My answer...
The Weekend Exposure Project is a weekly community event, sharing thoughts through imagery. Read about the Weekend Exposure Project and play along.
the heebie-jeebies
One of my boys was late this morning. Really late. I got quite worried and called my boss so she could track him down. Not ten minutes later he waltzed into the building with his dad. Thank goodness. He was only late on account of a doctor appointment. For lice.
I'm sorry, do I need to say that louder? For lice. LICE! Blech.
I am all clear, I can't stop scratching myself nevertheless.
I'm sorry, do I need to say that louder? For lice. LICE! Blech.
I am all clear, I can't stop scratching myself nevertheless.
Music Monday: Out at the Pictures
Today was, finally and again, a summer sort of day. I spent much time playing and hanging out in the sun. I laughed a lot and danced. And to keep up with this spirit, want to post a song that inspires you to shake it. In comes Hot Chip, an electro pop group from the UK. Their music will be sure to rock your socks. At least they rock mine. You will find the song in the side bar media player. Listen and be happy.
post: packaging
I have a HUGE pile of post to ship off tomorrow after work. Things I have been meaning to ship for a month but never got around to buying packaging. So yesterday I just decided to make my own. I heart reusing. 
Remember when I melted plastic? Yeah. That was fun. So I did it again and made some mailers. I melted together a few layers then used another strip for the seams. 
For packing nuts I took hundreds of tiny strips from an old catalog and accordion folded them. I have no patience to make a meal and nourish myself, but I somehow find the energy to spend hours folding paper.Already defaulting
Liebe Anne, my roommate, has her bedroom stationed directly next to the door to the apartment. She keeps her door nearly always open a crack so, as you're leaving, she can pounce and ask, "Wo gehst du hin?" She likes keeping tabs on everyone's whereabouts. So I shouldn't have been surprised yesterday as I was about to leave for the grocery store and Anne not only asked what I was up to, but produced this clip board to sign out. In this way we can know at all times where the other roomies are. I humored her, signed out, and laughed it off. Then I returned this afternoon and saw on the list: WHERE IS AMANDA?!? I am thinking this is about 65% joke and 35% serious. Hmm.
Wo gehst du hin? Where are you going?
überrascht surprised
Witz joke
WE: What has shown up for you today?
My answer...
The Weekend Exposure Project is a weekly community event, sharing thoughts through imagery. Read about the Weekend Exposure Project and play along.
Music Monday: Golden Phone
Happy Monday! I don't know about you, but my weekend was exhausting. My feet have been dragging all day and I need a little pick me up. This weeks artist is Micachu and the Shapes. It's experimental and upbeat. And this song, Golden Phone, has totally lifted my spirits today. Enjoy.
Check out their MySpace page
WE: What do you have no patience for?
My answer...
The Weekend Exposure Project is a weekly community event, sharing thoughts through imagery. Read about the Weekend Exposure Project and play along.
Will someone PLEASE draw a line already?
I like beer. Do you like beer? I am a huge fan. It was the Bayou, in Salt Lake, that converted me. With over 200 choices from around the world, each visit was a beer tasting. Comparing beers from one region/country, or comparing different lagers, pilsners, or stouts from everywhere. So I was of course stoked at the thought of moving to Germany. You know, the land in which the beer floweth over?
I was both right and wrong to get excited about that one. Beer is much more available here that Utah, though that's not so difficult. And it is much cheaper. But these insane Germans... can they not leave well enough alone? I present to you, the German answer to the girly drink. We have wine coolers in the states. The Germans have.....
Beer and Lemon. Very similar and offered in bars... Radler. Beer and Sprite. I wish these were jokes. And theres more....
I was both right and wrong to get excited about that one. Beer is much more available here that Utah, though that's not so difficult. And it is much cheaper. But these insane Germans... can they not leave well enough alone? I present to you, the German answer to the girly drink. We have wine coolers in the states. The Germans have.....
Beer and Lemon. Very similar and offered in bars... Radler. Beer and Sprite. I wish these were jokes. And theres more....
Beer and Grenadine. No. No. Exotic Grenadine.
A specialty of Berlin... wießbier with flavored syrups. Pictured here are raspberry and waldmeister.
I am sorry. You can read that one. I can't bring myself to repeat it.
And for those of you that can handle tequila on it's own without hurling, there's this lovely combination so you don't feel left out from the rest of us worshiping the porcelain throne.
Music Monday: After Hours
I know, not new music at all. But it is new to me. How on earth did I never listen to The Velvet Underground? Seriously. I have heard that they were influential, but never made it a point to have a listen. Their music was genius. What was new and experimental then has stood the test of time and I can't stop listening to them this week.
So go ahead and have a laugh at me for never paying attention. And also press 'play' over there in the sidebar. Okay, it's not a great representation of their overall work, but I simply adore this song.
Proving a Point
One bottle = 2,25€ = $3.14
8 Toaster Pastries = 6,49€ = $9.04
Cooking Spray = 6,79€ = $9.46
10 Tortillas= 3,49€ = $4.86
10 oz. Can Clam Chowder = 3,99€ = $5.56
And Oreo's? Yes, I can find them here but they were on SALE for 1,99€ ($2.77). For 10!
Lebensmittel ~ foodstuff
teuer ~ expensive
der Regen ~ rain
Kaufhaus ~ department store
angebote ~ an offer, a deal
WE: What cheers you up when you're feeling blue?
My answer...
The Weekend Exposure Project is a weekly community event, sharing thoughts through imagery. Read about the Weekend Exposure Project and play along.
Never a lost learning opportunity
As I was vacuuming today I was reminded of a great incident of an unintentionally funny language mix up. Of course I had to share it immediately.
When I was in high school some German kids were coming to the states to do an exchange and we wanted to host one of them. In order to know them better, each student filled out a questionnaire. In English, of course. And the greatest was from a boy who wrote, "I suck," which is the literal translation for, "I vacuum." As teenagers, there was no time lost teasing him about how much he sucked. I still think it's hilarious. It took some explaining on my part to describe the intricacies of language, but I got the point across.
I went back to my vacuuming only to be interrupted by this question...
Amanda, how many more minutes do you need to suck?
My belly still hurts from the laughter.
When I was in high school some German kids were coming to the states to do an exchange and we wanted to host one of them. In order to know them better, each student filled out a questionnaire. In English, of course. And the greatest was from a boy who wrote, "I suck," which is the literal translation for, "I vacuum." As teenagers, there was no time lost teasing him about how much he sucked. I still think it's hilarious. It took some explaining on my part to describe the intricacies of language, but I got the point across.
I went back to my vacuuming only to be interrupted by this question...
Amanda, how many more minutes do you need to suck?
My belly still hurts from the laughter.
Geburtstag Party
Yeah, so I often go on and on here about creating a community and making friends and I get myself all inspired. Then I curl up in bed with a book and am not to be seen for days. Yesterday, however, I walked the walk and went out to celebrate a friends birthday. It was my favorite kind of gathering, starting off quietly around the grill and slowly building with energy throughout the night, moving back indoors for a dance party then reconvening in the garden for a sing-a-long. At about 1:00 a.m. Luis (birthday boy, pictured above) decided that it was time to take the party public and we ended up in a bar in the old city.
Can I tell you all a little story? It's about the music. And Germans. And what is apparently cool. It has been my experience so far that a successfulness of a night out dancing is directly related to the number of songs everyone can sing along to. No, scratch that. Jump, thrash and shout along to. Which means: all the greatest hits of yesterday and today.... Top 40 stations are something I avoid like the plague, so in the name of dance, I have had to adjust my preferences a bit since moving here. What exactly does adjust mean here? Let's just say I was glad there were no hidden cameras to document me enthusiastically joining in with the jumping and singing to this and this. Also, to play right into the hand of German stereotypes, there was a very excited response to this one.
Geburtstag ~ birthday
feiern ~ to celebrate
tanzen ~ to dance
peinlich ~ embarrassing, awkward, uncomfortable
schrecklich ~ awful, dreadful, terrible
Music Monday: Heart It Races
What used to be A Song for You is now Music Monday. You may be asking, "why?" Well, I love music. No. I LOVE music and have a lot of it. I also adore a good show-and-tell session. So I am challenging myself to adding a song each week to share with you. I will keep the last seven (or so) in the playlist so there is always a selection to hear rather than just one song at a time.
So what is it this week? Architecture in Helsinki plays a wide range of instruments for a fun sound. The song offered here? Heart it Races
Check it out in the player in the sidebar. Happy listening.
Rose Colored Glasses
I went shopping and now the rest of my summer I will be looking through rose colored glasses. Just look how beautiful and happy that looks.
Post: Road to the Worlds
I have mentioned it at least once, my brother is a rock star. Okay, a pipe star. Bagpipe star to be most specific. And it is now just 38 days until I get to watch him compete with his band at the World Bagpipe Championships in Glasgow. This, dear readers, is a BIG DEAL. And lately, if you get me talking about it, I get all choked up and teary from the immense amount of pride I feel for him. Half my packing weight for this trip will be tissues, to be sure. So you can only imagine how excited I was when fetching my post yesterday and I got this:
That's right, a T-shirt. My mom rocks and got me this awesome band T-shirt (they are called Triumph Street) so I can be a proper fanatic while in Glasgow. I cannot wait. I am only cursing myself now, however, for getting rid of my "kilt inspector" T-shirt before moving away.
This wasn't the only exciting thing to grace my mailbox. My mom also included the ridiculous first issue of a comic book from a Rock-Bagpipe band, The Wicked Tinkers. And it's autographed! Now, a purist like my brother rolls his eyes at this group. But I am telling you, they know how to rile up a crowd and I love catching them at a rare pub appearance for an awesome evening of dancing. If you don't believe me you can check it out for yourself in this clip here. Their enthusiasm on stage is contagious. Oh yeah, and did I mention there is a didgeridoo in the mix as well?
And the other two books? Those I gifted to myself and also received yesterday. \The Philosophy of Andy Warhol is a hilarious view of life as narrated by the artist himself. His views on work, economics, love, and art are often funny, always a bit strange, and insightful. It is interesting to see how is brain connected thoughts and ideas. It is a book I pick up now and then, flip to a random section, and see what Andy has to say to me that day. One bit that has always stuck with me is this passage on Atmosphere:
I believe in empty spaces.
Wreck this Journal I feel both timid and excited about. It is full of instructions of what to do with the journal which include scribbling, defacing, dragging, throwing, spitting on, dribbling, sticking, burning, and ripping. I love crafting. I am creative. I am also orderly. I like lists. And I look at the perfect and new journal and cringe a bit at the thought of intentionally destroying it. Which is why it is perfect for me. A lesson in letting go, in letting things not be in there rightful spot. When I get the guts to make the first, defacing move I will post it here. Actually, I will document the process on Flickr just for fun, with updates now and again on the blog. For now, I think I will leave it pretty and perfect for another week or two.
That's right, a T-shirt. My mom rocks and got me this awesome band T-shirt (they are called Triumph Street) so I can be a proper fanatic while in Glasgow. I cannot wait. I am only cursing myself now, however, for getting rid of my "kilt inspector" T-shirt before moving away. This wasn't the only exciting thing to grace my mailbox. My mom also included the ridiculous first issue of a comic book from a Rock-Bagpipe band, The Wicked Tinkers. And it's autographed! Now, a purist like my brother rolls his eyes at this group. But I am telling you, they know how to rile up a crowd and I love catching them at a rare pub appearance for an awesome evening of dancing. If you don't believe me you can check it out for yourself in this clip here. Their enthusiasm on stage is contagious. Oh yeah, and did I mention there is a didgeridoo in the mix as well?
And the other two books? Those I gifted to myself and also received yesterday. \The Philosophy of Andy Warhol is a hilarious view of life as narrated by the artist himself. His views on work, economics, love, and art are often funny, always a bit strange, and insightful. It is interesting to see how is brain connected thoughts and ideas. It is a book I pick up now and then, flip to a random section, and see what Andy has to say to me that day. One bit that has always stuck with me is this passage on Atmosphere:
When I look at things, I always see the space they occupy. I always want the space to reappear, to make a comeback, because it's lost space when there's something in it. If I see a chair in a beautiful space, no matter how beautiful the chair is, it can never be as beautiful to me as the plain space.
My favorite piece of sculpture is a solid wall with a hole in it to frame the space on the other side.
I believe in empty spaces.
Wreck this Journal I feel both timid and excited about. It is full of instructions of what to do with the journal which include scribbling, defacing, dragging, throwing, spitting on, dribbling, sticking, burning, and ripping. I love crafting. I am creative. I am also orderly. I like lists. And I look at the perfect and new journal and cringe a bit at the thought of intentionally destroying it. Which is why it is perfect for me. A lesson in letting go, in letting things not be in there rightful spot. When I get the guts to make the first, defacing move I will post it here. Actually, I will document the process on Flickr just for fun, with updates now and again on the blog. For now, I think I will leave it pretty and perfect for another week or two.
Unabhängigheitstag*
Happy Fourth, ya'll. I stopped in to Münster's big hot dog station for a celebratory frank. My journey here has been exciting so far. It has also helped me see very clearly the things I love about my Heimat (home country). I am happy to be American and thrilled to represent another view of Americans overseas.
I am missing out on my sisters big bbq. I hope you all have a lovely plans with family and friends. Have fun.
Unabhängigheitstag ~ Independence Day
stolz (auf) ~ proud (of)
Heimatland ~ home country
WE: What's the greatest gift you can give?
My answer...
The Weekend Exposure Project is a weekly community event, sharing thoughts through imagery. Read about the Weekend Exposure Project and play along.
Open Call
Writing is not my strong point. It is something I have always felt sub-par at. Mostly, I just never know what to write. I am realizing that I have been in Germany for over a year and have relayed very little about what that is like... the culture, food, etc. So what I want to know is, what interests you? Would you like a more detailed tour of my city, reviews of food, or know what is happening politically? Do you have any preconceived ideas about life in Germany or Europe in general? I would love to hear them and relay my own experiences. I seem to do better creatively when I have some guidelines or boundaries in place.
So, please.
Pretty please.
With cherries, chocolate sauce and sprinkles on top.
Give me a piece of your mind.
And danke schön.
So, please.
Pretty please.
With cherries, chocolate sauce and sprinkles on top.
Give me a piece of your mind.
And danke schön.
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