First order of business today was visiting the conference and trying to get my money back for my plane flight. I arrived, hassled a bunch of people, and eventually met the guy in charge of conference. He gave me about the worst possible scenario: that they hadn’t heard of either of the two guys who contacted me, that they were completely unaffiliated with the conference, and they had no idea how these guys got their hands on an official speakers contract.
Not good. I got the phone number of the head guy and he promised me he would look around and try to track down “Eddie”, the guy who promised me I could expense my flight. He offered to let me stay for the conference, but I figured I’d rather see Munich.
Especially considering that half the speeches were in German.
Instead, I decided to go to ZAM (the Zentrum fur Aussergewohnliche Museen – Center for Unusual Museums) and do it right. I had woken up early, got the address, and upon arriving discovered that the museum closed two years ago. This is where it used to be.
I pondered the tiny spaces that people parallel park in over here. EVERY space is like this!
Just as I started to feel really disappointed about ZAM, a huge protest wandered by. I couldn’t understand what it was about, so I joined in.
Afterwards, I was thirsty, so I got a soda. I still don’t know exactly what flavor it was. Mmm… “holunderâ€.
I marveled at Munich’s “Call a bike†program. Apparently there are bikes just left standing all over the city that you can rent out by swiping a key card.
Next was a trip to see the stunning opulence of the Residenz museum, the former home of very important Münchners.
This room was particularly interesting. The ceiling was an optical illusion, painted to make it look as though the room was much taller than it actually is. But the perspective only works in you’re standing in the exact center of the floor…
On the way home, I discovered a store devoted to completely useless items. Tiny magnetic pieces of plastic that cling together to make a wall hanging, blankets that were 50% wool, 50% cotton, and 100% uncomfortable, USB-powered reading lights, bicycle inner-tube belts, futuristic forks – the store had it all. What a brilliant concept!
And I finished the day at the Atomic Cafe, where I discovered that loud live concerts are difficult places to carry on conversations with people who don’t speak your language.
