I had visions of creating a nice end of Germany video thing but….that didn’t happen (this would have required forethought, planning, remembering to film interesting things…effort). What did happen is I scrapped together some of the video we happened to have and threw it together…and here it is.
Highlights include:
lots of driving- at night, in snow, to work, near zooming cars leaving us in the dust
the infernal racket of the glockenspiel
the quest to find Mystery Guitar Man’s sticker
pedal boating in Prague
Anyways, this is my last post here in Munich. The place where I learned to drive stick, PC played his first season of Champion’s Leauge, I roasted my first turkey(on my first Christmas away from home), PC was DVL MVP and Pokalsieger, and we both managed some nice European side trips. Though it was only seven months, they were memorable and enjoyable months.
But it’s time to leave. I’m excited to get home, enjoy summer and prepare for the next adventure in the fall.
Just a quick update on what I’ve been up to in the last week as a loner lady
I’ve been surrounding myself with heaps of tissues thanks to a mucous-filled illness. Weather has alternated between sun…and thunder storms.
I saw a movie.
Don’t judge…it was the only thing playing at the English cinema. We all know it’s crap as far as plotline, and the 3D thing is wholly unnecessary…but it’s fairly entertaining and a good excuse to gorge oneself on popcorn.
I made a “single lady cupcake”. seriously this recipe is pretty nifty check it out.
I added cocoa powder...I was happy with it
I hung out with some friends
Then I ate some food with said friends.
Miss Debby nomming on what appears to be a dinosaur bone
Oh and I’ve been missin’ the boo.
I’ll update you soon about the whole packing up and leaving process.
In a previous post, I quickly noted the difference between fairly classy foreign McDonald’s, and the fairly grotesque US versions. Obviously, I was not the only one to observe the inequalities as McDonald’s has launched a $1 billion campaign to overhaul its US restaurants. You can read more about the plan here, but I want to weight in on it myself.
Ostensibly, the plan is for McDonald’s to compete with Starbucks by creating a modern, lounge-y environment for people to hang out and drink a McCafe beverage.
However, as Seth Meyer’s on Weekend Update put it, “… people don’t hang out at McDonalds they end up at McDonalds.”
The Unterhaching McCafe complete with pastry case
The plan will introduce things like wooden tables, flat screens and a modern design scheme. Basically…they are gonna make it look like European McDonald’s.
this is what they want back home
I can see their logic. Six years ago, the European golden arches were tanking. So, the higher-ups overseas upgraded their restaurants. Now, the European MickeyD’s is outstripping the US side in growth and profits. In fact, the swankier European restaurants are set to introduce touch screen/computer ordering systems. I’m not gonna lie… I’ve been known to frequent our local McCafe for a midday cappuccino.
Nevertheless, I think that the American side has a far more challenging battle ahead of it if it hopes to compete with Starbucks.
Seriously can the American version handle ceramics AND a lil complimentary cookie?
As I’ve thought about it I feel like there are several roadblocks to be considered:
1. The Image
Kids are now being taught that Ronald McDonald is the leader of an evil empire trying to poison their bodies. Sustaining such (deserved) vilification in recent documentaries, books and TV shows, it’s difficult to see the restaurant making friends with the younger crowd who sit around in coffee shops. They are going to have to really hammer home their commitment to the Rainforest Alliance, and other ‘feel good’ causes.
The other issue is that for the average American, there is already this perception that McDonald’s is pretty low on the food chain. That doesn’t mean that the average American won’t stop in for a cheap and filling meal, but it does work against this concept of a “high-class” coffee bar. Most people when speaking about a meal at McDonald’s do so with the requisite look of shame.
Disturbing
2. The Clientele
Even if you upgrade the image, it’s still going to take awhile to coax the Starbucks customer over. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to sip on a latte while my eyes are being assaulted by overweight, overeating regulars. In Europe, you still won’t see nearly as many overweight people hanging around. I know it’s harsh, but seeing obese people stuff big macs into their faces really destroys my appetite and comfort level.
Ok this is the creepiest and most unrealistic thing ever. This bit of decor better not head stateside.
3. The Employees
This is delicate territory, but I will try not to offend. Employees are an important component of brand perception. When you are overseas, you will notice that many of the employees in fast food outlets are teenagers, and other young adults. The same sort who might work as baristas at Starbucks. I can only speak for Southern California, but back home that is not the case. Most high school students would never consider working at fast food unless it’s at In-n-Out. There is a prevalent stigma about fast food work suggesting that it’s degrading, and “beneath” the average Joe. This is exacerbated in a place like California where many fast food jobs are held by minorities. I believe that minority workers perform their jobs very competently, but let’s not pretend that the average American is free of prejudice. That prejudice devalues the workers, and also their workplace. Admittedly, the difficult economic situation has seen an increase in middle class citizens seeking out fast food jobs, but I don’t see this substantially changing the public outlook.
4. Competition
Yes, the European market saw excellent growth after their upgrade. However the Euroside hasn’t nearly the number of competitors the US has. Not only does McDonald’s have to compete with the myriad of other (more delicious) fast food chains, but now it’s looking to compete with all the coffee chains out there. I just don’t know if that’s smart or possible.
So I dunno. This could work out really well…or it could be a tremendous waste of $1 billion. What do you guys think? Will it work in the states? Where do you get your caffeine fix?
The chapter is quickly closing on our time here in Unterhaching. So here’s some updates…
1. PC was awarded MVP of the DVL! I have to share how he told me-it’s just classic PC. After coming home from work, we were doing the whole “how was your day?” “what have you been up to?” thing. After an hour of chatting about the more mundane details of the day, PC remembers, ‘Oh yeah, I found out that I’m MVP of the league’. His tone conveyed roughly the same enthusiasm with which one might recount making a deposit at the bank.
Who is this guy? If I was named MVP of washing dishes it would be the first thing I mentioned, and I would probably be unnecessarily excited about it. This is not to say that PC isn’t proud or happy about it, it’s just him. Sorta refreshing in a frustrating kind of way.
Anyways, he won because he was awarded the most gold mvp medals throughout regular season matches. Here’s a chart with the full medal tally.
This doesn't directly relate to MVP...but oh well. Being a Plane in the Deutsches Museum. I like hanging out with him.
2. We’ve got an excellent tip for those like us who have to pack up our lives in accordance with airline baggage allowance policies. SPACE BAGS. I really have to thank my genius mother for this one. Freakin’ Magic. We have had to do some packing around here, and we had a lot of bulky winter items to deal with. We stuffed our space bags, got the vacuum going, and oh lordy it was delightful. It condensed everything so well, and opened up storage space for stuff we might have otherwise had to throw out.
Ok I’m done being the pitch-woman…but seriously get ’em. 3. So I told you we had to pack. We had to pack because PC left to go home to Australia today. That meant that yesterday was our last day together in Munich. After the magical space bags whisked away any stress we had about packing, we drove down to Starnberg to hang out with Flo, Lisa, Debbie and Gordy (the last two are dogs).
On a Walk
It was a perfect, relaxing day.
burly arm playing with the pups
4. So now you know that PC left for his homeland today. At first I was jealous because I’ll still be here working for the next two weeks[cue sniffling sounds] and, of course, I love visiting Australia. Then I got over myself. PC gets to see his family so rarely, and for the last few years I’ve been horning in on the action. This is a perfect opportunity for him to relax, and just enjoy being home with his mum, dad and brothers. The other upside is that he will be arriving in California earlier than expected. (okay, I’m still selfish)
5. The other exciting thing is that PC is turning the big quarter of a century 2-5! He’ll be traveling home for most of it, but I bet he can’t wait to get home and celebrate with a home cooked meal.
I know what you’re thinking, “How can this girl have wanderlust? She’s living abroad what more does she want?”
Here’s the deal in case you weren’t aware…
Travel is Addictive.
Can This Be In My House? via:Pinterest
Even though this past year I’ve traveled and lived in some amazing places, I feel like a bratty addict. The more I travel, the more I awaken that strung out weirdo who hunches over her macbook trolling images of exotic destinations.
Also, PC will be returning late tonight from his trip to Macedonia (an upcoming post on his blog should be up soon). It’s a place I would have never thought to visit, and it alighted a curiosity about all of these semi-undiscovered travel destinations. Ahh the possibilities.
So I wanted to share some of images inspiring my travel lust today
Now let’s be honest, the destination I’m most excited for right now is Southern California. Soon I will dine on burritos and sushi while giving myself skin cancer. Soon.
My new fave reading spot, Marina Del Rey via: visitmarinadelrey.comFavorite way to spend a summer night- Beach Bonfire, Bolsa Chica via: LATimes.com
In the end, travel is fun, but I also look forward to the day when I can settle myself in one spot. When that day comes, I demand these pillows.
Yesterday, PC and I wanted to make the most of our Saturday. PC only has one more Saturday left here in Munich, so we wanted to do something active just the two of us.
With the weather on our side, we rented some bikes, took the train to Starnberg, and decided to bike 49 kilometers around the lake.
It seemed like a good idea
We figured we’d start down the west side of the lake.
Excited...before butt soreness set in
The west side of the lake is very touristy. It is also a bit inconsistent as you weave from gravelly paths, to highway, and shady dirt. As this was the beginning of the ride, we weren’t too bothered, but we were very excited when the break for lunch finally arrived.
carb loading on pasta salad
I must say, the scenery was beautiful. As your road changes constantly, your view does the same. One minute you look upon multi-million euro lakeside homes, next it’s simply tranquil blue waters, and then farmland and wildflowers meet your gaze. We had another quick stop when we got down to the halfway mark.
Still Energetic
The eastern side of the lake was much different. It is a consistently paved, flat road along the lake side. It appeared that this must be where the locals choose to spend their sunbathing hours. As our quads began to burn, we were so thankful for this more relaxed side of water.
Made another stop for water and a gummi snake
In the home stretch, our whinging began. Being unseasoned cyclists, the kilometers had really caught up to us. Every slight incline became a source of cursing and fist waving. Nevertheless, with the promise of ice cream at the finish line, we propelled our sore behinds and aching legs all the way back.
Love the Kid Beisde Us
Even though this wasn’t a massively strenuous ride, we still felt pretty proud of ourselves by the end. I’m also happy to report that despite our fears of sore legs, today we woke up perfectly fine. Woohoo.
This morning, PC left to visit his friend Nikola in Macedonia. Knowing embarrassingly little about this country, PC is tasked with taking ample documentation of this trip so that he can tell us all about it. In the meantime, I’ll be chillin on my lonesome for the next few days [pitiful voice]. No actually, I have a great deal to do as we prepare to leave this place, and plan for the next few months.
Finally I would be remiss if I made no mention of Mother’s Day! While I’m sad that I cannot celebrate with my family, I hope that all the moms out there have a lovely and relaxing day.
In honor of my own mother, I found this. Please be warned, there is very adult language which might offend some of you. However, if you know Tami, this will make sense.
I’ve been thinking a lot about democracy and royalty.
Not in a super deep way.
It’s just that I’ve been living in a place previously infested with royals.
Oh and that wedding just happened.
Here’s what I’ve been thinking about.
1. English Royals and their Media Embargo
Like many Aussies and Yanks, we were a bit puzzled and bemused in the lead up to this wedding. My feelings were essentially, “chuckle Silly royals actin’ important”.
However, I couldn’t help but feel uplifted watching the millions of cheering well-wishers united in the celebration of something so…lovely.
Royals
That was until I learned of the Royal media embargo.
The royal family issued an embargo prohibiting the use of any wedding footage being used in a satirical manner. Apparently, the monarchy was perturbed by an Australian satirical troupe called, The Chaser, who were set to air a (most likely) hilarious commentary over images of the event.
Clarence House, the body which oversees Prince Williams affairs, stated that the embargo is, “standard practice for these kinds of religious ceremonies to include a clause which restricts usage in drama, comedy, satirical, or similar entertainment programs.” Whatever. I think it’s some B.S. Why is this figurehead family allowed to restrict the free press?
By the way, you should check out some of what The Chaser’s have done. This is from a few years ago, but it’s still funny. This comedy troupe breaches security at the 2007 APEC summit with no credentials, and a man dressed as Osama. It’s hilarious and legitimately dangerous.
I suggest starting at 1:40.
2. Language
If you have studied almost any other language, I’m sure you’ve had that moment where you come across the second person pronouns, and thought what the? A formal you? The ol’ Sie, Vous, Usted, Lei/Loro. The useless ones.
Well, using this formal second person is still a very important show of respect and deference around the world. We certainly hear this distinction a great deal in Germany. It hearkens back to the times of serfs, nobles and the seriousness of class etiquette. Nowadays, it’s for addressing older people and strangers. We all know that it’s polite to address your bf/gf’s parents as ‘Mr. and Mrs. So and So’ until you get the first name ok. But imagine having to wait for the ok to use informal language with them (and it sometimes takes a few years)!
So what ever happened to the formal you’s in English? I was curious about this undemocratic lingo, so I did a teeny weeny bit of research.
Long ago, English used Thee/Thou for informal(peasant) speech, and You/Ye for formal (reverential) speech. However, English speakers were never too rigid about these forms. I guess, they just wanted to copy the French who were the trendsetters for courtly etiquette. Now, I don’t know how true this explanation is, but allegedly centuries later the Quakers got a hold of this concept. You remember the Quakers? Radical egalitarian, religious group who shook a lot during prayers (purveyors of tasty hot cereal?). Quakers objected to this unseemly perpetuation of social hierarchy, so they began to use thee/thou indiscriminately. In response, Non-Quakers decided to drop thee/thou altogether for fear of being mistaken for one of those crazies.
So basically, formal/informal speech died because it became “uncool”. Nice.
Not Impressed...okay maybe a little
3. Australia and America
PC and I hail from fiercely democratic societies. I really enjoy comparing the evolution of our nations. I love saying that we’re from the “New World”… it’s so much cooler. I often take for granted how revolutionary and frightening democracy appeared to 18th century Europeans.
Yet, despite beginning as forward thinking democracies, both Australia and the US retain these weird ties to that old world of nobility.
For example:
Did anyone catch this quote from Sheldon off the Big Bang Theory? “In the South, pre-adolescent children are forced through a process called Cotillion, which indoctrinates them with all the social graces and dance skills needed to function in eighteenth century Vienna.” So True. Seriously, why?
Of course, Australia is a member of that Commonwealth thing where they remain ceremonially tied to the English monarchy, and take a day off for the Queen’s birthday. ok…
Koala come to Los Angeles?
Anyways, I’m just left wondering what place does all this royalty, nobility, aristocracy crap have in our world today?
Seeing as how Prague is less than 4 hours from Munich, it was high time that PC and I paid it a visit. So, we jumped in the mini and spent an amazing couple of days in the Czech Republic.
side note: The trip to Prague took a little longer than 4 hours due to a certain male counterpart realizing that he had forgotten his passport an hour into the drive. silly silly.
Arriving in Bohemia, we checked into our floating hotel on the Vlatva river, and marveled at this beautiful city.
Our Botel. Seriously it was pretty classy.
Prague has been called the “City of a Thousand Spires”, and from above you are certainly dazzled by it’s graceful skyline. However, from street level, you are similarly stunned by the beautiful art nouveau architecture adorning an astonishing number of its buildings. You can easily forget that this place was brutally conquered by Nazis, oppressed under Communism and is still asserting itself as an independent nation.
After a quick pick me up from Starbucks, we walked to the Old Towne Center to see the famous Astrological Clock.
We then strolled on down to Wenceslas Square. Good Ol’ King Wenceslas of Christmas Carol fame is the patron saint of Prague. This square has hosted demonstrations, gatherings, meetings and revolutions for Czechs. By the way, the Czechs definitely win for the coolest revolution name. The Velvet Revolution. sexy.
National Museum and St. Wenceslas on Horseback
Whilst walking around Prague, this bank caught PC’s eye. Really? Is that the best title they could come up with? MoneyBank…nice.
Speaking of money, even though Prague is a member of the EU, they still use their own currency. We could not recall the name of their money, so PC dubbed it “Prahgees”. I think it’s sounds better than Koruna.
After our walking tour, we decided to spend a few Prahgees on a nice dinner on our botel.
Kicking Back with Pilsner Urquells (NOT Stella)
We also had to investigate the original Budweiser. I’m not informed regarding the Czech Budweiser vs. US Budweiser dispute, but I will rule in favor of Budweiser Budvar on the count of taste. At night, the city uses strategically placed spotlights on its most important buildings. It’s such a small thing, but it makes a beautiful and dramatic difference. The city remains serene and romantic to casual dawdlers, while it also accommodates wild party-goers seeking out Absinth and five-story clubs.
beautiful
The next morning, we wanted to tour the massive Prague Castle complex.
the castle complex from across the river
We decided to cross the tourist laden Charles Bridge.
trying to avoid the loud Americans
First stop inside the castle was St. Vitus Cathedral.
Beyond the striking Gothic exterior, the cathedral also houses vibrant stained glass, including a famous piece art nouveau piece by Alphonse Mucha.
Art Nouveau by Mucha
Needing sustenance, we searched for a restaurant with a view. We were not disappointed.
Happy To Be Eating in the Sun
For dessert, we indulged in Trdelník, a traditional, cylindrical pastry.
noms
We toured the Lobkowicz Palace. This was incredible, and I cannot recommend it more vigorously. Entry includes a fantastic and essential audio tour. Basically, this palace belongs to the Lobkowicz family, a royal Czech family dating back to the 14th Century.
excuse the weird face, just wanted a picture to explain the palace, and no photography was allowed inside
Anyways, the family has twice had to flee and forfeit possession of it’s incredible collections and property. First with the Nazis, and second with the Communists. The Lobkowicz’s fled to America in 1948, but returned in 1990 when the Communist rule had ended.
At this point, William Lobkowicz, this guy who was born and bred in Massachusetts suddenly finds himself filing paperwork and launching legal proceedings to reclaim over ten castles and palaces, among the thousands of incredible collections his illustrious family had owned. This includes original manuscripts from Beethoven and Mozart, paintings, weapons and lots of other cool stuff.
Obviously, the family has long since possessed the kind of income that the Princes of Bohemia had in the past, so the restitution of the family’s treasures is an ongoing and costly struggle. The collection was astounding, and the family story is fascinating. I could go on and on, but if you’d like to know more about the Lobkowicz family you can visit this site.
Yup pretty awesome tour
On our last day, we saw a few other cool sites like the Fred and Ginger building.
I'm doing an interperative dance like the building
We also made time for some pedal boat action on the river. PC’s long frame made pedaling a little difficult without massive shin bruising. However, it was still a relaxing and tranquil break from the cobblestones.
Lookin Cool
It was difficult to say goodbye to this city.
Oh quick shout out to my sister who graduated from Pepperdine University yesterday!
Easter break is over, sending me back to the classroom, but I’ll be reminiscing about this trip for awhile.
Casa Incognita 