Calexico

Yesterday night I made a discovery.
I watched this: http://plus7.arte.tv/fr/detailPage/1697660,CmC=2255684,CmPage=1697660.html

What really struck me was the performance of Joey Burns from the US Band Calexico (I had never heard about them before). The performance is found roughly halfways on the video accessible through above link, featuring two songs (A wonderful acoustic version of “Two silver trees” and a hardly rehearsed but perfect full band version of “Tornado Watch”). Also try searching for “Calexico” on Youtube.

This is wonderful wonderful stuff. So full of bold experimental and melancholic melodies and lyrics. Yet with some texmex elements (brass and classic mariachi guitars) that add an almost sarcastic note to their mostly noir music pieces. Sounds like an impossible combination, doesn’t it? Lesson learnt: If you want to do something bold and new, you  have to make the impossible possible.

The Western Wall

This is the western wall video I did yesterday. The movie was recorded in my flat and on the balcony, as well as half a mile away, or so, where some remains of the actual western wall are located.

Grim

The cold rain dribbling onto the roof window in no haste but with steadiness, getting heavier with each drop. It feels almost like north atlantic is reaching out with his mighty chilling grip, far onto land. It is safe and warm inside, but I can sense the stormy breeze ooze underneath windowsills and doorsteps. And outside in this cauldron of deadly atmospherics, somewhere there are you, waiting and hoping for the bus to come soon.

Amsterdam Crazy Night

What do you do if you live on the German/Dutch border, and there is a weekend, no plans. Yes. You go to Amsterdam. Little did I prepare but taking a small backpack with some spare cloths and 2 bottles of beer for the trip. It was saturday night, and I went to the small train station of my town. With a good deal of delay the train finally arrived at Heerlen central, and on went the ride to good old Amsterdam, where I met my friend Steinn from Iceland. There we went, to the Korsakoff, an alternative club location on Lijnbaansgracht, dark and dense in atmosphere, the wretched saluting in mutual respect, gazing at colourful delight and indulging in spheres of heavy sound. Caleidoscoped by these impressions we stumbled out at last, into the fresh night, where the where-go-nows flocked. We sheltered us into the company of a group of Swedesmen, first indulging in jestful banter on site, then while moving on. The move targeted at the central station where we took the early train down south, back to Heerlen. This was were the journey found its preliminary end at a cafë without windows, without food, and without drink.

Cold september nights

The moving seems over. I moved to a small suburb of Aachen. Today I was fortunate enough to see the sun rise, after 2 very cold and rainy days. It was not even rain but some real nasty drizzle, kreeping into every corner, moisturizing everything and everyone to the bones.

Class Reunion

Yesterday I was on my class reunion. 10 years anniversary after graduation from German high school (aka Gymnasium). To say the least I was quite concerned to go there. It was the first time I ever went to a class reunion. 10 years ago I was very happy to leave school and that I never would have to see my classmates again, most of them, that is. Many of them (but of course not all) I consider responsible for a having a very bad time in school. Disrespect, intolerance, bullying, etc., going on for years. I had to force myself to go to that class reunion, and expose myself to living memories that would no doubt feel uncomfortable to be faced with. But then there was little to loose and a good deal of curiosity to be satisfied. The worst thing that could happen would be wasting my time (which of course I would have done in some other way if I wouldnt have gone there).

There were only few people that actually had made it. Every single one appeared surprisingly recognizable. However, in contrary to what I expected I found the event to be full of interesting talk, remembering what there was to remember of good times, and to see that people actually had grown up and were finally respecting each other.

That was not so bad at all.

Aachen

I moved to Aachen.
This is a 4 word sentence. It sounds very simple, but in fact it was quite a hell of an effort.

First, I lived and worked in Vienna.
Then, I got an offer to work at OUNL, aka Open University of the Netherlands.
Then, I quit my job in Vienna so I could go and join OU as of 1.6.08.
At that point of time, I still had my flat in Vienna (actually it was a shared flat, but that doesnt make a difference).
So I took only part of what was there and brought it to my parent’s place near Freiburg, for storage.
Then, I went to the Netherlands to start my job. I didn’t have any accomodation so I stayed at a rather nice place in Heerlen, a boarding house in Villa style. It turned out after some weeks that things disappeared and that the staff was in fact quite rude/choleric, and most of the people (also the guests) consisted of elderly people. No, not elderly. Really thoroughly old. I felt like in an old people’s home. I had to get out of there.

Next, I looked for flats in NL but couldnt find anything proper. So I extended search radius onto Aachen, where I found a really cool flat. I made the deal and now I’m living in Aachen.

But this is only where the story starts.
One hitch of the deal was that the flat would first only be rented on intermediary terms, that is, a subcontract, I made with the prior tenant for the time while his contract with the house owner would be running out. The possibility for me to become the successor of the rental contract was (and is) there, so I was confident. After all, it would make sense to become the successor since I already would be living there.

So I seeked contact to the house owners. We had a nice chat in which they pointed out that they were not so happy with the prior tenants (an actor couple). They indicated that they didnt like their practice of sub-letting the flat (or parts of it) to 3rd parties. Which, btw included my deal with them. They said that they can make an exception in my case, so we parted in peace and all was fine. We also agreed to keep up the dialogue on negotiating a new contract for me to rent the flat directly in the future.

Then I went to Vienna. I contacted a slovak moving company that was recommended to me. I made a deal with them to bring all goods from Vienna to Aachen.

Then, while I was already sitting on packed  boxes, the phone rang. The house owners in Aachen had called to tell me that they object to letting any 3rd party use the flat. “This is nothing personal. You have to understand our point. Well, if you still want to move in, we won’t be seeing anything. But our official statement is that we don’t allow it.”

As you probably can imagine I was very alarmed and puzzled at how people can change their mind. I had the contract with the prior tenants. I called them and they advised me “Don’t listen to the house owner. They have no right to keep you from moving into the flat.”

The problem was that the prior tenant had stopped paying the rent because the house owner had indicated not to pay back any of the rent deposit. The months in question matched with the months that I would sub-rent the flat for.

After a day of fierce law study, I decided that the issue would have to be resolved in court. There were a couple of laws not abided by both the house owner and the prior tenant. My best tactic would be to insist on the subcontract I had bona fide entered into with the prior tenant, unbeknowest of the brawling conflict with the house owner.

So, after saying goodbye to everybody I had to leave behind in Vienna (which was not so easy I can tell you that), the moving took place. 2 slovak blokes and me loaded all of the stuff into the truck and then we drove all the way to Aachen, where we arrived some time in the middle of the night.

The next day we unloaded the truck and that’s where we are now.

Negotiations with the house owner will include a number of fuzzy aspects.
For once the flat is very large, divided into two seperate halves one of which would be ideal for sub-letting. The next thing is that the flat is not fully finished construction-wise. There is one balcony missing (instead there is an abyss you might easily fall into), and the access to the unfenced roof terrace is missing (another staircase in the corridor).

We will see how things evolve. One thing that makes me really like the flat is that it’s very spacious and bright.  It’s also right next to the train station where my commuter train takes me to work. It would be a nice space. But money and sub rental conditions will decide.

Update: I am moving again. I found a flat that is a bit smaller but of same style, in the outskirts of Aachen. I will spend less time commuting. This time I got a proper contract, and the flat not very expensive. Goodbye evil Landlord.

Summerschool’s out. A look back.

Back from summerschool, there is one important question that kept rotating inside my head but nobody would really get deeper into explaining about it. As you know, this year’s summerschool has taken place in Macedonia, a republic of former Yugoslavia. Now if you haven’t been completely asleep for the last 15 years, you will remember something like ongoing news reports about some armed conflicts in the balkan states. The conflict lasted from mid-nineties up until 2001, Macedonia being one of the last countries to find peace. Take a look at the map:

Polog and the southwestern territories share their border with Albania in the west. In the north the country is bordered by Kosovo, and to the northeast it’s Serbia . Left to mention Bulgaria (east) and Greece (south). Anyway, simply put, Albania started to dispute Macedonia’s territory in 2001, and as a consequence the Albanian minority in Macedonia was attacked by civil riotists. Most north and western parts of the country were in upheaval (war), including the region where our beloved summerschool has taken place. Due to the lake, putting distance between Macodonia and Albania, however, there were only minor incidents.

In my opinion it is important to be aware of such things. We walked the streets of a battered country.

Summerschool 2008 impressions, Ohrid, Macedonia

So, I managed to get to Macedonia in one piece and am now at the PPE Summerschool 2008. PPE stands for Prolearn, Palette, and EATEL. The 2 latter ones being the (EU ?) projects actively supporting the summerschooling activities, the former one being the original project that started out all the summerschooling. Having been here since 2 days now, i have had the chancs to intense discussions with the other participants. For example with Ambjörn, discussing the socio-scientific problem of “knowledge emulation”, which is generated through the everlasting fight for social influence and inside the scientific community just like in every other resort. One of the effects is the “ivory tower” phenomenon, i.e. building of stronghold institutions that only let people participate if they submit to completely incomprehensive and volatile conventions, like specific jargon type and so on. An effect that , by the way, can even be noticed slightly right here, in the summerschool.

The surrounding conditions, anyway, are really great and there is already a lot of photo material that has been uploaded to flickr. Check out the picture repository and get an impression. It looks very holidayisch, but most pictures actually were taken in the weekend so far.  Right now things are in fact quite busy, sitting in lectures, and preparing interesting things to be presented on thursday afternoon at the same time.

So much for now, more news shortly.

Heading off to Macedonia

Well. The next big hit is just about to happen. Prolearn Summerschool 2008 is looming ahead.
I managed to be a lecturer again (like last time), which gives me the honour to be listed at eye-level among exclusive and illuster professors, who are more seasoned and powerful than myself.

That’s what THEY think. However in reality I will be quite powerful indeed, too. I am in charge of a workshop regarding user acceptance of TEL paradigms. That means, together with other nifty PhD-students we will make sure to properly critizise all content of all other workshops at the Summerschool. It will be an onslaught of pure interpersonated nastiness. Well… whatsoever. The ways to glory lead through darkness.

Another funny thing I am thinking of is that Macedonia is probably the country that inspired the famous Comicbook Author Hergé to the creation of the fictive country Syldavia in his famous Tintin stories. This will be fun!

Mille millions de mille milliards de mille sabords!!!!!