they just drove off and left it all behind them

filming in front of our house...

2007-08-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

"Buddenbrooks", will hit movie theaters in Germany in fall next year as far as ive heard.

On top

2007-08-19T23:37:00.000-07:00

My sister is building a new house. from the rooftop you have the most amazing view of the lake!

SISTER! BLOG!

2007-08-19T23:19:00.000-07:00

May 2nd, 2006, Chicago

April 1st, 2007, Hamburg

I just saw that my sister blog is on hiatus. this made me really sad, and I finally decided that its time to continue my own. it helps that i have a new camera after my old one died. and i hope that we'll soon both be blogging again!

LA

2006-09-20T03:38:00.000-07:00

thank you karyn and matt for having me :) it was fun to watch your synchronized newspaper reading in the morning, and talk about Hannah... german house is on the way!

Budapescht

2006-07-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

so my sister and i really tried to learn hungarian, but its a really difficult language! we did with a lot of effort learn how to say "i dont understand". very important i tell you. Its a beautiful city, kind of run-down, but building itself up again. there are construction sites everywhere. we found my lisa an absolutely gorgeous apartment (so jealous) andrelaxed other than that. if you eevr go to hungary, try not to go in summer. the heat is shocking!

a new family member

2006-07-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

her name is juli ( thats you-leee). shes the cutest, and still such a baby. when shes happy she pees all over the place hahaha...

snap shot

2006-07-20T00:39:00.000-07:00

doesnt this look just like one of those snap shots they have in Us Weekly and such magazines, of a famous actor or singer just walking out of a gym, or to their car, or from the grocery store... I always knew my sis had star qualities...

btw this was taken on one of my favorite parking lots in Cologne. Nice view, dont you think?

where we live...

2006-07-18T07:54:00.000-07:00

That hammock is one of the best mini vacations you can take. I do have to say that I missed our garden and our beautiful dogs...

a good deed :)

2006-07-17T01:48:00.000-07:00

My sis found sushi and udon for me in cologne ( and as you can see, for herself too :) )

only here...

2006-07-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

my favorite sunset in the world... u should see it, it takes hours :) imagine yourelf sitting at the lakeshore, a glass of wine in hand, picknick... sigh

Colors

2006-07-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

I will really miss the colors that were all over Germany, flags from all countries, people wearing jerseys in all kinds of color combinations... it was the coolest towards the end as a lot of people started wearing different flags and jerseys at the same time, and sported flags of two or more countries on their cars... color madness:)

Berlin today:

I dont even know what to think of the final match today, it was definitely very exciting, but what happened to Zizou? What a dramatic and shocking end...

Flaggen auf Halbmast...

2006-07-06T00:31:00.000-07:00

Germany is grieving..... i mean, i mean... oh, i cant even think about it. .

But our very creative fans are taking it with a surprising amount of humor and irony and have come up with a lot of new songs in an instant. Here are a couple of examples:

"Stuttgart! Stuttgart! Wir fahren nach Stuttgart!"
"Deutschland, du hast trotzdem gut gespielt, trotzdem gut gespielt, trotzdem gut gespielt!..."

It was good to see this game with thousands of others, because I never would have thought that everybody would still be happy, still be supportive, and still be partying. "Egal", what a fantastic word! Also, the line "Jetzt erstmal ein Tequila" as well as "Ist doch nurn Spiel!" have reached new dimensions of depth in my mind hahaha.

OK enough rambling and whining. Most Germany fans have changed theire support to "Allez les Bleus!" ( even though I wouldve loved to see Portugal score yesterday) and are excited about the "small final" in Stuttgart on saturday. Everybody is hoping that Jürgen Klinsmann will stay on as trainer ( YES! Please stay!)

Argentina - diplomatic fans :)

2006-07-05T23:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, this world cup is not good for my complexion hahaha. We were in tears when Argentina scored, jumping in the air when Klose scored the 1:1, and had heart attacks during the shoot out. Estimated age right now: 45. :) yay, we made it to semi finals!!! Im so happy!

Watching Germany play in Amsterdam...

2006-06-29T01:54:00.000-07:00

Do you see any crazy fans? Flags? Partyinge? No? well, yeah... no world cup craziness in Holland, and it was really hard to find a place to watch the game. And then we were kind of afraid to scream when Germany scored... hahaha. But Amsterdam is beautiful, and the people are really nice, such an amazing place...

Berlin

2006-06-23T01:47:00.000-07:00

berlin is so pretty now! And completely taken over by the world cup :) I hope ill be able to be there for the final...

Oh, and only in berlin do they have those trffic lights with the little guy with a hat on! He's so cool!

4 am

2006-06-23T01:42:00.000-07:00

On the road to Berlin in a huge truck loaded with old steel furniture... dont ask. :)

3:0

2006-06-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

It's the coolest when you can watch Germany win right by the beach... :)

Switzerland vs. Togo

2006-06-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

wow, its so different to watch a game at home than to actually go to the stadium and see it life!!! Lisa and I had so much fun! To watch 65000 people explode when theres a goal... priceless!! And Lisa and I bet, and she won! 36 Euros hahaha. From now on, were following her prognosis... ;)

Culinary Delights

2006-06-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

My sister told me that when she got back from hawaii she gained about 10 pounds because she was so shocked.. everything here tasted so good!!! Unprocessed food and freshly baked bread and so on... i have to say, i agree with her, my first currywurst at 2 am in the morning ( see picture) was almost unbearably good. you say it looks disgusting? not so! its one of the best things you will ever eat.. if youre into meat that is ( sorry Daffy ;))

and this is only the beginning...

2006-06-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

anybody that saw last nights game germany vs. poland will understand that i aged about 10 years while watching. OHMYGOD!! the chances germany had, and the polish goaly who was so horribly good! and than towards the end ballack totally missed his 2 (!) perfect chances for a goal. we thought all was lost ( me and the entire pub that is) when in the 90. (!!!!!!!) or was it the 91st? minute germany fianlly scored!

these are pictures from the streets in Lübeck after the game. yes, even in sleepy lübeck people were on the streets and partying, onw can only imagine how the other cities looked. and this is only the beginning...

if you dont like soccer, youll have to bear with me for the next coupld of weeks, because ill probably be all over it... :)

back here...

2006-06-15T06:32:00.000-07:00

Lübeck, as beautiful as it is, also has an average age of 60 and up for its population. :)

...you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave...

2006-06-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

I hope thats true. I'm back in Germany now, and I have no idea whats gonna happen. Wish me luck...

goodbye...

2006-06-08T06:20:00.000-07:00

I had these $5 shoes for at least 2 or 3 years. By the end, the cardboard soles were in pieces, the rubber was peeling of the bottom and the white color was more gray than white... its not that i didnt get new sneakers, I just loved these, I could never throw them away.

I wore them all the way from LA to new York, and took them back with me, now i guess ill finally have to let them go...

and here are the turtles... :)

2006-06-08T05:18:00.000-07:00

Big Island...Turtles and Volcanoes

2006-06-07T23:44:00.000-07:00

I dare to say that Big Island seemed to be the most interesting of the islands we saw. It was so rough, hardly any beaches ( except for one incredible white sand beach we had to cross a 3 mile lava field for), but active volcanoes, coral reefs, turtles, history and culture seemed most present here.

professional effort

2006-06-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

If you ignore the huge boards we're standing on, and the tiny waves behind us, we look almost cool... ;)

Maui... Survival Training

2006-06-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

Apart from the fact that I stocked up on sunburns and scrapes, cuts and bruises in Maui, the jungle, waterfalls and blacksandbeaches were worth driving 4 hours on a windy single lane street...almost :)

Oahu: where way too many people meet... :)

2006-06-06T02:36:00.000-07:00

I should have been warned when I realized that the trip my mom had booked was called "Pearls of the Pacifik"...Honolulu was somewhat of a shock. It has everything you could possibly wish for... on every corner of the street. Its still a nice city, if somewhat crowded, but once you leave it, this island is incredibly beautiful...

A short trip to Paradise....

2006-06-06T02:31:00.000-07:00

My mom and sister spent 2 wonderful weeks with me in Hawaii...

New York New York

2006-06-06T02:15:00.000-07:00

Having to walk to get to a place made me aware of challenges one does not take into account when going to an interview: for example, wind will tear hair around, and you will look like crap. You will walk far, so no high heels. you have to carry everything, so bring little. you are much slower, so bring time... and so on...

New York was beautiful, and I loved that I didnt get to do any touristy stuff. Made me see the place a little like I was almost living there... for three days at least. Many thanks to Taylor and his family :)

cheap advice...

2006-05-06T22:11:00.000-07:00

I had to ask for professional advice for my interviews in New York, didnt I? :)

Day 13 - A lesson in equality

2006-05-06T16:11:00.000-07:00

I swear this world would be a better place if everybody had to walk around in blue gift wrap all day long. How can you fight wars when everybody's outfit (including your own) puts a permanent grin on your face?

...losing my direction...

2006-05-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

Two weeks driving from hotel to hotel make a girl dizzy... they look all the same to me, maybe the bed covers have different 80s patterns on them... Mimi frequently has to pull me away from the wrong doors...

Day 12 - ...

2006-05-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

...I know that you'll hate me if I tell you that a photo just doesnt do it justice... but I really have nothin else to say... for now :)

The only beach they have here...

2006-05-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

Oh, and guess who else I found again...

Day 11 - Orchids and Butterflies...

2006-05-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, nothing is more scary than the slowmotion of a huge butterfly circling around you. They are so fragile that you are afraid of them touching you...

Day 10 - Back on the road...

2006-05-03T21:55:00.000-07:00

So... where exactly is the bible belt? Can someone explain that to me? Because there seem to be scary threatening signs everywhere...

Oh, and here's a German lesson, since I dont know the English word for that yellow stuff we drove by. In German it's called "Raps", and bees make the best honey from it... yum :)

Hidden

2006-05-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

Invisible during the day ( we tried for hours to find superman again during the day)... when those signs lit up at night it looked like we were in a different place...

Water and Beans

2006-05-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

Oooooh, Daph, you would LOVE the waterfront. it was so beautiful, especially at sunset...

And then Mimi tried the swing carousel for the first time! I love those, so much fun :)

Day 9 - Chicago my love

2006-05-03T20:10:00.000-07:00

I know I know i might be so smitten with this city because its the first I laid my eyes on after days of farmland and McDonalds, but I really love it! A 10$ elevator ride got us this beautiful view...

Day 8 - Towards the Windy City...

2006-05-02T08:57:00.000-07:00

Aaaah...city air, cars, smog, people screaming on the streets... civilization :) Chicago is beautiful, and being in a city again such a relief!

It's a bugpony!...or pony bug? Hm....

2006-05-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

Honoring Kristin's very impressive My little Pony collection. Many thanks for having us, and for the gateway pony :)

Day 7 - Iowa City: Races

2006-05-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

Now, I like this place! Bike races and Lilac , lots of crazy clouds and rain... it's just like home :)

Day 6 - Iowa: Learning to read...

2006-05-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

We learned today that sometimes its a good idea to read the graffiti on the wall BEFORE you take a picture of the "cool-looking abandoned gas station"... between that an Elvis walking past us at the other gas station ( i apologize for the blurriness of the picutre, Elvis was walking pretty fast) we were very happy to arrive at the house of one of Mimi's friends... somebody who knew how this state works! :)

My Model

2006-04-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

Introducing Miss Mimi, the star of about 90% of the pictures I take...

Day 5 - Part 2: Nebraska...cows and trees

2006-04-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

Wow, I took way too many pictures of nothing today... let me just say that Nebraska has plenty of two things: cows and trees... it was a looooong drive. We saw rainbows and sunsets, and a friendly police man who gave us a warning. What can I say, we were trying to speed things up a bit :)

Day 5 - Part 1: Estes Park

2006-04-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

No comment :)

On gas stations...

2006-04-28T01:08:00.000-07:00

It seems unavoidable on roadtrips to shoot gas stations. Not very interesting you say? Not so! We have seen some very nice (and very scary) ones, and I can barely keep myself from shooting a picture of the price boards here. The frustrated autodependent californian will scream in agony when he hears that prices here are at 2.79 for regular! ...

Day 4 - Colorado: ...where clouds that look like mountains are next to mountains anyway...

2006-04-28T00:09:00.000-07:00

From the garden of the gods to the rocky mountains we saw quite a lot of rocks today, and even broke our strict no-hiking-rule to see a beautiful view of that place they say is fit for the gods. We are staying at a house of one of Mimi's friends today, he took us on a tour around the rocky mountains and showed us beautiful lakes and lots of elk!

Unfortunately, my camera decided to die just as we entered the park, so Mimi had to be both our eyes. Go to her blog for more images...

From across the room...

2006-04-26T22:48:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering, yes, Mimi, my amazingly talented photographer friend who I happen to be on this journey with is taking some pictures too :) And you should look at what she uploads onto her blog sitting across from me while Im working on this little page...

Day 3 - Tigers and Printing Presses

2006-04-26T21:57:00.000-07:00

So, I learned today that Santa Fe has a printing press in the palace of the governor, and that once they know you like printmaking, you will be sent on a treasure hunt through the whole city and in the course of it meet a tone of very nice people and see galleries and presses and prints... what can i say, I was in heaven :) In case anyone decides to go to Santa Fe in August, Barry Moser will be there!

I see tigers everywhere these days, I guess Richard Parker is staying with me no matter what... Oh, and Miwako, I put a balcony picture in just for you :)

Day 2 - AAA Gems

2006-04-26T08:56:00.001-07:00

Lots of road. And more road. Paper mache dinosaurs. Crystal trees. Striped mountains. Sounds like a fairy tale...

Well, we decided pretty quickly that we love AAA and are only going to give sights the time of the day that have earned the AAA GEM. Oh, and make that sights you dont have to hike to... :)

Day 1 - Grand Canyon third time's the charm

2006-04-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

i can't believe we really left LA at 7 am. And I made it to the Grand Canyon at daylight for the first time. Amazing. And really cold there, i guess its still spring. Then we found out that Flagstaff has no food after 9pm, except a drive in hot dog house. Which was pretty good :)