kein Bezug in Brüssel

so, here is my first official couch surfing experience. i'm not one for expectations, but everything was as good as i had hoped. Garry was a great host. it was sooo nice to get out of the academic world. not only that, he's a cameraman for a public news station and we matched at a lot of points on my photojournalism side.

we started a non-tourist tour at a market. note: go when the farmers are closing up because they will practically give away vegetables. Garry bought about 2 kilos of mushroom for 3€. i was later an assistant in slicing them all and putting them in the freezer.

the snow kept coming. the streets were covered and all i had was slightly too big pair of boots with no traction. though Garry commented that Brussels was not usually so quiet, it added quite an element in the photos. i was prompted to come again during warmer weather.

the photos from the park across from the palace are my favourite. there is something about parks in urban areas that i enjoy. it is obviously a manufactured setting, but it speaks a lot about the city. insert conversation with Francesco about how fabricated things can say just as much, if not more, than being candid. somehow i think it is unfair to try and judge a person on characteristics that are often out of their control. why not appreciate what they willingly share?

enough crap. yeah, so my head was somewhere else in Brussels. Garry described me as mysterious, but i suppose that isn't the worst reference to have on my Couchsurfing profile. i think i really needed the break from classes. speaking so much English was very strange to me; caught me off guard, almost as if i forgot who i was. i was too used to being the dumb American in Germany.

despite me being spaced out and Garry sick from Copenhagen, i managed to try a bunch of Belgian beers and wonderful food, as well as sight-seeing. cheese with celery salt is a great partner with beer! i was also very keen on being in the heart of a city. there was an edgy feel that i was missing in Tübingen. a success for sure. it was great meeting new people, exchanging music and whatnot.

i will definitely be setting aside more time for travel. still a lot of places on my to-see list. liebe Grüße!

latenight Luxembourg

really, this and the last entry were in the same day. about that 'getting up early' nonsense: yeah, kinda stumbled upstairs around 4am and didn't wake up until noon. then i had to finish packing. time swept by and it was 5pm before i left Tübingen.

so, bought the rail-pass in Stuttgart and didn't leave there until 8pm. yup, that gets me arriving in Luxembourg at 2am. and i left the directions to the youth hostel in Tübingen. thank god for Google. i vaguely remembered what the map looked like and recognized a streetname when i hopped on a night bus with no clue where it was going. add in luck that the bus driver was younger, cute and spoke German.

[Umsteigen irgendwo in Saarbrucken und ohne ein Gebäude während es schneite]

there was something in the bus driver's attitude that pleased me, reminded me of working overnight at Sheetz. gotta love night owls. i didn't feel the slightest bit out of place wandering blindly late at night in a city that mainly spoke French. the snow added a nice touch. i got off the bus and walked under this massive stone bridge by lamplight down a cobblestone path.

[Brücke von der Eisenbahn]

after the solitude of traveling alone, i had my first shock by throwing myself into a youth hostel dormroom full of girls sound asleep. i didn't bother trying to dress the bed in the dark, just put on my sweatpants and crashed. in addition to being the last arriving, i was the first to wake up. breakfast started at 6am. i woke up at 6, took a shower and headed downstairs for food. came back upstairs, one girl was awake and the others were still asleep. i began to realize that this little excursion might not be average, sorted out my baggage and checked out at 9.

[der Alzette]

i leisurely took photos, but walked in the general direction of the train station (which was not the route of the bus the night before), planning to get a glimpse of the schedule and call my host from CouchSurfing before i tryed getting into touristy things.

turns out that i forgot how short winter days are. i told the host i would arrive in the afternoon, meaning while it was still daylight. to get to Belgium by then, i would have to take the 1pm train. i decided that i didn't have time to try finding certain attractions and set out from the train station just wandering.

[Avenue de la Liberté und Avenue de la Gare]

criticize the brevity of my visit to Luxembourg all you want. you might be surprised how much i managed to get out of it. Luxembourg has the beauty of France without being too frilly, plus a touch of Germany and being nestled in gentle hills. not quite as harsh and Pittsburgh. nestled in, not draped over. i am careful with my descriptions, mind you.

i really do wish i had more time there. it's all my fault, but i take it as my little glimpse that motivates me to return.

"put your hands up for Detroit!"

enter: end-of-class festivities. before spending Christmas with Eva, i planned a week-long loop through Luxembourg, België and de Nederland. i was supposed to leave the day after classes were done, but Gianluca and Francesco were having their birthday party that night and i couldn't bring myself to miss it. what's one day? i wouldn't stay late and leave Tü early the next morning.

i was watching Enchanted with Diana an hour or so before, when they showed up at my door and asked if i would photograph the night. wasn't really expecting that, so i explained that i couldn't do the entire night. no problem. finished the movie, was surprised i liked it, put on my flip-flops and headed downstairs with my camera and *gasp* my flash.

i was feeling a bit stiff, but the boys gave me free run of the alcohol in the fridge and i took a beer to loosen up. insert mayhem.

[typische Italiener]

when i got to the point i felt more than buzzed, i took my camera back to my room and finished my night free from managing expensive equipment. not too bad, despite being slightly drunk. i promise you that the only shots i took out were ones with ganz hässlich expressions on people's faces. i call it success. no shots of the ceiling. no horribly off-center crap. the auto-focus was a difficult from the lack of light and a few are out of focus, in addition to me not knowing jack shit about using adjusting a flash. but overall, not too bad. i definitely identified some areas i need to work on.

so, not studio portraits, but check out the album. it was fun.

echt muss ich irgendwann meinen Blitz benutzen

so in the ongoing collection of Glühwein mugs, Esslingen was highly recommended. with an impromptu invite from my roommate, we left late in the evening and wandered trying to find the "Middle Age" Weihnachtsmarkt.

i know it must seem redundant, but each experience has been different right down to superficial souvenir mugs. for instance, the food stands in the Middle Age market were all from the era, ie: lots of open flame or stone oven cooking. einfach, aber lecker! i was also pleased to see that no one sold similar things. it was almost as if the merchants had to sign up for what they were selling.

there were also lots of activities from live music or medieval games. definitely cooler than your average ring-the-bell, shoot-the-duck sort of thing.

this week was lots of fun, beginning with Greg's birthday and a few days of hanging out with him and his visitor. Julian had a blast and insisted on coming back in the spring. holiday season away from home isn't killing me. =)

weil jemand Schokolade mag =)

after the first touch of Christmas in Heidelberg, the season broke open in Tübingen with a chocolate festival that we share with Perugia, Italy. since arriving in Germany, i have reestablished a love for chocolate, but this really tops it off.

[Schokolade auf dem Holzmarkt]

i mean, Ritter Sport definitely exceeds Hersheys and Eva had been bringing home Irish chocolate for years, but i never knew about chocolate with ginger or chocolate with chili. amazing! i got a set of pralines with some pretty odd mixtures of spices, nuts and sauces that convinced me that chocolate is a universal platform for deliciousness.

[Pralines]

by the weekend we decided on a cheaper option involving extra time hanging out with friends and had a fondue party. like usual, i wasn't keen on using my flash, though the light was terribly dim (also usual), so i let Pavel take over the camera for a moment.

if i want to get good photos of people, i'm going to need to break my flashless habits. this is especially so, considering how little daylight we have. though sometimes, i just want to relax and enjoy the moments i have while i'm here.

[Schokolade-Fondue]

Löwen streifen Heidelburg herum

okay, backdating time. Entschuldigung.

for once we managed to keep a group ticket to just five people. i invited Andrew to join our Startkurs crew and take some photos. we didn't leave too early. the trains weren't crowded. no plan, no problems. together we wandered until we found what we were looking for.

[suchen den Weihnachtsmarkt]

Heidelberg was beautiful as expected. i was hoping to see a bit of the university, but we spent a lot of time in the castle. i pointed out to Shiori that only one of the lions lining the outside of the building had his mouth open and then we noticed that every last one of them had a different face. couldn't get that small detail out of my head. thought of WWII. insert influx of wishing that i knew more.

[Burgruinen]

we found out that Davide would be going home to Italy for Christmas and not coming back for the rest of the semester. Shiori, Nikola and i immediately began planning a surprise going-away party. certainly nothing will be the same without his crazy attitude.

[Nikola, Davide und Arsch von der Pavian]

not much overall. it was our first trip together since the semester started and our first Weihnachtsmarkt. i had already had homemade Glühwein at a few parties, but discovered the mugs from the fests and promptly started a collection. my photos weren't stunning, but i enjoyed the opportunity for getting out of Tübingen for a day. i would love to get Andrew, Guy, Oli, Tillman and Penny together for a photo excursion. not too hopeful, but the thought is in mind.

warme Winter

i know, the title seems a little out of place, but it's how i feel. i'm enjoying the Christmas scene here. the Weihnachtsmärkt give me the same vibe as Oktoberfest. i know that in reality, everything is just as kitch as in the States, but i've brought back the "i'm just happy to be here" quote from Heath in Japan. can't think of a better way to put it.

we had our first snow. i was so happy that i put on a skirt with two layers of tights underneath and my new above-the-knee socks with the used boots i found for 20€, then rode in to town on my bike for the Markt. call me crazy, but you have no idea how much i'd anticipated that moment. i was prepared. the cold was fitting for the season. the colors looked different with all the whiteness the snow. the pedaling kept me warm. my camera was across my back. i was free.

[Schnee an der Wohnheim]

i took my favorite way into the Altstadt. from Nonnenhaus and the park, it goes up Pfleghofstraße to the church. etwas von dieser Weg klingt gut in meinem Herz. maybe it's the tunnel acting as a portal. maybe it's the beginning with thin alley ways and tiny restaurants. maybe it's seeing the intersection that is now finally through with contruction. maybe it's the uphill walking. the kicker is how Pfleghofstraße ends at Kirchgasse. you just walked up a hill, turn the corner, and then your view overlooks Holzmarkt. i usually just stand there for a moment a let the scene soak in. it is always a moment to be enjoyed; even the night before, when i went to see Feuerzangenbowle in the rain.

[Geist von Weihnachten vorbei?]

everything Christmas-like in Amerika comes from Deutschland, at least all the stuff that i like. it is amazing how much more sense the carols make! boughs adorn the stands. the one closest to me has roasted chestnuts. the smell steams in the cold air. i am so happy to be in Deutschland for Weihnachten.

[Weihnachtsmarkt, Tü]

i was photographing a man roasting almonds. he told me that in two minutes it would give off a lot of steam. it was similar to the photos with fire for the Feuerzangenbowle. i came back later to buy their almonds.

i snuck in a quick shot of a brat stand. i was looking at my camera when an older man working there used a skewered brat to get my attention and said "these are the best brats!" i took the cue to take a photo and smiled.

my favourite accordion player was out, as well as many other kids, a choir and a couple substantial wind instrument groups. i was most attracted to the sound of the clarinet today, but there was also a guitar player with wonderful tunes and a wonderful voice. i stopped in ice cream shop that i've been to a few times to break a bill for the musician (or perhaps i really like ice cream, even on cold days). the Kellner, who always politely asks if you would like a cup or a cone, said "you want that in a cone, right?" i warmed up my feet while watching passerbys from the windows that used to be completely open during Sommerkurs.

it was a wonderful day to be alone and just experience.

Dank gibt mehr als man messen kann

Thanksgiving. Thanks giving. To give thanks. Giving. Thanking. cause and effect. dialog. interaction. i wish i could always break things down so simply, aber das ist eine andere Geschichte.

[beautiful Thanksgiving view]

what a simple holiday, and yet it only takes a moment to uncover so many complexities. everyone can celebrate. all you do is share what you have, even if it is not very much. even just time spent together is something. Marie could only have an hour with us before she left for Berlin, but she wrote me a thank you letter. something American well received. my heart melts like Pap's turkey in your mouth.

speaking of which, my turkey was pretty dry. honestly, that's not bad considering i had to be in class for three hours while it cooked. i need some serious counseling on stuffing, though. i have no clue. it may taste alright, but it looks like shit. literally. no, more like the organs you have to pull out of the turkey. another side note: Oli totally knows about cooking the giblets. Grammy, i've found your partner. the biscuits flopped. in all of my fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants recipes, i really need to take more time getting to know the difference between baking powder and baking soda. the sweet potato pie was awesome, and the sweet tea too. the Texan liked it. today had a bit too much English speaking for my taste, but i guess it IS an American holiday.

[sweet potato pie with minis from the extra]

again, i have the most awesome roommates. Grégory gave me an American flag to hang, even though he knows i'm not so gung-ho about my country sometimes. it was funny though, when i was so careful to not have it touch the ground. i was alone in the kitchen this morning taking it down (only for special occasions), wondering what i was going to do with it, and then i remembered teaching Kirsten how to fold a flag in 5th grade. i'll save that for Grég later today when we eat our skimpy leftovers together.

quick shout out: 5th grade was amazing because i had the coolest teacher (Keith Hindman), who rode a motorcycle to school, and i had both of my best friends (Kirsten and Ashley) in my class. when Kirsten and i would take down the flag at the end of the day, i always loved the feel of the stars stitched into the blue fabric. thanks to Mom for giving me respect for Old Glory. she'll reprimand superior officers for displaying a tattered flag.

btw, i just made some bangin' turkey pastry.

Schloß im Nebel

so, we took this excursion to Hohenzollern three weeks ago. sorry. got a little caught up in living. the week after was a party in Geissweg, the Aufbaukurs Abendessen, Shiori's birthday party, Hungarian goulash with Gabor, helping Lisa for several hours with her resumé in English and an Abendessen with the roomies and a couple guests... all in consecutive days.

the slow, quiet day in the castle seems so foreign now. nice to flashback, though.

it was beautifully foggy, the first bout of cold weather. people complained, but i relaxed in the eeriness. plus, the stones of the building were damp and brought out the colors. gorgeous, in my opinion.

this was my first time actually inside a castle that had an inside to be seen. damn, bitch! check out that bling! you know how i am about woodwork. i spent a lot of time just looking at the ceilings. there are a couple pictures in the album, but the light was minimal and we weren't supposed to be taking pictures at all. haha! did you expect any less of me?

these were also the first death masks i had seen. i have seen dead people, and their faces, but not death masks. i love it! brought back memories of Robin's dad, Brent, working at a prison in Canada were they made death masks of all those executed. it's a wonderful surprise to delve into your reserves and have new experiences with what you already know.

after the castle, we walked back to the train station. again, complaining. i just took pictures and enjoyed the weather and the scenery. no beautiful pictures of a castle on a hill. reminds me of my first time at the Matterhorn. brought back slightly more pleasant memories of Asshole-E. doesn't make me regret my choices, though.

insert crazy, aforementioned week. next week = test on Monday (makes me feel like shit), darkroom photography (thankfulness that my life is not as crazy as when i was submitting to the photo program), brief chat with Tangredi (reminds me of Uncle Tosh), getting a package from friends (surprising flash of INSTANT homesickness, love you though), meeting Francesco's friends from Italy (amp up the missing-the-friends factor), talking with Guy (glad to contribute some photo knowledge and be well-received), bought a turkey with the roommates (thrilled that they are excited), Pirate Party (blow out the homesickness speakers), woke up with my painted-on eyepatch and felt right at home.

Sunday morning was very pleasant. the roomies enjoyed the eyepatch. we sat in the kitchen in our PJs and talked over coffee for a while. the weeks before had a vibe of stress coming from everyone. the parties seemed to work out the kinks. after we got everything out of our system, that morning there was a general atmosphere of camaraderie.

curious. perfect precursor to Thanksgiving.

side note: in several conversations that i have had about roommates, i have the best in the world. can't wait to share Thanksgiving!

btw, i also apologize for lack of captions. not feeling too creative today. grammar time in the studying, not vocabulary. you're smart. fill in the blanks. =)

normale Monat

i got a card from Robin this week. a photo that i took for the wedding was on the front. i read as i was going up the stairs to my Wohnung and walked two floors above mine. my memories of that week are beyond words.

my bike officially has only one gear now. it's not too bad, so i've been lazy about getting it fixed. Vodaphone put advertisement covers on everyone's seat. it was a very welcome surprise since i fight for sheltered parking when it rains.

we finally started Aufbaukurs. i got a sour reminder that in Sommerkurs and Startkurs, i should have been aggressive about getting into a higher class. Giorgio made it into B2 and i was very proud of him.

i didn't feel like spending money on posters that i would probably not take home, so i just hung orange paper on my wall. it's as good as painting, i guess.

had coffee with Guy and also a very nice American conversation. i've got my selective English speaking organized. Diana is for computer/anime geek talk and winter in the mountains. Frances-Kate is for smart-ass North Carolinian. Patrick for books and sailing. Gregor... once he gets rolling, it's out of control and i just go with the flow.

i randomly tried making cookies without any form of measurement and they were quite successful. i tried again and it was catastrophic. still, plain old chocolate chip cookies are in my lineup for Thanksgiving dinner with the roomies. the rest of the team includes turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, coleslaw and homemade popcorn. i'm debating about trying my hand at sweet potato pie.

got my SLR body in the mail. only one roll of slide film, but i'm excited to test it out. i missed the best part of Autumn for color. =( we still have the orange and red leaves, but not yellow. my favourite season passes by too quickly here.

looks like not too much activity coming up, so you'll get little blurbs like this. we'll see. Guy and i want to go to Stuttgart and check out the art museum and there is always the photo class.