Just down river of Bochum, the Ruhr river is dammed, creating Lake Kemnade to the south. This turned out to be the center of my activities last weekend.
In the summer, there is a Castle on the edge of the lake that hosts concerts. Its a small castle surrounded by a mote. The concert I went to was held inside within the medieval courtyard. There were two rotating stages. The reason I hear about he concert is that Theodosii Spassov would again be playing, and he plugged it at the Kulturecafe. He was the first act I saw. He was great again, but some of the magic from the Kulturecafe was missing.
The next act was a gypsy band with a Jewish woman on vocals. She stole the show with her energy and exuberance. She was extremely animated, and reminded me of my Jr. High substitute music teacher (Ms. Shepard), except Jewish. She sang a lot of Jewish folk songs like you would expect to hear in "The Fiddler on the Roof". The musicians in the band were very good too, and they provided a somber counter the her, kind of like when James Brown's band calls back to him.
The last act, was this sort of extravaganza. The main band was a funky jazz band, headed by a German David Bowie. He played a killer guitar, and his band had some incredibly talented musicians on trumpet, clarinet, trombone and precussion. And the cool part was the show would cycle on and off different acts to play with the band, each with a cultural theme. There was sort of medeival marching band, a classical music section, some belly dancers and persian music, and even an American gospel piece. The next act would usually start in the middle of the courtyard, behind the audience. They would start playing as they approached the stage, creating a fade-in effect. Then the band would sort of work into the style, with some solos and some accompaniment. After the concert, one of the Castle towers was turned into a disco and with a DJ and a live latin drummer. You can tell I've been in Eruope for a while, because I used the word "disco". As luck would have it, I left in time to catch the last bus back into town.
Saturday, Jan and I went to this new bar that just opened up on the lake. They brought in a bunch of white sand, and created boardwalks, all inside the bar. You could choose between sitting in lounge chairs under umbrellas, or laying on a shaded bed. Nobody really swims there, because, well, its still the Ruhr. In fact its the Ruhr that has been stagnated and allowed to warm up. But to be fair, the Ruhr is clean enough now that people have begun swimming below the lake, after the dam.
On the way home from the bar, I saw not one, but two types of glowing insects. The first was a tiny green butted firefly. It was only my second firefly encounter, so I was pretty excited. These were very small, and quite green in color, and they stayed lit for a pretty long time. They were different than the flashing yellowish type in North Carolina. Then, as we walked along a wooded trail back to campus, we saw several green glows under the trees. At first we thought they were more fireflies, but as we approached them, they didn't fly off. So, I reached down and picked one up. . . and it was actually a glow worm. It was short and fat and had three glow spots on each side of its body.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
quark, kaval, and kulturcafe
Quark! I feel like I discovered a new food group. Quark (pronounced kvark) is a yogurt meets cream cheese dairy product, with a nutritional content more like cottage cheese. German's dig it. And if you buy the lower fat version, its pretty healthy (I hope). You can mix it with herbs and spices, or fruit, or you can just spread it on some hearty German rye bread. German bread is really good. Don't know why the French get all the credit anyway.
Kaval! The kaval is a wooden shepherd's flute from the Balkans. Its one of the oldest instruments in Europe. Last night I heard a performance by Theodosii Spassov, who is basically the best kaval player in the world. He was playing in a trio, with a drummer and a keyboard player, who were also amazing. They play this mixture of traditional Bulgarian music and jazz, which Theodosii invented, some describe it as a new form of music. They play songs in 4/4, 6/4, but mostly 11/16 time. Try keeping track of that. And not only is he a master of the kaval, but he also does this crazy Bulgarian scat, and sort of beat-boxes through his kaval. The end of the kaval is open, unlike a flute, and at one point he played the thing backwards. Crazy. After his set, he invited the opening jazz group, to jam with him. So they played some classic jazz tunes, stuff that they all new well enough, then he would just jump in and improvise. For an encore, he got up and played an 8 minute solo, without stopping for breath. He has mastered the art of circular breathing, so he can basically play non-stop. I am reluctant to put his web page up, because it just doesn't do him justice. His stage presence is also just incredible. You can see that he truly loves playing.
http://www.theodosiispassov.com/theo.php
Kulturcafe! Not only was the performance amazing, but it was free! It was at the Kulturcafe, a student run place on campus. On Monday I saw a Kurdish folk band there. Its a big open space, a lot like something you would find in Portland. The beer is cheep, and they apparently get some great performances.
Okay, I have to go now because I am out of exclamation points.
Kaval! The kaval is a wooden shepherd's flute from the Balkans. Its one of the oldest instruments in Europe. Last night I heard a performance by Theodosii Spassov, who is basically the best kaval player in the world. He was playing in a trio, with a drummer and a keyboard player, who were also amazing. They play this mixture of traditional Bulgarian music and jazz, which Theodosii invented, some describe it as a new form of music. They play songs in 4/4, 6/4, but mostly 11/16 time. Try keeping track of that. And not only is he a master of the kaval, but he also does this crazy Bulgarian scat, and sort of beat-boxes through his kaval. The end of the kaval is open, unlike a flute, and at one point he played the thing backwards. Crazy. After his set, he invited the opening jazz group, to jam with him. So they played some classic jazz tunes, stuff that they all new well enough, then he would just jump in and improvise. For an encore, he got up and played an 8 minute solo, without stopping for breath. He has mastered the art of circular breathing, so he can basically play non-stop. I am reluctant to put his web page up, because it just doesn't do him justice. His stage presence is also just incredible. You can see that he truly loves playing.
http://www.theodosiispassov.com/theo.php
Kulturcafe! Not only was the performance amazing, but it was free! It was at the Kulturcafe, a student run place on campus. On Monday I saw a Kurdish folk band there. Its a big open space, a lot like something you would find in Portland. The beer is cheep, and they apparently get some great performances.
Okay, I have to go now because I am out of exclamation points.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Dusseldorf
I had planned on just staying around Bochum this weekend. Then, when I realized I can see stuff in Bochum during the week, I got this panicky feeling like I was missing out on something. So, I took the subway to the train station and jumped on the first train to Dusseldorf, the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia. To add adventure to the trip, my debit card had been deactivated by my bank, so I only had the cash in my hand for the trip. However, my Lonely Planet reassured me that there was a friendly hostel where I cold stay for cheep, and I hoped to use my credit card when possible. I haven't had a lot of luck with places excepting plastic. America has warped my budgeting skills.
I got on the wrong train. But this turned out to be a good thing, because I accidentally rode the very fast express train, with a regional train ticket, saving myself time and money. Upon arrival, I went straight to the hostel called "Backpackers". I was pleased to find room available, and acquired one of six beds in a vacant room. I jumped on the internet (yes, mom, hostels have the internet now), and bought myself tickets to the symphony. Well, it wasn't a symphony, but a cello soloist named Heinrich Schiff, performing Bach suites #2, 4 and 6. I guess the odd ones are no good. The guy was incredible. I don't think he had any music in front of him. Is this possible (Nelly, Mike, and Cara)?
Before the concert, I had a steak coated with a sweet mustard paste, and a few SMALL glasses of Alt beer. Alt is the popular style of beer in Dusseldorf, and it is basically an amber. They make about 10 different kinds in Dusseldorf. The beer halls, which were packed all weekend, have great German character form both the people and the decor. You know you're in Germany. After the concert, I wandered around the pedestrian only streets of the Altstadt area until the early morn. One group of college aged guys made me take shots of vodka that had been poured into these pouches containing a kool-aid type mix. They had four flavors, and they insisted I try them all. I also had my face drawn on by a bachelorette group, played some darts at an Irish pub (threw a 121), and got kicked out of a wood fire pizza place for trying to take pictures. The owner was not happy with the camera, for some reason, maybe his secret recipe was in danger. So we exchanged a few words in different languages, and I left. But I really wanted a pizza, so I had some guy on the street buy it for me, then I ate it in front of the window where the guys spread the dough. And I managed to get the pictures I wanted through said window. See pictures on my picassa page. (http://picasaweb.google.com/autorec)
Despite the lively night, I managed to wake up at a reasonable hour, and go to the K20 art museum. Dusseldorf has a very nice permanent collection, including work by Klee, Kandinsky, Mondrian, Matisse, Beckmann, etc. Really not a lot of names missing. I was also lucky enough to catch the last day of a Picasso installment. It was his late work from the 60s and early 70s. He knew he didn't have long to live, and he was working at a feverish pace. His work from this period is the work of a man who is racing against the clock, trying to create and live as much as he can, while he can. The works are vibrantly colored, extremely sexual, and quite alive. There were a lot of vaginae, and penises, and eyes on the wrong sides of the heads. Anyway, I think it accomplishes what it set out to do, make you feel alive. After the museum, checked out some old and new architecture around the city. The old harbor is now called the "media harbor", and is home to some really cool modern architecture (again, see picassa page). For lunch I had a curry wurst, and a very cold altbier, before heading for the train station to go back to Bochum.
I got on the wrong train. But this turned out to be a good thing, because I accidentally rode the very fast express train, with a regional train ticket, saving myself time and money. Upon arrival, I went straight to the hostel called "Backpackers". I was pleased to find room available, and acquired one of six beds in a vacant room. I jumped on the internet (yes, mom, hostels have the internet now), and bought myself tickets to the symphony. Well, it wasn't a symphony, but a cello soloist named Heinrich Schiff, performing Bach suites #2, 4 and 6. I guess the odd ones are no good. The guy was incredible. I don't think he had any music in front of him. Is this possible (Nelly, Mike, and Cara)?
Before the concert, I had a steak coated with a sweet mustard paste, and a few SMALL glasses of Alt beer. Alt is the popular style of beer in Dusseldorf, and it is basically an amber. They make about 10 different kinds in Dusseldorf. The beer halls, which were packed all weekend, have great German character form both the people and the decor. You know you're in Germany. After the concert, I wandered around the pedestrian only streets of the Altstadt area until the early morn. One group of college aged guys made me take shots of vodka that had been poured into these pouches containing a kool-aid type mix. They had four flavors, and they insisted I try them all. I also had my face drawn on by a bachelorette group, played some darts at an Irish pub (threw a 121), and got kicked out of a wood fire pizza place for trying to take pictures. The owner was not happy with the camera, for some reason, maybe his secret recipe was in danger. So we exchanged a few words in different languages, and I left. But I really wanted a pizza, so I had some guy on the street buy it for me, then I ate it in front of the window where the guys spread the dough. And I managed to get the pictures I wanted through said window. See pictures on my picassa page. (http://picasaweb.google.com/autorec)
Despite the lively night, I managed to wake up at a reasonable hour, and go to the K20 art museum. Dusseldorf has a very nice permanent collection, including work by Klee, Kandinsky, Mondrian, Matisse, Beckmann, etc. Really not a lot of names missing. I was also lucky enough to catch the last day of a Picasso installment. It was his late work from the 60s and early 70s. He knew he didn't have long to live, and he was working at a feverish pace. His work from this period is the work of a man who is racing against the clock, trying to create and live as much as he can, while he can. The works are vibrantly colored, extremely sexual, and quite alive. There were a lot of vaginae, and penises, and eyes on the wrong sides of the heads. Anyway, I think it accomplishes what it set out to do, make you feel alive. After the museum, checked out some old and new architecture around the city. The old harbor is now called the "media harbor", and is home to some really cool modern architecture (again, see picassa page). For lunch I had a curry wurst, and a very cold altbier, before heading for the train station to go back to Bochum.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Ruhr
Ruhr is the main river that passes through the valley where the University is located. You think it would be pronounced like sir, bit with an R. But in fact, it is a combination of sounds that I can't even comprehend. The main problem being the German R, which kind of rolls on the back of your tongue, but not quite. This is a problem, because people are curious what I am doing in Germany. When I tell them I am a traveling scientist, they ask where. I respond with a flem clearing/vomiting noise, and. . .well its not what you want from your Embassador of American Science. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=flem
Now that I have left the hotel life, and the restaurant paradise of Budapest, I finally made it to a grocery store. There is a supermarket type place at the Uni-Center on campus. The Uni-center is like a strip mall contained within the campus. Convenient and disgusting at the same time. I was pleased to find the usual sort of supermarket layout, with your meat at one end, and your dairy at another. There was a larger than expected section of canned meats.
Then I came to the wine section. And there wasn't a single bottle over about 8Euro, and most were between 1.50 and 3.00. So, I decided to include in my blog an under $3 wine log.
Piemonte Barbera (Italia 2005)
A nice bright, calm and sensible red. Actually calling it red would do a disservice to this plum hued vixen. Her sweet smell and front seems to be a rouge, which is quickly snapped away by a dry turn of the shoulder. Then, she teases you with only a hint of spice, only to console you with a mild caress of vanilla oakishness. Good with sausage and kraut.
Goes well with all the motorcycle racing and tennis on tv. Seriously, could I get some soccer at least. Or how about some poker. By the way, I am disappointed to say I haven't found a game yet. Apparently, the rest of the world is catching up.
So, my expectations of the Ruhr region were low. Dr. Simoyi (a wild and crazy professor at PSU from Zimbabwe) informed me that it was ugly and stinks. For once, I took what he said as literal. Everyone else I told where I was going sort of curled there nose and said, "Oh". However, I find Bochum to be just fine. Its no Budapest, but its a relatively clean small town surrounded by river valley and farmland. The views from the Univesity are nice. It is on something of a hill overlooking the river valley. You cannot see the river, but its life giving presence is all around. Why do you notice the songbirds more in foreign lands? The architecture and layout of the campus is very modern, and stark, but there are a lot of trees and plants. The stark contrast gives you the feeling that the plants are trying to take back the area for mother nature. Sometimes it feels like I was walking though the jungle and stumbled onto ancient ruins from 1975. The campus is also very difficult to navigate. It built on various man made levels. And just because you see the building you want to go to, the level you are on may not let you go there. Its like Metroid (video game reference, Mom).
Okay, enough blog. Enjoy the songbirds, wherever you are.
Now that I have left the hotel life, and the restaurant paradise of Budapest, I finally made it to a grocery store. There is a supermarket type place at the Uni-Center on campus. The Uni-center is like a strip mall contained within the campus. Convenient and disgusting at the same time. I was pleased to find the usual sort of supermarket layout, with your meat at one end, and your dairy at another. There was a larger than expected section of canned meats.
Then I came to the wine section. And there wasn't a single bottle over about 8Euro, and most were between 1.50 and 3.00. So, I decided to include in my blog an under $3 wine log.
Piemonte Barbera (Italia 2005)
A nice bright, calm and sensible red. Actually calling it red would do a disservice to this plum hued vixen. Her sweet smell and front seems to be a rouge, which is quickly snapped away by a dry turn of the shoulder. Then, she teases you with only a hint of spice, only to console you with a mild caress of vanilla oakishness. Good with sausage and kraut.
Goes well with all the motorcycle racing and tennis on tv. Seriously, could I get some soccer at least. Or how about some poker. By the way, I am disappointed to say I haven't found a game yet. Apparently, the rest of the world is catching up.
So, my expectations of the Ruhr region were low. Dr. Simoyi (a wild and crazy professor at PSU from Zimbabwe) informed me that it was ugly and stinks. For once, I took what he said as literal. Everyone else I told where I was going sort of curled there nose and said, "Oh". However, I find Bochum to be just fine. Its no Budapest, but its a relatively clean small town surrounded by river valley and farmland. The views from the Univesity are nice. It is on something of a hill overlooking the river valley. You cannot see the river, but its life giving presence is all around. Why do you notice the songbirds more in foreign lands? The architecture and layout of the campus is very modern, and stark, but there are a lot of trees and plants. The stark contrast gives you the feeling that the plants are trying to take back the area for mother nature. Sometimes it feels like I was walking though the jungle and stumbled onto ancient ruins from 1975. The campus is also very difficult to navigate. It built on various man made levels. And just because you see the building you want to go to, the level you are on may not let you go there. Its like Metroid (video game reference, Mom).
Okay, enough blog. Enjoy the songbirds, wherever you are.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
A new language to get lost in
I was sad to leave Budapest. Its a beautiful city, and my experience at the Collegium Budapest was amazing. The dinner with Eors was good. We had chicken stuffed potato pancakes (kind of like a crepe) in paprika sauce (of coarse), and a porkchop coated in walnuts. So that covered two of the main Hungarian food groups: pork and paprika. All in all, I am a fan of the Hungarian cuisine. Not a lot of fiber, but good amounts of salt and spices. And the wine is great. In fact, after work on my last day, I went to this "House of Hungarian Wines", near the Budapest Castle. Its a large wine cellar, and a small cover charge allows you to taste wines for up to two hours. Its organized like a wine museum, where each region of wine has its own area in the cellar with a map showing where the wines are from, and describing the climate and soil. They grow mostly white wines, but Pinot Noirs are doing very well. Lets just say I feel I got my money's worth.
From Budapest, I flew into Dortmund on Easyjet. Easyjet offers really cheep airfares all over Europe, but there are no assigned seating, so its first come first served, and every man for himself. It made for a fairly exhausting day. Then when I arrived in Dortmund, I took a shuttle to the train station. Except I got on the wrong shuttle, and therefore ended up at the wrong train station. In fact it wasn't really a station, but simply a train stop, with a machine to purchase a ticket. There was a schedule, but none of them mentioned going to Bochum. Eventually, I figured out I was in the wrong place, waited for a shuttle back to the airport, and got to the right train station. The whole thing set me back close to two hours. The secretary of Gunter von Kiedrowski (my research adviser here in Germany) was supposed to pick me up at the train station in Bochum after I called her upon arrival. Later I saw that she had sent me an email titled "urgent" that said (and I quote):
From Budapest, I flew into Dortmund on Easyjet. Easyjet offers really cheep airfares all over Europe, but there are no assigned seating, so its first come first served, and every man for himself. It made for a fairly exhausting day. Then when I arrived in Dortmund, I took a shuttle to the train station. Except I got on the wrong shuttle, and therefore ended up at the wrong train station. In fact it wasn't really a station, but simply a train stop, with a machine to purchase a ticket. There was a schedule, but none of them mentioned going to Bochum. Eventually, I figured out I was in the wrong place, waited for a shuttle back to the airport, and got to the right train station. The whole thing set me back close to two hours. The secretary of Gunter von Kiedrowski (my research adviser here in Germany) was supposed to pick me up at the train station in Bochum after I called her upon arrival. Later I saw that she had sent me an email titled "urgent" that said (and I quote):
Dear Eric,
I am waiting for you at Bochum Station. What is the matter with you??? Please contact me at: 01775673221!!!!!
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