May 28, 2004
office hours all over germany were cancelled last thursday ("christ goes to heaven day"), so i took friday as vacation (which was good-- needed an extra hour of sleep after fun with dan & dominik in darmstadt followed by the tour-de-frankfurt with norman & partybus thurs. evening) and took the train to berlin on a whim. four hours later, arrived in the zoologischer garten bahnhof armed with a only a handbag filled with clothes and a mini guidebook, which would soon prove a lifesaver.
overly optimistic and very naïve, i had assumed that i would be able to easily skip into one of the city's 200,000 (my estimation) youth hostel berths (you see, i travel in style), but, apparently, this slightly chilly weekend was the pinnacle of the tourist season. no hostels free. no pensions. no budget hotels. no slightly shady nicer hotels. no nice hotels. and a very nice hotel was simply out of the picture.
i then found out, it was election weekend in germany. oops.
both on the train and outside in the berlin rain, i had dialed every possible hotel phone number. dreading the prospect of sleeping in the train station (as if i would actually do this) and, more likely, a defeated trip directly back to frankfurt, i suddenly found a name in the book that i hadn't called: the interestingly named hotel christophorus house. the woman on the line said a room was available (!!!) and that the hotel was just a bus ride away from berlin. thrilled to have an address for the weekend, i found #145-direction johannesstift, and hopped on. it drove past the schloss charlottenburg, several museums, and into a town called spandau, to the west of the city. we went past the city's town hall, and then swerved right into. the. woods. moving down a narrow road through this rainforest, (images of m. night shyamalan's upcoming the village in my mind), #145's driver finally stopped at a small clearning. and turned off the engine. never one for girl scout camp, i stumbled off expecting to be promptly claimed as the blair witch's next victim.
but first, facing my fears, i rounded a corner of hedges and walked straight into johannesstift. it was... adorable, welcoming, perfect. a two long rows of handsome brick houses and a majestic church at the end; far from a campground. this little town was apparently a planned evangelical community run through the protestant church. i trotted into the hotel, which was nestled between the "brother-and-sister house" and the "welcome center" and was simple and charming.
and thus began my evening in the evangelical community. i took a nice walk around the town, walked a few feet down several hiking trails (and turned around thinking better of adventures in strange forests in germany), and had a lovely dinner in a cozy restaurant run by cooks-in-training. just as i was settling in my room for the night, aunt judy called, which was wonderful!
the next day, i left my little hamlet and ventured into the Big City. after quickly realizing that it wouldn't be possible to see berlin on foot (or in a day, for that matter), i found a tour bus & after talking the driver into giving me a "student rate" (for children 7 and under), embarked on a three-hour german safari. we saw the bundes-/reichstag, alexanderplatz, what's left of the berlin wall, the bellevuehaus (equivalent of the white house), and just about everything else there is to see. although more intimidating than münich, amsterdam, london or paris, berlin is magnificent. and it's growing more each day-- construction sites are at every corner. it's current state is even more impressive given that it was completely demolished during wwII.
besides election day, it was also apparently "turkish-european day," and hundreds of thousands of turkish berliners paraded through the streets (starting at humboldt university) towards the brandenburger tor, where they held a festival and turkish rock concert. this was definately interesting to see, as symbolized the changing country: it's largest (and most swiftly growing) immigrant population hails from turkey, and is a controversial subject for many germans.
after a full day in town, i was very ready to come back to johannesstift. but not wanting to be the wuss going to sleep at 5pm, i went to the huge berlin zoo, which was right near the bus stop. hoping to see a flock of mini ponies, i entered through the lion gates and became a 7-year-old again. polar bears, tigers, seals, cow-looking animals, and a couple of raunchy apes (p.s. am traumatized for life-- survived only after text-messaging therapy session with allison)-- the collection was impressive!
i took the bus back and walked to a cute restaurant in the outskirts of spandau & had another very nice and simple dinner. the best part was, though, listening to the toasts and conversations of the huge family having a dinner hosted by the grandparents. sixteen relatives, young & old(er), laughed and chatted all evening. even though i wasn't sitting with them, it was a little piece of home for me. and a comfortable reminder too, that while i was having european adventures now, and all of the triumphs and challenges that come with new independance, i would soon be home. it was such a warm thought. and it'll hold me over until the big day-- july 19!
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overly optimistic and very naïve, i had assumed that i would be able to easily skip into one of the city's 200,000 (my estimation) youth hostel berths (you see, i travel in style), but, apparently, this slightly chilly weekend was the pinnacle of the tourist season. no hostels free. no pensions. no budget hotels. no slightly shady nicer hotels. no nice hotels. and a very nice hotel was simply out of the picture.
i then found out, it was election weekend in germany. oops.
both on the train and outside in the berlin rain, i had dialed every possible hotel phone number. dreading the prospect of sleeping in the train station (as if i would actually do this) and, more likely, a defeated trip directly back to frankfurt, i suddenly found a name in the book that i hadn't called: the interestingly named hotel christophorus house. the woman on the line said a room was available (!!!) and that the hotel was just a bus ride away from berlin. thrilled to have an address for the weekend, i found #145-direction johannesstift, and hopped on. it drove past the schloss charlottenburg, several museums, and into a town called spandau, to the west of the city. we went past the city's town hall, and then swerved right into. the. woods. moving down a narrow road through this rainforest, (images of m. night shyamalan's upcoming the village in my mind), #145's driver finally stopped at a small clearning. and turned off the engine. never one for girl scout camp, i stumbled off expecting to be promptly claimed as the blair witch's next victim.
but first, facing my fears, i rounded a corner of hedges and walked straight into johannesstift. it was... adorable, welcoming, perfect. a two long rows of handsome brick houses and a majestic church at the end; far from a campground. this little town was apparently a planned evangelical community run through the protestant church. i trotted into the hotel, which was nestled between the "brother-and-sister house" and the "welcome center" and was simple and charming.
and thus began my evening in the evangelical community. i took a nice walk around the town, walked a few feet down several hiking trails (and turned around thinking better of adventures in strange forests in germany), and had a lovely dinner in a cozy restaurant run by cooks-in-training. just as i was settling in my room for the night, aunt judy called, which was wonderful!
the next day, i left my little hamlet and ventured into the Big City. after quickly realizing that it wouldn't be possible to see berlin on foot (or in a day, for that matter), i found a tour bus & after talking the driver into giving me a "student rate" (for children 7 and under), embarked on a three-hour german safari. we saw the bundes-/reichstag, alexanderplatz, what's left of the berlin wall, the bellevuehaus (equivalent of the white house), and just about everything else there is to see. although more intimidating than münich, amsterdam, london or paris, berlin is magnificent. and it's growing more each day-- construction sites are at every corner. it's current state is even more impressive given that it was completely demolished during wwII.
besides election day, it was also apparently "turkish-european day," and hundreds of thousands of turkish berliners paraded through the streets (starting at humboldt university) towards the brandenburger tor, where they held a festival and turkish rock concert. this was definately interesting to see, as symbolized the changing country: it's largest (and most swiftly growing) immigrant population hails from turkey, and is a controversial subject for many germans.
after a full day in town, i was very ready to come back to johannesstift. but not wanting to be the wuss going to sleep at 5pm, i went to the huge berlin zoo, which was right near the bus stop. hoping to see a flock of mini ponies, i entered through the lion gates and became a 7-year-old again. polar bears, tigers, seals, cow-looking animals, and a couple of raunchy apes (p.s. am traumatized for life-- survived only after text-messaging therapy session with allison)-- the collection was impressive!
i took the bus back and walked to a cute restaurant in the outskirts of spandau & had another very nice and simple dinner. the best part was, though, listening to the toasts and conversations of the huge family having a dinner hosted by the grandparents. sixteen relatives, young & old(er), laughed and chatted all evening. even though i wasn't sitting with them, it was a little piece of home for me. and a comfortable reminder too, that while i was having european adventures now, and all of the triumphs and challenges that come with new independance, i would soon be home. it was such a warm thought. and it'll hold me over until the big day-- july 19!
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guess what? after a little lunch break internet fun (link courtesy of friend & newyorkish), a new revelation: i'm the olsen twin who at least eats one meal a day!
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May 26, 2004
so this morning, i figured that i would probably spend the long weekend in frankfurt (monday is a holiday). go running, see a movie (or several), cook more spargel, and maybe finally get around to writing an entry on my last weekend in berlin. but then around noon i received a frantic email from molly saying that she was going to fly into venice friday night with her brother, and that she would be in florence for the rest of the weekend. the news gets better: stefanie d. is studying in florence for the summer, and i also learned only this very morning that another great friend, danielle b., is in nearby florence! it is the one major city in italy i have never been to, and i have forever wanted to see it. naturally, i freaked out at this opportunity-- have booked night train to venice via milan (12 hours... o my goodness) and cheap flight back to the frankfurt "region" (i.e. köln/bonn). this will certainly be an adventure!
venice & florence for a weekend with three best friends? i think danielle's email pretty much sums it up:
VENICE VENICE VENICE
CAMILLIZZLE STEFFIE AND D °(me) !!!
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venice & florence for a weekend with three best friends? i think danielle's email pretty much sums it up:
VENICE VENICE VENICE
CAMILLIZZLE STEFFIE AND D °(me) !!!
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re: the day after tomorrow, does anyone (in the usa) really want to see new york city (or any other city for that matter) destroyed again, special effects or not? the nytimes says relatively positive responses to the film signal a new era for, especially, new yorkers: "...it seemed as if a kind of moment, minor but worth noting, had passed in the city's post-9/11 history: new yorkers were finally ready to watch roland emmerich destroy their city again on the big screen." even so, i think i'll save my $8.75 to see something more uplifting... like, the prisoner of azkaban, because at least there, the protagonist can win.
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May 24, 2004
CONGRATULATIONS to geof & kate!! i wish i could have come to the wedding on saturday, but i heard the full report and everyone says it was perfect & elegant!
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May 19, 2004
although he left frankfurt for michigan on monday morning (with like 7 hour delays, thanks united airlines, keep up tha good work), daddy and i had a wonderful time during his visit! am now suffering acute c.diddy-withdrawl (symptoms: strong urge to make frequent phone calls to the usa at all hours; inability to cook and clean; lack of current events knowledge). but we did have a wonderful time!!
weekend update: i took last friday off of work and dad and i drove to the alsace region (route du vin) of france. technically in france, but sandwiched into germany, this region is famous for it's beautiful architecture, winding hills, castles/old buildings, a cabbage & meat dish called "choucroute" and an extensive selection of grape-based beverages.
we drove first to baden-baden from frankfurt to visit a former colleague of dad. we had a lovely lunch and hit the autobahn again. we arrived in strasbourg late afternoon, drove around, and found a hotel a ten-minute walk from the big baroque cathedral. this city is beautiful! it had locks and canals like amsterdam, but a german-french feel to it. dad and i took a boat tour through the city, and went past the european union centers. we spent the night, and the next morning went into the cathedral. also incredible. afterwards, we headed back to the car, and drove on to obernai.
obernai was wonderful. the weather was perfect and the town wonderful. we walked all over, and even stumbled upon a parade/ceremony honoring soliders of the second world war. later, in the sun, we even had a picnic!next, we drove through the woods (basically up a mountain) to the closter/chateau of mont sainte odile, which first became a monastery in the year 685. this place was incredible. the castle (well, that's what i call it) is perched on top of a mountain and offers an incredible view of the towns below. the weather was perfect, and we enjoyed the sun. this & obernai were certainly some of my favorite places i've visited. good job planning, dad!
after seeing the mount sainte odile, we drove on through barr, sélestat, and ribeauville, among other towns. all very nice! it's amazing driving through such beautiful countryside with vineyards all around. by then it was mid-afternoon and we drove to riquewihr, north of colmar. we found a hotel just outside of the little walled-in town. the entire town was charming, and is straight out of the middle ages. although somewhat touristy, it was very comfortable, and we enjoyed it! we spent the rest of the day in the town, and went to sleep early.
the next day, we walked quickly through the corner of a vineyard and the town, then got back on the road. we had been invited to lunch with some very good family-friends in sasbachwalden, germany, near achern. after a great visit with the witt family, we drove back to frankfurt, and arrived in the early evening. since dad had already packed for the next morning, we went to a movie, then had dinner at a great mexican restaurant in town. and the next morning, drove to the airport...
it was SO wonderful having dad here-- i hope he had as much fun as i did! i love it here, but am getting ready to come home for a while... will be back with family in exactly two months... counting down the days. :)
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weekend update: i took last friday off of work and dad and i drove to the alsace region (route du vin) of france. technically in france, but sandwiched into germany, this region is famous for it's beautiful architecture, winding hills, castles/old buildings, a cabbage & meat dish called "choucroute" and an extensive selection of grape-based beverages.
we drove first to baden-baden from frankfurt to visit a former colleague of dad. we had a lovely lunch and hit the autobahn again. we arrived in strasbourg late afternoon, drove around, and found a hotel a ten-minute walk from the big baroque cathedral. this city is beautiful! it had locks and canals like amsterdam, but a german-french feel to it. dad and i took a boat tour through the city, and went past the european union centers. we spent the night, and the next morning went into the cathedral. also incredible. afterwards, we headed back to the car, and drove on to obernai.
obernai was wonderful. the weather was perfect and the town wonderful. we walked all over, and even stumbled upon a parade/ceremony honoring soliders of the second world war. later, in the sun, we even had a picnic!next, we drove through the woods (basically up a mountain) to the closter/chateau of mont sainte odile, which first became a monastery in the year 685. this place was incredible. the castle (well, that's what i call it) is perched on top of a mountain and offers an incredible view of the towns below. the weather was perfect, and we enjoyed the sun. this & obernai were certainly some of my favorite places i've visited. good job planning, dad!
after seeing the mount sainte odile, we drove on through barr, sélestat, and ribeauville, among other towns. all very nice! it's amazing driving through such beautiful countryside with vineyards all around. by then it was mid-afternoon and we drove to riquewihr, north of colmar. we found a hotel just outside of the little walled-in town. the entire town was charming, and is straight out of the middle ages. although somewhat touristy, it was very comfortable, and we enjoyed it! we spent the rest of the day in the town, and went to sleep early.
the next day, we walked quickly through the corner of a vineyard and the town, then got back on the road. we had been invited to lunch with some very good family-friends in sasbachwalden, germany, near achern. after a great visit with the witt family, we drove back to frankfurt, and arrived in the early evening. since dad had already packed for the next morning, we went to a movie, then had dinner at a great mexican restaurant in town. and the next morning, drove to the airport...
it was SO wonderful having dad here-- i hope he had as much fun as i did! i love it here, but am getting ready to come home for a while... will be back with family in exactly two months... counting down the days. :)
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May 18, 2004
overheard in office #3.41:
(a german coworker on the phone, in english)
"... and so i'm afraid to say that we will not be able to talk on thursday as it is the national ... [searching for the translation for the word 'holiday'] ... 'christ goes to heaven' day..."
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(a german coworker on the phone, in english)
"... and so i'm afraid to say that we will not be able to talk on thursday as it is the national ... [searching for the translation for the word 'holiday'] ... 'christ goes to heaven' day..."
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May 17, 2004
so the new york times (p.s., strangely devoid of a fashion & style section-- can anyone explain this?) just reported that troy was the big film this weekend, second only to eminem's ode to detroit's shadiest road, 8mile, in the r-rated, non-sequel category.
as a public service to all three (or four?) loyal readers, i will give you a rundown of the film. :) it stars: my good friend orlando bloom, eric bana (remember last year's the hulk? no? i don't either), some old(er) guys playing disgruntled / raving mad kings, german model diane kruger, and brad pitt and his thighs.
i should first say that the film boasts several truly finessed details: for example, many famous actors modeling this year's miniskirt collection in pleather, rustic wool and assorted animal hides; the glistening skin of brad pitt (i get the feeling that director wolfgang petersen really likes it, no judgement); a complete lack of admirable or strong female characters; perfectly applied eyeliner; and the mysterious wailing woman in the background (whose voice-over "songs" consisting of vowels-- iiiieeeeeaaaaoooooooooeeeeiiiii, etc. -- are meant to convey agony, sadness, deep emotions in any "ethnic" film. watch it any you'll hear what i mean).
a note on costume design: this film has almost as many togas than the fraternity party i went to sophomore year and more tie-dyed fabrics, hair braids, and seashell accessories than cancún during high school spring break. obnoxious metaphors aside, the filmmakers did a great job of giving the greeks and trojans lots of pretty things to wear. the armor looked ... metallic, and the even the boots and sandals seemed to fit in with the era. i didn't pay close enough attention, but i swear that they even put kruger's helen in high-heels during one scene, which i imagine weren't actually invented until about a thousand years later. but then again, i also don't study apparel merchandising.
muscles: lots and lots of them. pints of creatine for everybody!
acting: ummm it was there, probably. eric bana and sean bean actually did good jobs, i feel, as did peter o'toole as the king of troy. the others were convincingly power-hungry, meek, or not-that-bright.
speaking of, this might be the most chauvinistic film i have ever seen. i am not, in any stretch of the imagination, a feminist. rather, i like to think of myself as a humanist. petersen has directed a film with no redeeming female characters. kruger's helen speaks in monotone semi-sentences appears dimwitted, and we are led to believe that she singlehandedly caused the great war for nothing more than paris's toga (petersen could have woven a love story out of their "relationship"). actually, rose byrne's weepy briseis had some very good moments, but she allowed herself to fall helpless and be easily manipulated. also, i hate to be the bearer of bad news, but saffron burrows's best contribution to the film as hector's wife andromache is staring into the camera, feigning sadness/fright/any emotion whatsoever and sort of shaking like the taco bell chihuahua. of course, it might have been the botox. and finally, at the film's conclusion, all three women and paris try to escape troy through a secret passageway. paris decides to stay and fight, but wants to pass the "sword of troy" onto a survivor. all three women pass him by (including helen), but according to the writers, none of these (royal) women are capable of leading themselves. so he passes it off to the next 13-year-old who comes along. because a man-- any man-- would be a better leader than any woman, apparently according to petersen.
am i being too harsh with troy? after all, it's just summer eye-candy. but i do think that when viewers expect to be lifted-up by a blockbuster, at least there should be some equality, no? these characters make the olsen twins look like queens of the world. and that's a scary thought.
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as a public service to all three (or four?) loyal readers, i will give you a rundown of the film. :) it stars: my good friend orlando bloom, eric bana (remember last year's the hulk? no? i don't either), some old(er) guys playing disgruntled / raving mad kings, german model diane kruger, and brad pitt and his thighs.
i should first say that the film boasts several truly finessed details: for example, many famous actors modeling this year's miniskirt collection in pleather, rustic wool and assorted animal hides; the glistening skin of brad pitt (i get the feeling that director wolfgang petersen really likes it, no judgement); a complete lack of admirable or strong female characters; perfectly applied eyeliner; and the mysterious wailing woman in the background (whose voice-over "songs" consisting of vowels-- iiiieeeeeaaaaoooooooooeeeeiiiii, etc. -- are meant to convey agony, sadness, deep emotions in any "ethnic" film. watch it any you'll hear what i mean).
a note on costume design: this film has almost as many togas than the fraternity party i went to sophomore year and more tie-dyed fabrics, hair braids, and seashell accessories than cancún during high school spring break. obnoxious metaphors aside, the filmmakers did a great job of giving the greeks and trojans lots of pretty things to wear. the armor looked ... metallic, and the even the boots and sandals seemed to fit in with the era. i didn't pay close enough attention, but i swear that they even put kruger's helen in high-heels during one scene, which i imagine weren't actually invented until about a thousand years later. but then again, i also don't study apparel merchandising.
muscles: lots and lots of them. pints of creatine for everybody!
acting: ummm it was there, probably. eric bana and sean bean actually did good jobs, i feel, as did peter o'toole as the king of troy. the others were convincingly power-hungry, meek, or not-that-bright.
speaking of, this might be the most chauvinistic film i have ever seen. i am not, in any stretch of the imagination, a feminist. rather, i like to think of myself as a humanist. petersen has directed a film with no redeeming female characters. kruger's helen speaks in monotone semi-sentences appears dimwitted, and we are led to believe that she singlehandedly caused the great war for nothing more than paris's toga (petersen could have woven a love story out of their "relationship"). actually, rose byrne's weepy briseis had some very good moments, but she allowed herself to fall helpless and be easily manipulated. also, i hate to be the bearer of bad news, but saffron burrows's best contribution to the film as hector's wife andromache is staring into the camera, feigning sadness/fright/any emotion whatsoever and sort of shaking like the taco bell chihuahua. of course, it might have been the botox. and finally, at the film's conclusion, all three women and paris try to escape troy through a secret passageway. paris decides to stay and fight, but wants to pass the "sword of troy" onto a survivor. all three women pass him by (including helen), but according to the writers, none of these (royal) women are capable of leading themselves. so he passes it off to the next 13-year-old who comes along. because a man-- any man-- would be a better leader than any woman, apparently according to petersen.
am i being too harsh with troy? after all, it's just summer eye-candy. but i do think that when viewers expect to be lifted-up by a blockbuster, at least there should be some equality, no? these characters make the olsen twins look like queens of the world. and that's a scary thought.
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May 11, 2004
one of the great things about travels through europe is the abundance of museums. from the louvre and musée d'orsay in paris to the cheese-making museum in gruyère (it's really cool, i promise), there are lots of neat things to see. sometimes, however, my fellow travelers might find themselves confused about appropriate decorum in said halls of knowledge. for these friends, i humbly offer:
la petite princesse's guide to appropriate museum behavior
#1. so as to make the experience of other patrons of the arts more pleasant, please keep comments and insights to a minimum. for example, if you were perusing a collection of the late works of claude monet, it would be best to keep breakthroughs such as "his paintings look, like, fuzzy" to yourself. as in, inside your head.
#2. that pink terrycloth sweatsuit must have cost you a fortune at neiman marcus, but let's face it: even j.lo would look scruffy wearing that in the british museum. how about a nice pair of trousers and a pressed shirt? or, even better, something from the special occasion collection at jcrew? very nice!
#3. an appropriate amount of time to enjoy, say, a painting is approximately one minute or less (emphasis on the "less" when it's crowded-- friends, remember, we can all share in the fun if we work together).
#4. let's also work on the emotions... no crying or laughing hysterically, if possible, pls. (try and stay in the middle-range of potential emotional extremes). i admit, i'd be the happiest person in the world if i could pitch a tent and set up camp in a renoir collection, but even i have managed to contain myself. and this means it's more than possible for the rest of you to attain. :)
#5. i like to bring nutritious snacks along as well, but try not to tuck into the trailmix or crack open the diet coke inside the gallery-- it's not good for the paintings.
#6. don't touch the paintings!!!
#7. don't pretend to touch the paintings!!!
#8. if the person on the loudspeaker in the sistine chapel says to be quiet in fifteen different languages, you should listen to him or her even if "vær rolig! ikke åpner deres munn!" isn't recognizable.
#9. no running through the hallways. you might slip and crash into a priceless fifteenth-century botticelli fresco. or a granny. and that would be bad.
#10. this one is the most important-- do not, under any circumstances, do any of the following:
well, friends, that's all i've got. i feel that with mutual respect and admiration for both fellow art enthusiasts and the works before us, we can all have a fun, safe, and satisfying time in the galleries. :)
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la petite princesse's guide to appropriate museum behavior
#1. so as to make the experience of other patrons of the arts more pleasant, please keep comments and insights to a minimum. for example, if you were perusing a collection of the late works of claude monet, it would be best to keep breakthroughs such as "his paintings look, like, fuzzy" to yourself. as in, inside your head.
#2. that pink terrycloth sweatsuit must have cost you a fortune at neiman marcus, but let's face it: even j.lo would look scruffy wearing that in the british museum. how about a nice pair of trousers and a pressed shirt? or, even better, something from the special occasion collection at jcrew? very nice!
#3. an appropriate amount of time to enjoy, say, a painting is approximately one minute or less (emphasis on the "less" when it's crowded-- friends, remember, we can all share in the fun if we work together).
#4. let's also work on the emotions... no crying or laughing hysterically, if possible, pls. (try and stay in the middle-range of potential emotional extremes). i admit, i'd be the happiest person in the world if i could pitch a tent and set up camp in a renoir collection, but even i have managed to contain myself. and this means it's more than possible for the rest of you to attain. :)
#5. i like to bring nutritious snacks along as well, but try not to tuck into the trailmix or crack open the diet coke inside the gallery-- it's not good for the paintings.
#6. don't touch the paintings!!!
#7. don't pretend to touch the paintings!!!
#8. if the person on the loudspeaker in the sistine chapel says to be quiet in fifteen different languages, you should listen to him or her even if "vær rolig! ikke åpner deres munn!" isn't recognizable.
#9. no running through the hallways. you might slip and crash into a priceless fifteenth-century botticelli fresco. or a granny. and that would be bad.
#10. this one is the most important-- do not, under any circumstances, do any of the following:
a. pose in the same stance as the venus de milo in front or to the side of the actual statue
b. take a picture of the mona lisa. i promise the 50 cent postcard will look much, much better
c. use your video camera (even michael moore knows when to shut it off. probably.)
d. stare at the naked people. it's ART.
well, friends, that's all i've got. i feel that with mutual respect and admiration for both fellow art enthusiasts and the works before us, we can all have a fun, safe, and satisfying time in the galleries. :)
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yikes! if the madras war wasn't traumatic enough, here comes the paisley invasion (see this and this)!! escape with normal clothes while you still can-- before you get sucked into the 1960s, or worse-- you're forced to start shopping at abercrombie...
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May 10, 2004
what can i say about amsterdam? it was a great weekend in the city-- it is beautiful, friendly, multi-faceted, and great fun with diddy!
we arrived from frankfurt via train at about 5pm, checked in, and immediately went to one of amsterdam's suburban areas to see cirque du soleil's "dralion" performance. it was fabulous! (can i just say, i did not know the human body was capable of such contortions... bizarre: this one girl could balance herself on one hand, and bend her feet backwards over her shoulders and touch her feet to her ears... and live to tell the tale!) anyways, was a cool show.
the next day, we left early to see the rijksmuseum (home of four of 30 vermeer paintings and many rembrandts. a great collection of dutch masterpieces, second only, perhaps to what lies in the hague. after that, we hit the van gogh museum which was very nice (as you'd imagine a museum devoted to van gogh would be) and also devoted a full floor to dante gabriel rossetti, who helped reinstate medieval and renaissance era themes into victorian painting. after that, we walked around for a bit and took a boat tour all through the canals of amsterdam. the townhouses, bridges, boats, streets are all so unique and beautiful (and to my delight, many people live in boats docked in the canals-- new life goal: live in houseboat). after that great tour, we went by the anne frank house, and discovering a line four-hours long, decided to come back later. we took a rest back at the hotel, went swimming, and at 7pm headed back to anne frank.
the annex: this one place was worth the trip to europe alone, though i don't think such a price tag could honor the experience. there's not much i can say about it in writing... you just have to see it for yourself. to walk through her little room, where she had pasted magazine cutouts and photographs of celebrities or postcards, is incredible. to see The Diary, and all that is left of a bright girl who has connected with so many people worldwide, young and old, from all backgrounds and cultures. to be there is to visit the home of an old friend, to go one step further and see how she lived. she would have been 75 years old this june.
the rest of the day was great. it's hard not to have a great day when you see how fortunate you are.
on sunday, the clouds cleared up quite a bit, and we walked around some more, had breakfast, and took the trolley to the original heineken factory for the heineken experience, a festive tour through the beer-brewing process with 3x samples and other surprises. it was fun, though we partook in no more than a sip and instead shared the voucher wealth with some other thirsty tourists, sorry brittany & adam. :) after that, we walked along the canals, enjoyed the view from a parkbench, and looked at collections of tiles and paintings in shop windows. soon it was time to catch our 4.55 train back to frankfurt... we were sad to go, and it was certainly lovely to be there with dad!!
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we arrived from frankfurt via train at about 5pm, checked in, and immediately went to one of amsterdam's suburban areas to see cirque du soleil's "dralion" performance. it was fabulous! (can i just say, i did not know the human body was capable of such contortions... bizarre: this one girl could balance herself on one hand, and bend her feet backwards over her shoulders and touch her feet to her ears... and live to tell the tale!) anyways, was a cool show.
the next day, we left early to see the rijksmuseum (home of four of 30 vermeer paintings and many rembrandts. a great collection of dutch masterpieces, second only, perhaps to what lies in the hague. after that, we hit the van gogh museum which was very nice (as you'd imagine a museum devoted to van gogh would be) and also devoted a full floor to dante gabriel rossetti, who helped reinstate medieval and renaissance era themes into victorian painting. after that, we walked around for a bit and took a boat tour all through the canals of amsterdam. the townhouses, bridges, boats, streets are all so unique and beautiful (and to my delight, many people live in boats docked in the canals-- new life goal: live in houseboat). after that great tour, we went by the anne frank house, and discovering a line four-hours long, decided to come back later. we took a rest back at the hotel, went swimming, and at 7pm headed back to anne frank.
the annex: this one place was worth the trip to europe alone, though i don't think such a price tag could honor the experience. there's not much i can say about it in writing... you just have to see it for yourself. to walk through her little room, where she had pasted magazine cutouts and photographs of celebrities or postcards, is incredible. to see The Diary, and all that is left of a bright girl who has connected with so many people worldwide, young and old, from all backgrounds and cultures. to be there is to visit the home of an old friend, to go one step further and see how she lived. she would have been 75 years old this june.
the rest of the day was great. it's hard not to have a great day when you see how fortunate you are.
on sunday, the clouds cleared up quite a bit, and we walked around some more, had breakfast, and took the trolley to the original heineken factory for the heineken experience, a festive tour through the beer-brewing process with 3x samples and other surprises. it was fun, though we partook in no more than a sip and instead shared the voucher wealth with some other thirsty tourists, sorry brittany & adam. :) after that, we walked along the canals, enjoyed the view from a parkbench, and looked at collections of tiles and paintings in shop windows. soon it was time to catch our 4.55 train back to frankfurt... we were sad to go, and it was certainly lovely to be there with dad!!
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many congratulations to cousin geof (george IV) for his new position in miami's new world symphony!!! more congratulations in order for his & kate's upcoming wedding! :)
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May 07, 2004
i'm in tha office for a half-day and then @1.00 i'm off with c.diddy to amsterdam! thanks to brittany & nitin for suggestions (p.s., nitin, i don't think some of your proposals fall under my personal guide to ethics & acceptable behaviors, but thanks anyways, buddy!). mom even found out that cirque du soleil is in town for the weekend, so dad & i will see the performance tonight!
i had a great evening with dad last night-- he made a great dinner & i convinced him to watch the "kill bill vol. 1" dvd that he brought for me from the us (because there's nothing like father-daughter bonding over a tarantino film). i had forgotten, incidentally, that i had only seen the film in GERMAN before, and apparently didn't understand some of the side-plots and the dirty words... at ALL. here's a short sample from the first half-hour of the film:
and before i forget, as a final grateful send-off to my replacement friends from approximately summer 1996 to winter '97 (before i met the cool midland people), DORK ALERT!
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i had a great evening with dad last night-- he made a great dinner & i convinced him to watch the "kill bill vol. 1" dvd that he brought for me from the us (because there's nothing like father-daughter bonding over a tarantino film). i had forgotten, incidentally, that i had only seen the film in GERMAN before, and apparently didn't understand some of the side-plots and the dirty words... at ALL. here's a short sample from the first half-hour of the film:
hospital warden guy: *** content not appropriate for this site ***
other guy: *** " " ***
hospital warden guy: *** " " ***
me: hmmm this is different from when i saw it the first time...
and before i forget, as a final grateful send-off to my replacement friends from approximately summer 1996 to winter '97 (before i met the cool midland people), DORK ALERT!
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May 06, 2004
May 05, 2004
all-out wars against madras suits aside, i am very excited that daddy (a.k.a. c.diddy) is coming to frankfurt tomorrow! i am taking friday afternoon off and we are going to amsterdam for the weekend to see the rijks museum, the anne frank house (secret annex) and the beautiful architecture and to enjoy the lovely spring weather! i have only seen amsterdam from the airport before, and am looking forward to seeing the city with dad! brittany & adam were there last weekend and had a great time and i unfortunately couldn't work out a trip there with nitin & neel, but i'll report back to you on monday :)
worked until 10pm last night researching financial information on bloomberg, stumbled back home at 11, woke up at 6:30, sprinted to the subway stop just in time to fling myself into a train, ran like crazy through packs of grannies and suits in the hauptwache station to catch my connecting subway to work, and would have arrived here early but... Every Single Train was a half-hour late. anyways, it's fine, by pure chance i was still the first one in, but i will be thankful every day next year for living only five minutes (okay, three, at a run) from class...
iu friends: good luck on finals, michigan friends: congrats on graduating, rouen friend: bonne chance on the français exams, and rochester friend: i don't know when you officially finish this term, but i hope all goes well!
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worked until 10pm last night researching financial information on bloomberg, stumbled back home at 11, woke up at 6:30, sprinted to the subway stop just in time to fling myself into a train, ran like crazy through packs of grannies and suits in the hauptwache station to catch my connecting subway to work, and would have arrived here early but... Every Single Train was a half-hour late. anyways, it's fine, by pure chance i was still the first one in, but i will be thankful every day next year for living only five minutes (okay, three, at a run) from class...
iu friends: good luck on finals, michigan friends: congrats on graduating, rouen friend: bonne chance on the français exams, and rochester friend: i don't know when you officially finish this term, but i hope all goes well!
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May 03, 2004
now, i love jcrew more than most girls (for their rather perfect, simple clothing at less-than-chanel prices), but i don't know how many guys would wear any of this from the new may men's collection besides snoop dogg at the beach. and probably not him either. this is worse than the plaid-pajama-pants phase of 1996 (may it be forever forgotten). sorry, but i think it's a "miss."
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