Yesterday marked the final round in the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest. For those of you who aren't familiar with Eurovision, it's a contest that was originally started in the 1950s by a handful of western European countries, and has gradually expanded so that now basically every European country (and even some non-European countries, like Armenia, Israel, and Georgia) take part. Each country enters a song/singer and then the countries vote (you can even vote by text message--just like American Idol!). And the country with the most votes wins. Voting often goes along geopolitical boundaries (i.e. people often vote for the countries they like, not the songs or singers they like), and some countries have used the song contest for political purposes. For example, Ukraine's entry for Eurovision 2007 supposedly sang "Russia, goodbye" (The song was called "Dancing Lasha Tumbai"--apparently the Russians think "lasha tumbai" sounds like "Russia goodbye"...I still think it's nonsense. =P ) and Georgia's entry for 2009 sang "We don't wanna put in" ("We don't want a Putin"--get it?).
Well, this year, the voters decided they liked Germany the most (Tell you what, Germany: we vote you in number one in Eurovision, and you bail out the EU. Deal?), and voted Lena (not to be confused with Nena) and her song "Satellite" (we've moved passed the 99 red balloons; now we have actual satellites) to the top.
In case you wanted to see this award-winning performance, but missed the competitions, Eurovision posts videos to YouTube.
Here's Germany's song (Don't worry; it's not in German. It was actually written by Americans, and it's in English...which probably also explains both the annoying intonation of this girl when she sings and why she won. What can we say? Americans are just awesome when it comes to writing music):
And here's Lena's reaction after the competition (also in English, but at least her voice isn't quite as nasally here):
So congratulations to Germany on their win!
As to my own personal experiences during Eurovision, I totally forgot it was on...and even had I known it was going on, it's not like I could really watch it anyway, since I don't have a TV here. I would have had to go to a friend's or something. But either way, no one here in Giessen seemed too terribly excited about Germany's win. Sure, I saw a few more German flags than normal when walking to the Mensa today, but those flags have been out for a while now, and I figured they probably have more to do with soccer than with Eurovision. But I didn't see or hear any big celebrations yesterday or today--no cars honking, no drunk people singing the national anthem or anything like that. Maybe someone will mention something at the Landeskunde Aktuell class tomorrow. But other than that, it's just business as usual here in Giessen.
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official Eurovision website: http://www.eurovision.tv
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Jetzt ist Sommer
As I see the Facebook statuses of my friends update to tell about how they’re finally getting out of school for summer break (or in some cases, getting out of school for good and graduating) or how they’re spending their summer vacation, I get a bit jealous.
Firstly, because I’m still stuck going to classes…not that they’re extremely difficult classes. It’s just that I’m a Faulenzer.
And secondly, because as we move on into summer, I read more statuses about how the weather over there sucks and is rainy or something stupid like that. Which, if you’re only complaining about that once in a while, leads me to believe that normally the weather is, well, normal—sunny and warming up. And so when I come across one of those “Aw man, why is it raining today?” statuses, it makes me want to punch someone. You think having a couple rainy, cloudy, cool days here and there is bad? Try living with it FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS, jerks! Now I know why the cowboys sang about their home, where the skies are not cloudy all day—because having a home where the skies ARE cloudy all day is really friggin depressing.
Naturally, the Germans have learned to adapt to their habitat, and created a song that perfectly reflects their attitudes toward this crap they call “Sommer.” Take a look:
Here’s my attempt at a translation of the lyrics, for those of you who don’t know German:
Sunglasses on and off to the café,
Where I see pretty women on the street
Then plunge into the middle of the cold pool
And a caipirinha, pretty cool.
Suntan lotion on and down to the sunbathing lawn,
Where I lease a sunning bed for me and Lisa
We let ourselves go and we let ourselves burn
Everything else can wait a while.
And if nothing comes of it because it’s 7 degrees,
Then we’ll pour two sacks of sand in the bathroom.
On the radio they’re playing the summer hit,
We’re singing along in the bathtub:
Now it’s summer, no matter if you sweat or freeze,
Summer is what happens in your head,
It’s summer, I’ve made it clear:
Summer is when you laugh anyway.
Sunroof down, and into the convertible
I don’t really have one, but that’s ok.
Because the fun fades away quickly,
If it only stays in the garage the whole summer.
Sometimes when I see the weather,
I get fantasies of violence, and the weather girl
Would be the first victim of my aggression [No wonder Hitler snapped! It’s this damn weather! ;) ]
Though I know: What good would it do
If one took her word and forced her,
To jump in a bikini into the North Sea
I’d rather make my own weather situation,
When I again and again say:
Now it’s summer, no matter if you sweat or freeze,
Summer is what happens in your head,
It’s summer, I’ve made it clear:
Summer is when you laugh anyway.
I’m mad, when someone steals my bike.
I’m mad, when someone smacks me in the face.
I’m mad, when someone steals my dream woman,
And lies with this woman on my towel by the pool.
Otherwise, I take everything fairly easily,
Because I’m mentally mighty
I just press the little green button,
And the sun comes on in my head:
Now it’s summer, no matter if you sweat or freeze,
Summer is what happens in your head,
It’s summer! Off to the rubber boat—
Winter is now on house ban.
To hell with the weather, no matter if one freezes:
Summer is what happens in your head.
Firstly, because I’m still stuck going to classes…not that they’re extremely difficult classes. It’s just that I’m a Faulenzer.
And secondly, because as we move on into summer, I read more statuses about how the weather over there sucks and is rainy or something stupid like that. Which, if you’re only complaining about that once in a while, leads me to believe that normally the weather is, well, normal—sunny and warming up. And so when I come across one of those “Aw man, why is it raining today?” statuses, it makes me want to punch someone. You think having a couple rainy, cloudy, cool days here and there is bad? Try living with it FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS, jerks! Now I know why the cowboys sang about their home, where the skies are not cloudy all day—because having a home where the skies ARE cloudy all day is really friggin depressing.
Naturally, the Germans have learned to adapt to their habitat, and created a song that perfectly reflects their attitudes toward this crap they call “Sommer.” Take a look:
Here’s my attempt at a translation of the lyrics, for those of you who don’t know German:
Sunglasses on and off to the café,
Where I see pretty women on the street
Then plunge into the middle of the cold pool
And a caipirinha, pretty cool.
Suntan lotion on and down to the sunbathing lawn,
Where I lease a sunning bed for me and Lisa
We let ourselves go and we let ourselves burn
Everything else can wait a while.
And if nothing comes of it because it’s 7 degrees,
Then we’ll pour two sacks of sand in the bathroom.
On the radio they’re playing the summer hit,
We’re singing along in the bathtub:
Now it’s summer, no matter if you sweat or freeze,
Summer is what happens in your head,
It’s summer, I’ve made it clear:
Summer is when you laugh anyway.
Sunroof down, and into the convertible
I don’t really have one, but that’s ok.
Because the fun fades away quickly,
If it only stays in the garage the whole summer.
Sometimes when I see the weather,
I get fantasies of violence, and the weather girl
Would be the first victim of my aggression [No wonder Hitler snapped! It’s this damn weather! ;) ]
Though I know: What good would it do
If one took her word and forced her,
To jump in a bikini into the North Sea
I’d rather make my own weather situation,
When I again and again say:
Now it’s summer, no matter if you sweat or freeze,
Summer is what happens in your head,
It’s summer, I’ve made it clear:
Summer is when you laugh anyway.
I’m mad, when someone steals my bike.
I’m mad, when someone smacks me in the face.
I’m mad, when someone steals my dream woman,
And lies with this woman on my towel by the pool.
Otherwise, I take everything fairly easily,
Because I’m mentally mighty
I just press the little green button,
And the sun comes on in my head:
Now it’s summer, no matter if you sweat or freeze,
Summer is what happens in your head,
It’s summer! Off to the rubber boat—
Winter is now on house ban.
To hell with the weather, no matter if one freezes:
Summer is what happens in your head.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Long time, no post
Tut mir leid, dear readers, that I haven't written in over a month. A bad combination of illness, busyness, and pure laziness prevented me from writing. My bad.
Firstly, I had a presentation about the Berlin Blockade and Airlift, and I spent a good week preparing for that. It turned out well, though. The teacher really seemed to like it, anyway.
The next week, I got lazy.
The week after that, I got sick with a cold. Damn the rainy, cold German springs! And later that week, I had yet another presentation. This one didn't go as well, because it was a big, information-filled topic--the foreign policy, economic policies, and building up of the army in the Nazi era. We wound up speaking for almost an hour in a presentation that was only supposed to last 20 minutes. And no one seemed quite as enthusiastic as in the first presentation we did. But with that done, I was much happier.
The week after that, I got lazy again...
Which brings us to the present day. So, I think some updates are in order.
A few weeks ago, I returned to Marburg. This time, no pseudo-police tried to get our IDs. And I got to see a lot more of the town, since it was day. I also took another day-trip on another weekend. We went to Cologne, or as it's known in German, "Köln." The trip to Cologne was highlighted by a trip to the big, beautiful, old cathedral and, of course, the chocolate museum, where you can get free chocolate samples--any kid's dream.
Firstly, I had a presentation about the Berlin Blockade and Airlift, and I spent a good week preparing for that. It turned out well, though. The teacher really seemed to like it, anyway.
The next week, I got lazy.
The week after that, I got sick with a cold. Damn the rainy, cold German springs! And later that week, I had yet another presentation. This one didn't go as well, because it was a big, information-filled topic--the foreign policy, economic policies, and building up of the army in the Nazi era. We wound up speaking for almost an hour in a presentation that was only supposed to last 20 minutes. And no one seemed quite as enthusiastic as in the first presentation we did. But with that done, I was much happier.
The week after that, I got lazy again...
Which brings us to the present day. So, I think some updates are in order.
A few weeks ago, I returned to Marburg. This time, no pseudo-police tried to get our IDs. And I got to see a lot more of the town, since it was day. I also took another day-trip on another weekend. We went to Cologne, or as it's known in German, "Köln." The trip to Cologne was highlighted by a trip to the big, beautiful, old cathedral and, of course, the chocolate museum, where you can get free chocolate samples--any kid's dream.
Marburg, Frankfurt and Giessen ain't got nothin on Cologne and its chocolate museum.
And the Cologne Cathedral ain't bad either.
For more pictures of Cologne, click here.
For pictures of Marburg, click here.
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