the glamorous life

Before departing on this adventure we call life, we asked for advice from current people in the department. An American warned us “Don’t bring expensive clothes or anything you really love because hotel laundry will DESTROY it!”. Now, I will say that we traveled with this girl our very first round and never did I see even one of her hairs out of place, nor was there ever a moment where didn’t look like she had just stepped out of a Ralph Lauren catalog- but she was right. Oh, so right.

I found a hole in yet another article of clothing this morning as I packed for the weekend. That makes 5 pieces of clothing that I’ve found holes in since we arrived here. I’ve had things ruined before, but the sheer quantity and massive size of the holes can only lead me to believe that the hotel laundry in Australia was staffed by rabid monkeys.

I’m scared to look for more. I already have so few things to wear and per our friend’s advice, none of it is too nice anyway. I’m already wearing (and re-wearing) the bare basics every single day and now most of those basics have holes in them.

I realize I’m the farthest thing from a fashionista and it has only gotten worse on the road, just be ready for my new look- “un-chic hobo”.

Boo-hoo, right? I know some people would love to have the chance to have someone else do your laundry for you. Take it from someone who has no choice- not so great.

I’d kill for access to a washer/dryer and some good ol’ Tide and you seriously don’t want to know what I’d do for some Downey and a couple of dryer sheets.

figures

I NEVER buy new music. Yes, yes, I know I'm pathetic. Seriously, on average I probably buy around 2 albums per year. At least 50% of those will be a re-buy of some old fave from my childhood.

We've got one (mostly) English channel here and they play a commercial with this song for the new Ra Ra Riot album, The Orchard. I so need this album...



Of course Itunes has now decided I can't buy music from the US store when logging in with a Japanese IP address.

All together now...

***sigh***

daily glimpse

You'd think that with only 3 buttons it wouldn't really matter that you didn't have a clue as to what they said. All you're doing is trying to get hot water out of the thing for some tea. It's only 3 buttons, you've got this. Right?




Today's lesson: 3 indecipherable buttons is 2 indecipherable buttons too many.

a typical dinner conversation...

The Wife: “I think I’ll take some ka-ra-tay lessons in Japan.”

Me: “When are you going to have time for karate lessons…wait, is karate Japanese or Chinese?”

The Wife: “I don’t know, but I bet I can find ka-ra-tay lessons in Tokyo.”

Me: “Who had ninjas? I think ninjas did karate. Maybe ninjas are from Japan?”

The Wife: “Okay, so I take ninja lessons.”

Me: “No, wait…what is that metal star thingy?”

The Wife: “Chinese throwing star?”

Me: “Okay, well then ninjas are Chinese. Japan definitely had the samurais though.”

The Wife (said while making slashing motions through the air): “Okay, so I take samurai lessons.”

Berlin

It was a lovely last weekend in Germany both with the weather and the company. KS invited us to crash in on her and her cousin’s weekend and we gladly accepted; arriving just in time to pop open some bubbly for Friday happy hour.

Saturday was an adventure for me. It seems 12+ years without riding a bike makes for a slow return to cycling. Seriously though, who can’t remember how to ride a bike??? I just assumed that it would be like, well, like riding a bike. Not so much.

Oh to be a 30-something and have one of your friends jogging beside you holding on to the back of your bike like a kindergartner on a fairly busy street in Berlin. Good times.

I did get the hang of it enough to actually enjoy the day, although I refused to cross the street on the bike and also walked it when there wasn’t a bike lane. I have a rule against dying on the weekends.

All was okay until I had two big radlers (more on those in the food blog) at the beer garden and may have had a slight collision with a man and his wife at the top of a curvy hill in the Tiergarten . I said “may” have. There were only two possible witnesses and they know the score should they squeal.

All I’m saying is- I biked all day long around Berlin and no blood was spilled- mine or that of any others. I call that a success. AND I did it all in a dress..






Sunday we were able to squeeze in the Gedachtniskirche and the East Side Gallery…both memorials to some of the city’s darker days…






I know I’m always saying it, but we really enjoy our weekends spent with friends so much. It’s such a rarity for us and just to have dinner and catch up is just as much a treat as sightseeing.

We can’t thank KS enough for the hospitality and AM for bringing the sunshine with him from Rome. Of course when we landed in Essen Sunday night it was pouring rain and continues to rain today. Oh Essen…how ready I am to leave you behind.

And that is exactly what we’ll do in just a few days when we head to our next home in Dublin on Friday. I can almost smell the Guinness…