6-29 Multitasking

Multitask:V, meaning an attempt to hold five conversations in two languages on Skype/Facebook and write a new blog post at the same time.

Location: Starbucks

Listening To: Andrew York - Shenandoah (Thank God Naxos still works over here)

Well, I'm down to a few less conversations now. It's been a crazy week and I was just too busy/lazy to sit down and write an entry – sorry. This weekend, I went to Calella with the Germans. I'm struggling a bit with this because I love spending time with them and we've become friends so quickly, but I'm practicing more English than Spanish outside the classroom. I've met a few Spaniards, but in general it's much easier to find and get along with other extranjeros. I'll keep trying, but I'm not sure what to do that I haven't already tried, other than one of the really contrived “language exchange” sessions through the school. I guess I shouldn't judge them since I haven't tried them, I just have trouble seeing conversation with limitations like that working out very well. Oh well.

Anyway, Calella was a blast. The water was beautiful and numbingly “refreshing”. Saturday night I watched the US lose (and I was the only American in the bar) – not my favorite night of this trip, but we had some fantastic paella. We went to the beach later that night, which was something I've never done. I loved it. I wish you could sleep out there without worrying about robbers and other idiots. Later the girls wanted to go clubbing, but being the genius I am the only non-swimming clothes I packed were running shorts and a t-shirt. I don't think they would have let me through the door.

So much other stuff to catch up on!! I'll skip the first couple of days since my last post and jump to San Juan. This was really interesting to learn about and even more interesting to experience. It stems from the catholic adaptation of a pagan solstice holiday in the region, though I can promise you “catholic” isn't the first word that springs to mind. In some ways, it's like July 4^th – roughly the middle of the summer, everybody eats (and drinks) way too much, there are fireworks constantly for roughly 36 hours, etc. The main difference seems to be that no one especially cares about the actual meaning of San Juan: the celebration, especially the drinking, seems to be the entire point of the holiday. In that way, it reminds me of Christmas (or at least Black Friday) in the US. Unfortunately, I'm sure some of you heard about the train accident nearby. Some of the investigators have said it was a failure in security that caused the accident, and that may well have added to it, but I don't personally know anyone other than our little 7-person group who seemed remotely coherent after about midnight and most people stay out until five or six in the morning. I hate to say it, but I don't blame the staff or the train station. I spent most of the night trying to get rid of interested (but not especially interesting) Belgians, Canadians, and I think a few Frenchmen, then took the night bus home at about 5:30.

Thursday I slept for most of the day, then went to Park Güell. It's absolutely incredible – one of the most beautiful places I've seen in Barcelona. I thought it was really interesting to see the way Gaudi worked with the landscaping – even the rocks and plants seemed to match the “scales” in his architecture. From what I understand, he created the park for a wealthy patron who donated it to the public after Gaudi's death. It would be incredible to own such a sanctuary, but I don't think anyone could keep something like that to themselves for too long. Anna, Krissi, and I climbed to the top, and the view is gorgeous. It isn't as high as Tibidabo, but there isn't much you can't see. I still need to make it to Sagrada Familia and Gaudi's houses – until today, I thought the Casa Sayrach (my signal to turn off of Diagonal to find my school) was one of them. This is or was a thoroughly modernist city, and it's been a really interesting shift from the architecture of Lincoln or Valpo.

I also went to St. Maria Del Mar and the another beautiful park on Friday – I don't know their histories so I'll just let the pictures tell the story. I think that brings you up to speed, except for the fact that I have two new roommates – a 16 year-old from the USA and an 18 year-old from Sweden. They seem like good guys, though I think I'll end up translating more than practicing my Spanish with them. I can't believe I only have three weeks left, and they just keep going faster and faster. I still really want to make it to Cordoba before I go, but other than that I don't think I'll be doing much traveling before my two-week road trip at the end. ¡Ciao!

Photo Site Switch (Again)

Ok, this should be the last time I have to do this.  For the rest of the summer, I'll be uploading photos to Picaso. You can find them by clicking on the slideshow on the left.  I upgraded the account so it can hold 20x what it did before.  Thanks for reading!

6-20 Mountains to Beaches

Location: The balcony of my apartment
Listening to: O Sole Mio (not actually, I'm just whistling the tune)

Well, I finally broke down and bought a netbook.  If you've  never owned one, it's an interesting experience.  They're extremely portable and not too expensive, but I'm worried if I stare at it too hard it might fall apart.  You get what you pay for, I guess.

It's been an uneventful week so far, but I've realized a few things that I left out of prior posts that I think I should catch you up on.  For one, I went to a Flamenco show last Thursday.  It was brief, but definitely worth the €5.  Flamenco artists redefine stage prescence - they're able to communicate or predict changes in rhythm, volume, even harmonic structure without even an obvious glance.  They depend completely and wholly on one another, and the end result is nothing short of incredible.  There isn't really anything to compare it to in American culture, or at least in the thin slice of American culture I've had the chance to experience.  We had a good time afterwards too...that was the night where I ended up on the bench, I think.

Another strange little occurence - I seem to get along the easiest with Germans, no matter what country I happen to be in at the moment.  I've been spending a lot of time with a group of them and having a blast.  I really didn't get along well with most of the other students from the USA while they were in my program, and to be honest I'm glad to be switching classes on Monday.  This isn't to say I hate them or anything - in fact, I really like a couple of them - but on the whole I can see where a little bit of the "American" stereotype comes from in the way they act.

Speaking of Americans - I ran into a couple on vacation when I watched the USA's last match.  We gave ourselves so many chances and just couldn't finish during the first half, and unfortunately Slovania played exactly opposite.  I don't know exactly how many shots they took that game, but I doubt they had 10 and they scored twice in the first half.  Also, that was some of the worst officiating I've seen.  Even the Spanish announcers were livid about the offsides call, and apparently getting smacked in the face with a ball deserves a yellow card.  Even though we haven't actually won a game, our chances aren't looking too bad yet.  Hopefully we can turn up the heat on Wednesday.

Another intersting little piece of trivia I haven't mentioned yet is the location of my apartment.  At night, I can pretty easily see the chapel of Tibidado.  This name comes from the Latin translation of Luke 4:6 where Satan says to Jesus, "I will give to you (Tibi dabo)", in reference to the nations of the earth.  The account says that Satan has taken Jesus to an exceedingly high mountain, and by popular tradition this hill in the Northern part of Barcelona is that mountain.  The church is an incredible sight from the bottom, especially at night.  Google "Tibidabo noche" if you want to get an idea, but I promise it's much more vivid and beautiful in real life.

I've been writing this post a few lines at a time for four or five days now, so it's probably going to end up a little long.  It's Sunday, and today we went to Sitjes.  It's a small beach town about 40 minutes via train from the Gracia station, and as it turns out it's the epicenter of the gay scene around Barcelona.  The are a few things I learned (or mostly re-learned) today at the beach:

• The sun doesn't care if you can't reach that part of your back (see picture).
• There is absolutely no way to keep sand out of anything you bring to the beach.
• Playing the token gay friend isn't that bad in the right company (see other picture).
• I love tapas.
• Salt water is fun to swim in and very refreshing, but it can do horrible things to the (male) body.
• You should definitely bring a water bottle - I was dehydrated enough to go through 1.5 liters during supper alone.
• Cannons are cool (see yet another picture).
• The only things open after about 2:00 on a Spanish Sunday are restaurants and bars.
• Your Spanish host mom will understand anything you can come up with in Spanish perfectly except "I already ate" - you're eating again.

I can't believe I've been here as long as I have - over four weeks.  It doesn't feel like I arrived yesterday, but it's still gone quickly.  This last week felt like a blink.  I'm going insane without a guitar, but other than that I can't complain :)

I'm trying to figure out exactly how to deal with the picture situation since I no longer have iPhoto.  I'll keep including a few of them and hopefully they'll all be on facebook, but I'm not sure about Picaso or Flickr, etc.

I miss everybody back home.  ¡Hasta luego!

P.S. Jess, if you're reading this, I'll get you those measurements ASAP!  Sorry!

6-14 Time Well Wasted and Spanish Waistlines

Location : Kingsbrook (of course)
Listening to: Lady Gaga - Alejandro

Ok, I didn't pick Lady Gaga.  Laura Hewitt did.  Let's see, stuff that's happened since my last post...

Several of the other students from my school went to Platja d'Aro on Friday.  I figured I'd wait and go up on Saturday but the office for the bus was closed so I stayed around Barcelona for the weekend.  I decided a pub crawl would be the easiest way to meet some more people, and it worked out pretty well :)  I met Canadians, Americans, Australians, and Germans and had a great night.  We (a bunch of German girls and myself) ended up sitting around on a bench on the Plaza Catalunya waiting for the subways to start running again at 5.  I didn't do anything too exciting on Saturday, other than meet up with one of the German girls and another one I hadn't met yet for a few drinks.  Actually that's a lie - I finally found some shorts!  If you've never tried shopping for a 38-inch waist in Barcelona, there are a few things you should know:

• You're not a 38.  If you can wear a tight 36 but you like the 38's because they're a little loose, you need a 42.  A 38 will look like an unflattering Speedo.
• Don't ask whether they have anything above a 38.  As I was rummaging through one pile of khaki shorts, one girl said in English without looking up, "36 is the maximum!".  Needless to say, I haven't gone back.
• Bring any jeans you think you might want, unless you plan on making your own.  I brought two pairs that are getting more than their fair share of use.  If you do find a pair, you had better be able to hem them.  Apparently the only people with my waistline here are 6'6 or better.

So anyway, we went and had a drink or two.  Sam, if you're reading this, I found the mojito place and had one!  Which night did they have the special?  They're so good...
Yesterday was another very lazy day.  I woke up, went shopping for a beach towel and sunscreen (not too tough in Barcelona), and proceeded to fall asleep on the beach for like 3 hours.  I ran back home, changed, and met the same two girls to watch the Germans play their first World Cup game.  If you didn't watch, they destroyed Australia 4-0.  Also, if you didn't watch the USA-UK game, you missed a fun one.  The goalies absolutely decided that game, on both sides.  Tim Howard had an incredible game, and Robert Green absolutely cost the UK their win.  I hope the USA can show up in a little more force in the future, and I'm excited to see what they can do with this bit of luck.

I think that's all for now.  I bought a replacement camera, but I didn't bring the cable today so hopefully I can upload some pictures tomorrow.  I heard there were complaints that I wasn't putting them up anymore :-)

If you're following this blog, feel free to comment on posts or send me an email once in awhile - I think I know of 3 people that are currently reading it and I'd be curious whether there are any more of you out there.  ¡Hasta mañana!

6-11 Strange Little Bug Bites

I'm sure my parents will be embarassed to read this, but I haven't really let that stop me so far.  I did another pub crawl last night with a bunch of people from my class, and while I didn't even enjoy it that much I managed to walk away with some valuable lessons:

1. The quality of the pub crawl has very little to do with the attractiveness of the person trying to convince you to go on it. 
2. I have a highly believable Australian accent.  Some Georgian girl from a bachelorette party still thinks I'm from Queensland.
3. I will shamelessly give relationship advice to people I've never met on long walks between bars.
4. "Free" does not always mean "Weak".  The less you pay, the more you may regret it in the morning. 
5. You should always figure out where the crawl ends, or at least where you'll hop off, so you can finish close to home.
6. I should never again miss supper without telling Roser.  She found me curled up outside her door at 7 this morning and that was the first thing she wanted to discuss.
7. Sleeping outside your apartment because you left your keys on your nightstand and you don't want to wake up your host mom may be courteous, but is totally not worth it.  See title of this post.
8. You don't have to be that drunk to do some really strange things (viz. #6-7).

All in all, it was an interesting night.  Who knows what tonight will bring...at least I didn't book a campsite thinking it was a hostel like the rest of my classmates :-)

No philosophical wisdom (or folley) today, just a huge reminder to never take yourself too seriously.

6-10 Old Friends, Scary Old Men, and the Worst Day Ever

Location: Kingsbrook (school)
Listening to: (still no headphones and now no computer - read on)

Well, I guess I'll get the bad news out of the way.  Yesterday I got robbed at the train station.  I didn't get mugged or anything - I set my bag down like a dumb American tourist and it was gone.  The backpack contained a bunch of beach-wear, a jacket, my camera, and most importantly my computer.  The police were not helpful, even though there are security cameras all over the place.  I filed a report but I'm not feeling very hopeful.

It isn't just that he stole (sorry to be sexist and presume it's a he) half my net worth or my sole method of communicating with my family in any manner other than email - he took my means to remember this summer and my experiences.  Or so I thought.  GK Chesterton once said, "There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less."  I can't honestly say I'm there yet - I still feel the sting of loss and I'm struggling to forgive - but I think GK has offered me the only advice that can really help someone in my situation.  Life is what we make of it, not what things we make.  That one's an original :-)

Ok, enough of that.  That last post sounded pessimistic, and actually things were really starting to look up until yesterday.  I really like my classes and my teachers.  I have class from 10 to 2:30 with a 30 minute lunchbreak, and my classes only have 5-8 people each.  Unfortunately, we're all Americans so we default to English when we aren't in class.  I'm also loving living in the city - it's very well laid-out and the public transport is pretty good.  It isn't as easy as in Germany, but I'm starting to get used to it.

I imagine you're wondering about the first two parts of the title by now.  The second has to do with Roser's marido (husband)...in her words, he's a little sick in the head.  I woke up the other night to him yelling something in Catalán and her trying to wake him up - scary but not dangerous.  The first has to do with the night Sam Wilson came to town.  Let's just say I wandered around Barcelona for an hour at 10 the next morning looking for my school (that sounds way worse than it actually was, but it's true).  I don't especially like travelling alone anymore, so I think I'll be finding something to do with my classmates this weekend.  Since I don't have my computer anymore, I won't be able to write as easily or as often, but I'll do my best to keep you posted.  Adios!

6-6 Home Sweet Casa

Location: My room in Barcelona

Listening to: Robert Randolph & the Family Band - Deliver Me

Well, I’m running on about 5 hours of sleep after that 3-hour nap - what a night.  The DeutscheBahn and myself were getting along pretty well until the last 36 hours set in.

---(I fall asleep)

6-6

Location: My room

Listening to: Paco Peña - Herencia Latina

I’m trying desperately to find an internet signal up here but so far it’s been impossible - sorry to those of you hoping I’m still alive.  I managed to steal a few minutes in the city today with my iPod, but it’s kind of awkward to just whip out your laptop on a busy sidewalk, especially in the rain.  My room’s up on the fifth floor of an apartment complex up in the Northern part of Barcelona.  If you Google Vall D’Hebron you’ll be pretty close.  If you’re saying to yourself, “but Jake, that’s not Spanish,” cookie points for you.  All of the signs here (Streets, Metro stops, etc...) are in Catalan, which is about as similar to Spanish as French is to Latin.  Barcelona is at the heart of Catalonia, but that’s a long story I don’t have the time or desire to teach whoever may be reading this.  I’ll just say Catalonia doesn’t quite fit the Spanish mold (if there is one).

I’m extremely excited to meet someone under 60 tomorrow - my host mom, Roser, is an adorable elderly Catalonian woman who speaks exactly zero English.  It’s been a steep learning curve, and to be honest I’m not doing nearly as well as I had hoped.  I’m a long shot from where I was even in high school - I can remember how to conjugate some tenses that I no longer know how to use and I have no concept of irregulars anymore - plus the whole issue of vocabulary.  I feel like I can read pretty well, write in a decent manner, speak poorly, and hear very little.  I’ve heard from several people that fluency starts to occur when you dream in another language.  I experienced this last night, but in my dreams everyone else was speaking Spanish and I was just extremely confused.  I guess we’ll see what the placement test says tomorrow.

Aside from the language issue, I’ve had very mixed feelings so far.  Roser is a nice woman, but she’s clearly frustrated with my lack of faculty for the language.  The city’s beautiful, but I don’t think I’ll have a good grasp on it even by the time I finish.  Maybe most of all, I feel very alone.  There was something about searching for my family history that made me feel connected to something bigger than myself while I was on my own in Germany, and before that I was traveling with 50 or so of my favorite people.  Here I don’t know a soul.  I’m also concerned because I’m not sure I realized how diverse this program really is in terms of age: the other two students who will be joining me here with Roser on the 26th are 16 and 28.  These both seem a pretty good jump from 21 to me - I just really hope I can connect with some people tomorrow.

Yesterday, I arrived at around 2, napped, walked down to the school with Roser, ate, and went to bed.  It’s about a 30 minute trip, including the bus ride.  I was so exhausted yesterday - I slept for a solid 8 hours and I still don’t feel like I’ve caught up.  Today I played tourist.  I started with an audio-guided bus tour through some of the important place in Western Barcelona, then hopped out and explored for a while.  The Picasso Museum was free today (and the bus tour was not), so I decided to check that out.  Unfortunately the line to get in was probably a kilometer or longer so I just checked out the special exhibitions that didn’t require a ticket and moved on.  I needed to buy a few things, but nearly everything was closed since it’s Sunday.  After I’d walked for a few hours I hopped on another loop of the same bus tour to see the main points of Eastern Barcelona, including the beautiful beaches, then hopped off and walked another hour or so back to Roser’s house.  It rained off and on all day.  I’m excited for tomorrow but more than a little bit nervous - we’ll see what happens.

6-4 This Isn't Going to Last Forever?

Location: Some Döner place in the Bremerhaven Hauptbahnhof

Listening to: Mark O’Connor - Fancy Stops and Goes

Well, I feel like I pretty much blew my last day in Germany.  It’s been one of the most beautiful days since I got here and I’ve been on trains, in train stations, or in a museum for probably 90% of it - oh well.  I just don’t have the ambition to keep walking 8-10 miles with my backpack each day.  Today wasn’t bad, I guess, just a bit of a letdown.  I came to the museum here in Bremerhaven to see the emigration records of the Bodes and maybe some of the other branches, and after today I really wish I would have worked a little harder to find the names and dates for all 4 of my grandparents’ lines.  Either the Bodes used a different port or their record has been lost and unfortunately it’s probably the latter: over 3 million Germans emigrated via this port from 1850 to 1900 and the vast majority of the ships bound for the States left from this city.  I was a little upset not to find anything, but I think I’m just spoiled from my stay in Mariensee and Empede.  When I searched Tewes, Bader, and Rolloff I found hundreds of results, but I don’t have those names written down and I don’t know when they came over.

All that aside, the museum was still very interesting.  I didn’t fully realize how important the ports like Bremerhaven or Hamburg really were for so long until I came here.  This city used to be called “The Town of 600 pubs” - too bad I can’t spend the night up here...

I guess this is it - tomorrow night I’ll be in my bed in Barcelona.  It’s all very surreal and I’m tempted to make some huge analogy like Hemingway’s been doing in For Whom the Bell Tolls, but I’ll spare you for now.  Connecting to my family’s history in the ways I’ve been able to do has somehow made my history both more and less important to me - more visceral and important but not engrossing in the way that museums or classes have been to me in the past.  Not on this trip, anyway.  I’m probably a bit “touristed out”.  I feel a pang every time I pull out a camera or use the wheels on my backpack, like I having a flashing neon “TOURIST” over my head.  In a similar way, it’s changed the way I view “new people”.  In some ways, I’m now more cynical than before: There were people last night who I met and deliberately avoided last night in a harsher way than I’d normally have done.  At the same time, saying goodbye to new friends just hours after you meet them can be utterly depressing.  I don’t know whether Emily and Julia will see this, but I for one was really sad to say goodnight to you guys and know I wouldn’t see you again.  Did we talk about this on the way back?  I don’t really remember...anyway, it’s both made me cherish the time that I’m given to know someone and somehow made their departure more bearable.  It’s been a learning experience, to be sure, and I wish everyone had a chance to do this at some point.

And tomorrow I begin an even bigger leg.  It’s hard to believe it’ll only be six weeks, given that my three weeks here feel like I barely had time to blink, but I think it will be a dramatic learning experience.  I’m looking forward to this fall not because I want to leave and not even because I miss so many of you back in the States - I’m most curious to see how I’ve changed by that point, and whether the changes stick.  Call it egotistical if you like, but I know I’ll never have a chance like this again and I’m going to live and learn it up while I’ve got it.  Ciao!

6-4 And We Go On...

Location: The Generator (Hostel), Berlin

Listening to: Gym Class Heroes - Cupid’s Chokehold

“I’d be one nocturnal son of a gun...”

What a night...good call, Sam.  I went on the New Berlin Pub Crawl last night and had one hell of a time.  You had to buy a wristband, but then they gave us a free shot of Jager with every drink we bought - and I always get my money’s worth.  They took us to I think 5 or 6 different places ranging from a simple ground-level pub to a good-sized dance club.  I think the club was the most fun place - we stayed there for probably 2 hours.  I’ve discovered that, though definitely don’t need alcohol to have fun, I do need it to dance.  I hung out with Emily and Julia for most of the night.  They’re sisters from Upstate New York.  Actually, Julia is a KKG at WashU and knows the SigEps down there pretty well, so we hit it off right away.  I couldn’t figure out where we were when we left, but we couldn’t have been that far from the hostel because the cab fare was only €8.50.  It was an epic night...I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of it.  I had to laugh at myself this morning - I was freaking out because I yelled myself hoarse until I realized I wasn’t on tour anymore.

I’m at the Hauptbahnhof in Berlin now, waiting for my train to Bremerhaven.  This is the port city they told me about in Empede with the emigration museum.  From there, I’ll take a train to Bremen and then a night-train to Stuttgart, arriving at about 6:40 for my 10:00 flight to Barcelona.  I can’t believe this leg of my trip is almost over - it seriously feels like I just got to Germany.  I love it here and I know I’ll miss the people and the places for quite a while.  I’d really love to come back someday (preferably with someone who speaks German) and dig up the history of the other branches of my family.  That day in Empede was incredible - I felt like I was walking through a Dan Brown novel, and now that I’ve got that taste in my mouth I’m not sure I’ll ever get it out.  I need to run and catch my train - ¡Les visto en Barce!

6-2 The Best Things in Life Really Are Free

Location: A hotel near the Neustadt Bahnhof

Listening to: Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 6

As I just said to Herr Herrman, this was a day I will never forget.  I’d rather just go to sleep and write in the morning, but I don’t want to forget anything.  I’ll jump right into it.

I had a lazy morning because I knew the church in Mariensee didn’t open until 10 am.  When I finally got there, it was a fairly chilly, rainy, gray kind of morning and I wasn’t too hopeful.  You can read about this in the last post, which pretty much brings you up to 5 pm - and that’s when things got interesting.

I met the pastor (and her very large dog) after I rode the bus up to Mariensee.  I’ve already forgotten her name - I met more people in the last seven hours than I thought I would this whole trip.  She showed me the church’s birth records, where I found the birth date of my ancestor Karl.  Karl’s father, Friedrich, brought him over to the states when he was about fourteen.  Friedrich settled near Illinois, but Karl was the one who brought my family line to Minnesota.

-----(I fall asleep here)

Location: Neustadt Bahnhof

Listening to: Beethoven - Symphony No. 5

Evidently yesterday tired me out a little more than I anticipated.  I missed my alarm, but still got up in plenty of time to make my 7:45 train.  When I got down to breakfast, I decided I’d take it a little easier and just hop on the 8:30 train.  Unfortunately, at about 7:45 I spotted a piano in the corner.  I’ve seen others in restaurants and hotels, but I haven’t found a playable one since I left Valpo.  This little upright was tuned beautifully and I was done for.  When I looked up from my hands it was 8:15 and I hadn’t packed.  I made it to the station just in time to watch my train pull away, so now I have another half-hour to write before the next one gets here.  Se la vie.

Picking up where I left off, the pastor showed me these records.  This would have been worth my trip to Mariensee, but the real fun hadn’t even started yet...

“After you came in this morning, I called a friend in Empede.  He said you must come right away so he can show you where your grandfather lived.  I will take you there - now.”

This was very exciting, but I hadn’t seen the inside of the church yet so she let me in and gave me a private tour.  The pictures you can see are literally what my ancestors would have seen every Sunday - except for a new bowl in the baptismal font and a new organ, the church hasn’t changed in 800 years.  I would love more than anything to sing a concert here - the acoustic was absolutely incredible.  The picture of my hand is the old baptismal font, the one where Karl and probably Friedrich would have been baptized.

After the tour, she drove me to Empede.  I found out on the way down that this gentleman also happened to be the former mayor of the town.  I could tell by his handshake that we were going to get along well, regardless of any language barrier.  He and his wife invited me in, sat me down, and immediately gave me a pamphlets and books (and a beer).  The pastor was kind enough to stay for a while and translate.  They told me there was a street named for the Bodes, and that he knew where they had lived, but that there weren’t here anymore.  Evidently Friedrich took them all when he went.  

Mr. Herrman (that’s his last name) then began taking me around town, first pointing out the old Bode place which was bought by his wife’s family (the Büsing family) when Friedrich left.  He then showed me a barn only a hundred meters or so away with Marie Louise Bode’s name written across the top (see pictures).  If I have my dates right, she was probably Friedrich’s younger sister (Karl’s aunt), and evidently she married one of their close neighbors.  The older farmer in the picture is actually related to me via that marriage - he’s a descendant of the man who married her.

After this, we went to another house and met another (much older) man.  He had battle diagrams and a town layout for the New State (Neustadt) as drawn up by Napoleon - totally unrelated and a hundred years too soon, but very cool.  He also gave me a photocopy of a registry entry by Johann, Friedrich’s father, showing our farm was #20 out of the 28 farms in Empede by size/wealth.  The older portion of his house was also there in the 18th century - Friedrich and Karl may well have stood in the same rooms I did.

We drove around and he (Herrman) pointed out a few more streets and places, and then we crossed the railroad tracks into Himmelreich (“Heaven” in English).  I joked with him that anyone who’s sung as much Bach as we have had better know that word.  He owns a small housing complex with a large barn that functions as a sort of community center.  This Friday, they’re throwing some kind of party with a theater production and a lot of food (and beer).  I told them I’d try to come back, but that it could be very difficult, and they just smiled and said, “No, you will come.”  Anyway, I met probably 15-20 people.  There was a nine year-old boy named Johann and a ten year-old girl (can’t remember her name) who kept hiding from me, running up and asking a very practiced question in English, talking for 5 seconds and then running off again blushing.  It was hilarious.  There were a few girls a bit younger than me, but then everybody else was probably 35 or older.  Again, they kept giving me beer - and I didn’t want to be rude :)  I had a great time there and I tried to go back after supper, but they were all gone by then.  I’m extremely upset with myself for forgetting to take any pictures until we were driving away.  I really hope I can figure out a way to get back - I’ll have to do some talking at the Bahnhof tomorrow.

After the barn, Mr. Herrman took me to meet his daughter (who spoke very well in English).  They asked me what I’d been paying for hotels, I told them, and he told her to tell the hotel managers I was his personal guest and they should let me stay for under 50 Euros (with breakfast).  With that, he pushed me out the door and left her to find the room.

He took me to his home again, where his wife had supper on the table - way more than any of us could actually eat.  Again, I received several beers and we worked on our German/English together for a while.  They were so nice.  After supper, we went back to Himmelreich and then to the hotel in Neustadt.  My stay cost me 48 euros.

I tried really hard to write this entry last night, but I was out after those first couple of paragraphs.  It might have had something to do with the beer - no complaints here.  After I made it to Hanover and had a brief layover, I was on my way to Berlin.  Unfortunately this train was severely overbooked so I was lucky enough to stand...the entire trip.  I wasn’t too annoyed by this at first, but eventually there were 4-5 of us standing in the little connection between the cars at a time, plus all of our luggage.  To top it off, the baby in the car to my left was evidently even more pissed than we were.  They have these automatic sliding doors to get into the cars, so every time someone moved in front of the sensor a sonic tidal wave hit us like a freight train (pun intended).  Needless to say, we moved as little as possible.  I actually hopped off at one of Berlin’s western stations and took another train half an hour later just to get away.

Unfortunately, my luck with the trams was even worse.  Twice today I hopped on a tram going in the wrong direction and two other times the tram just stopped at a random point and made us get off and wait for the next one.  Overall, not my best day with public transport.

One of the main reasons I came to Berlin was to see the Bodemuseum.  If you can’t figure out why that’s significant, please read any of my last 5 entries.  This Bode, Wilhelm von Bode, is a very distant relative and not one of my ancestors (but it’s still pretty cool).  I made it over there this afternoon and the whole area surrounding Museum Island is just gorgeous.  I snapped a few pictures, but they won’t do it any justice.  I’m not sure if it was the train or if I’m getting sick or what, but I just couldn’t really focus inside the museum today.  Normally I’m a real nerd in those places and can’t stay long enough, but I was just out of it.  Anyways, now I’m back at the hostel, about ready to find something to eat.  I’m in a shared room with three girls, two younger and one older than me.  They’re nice, though one of the younger ones sounds like a valley girl.  I’m not sure exactly what tomorrow will look like.  The people in Empede suggested I go north to see the port where the Bodes probably sailed from Germany - I’ll have to look at that once I find an internet signal.

Photo Site Swap

So the new link to my photos is http://www.flickr.com/photos/jakeacrossthepond/, I had to switch from picasa to flickr because I hit their data limit.  Check it out.

6-2 Language Experiments

Location: McDonalds, Neustadt am Rübenberge

Listening to: Eric Whitacre - i will wade out

I know what you’re thinking: “Really Jake?  McDonald’s?”, to which I say: McDonalds is delicious, no matter where you are.  That said, I didn’t come for the food.  Anyone who knows me should know I’d much prefer a brat or currywurst.  I bought a monthly access pass for the T-Mobile hotspots in Germany, and this is the only one in the area NW of Hanover.  I stayed last night at a hotel in Mariensee and saw the church the Bodes attended 150-200 years ago, before they came to Illinois and finally Minnesota.  I’ve ridden past Empede, their home town, twice now and I may hop off the bus and walk around a bit there before my appointment in Mariensee this evening.  I had an interesting evening last night.

I got the chance to talk to mom, mike, and luke yesterday while I took a break in the Hanover train station.  It’s difficult to find times and places that work well for conversation.  I took the short trip to Neustadt, then a bus to Mariensee.  On my walk in, I walked right by the church.  I can’t really explain to you how exciting this was - I was literally walking on the ground Friedrich and Karl (and others) walked on during their 3-mile hike to church.  I get goosebumps now just thinking about it.  The church was closed, but as I looked at the signs out front a woman with perfect English found me.  She studied in Oregon for a few months.  I’m sure she was curious what this obviously out-of-place American kid was doing squinting at a sign for some old church.  She was very friendly and showed me where to find the hotel.  In hindsight, I should have tried to figure out a way to spend a little more time with her, because she was the only English-speaker I found for the rest of the day.  As I thought about it last night, this experience made me realize that I’m going to have to take a few more chances with people if I expect them to return the favor.

The hotel is exactly what you’d hope an old mom-and-pop hotel in a tiny German town would be, almost like a bed and breakfast, as were mom and pop.  I don’t know who that creepy younger guy is on the webpage.  Between my very little German and a very poor (but free) iPod German-English dictionary, I was able to write down enough to explain what the heck I was doing there.  He gave me a key, and it turned out I had just enough cash to pay the bill and save 10 Euro for supper and a bus ride back.  Last night, I walked around and took a few pictures.  I ate some of the best pizza I’ve ever had (it was the only thing open) and made it to bed early.

Unfortunately I didn’t sleep for too long because my the e-Reader on my iPod has reKindled some of my old love for reading (only geeks and Amazon customers will get that joke).  I actually chose “i will wade out” because it thought of it while reading “For Whom the Bell Tolls” last night.  Hemingway’s description of Robert Jordan and Maria reminded me strongly of this poem, and of “The Coolin” by James Stephens.  This is the poem set by Samuel Barber in the third of the “Reincarnations”, for any of you who had the chance to see the Chorale’s tour program.  They all speak of the ecstatically simple, wholesome, genuine, romantic love that we all wish to experience someday in ways so similar it’s almost frightening.  All three also seem appropriate to this trip somehow: an account of the Spanish civil war by an American author, an American setting of an Irish folk tune, and one American’s setting of a poem by another American with a strong affiliation with Paris.  The expression of this very specific emotion couldn’t be bound by an ocean - the sentiment is neither Irish nor American nor Spanish but simply human.  This seems so simple and I probably could have said something like this, but connecting to my ancestry across that ocean continues to make the intrinsic connection between all humanity more visceral and important every day.

This morning, I went over to the church.  I figured out via some signs last night that it also housed some kind of monastery or nunnery, but that it was one of the first churches  to convert to Protestantism.  Evidently the Bode’s carried that spirit to the states - they were there for the first Lutheran services held in the state of Minnesota.  I wandered around inside for a while and finally found a groundskeeper who directed me to a woman who spoke a little English.  It turns out they have a museum dedicated to the monastery - she insisted it’s not a nunnery because it isn’t catholic, but it is exclusively female.  I’ll go back there in a few hours and check it out - it’s only open for a few hours per day.  I tried to explain what I was looking for, and she eventually decided I should try the pastor’s house and then come back.  I did, and she told me to come back at 17:00 (5 pm) because she was preparing for a funeral.  I don’t know how Grandma found this out, but they apparently have records dating back to the time when my ancestors would have been here.  I’ll have to report back later.

I’m still trying to decide exactly what to do tonight - I’m leaning toward just finding a place in Hanover and maybe going to Berlin again tomorrow to see the museums.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like I’ll get to see Marton again until possibly July - we’ll see if I can work out a way to see a concert after I’m finished in Barcelona.  I appreciate those of you reading this blog - I’m putting in a lot of effort on it and I hope it’s not too boring.  Gutentag!  

5-31 Here I Am Again On My Own

Location: Train from Berlin to Hamburg

Listening to: Antoine Dufour - 30 Minutes in London

Well, I think the title sums it up pretty well.  I’m off on my own for a few days - I decided last night to head for Hamburg, checked the train, and made it happen.  Now I just hope I can find my hostel when I get there before that 11:00 tour happens.

This is my first experience doing this whole EurRail thing and it’s a little intimidating.  For example, today I accidentally hopped onto the first class coach.  The attendant didn’t find this quite as funny as I did.  In hindsight, I should have guessed that the first car on the train with all the men in suits and the tables between the chairs would only naturally be first class.  She was nice enough to say “You will move now” and let me stay on the train.  The second attendant (in second class, now) was much easier - I’m not sure he actually read anything on the ticket.

I have to say a note to any of the seniors who may read this in the near future - I’m really going to miss you guys.  This goes for all of you at Valpo (and especially SigEp), but right now I’m really thinking about the Chorale seniors.  I won’t say I’ll never forget any of the memories we’ve made - I’m sure I already have.  I will say that you’ve made a lasting impression on each of our lives and that you’ve helped to build a legacy that I hope will outlast any of us.  A few particulars (feel free to skip these if you don’t know these people):

Abby - All the best in NE!  Let me know if I can help out with anything - I’m sure my family would be happy to host you if you just need to get out of Seward for a bit.  I’m looking forward to seeing you in August!

Andrew - You’ve definitely helped to inspire the ambitions I have for furthering my education in music.  I’m not committed to it yet (over law school), but this year you exemplified someone who takes music and its relationship to your future seriously.  I really enjoyed singing for you this year and you’re going to do great work in the future.

Chris - #1: I think we all love Laura, and therefore we’re glad you’ve been around.  Next Fall might be a little louder.  Seriously, though, it’s been a joy getting to know each of you both individually and as the couple you’ve become.  #2: Good luck in med school.  If I do go into law, medical malpractice defense could definitely be in my future - I pray you’ll never need me, but I’d love to hear from you in 10 years either way.

Dan - You are one silly man.  It was fun getting to know you a little bit more on this tour - all the best on whatever happens in the next couple of years.

(Those were in bus order, these are random)

Kelly - You’ve been a fantastic role model for a lot of people in the chorale and I love our highly sarcastic conversations.  Do you speak Spanish?  We could Skype this summer! :P

Evan - You’re such an old man but we love it - say hello to Henry for me.  Try and have a little fun at the wedding and I look forward to seeing what you can do in Bloomington.

Bradford - Best of luck at grad school, I’d love to hear where your counter-tenor studies take you.

Ryan - I can’t believe you aren’t going to be around next year.  I know you probably feel like I ditched you this semester, and to be honest that was probably the hardest part about it.  You’ve really been a mentor to me in ways you probably never saw (and a great roommate), and I relished the chance to spend time with you again on tour.  Let me know how med school’s treating you once in a while!

Leigh - Thanks for doing most of the work this semester :)  Really though, I enjoyed working with you to plan out our activities this semester whether we were at passtimes or not.  You’re going to be a fantastic teacher and it’ll be cool to watch your students all become conductors and opera stars someday.  Let’s grab another Greyhound some time!

Michael - It was good getting to know you a bit more over this tour.  I don’t know which career path will pan out in the long run, but I know you’ll work your ass off and be great no matter where you end up.

Amy - Thanks for all the Spanish help, I’m sure I’ll be writing you some frantic email sin the near future so hasta luego.

Rudy - It’s been fun making music with you in all our different ensembles.  You’re an incredible musician and I’m really looking forward to seeing you at a professional level.

Joanna - Good luck over the next few weeks - let me know how things are going.

John - I was so happy when I found out you joined chorale this year!  I hope you enjoyed it as much as the rest of us enjoyed adding you to the group - I never realized you good your voice really was.  You’ve obviously been very important to my development as a person through the last 3 years, and I want to give you a heartfelt thank-you for being a great role model.  Have fun in Iowa!

Sorry I didn’t get to some of you, my train is pulling into the station!  Have a safe flight home and I had better see all of you again someday!

--------

Location: A & O Hostel

Listening to: The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

“I was born in Liverpool, but I grew up in Hamburg” - John Lennon

So now that I’ve checked in to my hostel and had some fun tonight, I’ll fill you in on the rest of today.  I made it in time for the free 11:00 New Europe tour.  I had a good first experience with them - if I can take one in Munich I think I will.  This city has a lot more interesting history and fun stuff to see than I’d imagined.  My tour guide did a decent job, especially considering he’s a 19-year old and it was his first tour in Hamburg.  We left from the Rathaus and walked for 3 hours with a 15-minute break, but unfortunately I didn’t make it to my hostel beforehand.  I was definitely relieved to put down my 20+ pound backpack (plus my man-purse) when I finally made it here.  I won’t elaborate on a lot of their history, but it was pretty cool to hear about all the stuff with the Beatles here while taking the tour with a guy from the Liverpool area.  Harry, if you’re reading this, it was good to meet you and all the best finishing up your internship.  Find me on facebook or something if you like.

My hostel’s in - an interesting part of town.  I didn’t know what kind of an area it was when I booked it from Berlin.  There were already strip shows going on in every adjacent building by the time I checked in at 15:30 (3:30 pm).  I decided I’d hop on the rail to do the little bit of shopping I needed to do and headed over to Altuna.  It was a nice, open area and I really enjoyed myself.  Two lessons learned: #1 - You really have to hunt for shoe sizes.  The shower sandals I bought cut off circulation after about 20 minutes (found that out while doing laundry).  #2 - Evidently “boxers” is sort of a relative term - they’re briefs with what I’d call very short sleeves for your legs, significantly shorter and...more supportive than our boxer-briefs.  They’re like the muscle shirt of underwear.  These also don’t have that convenient little flap on the front, which can cause some serious panic when you’ve been holding it for 30 minutes to get to the free bathroom in your hostel.  All that aside, they’re very comfortable.

After my shopping trip, I spent about an hour walking around on a wild goose chase (carrying everything I have again) I was sent on my the lady at the hostel desk to find a laundromat.  She drew the wrong location on my map, twice, then finally showed me on google maps and realized I was she was a solid kilometer off.  I met a couple of pretty interesting guys there, one of which was a 55ish year-old man with a mostly gray ponytail and perfect English.  He was baffled as to why someone so young would be writing a postcard home, as he discovered the magic of email just last week.  I think the other one was dealing something, as he could pretty clearly say he had taken business trips through the US to a bunch of South American countries but then his English suddenly dropped off.  20 minutes later he told me he worked in a restaurant.  Who knows...

I took a nap after laundry, but I didn’t wake up till 23:00 (11 pm).  It being a Monday night, there aren’t many “normal” bars open.  As mentioned before, I wasn’t too interested in sticking around here, so I headed for Altuna again and I couldn’t believe it - it was like a ghost town.  I walked around for an hour, and couldn’t find an open bar without a cover, strip show, or very creepy old people at the bar.  I was pretty surprised at how persuasive those strip club owners try to be.  I decided I’d try the Beatles-Platz and came back to the red light district, and found the same situation except for a little karaoke bar at the end.  I was struggling to find anyone willing to talk to a lone American, but I figured if I could sing for them I’d make a few friends.  Unfortunately I would have had to wait about 90 minutes to get on stage and the tiny 0.2 liter Heinekens were the best value at 4 euro apiece, so I couldn’t afford to wait that long.  I think I’d have a lot more fun with 1 or 2 friends to hop around with - I can handle myself pretty well but even I felt pretty uncomfortable a few times tonight.

Well I just hit the reprise of the title track - I think it’s time for bed again.  Auf wedersehen!