Greater Pacific

I’ve been digging on the 6-song EP Rainfall by Greater Pacific (side project from members of Travel By Sea). It’s like a nice slow trip through the countryside. In addition to lyrics about life, love and loss, and traditional country music instrumentation, the songs are complimented by atmospheric soundscapes created by guitar effects and synthesizers, thus giving the songs a bit of a psychedelic feel that you don’t often hear in the genre. It goes great with a slowly-sipped whiskey.

Here is the lead single….

If you want to buy it (and not be a dick and steal it from some virus-infested file sharing website), you can get it here.

Lösegraben

Ilmenau

The Lösegraben is a short man-made canal in Lüneburg that bypasses the city center. When the water level in the Ilmenau gets too high, the excess water gets diverted into the Lösegraben, protecting Lüneburg from flooding.

Going For a Stroll

Yesterday there was a storm. Right before it hit, I heard quacking sounds. I opened my door and saw these guys just chilling. The river is about 50m away from my door, but I have never seen ducks come this far up the street. Then the storm came and they just walking up the street away from the river.
Ducks in Lüneburg
Other than that, this post is pointless.

Getting a weird vibe from across the ocean.

Joyfully celebrating the killing of a killer who joyfully celebrated killing carries an irony that I hope will not be lost on us. Are we learning anything, or simply spinning harder in the cycle of violence?
Brian McLaren

I’m glad they got the bastard. Upon hearing the news, I think I even said to myself, “America, Fuck Yeah!“. I hope this brings some sort of closure, or whatever, to the families, friends and loved ones affected by the events on September 11th.

However, I find the wild partying in the streets a bit strange. Does this make it all worth it? The US-led War On Terror™ has been responsible for so much more death, pain and suffering than Osama bin Laden could have ever dreamed of inflicting on non-believers. No matter what the circumstances would be, thousands of people on the street celebrating the death of one person, I find it a bit unsettling.

Well, unless it involves munchkins and a house falling on somebody, then it’s okay.

Or basically this…

10

10

10 years ago today, I moved to Germany.

I’m staring at that number and I’m having a hard time believing it’s been that long. On one hand, it seems like a long time. On the other hand, it seems like the years just flew right by. A lot of things have changed. A lot of things remain the same. And some things need to change.

Lately, I’ve been feeling more like an immigrant than an expat if that makes any sense. I’ve made my home here and have assimilated into the culture. In my own way, at least. Sometimes while walking down the street, I see, hear or think about something that reminds me, that I’m not from around here. Still, but not as often, I stop and look around and ask myself, usually out loud, “Dude, I live in Germany. What the fuck am I doing here?” And then, if I was within earshot of any Germans, I might get some weird looks.

I’ve met a lot of interesting people over here and I have some very good friends. I am very thankful for the opportunities and experiences I have had and for most of whatever has come my way. For most immigrants trying to get a steady foot on the ground here, it is not so easy.

Luckily, I have this blog to remind me of some of my experiences. I don’t write as often as I should, but I don’t have much to say lately. Maybe I’ll try to just post pictures or whatever.

Mal sehen.

Notes from Germany