Ah, the joys of public holidays that occur during the middle of the week. Yesterday marked the final public holiday in Germany until October, which seems awfully far away right now.
Earlier in the week, I decided to take a "bridge day," where I elected to extend my weekend by consuming another vacation day on this Friday after Fronleichnam.
Taking a bridge day is a very common practice in Europe, but somehow I never have really done that myself. But, I had been reviewing my vacation usage for the year and realized that I needed to get a few more days booked, lest the vacation police (otherwise known as the HR department) come after me.
Wednesday night, I kind of smiled as I sat outside the pub, knowing full well that I had the next four days (including weekend) to do whatever I felt like doing.
Yesterday I did not do too much, though I did enjoy several episodes of a Swedish detective series on one of the German media networks. There is something about the quality of production that comes from Scandinavia that I really like; the plots and characters seem much more realistic.
The other thing I did on Thursday was listen to a little play list of music I have recorded so far in 2019. I kept the media player running for most of the day, even when I was sitting in another part of the flat.
Over the years, I have regularly played piano: pieces by various composers, songs from some of my favorite contemporary musicians, and from time to time my own improvisation. To anyone who knows me, this comes as no surprise.
In 2017 I concentrated most of my efforts on learning the music from the composer Ludovico Einaudi. Almost from the start, the music just grabbed me. It flows with such feeling and emotion. One of the best descriptions of his music that I ever read was that listening to his stuff is like taking a walk in your head. For someone who thinks a WHOLE lot, this is really fitting.
Despite my reluctance to play piano in front of others (Nadja can still attest to this), I made a little playlist of Einaudi songs for my Grandmother's birthday, and was really glad to share it with her and the rest of the family.
During 2018, I continued building my repertoire on piano. At some point, I also discovered another composer whose works immediately grabbed me. I started learning a piece from Luke Faulkner called "Daydreaming," and was glad to be able to play this, along with my other stuff, for my Grandmother in the lobby of her residence during Christmas vacation. As I have noted previously, this was one of the few occasions where I "performed" publicly. And lived to tell about it.
Another activity I worked on during 2018 was some vocal practice. My interest in working in the voice-over industry has returned with vigor in the past couple of years, particularly as I try and rediscover what I want to be when I grow up. A couple of colleagues had provided some suggestions to me, including the practice of "getting to know your voice." This could be done by reading an article, a news report, a blurb from a book, etc.
Though I did this from time to time during the latter half of last year, going so far as to make a recording of the exercise, I never really listened to any of the recordings.
In fact, I did not make too much progress on my voice-over development whatsoever. Like with many things, I tend to procrastinate, and this was no different. The common blocker here is me. I am really good at getting in my own way.
At the start of 2019, I encountered another piece by Luke Faulkner that absolutely knocked me over, a piece called "New Beginning." Chris is right, it is a bit technical, and proved to be a great challenge for me. I took another piece of advice from Kenny W where he reminds you that the music is not hard, it is just unfamiliar. It becomes easier as your familiarity increases.
I quite like the fact that the piece is aptly titled, but for what it's worth, it is such a wonderful work that it could have been just as easily called, "just another piano piece." That said, I have used the piece to motivate me to do things a bit differently than before.
In February, I realized that I was starting to play a few more piano tunes that involved vocals, not that I was singing. However, after a conversation with a friend of mine about her upcoming visit to her home country, along with my own brief moment with Heimweh, I challenged myself to add the vocals to one of my favorite Joe Jackson songs. Since my friend was going to be traveling very soon, I had jump into action and lay down both the piano interpretation and the vocals. I managed it without too much delay, and was able to share the song with her before she left on her trip. Back to her own "Hometown."
It was a good feeling to record it, and I listened to it over and over again during the next little while. About that same time, I realized that it might behoove me to start my spoken voice practice sessions again, so I started doing some daily diary recordings, which are really nothing more than me standing in front of my microphone in my living room, talking about whatever the hell is on my mind. Then, I save the recording and go back and listen to it a little later. This is a very beneficial exercise on two fronts. First, I get a chance to get a few things off my chest (e.g. "daily diary 2019xxxx" where I blasted away with all my frustrations about work) and perhaps more importantly, I get a chance to become more and more familiar with my voice.
On the technical side, I can listen to how I breathe, how fast I speak, how I enunciate, etc.
I do this both in English and in German, and it is still startling when I listen to the recordings later.
On the personal side, I can recognize when my voice sounds forced, or lacks in emotion, or is just plain goofy. Again, it is open to interpretation, and I am still pretty good at getting in my own way.
But, as Kenny W repeatedly says, the music (whether that be a tune or spoken voice) simply becomes more familiar. And furthermore, it gets easier when you simply believe that it's a great sound. And to believe it, you have to feel it.
As I have listened to the guys who gather each week in the pub to practice their music, I notice that the songs I like the best are the ones where I sense their feeling. Likewise, the young woman who sat down and sang a couple of songs with them the other month just amazed me, as she clearly was feeling what she was playing. She believes.
In a post from April, I mentioned that the guys had done a really great cover of a Waterboys song, and I had an urge to do my own interpretation, with vocal. True, it is still a work in progress, as is just about everything I am playing right now. But, I keep listening to it, and it becomes more familiar. And I believe more. I actually shared my cover with the guitarist of the group, and he was most impressed. (The other night he mentioned that we would need to sing it together one evening)
I went on to share it with a few other folks, and continue to be flattered by the feedback. True, I try to stay realistic, almost to the point of defeating myself. Too often when I share my work, I preface the mp4 with a statement like "thank goodness I work in repair ops" or something else that is a bit defeatist.
It comes down to interpretation, and I need to remember Pablo's words. You take the experience, your belief and your feeling, and it helps create your voice, not only how the voice sounds, but the actual expression.
Just last Friday, some other friends of mine played a one-off gig in the pub. Roland had been talking to me for months about how the band were nearing a point where they could do a performance. Roland is an Englishman who lives in the neighborhood, and always talked football until he realized that I had a bit of a musical background, and suddenly we talk more about music, as he is a guitarist.
My plans did not really involve making a late night at the pub at the start of the weekend, but I had bumped into one of the other members of the group on the street and he told me that they were going to play that night. So, I changed my plan and made sure I was there to support them.
By chance, an old friend was back in town to visit family, and she stopped by the pub before meeting a couple of other girls for dinner. Mona and I had a quick drink before she met up with Anne and Nadja at a local restaurant. Meanwhile, I stayed in the pub to listen to the guys play a few sets of rock and roll songs, Beatles and Rolling Stones, mostly. (Pablo, you would have enjoyed it)
Despite the fact that I am neither a Beatles nor a Stones fan, I really did enjoy listening to the guys play. All of them are a handful of years (if not two handfuls) older than me, and were playing just for fun. They all have their own careers outside of music, but clearly music has a great influence on them.
I certainly felt the personal connection, and really could see how much fun they were having playing and seeing. Of the four piece group, two guys are English and two are German. All of them invited friends and family to come fill up the pub and watch the performance. Thus, the guys had an appreciative crowd, which always helps in such situations. (How many concerts have you ever been to where the opening act sort of gets irritated because all the fans for the main act haven't arrived to the venue yet, or worse, are not bothering to come inside to listen, preferring rather to hang out in the bar? Yep, I have done that a fair bit, myself.)
As the band neared the completion of their final set, Anne, Nadja, and Mona came into the pub for an after dinner drink. We chatted a little bit as the band finished up. Anne knows the same guys as me, and once things were done, the guys all came outside to greet the guests (and to get out of the cramped stuffy bar).
I had a chance to chat with the singer James, and told him how much I appreciated getting a chance to listen to them play. Furthermore, I pointed out that I was not really a fan of either of band that they'd just covered, but was all the more impressed because of that. Probably Pablo understands this comment more than other people: it's not that I totally dislike either of those groups, and in fact, am very familiar with all their works, but my tastes are different.
The atmosphere outside the pub was pretty good and lively. The weather helped, and people just enjoyed standing around outside in the summer evening. Anne, Nadja, and Mona included me in their girls' night out, and we chatted about various topics that were certainly outside of my normal routine. This was a good thing, and I was enjoying their company.
Things rose to a new level when Anne, while hugging me as I told her Happy Birthday, exclaimed how much she liked the smell of my shirt (which was freshly washed). I will take this moment to thank my fabric softener for being such a entertaining part of the next 15 minutes, as suddenly all three women were having a group hug with me, sniffing my shirt.
Although I am about a head taller than all of the girls, it still looked a little like a rugby scrum. At one point, I caught eyes with some other lady standing across the patio and just sort of smiled and shrugged. What can you do?
Even singer James got into the action on sniff number 14. It was it this point I reckoned it was time to make my way home; I am not sure if it is possible to overdose on a Lenor product, but didn't want to find out. The girls headed in their direction, and I started making my way through the other pub guest to head home.
I ran into Roland, the guitarist, and told him how much I had enjoyed hearing them play.
He said, "Bryan, we made so many mistakes, so many different times. But we really enjoyed ourselves."
I responded that it really showed how much fun they were having, and that was precisely why I had enjoyed it so much.
This week, I did the vocals on another song, one from Peter Murphy. And I made so many mistakes, so many different times. But I really enjoyed singing it because I can hear my voice.
If you believe it, it really is the best sound in the world.
see you out there
bryan
Friday, June 21, 2019
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Updates and Plans
I'll begin this week's post with a quote from a book I have been re-reading called Effortless Mastery.
"Imagine looking at your life with joy, anticipation and excitement, because you don't know what's coming. As you accept whatever comes, your life becomes truly exciting. The music becomes truly exciting."
I may have read this passage hundreds of times over the past months, but last week it particularly grabbed me. For the rest of the week, I asked myself if I honestly believed that I was doing this; looking at my life with joy, anticipation and excitement.
The short answer is no, not like I did years ago.
Rather than beat myself up about it, I spent a few days paying more attention to how I was reacting to "whatever came."
True, I tend to lean in the pessimistic direction with some regularity, but this is not to say that I simply resign myself that everything is doom and gloom. I also fully respect and comprehend the concept that it really comes down to how one views things: the world, one's life, one's job, etc. It can be as shitty (see what I mean) as you want it to be.
I am reminded of a girl that works in the pub; she's quite young and also works as a flight attendant. As you might imagine, she is rather perky. Initially, I wasn't quite sure if she was being genuine or not, but the more I have gotten to know her, I realize that this is just how she is. It is refreshing to hear her greeting other pub guests with a bubbly smile.
So maybe I am not quite that bubbly, but taking a look at things from a more positive perspective certainly improves my mood, especially on those darker days. Last week, for example, I received a couple of packages from the delivery man. I was excited to receive my new clothes drying rack (to replace the one that I sort of broke the week before during a small incident where I lost my balance while toweling off after a shower. If you must know, I was doing the "psych it up Bryan dance" which got a little out of hand, resulting in me having to lean on the drying rack. Unfortunately, those racks are not designed to bear 85 kilo. Thus, a quick on-line order to replace it.) but was NOT so thrilled when the guy asked me to sign for three other packages.
I tend to become irritated when the delivery man hands over additional packages to me, as I suspect that he simply did not try to deliver the package to the intended address. Additionally, I get a little irked when I think of the people who placed their order in the first place, knowing full well that they would not be at home for the delivery. This irritation comes from 20 years working in repair logistics, where I have spent countless hours having to find lost packages and solutions for customers.
Later on that afternoon as I was setting up my new drying rack, I realized I was being a bit selfish. After all, since I am at home during the day, I am able to collect packages on my neighbor's behalf, and were I in the same position, I would be rather grateful to know that someone was doing me a similar favor.
In fact, during the weekend I was rather touched when one of the neighbors left a little thank you gift at my front door. He had been most thankful the previous evening when he collected his package from me, but I was floored to open his gift and find a nice bottle of wine and some tuna fillets. I had not expected that kind of gratitude at all, and all things considered, had been happy enough with the verbal thanks. One might say it was joyful and exciting.
I cite another example of "accepting whatever comes," this time involving celery. Since the beginning of the year, I have stayed on my celery kick. A couple of months ago at a party, I was discussing this with a friend of mine, and she was amazed. It turns out that most Germans refer to the celery root when referring to celery. The thing is, I had never seen a celery root before, so once I actually saw a picture of the lumpy turnipy looking thing (the root, as it were) I realized why she was so amazed when I said I was eating so much celery every day.
Well, last week at the grocery store, the usual stalks (you know, the little packaged version of the cute little green things that get cut up and put into kid's lunches for crunchy snacks) were not available in the produce section. I actually spent a few minutes looking through all the vegetables and finally came across some enormously leafy bunches of celery. Although I do like to get the crunchy stuff myself, I picked up several bunches to cover me for the next several days.
I must say that I am quietly impressed. Maybe it is a bit extreme to say that it is exciting and joyous to be eating the equivalent of a rain forest each morning, but it's been pleasant. A nice reminder to accept whatever comes.
Like with kids, even for a 49 year old, all plans are subject to change. Sometimes the stuff you want at the store is not available. Sometimes a neighbor surprises you with a gift of gratitude. Sometimes you stay out later than you expected.
Last evening, I met up with a friend at the pub, and we got to chatting about our careers. I do miss talking shop with friends; this is something that does not happen so often in my German circle of friends. At times, I am glad that it is this way in Germany, but sometimes I really need the heart to heart. Ali and compared notes on how things are going in our jobs presently, and also discussed our future plans (or lack there of). I related my frustrations with my sister and her family about their own future plans (or lack there of) and during the conversation I realized (once again) that perhaps it would be best if I focus on my own situation and simply accept what comes. That is not to say that I do not have a plan, but I also recognize that I need to alter my plan a little, and perhaps more importantly, alter my mental approach. It makes sense to look at it with a sense of anticipation, joy and excitement, just as Kenny Werner says.
We had a really good conversation, and while I did not plan on staying so late at the pub, it was the right thing to do. First, the conversation was good. Second, due to a water main issue on my block (directly in front of the pub, where water started bubbling out of the sewer and running down the street with alarming pace), the water company had to turn off the water on my block, and spent from 10pm until very early this morning solving the issue.
Anyone who has had the city come out and solve this kind of problem is aware that the solution involves using jackhammers to cut into the concrete and dig up the pipe and figure out what is blocking things. The noise rules in my neighborhood are pretty rigid (after all this is a community where one should not run electrical appliances like dishwashers or washing machines after 10pm), so when Mainova started their digging, it was extremely loud. People several blocks away walked down to see what the hell was going so late at night.
From my situation, the issue was that there was no water in my flat. The issue was compounded because of the fact that I had already consumed about 3 liters of water during the course of the day, and had spent the evening drinking water with black currant at the pub. Six pints of water was sufficient to keep a clear head, and the need to visit the gent's every 15 minutes.
Since we had been informed that there would be no water service for about 8 hours, I was faced with a small dilemma.
I will spare the gritty details, because it all worked out in the end.
Yes, I did go home at midnight, and yes, my restful sleep was regularly interrupted with a few trips to the little boy's room. I elected not to flush, but this was not a huge deal.
In short, I took things as they came, and the situation resolved itself this morning when I got out of bed. I checked to see that I had water running, and after doing my business, and with a bit of joy, was able to flush.
Talk about truly exciting...
see you out there
bryan
"Imagine looking at your life with joy, anticipation and excitement, because you don't know what's coming. As you accept whatever comes, your life becomes truly exciting. The music becomes truly exciting."
I may have read this passage hundreds of times over the past months, but last week it particularly grabbed me. For the rest of the week, I asked myself if I honestly believed that I was doing this; looking at my life with joy, anticipation and excitement.
The short answer is no, not like I did years ago.
Rather than beat myself up about it, I spent a few days paying more attention to how I was reacting to "whatever came."
True, I tend to lean in the pessimistic direction with some regularity, but this is not to say that I simply resign myself that everything is doom and gloom. I also fully respect and comprehend the concept that it really comes down to how one views things: the world, one's life, one's job, etc. It can be as shitty (see what I mean) as you want it to be.
I am reminded of a girl that works in the pub; she's quite young and also works as a flight attendant. As you might imagine, she is rather perky. Initially, I wasn't quite sure if she was being genuine or not, but the more I have gotten to know her, I realize that this is just how she is. It is refreshing to hear her greeting other pub guests with a bubbly smile.
So maybe I am not quite that bubbly, but taking a look at things from a more positive perspective certainly improves my mood, especially on those darker days. Last week, for example, I received a couple of packages from the delivery man. I was excited to receive my new clothes drying rack (to replace the one that I sort of broke the week before during a small incident where I lost my balance while toweling off after a shower. If you must know, I was doing the "psych it up Bryan dance" which got a little out of hand, resulting in me having to lean on the drying rack. Unfortunately, those racks are not designed to bear 85 kilo. Thus, a quick on-line order to replace it.) but was NOT so thrilled when the guy asked me to sign for three other packages.
I tend to become irritated when the delivery man hands over additional packages to me, as I suspect that he simply did not try to deliver the package to the intended address. Additionally, I get a little irked when I think of the people who placed their order in the first place, knowing full well that they would not be at home for the delivery. This irritation comes from 20 years working in repair logistics, where I have spent countless hours having to find lost packages and solutions for customers.
Later on that afternoon as I was setting up my new drying rack, I realized I was being a bit selfish. After all, since I am at home during the day, I am able to collect packages on my neighbor's behalf, and were I in the same position, I would be rather grateful to know that someone was doing me a similar favor.
In fact, during the weekend I was rather touched when one of the neighbors left a little thank you gift at my front door. He had been most thankful the previous evening when he collected his package from me, but I was floored to open his gift and find a nice bottle of wine and some tuna fillets. I had not expected that kind of gratitude at all, and all things considered, had been happy enough with the verbal thanks. One might say it was joyful and exciting.
I cite another example of "accepting whatever comes," this time involving celery. Since the beginning of the year, I have stayed on my celery kick. A couple of months ago at a party, I was discussing this with a friend of mine, and she was amazed. It turns out that most Germans refer to the celery root when referring to celery. The thing is, I had never seen a celery root before, so once I actually saw a picture of the lumpy turnipy looking thing (the root, as it were) I realized why she was so amazed when I said I was eating so much celery every day.
Well, last week at the grocery store, the usual stalks (you know, the little packaged version of the cute little green things that get cut up and put into kid's lunches for crunchy snacks) were not available in the produce section. I actually spent a few minutes looking through all the vegetables and finally came across some enormously leafy bunches of celery. Although I do like to get the crunchy stuff myself, I picked up several bunches to cover me for the next several days.
I must say that I am quietly impressed. Maybe it is a bit extreme to say that it is exciting and joyous to be eating the equivalent of a rain forest each morning, but it's been pleasant. A nice reminder to accept whatever comes.
Like with kids, even for a 49 year old, all plans are subject to change. Sometimes the stuff you want at the store is not available. Sometimes a neighbor surprises you with a gift of gratitude. Sometimes you stay out later than you expected.
Last evening, I met up with a friend at the pub, and we got to chatting about our careers. I do miss talking shop with friends; this is something that does not happen so often in my German circle of friends. At times, I am glad that it is this way in Germany, but sometimes I really need the heart to heart. Ali and compared notes on how things are going in our jobs presently, and also discussed our future plans (or lack there of). I related my frustrations with my sister and her family about their own future plans (or lack there of) and during the conversation I realized (once again) that perhaps it would be best if I focus on my own situation and simply accept what comes. That is not to say that I do not have a plan, but I also recognize that I need to alter my plan a little, and perhaps more importantly, alter my mental approach. It makes sense to look at it with a sense of anticipation, joy and excitement, just as Kenny Werner says.
We had a really good conversation, and while I did not plan on staying so late at the pub, it was the right thing to do. First, the conversation was good. Second, due to a water main issue on my block (directly in front of the pub, where water started bubbling out of the sewer and running down the street with alarming pace), the water company had to turn off the water on my block, and spent from 10pm until very early this morning solving the issue.
Anyone who has had the city come out and solve this kind of problem is aware that the solution involves using jackhammers to cut into the concrete and dig up the pipe and figure out what is blocking things. The noise rules in my neighborhood are pretty rigid (after all this is a community where one should not run electrical appliances like dishwashers or washing machines after 10pm), so when Mainova started their digging, it was extremely loud. People several blocks away walked down to see what the hell was going so late at night.
From my situation, the issue was that there was no water in my flat. The issue was compounded because of the fact that I had already consumed about 3 liters of water during the course of the day, and had spent the evening drinking water with black currant at the pub. Six pints of water was sufficient to keep a clear head, and the need to visit the gent's every 15 minutes.
Since we had been informed that there would be no water service for about 8 hours, I was faced with a small dilemma.
I will spare the gritty details, because it all worked out in the end.
Yes, I did go home at midnight, and yes, my restful sleep was regularly interrupted with a few trips to the little boy's room. I elected not to flush, but this was not a huge deal.
In short, I took things as they came, and the situation resolved itself this morning when I got out of bed. I checked to see that I had water running, and after doing my business, and with a bit of joy, was able to flush.
Talk about truly exciting...
see you out there
bryan
Tuesday, June 04, 2019
Yep, It Goes Quickly!
So here it is Tuesday, a rather warm afternoon in little Bornheim.
Just one week ago, I was back at work after the two week holiday that I took while my father visited.
Like always, I needed a few days to recover from the let down that I experience after a good visit with family. Now, a week later, I am still having nice moments where I smile and think about Dad's visit and all the stuff we did.
I sometimes feel it is a struggle to explain the comment "all the stuff we did," because on some levels we did not do THAT much. People still tend to think that when someone comes to visit me in Germany it's all about tourism and hectic schedules to run around and see stuff.
My struggle comes a little bit from the perception I have that people assume that visiting Europe means being a tourist. My case is a little different, since I just happen to live here. I have a friend who is Japanese, and every two years she takes her teenage kids to visit her parents in rural Japan. It's not as if they go over there and try to see all of Asia.
It's the exact same for me when I visit Dallas. The last time I went to Reunion Tower was probably 40 years ago; no real need to keep going to see that each time I visit.
Fortunately, my father shares my sentiment, so coming to Germany to visit means, "come to Germany and hang out. We will do whatever we feel like doing."
Anyone who has seen some of the recent Facebook posts from my Dad already has a pretty good idea of "whatever we feel like doing" entails.
More specifically, this means lot of pub time, sitting around watching movies, lots of talking, and visiting with my friends, neighbors, and acquaintances. My father knows tons of people in my neighborhood, so that alone takes up a lot of time when we get a chance to have dinner or a few drinks with folks.
My father and I did decide to go visit Vienna for a couple of days, so during the second week of his stay in Europe, we took the train to Austria, and fully enjoyed getting to know that city. I arranged for us to have a very central hotel just across from St Stephan's Dom, and that was a wise choice. We had complete access to the inner ring of the city just by walking around. We did not try and exhaust ourselves and see every blessed thing in the city, preferring instead just to wonder around and find stuff.
Each day we found a new little place to see that we hadn't seen the day before. The weather was maybe slightly coolish, but that was perfect for the both us. When it started to rain a little bit, we found a Coffee House to spend time in. The one particular favorite that we liked was Kaffee Alt Wien, and we ended up having a few beers one afternoon. The place was filled with regulars, and we didn't feel like we were tourists whatsoever. It was a great way to spend a couple of hours.
The rest of the time we spent in Frankfurt, doing a cookout with Ali, having tapas with Nadja in a local favorite place, just for a couple of notable evenings.
Throughout the two weeks, my Dad and I were able to catch up on all sorts of topics, family, life, etc. It is really nice to be able to have those talks in person (ie..not via Skype, although I am quite grateful for Skype and the many conversations I have with Dad) as we have more time to collect our thoughts and not try and fight time. Sometimes when you are on a video call, you don't have all your topics lined up for discussion. After all, it's not a conference call.
Of course, like any good time, the two weeks passed very quickly. Suddenly it was the last weekend before my father would return to Dallas. During my last stateside visit, I had inadvertently told my Grandmother that I was interested in getting a new frying pan. Of course, during the Christmas holidays, she wanted to get me a skillet and have it wrapped and under the tree for me.
I had to point out that I was not interested in lugging a heavy pan back to Europe, but preferred instead to find one locally. There is a little shop close to my place that sells a lot of kitchen and household items, so my Dad and I went to the local street market on his final Saturday, had a bratwurst on the plaza, then popped into the shop, where I spent all of 35 seconds selecting a new skillet.
And I LOVE it.
Over the past several years I have become more adventurous in my tiny kitchen and have enjoyed cooking more and more. The two pans I had been using were a little worse for wear, so this latest addition was quite welcome. Of course my father took a photo so that he could share it with my Grandmother. Another excellent Christmas present.
Additionally, my dad wanted to take me out for traditional birthday dinner. The tradition has more to do with saying it is a Birthday Dinner than with actually celebrating on the actual date. Obviously that wasn't possible to do this year since my father came a month later than he has done in the past.
I am lucky to have a proper Spanish tapas place in my neighborhood, and with a little luck I was able to get us a table Saturday evening. Dad and I just rocked things up with a bottle of wine and some wonderful tapas. The conversation was also good (no surprise), and after we finished dinner, we headed back to the pub for a bit of extended celebration.
Not surprisingly, we ran into a few of the usual suspects, so enjoyed a pleasant evening outside, sharing a couple of whiskeys and beers.
48 hours later, Dad was texting me from the airport lounge with an Auf Wiedersehen, and once he was back stateside, we talked via Skype just about every day last week. He too, goes through his let down period, but by the end of the week we were almost back on normal service and routine.
I will purposely avoid any commentary about the Europa League final; it's time for a few months without any football.
So now it is the start of June, and once again I am amazed that 2019 is zipping right along. The weather has turned more seasonal (summery) in the past couple of days, and I must say that I am embracing the time to spend outside in the cafes and the pubs.
Last Sunday, I spent a few hours jotting down some thoughts and ideas, and it was really a pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
It's kicking my June off with a nice little hoopty doopty!
see you out there
bryan
(a few people are probably wondering wtf hoopty doopty means....and I can simply say, "whatever you want it to mean.")
Just one week ago, I was back at work after the two week holiday that I took while my father visited.
Like always, I needed a few days to recover from the let down that I experience after a good visit with family. Now, a week later, I am still having nice moments where I smile and think about Dad's visit and all the stuff we did.
I sometimes feel it is a struggle to explain the comment "all the stuff we did," because on some levels we did not do THAT much. People still tend to think that when someone comes to visit me in Germany it's all about tourism and hectic schedules to run around and see stuff.
My struggle comes a little bit from the perception I have that people assume that visiting Europe means being a tourist. My case is a little different, since I just happen to live here. I have a friend who is Japanese, and every two years she takes her teenage kids to visit her parents in rural Japan. It's not as if they go over there and try to see all of Asia.
It's the exact same for me when I visit Dallas. The last time I went to Reunion Tower was probably 40 years ago; no real need to keep going to see that each time I visit.
Fortunately, my father shares my sentiment, so coming to Germany to visit means, "come to Germany and hang out. We will do whatever we feel like doing."
Anyone who has seen some of the recent Facebook posts from my Dad already has a pretty good idea of "whatever we feel like doing" entails.
More specifically, this means lot of pub time, sitting around watching movies, lots of talking, and visiting with my friends, neighbors, and acquaintances. My father knows tons of people in my neighborhood, so that alone takes up a lot of time when we get a chance to have dinner or a few drinks with folks.
My father and I did decide to go visit Vienna for a couple of days, so during the second week of his stay in Europe, we took the train to Austria, and fully enjoyed getting to know that city. I arranged for us to have a very central hotel just across from St Stephan's Dom, and that was a wise choice. We had complete access to the inner ring of the city just by walking around. We did not try and exhaust ourselves and see every blessed thing in the city, preferring instead just to wonder around and find stuff.
Each day we found a new little place to see that we hadn't seen the day before. The weather was maybe slightly coolish, but that was perfect for the both us. When it started to rain a little bit, we found a Coffee House to spend time in. The one particular favorite that we liked was Kaffee Alt Wien, and we ended up having a few beers one afternoon. The place was filled with regulars, and we didn't feel like we were tourists whatsoever. It was a great way to spend a couple of hours.
The rest of the time we spent in Frankfurt, doing a cookout with Ali, having tapas with Nadja in a local favorite place, just for a couple of notable evenings.
Throughout the two weeks, my Dad and I were able to catch up on all sorts of topics, family, life, etc. It is really nice to be able to have those talks in person (ie..not via Skype, although I am quite grateful for Skype and the many conversations I have with Dad) as we have more time to collect our thoughts and not try and fight time. Sometimes when you are on a video call, you don't have all your topics lined up for discussion. After all, it's not a conference call.
Of course, like any good time, the two weeks passed very quickly. Suddenly it was the last weekend before my father would return to Dallas. During my last stateside visit, I had inadvertently told my Grandmother that I was interested in getting a new frying pan. Of course, during the Christmas holidays, she wanted to get me a skillet and have it wrapped and under the tree for me.
I had to point out that I was not interested in lugging a heavy pan back to Europe, but preferred instead to find one locally. There is a little shop close to my place that sells a lot of kitchen and household items, so my Dad and I went to the local street market on his final Saturday, had a bratwurst on the plaza, then popped into the shop, where I spent all of 35 seconds selecting a new skillet.
And I LOVE it.
Over the past several years I have become more adventurous in my tiny kitchen and have enjoyed cooking more and more. The two pans I had been using were a little worse for wear, so this latest addition was quite welcome. Of course my father took a photo so that he could share it with my Grandmother. Another excellent Christmas present.
Additionally, my dad wanted to take me out for traditional birthday dinner. The tradition has more to do with saying it is a Birthday Dinner than with actually celebrating on the actual date. Obviously that wasn't possible to do this year since my father came a month later than he has done in the past.
I am lucky to have a proper Spanish tapas place in my neighborhood, and with a little luck I was able to get us a table Saturday evening. Dad and I just rocked things up with a bottle of wine and some wonderful tapas. The conversation was also good (no surprise), and after we finished dinner, we headed back to the pub for a bit of extended celebration.
Not surprisingly, we ran into a few of the usual suspects, so enjoyed a pleasant evening outside, sharing a couple of whiskeys and beers.
48 hours later, Dad was texting me from the airport lounge with an Auf Wiedersehen, and once he was back stateside, we talked via Skype just about every day last week. He too, goes through his let down period, but by the end of the week we were almost back on normal service and routine.
I will purposely avoid any commentary about the Europa League final; it's time for a few months without any football.
So now it is the start of June, and once again I am amazed that 2019 is zipping right along. The weather has turned more seasonal (summery) in the past couple of days, and I must say that I am embracing the time to spend outside in the cafes and the pubs.
Last Sunday, I spent a few hours jotting down some thoughts and ideas, and it was really a pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
It's kicking my June off with a nice little hoopty doopty!
see you out there
bryan
(a few people are probably wondering wtf hoopty doopty means....and I can simply say, "whatever you want it to mean.")
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