Thursday 19 April 2012

Rules of Engagement in Beer Drinkers' Paradise




Zu den zwei goldenen Hirschen
Tonight's Dinner Spot. Not my
 photo, the snow is long gone. Fine
beer can be found inside. Trust me.

Let me start by saying just how much I'm enjoying the blogging. I can honestly say I'd be doing it even if I knew there was zero chance that someone would be reading. It's the first time in my life I've ever kept any kind of a journal and I can see the attraction. It makes you think critically about your actual thoughts if that makes any sense. That having been said a friend from back home posted a positive comment on one of my recent entries and it just made me feel fantastic. So please, if you are reading and you have any feedback, positive or negative, it would mean a great deal to me if you'd take a few seconds to post it as comments or in an email.

So to the subject at hand. I made a deal with myself. I've decided that I won't be keeping any alcoholic beverages in the apartment. In Bavaria that's primarily beer. If you know me you know that I love beer. That's not to say I drink a lot of it, I just really, really like it. It is one of my two favourite beverages. A post on the second one is inevitable and on the way but I digress. All that to say that this policy requires some sacrifice on my part. I have at least two reasons for this self inflicted prohibition. First off the extra calories are something I definitely don't need. For that reason I have no cookies or desserts other than fruit and yoghurt at home either. But that's the least interesting motive that I have.

Six 1/2 liter bottles for
€1.49. Yup.
If I am going to enjoy one of my favourite beverages I'm going to have to leave my apartment and go out to a restaurant, a pub a Bierhalle, Biergarten or a Gasthaus to do it. I'll have to interact with at least one person, probably more, and I'll almost certainly have to speak at least a few words of German. Maintaining and increasing my human contact is going to make the difference between merely existing over here or really living and getting the maximum benefit and enjoyment from the experience. Now don't get me wrong. I have not embraced this approach with quasi-religious zeal. I reserve the right to rescind this policy. If it's mid-July, hot as heck and I'm planning to watch an F1 race or the Olympics on TV by myself then maybe only a beer will do. If that happens you can expect to see me at the grocery store lining up to buy a six pack of the local specialty. And by the way, it actually is cheaper than bottled water. True story.

Thanks for reading,
Tom

4 comments:

  1. Well, being largely stuck at home with an infant stuck to me, I'm enjoying having something to read. Glad you're blogging!

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  2. That is a lot of snow. Gibt es schöne Autos gibt es?

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  3. These entertaining blogs remind me of how a DisneyWorld trip can be over-analyzed.

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  4. Not realizing that you were writing as often as you are, I got to enjoy a whole weeks worth of blogs tonight. Thanks for sharing your adventures. I will tune in a little more often now.

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