the ch!cktionary

30 Jun 2010
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I just got carded and rejected at the grocery store while attempting to purchase a bottle of Merlot for the braised short ribs I’m making for dinner later tonight. It’s my fault for not having any ID on me, but I honestly thought it wouldn’t be a big deal because I’ve never seen anyone carded at the grocery store here. So I was caught unprepared at the cash register when the checker asked me for my “Ausweiss”. I told her I didn’t have one, then tried to play the confused and dumb American when she said she couldn’t sell me anything (even though I totally understood her), and finally betrayed my knowledge of German by saying, “Ich bin dreiundzwanzig!” (Okay, not quite, but I will be 23 next month.) Also, this was 4-Euro wine intended for cooking. And it is 1pm. Who starts drinking at 1pm on a Wednesday?!

Of course, I would never expect to get away with buying booze without ID in America, but to put this into perspective, the legal age for purchasing wine and beer in Germany is 16. SIXTEEN. Think about that for a second. Do I seriously look underage? (Took this Photobooth shot just now in the same outfit, sans makeup, I wore to the store.)

29 Jun 2010
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Hello, My Life Is A Mess

SO. I left for Europe a little over two weeks ago and I have literally not spent more than five days in one place. I’ve kind of been going mad with all the unreliable Internet and endless, EIGHT-HOUR car rides (I have had three of these, not kidding) and general lack of privacy or time to think. Also, I already broke the heels on two pairs of shoes and all my clothes are wrinkly because I have been living out of a suitcase. And I realized that I forgot my Ethernet cable in Boston and the wifi in 70 percent of the places I’ve been staying has either been nonexistent or unreliable. Kind of a blogger’s worst nightmare.

Oh yeah, and in between, it was determined that living in Berlin is a no-go*, though I will probably be there later this month since Patrick has to renew his visa, foreigner that he is. So my plans for July? Kaput. Of course, there will be other shiny new summer plans but in the meantime, I am in Osnabrück, Germany (Patrick’s hometown) and actually kind of glad to not have to think about traveling for a while. Even though I managed to complete a couple writing assignments, some interviews, and the next Sex Really episode while on the road, it’s been a huge bitch to coordinate things with folks in the States. And I’m just generally really, really sick of not being able to write, when the entire point of this summer is to hammer out a book proposal demonstrating that I can, you know, write.

This weekend, there will be a fun little excursion to Amsterdam requiring only a short car ride and no transportation of small animals. (We have been traveling with three bulldogs.) And soon thereafter, I’ll figure out something more concrete, probably involving trips to visit friends in Belgrade and England (London/Cambridge), plus perhaps a jaunt with pup and dude to Norderney, where I envision my eventual memoir practically writing itself while I munch on cake and cookies.

With the assistance of Intern Hamlet, this summer will surely be my most productive yet.

* Long story, but it’s impossible to find a dog-friendly apartment that is furnished and available for short-term rental.

25 Jun 2010
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karma-chameleon asked: Hi Lena,

Been following your blog since Sex and The Ivy days...I am totally envious how much you get to travel? How do you budget for these considering your a student and a freelancer and not working in a multinational dishing out mega green bucks.

During college, I was in the fortuitous position of having some European friends and friends who lived/worked/studied in Europe. A lot of my travel therefore consisted of inviting myself to stay in people’s dorm rooms and/or homes. Recently, I have been traveling with Patrick, who is German and goes home to visit his family for two long-ish trips a year (the holidays and the summer). So we have a homebase and free food and a lot of flexibility here. It’s really nice to not have to live out of a suitcase! (Although that’s what I’ve been doing for the past couple weeks due to random things that have come up.) I also have family in both Los Angeles and San Francisco, so I get to visit both cities annually. Very occasionally, I may get my transportation expenses paid for if I’m doing a speaking event. That’s always awesome, since those events take place in locations I might not otherwise visit. (For example, when I did a talk at Bellingham, Washington last year and got to stop by Seattle to visit Kennedy.)

Of course, I’m in a very lucky and privileged position, especially for someone who comes from a less than privileged background. (My mother works as a maid for a hotel chain, which comes with its own benefits, i.e. discounts, but is less than lucrative.) Going abroad shouldn’t be as expensive as it is, but don’t think it’s totally out of the question just because you don’t have a ton of money. If you’re a student, there are many ways to make traveling affordable, particularly if your educational institution will spring for academic research trips or offer financial aid for summer programs abroad. At Harvard, many of my friends, who largely came from middle class families, traveled without making a large dent in their own wallets, or at least without paying much more than they would have anyway for summer rent in the States. Some got grants and others got small loans. I even knew people who worked as au pairs and took care of children in exchange for living with a European family.

Any reader tips for affordable travel? Share them in the comments please!

21 Jun 2010
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Was briefly in Switzerland last week. This is how I spent most of those four days. Just insert scenery of choice (couch, bed, car seat, dog blanket). Not joking.

20 Jun 2010
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Blogcation

I’m going to Rome, kids! I’ve technically “been” in Italy via boat and skis, but never actually on foot. This will be an exciting, Internet-less adventure, but I’ll have some queued-up posts* for y’all to enjoy.

No flame wars while I’m gone, kay?

* Mostly just photos of Hamlet. Life is easy when you have a cute dog.

16 Jun 2010
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ordinarychaos asked: Hey! From recent posts I can tell you're super busy... but I'm in DC and was wondering if you had any recommendations for eating here??

I have only been to DC twice, but did compile a little round-up of places to eat, shop, and visit. You can refer to this totally unauthoritative entry from my 2008 trip with ze German to visit my pal Christine, who was interning there for the semester.

16 Jun 2010
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Presented without comment.

(Hello Kitty obsession indulged in Terminal E of Logan International Airport.)

16 Jun 2010
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I’m Alive!

And currently in Switzerland after the worst car ride ever. (Murphy’s Law was in full effect - ran out of gas, had to get bailed out by the German version of AAA, Roomie nearly went blind in one eye and had to seek optometrical assistance in Frankfurt.)

Also, of my first 48 hours in Europe, 18 of them were spent in a car. Not joking.

Behind on email and work, thanks to the lack of Internet. Going to Rome on Sunday (sans doggy) so must get my life in order before then. If I owe you something, I am probably avoiding you on purpose. Just wanted to confirm your suspicions.

10 Jun 2010
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My 24-Hour To-Do List

Deposit checks
Send out checks/pay bills
Finish guest book for my friend Evelina, who is house-sitting for me
Duplicate keys
Leave directions for how to water plants
Back up everything from my laptop onto my server
Prep for tomorrow’s World Cup party (happening approximately five hours before I have to go to the airport)
PACK

10 Jun 2010
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Anonymous asked: Hi, I noticed that many Asian girls feel that they are getting stared at when they're in Europe. I always find it strange when I read this on blogs, because I live in Belgium and I've never noticed anyone staring at Asian girls, and I can't imagine that this is so different in Germany or France for example. Do you feel your getting stared at when you're in Europe?

It totally depends on the place and the situation, and I don’t know how much of this is because I’m Asian and how much of this is because I’m American/loudly speaking English. This probably doesn’t happen as much, for example, in London, since there are more Asian people and more English speakers. Maybe you don’t notice because you’re not a minority yourself? (Correct me if I’m wrong.)

It also depends on my company. When Kennedy (my petite, afro-sporting bestie) was living in Heidelberg in 2008, I spent six weeks with her and we definitely got a lot of looks when we went out together. But that’s to be expected, because how often in Germany do you see a Black girl and an Asian girl, looking approximately 15-years-old (even with make-up) and running about drunk? When I go to Germany with Patrick, there are fewer stares, but I am also more sober and less inclined to dance on tables. Either way, I don’t really care if people look and I don’t get offended easily.

Unless there’s a konichiwa shouted in my direction.