RAIN

This is the forecast for the next week. I'm really looking forward to it.

Only in Germany

Here's installment number 2 of "Only in Germany"

1. Deutschland National Song (it's a satire of Germany)

Okay, so the song is a little old, but I got it from a friend and I thought that the song is sort of strange if not comical. They lyrics go like this.

German, German, German...

Of course a German invented "Wetten, dass"*
Many thanks for the enjoyable hours
We're the friendliest customers in this world
We're modest - we have money
The very best in any sport
The taxes here set a world record
Visit Germany and stay here
It's this kind of visitor we wait for
Anyone who likes it can live here
We're the friendliest people in this world

German, German...

Just one little thing is out of whack
And that is, Schumacher** doesn't drive a Mercedes

Refrain:
All that is Germany - all that is us
You won't find that anywhere else - only here only here
All that is Germany - all that is us
We live and die here

German, German...

Many people are arrogant about Germany
And some think it's cool to be an a--hole
There are some who like to complain about Kanaken [foreigners]
And travel to Thailand every year to f---
We love our cars more than our women
Because we can trust German cars
God kissed the earth just once
Right on the spot where Germany is now
We're the best everywhere - naturally also in bed
And we're especially nice to dogs and cats

All that is Germany...

We're really good at busting someone in the chops
We can also be relied on for starting fires
We like order and cleanliness
We're always ready for a war
Friendly greetings to the world, understand
We can be proud of Germany... Pork!

Pork, Pork...

All that is Germany...

* "Wetten, dass" ("Wanna bet?") is a popular German TV quiz show.
** Michael Schumacher is a famous Formula 1 race driver and also the highest paid sports figure in the world.

2. Only in Germany, can you go get your haircut and receive a free* cocktail and listen to a live DJ spinning house.

I won't be going back though, because in the end I could have gotten a haircut and cocktail somewhere else for less money, and I'm not German and I don't want my hair styled like a German, which is something they weren't able to do. So far, I haven't found a better salon than the one in Radolfzell where I paid only 11€ for my wash and cut, and that was with a scalp massage. Sometimes, it's worth living in the provinces.

3. Germans go to the doctor more than every other nation. Apparently, the average German goes to at least 18 doctor appointments per year. I think, I would go maybe most 3/4 per year and that's with Irina's influence at Henry Ford.

However, I can see how that would happen, considering that with my broken collarbone alone, I have had 5 doctor visits, and I will have another next week. Then I'm also supposed to go to Sports Therapy, if I ever figure out how I'm supposed to get there and what to do about work.

What it is like to ride the S-bahn after a Fussball Match

The S-bahn, aka the Schnellbahn is a suburban train. It travels pretty quickly between the innerparts of Frankfurt to the suburbs, like Oberursel where I live.

Here is another video of something that you might run into while on the train. Drunken Fans singing!

While riding the train, I always try to keep vigilant and remain behind the scenes. I don't try to attract attention to myself, and the train is fairly safe from violence, but you can't always deter some crazy people from boarding the train.

Also, while on the S-bahn, the RMV (Rhein Main Verkehr) similar to Frankfurt Dept. of Transit, advertises how embarassing it can be caught without having a valid ticket. Their choice of advertising, however, would probably be scandalous by most, and a public organization would shy away from such provocative messages.

Karaoke @ Yours Irish Pub

So ever so often I go out with my English only speaking friends from Oberursel, Bad Homburg and Friedrichsdorf to Yours Irish Pub in Frankfurt. I don't particularly like going, but it has somewhat become a tradition on Friday evenings to go here and sing/watch karaoke.

A Karaoke bar in Germany is quite an experience, and should be on most people's list of 1000 things to see before I die (but I've gone to the trouble of saving you a trip to Germany by posting a video - just listen to the wonderful singing and not our commentary at the end). It's really quite funny to see German people sing their hearts out, and many are really into it. I'm sure it's not as bizarre as what happens in Asia, but if you're learning about a culture and people, watching them sing karaoke may be the best way to learn about them. :)

This bar happens to be underneath Yours Australian Bar, and it's quite crowded. You see an array of different people there, from expats and study abroad students to middle-aged people. In this respect, it attracts a diverse age group of people interested in singing karaoke. Some are actually quite good at singing, and you get the classic songs from Journey, Bon Jovi, and Neil Diamond. Then you have German Karaoke, which is in a league all on it's own. I don't suggest it, since most German songs are depressing and not very melodic... at least the one's that people here decide to sing.

I'm going to post some videos, so I hope this works well because it takes forever to upload onto blogger.

I'm here with D- and W-.

Time to look for a job.... AGAIN

So, I have about 4 months to go before I am to return back to the US, and this time I'm going to be prepared. I'm starting my job search now, and with the economy turning around in the US as well as my great experiences at Lufthansa, I feel confident in finding a job that suits my needs before my arrival back in the US.

In an effort to start applying, I spent most of today working on my resumes, one in German and one in English (creative). I have a third resume, but I didn't get to it yet, but it should be very simple to update as it is not like the one I'm about to post. Since I plan on searching for work in the airline industry, I chose travel as my theme for my resume. Normally, resume's don't have themes, but I'm going about this a little differently.

I'm going to be applying with a lot of other people, and despite my great skills and experiences, I want to stand out immediately from all the other applicants. In order to do this, one would naturally have to do something very creative or standout in some positive way. Since recruiters read resumes all day long, something different might spark their attention, that would give one's resume a second glance. This second glance often lands your resume in the contact pile.

When I apply, I plan to send both my creative resume and a standard printable copy. Some companies don't allow you to attach two, so in those cases I just plan to use the traditional version. Anyways, I've posted a picture of my resume that I was working on today, and if you happen to know some people working in HR or have a friends who deal with this, it would be nice to get your/their opinion on whether my resume is effective.