Neuro What?

I like it like that.

2006-08-31T22:00:49Z

Just letting y'all know that I'm probably not going to update this anymore, since my life is exciting enough what with the New Yorker profile and the four-piece series in Seattle Metropolitan magazine (check it out starting in October, the articles on Gay Cookery). So, I wish you all the best, and let's get together for Bellinis at my new favorite bar, the Applebee's bar in Kirkland. xo

Canada has a birthday, right?

2006-07-01T21:48:28Z

Okay, just to start, some of the apostrophes might not show up. I only say this because I am, yes, a perfectionist.

Again, long time since I blogged, and if it did matter, I apologize. As things for school have started to overwhelm my already busy schedule, and I don't have Internet at home (and when I do get to the Internet, I'm too impatient to actually write anything), there are several variables getting in the way of my actually informing anyone as to what is happening out here.

Things are good, and I have some good news to report. A large paper I've been writing for a class on developmental language disorders is about half way done, and the due date is just under two weeks away. Granted, in writing this blog I am not putting any time into actually writing the paper. So be it.

In other news, I've joined a Finnish-language conversation group that meets once a week for an hour and a half. To practice, I should write that previous sentence in Finnish, but since I have at least one Finnish reader (at least on occasion), maybe I shouldn't. I'm diligently studying up on my grammar and my vocabulary, and I even purchased a Finnish newspaper (Helsingin Sanomat) to practice, as well as to translate a bit and get my skills up on idiomatic Finnish usage. Interestingly, the three little articles I chose randomly to translate were about murder; one about a body having been found, one about a murder of a high-level official in Sri Lanka, and the third about a man's sentencing in having dismembered a woman in Sweden. Scandinavia: Not just for tourism, also for fear.

And anything else? The weather is still nice, and not as humid as it had been. That nice dry heat that reminds me of Ellensburg. Professors from Groningen are coming to Berlin on Monday to meet with us and the resident professors here in Potsdam, as well we can chat with them about our theses. Important, since I'm about to receive in the mail a spontaneous language sample from a Finnish university. Get this: They only have longhand copies, no computer database, and the samples are from the eighties. Luckily language evolution happens on a much longer time frame. Hmm, only funny to me?

On that old MySpace thing (don't ask), a friend left a comment about a lyric running through her head one morning: "The temperature's rising and my feet on the floor, the cup of water is half-empty". If you know what that means, either you hate me or I owe you five dollars. What did we charge for that thing?

I did attend one of the World Cup games, Germany v. Argentina, but I had to leave early to catch a concert at Haus der Kultur der Welt of two Brazilian groups (got in free; many thanks to Kiki). Walking to the HKW, Francesco and I heard the fireworks start, and saw the celebrations of the police officers listening to portable radios in their paddywagons. Although I must admit, I identified immediately with the one policewoman in her own little wagon, having nothing to do with the revelry going on around her, reading a book or doing sudoku or something.

The concerts were great. I miss live Brazilian music. First, a trio from Rio who performed instrumental dance, choro, etc. Then last a percussion trio who had these home-made percussion instruments made out of pot lids, PVC pipe, dripping water, old guitars played with a cello bow, a whistle squeeze toy thing, all kinds of crazy stuff. At first I was a little wary, but the show turned out to be fantastic.

Lastly, I have gotten word from Michele, and surprisingly my Mom (so kind to notice!) via The Everett Herald that my favorite band, or one of three favorite bands, has disbanded. Sleater-Kinney, a trio originally from Olympia formed in 1995 or so, who moved to Portland several years back. It doesn't matter if the split is amicable or not (which I imagine it is), because since they are one of my favorite bands, that’s another I have to add to list of bands who have gone separate ways in the past several years that I love. Unwound, LIARS (who rebanded, and their sound is unfamiliar, though I love it), The Sundays (gone? dead? disappeared? lost?), and others I can’t recall right now (mostly because a list is better, and maybe that's it, I don't know). I did see S-K perform in Berlin in May, thank Heavens, and it's so ridiculous. I had the opportunity to shout, "Janet Weiss is the hottest drummer ever!", like I normally do, the crowd had fallen utterly silent, so silent that the guitarist Carrie Brownstein even remarked about it, but I had forgotten. And when I realized my great mistake, it was too late, no silence ever befell upon the crowd again. I can always shout that at a Quasi show (in which Janet is the drummer with her ex-husband of all people), but that would seem inappropriate. Smaller audience and different music. Also, only like Quasi from afar. I'd be lying.

So, RIP Sleater-Kinney.

I’m in a state of shock, needless to say.

I have to go.

Laura and Katie, at the EMCL picnic.

Sharon and Sophie.

Me, Laura, and Katie.

Madeline, Laura, and David.

Madeline, being extra happy, and Laura.

Michael and Katie.

I've got the flower.

Philip and Katie, who now has the flower.

If you can see it, the ghost player at the Ping Pong Bar.

Ching Wen, Sharon, Bianca, and Madeline, enjoying the World Cup match.

Me enjoying the World Cup match.

The trio at the HKW concert.

Kiki and me.

Has it been a month yet?

2006-06-18T21:22:44Z

Things are good. No one probably read this anymore since I haven't cried, "wolf," in a while. Sorry.

Lots of schoolwork, papers, presentations, and outdoor picnics enjoying the sun. No pictures because I'm lazy, no more good news because I'm even lazier. Hey, I'm working on my memoir, just read that when it comes out. And no, don't wait for paperback! If it doesn't sell in hardback, Penguin won't pick it up. For everyone who buys a copy, I'll make you dinner. All at once.

Today's question: What's "Peking Duck" called in Peking? Just, "duck"?

The new Berlin

2006-05-27T11:41:32Z

Yesterday, Francesco and I did some shopping at a CD store, browsed for clothes, had a drink at the Weinerei, then ate Indian where a rude server gave me bitter Indian coffee. Then, we took the train toward the Central train station, which was being inaugurated in a big party and outdoor thing. I didn't imagine it would that big of a deal, but soon we were in a long line of people walking from Friedrichstraße to the Hauptbahnhof grounds. They had lights, live music, and a total throng of people; reminded me of Bumbershoot, but without drum circles. It was raining a bit, so people wouldn't put their umbrellas down, at least until the fireworks display began.

The construction and inauguration of the Hauptbahnhof (= Central Station) is significant because it was built along the line of the former Berlin Wall, and represents a symbolic and concrete reunification of the two former halves. So it was like being at the fall of the Berlin Wall a little bit; but since society is so jaded, most people just held up their cameras, their video apparati, and their cellies to take pictures without really watching what was happening.

And I did, too!

It was really amazing, though, at least if you acknowledged the context of the inauguration. The tiny little sad part is that I think some trains that are currently stopping at Zoologischer Garten (my train station) are going to shift to Hauptbahnhof at some point. Oh, well. Here here to reunification. I have some stills, and at the bottom of this post, I posted some video clips I took of the firework show (8.9 MB), and although the audio isn't great, the music they did play was pretty cool. Some East Berlin rock, a bit of the "Ode To Joy" portion of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (which I learned is also the European Union "anthem"), and then it ended with Tchaikovsky. Hmm, a nod to tsarist Russia? You can look, but you can't touch, Putin.

Lights.

Me & Francesco

The throng!

For Momma.

And a couple nights ago, Francesco and I went to this lesbian bar in Friedrichshain where a French guy cuts your hair and you pay what you want. Pretty swell, and here are some shots.

I hope this link to the video works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKhjq1BXEYU

America in Berlin.

2006-05-26T09:57:19Z

So, I go to Sleater-Kinney last night at Maria at I would say that easily 2 out of every 3 people were native English-speakers, probably expats coming to see one of their favorite stateside bands. I chatted briefly with someone from DC while waiting for the band and I heard lots of English in the foyer. I felt so stupid. There was a period of total quiet between songs, a quiet that guitarist Carrie Brownstein even had to remark about, and that would have been the perfect moment to shout what I shout at every concert: "Janet Weiss is the hottest drummer ever!" I didn't even think about at that moment; I had earlier and I certainly had later, but there was never another quiet moment in which to shout anything. Alas.

I have to write papers today, and prepare a presentation. Tonight a bit of shopping with Francesco, tomorrow more writing (I suppose), and perhaps a night out sometime. I'm bored with dancing; I'd rather just see more live shows.

Yep, that's it. Check out one of those crazy bloggers who post every ten minutes about five paragraphs. Read the blogs of my friends (except those in Finnish and German, unless of course you understand those languages), they're more entertaining!

xo

The birthday.

2006-05-20T17:54:46Z

What a fantastic birthday I had. I am truly touched by both my friends back home and my new friends, my colleagues in my Master's program. Thank you to everyone who sent/gave messages, gifts, well wishes, and congratulations for me making it to my 29th year. Not that we were worried or anything, but yikes: That's just one year behind the big three-zero.

On the birthday, 16 of us went to a wonderful sushi dinner at Kotobuki, just next to Hackescher Markt in Mitte, and we sampled our fair share of tasty little nigiri, maki, soups, and sake. After that, we went to Pfefferberg, a beer garden in Prenzlauer Berg, and met with Kiki and her friend Sophie, as well as Francesco, but the place was closing down. So we take a tram up the street to Scotch & Sofa, a cute little bar whose basement level was completely empty (and much cooler than the ground floor), so we took that over for some drinks and chatter. After that, five of us went to Berlin Hilton at Neue Berliner Initiative (NBI), and danced for a while. Unfortunately, my favorite DJ ever ever right now was in Argentina reading translations of his poetry (right, who is this guy?), but the other resident DJ wasn't too bad. I just didn't get any Lés Georges Leningrad for my birthday, but that's alright.

I'm keeping these blogs pretty light on the text since you've heard enough about school this, school that. So, onto the pictures:

Stella, Madeleine, Tenia, and Ricardo.

Anand, a bit of Laura, and Katie.

Sharon, Ching Wen, Stella, Madeleine, Tenia, Ricardo, and just some of Chandra.

Laura, David, Alicia, Philip (with Michael behind him), and Katie.

Sophie and Anand.

Laura, David, and Alicia.

Most of everyone at dinner.

These pictures are dark, because they were flashless in Scotch & Sofa, and since you've got names, I'll forego them.

Only a little late.

2006-05-16T17:24:47Z

So I guess I don't have nearly as many pictures as I thought. So, I'll run through them, then tell you a little more.

Me and Tatiana, at school.

Madeleine and Stella at Tenia's birthday dinner party.

Madeleine, Pedro, and Alicia at a Mayday picnic in Kreuzberg (Berlin).

Madeleine and Laura, at WM Bar. (I guess I love Madeleine this month.)

Madeleine, Jochen (as Jesus at the Last Supper), and Laura.

Philip and Katie.

Stella, Laura, and Madeleine.

Marina and Tomas, at Greek Easter dinner hosted by Karen.

Karen, their upstairs roommate (hey, I knew the name weeks ago), and Kiki.

Personnel: Karen and Kiki are friends I know from the woman I live with, Marina is Karen's sister, Tomas is their friend, Jochen is a new friend I've met through MySpace, Philip is a PhD student in our program (and lecturer as well), Alicia is Laura's friend, and Pedro was visiting from Groningen. Everyone else is in the program. Did I miss anyone?

Tomorrow is the 29th birthday. Yes, of me. My birthday (and hopefully yours as well) is the best day of the year. There is absolutely no way I can be sad on my birthday. Always happy, the entire day! Although I do have class early in the morning and all throughout the day, here are the plans I'm looking forward to:

8 o'clock sushi with about 14 of my closest friends, then 10 at the beer garden followed by dancing all night at NBI. Since I don't have class until three the following day, I am going to be in good shape. Well, I do have cleaning at Noon and then a phone call to Finland to make related to my aphasia study at 1:30, but I'll be okay.

I don't really have any words of wisdom as of late, so I'm sorry if these blog posts are so uninformative. I see other people making long posts everyday, linking to their other LiveJournal friends, adding pictures and links and videos. I'd comment that they have way too much time on their hands, but in truth, I'm spending some time over at MySpace, so I won't really say anything about that. I'm excited that I'm getting work done on my aphasia paper. I've located the Finland Institute in town, and performed my study on three native Finnish speakers, and then they referred me to a list of Finnish students who are in Berlin, and I've gotten about eight to nine replies from them. It's fantastic! I will actually have enough control participants. Although they are pretty confused about what I need them to do (just to repeat and complete Finnish sentences, very easy for a "normal" speaker), but I'm glad they're willing to help. The Finnish people are known to be a little reserved, and not so interested in performing on cue, so I thank them in bunches.

Okay, I'm out.

Bad Jason, bad Jason!

2006-05-13T15:26:06Z

I know, it seems as if I've fallen off the face of the Earth. I did, sort of. And before the Earth tips over again, I'm just letting you know that I will, tomorrow, tell you all about everything that's happening at this very moment. I can't do it now, because I'm on my way to a picnic with some friends I've made in town, and that is THE thing to do on a nice Saturday afternoon. Sadly, after five straight days of 70+ degree weather (22+ for the Celsiïtes), it's a bit grey right now. But still, the picnic must go on!

We're also one to two hours away from Poland, and our train card gets us all around Brandenburg, so we might Saturday in Poland one day. Although I hear the only thing to do across the border is get cheap cigarettes. Hmm, sounds like duty free in Canada! Just like home. But thanks to everyone who's left messages, I've read them, and I will respond in kind. (To my anonymous resident of room number seven: Your use of the word, "philistine", is inspiring, to say the least. Du bist meine Sternstuppe.)

xo,
./..j

Mayday

2006-05-01T23:29:17Z

There was the fear of riots in the street in Berlin for Mayday today, which is a springboard holiday for anti-fascist and anti-capitalist parades, demos, concerts and of course, tear gas, rocks and violence. Last night, I caught the start of some of the potential rioting, but it was mostly people standing around waiting for something to happen. The police did some formations, there were spotlights from helicopters, and they were closing off streets. Seemed a bit composed, since everyone expected the riots at some point, like theatre. The weekend was a bit long and taxing, and I just don't have the energy to type it all out, or even upload photographs, so this is all you get. Sometime this week I'll tell more. Thanks for checking in anyway.

What, are those leaves?

2006-04-22T19:08:03Z

I was sitting on the balcony, and suddenly, I noticed that every tree in my neighboorhood is in bloom. It's fascinating, I didn't notice before, maybe they all sprouted last night. The weather is warmer, picnic season is upon us! Even the breeze is treating us nicely, instead of the horrid cold wind that seemed to never give up. Finally, the endless cold has broken.

We had a week of German language and culture classes, which I'll just say were, okay. Not the teacher's fault (a lovely young student who herself was conscripted to the task, not necessarily by her own desire). But I already know the numbers in German. In fact, a German colleague told me she couldn't hear an English accent. Whoo-hoo! Now, just to cram some vocabulary into that German syntax matrix I've been working on. Until then, it's pidgin German.

I wandered through Tiergarten, Berlin's Central Park equivalent, and then visited the remainder of the Berlin Wall in Potsdamer Platz. It's very hard to describe the scene there. You'll send down below, it's just several segments with accompanying historical text and photographs. I really recommend looking into the history of the Wall, understanding its context and what has become of the psychology behind the Wall since it came down. It's terrifying to imagine that on Midnight, August 13, 1961, whatever side of the Wall you were on is where you stayed. Granted, the concrete wall we imagine didn't go up for some time, but the tanks and the fence were there. There are palpable fragments of the Wall around the city, either in the mindset of Berliners or in the reactions to its demolition. There are still truly West Berliners and East Berliners. Then a couple pictures of us having drinks. Okay, there we go.

A view of the Spree, the central river, near my place.

View of the Siegessäule down the Straße des 17. Juni. Fernsehturm in the left background.

Lake in Tiergarten.

Rower in the Tiergarten.

Siegessäule and some sculptures.

More Tiergarten.

Portion of the remaining wall, in Potzdamer Platz. This is the Eastern side, light on the graffiti.

Berlin Wall pieces, all that's left.

Detail of the Wall, Western side.

Close-up of graphic from wall display. Shows the demolition of a church to make way for the death zone, and refugees from the East climbing through windows to get to the West.

Sign once present to show the departure from the West.

Wall detail.

Close-up on wall portion with graphic of Rosa Luxemburg at the top.

Original path of the Wall, currently cutting across a street. This cobblestone boundary will eventually cover the entire Wall's former route.

Stella, Katie, Marina, Arnold, and Karen.

Laura, Kiki, me, and Stella.

Weekend in Berlin.

2006-04-17T16:09:09Z

As with Michele, I have not been posting all that frequently, because instead of sitting at the computer, I'm out there seeing what Berlin has to offer. I've never been in such a position to have to select from such a wide variety of things to do (and invariably do none of them), but I have been out seeing some great things and places. Most notably was last night, a solo dance performance by Tomi Paasonen, a Finnish émigré who choreographed and styled his performance, a dance interpretation of schizophrenia and dissociate identity disorder. Before you start screaming, "Pretense!", just hear me out. He started in the audience, spending about ten minutes verbally explaining the choreography that was to follow, to himself no doubt. At first, the audience of seasoned art-veterans were tense, trying to feel out Paasonen. But as he continued, his interpretation of what was clearly a debilitation disorder became light, amusing, and almost cute. He moved to the stage, treating the audience as a master would teach his students, and the recorded voices and music begin, and he goes through the jerky moves he had choreographed, sometimes epileptic, but always with a flow from pose to pose. Slowly, a previously recorded reel of this scene is broadcast on plastic ceiling-to-floor sheets; I wondered if this served a double purpose. For instance, it fulfills the idea of the dissociate, multiple identities of the schizophrene, but also proves to the audience that Paasonen is not just making up jerks and stops at random. Just wonderful. At the end, Paasonen left and then a recorded montage played against the same plastic, and slowly we realized that it was us, entering the theatre. I guess without having been there, this seems orchestrated and predictable; that's at fault of my description. It was effective; you could see the audience stammering in, putting on their face for an unfamiliar crowd, a face that most of us do not have with those with whom we are familiar. Watching that was descriptive and telling. But, I got there toward the end; I wasn't filmed. No problem there.

So, pictures.

Street art in Kreuzberg, the former American portion of West Berlin (I only say that since on the map, it seems like it would have been East Berlin)

Publicity stunt at the Berlin Opera House. I assume these aren't real musicians. Take it from me, we're frightened of heights.

Karen and Anya at a Russian dinner party, chez moi.

All of us after the dinner.

Cool little sign structure at Kafe der Republik.

Blue-lit display outside Dock 11, where I saw the dance piece.

Pictures and the bus.

2006-04-11T01:01:41Z

Still loving Berlin, in case you're counting. Went out with "everyone" (shorthand for anyone in the program, even if it's all of us or just a few. This will save you time.). But then stayed out rather late with Michael and Henrik, two people who are tandem partners for us, and then had to take the bus home. The undergound and city trains stop running on the weekdays at around 12:30, so it took just shy over an hour to get home. Probably the distance of 10 kilometers? Maybe less? At any rate, I'm going to stay out on weekdays as little as possible, because I hate riding a drunk bus and you know, when you live in a city with subways, the bus is just trashy.

And there are pictures as well: I've made a dump site with a little commentary. LiveJournal isn't good with links, so click and paste and go there now: share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AcuWbRq1cOXng

Tchuß!

Oops, I did it again.

2006-04-07T19:43:42Z

I moved to a city I love and I can never move back home. Bad news. As well, the German keyboards are a little switched around for me, so I'm going to make this brief. More later, when I don't have to pay for it.

This city is amazing, my apartment is incredible, the mere prospect of living here for the next four (or possibly more) months is ridiculously exciting. There will be plenty of pictures to come, think next week.

Monday is a meeting with all the students, then a week until class begins. I can't even begin to describe how cool this place is going to be. I am a block away from my subway stop. And the sushi? Right, it's going to be hard to get on that plane and leave. I have made connections with a few people in town that I'll start to work out in the next couple weeks. Sorry Groningen, you have been replaced.

Speaking of replaced, the 'z' and 'y' keys are reversed on the German keyboards. And the apostrophe is a caps key, the question mark is way up in a new key, and I keep hitting the 'ö' and 'ä' keys. Not the worst part of the trip. Well, considering how much I love this place, yes, the keyboard is by far the worst part about Germany.

And just wandering the former East Berlin (I live in West) is astonishing. To imagine what 9 November, 1989, was like, when the rush of easterners flooded the city. I am blessed to be able to witness at least a small part of the on-going rebuilding and reanalysis the city is undertaking. This is the new New York.

Just in case.

2006-04-01T17:42:08Z

I had this information on the old blog, so in case you have no intention of taking a look at that, then you'll need this:

Jason Rudd
c/o G Buschmann
Wiclefstr 3
10551 Berlin
GERMANY / DEUTSCHLAND / SAKSA / ALLEMAGNE

Well, you don't need all those; but isn't it weird that almost every language has a totally different way of saying Germany? Unlike France, or Italy, for instance. Anyway, as you can see, I've done little else but clean, pick up my bike, and dittle on the Internet; so I don't have much to talk about.

I love postcards!

Nieuws van de week.

2006-03-31T16:58:43Z

Picture post, since I want this to be published. I hope no one takes it personally, but it's gotten real tedious typing things out on the blog only to have none of it get published. So, in sum, last week was the Devils & Angels party, then last night to wrap up the academic term in Groningen, several from the program went to a Mediterranean dinner replete with a belly dancer (!), then time at Sally's and Vera and finally late night dancing at Shadrak. This weekend is my last in Groningen, so I will dance at Vera and fondly remember all those evenings that have gotten foggy.

Me and Katharina, devil versus angel.

Madeleine, adorable, although she was devilish...

Pedro, as the Virgin Mary, fulfilling her sacred duty as bearer of the blessèd Pall Malls.

Sharon, Stella, Katharina, and one of many "some guy"s.

Margarida, Anand, Pedro, and Katie.

Who's having a good time?

Laura, Katie and some of Stella at dinner.

Katharina and Ron.

Our belly dancer.

I got to be the sultan!

Stella and Sharon, on the hooka.

All of us in front of the camel, which of course, you can't see.

Me and Stella.

Katharina and Sophie.

Laura.

Lastly, the Dutch version of a houseboat. Someone is missing their dollhouse.