Episode 3.2 : Dublin

Ok, so this is rather delayed, as i left Dublin 2 weeks ago already, but it deserves mentioning.

      Booze.   Booze is the lifeblood of the Irish peoples.  It has kept them content living on a rocky mossy dreary island, surrounded by cold water, for nearly 7 thousand years.  Ask almost anyone in the states what they associate with the Irish, and i guarantee more than half them will answer "getting drunk".  Some may also say "freckles" or "getting drunk and fighting"..... but you get my point. Now i myself am not much of a drinker, but when i do drink, my beer of choice is Guinness (another answer you may get when i you ask what people associate with Ireland).  With my love of Guinness's delicious almost chewy beer, i simply could not live with myself if ii didn't make a trek out to the Guinness brewery/storehouse..... So i gathered up some hooligans, and off we went!

Pictured : Hooligans

Now before I discuss the actual brewery, i want to point out that i had worked the night shift prior to going, and so i was already on about 25 hours without sleep at this point, as was Phillip, the gentleman pictured on the left above (you can click on the pics to make them bigger if you didn't know). So though it doesn't really show in the pics, we were both essentially delirious.  Anyways, we bought our tickets and entered the land of Guinness, a land we loved.  We were greeted almost instantly with a sight that anyone who has ever been to an average college dorm has seen many times....

Ive seen bigger....

 As our path through this museum of rich brown flavor continued, we saw all sorts of amazing stuff.  There were things that filled us with awe...

THE ACTUAL GUINNESS HARP!?

There were things that filled us with with... racism...

Another golden idea would have been an Asian lifting a giant sack of rice saying "ME SO STRONGIE!"

Then there was some things we just didn't understand at all......

Ya, there was a plaque explaining, but we thought it was more fun NOT to read it....

We continued learning about the origins of this exotic liquid bread as we passed through a room full of all the wonderful ingredients, including hops, barley, purified water, and yeast.  That's right, Guinness is alive....

Cactuar felt oddly at home amidst a desert of barley...

Upon reaching the highest floors of the building, we came across a small bar room with several guinness taps... a chance to master the perfect pour... we immediately signed up.  For your own pouring information, here are the secret steps.

1. Open tap all the way and pour against the side of the 45 degree tilted glass, straightening the glass as you go and stopping the pour as the Guinness reaches the harp on the Guinness brand pint glass.
2. Let rest until the bubbles settle to the top and the drink has a dark amber hue.
3. PUSH in the tap, pouring ungassed Guinness into the glass until its just poking over the brim.
The finished result should look something like this...

A perfect pour, as poured by a perfect me.

After celebrating the making of such wonderful art by drinking the hell out of it, we continued up to the top floor, which (surprise), was another bar.  The view was quite nice though.

Dublin is pretty flat.

Of course, like all great journeys, ours ended in a gift shop... much money was spent, and many curious items were gawked at...

Seriously, blow this pic up and take a look...

Now that were were slightly drunk off of samples and perfect pours (on an empty stomach and zero sleep), we decided to walk to the Jameson Distillery, cuz shit, why not?  In retrospect, a decent map may have been handy...

This church was beautiful, but we passed it like 3 times...

Eventually though, we asked some old toothless weirdo how to get there, and sure enough we'd passed it by, having missed the dark and scary alley that leads to...

Seriously, this shit is hidden in a tiny scary nook.

We sat down for a nice overpriced meal and then took the tour. I have a lot less to say about this particular tour, because A. it was a led tour, and B. i was basically dead to the world at this point.  After narrowly escaping falling asleep during the intro film (Phil was not so lucky), we wandered around station to station being led by a charming old Irish drunk, who made fun of the Scottish the whole way, until we made it to the end of the tour where a few select people got to taste test Jameson vs jack Daniels and johnny walker.  I was offered the chance, but figured that 3 shots of whiskey was not in my best interest at the moment, but had a whiskey and cranberry as everyone was given at least 1 drink. Phil did partake of the 3 drink contest, and he was noticeably feeling it.  After the drunkmaking was done, we wandered to a (surprise again!) gift shop, where we all got poorer.
    That was the end of our sleepless day of booze history, and it was a lot of fun.  I will leave you with this, a picture of Cactuar base jumping into a waterfall of purified Guinness water.

Even cacti need water sometimes

Episode 3.1 : Dublin *Holiday Edition*

Top o' the mornin (or evening) to you all!  I'm chillin in Dublin Ireland, finally made it here on Christmas eve after a not-so-fun 3 day stay stranded at the airport hotel in Berlin.  That was almost a week ago now, and its been a pretty mellow week.  The hotel we are staying in, Citywest, is the biggest hotel in europe, and im pretty sure its also haunted, and it could easily double for the hotel in the Shining...

I swear every time a turn a corner in this place i half expect twins on tricycles....  

Extra bonus, the venue is literally on the hotel grounds, about a 30 second walk from the front door of the hotel! scoooooore.

so ya anyways, this was my first Xmas away from home, and i definately felt it. Really helped that i had Joe here with me, and the rest of the ice guys and Holly, our honorary  ice girl here made for a nice surragate family for the occasion. I was unsure of how were going to be spending the holiday, but luckily, the team that actually made it here on time (not screwed over by the snow like us, and even worse the 3rd team), had the forethought to buy groceries for us all.  The result?  A delicious meal made via portable grill and zamboni.  Steak, baked potatoes, corn, and beans....

Not pictured - Corn....  but it made a delicious debut later....

  IT WAS AN ICEMAS MIRACLE!  Jason's use of the zamboni as a means of cooking was as inspired as Holly's soy sauce/guinness marinade for the steak.

Ok, so we were a little lazy with the beans, don't judge...

We chilled at the venue with our meals (and a little something to keep us warm)

What can i say, he has good taste....

errmm.... Great taste....

for a few hours, before retiring back to the hotel bar, where we lounged about with the rest of the crew and skaters all night.  Cactuar made his rounds.

OMG, I LOVE YOUR LITTLE CUCUMBER MAN!! .....Hes a cactus...

Nothing clever...No idea what was going on when i took this?

Eventually i had to retire to the venue, as i pulled night shift on Christmas, but for some reason it didnt bother me at all....

Good company makes everything easier...

THE .... SOMETHING RIVER!

ANYWAY, as new years approaches, I find that we have done very little in Ireland so far aside from chill at the pub.... I did go into town today with some peeps and get some delicious food and beer, but it was a very minor trip, nothing too exciting.

  Tomorrow, I'm sposed to go to the Guinness Brewery, and the Jameson Distillery.... promises to be an exciting day!  Should have more interesting things to write about afterwords....


PS, this thing cracks me up every time i walk past it.  SMILEY FACE  :D

gotta enjoy the little things....

 

Episode 2.1 : Berlin, Germany

I feel a lot more comfortable in Berlin than i did in Budapest... I think it has to do with the modernness of this city.  Budapest was very old-world feeling and i felt like i was a stranger in a land stuck in the past (old ladies in babushkas everywhere...).  Berlin reminds me to an eerie degree of Chicago or New York, and i am apparently more at home in a big city environment than i had realized. I love this city.

The view from my room

Anyways, i apologize for having been here a week already and not blogging.  It has been a busy and fun week though, so at least it was not out of sheer laziness!  There seems to be infinite things to do and see here, especially this time of year, so I'm trying to pack in as much as i can whilst not burning myself out.  Its been snowing all but 2 of the days or so that we've been here, and the days it didn't snow, it rained. This of course would bother most, but it just makes me happy.

That same view looks like this more often than not...

  This city knows how to do Christmas.  The streets are lined with decorations, little shops, and stalls selling delicious snacks and booze.  Then there are the Christmas Markets....

Like something out of a dream... at least, one of my dreams...

These big city-block sized markets are just wall to wall stands selling everything from wood carvings to clothes to fresh roasted chestnuts. There are of course 2 stands selling beer or gluwein (hot Christmas wine often with shots in it) for every one not hawkin booze

HOT BOOZE! GET YOUR HOT BOOZE!

.  Some of the markets even have skating rinks (shitty ones with wet ice...), Ferris wheels, and live music.

Dont forget the meat stands!!

My first night here, i discovered a nice Irish pub about a mile down from the hotel, and despite the fact that it seems a bit counter productive to visit an Irish pub in Berlin, I figured i might find some English speakers to give me some tips about the area. That's where I met Mike and Mike, and little Russian Dmitri...

2 American Mikes and a Russian...

As well as Scottish bartender Gemma.  After talking a few times, Gemma agreed to be my Scottish tour guide via facebook should I get the chance to visit her homeland.

Cactuar has always wanted to visit Scottland

   After a few pints one day, TC Mike Mike and I decided to do a bit of pub crawling around the greater Downtown Berlin area... this was a good idea.  Already a bit ragged at 3 PM or so, our first stop was.... another irish pub.  we stopped in for only a quick pint before heading back out and wandering upon another christmas Market, which actually had a giant mobile bar set up in the middle of it.  After enjoying a couple beers served to us by crazy German Mrs. Clause and Lurch in lederhosen, we met up with Dmitri, who has a place here and knows it better than most of us.  we wandered a bit after that, though at this point i don't recall where cuz i was several pints deep and just going with the flow.  I remember a mall, and this giant thing...

Trust me, its even bigger when youre drunk...

Next we found ourselves at a bar that claimed to require reservations, but was so empty that they would "overlook it" and give us a table.  it was one of those places that has the taps at the tables and just charges you for however much german beer you serve yourself.

i wish it had been guinness...

  It goes without saying that the nachos were excellent. After enjoying a few liters of beer collectively, we stumbled back out into the streets.  At this point, i was ready to head back to the hotel, but the Mikes and TC insisted that we stop in for 1, just 1 drink, at a hole in the wall in a dark alley simply called "German Pub".  It was a good decision.

All of us were somewhere between reasonably and unreasonably drunk at this point, but we all reacted the same way to our big stern looking german bartender.  we dug him.  He spoke NO english.  He was out of good beer. He didnt care what you thought about him. When TC ordered what he apparently thought was a Frau Beer (lady beer), he served it to him, and gave him a candy bracelet to wear.  He seemed less disappointed when i ordered water, but it clearly did not impress him. What happened next i still don't quite understand... we somehow got into a contest with him to see who could hold 4 giant beer mugs full of water up, arm outstretched completely, the longest.  He handily dispatched us all in his little game, before claiming euros from us all.  Then he gave us all shots and explained that he hates technology and fast food through his little translator friend that had come in for a drink. After that, i decided that if i was to get home before 3 AM, i should leave now.  He refused to take any money from me for the water, but i managed to slip him 5 euros before leaving.  My biggest regret so far is not catching this man on film... so sorry, no pics... Then came the walk home alone, from some dark alley, that i had no idea how id gotten to.  Using only a few landmarks and my dynamite sense of direction, i managed to make it all the way back to the hotel several miles away, unscathed.

This giant penis joke pretty much got me home...

     Monday we had our ice in.  It went fairly well, no real problems to speak of.  The labor was for the most part very hard working and smart, and most of them had done it before in past years.  Shows start tomorrow, and ill be there all day for them, so hopefully i can enjoy the show in all its German glory.

Next step... shopping....

I'm leaving this city broke, i know it....

Episode 1.3 : Budapest Hungary

      Well its about a week after my last post, and my last night in Budapest. It's been an interesting but all together smooth week, plenty of work but nothing too terrible.  We made beautiful thick luxurious ice, and it would seem from skater comments that they appreciated it. The show itself is interesting, with lots of random characters and scenes ranging from the its a small world ride at Disney World to the Jungle Book with visits from the Mad Hatter and the Incredibles... ALL IN HUNGARIAN.  I swear i heard Mickey say something about bladder problems, and at one point Donald definately called Mickey a bastard.  The crew and skaters with this show were all very nice, and i almost immediately felt at home with them.  So did Cactuar.

Cactuar with his favorite wardrobe gal Alex

  The weather has varied from feeling extremely cold, to comfortably cool.  Luckily, it never got too cold to enjoy some good ....screams?

Delicious screams....

  We did get some very pretty snow a few times through the week as well, though i hear that back home got quite a bit more than i did here.

In front of the Hotel

  One thing i noticed about being constantly cold (for some reason the venue seemed to stay at a solid 40some degrees the whole week) is that it really makes you appreciate a good hot meal. Not having had quite enough paprika my previous visit to restaurant downstairs, i decided a second round with the fellas after ice out would be a nice chance to refuel. I can finally cross off  "eat real goulash in Hungary" off my bucket list.

I hear it stays hot forever...

 Also a little chicken paprikash never hurt anyone (i dont think 0_o ).

That's pasta, not rice crispy treat...

  The beer i was drinking is a Hungarian Lager called (unpronounceable).  It was ok... though im not much of a Lager man...  
    On the way back from the ice out, we stopped off for a quick touristgasm. Hősök tere, or "Heroes Square" as its known to people who don't understand gibberish, is a big ass square filled with statues that are over 100 years old. 

I dont know who these guys were, probably kings or tribal leaders of the Hungarian founders, but man, these dudes were metal.  Seriously, does this not look like a Dethklok album cover?

Let us RIDE into the Sunset!

   I cant wait to one day be commemorated in statue, and though I'd prefer gold, ivory, I'll settle for endangered koa wood. 
Today being our last day here, it was finally time to do some shopping.  Joe and i made our way to the giant bazaar full of hungarian butchers, grocers, and arts n' crafts booths.

This place had everything, but consistently smelled like sausage...

  We did our shopping and enjoyed some local cuisine (stuffed cabbage), and made our way elsewhere 

Pictured: Elsewhere

 before returning to the hotel to pack up and prepare to fly to Berlin, where it would seem we may not have a place to stay, but more on that next time!  Not sure when that may be though, as ive heard there is no free internet at this next place, and it can cost upwards of 20 euros a day for access... ill be seeking out a starbucks for internet no doubt...  ta!

Episode 1.2 : Budapest Hungary

Ice in was fun.  No it wasn't.  The started out really well, with a surprisingly fantastic complementary breakfast from the hotel.

8 or 9 plates later, we hopped on the shuttle to the venue. Turns out the labor force was the least of our worries, and were in fact some of the hardest working locals I've seen.  However, we were given a unit with no slush ice (trust me its important), a leaking panel (also not good), a Zamboni that has been turned on for prolly a couple months and may or may not hold a charge now, sketchy start cards (they make the compressors go), and a whole host of other misc issues.  On the plus side, i met the coolest old English guy ever, Steve.

  Steve made several awesome racist jokes to TC, who loves that shit, and helped us get everything where it needed to be.  I look forward to having a beer with him in Ireland.  Another highlight of my day came when i got to combine 2 of my very favorite things: shoveling on ice, and heights, when i got to shovel the top of a 15ft trailer so slick you could barely stand on it.

  Needless to say, after lots of frustration, a few phone calls to Florida, and some really good Hungarian workers, we started making ice. After 12 hours at the venue, Joe and I were able to take a taxi back to the hotel, where i slept for 6 hours before returning to the building to continue laying down water for another 8 hours.  I cant complain too much about that though, cuz when i got to come back to the hotel and sleep, Joe had to go in for what SHOULD have been an 10 hour shift, but was instead a 12 hour shift cuz some adorable skater forgot to come in for her overnight shift.  Being the lead ice guy comes with a few nice perks, but i dont envy how often he gets F'd over. What good is having your own room when you're always at the venue...

Had some fine lunch eats at the hotel restaurant when i got back, sitting in front of a big giant street level wall of glass watching the snow come down and the many many hot hungarian girls go by while i enjoying some paprika heavy potato soup, followed by some paprika heavy paprika based minced chicken stuff covered in paprika.  it was all very good.  Ideally ill get some more sight seeing in tomorrow on my day off, since in about 6 days we jet for Berlin.

Well, more rest for me now. i'm fighting off a cold and id rather not ruin any time here by being sick.  Plus now that the skaters and crew are here, the internet is pretty much garbage.

Episode 1.1 : Budapest Hungary

..

Here we go.... After my first intercontinental flight, during which i chatted with a nice girl from Milwaukee and watched the Sorcerer's apprentice, and my first non-US layover (Zurich Switzerland), and flying over what appeared to be middle earth



I arrived safely in Budapest Hungary.  First impressions are everything, and the girl who greeted us at the airport with a sign for Joe and Vess Green didn't disappoint. Misspellings aside, she was very very hot. We said goodbye to her 30 seconds later after she brought us to our big hairy cab driver.  He got us safely to our hotel, the lovely Budapest Ramada, home of the smallest rooms ive ever seen.  I shouldn't complain, what with being in Budapest for free and all, but whoa, for real. The next 36 hours were a jetlagged blur... i remember walking down the street for some sort of salty meat in a pita, apparently referred to as kabob, and a seperate trip to a local shop to get something to drink.  The rest of the time was headaches and naps... 

    This morning proved to be much better, i think im finally adapting to living 7 hours in the future... FUTURE UR Ur ur ur....  I woke up bright and early (noonish...) and took off on a sightseeing extravaganza with fellow ice slave TC.

 

.

ya thats the guy.  We walked a few miles along the river, taking pics and so forth, as tourists are like to do.  Cactuar got in on the action as well...



Of course afterward he noticed the sign....

All was well though, as the Hungarian police were far too busy accosting TC for his skin color to notice.  We made our way up the river a bit, taking in the sites (more pics can be viewed on my facebook Budapest pics ) before we came upon what i can only describe as a giant hungarian bazaar.  It was 3 stories tall, the basement selling mostly fish and pickled items, the the main floor having every sort of deli item, butchered meats, fresh veggies, or other local groceries you could want, and the top level being wall to wall souvenirs.  If you recieve a gift from me from Hungary, chances are it was purchased at this Bazaar, using this crazy money.

  

After perusing the many many stands and talking to a nice lady from conneticut about the best places to go in Budapest, we decided to head back to the hotel to meet up with poor Joe (who had been working all day :-/ ) for some dinner.  We chose a nice Mexican Hungarian fusion place down the street a bit.  The service was poor, but my food was delicious.  Upon returning to the hotel, we discovered that the skaters and crew had arrived, and therefor were not surprised to see that the internet speed was at about 1% of its previous medioctrity. That about brings us up to current...  Tomorrow the work starts, and i will get to discover how much fun it is to work with foreign labor.  Couldn't be worse than Albany Georgia...