Day 15 - Excitement, cobbled together.

Another beautiful day in Bochum today.  21 degrees and partly cloudy with a 100% chance of beer.  We walked the city again today, on the lookout for any available org-gasm materials while snacking on whatever was handy.  Cary and Christian took us to the Rathaus (city hall) to register ourselves in the city.  We still need to go to the Auslander (foreign) office next tuesday to get official and acquire our visas for getting jobs and being eligible for social programs, etc.  Apparently the state sponsors German school, so we're really looking forward to that.  Anyway, we went and Christian spoke for us, as he usually does, and we got an official piece of paper that says we have an address here.  Apparently that's very important to Germans.  You can't get anything without an address.  No bank account, no cell phone, nothing.  In any case, while we were at the office, it occurred to me that everyone knows that we left Canada to try things here in Germany, but most people may not know why.

In all honesty, it started as a pipe dream.  We've all seen shows like "Live Here, Buy This" and "House Hunters International" and both Kierstie and I would say We could to that, it would be really cool.  The truth is, we all say that.  It's easy to say, but when the chips were down and the fit hits the shan, we honestly just ran out of reasons not to do it.  The chances of us having children are slim to none.  We're not prepared to make ourselves into guinea pigs for fertility doctors and we really don't want all the pressure that comes with all of the treatments, so we just said to hell with it.  If it's not meant to be, then it's not meant to be.  Once we reconciled ourselves to that, we quickly realized that having jobs to pay for a 3 bedroom house that we no longer need seemed remarkably stupid.  We considered moving to a smaller condo, like my parents did, and once we made that leap, it was a simple matter of saying If we're doing that, then why not try somewhere new?  Enter Germany, Cary and Christian.  

We came to Germany specifically because Kierstie's brother had a flat here and we thought it would be best to have someone we know and trust to help us get our feet under us.  Well, both Christian and Cary have been remarkably helpful.  Allowing us to invade their space and helping us with every little thing, they've been beyond amazing.  I'm sure we've annoyed them a million times since we arrived but we're getting on very well.  Kierstie's dual citizenship (Canada/Britain) makes the leap here easier.  She is entitled to a visa and, because I am married to her, I am as well, although I'll have to jump through quite a few more hoops since I am just an plain ole' Canadian.  

Personally, I came here to write.  I've always said I would write a novel, since I love to read.  At home I was reading 4-5 novels a week, mostly sci-fi/fantasy and action novels with some classics mixed in for variety.  Here in Germany, my reading has dropped considerably, there's just so much always happening, but I've still managed to complete 4 novels since we arrived.  Still liking the Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne, it's good stuff, if a bit wordy at times, but I'm all about the vocabulary expansion lately.  The cover of the 4th book in the series comments that his main character (Atticus O'Sullivan) could be the heir apparent to the Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher.  Well, lets not go too far now.  It's good reading, or I never would have made it to the fourth book, but it's no Harry Dresden.  If you're a reader, try a Dresden novel, they're fun and witty and they make you laugh.  If you're not a reader, read one anyway.  And why not?  Like I said, they're fun and witty and they make you laugh.  Don't have time?  Then make time.  I learned this in my first two weeks here in Europe.  If it's truly important to you, you'll find the time somewhere.  As a side note, I am happy to recommend novels based on my reading.  Chances are I can suggest something you'd enjoy after a few simple questions.  My mother is loving the Dresden series so far.

I haven't written a word in my newly proposed novel yet.  I've started 2 others and they fizzled, lack of conviction in the idea I guess.  I have new ideas now, far too many it seems, and I can't seem to make up my mind.  I've read advice columns and tutorials and I know just enough about writing to know they're mostly full of shit.  In any case, this blog is at least helping me get into the swing of writing daily, more or less.  I hope to start soon and if I get stuck, I can vent my frustrations to all of you in the hopes of a brilliant breakthrough.  

I've reviewed this entry now and have concerns that it might be a little too deep to be entertaining but then I remembered some feedback I gave my mother about her possibly pending blog.  I said, and I'm paraphrasing here, "there's no right or wrong, it's just about getting across what you want to convey" so I guess I'll follow my own advice and run with it.  Battery on our camera was dead today, but Kierstie and I have taken a couple of snaps with our phones over the last two weeks of some particularly amusing products we discovered.  I thought I'd share so you can giggle inappropriately, just like we did...

 

The lesson for today is actually something I learned many years ago as a child, but obviously forgot.  Put simply, don't go down a hill on roller skates without knowing what's at the bottom.  Cobblestones and roller skates are not good bedfellows and I was moving far too fast to stop before I hit about a thousand proverbial, yet literal, speed bumps.  If my heart wasn't already pumping from the exercise, the thought of face planting surely would have got it going.  My expertise (yeah, right) and luck saved me from mortal injury, so it all worked out.  But keep an eye out, just in case.  My 4th glass of wine is being finished as I write this last line, one more chapter of Iron druid, then a snuggle with my BeBe.

Nighty night folks, wish me luck.

Ian