living in the east coast

so it's been two months now since i moved to dc. i guess you can't say i've moved yet since most of my things are actually still in seattle, including my car. but with a few bags of clothes and the fact that i've found an apartment here in the east coast, i am pretty much in the east coast.

some things i've noticed is that it's not a lot different than germany. my first impression of germany was that it was formal, structured, suits and ties. and DC has the same feel. even the metro rail feels the same. i would have to say that the fashion is lacking a bit. but what can you expect from a bunch of politicians?

i ride the metro everyday to work which was kinda exciting for a little while. but now it's lost all its excitement and luster and it's all now a daily grind. about the only thing that keeps me excited is the thought of having my own apartment for the first time in a long time. i'm also excited about not having to travel for work hopefully. it's that simple possibility that tilted the decision towards moving to DC. it was a little difficult at first considering the price range in the DC area. this is why i am going to live in arlington, virginia, in this cool neighborhood pocket called clarendon. reminds me a little bit of fremont with a splash of queen anne. i'm also excited about my tv, something i haven't owned in nearly five years.

anyway, life here so far is still a little confusing. i'd say i'm in the middle of settling down and wanting to fly away. the thing is i don't really know where to fly to or escape. everything familiar to me is in the west coast and my heart is still somewhere in europe. there's not a single day that goes by that i don't think about germany and all that happened there. all my memories seem to lead me to her.

but i know that was the past and i'm here now, at least physically. and despite the fact that i'm in a new city learning a new product in front of a new client and industry, i'm still here. i feel like my life this year has been a series of country songs. a major breakup, lost a dog, and moving far and away. life is crazy that way. we just never know how the song will turn out. and the best thing we can really do is hang on, move on, and live on. and when things get a little bit boring, sometimes it makes it better to focus on the little and simple things.


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life in monaco

There is no recession in Monaco. I have never seen so many expensive toys jammed in one square meter as I did in Monte Carlo. It was like a haven for Ferraris, Bentleys, Rolls Royce, you name it, they had it. And they had lots of it. There's the famous Casino de Monte Carlo and right next to it is the Hotel de Paris. Those two places are in a square and at night, it turns into a red carpet event. I don't know what was happening but there were tons of people/tourists waiting for a sight of somebody famous. On Friday night, there were security personnel dressed in normal clothing. You could tell by the earpieces they were wearing. The cars rolled in, one by one, and eventually you couldn't even appreciate a Ferrari driving by you because there were so many of them. Even 60 year old grandmas were driving them.

It was so surreal that I can't even compare it to Las Vegas. Weird, but it's the first city that I can think of because of the extravagance. But the one major thing that separates Monaco and Vegas is CLASS. It was elegant and classy. In another town, what I would have seen would have been pretentious, but somehow in Monte Carlo, it was impressive.

In the evening, you saw people dressed up like you'd see in the movies IN THE 1940s. I was waiting for Audrey Hepburn to appear. It almost had a film-noir feel to the whole thing. I don't know if it's the french architecture mixed with the italian vibrancy mixed with the sounds of the mediterranean on top of a mountainous cliff. Maybe it's all of it. At one point, I expected James Bond to pull up, which would have been fine since the original Casino Royale was actually filmed there.

There's rich and then there's Monaco rich. And then there's fashion and then there's style. Of course anyone who's "rich" can afford anything they want and perhaps the first thing they get is a Ferrari. But if you can get ANYTHING, why get one of those? Where's the style in that? When everyone else is driving one, then where's the fun? On that level, a Ferrari becomes a Honda Accord. Everyone is driving one. Right? There's no style in that. If it was me, I would have gone with KITT from Knight Rider. Or better yet, if you really want a Ferrari, then go with Magnum PI's. You know? So many choices when you have money, but you have to do it right.

When I walked into the Casino de Monte Carlo, it felt like I walked into the movie "Eyes Wide Shut". Just look at the pictures below and you'll know why. I didn't take these as cameras were not allowed even in the lobby. But after a few minutes in there, I thought for sure it was a special club of some sort. You had to wear a jacket just to gamble. And as strange as it was, I really wish Vegas was like that. There's just no class anymore and even when there is, it's sorta gotten all pretentious as opposed to just elegant. Am I talking stupid here? It's just like back in the day, people took more time to look nice and to look proper. Now I'm not saying that it should be like that all the time, but somehow we've now completely gone on the opposite end.

What happened to style? And no, you don't have to pay hundreds of dollars to have style. It's just that people don't really care anymore.

Anyway, after a few minutes at the Casino de Monte Carlo, I decided to go to the Sun Casino instead to play some craps. It's my game and I can guarantee you that I can get you $100 every single time. The key to it is walking away when you have it. And that's what's hard. That's what's almost impossible. I actually won $500 that night gambling with some old Italian and French dudes. It was so surreal because I didn't understand what they were saying. For all I know, they were totally insulting me, but when I started rolling points, nobody cared. And that's what's great about craps. Although one time, I rolled a 7 and this old Italian dude starts showing me how I'm supposed to roll. It was classic.

I'll never forget Monaco. I think it's singlehandedly one of the best places in the world. It has everything you need and everything you can't afford. At the same time, there's something for everyone. You can hang out by the beach, go shopping, gambling, sailing, or just simply walk around and enjoy the scenery. With the Mediterranean Sea in front of you and mountains from France and Italy around you, what more do you really need?

Except maybe a Ferrari.


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this is hard

leaving nürnberg germany.
in ten days.
with each day making me more sad.


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my six month review

january to june 2009 couldn't have been more crazy or up and down, good and bad. needless to say, it's been emotionally draining. and for it to all happen while i'm in a foreign country just makes it exponentially exhausting.

the year started out with a major breakup with my girlfriend. what made it stranger is that we still lived together because you needed at least 3 months notice for the apartment. in the next weeks, i bought a new nikon d700 and went to 9 countries in 3 days. that of course led to more roadtrips around europe as i traveled to 6 more countries in the next weeks. it was my release from the breakup. it worked. little by little.

living together with your ex girlfriend isn't the best thing in the world and also not the worst thing in the world. i still don't know how we did it, but we did it. and i'm glad that we did it AND got through it.

in may, i had my first shooting in a long long time. this was in vienna and of course was a huge milestone for me. this led to more shootings in seattle, in vienna again, and in london and frankfurt last weekend. all in all, i shot more pictures in the past month than i did in all of 2008. not bad at all.

i've met some great people and have more tremendous opportunities in the days ahead. i'll be in romania to shoot with a modeling agency and back in london again to shoot with a fashion editor and stylist who's contributed to vanity fair and vogue italia. like wow. notice i say vogue italia and not just vogue. because there is a difference. a huge one. and i hope this happens.

of course this news would be much better if our dog, bailey, didn't pass away. it happened monday night and i've been grieving since. we've had him for many years and i even flew him from dallas to seattle. he's family and a friend and a teddy bear of a dog. i miss him and will always miss him.

all in all, the last 6 months could have been more relaxing or "normal" but i've learned that life doesn't always work out that way. and regardless if you have good news or bad news, you have to learn to keep moving forward. at the same time, try to savor the moments and celebrate them before they pass you by.

living at the arabella sheraton

top ten things i've relearned living at the arabella sheraton nuremberg.

1. the bedsheets are always clean and crispy when i get back from work. you'd think this was nice, but it's actually crappy. i need to get my own blanket and pillows, i think.
2. everything is expensive. the cheapest thing on the menu is a $10 soup. and if you're thirsty, add another $5 to that.
3. related to the first one, the room is always clean. the bathroom is spotless and there's always soap and toilet paper. no wonder i had a culture shock when i moved to an apartment last year.
4. there's a really cute girl that works at the spa area, but i don't know what she does exactly. in my secretive ways of trying to find out, i've scheduled a massage, a facial, and a pedicure, but still no luck. i've had vegetables sitting on my eyeballs and i can't seem to find out what she does. if i do anything more, i'd be a princess. one of these days.
5. internet is expensive. i never, ever will understand why a cheap hotel offers free internet and the nice ones charge you as if you're instant messaging with an astronaut.
6. i miss an oven, a washing machine, and a refrigerator full of stuff i don't need to pay for.
7. i dislike all the people who hang out at the lobby who talk about work.
8. i like having someone cook for me, but after a week, couldn't they learn to cook other things? although last time i lived here, they felt bad that i kept ordering spagetti that they actually asked me what else i wanted. eventually they started making me beef fried rice and called it the grio special. too bad that cook doesn't work here anymore.
9. i definitely prefer living in an apartment. and if it wasn't for the starwood points i'm collecting for staying here, i'd be in an apartment now.
10. this one's not really related to a hotel, but they do have one here: sitting in a 90 degree CELSIUS sauna for 15 minutes and then dumping yourself immediately into an ice cold bathtub is one of the best feelings on earth.

world tour 2009

Last Update: August 3, 2009
Total Roadtrip Miles by Car: 8,400 miles (13,500 km)

Countries 2009
1. Austria
2. Belgium
3. Czech Republic
4. Denmark (first time)
5. France
6. Germany
7. Hungary (first time)
8. Italy
9. Liechtenstein (first time)
10. Luxembourg (first time)
11. Monaco (first time)
12. Netherlands (first time)
13. Poland (first time)
14. Romania (first time)
15. Slovakia (first time)
16. Switzerland
17. United Kingdom
18. United States

Cities, Places, and Activities 2009
1. Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site
2. Porsche Museum
3. Germanisches Nationalmuseum
4. BMW World and Museum
5. Heidelberg Castle
6. Budapest, Hungary
7. Vienna, Austria
8. Colmar, France
9. Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany
10. Dresden, Germany
11. Prague, Czech Republic
12. Milan, Italy
13. Zurich, Switzerland
14. Westfalenpark, Dortmund, Germany
15. Maastricht, Netherlands
16. London, UK
17. Photoshoot with modeling agency in Iaşi, Romania
18. Paris, France
19. Paris to London roundtrip on Eurostar train
20. Photoshoot with Vogue fashion editor in London
21. Munich, Germany
22. Photoshoot at the Arabella Sheraton Nürnberg
23. Gambling with old French and Italian dudes in Monaco
24. Moving to Arlington, Virginia

What started out to be a "see as much as you can before they pull you out of this project next week" has turned into a Wally World European Tour. At first, I started with the 9 countries in 3 days adventure mainly because I really didn't know how long I was going to be here and...

How long does a window of opportunity remain open?

And now I also thought I want to match the number of countries I've seen to match my age. Currently, I need 10 more new countries between now and October, so it will get interesting. There's a few more that are driveable, but some of them I actually have to fly to see. Nonetheless, it should be fun and I should get a few decent pictures in there. If you're in the neighborhood, let me know!

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dresden

I spent Easter Sunday in Dresden, Germany and I definitely have to come back again for more than a few hours and an ice cream. And even though I am not an opera fanatic, I want to see one in Dresden. At the moment, I think Dresden is the most beautiful city in Germany. It is located near the river Elbe and has been called Elbflorenz or "Florence of Elbe."

For more photos, click here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=236234&id=653050323&l=600f0f78cb

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que sera, sera

i tell you, this whole breakup process is quite a process. as all of you have experienced, it is simply quite a journey. it's already been 3 months since it happened, but i can tell you right now that it feels like it just happened 3 days ago. maybe it's the simple fact that we still live in the same place. or maybe that's just how it feels no matter what. 

i will admit that it's been both easier and harder that we still live together. to this day, i can't really explain it further why it is like that. granted, we're pretty much like your typical roommates and i'm proud to say that we've maintained a respectable living arrangement. it also helps that we continue to see our therapist and he's been nothing but fabulous throughout this process. i still feel that things will get harder especially after we move out of here. each day, it seems like our apartment is becoming less and less familiar, especially when things are being sold or moved out. no longer is there a kitchen, but rather a plethora of boxes and a small college-like refrigerator and a camping style oven. the living room looks like a garage sale with plenty of open boxes and going through what should be kept or thrown away. having never been through a divorce, i can still somehow feel that it's similar.

even though thinking about a relationship or even the simple act of dating seems so FOREIGN to me, i have managed to enjoy the things i used to enjoy. it's funny because a few colleagues at work have noticed a difference in my attitude. they say that i look better and i feel more relaxed. without knowing anything about the troubles of my relationship, they have now told me that they sensed that something was wrong. for the past six or eight months, i've been carrying this weight and pressure and hopeless dream that this relationship would persevere. even going through therapy, which to me was so new and strange, given that we didn't have any logistical problems like money or where to live. on paper, everything was perfect. but the truth always lies between the lines.

nevertheless, i have somehow managed to turn the page on a few things. more importantly, i have started to take more and more photographs. and just last week, i had my FIRST photoshoot in a VERY LONG time. given that my ex is a model and we had many shootings in the past year, it was very sad that i didn't take ANYONE else's pictures. the last one was a wedding that i shot almost one year ago to this day. and the last "photoshoot" with someone else was well over one year ago. it saddens me that in 2008, i did not take anyone else's pictures. the answers to why are moot, but the reasons behind them are significant. i could spend hours and days thinking about it or i could simply try to put it behind me and move forward.

so last weekend in vienna, i had my first photoshoot. i was nervous and apprehensive. i was a little bit unsure about seeing somebody else. it's been such a long time to see someone else through my lens. but with that nervousness also came relief. it felt good to be in a creative mode and the model, makeup artist, and the location couldn't have been more perfect. in many ways, i felt like i turned a page.

i know that there are still many more pages to turn. in less than one month, i will be out of this apartment and i KNOW i will miss certain things. living in a hotel may sound glamorous, but after a while, you seek the comfort of a home. and even though the apartment i am in now may not be the home i need, in many ways, it is still my home. and i'm sad, still, about the results of this relationship. but with that sadness, i have also found more of myself and knowing that i CAN and WILL turn the page makes me feel excited about what lies ahead.

you can only plan so much. for everything else, que sera, sera.

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my first photoshoot in a very long time turned out to be one of my best:

der prater slideshow: 

http://vimeo.com/4084914

der prater photos: 

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=232572&id=653050323&l=4ff86aeefd

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der prater collection

Taken at Der Prater in Vienna, Austria. You can click on the image to view a larger version.










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some things nuremberg

here are some of my own personal observations and thoughts and opinions of nuremberg. it's not necessarily "german" nor do i want to classify or categorize everything german in a list. but this is the kind of stuff you probably won't see on a tourist book or wikipedia.

1. one of the best mexican restaurants in the city (and i say best very generously) is a restaurant called "enchilada". it's a great name for sure if you're in germany, but can you imagine a thai restaurant called "fried rice". at any rate, the food isn't exactly mexican. i mean, it's pretty much like finding a german restaurant in mexico. just not gonna be the same. but the atmosphere is lively and the drinks are still good. although the last time i went, i noticed that the corona was actually bottled in czech republic. hmmm. also, the tortilla chips are not tortilla chips. it's basically a bag of your classic doritos.

2. most traffic lights on an intersection do *NOT* have the protected left green arrow. this is increasily annoying me because you pretty much have to stand in the middle of the intersection every single time. i don't know why they don't have more of them.

3. the smallest paper money is 5 EUR. they don't have 1 EUR bills, but they do have 2 EUR coins and 1 EUR coins and of course 50 cents, 20 cents, 10 cents, 5 cents, 2 cents, and 1 cent coins. this can add up to a lot of coins. and considering that when i get home, i just leave all my coins on the table, i end up collecting a lot of coins. just last night, i realized i had about $150 worth of coins.

4. in a restaurant, the waiters are carrying a purse or if they take credit cards, they have this remote device that can swipe your credit card. this is pretty standard no matter what kind of restaurant you go - small cafe, mom and pop sandwich shop, or a full blown restaurant.

5. my favorite bakery/cafe/coffeeshop is this one called "der beck". it's a chain and you can find one in almost every corner. in fact, you can find a bakery/cafe/coffeeshop everywhere you look. if it's not der beck, it's something else. there are probably more bakery/cafe/coffeeshop in nuremberg than there are starbucks in all of the US. the funny thing though is that there's not one near my apartment here and that's probably because i live in a farm. anyway, my favorite one is on killianstrasse and i like it because it's big and they have two rooms you can sit in. the decoration is all new york and they even have frank sinatra's lyrics on one of the walls.

6. for the past year, i lived on a street called "schnepfenreuther hauptstrasse". everytime i have to fill out a form, i curse 28 times everytime i have to spell it out.

7. don't eat at this "all you can eat" thai restaurant in fuerth called the "golden rainbow". the food is terrible and they serve fake coca-cola. actually i dont know if it was fake, but it definitely wasn't coca-cola. also, the food made me so sick it almost ripped me apart. i went there for lunch and i actually couldn't even make it to the office. my colleague had to drop me off at the KFC because i couldn't hold it any longer. it's the worst feeling when you have to go and then you're in a car. i thought i was going to explode. random note: when we're young, we don't worry if we have to go. we just go. and we have diapers. and then the diapers get cleaned up. then at some point, we're taught "not to go" and hold it. and we learn this and mommies and daddies have celebrations when we do it right the first time. and then the celebrations stop. it's not that big of a deal anymore. then we get old and it's back to how it was when we were young. we just go.

8. there's a ton of history in nuremberg. the nuremberg trials were held here. hitler built this massive nazi party rally ground with a congresshall designed much like the colloseum in rome. you can find more info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_party_rally_grounds

9. when you get a shopping cart, you have to insert 1 EUR or 2 EUR to get one. this ensures that you put the cart back. it's all chained together so it works really well - nobody has to monitor it. so if you don't have a euro, then you should get change. you could also insert plastic ones in there if you want. most people will have this in the car so they don't need to worry about carrying cash all the time. they still do have cartboys, but not nearly as much.

10. german men like to wear leather pants. i've seen at least half a dozen men wear leather pants IN THE OFFICE and they wear it with a normal buttoned up shirt. the tighter the pants, the better. and oh yeah, these are 40+ yr old men.

2009 goals

i know it's almost april, but better late than never. here are my top ten goals for this year.

1. visit 10 new countries before i turn 34 in october. i've been handed a prime opportunity by practically living in europe so i'm going to take full advantage of it. i'm currently at 24 countries as i write this so getting to 34 will be interesting. and considering i didn't start til i was 31 years old, it kinda makes me laugh at the idea. you just never know where and how things happen. they just do.

2. bury myself in work. i've been kicked out of this country once and been pulled out of the project for political reasons but somehow, some way, i'm still here. hopefully, things will work out and we can actually achieve our goal.

3. bury myself in photography and try and learn new things. in 2008, i barely took any photographs that i was proud of and spent most of my energy in other things that left nothing for creativity. 2009 will change that.

4. save X amount of money. this will also be interesting, but i think it's possible.

5. spend more time with family and friends in the US. in 2008, i spent about 5 weeks total. that's not enough.

6. go to the gym at an average of 3x per week or 3 hours per week for the rest of the year. so far, i'm actually on pace.

7. catch up with god. he's got a lot of explaining to do and i have a lot to be thankful for.

8. completely stop smoking.

9. make shoot for change an official non profit organization. this one takes more work than i expected, but if i can just get the paperwork straightened out and written, then we can get the ball rolling.

10. to love.

tight leather man pants

i just saw a man wearing leather pants, which makes it now about half a dozen 40+ year old men wearing tight leather man pants IN THE OFFICE here in nuremberg. what is all the hoopla about these leather pants? are they trying to out-tight each other or what? and it's not like they're even biker dudes or trying to be gothic or anything like that. they're wearing a normal button-up shirt and normal shoes. from a fashion perspective, it's completely wrong. i mean, if you're gonna wear leather pants, you have to go all out. it's not an accessory like a watch or an earring. leather pants are one of those things that cannot be part of a normal ensemble.

but let's not even talk about fashion, let's talk about sanity! why are they wearing leather pants? i'm fortunate, at the moment, that none of my colleagues actually wear them. although it doesn't necessarily mean that they don't have them, but at least i haven't seen it. and what's funny is that i've also seen my therapist wear them. at least he changed before we started our session because there was no way i could see him after that. (another seinfeld episode - seriously they've covered all topics it seems like). but why was he wearing them? is that what he wears outside of our therapy? i would never imagine it. it's like seeing mister rogers wear them with his sweater.

so what is it about leather pants. is it warm? is it comfortable? it's certainly not cheap. can someone explain this to me?

love

This is what I think about love.

before the rain

today, after waking up, i did my typical routine as whatever typical might be for someone partially living/moving out of germany. first, i went to the gym, which unfortunately has taken a back seat to all the roadtrips i've been taking. but in the past few days, i've started going again. my mantra: "it's only 30 minutes. go." it works often!

after going to the gym, i went to my favorite Der Beck which is this chain store bakery that has better pastries and baked goods than any chain store bakery i've seen in my life. click here to see what i'm talking about (then click on the arrows where it says "seite" to turn the page).

i also like it that they have this running high definition video on how they make all their pastries. sometimes i just quietly stare at it for 15 minutes. anyway, i got some coffee and a krapfen (a jelly filled donut) which probably deleted my last three workouts after one bite. i wanted to actually eat it at the store, but i got too excited with my mix of deutsch and hand signals, so they packed it up "mit nehmen" or "to go". despite that confusion, i ate the donut at the store. one would never blog about getting donuts, but when you live in a foreign country, getting ANYTHING is always an adventure.

after that, i headed to the rental car place at the airport. i've been exchanging cars more frequently than normal. a friend told me that it's my way of coping with the breakup and that i can't make a commitment to one car. it's like the process of exchanging it and not getting attached. i thought about it for a while and thought "no" i'm simply trying to take advantage of my current situation, knowing full well that it could end without a moment's notice. but maybe there's some truth in what he said. but that's for another blog.

This MB GLK 280 is now "Mercedes Benz Herbie".

the people at the rental car place have really gotten to know me. i like it too that everytime i walk in, i'm greeted with a warm "hello mr. grio!" and they really do mean it! they even gave me the "secret" email address and phone number that contacts them directly at their desk. and sometimes they call me when a "cool" car comes in to see if i'm interested. but today, it was simply exchanging it for another.

however, as i'm driving to the airport ready to exchange this car, i started to like this car. it seems to fit my current mood. it's sporty, small, and has a personality. i don't know if it was the black balloons or what, but i've started to like this car. i never thought a mercedes benz would do that, but looking at it, the car's kinda cool. like that vw bug herbie cool. i walked up to the rental car counter and i told them that i'd like to keep this car for a few more days. no problem they said. so mercedes benz herbie and i proceed to our next errand.

so i take the car and drive it back to the apartment. and as i'm driving back, i noticed that the weather was starting to change. the temperature dropped considerably and the wind was really blowing. i looked up and saw the clouds moving faster and faster almost like in a movie. taking some pictures crossed my mind, but i wasn't really into it at the time. so as i park the car in front of my apartment with the wind blowing like crazy, mercedes benz herbie told me to get my camera. really. maybe i'm delusional, but if you look at the grill, it really does look like it talks. ok, i'm delusional. 

nonetheless, i ran inside the apartment and grabbed my camera bag, jumped inside mercedes benz herbie and started chasing some clouds. we drove down the street where the cobble stones were and then headed to the park just across the main street. the wind was really picking up and it was getting colder and colder. as the clouds were moving, i started to get panicked because i didn't want to be too far away from the car in case it started to pour. 

you see, that's what happens the moment before the rain starts to fall. there's a sense of urgency and uncertainty, yet at the same time, peppered with excitement. the moment before the rain starts to fall is an incredibly profound moment.



it's like the moment before a smile turns into laughter or the moment before the laughter turns into tears. it's the moment before you break up or the moment before the first kiss. it's the moment before you say goodbye to someone at the airport or the moment before you say hello. it's the moment before you look at your child for the first time or the moment before you find out someone is dying. you add up all those moments and that's what life is all about.

for me, this week is encapsulated in many of those moments. in a few days, my time in germany could be over. instead of driving down the autobahn, i might be trading in mercedes benz herbie for a chevy malibu and driving to paris, texas instead of paris, france. it's not in my control and it's at this point that i can only raise my hands in the air and say, it's all yours, lord. and whether or not you believe in god, something out of your control will happen. as for me, i do believe in god and i've always believed that it's in surrender that one can find peace.

and i can pray to stay here and to keep my job here and to keep driving around europe until there are no more new roads to drive on. whether or not god answers that prayer is up to him. because as much as i'd like for him to answer my prayers, sometimes it's the "unanswered" ones that is what's best for you. you just never know how he'll answer. it's like the moment before the rain starts to fall.

lemonade out of black balloons

I was supposed to have a photoshooting this weekend in Vienna, but we canceled it because of the weather. We planned to shoot at a very old amusement park with a classic old carousel and our plan was a dark themed shooting with black balloons.

So we canceled it on Friday, but I had already ordered the black balloons. I picked them up anyway and wondered what I should do with them. At the same time, I had just picked up a different car, which was a Mercedes Benz SUV. The balloons were in the back and I didn't want to just throw it away without at least taking some pictures. But with the weather being rainy, I didn't know what to do. Finally, I thought that I could put the camera on the tripod and then put them both in the back of the SUV with the back door open. This way, the camera would be protected from the rain and there won't be a glass window in front of it.

Somehow, driving a black Mercedes Benz made me want to wear a suit so I thought that might look cool with the black balloons. I went home, wore my black suit with a black tie, and drove around looking for an abandoned road. The best shot would have been in the woods, but I already learned my lesson about parking my car on the mud. So the road I found turned out not to be so abandoned, but it did give me some time to take some shots in between cars driving by. I'm sure they were totally confused and wondering what a guy wearing a black suit and carrying black balloons is doing in the middle of the street in the rain, with a Mercedes Benz parked on the side of the road.

I wanted to use my remote control to take the shots, so I wouldn't have to run back and forth. However, the battery on the remote was weak and it wouldn't take the shots. So I had to use the timer instead. I must have run back and forth 20 or 30 times. Working by yourself, in the rain, while carrying half a dozen black balloons is not exactly the ideal working condition. But I did it. With each passing car, I pressed the button, ran a few meters down the road, and tried to pose with a somewhat interesting look just before the camera would take a picture. It was work! And the balloons in the rain with some light wind aren't exactly the best props to work with.

I setup the camera to autofocus but I learned quickly that it was hard for the camera to pick me up because of the balloons. So after a while, I decided to set the focus manually and then run to the spot where it was focusing. Of course this took some time and my patience began to run out. At some point, sanity starts to set in and I was wondering what it was that I was doing in the first place! But I just needed one or two to look "cool" so I continued.

Anyway, sometimes you just have to do crazy things like that. Even though it was raining and we canceled the original shooting, it was good for me to do something spontaneous. I did what I could with what I had at the moment and made lemonade out of black balloons.

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You can click on each image to make them bigger. These are some of the funnier ones:









Some of the cool ones I think. The "dots" you see are raindrops. Click on the first two images to see them up close.

magic

I was driving around looking for some good locations to photograph and I found this awesome looking hill that I just had to check out. The road was totally paved, which was good, as I was already leery about anything resembling mud or snow. As I was driving up the hill, I noticed that the road was no longer paved so I actually decided to stop. But somehow, some way, I had a brain freeze and decided that I would try an Austin Powers maneuver and get this BMW 525 turned around on this small road. As you can see in this picture, there was no possible way that could have happened.



I walked down the hill and down the road towards the nearest petrol station. As luck would have it, and I mean serious luck, the lady actually spoke very fluent english. She was in her mid 50s and it is incredibly difficult to find anyone who speaks english, let alone someone who's a little older. You just don't find it. And most importantly, she was very kind and extremely helpful. She listened to my story and worried and laughed with me and she called every garage/tow truck/car service around the neighborhood. And when she couldn't find one, she called the surrounding towns. She said that we shouldn't call ADAC (similar to AAA) because it's more expensive. She said it should be our last resort. At first I disagreed with her, but I appreciated her thoughtfulness nonetheless.

This small petrol station was owned by her and her husband. Their son, about my age, actually drove up to the hill to check out the situation. He and his father came back with weird looks on their faces, wondering what it was that drove me up that hill and into the mud. They laughed also and were very kind. Finally, the lady found a person who had a truck large enough to pull the full size sedan out of the mud. Within a few minutes, the truck pulled up to the petrol station. The guy was probably in his twenties, very eager to show that he could pull the car out of the predicament. The car was about 500 meters away from the petrol station so the son actually came with me to help with the english translation. When we drove up the hill, the tow truck driver just looked at me with disbelief. At first, we didn't know how to do it because with the way the car was positioned, the best place for him would have been on the grass. Unfortunately, that couldn't happen because it was also very muddy.



After analyzing the situation, the son and the tow truck driver decided to just try to do it slowly. They were so careful with the car and made sure that they minimized whatever damage could happen with the car. The way this was positioned, you can easily see that we could at least scratch the car. To minimize this risk, the tow truck driver took off his jacket and wrapped it between the rope and the car. It's not even my car and I was greatly touched by what he was doing. After getting everything secured, it only took a few seconds to pull the car out of the mud. The son told me to give the tow truck driver 30 EUR, so I gave him 50 instead.

When we went back to the petrol station, the lady was smiling, after realizing that we had pulled the car out of the mud. They told me that many people have done the same thing, although not for the sake of photography. I asked for their business card as I had very little cash with me and told them that I am extremely grateful for their kindness and that I would send them something instead. They said that if I'm ever in town again, I should stop by and they would show me more of the area that I can photograph (albeit not in the same way as what just happened).

What I've learned in the past few weeks is that every now and then, we all could use a little help. If you're stuck in the mud, you need all the help you can get. Hopefully, you will find people to help you. What I've learned is that sometimes all you have to do is ask. Maybe you won't find it immediately, just like it took us 20 phone calls to finally find someone who could help me. But if you don't ask for help, you will never get it. And everyone needs a little bit of help sometimes. It doesn't matter if you are unemployed or have a six figure salary, it doesn't matter if you're driving a $60,000 car or a used '84 Toyota Corolla, and it doesn't matter if you're healthy or heartbroken. We could all use a little bit of help.

It's funny because I went up that hill to see what magical picture I could find. I'm always searching, at least in the past few days, to help me paint my current situation and to find that scene that best describes how I've been feeling. And even though I may not have found that picture up the hill, I can definitely say that I still found some magic.

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You can find more pictures here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=220653&id=653050323&l=74022
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lunch in stuttgart

I decided to have lunch with a colleague who lived in Stuttgart. He's actually been a pretty cool friend so it was nice to visit with him. This week, he was working from Stuttgart instead of Nuremberg so it was a good excuse for me to take another roadtrip. It's a "short" 2 hour drive to Stuttgart so as I was looking at the map, I decided to take a detour and take the scenic route.


Total distance: 603km (375 miles)

My first stop was Heidelberg where there's a famous castle. This town was really interesting with all the old buildings and squares and bridges. Unfortunately, for me, the weather was a bit foggy so I couldn't take all the pictures I wanted to take (or what I saw on the internet). For example, there's a shot of a bridge with the castle right behind it, but I couldn't get it done because the fog covered the castle. In fact, I couldn't even find the castle. I eventually found it by following the signs that say "schloss". It also helped that it had a picture of a castle right next to it. Random thought: in Deutsch, there's "schloss" and "burg" which are actually two different meanings. One means castle and the other one, I think, means fortress. I'm not sure about fortress, but it could also be palace. I know that one of them is more of where people live and the other one is where they battle and stuff like that. Perhaps one day, I'll know the difference.

So I followed the signs to the schloss and since it was all uphill, I actually drove up there. There were houses right next to the schloss as you're driving up. I'm sure those were million dollar homes because of the view and it's right next to the schloss. If people asked them where they lived, it wouldn't be hard to find at all. "We live behind the castle, you know."


Schloss @ Heidelberg.

After taking some pictures of the schloss, I headed towards Stuttgart to eat lunch with Frank. We had lunch at Ochs 'n Willi which was a "typical" German restaurant. When I was driving towards Stuttgart, I wanted a schweinebraten (which is like a potroast), but when I walked in the restaurant, I saw someone eating a schweinshaxe, which is pork and it is crispy on the outside. Just looking at a schweinshaxe will give you a heartattack. But it was perfect and it totally hit the spot. I do have to admit that it rocked me pretty good and I could still feel it six hours later.


Schweinshaxe.

Before dropping Frank off, he showed me the Porsche Museum. The building is incredible and so I decided to stop by before heading over to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. I didn't plan on actually going inside the museum, but I was attracted to the gift shop. Unfortunately, their selections were pretty lame and I couldn't even buy a teeshirt. They did have this really cool poster on the wall, but they weren't selling posters. Once inside though, I decided to get a ticket (8 EUR) and check out the museum. They had every Porsche ever built and it felt like a giant toy store for me. Next time, I'd like to go to the Mercedes Benz museum. I'm sure they have better selections in the gift store. So now you know Porsche and Mercedes comes from Stuttgart. And BMW is from Munich.


Porsche Museum.

After Stuttgart, I went to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Several people have recommended going there and I could totally see why. All the buildings inside the castle wall felt like an original. The architecture made me feel like I walked into a postcard or a Hollywood set. I knew they were genuine, but my mind and eyes weren't believing it. The only thing that was strange was that it was empty. Nuremberg at 5pm has more people walking around so it was weird to see this town empty. So after a while, it also felt a little lonely and depressing. I almost felt like that Will Smith movie "I am Legend" where he was the only person remaining. After feeling that way, I decided to go back to Nuremberg. =)

For this trip, I drove an Audi TT Coupe, and let me tell you, that car is SWEET. I don't think I would buy one, but it was definitely fun to drive. The other cars I've driven can go the same speed, but this little car WANTED to go fast. It reminded me of our dog, Bailey (in his younger years), when he would pull on the leash and it felt like he could literally pull your arms off your body. That's what the Audi TT was for me. Fortunately, there was a strip of highway during the roadtrip where I could actually unleash the car. And when I pressed on the gas pedal, the car just took off. The acceleration was like butter. It wasn't even trying at all. It felt like it was born to do that. The cool thing too is that, unlike the other cars I've tried, this Audi TT was hugging the road. The faster it went, the harder it grabbed the road. You could almost feel the car lowering to the ground. The rear spoiler also would come up as you went faster, which was actually my favorite part. For a short duration, my top speed actually reached 250 kph (155 mph). Welcome to the German Autobahn.

For more photographs, you can click here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=220126&id=653050323&l=3f137

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german flea market

i don't really know the difference between a flea market in the states compared to the one here in germany. but considering that this is my first time actually selling something in a flea market, it was an interesting experience. i had a few items to sell and mainly it was nicole's stuff that we were trying to sell. in preparations for moving out of this apartment, there were tons of things we needed to get rid of. nicole's already sold a bicycle (70 EUR), a sofa bed (also 70 EUR), some winter tires and wheels (FREE), and a pretty ugly white closet/sideboard thing (FREE). i would have actually PAID someone to come get those tires and closet so it was good that someone took them. of course, we still need to sell our kitchen (on ebay).



some things i noticed about the flea market:

1. they have portable toilets available just like you'd find anywhere else, but you actually pay 30 cents to use them. there's a guy outside who takes your money and after you're done, he goes in there and actually sprays and wipes the toilet AND floor. he doesn't empty out the toilet or anything, but it's pretty cool nonetheless. he also sold some snacks on the side =).

2. there are some professional merchants at a flea market. you can tell based on their setup and their products and how they go about it. they have things to hang their clothes, prices on their products, and also a lockbox for their money. and they also have a table cloth on top of their table. on the other hand, you can tell we were first timers based on the fact that we only had a folding table, a ziploc bag for our money, and we used grocery shopping carts to display some of our clothes on hangers. not sure if there's such a thing as a ghetto flea market stand, but after today, i'd say we just defined it.

3. it cost us 12.50 EUR to have a 2.5 meter table, but they found out our table was actually 3 meters so they charged another 6 EUR. you could pay more to have your car there with you, which considering the weather, i would have done it. but i didn't know about it. we were in a "METRO" store parking lot, which is a lot like SAM's wholesale club in the states. they're closed on sundays, much like all other stores in germany, so this is when they have flea markets. funny thing is that we live about 2 minutes from this place and not once did i even know this was happening on sundays here.

4. we were there starting at 6:30am to get the "prime" location spot and there were already tons of other merchants setting up. we got a pretty good location in the front. the market actually opens at 9am, but there were already many people wanting some of our stuff. i had a rice cooker for sale. of course i wanted top money for it so i started out with 20 EUR. most of them just gave me the WTF look. some probably even said it in german, who knows. but the market didn't open for another 2 hours and i figured these were the 'professional' negotiators. i wasn't afraid of them though! i stood firm. i said 20 EUR, they said 10 EUR, then i said get out of here!

then they would ask what the "final price" was and i would say 20 EUR. they would leave in disgust but the more they wanted to lower the price, the more valuable that rice cooker became. some lady even said, "well the store right here sells it for a lower price, you're crazy!" so i said, "that store opens on monday so why don't you just buy it there." it probably would have made more of an impact had i said it in german, but it made me feel good nonetheless.

5. i had an H&M suit that i wanted to sell for 15 EUR. lots of people were interested. but they wanted it for 10 EUR. in some ways i think it's all the negotiation and the game. i wasn't playing that game though and was adamant at my prices. maybe i don't understand this flea market thing, but an H&M suit for 15 EUR was already a steal. it has pants AND a jacket and the dry cleaner tag was still on there!! and i only wore it once for a shooting (and the only problem i have with it is that it's purple when photographed, but looks black when not).

but some items were going for 3 EUR and people would negotiate 2.50. it's like, really? 50 cents? this lady wanted to haggle for a box of puzzles and she didn't want it for 3 EUR. she said maybe it's not complete. i told her we bought it brand new for 20 EUR so even if it wasn't complete, she's still getting a bargain. that probably wasn't a good idea because she left after i said that. anyway, she came back a few hours later and this time, nicole talked to her. nicole made her feel "important" and was giving her the "wow, you do this 1000 piece puzzle by yourself?" the old lady was all smiley and stuff. she actually bought the puzzle, but somehow she still weasled her way into getting it for 2.50 instead of 3 EUR. and then she had the audacity to ask us for a bag to carry it in!

we were there between 6:30am and 1pm. i could have used a little bit more sunshine and warmth. standing there for that long will freeze your butt off. the guy next to us actually had some really cool things. he used to be a photographer so he had all these old OLD cameras. i wanted some of them, but i figured i shouldn't cause i'm at a flea market as a SELLER. no need to add new junk when you're trying to get rid of some already. but after a while, i finally caved in on this awesome camera lighter =) between this camera lighter and a few pastries and cups of tea and what i actually sold, i think i netted about fifty cents total. nicole, however, was a pro for sure. she even sold the gloves she was wearing for 15 EUR. we were both a little skeptical but the funny thing is that everytime we left our gloves on the table by accident, people actually wanted them! overall, she netted about 100 EUR (appx $130) for selling some of her clothes. and she even sold the rice cooker for 13 EUR after she threw in a few boxes of puzzles.

now if we can just move the kitchen...

what is international?

i have to write this before i forget it, but i've been wondering about the definition of international. i mean, i know what it means, but it's weird because if you're in the US and someone is in europe or in asia or australia, then it feels like that person is international. but canada is a different nation and you don't call people who travel there "international". or do you? how about mexico?

so if you're in europe, then you're considered international. even from a work perspective and on your resume, you can put that. but what does it really mean? and for someone who actually lives in europe, are they considered international? take someone from germany and they travel to greece or italy, are they considered international? they should be based on the definition, but the connotation is that they're not.

and what's even crazy is that it's all based on borders. it's some sort of man-installed "imaginary" line that says this part is germany and this part is switzerland. yes, you have border patrols or whatever, but ever since the schengen agreement, you can easily drive across different countries in europe with no problem. even someone with a US passport can drive wherever he wants with no problem.



this whole concept of borders is driving me crazy. i mean, consider an apartment with doors and walls. that's basically an "inter-room" apartment. maybe you need to knock or maybe you don't, but there's still a border. you can basically have borders everywhere you go or with anything you have. intercloset, intergarage, interdrawer, interanythingyouwant. where does it stop? and why are there borders anyway?

some people consider the US to be the melting pot with so many different cultures living in one massive body of land, but if that's the case, then europe should be called the mother of all melting pots even if it is barely the size of texas. i mean, it's wild. forget going to "little italy", you can actually go to the REAL italy if you want. you want spagetti from italy, just drive a couple of hours and you're there (if you're in germany). and even germany and austria who "almost" speak the same language (inside joke there), they are two different countries and YOU KNOW you're in a different country. much like in new york or san francisco, you know you're in a different neighborhood. even between mesquite and dallas and plano or between seattle and wenatchee, you know you're in a different place. so everywhere you go, there's always some sort of border and some sort of imaginary line between what you know and what you're familiar with compared to what you don't know. some people can't even cross the street or get out of their house. if they eventually crossed the street, then they might as well be traveling internationally.

here's another thing on my mind. if you took all the people in the US and all the people in europe and you swapped them, what would happen to those countries? what happens to those cities? would venice stay the same? would iowa or kansas or ohio be the same? would people be the same?

are our personalities formed based on our physical environment and location? i mean, there are some places in europe that are amazing, but at the same time, there are places in the US that are just as amazing. or just as crappy. maybe it's the history that's different. what happened in the alps didn't happen in the rockies. there are buildings in europe that are older than the US itself.

but what would have happened if all lands were together and there were no oceans in between? like everything was driveable and you could take a roadtrip to japan or iceland or australia. again, would those countries be the same. would we be the same? and how different would it be?

the road to budapest.

1. Germany
2. Poland
3. Czech Republic
4. Slovakia
5. Hungary
6. Austria





Day 1
Germany + Poland + Czech Republic
Total Distance: 544km (338 miles)

- No advertising signs along the highways in Germany.
- There are advertising signs along the highways in Czech Republic.
- The cities on the border of Germany and Poland made me feel like I walked into a snow globe.
- Driving through those same cities made me want to play Ghost Recon.
- The Courtyard Marriott at the Prague airport is by far the best Courtyard Marriott ever.
- They don't accept Euros in most stores in Czech Republic. And if they do, they need a calculator. But they do accept Visa.





Day 2

Slovakia + Hungary
Total Distance: 529 km (328 miles)

This trip has definitely mixed emotions. It started out a little confusing and then it ended totally and completely confusing. Work was a drama when I left and by the time I got to Prague, it exploded into a full blown soap opera. But let's not get into that right now. What I'm worried about at this exact moment is that my 3 year old Powerbook won't boot up at all. I was ready to download my photos from the first day and the machine just wouldn't boot up. I'd say it's the blue screen of death, but it just keeps going round and round and round. I've never seen it before. I couldn't sleep that night and I felt so depressed. With everything that's going on with work and personal life, I couldn't believe that my Mac just could not get started. I eventually fell asleep and actually had a dream about buying a condo in Seattle. Weird.

So today, I'm still worried about my Mac. I think the last time I backed it up was in January so the photos I would lose would be my last roadtrip, which would totally break my heart if I can't get those pictures back. I'm hoping that the "Deutschland Superstars" at Apple will be able to get it going again. As this was happening, I thought about canceling the rest of my trip and take my machine and get it repaired. I thought about it for a few minutes after I woke up this morning, but then I decided that I should go. I still had my camera and my work laptop and this might be my last opportunity in taking a trip like this again.



So I went. And I'm so glad I did. Even though the drive from Prague to Budapest was fairly uneventful, I was able to clear my thoughts and find some sort of peace, even for just a few kilometers. The trip was short so I actually got to Budapest around 1pm. And when I saw Budapest for the first time, I was totally blown away. The Marriott Hotel was right along the Duna River and the bridge across the Duna was spectacular. I asked the front desk where I should go to take pictures and she handed me a map and said, "The Castle District".

I walked around for a few hours taking as many pictures as I could. The only problem was that the temperature was below freezing and I got cold quick! Fortunately, there were lots of cafes around so that helped a bit. Again, I probably could have picked a better time to visit these countries, but sometimes opportunity comes but once in your lifetime so you have to take it when it's there. As a friend once said, "You have the world at your fingertips. Take more roadtrips. Eat more Twix". So I did.

In the end, I had dinner at a small restaurant along the way back to my hotel. The funniest part was that a song played that sounded familiar, except it was in Hungarian. I wasn't sure so I asked the waiter. The song was Frank Sinatra's "My Way".


Day 3

Austria + Germany
Total Distance: 746 km (463 miles)

The day started out with the navi being unable to get me out of Budapest. It kept leading me into directions like a bridge that's only used for TRAINS and or a broken road that led me straight to the river. I kept going around and around and tried to get it to choose a different route, but I couldn't. It kept leading me into the same position. Finally, I drove as far as I could and I ended up in this pretty cool neighborhood. I found this church below actually and so I had to stop and take its picture. I am very impressed with Budapest and it seems like it has a lot to offer. Between the historical architecture and the plethora of stores and cafes, it felt like it fits just about every kind of personality. Eventually, the navigation system got me out of Budapest.


I think I've given more money to Austria than any other country aside from the US. First time was last weekend when I had to pay 120 EUR for them to help me get my car out of the mud. Then today, I got pulled over for "speeding" which was really crazy because I was going 160 km/h which is nothing compared to how I've been driving. The thing is that they saw me have Germany plates and that's what attracted them to me. He even admitted it. The ticket cost me 35 EUR. After 45 minutes of driving, I got pulled over again! And this time, it wasn't for speeding. It was because I had Germany plates and they just wanted to check me out. I think it's because I'm Asian =) but anyway, they pulled me over and asked me for my rental car papers and passport. Then they handed me a 120 EUR bill because you need a sticker to drive in Austria. I should have known this but I completely forgot about it. You're supposed to pick it up on the border. The funny thing is that this is probably my 5th time driving through Austria and never once did I pick one up. If it's so mandatory, they should just stop people at the border to check and have them pull over and buy one. That's what the Swiss do. So if you weren't counting, that's 275 EUR or almost $400 in "donations" to Austria.

Other than that, the drive back to Nuremberg was good. It was a bit slower than normal because of this thick fog and I don't know what kind of water is in Hungary, but for some reason I had to pee every 45 minutes or so. I think I peed more from Budapest to Nuremberg than in my whole trip. And that's all I have to say about that.

Again, I am grateful for this opportunity and for making it back safely. There is definitely no price for safety. And another story to tell.


More pictures available here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=215648&id=653050323&l=43c5c

let me take you on a trip.

this route below is about 9000 miles, but i think if you optimized it, you can lower it a few thousand less. these guys from minnesota did it for 7000 miles so it's very possible. and if you drive 700 miles per day, that'd take you 12 to 15 days depending on the route itself.

start in seattle, get back in seattle. a few things to consider though would be the car, places to stay, and the exact destinations. and it would be cool to go green on this trip for sure too, a hybrid or even that chevy volt thing. although the comfort level would be somewhat better if it was a bigger car.

music wouldn't be a problem of course and you don't need a passport. and everyone speaks english. almost everyone. another thing to possibly consider would be the "reason". but do you really need a reason? what if the reason is that "you can". if you can do it, then why not do it? if you had the opportunity, then shouldn't you go for it? you know?

and sometimes it feels good to run. just to run. but in this case, it's to drive. it's kinda like the poor man's forrest gump. or maybe it's the lazy man's forrest gump.

Some links:
www.startribune.com/local/18685309.html
www.43things.com/entries/view/142468
www.roadtripusa.com/

what i've learned living in germany

1. petrol nowadays average about 1.50 euros per liter. and as you may already know, 1 gallon equals 3.8 liters, which basically means that in germany, you are paying close to 6 euros per gallon. furthermore, if you take the current dollar/euro conversion rate of 1 euro to 1.5 dollars, germans are paying about $9 per gallon.

2. when getting an apartment in germany, you need lots of cash:

- 2 months rent goes to the "agent", which is basically someone who opens the door for you, even though it was YOU who found the apartment online. this is called "provision". and this money you will never get back.
- 2 months rent goes to your deposit, or in deutsch, is called "kaution". this you get back if the apartment is in good condition when you leave.
- 1 month rent goes to your first month.
- about $4k goes to buying a kitchen (i.e. there are no counters, closets, sink, dishwasher, oven, stove, nothing). all you have are walls. literally. nor is there even a light socket to put the lightbulb in. when you add it all up, you need at least 5000 euros ($7500) when you get an apartment. not a condo or a house. an apartment.

3. most germans pay with cash. or an EC card, which is basically cash in the form of a debit card. credit cards are not accepted, even at stores like a sears, best buy, nordstroms, or ikea.

4. there are no checking accounts. most of your bills are paid either through online banking or is automatically deducted from your account. even your apartment rent is automatic.

5. maybe this is already common sense, but most dryers in europe are "condenser dryers." basically, there is no hose to the outside, so the moisture is actually collected through a pan. and this pan you have to manually empty out after each dryer session, just like when you remove the lint from that container. i actually had to google this one because our new dryer wasn't drying after the third time.

6. when coming from the US, you can get a german driver's license pretty easily unless you are from a state like TX. basically, germany recognizes that some US states have "similar" or "comparable" driving regulations. so if you have a driver's license from washington state, then you just need to fill out some forms. but if your license is from texas, then you have to take written and driving tests. good luck with that one. probably better to get a license from a different US state before moving to germany.

7. when there is a soccer event, you definitely know about it. almost every car has a germany flag attached from its window. people love soccer.

8. bottles are preferred over cans. you will not find many cans, if any at all. this includes beers and sodas. so if you want to stock up on drinks, you will basically carry cases of bottles of coca cola, fanta, and apfelschorle. apfelschorle is apple juice mixed with carbonated mineral water and is easily one of the most popular drinks in germany.

9. before 2006, the use of germany colors were very limited. you would be hard pressed to find anyone wearing a shirt that had the germany colors or see the flag in people's houses or cars. this of course was because of what happened during the nazi era. but in the 2006 world cup, which was held in germany, this totally changed. people started to show their colors.

10. when you watch movies in a cinema, the drinks are served in a glass. and you can bring this inside the theater.

11. it's cold in germany.

12. they do have speed limits.

13. when you first meet someone, you should call them by their last name. it is considered rude to call them by their first name unless they tell you it's ok. and even after you've known them for a while, they still need to give you that permission to call them by their first name.

14. when meeting a man and a woman together, and you're a man, you should always greet the woman first. even if the other man is your best friend or your brother, you should always greet the woman first.

15. it's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.

9 countries, 3 days

Day 1

Germany + Denmark

Total Distance: 933 km (579 miles)

When I started thinking about this, I actually wanted 10 countries. Unfortunately, I couldn't take my rental car in some countries so the best I could do was 9. I probably could have picked a better weekend in terms of the weather because I've driven through some snow and some rain. Fortunately, the road has been clear and I haven't had any problems. And I must admit that driving on the autobahn in Germany is pretty damn awesome. I mean, I am averaging 125 mph and the car's not even sweating. And the funny thing is that there are more people even driving faster than me! Another thing I realized is that you have to pay 50 cents to use the toilet at a petrol station in Germany. They have turnstiles and you drop your money in so you can go inside. Like an amusement park. =) Also, the petrol stations in the autobahn are NEAR the highway - literally. It's like you're pulling into the side of the road. There's an "exit" but it's not like in the US. It's almost like a NASCAR pitstop as to how close it is on the highway.

The best part about this trip is that I get to try out my spankin new Nikon D700 with some tasty new lenses to boot: Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 and a 50mm f/1.8. Yummy. I've only been shooting with a D50 so jumping to a D700 was like going from a Fiat to a Porsche. I am still learning to drive but so far I'm definitely enjoying it.

Day 2

Netherlands + Belgium + Luxembourg + France

Total Distance: 1144 km (710 miles)

The second day was pretty much a blur. I knew how many countries I was going to hit today, but when I actually did it, I didn't even realize it. There was one point when I went into the petrol station and asked which country I'm in. The clerk looked at me funny and then answered, "Belgium".

The funny thing is that there are no major signs. Sometimes you get a little blue sign with the euro stars around the name of the country. And that's it! No welcome band or flags flying around. If the US was in Europe, you would KNOW where you were. The highway would be painted red, white, and blue.

Anyway, I definitely hit the meat of my roadtrip. There comes a point after you travel for so long that your mind starts to wander. And then you forget exactly where you are literally and where you're going. For me, there is nothing more therapeutic than a roadtrip. It doesn't matter where you're going or what you're going to do, being on the road is like leaving your story behind. At the same time, it's also painting your future story and enjoying your present. The best part about this trip is that I hit a different country every 2 or 3 hours. And believe me, it starts to get to you. The signs are different. The words are different. The cars are different. You are immersed in a different world and yet everything around you is the same. Your car, your music, your clothes. It's like going into some sort of time machine. It's surreal.

As for the countries, the best part so far has been France. The trees lined up next to the highway is amazing and you definitely feel that you're in a different place. The Netherlands and Belgium reminded me of the east coast in the US. It's a little historic, there are some trees, and the width of the road feels like you're on an interstate. There's also a speed limit so that definitely reminds you of the US. In Belgium, there were no speed limit in some areas and I took full advantage of it. The roads were open and there was hardly anyone around. Luxembourg, the country, is barely bigger than the city of Seattle and I almost forgot to buy a Twix because I didn't realize how small the country was. I actually had to turn around to make sure I got a Twix. Luxembourg was nice though. There was a long stretch where I drove next to Christmas trees.

But so far, nothing beat France. France is absolutely incredible. I don't know if it was the sunset or if I was tired or if it was just that spectacular. I wish I had more time to check out the countryside of France, but it is simply amazing. Although it cost me about $20 USD to get through the highway in tolls, the drive was certainly worth it. They definitely put that money to good use in lining the highways with so many beautiful trees. God definitely blessed France.

My last destination for today was Colmar, France. A photographer's wife highly recommended I visit Colmar because of its architecture and old city feel. I took that advice and was very impressed. I actually couldn't find my hotel so I decided to walk around the old city. It felt like I walked into a postcard. Again, I wish I had more time, but the reason for this trip was the trip itself and not the destinations. Sometimes, I feel like life is a lot like that.

Day 3

Switzerland + Italy + Austria

Total Distance: 1152 km (714 miles)

The drive from Zurich to Milan was absolutely the BEST driving experience ever. Not only was it scenic, but there was also no speed limit. I couldn't believe my eyes. In fact, I didn't know what to do because I wanted to take some pictures and enjoy the moment, but at the same time, I wanted the driving experience. Fortunately, the drive was long enough that I could enjoy both. But man, what a sweet drive it was. Between the snow capped mountains and the tight roads, it was just like a James Bond film.

The only time I was checked between borders was in Switzerland. There were no problems though except that I had to pay 30 EUR to drive in Switzerland. And there were TONS of tunnels in Switzerland because of the Alps. But once you get closer to the border of Switzerland and Italy, that's when the fun driving begins.

By the time I got to Milan, I was pretty tired. I wanted to actually take some photos in Milan, but I didn't know where to go exactly. Even with the navi, the streets in Milan were totally confusing and messed up. There were lots of "roundabouts" and even though I could see it on the navi's screen and it's screaming "please turn right!!", the streets were so packed with cars that it was hard to get into position. And when you're driving in the city, you might as well forget everything you know about driving. There are NO lanes at all and it's just a bunch of cars jockeying for position. Imagine that cars are people at a day after Thanksgiving sale at Target. I don't know how I got out of there in one piece.

After Milan, I was headed back to Germany with one more stop in Austria. It was totally on the way and at this point, I was counting my blessings that I had no major catastrophe. I realized how out of place I was considering that I'm a US citizen driving a car with German plates and I'm not even in Germany. I was like a foreign foreigner.

My last stop before going back to Germany was Austria and there's a town just on the border of Austria and Switzerland called Feldkirch. Immediately after I crossed the border to Austria, I parked my car on the side of the road to take some last pictures. Unfortunately, my car got stuck in the mud and I couldn't drive away. So I walk a few meters over to the border patrol to see if they could help me and they said they couldn't because my car is in Austria and they are in Switzerland. WTF??? It was funny and scary at the same time because they were all in my business and asking me for my passport and the rental car papers. Luckily, I had both of them, but I kept wondering if they were going to give me even a harder time. And this town is so small, so "Twin Peaks", that I thought for sure I walked into a David Lynch film.

They called the Austrian police and as I'm walking back to my car, I saw a small Volkswagen Golf pull up and THREE police officers walk out of that tiny car. I am telling you, one of them was bigger than the VW Golf. It was so hilarious. Luckily, one of them spoke english very well and eventually, they called a truck to pull me out.

I finally made it back and I still can't believe I did it. 9 countries in 3 days. It felt good to laugh again.

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More photos available here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=213550&id=653050323&l=6e367

And a photo "flipbook" on YouTube also here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZRLvTZK5KY