"I wish it would get hot."
I keep thinking of my father's quip this week as we endure ridiculous warm temperatures in Frankfurt. Sure, it is still awfully hot in Texas, hotter than in Germany, but still, it is simply unpleasant.
Another banner statement Dad likes to use is "It's all in your head."
The way I try to use that quote is by trying to convince myself that a situation does not suck nearly as much as I think it does. Sometimes this can be more successful than other times.
The week itself did not get off to a particularly good start. The weather forecast was pretty grim, but I took a short break during the workday to get out of the stifling flat (even with the balcony door open) and walk to the grocery store. At the check out counter, I carefully counted out exactly 52,46 euro, precisely 10 euros more than the actual bill. The check out lady took my money, put it in the drawer, then handed me my receipt without giving the 10 euro note back as change.
"Um, could I get the 10 euro back, please?" I asked politely.
"I did already," she responded, pointing to my left hand.
Showing her the shopping list (on the post it note) in my left hand, I said, "No, you didn't."
She then responded, "Really?"
Really.
She reluctantly went on to give me the 10 euro, then had me sign the store copy of the receipt, putting my telephone number on there as well. When they would count the drawers out later at shift end, they would check for any mismatch.
On the way home from the store, I realized that I probably could have put ANY telephone number down, but that never would have occurred to me. Probably people do this regularly, but I have never deliberately done something like that. Furthermore, I did check my cash once I got back home. I was already going to have to make a trip to the cash point as part of my weekly routine, but I was absolutely sure that I had not "duped" the woman.
It's all in your head....and sometimes your head can play tricks, right?
All things considered, the incident was not really a big deal, and I dismissed it quickly from my mind. The following morning I had plenty of other things to deal with.
Fruit Flies.
Over the past months I have really gotten on a banana kick, and am always keeping a bunch on the counter for me to snack on. This has been working really well until Tuesday morning, when I discovered that a couple of the bananas in the bunch had gotten a bit too ripe and actually split open. This attracted a rather large swarm of fruit flies who merrily invaded my kitchen before I really could grasp what was happening.
This was not "in my head."
I quickly discarded the bananas, then did a bit of research on how best to clear the flies from my kitchen fastest way possible. The whole process took the majority of the day, and I was only slightly satisfied that evening when I escaped to the pub for a few outdoor beers, getting away from the annoying flies and the stillness of the flat.
Actually, being outside this week is not much better than being inside. There is hardly any wind, so it is just still and hot.
Suck.
Before going to bed Tuesday evening, I laid another little fruit fly trap on my kitchen counter.
Wednesday morning, I got kind of grossed out when I entered my kitchen to find a bunch of dead flies in the trap. I cleaned things up before I started coffee preparations. That went OK, but then the heat really started getting to me, and I found myself really struggling to concentrate on work. I was waiting on a package to be delivered from something I had ordered online, and was glad when the doorbell rang around noon. Sure enough, I got my package, and then went on to sign for three other packages. This is not unusual, but I failed to realize that the three packages were actually supposed to be delivered to other people who live on my street, but not in my house.
This suggests that the delivery guy was a lazy jerk who didn't want to take time trying to deliver the packages. Instead, he put that monkey on me.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang; it was one of the package recipients, so I was glad to get one less thing off my list of things to have to deal with. I proceeded to open the package I had received, then proceeded to assemble it. I had ordered some dumbbells last month, which I am really pleased with. However, I needed a little stand for them, and there was a bit of assembly required.
Once that task was completed, I decided to take a little time to lie down on the floor to rest my back, which was acting up a bit due to the heat. I then took a look at what was new on netflix, and discovered that a few of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies were suddenly available.
In an effort to encourage my nephew to get excited about reading, my mother got him started on the series of books that came out about ten years ago. It turns out that my nephew really liked them, and once he was current, he started receiving any new book (there are about 10 in the series, now) that came out as a birthday or Christmas gift.
Once when I was visiting Daniel, I was looking for something to read, and I ended up getting started on the series, then proceeded to catch up with him on the later releases. I really enjoyed them, too, so started looking forward to each new book in the series.
Well, I never really picked up on the fact that they had put out a few films, but I spent the rest of Wednesday watching the light comedies, and just tried to relax and stay cool. It made for a rather pleasant evening, although it never really got much cooler.
That night, I kind of dreamed about being a wimp; the week had been sort of tough so far, although the issues were all sort of insignificant. Still, I was not in the greatest of moods (I never am, when it is hot as shit), so dreamy restful sleep was appreciated.
Of course, when the baby that lives next door started crying in the middle of the night, I was not too thrilled. Most of me was relatively OK with it. After all, a crying child is a very natural thing. I might argue that the timing was not so great, but as Chris always says, "With kids, all plans are subject to change."
Yes, indeedy.
Thursday, I woke up in slightly better humor, and told myself to get excited about making it a good day. My back was feeling better, and I thought things were gonna be pretty good. Then, as I was getting out of the shower, the telephone rang. The executive director of my partner in Slovenia was calling. And he was not calling to just say hello I hope you are having a good day.
I will not bore you with the details about our call, but it was a decent enough call. Sure, the guy's message was very clear. I assured him I was doing everything (and would be finding a way to do even more) to help get his burning issues resolved quickest way possible.
The conversation took a bit out of me, particularly as his valid points were also my own irritations, and ones that I had already been struggling through with with my internal colleagues, unfortunately with very little support or success. That did not put me the best "hippty hoorah" moods, but I told myself, "Hey, it's all in your head."
Recently I have spent a lot more time working on my mental approach to how I deal with things that piss me off. I am grateful that I am no longer as angry as I might have been (in my 20s, 30s, and early 40s). A lot of that is me just maturing, but I really have helped teach myself how to not get so worked up about things that are absolutely not worth worrying about. But, rather than dismiss something with a sarcastic remark, I try to put a more positive twist on things. It is helping.
With that, I finished up my workday, ran and got a needed haircut (for those hairs that still remain), then headed to the pub to enjoy a few beers outside in the heat.
Chatting with friends was fun, the liquid refreshment was tasty, and things were going along just fine until a wasp came up and stung me on the leg.
Dang, that hurt.
Hey, it's all in your head.
Rather than complain, I just sort of said, "well, that could have been worse," and about five seconds later, it did get worse. For my friend, who also got stung by another wasp. He is allergic, so had to take immediate action and take the medication. Fortunately, everything sorted itself out quickly, and we continued taking our refreshments, until I figured it was time for a little takeout pizza and home to the couch.
That was a good decision. The pizza was tasty, and I enjoyed half a film before falling asleep on the couch, starting to dream about being a penguin. A blue one, which is what I am on my netflix login.
Sure, I felt cooler during the night as I slept, and when the baby started crying, this time for quite a bit longer than the nights before, I did wake up.
But hey, it's all in my head, and I am a penguin!
Today is not too bad, even though the heat continues with a real purpose. So, I will go see if a couple of beers will help take the edge off. Time for the weekend.
see you out there
bryan
Friday, July 27, 2018
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Great Moves
Like many other people, I have taken part in my share of moves over the years: moving in and out of the college dorms while in university, moving into my first apartment after college, moving on to Boston, then moving back to Texas. Of course, we cannot forget the relocation to Spain, then Germany and eventually into the flat where I have resided the last 12 years.
Additionally, I helped quite a few people over the years with their own moves. It's just what you do.
Upon arriving in Germany, I have continued to lend a helping hand (and back) whenever possible. A German girl I met while living in Spain called on me soon after I arrived in Frankfurt to seek my assistance for her move. At the time, she was living a few blocks away from me, but was going to move out of the WG (Wohngemeinschaft) and in with her fiance.
Though quite some years ago, I do remember showing up at her flat, only to find that she had not really started packing yet. On top of that, no one else had apparently shown up to help with the move. Fortunately, her father and brother did show up a little while later. However, that really just meant that more people were sitting around waiting for her to get her act together and get things sorted. This was a little awkward due to the fact that no one in her family spoke any English and my German was in the really early stages; basic "moving" vocabulary was still several months away from me.
In the end, we got Svenja moved, and I did actually feel helpful and productive.
A couple of years later, a group of rallied to help Nadja move from her WG to Bornheim. We had a better turn out of helpers, but Nadja had a lot of boxes of books. Heavy. But, again, we got it done.
Things went rather quiet on the relocation front for several years, until about 3 years ago, when my buddy Mono asked for some assistance in moving his office. I certainly said yes I will be glad to help, and on that particular Sunday morning, a group of about 6 of us all turned up to help move his gear. Mono is a graphic artist, so most of his office equipment was heavy and bulky. Fortunately, Mono planned things out really really well, so we actually got the van loaded quickly and efficiently.
Unloading was about the same; heavy but manageable. All of us helping out seemed to click and work really well together.
It really is all about the preparation. During that move a few years ago, we all commented on how well things went. Likewise, we all traded stories from previous experiences where the move did not go so well. Once we got Mono into his new office, we all sat around and celebrated with a few bottles of beer. As you do.
Alas, the shop owner where Mono had his office went out of business last year, so in August 2017, he
once again asked for assistance. This time, we would move from the shop to a studio in an office building in a town about 15 minutes drive from our neighborhood. 6 of us showed up that Sunday morning (Sundays are the best days for these kinds of operations, due to less traffic, etc) and were again pleased (but not surprised) that everything was prepared to be put in the moving van.
We efficiently and quickly got the van loaded, drove to the next town, and unloaded things without too much difficulty. True, we were all quite gratified to be able to use the loading elevator to get all of the bulky stuff up to the office. Again, things went really really smoothly.
Afterwards, we headed off to the kiosk for the post move beers; Mono shelled out for drinks as his way of saying thanks. As you do. (In fact, every time I have helped someone move in Germany, or the states, for that matter, the person was always grateful for the help and gladly bought us several rounds of drinks)
Unfortunately, not long after that move from August 2017, we found that the days Mono would be able to have his office in the next town were sort of numbered. We were not really sure when we would have to move him again, but we new the day would come.
And that day came four days ago.
Since I had done this twice already, there was certainly no doubt that Mono had made all the necessary preparations, making sure that everything was organized.
At 10am last Sunday, I met Mono and then was pleased when his brother-in-law showed up. The three of us drove to the office and met a fourth guy. We would be the primary guys doing the move, and we did not dilly dally. We jumped right on it and started shoving stuff in the freight elevator so as to get the truck loaded. Most of the things were pretty bulky, but we had two guys down on the dock, Mono shuttling in the elevator, and I was upstairs clearing the office.
We made some pretty decent time and by about close to noon we were closing the truck doors and headed back for Bornheim, making one small stop to re-shut the rear door.
True, it was really warm outside, and it was about to get warmer. From time to time, usually in the middle of situations exactly like this one, my father tends to quip, "Gee, I wish it would get hot..." which tended to bring a couple of grim smiles.
I refrained from making such a remark as we started unloading the truck in front of Mono's building. The task now was to get everything upstairs to his apartment.
On the fourth floor.
No. This time, there was no elevator.
And, for those readers not so familiar with how Europeans count the stories in a building, I will quickly explain that the ground floor is just that, on the ground level. Thus, the first story is really the second story. Thus, we had quite a few flights of steps between Mono's flat and the street level.
We actually all got a little frazzled for a few minutes as we tried to coordinate and plan the best attack. The facts were: all the stuff was heavy as shit, most of it was awkward to carry, and the two heaviest items were the LAST things that we would be bringing up stairs.
For a few minutes, we experimented on how best to bring things inside. Should we bring everything up to the first or second floor, then have a couple of the other guys bring it the rest of the way upstairs? Should we go from point A to B with every little item?
It was at the moment I considered making my father's quip that I had avoided a few minutes before. Luckily I saw the look on someone's face and decided to keep my mouth closed. We all knew we simply had to get things done.
Well, the sweat was pouring, and I quickly felt like I was running out of gas. The more stuff I carried, the more stuff there seemed to be, and things were just really starting to suck.
Still, we pushed on.
I decided to start hauling things all the way up to the top, and hoped I would not faint along the way. Everyone else was in the same boat as me, and none of us are particularly young anymore. As I left the flat to go back down for another load, I heard a few new voices in the stairwell. Connie and Tobi had arrived to help!
A little weeping for joy happened, and then the six of us continued to trudge up and down the flights of stairs to get Mono's gear inside his flat.
Jokes were few and far between, and despite the fact that Connie and Tobi were younger and fresher, they, too were quickly sweaty as all get out. Finally, we realized that we getting closer and closer to getting everything upstairs, so we took a couple of minutes to stand on the street for a break.
Smoke em if you got em.
I did.
Kind of wish I hadn't, since I was feeling like I had just been trapped on a runaway stair-master with an extra 50 kgs strapped to my back.
All of us were really dreading the final task; inside the truck were the two table tops, perfect for workstations for a graphic artist who needs to spread a lot of things out on the table. They are super sturdy and exceptionally heavy. We looked at them in the truck, then roused ourselves to make it happen.
These tops are about 1 meter x almost 2 meter. I already said they are heavy (maybe 50 kilos or so), but usually between two of us we could move them in and out of the moving van. Taking them up to the fourth floor of the building was going to be a different trick. For the first one, we actually did it with about 2 and 1/2 people, and almost regretted it. No one was looking forward to the second top.
This time round, we used three people, and almost did not make it, mostly because we were all just wrecked. In the end, we took it very very slowly (erm, there really was no other way) and paused on every half-landing. And finally we got it inside the flat.
With great relief, we all smiled wearily, looking and feeling very grubby and sweaty.
"Kiosk?" asked Mono, though it was really more of a directive than a question.
Mono, Connie, Tobi, and I all headed down the street to the kiosk and much needed refreshment. The other 2 guys headed off to get on with the rest of their day.
So, I stood around Sunday afternoon drinking a few beers, enjoying the sunshine and not least of all that the move was now complete. At least our part of it. Mono would have to get his set up organized and unpack his various boxes, but that was for another day.
Of course, Sunday afternoon was also the World Cup Final. France vs Croatia.
I was certainly going to watch the match, but was leaning towards home viewing, especially since I was really feeling the heat and physical exertion from the past 4 and half hours. (Wish it would get hot.) And that is exactly what I did. Feeling a bit loopy after 4 beers and no brekkie, I picked up some take-away Thai and headed home to my couch.
The food was delicious, and I elected to take a nap on my living room floor until the kick-off.
Here is where I will give my feedback on the overall tournament. It was so much better than I expected it to be. Sure, Germany and Spain crashed out way earlier than anyone expected, but some of the "smaller" teams did themselves proud, and there were plenty of enjoyable matches. Sure, I caught quite a few of them at the pub, but equally enjoyed watching a few of the games quietly from my own living room. Again, home office helps, as I was able to follow all the group stage matches which were going on during my afternoons.
What I particularly enjoyed this time round was trading messages with Pablo. He was watching a much as he could from the states, and we could catch up in the hangouts on various bits and pieces, never mind the exciting moments of the WC, including the use of VAR, surprise comebacks by the likes of Belgium, and certainly the endurance and drive of team Croatia. Cheers Pablo.
The following day, we once again met at the kiosk, and Mono and I discussed how it went. Both of us agreed that it did suck. (One of the other guys took the time to post on Facebook how much he hated friends that moved....only half intended as a joke, I imagine). Due to the multiple flights of stairs, I was really feeling my legs. Here, days later, I am not feeling like I need to do any squats or other training.
Those two table tops are still fresh memories, but hopefully, this will have been the last time that I need to actively participate in a move. Of course, if someone were to ask me for assistance with taking a large box of cotton balls downstairs, or if someone needed a couple of crates of stuffed animals relocated, I would consider it. However, I am really kind of inclined to say, "Nie wieder."
I am not saying it wasn't fun in it's sadistic sort of way, I am just saying, time for me to use my time doing other activities. Enjoying the summer, for example. Or visiting the new Thai restaurant that just opened up down the street.
see you out there
bryan
Additionally, I helped quite a few people over the years with their own moves. It's just what you do.
Upon arriving in Germany, I have continued to lend a helping hand (and back) whenever possible. A German girl I met while living in Spain called on me soon after I arrived in Frankfurt to seek my assistance for her move. At the time, she was living a few blocks away from me, but was going to move out of the WG (Wohngemeinschaft) and in with her fiance.
Though quite some years ago, I do remember showing up at her flat, only to find that she had not really started packing yet. On top of that, no one else had apparently shown up to help with the move. Fortunately, her father and brother did show up a little while later. However, that really just meant that more people were sitting around waiting for her to get her act together and get things sorted. This was a little awkward due to the fact that no one in her family spoke any English and my German was in the really early stages; basic "moving" vocabulary was still several months away from me.
In the end, we got Svenja moved, and I did actually feel helpful and productive.
A couple of years later, a group of rallied to help Nadja move from her WG to Bornheim. We had a better turn out of helpers, but Nadja had a lot of boxes of books. Heavy. But, again, we got it done.
Things went rather quiet on the relocation front for several years, until about 3 years ago, when my buddy Mono asked for some assistance in moving his office. I certainly said yes I will be glad to help, and on that particular Sunday morning, a group of about 6 of us all turned up to help move his gear. Mono is a graphic artist, so most of his office equipment was heavy and bulky. Fortunately, Mono planned things out really really well, so we actually got the van loaded quickly and efficiently.
Unloading was about the same; heavy but manageable. All of us helping out seemed to click and work really well together.
It really is all about the preparation. During that move a few years ago, we all commented on how well things went. Likewise, we all traded stories from previous experiences where the move did not go so well. Once we got Mono into his new office, we all sat around and celebrated with a few bottles of beer. As you do.
Alas, the shop owner where Mono had his office went out of business last year, so in August 2017, he
once again asked for assistance. This time, we would move from the shop to a studio in an office building in a town about 15 minutes drive from our neighborhood. 6 of us showed up that Sunday morning (Sundays are the best days for these kinds of operations, due to less traffic, etc) and were again pleased (but not surprised) that everything was prepared to be put in the moving van.
We efficiently and quickly got the van loaded, drove to the next town, and unloaded things without too much difficulty. True, we were all quite gratified to be able to use the loading elevator to get all of the bulky stuff up to the office. Again, things went really really smoothly.
Afterwards, we headed off to the kiosk for the post move beers; Mono shelled out for drinks as his way of saying thanks. As you do. (In fact, every time I have helped someone move in Germany, or the states, for that matter, the person was always grateful for the help and gladly bought us several rounds of drinks)
Unfortunately, not long after that move from August 2017, we found that the days Mono would be able to have his office in the next town were sort of numbered. We were not really sure when we would have to move him again, but we new the day would come.
And that day came four days ago.
Since I had done this twice already, there was certainly no doubt that Mono had made all the necessary preparations, making sure that everything was organized.
At 10am last Sunday, I met Mono and then was pleased when his brother-in-law showed up. The three of us drove to the office and met a fourth guy. We would be the primary guys doing the move, and we did not dilly dally. We jumped right on it and started shoving stuff in the freight elevator so as to get the truck loaded. Most of the things were pretty bulky, but we had two guys down on the dock, Mono shuttling in the elevator, and I was upstairs clearing the office.
We made some pretty decent time and by about close to noon we were closing the truck doors and headed back for Bornheim, making one small stop to re-shut the rear door.
True, it was really warm outside, and it was about to get warmer. From time to time, usually in the middle of situations exactly like this one, my father tends to quip, "Gee, I wish it would get hot..." which tended to bring a couple of grim smiles.
I refrained from making such a remark as we started unloading the truck in front of Mono's building. The task now was to get everything upstairs to his apartment.
On the fourth floor.
No. This time, there was no elevator.
And, for those readers not so familiar with how Europeans count the stories in a building, I will quickly explain that the ground floor is just that, on the ground level. Thus, the first story is really the second story. Thus, we had quite a few flights of steps between Mono's flat and the street level.
We actually all got a little frazzled for a few minutes as we tried to coordinate and plan the best attack. The facts were: all the stuff was heavy as shit, most of it was awkward to carry, and the two heaviest items were the LAST things that we would be bringing up stairs.
For a few minutes, we experimented on how best to bring things inside. Should we bring everything up to the first or second floor, then have a couple of the other guys bring it the rest of the way upstairs? Should we go from point A to B with every little item?
It was at the moment I considered making my father's quip that I had avoided a few minutes before. Luckily I saw the look on someone's face and decided to keep my mouth closed. We all knew we simply had to get things done.
Well, the sweat was pouring, and I quickly felt like I was running out of gas. The more stuff I carried, the more stuff there seemed to be, and things were just really starting to suck.
Still, we pushed on.
I decided to start hauling things all the way up to the top, and hoped I would not faint along the way. Everyone else was in the same boat as me, and none of us are particularly young anymore. As I left the flat to go back down for another load, I heard a few new voices in the stairwell. Connie and Tobi had arrived to help!
A little weeping for joy happened, and then the six of us continued to trudge up and down the flights of stairs to get Mono's gear inside his flat.
Jokes were few and far between, and despite the fact that Connie and Tobi were younger and fresher, they, too were quickly sweaty as all get out. Finally, we realized that we getting closer and closer to getting everything upstairs, so we took a couple of minutes to stand on the street for a break.
Smoke em if you got em.
I did.
Kind of wish I hadn't, since I was feeling like I had just been trapped on a runaway stair-master with an extra 50 kgs strapped to my back.
All of us were really dreading the final task; inside the truck were the two table tops, perfect for workstations for a graphic artist who needs to spread a lot of things out on the table. They are super sturdy and exceptionally heavy. We looked at them in the truck, then roused ourselves to make it happen.
These tops are about 1 meter x almost 2 meter. I already said they are heavy (maybe 50 kilos or so), but usually between two of us we could move them in and out of the moving van. Taking them up to the fourth floor of the building was going to be a different trick. For the first one, we actually did it with about 2 and 1/2 people, and almost regretted it. No one was looking forward to the second top.
This time round, we used three people, and almost did not make it, mostly because we were all just wrecked. In the end, we took it very very slowly (erm, there really was no other way) and paused on every half-landing. And finally we got it inside the flat.
With great relief, we all smiled wearily, looking and feeling very grubby and sweaty.
"Kiosk?" asked Mono, though it was really more of a directive than a question.
Mono, Connie, Tobi, and I all headed down the street to the kiosk and much needed refreshment. The other 2 guys headed off to get on with the rest of their day.
So, I stood around Sunday afternoon drinking a few beers, enjoying the sunshine and not least of all that the move was now complete. At least our part of it. Mono would have to get his set up organized and unpack his various boxes, but that was for another day.
Of course, Sunday afternoon was also the World Cup Final. France vs Croatia.
I was certainly going to watch the match, but was leaning towards home viewing, especially since I was really feeling the heat and physical exertion from the past 4 and half hours. (Wish it would get hot.) And that is exactly what I did. Feeling a bit loopy after 4 beers and no brekkie, I picked up some take-away Thai and headed home to my couch.
The food was delicious, and I elected to take a nap on my living room floor until the kick-off.
Here is where I will give my feedback on the overall tournament. It was so much better than I expected it to be. Sure, Germany and Spain crashed out way earlier than anyone expected, but some of the "smaller" teams did themselves proud, and there were plenty of enjoyable matches. Sure, I caught quite a few of them at the pub, but equally enjoyed watching a few of the games quietly from my own living room. Again, home office helps, as I was able to follow all the group stage matches which were going on during my afternoons.
What I particularly enjoyed this time round was trading messages with Pablo. He was watching a much as he could from the states, and we could catch up in the hangouts on various bits and pieces, never mind the exciting moments of the WC, including the use of VAR, surprise comebacks by the likes of Belgium, and certainly the endurance and drive of team Croatia. Cheers Pablo.
The following day, we once again met at the kiosk, and Mono and I discussed how it went. Both of us agreed that it did suck. (One of the other guys took the time to post on Facebook how much he hated friends that moved....only half intended as a joke, I imagine). Due to the multiple flights of stairs, I was really feeling my legs. Here, days later, I am not feeling like I need to do any squats or other training.
Those two table tops are still fresh memories, but hopefully, this will have been the last time that I need to actively participate in a move. Of course, if someone were to ask me for assistance with taking a large box of cotton balls downstairs, or if someone needed a couple of crates of stuffed animals relocated, I would consider it. However, I am really kind of inclined to say, "Nie wieder."
I am not saying it wasn't fun in it's sadistic sort of way, I am just saying, time for me to use my time doing other activities. Enjoying the summer, for example. Or visiting the new Thai restaurant that just opened up down the street.
see you out there
bryan
Thursday, July 05, 2018
Catching a Breath
In fairness, I fully intended to get a post written a few weeks ago. The topic had been chosen, and the ideas were floating around in my head. Then, the World Cup started...
This marks the fourth WC that I have been able to view from Europe, and each time I have always appreciated how fantastic the atmosphere is. The whole community just has a buzz about it as people follow the tournament. Sure, I have fond memories of watching WCs when I lived in the US, but despite the growing number of fans who sort of follow the sport in that country, it is simply not the same.
As an example, last week the local newspaper in Dallas posted an article about the ONE place that a fan could best watch the tournament. It just happens to be an English Pub not far from Chris's office, and a pub that I used to visit from time to time when I lived in Dallas. True, it is a good place to go to watch matches (both domestic and international), and both Pablo and my father mentioned the article to me during the course of the week.
Meanwhile, there are about 35 restaurants and bars between my house and the five minute walk to the U-Bahn station. All 35 of those establishments have screens up and are showing ALL of the matches. And, in most cases, particularly for the "bigger" games, those places are full.
Of course, the weather tends to help out; during summer most cafes are pretty full during the afternoons and evenings as everyone enjoys some time outside. This alone makes for a rather pleasant atmosphere. Add the buzz of a footy tournament and the excitement level goes up a couple of notches.
A friend of mine who left Germany last summer to return to the states arrived last week with the intent to experience the WC viewing. He, too, is well aware of how much fun it can be.
Unfortunately, the day he arrived was the day of the last group stage game that Germany were to play. Germany HAD to win in order to advance to the next round.
Those readers who have been following the tournament are already aware of what happened next: a complete and utter crash out. Germany exited the WC in the first round for the first time since many many years, and the fact that they were the Cup holders was just all the more of a kick in the teeth.
That being said, most of the Germans I know all said pretty much the same thing, "We played like crap, never got our act together, and we deserved to crash out."
I was kind of rooting for Germany as well, but I tend to stay a little more neutral in recent years. I know this might come as a slight surprise to guys like Brandon and maybe even Tim, but now days, I simply prefer to watch an exciting event.
The day after Dave arrived, my sister and nephew arrived to spend a long weekend with me in Frankfurt. I had been eagerly anticipating their visit, and was particularly excited that they, too, would be able to share in the neighborhood atmosphere of a World Cup summer. I had already checked the match schedules, and knew that we would have an important Spanish match during the Sunday afternoon.
My sister and I had really no special plans other than to hang out and enjoy the time together. As visits go, I was really pleased that they were here. Part of me suspects that my teen-age nephew was not totally thrilled, but unfortunately I am not all together up to date on what would make a typical teen enjoy visiting another European city. I mean, we were able to hang out in various cafes, went to a cookout at a friend's house, and were able to catch several matches on the various screens. We did hang out in the local market in my neighborhood, and also took a quick walk around the city.
Most people (ie...my father, other friends, aunts and uncles, as well as my sister,on her previous visits) tend to really enjoy the first hand experience of meeting a lot of people in my neighborhood. I have a fair amount of friends and acquaintances, and I am always touched that my local Kumpels look forward to meeting any guests that come to visit me. They actually go out of their way to introduce themselves, engage with my visitors, and ask after my relatives after they have left.
This was totally the case this past weekend. My sister and I had a wonderful time just sitting on the balcony and chatting. My nephew could spend his time on his phone (using my Wifi) and could do his own thing. We were all out and about regularly just meeting and greeting in a relaxed environment. Some other friends came in from out of town, so the whole weekend was pretty active, but in a low-key way. Several people mentioned how much it seemed like "old times."
Old times. New Times. I would probably say simply, "Good times."
And through it all, football matches every day.
Monday afternoon I was going through my let-down period after my sister and nephew headed to the airport, but that evening I was back at the kiosk for the normal Monday evening activities. The particular match that evening was Belgium vs Japan, which turned out to be one of the more exciting matches of the tournament so far.
Tuesday evening, England had to play Colombia, and again, the match became rather dramatic. Unlike the match on Sunday when Spain crashed out on penalties (to the great disappointment of not only my nephew, but yours truly), England actually got through on penalties, which is extremely unusual.
Yesterday was the first day without football pretty much since the tournament started almost 3 weeks ago. After work, I ventured over to the pub for a quiet (extremely quiet) beer outside.
A few other folks were also at the pub, and all of them asked if my sister and nephew had enjoyed their visit and gotten home OK. Then, they also remarked on how absolutely still it was outside. Hardly anyone was walking around or sitting outside; it was a tremendous contrast to the previous weeks when it almost seemed like a nonstop festival going on in the neighborhood.
I absolutely loved it. I greatly enjoy moments of quiet and peace. The summer holidays have started in Frankfurt, so a lot of people are off on vacation anyway. Take away football and it was almost eerily quiet. Almost similar to a really cold winter's day, when hardly anyone (except for myself) ventures outside.
As much as I like football, I really enjoyed a moment where nothing was going on. Tomorrow the matches resume and the streets and cafes will be full. Besides, the weekend is coming.
Glad I could take the time last evening to simply catch my breath.
see you out there
bryan
This marks the fourth WC that I have been able to view from Europe, and each time I have always appreciated how fantastic the atmosphere is. The whole community just has a buzz about it as people follow the tournament. Sure, I have fond memories of watching WCs when I lived in the US, but despite the growing number of fans who sort of follow the sport in that country, it is simply not the same.
As an example, last week the local newspaper in Dallas posted an article about the ONE place that a fan could best watch the tournament. It just happens to be an English Pub not far from Chris's office, and a pub that I used to visit from time to time when I lived in Dallas. True, it is a good place to go to watch matches (both domestic and international), and both Pablo and my father mentioned the article to me during the course of the week.
Meanwhile, there are about 35 restaurants and bars between my house and the five minute walk to the U-Bahn station. All 35 of those establishments have screens up and are showing ALL of the matches. And, in most cases, particularly for the "bigger" games, those places are full.
Of course, the weather tends to help out; during summer most cafes are pretty full during the afternoons and evenings as everyone enjoys some time outside. This alone makes for a rather pleasant atmosphere. Add the buzz of a footy tournament and the excitement level goes up a couple of notches.
A friend of mine who left Germany last summer to return to the states arrived last week with the intent to experience the WC viewing. He, too, is well aware of how much fun it can be.
Unfortunately, the day he arrived was the day of the last group stage game that Germany were to play. Germany HAD to win in order to advance to the next round.
Those readers who have been following the tournament are already aware of what happened next: a complete and utter crash out. Germany exited the WC in the first round for the first time since many many years, and the fact that they were the Cup holders was just all the more of a kick in the teeth.
That being said, most of the Germans I know all said pretty much the same thing, "We played like crap, never got our act together, and we deserved to crash out."
I was kind of rooting for Germany as well, but I tend to stay a little more neutral in recent years. I know this might come as a slight surprise to guys like Brandon and maybe even Tim, but now days, I simply prefer to watch an exciting event.
The day after Dave arrived, my sister and nephew arrived to spend a long weekend with me in Frankfurt. I had been eagerly anticipating their visit, and was particularly excited that they, too, would be able to share in the neighborhood atmosphere of a World Cup summer. I had already checked the match schedules, and knew that we would have an important Spanish match during the Sunday afternoon.
My sister and I had really no special plans other than to hang out and enjoy the time together. As visits go, I was really pleased that they were here. Part of me suspects that my teen-age nephew was not totally thrilled, but unfortunately I am not all together up to date on what would make a typical teen enjoy visiting another European city. I mean, we were able to hang out in various cafes, went to a cookout at a friend's house, and were able to catch several matches on the various screens. We did hang out in the local market in my neighborhood, and also took a quick walk around the city.
Most people (ie...my father, other friends, aunts and uncles, as well as my sister,on her previous visits) tend to really enjoy the first hand experience of meeting a lot of people in my neighborhood. I have a fair amount of friends and acquaintances, and I am always touched that my local Kumpels look forward to meeting any guests that come to visit me. They actually go out of their way to introduce themselves, engage with my visitors, and ask after my relatives after they have left.
This was totally the case this past weekend. My sister and I had a wonderful time just sitting on the balcony and chatting. My nephew could spend his time on his phone (using my Wifi) and could do his own thing. We were all out and about regularly just meeting and greeting in a relaxed environment. Some other friends came in from out of town, so the whole weekend was pretty active, but in a low-key way. Several people mentioned how much it seemed like "old times."
Old times. New Times. I would probably say simply, "Good times."
And through it all, football matches every day.
Monday afternoon I was going through my let-down period after my sister and nephew headed to the airport, but that evening I was back at the kiosk for the normal Monday evening activities. The particular match that evening was Belgium vs Japan, which turned out to be one of the more exciting matches of the tournament so far.
Tuesday evening, England had to play Colombia, and again, the match became rather dramatic. Unlike the match on Sunday when Spain crashed out on penalties (to the great disappointment of not only my nephew, but yours truly), England actually got through on penalties, which is extremely unusual.
Yesterday was the first day without football pretty much since the tournament started almost 3 weeks ago. After work, I ventured over to the pub for a quiet (extremely quiet) beer outside.
A few other folks were also at the pub, and all of them asked if my sister and nephew had enjoyed their visit and gotten home OK. Then, they also remarked on how absolutely still it was outside. Hardly anyone was walking around or sitting outside; it was a tremendous contrast to the previous weeks when it almost seemed like a nonstop festival going on in the neighborhood.
I absolutely loved it. I greatly enjoy moments of quiet and peace. The summer holidays have started in Frankfurt, so a lot of people are off on vacation anyway. Take away football and it was almost eerily quiet. Almost similar to a really cold winter's day, when hardly anyone (except for myself) ventures outside.
As much as I like football, I really enjoyed a moment where nothing was going on. Tomorrow the matches resume and the streets and cafes will be full. Besides, the weekend is coming.
Glad I could take the time last evening to simply catch my breath.
see you out there
bryan
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