Happy New Year!

I hope all of you had a wonderful time ringing in the New Year.  Brenda and I had plans to go to a party hosted by some Oper Frankfurt donors but ended up not going because Brenda was not feeling well.  Yesterday she started feeling achy and light-headed but was still healthy enough to perform the role of the Voice from Heaven (Voce dal Cielo) in the opera Don Carlo.  Today, however, she seems a little worse off having added coughing and stronger aches to the list of symptoms.  She has been getting plenty of rest and drinking lots of water so we're hopeful that she's on the road to recovery.

Frankfurt seems to be a very organized city.  The streets are kept clean, the trains and buses run on-time and pedestrians cross the street only when the little green man is illuminated.  When I compare Frankfurt to New York City I usually come to the conclusion that Frankfurt has things under control while NYC is perpetually on the brink of utter chaos.  That's why I was so surprised when last night the streets of Frankfurt erupted into loud and colorful explosions.  It seems that New Years is not taken lightly here and the way people celebrate is by buying fireworks and letting them off in the streets at the stroke of midnight.  And these are real fireworks, not just the sparklers you're limited to buying in Iowa.  They are just like the ones you see at your favorite 4th of July extravaganza.  After the noise died down, and it went on for quite a while, we looked outside and saw a cloudy, firework induced haze blanketing the streets.  Today when I ventured out of the house the normally clean streets and sidewalks were littered with remnants of last night's party.  

Where did the German people buy their fireworks you ask?  Well at the grocery store of course.  So to recap what you can and can't buy in grocery stores in Germany:

CAN

• Fireworks that are illegal in many US states
  
• Cool American Doritos (no joke)
• Fresh baked croissants

CAN'T

• Vanilla extract
  
• Black beans (not in mysterious chili sauce)
  
• Ranch dressing
  

But that's neither here nor there.  This blog entry is about Frankfurtians celebrating the New Year and I have to admit, I was impressed.  Part of me thinks its crazy to mix a whole bunch of champagne with things that explode but thats probably just the anti-firework lobby that had a firm grip on my firework education in the state of Iowa.  Maybe next year I'll be so inspired by the New Year that I too will go to the grocery store, buy some sparkling wine and explosives and join in on the festivities.  Happy New Year!

Frohe Weihnachten und ein frohes neues Jahr!

We've been listening to Christmas songs and looking at Christmas decorations for well over a month now and yet I find it hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone.  Now don't get me wrong, we had a wonderful Christmas.  On Christmas Eve we went with our neighbors, the McCowns, to a Christmas Eve service at a nearby English speaking church.  The service was very similar to services I grew up with so it felt like a little slice of home.  Every time we sang a hymn I had to smile to myself.  Like us, the McCowns are both singers so when our half of the pew started singing people around us got an earful whether they wanted to or not.

After the service Brenda and I met up with our friend Richard to find a little something to eat.  We assumed a few restaurants would be open on Christmas Eve but when we got downtown we couldn't find anything.  We decided to go to the Fressgass because if there was going to be an open restaurant it would be there.  A little side note, Fressgass is the name of a pedestrian block in Frankfurt.  The word Fressgass translates into 'eating (fress) street (gass)' but the word 'fress' has connotations of feeding an animal or of a person devouring food.  In other words if I was eating normally the verb in German would be 'essen' and if I were stuffing my face you would use the verb 'fressen'.

Anyway we finally found an open restaurant (on Fressgass) called the Central Park Café which, come to think of it, is the third American themed restaurant we've been to in Frankfurt, the others being NYC Bar and Grill and Chicago Meat Packers.  The food was good even though they didn't have french fries which totally negated any possible similarity to a restaurant in or around Central Park. 

On Christmas Day I got many great presents from my wonderful wife.  Brenda made French toast with scrambled eggs and hash browns for Brunch and for dinner she made an arugula and lentil salad, mashed potatoes with homemade tahini based gravy and veggie wiener schnitzel.  After dinner we watched The Muppets Christmas Carol.  It was a great day.

So Christmas has come and gone, kind of.  Really, though, we got a holiday appetizer over here and are going to get our figurative and literal holiday meal(s) in the US.  We head back to the states a week from today and we're both very excited.  We've been discussing elaborate ways of getting over our jet-lag and we've figured out when we'll squeeze in our last-minute holiday shopping.  We can't wait.

We wish all of you a safe and happy New Year!

Weihnachtsmarkt

Disclaimer: The blog entry below was partly written on the 19th and finished today.  Just so you know the weather here today was typical Frankfurt.  Cloudy with temperatures in the 30-40s. Basically weather that makes me want to hibernate.

Good evening all!  Today was a very nice day weather-wise in Frankfurt am Main.  There were sunny skies for a good portion of the day and I believe the temperature was somewhere in the 40s.  My informants in the midwest tell me that there has been a lot of snow in that neck of the woods.  Even though I'm sure snow gets real old in a hurry for many people Brenda and I have been missing a snow-covered December.

I returned to the Ausländerbehörder today.  In case you don't remember, that's the office foreigners go to for residence permits.  Punctuality is very important in Germany so when I arrived 10 minutes late for my appointment I got a bit of a talking to.  I had neglected to look up the office number before I left this morning and so I spent a good deal of time wandering around the building looking for the right one.  After I was sufficiently scolded, the worker agreed to help me.  There was a brief moment while she sifted through my documents that I fully realized the power that she wielded over my current country of residence.  If she had told me that because I was late she couldn't (or wouldn't) help me, I'm not really sure what I would have done.  I imagine I would have had to go on the lamb, traveling from town to town singing opera arias on street corners to survive.  Fortunately, I was granted a permit until next August so I'm in the clear...for now.

Every year around Christmas many towns in Germany have Weihnachtsmarkts or Christmas markets.  The markets consist of shops set up in a fairgrounds-like arrangement selling all kinds of items perfect for the gift-giving season as well as various types of foods and drinks.  In Frankfurt this market takes place downtown spanning several pedestrian friendly blocks.  Since it first appeared towards the beginning of December Brenda and I have stopped by a few times.  

It is obvious that the biggest draw to the market is Glühwein.  Glühwein is mulled wine as far as I can tell and it is served piping hot.  Brenda and I walked up and down rows of shops exploring only a fraction of what there was to see at the market and after a while we were ready for something to warm us up.  Glühwein did the trick.  We also had heard great things about Kartoffelpuffer which can most closely be described as deep fat fried hash browns served with apple sauce or garlic quark.  The Kartoffelpuffer were delicious and also helped to warm us up but I think my stomach was a little confused by why I had elected to consume solidified frying oil.

Now I don't want to give you the idea that the only thing we did at the Weihnachtsmarkt was eat.  We found a pottery stand that had some beautiful things.  We ended up getting 4 coffee mugs that will see a lot of use in our household.  But enough about that, back to the food. 

The last thing we ate at the market was a Nutella crêpe.  The crêpe was made fresh right in front of us, smothered in melted Nutella and folded into a manageable carrying size.  Incredible.  If you ever have the chance I would definitely recommend a trip to a Weihnachtsmarkt.

Happy Holidays!

More firsts

Happy Saturday all!  I hope you had a nice Friday night.  We enjoyed ours by going to the new Bond flick.  We liked it but neither one of us thought it came anywhere near the awesomeness of Casino Royal.  The movie theater we went to left a little something to be desired.  There were rips and tears in many of the seats and in some places there weren't seats at all.  I got the feeling they had enough money to build the place but forgot all about upkeep.  I saw a sign hanging on the box office window as we purchased our tickets.  It said something to the effect of "If a movie has technical problems within the first 20 minutes the customer will get a full refund."   That was comforting for the first 20 minutes but after that I found myself rooting more for the movie projector than I was for Bond.  We knew going into the movie that it wasn't the best theater in town.  We went there because it does something the other theaters don't.  It shows all of its films in original language.  It is the only theater of its kind in Frankfurt which is probably why they can get away with missing seats and the possibility of paying 7 euros for only seeing the first 21 minutes of some new release.

A few days ago I got my first haircut in Germany.  It had been time for a haircut for a couple of months now but thats how I operate.  My family is full of great barbers so I like to postpone my haircuts hoping that I can get one the next time I'm visiting one of them.  Unfortunately my visits don't keep up with the growth rate of my hair so I'm usually forced to go to somebody else.  

I had been somewhat dreading getting my haircut in Frankfurt.  I didn't want to try to explain how I wanted it done in German so I thought I'd wait it out until we were back in the US in January.  Brenda, however, calmly explained to me that waiting until January wasn't an option.  I told her fine then she could cut my hair.  To my surprise she agreed.  It took over an hour but I have to hand it to her, she did a great job.  At least I think so, you can judge for yourself (see below).  The only thing I would change is the pair of scissors Brenda used.  They aren't the sharpest so instead of some hairs being cut they were just yanked out of my head.  All-in-all I was very happy to have found another family member I could go to for haircuts.

We've been really enjoying the Christmas season so far.  We've downloaded a couple of Christmas CDs, including a classic Andy Williams album, and we've already started some of our shopping.  I hope you're enjoying the holiday season and have a great weekend!

Let it snow!

Hello everyone!  Long time no blog.  A very belated and a very Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.  Our celebration of Thanksgiving on the official day included delicious mashed potatoes and Mexican food.  A couple days later we attended a more traditional Thanksgiving dinner hosted by some fellow Americans.  They went all out and there was a whole bunch of people there so it was very reminiscent of the Thanksgiving dinner I'm accustomed to.

Over the course of the last few weeks we have had a few snow days.  Nothing substantial, just a little dusting here and there.  Today we are experiencing a rain/sleet/snow combination which I believe may be the typical Winter weather in Frankfurt.  When we first arrived we were told that Winter would consist of snow on two days at the most.  Already we've seen more than that and I'm beginning to wonder if we brought the snow with us.  Don't tell the Germans, my residence status is teetering on the brink as it is.

A few weeks ago Brenda and I asked my parents to mail us something from the US.  It was something we really, really wanted and could only get from America.  We learned that Amazon wouldn't ship to Germany and so my parents kindly offered their patented Grahamazon shipping service.  The post office said it would take our coveted package 5-10 business days to arrive.  

Now this may come as a huge surprise to some of you but Brenda and I tend to sleep in pretty late when we can.  Therefore, when the doorbell rang on the 5th business day I was jolted out of sleep.  I was a little disoriented but I quickly realized that I needed to get out of my pajamas and into something I could present to the mailman/woman.  By the time I got down to the front door of our apartment building there was no one there.  I was convinced I had missed our package.

On the subsequent days I set an alarm.  I wouldn't miss the mail again.  Business days 6,7 and 8 came and went.  We were starting to lose hope.  I figured customs got a hold of our package and decided it must contain Iowa's secret missile codes.  On the 9th day, however, the doorbell rang.  I had hit snooze one too many times that morning so I was still sleeping when I heard that wonderful sound.  I jerked upright in bed and without hesitation Brenda shouted "GO!".  I lunged for my pants and as I was putting them on I pushed the button to allow whomever was at the front door into the building.  I heard them coming up stairs as I attempted to make my hair less hobo-like.  I opened the door, overjoyed that our package had finally arrived.  The delivery man smiled and showed me the package which had our downstairs neighbor's name on it.  I explained that it wasn't me and he explained he didn't care he just wanted a signature.

Finally, on the 10th day our patience (and alarm setting) was rewarded.  As soon as the package was in my hands my faith in mankind returned.  I also pledged to never answer the door again.

On a departing note, for all of you who have been waiting to plan your trip to Frankfurt based on our toilet seat being fixed, you can get back to making those plans.  Yesterday Brenda took a day trip to Stuttgart for an audition and I took that opportunity to give the toilet some TLC.  You'll be happy to know that the toilet seat no longer pivots wildly and I swear not to use it as a step stool again.  Have a great rest of your week!

3 Months!

Hello everyone!  I hope you're enjoying your Friday.  I thought I'd throw up a quick entry celebrating our third month of imposing ourselves upon the Germans.  When we first arrived we began seeing the transition from Summer to Fall.  We are now witnessing the transition into Winter.  Today we had beautiful sunny skies that five minutes later became cloudy and pouring down rain.  I went to get some Thai food for lunch and as I turned the corner at the end of our block the sky went instantly from beautiful blue to cloudy and gross.  Later we walked to the train stop and there was lightning and it was sleeting.  Brenda and I determined that was the first time we'd seen lightning since we've arrived.

When we lived in New York City I quickly figured out that an iPod was the perfect way to disappear into a different world.  Step onto a crowded subway where you are literally squished between a mob of complete strangers and your iPod will take you to some far off concert hall.  On top of that, no one wants to talk to strangers in New York so I was allowed, like most New Yorkers, to remain invisible.  An iPod doesn't have the same effect here.  It just means that strangers have to shout louder to get your attention.  And, of course, they are shouting in German.  

Since we've moved here I can recall four times that strangers have tried to get my attention while I've been attempting to remain invisible.  One such occasion was today.  As I walked home from the Thai restaurant with our tofu and fried rice, I was flagged down by a family of four.  Seeing as I had headphones in my ears they all decided to work together to get my attention.  I'd already walked past them before I realized a crowd of people was shouting at me.

I explained to them that I didn't speak much German but that was okay, they needed some brute strength.  The story as I understood it, which was relayed in somewhat broken English, was that we had to rotate this parked motorcycle 90 degrees so that it wouldn't be tipped over in the extreme wind that was going on at the time.  Apparently the owner of the motorcycle, who was a friend of theirs, was in India and they were doing him a "favor".  We had no keys and there was a protective tarp over the motorcycle that was locked into place so we had no way of knowing what to grab on to.

Our first attempt didn't prove very fruitful seeing as we broke the helmet case off the back of the bike.  We then rotated it a little and they finally decided that laying it on its side would be the best course of action.  The whole time we're doing this I'm starting to think "Our Thai food is getting cold" and "What if a cop stops by to see what we're doing messing with some locked up motorcycle".  I didn't have my passport and I certainly didn't want to ask for a continuation on my residence permit with a criminal record.  After the motorcycle was on its side I promptly said my goodbyes.

This evening I went back to our new gym while my wife went to work.  She has another performance on Sunday so tomorrow we will take it easy.  I think we may go see the new Bond flick.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Feast or famine

Happy Wednesday All!  Things around here have been quiet since Brenda's folks left.  We're realizing first hand that this job of Brenda's involves some really busy weeks that can be followed closely by some very free ones.  Brenda will be back at it on Friday and again on Sunday with her last two performances of the Turn of the Screw.

We've found many things to fill our time including joining a gym.  There is a nice (and cheap) gym on the way to the opera house that doesn't have too many bells and whistles (like a pool or sauna) but it fits our needs just fine.  Next time you see us you will probably mistake us for Abercrombie & Fitch models.

We've also started gearing up for Christmas.  We went to Woolworths (the closest thing here to a Target) and started collecting some Christmas decorations.  Seeing as we wont be celebrating with our families until January it is going to be a 3 month Christmas season.

(As I look again at the pictures of the penguin and the snowman it occurs to me that they're getting mug shots taken or are standing before some Christmas hating firing squad.)

One Christmas product here that I don't remember from the US is Advent calendars filled with chocolate.  As you can probably imagine, each day of Advent you open up the little paper door and a delicious piece of chocolate is waiting for you.   There are all different kinds: cartoon ones for the kids, his and hers in two separate pink and blue heart shape boxes (you wouldn't want to fight over chocolate), some that are more traditional and, of course, ones with Santa and a scantily clad Christmas helper.  We haven't bought any yet but I've been eyeing a Lindt chocolate one.

That gets you caught up with things on our end.  I'm sure you're all getting excited for Thanksgiving.  I know my Mom has already been working on lefsa.  This will be the first Thanksgiving in 29 years that I miss at my Parent's house in Ankeny.  We are, however, planning on attending a Thanksgiving dinner in Frankfurt so we'll still get our Turkey (or Tofurkey as it were).  Have a great week!

My two cents

Hi all, it's the normally silent better half! I just thought I'd mention that in the picture of the 3 of us in the kitchen, Chad is standing on his tip-toes. He may have gotten rounder while my parents were here, but he hasn't been eating any Miracle-Gro!! :-) Just wanted to clear that up, in case any of you were worried I was prematurely shrinking. 

And one more thing...

I forgot to mention a funny thing that happened at the Frankfurt zoo a week and a half ago.  Apparently an alpaca was born on election day and was given the name Obama.  Don't believe me?  See for yourself.

There and back again, a parents' tale

Hello my dear friends! I'm sorry for the long delay since my last post. Brenda's parents came and experienced Frankfurt the Rae/Graham way. They were here 6 nights and 7 days and they left us in better shape than they found us. Actually, I was left in a rounder shape than I was found but that's to be expected.

The day after they arrived we welcomed another guest. Karin (pictured below) has been friends with the Klinkerts for almost a decade now and she was kind enough to make the trip up from Bavaria to visit us all.  She is a wonderful person and I really enjoyed meeting her.  She did have to put up with quite a lot staying with us.  First, she had to deal with a never-ending barrage of incoherent German phrases from me (her English is fantastic). Second, she had to sleep on the couch in our kitchen.  I'm not sure how she did it but she said it wasn't a problem at all.  Lastly, she acted as translator for all those things Brenda and I have been confused about for the last 2 1/2 months. Grocery shopping has never been so easy.

The same day that Karin arrived we all went to Brenda's second performance of the Turn of the Screw. As you might have guessed, Brenda was outstanding.

A group photo taken moments after the performance.

A poster about Brenda hanging in the lobby introducing her to the Frankfurtians.

The three of us in our kitchen which, thanks to Joanne's unparalleled organizational skills, is much improved.

Brenda and I showed Karin and Brenda's parents around Frankfurt the next couple of days.  We went to the PalmenGarten which is like a zoo for plants.  We ate at several good Frankfurt restaurants which contributed to my increasing roundness.  And we laughed, a lot.

On Monday Karin had to head back to Bavaria to return to work.  We continued our tour of Frankfurt with Jim and Joanne and even made a trip to IKEA.  I'll have you know that they pronounce IKEA here as ee-kay-uh.  They claim that's the right way to say it but I think they're just trying to trick the American with the big head.

A stroll across a windy bridge.

Yesterday we woke up at 6:00 am (a time of day I haven't seen in quite some time) and we escorted Jim and Joanne to the airport.  We had a nice breakfast of croissants and coffee and we sent them on their way.  They caught their flight just fine and made it all the way home safe and sound.  Before leaving the airport Brenda and I decided our breakfasts weren't quite complete.  We grabbed some McDonald's french fries and Starbuck's coffee for the train ride home.  The fries taste exactly the same as they do in the US.

I think we have a pretty relaxing weekend ahead of us.  We need to get some cleaning done.  We found an inexpensive gym close to our apartment that we're going to join.  And I need more coffee.  By the way, I don't know if I mentioned this or not but Brenda and I will be returning to the US in January.  We can't wait.  Have a great weekend!

A million apologies

I just reread my last post and realized that I didn't report back on the Turn of the Screw.  I have left you all hanging for days wondering how Brenda did.  Did she sing all the right notes?  Was she booed?  Did she fall into the pit and land on a horn player?  I'm sure you've all been on bated breath and for three days no less.  You must be hyperventilating by now.

I'm happy to report that all of the horn players are intact.  Brenda was outstanding and was greeted with many a "bravo" during her curtain call.  It was actually quite cool.  The opera ended with Brenda on the floor singing a lamenting song.  Everything went black and the audience erupted in applause.  When the lights came back on Brenda was standing alone on the stage receiving the full brunt of the audience's praise.

Since then we've been taking things pretty easy.  We've been going for walks through our neighborhood and getting ready for the arrival of Brenda's parents.  Brenda cleaned the bathroom today (bless her heart) and I mopped the kitchen floor.  Yes you heard me right, I know how to use a mop.  At least I do now having read the directions.  Our apartment will be in tip top shape for their arrival, except for one thing.  I maybe, kind of, sorta broke the toilet.  Let me explain.  I was messing with the shower curtain in the bathroom and to reach the top I needed to stand on something.  Well, the toilet is something so I chose it.  It seems, however, that 92 kilos is too great of a weight for our toilet's lid.  One of the two screws holding the lid in place broke in half.  Now the lid and the seat pivot ominously on one screw whenever any weight is placed upon them.  If someone were to use our restroom without being debriefed it could result in a trip to the Bürger Hospital down the street.  And no, I'm sad to say that the Bürger Hospital does not treat hamburgers as we previously thought.  Apparently the word Bürger means citizen.  For a while there I imagined that every doctor in the place looked like Ronald McDonald.

I hope you're having a great week!

Happy Halloween!

We hope you all had a wonderfully frightful Halloween.  We really enjoyed ours even though Halloween isn't really celebrated here.  Some of the stores sell candy and decorations but their focus is mostly on Christmas (we first saw Christmas decorations in early October).  We did see a few trick-or-treaters scampering about town but for the most part we were left to our own Halloween devices.  We didn't dress up or anything like that but we did pick up a few horror movies and some candy.  We filled a bag with candy and took it to our friends the McCowns.  It was trick-or-treating in reverse.  Then we picked up some pizza and watched Night of the Living Dead and Black Sheep.  As you all probably know the former is a zombie classic that was made in 1968.  The latter is a relatively new release that was set in New Zealand.  I can't watch graphic horror movies without losing sleep for the next week so we stuck with an old horror movie and a comedic one.

Among operas the Turn of the Screw is about as close to a horror opera as you can get.  It is well timed that Brenda has her first performance of the Turn of the Screw this evening.  I had the pleasure of seeing the final dress rehearsal on Wednesday and it is a fantastic production.  I wish you could all come and see it.  If you're interested in seeing any pictures of Brenda on-stage in the Turn of the Screw then please click here.

We're excitedly awaiting the arrival of Brenda's parents this upcoming Friday.  It should prove to be a fun filled weekend.  Not only will Brenda's parents be here but an American reviewer is coming into town to review the Turn of the Screw and interview Brenda.  Also, a friend of Brenda's who was a German exchange student that stayed with the Klinkerts will be coming into town to spend time with all of us and see the opera.

Well, I had better start getting ready for the opera.  I hope you're all having a great weekend.  Tschüss!

Sick days

Its going around.  Last week a member of the opera company got sick, then his wife and then Brenda.  She felt it coming last Thursday and ended up staying home Friday and Saturday.  Symptoms include headache, soar throat and fatigue.  You know, the usual.  Brenda started feeling a little better yesterday and decided to go to work today in spite of it being one of those rainy days when you don't want to leave the house.  So far I have managed to elude the illness (knock on wood).

Unfortunately we had to skip the premier of Lucia di Lammermoor yesterday.  I did perform in the final Lear on Saturday which went very well.  During the curtain call we were greeted with many a "Bravo!" but we also received one very prominent "BOOOO".  I think a funny part of working as a performer is when you get done with your job people let you know how they felt about it.  I wrote lots of e-mails last year when I worked in an office and I was never once applauded for or booed at.  If I had been, however, it might have helped me do a better job.  At least I would have known without a doubt how people felt about my work.

The rain seems to have let up a bit so I may venture out for a jog around the neighborhood.  I hope you had a nice weekend.  Talk to you soon!

Two months

Hello dear friends.  I just noticed the date and subsequently realized that we hit the two month mark a couple of days ago.  We've definitely learned a lot in our first couple months and we're continuing to feel more and more comfortable.  Life here is very enjoyable with built in time everyday for oneself.  When a singer in the opera house is rehearsing a show, as Brenda is now, they generally have a rehearsal in the morning from 10-1 and a rehearsal in the evening from 6-9.  They are not to exceed 6 hours of rehearsal a day or they will get paid overtime.  Its really quite nice since Brenda has the ability to come home after her morning rehearsal, eat lunch, work on music, take a nap, run errands, etc.

My schedule is even more open at the moment as I approach my final performance of Lear.  I have a meeting with the Intendant (General Director) of Oper Frankfurt scheduled for October 30th.  I'm not sure what we're going to discuss but keep your fingers crossed for me.  We're approaching the big audition season in Germany so I plan on contacting agents and opera companies to request auditions.

This may sound silly but we have really been missing Mexican food.  We haven't come across any Mexican restaurants in Frankfurt and even the grocery stores don't have much.  We have been able to buy beans (Bohnen) but forget about refried beans or plain old pinto beans.  The pinto beans we have found are usually bottled in some mysterious sauce.  Cheese isn't hard to come by, especially brie and gouda, but cheddar cheese is a rare find.  And then there is salsa.  Salsa here tastes nothing like salsa in the US.  It tastes kind of like runny ketchup with tiny chunks of peppers in it.  There are avocados in the grocery stores but you wont find cilantro anywhere.  On the plus side, every grocery store we've been to has had basil plants and fresh mozzarella (for only 59 cents one place).  Also, pesto is commonplace so we're really covered on the Italian front.  I guess that makes sense since we're a heck of a lot closer to Italy than we used to be.

This upcoming weekend should prove to be a nice one.  This Saturday is the last Lear and on Sunday we are attending the premier of Lucia di Lammermoor.  We hope that you have a wonderful weekend!  Ciao!

Beautiful morning

The sun is shining.  The coffee is made.  My day is off to a good start.

Today our guest Chris and I get to see Brenda in her final performance of Die Zauberflöte this season.  At least we think its her final performance.  There will be other performances of the opera just not with Brenda.  If, however, one of the other Paminas gets sick or if schedules need to be changed then there is a chance that she will be sent on again.  I think that's one of the cool things about a repertory theater like Frankfurt.  In many cases there are multiple people in the company who do each role.

Speaking of Chris, this is Chris's second stay at our humble abode.  He is on a big european audition tour.  He has sung for a bunch of different opera companies and managers and has picked up three managers so far!  (Over here it is common for a singer to have multiple managers.)  I asked him how he set all of these auditions up and he said he took the advice of the book "What the fach?".  For those of you non-singers who don't know, the word fach, which can be translated several ways, means type or specialty.  In Germany, singers fit into one type (fach) like tenor, soprano, baritone, etc.  Beyond the big categories of voice type there are further distinctions based on what repertoire you specialize in.  For instance, there are lyric tenors, helden tenors, spiel tenors...you get the picture.  The book "What the fach?" is a guide to getting work as an opera singer in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.  Chris highly recommends it and, based on what I've read so far, so do I.

Yesterday I had my house audition for Oper Frankfurt.  I sang for the Intendant (General Director), the head musical coach and a person in charge of casting.  The audition went well.  I will let you know if anything comes of it.

On my way home I stopped by the McCown's place (our American friends who live down the street) to give them a full report of how the audition went.  As I entered their apartment I was trying to keep the front door from slamming shut and in the process got the tip of my index finger crushed between the door and the frame.  I didn't think too much of it until I looked down at my hand and saw the nail was turning blue and purple.  Now I've seen such injuries on other people but they usually have stories that involve hitting themselves with a hammer or having some heavy object fall on their hand.  I, being a sissy-opera-boy who barely knows how to work a hammer and nail, never thought I would sustain such an injury.  Alas, my inability to properly shut doors has left me with a visible mark that will beg the question "What happened?".  I'm taking suggestions for stories I can tell that are better than "I can't move my hand fast enough to get it out of the way of a closing door."  I'd like my story to involve saving the life of a child or something like that.

Have a great weekend!

Bet you didn't know...

Last Thursday I got a letter.  Why it was addressed only to me I still don't know.  At the time I was really excited since we only get letters from Deutsche Bank (our bank) and Mainova (the electricity company).  I tore it open and saw that it was an official letter from the Gebühreneinzugszentrale or the GEZ.  It came with a page to be filled out and a return envelope.

I knew that I'd be going to the opera house that night so I thought I would take the letter to my friend, Michael McCown.  He is kind enough to serve as my human cheat-sheet for all things German.  After we stab one another at the beginning of the second act we have the whole rest of the act to wait until the curtain call.  We call that time Bier Uhr (Beer Hour).  Last Thursday this mysterious letter from the GEZ was our Bier Uhr topic of conversation.

Michael looked at the letter and then asked me if Brenda and I had a TV and radio.  I told him that our apartment does have a TV that we use exclusively for watching DVDs and we have an alarm clock that has a built-in radio.  He then proceeded to tell me that in Germany people have to pay for the usage of TV and radio waves and the organization that monitors it is called the GEZ.  

At first I didn't believe him.  He said it would cost 17 euros per month.  I asked him how they could possibly know if we used our TV or not.  He said "They have their ways."  I asked what would happen if someone claimed they didn't have a TV or Radio and didn't pay the fee but then were caught using one.  He said they could get a 1,000 euro fine.

This warranted further investigation.  Michael asked some native Germans that walked by what they knew about the GEZ.  They had a pretty light-hearted nature about the whole thing and said they hadn't heard of anyone getting fined.  They also said if the GEZ comes to your door, don't let them in.  Sound advice.

In other news, we have been doing quite well.  I have a company audition for Oper Frankfurt on Thursday.  I'm excited to have the opportunity to sing for them.  We have a return guest coming into town tomorrow and we are looking forward to Brenda's parents coming to visit next month.

We hope you're having a great week!

We're still here!

Hello all!  Many apologies for the long gap since my last post.  We have been preoccupied with this, that and the other.  But we're back and in full force.

Since I last posted I have had two performances of Lear which went very well.  Brenda has had a few more coachings on The Turn of the Screw and will begin staging rehearsals next Thursday.

Our friend Kathrine Whyte stayed with us for a week and took off this past Monday.  It was wonderful having her here.  She got a glimpse into our boring, internet-addicted lives and didn't even judge us (at least not out loud).  That's a sign of a true friend.

Last night we had the pleasure of attending a recital by Anne Sofie von Otter at the opera house.  For those of you who don't know, she is a highly acclaimed Swedish mezzo-soprano who has as big of a career as any classical singer can hope to have.  If you're interested in learning more about her, click here to go to her website.

Another interesting event took place since I last wrote.  We experienced our first German holiday, or at least the first German holiday we are aware of.  October 3rd was the Tag der Deutschen Einheit or the Day of German Unity which, to quote wikipedia, "commemorates the anniversary of German reunification in 1990."  There weren't any fireworks or dancing in the street that I saw.  Really we only knew it was a holiday because stores were closed.  That said, it is definitely a day worth celebrating.

Well, that gets you caught up with us.  Not to bring up a sore subject but we have been following the goings on with the US economy and we hope that it isn't affecting any of you too badly. Just so you know, we only have one futon so if any of you decide to abandon ship and start anew in Germany our futon is available on a first-come, first-served basis.  And we have to be paid in Euros.  What can I say, we've grown to like the Monopoly money.

Talk to you soon!

Lear

Last night's performance of Lear was a great success.  The audience was packed and they erupted in thunderous applause as soon as the show ended.  I felt that my scene was very strong.  I sang my 14 words with gusto and, if I may say so myself, died from my knife wound with the perfect amount of screaming and flailing.

The audience probably enjoyed last night's performance for more than one reason.  The first being that it was a premier meaning this was a brand spanking new production.  Fresh out of the box.  Second, the opera's conductor happens to be the brand spanking new music director at Oper Frankfurt.  Third, the piece, which was written in 1978, was new and weird  (I guess German audiences like new and weird) and the composer, Aribert Reimann, was at the show.  He even came up on stage and took a bow.  Lastly, the production values of the show were very high.  The singers were very good and the baritone who played King Lear, Wolfgang Koch, was absolutely outstanding.

Seeing as this was a premier and all, there was a fancy party afterwards.  All of the soloists, even if they only sang 14 words, were invited to attend the event.  Brenda and I thought it would be best if we followed another couple to the party who had done this before.  Michael and Barb McCown have been incredibly kind and helpful to us since we've moved here.  Michael is a tenor in the company and he also is the guy who stabs me in my scene (I stab him first so I guess I deserve it).

The party resembled a wedding reception actually but instead of a best man or father getting up to make a speech the director of the company did the honors.  I wish I could tell you what he said but it was in German and he was talking pretty fast so I really don't have any idea.  At one point, however, I had my back to him and I was talking to the McCowns.  All of a sudden they said "stand up, stand up".  I was confused at first but then I did what I was told.  I stood up, put my hands in my pockets, and smiled at the room of 150 plus artists, opera donors and opera company administrators.  Pretty soon I heard "sit down, sit down" and so I did.  The director of the company introduced all of the singers from smallest role (mine) to biggest.  I had no idea ahead of time that was going to happen and really no indication that it was coming since he was speaking in German.

After the director of the company had finished the new conductor said a few words and then the composer.  Lastly, a distinguished looking woman stood up and spoke.  She turned out to be the mayor of Frankfurt.  I thought about asking her for help with my residence permit.

That was our premier.  We have another performance on Thursday.  Its nice to get the first one behind us so we can really relax and enjoy the rest.  A recording is being made of the opera.  My 14 word aria will be immortalized.  I will also be getting paid a fee for my involvement in the recording.  My fee is three copies of the recording.  Don't say anything but I would have done it for two.

Today we slept in and when we finally got up we took advantage of having internet in our apartment.  This afternoon one of Brenda's college friends came into town.  She will be staying with us for a week.  Its really nice to have her here.

That gets you caught up with us.  Well, me at least.  I'll pester Brenda about writing another blog entry.  I hope you have a great week!

A good day

Before we arrived in Germany I assumed that attaining our residence and work permits would involve a lot of rigmarole.  Indeed they were arduous tasks but the biggest challenge has proven to be getting internet in our apartment.  Instead of explaining our internet failures and triumphs I will show you how I/we have felt through the whole process by the use of images.  After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Me before we got internet.  

Us after we got internet.

Ok, so I didn't really walk around clad only in black (including the black leather pants you can't see) with a knife in my hand until we had internet.  That is actually my costume for Lear.  The second picture, however, was taken only moments after we were able to get the DSL modem working this evening.

In preparation for another completely depressing night without internet we went out and bought a super cheap DVD player and the first Harry Potter movie.  In German of course.  After we got home with our new purchase we were able to get the internet working.  We are now overjoyed with all the cool things we can do.

Lear opens tomorrow.  I'm very excited for it to be up and running.  As you may be able to guess from my costume, it is a very odd opera.  I'm looking forward to finding out how the audience will like it.  Brenda will be coming to the premier tomorrow.  I have a pretty good idea of how she'll feel about it.

I hope you are all enjoying your Saturday as much as we are.  You may hear a little more from me now that I don't have to buy an overpriced cup of coffee to get on-line.  Tschüss!

One month down

Last night we had our first authentic German restaurant experience.  Not only was it unique to Germany but it was unique to Frankfurt.  We ate at a restaurant that served a beverage Frankfurt is famous for, apple wine.  This happened to fall on the one month anniversary of our arrival in Germany.

We had an appetizer that consisted of bread and two different kinds of cheeses.  One was a hard cheese that was covered in cooked onions.  The other was similar to herbed cream cheese.  For our main meal I had wiener schnitzel with "green sauce", which was heavily influenced by dill, and a side of potatoes.  Brenda had the pasta which is often her only meal option when we eat out.  It resembled cream soup with some noodles floating in it.

The apple wine came in a pitcher and was accompanied by a bottle of water to cut down the flavor.  We tried it without the water at first and it tasted like apple cider vinegar.  The addition of the water makes it much more palatable.  I'm not exactly sure why people drink apple wine since every German I have talked to says you have to get a few glasses down before the taste stops bothering you.  That said, when you come visit we're taking you to get some.

We went to the restaurant with one of Brenda's fellow Oper Frankfurt singers.  He is another in a long line of great colleagues at the opera house.  He is German and, as is the case with many Germans, is fluent in English.  It is also common for Germans to speak English with a British accent, which he does.  He is a smoker and he had a pack of cigarettes with him.  If you remember from the blog entry "Rauchen kann tödlich sein", I was talking about how cigarette warnings aren't very subtle over here.  Below are pictures of the front and back of his pack.

When we are at home I am very conscious of whether the shades are drawn or not.  With the exception of our bathroom, each room in our apartment can be easily seen into from other apartments or from the college behind our building.  Apparently I'm a little more cautious than some of my neighbors.  The other night Brenda and I were watching a movie in our living with just a few candles lit.  I got up to do something and I happened to look out the window.  Across the street was a man naked as the day he was born doing chores around his apartment.  I had been wondering if I would get arrested for indecent exposure if I ever forgot to close the blinds after I'd gotten out of the shower.  My mind is now at ease.

I want to thank all of you who continue to read the blog.  If at any point you have questions about our experiences here or would like us to post pictures of something German feel free to write a comment or send me an e-mail at chadcgraham@gmail.com.  Until next time, have a great week!

Tourist No More!

I have returned victoriously from the Ausländerbehörder!  I didn't doubt for a second that it would all work out (cough) and I've learned that the fifth time, not the third as was previously believed, is the charm.  I am now legal to work in Germany until October 25 and I can stay in Germany until December 14.  If I don't have more work at that point then I will have to return to my previous position of trophy husband.

Our apartment is becoming more comfortable all the time.  We have food in the fridge, we bought some forks, we even have a coffee grinder.  There is just one little thing missing, internet.  For a couple of weeks now I've been buying cords, splitters, screwdrivers, duct tape, bubble gum, etc.  Basically anything I could think of to get online.  Yesterday I was 100% sure that I had all the devices I needed and they were hooked up the right way.  I worked up the courage to call the cable company.  

Moments like those feel like defining moments in my life.  Do I have the courage to call a native German speaker on the phone and attempt to communicate to them my problem with language skills that are limited to ordering beer and asking where the bathroom is?  

I made the call.  The first guy I talked to spoke a little English.  Then he transfered me to a technician.  That guy didn't speak any English.  Let me tell you, that was an awkward conversation.  There was one point when neither of us said anything for a solid minute.  He finally said something about Monday and 13 o'clock and I said "Ja".  So I am at least 60% sure that something is going to happen on Monday at 1:00 pm.  I'm even kinda sure that its happening this Monday.  I guess we'll find out.

It has become increasingly obvious that we wont necessarily learn German by just living here.  So many people here speak English, including everyone in our fledgling social circle, that we don't have many chances to work on our German.  I think I see language courses in our future.

Brenda and I are enjoying a nice long weekend.  We've gone for a few walks around the neighborhood in spite of how cold it has been (it was in the 40s the other night).  They have frequent farmer's markets at various locations throughout Frankfurt on most days of the week.  We went to one yesterday which was really great and then we ended up buying a few plants on the way home.  They are our first plants together.  I'm guessing they're doomed but for the time being they are a lovely addition to our living room.

Until next time, have a wonderful weekend!

Red Tape

I've wised up.  Monday I went to the office for foreigners working in Germany (Agentur für Arbeit) and I brought a friend who speaks German.  He is an American who has worked in the opera house for 8 years and has been immensely helpful and kind to Brenda and me.  We arrived at the Agentur für Arbeit in the morning and proceeded to the appropriate hallway.  We came to a door that said they were closed.  We went in anyway.  We proceeded to the first open office and talked to the ladies working there.  Apparently they didn't appreciate us walking in after having seen the "Closed Today" sign.  An argument broke out in German.  I don't know what was said but it didn't have a "Welcome to Germany! We'd be happy to help." tone.

It seems that the Agentur für Arbeit is open to the public Tuesdays, Wednesdays (half day) and Thursdays.  So I returned Tuesday, my 3rd trip there, and I brought a different American friend who has been singing in the company for 10 years.  (Everyone in the company has been so nice!) This time they were actually open and we found a different lady who thankfully hadn't been involved in the previous day's disagreement.  She told us that in 2007 the rules changed.  Opera singers no longer get their approval to work in that office.  They have to get approval from an office in Bonn, a totally different city in Germany.  Awesome.  I returned to the opera house and relayed that new information.   They said they would get in touch with the office in Bonn on my behalf.

Yesterday I got an e-mail from the Ausländerbehörder saying that they got the approval for me to work for the length of the show!  I will go in tomorrow and get it all finalized.  Even though it appears that everything is going to work out I'm still a little skeptical.  I'll be keeping an eye out for pianos falling on my head on the way to the appointment.

Other than this work permit stuff, things have been pretty good around here.  It is so great to have a washing machine and a dishwasher in our apartment.  We're getting spoiled.  Well, I'd better jet. I have to get to a costume fitting in a few minutes.  I hope you all have a great Thursday!

another Saturday night

I don't know which I love more, coffee or internet.  Luckily I don't have to choose just one.  Brenda and I are currently at a coffee shop called Coffee Fellows (take that Starbucks!).  We spent a good portion of the day today rearranging our apartment.  We have too many pieces of furniture to work with.  Our breakfast nook is now comprised of a couch and a coffee table.  Breakfast has never been so relaxing.

We went grocery shopping today at a local 'bio' grocery store.  Bio seems to mean the same thing here that organic does in the US.  There are 3 such markets in Frankfurt and we happen to be a 10 minute walk away from one.  The real benefit is they have a large selection of fake meat so we are able to get numerous veggie friendly meal options.  We even bought veggie wiener schnitzel!

After a little shopping at the bio store we went to a more inexpensive grocery store.  We stocked up on the necessities but didn't buy too much since we had to carry it all home.  As we were headed to the check-out line I noticed some calendars.  Some beefy guy calendars and some bikini clad girl calendars.  The big difference from similar calendars in the US was the girls on these calendars had apparently lost the tops to their bikinis.  I never saw that when I shopped for groceries at Super Target.

In case you're wondering, fourth time is not the charm.  I went to the Ausländerbehörder (can you pronounce that?) again on Friday to get my residence permit.  I found out the next step is for them to mail my contract and information over to the office that deals with foreigners working in Germany (Agentur für Arbeit).  Then, hopefully, they will mail back the approval saying how long I may work in Germany.  The opera company arranged all of that for Brenda.  It took about 8 weeks.  The show I'm contracted for goes up in two weeks.  To speed things along I'm going to take my materials over to the Agentur für Arbeit in person and I'm going to beg.  I tried to do that on Friday but they closed at noon.  The begging will have to wait until Monday.

I almost forgot the most exciting news of ALL TIME!  Brenda got an iPhone.  As you may imagine she is now the coolest person in Germany.  We walk by people on the street and they immediately begin drooling.  Maybe someday, assuming I get a work permit and I'm not deported, I too will get an iPhone.  A boy can dream.

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.  Gute Nacht.

Picture-tastic

Oper Frankfurt

Hello Dear Friends!  I've been meaning to write a blog post for a few days but we don't have internet in our apartment.  Last night I worked for an hour with a screw driver and a bunch of electronics and for some weird reason, totally unrelated to my electronic ineptitude, I wasn't able to figure it out.  Maybe I should stick to singing.

Brenda had her third Die Zauberflöte performance last night and said it went very well.  They have started to change cast members for some of the roles so that is spicing things up.  She has been having quite a few coachings for The Turn of the Screw.  She loves the opera and I think she's really enjoying learning the role.

Today I had my 3rd rehearsal for Lear.  I'm getting better at being stabbed.  Below is the poster.  They are all over town.

I have a meeting to get a residence permit tomorrow.  Wish me luck.  I've been to the office three times before.  Fourth time is the charm.

Here is a pic of the Main river.  I thought you might like to see it since I've mentioned it in a few posts.  The second picture is taken from a bridge that crosses the Main.  If you look closely you can see the sign for Oper Frankfurt.

I had better head home now and unpack a little more.  I hope you are having a great Thursday.  Ciao!

Our street

Here is a quick pic of the street we live on.  Our building is the first one on the right.  I will post more pics when I have a little more time.  Hope you're all having a great day!

A rainy day in Deutschland

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend.  This evening I am enjoying a glass of riesling while my wife is at work.  At this point the tenor should be singing something about how beautiful Brenda's picture is while she is getting ready to be shoved on stage by the bad guy.  It is all so dramatic.

Today we took our luggage over to our new apartment.  We were seeing it for the first time (in person) and the cleaning lady hadn't come yet.  The gentleman that lived in the apartment before us didn't seem to have high standards of cleanliness.  The biggest thing that stuck out in our minds, and it isn't a cleanliness thing really, was that he put a mostly empty jar of pasta sauce in the dishwasher with the lid on.  The outside of the jar, label and all, was crystal clean.  Maybe he was trying to heat the sauce the slow way.  Other than a little mess the apartment does seem very nice.  We are going to have to put our own personal touches on it but that should be a lot of fun.  There is an IKEA in town so we're set.

As some of you may have heard, I was cast in a small role in the opera Lear at Oper Frankfurt.  I have been to two rehearsals as of today and I even have my part memorized.  It helps that I only have one line.  I even get to die right after I say it.  I would explain the whole scene to you but it is not for the faint of heart (more drama!).  The reason I haven't mentioned this gig before is I didn't have a contract.  I got one today so its all official.  I will be doing 7 performances starting September 28.  I'm very excited.

Now that we have an apartment none of you have excuses not to come visit.  You will get your own room that has a futon type thing and all the croissants you can eat.  We can't wait to see you!  Schönes Wochenende!

A triumphant success!

Brenda was fantastic last night.  She never ceases to amaze me.  She sang beautifully, she looked completely comfortable on stage and I asked a fluent German speaker how her diction was and she said it was great.  Brenda is a professional and international opera singer!

Today is the big day!

Today marks Brenda's international singing debut.  She is feeling in good voice and is very excited.  The show starts at 7:00pm or 19:00 as all the clocks say here.

We haven't posted anything over the past few days mainly because there hasn't been much to say.  We are trying not to blog the minutiae of our lives.  Currently we're renting a nice apartment until Sunday at which point we finally get to move into the furnished apartment where we'll be for the next two years.  It is on the north side of town (Nordend) and is just 5 or 6 subway stops from the opera house.  We can't wait.

I have attempted twice this week to get a residence permit.  Both attempts proved unsuccessful.  I can get a residence permit based on Brenda being my wife and her having a job but then I would not be allowed to work.  I don't really see a problem with that but Brenda thinks we'll actually have to pay our bills.  The other option is I get a job  and then I get a residence permit that allows me to work.  I need a contract to get a residence permit and I need a residence permit to work.  Or I could go stand down by the labor pick-up sign by the river with the other undocumented workers.

Our impression of the food over here hasn't been great.  To our taste buds the food is quite bland.  This is with the exception of breads and cheeses.  They have bakeries everywhere here and their stuff is fresh and amazing.  The cheese we've bought has been great, too.  Whenever we go out to eat, though, we've been pretty unimpressed.  I don't think we've eaten at any authentic German restaurants, whatever they may be.  I guess I just need to wander through Frankfurt until I see a huge sign that says SCHNITZEL.

We want to thank all of you who take the time to read our blog.  Your comments are also greatly appreciated.  This blog is a great way for us to stay connected with you and we hope you are enjoying following our adventures.  Tune in next time to hear how the Magic Flute goes this evening.  Until then, Tschüss!

Rauchen kann tödlich sein.

If I didn't know better I would say it was the fourth of July (in the US) and the celebration was happening in our hotel bathroom.  A festival of some sort has been going on in Frankfurt this weekend and it seems to be culminating in a firework extravaganza this evening.  The festival is taking place along both sides of the Main and we've walked by several times.  The real highlight has been the pretzels covered in cheese or perhaps cheese formed into a pretzel shape would be more accurate.  Either way they're tasty.

As one might imagine we've noticed some cultural differences between Germany and the US.  One difference that keeps jumping out at me has to do with cigarettes.  Smoking seems more prevalent here than it does in the US and so do cigarette ads.  You see them all over the place and there are even cigarette vending machines which I don't remember seeing since I was a kid.  Anyway, the real shocking thing isn't the ads themselves as much as the warning label that is printed in huge letters which reads "Rauchen kann tödlich sein" or "Smoking can be deadly".  That really cuts to the chase.  I haven't looked at pack of smokes in the US recently but last time I checked the warning was in small letters on the side of the pack and it said something about cancer.  Here you see a sign that says "Buy Cigarettes! By the way, they may kill you."

Another cultural difference we were warned about has to do with a certain bad word that Americans don't tend to use lightly.  A word you would save for occasions like spilling hot coffee all over your computer or throwing your Mom's golf club into a pond (accidentally).  Apparently some Germans use this, the most heinous of all English cuss words, like we might say 'darn it' or 'crap'.  I shall refer to this word as #$%^&.

There is a moment in every conversation we have with a German when they realize we are not native German speakers.  My goal is to make that moment come as long after we've engaged this person as possible.  I feel defeat as soon as they start talking in English.  On Friday we went to a greek restaurant near our hotel.  The waiter approached the table and was very friendly and asked us how we were.  We said "great!"  So far so good.  Then he said "How could you be bad with this festival going on?"  We smiled and nodded.  No problems yet.  Then he said something that caused Brenda and me to stare at one another in search of a clue as to what he had said.  Neither of us had one.  Brenda, being brave, turned to him and started to order a drink which prompted him to say in English "Wait, where are you guys from?"  We made it 14 seconds, not bad.

His English was really good.  He told us many stories covering a myriad of topics which included his trips to visit relatives in Chicago and Australia.  He said people in Chicago are crazy!  When he was there they always wanted to "make #$%^&ing drink party."  On the outside I kept smiling and nodding but on the inside I was recovering from hearing this waiter boldly exclaim the worst swear word possible in proximity of 15 or so restaurant goers, none of whom reacted at all.  On top of that, I was trying to figure out what "make #$%^&ing drink party" could possibly mean.  Well, whatever it did mean he must have done a lot of it because that was one of his favorite phrases.  It often accompanied an arm gesture similar to Rocky's after he reached the top of the steps during his training montage.

We hope you had a great weekend.  Auf wiedersehen!

A view from the other side

Hallo Freunden! Yes, you're now about to get some stories from the other half of Chenda. It is I, Brenda! It's been a week full of activity. So much so that it feels like we've been here more than just one week! 

Let's see... Today was my second day of rehearsals for "The Magic Flute". Rehearsals are going well, don't get me wrong, but you must know that I don't WANT the show to go up on Sunday, contrary to what Chad may have quoted me on. I'm very happy we still have a week before we open. :-) I think I'll feel quite comfortable by then. The Assistant Director has been so wonderfully patient and kind, and the rest of the cast that I've met are truly great in every way. After rehearsal last night we went out to a bar/restaurant right across from the opera house called Chicago Meat Packers. Pretty funny! I had a German specialty beer. I believe they call it "Samuel Adams". I also experienced how Germans do Mexican food. My nachos came covered in cheese, with sides of guacamole and sour cream, all very good - except they seem to be confused about what salsa is, as I was given a little dish of what appeared to be ketchup. Hmm...

I feel much more calm in general, having taken care of the residence permit and whatnot. Yesterday was the first time I came close to tears. But the day ended marvelously so all is good! I love hearing German around me all the time, and now all I need is to understand it. Rehearsals happen in English and German for now. The English part is for me. Everyone else is brilliantly fluent, and I hope to join them someday. Sometimes I actually do understand conversations quite well, but my vocabulary is just too small. I hope my new colleagues don't mind my 3 year old vocab! I really need to find some small children to practice with... "Do you like cars?" "Yes, I like cars!" ... "Do you like green cars, or red cars?" That might be as much I can say... But I could substitute cars with bikes, or flowers perhaps... Very stimulating conversations indeed. 

Well I think I shall end it there. Chad just came back from his run, so now I have him to entertain me! We sign our apartment contract tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited about that. It will be so nice to have a home! I hope you're all doing well, and I wish you all were here to enjoy a beer or coffee with us. Viele Liebe!

Mainhattan

I dare-say we can call our first week in Frankfurt a success.  "Only a week?" you say.  Yes, I'm afraid we've only been gone a week and I know dear friends and loved ones it has seemed so much longer.  But alas, it has only been 7 Chenda-less days.  723 days to go so keep counting.

Truth be told, yesterday was a bit touch and go.  Long story short, we needed to get Brenda's resident permit so Brenda could begin working.  There was about an hour when I didn't think it was going to happen. That would have been bad.  Super bad.  Really really really bad.  But then BAM there was a deus ex machina and all was well.  (The longer version of that story makes more sense.  I'll tell it to you when Brenda and I take you out for a beer when you come visit.)  By the end of the day yesterday Brenda had gone to rehearsal and learned the staging for all of act I.  After another rehearsal today she said "I think we could go up on Sunday."  Last night the assistant stage director asked Brenda if she had a PC for a brain since she wasn't making any mistakes.  That's Brenda.

On a side note, at one of our stopping points yesterday we received a 'Welcome to Frankfurt' packet.  Inside were various coupons, brochures, etc.  One had the word Mainhattan on it.  I asked Brenda what Mainhattan was and she said it is a nickname that people use to refer to Frankfurt.  Let me explain.  Frankfurt is also known as Frankfurt am Main which means Frankfurt on the Main.  The Main is the river that runs through the city.  Mainhattan is a nickname that refers to the similarities in the skyline between Frankfurt and Manhattan (you know, the NYC one).

According to my sources (google), Frankfurt has around 670,000 people.  According to the 2000 US Census Bureau, Manhattan (just that one borough) has 1,537,195 people.  Frankfurt does indeed have skyscrapers, albeit they have 4 1/2 skyscrapers, but they have them all the same.  Now I'm not writing this to belittle Frankfurt.  In fact, I love it here so far.  The city is clean, the people here are very nice, and there is a beautiful river running through it that may not issue a toxic death sentence if you fall in (I'm not planning on testing that).  My point is I don't think the name Mainhattan represents Frankfurt very accurately.  I understand, however, why some would want to liken it to Manhattan since Frankfurt is a major financial capital.

Manhattan Skyline

The Frankfurt Skyline 

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That's it.  Another day in the life of Chad and Brenda.  We're signing a lease tomorrow for an apartment on the north side of the city.  We will move in on the 7th.  Until then we'll be shuffled around but that should make for more blog fodder.  We hope that wherever you are you are happy and healthy and we look forward to seeing you soon.  Ciao!

Things Germany has taught me

I learned a lot this weekend.  I learned that come early afternoon on Saturdays Frankfurt shuts down entirely until Monday morning.  I learned that Brenda can fall asleep at 11:59pm on a Friday night and, without interruption, sleep until 4:30pm the next day.  I learned that the two power adapters the guy at Best Buy sold me (who assured me they would work with our computers in Germany) can't handle this mysterious European electricity and both blew their fuses.  Lastly, I learned that without internet I fall into a deep depression and become intolerable to be around.

We survived though, oh yes.  We weathered the weekend with a loaf of Frankenbrot and a box of Schoko Müsli which as far as I can tell is a cross between Cocoa Puffs, Quaker Oats and some mini dark chocolate squares.

Today, in a quest to reunite ourselves with the internet, we embarked on a perilous journey that most definitely took us through the dodgy part of Frankfurt.  We arrived triumphantly at Gravis, and authorized Apple dealer.  As a side note, there is only one official Apple store in Germany and that is in Munich.  Gravis is the make-shift Apple dealer over here.  Anyway, for the price of only 16 Euros (each) Brenda and I received two 2-inch magic plastic devices (or Zauberdingen as the tech savvy Germans call them) that convert the fancy European electricity into the plain old boring electricity that runs our computers.

Since then Brenda and I have been on cloud 9.  We heard back about an apartment we're interested in and things look good.  She will be starting rehearsals this week and we're very excited about that.  Also, I went for my first German run and let me tell you there are worse things than running along the Main river.

That is our weekend in a nutshell.  We hope you are happy and healthy wherever you may be.  Oh and by the way, if you ever happen to be in West Des Moines at a Best Buy and you hear some tall worker telling some poor ignorant schlub that their power adapter will work on his computer in Europe, go ahead and kick said worker right in the shins.  Auf Wiedersehen!

Strangers in a strange land

Deutschland: Day 2 - After securing lodging for another week (phew!) we ventured forth into the wild of Frankfurt.  We really lucked out with our current lodging.  Our hotel is about 20 meters from a Bäckerei (Bakery) and 100 meters from a grocery store.  We enjoyed a delicious breakfast at the bakery where we learned that all recyclable bottles have a 25 cent deposit.  So if you buy a 6 pack of carbonated apple juice (there is a lot of that around here) for 1.60 Euros you will then have to add 1.50 euros (6 x .25 - math is a passion of mine) to your cost.  I'm glad to see that Germany takes recycling so seriously.  If I can't find work as an opera singer I think I may scour the city for bottles.

After breakfast Brenda took me to Oper Frankfurt (which is where she will be working) and then on to the Alte Opera which is very beautiful.  The Alte Oper is near a lot of shops and restaurants.  We ended up at Starbucks.  Look, we are not intentionally avoiding German restaurants we just happened to notice that Starbucks was a T-Mobile Hotspot and we purchased a month long past for the cost of my left arm so it seemed like the prudent place for kaffee.

The exciting news of this afternoon was that we found an apartment that we really liked and Brenda worked up the courage to call this foreign number and attempt to speak German to whomever answered.  The call was a success and we will find out more details tomorrow.  We scoped out the neighborhood the apartment was in and ended up getting stuck in the rain.  We decided to try and wait it out so we entered an Irish Pub to grab a Guiness.  I know, I know, we're striking out on German establishments.  We will be here for two years, however, and I assure you we will eat some authentic German food.  And, Dear Reader, you will be the first to hear about it.

Crossing the pond

Welcome!  You have found your way to the blog inspired by our move to Germany.  We hope this will be one of many ways to keep in close contact with our friends and family wherever we all may be.

It has been a whirlwind few days for me and a crazy week for Brenda.  After driving back from Santa Barbara with Laura, Brenda stopped in Iowa, packed a few bags, put me in the car and we headed off to Chicago.  My parents were kind enough to drive us to O'hare where we met up with Jim, Joanne and Lacey to say some goodbyes.  Our first stop took us to Manchester, England where we ran into some issues with our connecting flight.  A very kind security guard came to our rescue and we were off to Frankfurt.  Things were smooth sailing after that.  Our 4 pieces of checked luggage (nearing 200lbs) were the first bags off the carousel.  We hopped on a bus which took us almost to the front door of our hotel and we went straight to sleep.  

We've been enjoying trying to communicate in German.  Everyone we've met with so far has been very kind and patient.  We had a nice dinner at the NYC Restaurant and Bar (don't judge us for going to an American themed restaurant, it was the only one open!) but it ended with me making a mathematical error in the server's favor.  Ah well, Euros look like Monopoly money anyway.

Tomorrow (Friday, August 22), we're going to knock on the door of the opera house.  Brenda starts rehearsal on Monday so we don't have much time to get settled before she's off and running again.  We will also be doing an apartment hunt.  Wish us luck!