All Sorts of Activities

March was a busy month for extracurriculars.

To start it off, I went to my first boxing match. It was the heavy weight world title match actually. Random. It was held in Dusseldorf at the local football arena.

Klitschko (Ukrain) versus Chambers (USA). Klitschko is a fan favorite over here in Europe – and was expected to win easily. Our tickets were pretty far away but we were still able to see.

Indoor pyrotechnics and light show.

The “let’s get ready to ruuuummmmbbblllle” guy was there to get things going.

Action shot

If this bout was in the states, we wouldn’t have been able to get tickets, so it was fun just to experience it. I learned that there are 12, 3 minute rounds. The fight went all the way to the 12th round when, with 15 seconds remaining, Klitschko KO’d Chambers. Boo! Fight over. Germans were happy. There was singing.

The next night, I went back to that same arena – this time to see Fortuna Dusseldorf Football Club take on another team. I would offer more information but I really have no idea who they played. I do know, however, that the game was a draw at 0-0 and was kind of boring.

European soccer... I mean football or fussball in Deutsch... is funny. As far as I can tell, the fans are just having a singing contest. There are flags, there are synchronized claps, chants, jumping and the occasional fire in the stands (don’t worry mom – that was nowhere near me and quickly extinguished). The atmosphere is far more interesting than the game if you ask me.

The greatest thing though is that Fortuna is in the B league, but still managed to pull out probably 40K fans for the game. Impressive.

Before going on to the next activity you probably need a touch of background. Several of my co-workers in the German office are into martial arts. Like WAY into martial arts – and all varieties. I feel very safe in the office because if anyone caused trouble there would be at least 4-5 black belted ninjas to take care of business.

One of my co-workers, Mahmut, actually is the reigning European Champion in Filipino Martial Arts. He and his brother own a gym and were offering a self defense class so of course Abe and I signed up.

Now, this class was probably a little advanced for Abe and I but we made the best of it. My only requirement of the class was that I wanted to learn how to flip someone.

Watch out would-be attackers – because now I can!

That about wraps up March. Stay tuned because April was off to a strong start with an Easter weekend spent in Majorca, Spain. Post to come soon!!

The List

Some say I’m a picky eater. I like to think I have a refined pallet.

Since moving to Germany – I have started to like, even crave, certain foods I wouldn’t touch before. I guess a piece of it can be attributed to eating out. I mean, I have an idea of what I’ve ordered but could never say 100% what will show up when they bring me my dish.

It’s been kind of fun.

I recognize only a handful of words describing the entrée and take a leap of faith. Most of the time, it works out. Sometimes, not so much… and you end up with Pork Knuckle (not my favorite). But hey, now I know the word for Pork Knuckle. It’s a new way to work on my German vocabulary.

Here are some foods that I have started to eat in the last four months:

Tomatoes: I always ate them cooked but never raw. Now, raw, they are a staple and I put them in everything.

Cucumbers: The only thing I’d eat before were pickles. How I missed 32 years of eating this vegetable I don’t know. I’m trying to make up for lost time. Love them!

Kiwis: sweet and delicious. I think the fuzzy skin always turned me off.

Oranges: I like the juice, always have. Could never bring myself to eat the actual fruit though – too much pulp. Now they make a great snack in the afternoon.

White Fish: I haven’t done this one yet… I’m not much of a seafood person but I have decided I really need to try white fish. I’ve been craving it and can’t wait to see what the verdict is. If I end up adding it to the list it will make my seafood-loving-Glen very happy.

Oh! I almost forgot Oatmeal: I think my father has this nearly every morning and I've always thought it was mushy and gross. Now it is my weekend wake-up call, with fresh fruit and brown sugar - Yum!


…who knows what will be next! Stay tuned.

This Aisle Intimidates Me...

Living abroad, there are certain difficulties you have to overcome. Grocery shopping is high on that list.

I was naive the first time I went to my neighborhood grocery store. I didn't see my non-existent mastery of the German language as a problem. How different could it really be? I could see everything right in front of me - I should be able to recognize what I need. Right? Wrong.

In the produce area, there are vegetables and fruits I am unfamiliar with, don't even get me started on the weird meat section that is not refrigerated.

Four months have passed, and over that time I have learned more and more about my grocery store's offerings. With Blackberry in hand - set to Google Translator - I've moved through the aisles identifying items as I go. There are quite a few things I still don't have a clue about (like the weird jello stuff that has chunks of meat in it) but I have definitely made progress.

For the most part, I pick up all the same stuff as in the states but I now buy milk found on a shelf, not refrigerated, and I'm ok with that. It's a start.

There is one aisle I have yet figure out - and I haven't even tried. Dogs, sausages, wieners, wursts... whatever you call them, they are available jarred, canned, large, small, diced, sliced, pickled, seasoned - anyway you would want them. And they are found here, in aisle 12. ENTIRE aisle 12.

I don't know what to make of this aisle. No one is ever shopping the aisle either. The packaging makes everything look like you step into 1985 too. It is bazaar and I'm not sure I'll ever master this area. I pass through it to get to the pickles but I get embarrassed, quicken my pace and move on. Even taking the picture above - I was all business: walk, snap, keep walking.

One of these days... I will buy a wurst from aisle 12. It may just take me a while.

45 Days Later

I have friends that blog. They make it look easy with their thoughtful and witty posts accented with professional looking photos they no doubt took themselves. When I moved here - I thought - blogging... what a great way to keep everyone up to date on the haps in Deutschland.

I have a lot to learn.

So nearly two months after my last post - let me update you on what has been going on in the Düs!

Went back to Boston for the holidays for a much needed personal morale boost and time with friends and Glen's family. It was exactly what I needed. I returned to Germany ready to make the most of my experience.

One of the first things I did after my return was make time for myself. I found a yoga studio 5 minutes from my apartment and started attending classes. I love it. It has been good for my body and great for my mind. It provides me with a sense of clarity and functions as my de-stresser. I try to go 2-3 times a week.
When you visit, we will go.

Another thing I did was come to terms that I was not going to find decent salsa around here. So now, I make my own every couple of weeks. I am currently perfecting the balance of heat, chunkiness and flavor. Stay tuned for pictures and a jar in a super market near you.
When you visit, we will make a batch.

In mid-January I went to Berlin for work. It was bitter cold - and only a few days after they had been dumped on with 3-4 feet of snow. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to take in the sights of the city - I saw some heavy hitting monuments and historical sites from a taxi window. But, I DID see the best sand castle ever... in the middle of a mall... 20 feet tall (at least)... the pictures say it all. Berlin loves them self some Michael Jackson.
When you visit, we will go here.

Please notice the size of the woman walking by.

Messages left for the Sand King of Pop

Right after Berlin I went to Euro Disney for work. Don't let anyone fool you - it is as bad as you've heard... I actually thought it closed years ago. Surprise! Still open! What I have come to affectionately refer to as ED, is not in Paris, but 60 minutes outside of the city in the middle of nowhere. It is not warm and sunny like its California and Floridian counterparts. It is not the happiest place in Europe. And it is most definitely not a place I would go again.

That being said - as an attempt to redeem Walt himself, they opened Thunder Mountain after hours just for us. I went on it four times in a row. Mom, Dad ...this may sound familiar. Yep, still able to channel my inner 7 year old and Thunder Mountain still kicks butt - even when it is so cold your fingers and toes are numb.
When you visit, we are not going to ED.

Right after ride number four on the Mountain!

French Thunder Mountain Miner & an action shot!

Sundays are still a challenge to fill since nothing is open. Nothing. Abe, Evan and I thought maybe Cologne would offer a little more since it is a bigger city. Nope, nothing open. But we did walk through the amazingly huge cathedral. Only 20 minutes by train from the Düs, I still need to explore this city.

When you visit, we will take your picture here.

Last weekend was Carnival - A regional celebration that takes over the Rhineland. There was a lot of build up in the office about Carnival. From what I could tell from everyone's stories - it sounded like Halloween. Five solid days of Halloween. I quickly realized I had the wrong idea when on the first day, Thursday, three strange women came into the office in costume, and fed shots to the guys in the office... at 11am. Nope, not like Halloween.

The first day of Carnival is called Ladies Night - where women cut off ties of men on the street and plant kisses on their cheeks. Also, everyone goes out, drinks, sings, dances - all in the street.

We were in the less crowded area.

Dan and Abe on Day 1

Day 3

Loved the guys costume with styrofoam skis!

C- for costumes. A+ for practical drink holders.

Parade was your normal family affair: kids, costumes, candy, German beer everywhere. ..and then there would be a float like this one - of a naked Angela Merkel (Chancellor of Germany).

The party continues straight through Monday - all of it with drinks, singing, dancing, costumes and parades. Everyone dresses up all the time - doesn't matter what your age - you wear a costume or you don't participate.
When you visit, if it’s Carnival, we will make amazing costumes… and wear them for 5 days.

So that is the long and short of what has happened in the last month and a half. I promise to post more often!!
When you visit, I'll do a blog post about it!

Yotel, Motel, Holiday Inn... Say What?

I'm sure 99% of people go a lifetime without staying in a hotel that charges by the hour. I, however, am not one of them.

On New Years Day, I rented a hotel room for just 4 hours. While it didn't offer the full service menu you might think, it DID offer free wifi, a flat screen TV, a comfy bed and clean bathroom complete with shower. All this, wrapped in a 6 x 8 pod of a room. The cost: 45 Euros.

Where is this little gem and why exactly did I feel the need to stay there for 4 hours? The Yotel Hotel (http://www.yotel.com/) is IN the terminal at Amsterdam International Airport... next to the food court... you don't even have to go outside of security! I had 8 1/2 hours to burn between flights and after just stepping off my redeye on New Year's Day, the Yotel was calling my name.

I took some pictures but don't think they fully grasp the small size of the room. The whole area can't be more than 6 or 7 feet deep. The bathroom is maybe 2 feet wide, the bed is a twin and the space between the bathroom and bed is about 3 feet wide with a small work table. It is definitely compact but perfect suited for my needs.

When you walk in, the bathroom area is on the right with a shower, sink and toilet.

The bed is to the left with a flat screen TV at the foot of it.

Here's a pic I took from the bed- looking at the bathroom (you can see my reflection in the mirror).

The Yotel is no 5 star hotel, but I would recommend it to anyone that needs to refuel after a long flight or just wants to rest. It was clean, no nonsense and makes for a great story! Check out their website for more pics and information!

December Dance Party

Back in the states there is no budget for Holiday parties. The AVPs cover the cost of that themselves if they choose to do anything. Of course, there is usually a lunch in there someplace but there is definitely nothing extravegent.

Then there is the Düsseldorf office. Small enough it's budget apparently still flies under the radar. Imagine how surprised I was when I received an invitation to "Dine and Dance at our Red Carpet Affair."

The party was true to its name with a red carpet, photographer, two singers, a live saxophone player and DJ. Also, most importantly, a select open bar to help facilitate the dancing part of the evening no doubt (or so I originally thought).

The party was held on a Friday after work at a hotel in the Düs. Myself and a handful of others, worked the full day and went home to get ready. It is fair to say that most took at least the afternoon off if not the entire day in order to get dolled up. And did they ever - TK's never looked better.

Reuben and Abe doing the "Jersey Wave" in their tuxes.

Susa looking sharp!

Ev and Katie all dolled up.

Chris and Jans

But let me tell you - these Germans love to dance. As soon as the music started playing they emptied their seats and hit the dance floor. The alcohol intake may have helped but it was by no means necessary - they were ready to cut a rug from the get go! I don't think the party stopped until at least 3am.

Here are some of my favorite pics from the evening. These are just my pictures though, the photographer that was snapping away on our Red Carpet put all of his photos on a DVD that each of us was given a couple weeks later. Ahh the memories.

It's amazing how a little Holiday Party makes you forget those long hours you've been logging at the office. After the year these people have had, nobody could keep Baby in the corner and people were servin' it all night long!

Türkei Tag

I can't believe I forgot to post anything about Turkey Day (Türkei Tag for all those practicing their Deutsch along with me).

It was strange to work on Thanksgiving. It is pretty much my favorite holiday and this experience confirmed that. I love everything about it, from hectic preparations in the kitchen to lazy after dinner digestion. And, let’s not forget the mass quantity of food intake. I mean, you eat dinner at least three times that day.

On the day of Thanksgiving the five of us decided to go out to dinner to ensure we had a great meal. It was no substitute but it served its purpose.

The Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend we all pitched in to make a real Turkey dinner and it turned out really well. Katie and Dan hosted and took care of the Turkey. The rest of us supplied stuffing, veggies, salad, potatoes and dessert. I have to say – the spread was impressive and totally hit the spot!

We rode bikes everywhere!

One of the goals while living over here is to see as much of Europe as possible. My first trip was a two hour drive with Evan and Abe to Amsterdam after work on a Friday.

Friday was pretty mellow, just wandering around until we found a place for dinner. Of course we managed to book a hotel next to the Red Light District so our wandering included the sights that area of the city has to offer. A strange thing to take in with co-workers.

Saturday was our big day. We ditched the car and rented bikes, the perferred method of transportation in the city. It was amazing to ride through the streets of Amsterdam with the thousands of other bikers. It was a great way to take in the sites while getting from point A to point B. Sidenote: Cycling was such a success that all I want is to find a "Hollander" bike back in the Düs, they are amazing! The fact they weight 50 pounds makes them indistructable too.

We intended to stay through Sunday but after a full day of museums and bike riding on Saturday, we went back to our hotel to rest before deciding how to spend the evening. I fell asleep and woke 30 minutes later to Evan and Abe screaming and standing on their beds. Rewind 10 seconds to Evan, laying on his bed, messaging with friends, when all of a sudden, a mouse runs across his body. He (obviously) was startled and jumped up on his bed and had some choice words. This woke Abe who followed suit.

The mouse was thoroughly disgusting and we decided there wasn't anything the hotel could do to make us feel better. So, at 9:30pm that Saturday, we packed it up and head back to Germany. Hey, saved us the cost of a night's stay in the hotel and with the city only a two hour drive away - there will be plenty of opportunities to go back.... after having done more research on hotels of course.

A great first memorable trip!