You're..Oh...

You know, everyone wants to experience the european fairytale -- travel through countries by train, stay in two star hostels, and see buildings older than their country. But, let me just say, there is nothing glamorous about washing your socks and underpants in the sink and drying them on the radiator.

Archived Faith Quote

"When you come to the end of all the light you know, and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: Either you will be given something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly."

- Edward Teller

[art by Broken Crow, Surrounded by Giants]

Ingolstadt ('Ing-goal-sh-tat')

I came to Munich expecting to stay only one night, but after the meeting it was decided it would be best for me to remain in the area (Bavaria) while playing opportunities in the vicinity were explored. The trial that came about was with Ingolstadt (located an hour north of Munich) who are currently at the top of the 3rd Bundesliga. Since my American résumé carries little weight in Germany I was scheduled to first train with the reserve team (who play in the 5th division).

Based on my performance in 2 trainings with the Ingolstadt reserves the I received a very good assessment from the coaching staff. The trainer felt that I could "absolutely" play in the third division and even do well in the 2nd Bundesliga, but alas, Ingolstadt is not a match at this time (keep in mind that they are at the top of the table in the 3rd division so the coach is very hesitant to make any changes). Furthermore, the coach said he was willing to recommend me to other 3rd division clubs (a good sign).

Of course, I would love to be contracted with a club and settled down by now. However, it is encouraging to know that I am building a good record in Germany from my trials with Lucerne, Erfurt, and now Ingolstadt. My game feels stronger with every new trial and I know that I am coming closer to realizing my dream.

Archived Nike quote

All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly.
AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES.

-Nike ad

Müchen ('Moo-chen')

(Above: The Allianz Arena is home to Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich. It lights up red when Bayern play, blue when 1860 play, and white when the national team play.)

After the week with Erfurt, I was called in to talk with the manager. There he told me that the coach liked me, but they were only looking for two strikers right now. However, he said that there is still a possibility that I could be brought on depending on a pending transfer/trade. Although I believe that beginning in the 3rd division is a good opportunity, I am not holding my breath and need to look at other options as I wait to hear back from Erfurt.

Therefore, I am off to Munich (or Müchen for my German audience) for a business dinner with a man who has been setting up trials for me to figure out where to go from here.

Archived Quote - A Life of Happiness

"There comes a time when a man has to ask himself whether he wants a life of happiness or a life of meaning - they’re two very different paths. To be truly happy a man must live absolutely in the present, no thought of what has gone before and no thought of what lies ahead. But for a life of meaning, a man is condemned to wallow in the past and obsess about the future."

-Daniel Linderman

[art: "A good man is hard to find." by Broken Crow]

Erfurt - Day 3 and 4

Day 3
Morning run in the cold (-10C).
Team Breakfast.
5v5 on the turf in the afternoon.
Team Lunch and Team Nap at the Stadium.
Run in the forest - We were split into groups and the guy running at the front of my group thought it would be clever to knock snow off the branches above when he ran by. It was pretty funny, but the snow that fell on us stayed in our hair. By the end of the run one of the guy's eyebrows were frozen white. A couple of the guys noticed and started acting out the scene from Dumb and Dumber when Harry and Lloyd arrive in Aspen on a scooter.



Day 4
Today was a lighter day with only 5v5 on the indoor turf. I banged home another goal at the start and my team ended up going undefeated for the day.

Looking back over the week, it was probably the most enjoyable week I have had since I have been over here. Despite the physical demand, (and perhaps because of it) I found it to be very rewarding and produced some of my best performances in Germany. I have continued to improve and enjoy myself more with each new team and trial. I know there is still much work to be done, but after this week I feel that I am on the right track.

Erfurt - Training Day 1 and 2

I have been in camp with Rot-Weiss Erfurt FC for the past week. Here's how the first 2 days went:

Day 1

In the first session we did a lactic acid threshold test training where blood samples were drawn from our ears and our heart rates were measured at different stages of difficulty in a run. The rate of increase of the concentration (still with me?) of lactic acid in the blood (and the muscles) can indicate a person's level of fitness. Apparently, the results said I was fit.


In the second session we played basketball in the gym to warm up (I don't know if you have ever seen soccer players on a basketball court but it's an ugly sight). We finished up with some core body work and used balance boards.

I got back to the hotel that night with some groceries. I tried cooking pasta using the tea kettle in the room and it turned out to be a disaster. I ended up grabbing a kebab from across the street (Turkish kebab shops are the only food places open after 8).



Day 2
Another good day. We had three sessions today with a light paced run in the morning (I thought my ears were going to burst into flames it was so cold), 5v5 indoor games in the afternoon (smashed home two goals), and then ending with plyometric stations and a game on the snow.

(that's me in the front doing sit-ups on a yoga mat)

The run and the plyos weren't bad, it was good to see the ball during small-sided, and playing the snow was a bit tricky (for everyone), but nevertheless sweet to play.

Archived Quote - Art of Living

“The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he's always doing both.”

- James A. Michener

[art: "Meet me at the tub, it's going down." by Broken Crow]

french fries are chips, chips are crisps, cookies are biscuits, and biscuits are scones, and scones are pastries...

We watched Arsenal v Hull from the place we're staying at. My buddy told me to walk outside during the game. I was a bit hesitant with the weather and the game on but I wasn't disappointed. I finally headed out and could hear the boom from the crowd. Arsenal had just scored again and there was man made thunder in the distance. Final score: 3-0 Arsenal.

We are working on tickets, but the starting price is £100. Rubbish!

The Abbey

Andrew, Luke (Drew's brother), and I were doing the London tourist thing on a cold, cold Thursday and freezing our asses off. We made it to the Westminster Abbey just after visiting hours, but right before a night service. After a quick huddle we chose to get out of the miserable weather and take refuge in the Abbey.

We started out here...


...were ushered quickly through here ("Visiting hours are over")...

...and ended up here:



We were led to gold painted, individual throne seats right behind the choir. A laminated program directed us when to stand, kneel, speak, and breathe. Even so, it was a great experience and a sort of spiritual recharge.

They said no flash photography or cell phones, but they didn't say no video. So, my buddy (aliases have been created to protect the innocent) snagged a clip of the Abbey service. Here is an exclusive of the choir:

London's Calling

The 3 week winter break for football in Germany has arrived. We trained with Schalke on Monday and Tuesday, but now we are off to London for the holidays. Yes, London. You know: fish, chips, cup'o tea, bad food, worse weather, Mary Poppins... LONDON. We will be staying with friends of Andrew in Highbury London, a 4 minute's walk from the Arsenal stadium. Come on, you Reds!

Weihnachtsmarkt ('Vye-nox-markt')

They have the feel of a flea market with a variety of booths selling small goods. But with the added bonus of traditional Christmas foods from Germany, Holland, and France. Every German city has their own Christmas market and typically the bigger the city, the better the market. People seem to like Weihnachtsmarkt over here because it's the one place Germans are friendly and outgoing.


They have these big chocolate hearts with love messages on them that seem a bit out of place without Valentines day...


But not so much out of place than this guy I found at a tent selling french fries and corn dogs. Creepy, right?


And you can buy this stuff called Glühwein which is kinda like warm sangria. But a little better.


They sell the wine in these little boot mugs labeled with which city they are from.


Here is me with Andrew and the Dutch kids that have British accents in front of a tree of lights (L to R: Jovanna, Janiero, and Jazz).


We really liked the tree...


We also caught a live performance by the choir. Not too shabby, for German eunuchs.

High Fives and Stage Dives

Andrew's cousin is the lead singer in a pseudo-metal-core-christian-screamo band from the States called Bless the Fall. Tonight, we headed up to Cologne to watch them play. Despite the large amount of tats and eyeliner and facial accessories these guys were really polite and welcoming.


We got to hang out with the guys before the show, watch them do a sound check, and see them warm up back stage (which was basically a small dungeon that reeked of BO). When the show began we stood on the back of the stage and witnessed the mayhem. They played a game called high fives and stage dives where the member of the audience who could come on stage, give a high five to the tour manager, and then stage dive the most amount of times won a free band tee shirt. Pretty funny.

Archived Quote

Hey, let's cross the sea
and get some culture.
Red wine with every meal
and absinthe after dinner.

-Minus the Bear, "Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse"

[art by Broken Crow]

Der Schloss

The apartment we are staying in has an awesome view of a mansion from 18th century called The Schloss. The mansion consists 3 stately buildings which present themselves like life-sized doll houses.


Back in the day, it belonged to German Prince and the Schloss supposedly hosted Napoleon at one point. But this was during the 7 Year's War and I don't think he and his troops were welcome guests (I have done my homework).


Behind the main building is a hunting ground with some rare shrubberies.


The property ends at the Rhein, a large river that cuts through Europe North-South. Not bad, Benrath. Not bad at all.

More Schalke, Less Talke

I am back training with Schalke II, not a bad fall back. German football is known for taking 5 weeks off in the middle of the season, but with the World Cup this summer the time off has been cut down to 3 weeks. With the winter break approaching, I plan train at Schalke for the rest of the week and then head to London for Christmas and New Years.