It's turning a bit colder here in München, though it has yet to snow and stay (we had a light dusting about two weeks ago, and it melted almost immediately). The whole last week was awesome weather for November, and all you needed most days was a sweatshirt. I'm actually wondering if we will see some steady snowfall before I leave for warmer climates.
I have three days left in my German B12 course here at Goethe Institut, and then I'm off to the NCL-Epic ship next week as the new MIT (instrument tech) for Blue Man Group's travel production. I've been called upon to get to the ship a week earlier than originally planned and I should be there until mid-June. I plan to keep up the blog while onboard, though I've heard internet access costs 10 cents/min. Ouch! So, it's very likely I'll not be able to Skype anyone for the next 6 months and will only be logging on to upload/download emails and blog content. The ship will port out of Miami and complete alternating Eastern/Western Caribbean tours of one week each. For the last few weeks of the tour, we will do a transatlantic cruise and then port out of Barcelona the remaining couple weeks. For more info on the ship/tours, click here.
I'm excited to be around drums again soon. It's a pretty large part of my life...always has been...and I hope this experience will bring further opportunities when I return to Germany in June. The plan, after tour, is to immediately re-enroll in Goethe Institut classes, starting in B21 and taking it as far as I can until I land a job here. In other words, I will be enrolling in a class every month while simultaneously applying to jobs within Germany. If I get a job by August, then my classes will stop at the "B2" level. If it takes a little longer, then my classes will continue on to the "C" language levels, which is pretty high for a foreigner to achieve here. As far as jobs I will be looking at next year, I will be seeking further music industry positions. By the time I finish the tour, I will have professional player experience, group and private instruction experience, and tech experience on a major tour production. Some ideal job lines that will play to these knowledge bases include Artist Relations and Brand Marketing for instrument/music technology manufacturers. There are some great companies in Germany, so I'm looking forward to returning!
Getting cleared for working on NCL has been quite a process. I've undergone a huge array of medical tests over the last month (vision, heart, pre-existing conditions, and tons of blood work) and Maritime Law has also called upon a thorough criminal background check. I feel so violated...haha. Anyhow, it's opened my eyes to just how great medical practices are and how low the costs are in Germany. As of right now, I only have emergency medical coverage (through being a student) and this only covers pretty severe cases. So, I had all of these tests done "out of pocket" and can tell you that it was state of the art technology and testing...all for less than 200 Euro (if you don't know the conversion rate, don't worry about it...that's cheap by U.S. health care standards)!!! In fact, I had one last blood test performed by a doctor down the street, and when I picked up the results I asked him for the bill. He said (again in extremely good English), "it's no problem" and waived his hand. "Send us a postcard from the ship." Ha...OK...will do! I've heard time and time again about how bad the U.S. medical system is, with its HMO's, red-tape, and outrageous expenses that all seem to feed back to the pharmaceuticals industry (which has its hands in the government of course); and how many European countries have Socialist medical systems in place (that's MEDICAL SYSTEMS....not GOVERNMENT people...) that are designed to actually take care of the sick. But seeing things first hand...there was nothing like it. I thought I would receive over $1500 in bills and voiced my concern to Annette. I laughed when I found out how much everything cost. A lot of people in the U.S. have no idea how good things can be elsewhere and only see their system's benefits...this "We're Number 1" bullsh*t. Yeah, I'd love to rave about how great the American medical system is, but I was denied health insurance last year. I'm not saying Michael Moore's word is gold, not by far, but check out "Sicko" if you get a chance. It's an eye-opener, and it explains a lot of what I've gone through.
On other fronts, I am probably part of a tiny minority of Americans here that still cling to Fantasy Sports updates, playing football and hockey regularly. I can sit for hours in front of the computer and sift through each game, combing for interesting stat lines and players to pick up for my fantasy teams. I have asked around if there is anything similar going on here in Germany, and it looks like there is some sort of Fantasy Soccer website, though the fans aren't quite as gonzo crazy about that kind of thing here. Maybe someday I'll open a bar, called "Insomniacs," that doesn't open until midnight weekdays and 5 p.m. Saturday and Sundays. We can show all American sports and hope that somebody actually shows up once in awhile. It's very hard to get games over here, so the need is there...just the timing of the games is awful. For instance, I was up until 5:30 this morning watching the Eagles/Redskins. If you didn't watch Vick totally obliterate football records last night (stat line: 20 for 28 completions for 333 yards and 4 touchdowns; also ran 8 times for 80 yards and 2 more touchdowns), shame on you. What a sight to see! Click here for a glimpse of the human highlight reel.
Showing posts with label Goethe Institut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Goethe Institut. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
I's All Domesticated and Crap
Today is going to be a long day. Productive, but long...
The past two mornings I've had the luxury of not waking up early to go to class (I'm between levels at Goethe Institut, starting the next one on Tuesday). Class has been much like the regular schedule of work. You get up at 7, you're out the door at 8...and you're at school by 8:30. Usually, by 9:30 I'm officially waking up, with everything said to me in German prior to that being reflected by my ear drums. This doesn't mean I'm not listening (in fact...my brain is working at this time, usually at the equivalent pace of the song "Back to Basom" by Ween or perhaps "Strawberry Fields" by some other guys. I'm in there, just a little lost in the beauty of a mellotron, or Pink Floyd-esque sweeping keyboard line). I do nod a lot to the teacher and I'm careful to smile back.
This useful practice is a very technical skill known as "Pretend Active Listening" (PAL for short) and shows the speaker that you are really concerned about what they are trying to tell you. However, this technique doesn't work for very long....soon enough, your teacher (wife, husband, child, boss, etc.) catches on and traps you with a question that requires an answer other than "yes" or "no." The easiest way to deflect this question in German class is to say "hmm...das ist eine gute Frage....aber ich habe keine Ahnung...vielleicht....uhh...." and just keep saying "uuhhhh" and looking around the room (maybe even pointing out the window or at a random object can help you out here) until she realizes you have nothing to contribute at this time. Essentially, you have just said, "yeah, that's a good question, but I have no idea....perhaps...ummm." Yes, you LOOK like an idiot, but you at least spoke German in a German class...so it's a tiny victory. As far as using this exact example in everyday life...I guess it's not recommended unless you're prepared to explain why that answer had nothing to do with what was being discussed...and more importantly, why you can suddenly speak German.
Which gets me to, you guessed it, more discussion of this amazingly complex language. German is not for the timid. It's not something you can take a lesson in once or twice a week for 2 hours, coming away with complete understanding. In fact, it's impossible to master. I had a long discussion with my landlord yesterday, who was born in New Jersey in the 60's, grew up in Houston, and moved to Germany in the late 70's. He came over to work with Radio Free Europe, a formerly-CIA-backed radio/news program aimed at promoting democracy, but he found that learning German has been a lifelong process. He now speaks with "96% fluency" and says his learning period is over. He came to this realization after he distributed a memo to ten native speakers (all but one with university degrees) that work for him, asking for revisions. He received ten very different answers. He then called a meeting and said, "I don't want any of you to correct my German from here on out." While this may sound extreme, it's true...nobody here has complete mastery. There are many reasons for this...here are some of the more fun ones:
1) There was a national reform to the language about 10 years ago, where they said one no longer needs the character "ß" anymore. Instead, replace it with "ss". Also, within this reform, they changed the articles (der, die, das) of many words. If you've studied German, you know this becomes a huge problem when you start speaking/writing with all the cases (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive). These cases, and subsequently every sentence that comes out of your mouth, change dramatically when the article is changed. Imagine the power struggles between kids and parents when the kids start telling their parents (that have German language degrees), "hey you don't say that right" or "you're misspelling that." All of my teachers have complained that they have no idea what the "right" way of teaching certain words is, and so we just learn whatever they prefer at the moment. Just think of the consequences this creates when providing a cover letter for a job...
2) English is so common in the German language that it can be seen on billboards, heard on TV, and in language classes they even refer to some words as "Denglish". Many in Germany are calling this a travesty, and it can be attributed to both the influx of Western media into society (English terms are much more a youth culture thing) as well as technology. When the computer came along, there wasn't a German word in place, and so: der Computer. When the MP3 player came along, there wasn't a German word, and so: der MP3 Player. When the MP3 player required something to be downloaded from the computer, there wasn't a German word, and so: der Download.
3) Germany is losing population every year, and there are more and more foreigners being brought in by German companies. With foreigners increasingly becoming the source of GNP, guess who's speaking the language...
4) For anyone learning a foreign language, you learn that language to about the 85% mark, and perhaps you try taking it to the next level, moving to that country to gain complete mastery. The reality is, you will go there and speak well enough to get by...in ANY situation (unless you are attending a sporting event, such as American football or baseball, where a foreigner hears such terms as "football" and "bunt." 90% of American football has to do with everything other than the feet actually touching the ball. "Bunt"....well, how often does that happen anyways...). My point is, when you're speaking, NOBODY is going to say "excuse me, I understand what you mean, but when you told me 'I go to the store' what you probably meant to say was 'I am going to the store.'" It's just not going to happen. Add this to the fact that there's a specific case involved when saying anything in German, and yeah...I think we would spend half our lives awake, 1/3 asleep, and the other 17% saying "uhh...umm." (deep man...)
For a big topic shift, we finally have our new kitchen as of yesterday...hooray! It's amazing what you can't do without a kitchen these days. I'm not going to get into it, but just think about it for a second. It's pretty common in Germany for absolutely nothing to come with the new apartment. You provide the lights, you provide the cupboards, you provide all appliances....big culture shock. So, my duties for the day are to go grocery shopping (oh my god, a freezer...), run to the tailor to pick up our altered curtains from the last apartment, spackle the holes in the old apartment (painting comes next week!), and clean the apartment since I have the day off. I'm starting to think half the reason people have kids is because of the hope that someday they can help with stuff like this. Gustav is certainly no help...
And, the most random thought of the day...
I played a game called "Kicker" the other day. Still love that game! You all know it as "Fussball" (or as the pre-reform Germans say..."Fußball"). Here's a helpful key for you:
Kicker: German word for the game called Fußball in the U.S.
Fußball: German word for the game called Soccer in the U.S.
Babyfoot: French word for the game called Fußball in the U.S.
Soccer: Most popular game in the world. In the U.S., it's popularity just edges out Lacrosse.
The past two mornings I've had the luxury of not waking up early to go to class (I'm between levels at Goethe Institut, starting the next one on Tuesday). Class has been much like the regular schedule of work. You get up at 7, you're out the door at 8...and you're at school by 8:30. Usually, by 9:30 I'm officially waking up, with everything said to me in German prior to that being reflected by my ear drums. This doesn't mean I'm not listening (in fact...my brain is working at this time, usually at the equivalent pace of the song "Back to Basom" by Ween or perhaps "Strawberry Fields" by some other guys. I'm in there, just a little lost in the beauty of a mellotron, or Pink Floyd-esque sweeping keyboard line). I do nod a lot to the teacher and I'm careful to smile back.
This useful practice is a very technical skill known as "Pretend Active Listening" (PAL for short) and shows the speaker that you are really concerned about what they are trying to tell you. However, this technique doesn't work for very long....soon enough, your teacher (wife, husband, child, boss, etc.) catches on and traps you with a question that requires an answer other than "yes" or "no." The easiest way to deflect this question in German class is to say "hmm...das ist eine gute Frage....aber ich habe keine Ahnung...vielleicht....uhh...." and just keep saying "uuhhhh" and looking around the room (maybe even pointing out the window or at a random object can help you out here) until she realizes you have nothing to contribute at this time. Essentially, you have just said, "yeah, that's a good question, but I have no idea....perhaps...ummm." Yes, you LOOK like an idiot, but you at least spoke German in a German class...so it's a tiny victory. As far as using this exact example in everyday life...I guess it's not recommended unless you're prepared to explain why that answer had nothing to do with what was being discussed...and more importantly, why you can suddenly speak German.
Which gets me to, you guessed it, more discussion of this amazingly complex language. German is not for the timid. It's not something you can take a lesson in once or twice a week for 2 hours, coming away with complete understanding. In fact, it's impossible to master. I had a long discussion with my landlord yesterday, who was born in New Jersey in the 60's, grew up in Houston, and moved to Germany in the late 70's. He came over to work with Radio Free Europe, a formerly-CIA-backed radio/news program aimed at promoting democracy, but he found that learning German has been a lifelong process. He now speaks with "96% fluency" and says his learning period is over. He came to this realization after he distributed a memo to ten native speakers (all but one with university degrees) that work for him, asking for revisions. He received ten very different answers. He then called a meeting and said, "I don't want any of you to correct my German from here on out." While this may sound extreme, it's true...nobody here has complete mastery. There are many reasons for this...here are some of the more fun ones:
1) There was a national reform to the language about 10 years ago, where they said one no longer needs the character "ß" anymore. Instead, replace it with "ss". Also, within this reform, they changed the articles (der, die, das) of many words. If you've studied German, you know this becomes a huge problem when you start speaking/writing with all the cases (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive). These cases, and subsequently every sentence that comes out of your mouth, change dramatically when the article is changed. Imagine the power struggles between kids and parents when the kids start telling their parents (that have German language degrees), "hey you don't say that right" or "you're misspelling that." All of my teachers have complained that they have no idea what the "right" way of teaching certain words is, and so we just learn whatever they prefer at the moment. Just think of the consequences this creates when providing a cover letter for a job...
2) English is so common in the German language that it can be seen on billboards, heard on TV, and in language classes they even refer to some words as "Denglish". Many in Germany are calling this a travesty, and it can be attributed to both the influx of Western media into society (English terms are much more a youth culture thing) as well as technology. When the computer came along, there wasn't a German word in place, and so: der Computer. When the MP3 player came along, there wasn't a German word, and so: der MP3 Player. When the MP3 player required something to be downloaded from the computer, there wasn't a German word, and so: der Download.
3) Germany is losing population every year, and there are more and more foreigners being brought in by German companies. With foreigners increasingly becoming the source of GNP, guess who's speaking the language...
4) For anyone learning a foreign language, you learn that language to about the 85% mark, and perhaps you try taking it to the next level, moving to that country to gain complete mastery. The reality is, you will go there and speak well enough to get by...in ANY situation (unless you are attending a sporting event, such as American football or baseball, where a foreigner hears such terms as "football" and "bunt." 90% of American football has to do with everything other than the feet actually touching the ball. "Bunt"....well, how often does that happen anyways...). My point is, when you're speaking, NOBODY is going to say "excuse me, I understand what you mean, but when you told me 'I go to the store' what you probably meant to say was 'I am going to the store.'" It's just not going to happen. Add this to the fact that there's a specific case involved when saying anything in German, and yeah...I think we would spend half our lives awake, 1/3 asleep, and the other 17% saying "uhh...umm." (deep man...)
For a big topic shift, we finally have our new kitchen as of yesterday...hooray! It's amazing what you can't do without a kitchen these days. I'm not going to get into it, but just think about it for a second. It's pretty common in Germany for absolutely nothing to come with the new apartment. You provide the lights, you provide the cupboards, you provide all appliances....big culture shock. So, my duties for the day are to go grocery shopping (oh my god, a freezer...), run to the tailor to pick up our altered curtains from the last apartment, spackle the holes in the old apartment (painting comes next week!), and clean the apartment since I have the day off. I'm starting to think half the reason people have kids is because of the hope that someday they can help with stuff like this. Gustav is certainly no help...
And, the most random thought of the day...
I played a game called "Kicker" the other day. Still love that game! You all know it as "Fussball" (or as the pre-reform Germans say..."Fußball"). Here's a helpful key for you:
Kicker: German word for the game called Fußball in the U.S.
Fußball: German word for the game called Soccer in the U.S.
Babyfoot: French word for the game called Fußball in the U.S.
Soccer: Most popular game in the world. In the U.S., it's popularity just edges out Lacrosse.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
September & October in Germany
I'm still studying German on a daily basis...about 5-7 hours per day, between classes and homework....so, it's pretty much my full time job right now. I am currently in German B11 (pronounced "bay-einz-einz") at the Goethe Institut and will be enrolled in B12 (pronounced "Bay-einz-tzvai") by next Tuesday (that is, unless I totally flunked the test today). I plan to take the Deutsch Zertifikat exam at the end of November, upon completion of level B1 (B11+B12). This exam basically certifies that I can speak German with enough fluency to work for a native German employer. However, I've found that most Germans speak more-than-fluent English and even better within a business setting. This is how most of my conversations go with the German people:
Me: Hallo, wie gehts?
German: Hey, how are you? (they immediately switch to English after I mistakenly addressed them in the informal "du" form)
Me: Oh, you speak English?
German: Oh...not really. Just a little bit. I used to study English 12 years ago and I have not really been able to practice very well.
Me: OK, well...you sound great to me.
German: No...really...my English is just awful. It's a shame that I used to speak it so well. But without practice, it all falls away...
Me: Right
German: I guess I could try. I feel so ashamed that sometimes I cannot think of the right vocabulary. Let's try it out, and if I have problems...maybe, you could just fill in any missing words for me and we can move on from there.
Me: ......
Anyways, you get the point. I will be sure to fix my German faults over the next month...that way I can avoid any "extremely embarrassing" English conversation hereafter. In December, it looks like I'm taking a bit of a detour...
In September, Blue Man Group had offered me a spot on their national (U.S.) theater tour as a drum tech, starting Oct. 1 and lasting 8 months. At the time, I was having issues with the German Consulate getting me a straight answer on what happens to my Student Visa upon leaving for such a long period of time. The Student Visa covers a year and would allow me to take German classes without leaving to "refresh" my Visa status. Americans are initially covered under the Schengen Visa, which allows up to 3 months of continuous stay in Germany, so the newly acquired Student Visa was a much better deal for me and I did not want to lose that privilege. Eventually, the Consulate told us that the Student Visa could be suspended upon my leaving for a job outside of the country (although this is usually never done), and then reactivated upon my return. In the meantime, Annette and I had decided it was just too early to get up and leave Germany...and so I declined the offer. About a half-week later, however, Annette received an offer and she HAD to take the job...it was a reputable company and it would eventually lead to bigger and better things for her. But.....they told her right away that there was a very strong possibility she would be based in Frankfurt for up to 6 months, starting this January. The timing was comical! So, we had a good laugh about my possibly being in Munich alone for half a year, and then we decided to give Bman a call again. The spot had been filled...but, there was an opening on the Norwegian Cruise Line Blue Man production...doing the exact same job! So...I'll keep you updated...
In cat news...Gustav is doing much better! Not only does he love the new apartment for all it's running room, but he also no longer has worms nor the runs (seriously...he had mud poop for about 2 months straight...apparently this is normal due to the stress involved, according to the Vet). We bought him some toys finally, a scratching post, and a brush that he still doesn't quite get (he let's us do it, but mostly runs around with us chasing him to do so). I would like to tell you that cat toys and scratching posts are so worth it, but he seems to rather enjoy the basic things in life...bottlecaps, cardboard boxes that are still in use, new furniture for sharpening his nails, and sleeping on anything made out of woven polyester, such as luggage or drum cases (the Tuxedo kind). He also seems to think that every time I walk out of the living room, it means I'm on my way to his food bowl. He usually sprints out the door before me and hangs a right, only to see that I take a left towards the kitchen or something...and then he just gets pissed and attacks my ankles for the dirty trick I just played on him. Despite my trickery, I think he's still getting a good workout cuz he snores every time he sleeps...
Oktoberfest was a blast! I got to go a couple times, and I think it was enough until next year. Before going, I thought that these people going 3-8 times were just abnormal...but that turned out to be about the average for everyone in Munich. I can see why...the beer was great (beer served at Oktoberfest is exclusive to the oldest breweries in Munich....most of them starting in the 1300's....so you are not going to find Pabst, Old Style, Sam, Bud, Grainbelt, City Brew, Natty Ice, Hamm's, or Genessee Light here), the food was amazing, the beer tents were enormous and VERY different from one another musically (they each had a band in them). Being my first one, I wanted to make sure I did everything in proper German tradition, so I bought all the traditional clothes...only came out to just over $200 total...which is a steal for Lederhosen, leather shoes, traditional shirt, traditional socks, etc. A buddy of mine out here bought his Lederhosen for 1400 Euro....not kidding. They were custom made and ridiculously nice, but you can't tell the difference between mine (cowhide) and his from 10 yards away....or 5 liters deep. If you ever come to Oktoberfest, here are some tips:
1) Go during the week...and during work hours. The weekend (starting with Friday night after work-hours) is unbelievably crowded...my friend Tom and I waited for 40 minutes at the tent we went in, around 5:00 on a Friday...and we only got in because we were hand-picked from the crowd to replace some people at a table that was bothering the waitress. It was crazier than the Minnesota State Fair, I tell ya.
2) Go to the Augustinerbräuhaus. They are all cool tents, but this tent played a little more traditional music (besides John Denver's "Country Roads" and Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline") than others I've seen. Some of the other tents play to the younger crowds, so you get to hear such favorites as "Angel" by Robbie Williams mixed with a complete Maynard Ferguson version of "Hey Jude"....I guess it depends on what you want. Also, the Augustiner tent has the world's tiniest guys bathroom, which must be experienced. There's nothing like the camaraderie of walking into a hallway about 4 feet wide, with troughs on both sides...so that your butts touch while peeing and guys are constantly pushing you into the trough to get by.
3) Don't be "oh shit" guy. If you start at 8 a.m., you'll most likely be done by noon, or perhaps even 9:30 because you'll be getting such exclusive service. I don't know how many dudes/girls we saw around 5 p.m. stumbling along just fine, but then their eyes got big and they frantically looked around for an open plot of asphalt...uh oh....uhh...oh shit....
4) Buy the most inclusive train ticket you can for the time that you are here. Yeah, it may look expensive at first glance, but you'll probably use the train 4 times/day, at minimum. Also, buy the train ticket at a kiosk where a person is there to help you. The free-standing automated machines are great and all, but the language on them is extensive and you'll only end up confusing yourself even if you know German.
5) Bring a map of the city with you. We walked part of the way home after the tents closed down at 11-ish. When we found that the entrance to the only train station to the Oktoberfest looked more like a crowd rushing the stage at a Milli Vanilla Ice-T concert, we made other plans.
5) Know how to get home. That being said, we were drunk. Maybe it's a good idea to do a dry run the day before.
More tips next year...
Other stuff we've been up to...
1) Blue Nile is an Ethiopian restaurant nearby our house. So good...features Honigwein (honey wine) and Banana Bier (don't do it)...and of course, great Ethiopian food. As I may have told you, this is where one can "ass mit den Fingern."
2) If you love art, this is a pretty cool place to be. The Alte-Pinakothek (old), Neue-Pinakothek (new), and Modern-Pinakothek (duh) are all on the same block (You can see them all in one day for 12 Euro, but if you're like me, you'll easily spend 2-3 hours in each...so that's a long day). The "Old" art museum features the biggest collection of Peter Paul Reubens in the world, as well as works by Dürer and Altdorfer. The facade of the building itself was destroyed in WWII and rebuilt with different colored bricks "as a reminder of what happened." The "New" art museum features Monet, Manet, Degas, Picasso, Cezanne, Matisse, Gaugin, and van Gogh. First time I saw "Sunflowers" was here. The "Modern" hosts many works by Picasso and a couple Dali's. The building itself is worth the admission. Also, the Lenbach Haus is nearby the other museums, and is basically an old rich person's house that was converted into a public collection, much like the Isabella Gardner Museum in Boston. It boasts quite a few works from Kandinsky. http://www.lenbachhaus.de
3) We took a trip to Essen and had a great time there. Villa Hügel, a castle in Essen, was mightily impressive. Definitely check it out if you get a chance.
4) I officially like Liverwurst. Never thought it would happen, but after it has been served at every meal I kind of grew to love it.
Bis bald,
Damion
Me: Hallo, wie gehts?
German: Hey, how are you? (they immediately switch to English after I mistakenly addressed them in the informal "du" form)
Me: Oh, you speak English?
German: Oh...not really. Just a little bit. I used to study English 12 years ago and I have not really been able to practice very well.
Me: OK, well...you sound great to me.
German: No...really...my English is just awful. It's a shame that I used to speak it so well. But without practice, it all falls away...
Me: Right
German: I guess I could try. I feel so ashamed that sometimes I cannot think of the right vocabulary. Let's try it out, and if I have problems...maybe, you could just fill in any missing words for me and we can move on from there.
Me: ......
Anyways, you get the point. I will be sure to fix my German faults over the next month...that way I can avoid any "extremely embarrassing" English conversation hereafter. In December, it looks like I'm taking a bit of a detour...
In September, Blue Man Group had offered me a spot on their national (U.S.) theater tour as a drum tech, starting Oct. 1 and lasting 8 months. At the time, I was having issues with the German Consulate getting me a straight answer on what happens to my Student Visa upon leaving for such a long period of time. The Student Visa covers a year and would allow me to take German classes without leaving to "refresh" my Visa status. Americans are initially covered under the Schengen Visa, which allows up to 3 months of continuous stay in Germany, so the newly acquired Student Visa was a much better deal for me and I did not want to lose that privilege. Eventually, the Consulate told us that the Student Visa could be suspended upon my leaving for a job outside of the country (although this is usually never done), and then reactivated upon my return. In the meantime, Annette and I had decided it was just too early to get up and leave Germany...and so I declined the offer. About a half-week later, however, Annette received an offer and she HAD to take the job...it was a reputable company and it would eventually lead to bigger and better things for her. But.....they told her right away that there was a very strong possibility she would be based in Frankfurt for up to 6 months, starting this January. The timing was comical! So, we had a good laugh about my possibly being in Munich alone for half a year, and then we decided to give Bman a call again. The spot had been filled...but, there was an opening on the Norwegian Cruise Line Blue Man production...doing the exact same job! So...I'll keep you updated...
In cat news...Gustav is doing much better! Not only does he love the new apartment for all it's running room, but he also no longer has worms nor the runs (seriously...he had mud poop for about 2 months straight...apparently this is normal due to the stress involved, according to the Vet). We bought him some toys finally, a scratching post, and a brush that he still doesn't quite get (he let's us do it, but mostly runs around with us chasing him to do so). I would like to tell you that cat toys and scratching posts are so worth it, but he seems to rather enjoy the basic things in life...bottlecaps, cardboard boxes that are still in use, new furniture for sharpening his nails, and sleeping on anything made out of woven polyester, such as luggage or drum cases (the Tuxedo kind). He also seems to think that every time I walk out of the living room, it means I'm on my way to his food bowl. He usually sprints out the door before me and hangs a right, only to see that I take a left towards the kitchen or something...and then he just gets pissed and attacks my ankles for the dirty trick I just played on him. Despite my trickery, I think he's still getting a good workout cuz he snores every time he sleeps...
Oktoberfest was a blast! I got to go a couple times, and I think it was enough until next year. Before going, I thought that these people going 3-8 times were just abnormal...but that turned out to be about the average for everyone in Munich. I can see why...the beer was great (beer served at Oktoberfest is exclusive to the oldest breweries in Munich....most of them starting in the 1300's....so you are not going to find Pabst, Old Style, Sam, Bud, Grainbelt, City Brew, Natty Ice, Hamm's, or Genessee Light here), the food was amazing, the beer tents were enormous and VERY different from one another musically (they each had a band in them). Being my first one, I wanted to make sure I did everything in proper German tradition, so I bought all the traditional clothes...only came out to just over $200 total...which is a steal for Lederhosen, leather shoes, traditional shirt, traditional socks, etc. A buddy of mine out here bought his Lederhosen for 1400 Euro....not kidding. They were custom made and ridiculously nice, but you can't tell the difference between mine (cowhide) and his from 10 yards away....or 5 liters deep. If you ever come to Oktoberfest, here are some tips:
1) Go during the week...and during work hours. The weekend (starting with Friday night after work-hours) is unbelievably crowded...my friend Tom and I waited for 40 minutes at the tent we went in, around 5:00 on a Friday...and we only got in because we were hand-picked from the crowd to replace some people at a table that was bothering the waitress. It was crazier than the Minnesota State Fair, I tell ya.
2) Go to the Augustinerbräuhaus. They are all cool tents, but this tent played a little more traditional music (besides John Denver's "Country Roads" and Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline") than others I've seen. Some of the other tents play to the younger crowds, so you get to hear such favorites as "Angel" by Robbie Williams mixed with a complete Maynard Ferguson version of "Hey Jude"....I guess it depends on what you want. Also, the Augustiner tent has the world's tiniest guys bathroom, which must be experienced. There's nothing like the camaraderie of walking into a hallway about 4 feet wide, with troughs on both sides...so that your butts touch while peeing and guys are constantly pushing you into the trough to get by.
3) Don't be "oh shit" guy. If you start at 8 a.m., you'll most likely be done by noon, or perhaps even 9:30 because you'll be getting such exclusive service. I don't know how many dudes/girls we saw around 5 p.m. stumbling along just fine, but then their eyes got big and they frantically looked around for an open plot of asphalt...uh oh....uhh...oh shit....
4) Buy the most inclusive train ticket you can for the time that you are here. Yeah, it may look expensive at first glance, but you'll probably use the train 4 times/day, at minimum. Also, buy the train ticket at a kiosk where a person is there to help you. The free-standing automated machines are great and all, but the language on them is extensive and you'll only end up confusing yourself even if you know German.
5) Bring a map of the city with you. We walked part of the way home after the tents closed down at 11-ish. When we found that the entrance to the only train station to the Oktoberfest looked more like a crowd rushing the stage at a Milli Vanilla Ice-T concert, we made other plans.
5) Know how to get home. That being said, we were drunk. Maybe it's a good idea to do a dry run the day before.
More tips next year...
Other stuff we've been up to...
1) Blue Nile is an Ethiopian restaurant nearby our house. So good...features Honigwein (honey wine) and Banana Bier (don't do it)...and of course, great Ethiopian food. As I may have told you, this is where one can "ass mit den Fingern."
2) If you love art, this is a pretty cool place to be. The Alte-Pinakothek (old), Neue-Pinakothek (new), and Modern-Pinakothek (duh) are all on the same block (You can see them all in one day for 12 Euro, but if you're like me, you'll easily spend 2-3 hours in each...so that's a long day). The "Old" art museum features the biggest collection of Peter Paul Reubens in the world, as well as works by Dürer and Altdorfer. The facade of the building itself was destroyed in WWII and rebuilt with different colored bricks "as a reminder of what happened." The "New" art museum features Monet, Manet, Degas, Picasso, Cezanne, Matisse, Gaugin, and van Gogh. First time I saw "Sunflowers" was here. The "Modern" hosts many works by Picasso and a couple Dali's. The building itself is worth the admission. Also, the Lenbach Haus is nearby the other museums, and is basically an old rich person's house that was converted into a public collection, much like the Isabella Gardner Museum in Boston. It boasts quite a few works from Kandinsky. http://www.lenbachhaus.de
3) We took a trip to Essen and had a great time there. Villa Hügel, a castle in Essen, was mightily impressive. Definitely check it out if you get a chance.
4) I officially like Liverwurst. Never thought it would happen, but after it has been served at every meal I kind of grew to love it.
Bis bald,
Damion
Friday, September 3, 2010
Welcome to Germany!
I completed my MBA (Marketing Cert.) at Northeastern University in August of '09, and after 10+ years of being in Boston and seeing no further opportunities at both of my jobs (HRIS Analyst at Northeastern University/Drummer at Blue Man Group), I decided to head to Los Angeles for a change of pace and to utilize both my degree and drumming skills.
Ever torn between the two worlds, I never quite got anything going in the year I was there, though I tried like hell. I slowly watched my limited savings dwindle to nothing and didn't see any end in sight with unemployment at 12.3% (http://www.bls.gov/lau/) and some of my best friends losing jobs. The marketing field was cluttered in CA, with jobs that offered little to no pay and a constant influx of college interns all looking to "get in the biz" out there. The music industry in Cali, I can safely say, was worse...
On July 14, I quit my $8/hr job at Guitar Center Hollywood and decided to move in with Annette in Munich. We've been together almost 7 years now (I know...crazy!) and it was just time. There were a couple bumps along the way (my van, which I subsequently sold for $300, broke down two days before moving and I rented a U-Haul, which also broke down in Bumfreak, Missouri) in the 3 day trip, but I made it to LaCrosse for a little over a day's stay with my brother Tony. It was in LaCrosse that I left all my drums with the hope that someday I'll be able to ship some, or all of them here eventually. Next, I made my way over to Milwaukee and flew out the next morning (July 31).
I arrived in Munich on August 1, and have been going full blast ever since. I went to my German classes orientation at the Goethe Institut on the 2nd, and I've been taking classes pretty steadily since then. Luckily, I tested into 2nd semester German, so I didn't have to learn the damn alphabet again. The Goethe Institut German courses are broken up into three main levels (A, B, C) and for my "intensive" schedule, like this:
A1 (4 weeks)
A21 (4 weeks)
A22 (4 weeks)
B11 (4 weeks)
B12 (...)
B21
B22
Level C has the same subdivisions as B, and completion of C is considered "Profi" level (i.e. I could teach by then...)
I am currently in A22 (pronounced "Ahh-tzvai-tzvai") and will be enrolled in B11 (pronounced "Bay-einz-einz") by Oct. 1. I technically only need through B12 to take the German "Work Test" and find work with any German-speaking company, however, I've talked to several people here that have taken French, German, etc. (this A, B, C system is a European standard...not only Germany) and they suggest completion of at least B22 so that fluid speech is possible. So, my plan is to take courses at least until February 1st and though I'll surely look for jobs before then, I'll really hit it hard at that time.
Since arriving, it hasn't all been work. We have been doing yoga every week, running when we can (the weather has gotten pretty cold lately), and got to go see Jason Sutter (sick drummer I met in L.A.) with Foreigner about 40 miles from Munich (in a town called Landshut...pronounced Lawntz-hoot). I went to my first "all in German" movie (yes, no English subtitles either). I'd like to tell you it was amazing, but it was just too damn early (the second week I was here...) and I couldn't understand a thing...haha. I have eaten Schnitzel, Weißwurst, and Milka (my favorite chocolate) and imbibed a few Hefeweizens, Helles, and Dunkels. For my birthday, we started with sushi/Thai, then strolled around Nymphenburg (a "Schloss," or "ground castle"...these are just really expansive 1-2 story buildings dating back to Ludwig II and such. Think of your art history book...now think of your art history book opening up to the Rococo section and vomiting gold and extreme ornamentation into a few rooms...then add the reflective pool leading up to the Jefferson monument in Washington Mall...then add a Vermont back yard...swirl that together, and that's Nymphenburg), and eventually we made it to a biergarten for bier und viele freunde. Annette and I have also gone to a "Mexican Night" (which was really well done, but I was definitely missing the hot sauce), as well as an "Oriental Night" with another set of friends. We prepared most of the food at the Oriental Night, but we were following recipes provided by the friend, and in the end...we found out it was "Mediterranean Night" (we made pitas, a dip with feta cheese, a dip with pepper paste, walnuts, tomatoes, and a dip with eggplant, sesame paste, parsley, and olives....I don't think there was anything oriental about it). I also bought all the groceries for that night of cooking, going to three different stores and an alcohol vendor on my own. It was interesting to negotiate in my limited German and most of the time it turned into charades...it seems I excel at acting out "dried fig." Another highlight was a traditional Franconian meal with one of our friends. Franconia is the middle part of Bavaria, about half an hour from Nürnberg. There were many different meats, most of them jellied (and thus, not eaten by me), and tons of great salads/pastas/breads. I gotta say I love the food here!
Gustav (my black cat)....he's had a hard time. The guy traveled all the way to WI in a box...I couldn't take him out like we did last year when driving out to California...I just couldn't control him once he was out. So, he stayed inside and yelled a lot...I mostly just coped by turning up the radio...somehow, I thought that to be more humane than sedating him. Since then, he also has had diarrhea for about 7 weeks off and on (mostly full on!). I took him to the vet once, and though we were assured a day ahead of time that the vet spoke English, it was not the most in-depth conversation I've ever had. I indicated that he had major runs and possibly worms (just from reading online and freaking out like we all do). She felt his stomach, said "lot of gas," gave me a de-wormer and some stomach-friendly food, charged me 70 Euro and said "Aufwiedersehen." Germans don't mess around.
I have yet to touch a drum here other than with my fingers, in passing, while snooping around an expensive drum shop. They're ALL expensive here. I don't know how I'm going to get it all going again here...gonna take some time. And shipping the drums from WI? Well...that's looking like it would cost thousands, so I may just have to go with the local stuff for the time being. At the same time, I'm still looking for any music avenues around here besides the opera or orchestra. It must be some underground sect, getting together between "Fight Club" and "You Are A Messy & Late Person Club"...either nobody talks about it, or it doesn't exist in Germany. Three days ago, I received an offer to join Blue Man Group on their national (U.S.) theater tour as a drum tech, starting Oct. 1 and ending sometime next year. Problem is, I'm in Germany, and changing things now could come at a huge cost to our getting settled, my education, and perhaps my Visa status (my current Visa is invalid once I leave Germany for more than 3 weeks). I'll keep you all updated...
Tonight we bought some Lederhosen for myself...something cheap (they are usually 200-300 Euro!)...because the 200th anniversary of Oktoberfest is in 3 weeks!!! I asked Annette last week if it was possible that I could just, you know...go in jeans or something, since I have few clothes...maybe my red shorts and a t-shirt....she responded with a "no way" and a look that made me laugh. Americans definitely make too much fun of this tradition apparently. It's not as jokey-jokey as you may think.
Tomorrow, we are heading to Annette's mother's place near Passau. It should be a fun weekend, though I have a ton of homework to do. I will definitely get some good practice in though...I'm feeling more confident with the language every day!
Tschüss,
Damion
Ever torn between the two worlds, I never quite got anything going in the year I was there, though I tried like hell. I slowly watched my limited savings dwindle to nothing and didn't see any end in sight with unemployment at 12.3% (http://www.bls.gov/lau/) and some of my best friends losing jobs. The marketing field was cluttered in CA, with jobs that offered little to no pay and a constant influx of college interns all looking to "get in the biz" out there. The music industry in Cali, I can safely say, was worse...
On July 14, I quit my $8/hr job at Guitar Center Hollywood and decided to move in with Annette in Munich. We've been together almost 7 years now (I know...crazy!) and it was just time. There were a couple bumps along the way (my van, which I subsequently sold for $300, broke down two days before moving and I rented a U-Haul, which also broke down in Bumfreak, Missouri) in the 3 day trip, but I made it to LaCrosse for a little over a day's stay with my brother Tony. It was in LaCrosse that I left all my drums with the hope that someday I'll be able to ship some, or all of them here eventually. Next, I made my way over to Milwaukee and flew out the next morning (July 31).
I arrived in Munich on August 1, and have been going full blast ever since. I went to my German classes orientation at the Goethe Institut on the 2nd, and I've been taking classes pretty steadily since then. Luckily, I tested into 2nd semester German, so I didn't have to learn the damn alphabet again. The Goethe Institut German courses are broken up into three main levels (A, B, C) and for my "intensive" schedule, like this:
A1 (4 weeks)
A21 (4 weeks)
A22 (4 weeks)
B11 (4 weeks)
B12 (...)
B21
B22
Level C has the same subdivisions as B, and completion of C is considered "Profi" level (i.e. I could teach by then...)
I am currently in A22 (pronounced "Ahh-tzvai-tzvai") and will be enrolled in B11 (pronounced "Bay-einz-einz") by Oct. 1. I technically only need through B12 to take the German "Work Test" and find work with any German-speaking company, however, I've talked to several people here that have taken French, German, etc. (this A, B, C system is a European standard...not only Germany) and they suggest completion of at least B22 so that fluid speech is possible. So, my plan is to take courses at least until February 1st and though I'll surely look for jobs before then, I'll really hit it hard at that time.
Since arriving, it hasn't all been work. We have been doing yoga every week, running when we can (the weather has gotten pretty cold lately), and got to go see Jason Sutter (sick drummer I met in L.A.) with Foreigner about 40 miles from Munich (in a town called Landshut...pronounced Lawntz-hoot). I went to my first "all in German" movie (yes, no English subtitles either). I'd like to tell you it was amazing, but it was just too damn early (the second week I was here...) and I couldn't understand a thing...haha. I have eaten Schnitzel, Weißwurst, and Milka (my favorite chocolate) and imbibed a few Hefeweizens, Helles, and Dunkels. For my birthday, we started with sushi/Thai, then strolled around Nymphenburg (a "Schloss," or "ground castle"...these are just really expansive 1-2 story buildings dating back to Ludwig II and such. Think of your art history book...now think of your art history book opening up to the Rococo section and vomiting gold and extreme ornamentation into a few rooms...then add the reflective pool leading up to the Jefferson monument in Washington Mall...then add a Vermont back yard...swirl that together, and that's Nymphenburg), and eventually we made it to a biergarten for bier und viele freunde. Annette and I have also gone to a "Mexican Night" (which was really well done, but I was definitely missing the hot sauce), as well as an "Oriental Night" with another set of friends. We prepared most of the food at the Oriental Night, but we were following recipes provided by the friend, and in the end...we found out it was "Mediterranean Night" (we made pitas, a dip with feta cheese, a dip with pepper paste, walnuts, tomatoes, and a dip with eggplant, sesame paste, parsley, and olives....I don't think there was anything oriental about it). I also bought all the groceries for that night of cooking, going to three different stores and an alcohol vendor on my own. It was interesting to negotiate in my limited German and most of the time it turned into charades...it seems I excel at acting out "dried fig." Another highlight was a traditional Franconian meal with one of our friends. Franconia is the middle part of Bavaria, about half an hour from Nürnberg. There were many different meats, most of them jellied (and thus, not eaten by me), and tons of great salads/pastas/breads. I gotta say I love the food here!
Gustav (my black cat)....he's had a hard time. The guy traveled all the way to WI in a box...I couldn't take him out like we did last year when driving out to California...I just couldn't control him once he was out. So, he stayed inside and yelled a lot...I mostly just coped by turning up the radio...somehow, I thought that to be more humane than sedating him. Since then, he also has had diarrhea for about 7 weeks off and on (mostly full on!). I took him to the vet once, and though we were assured a day ahead of time that the vet spoke English, it was not the most in-depth conversation I've ever had. I indicated that he had major runs and possibly worms (just from reading online and freaking out like we all do). She felt his stomach, said "lot of gas," gave me a de-wormer and some stomach-friendly food, charged me 70 Euro and said "Aufwiedersehen." Germans don't mess around.
I have yet to touch a drum here other than with my fingers, in passing, while snooping around an expensive drum shop. They're ALL expensive here. I don't know how I'm going to get it all going again here...gonna take some time. And shipping the drums from WI? Well...that's looking like it would cost thousands, so I may just have to go with the local stuff for the time being. At the same time, I'm still looking for any music avenues around here besides the opera or orchestra. It must be some underground sect, getting together between "Fight Club" and "You Are A Messy & Late Person Club"...either nobody talks about it, or it doesn't exist in Germany. Three days ago, I received an offer to join Blue Man Group on their national (U.S.) theater tour as a drum tech, starting Oct. 1 and ending sometime next year. Problem is, I'm in Germany, and changing things now could come at a huge cost to our getting settled, my education, and perhaps my Visa status (my current Visa is invalid once I leave Germany for more than 3 weeks). I'll keep you all updated...
Tonight we bought some Lederhosen for myself...something cheap (they are usually 200-300 Euro!)...because the 200th anniversary of Oktoberfest is in 3 weeks!!! I asked Annette last week if it was possible that I could just, you know...go in jeans or something, since I have few clothes...maybe my red shorts and a t-shirt....she responded with a "no way" and a look that made me laugh. Americans definitely make too much fun of this tradition apparently. It's not as jokey-jokey as you may think.
Tomorrow, we are heading to Annette's mother's place near Passau. It should be a fun weekend, though I have a ton of homework to do. I will definitely get some good practice in though...I'm feeling more confident with the language every day!
Tschüss,
Damion
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