Summer Concert
Was down in the Nürnberg the other week taking some photos at a (Jazz) concert. The venue was in an old church ruin from the war and looked pretty cool once it got dark. At least the rain waited until the end…
New Piece of Gear
Reverso 3. Happy birthday christmas Cody. Err, bit of an impulse buy, but I’ve been wanting a new belay device for a bit.
Germany to the Finals!
Germany 3:2 over Turkey is now in the finals. Lots of celebrations again tonight. A couple pics…
At some point they got the idea to sit down in the middle of the street and start chanting. So they’d block a car for a minute or two, then get up, dance, get out of the way, then repeat. All seemed to go well, until the police would come around at about every 20th car, and would give a blast of the sirens and everyone would run to the side, wait 3 seconds, then back in the street…
Deutschland! Deutschland!
Germany 3:2 over Portugal. The streets are a party! Went out to the street to take a few photos.
It’s now 30 minutes later and the crowds are still chanting and the horns keep honking.
Sweet new ringflash!
Just got this baby. Sorry to make you suffer, but I only had myself as a model. Can’t wait to test this thing out!
I’m a big fan of the Strobist blog and the ‘do it yourself’ philosophy in general. So in a moment of boredom inspiration this afternoon, I got to work. Only problem was I couldn’t find any duct tape, or else it would be way cooler looking, covered in black duct tape!
A couple construction photos:
The final product. Ain’t she beautiful!
It’s a bit rough around the edges, but as this is only version 1.0 and I lacked proper tools, I’ll be sure to make a few new designs in the not to distant future.
The Scottish Office
A few pics of me at work in Scotland. Pics courtesy of Sabine.
Cody, you can get that in Germany
(from Saturday:)
…Well, why didn’t you tell me?
“I didn’t know you liked porridge.”
why wouldn’t I like oatmeal?
“I’ve never seen you eat it before. did you need that much?”
well, if you told me I could buy it it Germany, then you would have seen me eat it.
“why did you think you couldn’t buy it in Germany?”
well, there’s a ton of other stuff that I can’t get, so I figured this would be on the list as well.
“are you going to eat all that?”
yup…
—–
(this afternoon:)
Look! I cleaned the kitchen!
“It would be a bit cleaner in you put your porridge somewhere”
I’m working on it…
(its been sitting on the kitchen counter since we got home, now relocated to the coffee table where I took this pic, where it will probably sit another few days…)
—–
My 2.5 kilograms (5 pounds) of oatmeal. Hmm, perhaps I did get a bit much…
No, but…
I went to the city hall this morning to apply for the residence permit I will need if I wish to remain here longer than 90 days**. The formal answer: no, I cannot stay.
But… There is a way. By filling out some papers which will basically say that if I screw something up, get hurt, blah, blah, that “German citizen x” will bear the financial responsibility for me. It basically amounts to me being treated like I’m a minor. It is not ideal, and not the responsibility I wish to put on someone else, but unless I’m a millionaire like Nicholas Cage and buy myself a castle (He’s bought himself an old castle just down the road), it is the only way it seems.
First, I need to find some German health insurance (it is not free). Then it’s down to the the “capital” of the region to fill out some paperwork. Next, register with the city hall here. Then a few more things and with luck, I can stay. Being able to work, however, will be a different matter. First things first though.
For a country with a declining population, they sure make it difficult for a (fairly well) educated person to move here. At least I know New Zealand wants me back, maybe I should use this as some bargaining power with the Germans.
**Visa allowance for Schengen area is 90 days in, 90 days out. The Schengen area is basically every country from Spain to Finland, excluding Switzerland and Liechtenstein which will join later in the year. UK and Ireland are also not part of the area, nor the Balkan area. So for travelers, this means that pretty much the whole of Europe is treated as one visa area. When I was here last (06/07), most of the eastern countries had yet to join the Schengen area, so bumming around the eastern countries is how I was able to stay for so long. But now, I feel sorry for anybody wanting to backpack around Europe, as it will be a lot more difficult to manage a stay of more than 3 months. The UK is Generous with a 6 month ‘leave-to-enter’ visa, but 90-180 days in UK would severely damage ones bank account. I guess it’s no different than what the Europeans face with the USA, plus a fingerprint and mugshot.
Another random photo:
Back…
Walked in the door sometime in the early morning hours after 3 weeks in Scotland (where I disappeared to). Pics and stories coming in the next days…
A Gallon of Gas, German Style…
I walk by the gas station on my way to the grocery store (about 4 blocks away).
This morning:
1 Liter = 1.49 Euro
3.8 liters = 1 gallon
1 Euro = $1.57 (4/24/08 exchange rate)
1 gallon = $8.89
Seasons On Lofoten Winter eBook
Seasons On Lofoten Summer eBook
