yesterday cont’d

So, anyway, yesterday I met Peter to see 1408 (with John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, based on a Stephen King short story). Actually I almost didn’t meet Peter. I took the train to Potsdamer Platz (square) to meet him on the corner of Potsdamer Strasse and Ebertsomething Strasse (which we chose together while looking at a google map). I got there about 25 mins. early, then waited where I thought we’d agreed to meet. Only I had trouble verifying it for sure. I didn’t see a sign for Potsdamer Strasse, as on the map, only Potsdamer Platz. It got cold and rainy as I waited (till about 3 minutes to our scheduled meeting time) on the corner of Potsdamer Platz and Ebertsomething Strasse, or at least one of the possible corners that could be referred to in the same way. And it occurred to me, since I expected Peter to be there early and I hadn’t seen the street sign exactly as I expected it to be, that I might not be in the right place.  I checked the map to see if I was on the correct corner, then walked down a block to just confirm I was oriented the correct way with regards to the map, and when I go to the next cross street, that too was called Potsdamer Platz. Now, bear in mind, I’m well aware that a platz is a square, and when I arrived out of the train station I walked along a decent amount of what I assumed to be the perimeter of this Potsdamer Platz, just to get oriented, and well, because I had the time to spare. But when I went to check for a cross street at this time, I was well beyond the confines of what, geometrically speaking, was part of the original square I’d encountered upon exiting the train station. But OK, it’s not such a leap to the conclusion that Potsdamer Platz is more than just a strict geometric shape, but it’s a square in the sense that Times Square is a square. I was fully aware that the general area within a radius of at least a few blocks was all part of that place which is called “Potsdamer Platz”, but I would not expect every street within this radius to all be named as such.

 At this point it’s about meeting time, 7pm, and I’m walking quickly, soaked from the rain, hood over head (so essentially not very identifiable should Peter happen to look in my direction (and actually be able to recognize me by face from our one meeting anyway)), no cell phone, nor anyone’s cell phone number, nor any idea if there are even public phones, and if there are how to use them (OK, perhaps I’m being a bit overly dramatic. I’m sure I could’ve figured this out if necessary). And I really didn’t want to miss an opportunity to connect with one of the only contacts I have here, especially since Peter’s weekend is booked and then he’s off to the states for a month on vacation.

 So I’m desperately looking for a cross street to find a sure corresponding point on the map, and again the next street I find is also called “Potsdamer Platz”. In fact, there seem to be a couple of streets meeting at this point, all called “Potsdamer Platz”. And all the while I’m sorta mumbling to myself hurriedly in narration: “Potsdamer Platz, Potsdam… Ok let me see what… no Potsdamer Platz too, ok, clock up there… hmm… damn 7:03, ok, keep moving, I’ll find, something that… and that over… no, Potsdamer Platz, and this here is ebert strasse or something, ok that I know, and… mmmm… potsdamer platz, potsdamer platz…”. Suddenly I feel like I’m in a John Cusack movie where I’m Potsdamer Platz and I’ve just gone into my own portal.

 In any case, eventually I decide to give up and head back to the train, when of course, Peter and I spot each other. He was waiting on a corner, at an intersection that assumedly is of the same 2 streets as was our understanding (though there weren’t clear signs indictaing such), and well… moving on.

 So we ate, (at a sort of food court inside a big, and very nice mall) enjoyed the movie (all in English BTW, no subtites), and went out for a couple of beers. I had a couple during the movie which is nice except when you have to pee and miss something. Incidentally, the beer I was drinking in the theatre was Krombacher Pils. and it was decidedly better then many of the others I’d tried previously so things were looking up on the beer front. (also on that note, I’m currently enjoying a Jever Dark, which is also quite good).

 The movie was pretty good for what it was – a supernatural horror based on a short story. By that I mean 2 things: 1. it’s pretty difficult to make a supernatural horror movie work these days without touching upon any number of silly cliches that played themselves out 2 decades ago (and this movie had its share). 2. it clearly felt like a short story. It was a bit too long (as I said, it felt like a short story, but they made a full-length movie out of it) and drawn out as it struggled to stay interesting, but for the most part it had a lot of energy, some very effective scenes which stand on their own, and I thought a really great preformance form John Cusack, who’s certainly come a long way from his socially-off-teenage-age-victim-who-ends-up-with-the-hot-girl movies.

 I really enjoyed talking with Peter after the movie. Peter is from Berlin (I believe), but speaks and understands English quite well. I find that I’m very self-conscious when talking to people from Germany in English, always wondering if I’m talking too quickly, or using expresions that might not be familar, but it hasn’t been an issue with Peter. It was also nice seeing an American movie in English. I can tell this will be a good thing to do once the culture shock fully kicks in (which incidentally I must give props to Maeve for suggesting some time not too long ago).

 OK, that’s it for tonight.

breakfast with Anne Marie/ Movie with Peter

I’m a little drunk and tired so I won’t write much tonight. This morning I woke up, and began to pursue my day at a comfortable pace. I looked around the room, got a general idea of what needed to be done, and then decided I would go into the kitchen to whip up an onion/pepper cheese omelet, when I got a call from Anne Marie, from the coffee shop on the corner telling me that she had been shopping all morning and had found various things that I was either looking for, or just briefly mentioned, and that she had these items with her and so I should come get them. ::sigh::

So I did. She did get me hot sauce, (which I certainly needed) not 1 but 2 packages of gorgonzola (because we couldn’t find Bluecheese dressing anywhere for my hotwings, this seemed only natural I suppose), and about 6 different kinds of chocolate (because the previous day I mentioned I needed some chocolate).

OK, I’m to tired to press on. Perhaps tomorrow. Guten Nacht. 

Sightseeing with Anne Marie/Dinner with Claudia und Sandra

Today I spent about 5 hours with Anne-Marie. Anne-Marie has an endless well of energy for talking, which is good, because her english is far better than my German, and she enjoys having the opportunity to practice. She took me first on the bus where I could feel like a tourist on the upper level looking around and pointing at things while she gave me the scoop, and then we stopped for lunch at her favorite place to get this particularly popular item whose name I’m forgetting, but it’s like a Turkish gyro. Turkish food is very common street food here, and pretty good I must say.

 From there we continued on all the way to, I think the South east corner of the city where we took a ferry ride. Fortunately the weather still held up today but I’ve been assured that tomorrow the rain comes in and the nice days come to an end, more or less. So it was a good day to get the ferry ride out of the way, and it was most pleasant.

 After that we came back and she tried to help me find some things I needed, and mentioned that she might actually have some things for me (an armless chair, a bulletin board, not to mention a very nice nylon string guitar that she’s said I’m welcome to play anytime). We got a few food items for me (grated cheese, bread, chocolate, beer, etc.) but one thing that we couldn’t find in 3 different supermarkets was Bluecheese dressing (for the hot wings I bought the other night). Now this has me a little stressed. She actually wasn’t even familar with such a product. Can Germany possibly not know the joy of bluecheese on hot wings? I guess should it come to it I can find out how to make it myself, in my copious free time. I also learned that my cellphone will not work here with a German SIM card, which is frustrating. It would have been so perfect to just be able to buy a 10eu SIM card to use with my phone, and that have it on me for all its amenities (contacts, time, voicemail, camera), but it really doesn’t pay for me to buy a new phone. I could probably get a cheap old one on ebay if I could just read the damn postings. And that is true of a lot of things I think (guitar amp and equipment, adaptors, food, furniture, etc.). It’s very difficult getting a handle on where to buy what.

 But anyway, keeping on track, eventually I got home just in time to go out to Sushi and bar with Claudia and Sandra. It was nice to have sushi again, but it wasn’t great. It passed, but I didn’t see any specialty rolls which is really all I’m generally interested in when I eat sushi. Just your plain seaweed, rice, and fish just doesn’t offer much of a thrill for me, but give me some creativity with different combinations of fish, roe, sauces/japanese mayo, tempura flakes, avocado, etc. and you have a nice sushi eating experience.

After sushi we went out to meet some friends at a bar/restaurant and I had a very tasty dunkl hefeweisen, but conversation took some time. Eventually I was able to strike up something with one person and then a couple of others but it’s always a challenge. My ear is gradually becoming more accostomed to the sound of the erman language though which is interesting to realize.

 Guten Nacht Herr Blog 

some quick ramblings

I’m exhausted, which is a good thing since I desperately need to shake this jetlag. Just wanted to freely ramble about today and any thoughts that come up along the way. I took some pics of the apartment, and area, wich I’ll post soon. I also went to Claudia’s father’s office to have him create a mock rental lease so I can get out of my T-mobile contract. Gotta remember to check up on that.

 Today was apparently to be the last nice day here, and boy has it been nice – absolutely perfect weather since I’ve been here. Tomorrow, word around town is that all ends, as we take a deep nosedive into the cold harsh season ahead. Damn.

Dinner and Beer

I just got back from dinner with Claudia and her friend Peter. Here are some things I learned:

- herbed butter is common here (and it’s great on steak)

- tips are generally included in the check and so you normally wouldn’t add more than 5% to leave for the server (although I actually knew this already. Tonight I just had a chance to flesh out this info a bit in practice).

- here it’s apparently customary (or at least not uncommon) to be offered a complimentary shot after you’ve paid the check for your meal. Great idea I must say.

 - It’s common to seat yourself and to have to ask for the check when you’re ready for it. This might involve some effort to get the server’s attention, but you also feel less rushed.

 - Though the beer I had with dinner was quite good (it was a hefeweizen though I can’t remember the brand. It was much darker then the hefeweisen I’ve typically had in the states) there is plenty of crappy beer here as well. I was very unimpressed with the Berliner Kindl Pilsner I had the other night, and I’m equally unimpressed with the Warsteiner that I’m drinking right now. Both of these I bought at local gas stations since this is really the only place to buy beer (for home consumption of course) after 8pm, and the latter I got because it was more expensive than many others and so I hoped it would be better. But really all of them were nearly as transparent as water and so didn’t look all that appetizing. I’m going to have to make a trip to a beverage store soon during the day to see if I can do better there.

But tomorrow I have a busy day. I’m meeting a vocalist I met on craigslist at around 2, then hopefully getting a lease so I can get out of my cellphone contract. I need to call the German language school to enroll for next week, and to post an ad for guitar/english lessons in the local city papers (Zitty and I forget the other’s name). And there’s a few other things on a list somewhere but I’m kinda comfortable where I am right now.

    

Retroactive entries

Tuesday, September 18^th, 2007

This is what will hopefully be the first entry to my first blog documenting my first trip to Berlin (or pretty much anywhere else).

I arrived at Scheonfeld airport in Berlin at about 10am (local time) last Sunday. By now I’m mostly over the initial wave of culture shock (not to say I’m not directly in the midst of waves 2, 3, and 4, with 5-8 sharing a drink incognito at a local pub where they can observe me at a distance and plan more sophisticated and subtle ways of keeping me off my balance. 11 is expected to drop in at some point just see what they’re up to and perhaps offer some words of experience and encouragement; (word on the street is that 9 and 10 are embroiled in some sordid affair of the heart but things have been pretty hush-hush where they’re concerned). Incidentally, if you’re wondering just how someone barely here a couple of days whose biggest accomplishment thus far was purchasing a small bag of rice on his own (seriously!) could know such details about the elusive culture-shock-mafia, <please insert deus ex machina here>.) (If you have no idea what I’m talking about at all, then you’re my mom – Hi Mom!! I’m in Berlin!!!).

I’m about to go with Claudia to run some badly needed errands (getting some actual money from an ATM, buying some of the basics), but hopefully I can quickly get down some reflections on the aforementioned “initial wave…”  It actually feels kinda strange to try and articulate… well, not “strange”, that’s the wrong word.  I feel self-conscious and melodramatic, like trying to describe a vivid and seemingly multi-layered dream to someone and realizing suddenly, as you see your own reflection in your listener’s eyes, that it really isn’t all that interesting, not even to yourself.  However profound the experience, it’s ephemeral, and you just have to accept it and move on.

(and it doesn’t matter now because I’m off with Claudia – 7:05pm. Cont’d later I hope).  

9:47pm – I’m back.

I went with Claudia to first get some money from the ATM, 100 EU (my first euros aside from the change I got at the airport), then to Woolworths (yes, Woolworths) where I got an alarm clock (still in the bag), some shaving cream (still in the bag), and a hairbrush (sitb). Then we went to the supermarket and I picked up some very basic, easily prepared (though that could be qualified better, perhaps a little later) items, (incidentally there was a time pressure because everything closes at 8pm), we got back and I prepared one of those “easily prepared items” I just mentioned, because I was starving, and now I feel better but tired. I’m almost too tired to write anymore (though not to tired to stay awake unfortunately because last night I took a major step backwards in overcoming the jetlag and stayed up all night and slept till 3 today). The “easily prepared item” was one of those really cheap, sodium-infused, pasta/parmesan sauce preparations that come in a box requiring minimal time and effort… assuming you speak the language.  Fortunately I had Claudia nearby to help translate.

OK, now I am definitely too tired to write more. But my goal tomorrow, regarding this blog anyway, is to summarize some of my thoughts and activities of the last couple of days.  See, one of my big problems with keeping journals of any kind has always been that I go long periods without updating them, and then in trying to talk about the present I always feel the need to try and catch the journal up (as if “it” will just be totally lost without all the important details of the last few months that led up to the walk in the park I took today, e.g.) when all I really want to do is just briefly record the day’s activities (or lack thereof). So tomorrow, I hope to get up to date so that I can from then on just focus on the present.  [commercial voice-over guy] That’s right, tune in tomorrow where you’ll hear all about:

-          my first international flight

-          the bottle of water I bought in the airport with US $, but received change in euros

-          the rice I bought with those very euros

-          my apartment and room

-          an introduction to Claudia, my native Berlin friend who’s hosting my stay here

-          the neighborhood I’m in

-          the older guy I met in the square (here we call it a platz) who asked me if I was gay

-          the French-speaking sax player in the square (ahem, i.e.,  platz) who I spoke to after I heard him playing Coltrane’s “Syeeda’s Song Flute”

-          The guy on the bike who talked with me as we went through the park

-          The general experience of not being able to read, or understand anything and the fun that results

-          Etc.

Actually, that kinda covers it (again, like trying to reflect on a dream) so perhaps you’ll hear no more about any of this.  Incidentally, I had my voice recorder recording my walk yesterday so, regarding most of those items, there’s audio!!!  Though I doubt I’ll be able to post it on a blog, nor will I have the patience to actually edit it for content (I mean, we’re talking about 2 hours of audio, less than 10 minutes of which might actually have something of interest).  I also hope soon to get some pictures of the apartment and area to post. And of course, I should probably look into actually finding out how to blog. (right now I’m just using Word).

Saturday, September 22, 2007

0:18 (might as well start using Berlin time)

Well, I guess it was kinda a pipe dream thinking I could keep up with this daily.  I’ve just been either to busy, or simply focused on other things to pursue the blog as I planned. 

Anyway, moving on…

So today I had a nice adventure taking the train to Berlin-Guitars.com, a music store in Berlin (more specifically, looking on Google Earth, looks like it’s in Schoenberg, but I can’t tell for sure.)

That reminds me, I’m now actually using Google Earth in a practical way, (as opposed to, say, playing the great game of spinning the globe as fast as possible and then stopping it randomly and zooming in to see if I happened to land on any sign of civilation, all the while giddy with awe at both the vastness of our world’s landscape, and the technological minds of google who made it so navigable – wow).  But now I’m actually using it the way, I believe, the creators might have envisioned it.  I’m saving all important locations on the map and marking them with appropriate icons (at least as appropriate as possible – from the choices they give you there really aren’t great ones for things like department stores or liquor stores).  Hopefully I’ll find some way to indicate these places on the blog, once I figure out how (read: actually take the time…) to do a blog.

Side note about Google Earth aside, I went to the guitar store really just intending to price out some really cheap amps and acoustic guitars, but I left with an amp. It seemed pretty powerful for its size (I think its 10W which isn’t enough to get on top of a drum set I think, but should be good for ensembles not involving a set.) and didn’t have a bad sound and I realized, knowing myself as I do, that if I didn’t grab it then I might not pursue it again for some time and then I’d be without an amp, which means that if I had any sudden opportunities to play with anyone I’d be SOL… so I coughed up the 69 EU necessary and came home with an amp.  I’d like to have an acoustic here too, but I really need to keep my spending on the conservative side, at least until I find some way of generating income.

I actually did do some playing the other day (sans amp) which felt great since I really haven’t done much of that in awhile. I played on and off for hours, from general improvising to finger exercises to even working on Lady Bird, which is a tune I’d had in my head for some reason. I need to scrape off a lot more rust yet, but I think once I’ve got the electric guitar plugged in and making noise the rust will work itself out.

OK, that’s all for now. I’m hoping to really get this blog going tomorrow.  Claudia will be away doing some family stuff in rural Germany all day and I was going to go but the day will be better spent I think attending to taking care of much of the stuff I still need to do just to get situated here.  Besides, though I would like to see this other side of Germany, spending about 10 hours or so with people I don’t know, nor who can barely speak English at all (most people in the city of Berlin seem to know at least some English but that’s apparently not the case once you leave the city) would probably require more energy than I’m willing to give up at this point.

G’nite.

Hello from Berlin!!!!

…and welcome to my blog.  Today is my first weekiversery here in Deutschland, so that makes it officially one week (and only one week) that I’ve been intending to start a blog but haven’t been able to yet.  However, that is not to say that I haven’t been writing entries for the anticipated blog, just that I’ve had no blog yet to post them to.  Now I do, so here they are (i.e. following this first introductory post).

 Also before I do that, just a note that so far this is just the bare bones version. I’m hoping to add pics, themes, ambiance, general info, etc. soon. For the moment I just need someplace to record and display a thought, should I have one.

 And if I’ve sent you the link, or if someone I know has sent you the link (because I either didn’t have your email or just simply forgot (sorry) ), or even if you’ve stumbled upon this by accident, I hope you’ll come back often and comment when and if the spirit moves you to. (though admittedly I never really keep up with other peoples’ blogs when they send them to me. I think other peoples’ blogs are boring).

 So come back often!!