I need to keep a list of things, the things that I know would surprise the kids back in Canada about Europe.
What is life like in Europe? Never boring, that's for sure, and that was a big reason for me to move here.
Aside from taking two 9-year olds to see "Monsters University" in 3D, I haven't gone to a movie in Berlin. I did see a Spanish movie in Prague, with English subtitles, what? Yup. Other than that, I haven't
really gone to the movies. I hear from people about this bizarre concept of American blockbuster movies all being dubbed into German, or whichever language of whichever country you're in. These are considered "voice actors" and all have fan followings.
"Oh, so-and-so did the voice for Bruce Willis. It will be great, he's better at the voice than Bruce Willis." What!? An actors craft has a lot to do with their voice, so to have someone else be your voice in another language is so crazy to me. But, Europeans don't want subtitles, they want voices.
I get it. Meanwhile, back in Canada, I remember going to the "Foreign films" section, and renting something that did well at the Cannes Film Festival, and struggled through subtitles, and felt so dignified with my "foreign film", while drinking wine. Oooh.
Other things that I find funny and bizarre is how often I'm asked if Canadian's lock their doors. What!? Yes. Thanks to Michael Moore, we're now assumed to not lock our doors.
I confuse most about Canada. No, I don't speak French, well maybe a little bit since I had no problems when I traveled to Paris for a week. I'm not used to very cold winters since I'm from an island on the Pacific, and we get 2 weeks of snow before it melts away for good, and gets to about -5'C. I don't like to camp, and I don't really know how to ice skate.
The Chicago Bulls have a fan base here. I don't remember that team being any good, except for the period in which Michael Jordan played for them. I see more Chicago Bulls ball caps here on dudes, than any other sports team. Why!?
When I inform Europeans that Canada is the 2nd largest land mass, they're shocked. A quick flight home doesn't exist, (it's 16 hours from here), and that the island I'm from is the size of Belgium. Kinda.
I don't know what this blog is about. People tell me they like my writing. I feel more and more inhibited about what I write. I fear I'll be unprofessional, or I'll hurt people's feelings. A lot of crazy things happen to me here, but I don't tell you anything anymore.
I went and performed at the KME Music Festival in Cagliari, which is located in Sardegna.
After my performance, I went and did what I always do, schmooze. I then realized my performance outfit was creating a stir, but I would normally just feel comfortable in it and just hang out in it. Instead, I felt very naked, and no one could really talk to me, but certainly look. I realized, "Ohhhhh.... right, this isn't Berlin".
Berlin is this fabulously jaded place, where no one really notices how crazy you are. Or at least they don't react much to the fact that you are.
I then went to go put pants on, and then thought "No way, I'm going to be myself, and I love what I'm wearing so I'm not changing for anyone!" but then I knew that I'd probably not feel comfortable at all for the rest of the night, and so I put some goddamn pants on. By pants, I mean tights, leggings, a second skin basically, because I don't like pants. I just can't wear real pants. Kein hosen :)
Something bit me, I don't know when exactly, but what wasn't there on Friday, was then there on Saturday morning when I looked at the back of my leg. Ew and owww. I ignored it and then I couldn't anymore because it throbbed and was oozing. Nice blog update I know. Pretty. Hey, at least I'm not posting photos of it.
So today I went had a female German doctor torture me, for the better, with cleaning this infection out, and now I'm relieved. Good story, and totally true.
I loved Cagliari. It was summer there. 28'C and sunny. I went to the beach, went in the Mediterranean Sea. I'm collecting oceans, seas. I grew up with the Pacific Ocean, swam in the Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and now the Mediterranean Sea. Lovely.
I made many new friends in Cagliari, and I also ate horse meat. I put horse meat and new friends in the same sentence. I still feel some level of guilt about eating Mr. Ed and liking it, A LOT. Oh but what ever. Let's explore the world, eat the food of the culture you're in, meet the people, party with them, otherwise you might as well stay home and watch "Breaking Bad". I haven't ever seen this show which I learned through Facebook has now ended. I'm watching this new TV series, it's called HAVING A LIFE. I love it, it's on every day.
Something I like about German doctors is how thorough they are, and with a very funny sense of humor.
As I lay on my bauch, the doctor told me to look forward and "Enjoy!" laughing as she said so.
I also experienced the gynocologist, and you can see an ultrasound of your uterus here as a part of the examination. I had mine inform me my bladder was very full, and I of course was well of aware of this fact, since I had been waiting for 30 minutes or so for her, not wanting to miss my name from being called, and didn't make use of the WC.
There's no paper gown, or paper blanket thing, it's just 'take off your pants here please'. Too much information. Do you want an update, or not? In Florida there was a TV in the patient rooms, with some movie playing with Jennifer Lopez, and a doctor telling me to return soon so we could discuss pre-natal care. What!?
My good friend Gillian visited me, well she conveniently was touring through with a band actually. This is why I love living in a metropolitan city. People keep passing through, and sometimes they're your favourite people in the world.
Seeing Gillian made my heart feel better, not realizing it wasn't feeling 100%. We hadn't seen each other in 2 years! What!?
Cagliari was such a blast and incredibly beautiful. I am still unable to properly pronounce "Cagliari", but I will say it sounds a lot like if you were saying "Calgary" (city in Alberta, Canada) while laying down with water in your mouth.
Italians are pretty awesome people in general, from my personal experience of knowing so many. While working at Walt Disney World, in the Italy Pavilion I made friends with several Italian college students that were working in the pavilion, as well as the restaurant owners. I now know more here in Berlin, and since being in Europe in general. They're very easy to beat at drinking games. I'm used to the massive steins of beer in Germany, but Italy along with Spain, serve their beer in teeny tiny glasses.
I had the pleasure of meeting many great musicians, and the highlight was seeing Karl Bartos perform. A member of Kraftwerk, this techno god performed many of my favourite Kraftwerk songs which I danced very hard to.
My accordion finally visited her homeland as well! My Guerrini "Camillo" did it, she got her own seat on RyanAir and flew to Italy next to me. The bitch took the window seat, but it's cool since it was her first time going back to Italy. Sometimes you have to make these sacrifices so that your accordion is happy.
On our return flight, she happily slept in the overhead compartment on my EasyJet flight. A life of traveling with an accordion is beginning to look much easier for me. This is good news since I will be flying to Italy again at the end of this month!
