Sleeping like a Saudi king before a Arabic belle's eyes

The Hot Dog Express will probably rest for one more week, because I am so busy right now. To free myself from any school concerns on my trip in the south from the 15th-29th, I try to to get all my papers done. Hence, my want to write is pretty limited...

However, I wanted to let you know that I am very good after sleeping like a Saudi king before a exotic Arab woman's eyes...

My life would be without sorrows if I haven't to sleep in the fucking bunkbed. To be honest it is ridiculous how much more learning performance, engagement and responsibility is expected from grad students, given being hosted and treated like a schoolboy. However, noch 10 mal schlafen dann gehts los...

Halloween, Blizzards and Emperor X unplugged in the Kitchen

Halloween is a big thing in the U.S., particularly at college. No one can escape from the hype to dress up at best with a new costume every night. I feared this date somewhat the closer it came. The good thing was that I had an very good alternative to the halloween parties on campus. After Ali and me had attended the Shakedown concert in Hartford, we immediately planned to go to the Halloween show in New Heaven friday. I presumed that costumes are obligated to get access. That was the only reason I went to Walmart to get a costume for the only halloween party I planned to attend. But guess what my buddy Mr. Ali just did not dress up. Turd! :)

So I was dressed up as hippie with Walmart stuff and felt like an idiot because I actually don't like halloween at all. Fair enough many people gave me high fives for my "crazy" costume. Well, why not...

The party was as much fun as it was the last time with an extensive and exciting jazz session in the jazz cafe during the concert break! Ali, I love the jazz cafe. It is the best jazz place in the world.
However, what followed the next day was just horrible, though it was predicted - snow that turned into a blizzard in the afternoon and lasted until sunday morning. It produced one feet fresh snow...

When I went out to face up to the blizzard I encountered many students that wore t-shirts, short and flip-flops. It is impossible that they have been surprised by the snow. Americans, or at least certain of them are definitely completely crazy.
Saturday night there was an concert in the Student Union organized by WHUS, UConn's Campus radio.
There played four bands. The highlight I feel was Emperor X who had the last gig. Special was definitely the use of echoe effects and the keyboards who created nice jazzy sounds in the faster songs or deepness in the more mellow ones. Here a live performance of him I fell in love with...

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


After the concert we went to some friends house off-campus, where Emperor X gave an unplugged concert in the kitchen at midnight. The drive to the house was crazy. We drove with fifteen m/h along the completely snowed in street. A lot of people showed up there, and fortunately nobody had an accident what is like a miracle. However, the concert was awesome. I shot the last two songs and Tyler's performance that concluded the kitchen event. Tyler apparently full of blasts performed heavily. It was a lot of fun. When you watch the Tyler's performance thoroughly you may see someone you know...

Emperor X unplugged in the kitchen I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXdd2pIApEQ

Emperor X unplugged in the kitchen II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRGylVXHmR4&feature=related  
(I had not sung with the crowd while I shooted...   :D )

Wild Tyler - Black Star
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=557x84w0quk&feature=related

My special thanks go to Tom who satisfied my starving stomach with bean stew and sausage at 3 am! Hell yeah, I had never expected that I could be that happy about a bean stew! Moments later the power outage occured and it was just dark...

Celebration of the holy 21st birthday - the college way

My roommate James turned 21 some days ago. I have seen the beerstick, usually hanging on the wall like a sacred object, in use for the very first time. It is like beer injection and makes you drunk within a few seconds (even with the hilarious budlight). It is somewhat disgusting. But who cares. The goal is to get wasted...

                                             The holy Bierstick...

                                     Ready...

                                     Go...

                                  Yeah...

                          

bedcamp, zombies and Sheppard Fairey

Saturday late afternoon we comfortably rested for a long. Putting my air matress in the living room we had build up a pleasant bedcamp. It was enjoyable tasting like family and reminded me of the many great hangovered sundays with movies and ordered burgers. Friends, that is one of the things we do at first when I am back!

Going to AS220 later on, we realized that it is Zombie Night in Providence. We felt somewhat awkward between the infinite mass of scarry, dead characters..

We had some Narrangansetts and I got an AS220 shirt. The bartender told me that the logo is designed by Sheppard Fairey, the street artist from California. Furthermore, Fairey has also brought this piece on a huge, endless wall behind the bar. I hand in the picture later...

Berlin paintings, Berliner Weisse and late night drawings

Originally I planned to attend the Providence gallery night extensively on friday. However, time was rare and I just made it to go to one gallery. This was not actually a gallery and just a bank that exhibited some paintings of Mollie Hosmer-Dillard. When I watched her pieces I wondered about the names of two them as they included the words "Temepelhof" and "Emmas Friedhof". On the infoboard I figured out that Mollie lived four years in Berlin and moved back to Providence in 2009. I am in the US and Berlin seems to present everywhere. I talked to Mollie for a while how much we love the enjoyable area of the Tempelhof airport and miss pleasant Berlin. Berliner, it is fall. Go out to Tempelhof and have a walk there! It is lovely. Mollie also told me about the little box gardens you find in the area. I have not seen them before. But they look nice (https://picasaweb.google.com/115023284387629053061/UrbanGardeningBerlin#slideshow/5627700456164795010)
Anyway, the urban gardening project inspired the following painting...

I love Mollies playful paintings that have an impressionistic note. My most favourite painting is this. Her somewhat comic style is cute I feel.

When I went with Joanna and Christine to the E&O bar next night, I was faced with Germany and Berlin again. One of the bartenders told me when she heard I was from Berlin that I could talk to father, who owns the bar, in German. So I talked for a while to Mr. Richard Dannenfelser, who was stationed as a U.S. soldat in the 1960s and studied Theology in West-Germany later on. He even bought a round Berliner Weisse - Weihenstephan wheat beer with raspberry sirup. It had not the signficant red tone, but was delicious anyway. Thank you Mr. Dannenfelser. That was very generous.

The night ended with a two rock concert in Local 121, where Christine and me perpetuate with drawings on the table cloths. My lack of skills and creativity indicates clearly who draw what...

Occupy Providence

Occupy Wall Street, Occupy anything all over the world and Occupy Providence - a huge tent camp in Burnside Park in the heart of downtown. When I arrived with Peter Pan on thursday afternoon, I was completely surprised to find the park occupied. After my friend Joanna picked me up, we visited the park at early evening. Joanna is pretty much involved and works in the food working group. I just walked around observing curiously what is going in the park. No matter what one might think about the occupy movement, I felt that it is pretty cool that there is some stuff going on in a central public place of Providence. People there have huge, idealistic goals. They seem to be very emotional demanding solidarity and social equity with an emphasis on love. It is a nice idea to want to change people's hearts. However, the ability of judgement with a sense for solidarity is more a gift, a trait than unfortunately less people own. If you want to make the world a better place, you can not appeal to people's love but change society's institution and political structures instead. I tend to say "hier liegt der Hund begraben". To develop power to change policy the activists who are mainly stick together because of their shared emotional anger have to formulate realistic goals they want to achieve. I don't think there is great likelihood that this happens. But it can work out on a local political level, and I hope so.
However, the Occupy Providence is pretty well organized. They have a media tent from which they broadcast a live video stream about the activities in the park. They also have a huge food tent. A lot of very encouraged people cook their and provide free food for visitors, activists, and the homeless of Providence. The homeless also can sleep in some tents. Of course there are never enough space and resources for all of them. But many of the homeless have a better time than usual for a while. They are helped, and that is definitely a good thing. This is why I washed some dishes one day to make a little contribution though that did not change anything in long-term. But as I mentioned, to act in a solidaric sense on a individual level is less a matter of intellect, but related to the moral, social  voice that speaks to one (or not) and initiate a simple act of support...

Music, Music, Music - the first own guitar, Andy Irvine, and late night lession in music theory

On tuesday after my dancing class I talked to my dancing teacher for a while about what makes people interesting for us. We agreed about that it is someone's desire for and engagement in an interest no matter what it is, that makes a personality to take somewhat shape. He dances and plays music, because he wants to use the time in college to learn something else except from the formal education. After thinking about this for a while, some days ago I decided to learn playing the guitar. On the way to the Andy Irvine concert last night, I drove with Ali to buy a used guitar from someone in Eastern Hartford. I have a guitar. Now I just need to learn to play it...
The folk performance of Andy was awesome. We listened to beautiful ballads and many funny songs about crazy boozy evenings, played with guitar, mandolin and harmonika.
To give you an insight I seriously recommend that beautiful sad song "empty handed". It is about an immigrant farmer who has to tell his family that they are ruined...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOoh1w400fU

Who don't like the heart-warming ballad should check the very funny song "The Close Shave". It is about a man who see's everything twice when he gets drunk. So one evening he believes to go home with two beautiful women...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUgrdzpJVDI&feature=related

I hope that I really got come to age now, because I have a feeling that this could happen to me one day completing the infinite number of antics!

After the Concert I drove with Ali to his hometown Middletown to attend the bar Eli Cannons having some cyders and a huge mountain of nachos with tons of cheese!

 Being overeaten and sick we drove to Ali's house listening to Bob Dylan's epic Highway 61. Arriving there at 2 am, I got my first lession in music theory with writing down notes, scales, and chords on the backside on a monopoly game box. Finally, we watched a awesome Jazz documentary and fell asleep...It was the best sleep I have had for a long time resting even until 1 pm in contrary to my usual habits...
Ali, buddy, thank you for the great weekend!