What I’m Avoiding
Friday’s show went well! My opinion: I did a nice job on the songs I picked (Desperado and Tennessee Tobacco), and a so-so job on the shows I didn’t pick (probably because I had very little practice on them). All three members of the trio were great…though of course I’m a particular fan of the bass player.
BLEH. Packing is always stupid, but especially when you don’t know where you’re moving to. Or who’s picking you up at the airport, for that matter. In five days I will hop on a plane to Berlin (well, with a layover or two). In the meantime, I have to figure out what to bring with me. And though I’d like to think I have a lack of regard for material things, I’m feeling irritatingly distraught over what to leave behind. Specifically:
Printer/Scanner: So, this fine website your eyes are resting on? In order to put comics on it, I need a scanner. I made do without my own over fall semester by using those in the library or media basement, but…do German universities offer the same? Do they have public scanners for students? If so, how often are they available? I would just like to buy one. But: if I buy an American printer online, I would need a European adapter. (I already bought the ritzy-looking computer adapter that mac offers, so the laptop’s covered.) I browsed some German printer/scanners, and the brands are the same as the US and still connect via USB port, so I’m thinking I’ll just buy one of those when I get there (bonus: no waiting for shipping). But what if the German printer is incompatible with my U.S. laptop? Is that likely? DUURRR.
Speaking of Adapters: What’s with this Class I/Class II shit? An adapter package I looked at informed me that items belonging to the easy class, Class II, include hair dryers and straighteners. Cool, awesome, those two things are so totally vital to my life. Oh wait no FUCK THAT. What I actually need to know about is scanners and battery-chargers. I’m so annoyed with this adapter shit that I think I’m just going to side step it completely, with a German printer/scanner and constant buying of non-rechargeable batteries for all my battery-operated needs (ahem).
Cellphone: My cell phone is staying behind. After calling T-Mobile and talking with an idiotic (though extremely chipper) woman on the phone for about 20 minutes, I deduced that T-Mobile has no helpful, cost-effective plan for those leaving the country. I’m tempted to just say “fuck cellphones” and go without for the whole trip, but something tells me that such an anti-social move would not be wise for someone like me. So instead I’m planning to look into those prepaid-minutes cellphones. That should help me contact potential German friends. As for you U.S. friends, let’s just stick to the internet.
Guitar: This one breaks my heart. I have never thought of myself as a musician by any stretch. However, I fiddle with my guitar at least five days a week. It is an oh-so-happy hobby, and a hard one to think of shutting off completely for the next six months. I’m hoping to find a cheap little acoustic somewhere over there, but I don’t know the wheres and hows yet, so it’s stressing me out.
Then there are stupid little vanities like floor-length mirrors, which of course I don’t NEED, but do make use of when they are available. I will also be doing without my external hard drive (i.e. several seasons of Buffy), which means I’m gonna try to email important files/comics to myself so I won’t lose them if the laptop dies.
OH GOD I’M SUCH AN AMERICAN WHY AM I SO BURDENED BY CRAP.
But then it’s not so bad to be an American right now.
January 19th, 2009 at 10:48 am
I’m still up in the air about Esperanto, but if someone could find it in their hearts to mandate universal electrical plugs I’d be all for it. Stupid differences! I hate…difference. Ack. On the plus side, you get to Europe three days after Barackaration, so at least you don’t have to worry about constantly being asked to explain and make excuses for your government. Huzzah!
Speaking of things European, when are you returning stateside? Aliya and I are making plans for kicking it on the continent in May. Iif you’re still there, we should rendezvous.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
ATHENA!!!
First of all, I am distraught that I must now wait much longer for actionathena updates!
As someone who is already in Europe, I have some suggestions:
Europe is not so backwards as to not have a scanner…there might be a fee or something but I definitely would not lug one.
adapter: the adapter i have is Royal Traveller by Samsonite and it is a 1600 watt converter. My parents got it at radioshack I think. Also, you can buy converters in Europe (more expensive, of course)
as far as cell phones go: go to piccell.com (that’s what I have) and that should help. otherwise, prepaid phones are pretty easy here. YOU NEED TO HAVE A PHONE WHEN I COME TO BERLIN she declared selfishly.
If your apartment is anything like mine, it is completely decked out (many full length mirrors and sheets and towels and a full set of kitchen supplies).
I HOPE THIS HELPS A LITTLE BIT!!!!
I WILL SEE YOU IN A FEW WEEKS!!!!!!!!! GOOD LUCKKKKKK
January 20th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Sarah, thanks much for the advice. Hopefully I’ll figure out all this crap without too much mayhem.
Elizabeth, WOAH. I will TOTALLY still be there in May. In fact, I’m planning to stay there till mid July, since that’s how long the program will pay for me. I don’t know exactly about my housing yet, but it’s likely you and Aliya would be able to crash on my couch if you came to visit…which would be AWESOME. Let’s hope this awesomeness works out!!
January 20th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Athena: I found when I went to Paris that a lot of electronic devices will automatically switch themselves to whichever current. I forget how I found this out and which devices did this, I think it was almost all of them, so all I ended up needing was the plug adapter and not the current converter.
Lizz: Esperanto is a stupid, stupid language.
Athena: I miss you. I will visit you and we will get beers this Summer!
January 20th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Goldfeather: no worries about Action Athena, I intend to keep my update schedule come hell or highwater.
Chris: You forget which devices did that, wow how helpful. And why did you capitalize “Summer”? Is it an extra-special summer?? I think the only conclusion here is that you’re stupid.
PS I miss you too.