orgy that is my beloved UofC. But when one becomes used to the beauty and efficiency of the upper levels of the Deutsche Bahn, ie ICE or IC trains that whisk you extremely quickly through the countryside, it comes as quite a shocker how long and inefficient the ride is on the less polished underbelly of the Deutsche Bahn. The ride north to Dortmund was planned at 6.5 hrs, with 5 different trains. That is, if we caught each connection. And some were quite close- a layover of 4 minutes. Our expectations were a bit high and we missed the 3rd connection, forcing us to hang out at a train station in the middle of nowhere until the next connection came. We thus made it 1 hr later than planned to the game.
While waiting for our train we met two fellow Dortmund fans traveling north to the game, Tommy and Kevin. Well not really met: they asked us to watch over the case of beer while they found somewhere to pee. But open returning we exchanged pleasantries and got to know each other. They made fun of George Bush and I told them how I shook Obama's hand. Amazing how much that amazes people. But they shed some light on the true hardcore Fußball-Fan life. They had been traveling for 3 hours longer than us, and were each planning on knocking off 12 beers before game time. Accepting their ineptitude, they asked for help and I obliged. I also learned from them the intricate capabilites of the word "tussi". Don't look it up. Supposedly it's quite the offensive word, but the two of them immediately unleashed it on a surprised Hanna. Turns out where they come from, it's a friendly greeting.
So after 7.5 hrs of friendly people, unfriendly people, inefficient trains, beer, smiles, bachelorette parties, and beer, we pulled up to the stadium. It was huge. The smells I miss so much from baseball games were pretty much there, only now I was smelling legitimate bratwursts and beer, not that Miller Lite crap. We entered the stadium and found our seats, in the SW corner of the stadium and literally as high up as you can be. We were in the last row. Not to complain, though- the view of the entire stadium was spectacular and no beer was being spilled onto us from behind. Soccer is also the perfect sport for viewing from afar. In fact I think I'd rather be far away than right on the field, as from high up one can see the movement and geometry so much better.
The game itself was a complete success. We chose this game because it was against Karlsruhe, the single worst team in the Bundesliga, and our chances of a rousing success were high. The first goal game in the 30th minute, and we went to the half up 1, but the second half provided 3 more, including a brilliant free kick goal from Frei.
To the right of us was the famous Südtribüne (south stands), the largest standing room only section in Germany, where 10,000 hardcores were sardined into a space designed for at the most 6,000. They start up the chants and cheer the loudest. At some times they begin to jump high in the air, and the view from where I was of the pulsating, throbbing sea of yellow humanity was breathtaking.
By the end of the game Hanna and I raced out of the stadium, sadly unable to take in the post-match pageantry, to catch the first train out due to our tight timetable. The penalty of missing trains on the way up was to arrive a bit later for the game; the penalty for missing trains after the game would be sleeping in a train station in Nowhere, Germany.
By this point the beers have worn off and my head was pounding, thanks to too much beer, not enough coffee in the morning, and not enough overpriced sausage at the game. The ride home is a bit of a blur to me, but it was a nasty combination of exhaustion, pounding headaches, aching hunger, and loud and rowdy Karlsruhe fans. That's right: somehow a team can be smashed 4-0 and be assured to be demoted to Bundesliga 2 after the season yet still retain fans that will ride the train 20 hrs in one day to cheer them on, all the while singing and dancing in their honor. It blows the mind.
But we soldiered on home, following a rough approximation of our itinerary, and made it to Heidelberg at 1:30am. We rode bikes home and I ate a piece of bread with butter. The stomach only got angry for teasing it, so I dug through the change bucket for the 3.70 needed for a kebab. I crashed and slept until 2 the next day.
As promised, it was quite the experience. Ich dank dir, Hanna, für einen von den besten Tagen meines Aufenthalts.
Next weekend camping on the Bodensee!
Hope all is well. Love, Al.
(ps, good enough for you rob? it's even sport themed.)
6.5.09
busking report 6. May
I played the Marktplatz today, just outside my apartment. I sat on the north side of the fountain where multiple cafes have set up outdoor seating. Highlights:
-a group of young men walked past me a few times- at first, kind of making fun and laughing, and slowly quieting down after the third pass. Then they huddled up and went through their wallets, dropped a few coins in and hustled off. I said thanks and then looked- I was the proud recipient of 1.85 francs. Thanks.
-a large spanish group of students on a tour through heidelberg stopped in front of me and a group of about 6 girls sat down in front of me. I got a request for Bob Dylan and fulfilled it with "dont think twice it's alright". They seemed happy. Later they came back and tried to convince their teacher to stay for a bit. I busted out "Can you feel the love tonight" and 20 spanish kids sang along.
-an old army colonel stopped and asked me what state I'm from. I said Chicago. He was from Virginia. Me too, kinda.
-an old lady played air guitar in my direction while i was searching for my next song to play. I nodded and whipped out "blowing in the wind". She walked over and read over my shoulder, throwing down a harmony I've never heard but which somehow worked.
Overall a pleasant experience. It takes a few songs to settle in and feel comfortable. But once I get going it's nothing different than playing in my room, except other people get to listen.
Also, I made 12.02 euro in 1.5 hrs. Not bad!
-a group of young men walked past me a few times- at first, kind of making fun and laughing, and slowly quieting down after the third pass. Then they huddled up and went through their wallets, dropped a few coins in and hustled off. I said thanks and then looked- I was the proud recipient of 1.85 francs. Thanks.
-a large spanish group of students on a tour through heidelberg stopped in front of me and a group of about 6 girls sat down in front of me. I got a request for Bob Dylan and fulfilled it with "dont think twice it's alright". They seemed happy. Later they came back and tried to convince their teacher to stay for a bit. I busted out "Can you feel the love tonight" and 20 spanish kids sang along.
-an old army colonel stopped and asked me what state I'm from. I said Chicago. He was from Virginia. Me too, kinda.
-an old lady played air guitar in my direction while i was searching for my next song to play. I nodded and whipped out "blowing in the wind". She walked over and read over my shoulder, throwing down a harmony I've never heard but which somehow worked.
Overall a pleasant experience. It takes a few songs to settle in and feel comfortable. But once I get going it's nothing different than playing in my room, except other people get to listen.
Also, I made 12.02 euro in 1.5 hrs. Not bad!
sing-song schloss sonnenuntergang
(the title is a rhyming german-english hybrid: schloss is castle and sonnenuntergang is sunset)
Monday night Rick, Babsi and I wandered up to the Schlossgarten to play music, drink wine, and watch the sunset. Once we huffed and puffed our way all the way up, we settled into a nice bench and toasted (prost!) the sunset. I broke out the guitar and started singing while the other two wandered around. As you can see the sunset was pretty spectacular, and the view from up there of Heidelberg and beyond is quite nice. I then broke out the tea candles I brought along- at Ikea we somehow decided in October that I'd need 500 tea candles, and I don't want the remaining 350 to go to waste, so I made the mood even more romantic. The sing-song then went into full swing with the Beatles being yelled loudly from the railing towards the sleeping herd of sheep below. My highlight of the night was learning all the words to the Gambler:
you gotta know when to hold em. know when to fold em, know when to walk away, know when to run. you never count your money when youre sitting at the table, there'll be time enough for counting, when the dealins done.
Life lessons abound.
Anywho, a great night, with great people, what more could you ask for?
Love al.
Monday night Rick, Babsi and I wandered up to the Schlossgarten to play music, drink wine, and watch the sunset. Once we huffed and puffed our way all the way up, we settled into a nice bench and toasted (prost!) the sunset. I broke out the guitar and started singing while the other two wandered around. As you can see the sunset was pretty spectacular, and the view from up there of Heidelberg and beyond is quite nice. I then broke out the tea candles I brought along- at Ikea we somehow decided in October that I'd need 500 tea candles, and I don't want the remaining 350 to go to waste, so I made the mood even more romantic. The sing-song then went into full swing with the Beatles being yelled loudly from the railing towards the sleeping herd of sheep below. My highlight of the night was learning all the words to the Gambler:
you gotta know when to hold em. know when to fold em, know when to walk away, know when to run. you never count your money when youre sitting at the table, there'll be time enough for counting, when the dealins done.
Life lessons abound.
Anywho, a great night, with great people, what more could you ask for?
Love al.
2.5.09
RELAX.
I'm not ignoring you, my beloved public. Chill out, seriously. Stop yelling.
I've just been having a wicked good time here in romantic Heidelberg and am currently hard at work drinking coffee out my new press and reading Brecht.
A long post is in the works, detailing all the awesome stuff I've been up to.
Until then.
Love, Alex.
(happy may!!!)
ps. The photo is me standing next to a memorial to asparagus. Seriously.
I've just been having a wicked good time here in romantic Heidelberg and am currently hard at work drinking coffee out my new press and reading Brecht.
A long post is in the works, detailing all the awesome stuff I've been up to.
Until then.
Love, Alex.
(happy may!!!)
ps. The photo is me standing next to a memorial to asparagus. Seriously.
28.4.09
groundbreaking...
ladies and gentlemen, etch this day into the history books:
I made a salad today. My first ever. And it was good.
Arugula leaves, with walnuts and feta cheese. Dowsed in my homemade dressing, made of equal parts balsamic vinegar and olive oil, one clove garlic, salt, mustard and honey.
Yummmm. And amazing enough for its own post.
[Addition: while washing up after eating, I promptly crack my french press. And cut my finger on the pieces. Karma? Well see. But that salad is going to set me back about 15euro, as the french press is my only way of getting my drug of choice into my veins.]
I made a salad today. My first ever. And it was good.
Arugula leaves, with walnuts and feta cheese. Dowsed in my homemade dressing, made of equal parts balsamic vinegar and olive oil, one clove garlic, salt, mustard and honey.
Yummmm. And amazing enough for its own post.
[Addition: while washing up after eating, I promptly crack my french press. And cut my finger on the pieces. Karma? Well see. But that salad is going to set me back about 15euro, as the french press is my only way of getting my drug of choice into my veins.]
26.4.09
updates
hello all!
it's a wild few weeks coming up in romantic heidelberg. to keep y'all updated:
-Tomorrow is referat (report) number 1/2 for the semester. It's about a play by Ludwig Thoma called "Moral". Written ca 1900, it follows a Sittlichkeitsverein (Ethics Club) as it attempts to squash a scandal involving each member of the club and their visits to a prostitute. I love the enduring quality of the double-moral and hypocrisy. So I need to work through the play and highlight what's funny. Should be fun.
-This week Thursday is the last day of April. Thursday night is Walpurgis Night, the annual pagan celebration of spring. In Heidelberg, hordes of students head to the Thingstätte, an old Nazi ampitheater, to dance and drink the night away until the sun comes up. I've heard it's incredible, and as I've only got one chance I am planning on enjoying it.
-I joined a tennis club recently and the courts are (finally!) open, so I'll start playing. Tennis in Germany works differently than in the US- as far as I know there's no such thing as public courts. You must buy a membership to use courts, but that means there'll generally be no waiting for courts and that the courts are clay, which is nice.
-I get to see a German soccer match! May 9, I'm headed up to see Dortmund play. It's Hanna's favorite team. Which means that Saturday, I'm chearing for Dortmund. Go yellow!
-And the day after, Ben Kweller is popping into romantic Heidelberg to give a little concert. I may have to pop in for a listen.
And so that's my next couple weeks. After that I'm heading to the Bodensee sometime, but I'll let y'all know when I know for sure.
Best,
Alex
it's a wild few weeks coming up in romantic heidelberg. to keep y'all updated:
-Tomorrow is referat (report) number 1/2 for the semester. It's about a play by Ludwig Thoma called "Moral". Written ca 1900, it follows a Sittlichkeitsverein (Ethics Club) as it attempts to squash a scandal involving each member of the club and their visits to a prostitute. I love the enduring quality of the double-moral and hypocrisy. So I need to work through the play and highlight what's funny. Should be fun.
-This week Thursday is the last day of April. Thursday night is Walpurgis Night, the annual pagan celebration of spring. In Heidelberg, hordes of students head to the Thingstätte, an old Nazi ampitheater, to dance and drink the night away until the sun comes up. I've heard it's incredible, and as I've only got one chance I am planning on enjoying it.
-I joined a tennis club recently and the courts are (finally!) open, so I'll start playing. Tennis in Germany works differently than in the US- as far as I know there's no such thing as public courts. You must buy a membership to use courts, but that means there'll generally be no waiting for courts and that the courts are clay, which is nice.
-I get to see a German soccer match! May 9, I'm headed up to see Dortmund play. It's Hanna's favorite team. Which means that Saturday, I'm chearing for Dortmund. Go yellow!
-And the day after, Ben Kweller is popping into romantic Heidelberg to give a little concert. I may have to pop in for a listen.
And so that's my next couple weeks. After that I'm heading to the Bodensee sometime, but I'll let y'all know when I know for sure.
Best,
Alex
19.4.09
that new fad, jogging?
I believe it's jogging, or yogging, it might be a soft j. I'm not sure but apparently you just run for an extended period of time. It's supposed to be wild.
After countless stops and starts, I think it's for real this time. I am jogging regularly! 6 days in a row now, between 20 and 30 minutes each day. I go really slow and not very far, but the best part is that I wake up now and feel like I want to go running. Which is the key- the struggle of getting out and doing it is more than half the battle. And now that my day feels (or would feel) empty without it, I've got to do it and I enjoy it.
It also allows me to see Heidelberg at it's most beautiful. Mornings around 7:30 or 8, it's very quiet and the sun isn't too direct. The river sparkles and I'm alone except for fellow yoggers and my GirlTalk/DaftPunk jams.
Below is a map of the Altstadt or center of Heidelberg: notice the three bridges. I live just south of the middle bridge. Before this new running binge, I would decide (once every two weeks) to go for a run and choose one of two routes- the short route, which would be the circuit of the middle and eastern bridges. The "long" route would be the middle and the western bridges. But today, guess what, I ran from my house, near the middle bridge, over to the east bridge, crossed the river, allll the way to the west bridge, crossed again, and back! Boo yah. It feels great.
Not sure what my goals are, if any. As they say, it's the journey that's the goal.
But really, I want to be able to jog up to the castle, run around the gardens a bit, and walk down. That's a good goal to work towards.
Go Bulls.
After countless stops and starts, I think it's for real this time. I am jogging regularly! 6 days in a row now, between 20 and 30 minutes each day. I go really slow and not very far, but the best part is that I wake up now and feel like I want to go running. Which is the key- the struggle of getting out and doing it is more than half the battle. And now that my day feels (or would feel) empty without it, I've got to do it and I enjoy it.
It also allows me to see Heidelberg at it's most beautiful. Mornings around 7:30 or 8, it's very quiet and the sun isn't too direct. The river sparkles and I'm alone except for fellow yoggers and my GirlTalk/DaftPunk jams.
Below is a map of the Altstadt or center of Heidelberg: notice the three bridges. I live just south of the middle bridge. Before this new running binge, I would decide (once every two weeks) to go for a run and choose one of two routes- the short route, which would be the circuit of the middle and eastern bridges. The "long" route would be the middle and the western bridges. But today, guess what, I ran from my house, near the middle bridge, over to the east bridge, crossed the river, allll the way to the west bridge, crossed again, and back! Boo yah. It feels great.
Not sure what my goals are, if any. As they say, it's the journey that's the goal.
But really, I want to be able to jog up to the castle, run around the gardens a bit, and walk down. That's a good goal to work towards.
Go Bulls.
16.4.09
food, glorious food!
I live alone. Basically. Though I live with three other people, it operates more like that kind of antisocial floor in a dorm building- that is, bathrooms and kitchen are shared, but the bedrooms have heavy thick doors and we for the most part don't do much together. In 8 months living here we've had dinner together twice. I don't mind this- it's a lifestyle I actually enjoy, as I can live my life the way I like and don't need to work my schedule around eating with 3 other busy adults.
And so when I cook, I cook alone. Which makes things tough- without other mouths to feed, I can generally ignore my rumbling stomach or just toast a slice of bread with cheese on it.
But this year I've made the effort to cook a good meal at least once a week. Here are a few of my go-to's:
Aglio e Olio: Pasta, with oil, garlic, chile sauce. Made it tonight.
Garlic/Lemon/Shrimp Pasta: Pretty self explanatory. Delicious and lemony.
Kartoffelgratin: Kind of a potato casserole, that I learned from the great chef Thorsten.
Knoblauchbutter: Also from the Kitchen of Thorsten, it's just garlic butter. But it's homemade and really, really tasty, leaving you sweating out garlic for days.
Schniztel: I can't make it too often, because it's kind of expensive, but it's delicious. And pretty easy.
Baguette: Can't think of a better name, but it's probably the greatest afternoon snack ever. My kids will love it. It's a baguette, cut in two, with butter, garlic, grilled onions, tomatoes, and cheese, baked in the oven for 10 minutes. Yum.
Note a recurring ingredient in (almost) all the above recipes: yes, it's garlic, and it will be the secret to my longevity.
First Referat is already on Monday, so tonight (and the whole weekend) will most likely be devoted to that. April showers are bringing May flowers and it's really pretty and relaxing.
And so when I cook, I cook alone. Which makes things tough- without other mouths to feed, I can generally ignore my rumbling stomach or just toast a slice of bread with cheese on it.
But this year I've made the effort to cook a good meal at least once a week. Here are a few of my go-to's:
Aglio e Olio: Pasta, with oil, garlic, chile sauce. Made it tonight.
Garlic/Lemon/Shrimp Pasta: Pretty self explanatory. Delicious and lemony.
Kartoffelgratin: Kind of a potato casserole, that I learned from the great chef Thorsten.
Knoblauchbutter: Also from the Kitchen of Thorsten, it's just garlic butter. But it's homemade and really, really tasty, leaving you sweating out garlic for days.
Schniztel: I can't make it too often, because it's kind of expensive, but it's delicious. And pretty easy.
Baguette: Can't think of a better name, but it's probably the greatest afternoon snack ever. My kids will love it. It's a baguette, cut in two, with butter, garlic, grilled onions, tomatoes, and cheese, baked in the oven for 10 minutes. Yum.
Note a recurring ingredient in (almost) all the above recipes: yes, it's garlic, and it will be the secret to my longevity.
First Referat is already on Monday, so tonight (and the whole weekend) will most likely be devoted to that. April showers are bringing May flowers and it's really pretty and relaxing.
oh, art.
Bob Dylan in a recent interview:
Q:Say you wake up in a hotel room in Wichita and look out the window.
A little girl is walking along the train tracks dragging a big statue of
Buddha in a wooden wagon with a three-legged dog following
behind. Do you reach for your guitar or your drawing pad?
A:Oh wow. It would depend on a lot of things. The environment mostly; like what
kind of day is it. Is it a cloudless blue-gray sky or does it look like rain? A little
girl dragging a wagon with a statue in it? I’d probably put that in last. The
three-legged dog - what type? A spaniel, a bulldog, a retriever? That would
make a difference. I’d have to think about that. Depends what angle I’m seeing
it all from. Second floor, third floor, eighth floor. I don’t know. Maybe I’d want to
go down there. The train tracks too. I’d have to find a way to connect it all up. I
guess I would be thinking about if this was an omen or a harbinger of something.
Here's the whole interview.
Q:Say you wake up in a hotel room in Wichita and look out the window.
A little girl is walking along the train tracks dragging a big statue of
Buddha in a wooden wagon with a three-legged dog following
behind. Do you reach for your guitar or your drawing pad?
A:Oh wow. It would depend on a lot of things. The environment mostly; like what
kind of day is it. Is it a cloudless blue-gray sky or does it look like rain? A little
girl dragging a wagon with a statue in it? I’d probably put that in last. The
three-legged dog - what type? A spaniel, a bulldog, a retriever? That would
make a difference. I’d have to think about that. Depends what angle I’m seeing
it all from. Second floor, third floor, eighth floor. I don’t know. Maybe I’d want to
go down there. The train tracks too. I’d have to find a way to connect it all up. I
guess I would be thinking about if this was an omen or a harbinger of something.
Here's the whole interview.
10.4.09
good friday thoughts
Today is the saddest day of the Catholic calendar, but it couldn't have been more beautiful. It's the 8th or 9th perfect day in a row, weather wise. The trees have taken note and are awakening, the birds are real loud, and love is in the air- yesterday in the Schlossgarten I kept being distracted form my reading by the wild amount of ladybug lovemaking going on next to me. Was it rude to watch?
But the beauty and romanticism of Heidelberg has literally reached fairy-tale levels. The only thing that snapped me out of the trance yesterday at the castle were the American jet-fighters zooming overhead, returning from the desert. But as it's silly beauty increases, so does its choking volume of annoying American and Japanese tourists, so I guess there's no real net gain in coolness. But I've found some quiet spots and am not doubting the possibilities for this semester.
I was lucky enough to attend a performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion today in the Heiliggeistkirche. I sang the piece with the Chicago Chorale last year, and it was by far the most rewarding and enjoyable choral work I've had the pleasure of performing. The piece is incredibly demanding, for everyone involved, including the audience- 3.5 hrs in uncomfortable church pews, being told arguably the most heartbreaking story every told. Luckily it is hauntingly beautiful and powerful. The performance today was good, but not great. Granted I payed only 8 euro for the super-nose-bleed seats, in the back of the church and at the very top, with only a view to the other side of the church. I thought a few times that the acoustics would be better in a cafe outside of the church, but you get what you pay for. My critique is short and unprofessional, as I really only know the piece from the choir stands. But it seemed that the director simply was not aware of its gravitas. I think the main strength of our Chorale performance (under the brilliant Bruce Tammen) was the fact that Bruce was fully aware of how beautiful the notes Bach wrote are, and that their beauty must be given air to breathe in and pauses in which to bloom. Today's performance seemed to rush through, trusting that its audience already knew its beauty and haunting story. We all know the story, and thats exactly why we enjoy the self-aware, almost egotistical dramatic pauses. It's comfortingly heartwrenching. For example, after Jesus dies the Evangelist (narrator) describes the curtain in the temple tearing in two and the storms raging above. The chorus, or the crowd, then exclaims: "Wahrlich, dieser ist Gottes Sohn gewesen." [Truly, this was the Son of God.] With Bruce, we took our time on this and truly dug into the regret and pain that this line entails, coming from the crowd which moments earlier cried for his execution. Today this seemed a sidenote- blink and you missed it. Let us have our moment of Catholic guilt!
Also lacking today was the absolutely sublime Bass aria, called "Komm, süßes Kreuz" [Come, sweet Cross. Starts at 1:38 in this clip]. Accompanied by a searching, swirling viola da gamba, the soloist begs Jesus to allow him to help him carry his cross. It was omitted today, sadly.
I hope to attend (or sing) a performance of the St Matthew Passion each year. I've got two in a row now.
Tomorrow I'm headed to Köln for Easter. It's always good to see the relatives- they're always so kind and generous, and home cooking sounds wonderful.
I wish everyone a happy and comfortable Easter weekend.
Love, Al.
But the beauty and romanticism of Heidelberg has literally reached fairy-tale levels. The only thing that snapped me out of the trance yesterday at the castle were the American jet-fighters zooming overhead, returning from the desert. But as it's silly beauty increases, so does its choking volume of annoying American and Japanese tourists, so I guess there's no real net gain in coolness. But I've found some quiet spots and am not doubting the possibilities for this semester.
I was lucky enough to attend a performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion today in the Heiliggeistkirche. I sang the piece with the Chicago Chorale last year, and it was by far the most rewarding and enjoyable choral work I've had the pleasure of performing. The piece is incredibly demanding, for everyone involved, including the audience- 3.5 hrs in uncomfortable church pews, being told arguably the most heartbreaking story every told. Luckily it is hauntingly beautiful and powerful. The performance today was good, but not great. Granted I payed only 8 euro for the super-nose-bleed seats, in the back of the church and at the very top, with only a view to the other side of the church. I thought a few times that the acoustics would be better in a cafe outside of the church, but you get what you pay for. My critique is short and unprofessional, as I really only know the piece from the choir stands. But it seemed that the director simply was not aware of its gravitas. I think the main strength of our Chorale performance (under the brilliant Bruce Tammen) was the fact that Bruce was fully aware of how beautiful the notes Bach wrote are, and that their beauty must be given air to breathe in and pauses in which to bloom. Today's performance seemed to rush through, trusting that its audience already knew its beauty and haunting story. We all know the story, and thats exactly why we enjoy the self-aware, almost egotistical dramatic pauses. It's comfortingly heartwrenching. For example, after Jesus dies the Evangelist (narrator) describes the curtain in the temple tearing in two and the storms raging above. The chorus, or the crowd, then exclaims: "Wahrlich, dieser ist Gottes Sohn gewesen." [Truly, this was the Son of God.] With Bruce, we took our time on this and truly dug into the regret and pain that this line entails, coming from the crowd which moments earlier cried for his execution. Today this seemed a sidenote- blink and you missed it. Let us have our moment of Catholic guilt!
Also lacking today was the absolutely sublime Bass aria, called "Komm, süßes Kreuz" [Come, sweet Cross. Starts at 1:38 in this clip]. Accompanied by a searching, swirling viola da gamba, the soloist begs Jesus to allow him to help him carry his cross. It was omitted today, sadly.
I hope to attend (or sing) a performance of the St Matthew Passion each year. I've got two in a row now.
Tomorrow I'm headed to Köln for Easter. It's always good to see the relatives- they're always so kind and generous, and home cooking sounds wonderful.
I wish everyone a happy and comfortable Easter weekend.
Love, Al.
5.4.09
first grades back
Writes Professor Dr. Rösch:
"Herr Meyer, Ihre Arbeit ist inspirierend und gut strukturiert. Sie zeigen die
Themen des Textes und die dahinter verborgenen Assoziationen. Die
Argumentation leuchtet ein. Besonders freut mich Ihre fluessige und
idiomatisch korrekte Darstellungsweise. Die Forschungsliteratur haben
Sie knapp, aber gut ausgewertet. An einigen Stellen fehlen die konkreten
Belege Ihrer Informationen, aber das mindert nicht die analytische
Leistung dieser Arbeit, die zu lesen ein Vergnuegen ist.
Daher eine sehr gute Leistung (1,0).
Ich gratuliere Ihnen zu Ihren hier sichtbaren Studienfortschritten."
booyah.
[Update: Translation:
Mr Meyer: Your essay is inspired and well structured. You clearly show the themes of the text as well as the associations hidden behind it. The argumentation is plausible and easily followed. I am especially pleased with your fluid and idiomatically correct manner of representation. The secondary literature is short, but well read and employed. At some points the specific sources of your ideas are missing, but that doesn't lessen the analytical accomplishments of the paper, which was a joy to read. Therefore your grade is 1.0 [The German scale is 1-5, 1 being the highest possible]. I congratulate you on the obvious progress in your studies.]
listening to: Wolfgang Amadeus Pheonix from Pheonix
"Herr Meyer, Ihre Arbeit ist inspirierend und gut strukturiert. Sie zeigen die
Themen des Textes und die dahinter verborgenen Assoziationen. Die
Argumentation leuchtet ein. Besonders freut mich Ihre fluessige und
idiomatisch korrekte Darstellungsweise. Die Forschungsliteratur haben
Sie knapp, aber gut ausgewertet. An einigen Stellen fehlen die konkreten
Belege Ihrer Informationen, aber das mindert nicht die analytische
Leistung dieser Arbeit, die zu lesen ein Vergnuegen ist.
Daher eine sehr gute Leistung (1,0).
Ich gratuliere Ihnen zu Ihren hier sichtbaren Studienfortschritten."
booyah.
[Update: Translation:
Mr Meyer: Your essay is inspired and well structured. You clearly show the themes of the text as well as the associations hidden behind it. The argumentation is plausible and easily followed. I am especially pleased with your fluid and idiomatically correct manner of representation. The secondary literature is short, but well read and employed. At some points the specific sources of your ideas are missing, but that doesn't lessen the analytical accomplishments of the paper, which was a joy to read. Therefore your grade is 1.0 [The German scale is 1-5, 1 being the highest possible]. I congratulate you on the obvious progress in your studies.]
listening to: Wolfgang Amadeus Pheonix from Pheonix
2.4.09
thursday nights
It's a night at the desk tonight- I've got 350 pages to read for Monday. I missed this.
After spending half an hour wondering how to combine eggs and noodles, I've decided to leave the noodles uncooked for another evening. They won't go bad.
Listening to an iTunes library of 9500 songs on shuffle can be rewarding but dangerous:
1. If you're feeling sinister, Belle & Sebastian
2. A minor incident, Badly Drawn Boy
3. Driving in the dark, Saves the Day
4. Lowercase west thomas, The Get Up Kids
5. Cicatriz E.S.P, The Mars Volta
6. Italo, Anathallo
7. It's only love, the Beatles
8. Climbing texas, Belltower
9. Until I die, Ben Kweller
10. Last night I had the strangest dream, Simon & Garfunkel.
Actually, a shockingly rewarding session. It could've been worse.
Tomorrow we're playing soccer on the bank of the river, then barbecuing. Dreamy.
Hope all is well!
After spending half an hour wondering how to combine eggs and noodles, I've decided to leave the noodles uncooked for another evening. They won't go bad.
Listening to an iTunes library of 9500 songs on shuffle can be rewarding but dangerous:
1. If you're feeling sinister, Belle & Sebastian
2. A minor incident, Badly Drawn Boy
3. Driving in the dark, Saves the Day
4. Lowercase west thomas, The Get Up Kids
5. Cicatriz E.S.P, The Mars Volta
6. Italo, Anathallo
7. It's only love, the Beatles
8. Climbing texas, Belltower
9. Until I die, Ben Kweller
10. Last night I had the strangest dream, Simon & Garfunkel.
Actually, a shockingly rewarding session. It could've been worse.
Tomorrow we're playing soccer on the bank of the river, then barbecuing. Dreamy.
Hope all is well!
1.4.09
speedbump #291: Der Schlüssel (the key)
The German word for 'the key' is 'der Schlüssel'. I don't have a problem with the word itself, but it's the article ahead of it that consistently trips me up. In English one would normally ask, "Do you have the keys?" Translated directly that is "Hast du die Schlüssel?" But Germans don't ask for the keys. They ask for the key. Singular. So the correct question would be "Hast du den Schlüssel?"
This has been quite a bother lately, as a friend of mine is homeless and is staying in my apartment for the week. She doesn't have a key, so we organize our days around our schedules and who has the key when. And so this turns into frequent screw ups.
Unlike other some other linguistic differences, I don't think this one demonstrates a key cultural divergence. Which makes it not very interesting or cool, just something thats been bugging me.
So to recap:
Correct: "Soll ich den Schlüssel mitnehmen, oder nimmst du ihn?"
False: "Verdammte Schlüssel, ich habe sie vergessen."
[To add another layer, that sentence isn't grammatically incorrect. It would just seem strange.]
This has been quite a bother lately, as a friend of mine is homeless and is staying in my apartment for the week. She doesn't have a key, so we organize our days around our schedules and who has the key when. And so this turns into frequent screw ups.
Unlike other some other linguistic differences, I don't think this one demonstrates a key cultural divergence. Which makes it not very interesting or cool, just something thats been bugging me.
So to recap:
Correct: "Soll ich den Schlüssel mitnehmen, oder nimmst du ihn?"
False: "Verdammte Schlüssel, ich habe sie vergessen."
[To add another layer, that sentence isn't grammatically incorrect. It would just seem strange.]
30.3.09
speedbumps on the highway to fluency
I am introducing a new and regular (ha!) column today... well probably just the idea of it right now since class starts in 10 minutes. It's called Speedbumps on the Highway to Fluency, and it looks at intricacies of the German language that, no matter how close I come to fluency, still trip me up regularly. The idea is, if I take the time to write about it and wonder why I keep getting it wrong, I'll figure it out and stop sucking.
The column is dedicated to the German word for speed bump: Geschwindigkeitsreduzierungshöcker.
The column is dedicated to the German word for speed bump: Geschwindigkeitsreduzierungshöcker.
29.3.09
new semester
The new semester begins tomorrow here in romantic Heidelberg. I am pumped, for a few reasons:
1- Warm weather. This perpetual grayness is about to take a hike, and I couldn't be happier to see it go.
2- New courses. I've diversified a bit this semester- as opposed to my slew of 5 literature seminars last semester, I'll be taking only two. In addition I'm attending 4 lectures on various topics both intellectually interesting and pertinent to current or future degrees. Here they are:
Seminars:
Dramen des 20. Jahrhunderts- 20th Century Drama
Expedition als literarisches Motiv- Travel/Journey as literary Motif
Lectures:
Die Europäische Union- The European Union- political science lecture
Diktaturen des 20. Jahrhunderts- Dictators of the 20th Century- history lecture featuring Soviets, Nazis, Francos, and Latin American military dictators
Rechtsphilosophie- Philosophy of Law- law lecture
Einführung in die Neuere deutsche Literatur- Intro to Modern German Literature- literature lecture
I made some predictions at the beginning of last semester as to which courses I was looking most forward to- the Christa Wolf seminar came out on top. It was quite off- I found that seminar to be among the worst, and I enjoyed my Georg Büchner and Heinrich Heine courses the most. But I'll make another prediction, and knock on wood while doing it- I'm most looking forward to the Dictators lecture and the Travel-Novels seminar. We'll see.
And now to make my playlist for the walk tonight. Each semester I take a nice long walk the evening before courses start, to get a bit of perspective and clear my mind. Tonight it'll occur after an English language screening of Frost/Nixon. Excited.
I hope everyone is enjoying Spring blooming around the northern hemisphere.
Love al.
1- Warm weather. This perpetual grayness is about to take a hike, and I couldn't be happier to see it go.
2- New courses. I've diversified a bit this semester- as opposed to my slew of 5 literature seminars last semester, I'll be taking only two. In addition I'm attending 4 lectures on various topics both intellectually interesting and pertinent to current or future degrees. Here they are:
Seminars:
Dramen des 20. Jahrhunderts- 20th Century Drama
Expedition als literarisches Motiv- Travel/Journey as literary Motif
Lectures:
Die Europäische Union- The European Union- political science lecture
Diktaturen des 20. Jahrhunderts- Dictators of the 20th Century- history lecture featuring Soviets, Nazis, Francos, and Latin American military dictators
Rechtsphilosophie- Philosophy of Law- law lecture
Einführung in die Neuere deutsche Literatur- Intro to Modern German Literature- literature lecture
I made some predictions at the beginning of last semester as to which courses I was looking most forward to- the Christa Wolf seminar came out on top. It was quite off- I found that seminar to be among the worst, and I enjoyed my Georg Büchner and Heinrich Heine courses the most. But I'll make another prediction, and knock on wood while doing it- I'm most looking forward to the Dictators lecture and the Travel-Novels seminar. We'll see.
And now to make my playlist for the walk tonight. Each semester I take a nice long walk the evening before courses start, to get a bit of perspective and clear my mind. Tonight it'll occur after an English language screening of Frost/Nixon. Excited.
I hope everyone is enjoying Spring blooming around the northern hemisphere.
Love al.
27.3.09
travel
Pictures from my trip can be found here.
I couldn't blog while traveling the last couple weeks- so I opted for the old fashioned journal and found it quite rewarding. I took my notebook with me practically everywhere during my trip and wrote whenever something stru
ck me. I'd also try and summarize a bit at the end of each day. Here is the vast majority of my travel journal, transcribed for your reading pleasure:
12.3.09
In Frankfurt Hahn Airport. Literally Arsch der Welt. Gary IN has got nothing on the place. No train service here, must take bus--> only runs every 4 hrs, so I am here 4 hours early. Ugh. But my bag was only 8.5 kg, so I get to carry it on. I'll be in Rome late tonight. Depending if I'm tired I may go for a walk and find a bar. We'll see. Yesterday a 17 yr old killed 16 people at his former school outside Stuttgart. Life is way too precious. People need to recognize that beauty, or even the possibility of it, is worth living for, in all its forms.
13.3.09- Rome.
-Piazza della Repubblicca
-Monumento a Vittoria Emmanuella
-Castel St Angelo
-Vatican
-Palazzo Chiggi
-Trevi Fountain
-Quirinale
-Prego, Ciao!
-Italians drive mopeds or smarts. No bikes.
-Language of tourism is English.
-Traveling alone- strange, but could get used to it? Heidelberg tourists< style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lz5oGvQmIvVhpgxBH4P5CukNrbVp6iuC-3n0kFT46MAoXxGRrIMcAAIkdsF0hvJYXnJaXOu16cg8m-YeNuQ1szbVktcIJEpozbuYuZiBQgN6gXnn1GH76FRaQGldQqHaR3IhuxO28Bw/s320/DSCN0854.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318001028329809330" border="0">The gardens of the Palatinate are paradise- Roman dreams. Sun and shade are mixed with birds and flowers, ancient stones coexist with just-bloomed dandelions. My feet are free and open for the first time in months. A garden cannot be ruins- it follows different rules than stone or wood. It's alive--> it cannot die. It's reborn each spring.
-
15.3.09
Hopefully going to hear the Pope speak today- I think so, as the crowds continue to grow here in St Peters Sq. The morning couldnt have been much better- showered and out by 8:30, breakfast, then a 1hr walk to the Vatican. I wore a collared shirt for the occasion.
Finished 1984 yesterday, but wish I hadn't- now I have only Siddartha left, and it's short. May re-read.
I bought a man-purse yesterday. Karma immediately punished me, as the lady gave me the smaller size so nothin fits. But I make it work. Oh well, I learned my lesson.
Do people get home from vacations and watch the entire video they've filmed? I can't imagine re-watching my panorama scene of St. peters. Maybe I'd rewatch my kid hiccup.
When did the narrator write 1984? He had to have lived outside of the society. Time/geographical distance?
Christus Vincit
Christus Regnat
Christus Imperat
Christus Abomnimalo
Plebem Suam Defendat
religion of love? certainly not that of humility.
-
no TV, no computer, no internet, no music, no phone, no companion- books have become my partners, by eating sleeping and walking.
[From Darwin exhibit in Rome]
"It is interesting to contemplate an entangled bank, clothed with many plants of many kinds, with birds singing in the bushes, with various insects flitting about, and with worms crawling through the damp earth, and to reflect that these elaborately constructed forms... have all been produced by laws acting around us. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having originally been developed into a few forms or into one; and that whilst this planet has gone cucling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." -C Darwin.
-
At a concert tonight in St. Ignatius Loyola in Roma. Beautiful church- sure to be a beautiful concert. Except for the fake dome that Bernini painted on. The illusion works from the back but from where I am sitting.
I miss Liz. More, I miss our relationship. Walking, holding hands. It'll be at least 14 months before that can regularly happen again. She's in India, I'm in Rome. We are growing as individuals, learning about ourselves and experiencing the world.
It's not that I can't wait.
16.3.09
Rome is... impressive. 5000 years of history jammed into 9 square miles... every corner reveals another suprise, another invitation to discovery. I was in the Vatican museums today- impressive, what the popes have managed to steal over the years. Again, impressive. The Sistine Chapel, as touristy as it is, was amazing. Adams hand stretched out to God- very sympathetic, very almost humble... A sort of weakness and dependance. An awareness of imperfection.
And St Peters, well, as Thorsten has said, the Dom makes him believe there is a God, or something- St Peters has a similar effect. it is immense, grandiose- a fitting center of Catholicism. I feel that the time, money, and creativity poured into its creation and maintenance could be put to better usage, but the beauty of it mystifies me and I feel that I must somehow justify it.
I have eaten nothing but pizza in Italy. Also fitting.
Looking forward to spring in Heidelberg. Playing music outside, hiking, reading. It will be low pressure and nice.
I leave tomorrow for Greece- excited! A completely different culture. Excitied for Souvlaki.
Ciao Roma!
Yahsas Greece.
18.3.09 ("I'm so tired of being alone")
Didn't write yesterday- was a bit shook up.
First impressions- rain! Ugh. 5 straight glorious days in Roma and then the heavens open up. Hopefully I'll get at least one clear sunset in Santorini.
Also, wild dogs, everywhere. No collars- they roam the streets, peeing everywhere in and out of stores- but they seem to know which lines they can't cross- they survive somehow.
But yesterday my brashness of doing this trip completely alone finally caught up to me. I went out for a walk after I'd checked into the hostel. It was about 4:30 pm, rainy, getting darker but really just cloudy. I headed out with the goal of finding my hostel for the weekend (after my jaunt to the islands). It's in the historic Plaka district, probably no more than 20 minutes from my current hostel. I found a souvlaki place that seemed nice- paused for a few minutes to look over the menu as a potential dinner spot that evening. I knew I could do it because they had a separate English menu. As expected, I've found Athens a bit more English and foreigner friendly, if and only superficially if because of the Greek alphabet. If you don't know Greek you cant do anything with the script, and so the script mus be translated into the Latin alphabet if they want anyone non-Greek to read things in the establishment. But so I lodged that in my initerary and moved on.
After maybe 20 steps a man walked up to me and asked me the time, in Greek. I gave the universal confused look and he smiled and in broken English asked me again. He struck up a conversation with me, inquiring as to where I'm from, how long I am in in Athens, etc. I told him i was looking for Plaka and he said the bar he works at is in Plaka, and he'd be happy to lead me there and offer me a shot of Ouza (the Greek national liquor) to start off my adventures. Now, at this moment my instincts were pure and unweary. This, I thought, is just an example of the famed Greek hospitality, of which I read multiple times in multiple guidebooks, how it'd be impossible during any stay in Greece to avoid a friendly interaction with locals. A bit prompt, I noticed, but nonetheless it was to be expected and enjoyed as a genuine cultural experience with local Athenians. He told me about himself- 4 kids, one divorce, a new wife, two jobs. He was very open, kind, almost eager to share with me his intimate details.
After ten minutes winding through the narrow crooked dark streets of Athens we made it to his bar. "New York Bar" it was called, I think. It was small- one oval bar with stools and room next to the windows for just two tables. It was claustrophobic, smoky, dim. There were very few people- one bartender, my new friend, and one customer, if I recall correctly. He sat me down at the unoccupied table and asked the bartender for an ouzo with orange juice for me. He went to the bathroom to dry off, so I waited to drink until he returned.
A few minutes passed without his arrival. A woman, the customer I'd noticed before, sat down next to me. She asked me if I mind if she joins me, in English. I said of course not! I was happy to be meeting people, even if she was not Greek (British) it was good to talk and she didn't seem to care if I wanted her to join me or not. She stank of liquor- everything about her seemed to swim in gin or ouzo. She reminded me, due to both her accent and mannerisms, of the great Cap'n Jack Sparrow- yet less made up and far less photogenic. She told me she worked at the bar- it showed, as she kept up a snappy Greek rapport with the bartender and another male patron. I eventually realized my friend was coming back.
The woman spoke quickly and slurredly, asking me questions and smalltalking to a shocking degree. As I sipped my drink she'd gulp hers, a "cocktail" she called it, and after each one she'd ask if she could have another. Why not? After all, she worked there. I was under the assumption I was drinking on the house as well, thanks to the famed Greek hospitality. In the span of my 1 drink, about 20 minutes, she'd had 5- she would gulp, reach down and pour from a bottle by her side. She asked multiple times if I'd like another, but I was uninterested- I really was itching to get going and see some ancient Athenian shit.
And so I finished my drink and she snapped her fingers for the check. The large man with whom she'd been intermittently speaking waddled over to the table with a piece of paper, placed it on the table, and said "135 euro."
-
What?
135 Euro. You pay she drinks.
I had one drink.
No. One is 10 Euro. She 5, is 125 Euro.
Um, I'm not paying for her drinks.
You say yes she can drink! You say yes!
Yes, because she works here... Of course she could!
(Lady) I don't do this cuz its fun, honey! Give him the money!
I don't have that much money. I'm just a student. There's my 10 Euro for my drink.
-
The man gave me a menu- it seemed that there was one extra 0 everywhere I looked. All the drinks were between 10 and 20 Euro. He flipped to another section- "Lady's drinks"- here they were all over 25Euro. I didn't know what to do.
-
Listen, sir, I never said I'd buy her drinks. And I definitely will not.
You said you buy! You said yes! Give me 50 Euro.
No! I payed for my drink, I'm leaving.
How much you have? You give me 50 Euro.
I am not giving you anything. I paid for my drink, I'm leaving.
-
He grabbed my arm and I pushed him away. I'm nervous, but somehow feel in control. They had nothing on me- I had absolutely not agreed to her services, and they were attempting to strong arm me. I made my way for the door.
-
You gay? If you say you gay, then you can leave.
I'm gay!
(Laughter)
-
And I bolted. I ran for a while through the rain, confused and a bit lost. I found a main square and stopped to make sure I had everything with me. I was soaked, scared. I found my way back to the hostel, talking to myself the whole way back, explaining what had just happened. Once inside the lobby I ordered an espresso and quickly gulped it down. I found a fellow traveler from Holland and spilled the entire story, as it was practically leaping out of me. He nodded in understanding and related a similar story from his travels in Havana Cuba. My nerves wouldn't settle all night. I didn't eat; I really had no appetite. I took a long hot shower and read in bed until tired enough to drift into a restless sleep.
-That was my first impression of Athens. Let's hope my weekend there is better.
Now to the Islands!
-
Santorini is... idyllic. It is so quiet, but only because it is low season. From my hotel it is a 30 minute walk to the main town- the view is, as advertised, majestic. The cliffs are sheer- quiet but quite loudly warning of the danger of one false step. I think I've come during construction season- the cooler months before the swarm descends post-Easter.
The northern town of Oia brags to be the best place to see the sunset because it is unobstructed by the other islands in the group- that may hold true in the summer when the sun sets due west. Now it falls ~ 15 degrees S of W, and Oia's view may be poor (all relative!). It may be perfect where I am now.
[an amatuerish diagram follows here of Santorini, with a compass and the two locations estimated.]
It was nice.
I am afraid the swimsuit was a bit wishful.
19.3.09
This is the most beautiful place in the world that I have seen. I do not say that lightly. This is pure natural beauty. The result of a massive, catastrophic volcanic explosion 4000 years ago. Mittenwald Germany is 2nd.
-
Oia- This place is completely empty. A ghost town. I hear it is crazy in the summer- at a rate of 10 proposals per hour, at least. And after 10 pm the calories expended making love on this island could power Chicago for a week. I think I'd hate it in the summer, but now it is perfect. I went to a wonderful little bookstore and sple with German with the very nice girl- she gets to live here 6 months out of the year and sell books. She says she loves it these days but summer can be unbearable- hot and full. She complimented my Deutsch.
They are repainting the white walls white. Sinn?
Gyros are fantastic! Way better than döner. They throw french fries on top. It's tasty.
I am watching this sunset tonight from the westernmost tip of Oia- and I'll be honest, it's breathtaking. Better than yesterday... almost no clouds. But I'm afraid that I burnt today.
But its louder here. Lots of Americans, saying things for the sake of making noise. Inner peace can only be found through silence and oneness. Turn off everything except the ability to absorb, to experience.
Crazy loud here... how can you not be awed to silence? Out of respect.
Moments like this are why I may prefer deafness to blindness. Although I do believe beauty, pure beauty, can exist through any medium as well as in any mixture of mediums.
This human experience is wild. I am one. It's a constant and relentless struggle between the ethereal, the beautiful, the asthetic, that we consciously possess, and the base, instinctive, us as descendants of monkeys. How can I want a beautiful woman and want beauty in its theoretical sense at the same time?
Find the beauty. Trust that it is there.
Where did all these people eat this afternoon?
We've been lucky to evolve on a planet as beautiful as this. We better not fk it up.
Beautiful! Good job, curvature of the earth.
Home finally. But this new red face of mine may take some getting used to.
20.3.09
to Athens today. I'll most likely get to the hostel ~ 5pm, so I'll read, find dinner, and call it a night. No wandering anymore.
I made two attempts this morning to reach the ocean on the east side of the island- to no avail. Head east from the caldera (volcano rim) and it becomes poorer and more destitute- I tried following the donkey/mule paths to the coast but couldnt. A truck passed me on the road- the driver was shouting things into a mounted loudspeaker, but it was Greek to me. As he passed I smelled something foul- the back was full of tightly caged chickens. Poor guys. I ate an egg for breakfast.
The sunrise was nice this morning, but cold. The best part was the sound- refuting, or at least challenging, my theory of last night. Maybe deaf at night and blind in the morning. Rather neither.
I am outside writing and the wonderful owner here just brought me some chilled Santorinian wine, just to make me more comfortable. They did this when I arrived as well, and last night when I got home late the lady knocked on my door and offered me dinner! She put it on my table then turned my heater on. These people are genuinely kind. But living and working here can't be too bad. It's beauty is beyond description, and down time means sitting in the sun and having a cigarette. Not bad.
The flight will be nice today- probably quiet and no clouds.
A fly in my wine. Sir, what's a fly doing in my wine?
The backstroke! (love you dad!)
-----
The journal ends there. I didn't write much in Athens- but I had a wonderful time. I met a bunch of fellow lone traveleres at the hostel (Athens Backpackers- highly recommended). We explored the city together- highlights were obviously the Acropolis, plus the National Archaelogical Museum (masterpiece after treasure after priceless artifact) and Mount Lycavittos, a massive hill overlooking all of sprawling Athens. A massive city, a center of Western civilization and democracy.
Again, for more pictures visit the flickr site linked above.
School starts again Monday, so I'm getting organized. Very, very excited for Summer Semester in romantic Heidelberg.
Hope all is well everywhere. Love,
Al
I couldn't blog while traveling the last couple weeks- so I opted for the old fashioned journal and found it quite rewarding. I took my notebook with me practically everywhere during my trip and wrote whenever something stru
ck me. I'd also try and summarize a bit at the end of each day. Here is the vast majority of my travel journal, transcribed for your reading pleasure:
12.3.09
In Frankfurt Hahn Airport. Literally Arsch der Welt. Gary IN has got nothing on the place. No train service here, must take bus--> only runs every 4 hrs, so I am here 4 hours early. Ugh. But my bag was only 8.5 kg, so I get to carry it on. I'll be in Rome late tonight. Depending if I'm tired I may go for a walk and find a bar. We'll see. Yesterday a 17 yr old killed 16 people at his former school outside Stuttgart. Life is way too precious. People need to recognize that beauty, or even the possibility of it, is worth living for, in all its forms.
13.3.09- Rome.
-Piazza della Repubblicca
-Monumento a Vittoria Emmanuella
-Castel St Angelo
-Vatican
-Palazzo Chiggi
-Trevi Fountain
-Quirinale
-Prego, Ciao!
-Italians drive mopeds or smarts. No bikes.
-Language of tourism is English.
-Traveling alone- strange, but could get used to it? Heidelberg tourists< style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lz5oGvQmIvVhpgxBH4P5CukNrbVp6iuC-3n0kFT46MAoXxGRrIMcAAIkdsF0hvJYXnJaXOu16cg8m-YeNuQ1szbVktcIJEpozbuYuZiBQgN6gXnn1GH76FRaQGldQqHaR3IhuxO28Bw/s320/DSCN0854.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318001028329809330" border="0">The gardens of the Palatinate are paradise- Roman dreams. Sun and shade are mixed with birds and flowers, ancient stones coexist with just-bloomed dandelions. My feet are free and open for the first time in months. A garden cannot be ruins- it follows different rules than stone or wood. It's alive--> it cannot die. It's reborn each spring.
-
15.3.09
Hopefully going to hear the Pope speak today- I think so, as the crowds continue to grow here in St Peters Sq. The morning couldnt have been much better- showered and out by 8:30, breakfast, then a 1hr walk to the Vatican. I wore a collared shirt for the occasion.
Finished 1984 yesterday, but wish I hadn't- now I have only Siddartha left, and it's short. May re-read.
I bought a man-purse yesterday. Karma immediately punished me, as the lady gave me the smaller size so nothin fits. But I make it work. Oh well, I learned my lesson.
Do people get home from vacations and watch the entire video they've filmed? I can't imagine re-watching my panorama scene of St. peters. Maybe I'd rewatch my kid hiccup.
When did the narrator write 1984? He had to have lived outside of the society. Time/geographical distance?
Christus Vincit
Christus Regnat
Christus Imperat
Christus Abomnimalo
Plebem Suam Defendat
religion of love? certainly not that of humility.
-
no TV, no computer, no internet, no music, no phone, no companion- books have become my partners, by eating sleeping and walking.
[From Darwin exhibit in Rome]
"It is interesting to contemplate an entangled bank, clothed with many plants of many kinds, with birds singing in the bushes, with various insects flitting about, and with worms crawling through the damp earth, and to reflect that these elaborately constructed forms... have all been produced by laws acting around us. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having originally been developed into a few forms or into one; and that whilst this planet has gone cucling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." -C Darwin.
-
At a concert tonight in St. Ignatius Loyola in Roma. Beautiful church- sure to be a beautiful concert. Except for the fake dome that Bernini painted on. The illusion works from the back but from where I am sitting.
I miss Liz. More, I miss our relationship. Walking, holding hands. It'll be at least 14 months before that can regularly happen again. She's in India, I'm in Rome. We are growing as individuals, learning about ourselves and experiencing the world.
It's not that I can't wait.
16.3.09
Rome is... impressive. 5000 years of history jammed into 9 square miles... every corner reveals another suprise, another invitation to discovery. I was in the Vatican museums today- impressive, what the popes have managed to steal over the years. Again, impressive. The Sistine Chapel, as touristy as it is, was amazing. Adams hand stretched out to God- very sympathetic, very almost humble... A sort of weakness and dependance. An awareness of imperfection.
And St Peters, well, as Thorsten has said, the Dom makes him believe there is a God, or something- St Peters has a similar effect. it is immense, grandiose- a fitting center of Catholicism. I feel that the time, money, and creativity poured into its creation and maintenance could be put to better usage, but the beauty of it mystifies me and I feel that I must somehow justify it.
I have eaten nothing but pizza in Italy. Also fitting.
Looking forward to spring in Heidelberg. Playing music outside, hiking, reading. It will be low pressure and nice.
I leave tomorrow for Greece- excited! A completely different culture. Excitied for Souvlaki.
Ciao Roma!
Yahsas Greece.
18.3.09 ("I'm so tired of being alone")
Didn't write yesterday- was a bit shook up.
First impressions- rain! Ugh. 5 straight glorious days in Roma and then the heavens open up. Hopefully I'll get at least one clear sunset in Santorini.
Also, wild dogs, everywhere. No collars- they roam the streets, peeing everywhere in and out of stores- but they seem to know which lines they can't cross- they survive somehow.
But yesterday my brashness of doing this trip completely alone finally caught up to me. I went out for a walk after I'd checked into the hostel. It was about 4:30 pm, rainy, getting darker but really just cloudy. I headed out with the goal of finding my hostel for the weekend (after my jaunt to the islands). It's in the historic Plaka district, probably no more than 20 minutes from my current hostel. I found a souvlaki place that seemed nice- paused for a few minutes to look over the menu as a potential dinner spot that evening. I knew I could do it because they had a separate English menu. As expected, I've found Athens a bit more English and foreigner friendly, if and only superficially if because of the Greek alphabet. If you don't know Greek you cant do anything with the script, and so the script mus be translated into the Latin alphabet if they want anyone non-Greek to read things in the establishment. But so I lodged that in my initerary and moved on.
After maybe 20 steps a man walked up to me and asked me the time, in Greek. I gave the universal confused look and he smiled and in broken English asked me again. He struck up a conversation with me, inquiring as to where I'm from, how long I am in in Athens, etc. I told him i was looking for Plaka and he said the bar he works at is in Plaka, and he'd be happy to lead me there and offer me a shot of Ouza (the Greek national liquor) to start off my adventures. Now, at this moment my instincts were pure and unweary. This, I thought, is just an example of the famed Greek hospitality, of which I read multiple times in multiple guidebooks, how it'd be impossible during any stay in Greece to avoid a friendly interaction with locals. A bit prompt, I noticed, but nonetheless it was to be expected and enjoyed as a genuine cultural experience with local Athenians. He told me about himself- 4 kids, one divorce, a new wife, two jobs. He was very open, kind, almost eager to share with me his intimate details.
After ten minutes winding through the narrow crooked dark streets of Athens we made it to his bar. "New York Bar" it was called, I think. It was small- one oval bar with stools and room next to the windows for just two tables. It was claustrophobic, smoky, dim. There were very few people- one bartender, my new friend, and one customer, if I recall correctly. He sat me down at the unoccupied table and asked the bartender for an ouzo with orange juice for me. He went to the bathroom to dry off, so I waited to drink until he returned.
A few minutes passed without his arrival. A woman, the customer I'd noticed before, sat down next to me. She asked me if I mind if she joins me, in English. I said of course not! I was happy to be meeting people, even if she was not Greek (British) it was good to talk and she didn't seem to care if I wanted her to join me or not. She stank of liquor- everything about her seemed to swim in gin or ouzo. She reminded me, due to both her accent and mannerisms, of the great Cap'n Jack Sparrow- yet less made up and far less photogenic. She told me she worked at the bar- it showed, as she kept up a snappy Greek rapport with the bartender and another male patron. I eventually realized my friend was coming back.
The woman spoke quickly and slurredly, asking me questions and smalltalking to a shocking degree. As I sipped my drink she'd gulp hers, a "cocktail" she called it, and after each one she'd ask if she could have another. Why not? After all, she worked there. I was under the assumption I was drinking on the house as well, thanks to the famed Greek hospitality. In the span of my 1 drink, about 20 minutes, she'd had 5- she would gulp, reach down and pour from a bottle by her side. She asked multiple times if I'd like another, but I was uninterested- I really was itching to get going and see some ancient Athenian shit.
And so I finished my drink and she snapped her fingers for the check. The large man with whom she'd been intermittently speaking waddled over to the table with a piece of paper, placed it on the table, and said "135 euro."
-
What?
135 Euro. You pay she drinks.
I had one drink.
No. One is 10 Euro. She 5, is 125 Euro.
Um, I'm not paying for her drinks.
You say yes she can drink! You say yes!
Yes, because she works here... Of course she could!
(Lady) I don't do this cuz its fun, honey! Give him the money!
I don't have that much money. I'm just a student. There's my 10 Euro for my drink.
-
The man gave me a menu- it seemed that there was one extra 0 everywhere I looked. All the drinks were between 10 and 20 Euro. He flipped to another section- "Lady's drinks"- here they were all over 25Euro. I didn't know what to do.
-
Listen, sir, I never said I'd buy her drinks. And I definitely will not.
You said you buy! You said yes! Give me 50 Euro.
No! I payed for my drink, I'm leaving.
How much you have? You give me 50 Euro.
I am not giving you anything. I paid for my drink, I'm leaving.
-
He grabbed my arm and I pushed him away. I'm nervous, but somehow feel in control. They had nothing on me- I had absolutely not agreed to her services, and they were attempting to strong arm me. I made my way for the door.
-
You gay? If you say you gay, then you can leave.
I'm gay!
(Laughter)
-
And I bolted. I ran for a while through the rain, confused and a bit lost. I found a main square and stopped to make sure I had everything with me. I was soaked, scared. I found my way back to the hostel, talking to myself the whole way back, explaining what had just happened. Once inside the lobby I ordered an espresso and quickly gulped it down. I found a fellow traveler from Holland and spilled the entire story, as it was practically leaping out of me. He nodded in understanding and related a similar story from his travels in Havana Cuba. My nerves wouldn't settle all night. I didn't eat; I really had no appetite. I took a long hot shower and read in bed until tired enough to drift into a restless sleep.
-That was my first impression of Athens. Let's hope my weekend there is better.
Now to the Islands!
-
Santorini is... idyllic. It is so quiet, but only because it is low season. From my hotel it is a 30 minute walk to the main town- the view is, as advertised, majestic. The cliffs are sheer- quiet but quite loudly warning of the danger of one false step. I think I've come during construction season- the cooler months before the swarm descends post-Easter.
The northern town of Oia brags to be the best place to see the sunset because it is unobstructed by the other islands in the group- that may hold true in the summer when the sun sets due west. Now it falls ~ 15 degrees S of W, and Oia's view may be poor (all relative!). It may be perfect where I am now.
[an amatuerish diagram follows here of Santorini, with a compass and the two locations estimated.]
It was nice.I am afraid the swimsuit was a bit wishful.
19.3.09
This is the most beautiful place in the world that I have seen. I do not say that lightly. This is pure natural beauty. The result of a massive, catastrophic volcanic explosion 4000 years ago. Mittenwald Germany is 2nd.
-
Oia- This place is completely empty. A ghost town. I hear it is crazy in the summer- at a rate of 10 proposals per hour, at least. And after 10 pm the calories expended making love on this island could power Chicago for a week. I think I'd hate it in the summer, but now it is perfect. I went to a wonderful little bookstore and sple with German with the very nice girl- she gets to live here 6 months out of the year and sell books. She says she loves it these days but summer can be unbearable- hot and full. She complimented my Deutsch.
They are repainting the white walls white. Sinn?
Gyros are fantastic! Way better than döner. They throw french fries on top. It's tasty.
I am watching this sunset tonight from the westernmost tip of Oia- and I'll be honest, it's breathtaking. Better than yesterday... almost no clouds. But I'm afraid that I burnt today.
But its louder here. Lots of Americans, saying things for the sake of making noise. Inner peace can only be found through silence and oneness. Turn off everything except the ability to absorb, to experience.
Crazy loud here... how can you not be awed to silence? Out of respect.
Moments like this are why I may prefer deafness to blindness. Although I do believe beauty, pure beauty, can exist through any medium as well as in any mixture of mediums.
This human experience is wild. I am one. It's a constant and relentless struggle between the ethereal, the beautiful, the asthetic, that we consciously possess, and the base, instinctive, us as descendants of monkeys. How can I want a beautiful woman and want beauty in its theoretical sense at the same time?
Find the beauty. Trust that it is there.
Where did all these people eat this afternoon?
We've been lucky to evolve on a planet as beautiful as this. We better not fk it up.
Beautiful! Good job, curvature of the earth.
Home finally. But this new red face of mine may take some getting used to.
20.3.09
to Athens today. I'll most likely get to the hostel ~ 5pm, so I'll read, find dinner, and call it a night. No wandering anymore.
I made two attempts this morning to reach the ocean on the east side of the island- to no avail. Head east from the caldera (volcano rim) and it becomes poorer and more destitute- I tried following the donkey/mule paths to the coast but couldnt. A truck passed me on the road- the driver was shouting things into a mounted loudspeaker, but it was Greek to me. As he passed I smelled something foul- the back was full of tightly caged chickens. Poor guys. I ate an egg for breakfast.
The sunrise was nice this morning, but cold. The best part was the sound- refuting, or at least challenging, my theory of last night. Maybe deaf at night and blind in the morning. Rather neither.
I am outside writing and the wonderful owner here just brought me some chilled Santorinian wine, just to make me more comfortable. They did this when I arrived as well, and last night when I got home late the lady knocked on my door and offered me dinner! She put it on my table then turned my heater on. These people are genuinely kind. But living and working here can't be too bad. It's beauty is beyond description, and down time means sitting in the sun and having a cigarette. Not bad.
The flight will be nice today- probably quiet and no clouds.
A fly in my wine. Sir, what's a fly doing in my wine?
The backstroke! (love you dad!)
-----
The journal ends there. I didn't write much in Athens- but I had a wonderful time. I met a bunch of fellow lone traveleres at the hostel (Athens Backpackers- highly recommended). We explored the city together- highlights were obviously the Acropolis, plus the National Archaelogical Museum (masterpiece after treasure after priceless artifact) and Mount Lycavittos, a massive hill overlooking all of sprawling Athens. A massive city, a center of Western civilization and democracy.
Again, for more pictures visit the flickr site linked above.
School starts again Monday, so I'm getting organized. Very, very excited for Summer Semester in romantic Heidelberg.
Hope all is well everywhere. Love,
Al
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