Skip to main content

I've infiltrated ur family and I'm stealin' ur parentz



Happy Birthday, Andre!



Yet another friend of mine has joined the "Late-20s" Club...and not just any friend, but one of my bestest friends...my Non-Sensual Existence Companion...and I said it before and I'll say it again, chil'rens...the Turk to my JD. I wish him the best a man can get*.

To celebrate the occasion, Andre's dad (Papa Schmidt) came up from Dortmund this weekend. I love this guy. He reminds me of my own pops, minus the heavy artillery. I vote that we invite him to Hamburg for Christmas Taco Time**.

Papa Schmidt gave me a bunch of ADAC (German AAA) maps of the United States. Why?! No friggin clue, but it was so cute***. When he spoke to me, he always made sure that enunciated his words ve-ry clear-ly.

Last but not least, this evening he provided me with the most hilarious commentary on American child-naming practices that I've ever heard:

Papa S: So your name -- Raven -- does it have a particular meaning?
Me: Well, in German it's der Rabe.
Papa S: No, I mean aside from that...
Me: (looking clueless)
Papa S: I was just wondering if there was another meaning. I mean in Germany, people aren't named after objects or places or animals like that. The Standesamt (registry office) wouldn't allow it. It's like if I were to give my child the name Gartenzaun (garden fence) or Knopf (button). Or a city...like Dortmund.

It was precious, really, even though I didn't mention that there's gotta be at least a few unfortunate souls in the U.S. with the name Button or Buttons...

and we didn't even get around to debating his son's "3rd first name".

------------------
*= That's right...more cowbell
**= This suggestion was vetoed before I even hit 'Publish Post'
***= Seriously, how did Papa Schmidt know that I used to collect (National Geographic) maps? I really did, I shit you not.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Best Taco Bell in Germany

 Last weekend, I crossed off a major item on my bucket list. I went to Taco Bell in Germany. "But Raven, shouldn't you aspire to better, healthier things that have a measurable positive impact on society?" I know that's what you're thinking, but I don't really give a crap... because you are not the boss of me.  I wanted Taco Bell, because it's probably the one thing from back at home that I crave the most. Say what you want about it (again, I don't give a crap), but get at me when you've spent years away from your homeland and are unable to acquire whatever nasty-ass comfort food is available wherever you're from. For me, my nasty-ass comfort food of choice is Taco Bell...with Sonic a close second. However, you can't even find Sonic all over the U.S. and I don't find myself craving burgers and hot dogs all the time (plus, those urges are a lot easier to satisfy than a craving for Mexican or Tex-mex).
3 comments
More crap »

The One Who Got Away (Part 6): PLOT TWIST

Quick Translation: This confirms that German citizenship will not be opposed, if within two years it can be verified that the aforementioned person no longer possesses citizenship for Trinidad and Tobago e   and/or has fulfilled the requirements for the loss of this citizenship and that nothing has happened in the meantime, which would forbid naturalization.  I almost forgot what it felt like to receive a industrial size dose of 100% homegrown German bureaucratic pedantry. Luckily, the German authorities will never leave you too long without a fix. You can count on that. As you can see from the picture above (and from my previous posts), Trinidad and Tobago e  had only been mentioned once in passing up until now, when I finalized my application and paid the fee. Mr. S: Your mother was naturalized in the U.S. after you were born? Me: Yes, but she never applied for Trinidadian citizenship for me, which would have had to have been done by my 18th birthday....
Post a Comment
More crap »

Saturday Night Videos 5

Lately I've taken to supporting artists via crowd-sourcing sites and the like. I recently touched on that a bit in the last show regarding Chali 2na's Against the Current project. Personally, I think it's an easy/convenient way to support indie artists -- particularly, if you like good music and if you're kinda low on funds yourself. Sometimes there a (reasonable) minimum donation amount to get some new music. Sometimes it's a "pay what you can/want". A few months ago, while perusing The A.V. Club, I read about Rhymesayer artist P.O.S. and how he had to cancel a tour due to medical issues - specifically, because he needs a kidney transplant . Then later - via Facebook posts from other artists - I found out about the fundraiser set up to raise money for his transplant and medical bills. If there's one thing that I learned while living with my ex-ex-ex-roommate, it's that musicians can often be pretty fucked when it comes to medical emergencies. A...
Post a Comment
More crap »