Sunday, September 30, 2007
Update on what is goin DOWN
Currently we find ourselves preparing for Oktoberfest on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We have been with Andy Dormanns here in Waldkirch, Germany, right outside the bigger city of Freiburg, Germany. I have not updated this since we were getting ready to go to Amsterdam...so i will give you a quick update of what we have been doing since then.
Amsterdam was great...we had great weather...we rose bikes around for a few days, i hit a pedestrian while riding one day in our only day of rain so far...Tim was riding about 50 meters ahead and in a matter of seconds, a girl about my age jets into the bike lane from the sidewalk without looking and the next thing i know we have collided...she fell on her back and i managed to stay on my feet. Tim had no idea of what was happening so he kept riding...but i got off my bike to see if she was okay and she was simply laughing out loud and she kept telling me "im okay im okay!!". So that was fairly exciting.
Amsterdam is really something else in comparison to the rest of the world. Tim and i had walked around the town for several days without walking in the big strip in the middle of the Red Light District. Then one night we found ourselves in a long strip of buildings with prostitutes in windows attempting to lure anyone and everyone in for a night of "fun". It was really quite the experience...and just about everywhere we walked there would be some mysterious character asking, "ecstasy pills?...cocaine...? watchu need?". You simply have to say no outright or they WILL follow you and continue asking. Even if i did need ecstasy pills or cocaine...i most DEFINITELY would not purchase anything from these shady folks.
Besides that, Amsterdam was a beautifully enchanting city...there was something in the air that made everyone very friendly and accepting of all cultures...there was something about the architecture...so simple...almost modest in its construction...if any of you ever get a chance to go...DO!
We have been in Germany now for a while with Andy. The town he lives in is very small and there is not much to do. But we have gone to some parties with his friends and we have met a lot of very friendly German folk. One party in particular was memorable. We arrived there about 22:30 and at about 1 in the morning the Father of the hostess came down with his Accordian and began playing popular folk songs that everyone in the room knew. So the singing began...and Tim and i did not know the songs but we quickly caught on to the hand gestures and some of the lyrics. This went on for about an hour straight...a GREAT time. Nobody ever breaks out in song like that in Seattle! And it was even better because it was the Father of the hostess...i tried to picture my Dad coming down and playing Trumpet during a party like this...the thought made me laugh out loud. No offense to you Dad...i just cant see it happening! The best part was when the Father looked at me and Tim, remembering we were from Seattle...and began playing Country Roads by John Denver. Everyone in the room began singing perfectly all the lyrics...and yet Tim and i did not know the lyrics...so we just stood there embarassed that these German kids knew OUR folk songs better than we did. But alas...in Germany everyone learns these songs for the very purpose of singing them together...unlike us Americans who do not know all the same songs. It was an interesting experience.
This blog is getting a bit too long...so i will wrap it up with a summary of our next week. We go to Oktoberfest as i said on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday...then we go to Amsterdam again for a few nights...then on to Berlin for a few more nights! We will then meet Tims girlfriend Sarah in Frankfort on October 10th and then come back to Freiburg until the 12th. We will then depart for Budapest to stay with some missionary friends of my Aunt Carolyn until October 20th or so. While we are in Budapest we will try to connect with Doug Jones, an actor who is shooting Hellboy 2 in Budapest...also a friend of my Aunt. (She has sweet connections). I spent a day with him in Vancouver a long while ago though, so i know him sort of. He was the actor who played the Faun in Pans Labyrinth...and the freaky white monster guy in the same movie. So that should be a great time!
I will be able to have pictures up on October 10th so sit tight until then or the next day...i will then have a cable to connect my camera to the computer!
Leave us some love in the form of your comments!
Much love and PEACE.
BJ
(ps excuse any gramatical errors as this keyboard is much different than my keyboard in the US...and i am far too lazy to go back and correct mistakes!)
Amsterdam was great...we had great weather...we rose bikes around for a few days, i hit a pedestrian while riding one day in our only day of rain so far...Tim was riding about 50 meters ahead and in a matter of seconds, a girl about my age jets into the bike lane from the sidewalk without looking and the next thing i know we have collided...she fell on her back and i managed to stay on my feet. Tim had no idea of what was happening so he kept riding...but i got off my bike to see if she was okay and she was simply laughing out loud and she kept telling me "im okay im okay!!". So that was fairly exciting.
Amsterdam is really something else in comparison to the rest of the world. Tim and i had walked around the town for several days without walking in the big strip in the middle of the Red Light District. Then one night we found ourselves in a long strip of buildings with prostitutes in windows attempting to lure anyone and everyone in for a night of "fun". It was really quite the experience...and just about everywhere we walked there would be some mysterious character asking, "ecstasy pills?...cocaine...? watchu need?". You simply have to say no outright or they WILL follow you and continue asking. Even if i did need ecstasy pills or cocaine...i most DEFINITELY would not purchase anything from these shady folks.
Besides that, Amsterdam was a beautifully enchanting city...there was something in the air that made everyone very friendly and accepting of all cultures...there was something about the architecture...so simple...almost modest in its construction...if any of you ever get a chance to go...DO!
We have been in Germany now for a while with Andy. The town he lives in is very small and there is not much to do. But we have gone to some parties with his friends and we have met a lot of very friendly German folk. One party in particular was memorable. We arrived there about 22:30 and at about 1 in the morning the Father of the hostess came down with his Accordian and began playing popular folk songs that everyone in the room knew. So the singing began...and Tim and i did not know the songs but we quickly caught on to the hand gestures and some of the lyrics. This went on for about an hour straight...a GREAT time. Nobody ever breaks out in song like that in Seattle! And it was even better because it was the Father of the hostess...i tried to picture my Dad coming down and playing Trumpet during a party like this...the thought made me laugh out loud. No offense to you Dad...i just cant see it happening! The best part was when the Father looked at me and Tim, remembering we were from Seattle...and began playing Country Roads by John Denver. Everyone in the room began singing perfectly all the lyrics...and yet Tim and i did not know the lyrics...so we just stood there embarassed that these German kids knew OUR folk songs better than we did. But alas...in Germany everyone learns these songs for the very purpose of singing them together...unlike us Americans who do not know all the same songs. It was an interesting experience.
This blog is getting a bit too long...so i will wrap it up with a summary of our next week. We go to Oktoberfest as i said on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday...then we go to Amsterdam again for a few nights...then on to Berlin for a few more nights! We will then meet Tims girlfriend Sarah in Frankfort on October 10th and then come back to Freiburg until the 12th. We will then depart for Budapest to stay with some missionary friends of my Aunt Carolyn until October 20th or so. While we are in Budapest we will try to connect with Doug Jones, an actor who is shooting Hellboy 2 in Budapest...also a friend of my Aunt. (She has sweet connections). I spent a day with him in Vancouver a long while ago though, so i know him sort of. He was the actor who played the Faun in Pans Labyrinth...and the freaky white monster guy in the same movie. So that should be a great time!
I will be able to have pictures up on October 10th so sit tight until then or the next day...i will then have a cable to connect my camera to the computer!
Leave us some love in the form of your comments!
Much love and PEACE.
BJ
(ps excuse any gramatical errors as this keyboard is much different than my keyboard in the US...and i am far too lazy to go back and correct mistakes!)
Monday, September 10, 2007
Hi Dublin! Bye Dublin!
Hello everyone! Sorry this has taken so long...but there has not been much time for an update. We just are winding up our stay in Ireland. Tim has been here close to a month and i've been here for a week...and we are packing up and heading to Amsterdam tomorrow! So here is the lowdown on our time in Ireland.
1. It is expensive. I have not ever been to a place more expensive...pints of beer are 5 euro...about twice what they are in Germany and basically anywhere else. The food is not any cheaper. For a good sandwich you pay about 7-8 euro...which comes out to 10 bucks. And there aren't any super markets where you can get cheap fixings for a meal...last night i went into a local 7-11 type store to look for almonds to tide me over...they had no almonds. They had cashews. I don't like cashews so that did not make me happy.
2. There is not much to see in Dublin. If you come to Dublin ever...come for a day, maybe two, there really is not much to see. Friday and Saturday get pretty kickin' in the pubs...and there is live music every night...but basically it's the same thing going on every day.
3. Susan Curry is a life-saver. Susan Curry, a friend of my Aunt, was hospitable enough to open her house to me and Tim for a few days in Galway, Ireland, on the West coast. During our stay, we got to eat for free and sleep for free. After Dublin, this was a blessing from God in it's most obvious form. Another thing...Tim has almost given in and bought a guitar because of how much he misses playing his...and i've felt close to the same way...but i've only been without mine for a week so i can deal with it. When we arrived at Susan's house, a beautiful thing happened...we noticed that she had a guitar. And a piano. And tamborines...and those little egg things you shake...and a bodhran...a traditional Irish drum. It was brilliant and that made us very happy.
Now, as i say, we're off to Amsterdam tomorrow. Leave us comments with more questions and prompts...because there is MUCH more to say but it's hard to think of it all in one sitting!
Cheers!
1. It is expensive. I have not ever been to a place more expensive...pints of beer are 5 euro...about twice what they are in Germany and basically anywhere else. The food is not any cheaper. For a good sandwich you pay about 7-8 euro...which comes out to 10 bucks. And there aren't any super markets where you can get cheap fixings for a meal...last night i went into a local 7-11 type store to look for almonds to tide me over...they had no almonds. They had cashews. I don't like cashews so that did not make me happy.
2. There is not much to see in Dublin. If you come to Dublin ever...come for a day, maybe two, there really is not much to see. Friday and Saturday get pretty kickin' in the pubs...and there is live music every night...but basically it's the same thing going on every day.
3. Susan Curry is a life-saver. Susan Curry, a friend of my Aunt, was hospitable enough to open her house to me and Tim for a few days in Galway, Ireland, on the West coast. During our stay, we got to eat for free and sleep for free. After Dublin, this was a blessing from God in it's most obvious form. Another thing...Tim has almost given in and bought a guitar because of how much he misses playing his...and i've felt close to the same way...but i've only been without mine for a week so i can deal with it. When we arrived at Susan's house, a beautiful thing happened...we noticed that she had a guitar. And a piano. And tamborines...and those little egg things you shake...and a bodhran...a traditional Irish drum. It was brilliant and that made us very happy.
Now, as i say, we're off to Amsterdam tomorrow. Leave us comments with more questions and prompts...because there is MUCH more to say but it's hard to think of it all in one sitting!
Cheers!
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