Monthly Archives: November 2011

Living in Pseudo-America

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Brandon

I spent Thanksgiving weekend in the United States. Well, to be more specific, I spent the weekend in a strange, faux-United States in the rural district of Kaiserslautern, Germany. If you ever find yourself in the area, and know a member … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Germany, United States | 2 Comments

A Supposedly Relaxing Thing I’ll Never do Again

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Brandon

“Too many kebabs, eh?” I’m semi-nude and a Turkish guy, also semi-nude and who strongly resembles my middle-school art teacher, is poking me in the stomach. He reaches for a cloth mitt as rough as a cat’s tongue and begins … Continue reading →

Posted in ani-pals, Europe, Turkey | Comments Off on A Supposedly Relaxing Thing I’ll Never do Again

The Trouble With Sinterklaas

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Brandon

[Queue up The Twilight Zone theme song and hit “play” before you read this] Imagine, if you will, a country where dressing-up Caucasian children as African slaves, complete with curly wigs and blackface, is considered a beloved, holiday tradition. A place where full-grown … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Holland, politics, video, weird | 3 Comments

Europe in Three Minutes or Less # 20 – The Kostnice Ossuary, AKA “The Bone Church”

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Brandon

The temperature drops ten degrees as you cross the threshold and the air inside is deathly still. Why? Because this infamous church outside of Prague contains the bones of hundreds of people, intricately displayed throughout. Welcome to the Kostnice Ossuary, … Continue reading →

Posted in Czech Republic, Europe, video, weird | 2 Comments

Scenes From the Occupation

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Brandon

I should be a huge, unquestioning advocate of the Occupy Wall Street movement. In the autumn of 2009, my career abruptly came to an end when my company, about to wrap up yet another unprecedentedly successful quarter, announced that it was going … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Holland, politics, rant, United States | 3 Comments