zweimal, aber noch schön

Bodensee again. much more enjoyable.

as soon as i found out our departure time, i jetted off on my own. Konstanz is such a beautiful city! it had pretty close ties with the Roman Empire way back in the day and holds a lot of history in all the lovely architecture, gardens and statues.

[das Zentrum von Konstanz]

i wandered through another part of town from everyone else and finally got into the scene i remembered from the year before. tons of interesting stuff. definitely check out the album. i can't even begin to post everything on here.

[der Turm und ein Mann ohne ein Haus]

i really got into thinking about the presentation for SPE next fall. obviously i need photos, so i'm working on the door v. window idea. i didn't edit all that for the album (thought it would get boring), but i might load it separately when i get more images.

[Gesichter, Fensters und Türen]

i wasn't sure how far i had gotten away from our meeting point, so i hurried back and ended up with time to spare. insert silly little flower shots. the colors were very nice, to say the least. got a nice one with purple and gold for my ECU fans. there's also a Piraten Partei poster that i came across.

[der Garten bei dem Dock]

here is the highlight of this trip the second time around, though. the weather lacked beautiful clouds, so i took pictures of our group for two hours straight. people got used to my camera pretty quick and the images are a lot of fun. makes me even more impatient for that 50mm!

[Ana, Shiori und Miho zuhören Japanisch Musik]

[schöne Magda, Adam und Pavel]

also, Weingarten was much more enjoyable with a more open aperture and a wider angle. everything's still a bit blurry without a tripod, but i'm actually proud of myself. the fastest shutter speed was a whole second long! i appreciated the Basilica for what it was worth, even though the repertoire on the organ was exactly the same.

[Füß von der Engel]

there weren't as many motorcycles to fuel my lust, but the hills were just as nice. i've got more fun photos from the bus ride. all in all, i kept the photography streak strong and was happy with the variety. i should be, after filling a 2GB memory card and then some more! i'm also impressed with my time spent editing today. one more post to come about my first Oktoberfest experience. oh boy.

Abend um Fotos

so, i've finally gotten into the swing of things photo-wise. Oli, a fellow photographer from Sommerkurs, invited me out for a photo shoot in the beautiful Tübingen evening. while waiting, i found a three-legged cat, some boys in playing badminton in the street and a group of girls singing. i love the space that i have over here, time to think.

[spielend Jungen]

it was also nice to have company. i've been missing the art program a bit; impromptu photo outings with Nick, Bayaro, Aileen or Deanna. we went to Tübingen's castle just in time for a gorgeous view of the city and some nice dusk colors.

[Kugeln]

i ordered a 50mm/f1.8 on Amazon. i need to have a fast lens for indoor stuff here. i also hope to get some really sharp portraits. all my purchases now are pretty long term and i want to get good equipment that will carry over for when i can afford a full frame digital camera. i think i'm going to follow in Nick's footsteps and get a 5D with the same setup of my 30D. oh well, that's a ways away.

bis dann.

[the south part of Tübingen and the Neckar]

Überraschung-Geburtstag-Party!!!

oh, how i love Italians! i was walking home and ran into Gianluca trying to find me to tell me about a surprise birthday party that night for his fiancé, Erika. i had been running errands and was a little tired, so i rested in my room for a bit before i realized that i needed to head out primo fast to even have a chance of finding a florist. in my rush down the street, i did a quick u-turn when i saw a neighbor out tending her garden. mind you, i am speaking with an elderly lady with years of weight added to her dialect. i manage to successfully ask for some of her lovely flowers and run back to my room to change clothes. i then proceed to walk from Lustnau past Fichtenweg (4.4km) in the rain. don't know the Bus Linien so well, and just assumed that i would run into Nm.5 somewhere along the way. nee. i finally asked a lady at a grocery store and she pointed me to a Bushaltestelle that had a group of people speaking Italian with a case of beer. bingo. the rest of the night was sold.

Brinuccia is totally my new nickname. i am also covering a cheap notebook with lovely paper from the wonderful paper shops for the ever so nice Nachbar.

Leben von die Mönchen

funny how churchs stand the test of time better than most, eh? as unreligious as i am, it goes to say something.

our first class activity with Startkurs started with a bus ride to the most densely populated dorm area, from which we walked over some hills into the next town. the transition was a little ironic and made me smile.

[Bebenhaus]

Bebenhaus is a tiny little town with a Cloister. by tiny, i compare it to Glen Hope. hence, the picture of the Firehouse/Townhall combo. much love to the fam. =)

[Feuerwerk und Rathaus]

i know, there are fifty million old churches all over Germany and blah blah blah, but like the castle ruins, you can't really ignore the history. insert tangents on Martin Luther that take me back to music history classes.

[das Kloster]

sorry for the lack of writing. most of the photos are all about personal reflection anyway. i'm being a good student throughout the day. i've only just realized how little English i speak (other than too much time spent here and on Facebook). i've got a nice spread to work with between talking with other Ausländers, to my very understanding Leherer and to straight up Germans. actually, the ten minute conversation i had with a salesperson at the camera shop was the most English i've had since the weekend. sehr gut!

it's no St. Louis to me, but i hope that history and i get a little more intimate in the future.

ein bisschen von Hause

a bit slow on the editing, but this is from my last week in the States. two days before i left, my dad flew out to California to play in the National Senior Games. he and my high school wrestling coach finished 5th in badminton men's doubles. pretty good for 62. go Pops!

[die große Turnhalle von meiner Uni]

i'm seriously considering spending some decent money on a wide open aperture. still, i got to play with motion in the shots. sehr toll zu schauen! i've got to figure out what i want to prepare for SPE in March without being overly cheesy. any suggestions from the fine arts crowd?

[mein Vater]

the next Exkursion was nothing compared to der große Autoreise aus Juli, but this lovely little island has a place in my heart and i had to visit before i left. side note: when i have to describe meine Staat, i always mention Ocracoke ('cuz everyone LUUUVZ pirates).

[Luke and Dan playing paddleball]

in English, though, i can better explain the atmosphere of this place. there really is nothing else like it. one could say that people fall trap to it's allure and become beachbums, but what does this matter if you're truly happy? to each his personal own, but Ocracoke works for most.

[the ferry ride home]

natürlich i need something with a bigger rush, though. hence, the trip back to Swan Quarter was pretty fitting. my 'peace' of mind is better when thrown into unknowns. mistakes and mishaps are welcome. perfekt is relative just like everything else. ACHTUNG! leave now and go look at the photos if you don't like philosophic babble.

so, over here i feel right at home when everyone asks why i do things. i was a little defensive at first, with memories of the ever prude Amerika, but i gain confidence as my German improves. actually, i explained to a German dude last night that the language is so hard for me because, as an artist, i think on the level of subjective verbs and naturally, this is pretty advanced grammar and way over what my skill can handle at the moment. he was very supportive and i got a little boost about being a good American representative.

don't take the crack on the US too seriously. perhaps i have grown to love my country a little more, but (back on the relative topic) it's no more than cultural differences. i am happy that studying abroad helps me better explain my knowledge, because i DO have it. even here in Germany, i can pick out who is truly open. our world, unfortunately, still has a bit too much hate for my taste. at least, they take hate too seriously. i know i'm a bit of a free soul, but everyone has contradictions. zum Beispiel: i may live for the chaos, but it still needs tending.

which brings me back to my broken idea of 'home'. i have definitely found that, though big in actual size, the US is not big enough for me in/by mind and perhaps this is why i am plagued with wanderlust. Germany has proven the same, even with the restriction i have language-wise. again, don't think too negative. i am currently calling Amerika 'home', but for different reasons than most assume. namely, it is figurative as well as relative. =)

i could keep going. don't know where the energy level came from, but i should channel it in the direction of learning German. i am totally pumped about registering for my classes and getting this show on the road. i guess the waiting is a decent platform for making myself a little smarter. i'm never one to waste time, even if i'm not physically doing something.

bis später.

wissen nicht für was man wartet, kann eine schwerige Notwendigkeit sein

where do i start? after a weekend of rest and a solid week of editing photos and immatriculation, i don't know what to do with myself. since Saturday it has only been time for me to build up anxiety on my abilities this coming school year. it wasn't until Tuesday that i ran into some Lehrer i knew at the International House and had them talk down my silly preconceived fears. trust me, after the super fast-paced Sommerkurs, four days is like eternity. oh well, now i know a few more verbs, most of them in Perfekt and about half in Präteritum. still very slow.

[trockend Chili und Oregano]

my photos are taking after Aileen's study of her personal surroundings. nowhere near as elegant, though i am eyeballing a 50mm/f1.8 for 19€ at a local camera shop. i also bought a lambency shade for my flash. i have no earthly idea where i will be using it in the near future, but you might find some random self-portraits in my miscellaneous album. nothing special.

i always have the cows. there is one photo where i think they could hear my shutter and both looked up towards my window.

[Kinder von der Kühe]

Tuesday night i met with StudIT in the Ratskellar. it was wonderful to finally have real conversations! at the same time though, the past couple of days have been pretty boring in comparision. i mean, i make sure i go out every day. typically i just walk around shops and have snippets of dialogue with people in the store. i don't really like the idea of going out drinking by myself. it's kind of depressing to spend money with no purpose and it's not like i brought tons of clothes to dress for drawing attention. that's not my life in the States and it won't be here either.

which brings me to the question, what exactly, is my life going to be like here? nothing really begins until the school year starts. the wait is agonizing. who will i meet? what will be made from that? patience has not always been a virtue of mine, though i try.

[meine kaputt Kleiderschranktüren]

there are so many possibilities and i am open to all of them. i am waiting for things to happen, but with no anticipation, no expectations. sure, that makes adjustment easier, but what is 'adjustment' to me? i live most of my life like this. it almost dampens my motivation in a way, i guess.

i'm sure some people would say that thay would kill for this extended in-between time. i've been getting accquainted with everyday life, which is supposedly to hard for most, but has never been an issue with me. not to brag, but putting so much weight those kinds of differences are pretty childish. correction: pretty material, minus missing people from your environment. even then, though, i also call that somewhat material. i always rave about how well established a lot of my friendships are; to the point that i feel like they are always with me, despite not physically being present. not everyone is as lucky as i. i take back any condescension. apologies.

even the more distinct cultural differences, i was prepared for that. i am understanding. it's no big deal. the more subtle, but deeply burrowed characteristics, i fear, i do not have the language comprehension to understand. back to square one. i need school to start. i need to make friends with German-speaking people.

enter my recent thought process. ie: nothing but worry. oh, how i wish i could just road trip alone.

[mein Lieblingsmotorrad in Tübingen]

okay, so i slightly miss having a car. the independance i associate with it and use to full capacity is ever valuable. even moreso, i wish i could ride a motorcycle. it would be a release and a development at the same time.

other things i have discovered: and undying love for small crunchy pickles and gummy bears. who would have thought? the pickles are a nice munchy food and the gummy bears are just plain addictive. i didn't realize how fresh they were! the pickles are also considerably cheaper than olives. oh, my vices. that is enough for now, though. i must head off to the flea market to have a nice walk and some interaction. tschüß!

Sommerkurs ist vergangen =(

okay, i told myself that i would work back from the most recent photos and start off with a new post. took me two days. i've been pretty alone since the Sommerkurs ended and finally being able to work on my photography has been perfekt.

the past month has been chock full of fun and awesome people that i don't want to forget. here's our last day together:

[breakfast behind Hegalbau]

we got our final test scores, certificates for the course and time for goodbyes. our Leherin (Lena) and Tutorin (Sandra) were fantastic. we gave them gifts. kitchy, but full of love. besides, it's kind of hard to not be kitchy when there are some many different cultures trying to operate together in the simplest way possible in order to get things done.

[Lena practicing her new Ohashi with Yuko]

we also took time to relive our funnest moments, and make new ones! entertainment was never out of the question. even though i was disappointed how the course was mainly review, i wouldn't give the Sommerkurs up for anything. i have a feeling that i'll really appreciate the laidback attitude once things really get rolling at the university.

[Alice showing Takuya the video of us singing in class]

this hardly captures everything. ask me questions about people, places, moments, whatever! i could talk your ear off, but only if you want me to. ;)

[Alice and Giorgio acting out a bull fight]

after meeting with our classes, the whole group got together in the InfoZentrum. check out the album! we looked pretty silly with over a hundred people parading through town with balloons like little kids... or perhaps "99 Luftballons."

[walking up the hillside together]

still, i broke out the fisheye and got some great photos. it was the only way to get everyone, plus the sky was fantastic (fantastically horrible to edit) and one must have a beautiful sky when there are so many Luftballons. and yes, that was a big hill to hike up. it's not that exaggerated.

[setting our balloons free]

picture time again. with more people. again, ask questions. i've got stories for everything, plus more. ie: people who don't show up for things and are too much of a hater, Reece. =P

[Ayumi and Yuki]

the goodbyes were sad, but the hillside was pretty romantic. as much as one wants to say that the whole ordeal was cheesy, it still felt nice in the end. definitely more that can be put into words.