It's been awhile!!

So its been awhile since I updated this! Right then what have I been doing? Well for the Bank Holiday I went to Kerry to visit people and I came home no longer single! (Yes I know I haven't told you mum, but I have now!) Had a great laugh in the Brandon Hotel. Have pics up over on Picasa Webs

From October Bank holiday 2008 - Kerry

From October Bank holiday 2008 - Kerry

I have also been on Mid-term from College so have no classes in the last week but back to it tomorrow night!

Halloween was great fun. I went to Rubies as a Knight and came 3rd! Wooooooo! :D

From Halloween 2008

From Halloween 2008

More over on Picasa Webs

Goldsoundz - Amazing Picture!

So I went to Goldsoundz the other week and had my picture taken at it and I must say I love the picture! Its really classy!



I love the picture, it looks really cool! New profile picture I think!

Last 9 days...

Yikes, we are down to single digits! So I leave next friday at 15:25 from Köln Hauptbahnof for Amsterdam. I am all excited and sad at the same time, like I was before I cam here. I am of course going to miss all my friends here who have made my time here to enjoyable and am having going away drinks on Friday in Jamesons Bar, on Frisen STR at 9:00pm.

Im going to miss alot of things about Germany. The people, the language (surprisingly), the night life, the reliable public transport, the bakeries (yum...), Döner places and the cheap cost of living.

There are other things I wont miss, sundays with nothing open, expensive Irish Bars and hangovers from strong German drinks and German Customer Service.

As you can see I'm going to miss more things then not.

I am looking forward to going home, but I have to find a Job when I get there, so this blog may end up detailing that as well!

I do plan on returning to Germany, especially if I get my preferred course in College (Applied German and IT), so that will have be back here! If not I'll be back here for Karneval anyway!!!!!

Oh its another lovely day here, and I'm hiding in the basements, as I got sunburnt yesterday.... My knees of all places...

Any have a nice day!

Tschüs!
Steve

Warning: Erdbeerbowle

Traditional German drinks are potent! This is a warning. I was given Erdbeerbowle, a strawberry version of Maibowle which is made with Melon. God, one sip and I could feel the alcohol. The bits of strawberry actually fizzed on my tongue! But this afternnon when I emerged, I was so hungover! I actually looked pale which takes alot for me!!!

So be warned!

(by the way, it was free and put in front of me thats why i drank it!)

Less then two weeks left

So less then two weeks left and I nearly committed murder during the week! The boys were really acting up on Tuesday and Wednesday, but they have calmed now. We were fighting like Cats and Dogs. Me being stubborn though did not give in! As thursday was a Bank Holiday they had a sports thing so that allowed them cool off away from me as I stayed at home. So all is well!

I didnt go out for Tanz in den Mai as I bought my ticket for Amsterdam. I dont get how I can travel to Amsterdam from Cologne for 40€ yet in Ireland its 70€ for Cork to Dublin. I dont understand it at all!

Im getting that mixed feeling about going home. I am looking forward to seeing all my friends there at home but I will miss my friends here. The one thing thats helping is I get to see Amsterdam on the way home. We are going to Anne Franks house, so that will be well worth it!

Having leaving drinks on Friday, will post details when I have decided what Im doing!

Tanz in Den Mai

Tanz in Den Mai is another excuse for the Germans to party. It means to dance in the May. It normally involves people going out on April 30th and dancing beyond midnight. Unfortunately for me, this year its on a Wednesday which means if I do go out, I have to get up early on Thursday. I am still debating it, though I should make up my mind soon. We'll see, I'll probably end up going out as their is a big party in Alter Wassel under the Bahnhof.

When the language barrier gets annoying

Last night I went to a club/bar thing that I go to alot as its closing at the end of the month :( But something happened last night thats really annoying. While walking with my drink, some idiot raised his elbow, hit my glass and it hit my lip. My lip was pumping, in two places, so I ran to the toiletten, were the bathroom attendant started shouting at me in German! I retaliated by shouting that I didnt speak German (in English to annoy her!) eventually she got kitchen role for me.

Last night kind of hit it home to me though. If I am to come back to Germany, which I do plan to do, I'd want to be bloody fluent in the language.

I'm all right now btw (no need to ring mum!)

TT Notice Board: Merries and Juno

TT goes to the Merries/FunFair/Carnival/Whatever you want to call it! Tonight! Meeting at Heumarkt 19:30. Thread

Cinema trip on Easter Monday (24th) to see 'Juno' (YAY!) at Metropolis at 19:55. Meeting at 19:30. Thread

Girls Night (+Me) next Satuday 29th! Meeting at platform 4 at the Kölnarena U-Bahn station at 18:30, then onto a Russian Bar for food and drink! :D Thread

Come along if you speak English and are in Cologne (or surrounding area!)

Photo's from Paddy's Day

So I promised these on Monday, I know im sorry! I only uploaded them to facebook yesterday. Heres a few of the pics and the link below will bring you to the facebook album!





Yes, my hair was green. Facebook Paddy's Day Album

Lá Fheile Padraig Sona Duit

Yes, I know, I am an hour early but feck it. I wont have time to blog tomorrow until tomorrow evening when my Öster holidays start! Woooo!

But anyway happy St Paddy's Day everyone. Have a great day. I did my celebrating yesterday (and drowning sorrows over the rugby game!). More on that and pictures tomorrow! I promise!

TT Köln Noticeboard: Upcoming TT Events

Heres a few events planned in Köln.

Well theres Birthday drinks tonight! Happy Brithday Cyn (might go to this if I remain awake!)

On Saturtday, 8th March, there is a meetup in the Corkonian @ 7:30pm If I am awake after the rugby, I will go to it!

We are also passing round ideas for Paddy's Day , on the 15th of March (also final day of 6 Nations!) Nothing confirmed yet, though will probably go out for England v Ireland @15:00

TT Köln Noticeboard: Kino Trip Sun 24th Feb

Me and the TT gang are off to see Sweeny Todd in the Metropolis on Ebartplatz. Dont worry it will be in English. If interested we are meeting at 17:15 CET outside the cinema!

I am definatley the TT Noticeboard for Köln! :P

I dont know where this is going...

Well the mother was on to me asking whats happening to the blog and basically everything has lost its newness here and is rather mundane. Tomorrow might be different though. The boys have a day off! I am currently racking my brains for an idea of what to do.... Suggestions welcome!!! I hope it is a nice day.

The weather at the moment is freezing! This morning was the warmest since the start of the week. Its was 2 degrees! It was -4 yesterday so I'm happy with +2!

My nationality was called into question alot at the weekend. People thought I was Dutch and Iranian! Thats another two long ones to add to the list of countries people think I'm from! Probably could make a map!

The gig the other night was fantastic and the meal and the company (the TT crowd) was suberb!

This whole not drinking thing isnt working. On Thursday I agreed at late notice to go to a multi-cultural meetup with my 'Girlfriend' more on that later...., but anyway, being the creature of habit I am, while waiting for the tram, I bought a bought a bottle of Kölsch! Forgetting totally I am off drink... so instead I am cutting down. I now only drink Dreckseck and cola, no vodka, jagear etc etc. Oh Dreckseck is Kölsch mixed with cola.

So the 'Girlfriend' thing... this is funny... myself and one of the TT girls, who is french but studied in Ireland and gets and Irish accent when she talks to me, is often mistaken for my 'Girlfriend'. It happened firstly over my facebook pic >>>
but it happened Thursday night also! We are thinking of getting T-Shirts printed any ideas on what they should say??

Okay I ended up saying more then I though I would. Right to this weekend is Sports weekend for me! Yay! On saturday we have all sides in action in the Rugby 6 Nations!

• 15:00 GMT (16:00 CET) Wales v Italy, Millennium Stadium,


• 17:00 GMT (18:00 CET) Ireland v Scotland, Croke Park,


• 21:00 CET (20:00 GMT) France v England, Stade de France,

Then on Sunday Night (more like Monday morning) you have Klitschko vs. Ibragimov in a Boxing Unification match. Its on at 4:30am here, but I will endevour to try and stay up. Needless to say I don'T think Ill be going out this weekend, maybe Friday???

Right I think thats it for now!

Tschüss!
Steve

ValentinsTag Anti-dote

Okay so get over the ValentinsTag (Valentines Day) blues, my self and a few TT'rs are going out to drown our sorrows (I'm off the drink, I know but I might make an exception!). We are meeting at rudolfplatz starbucks and going for Mexican! yay!

We are doing a kinda secret santa where everyone brings a box of chocolate and we exchange em! It will be nice! (Note to self get a box of chocolates!)

Then its on to Jameson's on Friesen Str to see the Afflicted. Should be good fun!

God I think I'm becoming the TT notice board for Köln!

Karneval: photos

Okay so i finally uplodaed photos from Karneval.

Weiberfastnacht, Thursday 31st of January
Karneval Samstag, Saturday 2nd of February
Rosemontag Part 1, Monday 4th of February
Rosenmontag Part 2, Monday 4th of February

I could write all day about what happened at Karneval but I think the pictures tell the story. I did take videos but I have no software that I can understand to edit it, so will have to wait till Im back in Ireland for them!

Needless to say I WILL be back for Karneval. It was crazy different and exciting. I met people from all over the world (Ukraine to Canada!) and have made good friends.

Anyone who says the Irish are crazy has not been to Köln for Karneval!!!

Karneval! This blog(ger?) may suffer....

So its two sleeps to the start of Karneval im all excited!! Its going to be great fun and I am full of plans, none of which are confirmed cause people seams to be chopping and changing what they are doing.

I got the final bits for my costume today so I am all sorted on that front. Over the weekend I was told if you step outside your door over Karneval and you are not dressed up it is you who will stick out!!!!

I got to sleep in today and it was great. I basically have a day off as the father is home but the mother is working. One of the boys is at a birthday party the other is at music lessons so its an easy day for me.

Now the other half of the blog title. I kinda started two new series of posts over of my political blog (where the spelling is better according to my Mum!). One on the Treaty of Lisbon, the other on German Politcs. Have a sconce if you are anyway interested!

Touristy things and whats happening this weekend

Hallo!!! My german is improving slightly this week as I have started to make friends with a few of the Mothers on the School run and one of them only speaks german!!! So it must improve! The subjects I will be covering today are (I feel like a newsreporter or teacher writing that!): My Tourist Day, This Weekend, Packages from Home, Shopping (Again!), Photos (Finally) and an Update on life with the Boys. Sounds interesting (and long!) eh? Lets get to it then!

My Tourist Day

Yesterday after dropping the Kids to schoola nd waiting for a bit I wander off into Köln to do a bit of tourist things, sucj as going to the Dom and buying small presents and things (My mother collects spoons, you know the ones!) I basically wondered around the side streets and I found some interesting places which I counldnt read the signs! I found what looked liked a building built over ruins, it was strange see the pic below


This Weekend

For a change I have a plan for this weekend! Tonight I am doing the usual and going to ExCorner to meet friends, but on saturday I have found the Köln equivilant to Freakscene!! (See Post) I am all excited and one of the girls from TT is coming with me! Yay!!

Packages from Home

Have I told ye how much I love (and miss) my mother? Well yesterday and unexpected package arrived for me. I recognised the writing straight off as being my mothers and I thought she had sent over post from home. I opened it up and there was a copy of The Pheonix in it! I love you Mum!!!!


Shopping (Again)
So while on my tourist day I started wondering in and out shops not buying much till I came to H&M. They had their final reductions on a lot of stuff and I picked up a nice hat and bracelet for a 1€ each! Alos went to the English Shop (Again) for those who are wondering this is what I normally buy in the English Shop

* The Gaurdain
* Mi Wadi (Blackcurrant)
* Dubliner Cheese
* Pop Tarts (Chocloate)
* Cadburys Instant Hot Chocolate (Not low fat, sorry Claire!)
* Cadburys Chocolate (Dairy Milk or buttons!)

Lol, a short list I know, might treat myself to a Hershey's bar in the future. I live on those when I was in the US.

Photos (Finally!)

So I finally got around to putting some photos up on Facebook!
Album 1
Album 2

Enjoy and leave comments! (On the photos and the blogs!)

Update on life with the Boys

So the boys have fully realised the amount of German I know and have taken to use it as a Secret language around me. They are not allowed to this this! The rule in the house if you are talking around or about me it has to be in English! Otherwise things are going well. The boys for the most part do what they are told and have taken to singing the songs I have thought them! yay! I am really enjoying working with the boys and though they fight (alot) I get on with them both, though the regular cry is "Its not Fair...!" Every parent knows that. The kids ahve taken to watching TV everynight now that they are back to school and we normally watch Jim Knopf and Pur+, nice programs which I might blog on later.

Karneval nearly sorted and an update!

Yesterday I went shopping with friends from Toytown Germany (TT in future) we had great fun shopping for costumes and getting bits and pieces.

Costume Shopping
So Saturday started off really early (and me majorly hungover) and we set out for a Karneval store on the outskirts of Köln (Near Ikea). It was huge!!!!! Never had I seen so many costumes. We were there for ages, it would take a good 1/2 an hour to walk around the store! I got loads of ideas for costumes! The boys got their costumes. One will be Robin Hood the other a Medieval Knight

That afternoon I went shopping with my TT friends and I got my costume. Im going as..... A Sailor! Woo! That costume was resonable prive being 30€ (I've taken to writing prices the German way!) In another store I tried on a Pirate costume, it was fantatsic but cost 121,95€!!!!! So I got a good deal!

English Shop
After that we went for a walk around for bits and pieces for costumes and just a general shop and had lunch (Burger King, I have loads of vouchers!!) Then we went to the English shop, which really should be called the American, English and Irish Shop! You name it from those country's they have it! :D So I picked up a few bits and pieces and am happy now! They also have a cool video library there which i will join next week I'd say!

Homesick no more
Despite a MSN converstion that nearly had me homesick again, I am over it and have devised the Stephen Spillane Cure For Homesickness. It consists of the following, 1 sweet cake of your choosing, 1 tube of pringles, 1 funny DVD (Ice Age 2 in my case) and relax while the kids are at school! Of course there is a surprise ingredient which is lovely phonecall from home! (Thanks Mum!!)

Karneval
So Karneval is getting nearer yay! It starts on the 31. Jan and Im all excited! I see more and more people dressed up! (I know i promised a Pic but i never have my cam with me!) I have figured out where I am watching the parade with TT friends on Rosenmontag and may be going out on the Saturday to Wolkenburg (TT LINK) for the Paprika Ball! It should be great fun!

Thats it for now I think!
Tscheuss!
Steve
xxx

The Second German Hangover :P

Its Saturday and its the day after the toytown meetup I mentioned yesterday! Whata fantatsic night it was! It was great to meet fellow auslanders! I am not going to mention names of who I met and what I thought of them, suffice to say everyone was lovely and welcoming and god can we talk shite (I know I can I am Irish!). I think a great night was had and definately friendships formed as we are going to the cinema tomorrow!

It was great not to have to talk in a German accent for a change though I kept slipping into it! So I have a German accent! yay! :D noone will understand em when I go home and everyone will think Im German!

Every time I go out now, I see more and more people dressed up for Karneval. I am going out again tonight and will try and get pictures so people will see what the costumes are like!

I am free at the moment arsing around as the boys have to gone to Essen, so its a nice break for me. So I am in the basement with my MP3 player and online! How bad!

So here is a list of bars I ahve been in and a quick rating out of ten

Corkonian 7/10
Jamesons 9/10
ExCorner 10/10
Ix Bar 5/10
Iron 8/10

So have loads more to try! :D

Thats all for now! Tscheuss!

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