der Lange Nacht

Der Lange Nacht der Museen, a night in which over 100 museums are open with constant bus access until 2 am at a cost of 15 euro.  For the past few weeks I would stare blankly at the advertisements for this event and tried my best to lodge the date in my mind.

'august 27th, saturday, august 27th, saturday, Potzdamer Kulturforum......go. go. GO!' 

BABY CHIMP ousfboasdcigiKWBDJlis

This past weekend I was in charge of the boys as their parents went to a Wagner festival in Bayreuth.  This involved taking the boys to the swimming pool Friday, cooking them dinner, and keeping them busy until bed.  This went smoothy as I was able to get a few laps in at the pool and a few chapters of my Michelangelo biography read, and there is nothing better to keep a child busy than a healthy dose of cartoon network.  While they stared slack-jawed at the episode of Ben-10 as I sang in the kitchen whilst I prepared ravioli from scratch as my lunch for the next day.

Saturday came with drastically different weather than the high 80s of Friday, but the boys and I were undeterred in our efforts to view the animals of the Berlin Zoologisches Garten.  This zoo is AWESOME.  needless to say when I walked through the Affenhaus (ape-house) I went ape-shit (tee hee).

"Flußpferd" in German =River horse, or Hippo

The zoo showcased a wider variety of animals than I have seen in a single park before.  All within grand enclosures in a beautifully manicured garden sporting wide boulevards and decorative fountains that seemed to extend from the adjacent Tiergarten (translated as beast garden, Berlin's equivalent to central park).

I think I may have been more excited about the animals than the boys were....HIPPO!

Performance art at Kulturforum

Once home the boys rolled around on the couch bored.  I countered with the offer of Nerf-kämpfen (nerf gun fight).  We hustled upstairs and loaded up.  I sometimes think I take this stuff too seriously, cutting corners and clearing rooms along military procedure.  The boys and I have fun popping darts at each other until Christian comes home allowing me to go out into the Lange Nacht.

Hasselhoff at Checkpoint Charlie

I plugged in my headphones and listened to soothing music as I perused museum after museum.  The Bauhaus Archiv, The Humboldt Box, the DDR Museum, Berliner Dom, Checkpoint Charlie.  It was a great tour of many amazing museums, unfortunately I was unable to locate the Berlin Currywurst Museum....

After my cultural enrichment I decided the night was not over and that I required some social enrichment.  I picked up a half liter of bier and began to walk along Oranienburger Straße.  This street is lined with bustling bars and popular restaurants of every variety. 

I took out my headphones in order to better ingest the sights and sounds of this part of town.  I walk past troops of males marking their territory and flocks of females clamoring, parading their colors.  As a lone 3rd party I have a unique view on the happenings around me.

Along this street are also stationed a fair amount of prostitutes.  How do I know they are prostitutes you ask? Well I am not entirely sure, but I believe somewhere there is a Whores-R'-Us, and in this fine establishment they solicit the makings for a woman of the night.  And if this place does exist, then all of these women that I passed had most definitely frequented this provider of fish-net stockings.

And as a lone man walking down the street I become like light to flies, I am the light and the swarming flies are the prostitutes.  I wave off the attention of these plastic-leather bound ladies, for I do not desire their services or company, but as I pass more of them I begin to contemplate their story.  I wish to simply engage them and seek insight into their lives (I don't actually do this of course), but I still wonder....

The train ride home is long and as drown the rush of the tracks out with a random shuffle on my ipod I examine the ever-changing landscape of passengers.   With each rider that enters and exits the rail car I try to imagine their individual story.

New faces, new stories.

The middle-aged couple in coordinating raincoats, the leather strapped and tattooed youths slumped in their seats, the scruffy PHd student opposite me and his rucksack bursting with papers.  Where are they all going at 2:30 am on a Sunday morning?  And do they question my station on this train as well? Or am I simply experiencing the drunk ramblings of my inner-dialogue?

Oh, the joys of private philosophizing on the early morning train...

End of Week Two

My language school

Having just finished my 2nd week of language courses and real work I have begun to settle in nicely.  My first week here was rather eventful with many friends from back home passing through Berlin and wishing to imbibe copious amounts of German Bier with me.  When it came to these forays into the city I was reluctant but willing as I needed to wake early every morning but wished to see those familiar faces.

New Favorite Bier! Dunkel Weißbier

I first met Pat and Kevin, two fraternity brothers, at their hostel on Oranienburger Straße.  I led them along the East Wall Gallery then into the neighborhood around Warschauer Straße.  We stumbled upon an interesting plaza nestled in the remains of a bombed out train depot.  tables and benches peered out from the shade of thin trees onto a rock-climbing club 'Der Kegel'.  Those lanky men that move like spiders up the old walls of the crumbling structure are able to look down upon Europe's largest indoor skateboard park and the weave of graffiti that coats its surface.  I would later take Hannah to this same spot, a new favorite of mine, as well as share a new favorite beer, Dunkel Weissbier (dark white beer).

Graffiti at the train depot

The next night I join the boys and two other fraternity brothers of mine (Chris and Jeff) in order to explore the streets around Hackeschermarkt.  Many beers and more footsteps bring us to a bar in front of Tacheles, an artist coop housed within a structure that seems ready to collapse upon the taxis below.  I had anticipated a rough morning going into this night, but I did not anticipate arriving home just in time to prepare breakfast and coffee for the family at 6 am....I had fallen asleep on the train home and was awoken by a passenger at the line's end-station.  The only sleep I gained that night was about an hour and a half upon the train...splendid.

Future Climber watching man tackle der Kegel

Later that same week I was met by Grace and Jordan with whom I walked around Kreuzburg with beer in hand marveling at the beautiful Altbau (old building) buildings and sharing individual experiences from our times abroad.  Nothing spectacular was accomplished this night, other than some intense foosball matches,  yet I still managed to miss the last U-bahn train and get lost in the network of bus routes.  After several hours of stumbling on and off buses, I was dropped in front of a bus that read destination 'Zehlendorf'.  Thats my bus.  As if some higher power had lost interest in watching me ride aimlessly around the city and threw me a gimme.

At the end of the week I picked up Hannah from Schönefeld Airport in Susan (my Kia).  The weather was gorgeous and sunlight melted upon the green trees and open fields along the winding country road to the airport making for an enjoyable ride.  Few words are exchanged by Hannah and I whenever we meet after long stretches of time, the human urge to overpower silence with verbose hollow conversation gives way to the opportunity for a more subtle and intimate communication.

Hannah enjoying Raddler (beer and lemonade) @ der Kegel

Once home I gave Hannah the house tour and introduced her to the family in person after multiple cameos on skype conversations.  I later tricked her into eating a risotto with Pfefferling mushrooms (she hates, no, LOATHES mushrooms).  She enjoyed it. After dinner we went into the city to meet Jordan and Grace.  After a long night of wandering between failed objectives we parted ways and wished the girls safe travels as they were to leave early in the morning for Ireland.  

Tango on the Spree

The next day Hannah and I went into the city for a long day of sightseeing and meandering.  The day was long and hot and after much hysterical laughing brought on by exhaustion Hannah and I rested upon a grass hill along the Spree river.  This spot was situated in the shadow of the Boden Museum and overlooking an outdoor dance floor where couples slowing twirled with the yawning of lazy Tango music.  Onlookers sat adjacent and enjoyed bier, wine, and fresh pizza from a nearby Italian pizza oven.  Here also stood a small wooden theater from which howls of the actors and laughter of the audience spilled over into the Spree.

We are....well we're special....

As Hannah and I enjoyed the sunset in the span of pedestrian bridge she admitted that Berlin had captured her affection as it had mine, not through the grandiose monuments of cities like Paris or Rome, but through the sublime energy that emanates from unpolished and humble streets that make the largest city in Germany seem the easiest to settle into.  

Sloth overcame Hannah and myself the rest of the weekend as I my body pleaded for respite after firing on all cylinders that week.  My first week of actual work was filled with equal amount of fun, I promised Anja and Christian that if I were to play hard I would work hard.  Christian laughed and shared a similar German version of the phrase.  Looks like I will be working quite hard this coming year....

The Wall

[Disclaimer] This blog entry is really old....


Yesterday was my father's birthday, and coincidentally yesterday was the date that the Berlin wall was constructed.  I find this funny because my birthday, nov. 9th, is the day that the wall was broken.  In the interest of history I ventured into the city in order to walk the East Side Gallery, a large span of the wall left intact and used as a canvas for international artists and their messages of peace.

I began by taking the S-Bahn to Warschauerstraße [if i haven't clarified this symbol ß is read as two s's, so ß = ss just fyi].

As the train sped over the cityscape buildings and plazas began to look familiar and evoke my trip here one year ago.  A smile grew upon my face as I stepped off the train and up a flight of stairs to reveal an impressive view of the river and the TV tower looming in the distance. 

It is hard to believe that only a few decades ago this thriving metropolis (one of the largest in Europe) was divided through the middle by two 5 meter tall steel-reinforced concrete walls with automated turrets scanning for the next person brave enough to ford the no-man's land between them.  

Brandenburg Tor today

As I walk along what used to be the physical embodiment of hate, and division I am glad to see it littered with people of all ages, nationalities, sexes, and sexual orientations enjoying the art, the river, and the sun. 

Today I met with two fraternity brothers of mine at their hostel and gave them a mini-tour of some key locations.  I opted to seek out the gritty Berlin over the gentrified tourist areas of the city.

Brandenburg Tor with the wall

Tomorrow morning the boys begin school and I begin language courses.  Now I am relegated to a 630 wake up every week day in order to herd the boys out the door.  wooooo

The Opera and Mondsee

Salzkammergut (the area around Salzburg) becomes shrouded in a dull gray haze as I board my train for München.  Today shall be the first time I have seen my girlfriend Hannah in person since the first week of July.  She has just arrived in München as an Au Pair for a young family in the Englishgarten district.  This short trip to München is a welcome respite from my stay in Plainfeld. 

Recently the families have been attending operas and theater performances regularly, leaving myself and the Wallisch family’s helper Ivana in charge of the 4 kids.  Last night I had to play the bad-guy and constantly snatch electronics away from the kids in keeping with their parents’ wishes.  They think they are quite sly but they are in actuality very poor liars. 

The kids are shocked when I tell them this is fake...

“Yeah right, I am sure your mother ‘always’ lets you watch WWE wrestling”

The other night I was lucky enough to accompany the family heads for a night at the opera.  We had tickets to see Die Frau Ohne Shatten [the woman without a shadow] by Strauss.  This particular opera is said to be one of the most complex, and of this years festival one of the best. 

I clean up rather nice

I had figured that the few nice shirts and slacks I had brought would warrant me entry into this production….I was very wrong.   Christian and Anja insisted I wear a very expensive suit of Christian’s along with a bow-tie (clip-on of course). 

Once we made it into Salzburg we headed toward the 3 major theaters under the shadow of the imposing city fortress mount.  The theaters sit along one street on the northern side.  Along this long straight street theater-goers dressed in their best hummed along the theaters champagne flutes in hand while tourists weighed down with phanypacks and cameras admired from the other side of the street, a long line of limousines forming a barrier between the two groups.  I walked behind the families and was at one point likened to their bodyguard due to my imposing build and ever-present sunglasses.  Beverages that after quick consumption laid upon our small table at a temporary theater bar were enveloped with volutes of cigarette smoke. 

My host parents Anja, Christian and myself

It was a surreal experience; I felt that my rough hands and sun-soaked skin highlighted me as an intruder into this upper-echelon culture. 

The Opera was comprised of 3 acts each rough an hour in length with 2 20-minute breaks.  German and English subtitles aided me in translating the beautiful tones that resonated from the performers.  We were seated in the 9^th row center-stage, I could not believe it, upon inspection of my ticket I discovered the price of my presence here, 370 euro.  I was on high alert, “ I MUST APPRECIATE THIS OPERA!” I told myself.  All of my senses were keen on soaking up every element of this performance. 

The show was beautiful in many ways, and afterwards we enjoyed an amazing meal with bottles of wine and champagne that I likely will not be able to afford until much later in my life.  The entire evening was a taste of ‘higher living’.  I tried to show my appreciation of the performance to my hosts and they praised me for ‘surviving’ and enjoying a form of entertainment not typically appreciated by my age group. 

Beach at Mondsee

The following day was much less stiff and offered opportunity for immature behavior.  Once everyone woke we piled into a van and drove a short 5 km to Mondsee.  This large lake and its impressive setting appear quietly over the green hills and milk farms.  We entered a paid beach area that offered food facilities, showers, 2 waterslides, and multiple floating playgrounds in the water.  I assisted the adults in establishing our piece of grass and lathering the kids in sunscreen while they shook with anticipation for the water.  The weather as of late had been unpredictable and the fiery sun of this day was heartily welcomed.  The kids called upon me to go everywhere and do everything with them.  I acted as a propeller for a small raft that the 4 kids clung to.  The water was of a perfect refreshing temperature and despite my poor swimming abilities I did not wish to venture back onto land. 

dinner

After a long day bathing in the water of [Moon Lake] Mondsee and the fire of the sun we loaded the van and drove to a small fish farm.  Here one can rent fishing polls and fish the pond, paying for your bounty by the kilo. 

“I will show you how to fish!” exclaimed Louis eagerly.

I offered a thankful and excited response when in my mind I thought “show ME how to fish?!?! Move child.”

I caught 4 out of the group’s total 6 fish.  After my 4^th I was invited to relax with a bier, I accepted and committed myself to aiding the children in their casting techniques. 

The fish we caught were local Reinanke, sort of a mix between a trout in salmon approximately 15 inches in length.  Once we finished Charlie and myself gutted and cleaned our catch which we would barbeque and eat that night.  My nostrils welcomed the familiar smell of fish blood and my skin the glow of the sun, a perfect day.

As of late I have committed my free time to the production of watercolor paintings.  Whereas before long bouts of xbox or trips to the bars with friends would consume my nights, I now find myself painting and sketching with vigor under a lone light of this small village in the early morning hours.  The constant presence of a pencil and brush tucked on my ear has warranted me the nickname der Maler [the painter].  For some reason I have always collected names other than my own… For the past 4 years I was known as Espy throughout the Greek community of UO– a shorthand name for Espinosa.  In the dorms I was dubbed Brick, an obvious allusion to my physique and its stark contrast to those starved bodies of the Art and Architecture dorm.  Now in Austria the families have began calling me Dave without my suggestion.  It seems that the only people in this world destined to call me by my given name David are a few friends and family in California, even then my closest family members refer to me as Day-day.  And yes, I do immediately regret sharing that embarrassing name on the internet… 

Österreich

For a man my age I have been lucky enough to experience many fulfilling things.  As of late I have done many things that will stay with me and bring a smile to my face until the day I die.  The awe of a high sierra sunrise, the security of lifelong friendships, the warmth of a kiss from the one I love.  This morning I created another wonderful memory.

Freisinger Hof, if you need a place to stay in Munich, stay here

Yesterday the Greiff Family and myself drove from Munich to Salzberg, Austria.  The ride alone was beautiful, scenes worthy of postcards.  Small villages with onion-domed churches were sprinkled throughout the hidden valleys along the autobahn, each one enticing me to abandon the highway and explore what they each had to offer.

The house in Plainfeld

We had left the Freisinger Hof hotel in Munich, an establishment owned by family friends of my au pair family, for their brother's home in Plainfeld, Austria.  The father, Charlie, is head chef of the Freisinger Hof restaurant and bestowed upon us the past two days a bounty of Traditional Bavarian dishes and cherished regional liquors.  We would be staying here in Plainfeld for the next two weeks in order to enjoy the classical music festival in nearby Salzburg.

The Greiff's and I left for Salzburg early and would be waiting for the Wallisch family as their two children, Katharina and Johannes would not be released from school until 11 am.

We arrived in Salzburg and crossed the Salzach river into the historic district, a cluster of baroque structures overshadowed by the impressive fortress above.  Our cars dove underground into a parking garage created in the hollow of a large monolithic geology sheltering the well-preserved city center from the modern periphery.  We ate lunch high above the city with impressive cuisine and an even more impressive command over the Salzach below. 

View from the restaurant

The main street packed with tourists

After lunch we ventured into the historic district and joined the masses of tourists filing through the main street.  Each store holds expensive wares related to either Mozart (he was born and lived here), traditional Trachten clothes (fancy regional dress like the male Lederhosen and the female Dirndl, we saw articles of clothing priced at over 3000 euro), or cheesy tourist goods. 

We eventually made our way back to our cars and drove approximately 10km out of the city to a small village nestled in a small valley hidden from the main highway.  The Wallisch house overlooks the village of Plainfeld and throughout the evening was flooded with more and more guests.  With each new guest came another open bottle of champagne until dinner.  After dinner I walked into a room where the four children were playing to be greeted by Johannes and an unexpected question.  "willst du Ecstasy oder coke?" [do you want ecstasy or coke?].
.....WHAT!?!
The kids were pretending to be like Amy Winehouse.............yup.....they were smoking "joints"[wood board game pieces] and 'passing out'.
.....I....love....children.....

This morning, I woke and promptly prepared for a jog that I had vowed to do the night before.  The run started rather shaky as I have not had time to exercise with such transition over the past few weeks.  But once I made my way out of the valley I fell into a rhythm. 

Now, I must say that the band Explosions in The Sky is utterly AMAZING!  But if you are jogging through a nice area they are doubly amazing.  And if you have a chance EVER to walk or run through the Austrian countryside with explosions in your ears, TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY.

Plainfeld

My feet carried me along winding roads through the smallest of villages past milk cows chewing cud and upon surprised deer that like ghosts vanished once recognized.  My breath hung heavy in the morning mist and rain poured intermittently upon my shoulders.  The hills rolled endlessly.  At one intersection of tractor routes I dipped into the Austrian forest for some meditation and urination.  Amongst the serenity of the trees I came to a point of realization as to my surroundings and the shear grace I was experiencing.  I will never forget those slender tree trunks or the summer rain mixing with my beading sweat.

I was lost within the Austrian countryside for over two hours, and loved every minute of it.

The boys and I in front of the theater

Tonight I am on babysitting duty while the adults view Le Nozze di Figaro.  But I was informed that I have a ticket for the Opera this monday, Die Frau Ohne Shatten [the woman without a shadow].   I am very excited. 

Fahrzeug, and Deutschsprachkurz

My boat in the front yard

After a much needed night of sleep I began the tall task of earning Felix's and Louis' respect, as well as winning over the hearts of Christian and Anja.  Getting approval from Anja and Christian proved to be rather easy as the last 2 au pairs they employed both failed and were sent home within 2 weeks.  I am likely to be the last au pair that this family employs as the boys are reaching an age of independence. Hopefully I will be not only the last, but one of the best. 

This is how Louis and I roll

I learned later from Anja that after putting on my game face and playing with the boys they ran to gave their mother my approval.  During a trip to the local town center where Anja showed me the grocery store we both walked out with the groceries to see Louis across the plaza with a large smile upon his face and an even larger box in his hands.  With his allowance money he had purchased a HUGE nerf gun.  This thing had an extendable stock, forward grip, and a drum magazine holding around 35 rounds. 

Once home I was instantly recruited for the coming nerf war.  I was issued two guns and a nerf vest that I would have outgrown 10 years ago.  To say I enjoyed the 'nerf-kämpf' (fight) would be an understatement...  I went full bore...  diving, rolling, yelling, and faking death.  "Ich bin TOT!" (i'm dead) I yelled as Louis stood over me victorious.  I earned major brownie points here.

Earlier that day Felix had led me to the town center on bike, a nice excursion that resulted in us browsing the local library.  I later learned that Felix read so much that he would burn through the book he checked out by nightfall...I could take a lesson or two from this kid. 

After lunch Anja asked if I was ready to try driving.  "........sure..." I said cautiously.  I had never driven in a foreign country before and this seemed to be a trial by fire.  The previous au pair was inept when it came to driving a stick shift and the boys had given him the nickname "the meister of disaster".  The boys strapped into the Kia, unsure as to my driving abilities.  I took off strong and I could here Louis in the backseat release a sigh of relief.  I quickly racked my brain for the driving rules Christian had given me the prior day.  I made it successfully to the town center where I bought supplies for dinner. 

I had been recruited to prepare my first meal for the family as Anja and Christian were both busy preparing for our impending trip to Munich and Salzburg.  When asked to make dinner I gladly acepted the offer and began to think of recipes.  French? maybe Italian... or Mexican!    "Hamburgers!!!" yelled the boys....o...k.  

Bike ride through the neighborhood with Felix

Once we returned home Louis jumped out of the car and exclaimed to Anja "Er kann fahren!" (he can drive).  I had passed yet another test!  Dinner went well, Burgers and fries with extra toppings for the parents.  Thumbs up from the entire family.  The boys were pleased and the parents more pleased with the fact that I could cook without supervision.  Although I must admit that Louis did act as my assistant chef in the kitchen.  "You are the first au pair we have had that did not ask where the microwave is!" said Anja.   Another point for David.

Jay-jay and Toffee always steal my bed

Before dinner however Anja drove Felix and I to my soon-to-be language school.  I was to take a placement exam then navigate my way back home with Felix using the bus and U-bahn (metro).  The test went well and the young lady grading it spoke with me in German, an act that I greatly appreciated because I have been approached in English as all locals quickly recognized my limited handle on the language.  Felix and I missed the bus by a hair so we dove into the underground. 

The porch

After cleaning the dinner table and kitchen the adults and I once again sat on the porch enjoying beer, wine, and cigarettes until late in the night.  The next day Christian and I would take the boys to Munich at 4 am, so we were to go to bed 'early'.  An early night in this town means midnight I guess...

My first day.

My new whip!

I have yet to spend a week here in Deutschland but already I feel at home, thanks in large part to the unrelenting hospitality and generosity of my host family.  After a long and exhausting flight through 9 time-zones I was greeted at Tegel international by Christian, my host father, his sister-in-law Nicole, and her son Milan.  My heavy bags were quickly wrestled from me and I was led to what would be my car for the next year.  A small red manual Kia, a toy in comparison to my pickup truck which I have endearingly named Betty now sitting in Santa Barbara. 

Milan had just returned from a year of study in Atlanta Georgia and spoke American English very well.  He was eager to speak with an American in Germany as I likewise was eager to question him as a German in America. 

The weather in Berlin upon my arrival was far from that of the so-cal pseudo-paradise of SB.  Grey skies and drizzle offered a preview of weather to come for the next year.  My liberation from the rain of Oregon in sunny Santa Barbara was rather short lived. 

We zipped along the highway through Berlin while I earnestly scanned the built environment, inspecting the structures and their aesthetics (a habit imbued in me through my studies in historical preservation at the UO).  We soon left the urban sprawl of Berlin for a skyline dominated less by buildings and more so by trees in the small borough of Kleinmachnow.  This suburb situated to the southwest of Belrin Mitte (middle) has a population of approximately 20k people and exhibits a very green and quaint setting.  The nearest urban center and transportation hub to my new home is Zeheldorf.  Here are located several streets lined with shops, specialty boutiques, markets, etc. all centered around a Straßenbahn (streetcar) station. 

As we drive into the town Christian points out interesting locations and buildings. “here is the old American Barracks”, “Here we have the annual Amerikanische-Deutsche Volksfest”, etc…. 

We soon enter a neighborhood of mixed houses, stark modern constructions alternating with warmer older house.  The street is not paved but rather laid with cobblestone making for a very bumpy ride. 

Home sweet home

We turn a corner and stop in front of the family’s home, a beautiful 3.5 story house that was not done proper justice in the pictures I was sent over email.  I struggle to pick my jaw up off the ground as we open the white gate and approach the entry.  The historic exterior is contrasted by a well executed interior renovation. 

My Amerikanisches Zimmer

 The walls are adorned with modern art as well as classical prints. I am not yet given a house tour as it is the wish of young Louis to personally guide me throughout every room.  I stop in the foyer in front of a grand staircase and Christian asks me if I can tell which room will be mine.  I only then through the corner of my eye notice the large American flag draped over a door. 

After unpacking and changing, the boys and Anja arrive.  They greet me warmly and Louis proceeds to tour me around the house which proves to be much larger than I had surmised from the exterior. 

Dinner that night is prepared by Christian and Nicole.  The whole dinner becomes much more classy than I imagine with candles, formal plate settings, and soft classical music.  We begin eating the delicious meal of lamb, potatoes, and sautéed vegetables.  I further my drowsiness with large glasses of red wine that are almost forced upon me. 

After dinner the adults and myself sit upon the porch with wine, beer, and cigarettes late into the evening.  I am very surprised that my mind has forced my weary body to remain awake this long.  I soon crash upon my bed violently and sleep deeply.  The next morning I awoke in a daze as I had believed the prior day to be a dream, as it was too good to be true. But to my delight it was all real.