Select and Connect!

For those of you who think that voting is as boring as filling in a bubble, let me introduce you to the ballot used by the non-state of Washington, DC:


That's right, to vote you connect the broken arrow pointing to the candidate of your choice. To use the catchy phrase: select and connect. Now it's no butterfly ballot, but certainly more fun than a scantron.

One Word:

October 3rd was Tag der Deutschen Einheit or The Day of German Unity. Every year a different city in Germany hosts a celebration in honor of the national holiday; this year was Hamburg's turn. A huge series of events were planned for the weekend in Speicherstadt and Hafen City (the area where I work; see entry below), including the 2008 Parcour World Championships. (Don't ask me what Parcour has to do with Germany's reunification, unless you want a bad analogy about scaling walls and overcoming obstacles.) It was probably cool, but the weather sucked and I opted to stay at home. (I know, I am lame.)

But I did make it out to 20up and East on Saturday night with Bettina, who skipped over to Hamburg while here in Germany. Here the spectacular view from -- you guessed it -- 20 stories up:


As you can see from this interior shot, the windows are monstrous.

And this is an interior of the trendy East hotel. It's a little too space agey for my taste, but I still dig it.

Important Trivia

Here's a little fact for ya:

Did you know that when you buy a loaf of bread at a supermarket here in Germany, it doesn't have any heels? I.e., it doesn't have the two end slices that nobody wants. It starts and ends with a "regular" slice:



Now that is important knowledge to have.

Just Another Day at the Office

I left work at about 7:30 pm the other day and was greeted by this view:

The cranes rose stoically into the gorgeous sky and despite all that they represent -- industry, progress, work -- it was incredibly peaceful. I looked to the right and saw an old bike against the railing and the historic church spires punctuating the sky line, underscoring the juxtaposition.

And to the left -- a modern, irregular-shaped building nudging up against an old warehouse.


I must say, my way to and from work is an ever-changing treat. As Europe's largest urban development project, Speicherstadt/Hafen City has such a unique energy and everyday I discover something new. Love it.

I don't really have anything new to report on, but I wanted to say hello.





Hello.

Fahrvergnuegen

I had my first mini car "accident" last week -- if you could even call it that. As I was pulling out of a narrow parking spot (so narrow I had to climb in the car from the passenger's seat), I brushed the parked car next to me. It was a very small nick, but to be on the safe side I called the police anyway. They were there in less than 10 minutes and, after scrutinizing my international driver's license, left a note on the damaged car. I then also left a note. Thankfully the owner is gracious enough to just forget the incident, especially since she couldn't even figure out where I had nicked her car (yes, it was that minor). So all is well and -- drivers beware -- I am back on the road again.