rock-n-roll, castles, and cloisters

Long absences from the world of blogging mean two things: 1) I am hard at work and busy with my various scholarly obligations or 2) laziness.  To be honest, I can't tell the two apart these days.  So, here's a mildly long update.

Last week was my breakout performance.  I head-lined in a bar.  Crowds cheered and women threw themselves at me.  Ok, maybe not.  But I did play at the Berliner Bar, which had been rented out by a church plant.  So it was sort-of christianized.  The room was packed, people applauded, and I was asked back for another round at the end of April.  All good things.  Here's some video of the event:





I made an amateur mistake on the last song and didn't take my time tuning the guitar.  I dropped down to DADGAD (an open tuning) and was too rushed in my head to relax, turn on my tuner, and get it right.  The result: I spent the whole song avoiding sounding as flat as the guitar.  Too bad.  I'll do my best to get it right next time.

In between the concert and today, well, I've done my best to get work done, and I've done my best to avoid working.  The internet is increasingly becoming a problem.  I am allowing it to distract me from reality and responsibility, and its impact on my normal way of life is becoming more and more obvious.  I can't concentrate, can't stay still, and I am staying up until absurd hours.  The problem reared its ugly head in the fall, and I took strides to pull away from the influence.  But right now I am not motivated, just don't care that I am distracted.  With that said, Sunday I had a "fast" from the computer, and this week is going somewhat better.  I've gotten to a point in my research that I can start writing the next chapter on baptism.  Tonight and tomorrow I'll be rereading and organizing my notes, and then it begins. [I continue to ask for your prayers on this chapter.  First, that I would be able to get it done before June, allowing me to concentrate on camp, and second that I would see God's hand in the midst of this work that feels so self-centered and "worldly".]

I've been itching to visit a local castle these past few weeks, so this past Saturday I organized a little trip to Marksburg near Braubach.  Adam [a fellow American] and Esther came along, and well, endured a bit of tourism.

 First, Marksburg was pretty from a distance but disappointing up close.  Most disappointing: you had to pay 5 euro to get in, and could only enter as a part of a tour group.  Needless to say, we didn't pay the man.  So, the shots I got on digital "film" were from the outer portions of the castle.

Still pretty, but not worth it.  What was worth it?  My roll with a fleischwurst.  Yum!

To fill up the extra time Esther suggested, and I agreed heartily, that we head back and visit Ruedesheim.  She mentioned something about a national monument [boring] and something about the cloister where Hildegard from Bingen worshiped [that's right Kristi...eat your heart out].  When I heard that, I was all in.  What I didn't realize is that Ruedesheim had become a virtual tourist trap, with stores and stores of crap up and down the streets.

Though, this shirt was tempting.  It reads "the devil wears diapers".  A nice eschatological t-shirt.

So, without really understanding how far it was, we decided to make the trek to Hildegaard's cloister.  How far was it.  Well, it began with an uphill climb through vineyards.

Then continued with a short jaunt through the woods.

Then mild meander parallel to the Rhine... [note the towers in the distance]

 ...which finally brought us to the Benedictine Abbey of Hildegard.  Wow.  Real pretty.  Unfortunately, it's not the original.  The original was destroyed [for some reason] and this version was build during the turn of the 20th century.  Still, real pretty.

I was hoping to get a picture of her burial place, but she's not buried at the cloister.  I guess my pilgrimage will just have to go incomplete.

Speaking of incomplete.  I am going to start recording German attempts at English, especially in the mode of spray paint.  Here was the latest:

That's right folks.  In case you were planning to do any camping: "Punk's not deat" ...and we're happy about that.

So, now it's back to work.  I am planning a trip to Halle next week, so expect an update on the Pietist Pilgrimage stuff.