Favourites once again: Germany 4 Switzerland 0

Just in case anyone is wondering why I didn’t write anything about last weekend’s round of Bundesliga matches, well, I didn’t really feel like writing anything about it because nothing special happened. At least nothing which I thought was worth mentioning. So instead I will write a little something about last night’s international friendly between Switzerland and Germany. Switzerland of course being the co-hosts of this year’s Euro championship weren’t very convincing in their last outings and they weren’t any better yesterday. Although this first half was rather boring Germany went ahead 1-0 and then outclassed their opponents the the second half by scoring three times. Stuttgart striker Mario Gomez was brilliant and everywhere, while the rest of the team was rather uninspired. There were flashes of that fine play that brought Germany into the World Cup semis and to the Euro, but they weren’t nearly as dominating as the used to be. And this might be because of some players really delaying the game by playing too selfishly.

Spring is coming and so is the sound of cracking bats

I have to admit that I have been very anxious for the baseball season to start again and spring training games haven’t had a great placebo effect on me. So I gladly accepted the opportunity to watch the season opening game from Tokyo between the Athletics and the Red Sox at a decent time. It was 11 AM in Germany so I was able to watch a few innings before I had to leave for work. I twas nice to watch, some nice defensive plays and hits, some shaky pitching by homecoming Matsuzaka Daisuke at the beginning, and a nice outcome for the Red Sox with a 6-5 win in extra innings.

Hanami – Kirschblüten: A German movie about Japan

Well, not exactly, but it is set in Japan and on a side note it deals with how someone traveling to a completely foreign culture copes with what he experiences abroad.
This movie “Hanami – Kirschblüten” by German director Doris Dörrie tells the story of an old couple living an ordinary life in the middle of nowhere of Bavaria, a very rural and conservative area of Germany. The wife Trudi (Hannelore Elsner) always wanted to visit Japan, since she had a strong interest in the culture and her son is working in Tokyo, and now she is confronted with a diagnosis of her husband’s doctors telling her that he only has a few more months to live because he is suffering from cancer.

Bundesliga – Day 24: Missed chances and trash talk

Bayer Leverkusen – 1.FC Nürnberg 4:1
Werder Bremen – VfL Wolfsburg 0:1
FC Hansa Rostock – Hertha BSC Berlin 0:0
Karlsruher SC – Eintracht Frankfurt 0:1
VfL Bochum – VfB Stuttgart 1:1
Hamburger SV – Borussia Dortmund 1:0
Hannover 96 – Arminia Bielefeld 2:2
FC Energie Cottbus – FC Bayern München 2:0
FC Schalke 04 – MSV Duisburg 2:1

In The Backyard Of The Record Collection (8): Big Rig – Expansive Heart

Now actually I can’t quite remember when or why I pruchased this little gem. I think it must have been through the infamous German mailorder Lost & Found (note to myself: I have to write about Strain some time in the future). Could have been that the review said something about the singer of Operation Ivy being in this band and that was why I bought it. Ever since I first got my hands on the Op Ivy discography CD is was head over heels in love with that band. I always liked ska-punk, but this was different, as all of us know. I wasn’t that much into Rancid at that time though, that only changed when they released their brilliant “…And Out Come The Wolves” record.

Nothing In Common @ Sonic Ballroom, Cologne

All good things have to come to an end eventually and since Lisse, Nothing In Common’s guitarist and singer, decided to join Aachen’s Pale and play bass with them, the end of one of Germany’s finest punkrock bands came to an end last Friday. What a fitting venue the Ballroom is for an occasion like this.
We (a.k.a. A Modest Proposal) have been friends with Nothing In Common for a long time because our singer Pascal and Lisse grew up together. It was always a pleasure to watch them play and the songs they performed were always highly entertaining.

Bundesliga – Day 23: Forget about professional football…

1.FC Nürnberg – Hamburger SV 0:0
Bayer Leverkusen – Hannover 96 2:0
VfB Stuttgart – Werder Bremen 6:3
VfL Wolfsburg – FC Energie Cottbus 3:0
Arminia Bielefeld – FC Schalke 04 0:2
MSV Duisburg – FC Hansa Rostock 1:1
Bayern München – Karlsruher SC 2:0
Eintracht Frankfurt – VfL Bochum 1:1
Borussia Dortmund – Hertha BSC Berlin 1:1

Champions League – Last 16 (Leg 2)

FC Porto – FC Schalke 04 1:4 (a.p.)
Real Madrid – AS Roma 1:2
FC Chelsea – Olympiakos Piraeus 3:0
Internazionale – Liverpool FC (11.3.) -:-
FC Barcelona – Celtic Glasgow 1:0
Manchester United – Olympique Lyonnais 1:0
FC Sevilla – Fenerbahce Istanbul 2:3 (a.p.)
AC Milan – Arsenal 0:2

Bundesliga – Day 22: A storm is coming

Hertha BSC Berlin – MSV Duisburg 2:0
FC Energie Cottbus – VfB Stuttgart (cancelled)
FC Schalke 04 – Bayern München 0:1
Hannover 96 – 1. FC Nürnberg 2:1
Werder Bremen – Borussia Dortmund 2:0
FC Hansa Rostock – Arminia Bielefeld 1:1
Karlsruher SC – VfL Wolfsburg 3:1
VfL Bochum – Bayer Leverkusen 2:0
Hamburger SV – Eintracht Frankfurt 4:1