Hausarbeit Nervt!

I have an essay to do... Well, two; but one of them is due sooner than the other.

The one I'm stressing on is one I have to write using only German words... 3500 of those words to be exact. It's on the variations on the theme of the fool in German humanism. The fool was used as a satirical device to criticize the church during the 15th-16th centuries, because the fool would often be allowed to speak his mind, and so he makes the perfect character with which to critique something.

P.S. the 'Q' on my computer is stuck.

I'm having the hardest time just trying to break through the ice. Writing in German will be difficult but not impossible. In fact, it'll just take more time than normal. However, I don't even know where to begin. This topic's so goddamn broad. For example, the most famous example of the fool as a satire is 'Das Narrenschiff' or 'Ship of Fools' by Sebastian Brant. This book is written in Middle German and is 112 or 114 (no one seems to agree... They should just count) seperate stories about fools travelling to Narregonia (fool's paradise) in an Odyssey-style adventure. However it's written in MIDDLE GERMAN! Go ahead and try reading something in middle English, and lemme know how that works out for you.

Another form of the Narrenthema (theme of the fool) is used by Erasmus (a famous Dutch scholar and all-round Humanist, that's so popular they named a pan-European university program after him), and Martin Luther when he was about to translate the bible into German.

So throughout all that I have to choose something to talk about for 10 pages (or so). It's strange; it's like I've forgotten how to write a damned essay. The research portion isn't helping out much, though. I have to pour through academic texts, which are stuffy and boring enough in English without having to be in a language I'm just starting to get the hang of.

Alright. I'm gonna go talk to myself out loud a bunch and hope to figure things out.

Tschüss!

P.S. I'm tired, it's late, and spellcheck isn't working on Blogger right now. Why is it that things have stopped working on Firefox?

Fastnacht

This last little while in Freiburg ('bout a month) there's been a celebration called Fastnacht. I don't exactly know the origins of this thing; but I'd say it originated around the 1600s. What it involves is parades, alcohol, and costumes. "Costumes?" You ask. Yes, costumes. "What kind of costumes?" Settle down, I'll tell you.

All sorts! You walk through Freiburg and mostly you'll see people in colorful scaled costumes with those things that make clicking noises when you twirl them. They have masks and colorful maces, and everything. They just walk around like that with none of the self-consciousness that you see sometimes in North America with Hallowe'en. Sure, Hallowe'en is a day you dress up in costumes; but unless you're at a party, there's still some awkwardness about walking around with a costume. That's why we do it at night.

However here, it's as natural as anything, and no one bats an eye. Anyways, like I was saying, colorful scaled costumes reminiscent of court jesters or fools. You'll also see many people with tricorne hats who look like they're straight out of the American Revolution, as well as (get ready for this one) Indians. Not the kind that answer Dell customer service, but American Indians. I saw a parade of them. It was fairly questionable. Needless to say that that shit wont fly in North America.

However, here it's okay and people have a good time with it. They even darken their faces a little.

All in all, I think it's cool. I had a good time just walking around during it. Today was Rosa Montag, which may be the biggest part of the festival. Again, I'm not sure as to the specifics of this tradition. The more I learn about these people called Germans the more I like 'em! It'll definitely be bittersweet going home in September.

In other news: The Polizei!

In North America the Police are pretty serious motherfuckers. They hit you with sticks, tase you to death, and shoot you. Now, I'm sure there's some shooting, and hitting going on here with these green-clad coppers (that's right... Green. They also have a very military-style dress going on as opposed to the nice suit and tie thing our coppers have), what I'm about to describe is more of an attitude thing as opposed to a duty thing.

That last paragraph may have made me look like a cop-hater. I'm not, by any means. I just hate people who abuse power. I realize, fully, that not all police officers (or even a majority of them) do abuse power. It's just that they wield alot of power, and so when one or a few do abuse their power, it's a pretty big deal. It's not like a Tim Horton's employee stealing a penny from everyone's change, or spitting on donuts (pretty gross, though).

Regardless, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, German polizei! The cops here are much more laid back than the cops in North America. For one, I see the police here smile. And not just to their own cop buddies, but to actual civilians. They also have funky hair. I've seen more than one cop with a haircut that wouldn't be allowed in North America at all, such as a bleached fauxhawk. I also see them smoking while on duty. Smoking is a pretty big part of German culture (as evidenced by the smoking ban of 2006 that isn't followed anywhere except on trains), but to have cops smoke in this day and age? It's like seeing a postman with a hip flask.

Speaking of which I bought a hip flask for 9.95€.

Alright, that's enough out of me here. It's good to finally update this thing. Mayhaps I'll do it more often. For now, I'm gonna finish my beer and head on back home to work on this essay due on Sunday.



Tschüß.

P.S. That picture does not want to be formatted properly, for some dumb reason. All apologies.

Viertes Video

Tschüss!

Ein bisschen Gold und SIlber, ein bisschen Glitzer Glitzer

"Habt ihr nichts zu fressen hier?
Ich will Pizza!
Deine Mutter hat gesagt
'trag nicht so viel dreck rein!'
Auf dem Foto in der Kuche sieht sie aus wie Katja Ebstein."

My favorite chorus from the most popular Deichkind song (Remmi Demmi (Yippie Yippie Yeah)). I blogged about them before, and posted the song that these lyrics are from. Well, I'm pleased to announce that I trekked 251km to Würtzberg and spent a night in a youth hostel (not the scary Eastern European kind; a really nice one!) to see them perform. And what a performance.

I think I can safely say that it was the best musical performance I've been to. There was so much energy coming out of these guys it was incredible. A rap/techno band that doesn't, I imagine, isn't much to see. However, resplendent in LED pyramid hats, and crowd-surfing rafts these guys took this warehouse by storm (and it was in this warehouse called the Posthalle (which is a post office warehouse-turned-music hall).

They even did a remix of their song Voodoo using the words from the song, but the beat from Justin Timberlake's Sexyback. Both songs came out in 2006 so it's anyone's guess if either inspired the other. Though Timberlake is much more popular throughout the world; and unless he's a fan of German techno/rap... I'm just sayin'.

Regardless, it was good. We even met this group of German people (who weren't shady!) that we partied with afterwords.

Now, I'm sitting in my room at 23:11 on a Saturday night because this shitty curry contraption I cooked made me sick! I'm supposed to go out to this Russian disco club called KGB (I've been there before, and loved it); but I had to cut out of that. It's been so hard to get a group together to go, that I'm gonna give myself until 23:30 to get better, and see if I want to go then; but I'm not betting money on it.



Tschüss!

Zuruck zu die Schule

Tomorrow I'm back off to school, and I can't wait. The winter break was fun at the beginning; but soon became boring mainly because most everyone was gone. However, I managed to finish alot of reading; but not so much homework otherwise. Whatever...

I also have a trip through Scandinavia planned in February or March. Goin' to see the family's old stompin' grounds all those generations ago.

If you like The Office, and you speak German, you'll love this: Stromberg

Well... I like the Office and speak German, I also like it, but I hate the main actor who plays Stromberg. I don't think he's subtle enough for the type of comedy it is. He can learn alot from Ricky Gervais, and Steve Carell. They also speak really fast.

Whelp! I'm off to bed. Gute Nacht!

Tschüss!

Drittes Video

Tschüss!

Türkische Bettlerinnen, und Bibelverkäufer

There's a certain type of beggar in Germany, that I thought was limited to Berlin (being the only place I've seen this type of beggar). They look just like a regular, middle-class Turkish woman, only they come up to you with paper in hand and ask you for money (or to buy something) for their baby. They're often carrying the baby, and the paper is written in various languages in case they come across someone who doesn't understand them.

The oddest part is that they have nice clothing, and purses, and new baby carriages and everything! They're far from the denizens of the Downtown East Side. I want to know what's really going on with them. I almost want to ask why they're doing this; but that's a little patronizing, and I guarantee you that they wont give a shit, and simply move on.

Regardless, I had two of them come up to me today (I thought they were asking for directions). The first one surprised me, as I didn't know they were in Freiburg; the second one I just walked past with a simple "es tut mir leid" (sorry, but a real sorry, not the fake "excuse me" sorry that we Canadians use). Not to sound cold, but if you dress better than I do, then I just don't give a shit. If you're legit, then sell your purse, or your makeup to buy things for your kid.

Of course I don't know the full story, so all I have are reactionary thoughts.

Then I get this guy phoning me from the lobby asking me if I speak Italian 'cause my name's Italian. I told him no, and it sounded like it blew his mind. What he was doing was wanting to talk to people about bibles in Italian, and he said he was phoning all the Italians. I told him the same thing I told both Turkish beggar-ladies and wished him a good evening.

Sometimes people rig the door downstairs so that it's open, and they can easily come back in, but I'm always the jerk that makes sure it locks, for the very reason of bible-salesmen running around the building. We had Jehovah's Witnesses in here a month ago, and they woke me up at the door so they could speak to my French room-mate.

Bible salesmen... As if Christianity wasn't wide-spread enough! I mean, I'm not gonna turn this into a rant against Christianity, simply to say that you won, man! I'd sooner lend an ear to a Pagan preacher; At least you know that guy's gotta work hard! But Christians? Nah, sorry. Everyone in Germany's within walking distances to, around, 8 churches, why do they need door-to-door salesmen? The bells that wake me up every morning do a hell of a better job.

Regardless, I was glad that all the shops were open today; I now have food... Delicious food.

Tschüß!