Where have I been?

Sorry it has been so long! Get on me and say 'write, boy, write!'
   Well the apartment we were supposed to move into did not work out. Two weeks before we move in, my wifes friends roommate decided she was not going to move. That had us back in the countryside! I was thrilled actually. I got to get wood from the forest, a couple tons. It was a great bonding time with my father in law, a very interesting man. I also chopped a lot of logs. It made my body stronger and my spirit sharper. I learned how to use a scythe and really enjoyed the rhythm of the blade to the grass. I love working with the land, makes me feel human. We found a great apartment on the ground floor with a workshop and private garden included! It could not be more ideal. The neighborhood is close to friends and it is in flux with new dwellings going in and seems to be waiting for a snap of creativity. We had a little dewallpapering party. we found nearly one hundred years of wall paper on the walls. I am finally done and have moved onto plastering the walls. I have never done this before and enjoy it, speed and patience.
   I am very thankful to be surrounded by people who really do care for me. I had people tell me that Germans are rude and cold. This is not true at all. They just do not have time or patience for bullshit conversations and relationships. It is quite refreshing. I am feeling isolated though. I need to go to language class and complete my integration courses. This would help me so much. I am very embarrassed I only speak English, and feel like I am the stereotypical idiot American because of it. Even the German I know is hard to use. It is like my lack of confidence is shutting down my brain. Steve without confidence, now that's something. Worried I am getting depressed so it is time to focus on having fun. Do not worry though, I am a very emotional creature. This too shall pass.
   I am so proud of my fellow Americans right now. The Occupy movement is wonderful. I have followed it from the beginning and have been enthralled with the solidarity surrounding it. I even went to my first German protest, Occupy Hannover! It was great to see a global movement from a global perspective. The whole world is not only watching, but participating. I came here looking for this Americans dream. I am the 99%.

A place to dwell.

The neighborhood we wanted to live in is where we are going, Linden. Half a block from the strip, one block from a park, short walk to the garden. Seems idyllic for an urban German home. We came into the place through a long time friend of the wife. I think there are a couple things an American should know about German apartments. The first being, the second floor is really the third. As in Germans call the first floor 'parterre', it's french. It means 'ground level', OK? So that means, stairs. More stairs in 6 months than the average American sees in their life time. I have finally gotten an opponent for my beer gut. The other thing is that Germans usually carry their kitchens with them when they move. So there could very well be no sink, counter, stove, fridge or in the very least a dishwasher. The clothes washer is usually in the kitchen too, but you need your own. I have not seen a dryer here, they use these things called 'clothes lines'.  One other important thing to know is that when they say three 'rooms'. It means excluding the kitchen and bathroom there are three rooms not three bedrooms. Get it? Also expect stairs, and no elevator.
My wife got her old job back at the health food store she worked at when she met me. This was also a super great bonus on top of the apartment, in one day. Now I have to find a job without knowing German. There are a few places where English is the only language spoken, mostly English pubs. I am sure I have ran bigger joints but I would even wash dishes to get my ass in the door. Not to worry about me learning German, I have to go to 600 hours of instruction. Plus 200 hours of culture class. That is 6 months for 5-6 hours a day. If i can not learn to express complex ideas by then, I am not as smart as I think.
Car free livin'! I like to ride a bike, the kind with pedals. I lived without a car in Seattle, Portland and now Hannover. I like it, a lot. Cars are not the apex of human achievement. Yet, I digress. I really want one of the cool trailers I have seen. They look like a cargo trailer for a bike. I would like a black one please. I have day dreamed of getting wood from the urban forest and hauling it by bike to the garden for our firepit. It could happen. I finally walked through some of the urban forest. It was a good cool walk on a sunny day. We ended our forest walk at one of the coolest playgrounds, ever. I think I have finally been to one that can challenge, kamalani, at lydgate on Kaua'i. I am very excited to go back soon.

Hannover!

OK so I got a good feel for my new home. It is my wifeypoos' hometown and it is beautiful. At first I saw busy streets, a dirty red light district, and a seemingly unfriendly street that should become the center of my street life, according to the love of my life. Then I saw the tree covered paths full of happy families and quiet neighborhoods. I meet friends of wife who have known her before her first breaths. I quickly learned to love my new home, like in a day. Perhaps it was the highly decorated ladies I meet on a walk. They looked like drag queens from afar, yet up close their white paint obviously concealed real ladies. Perhaps it was when they asked to marry me that I finally felt at home. (I said yes!) The graffiti is awesome here. Seems to be a flurry of wheat pasting right now. Not much in the way of installations so, I am inspired to make great new guerrilla art with a new friend I have met. Already planning some fun things. Keep you posted! Well perhaps it was when there was a food fight on a bridge between to 'hoods that I decided this town was cooler than I first thought. I left Portland, which is the coolest (debatable) town in the States, so I need fun things to do dammit!
I have found some things here pretty interesting, like how cheap organic food is. Really, how inexpensive everything is. Really good beer is a euro a bottle, pot is cheaper, and baby stuff is more affordable. Rent is, after Hawai'i, laughably cheap. That's right, Europe has a better cost to standard of living ratio. All taxes are included. Food and books at 7%, other goods at 19%. Even with a 19% tax stuff, like good bikes, is still cheaper than the states. Suck it, free market nazis.
I also joined a garden group. There are these gardens dating from ww2. individuals rent them for like 40 euros a month. the size is bigger than the average american yard. It is like a neighborhood of little hobbit cabins and gardens. I am excited to get my hands dirty and malama me some aina. I am even more excited to learn the strange heirloom varieties here. Not to mention being able to get timber from Europe's largest urban forest for my firepit. bbq on sundays!

Facing My Future

So, where were we? Oh yah, that cool sticker that says I get to live and work in Germany. It was painless and priceless. Anyone who has legally immigrated to the States can attest to the hoops one jumps through and how much it costs. My wifes was not very special, if you do not cout the love at first sight, lets get married super bad ass romantic part. We are still madly in love and living it. Never had something so strong in my life. Back to the story. I recently went a road trip to Potsdam with a friend. On the ride I saw many more big windmills. There are thousands here. After the ongoing Fukushima disaster started Germany has opted to phase out nuclear power. They are gonna need more windmills. There is also a planned biomass generator being planed for the area that I am currently in. The Germans are world leaders in renewable energy. I am glad to witness this alternative to my Texas refinery town upbringing. The future has no bad odors and you can see stars! We passed the border of what was east and west. A dark spectre of a sniper tower surrounded by its cold towers of flood lights oozed oppression into the very air. I can not imagine what it must have been like not so long ago, the stasi, the isolation, the uniformity, the cold. It was a monument of intolerance, power and control such as the US-Mexico border, the Israeli apartheid wall, and the DMZ. A blight upon humanity that must be remembered, forgiven and dismantled. As we passed into east Germany some things changed. Just have to look. Like, at the trees. The mixed forest of the west gave way to mono cultures of some reddish conifer. Eerily, commonly, the only tree in the forest within view. Stark and uniform. Some villagers placed carts of fruits and vegetables at the end of driveway with honor boxes. That was new. The older houses were more in a state of disrepair. The newer houses were pretty much a like, with windows in the same place and the same size on the same road. A lot like an American suburb of mc mansions, just commie like. But in all, pretty and exotic to this wide eyed kid. We rounded the corner and arrived in Potsdam, next to Berlin. The town has great graffiti, and beautiful streets of homes. With somewhat whimsical architectural features and soft pleasing colors it was the grandest city I have been in. (I don't travel much, apparently.) I was with my friend because I was to help load kitchen counters. It was on the fourth floor and no elevators. I think the stairs and walking is one of the reasons Germans seem healthier. Stairs, lots of them. After the stairs, we went to see a 'castle'. So we walked into this beautiful park and it was very picturesque with swans and all! When we made a forced left, I saw one of the oddest things in my life. A big colorful spiraling roof with a gilded statue supported by round marble building surrounded by an amazing array of gilded staues the size of a man. I had never seen such a display of wealth. It was a 'teahouse'. I was thoroughly impressed.  We walked towards the palace through one of nicest gardens I have ever experienced. Along the promenade there were hundreds of marble statues. A huge fountain was in what was something of a legion of high art. It was the view from the Palace. I have never seen such a grand building and I stared at it like some slack jawed yokel. I was in shock I think. After walking around we headed for some lunch. Chantrells. The desired fungus of the northwest! They are great on pizza. On a later day I went to hunt some in the forest with some ladies I love, good times. After lunch we drove to zegg. Zegg is a experimental spiritual healing center. Yup, hippies. It has many buildings. Including a restaurant, pub, coffee shop and house for making love. We had a beer and I saw the things one would expect to see. Like group hugs, a celebratory picture to post online of a group of powered off cell phones, naked people, the blissed out stares. They reminded me of the trustafarians of Kaua'i. They just had more workshops and infrastructure. It was built on the site of an old stasi camp. The stasi were the 'secret' police force that 'disappered' folks in the DDR. It did not have a creepy vibe though. Probably to much enthusiastic love making to bring one down.
Tangent time! 'native American shaman'. Ok, I get that people over here have a very romantic image of indigenous people, especially the 'indiana'. I get people find the religious traditions of Europe a bit heavy. So make up your own! Like huna in Hawai'i. There are very few native people in the states who are 'healers' in their native community. They spend their time in their communities. They are not going to come to bless a hippie heaven. Granted there may be some folks here with native ancestry. Yet a healer is tied to their community. The tradition is tied to the community. That tradition is tied to land. There is no such thing as 'native american spirituality' it is a blend of the known parts of many cultures with fantasy mixed in. A cornucopia of culture vulture bullshit. It would be like saying 'European food' and implying it was all the same. Sure some people want a spiritual connection to things around them, but damn, don't steal. Stop romanticizing indigenous people, it denies the reality of the situation. I am done now. Soon Hannover. 

# I went to Potsdam with my Mother in law. Just me and her. I had a great time and enjoyed it all. I was not going to give much personal info about people in my life, but she wondererd why I did not say I took the trip with her. New to this whole sharing my life with people on the internet and taking it slowly.

Immigration.

I did it! It took one hour. I am now a resident of Germany. It also cost nothing. Nada, not one cent. First we went to register our temporary address and were treated great, one could even say welcomed. The residency procedure was very easy. I was not asked any questions and they would answer mine. I can work now, too! My child, and all children in germany, recieve 200 euros a month from the state. Health insurance is about 50 euros a month!
In the states my wife had medical exams, finger printing and retnal scans. Twice! It took a lawyer and thousands of dollars plus a wait time of two years. It took 180 days for a work permit. She was treated like a criminal. She was not allowed food assistance when I lost my job, nor could she access health care once she was no longer pregnant. It was a cold and dehumanizing process. It was absolutly refreshing to experience this.
On another not so great note, confederate flags. WTF! I never liked them and hate what it represents. Don't try to white wash it either, cracker. Only whites with racist tendacies can fly that flag with pride. Perhaps it is because the swastika is outlawed. I guess I need to take up graffiti again. It was at the rockabilly (?!) bar, and one other bar here in Hildesheim, where my mother in law lives. This greasy headed boy could accept it in Texas. I refuse to here. Pictures soon.
If something is misspelled, sorry no english on this computer!

The Flight.

So we got out of the house and stayed at our friends house for a few days to avoid our psychotic landlord. (long story) We arrive at the airport about 9:30 and go through the dehumanizing ordeal that is TSA just like everyone in the states. Gotta take my shoes off because of some British guy who forgot his lighter, how dumb. The flight to Denver was pretty mellow because the baby slept. Denver has smoking lounges for those smokers out there! The wait for the plane to Germany was long and accentuated with baby tantrums. We were sitting apart and the super awesome people at Lufthansa impressed the hell out of me. They got us sitting together and I am really thankful for that. It would have been a special place in hell if we had the be separated. BTW Airlines in the states are bullshit. It is like going to reform school. With Lufthansa we were provided a bassinet for the baby and offered wine and beer. Free drinks, snacks and food all with a genuine smile. Good livin. Just one draw back, that my sweet little baby cold not sleep and that means momma and daddy didn't sleep for 24 hours. Outside of that, all good. It was something else to see Ireland from the sky. The land division was like a patchwork of green field after greener field. Not in grids and circles like in the States. Just an endless field of human endeavour punctuated by hills and mountains of green trees. A view I will never forget. We flew over a cloudy Scotland then saw the European mainland waking to a lovely morning. There were a lot of smallish mines on the way to Frankfurt. It was also great to see how the different cultures have implemented land division through the visual tapestry of agriculture, forests and clusters of humanity. Then I did it. I set my feet in a foreign country for the first time. A country that is to be my home. Brave? Stupid? Only time will tell. We then got on the bus to the terminal to go through customs. Now what should I expect? I got my passport stamped and that was it. Not a single question, no douche bag with a gun looking at me like I am a criminal. Then we exited international arrivals and had to go through security again. I got to keep my shoes on this time. No crotch shot xray machines. It seemed more of an inconvenience than a security check point. Truthfully I am more likely to drown in my bath than be the victim of a terrorist attack. I have never been scared of terrorists, just rich white guys. Then back to waiting for a plane while sipping a great espresso machiato. Made the connection and arrived in Hannover to a warm greeting by my wifes awesome friends and family. I hope they like me.

Before the Move

In January 2011 I happily lost my job in Portland Oregon. My German wife and I talked about moving to Germany and being the adventurous soul I am we decided to do it. So now for the easy part, getting my passport. I went to the post office gave them my original birth certificate and paid my fee just like a normal person would do. About six later I received a letter asking me to complete a ''supplemental worksheet''. In truth it was ''worksheets''. I had to provide every address I ever lived at, every job I ever had, every school I ever attended, info on my family members and other interesting things like a baptism date. This was not easy and included a bit of my soul, like when I lived in a domestic violence shelter and a period of homelessness. I also included an official unopened high school transcript, because it was the only official thing I had that was older then ten years.That's what they wanted, stuff at least 10 years old.  Then I got a letter thanking me for the damn fine summary of my life. Yet, they also said that since my school records photo was obscured they needed more information! Everything had to be at least 7 years old. Not even the accountants keep stuff on file that long. I had a friend of mine photocopy my high school yearbooks and send it to me. I also included my oldest childs' birth certificate and my marriage certificate. Then the bastards finally gave me my passport. Talk about a hassle for my rightful document. During all this we packed up what belongings we were taking with us. Some things we shipped from Portland and are due to arrive in Hamburg some time in the future. We took what we believed we would need in the next eight weeks as luggage on the plane, A mere five bags. In preparation for the journey i had to drink lots of great northwest beer by the fire with my closest friends. I think saying bye and 'see you later' to people I love was the hardest thing. There is a such a sense of uncertainty in an international move. The jury is still out if this has been the right choice for this trip has been full of sacrifice and heartache, but filled with promises of a brighter and stable future.