THE ONLY GOOD DOG IS A HOT DOG!

After a visit of BRIC Rotunda Gallery and a nice walk along the Promenade of Brooklyn Heights (unfortunately my camera's battery run out, so no pictures), I went to a house/roof birthday party in Brooklyn.  I was pretty drunk and had a lot of fun until Leila, the people's pitbull went crazy. There wasn't any problem with her earlier in the night when petting her several times. But when I was in the kitchen with some people later she came to me and jumped on me. Firstly, it was kind of play and funny. But when I told her to stop she began to snatch around, bite holes in my tote bag, jumped at me snatching and scratching me on my breast and my ass. This scene was entertaining people. "Come on, Lars she is just playing. Calm down and she will stop." But she didn't. She was on a rush, focused on the German dude! When I came back from the roof I ignored her, when she was walking around in the room. I didn't pay attentation on her at all. Suddenly, she came again and went crazy. She bite again in my bag jumped at me snatching and scratching. The result...

...was a slighty bleeding scratch wound and a hole in my shirt. It was completely crazy. When I entered the appartment later again, the crazy bastard came to "play" for the third time. I don't know what the hell was going on with her. She always walked around peacefully without paying attention on me, but then suddenly something reminds her of me and made her going crazy again and again and again. It was somewhat scary and mysterious. Probably it was the flavour of the evil of the German she smelled turning her crazy. Who knows haha. However, THE ONLY GOOD DOG IS A HOT DOG!

Gallery tour in Chelsea

I arrived with the bus at 6 pm in Chelsea and I met with Alex there visiting some galleries there. Around 9th and 10th avenue, 22nd street there five blocks of galleries with open doors every thursday from 6-8 pm provinding free drinks (whine, beer, sometimes even cocktails) and also food. I felt somewhat displaced with my huge bagpack and my tank top among all these serious dressed older and hip young people of the art scene. But who cares? I felt that this whole event is generally more about conversation and contacting, to see and to be seen in a nice, atmospheric context. Indeed, the art was not greatly exciting. But it felt great to plunge in the metropolitan diversity and colorfulness, to chill out in front of the galleries meeting new, interesting people.

I recommend for weekendtrips to go to New York on thursday undergoing the bar openings; great startup of the weekend! :)

New York, New York again

The bunkbed and me are still enemies. Last night I couldn't even fall sleep asleep though I had slept just four hours the night before. Jameson doesn't help, sleeping pills don't neither. Moving to the couch in the living room, I worked on that training and test on respsonsible research conduct, fell asleep at 6 am, woke up at 8.30 am to complete that test. Being awake in the night provided an insight into an American's, my roommate james, dreaming, who babbled something about "...the yankees" haha.
This test took not only forever, but also displays striking differences between Germany and the States regarding the importance of laws. In Germany one can just start take part in research work without having to attend a training in legal concerns. American law requires scholars to learn the professional spirit and codex of science,  public responsibility of research and scholars, proper behaviour in doing research, handling human research subjects, dealing with personal data and private security etc.. I feel this is practially democratic. However, to be a repsonible, democratic citizen is definitely strenuous!

But it is done. All my work is done and I am going relaxed and, though having just slept two hours, excited and energetic  to NEW YORK! Can't wait to meet Alex and Ed, go to birdland and attending parties getting drunk on a good purpose! Good bye bunkbed, see you on sunday again.

Open Air with "Boston's boy"

Between my readings on saturday, I decided to get some air visiting the open air concert of Sam Adams on campus. People just jung out on the lawn at this lovely sunny afternoon, drank secretively alcohol in plastic bottles and listened to the Sam Adams. I felt somewhat open air feeling although the wrong music was played. However, the huskies enjoyed themselves...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOe6foz2Yqg

The boston kid presented wild and noizy dancehall beats with poppy white boy raps. So, just a truck of the company Ryder, instead of a Ruff Rider's performance. Paradoxically at the caraoke evening in the student union the night before, a corpulent random girl provide a first class "ruuuuuuuuuffriders" performance, imitating even the characteristic barking sounds. Appreaciting initially her brave to sing at first, I felt some sort of embarrassed when I found her again on the stage presenting the second aggro rap that was taking forever. She revealed her urge for attentation and even made people leave. I left too, driven out by her earpiercing and noisy rap. Smoking outdoors, I could observe how she showed up again, dancing and even stimulating her audience this. I guess she felt like a rockstar for a moment and enjoyed herself taking no account of people's impressions and opinion. I have to admit that I initially was amused by her embarrassing performance. But I have made up my mind. Hell yeah! We need at least some recognition to be happy. If efforts to feel happy or to recall our freedom, irritate peoples' common sense, well, who cares. Anything goes, I feel, on the pursuit of some happiness...

Television

Americans are crazy about multimedia devices. To possess a smartphone is such common among students, that, according to someone's report, people not only wonder about a cell phone with simple functions, but literally push one to buy a multifunctional phone to increase reputation. Total terror of presence with facebooking on smartphones probably is not more prevalent that anywhere else in the western world nowadays. But a smartphone could particularly function as a mean of distinction in a social space like a campus, which, though  or maybe because basically structured by uniformity and equality, procudes principals of symbol stratifcation.
However, more apparanently is the general presence of both cars and inside the houses TVs, which indicates peoples affinity with technical innovations, deeply rooted in American culture. The TV is the center of private life standing in the middle of the living room. Furthermore, being literally always powered the TV primarily shape mood and conversation in private life. The suggestion to listen to music instead of watching TV would probably confuse a lot of Americans. Feeling committed to intercultural exchange and in my own interest, it would be great to influence my home environment to bring in the idea of the living room as a place to hang out listening to nice, atmospheric music. I enjoyed myself so much two nights ago, when I watched a movie with a friend, laying afterwards alone on the couch with a glass of Jameson and listening to some music. I would love to repeat and to share with others.
Facing the football game at TV, I realize that this night was a divine, lucid moment, that probably will not come again soon. Sunday is football day! However, in addition to Jazz the TV soap was invented in America, and American TV culture produces many great TV series like The Wire and House M.D. that are loved all over the world. Furthemore, importance of the medium TV yield a great plenty and variety of TV channels. My recent discovery is the Turner Classical Movie (TCM) channel, which screened Orson Wells Citizen Kane tonight. I found this channel incidently a morning this week, when it sweetened my breakfast with Fred Astaire and the wonderful Rita Hayworth in "You'll never get rich". Thus, exploration of American TV program is not only an option, but a promising task for the future...

House Party, Police, Nikki Minaj, Game Over

Spending this weekend on the campus, I dare attendance at Carridge the notorious off-campus party place of Storrs. Hundreds of people bustled outside, waiting in lines to get in one of the student houses. Being lucky to get access, I faced a small flat with a fully crowded living room of people dancing. Two things were apparent. First of all, it was so hot, that I reminded Nelly's cool rap song "Hot in here". Yes, I say cool song. Given the MTV crap I am usually listening to at parties here, Nelly is relatively cool. Oh my god, haha. Secondly, similarly to Nelly's video, all girls were shielded by a boy from behind. An epic picture! The fun was instantly over when the police shut down the party. 

It was a lot of fun! The music was even pretty good, particularly when compared to "Huskies" last night. Even after having five beers it didn't work out with the music and me. Just to give an example about the music style...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO0ACejaZL0
...maybe it is not my fault. I don't know. This is not a judge about someone('s music taste), but it is not my music at all! However, I think it was definitely my last attendance at least at Huskies as long as I am not completely waisted! The Burgkeller was a blessing...

Bye Providence

Bye Providence, it was complete recovery and a feast...

Thank you Theresa, Sara and Laurie for hosting me. I really enjoyed my stay and I can't say how thankful I am for being your host. Staying in your beautiful house, I felt like being home. Regards to my hairy friend Riley as well. 

You guys are very cool and laid-back. That's why I proudly present now the stuffy standard family portrait of a very cool american family beyond the norm! 

I like it. See you soon hopefully!

Providence, my love!

I am spending the weekend in Providence, Rhode Island. My first weekendtrip since I live at UConn is just awesome. Yesterday I spent the best day since my arrival in the US. This judgement is not completely objective because I am feeling so happy and excited about being freed from the colourless campus-life in Storrs. No offense, but I have a deep longing for adventures meeting interesting people and seeing new places. However, Providence is a lovely city with 200,000 inhabitants. Compared to NYC the life here is pretty calmed down. Hanging out in the park in front of "The White House" in the afternoon, I didn't explore much yesterday  But it was catharsis!

Theresa, my couchsurfing host, and me took a bathe in the sun, chat a lot and just enjoyed the beautiful weather! The grass in the park was comfortable and soft. In fact, one can say that it is untouched. There wasn't a soul in sight on the grass. People just walked by from time to time looking at us somewhat surprised as if we were hippies, who bless the holy peacefulness sitting under a tree. Americans usually don't go into parks to enjoy the air and the sun. Maybe it is because drinking in the public is forbidden. Maybe it is, to speak in stereotypes the attraction of the holy tv, the focal point of american private life - America is the inventor of the TV sitcom! Americans, go out and enjoy your beautiful parks! There is a hippie in all of us, or at least a open air hedonist!

The stay in the park was sweeten with a real food highlight: A sandwich with fresh stone-milled rye bread. I didn't believe it, but it really tasted like german wholewheat bread. It was freshly made without any preservatives. AWESOME! It looks like real bread, doesn't it? (And I love my sneakers :) )

I got sunburnt, but frooze badly in my shorts and sleeveless shirt when the sun set. So I bought some cloth in the mall, and additionally found some great books at a store's closeout. Shopping happiness was part of the day. Afterwards I went to the bar AS220. I had planned to go there for a concert today anyway, but Stephanie, I met her incidently in the city, recommended the great food there. And she was right! I got my first non-american meal there: wild rice with spinach and grilled tofu. It was the second food highlight of the day :) 

I got to know Christine and Joanna there. While drinking Narrangansetts, they told me their Boston story. They went to Boston for a daytrip and lost each other. Joanna was completely fucked up. She lost her cell phone, had no money, no place to crash down and no idea how to come home. She hitchhikked to Providence with big black truckdriver. Meanwhile the asshole who found her cell phone even text Christine strange and rude messages. Funny story! You guys are chaosladys, especially Joanna. She also told me the story, when she got banned from Canada for five years! Yes, you should write a book. I am doing promotion for it already. 

Because the girls hadn't a place to crash down last night, Theresa decided to take them with us. Very generous!

But the real highlight of last night was dirty Joe!

This guy is walking around telling dirty jokes for cash. One buck for one joke! I bet his business runs not so badly especially at weekends.
I want to tell two of them:

How much skin does it take to cover a pussy?
It just needs...

Ok, somewhat simple, rude and not so funny? Well, listen to the second:
What have Michael Jackson and caviar in common?
Both is served with small white crackers!    HAHA

Providence, I love you. I am looking forward to go to the experimental music night tonight...