Space-age milk, no Skippy and drinking on the street: It's the little things

I used to live next to this factory.

During his visit to Germany, Boombox kept a travel journal. In it he made lists. There were important new German words, such as Mitfahrgelegenheit, Pfand, Zigarette, and Entschuldigung.  But he also noted small things which were a bit different from home. I helped contribute to the list, which looked something like this:

• Space-age, non-refrigerated milk
• Telephone/shower hybrids
• Landlines
• Leaving at midnight to go clubbing
• No peanut butter
• Toilet separate from bathroom
• Apparently smarter animals
• Drinking alcohol on the street

In fact, that last one was the shock of the trip. Michael was rather impressed that the checkers at the store did not care how old he was as we bought a crate of Köstritzer Schwarzbier, and by the fact that we were allowed to open it on the street. When I told him this news, he was not inclined to believe me, thinking, as the date would suggest, that it was an April Fool's joke.
I looked to my roommate Robert to back me up on this ("Please assure my friend it's okay to drink on the street."). Robert, seeing an opportunity to screw with someone, put on a somber face and said, "Oh no, I wouldn't advise this."
"See?" Said Michael triumphantly. "I knew she was making it up. Almost got me."
That settled it. I cracked one open, handed it to Michael, cracked another open, cheersed (um, what is anstoßen in English?) while making eye contact, which is very important in Germany, and set off for downtown to find a police officer to drink in front of, thus solidifying the fact that this is %100 legal.

Michael mit zwei Bier vor der Polizei. Unglaublich. 

"Ungeöffnet ist unsere H-Milch auch ohne Kühlung 3 Monate haltbar. Sie ist in ihrer 1-l-Verpackung somit ideal zum Bevorraten. Die klassischen Fettgehaltsstufen 1,5 % und 3,5 % und ihr voller Milchgeschmack machen unsere Milch zu einem puren Genusserlebnis." -Osterland Milk Website

 Creepy.

Knives and Candy: A weekend well spent

Obligatory Sandmännchen photo

I picked up Boombox/Michael at the train station in Erfurt, full of the incredibility of it all- seeing a friend from San Luis Obispo, here in Erfurt? Wild! We cooked, went to a wine bar and then stomped around at Stadtgarten, where a band called Supershirt was playing.

After we had seen the sights of Erfurt, we caught a Mitfahrgelegenheit (ride) to Berlin.  We met up with Alena, saw her new Friedrichshain apartment, met her new boy, went dancing at a place called Suicide Circus.

Alena's neighborhood is quite hip, and oddly enough is home to lots of young parents. I spotted a building covered in peeling posters and graffiti and assumed it was a club until Alena pointed out that it was a daycare.

Boombox: "Those are going to be some savvy kids."

Indeed. There was also a 10-cent vending machine selling, funnily enough, knives and candy. Thus the following photo sequence:

What could it be?

Knives and candy!

Ten cents? I've got that.

Just candy. That's boring. 

Oh wow. So much is going on! More to come when I am not so distracted tearing Erfurt apart, washing laundry, touring the Cathedral, eating homemade tortes and/or drinking beer in front of the police.

I leave you with some unexplained images from Berlin:

Boombox + Alena in Berlin

Friends and lovers,

I haven't yet had a chance to sort through all of the photos from the weekend in Berlin, but here is a peek.

Anna

East Side Gallery

Unter den Linden

Street art in Friedrichshain

Welcome to Germany, Herr Broombaugh!

So. Boombox is arriving in Erfurt on Thursday. We are going to go to Berlin and stay with Alena, which means we'll be dancing the $%@*! out of that town come weekend.

Suggestions?? 

This causes me to reflect upon previous days and nights of greatness, when all one needed was Simpler Times and a cool ocean breeze...

The good ol' days: Heather, Boombie 'n' me.

Crashing an Animal Collective concert in the wilderness.

Using Michael's jacket as a nose-warmer.

Up to no good: Cruisin' for a bruisin' in Morro Bay. 

 Weather warm, pool glacial: What to do?

Like moths to the flame: A lamp shop near the beach. 

A strangely eerie sight.

A road trip too long: One too many of everything. 

Ready to go home.

This has been, of course, just a foretaste of the adventure which begins this Thursday. Needless to say, ich bin gespannt.