Germanland, Here I Come - American Rhapsody

American Rhapsody

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Monday 27 December 2010
in Travel Stories
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Germanland, Here I Come

Reverb10 is now offering "one tool each day to help you plan your year ahead".

So far we've had "How to create your personal manifesto", "Soul biographies: thoughts become things", "MicroMOVEment Support Sheets" and "The Next Step After Vision". This is all self-flattering, time-consuming, utter bullshit, if you want my informed opinion. Well, not so informed, as I couldn't bear reading through any of the entire articles.

For example, I read just enough of the "MicroMOVEment" thingie to learn it is about breaking down big, seemingly unconquerable tasks in more manageable sub-units. OH SUCH AN INCREDIBLE REVOLUTION STOP THE PRESSES.

I didn't even have the courage to click on the "Next Step After Vision" link. I'm pretty sure it's action, though.

I think I've had it with Reverb10.

And in any case I'm running a bit out of time as tomorrow the mom and I are hitting the road to Germany, with my boxes an' stuff in the boot (take that, American English) of the car, on the way to the lovely flat (take that again, American English) I have found last week. So I am a bit busy. With such things as mapping the trip, booking a hotel halfway there and back, purchasing train tickets^[1] for when I return there by train next Monday, and packing my crap into the proper suitcases.

So off I am, waving to you frantically with my little tiny hand, and wishing you a very happy 2011 indeed.

Notes

[1] I do not want to take the train. I have taken trains on the 24th, 25th, and 26th of December, all of which were delayed for various weather-related reasons, and I. Do. Not. Want. To. Take. The. Train. Ever. Again.

No more witty thoughts allowed.

Witty thoughts

1.

The German trains were very efficient when I was passing through.. but I suppose that *was* high summer..

Monday 27 December 2010

2.

Oh, I'm not worried about the German trains. From my experience, they're always late, but never by more than 10 minutes. It's the TGV taking me to Paris and the one taking me to Stuttgart that worry me.

Monday 27 December 2010

3.

I hate this reverb business. Their prompts were irrelevant and weird. I think I'll reminisce my own way, thank you very much. (PS. I really did strike my keys furiously. Reverb10 just annoyed me so much!)

Monday 27 December 2010

4.

Oh, how I hear ya, suzy pepper. I had to make a mockery of most of it but it's reached such a point of self-involved absurdity... Today's tool is the "Start Your Own Happiness Project", which sounds equally offensive and full of self-help bullshit.

Tuesday 28 December 2010

5.

Ah yes. I have to say, I didn't rate the French train system very highly. They're fast, but they don't cater very well for the heavily-laden backpacker who doesn't speak much French, for some inexplicable reason.

And some bugger had swiped my seat.

Not that I'm bitter.

I did have quite an experience with Parisian taxi drivers tho.. I hope your trip across the capital is less adrenalin-soaked than mine was :)

Tuesday 28 December 2010

6.

I'm pretty sure speaking fluent French and knowing Paris fairly well give me an edge, Dom. Still, changing railways stations with heavy luggage isn't going to be much fun.

Saturday 1 January 2011

# Feed the beast

I read

Mostly detective stories. Occassionally, weird fantasy, theater, or Chinese literature in Italian (I have fantastic friends), real well-written books.

I listen to

Mof Montreal, Caravan Palace, the Ditty Bops, Dango Reinhardt, the National, Minor Majority, Léo Ferré, Beethoven, Sonny Rollins, Laura Marling, Erlend Øye, Hjaltalin, Sufjan Stevens, Yuri Bashmet. And others.

I am

late, I'm late, I'm late for a very important date, delighted by Oscar Wilde (One should always be a little improbable), a little improbable, still very much of a bloody leftist, heathen atheist, and a woman scientist.

Deep Thought

'To leave is to die a little. But to die is to leave a lot' (translated from French)
[Alphonse Allais]

(Almost) Legal Mentions

(Dammit this one joke only works in French. You're missing out.)
Not recommended for children under 36 months.
Please handle carefully.
Beware of the kitty.
Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.*

* Strike out if inapplicable