Leaving on a jet plane

In about six hours I'll be picked up by my friend Robert and driven to Frankfurt International Airport. A mere two hour drive from Aachen but we are not taking any chances come hell or high water, I'll be on that plane and flying towards the States.

I haven't been home in a year. Its time for a reunion with Mother America. Father Deutschland is fun and I enjoy it for the most part, but I miss the simplicity of life, suburbs and good mexican food. Okay, much more than that I miss my family and friends and cannot wait to celebrate the holidays with them. I can already imagine the food, the drinks and the good times we'll have. This year, my German friend Marcus will be joining me and my family for the holidays. It will be so nice to fly transatlantic with someone again. I hate flying alone on that flight because its ten hours long and I have to becareful where I fall asleep. With Marcus next to me, I can snore, drool and whatever all I want. Big plus.

My feelings about Germany haven't' changed much. I've come to grips with living here and have gotten used to it for the most part. I enjoy living here and I know there are many things I'll move when I move back to the States. If only Germany were closer.....

Where else can one listen to French, German, Spanish and English music on the radio within in the hour? That is one thing I know I'll miss. I haven't been to the States for a year. We'll see my feelings on international living when I return on the 4th day of the new year.

The dollar slid a bit this morning, thats good news for me. :)

A little Weihnachtsgedicht

For my Denglish speaking friends:



A little Weihnachtsgedicht



When the snow falls wunderbar
And the children happy are,
When the Glatteis on the street,
And we all a Glühwein need,
Then you know, es ist soweit:

She is here, the Weihnachtszeit
Every Parkhaus is besetzt,
Weil die people fahren jetzt
All to Kaufhof, Mediamarkt,
Kriegen nearly Herzinfarkt.
Shopping hirnverbrannte things
And the Christmasglocke rings.

Mother in the kitchen bakes
Schoko-, Nuss- and Mandelkeks
Daddy in the Nebenraum
Schmücks a Riesen-Weihnachtsbaum
He is hanging off the balls,
Then he from the Leiter falls...
Finally the Kinderlein
To the Zimmer kommen rein
And it sings the family
Schauerlich: "Oh, Chistmastree!"
And the jeder in the house
Is packing the Geschenke aus.

Mama finds unter the Tanne
Eine brandnew Teflon-Pfanne,
Papa gets a Schlips and Socken,
Everybody does frohlocken.
President speaks in TV,
All around is Harmonie,
Bis mother in the kitchen runs:
Im Ofen burns the Weihnachtsgans.
And so comes die Feuerwehr
With Tatü, tata daher,
And they bring a long, long Schlauch
And a long, long Leiter auch.
And they schrei - "Wasser
marsch!",
Christmas now is in the ...
Merry Christmas, merry Christmas,
Hear the music, see the lights,
Frohe Weihnacht, Frohe Weihnacht,
Merry Christmas allerseits...

I miss academia

Its amazing how much I miss academia, researching and having deep, fact driven conversations on global events, policy and how the history leading up to that point.

I've got to return to this. Soon.

Economics PSA

Dear Consumers

I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you that economics is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Somebody says we're in a recession and magically...the numbers aren't looking so good anymore. Someone says we're in a period of economic growth...and magically we feel inclined to buy a new BMW.

The media isn't helping the situation with their sensationalistic style of reporting which over-dramatizes ever move the markets, the Fed and the Treasury make.

Ugh.