Super Deutschland Ole Oleeeee!

Jazz Tube Bonn

From the quarter final game against Greece where we won 4-2

The Katies <3

My favorite picture from the night haaa

I wanted to take a picture of the beautiful sky, but read that you should take pictures with people you know in them to make them more interesting and memerable.

But I said screw that, I just want a picture of this beautiful sky.

"JURAJ! JURAJ! DO THIS!"
"Why?"
Yes. We force people into Star Trek poses even if their oblivious.

After every goal, everyone jumps around and sings and parties

Post-game, dancing in the street.

These little kids and their dad were holding a German flag banner over the street and all the cars would drive under it :]

Frei sein

I've seen this done on some other study abroad blogs, so I'm going to write this entry Denglisch style- mixing in some of my common German words, so y'all can learn a bit of the language I'm madly in love with! All you have to know to understand Denglisch (other than both languages lol) is that German verbs in the infinitive end with 'en', and we just replace it with '-ing' to Anglify it. And if you need help, welcome to my #1 bookmark and all around favorite website, BEO (I'm a nerd, okay?)

I guess I'll start with the most awesome (and significant) happening in my life lately: 

New tattoo!

Backstory: while eating breakfast at our hostel in Berlin, Amy, Hannah, and I noticed one of those huge motivational advertising banners hanging on the wall next to us with a German lady genießing Leben (enjoying life) and in the middle it said "Frei sein," which means to be free. I don't know if we had been talking about tattoos earlier, or what really sparked this all, but the three of us started talking about how brilliant that'd be as a tattoo! We agreed it'd look the prettiest in cursive, but we all wanted it in different places, as to make it our own. I've already got a small bass clef on my ankle, and I've been itching for a new tattoo basically since. We talked about this 'Frei sein' idea more and more, and it totally Inceptioned its way into my head and I knew I was definitely getting this, while in Germany. After a couple google searches and a store visit, I decided on Tintenstich in the Altstadt. Everyone there is super nice, amazing, funny, cool as crap, basically a great place to get a tattoo. I put my name on the waiting list, then on Tuesday the receptionist called me saying they've got an appointment either the next day, or a month from now. I went for the next day, and the rest is history! I knew I wanted it in cursive and under my left collarbone, then let my tattoo artist design the font himself, and it really didn't hurt at all! Trust me, I'm a cry baby wuss, and this war leicht wie pie. This is actually pretty dangerous, because now that it's confirmed that tattoos (in the right places) don't hurt at all, I want more and more and more! But don't worry, mom. No rash decisions :] I'm actually pretty proud, I think she took it pretty well! Both parents actually:

Me: CHECK IT.

Mom: oh jeez.

Me: WOOO!

Me: CHECK IT.

Dad: Wait, you have two now? That means I should get another. You can't show me up!

Me: WOOO!

See? Harm free! ;] 

Last Saturday I went to Bad Honnef with a couple friends just to explore. It's about 40 minutes away with the train. We get kostenlos transportation with our student IDs, so for the rest of the time I'm here, I just want to take day trips all the time around Nordrhein Westfallen (the state Bonn is in. Germany has 16 states, fyi. 13 regular and 3 city states: Berlin, Hamburg, and Bremen. There's your little geography lesson of the day). I still want to go to Aachen, Münster, Bad Godesburg, and it's always nice to hit up Köln. The train station dumps you out right on a section of the Rhein with an island of land in the middle so the current's really calm and people were swimming, boating, kayaking, and chickenboarding there! I want to go back and rent a boat or something. Too bad es regnet JEDEN TAG. Anyhoo, there was a flea market and festival set up that we walked through, with food stands and a stage and little rides. Then we walked to the city center, exploring a senior center's back yard for a while because we're all apparently illiterate and went the wrong direction for the Innenstadt haha. In the city center there was another carnival set up (Germans know how to properly celebrate things in their cities). It's a very pretty city (they all are, really tho) and walked around there for a while before beginning the Adventure to the Birkenstock outlet. Took us a couple detours through some neighborhoods, but with Kevin's shotty cell phone GPS and using Drachenfels in the distance as our North Star, we eventually found it! It was such a beautiful day out, so alles gut. There were so. many. Birkenstocks. I immediately went to the super sale section and found a great pair of brown Birks for only 25€! One of my best purchases in Germany.

I think this was last Friday, but a friend of mine here told me about this free jazz concert taking place in the subway station by my house that night. I researched it and turns out it's a program called Jazz Tube Bonn, free jazz concerts with bands from all over the world in a bunch of stops on the underground. We saw a salsa group originally from Germany but stationed in Buenos Aries with a stand up bass, flute, and guitar. There were fantastic! I took a video, and have photos to post, but my dorm doesn't have internet right now and Starbucks' wifi is too slow for that. But here's the trailer I found on youtube! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tPz0kr_R20 

This past Wednesday, Katie Australia hosted a potluck dinner at her place with like 20 of the coolest kids in Germany, which was a blast. People just kept bringing more and more deliciousness! We had lasagna, pasta, fondue, veggies, some strudel... so good. We also tried to fill up an inflatable pool with a hose that wasn't on for a solid 10 minutes. I'm not giving up, we just need to find a wrench!

Yesterday felt like the first day of summer because it was actually sunny and beautiful and warm (compared to it downpouring right now). My Media class in the afternoon was cancelled, so Amy, Becca, Karissa, and Hanna and I hung out in the Innenstadt of a while. I bought a dress from H&M for 3 € (!!!) and got fro yo and just enjoyed being able to walk around outside without a jacket, honestly! I know back home it's been sweltering every day, and while I'd rather be cold than hot any day, it's weird being nearly July and having literally only 2 days of sun in the past month! Last night was also the semi-final game for the Europa Meisterschaft, Deutschland gegen Italien, and about 15 of us went to an outdoor cafe in Kaiserplatz to watch the game. The restaurant happened to be owned by Italians, silly us, and at the end of the fun but difficult to watch game, the server was running around with his giant Italian flag in the face of Germans. Ughhh. But I'm still proud, we made it to the semi-finals, it wasn't a blow-out, and our team is definitely more attractive, so still a win in my book.

This weekend I'm going to Düsseldorf for the first time for the Open Source Music Festival! Can't wait to see Beirut, Konono No. 1, Mouse on Mars, and so many more. Hopefully I'll discover some new German bands I like. I've already finished my German homework for next week, so once I reply to all my Film e-mails, hopefully this should be a relaxing weekend by my standards.

Leben ist noch awesome

Another hodgepodge of an entry that accidentally became all about music.

German weather is bi-polar! One minute it's so sunny you're sweating, the next it's downpouring, then two weeks of dark clouds, then 80 degrees for one minute... but whatever. Germany, you've got one more month to give me some nice summer weather!

Crazy that I'm in the final leg of this thing. Only four more weeks of classes! I keep forgetting people back home are on summer vacation since we still have class every day. But it's okay, I'm still enjoying everything here. I don't want to start thinking about coming home- it's forbidden to talk about here! ;] So I won't. Not yet.

I've been a little bummed about not having a source of new music while being here, but my music life has totally piqued up lately. I've been listening to Fiona Apple's new CD, The Idler Wheel, non-stop since it's been streaming free on npr.org a week ago. Prepare to be jealous, but last Saturday I saw Watch the Throne at the Lanxess Arena in Köln with Becca. You wouldn't expect it, but I've listened to that album probably 30 times. I like rap! I'll probably always hate Kanye West as a person, but you cannot deny that his music is genre bendingly amazing. And bow to Jay-Z, immer. We got there when doors opened, and immediately headed to the front stage part of the floor. I try to be front row at every show that I go to. I'm pretty good at the sneak, edging my way there. By the third song, it was like magic, I just popped into the front row, an entire segment of railing to myself. Oh, it's the best! You get your own room to jump and dance and breathe and you get to be right in the front so JAY-Z AND SMILE AT YOU WHEN YOU'RE RAPPING ALONG TO MONSTER :D They played non-stop for two hours and twenty minutes, 37 songs, no opener, no intermission! They played Niggas in Paris 6 times in a row as the finale, complete with clouds and lightning. An amazing concert. My favorite songs were Monster (obvi), Stronger, Otis, Power, Big Pimpin, Dirt off your Shoulder, Jesus Walks, everything! We bought scarves and posters. Then in two weeks, I'm going to the Open Source Music Festival in Düsseldorf with Rachel to see Beirut, Mouse on Mars, and Konono No. 1! I'm SO SO excited for all three, and they give you a good sense of how eclectic my music senses are :3

Tonight, my friend told me about an outdoor jazz competition. It's called Jazz Tube Bonn and they're performing in an U-Bahn train station! Way cool, excited to check it out. Going to hit that up before heading to watch the soccer game.

Watch the Throne

The main part of the stage was in front of me, but it jutted out in the middle and bit and there was a rising platform in the middle. 'Ye's on this one right thurr

Bow. New poster.

As soon as we got back to Bonn after Berlin, a bunch of us just dropped our luggage in my room, painted out faces with the German flag, and immediately left to go cheer on Deutschland in the Europa Meisterschaft! We ended up winning in our division and tonight's the first game in Round 2 of the EM: Germany vs. Greece. I hope we kick Griechenland BUTT tonight.

Girls' Soccer Team

YEAH SOCCER! SUPER DEUTSCHLAND!

 Oh, some Berlin overflow-

Outside of Checkpoint Charlie were sporadic chunks of Berlin Wall on which artists were allowed to be let loose, painting war-related art. These guys were my favorite.

 Here's from a party at our German friend's house before Berlin. I miss being tan already! Gah!

There was a Hot Wheel parked in front of my dorm.

BERLIN

The Reichstag (main government building) had a semi-open air glass dome on the roof to symbolize transparency in  politics. You can literally watch over the proceedings of your government.

Group shot :]

Remembrance stone in the inner courtyard of the ex-Soviet Stasi prison we visited. 

Our tour guide, an ex-inmate and all around bad ass awesome Sean Connery-look alike German guy.

In order to ensure inmates never saw each other, jail guards would shut the door and turn on this red light on each end of the hallway while someone was walking through the hallway, and you wouldn't be allowed to go through the door until they turned off the light.

I spent a couple hours at the Museum for Film and Television and, perfect for me, their special exhibit was about superheroes and comics! Here's a wall of heroes from around the world.

Bernd das Brot, a German kids' show about a talking loaf of bread. 

I took a quiz to determine which hero I'd be and it said I'd be Wickie! 

Hall of historic tv clips. I watched the moon landing auf Deutsch!

This room was INSANE. The front wall (shown) was entirely tvs, sometimes dividing into dozens of "channels" at once, and the ceiling and side two walls were completely mirrored, so the reflections would seemingly go on forever. The stuff playing was a television through the decades montage. Each show lasted like 40 minutes. I watched for probably 25, it was so cool!

Entrance to the film half of the museum.

Randomly ran into Rachel there! :D

The costume from Run Lola Run!

Museum of Musical Instruments *drool*

"OMG CLOCKS."

On the grounds of the STUNNING castle in Potsdam. We got to tour the beautiful yellow building and each ceiling is nearly fully covered in real gold leaf and everything was beautiful 

Up there's the castle!

Es gibt ein Paar Koifisch da! :]

The other Brandenburg Gate, in Potsdam.

St. Nikolai Kirche

Ezekiel, pop and locking since 1837.

I'm a sucker for cool stained glass!

Und noch ein Mal

And a couple group shots stolen from facebook:

LOOK AT THAT AIR! ALL OF US! (except one) This is probably the greatest jumping shot I've ever been lucky to be a part of!

And this is only half of the group, and that just includes the Berlin Excursion, but this is the first legit group shot of everyone studying abroad at Bonn this semester :]