O Night Divine

Just a little greeting to wish you all Happy Holidays. As our little present to you, here's a clip of the greatest "O Holy Night" recording of all time. Even if you've heard this before, I promise it'll make you laugh again. For those curious Georges out there, here's an article about the true identity of the singer. I hope this song raises everyone's self-confidence in their singing ability! Enjoy!

O Holy Night (off-key)

Those French people know how to cook!

As you may know, we took at trip to the Alsace region of France back in August. We were completely charmed by the cities we visited, so when we found out that they all have Christmas markets in December, we knew we had to go. So, last weekend we took a day trip to the region, along with our friends Rebecca & Victor, and set off to visit the markets in Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, and Colmar.

Wrapped into our Alsatian Christmas market visit, was a dining experience never to be forgotten. We had lunch in Zellenberg at Le Maximilien, a one-star rated Michelin restaurant. Not to spoil the suspense, but---it was amazing. Delicious food, local wine, rustic breads, fresh ingredients, and impeccable presentation. I was too embarrassed to take pictures of each course, so I'm relying on descriptive prose to relay our fancy schmancy French meal.

The restaurant is set on the slope of a vineyard, with lovely views of nearby grape vines and the town of Riquewihr off in the distance. We took our time pondering the menu, which required some translation from Rebecca since none of the rest of us speak French. :)

During this time of pondering, we were served miniature Tarte Flambée. For those who aren't familiar with it, it's similar in idea to a pizza. They consist of a paper thin crust topped with seasoned cream, sliced onion, and chunks of ham. Mmmmm. We finally decided to go with the set 4-course "Gourmand" menu, as it seemed to be the best way to taste their specialties without spending a fortune. We ordered a bottle of Riesling called "Prestige" from a local vineyard and awaited the never-ending flow of food that was soon to follow.

It was a little awkward being a regular Joe in a restaurant like this. I couldn't help but wonder if they somehow knew that we'd all changed in the car from jeans & sneakers to slacks & dress shoes just before walking the steps up to the restaurant. I think we always feel a little bit like small children when we go to nice restaurants. Like we wanna be loud and silly and giggly, just because it's so unbelievably quiet in those places. It's hard to act grown-up sometimes, ya know?

Anyway, after ordering they brought out a tray with choice of three bread rolls (white, tomato and olive, or a rustic farm bread) to go along with our second mini-course: a salmon sushi roll (tasted French, not Japanese, even though it looked like normal sushi), and a dish with crab meat, celery, tomato gel, and a whipped foam on top. As Rebecca commented, and as we've noticed before, nice French restaurants have some strange fascination with foam. It was good though. The crab part was very nice.

After all the "starters", it was on the main event. The first course was undoubtedly my favorite. It consisted of three layers: the bottom was chopped lobster tail with cream and red onions, the middle was slices of fresh sea mussels, and the top was caviar. This was then garnished with a curly pile of fried mashed potato strings. Beautiful and wonderfully tasty.

We then moved on to the second course, which was Andy's favorite. This was a Parmesan risotto, with two each of large sea scallops and jumbo shrimp, garnished with flash-fried spinach and more grated Parmesan. I have to say that those scallops were the best I've ever tasted, and that Parmesan cheese was amazing. Wish we knew where to buy more of that!

Next up was roasted pigeon (yes, pigeon...it's a specialty in the region), served with sautéed truffle mushrooms, steamed asparagus, and a pumpkin/sweet potato-pistachio sauce. Although it seemed a bit strange to be eating something that most people associate with dirtiness and disease, the pigeon was actually tasty. It was like a cross between chicken and duck; darker than chicken, but not too oily. And the sauce that went with it was verrrry nice.

While feeling a bit full and wondering how we were going to be able to finish our last course, we were served a surprise pre-dessert (apparently this is normal, but it was a surprise for us since we don't usually eat at fancy places!). Arranged on a silver tray were 4 mini-desserts for each of us: a small glass of passion fruit mousse, a small fried doughnut coated in caramelized sugar, a macaroon cookie, and a light cake soaked in schnapps and topped with a dollop of fresh cream. They were all good, but the passion fruit mousse was the hands down winner. Incredible.

Renewed by the sweet goodies, were eagerly awaited our real dessert: a mixture of fresh berries, vanilla sauce, and cubed pieces of gingerbread, topped with a spiced ice cream that tasted like ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Very nice. However, as good as it was, I have to say that Rebecca's dessert put ours to shame. She's vegetarian, and so ordered a la carte, and had selected a warm, chocolaty, lava cake for dessert, served with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce. I could eat one of those every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was that good! :)

Finally, after all that delicious food, we decided to have a cup of cappuccino as the finale to our meal. Those were excellent too! I guess when you're paying big bucks for a meal they go all out on everything. We even got home-made, melon flavored marshmallows to go with the coffees. Reminded me of the time I got gourmet cotton candy with fresh blueberries for dessert at a fancy restaurant in Houston. I guess it just goes to show that even rich people crave the food found at girl scout sleepovers and state fairs from time to time. :)

Bears on a Mission

Better than Tickle Me Elmo anyday...

I was just going through the pics on my computer and ran across this forgotten gem. It was taken in a Build-a-Bear store in Salt Lake City. You know, the ones with dozens of kids running around, gleefully constructing their next best friend teddy bear? Kind of like a Frankenstein laboratory, but with cuter outfits. Anyway, in Salt Lake City there is a special outfit for those bears with a higher calling: the missionary outfit. Gotta have a good bear role model for the Mormon kiddies, right?

Sending a shout out to the Stormin' Mormon! Miss ya!

I like traffic lights

The famous Ampelmann walk sign of Eastern Berlin

I gotta say, I wasn't really sure what to expect when we visited Berlin. I mean, people told us it was great, but I just didn't really know much about it. Most of my knowledge came from its recent history: it was divvied up between four countries after WWII, a wall was built by the Soviets that divided the city, and when the wall finally came down it made my mom happy enough that she cried. In truth, much of Berlin is still defined by these parts of its history, but the city's character goes much deeper than that. After spending the weekend in Germany's capital, I've gotta say that I see why so many people love this city.

For me, Berlin seemed to give off a energetic vibe. The city is full of youth in so many ways, and just being there and walking through its streets somehow made me feel more alive. The city itself is a living contradiction: every bit as new as it is old. Its history runs so deep. The Brandenburg gate, the last remaining of several entrances to the former Prussian capital, still stands proudly a reminder of Berlin's triumphs. Just as the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial church, heavily bombed during WWII, its damaged steeple a reminder of the destruction of war, rises above the stores on the Ku'Dam. And just as segments of the Berlin wall, covered in graffiti and weathered with age, remain as a reminder of the once divided city. Somehow the history of the city felt tangible as we walked the streets, and by the end of our two days we were already planning a trip to come back.

Andy in front of the TV tower in East Berlin, also known as "The Pope's Revenge." During the days of the DDR, the Soviets had all of the crosses removed from the churches of East Berlin. In the meantime, they had been working on constructing this TV tower, designed to be a display to the West of East Berlin's prosperity. When it was unveiled upon completion, the sunlight reflected off the faceted sphere in the shape of a cross, and thus the tower received its nickname.

Fountain south of Alexandar Platz, with the Berlin Dom in the background

Front of the Berlin Dome

Pretty city library near Humboldt University

The inside view of the Sony Center's dome in Potsdamer Platz

The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church: damaged ruins of the bombed cathedral alongside the newly built memorial church.

View from inside the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Trabants. Once the main car of East Berlin, people were on 10 year waiting lists to get one. Now you can rent them and drive around the city on a tour, but be forewarned...they stink!

This parking lot was the location of Hitler's bunker in Berlin, where he committed suicide here, along with his wife, shortly before Soviet troops arrived at the end of the war.

Surviving section of the Berlin wall. Note the ceramic pipe along the top; this was used in lieu of barbed wire, since its circumference makes it impossible to grip.

Picture of the dome that Hitler planned to build in Berlin, which he wanted to rename "Germania". Ridiculously grandiose in scale (see comparison with the Berlin Dom), the laws of physics would make it impossible to build. It was to be so big, that it could fit 200,000 people at once. It would've rained inside just from the moisture produced by when everyone breathed!

Moving war memorial sculpture by Käthe Kollwitz, who herself lost two sons to war

Us in front of the Bradenburg Gate

My One Hour of Glory

"Drive as fast as you can around this curve, and when I signal I want you to brake as hard as you can. "

Them are fightin words if I ever heard any, and the first time I tried this I braked like an old Lady. Actually I did it the second time, too, only moreso like an Accountable Adult - gently turning the wheel to avoid the wall of cones. But the third time I nailed it in a way that would make Will smile with glee. I crushed that brake pad so hard that I thought I'd break the damn lever. But my Stuttgart Stallion took it in stride, and brought me from 90 km / h to 0 in less than 15 feet. Holy Geez that was awesome. And I was just gettin' started.

My birthday present this year was extremely unique and a sexy way of kicking and screaming into The 30-somethings. For one whole hour, I commandeered (legally) an atomic-bomb red 2006 Porsche Carrera S and careened it around a specially-designed racing track the way you're not supposed to drive: hard and fast. Sure, I took it easy around the curves that scared the bejeezus outta me, but as soon as I had a clear shot ahead I punched the gas and didn't look back. The track is wet? It's 36 degrees F outside? I'm driving an 80,000+ Euro car with ZERO insurance on a track that was designed to mimic five of the most challenging curves of modern tracks? Exhilaration vandalizing every stone in my head, each twist leaving another spatter of paint obscuring .. well, whatever was there before.

No better than to learn the track from Sebastian, my Porsche Racing Instructor, who I fondly remember leading me out of a tight corner and saying "now go as fast as you can." God I love this guy. The first moment of sadness that day was watching him crouch down into his midnight-blue 911 Turbo huddled adjacent to our 911 Carreras. The second moment came when I realized there was no way in Hell I was going to keep up with that guy! Hey, I never said I stopped trying. He introduced me to the Bus Stop, the slalom thru the row of cones, the tight curves, The Hill and subsequent down-right-sharp curve, the tight s curve that I may have fishtailed out of (and recovered nicely I might add) when I asked for a little too much torque. The last moment of sadness arrived as I realized I waited 30 years to do this. All that sadness washed away remembering that my wife gave me this opportunity. And I Prost!'d this best I knew how: I ate it all up and left nothing behind but an awful smell Sebastian called "a Porsche Driver's Chanel No 5".

That tour may have been only one hour by your standards, but in my head it was hours of analysis reading the Carrera's responses to all of my questions. I ripped through that track testing the steering's range, the suspension's forgiveness, the strength of my hands holding that steering wheel, and also a fellow student's patience as I kept urging him to drive faster. At the end I walked away with electricity in my feet and the re-aquaintenace with an AMA-acceptable heart rate. But in usual form I thanked Sebastian properly and reminded him that we'll be seeing each other again. Soon.

Since we never received the official "ticket" for the Porsche Experience, there's still a second chance..

http://www.porsche-leipzig.com/en/leipzigangebote/leipzigpilot/default.aspx

Electric Youth

I couldn't wait to get this photo online after our kick-ass weekend in Berlin and Leipzig, Germany. The Porsche Leipzig campus has a building called the "Diamond" which houses the museum, conference centers, restaurant, etc. One of the automobiles, a 1997 Porsche GT1 race car, is an amazing auto that is currently on display at the Leipzig Diamond. It's a wicked car in all respects, and during our tour I heard a tip about special paint used on the body of this GT1. I took a picture with and without flash as a comparison:

How cool is that? It's sick cool, for sure. Or did I just date myself by showing excitement over neon-colors oh-so reminiscent of the early 90s.. Schade.. this car is 10 years old and I'm still crazy about it. I wonder how this car handles on the Porsche Leipzig test track..

PS: it's shaped like a diamond, if you're still wondering from where the moniker arose.

Even better than the real thing

You all may or may not know this, but Stuttgart has an Oktoberfest of its own. It's called the Canstatter Volksfest, and takes place at roughly the same time as Oktoberfest. Even though it's not quite as grandiose in size, it's still the second biggest beer festival in Germany, and many Germans prefer it to the "real" Oktoberfest. Probably because there are fewer tourists...

We were fortunate enough this year to attend both festivals: Oktoberfest (see below) and the Volksfest. I still think Oktoberfest is awesome for a number of reasons, but in some ways I liked the Volksfest better. For one, I didn't feel like a tourist because it was local, and second, I liked the band a lot better. They played a nice mix of traditional German festival songs and cover songs that any sorority girl would love, like "I Will Survive". The other difference was that we had a big group of people that we crammed into our one reserved table. The more the merrier is right. :)

Actually, Melissa and Vicky were also able to experience both festivals, having taken a trip to Italy after the Oktoberfest trip and stopping into Stuttgart for one night before heading home. What better way to spend your last night in Europe than at a German beer fest?

Me, Melissa, and Andy "Prosting"

Melissa, me, and our friend Rebecca
(stole this pic and the one below from Rebecca's
husbands webpage...nice pictures, Victor!)

Our friends Mike and Kathleen.
Note Mike's Lederhosen...totally upstaged us! :)

Certainly there are some things that Volksfest doesn't have, like not as many rides and not as friendly waiters (ours was a real jerk...oh well). It also doesn't have nearly the selection of beer tents. Stuttgart has 3 large tents and 6 smaller tents, while Oktoberfest has 14 large tents and 19 smaller tents. Plus some would also argue that Bavarian beer tastes better than Schwabisch beer (and I'd be inclined to agree), but I don't know how much it really matters. Most people don't come to savor the beer....they just come to drink it. :)

Clarktoberfest 2007

Ah, yes. Our annual Clarktoberfest celebration has come and gone. We are now both one year older, and one year wiser....Er, I guess that last point is debatable. At least we know more about Germany than we did one year ago--that's something!

As many of you know, we spent our birthdays this year with Andy's family on a grand German adventure known around the world as Oktoberfest. What a rush. That place is crowded! And crazy! You've all got to promise to come next year.

We started our adventure in the humbler city of Stuttgart. We mostly took it easy, taking strolls downtown, shopping, visiting the Ludwigsburg palace, going to the top of the Fernsehturm, and visiting Schwabisch restuarants for the family's mandatory introduction to Maultauschen.

The Schlossplatz in downtown Stuttgart

Andy and Melissa in front of a Schlossplatz fountainStuttgart's opera houseDuck that was fascinated with Colin's camera
Night out for Schwabisch cuisine

After a few days in Stuttgart, we hopped in a rental car, drove to Munich, found our rented apartment, dropped of our bags, and raced to our reservation in the Hippodrom tent at Oktoberfest. Phew. Once there, we had €144 in vouchers that we needed to spend (you are required to buy these to get the table reservation), so we promptly ordered a round of beers.

Round of beers at the Hippodrom

Inside the Hippodrom Tent... Big, huh?

2 1/2 hours and €100 in vouchers later, our reservation was up. Vicky and Colin wandered the fest, Andy went home (he was sick with the stomach flu our first day or so in Munich...), and Melissa and I went to the Spatenbräu tent to have some beers, sing songs, and dance.

The next morning, we came right back to the Hippodrom to use up our remaining vouchers on some traditional Oktoberfest roasted chickens and some Weisswurst, all washed down with...you guessed it, beer. We then walked around and soaked in the fest a bit.

Horses outside the Hofbräuhaus tent

Inside the Hacker-Pschorr tent

Looking out on the crowd

We went back the next night to hang out some more. We hung out in Lowenbrau's beer garden for a while before trying to get into the tent. Unfortunately, Friday night entrance without a reservation proved a bit difficult. Andy and I ended up wandering around, playing carnival games, and people watching.

Showing off the bear and rose that Andy won for me. :)

Popular Lebkuchen hearts native to every German festival
You buy them for your sweetheart, and they wear it around their neck.
Mine said: "Suße Maus"

Although we were there for some portion of every day of the trip, we didn't spend all of our time at Oktoberfest. We also went to the Deutsches Museum (largest technological museum in the world), saw the Glockenspiel clock in front of Munich's Rathaus, visited a typical German cafe for breakfast, and spent an evening at the oh-so-festive Hofbräuhaus. That place is like Oktoberfest every single day of the year: meat & potatoes, pretzels, Maß of Bier, and traditional music.

A Munich favorite: Pork Knuckle with Potato Dumplings

We also took a side trip on our last day there to Neuschwanstein, the castle of Crazy King Ludwig. It's the one that the Disney castle is based on. Very over the top and, I thought, wonderful. We actually visited two castles: Hohenschwangau, where Ludwig grew up, and Neuschwanstein, the castle Ludwig built for himself just up the hill from his childhood home. The story goes that one day, before the castle was finished, King Ludwig went to see a doctor for a check-up and was declared "unfit to rule" due to insanity (if you saw this crazy castle, you might understand why). The next day, he and the doctor were both found dead in the lake. Supposedly no one knows exactly how they died. The castle was never completed after that, but several of the rooms were finished and they are all magnificent. Gilded, and mosaic'ed, with intricate carvings and elaborate paintings. Ludwig definitely had a vivid imagination.

If you'd indulge me, I'll tell you one of my favorite parts... In Hohenschwangau, there was a bedroom that was Ludwig's father's. This father had the ceiling painted with a bright blue sky with clouds. Ludwig, upon becoming king and taking the bedroom for himself, had the sky repainted to be a night sky. He then had holes drilled from select stars all the way up to the floor above, where those holes were connected with oil lamps, so that he would see twinkles of light across the ceiling as if he was sleeping outdoors every night. I thought that was neat.

Ludwig's childhood home: Hohenschwangau

Ludwig's creative masterpiece: Neuschwanstein

So, that was our trip, in a nutshell. A very good Clarktoberfest indeed. I'll leave you with my favorite pic from the trip...something you'd only see in Germany!

Girl in a Dirndl aiming a pellet gun

Beer and pretzels for everyone!

Although we've been planning the trip for months, it seems hard to believe that we're leaving today to celebrate our annual Clarktoberfest birthday bash at the mecca of beer and pretzels: Oktoberfest in Munich. We will be thinking of all of you as we eat roasted chickens, nibble on pretzels, sing & dance, and, of course, swig liters of beer. Prost!

Ein Mass Bier:

Help! I need a Porsche! It's an emergency!

So we've known for a long time that the number for emergencies in Europe is not 911, like in the US. Over here you dial 112 if you need help. What I didn't realize until now, is that in Stuttgart "911" is actually the direct extension to call Porsche Headquarters. Hilarious. Can't you just see a confused American with a flesh wound calling 911 for help, only to be talked into buying the new Carrera? I guess in a way a new Porsche would be therapeutic.

London looks cool in sepia tone

So I know that Andy already talked about our trip to London, but I was playing around with the pics and thought I would post them. There are all of these nice artistic shots that we took (mostly he took), that just look that much cooler when you make them sepia tone. Like they belong framed and effortlessly arranged on an antique bookcase. Enjoy. :)

Beer taps at the pub near Sandy's place

Big Ben and a double-decker bus

The Tower Bridge

Wheels of cheese at Neal's Dairy

Gardens at the back of Windsor Castle
(that the Queen's room overlooks)The facade of HarrodsOld pub near Victoria SquareThe London Eye

A conference with cow bells, what's not to like?

As some of you may know, I'm in the middle of a whirlwind of conferences. At the moment, I'm two down with one to go. Just to give you a recap, in the past two weeks I've presented one poster, given two talks, attended upwards of 60 talks, visited 4 poster sessions, met and memorized the names of 30 new networking acquaintances, and eaten 20 restaurant meals. Conference time can be exhausting.

The good news is, that sometimes you get to visit a place that's cool, like Braunwald, Switzerland. This tiny little village is perched some 1300 m (4265 ft) up along the side of a mountain. It's quaint character is increased by the fact that no cars are allowed, and the only transport up there is a cable car from the town of Linthal in the valley below. It was really a beautiful place to be, surrounded by rolling green hills and glistening white mountaintops.

View from the hotel over the Glarus Valley

Cows Grazing

This cow had a particularly loud bell

Riding scooters down the mountain.
A group of us took another cable car 200 meters further up,
then rented these scooters to ride back down. Super fun.
Here I am posing with Dan, a fellow post-doc
who works in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Green hills in contrast with white mountains

I have to say though, one of my favorite things was the cows. As you many know, it's common to tie a cow bell around the neck of each member of your herd, so that you can always locate your flock. Multiply that times dozens of cows spread over dozens of farms, and you've got a continuous little cow bell symphony each day. I took a video to try to demonstrate this effect:

My other favorite things was the fire hydrants, which were painted to look like miniature people:



All in all a very nice conference. I think it's inspired me to look into Switzerland as a weekend getaway option. Either for hiking in the fall, or skiing in the winter. It may be an expensive country, but when you see how pretty it is you really don't mind.