OK, things are finally starting to fall in to place for me a little bit. My computer arrived the other day in the mail, and once I get myself square d away with a ke yboard and a power cable I should be able to once again access the internet from the comfort of my own home, rather than spending hours stuck at my school 's computers with these crappy keyboards. My roommate has thoughtfully offered me his old monitor, which he describes as "this big and thiiiiiiiiiis crappy" - so no real photo editing yet but at least I can do my resume and look things up again. You have no idea how wonderful the internet is when you can't just waltz in to a library or bookstore and find out what you want to know.
Secondly, I bought my tickets back to Berlin. I'll be in LA from Feb. 14th until March 1st, and then I come back here. I bought a round trip ticket, just in case someone in customs wants to make sure I'm not *ahem* trying to move here without the proper permits, but once I'm here I can extend it for up to a year. And it was the same price as a one-way ticket, so why not?
Lastly, I think I'v e found a new language school to switch to. I've been doing OK at my current one, but it takes me 45 minutes each way to get here, and I can't really take advantage of any of the cultural activities they offer because I'm not about to come all the way back in the evening. The new school is only a 10 minute walk from my house, and cheaper, too. Also, from their website it sounds like they focus a lot more on actual speaking during class time. I like the teachers here, but I can only improve so much when I'm just listening and writing most of the time. I'm waiting to find out if they'll let me sit in on an afternoon class sometime before I sign up.
It is still not really that cold here yet. Chilly, but not so bad that a pair of jeans is insufficient in the daytime. It is dark and gloomy, though. The sun sets about 4pm, and it feels like late afternoon from 2:00 onward. Everything feels like an old noir film, except without the gr eat lighting contrasts. It makes daylight photography almost pointless, u nless I go out firs t thin gin the morning - everything is so flat and dull that it's more interesting to go out by lamplight.
One nice thing about the early sunset, however, is that I 've finally gotten over my ingraine d "don't go out after dark" mentality from LA. It' s safe here after dark as yo u could possibly ask for in a big city - I' ve never once felt threatened or uncomfortable walking around he re at night . There are always people around, too. Even if yo u get on the metro at 4 or 5 am, there are almost always a few other people riding with you - and they usually aren't scary or homeless.
John asked if there is anything that I miss about home at all. Well, aside from people, I miss seeing familiar landscapes. Of course, everything he re is starting to feel more familiar, but naturally I get nostalgic when I see Sunset Blvd. in a movie or something. I miss being able to find things easily in the supermarket. The market I go to most often here c ould probably be most closely compair ed to Jon's market in LA - run down, shabby, but inexpensive. They have most of what you need, but not always things like yeas t or baking soda or more than two or three types of pasta. It's good, though, because it keeps me from buying stuff I don't really need. But when I do want something special, I often have to go to a different store to find it. On the other hand , the produce here (even at the cheap stores) is usually far be tter than what you find in the s ta tes. And it keeps practically forever without going bad. The other things I miss are specific places, like EATS cafe, or Footsies, or wings and brunch and beer and bloody mary's at Ye Rustic. And just the smell of an American beer bar. Bars here don't smell the same. Oh, and celery. I don't know if I'm just missin g it or if it's out of season, but I can't remember seeing the damn stuf f since I got here. There are tons of weird looking root vegetables tha tI don't know how to cook, though. I may ha ve to break down and s tart experimenting. And ... Pabst Blue Ribbon! Somebody better have a six pack waiting for me when I get bac k. Or , wait, do they even sell Pabst in a 6 pack? I think it might only come in 12ers. Hmm.
For that matter, shit, I miss beer in cans. They don't sell beer in cans here. Only glass bottles. John thoughtfully gave me a combination key ring/bottle opener for Christma s, which is the most useful thing ever in a city where a beer in hand is an almost obligatory accessory for Sunday afternoon flea market shoppi ng. You don't realize how important things like that are until you find yourself in the wonderful position of legally trying to crack open a beer in public, only to realize that 1) your beer isn't in a can, so the phrase "crack one open " implies literally breaking the glass 2) you are three blocks from home without a bottle opener, and you can't do the lighter trick. People here give you funny looks if you can't open a beer with your lighter. It isn't just a great party trick, it's an absolute necessity.
Speaking of wings and beer - when John was here I broke down and had a totally American moment. I bought some frozen BBQ wings a t the marke t and had them with beer and homemade potato wedge sfor dinner one night. Of course ,I did this on the night when our new housemate was due to arrive. This poor French girl shows up , ha ving rented the place over the internet, and finds John and I sitting in the living room chowing down on greasy wings, beer in hand. Under one of Scotty 's weird American flags (see http: //www.myamericatoo.com for examples). I think that was the beginning of the end. We tried to tell her that this was the most ridiculously American thing we 'd ever done in Europe, but I don 't think she believed us. She told Scotty that night that she didn't think she was "artistic" enough to feel comfortable in our house, and two days later she had moved out .
Poor thing . I don't really know exactly what it was, but I blame our shower to start. And really, if you're looking for a nice, regular apartment, ours isn't it. We enjoy the scruffiness, but goodness nows she can find somewhere much tidier than ours for pr obably a lot less money. We pay extra for the character and the enormous rooms we have by Be rlin standards. And I think y ou really hav e to be the right kind of weird o to feel comfortable there.
OK, one last thing- the word for "shower" in German is Dusche, pronounced exactly like the French word "douche," which led to the following interesting conversation the other morning over breakfast. (Note, we were all speaking English, in case you're wondering. Oh yeah, um... insert Parental Advisory Notice here):
Vanessa (suddenly remembering something she had intended to do the day before): Oh shit, I am such a douche-bag!
Me: Why, what happened? Hey, wait - calling someone a douche- bag doesn't work over here. Dusche just means shower.
Vanessa: Yeah, you're right. Hmm. I wonder how you would say that in German.
Jorge: What's a dusche bag?
(Vanessa and Kristal giggle and glance at each other nervously)
Jorge: What's a dusche bag ?
Kristal ( aside to Vanessa): You started it. Are you going to explain to him?
Jorge ( completely innocent, looking very confused by our giggling and obvious embarrassment): Is it something for your hair?
Secondly, I bought my tickets back to Berlin. I'll be in LA from Feb. 14th until March 1st, and then I come back here. I bought a round trip ticket, just in case someone in customs wants to make sure I'm not *ahem* trying to move here without the proper permits, but once I'm here I can extend it for up to a year. And it was the same price as a one-way ticket, so why not?
Lastly, I think I'v e found a new language school to switch to. I've been doing OK at my current one, but it takes me 45 minutes each way to get here, and I can't really take advantage of any of the cultural activities they offer because I'm not about to come all the way back in the evening. The new school is only a 10 minute walk from my house, and cheaper, too. Also, from their website it sounds like they focus a lot more on actual speaking during class time. I like the teachers here, but I can only improve so much when I'm just listening and writing most of the time. I'm waiting to find out if they'll let me sit in on an afternoon class sometime before I sign up.
It is still not really that cold here yet. Chilly, but not so bad that a pair of jeans is insufficient in the daytime. It is dark and gloomy, though. The sun sets about 4pm, and it feels like late afternoon from 2:00 onward. Everything feels like an old noir film, except without the gr eat lighting contrasts. It makes daylight photography almost pointless, u nless I go out firs t thin gin the morning - everything is so flat and dull that it's more interesting to go out by lamplight.
One nice thing about the early sunset, however, is that I 've finally gotten over my ingraine d "don't go out after dark" mentality from LA. It' s safe here after dark as yo u could possibly ask for in a big city - I' ve never once felt threatened or uncomfortable walking around he re at night . There are always people around, too. Even if yo u get on the metro at 4 or 5 am, there are almost always a few other people riding with you - and they usually aren't scary or homeless.
John asked if there is anything that I miss about home at all. Well, aside from people, I miss seeing familiar landscapes. Of course, everything he re is starting to feel more familiar, but naturally I get nostalgic when I see Sunset Blvd. in a movie or something. I miss being able to find things easily in the supermarket. The market I go to most often here c ould probably be most closely compair ed to Jon's market in LA - run down, shabby, but inexpensive. They have most of what you need, but not always things like yeas t or baking soda or more than two or three types of pasta. It's good, though, because it keeps me from buying stuff I don't really need. But when I do want something special, I often have to go to a different store to find it. On the other hand , the produce here (even at the cheap stores) is usually far be tter than what you find in the s ta tes. And it keeps practically forever without going bad. The other things I miss are specific places, like EATS cafe, or Footsies, or wings and brunch and beer and bloody mary's at Ye Rustic. And just the smell of an American beer bar. Bars here don't smell the same. Oh, and celery. I don't know if I'm just missin g it or if it's out of season, but I can't remember seeing the damn stuf f since I got here. There are tons of weird looking root vegetables tha tI don't know how to cook, though. I may ha ve to break down and s tart experimenting. And ... Pabst Blue Ribbon! Somebody better have a six pack waiting for me when I get bac k. Or , wait, do they even sell Pabst in a 6 pack? I think it might only come in 12ers. Hmm.
For that matter, shit, I miss beer in cans. They don't sell beer in cans here. Only glass bottles. John thoughtfully gave me a combination key ring/bottle opener for Christma s, which is the most useful thing ever in a city where a beer in hand is an almost obligatory accessory for Sunday afternoon flea market shoppi ng. You don't realize how important things like that are until you find yourself in the wonderful position of legally trying to crack open a beer in public, only to realize that 1) your beer isn't in a can, so the phrase "crack one open " implies literally breaking the glass 2) you are three blocks from home without a bottle opener, and you can't do the lighter trick. People here give you funny looks if you can't open a beer with your lighter. It isn't just a great party trick, it's an absolute necessity.
Speaking of wings and beer - when John was here I broke down and had a totally American moment. I bought some frozen BBQ wings a t the marke t and had them with beer and homemade potato wedge sfor dinner one night. Of course ,I did this on the night when our new housemate was due to arrive. This poor French girl shows up , ha ving rented the place over the internet, and finds John and I sitting in the living room chowing down on greasy wings, beer in hand. Under one of Scotty 's weird American flags (see http: //www.myamericatoo.com for examples). I think that was the beginning of the end. We tried to tell her that this was the most ridiculously American thing we 'd ever done in Europe, but I don 't think she believed us. She told Scotty that night that she didn't think she was "artistic" enough to feel comfortable in our house, and two days later she had moved out .
Poor thing . I don't really know exactly what it was, but I blame our shower to start. And really, if you're looking for a nice, regular apartment, ours isn't it. We enjoy the scruffiness, but goodness nows she can find somewhere much tidier than ours for pr obably a lot less money. We pay extra for the character and the enormous rooms we have by Be rlin standards. And I think y ou really hav e to be the right kind of weird o to feel comfortable there.
OK, one last thing- the word for "shower" in German is Dusche, pronounced exactly like the French word "douche," which led to the following interesting conversation the other morning over breakfast. (Note, we were all speaking English, in case you're wondering. Oh yeah, um... insert Parental Advisory Notice here):
Vanessa (suddenly remembering something she had intended to do the day before): Oh shit, I am such a douche-bag!
Me: Why, what happened? Hey, wait - calling someone a douche- bag doesn't work over here. Dusche just means shower.
Vanessa: Yeah, you're right. Hmm. I wonder how you would say that in German.
Jorge: What's a dusche bag?
(Vanessa and Kristal giggle and glance at each other nervously)
Jorge: What's a dusche bag ?
Kristal ( aside to Vanessa): You started it. Are you going to explain to him?
Jorge ( completely innocent, looking very confused by our giggling and obvious embarrassment): Is it something for your hair?
posted by Kristal at 7:57 AM
2 Comments:
When you get here, Gus can teach you to open beer with a lighter, a key, a table top, a knife or a small cat- whatever you have handy. Just kidding about the cat...maybe. If he can teach me to do it, no problem for you- at least you don't try and do it the way I used to, with your teeth. You have to be really thirsty for that. Love C, G & E.
douche-bag, funny!
oh, and about celery...it is a super hard to grow, usually industrialized although it can also be grown by a person who just loooooooves celery way too much. germans may not even bother with it, but if they do, i am guessing you will see it in the mid-to late spring for only a brief time.
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