May 24-26
London
Time has accelerated. I can't believe I've been in London a week already. Here's a quick recap:
Tuesday the 24th
Orientation in the morning followed by bus tour in the afternoon. Wow, the tube is crowded at rush hour. I still like it more than driving. I don't remember much about Tuesday, actually.
Wednesday the 25th
More orientation in the morning, and a NCBI (National Coalition Building Institute) workshop in the afternoon. The NCBI workshop had a lot to do with celebrating identities and diversity. At the end was a section about 'effective intervention' that has very direct self-defense applications, particularly in regard to intervening when you see or hear something (using one's verbal self defense skills to fight for justice and help those who need it, if you will).
After the class sessions, I headed off to London Seido. I had talked to the very helpful AIFS (American Institute for Foreign Study, the folks on the ground here who are coordinating everything) and they helped me find the place no problem. Two friends from the program were kind enough to take the tube with me, and we had dinner at a pub in Chiswick. Of course, we were short on time, and so I bailed early (and despite that was a little over-full to train, as we've all experienced).
What follows is karate geekery, those who don't care might want to skip it.
London Seido (at least the Chiswick dojo, there's another I haven't been to) was as friendly and welcoming as you'd expect a Seido school to be. We started with 30 punches, 30 punch combinations (jab reverse), and 30 more punch combinations (jab, reverse, hook). Then plank position and push-ups. That was the warm-up -- no stretching, just cardio and core. This was a kata class, and we did kata the rest of the class -- Pinan and Seido kata, mostly. There were the usual slight stylistic differences. The one I remember most is an over the shoulder grab in fifth pinan that is part of the juji uke. I'm looking forward to exploring that more.
After class I went home, getting in sometime after 9PM. End of karate geekery part 1.
Thursday, May 26
The morning was a tour of St. Paul's Cathedral, which is as awesome as it sounds. I went up almost to the top, but stopped short of going to the tippy-top. Rest assured I was plenty high up.
Next up was supposed to be a quick tube ride to Christ Church, with a stopover at Toynbee Hall before lunch. Except it turned out for me to be a tube ride in the wrong direction for a stop, and thus getting separated from the group, and also a little bit lost (as is my wont), so I missed the Toynbee Hall section (which was apparently very short), with only time for a super-quick lunch before getting to the Church. From there we walked to 19 Princelet Street, which is a museum that celebrates/focuses on diversity and immigration. It started out as a Huguenot residence in the 1700s.
More karate geekery follows.
Thursday evening I went to black belt class. There were two nidans and a few shodans, and the class was taught by Sensei Mark. We started with punch-kick combinations. No surprises there. We did, at some point, Seido 5 and Gae Sai Sho, as well, but the real fun were the Yakosokus, particularly Yakosoku 5. Two things: they often don't practice the turns, but they do practice it with a takedown at the end. Needless to say, that takedown surprised me the first time.
More to come...
Monday, May 30, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Three Days, One Entry
5/22/2011 - 5/24/2011
Farchant to London
If I try to do one post per day, I'm not going to catch up, so here are three days in one post. So much happens in a day, which means that I feel like there's a lot to report AND I'm really tired at the end of the day, and eyeing my computer with trepidation. So.
Sunday was I.S's niece's confirmation, as previously mentioned. I.S and K got all dressed up, but I didn't pack accordingly. I was invited to the confirmation, of course, because I.S. and her family are gracious like that, but I.S. also mentioned that I could do some exploring on my own, and that's the option I took. I.S. and K dropped me off at the bottom of Wank mountain, at the gondola station. I bought my ticket and gondola'd up. The views were predictably spectacular (see Facebook for photos). I just sat and looked, for a long time. And then some more. And then I walked over to the restaurant next to the top of the gondola, and bought a coffee, and sat and looked some more. And then some more. Seriously, I did a lot of gazing, and I still felt like I couldn't get enough.
Eventually, though, I decided to hike down. I had bought a ticket up and down on the gondola, because I wasn't sure I'd feel like hiking down, and I figured it'd be more expensive to buy two one-way tickets. But once I was up there, I really wanted to try hiking down, so down I went. I passed people fairly often. It wasn't packed by any means, but I probably saw another person or people every ten to fifteen minutes, on average. After about 30 minutes or so, I passed a man and a woman, and the man asked me how much further it was. When I told him, he explained that it was taking them longer to hike up than they'd anticipated. I gave him the good news that they were almost at the top, and asked how long they'd been at it. When he said about 2.5 hours, I looked at the time, and realized that I.S. just might start to worry about me if I didn't show up for several more hours. This was about 1:30 -- they'd dropped me off around 11.
I texted I.S. and let her know what was up. She responded and reminded me I could take the gondola back down from the mid-point. Hmm, I thought. Is she trying to tell me something? Does she want me to take the gondola back down? I was pondering this when I found the sign to the gondola mid-point. I looked at it. I looked at the trail. I looked at the sign. I looked at my phone, trying to discern I.S's intent from the words. Then I took a deep breath and plunged on down the mountain.
After a while it started raining. It probably rained about half the time I was hiking. It was a light rain, and I didn't really mind, but apparently at I.S's family's house it came down pretty heavily. I.S. became concerned. As I was just about down the mountain, I got another text from her. Was I alright? I was, I texted back, but I had forgone the mid-point. I hoped she didn't mind. Moments later my phone rings, and it's I.S. Uh-oh. Am I in trouble?, I wondered She just wanted to be sure I was ok, she said.
Later on, I got the timing from her end. From my end, I got her text, responded to it immediately, and she called me just a minute or so after that. From herend, though, she texted me, waited 10 or 15 minutes, didn't hear anything, and then called. She got my return text after I had already gotten to her family's house and had been there for a while. These technologies, we imagine them to be instant, but they are not.
So, I arrived at her family's house, and everyone's there, dressed for the confirmation, and I look like a drowned rat because I've been walking in the rain for two hours. I'm sure I made an excellent impression on I.S's extended family. She gave me her mother's shirt to wear since mine was wet, gave me a towel, and I looked marginally more presentable. And, of course, her family is incredibly kind and gracious. I.S even saved me some crepes.
Ok, so that was kind of a long story. Here's a short one: The next day I got up really early and K gave me a ride to the train station in Munich and I took the train, the plane, another train, and two taxis and eventually landed in my resting place for the next four weeks in northern London. Today we went on a sightseeing tour in London. I haven't had fish and chips (and likely won't, given that it's got fish in it), but I've had bangers and mash and it was delicious. Tomorrow evening I'm going to try to get to Seido Chiswick.
It's a little known fact that whenever President Obama visits a country, he selects 20 social work students as a sort of informal advance team. I got to be on his team in England.
Farchant to London
If I try to do one post per day, I'm not going to catch up, so here are three days in one post. So much happens in a day, which means that I feel like there's a lot to report AND I'm really tired at the end of the day, and eyeing my computer with trepidation. So.
Sunday was I.S's niece's confirmation, as previously mentioned. I.S and K got all dressed up, but I didn't pack accordingly. I was invited to the confirmation, of course, because I.S. and her family are gracious like that, but I.S. also mentioned that I could do some exploring on my own, and that's the option I took. I.S. and K dropped me off at the bottom of Wank mountain, at the gondola station. I bought my ticket and gondola'd up. The views were predictably spectacular (see Facebook for photos). I just sat and looked, for a long time. And then some more. And then I walked over to the restaurant next to the top of the gondola, and bought a coffee, and sat and looked some more. And then some more. Seriously, I did a lot of gazing, and I still felt like I couldn't get enough.
Eventually, though, I decided to hike down. I had bought a ticket up and down on the gondola, because I wasn't sure I'd feel like hiking down, and I figured it'd be more expensive to buy two one-way tickets. But once I was up there, I really wanted to try hiking down, so down I went. I passed people fairly often. It wasn't packed by any means, but I probably saw another person or people every ten to fifteen minutes, on average. After about 30 minutes or so, I passed a man and a woman, and the man asked me how much further it was. When I told him, he explained that it was taking them longer to hike up than they'd anticipated. I gave him the good news that they were almost at the top, and asked how long they'd been at it. When he said about 2.5 hours, I looked at the time, and realized that I.S. just might start to worry about me if I didn't show up for several more hours. This was about 1:30 -- they'd dropped me off around 11.
I texted I.S. and let her know what was up. She responded and reminded me I could take the gondola back down from the mid-point. Hmm, I thought. Is she trying to tell me something? Does she want me to take the gondola back down? I was pondering this when I found the sign to the gondola mid-point. I looked at it. I looked at the trail. I looked at the sign. I looked at my phone, trying to discern I.S's intent from the words. Then I took a deep breath and plunged on down the mountain.
After a while it started raining. It probably rained about half the time I was hiking. It was a light rain, and I didn't really mind, but apparently at I.S's family's house it came down pretty heavily. I.S. became concerned. As I was just about down the mountain, I got another text from her. Was I alright? I was, I texted back, but I had forgone the mid-point. I hoped she didn't mind. Moments later my phone rings, and it's I.S. Uh-oh. Am I in trouble?, I wondered She just wanted to be sure I was ok, she said.
Later on, I got the timing from her end. From my end, I got her text, responded to it immediately, and she called me just a minute or so after that. From herend, though, she texted me, waited 10 or 15 minutes, didn't hear anything, and then called. She got my return text after I had already gotten to her family's house and had been there for a while. These technologies, we imagine them to be instant, but they are not.
So, I arrived at her family's house, and everyone's there, dressed for the confirmation, and I look like a drowned rat because I've been walking in the rain for two hours. I'm sure I made an excellent impression on I.S's extended family. She gave me her mother's shirt to wear since mine was wet, gave me a towel, and I looked marginally more presentable. And, of course, her family is incredibly kind and gracious. I.S even saved me some crepes.
Ok, so that was kind of a long story. Here's a short one: The next day I got up really early and K gave me a ride to the train station in Munich and I took the train, the plane, another train, and two taxis and eventually landed in my resting place for the next four weeks in northern London. Today we went on a sightseeing tour in London. I haven't had fish and chips (and likely won't, given that it's got fish in it), but I've had bangers and mash and it was delicious. Tomorrow evening I'm going to try to get to Seido Chiswick.
It's a little known fact that whenever President Obama visits a country, he selects 20 social work students as a sort of informal advance team. I got to be on his team in England.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Germany, Day 2
5/21/2011
Farchant, Germany
I.S.'s apartment
Quite a day today. After sleeping in a bit, I got up, showered and dressed, and was ready to start the day just as I.S. came back in (she had to work this morning). I.S. lives in paradise, by the way. Farchant is nestled in the mountains, and the scenery is breathtaking. It's the kind of place you visit, and you think, "can you imagine living here?" And you can't imagine it, because it's just so beautiful, it doesn't seem real. Except I.S. does live here.
I.S. is also an exceptional host. It's true that the fact that she lives in paradise makes this job easier, but she goes above and beyond. On top of everything she's shown me and done for me, I'm totally dependent on her linguistically, because that 3.5 years of German? That was a long time ago, and I didn't retain much of it until test day, much less 15 years later.
As part of I.S.'s exceptional hosting, she took me to Koenigschloss Linderhof, which is a villa/castle that King Ludwig of Bavaria built based on Versailles. It's beautiful and ornate, and includes a man-made grotto and various buildings for the express purpose of staging Wagner's operas. Apparently Ludwig was a fan. In his grotto, he also had a pond/lake/body of water, and a little row-boat. From time to time, he would have a costumed servant row him about in his grotto. I don't see how one can do this and not feel a little bit silly, but somehow King Ludwig managed.
After we saw the castle and wandered the grounds, we left Linderhof and went to the Partnach Gorge. It was just as breath-taking as you'd expect. You actually walk along the gorge itself, as you marvel at the fact that water can cut through rock that way, and look down at the water still cutting through the rock. There's an observation about power here, but I'll leave that as an exercise for the reader. Along the way to the Gorge, we stopped in for some coffee and a bite to eat. I ordered Weissbraten -- white sausage -- which I.S. says is a traditional Bavarian food. It was served with sweet mustard and one of those large Bavarian pretzels. It wasn't bad -- I wouldn't eat a lot of it (it came with three links, of which I ate two and let I.S. finish it for me), but in small doses it was tasty. After the Gorge, we took a gondola down the mountain, and then headed back to I.S.'s place, where K was waiting. We regrouped and headed out to I.S's sister's place.
I.S.'s niece is getting confirmed on Sunday, and this evening the immediate family was getting together for a barbecue. This included I.S.'s parents, her two sisters, their husbands & children (including the Niece of Honor), and I.S.'s brother. It's no surprise that I.S.'s family is charming and wonderful. Everyone was very friendly, and every one of them spoke better English than I speak German. Still, they're a German family, and they speak German to each other. I catch every tenth word if I'm lucky. The nice thing, though, is that I know that if someone around me is speaking English, they are in fact speaking to me.
We arrived, I'm introduced around, and I do my best to remember names (but of course I don't). I'm served a plate of delicious food, and given a beer. I'm having a good time listening to the young boys practice their English for my benefit, and generally having fun, when I.S. comes up to me and explains that she's leaving -- they're putting up a tarp for tomorrow, and she has a bigger one, so she's going to run home and get it. I'll be fine, right? Of course I will. Still, I.S. thinks the bravest thing I did today was try the weissbraten. I think this was. I wasfine, though -- even when it started raining and we moved everyone inside (her sister, to me, "I think we should move inside, ok?" -- this was because I was sitting, suddenly by myself, watching raindrops hit the sausage on my plate, wondering what to do...).
I.S.'s family is warm and kind, and of course I.S. knows that, so she didn't worry about leaving me with them. She returned after not very long, and the night wore on, with lots of laughter and camaraderie. I learned some new German words, including "Schussel" (bowl) and "Schlussel" (key), and "Secht" (sparkling wine). (I'm probably misspelling all of them, and possibly mixing them up too). For dessert, we had grilled bananas with chocolate. Then we said our goodbyes and headed home to sleep.
Farchant, Germany
I.S.'s apartment
Quite a day today. After sleeping in a bit, I got up, showered and dressed, and was ready to start the day just as I.S. came back in (she had to work this morning). I.S. lives in paradise, by the way. Farchant is nestled in the mountains, and the scenery is breathtaking. It's the kind of place you visit, and you think, "can you imagine living here?" And you can't imagine it, because it's just so beautiful, it doesn't seem real. Except I.S. does live here.
I.S. is also an exceptional host. It's true that the fact that she lives in paradise makes this job easier, but she goes above and beyond. On top of everything she's shown me and done for me, I'm totally dependent on her linguistically, because that 3.5 years of German? That was a long time ago, and I didn't retain much of it until test day, much less 15 years later.
As part of I.S.'s exceptional hosting, she took me to Koenigschloss Linderhof, which is a villa/castle that King Ludwig of Bavaria built based on Versailles. It's beautiful and ornate, and includes a man-made grotto and various buildings for the express purpose of staging Wagner's operas. Apparently Ludwig was a fan. In his grotto, he also had a pond/lake/body of water, and a little row-boat. From time to time, he would have a costumed servant row him about in his grotto. I don't see how one can do this and not feel a little bit silly, but somehow King Ludwig managed.
After we saw the castle and wandered the grounds, we left Linderhof and went to the Partnach Gorge. It was just as breath-taking as you'd expect. You actually walk along the gorge itself, as you marvel at the fact that water can cut through rock that way, and look down at the water still cutting through the rock. There's an observation about power here, but I'll leave that as an exercise for the reader. Along the way to the Gorge, we stopped in for some coffee and a bite to eat. I ordered Weissbraten -- white sausage -- which I.S. says is a traditional Bavarian food. It was served with sweet mustard and one of those large Bavarian pretzels. It wasn't bad -- I wouldn't eat a lot of it (it came with three links, of which I ate two and let I.S. finish it for me), but in small doses it was tasty. After the Gorge, we took a gondola down the mountain, and then headed back to I.S.'s place, where K was waiting. We regrouped and headed out to I.S's sister's place.
I.S.'s niece is getting confirmed on Sunday, and this evening the immediate family was getting together for a barbecue. This included I.S.'s parents, her two sisters, their husbands & children (including the Niece of Honor), and I.S.'s brother. It's no surprise that I.S.'s family is charming and wonderful. Everyone was very friendly, and every one of them spoke better English than I speak German. Still, they're a German family, and they speak German to each other. I catch every tenth word if I'm lucky. The nice thing, though, is that I know that if someone around me is speaking English, they are in fact speaking to me.
We arrived, I'm introduced around, and I do my best to remember names (but of course I don't). I'm served a plate of delicious food, and given a beer. I'm having a good time listening to the young boys practice their English for my benefit, and generally having fun, when I.S. comes up to me and explains that she's leaving -- they're putting up a tarp for tomorrow, and she has a bigger one, so she's going to run home and get it. I'll be fine, right? Of course I will. Still, I.S. thinks the bravest thing I did today was try the weissbraten. I think this was. I wasfine, though -- even when it started raining and we moved everyone inside (her sister, to me, "I think we should move inside, ok?" -- this was because I was sitting, suddenly by myself, watching raindrops hit the sausage on my plate, wondering what to do...).
I.S.'s family is warm and kind, and of course I.S. knows that, so she didn't worry about leaving me with them. She returned after not very long, and the night wore on, with lots of laughter and camaraderie. I learned some new German words, including "Schussel" (bowl) and "Schlussel" (key), and "Secht" (sparkling wine). (I'm probably misspelling all of them, and possibly mixing them up too). For dessert, we had grilled bananas with chocolate. Then we said our goodbyes and headed home to sleep.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Germany, Day 1
5/20/2011
Farchant, Germany
I.S.'s apartment
This morning, I woke up and trundled downstairs. I.S. went to the bakery while I showered, and brushed my teeth -- which is only remarkable because it was then I tasted the tap water, and discovered that it is delicious. I.S. says it's because it's less fluoridated (or chlorinated?) than in the US. I.S. brought us back coffee and various bread things (rolls, croissant, pretzel), and then we set out to explore the city.
We took the train into the city (K's apartment is actually just outside Munich). A young man (he looked to be in his 20s or early 30s) sat across from me, next to I.S., reading a paper. The headline was about Obama -- I don't remember the German, but it said that Obama would support Arabic democracies. I was able to read all of it except the verb all by myself! This is not because I remember my 3.5 years of German, but because the words for Arabic and democracies are cognates with the English, and the word for Obama is "Obama." It's helpful that English is a Germanic language. When I asked I.S. what the verb meant, I guess the young man noticed that I was spying on his paper, and leaned forward and showed me a picture, saying "Mississippi." It was of a house whose owner had taken matters into his own hands and built levees around his property to prevent it from flooding. It worked, for what it's worth. Y'all stay dry, hear?
Once we got off the train, we found a little cafe and got some more coffee. I don't normally pay much attention to crowd sounds -- snatches of conversation as people go by -- but I noticed it today because it was, of course, all in German. It's nice to be able to hear the music of a crowd and not get distracted by actually understanding what people are saying.
After we finished our coffee, we decided to go to the Botanical Gardens. It was a glorious day for it -- maybe 80 degrees, sunny & beautiful. The gardens were as beautiful as you'd expect them to be. I posted some pictures on Facebook. I'd include them here, except that I also didn't bring a cable to connect my iPhone to the computer. The camera cables are waiting for me at Gatwick, but I'll have to find an Apple store to get a cable for the phone. Ah well. I had fun trying to read the signs in German, as well as enjoying the weather and the gardens. I think the sign-reading was less fun for I.S.
We had more coffee at the botanical gardens. Ice Coffee, which in Germany is coffee with ice cream. This is a fabulous idea, and I would like for American coffee houses to adopt it immediately. I.S. concurs (she was apparently disappointed when she ordered iced coffee in America. I would have been too).
After the gardens, we went back into central Munich and walked around until we found a restaurant, and had schnitzel. Also more beer. In order to lighten it up, we ordered it with sprite, which made it sweeter and bubbly and less alcoholic, which was good for I.S. because she had to drive, and good for me because I'm a lightweight.
We went back to K's apartment, packed up, and headed for I.S.'s apartment in Farchant, which is very near Garmisch. There's a mountain in I.S's back yard. Also sheep.
Farchant, Germany
I.S.'s apartment
This morning, I woke up and trundled downstairs. I.S. went to the bakery while I showered, and brushed my teeth -- which is only remarkable because it was then I tasted the tap water, and discovered that it is delicious. I.S. says it's because it's less fluoridated (or chlorinated?) than in the US. I.S. brought us back coffee and various bread things (rolls, croissant, pretzel), and then we set out to explore the city.
We took the train into the city (K's apartment is actually just outside Munich). A young man (he looked to be in his 20s or early 30s) sat across from me, next to I.S., reading a paper. The headline was about Obama -- I don't remember the German, but it said that Obama would support Arabic democracies. I was able to read all of it except the verb all by myself! This is not because I remember my 3.5 years of German, but because the words for Arabic and democracies are cognates with the English, and the word for Obama is "Obama." It's helpful that English is a Germanic language. When I asked I.S. what the verb meant, I guess the young man noticed that I was spying on his paper, and leaned forward and showed me a picture, saying "Mississippi." It was of a house whose owner had taken matters into his own hands and built levees around his property to prevent it from flooding. It worked, for what it's worth. Y'all stay dry, hear?
Once we got off the train, we found a little cafe and got some more coffee. I don't normally pay much attention to crowd sounds -- snatches of conversation as people go by -- but I noticed it today because it was, of course, all in German. It's nice to be able to hear the music of a crowd and not get distracted by actually understanding what people are saying.
After we finished our coffee, we decided to go to the Botanical Gardens. It was a glorious day for it -- maybe 80 degrees, sunny & beautiful. The gardens were as beautiful as you'd expect them to be. I posted some pictures on Facebook. I'd include them here, except that I also didn't bring a cable to connect my iPhone to the computer. The camera cables are waiting for me at Gatwick, but I'll have to find an Apple store to get a cable for the phone. Ah well. I had fun trying to read the signs in German, as well as enjoying the weather and the gardens. I think the sign-reading was less fun for I.S.
We had more coffee at the botanical gardens. Ice Coffee, which in Germany is coffee with ice cream. This is a fabulous idea, and I would like for American coffee houses to adopt it immediately. I.S. concurs (she was apparently disappointed when she ordered iced coffee in America. I would have been too).
After the gardens, we went back into central Munich and walked around until we found a restaurant, and had schnitzel. Also more beer. In order to lighten it up, we ordered it with sprite, which made it sweeter and bubbly and less alcoholic, which was good for I.S. because she had to drive, and good for me because I'm a lightweight.
We went back to K's apartment, packed up, and headed for I.S.'s apartment in Farchant, which is very near Garmisch. There's a mountain in I.S's back yard. Also sheep.
Germany, The First Evening
5/19/2011
Munich (ish)
K's Apartment
I woke up as the plane to Munich was descending to land, got off the plane, and went through Customs very quickly. The agent was very friendly. He asked me if I'd been to Germany before (yes, in 1993), and to Munich (umm...I think so?). I collected my bag, and I swear I.S. found me within 30 seconds.
She introduced me to her partner K, who is a friendly, charming German (as is I.S., but I already knew that). K is also a social worker. He works with what sounds like the German equivalent of CPS, except it sounds like in Germany there's more of an emphasis on helping families, and that families for the most part welcome this help. I.S. and K asked me about support for families with children with behavioral and emotional problems. I said I don't think the US offers any kind of support like that, except maybe through the schools -- but it's not a subject I'm well-versed in. Still, it sounds like the German model is more about support and less about monitoring than the US version.
We got slightly lost leaving the airport (getting lost to/from the airport seems to be a theme of this trip), but made it to K's apartment without incident, other than a distant lightning storm and winds that threatened to toss I.S.'s car around. I.S. drives a Chevrolet -- who knew they had a presence in Germany? I.S. did, apparently.
K's apartment is awesome. Perhaps the most striking feature are the stairs to the loft, which is where I slept. I took some pictures of these stairs, but of course in my infinite wisdom I brought my camera but neither the cable to charge it nor the cable to connect it to the computer, so you'll have to wait. Suffice to say they were a little intimidating. But, you know, it's like a new kata. The scarier it is at first, the more fun it is. The water pressure in K's apartment is impressive. Also, what they tell you about the beer in Germany? That it's good? This is correct.
Munich (ish)
K's Apartment
I woke up as the plane to Munich was descending to land, got off the plane, and went through Customs very quickly. The agent was very friendly. He asked me if I'd been to Germany before (yes, in 1993), and to Munich (umm...I think so?). I collected my bag, and I swear I.S. found me within 30 seconds.
She introduced me to her partner K, who is a friendly, charming German (as is I.S., but I already knew that). K is also a social worker. He works with what sounds like the German equivalent of CPS, except it sounds like in Germany there's more of an emphasis on helping families, and that families for the most part welcome this help. I.S. and K asked me about support for families with children with behavioral and emotional problems. I said I don't think the US offers any kind of support like that, except maybe through the schools -- but it's not a subject I'm well-versed in. Still, it sounds like the German model is more about support and less about monitoring than the US version.
We got slightly lost leaving the airport (getting lost to/from the airport seems to be a theme of this trip), but made it to K's apartment without incident, other than a distant lightning storm and winds that threatened to toss I.S.'s car around. I.S. drives a Chevrolet -- who knew they had a presence in Germany? I.S. did, apparently.
K's apartment is awesome. Perhaps the most striking feature are the stairs to the loft, which is where I slept. I took some pictures of these stairs, but of course in my infinite wisdom I brought my camera but neither the cable to charge it nor the cable to connect it to the computer, so you'll have to wait. Suffice to say they were a little intimidating. But, you know, it's like a new kata. The scarier it is at first, the more fun it is. The water pressure in K's apartment is impressive. Also, what they tell you about the beer in Germany? That it's good? This is correct.
Getting there, Interstitial: Hangin' at Gatwick
5/19/2011
Munich(ish) Germany
K's Apartment
After leaving the internet cafe where I typed up my last entry, I got myself some food at an airport restaurant called Giraffe. Since I'm in Europe now, and on an Exotic* Adventure Abroad, I ordered...a burger, fries, and a coke. Adventurous!
Then it was time to check in and go through security and all that jazz. I got excited while standing in line because it turns out that in the UK, everyone doesn't have to take off their shoes. However, I'd chosen my shoewear based on American airport security procedures (read: easy to take off) and not UK (read: without metal). So I had to take them off anyway, but the lady was apologetic, and I was downright giddy that the lady in front of me didn't have to take off her pumps. Even though I was barefoot, something on me (my zipper?) set off the metal detector, so I got a brisk and non-traumatic pat-down, and was on my way.
My usual airport procedure is to dump out my water bottle (or chug my water) before security, and find a water fountain once past security to refill it. I'm delicate, and left without water I wither and start to crumble within a few minutes. It's rough. So, guess what? Water fountains? Much less common in Europe.
Even though I'd checked in at the airport (rather than online) for my flight, my boarding pass still said Gate: TV, which I correctly deduced meant I should check the departures monitor for my gate. I don't know if it's an EasyJet thing, a Gatwick think, or what, but the gate was not to be revealed until it was actually time to board, so I parked myself in front of the monitor and cracked open Slaughterhouse Five. In between reading and glancing up at the monitor every 2 minutes even though I knew very well that I had 40 minutes to wait because the monitor both told me what time it was and what time the gate would be revealed (because I am paranoid about these things), I made silent-friends with a 2 or 3 year old. Silent-friends is the term I just made up for when a small child smiles at you, and you smile back, which encourages the small child to keep checking you out to see if you're still smiling, and of course you smile at him every time, because he's tiny and cute. My silent-friend was named David (pronounced Dah-veed). I know this, despite the fact that he and I never said a word, and his parents were not speaking English and we didn't interact (except to silently commiserate the travails of corralling small children in airports) because David was intent on running about, and his male grown-up (presumably dad) kept calling after him. It was fun for me, because I wasn't in charge of David.
Finally (right on time), the departures board told me I was destined for Gate 21. I looked around to smile one more time either at David or his male grown-up, but David was escaping again and dad was on his trail. So I left without saying goodbye, but I don't think it was rude of me. On the way to the gate, I broke down and bought a bottle of water. Parts of me were already turning to dust, so it was imperative.
Immediately after boarding the plane, I disregarded all the advice I had been given by everyone, and fell asleep.
*Or maybe Exotic-lite. It is Western Europe, after all.
Munich(ish) Germany
K's Apartment
After leaving the internet cafe where I typed up my last entry, I got myself some food at an airport restaurant called Giraffe. Since I'm in Europe now, and on an Exotic* Adventure Abroad, I ordered...a burger, fries, and a coke. Adventurous!
Then it was time to check in and go through security and all that jazz. I got excited while standing in line because it turns out that in the UK, everyone doesn't have to take off their shoes. However, I'd chosen my shoewear based on American airport security procedures (read: easy to take off) and not UK (read: without metal). So I had to take them off anyway, but the lady was apologetic, and I was downright giddy that the lady in front of me didn't have to take off her pumps. Even though I was barefoot, something on me (my zipper?) set off the metal detector, so I got a brisk and non-traumatic pat-down, and was on my way.
My usual airport procedure is to dump out my water bottle (or chug my water) before security, and find a water fountain once past security to refill it. I'm delicate, and left without water I wither and start to crumble within a few minutes. It's rough. So, guess what? Water fountains? Much less common in Europe.
Even though I'd checked in at the airport (rather than online) for my flight, my boarding pass still said Gate: TV, which I correctly deduced meant I should check the departures monitor for my gate. I don't know if it's an EasyJet thing, a Gatwick think, or what, but the gate was not to be revealed until it was actually time to board, so I parked myself in front of the monitor and cracked open Slaughterhouse Five. In between reading and glancing up at the monitor every 2 minutes even though I knew very well that I had 40 minutes to wait because the monitor both told me what time it was and what time the gate would be revealed (because I am paranoid about these things), I made silent-friends with a 2 or 3 year old. Silent-friends is the term I just made up for when a small child smiles at you, and you smile back, which encourages the small child to keep checking you out to see if you're still smiling, and of course you smile at him every time, because he's tiny and cute. My silent-friend was named David (pronounced Dah-veed). I know this, despite the fact that he and I never said a word, and his parents were not speaking English and we didn't interact (except to silently commiserate the travails of corralling small children in airports) because David was intent on running about, and his male grown-up (presumably dad) kept calling after him. It was fun for me, because I wasn't in charge of David.
Finally (right on time), the departures board told me I was destined for Gate 21. I looked around to smile one more time either at David or his male grown-up, but David was escaping again and dad was on his trail. So I left without saying goodbye, but I don't think it was rude of me. On the way to the gate, I broke down and bought a bottle of water. Parts of me were already turning to dust, so it was imperative.
Immediately after boarding the plane, I disregarded all the advice I had been given by everyone, and fell asleep.
*Or maybe Exotic-lite. It is Western Europe, after all.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Getting there: Leg 2
5/19/2011
London, England
(Gatwick Airport)
During the safety speech on the British Airways flight, it struck me that the instructions are less infantilizing than on American carriers. The difference is subtle (it's a Boeing aircraft, so the equipment is the same), but it's there.
Also, American carriers, take note: included in the price of my ticket was a vast media selection (I watched the King's Speech, which seemed appropriate, and there were also other 2011 Oscar nominees, and hundreds of other movies, tv, music), a checked bag, 2 meals, including a downright palatable chicken curry, and a glass of wine.
My seat-neighbor was a very genial Scottish gentleman, just returning from a month in the states. We compared the weather and the social systems. I did not mention corn, or the overproduction thereof. So there.
I slept maybe 6 hours, which was most of the flight. Once we landed, I disembarked, realized I didn't have my sweatshirt, re-embarked and disembarked again. I figured out I did indeed need a landing card, even though I'll be spending less than 10 hours in the UK this round, because of the going-to-Gatwick. Got through Customs without a hitch, changed some money, and bought a bus ticket to Gatwick. Arrived at Gatwick, found the Left Luggage counter and Left my Luggage (the London bit). Now I have a couple of hours to kill before I can check in for my flight to Munich. I'm at an internet cafe. The @ key on this keyboard is oddly placed. Two Sussex police men have walked by a couple of times with very large guns. They're almost comically large. I'm reminding myself that as adorable as I find the British accent and dialect, expressing that sentiment will get tiresome quickly (and not friendly or charming at all). That's all for now -- next I'm going to seek some food. I leave for Munich in about 3 hours.
London, England
(Gatwick Airport)
During the safety speech on the British Airways flight, it struck me that the instructions are less infantilizing than on American carriers. The difference is subtle (it's a Boeing aircraft, so the equipment is the same), but it's there.
Also, American carriers, take note: included in the price of my ticket was a vast media selection (I watched the King's Speech, which seemed appropriate, and there were also other 2011 Oscar nominees, and hundreds of other movies, tv, music), a checked bag, 2 meals, including a downright palatable chicken curry, and a glass of wine.
My seat-neighbor was a very genial Scottish gentleman, just returning from a month in the states. We compared the weather and the social systems. I did not mention corn, or the overproduction thereof. So there.
I slept maybe 6 hours, which was most of the flight. Once we landed, I disembarked, realized I didn't have my sweatshirt, re-embarked and disembarked again. I figured out I did indeed need a landing card, even though I'll be spending less than 10 hours in the UK this round, because of the going-to-Gatwick. Got through Customs without a hitch, changed some money, and bought a bus ticket to Gatwick. Arrived at Gatwick, found the Left Luggage counter and Left my Luggage (the London bit). Now I have a couple of hours to kill before I can check in for my flight to Munich. I'm at an internet cafe. The @ key on this keyboard is oddly placed. Two Sussex police men have walked by a couple of times with very large guns. They're almost comically large. I'm reminding myself that as adorable as I find the British accent and dialect, expressing that sentiment will get tiresome quickly (and not friendly or charming at all). That's all for now -- next I'm going to seek some food. I leave for Munich in about 3 hours.
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