Posts made during September, 2009
A forecast of wind in Frankfurt.
Monday, September 28th, 2009
Guten Tag! I’m in Franfurt at the start of my book tour for Couch Surfing – Eine abenteuerliche Reise um die Welt and I’m lovin’ being back in Germany. I love my German beer, and wurst, and kartoffelpuffers, and spatzle, and jaeger schnitzel and all that other wonderful German healthy food that increase the chances of a coronary. My first meal was bratwurst with sauerkraut and pommes (chips) followed the next day by more wurst with kartoffelsalat and a large mug of beer for lunch. For dinner I had kalbsbraten (veal) smothered in thick cream and mushroom sauce and spatzle (with another two large mugs of beer). And today for lunch I decided to try the local speciality ‘Handkäse mit Musik’… (read more)
Clowning around in Frankfurt.
Thursday, September 24th, 2009
Tomorrow I fly to Frankfurt for the publicity tour of Couch Surfing – Eine abenteuerliche Reise um die Welt and it’s been a while. Although I have been to Germany around twenty times the last time I was in Frankfurt was 20 years ago! In fact, Frankfurt was the first city I flew to on my first Big Trip OS. But, my first taste of Germany and Frankfurt was a little bit scary (in that clown scary sort of way). As I stepped out of Frankfurt airport as a young, naive backpacker, I noticed a couple of people dressed as clowns. In the underground train station I saw two more clowns drinking large cans of beer.Sitting opposite me on the train was another clown having an animated conversation with a court jester. I had no idea… (read more)
Karaoke World Tour – Thailand
Sunday, September 20th, 2009
We’re off to Thailand for Part Ten of Brian’s Karaoke World Tour and a bit of ‘Speed Karaoke’ in Chiang Mai. I was travelling around Thailand in March this year for my new book when I dragged my girlfriend Beth into a dimly lit and very empty karaoke bar in a back street of Chiang Mai. There was all of five other patrons in the bar, so the barman was very happy to see us – and sell us a drink (the pic is of all the five guests with me singing in the background). The barman handed us a thick song book then flicked to the very back. That was because there was about fifty pages… (read more)
If you can’t come to Germany then join me in Bali…
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
I’m ‘appearing’ at the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival in October (the pic is of me and Tony Wheeler talking at the 2008 festival). It’s a fantastic festival taking place in stunning locations all around Ubud. Harpers Bazaar magazine called the festival ‘One of the six best literary festivals in the world’. I’ll let the folk from the festival give you the lowdown of what it is all about: ‘This year’s Ubud Writers & Readers Festival promises to be as exciting as ever. Our 2009 theme Suka-Duka: Compassion & Solidarity. The theme reflects… (read more)
My German Couch Surfing Tour.
Friday, September 11th, 2009
I’m off travelling around Germany in late September/October promoting Couch Surfing – Eine abenteuerliche Reise um die Welt (the German translation of ‘Sleeping Around’) and I’ve just received my ’schedule’. A ‘competition’ was held amongst booksellers around Germany and the prize (and I use that word loosely) is me staying on their couch and doing a talk at their bookshop. I’m really looking forward to the trip because, although I have been to Germany many times, I haven’t been there for fourteen years. And, I’m also going to quite a few cities that I haven’t been to before including Stuttgart, Leipzig, Hannover and Rendsburg. And the other thing that I’m really excited about is… (read more)
Couchskiing.
Sunday, September 6th, 2009
I do love couch surfing. Particularly when the couch is in a ski resort. I’ve just come back from a few days couch surfing at Mt Hotham in the Victorian alps. I stayed with Olivier, a lovely French-Canadian ski instructor who had previously couch surfed with me in Melbourne (including his first ever night in Australia last year). And not only did I have a ‘free’ couch for a few nights, but because it was Olivier’s second season working as a ski instructor he got a free two-day lift pass which… (read more)