EM 2021 - Just Another Turnier?

There have been so many distractions over the past year and half: so many delays, new rules and regulations created and changed from week to week, and constant schedule juggling.  And I am really only talking about the sport of football...

As tournaments go, I have always looked forward to the World Cup and the European Championships.  That is, until a few years ago when suddenly it seemed that matches were being played almost daily during the week, and almost non-stop through the whole year.  Club schedules were crammed into International fixtures, and it all started becoming a bit too much. 

For a time, I thought it was just me becoming less enthused by the sport.  But, as I talked with friends and other fans, I realized that many people felt the same way:  the business side of things was starting to take a bit out of the passionate side of the game.  Today is not the day for me to share my opinions on broadcasting rights, money hungry club owners, or the creative governing body who never stops looking for ways to monetize the events.  Today I am simply looking at the personal side of things, specifically the EM 2021.  (note - because this tournament was scheduled for the year of 2020 but was postponed until this summer for obvious reasons, I find it kind of confusing and fascinating how we refer to the event.  Germany tends to call it Euro 2021, which accurately reflects the year that the event takes place, but English press still tends to refer to Euro 2020, which has already had me looking at the calendar dates and forgetting what year we are in more than once.)

Truthfully, I was fairly nonplussed last year when it was decided to postpone the event.  Club football had already been delayed for months and it was tricky enough to get all the fixtures completed before taking a 4 week break before starting the new season.  At the time, I was pretty focused on the team I support, and was just glad that they were able to finish the season.  (There was a brief uncertainty last spring when no one knew just what the was hell was going to happen.)

Because last year was such an uncertain time, I fully supported decisions to cancel or postpone events where large crowds would be getting together.  This was particularly significant for me with regard to an event like the Euros; a lot of the thrill comes from the supporting fans cheering from the streets and from the stands in whichever country is hosting the event.  Since that was not possible last year, it made sense to wait until such time that it would be possible. 

The first six months of this year have been very challenging for many reasons, but those of us who are avid fans got very used to sitting at home alone watching a game played in an empty stadium.  It was kind of a surreal experience, especially since social contact was so limited.  There was no standing around outside the pub during the half time to discuss with fellow fans why your team was playing really well, or really poorly, as in the case of Arsenal.  

Part of me was greatly relieved to have the club seasons completed, and I had actually forgotten for a moment that this would be a summer of football with the Euros.  This year has its own distractions, some of which are not quite the same as last year.  On the other hand, there are a couple of similarities, including the opportunity to finally, finally venture back outside and interact with others. 

It is hard to believe that here in Frankfurt, cafes, pubs, and restaurants have only been reopened for about 4 weeks.   Thanks to some decent (if not a little too warm) weather, people have been heading back outdoors simply for that necessary change of scenery after a six month hiatus.  

Not everyone has the same comfort level yet, myself included.  Sure, I am glad to stand around outside chatting with a few friends while we enjoy a few beers.  Sitting in a crowded patio with hundreds of people watching a soccer match, however,  is not necessarily something I was quite sure I was ready to do.  

As a result, I have tended to stay at home (perhaps better said, avoid the pub) during the first matches, particularly the matches involving Germany.  Because of my proximity to the pub, I could certainly hear the people sitting outside watching the games.  Germany played France in their first game, which happened to be on a Tuesday evening.  I had just finished my language class, and figured I would tune in and watch from the comfort of my living room. 

The tournament was already 4 days old, and we had already experienced the dramatic events of the Danish match.  For reasons that I have already stated, I was not quite yet in the spirit of the event, but I was following the match highlights each day.  I am rather thankful that I was not watching the Denmark-Finland match live, but I am very touched at how the players, the clubs, the fans, and the world have responded.  

From my living room that Tuesday evening, I found myself muting my TV in order to hear the fans sitting outside next door.  The particularly vocal fans sounded a bit different, they whooped in ways that I had not heard before, and it took me a few minutes longer before I realized that a large group of French fans were sitting at the pub, and quite a bit more lively, especially as they defeated Germany 1-0. 

One of the interesting things that comes with living on a street where there are plenty of cafes and pubs during football matches is that the feeds tend to go at different rates.  Thus, you might be sitting at home watching the exact same match as everyone else, but everyone else's feed is 30 seconds faster than yours. 

As you can imagine, this means that you hear the goal (or the near miss) before you actually see it.  This can be both irritating and humorous.  It is like a badly dubbed movie, but after awhile, you kind of get used to it.  

What is taking some getting used to is seeing fans in the stadiums again after such a long period.  I must say that it is probably the highlight of the tournament for me so far, finally seeing fans getting to enjoy and support their teams.  I certainly have missed this. 

The French were not quite as vocal a few days later when they drew with Hungary, while Germany got a good result against Portugal.  I am somewhat neutral in this tournament, so am simply following along, and seeing what happens.   

This past Wednesday, despite knowing that Germany had their final group phase match, I ventured to the pub to visit with a couple of friends.  As I arrived, they asked me if my plan was similar to theirs:  come for a few early beers, then return home for the 9pm kick off.  

That was my intention.  

Perhaps it was the simply the nice weather, or the fact that we had a place which was a little further away from the other crowded tables, allowing for us to keep within our comfort zones, but I stayed for the entire match.  I even had one beer too many, though that was perfectly allowed since I had Thursday and Friday off. 

I guess it was my first experience being around a considerably larger group of people since this whole thing has gone on.  While I did notice that most people were following the game on the screen, I could sense that most everyone was just happy to be out and about again.  Finally. 

I was curious how I was going to react to those first times when we are able to move around with fewer restrictions.  I enjoyed being outside, seeing people, more importantly, seeing people enjoy themselves, and hopefully this can all continue.  

From a tournament perspective, I kind of prefer when the event takes place just in one country, but accept that this was a special year, where the matches are played in venues all over Europe.  Perhaps the timing was right:  we have all gone through this shit together, and we still have a ways to go as a society. 

But, a little footy helps bring things back together, and reminds us of the things to be thankful for in life, however small.  

I am still not fanatical about this EM, but will certainly be looking forward to the next matches that start again this afternoon.  

Whether you watch from the comfort of your living room, or out in the thick of things, stay safe and enjoy it. 

See you out there

bryan

Staying in the Kitchen

It is hot.  Within a few days, the temperature has gone from "delightfully pleasant," (he said in his weather broadcaster voice) to "down right humid and uncomfortable." (again, in the same broadcast voice, with a flood of perspiration coming from my brow)

I tend to keep my weather complaints to a minimum for a few reasons.  First, we are fortunate to have four seasons in Germany; I did not have that experience as a child and I appreciate each season as it comes.  Second, it is rare that a weather extreme lasts more than a handful of days.  Again, my experience, particularly with summer, was all about 100 consecutive days of pure hell, whereas here we might have a week (or two) of consecutive heat wave.  And even then, it is never really that bad. 

Hopefully I have not spoken too soon, being that we are still in the month of June. 

And, I do need to confirm (again) that there are aspects of a short heat wave in Europe that can be somewhat worse than heat waves from Texas, even though the duration is shorter. 

There are always a couple of nights during summer when it never cools off.  And that is precisely what helped trigger this week's post.  Thursday night was the first night of being unable to sleep, and I got another repeat last night as I tossed and turned trying to fall asleep.  

That is the thing that bugs me the most about summer:  as long as the temperature drops back down at night, I can deal with however warm it might get during the day.  This is something that annoys most everyone (I remember my barber talking about this 40 years ago), and because most Europeans do not have any air conditioning, this tends to become a real, albeit brief, issue. 

Take my friend, for example.  He lives in a Dachboden down the street.  A Dachboden is basically the top floor of an apartment building.  He is on the 4th floor (which equates to the 5th floor in US terms), and has repeatedly complained about the summer temperatures inside his flat.  If the weather report shows 35 degrees (Celsius), then inside the city it will actually be 2 or 3 degrees warmer, and INSIDE the flat, still another 2-3 degrees.  That basically means that on a day like today, it is going to be close to 40 degrees inside his house.  By doing a quick conversion from C to F, you will see that to be close to 100 degrees.

I am sure you will agree that this is a far cry from delightfully pleasant. 

My situation, in comparison, is not so brutal.  I can open the front windows in the front living room, and also the bathroom window and my kitchen balcony door, on the backside of my flat.  If there is a wind, I will at least get some air flow.  If there is no wind, then things get still in a hurry. 

One small drawback is that leaving my bathroom window open does allow for some peeping, while I am peeing, if you will excuse the expression.  The window is inconveniently located, I must say.  Truth be told, it never has resulted in many awkward moments, but sometimes I might be in a hurry, forget that the window is wide open, sit down to take care of things, and it is only then when I hear the workmen doing some construction on the flat across the way talking to themselves.  

While the odds of someone really being able to see me are somewhat small, they exist all the same. 

As one might do when they are a successful bachelor set in their ways, I eat most of my meals in the living room, using the coffee table as my dining table.  My kitchen table is used as my office desk. 

Because of the home office experience, I tend to spend the majority of my time in the kitchen.  I quite like the set up, and am very used to it.  Recently, however, I am juggling laptops:  my business laptop is obviously used for work purposes, standard Monday through Friday, and sometimes a couple of minutes during the weekend. 

The private laptop normally remains in the living room on a chest of drawers during the work week.  I can stand and use it as needed when taking care of private things (like banking, etc.)  Because I also have my studio microphone set up in the living room (as you do as a bachelor), this is where I skype with my family. 

Now, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, I have a German class, and need to use my private laptop to log in and participate.  So, after work on those days, I take the work laptop into the living room, and bring the private laptop into the kitchen.  I have gotten so used to various video platforms over the years, and never really cared what people saw in my background until I started the job in January.  My boss quickly suggested that a busy kitchen did not look so professional, so I found a background photo which looks just like an office which I tend to use.  It is not optimal, but it suits the purpose.  

What I forgot is that one platform background does not carry on to the next, and while I tend not to care much when speaking with family or friends, I might have liked the opportunity to modify my background before joining class.  Unfortunately, this is not possible, and gave me cause to wish that I had done some tidying up when my teacher asked me about the bottles lined up on the counter behind me.  We had just been discussing beverages of choice, and she was wondering if the bottles she saw were wine bottles.  I tried to clarify that no, no they were not wine bottles but instead empty olive oil bottles and that I had simply not yet taken everything down to the recycling thing in front of my house.  Because there quite a few, and the fact that it is a rather good quality of oil, I could understand why everyone in the class suddenly thought I had a real passion for wine.  

This is not really something I wanted to share. and I made darn sure to take those things downstairs before the next class.  Likewise I elected to remove the roll of paper towels, the sponges, and any other things that indicate I actually live in the room.  It is not that my kitchen is terribly untidy, but it might be a little cluttered.  Again, it is my clutter and I am not up for a photo shoot in BH and Gs or any other magazine.  Furthermore, I am not really interested in sharing scenes from my living room, which resembles a college dorm room, complete with vintage posters from music groups that probably existed before most of my classmates were actually born.  

The good thing, of course, is that I may not like it but I can take the heat.  

So, I am staying in the kitchen and recycling more frequently. 

See you out there

bryan

Paying Attention in Class, Doing Homework, and Other Ways to Learn a Language

My German online class meets twice a week for 90 minute sessions, and I am enjoying them.  My last experience in a class setting was in Spain, where I met with 8 other students in a very warm classroom overlooking one of the plazas in Valencia.  After a 2 month intense course, I elected to proceed further with private instruction, which turned out to be a very wise move on my part. 

It was not that I did not enjoy the other class participants, but I kept finding myself a little inhibited to speak up in class.  A lot of it had more to do with some of the other students rambling on and not giving others a chance to speak.  True, they had achieved that level of fluency which allowed them the comfort to just habla habla habla, which is a really key point in learning. 

My first years in Germany, I studied with a private instructor, and again, believe it was the right decision. I was in an tailored environment where I could quickly accelerate with the guidance of my teacher, who was also a personal friend.  

With her help, along with my own initiative, I rather quickly achieved a level of fluency, noticeably with my speaking  ability; I became more than capable of having pretty complex discussions about a variety of topics. 

Over the years as I met more people, had more conversations and experienced different things, I reached a pretty high level of German, but at the same time, noticed that I kind of plateaued.  Besides that, I had picked up a couple of bad habits along the way, which from time to time have hindered me from progressing further.  

In comparison to my first few years in Germany, where I quickly found the other newbies as we all struggled to speak the language, more recent years have me in a nice comfort zone where I switch happily back and forth between whichever language.  Mostly that is German and English, but the Spanish still peeks in from time to time. 

The point is, I can think of really only two friends of mine who are (semi) actively trying to learn German.  Both friends speak native English, and for the most part, the only thing I can help them with is sharing my own learning experience:  the importance of self study, speaking as much as much as possible, and basically putting forth the effort. 

Putting forth the effort is a bit of a trick.  My Spanish really took off after I moved to Spain, and my arrival in Germany was filled with all kinds of distractions that come with a move abroad.  But, I was fortunate that I was really motivated to do what was needed in order to learn the language.  I have commented numerous times in the past 15 years about the number of people who have lived here in Germany that never really attempted to learn the language.  This was never my problem, and obviously helped me get over some of the initial hurdles. 

One of the things that I think helped me the most with learning both Spanish and German is that I have made a bit of a game of it.  As a child, I spent tons of time in the library, and most people know me as a voracious (to quote Pablo) reader.  In language learning, I turned to children's books, as it was a relaxed way to get familiar with the language, and on a level that I could sort of connect with.  I discovered a little series of books about a Spanish boy Teo, and spent lots of time reading about his First Visit to the Zoo, or his First Visit to the Doctor.  The books were engaging enough, Teo had a nice family, and my Spanish vocabulary quickly grew to a point where I was actively able to speak with my sister's 5 year old niece in Spanish without any problem at all.  

About the time I was considering looking for Spanish equivalents to Judy Blume type books, I moved to Germany, so basically started over at the really young reader level.  This made for some interesting visits to the big bookstore in Frankfurt, where I was nestled into the children's section reading about German kids kind of like Teo in Spain. 

Because my German experience was more immersion, I actually moved in the direction of creating my own children's book, which to some extent are detailed in some of my blog posts.  I, too, had to go to the dentist for the first time in Germany, and I also went to the zoo.  Suddenly, just about every new activity I was doing had an accompanying book with it.  Bryan's visit to the Unemployment Office, Bryan Learns How to Ride the Trains, and many others are all listed by ISBN.  

In my imagination. 

Experiences can be relative and influenced by interests, so is is no surprise that my level of German might have limits when it comes to topics like: the Solar System, Dinosaurs, and other areas that many of us as children might have read about.  I probably could name all the dinosaurs when I was 10, but that was never really my thing, so was no where on the Prio list when I started learning German vocabulary. 

Because of my interest in detective series, like Midsomer Murders, Agatha Christie stuff, and Henning Mankell, I have learned a ton of Germany vocabulary with regards to rather violent crime, ways murders are committed, and police procedure.  Yes, I know that these are not necessarily words that I will be using in every day conversation, but still, who am I to turn down opportunities to learn new vocabulary.  It is a game after all.  

In my German class, I quickly noticed that I do kind of speak more fluently than some of my classmates.  But, I was there once, myself.  So, I tend to try and stay silent, just to allow the other students the opportunity to speak up.  Sometimes people get intimidated, just like I did back in Spain.  I do not want to be a roadblock for them.  That said, I do speak when I feel so inclined.  Because all of us are from various nationalities, I am noticing that everyone learns German a little differently.  I imagine that this can be a challenge for the instructor.  For example, most Americans trip up on the same few things in German, and in fact, many Germans acknowledge that with regularity.  

So, during my class, I kind of pay attention to what the other students are saying, or how they are comprehending things.  Just last Thursday evening, I was a little surprised when the teacher asked a simple question, "Can anyone give me an example of an adjective?"  

You might think this to be a very basic question, which indeed it is.  However, the subject was comparatives, and even though our level is fairly advanced, this was kind of a review session. 

What was most surprising is when one of the students, probably the one who is also most advanced in the class, proceed to respond to a different question entirely.  For a moment, I thought maybe the online connection was bad and he had misheard, but later I realized that he just simply did not understand. 

It happens.  

And that is precisely why I am taking the class, because it is high time for me to crack on with the refresher course, which will eventually help me get to the next level and off of my plateau. 

As the guy answered the random question with a random answer, I thought of one of my experiences about 5 years ago when I sat in a job interview, my very first ever interview in German.  (That book was entitled, "Well That Did Not Go Well At All."  I was so concentrated on what I wanted to say, I forgot to actually pay attention to what my speaking counterpart was saying.  

Learning the language is as easy as you want to make it.  Vocabulary and grammar rules are really just a matter of taking the time to study, and learn them on your own.  The teacher is there to help guide, and hopefully boost us over the hurdles, and while it always helps when the teacher is engaged, it is equally important that the students are equally engaged in motivated. 

I cannot stress enough how much respect I have for people like my sister who are dedicated teachers in the field of education.  I am fortunate to know many other teachers, at various levels of the school system.  And, I will take pride in the fact that I have done a fair share of teaching myself.  

And out of this respect, I make sure to do my homework, attend class, and show the teacher that I am interested in learning. 

After so many years of living here, the "new" experiences are not quite as frequent as before.  But, throw in job change, a world wide pandemic, and shitloads of other stuff, and I think there will more opportunities to expand the children's library of my life. 

For example, yesterday evening I was picking up a pizza down the street, but had moment of confusion when the guy asked me if I was wanting to take-out or eat-in.  He had to repeat himself three times before I finally understood.  No, it was not so much my German level as simply it has been 8 months since anyone has been able to actually sit in a cafe (outdoor or indoor, for that matter).  Still, I took it as a bit of a sign that I need to remember that everywhere is a classroom environment, and I still need some work on my language. 

Part of me however, was distracted because I was thinking about another book (probably a 2 parter), the first part being "Bryan's visit to the nice doctor who gave him a covid jab" which happened yesterday afternoon.  Part 2 is still unwritten, but will have something to do with whether or not I get knocked on my keister.  As luck would have it, I just finished my reverse lunge 21 day challenge, and my legs are talking to me in their special little way.  I am trying to decide if it is just muscle soreness or truly effects of the vaccination. 

At any rate, it will give me something to think about over the course of the rest of the weekend, along with how to incorporate keister into a few more conversations.  

See you out there, but don't forget to do your homework. 

bryan

Taking Notice of Creativity

A couple of weeks ago, my post talked about the job I had working at the supermarket at the end of high school.  As usual with my posts, the topics tend to stay in my thoughts during the following days as I go about my routine life.  Often, the thoughts start branching out in various directions, and I just let those thoughts flow.  

The very next day after that post, I was scrolling through my TV app searching for the evening's entertainment when I happened across a film called, "Blinded by the Light."  

Fortuitous?

I would say so.  

I won't comment any further about luck, but this was the perfect film for me to see after having spent the previous few days thinking about being 17 and 18 years old. 

"Blinded by the Light," is a film that tells the story of a Pakistani teenager growing up in England.  The film is set in 1987-1988, and is all about the youth discovering Bruce Springsteen during his senior year in high school, and how it changed his life. 

When the movie first came out a couple of years ago, I initially dismissed the film without really taking the time to consider how much I might relate to the movie.  For starters, the movie title did little to peak my curiosity.  I was familiar with the song (same title), as it was quite popular at the end of the 1970s around the time that I was starting to listen to the radio.  Back then, I was just listening while I played in my room, but was not really actively listening.  The radio was tuned to some rock/pop station, and this why I had such an early exposure to the likes of Billy Joel, Kansas, The Who, Cheap Trick, and Manfred Mann, who I knew as the band that played "Blinded by the Light."  

In fact, until a couple of weeks ago, I did not realize that Bruce Springsteen actually wrote the song. I was already familiar with the Boss, having listened to him on the radio in the background as R2D2 and C3PO trekked across the desert wasteland, otherwise known as my bedroom floor.  At the time, I was vaguely familiar with "Born to Run," but the real attraction to that album would not come for another few years.  The Boss track that I connected with as a 7 year old came around Christmas time, when the radio was regularly playing all the seasonal songs from popular artists.  Bruce's version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," was (and is) a real favorite. 

Despite the differences in culture and heritage, I connected with the film on so many levels.  I, too, was actively writing during my senior year, and most importantly, I experienced the same moments where discovering a new artist or song or album immediately changed my life.  Unlike the character in the movie, I did not experience just one such moment, but rather a handful (if not close to 10).  In fact, such moments continued regularly during the next 10 years (and continue to this day), but the stand outs certainly come from that era.  Most people clue into that fact the moment they walk into my living room, as those significant influences are literally displayed everywhere.  

What was particularly inspirational from the film was how the character discovered his writing voice.  I, too, was fortunate (erm, lucky) to discover my voice around the same time, and it took several conversations with college professors before I truly grasped how important this was.  Not the writing ability so much, but more the ability to write with a voice, to express. 

Over the years, I continue to seek out new inspirational signs from others; I am always interested in what influences people and drives them.  I realized early enough that it is of no importance what I feel about what drives the individual, so long as they have something.  Sure, it makes for a more interesting conversation or experience when there is a mutual connection or interest, particularly when it comes to music or art.  A perfect example of this comes from the film itself:  the guy puts a specific track on to the school's PA system, locks the door of the room (so no one can get in), then proceeds to run out into the streets dancing and singing.  That is precisely what I feel like doing every time I hear that Springsteen song, and several of my close friends feel very similar.  Sure, I had other bands instead of Bruce that spark that feeling, but the feeling is the same.  (To be clear, I am a fan of the Boss, but without meaning any disrespect, other bands steered my life in the direction it has taken).  

One of the things that I sometimes get a little troubled by is the lack of such similar experiences and influences in the younger people of today.  To be fair, I am ever more out of touch with that generation, but still, I keep looking for the signs.  And, perhaps they are more existent than I realize.  I certainly hope so.  

This past week I listened to a couple of podcasts from public radio.  One report was about the band Kraftwerk, the pioneering electronic band that changed the music world, and I happened to be around for it.  The other podcast was about how people will struggle to find their way, find their voice, as things start to quietly open up again in the world after such a long hiatus.  

The report was specifically about a high school senior who basically never saw any of her classmates face to face until the last few weeks of school, and how awkward it was to kind of start over.  

Whether it be a student, a 20-something, a senior citizen, or a 50-something like me, we are all going to go through a period of adjustment as we re-enter society.  Everyone has a different experience and story to tell.  Clearly many people have dealt with this (perhaps) better than others, but I think it is relative. 

For me, I am planning to think about those life changing moments I had with that first listen to THAT band, or THAT song, and remember how I felt as I start to get back out there.  Hopefully, others will be doing something similar. 

As the movie concluded that Sunday evening, I sat there in my living room cheering, crying, laughing, pretty much hitting emotional euphoria.  

I have a feeling that as we all get reacquainted with each other in the coming weeks, we will all be feeling similar emotions.  

It is going to be interesting, exciting, and for me, it is definitely going to be an experience with a super soundtrack. 

See you out there

bryan