Once upon a time two days ago, I was paid, but not with money, because even if I was it would all be taxed away by the semi socialism of the Federal Republic of Germany (Europe in general for that matter). Because honestly what is a payday when up to 45% of your salary is taken away on top of 20% for social welfare and healthcare?? Maybe enough left over to fly to America.
Back to the story. So I was paid...with a visit from everyone's favorite insect, the mosquito. Now I've had a lot of success killing these pests. Slaying over 5 mosquito's since arriving against only 4 bites, I fancy myself a Champion Slayer of Mosquitos (CSM). Striking mosquitos with superb precision, supreme accuracy and deadly force...
That is until I was greeted by Mosquito number 6 (M6). M6 was smarter, faster and better than my previous opponents. Small, nimble and agile, M6 rarely afforded me more than one attempt at every opporunity (offered sparsely). M6 would fly high and above to an area unreachable by my devastating arms.
I often stayed awake until 2am before giving up on trying to slay M6. And when I did sleep, M6 would come down to bite me. 8 times over the course of 2 nights. I was being tortured by itchiness, a lack of sleep and extreme frustration, often cursing into the night for failing to eliminate M6.
M6 had the upperhand, but the fight was far from finished. Dealing with M6 required a new strategy and that came in the form of containment instead of eradication. Cleverly I shaped a container out of my ice cream bar box. I went to sleep knowing that one last opportunity was all I needed. And it came, M6 bit my foot while sleeping and I awoke, sprining into action.
Lights on. Box in hand. Now where was M6? Scanning the room quickly but completely, I located M6 on the dresser. Probably just digesting my sweet sweet blood, I crept up and in one fell swoop captured M6 in the box. Now I dont know if M6 is dead or alive, but I'm in no rush to check (its a paper box, not tupperware).
Vengeance never tasted so...quite like my blood, which would be sweet because mosquitos love it, but never actually tried it on purpose because I'm not a vampire or some kind of freak, wow relax. Although its really hard because I'm still really itchy.
cliff notes: Contained a mosquito!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
O dam! A dam!
Sex drugs & alcohol.
Not a rock video...Amsterdam! Philippe & I traveled to the liberal city looking for liberation and certainly got a taste of one of the three aforementioned activities.
Known for its redlight district and the not-as-thriving-as-imagined prostitution industry, we did not indulge ourselves into collecting STDs (it's not pokemon) and I could do better right? (P already has a gf)
Known for its marijuana and the not-into-drug-attitude of our consciouses, we did not attempt to smoke it up and kick back for a few hours (day trip after all).
Known for Heineken beer, we could not pass up the opportunity to get some fresh-from-the-brewery goodness.
Yeah it was cool pretending to brew some beer, but more importantly it TASTES so much better! +10 MmMm yum! We tried to visit the Anne Frank house next, but on a Saturday with no rain the line was 2 hours long. Does her statue make up for the fail?
That is a picture of the redlight district's main avenue which is pretty much in the center of the city and its actually a very small area. We also spent a good amount of time shopping and by we I really mean Philippe. P stopped by nearly every 2nd or 3rd store on the main shopping avenue and tried on 20+ aritcles of clothing (metro much?) while I just browsed a bit and sat A LOT! Fun? Go figure.
To contrast shopping, this was our rental car:
2009 C180 Kompressor automatic for 67 euros unlimited kms for 24hrs. That might be expensive, but considering a 2008 Mercedes A180 (essentially a bigger Smart car) was 73 euros for a day, definitely taking the C class. 220km (130 mph) on the autobahn? Worth it.
cliff notes: Day trip to Amsterdam with Philippe in the Benz
Not a rock video...Amsterdam! Philippe & I traveled to the liberal city looking for liberation and certainly got a taste of one of the three aforementioned activities.
Known for its redlight district and the not-as-thriving-as-imagined prostitution industry, we did not indulge ourselves into collecting STDs (it's not pokemon) and I could do better right? (P already has a gf)
Known for its marijuana and the not-into-drug-attitude of our consciouses, we did not attempt to smoke it up and kick back for a few hours (day trip after all).
Known for Heineken beer, we could not pass up the opportunity to get some fresh-from-the-brewery goodness.
Yeah it was cool pretending to brew some beer, but more importantly it TASTES so much better! +10 MmMm yum! We tried to visit the Anne Frank house next, but on a Saturday with no rain the line was 2 hours long. Does her statue make up for the fail?
That is a picture of the redlight district's main avenue which is pretty much in the center of the city and its actually a very small area. We also spent a good amount of time shopping and by we I really mean Philippe. P stopped by nearly every 2nd or 3rd store on the main shopping avenue and tried on 20+ aritcles of clothing (metro much?) while I just browsed a bit and sat A LOT! Fun? Go figure.
To contrast shopping, this was our rental car:
2009 C180 Kompressor automatic for 67 euros unlimited kms for 24hrs. That might be expensive, but considering a 2008 Mercedes A180 (essentially a bigger Smart car) was 73 euros for a day, definitely taking the C class. 220km (130 mph) on the autobahn? Worth it.
cliff notes: Day trip to Amsterdam with Philippe in the Benz
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Give me your best impression of James Bond
I love you man, the movie. Random? yes. Quotable? a little. Boring? no! And that would be the summary of a week spent with Anna.
It was a good day seeing a friend come through middle of the work day on the 783 (bus that stops in front of the company). But there is a challenge in Hilden/Haan. Conversation-ing isnt it. Doing stuff is, especially with the rain.
There was a French Festival (because of France's National Day) in town & naturally my French coworkers thought it would enhance my understanding of the beautiful culture of France (a rah huh huh). I do not have the pictures taken, so I'll do my best to describe it. A large crowd of people sitting by the Rhein eating psuedo french food & drinking wine with the rain coming and going every hour. But we did get to see nearly the entire city by foot and enjoy the psuedo french food.
The BMX World Championships were held in nearby Cologne, but due to the rain we decided against going. I mean what's so cool about doing insane tricks on bike anyway? Cooler than Hilden/Haan on a Sunday...
Yeah, everything is closed & Anna's a hoodlum. However, the day was salvaged when we got Donor Kebabs for 3 Euros at the third best Donor Kebab place in town WITH FREE SODA!
Donor Kebab: Chicken/Beef/Lamb in a sandwich bread with spicy & yogurt sauce, lettuce, sauerkraut, tomatoes, cucumber and onions. Comes in one flavor: Amazingawesome.
The rest of the week was spent watching movies, cooking (and by cooking I really mean eating rabbit food...the aroma of vegetables is still overwhelming, gotta love being healthy!) and adventuring.
I know that the simple life isnt always the fun life or the exciting life. But this time, it was the good life. Danke schon!
cliff notes: a second week of fun in a row? better believe it!
It was a good day seeing a friend come through middle of the work day on the 783 (bus that stops in front of the company). But there is a challenge in Hilden/Haan. Conversation-ing isnt it. Doing stuff is, especially with the rain.
There was a French Festival (because of France's National Day) in town & naturally my French coworkers thought it would enhance my understanding of the beautiful culture of France (a rah huh huh). I do not have the pictures taken, so I'll do my best to describe it. A large crowd of people sitting by the Rhein eating psuedo french food & drinking wine with the rain coming and going every hour. But we did get to see nearly the entire city by foot and enjoy the psuedo french food.
The BMX World Championships were held in nearby Cologne, but due to the rain we decided against going. I mean what's so cool about doing insane tricks on bike anyway? Cooler than Hilden/Haan on a Sunday...
Yeah, everything is closed & Anna's a hoodlum. However, the day was salvaged when we got Donor Kebabs for 3 Euros at the third best Donor Kebab place in town WITH FREE SODA!
Donor Kebab: Chicken/Beef/Lamb in a sandwich bread with spicy & yogurt sauce, lettuce, sauerkraut, tomatoes, cucumber and onions. Comes in one flavor: Amazingawesome.
The rest of the week was spent watching movies, cooking (and by cooking I really mean eating rabbit food...the aroma of vegetables is still overwhelming, gotta love being healthy!) and adventuring.
I know that the simple life isnt always the fun life or the exciting life. But this time, it was the good life. Danke schon!
cliff notes: a second week of fun in a row? better believe it!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Ananas
Also known as pineapple in german. Also a grossly misspelled version of Anna, who is here now.
Which means...
This week should be great (for me)! Company that speaks English and understands American always trumps dumbing down your sentences or clarifying words to the Germans/French Canadians.
This week should be good (for us both)! As long as the weather keeps the rain away.
This week should be fine (more for Anna)! As long as she doesn't get too bored.
This week should be OK (at the worst, I mean a place to sleep with cheap food to eat has got to beat the airport with some randos)! Let's just start there eh?
cliffnotes: Anna comes to town!
Which means...
This week should be great (for me)! Company that speaks English and understands American always trumps dumbing down your sentences or clarifying words to the Germans/French Canadians.
This week should be good (for us both)! As long as the weather keeps the rain away.
This week should be fine (more for Anna)! As long as she doesn't get too bored.
This week should be OK (at the worst, I mean a place to sleep with cheap food to eat has got to beat the airport with some randos)! Let's just start there eh?
cliffnotes: Anna comes to town!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
EdinCastle
That would be Edinburgh & Newcastle over the weekend, which was awesome despite warnings of swine flu and rain. Also, the sun kept out enough for a good three days (it rains more here than MD)! I was thoroughly impressed with Edinburgh, it is architecturally magnificent and with the sun out, it was simply stunning, a welcome change from Dusseldorf.
My pictures do not do it justice!
The English countryside, very clean and well kept, not some plain American lame.
But the point of the trip wasn't to see architecture or appreciate pastures (shocker!), it was to see Lissa & I was graciously introduced to her friends Emily and Rob! Being the Socialites of Ryton, they were naturally invited to many parties (2 in 2 days!). Just as naturally I bummed on for the fun, what else was I to do? The first of which was a community joint. Sure there was beer and wine, but really I just wanted to kick back and relax...in pink...
I know what you are thinking and I'm not that at all. Anyways the next day was spent helping for a young person's birthday, you guessed it, not quite as glorious. But when you spend the afternoon at Hadrian's Wall (think the Great Wall of England) and pretend to be Roman soldiers on the lookout for savage Scotsmen...
...you realize a couple of things, but mainly that the sights and sounds of a world so round are better in color & life's funner younger, a little dumber and when the sun doesn't shine and the rain wastes your time, when you are in good company, even those moments are fine.
Good times July 4-6, 2009! Thank you Emily, Rob & Lissa!
p.s. bonus points for spreading mahjong to the English! Just missing fireworks ;)
cliff notes: spent the weekend with Lissa, Emily, Rob on the English isle, its nice to see and meet friends!
My pictures do not do it justice!
The English countryside, very clean and well kept, not some plain American lame.
But the point of the trip wasn't to see architecture or appreciate pastures (shocker!), it was to see Lissa & I was graciously introduced to her friends Emily and Rob! Being the Socialites of Ryton, they were naturally invited to many parties (2 in 2 days!). Just as naturally I bummed on for the fun, what else was I to do? The first of which was a community joint. Sure there was beer and wine, but really I just wanted to kick back and relax...in pink...
I know what you are thinking and I'm not that at all. Anyways the next day was spent helping for a young person's birthday, you guessed it, not quite as glorious. But when you spend the afternoon at Hadrian's Wall (think the Great Wall of England) and pretend to be Roman soldiers on the lookout for savage Scotsmen...
...you realize a couple of things, but mainly that the sights and sounds of a world so round are better in color & life's funner younger, a little dumber and when the sun doesn't shine and the rain wastes your time, when you are in good company, even those moments are fine.
Good times July 4-6, 2009! Thank you Emily, Rob & Lissa!
p.s. bonus points for spreading mahjong to the English! Just missing fireworks ;)
cliff notes: spent the weekend with Lissa, Emily, Rob on the English isle, its nice to see and meet friends!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
The Brief Picture Update
So I know text is boring, considering my lengthy essay style posts I will be posting pictures as well!
In Chronological-ish Order
The day of my arrival in Hilden, May 22nd 2009...a busy day indeed!
Alex & his sister from Russia & at the wine festival with a German airforce pilot...achtung!
Frankfurt am Main
emo team building led to this sunset on the Rhein photo
& the rocktacular coworkers!
Through all the fun, laughter & the sometimes insane boredom still 'No sprechen Deutsch!'
cliffnotes: pictures!
In Chronological-ish Order
The day of my arrival in Hilden, May 22nd 2009...a busy day indeed!
Alex & his sister from Russia & at the wine festival with a German airforce pilot...achtung!
Frankfurt am Main
emo team building led to this sunset on the Rhein photo
& the rocktacular coworkers!
Through all the fun, laughter & the sometimes insane boredom still 'No sprechen Deutsch!'
cliffnotes: pictures!
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