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.

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

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

Jobs in Los Angeles, Planes, Flying, Earthquakes

So...it's been awhile since last writing. Things I've learned today:

1) Sometimes the world recognizes when you are panicking, and reacts accordingly. The job market is rather unkind to many these days, and I am not alone. I was thrown a bone today. Thank you, world.

2) "Entgegengehen" is the German infinitive for "to go to meet." Not only does it contain 3-too-many combinations of "ge," almost consecutively, but one also has to remember how to conjugate it. I still don't know if I would ever try to pull this one out in a conversation...

3) Flying makes me sick almost every time. Not during the flight...but for two or three days afterward, I almost always have a cold. Often I tell people that the flight was great, but my body reacts as though a kid with swine flu was sneezing directly into my mouth. Must be all the stress involved...the stress of being searched at the airport, the stress of spending money when you don't have it, the stress of packing (did I remember my......), the stress of saying hello to people you haven't seen in months/years, the stress of admitting you're a musician to those that await your arrival, the stress of sitting in a space barely big enough for a 3rd grader, the stress of flying a few hundred miles an hour, 30,000 feet in the air, on a planet that has a law called "gravity" (who made that one up...what a jerk...)

4) Earthquakes are scary AND exciting. At first you freak out, then you start working through any questions you might have: Is it fun? Inconclusive. Is it hard to walk? Sometimes. Is that someone at the door? Nope. Is someone in my room? Nope. Is this an earthquake? Can't tell...doesn't look like all the movies I've seen. Is it over already? Yep. Am I talking to myself?

The First of Many...

Hello World,

My name is Damion. I am an HRIS Analyst by day, but the more interesting part of my life takes place 3-4 nights a week, when I am playing drums for Blue Man Group here in Boston. It's always been a dream of mine to play for Blue Man, and 4 years into it, I still feel extremely lucky to be doing something I love professionally.

Hmm...what to write about...

It really feels like the Blue Man drummer is an alter ego sometimes, and the two worlds clash in more ways than you can imagine. My love for drumming, music, and musical folk has kept me up too many nights to count, and the musician lifestyle really doesn't equate with "dayjob holder," so there have been many daytime struggles to keep from staring at the computer screen in blank wonder for hours at a time. Hey...maybe that's not just something unique to my situation....I look around my office, and everybody seems to be staring...waiting to go home. It's amazing things get done around here.

It's an interesting balance...living in both worlds. The "professional" world is quick to judge me by my love of hitting stretched plastic with sticks (it does sound pretty childish, I have to admit). And, the musicians I know (that don't also have day jobs) are quick to point out that I don't pay enough attention to my art. Trust me...if my art paid as well as my day job right now, I'd be completely devoted. Unfortunately, drumming's not quite doing enough for me yet (nor I for it), and I'm not willing to live on ramen, peanut butter, office bagels, and olives for extended periods of time (I know...olives...weird choice, right?...I actually did this once...but that's cuz it was the only thing left in the fridge). That all may change soon...

While I do enjoy some aspects of the day job and find a bit of intellectual motivation from it, it's really a means to enjoy more music. I guess one could say I am my own sugar daddy. I pay the bills with my day job, and the musician in me can afford to blow all the disposable income on unnecessary gear that takes up full rooms in my house. Because of the two jobs, I don't get a whole lot of time to play everything I have, but one thing is for sure...Gustav, my cat, sure enjoys sleeping on tuxedo bag drum cases. I do hope to play all that gear someday...and often...

I'm pretty new to blogs so you might have to bear with me these first few times. I know what I wrote about today is pretty damn boring to most people. As it seems, it's just a "techie's diary" until I find something to write about that others can actually relate to. Well...now that grad school is ending for me next week, I hope to be doing this kind of thing way more often!

D