It’s Pleasure Time! Croatia: Getting In

It’s Pleasure Time! Croatia: Getting In

“It’s Pleasure Time” was the slogan of the place we stayed in Croatia. While the slogan is hilarious for being overdone and the innuendo, we still weren’t really disappointed at all.

Late Tuesday (two weeks ago?) Danny and I got into Croatia, and took a very shady bus from the single terminal airport into the town of Zadar. We couldn’t figure out how to pay the guy. Info inside said we could pay in Euros, the driver said no way. Dan manned up and played ATM roulette and we sat ourselves on a bus seat where the back had been ripped off.

In town we sat clueless waiting for the bus to our hotel, and although it was hard to figure out and the locals were also confused, we made it.

What was interesting was that none of this fazed us at all. We may have been over tired or something, but we were totally cool with being lost in a foreign country where we don’t speak the language. I guess we’re just used to weird situations at this point.

Once we’d checked into our “villa” we went out back to have cocktails. As we left the door we hear the waves lapping somewhere very near. We went out back to the terrace with gardens and a place to sit all of which was right on the water. I was pumped and I think Dan was too.

“THAT’S DISGUSTING!” I blurted in exaggeration. You don’t notice the backhoe or the muddy trench and construction equipment separating you from the sea until you’re right on top of it. Well so much for a bottle of rum, an old friend and my feet in the water. At least we still had the first two and enjoyed the first of a few chats over drinks out on the terrace in what would be an awesome week.

Easter in Zürich

I spent Easter with my parents, my brother-in-law, sister and two nieces. It was amazing that there enough of us in Europe at once to have an actual family holiday. Zürich is a beautiful but expensive city, and there is a bit of an attitude among the people especially if you are dragging two girls under 4 into cafes.

The weather was superb and one of our best moments was sitting next to Lake Zürich eating lunch with everybody and just enjoying the moment.

An important tip for anybody in German speaking Europe during Easter is that everything shuts down for like a week. They are very particular about these holidays and Holy Thursday all the way to the Monday following Easter is a huge shut down with only a few restaurants and stores open on Saturday and Friday. So Thomas, my brother in law, and I were lucky to catch an open grocery store on Saturday and stock up for the next few days.

Sunday morning mass was in a seemingly unassuming church in suburban Zürich. I was surprised to see so many people. There is almost nobody in my parish in Berlin and even on Easter 2 years ago in Konstanz, I don’t remember too many folks being there.

We soon discovered that this was no ordinary service as a full choir and chamber orchestra launched into one of Mozart’s masses. I could find no fault with the performance as tears came visibly to peoples’ eyes. The recessional hymn was Handel’s Messiah which was amazing. Link to a video of the actual church: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw6H3crLzpg&feature=related


Two of Zürich's most loyal Phils Phans

After mass we had a nice brunch with my sister’s neighbors who are nice people and have a son my niece Maya’s age. They are really good buddies and had fun hunting eggs together. You always have to watch out in situations when the two kids come in direct competition with each other. Thankfully it didn’t turn too sour.

Then it was off to Essen, Germany to meet Dan for our flight to Croatia.

Pink Houses

I spent the weekend off in a Neverland of BBQ, beers and softball. I played in a beer-league softball game Saturday afternoon, followed by a fast pitch game with my team the “Black Sheep” this morning.

Saturday was an amazing display of American influence and ex-pat culture. I found myself playing 3rd, sniffing out my next burger over at the grill and the classic rock drifting from somewhere in the stands only reinforced this oasis of “middle America” in a Berlin suburb.

Everybody seems to be friends and there are some real characters. There’s even a team from the Taiwan embassy who’s captain is the actual ambassador. Another guy has got a world-class mullet and can’t stop cracking jokes. Worth mentioning was our umpire who was classic: moustache, sunglasses, and direct orders all made for efficient administration.

“You throw the bat, I call you out, you bring the bat with you, I call you out, I don’t give a damn, take a lead, I call you out, when I tell you to get to the fence, go! I don’t’ got all day out here.

Eventually little details reminded me where I was: “Two down” accented in German, Becks and Berliner Pilsner. That didn’t spoil my fun though. BBQ just happens to be the natural accompaniment to baseball no matter where you are.

Arriving back at the field Sunday We donned out black jerseys that have in red, in Japanese “Black Sheep War Machine” across the chest. My buddy David, another Fulbrighter, plays short for our opponents the Jolly Dodgers. He made some great digs during the day and wasn’t shy with the bat either.

I was surprised to be starting in Left since I’m new to the team. But as my buddy Mike from Canada (Mike #2) pointed out, you get extra points when you are from North America. Mike had actually just joined the team last Thursday when I invited him along after a class. He fit right in and did well hitting DH for the Sheep today. Going 2 for 4 with a handful of RBI’s I’m feeling pretty good although I had limited action in the field.

The day ending in victory, we hung out and took in the next came and chatted up some locals. I am loving it to enter a work week having played a little ball, got some sun. Now time to return home and squeeze in the last bit of free time before what should be one heck of a week.

Parents Visit Berlin

(The Bear is the symbol of Berlin, just so everyone knows this isn't completely ridiculous)

For the last two weeks I've been pretty much out of commission, and a lot of great stuff has been going on so its time to catch up.

On April 6th I picked up my parents at the aeroporto and after a brief scare of malfunctioning bank cards, we made it to their hotel and dropped off their bags. The hotel is so close to my apartment I can see the front door from my window, which is good for keeping an eye on the old folks.

It was nice feeling to be able to show my parents around Berlin. In any other place it would be difficult to entertain your parents for 5 days, but here there's plenty to keep everybody busy. The main issue is striking a balance between Mom's gardens, paintings, and attention to detail and Dad's history, architecture, beer, and "big picture" styles.

Check Point Charlie was right for both my parents because they lived through most of it, and since it's right down the street we went there first. Charlie is also a good spot to pick up the Path of the Wall which we walked along to Potsdamerplatz, after which we had our first lunch of Beers, brats, sausages and dark bread. Nobody was complaining and everybody was happy.

(John & Gay at the wall, Soviets went fleeing)

In the following days we had great meals together and saw some the top sights in Berlin. Highlights would have to be the German History Museum, where my Dad spent 4 hours enthralled in WWI & II history, while my Mom was most impressed by him not complaining let alone any exhibits. I would recommend this museum to anyone. It's detailed but not in a way that bores you.

Another highlight had to have been lunch at KaDeWe (see glossary) where we toured the decadent 6th floor gourmet gallery. They have every kind of food, pastry, wine, cheese, fish, meat, anything else you can imagine and some you don't want to.

My parents also took in a jazz show with me and my buddy Jan at A-Trane. Everybody had a great time and it was a nice to see my parents do something they probably wouldn't do.

Another night we went to a great place for sunset cocktails called Solar. The place is a little snooty and selective but somehow mom and dad got through the bouncer, and up the elevator to the bar where we had a drink overlooking the city.

Last but not least we visited the palace Sanssouci ("with out a care") in Potsdam. Amazing gardens and some slightly odd sculptures kept everybody entertained as we waited to enter the palace, which is set up as a one floor villa. As my Dad always says, "It's good to be King," and here was proof. This guy's summer cottage is huge and didn't compromise on quality either.

Palace Gardens

In the end everybody had a great time, and my anxiety was unfounded. Good times in Berlin, forthcoming, Easter in Zürich and Croatia!

New Arrival, New Place, New Start (Throw Back)

Here's the first of many throw backs. (See Intro all the way down) This post is actually made out of excerpts from an email thread between myself and my parents. Since they are here to visit, I figured I'd honor them with this.

The background required here is that from Sept. until the end of Dec. I lived in an apartment that was a bad situation for me, my work, the neighbors and probably everybody else remotely involved. I came home for Christmas and returned to spend my first night in a new place, to start fresh. Berlin Fulbright Take 2, Action! (Ok, that was a little much, but it stays).

RE: New Digs?

Hey Pop,

I basically had a totally screwed up sleep arrangement. I was trying to make it until a normal hour before I went to bed...

But despite that, I have a nice big bed with a firm comfortable mattress, and since it was sunny today their was a nice mood in the apartment. I got here, and the chick from australia was here, They had had a party the night before but the place still looked fine. I chilled with Danielle, my flatmate for a while before bed, and I think we should get along fine.

I basically spent my first day catching up with everyone I had been in contact with. there are two firms that I have stuff to organize stuff with this week so I tried getting in touch with them. This is usually a long process...I got an email from [Alexander] asking when I'll be back. He asked when I was "coming into the institute" which I would say bears well for possibly having something of a place to do some biz.

I went for a run today too, the streets were still snow covered so it wasn't exactly easy, but I found the dry cleaners, a jazz/blues club, and the Catholic Church, in order of being found, mind you. I went by this park with a nice sized hill where there were so many kids and parents sledding it looked like an ant hill. The snow packs solid, so you can really fly, and everybody had those old school wooden sleds of the kind you'd see in the 50's or in A Christmas Story. There was a big tree at the bottom of the hill and somebody had put an old mattress there to stop from running into it which I though was pretty funny. The houses in the neighborhood are generally 3 story old places with a bit of character and I found the neighborhood to be overall more pleasant than where I was before. It was cool to see the whole place be out and about in spite of the cold and the messy streets.

TO: Mike
FROM: Mom

Mike,
What a great e-mail.

Those old wooden sleds from the 50's are called flexible flyers and we all
had them. Great sleds on packed icy snow. What a vision. Is the church a
pretty, old one?

So that's where I was and what I felt on January 5 2009. Life was full of hope and a new beginning.