Last night I went to an Irish pub with my suite-mate from India and some of his friends. Talk about a mix! One American, one Frenchman, one Chinaman, two Indians, and ten Guinness. (Thanks, I'll have your order at window #1!)
It was a night of cultural clashes, beginning with the discovery of two very obvious pig feet in our kitchen sink. I'm talking toes, skin, bones, the works. My Chinese suit-mate, Run, was getting the feet ready to wok (har har). Run offered me a taste, which I was eager to accept, but I was on my way out. (I really was eager. Pig feet wouldn't be the worst thing I've ever eaten, by a long way).
Cultures from three different continents were represented our table, which was covered in beer glasses, so the conversation got very interesting very fast. Topic #1: Women. We were all guys so what did you expect? Things got a little volatile when the Indians in our group asserted that all women were by nature inferior to men, and then tried to prove it. Their broad statements about a woman's intelligence and emotional stability were so offensive that, at first, I was convinced they were joking. Most of these arguments weren't even scientific. It was strange to see such a prejudice in such intelligent people. These guys develop nano-scale technologies for a living, and then turn around and claim that a new-born boy is inherintly more intelligent than a new-born girl!
It's not the first time I've heard these arguments from people from the sub-continent. I've even heard similar stuff from an Indian woman! It's a little hard to know how to act in these situations. I usually point out people like Marie Curie, Ada Lovelace, Margaret Thatcher, etc.
After women in general came the subject of girlfriends. Of all the people at the table, only I had a girlfriend, sparking an "ah, that's so American" kind of attitude from our beer-table Indian demographic. Our resident Frenchman was also experienced in romance, but rather than discuss it with us, he actually demonstrated by visiting a girl at a nearby table. Ah! The French. (FYI, it was an unsuccessful assay.)
It was an entirely enjoyable night, but I'm always impressed by how different people's opinions can be on fundamental issues. It makes you wonder how your opinions may be "flawed", and who has the "right" opinion in any case.
In my opinion, I'll have another beer.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Lucky Penny
I had a cultural adventure this morning.
There's a charming little bakery next door to my apartment with every kind of delicious German baked good imaginable. (The buttercroissants are my heavenly reward for an early morning run.) The proprietor of said establishment is a charming old girl with two children, aged 25 and 30, who insists on speaking her uniquely Germanized English to me. She's completely charming.
This morning after handing me my change she gave me a single penny. "There! That is a lucky penny for you. It is lucky because I spit on it. I spit on it three times. Put put put! Like that."
I'll keep it forever.
There's a charming little bakery next door to my apartment with every kind of delicious German baked good imaginable. (The buttercroissants are my heavenly reward for an early morning run.) The proprietor of said establishment is a charming old girl with two children, aged 25 and 30, who insists on speaking her uniquely Germanized English to me. She's completely charming.
This morning after handing me my change she gave me a single penny. "There! That is a lucky penny for you. It is lucky because I spit on it. I spit on it three times. Put put put! Like that."
I'll keep it forever.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Back in Jülich!
Well folks, I'm happy to report that I have returned to Forshungszentrum Jülich for the summer! A professor in Jülich is footing the bill, which, unfortunately, means no travel budget. Travel will be powered by Ye Olde All-Mighty Greenback, which our dearly inept government has reduced to just a little more than half it's value (vs. the Euro) in one short year. In spite of all that, I plan to do a bit of travel this summer. Brussels for certain, and maybe the alps? I brought hiking shoes....
For example, I've been here a week now and already visited Köln and Aachen again. The European rail system is legendary and deservedly so. 8.50€ sends me two hours down the tracks and into the city. I would have preferred to stay in Jülich for the entire work week, but there was a German national holiday on Thursday so work was closed Thur - Mon. Jülich during a national holiday is like you're average church-goer: old, quiet, and asleep. Most people get out of town.
Kölner Dom! My new camera takes much better photos of architecture.
It's a bad day to be Stephen. You get all dressed up and people throw rocks at you.
Ever wonder how to say "Sunflower" in German?
The highlight of the weekend was my visit to Saskia in Simpelveld, NL. Saturday we wandered in and out of old churches and fancy cafés, catching up on the news and eating fresh strawberries. (The strawberries and asparagus are being harvested now so both are cheap and oh-so-tasty). I spent the night in Simpelveld and in the morning we visited a colorful christian church called "The Vineyard", which was very like my old church Calvary Chapel in Utah. But in German. ("Triff und unterhalt sich!" is the closest I can come to "Hang out and fellowship!").
The sunsets around here are great.
For example, I've been here a week now and already visited Köln and Aachen again. The European rail system is legendary and deservedly so. 8.50€ sends me two hours down the tracks and into the city. I would have preferred to stay in Jülich for the entire work week, but there was a German national holiday on Thursday so work was closed Thur - Mon. Jülich during a national holiday is like you're average church-goer: old, quiet, and asleep. Most people get out of town.
Kölner Dom! My new camera takes much better photos of architecture.
It's a bad day to be Stephen. You get all dressed up and people throw rocks at you.
Ever wonder how to say "Sunflower" in German?
The highlight of the weekend was my visit to Saskia in Simpelveld, NL. Saturday we wandered in and out of old churches and fancy cafés, catching up on the news and eating fresh strawberries. (The strawberries and asparagus are being harvested now so both are cheap and oh-so-tasty). I spent the night in Simpelveld and in the morning we visited a colorful christian church called "The Vineyard", which was very like my old church Calvary Chapel in Utah. But in German. ("Triff und unterhalt sich!" is the closest I can come to "Hang out and fellowship!").
The sunsets around here are great.
Here's a few funny things that have happened so far:
Desperately board, I riffled the research center library for English fiction. I found such classics as "Day of the Dead! The world's scariest film is now a novel!", "The man who loved cat dancing" and the discrete early 1970's documentation of African-American culture entitled "Mammies, Blackies, Half-breads and Bucks".
Jülich's castle mote is perfect for running laps.
My taxi driver from the airport was a Croatian named (I think) Ganni. He didn't speak any English, but is an avid fan of George Bush, Bill Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, and American foreign policy in general. He was totally ecstatic to be driving an American and told me about how he had decorated his home with photos of George Bush and American flags. I think he was the first person I've met in Europe so enthusiastic for America's war in the Middle East.
My trip to the Jülich library wasn't entirely fruitless. I turned up a copy of "12th Night" and "Bluebeard" by Kurt Vonnegut, all 264 pages of which I devoured in a single sitting. I finished 12th night on the train to Aachen.
Also on the train to Aachen was a man playing, very badly, an electric keyboard and carrying, also very badly, a blind-man's cane because he was clearly able to see. (Grammatical mistakes intentional. How many ways can you interpret that sentence?)
Fireworks in Jülich to celebrate some something or other. I watched from my 10th-story balcony.
Fireworks in Jülich to celebrate some something or other. I watched from my 10th-story balcony.
In Köln I saw the end of the world. Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Dunkin' Doughnuts side-by-side! And both were packed! Oh, great job Germany! You've already got a negative birth rate, so go stuff yourself on greasy food. I'm sure Hefty Helga with her 2-meter waist line has no trouble finding a mate! Dunkin' Doughnuts indeed!
Well, whatever they're eating doesn't seem to be clamping down on baby-making. German babies are everywhere! I didn't remember this many kids and babies last year, and it seems every woman has either a baby or a bump. Ahoy white whale! (or "Ahoi Weißwal!" as they would say)
This might have something to do with the European openness to sex. I'd almost forgotten how prevalent adult stores are in Germany. The main shopping district in Köln sports several, and I got a good laugh from watching a skinny man with an overbite and pink Lacosste shirt weave in and out of every sordid establishment on the street. You could have written "pervert" all over his forehead and it wouldn't have been more obvious.
Last note. This year I was careful to buy some decent-looking shoes before landing in Germany since Germans seem to judge you buy your shoes. (Last year both my shoes and socks were mentioned.) People no longer stare at my feet, which got me thinking. Wearing bad shoes in Germany must be like having large breasts in America. Except in Germany, they're on your feet. So that's what it feels like to be Oprah!
Cheers all!
Friday, July 27, 2007
Signing off
Well! It's been a completely unforgettable summer and certainly one of the most defining years of my life. God has blessed me so richly and given me so much! Here's a list of life-long memories from just this year:
- Wrote software for the fastest computers in the world.
- Drank sulfur spring water in Aachen.
- Visited "Bodies".
- Went clubbing in Berlin.
- Visited the Alhambra.
- Heard the orchestra in the Budapest Opera House and drank wine on the balcony during intermission.
- Got my first apartment.
- Visited Auschwitz.
- Started my PhD studies.
- Ate Roman gelato.
- Knocked down a house in New Orleans.
- Competed in the USA national triathlon championship.
- Lost a good friend and mentor in a school shooting.
- Bathed at the Szechenyi Bath & Spa.
- Ate ox tail.
- Ate cock testicles.
- Ate millet mixed with blood.
- Visited the Cologne Cathedral.
- Got sunburned on the clothing-optional beach at Malaga.
- Visited the Wieliczka Salt Mine.
- Watched fireworks in Prague.
- Got my first publication.
- Drank espresso and ate crescents in Paris.
- Saw my sister get engaged.
Munich, Berlin, and Home!
I arrived in Munich at 1:00 AM in the middle of a rain storm. Fortunately my hostel (Jaeger's Hostel) was just across the street from the central train station.
I met a Hollander named Paul at breakfast. We took a walk around the city, visited the Olympic Stadium and the BMW Museum, and generally chilled out. We dropped in on the University and Geschwister Scholl Platz to see an exhibit about Sophie Scholl, who, along with her brother, was a member of the White Rose resistance movement in Nazi Germany. Coming out of the exhibit, M94.5 radio interviewed us on what we were doing this summer. (If I find a recording I'll stick it up here).
Paul called an old coworker, Eric, to come hang out with us, and in the afternoon we were joined by Linda, the girl I met in Paris. The three of us spent the day together and shared some glorious Italian food for dinner at Pasta Basta.
The next day I took the first flight out to Berlin and arrived back at Ute's apartment around noon. We talked a lot and then went back to KaDeWe for dinner and present shopping. The next morning, I took a suitcase down to the Kaisers Market and filled it with chocolate for transport back to the States. Ute accompanied me to the airport, and then I was on my way home!
I met a Hollander named Paul at breakfast. We took a walk around the city, visited the Olympic Stadium and the BMW Museum, and generally chilled out. We dropped in on the University and Geschwister Scholl Platz to see an exhibit about Sophie Scholl, who, along with her brother, was a member of the White Rose resistance movement in Nazi Germany. Coming out of the exhibit, M94.5 radio interviewed us on what we were doing this summer. (If I find a recording I'll stick it up here).
Paul called an old coworker, Eric, to come hang out with us, and in the afternoon we were joined by Linda, the girl I met in Paris. The three of us spent the day together and shared some glorious Italian food for dinner at Pasta Basta.
The next day I took the first flight out to Berlin and arrived back at Ute's apartment around noon. We talked a lot and then went back to KaDeWe for dinner and present shopping. The next morning, I took a suitcase down to the Kaisers Market and filled it with chocolate for transport back to the States. Ute accompanied me to the airport, and then I was on my way home!
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Malaga!
After my escape from Rome and two jam-packed days in Granada, I was ready to relax. I looked along the coast of Spain for towns with a beach and an airport, and Malaga was the closest, so I went there.
I stayed in the Residencia Universitaria Santa Paula, where I found the most relaxing hostel bed I've had the pleasure to sleep in. The rooms are enormous, include a balcony, and cost only $30 a night!
The weather was amazing.
I only took two pictures of the beach because it was clothing-optional, making it hard to find an angle where I wouldn't be photographing a lot of skin. Completely naked, very beautiful people were everywhere and I felt very out of place. I expected a "beach bouncer" to come over any time and kick me out. "Excuse me sir, but you are simply too white and ugly to be on this beach. The sunlight reflecting off your pale, pasty body is interfering with low-orbit satellites."
These trees remind me of "Horton Hears a Who"
After three days of bumming around on the beach, I was sunburned, poor, and very ready to return to the cold drizzle of Germany. On to Munich!
I stayed in the Residencia Universitaria Santa Paula, where I found the most relaxing hostel bed I've had the pleasure to sleep in. The rooms are enormous, include a balcony, and cost only $30 a night!
The weather was amazing.
I only took two pictures of the beach because it was clothing-optional, making it hard to find an angle where I wouldn't be photographing a lot of skin. Completely naked, very beautiful people were everywhere and I felt very out of place. I expected a "beach bouncer" to come over any time and kick me out. "Excuse me sir, but you are simply too white and ugly to be on this beach. The sunlight reflecting off your pale, pasty body is interfering with low-orbit satellites."
These trees remind me of "Horton Hears a Who"
After three days of bumming around on the beach, I was sunburned, poor, and very ready to return to the cold drizzle of Germany. On to Munich!
Rome!
First stop after the internship was Rome, Italy. The flight and train ride into the city were uneventful, but somehow I lost my notebook/diary which contained not only every personal thought and feeling since last January, but also my hostel address. After stamping around the train station a while, I managed to recall a map I'd seen showing where my youth hostel was in relation to the Vatican. From that and a metro map, I made it to the Il Cerchio youth hostel.
The Il Cerchio is family-staffed and generally fantastic. The grandmother of the place poured a glass of fresh orange juice for me a check in, and told me to help myself from a large fridge filled with goodies. I took a brief walk around the neighborhood, ate cheap pizza, and discovered that, in Rome, just 2 Euros will buy you four scoops of the greatest gelato in the world (whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and sugar cone included!).
The next day I visited the Vatican! It took three hours of standing in line to get in, but it was well worth it.
The Sistine Chapel is stunning. You aren't supposed to take pictures, but I did my best undercover work.
After the Vatican came the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. The scale of these things is unbelievable!
Roman hair-do in the Museum of Sculpture near the Forum.
I took a walk down to the "capital building."
Trevi Fountain. Toss one coin over your shoulder and you will return to Rome. Toss two, and you will fall in love with an Italian. Three coins gets you a wedding in Rome.
St. Peter's is now my definition of BIG.
The view from the top of St. Peters.
Some nuns, come to see the view from the boss's office.
The most at-home homeless person I've seen. He's set up shop in the road median and is reading the newspaper with his slippers off and drinking coffee. The life!
I ate dinner at a little hole-in-the-wall place recommended by both Lonely Planet and my hostel grandma. It served amazing Italian "home-style", which is pretty much spaghetti.
Getting out of Rome was challenging. A combination of a worker strike at the airport, my nonexistent Italian, and the presence of two airports in Rome, caused me to miss my flight. Unfortunately, easyJet makes it very clear that a missed flight is nonrefundable in any way, so I had to buy a full-price ticket to Madrid at the airport. Missing this flight meant I missed my train from Madrid to Cordoba, so the Cordoba trip was off. All in all, it took about $500 and a sleepless night to get me out of Rome and to my hostel in Granada.
On the positive side, I got to stay another day in Rome so I visited the Castel Sant'Angelo.
View from the top of the castle.
Miraculously, I found my diary in the train station on the way to the air port. All my reservations and other such papers had been taken, but the rest was fine. Whew!
The Il Cerchio is family-staffed and generally fantastic. The grandmother of the place poured a glass of fresh orange juice for me a check in, and told me to help myself from a large fridge filled with goodies. I took a brief walk around the neighborhood, ate cheap pizza, and discovered that, in Rome, just 2 Euros will buy you four scoops of the greatest gelato in the world (whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and sugar cone included!).
The next day I visited the Vatican! It took three hours of standing in line to get in, but it was well worth it.
The Sistine Chapel is stunning. You aren't supposed to take pictures, but I did my best undercover work.
After the Vatican came the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. The scale of these things is unbelievable!
Roman hair-do in the Museum of Sculpture near the Forum.
I took a walk down to the "capital building."
Trevi Fountain. Toss one coin over your shoulder and you will return to Rome. Toss two, and you will fall in love with an Italian. Three coins gets you a wedding in Rome.
St. Peter's is now my definition of BIG.
The view from the top of St. Peters.
Some nuns, come to see the view from the boss's office.
The most at-home homeless person I've seen. He's set up shop in the road median and is reading the newspaper with his slippers off and drinking coffee. The life!
I ate dinner at a little hole-in-the-wall place recommended by both Lonely Planet and my hostel grandma. It served amazing Italian "home-style", which is pretty much spaghetti.
Getting out of Rome was challenging. A combination of a worker strike at the airport, my nonexistent Italian, and the presence of two airports in Rome, caused me to miss my flight. Unfortunately, easyJet makes it very clear that a missed flight is nonrefundable in any way, so I had to buy a full-price ticket to Madrid at the airport. Missing this flight meant I missed my train from Madrid to Cordoba, so the Cordoba trip was off. All in all, it took about $500 and a sleepless night to get me out of Rome and to my hostel in Granada.
On the positive side, I got to stay another day in Rome so I visited the Castel Sant'Angelo.
View from the top of the castle.
Miraculously, I found my diary in the train station on the way to the air port. All my reservations and other such papers had been taken, but the rest was fine. Whew!
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