I have the silliest Fraenk referral code, but honestly, if anyone in Germany is thinking about switching phone networks, I’ve been really happy with how much this one’s improved in the 2 years I've been with them!

Door-to-door fundraising is rare here, maybe once or twice a year. It’s always the Malteser. I recently had a digital run-in with them too. Opened the door, confirmed it was them, and realised nothing good could come of it.

I have no idea if Google Play releases books at midnight but I'm staying up to find out. The Rose Field is a big deal to me right now.

I'm going through my photos from last year. On this day I visited the only jeweled cheeseburger in Yermo California.

So hyped for tomorrow. 1. The end of Philip Pullman’s spectacular follow-up trilogy to His Dark Materials is released. 2. German cult emo-punk band Captain Planet graces München with their show at Milla. 3. It’s my last day of work this week. 3-day weekend!

Stuck on memory lane, 2 years ago I saw Fall Out Boy after years of writing them off for going too pop. Saw them again the following year at WWWY, and I’m still convinced they have the best lighting and stage design I’ve ever seen. FOB concerts embody the feelings of their music, nostalgia included.

One year on, I can still taste the air at the grand canyon.

I'm having bad luck with Jeans. After two pairs the same size as the ones I bought last year weren't properly delivered, one went missing, one was delivered two days later, and doesn't fit! Amazon refunded me for the missing pair, and I'll send the others back, but enough is enough.

This time last year in Matt's life, the when we were young festival. Me, my partner and about 79,998 other aging punks and emos having the time of our lives in Vegas. I didn't have FOMO for this year's Festival last weekend, but I sure as heck felt excited for them.

What should I do with all these coins in Germany 2025 edition? 💰 Turns out Sparkasse retired their coin machines and I don’t know anyone banking with Commerzbank. There’s €106.50 in these stacks alone. so yeah, I’d really resent giving 10%/€10 of it to Coinstar in Rewe. Any recommendations?

I used to be a lossless audio purist but I accepted the convenience of lossy Spotify audio and Bluetooth headphones. As of today, I'm back. My headphones and Spotify are lossless again. Our brains are smarter than we give them credit for. We perceive information subconsciously. Lossless is more.

Out for an American breakfast. I've been disappointed by pancakes in Munich recently so settled on a place with a fair attempt at a Huevos rancheros, which now I'm not even sure if I tried in California.

Out for an American breakfast. I've been disappointed by pancakes in Munich recently so settled on a place with a fair attempt at a Huevos rancheros, which now I'm not even sure if I tried in California.

I don't want to be too dramatic but travelling to Vegas and Central California last year was the coolest trip of my life. The build up to it was exciting but I wasn't expecting it to leave such an impression on me. Tomorrow marks one year since the start of my journey, and my feelings are all over!

A story in three parts

At my second of two gigs this week and third of four gigs this month. Is live music the thing that makes me feel most alive? I'm seeing Oso Oso, Tigers Jaw, The Hotelier and Joyce Manor tonight and Ways Away just played. I know I'm in for a special treat.

Just watched Sinners, or Blood and Sinners as it’s called in Germany. A fun horror-musical with some great moments. The credits add an emotional touch that I don't think I've experienced before. Jack O'Connell is killing it in 2025. Two very different unsettling performances.

Bad Tölz, not bad. 🍂🍁

It’s Sunday, and everyone knows the rules in Germany, the shops are closed today. Some exceptions exist, including a Verkaufsoffener Sonntag. Munich doesn’t allow them, by a town hall decision in favour of the workers, but today I’m heading to Bad Tölz and it's a Verkaufsoffener Sonntag there!

I love Negroni and I've never found a Rewe with this in stock!

I saw One Battle After Another yesterday. A tough choice between it and seeing Michael Cera Palin again. The film was worth it. Heart-pounding thriller with great close-up acting, sweet, a fair dose of humour, and a 10/10 Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead soundtrack I’ll be playing while at work!

Use Gemini to turn personal pictures into paper style stickers, then upload them in WhatsApp as custom stickers.

I miss Oktoberfest. I miss looking out of my window and seeing the glow of it at night. This is the first time I've felt this way.

I made an error. One of these beers wasn't an Oktoberfest style beer at all but a regular Münchener Helles from Hacker Pschorr! At least I can show off 3 beers brewed in Munich with 3 different labels showing the EU Geographic Indication.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. First Advent Calendars. They've even got that Salmon out!

Every one brewed in Munich, every one by the purity law. Only one problem: one isn’t an Oktoberfestbier. Rules are rules, eh?

If you enjoyed The His Dark Materials books, the sequels have audiobooks read by Michael Sheen and the delivery is pure perfection. I'm looking forward to him closing the new trilogy this month.

Re listening to 'the secret commonwealth' ahead of the final book release this month.

I've got Oktoberfest songs in my head and that's sad because there's no more Oktoberfest and a whole lot more Oktober.

Last Day. Get your Soup while it's hot!

Surprised to find the Löwenbräukeller is completely dead. Had a hankering for a Haxe and the Wiesn is completely full, so Prost!

The most banging tent at Oktoberfest in the afternoon? Cafe Kaiserschmarrn (Rischart bakery). It felt like 10pm at 2pm. As the Kaffee & Kuchen tent, they’ve got to try harder than the beer tents.

Over with the Wiesn part of the day. Swapping to normal clothes for the Pierce the Veil concert, although I expect to see one or two Lederhosen there as is customary with shows of all genres this time of the year.

Today is a holiday. My plan today? Lederhosen, Beer, Go see Hot Mulligan and Pierce the Veil at a sold out arena show.

The atmosphere last night at Oktoberfest was electric! A moment to be proud of and remember. Yesterday was a rollercoaster, but I’m so glad it ended at a table auf der Wiesn!

It's my 11th Germanniversary today. This makes me even more sad I'm not in a beer tent right now.

We had our company Oktoberfest planned for today. Sadly that's not going to happen. It feels more serious now they pushed emergency notifications to every phone in Munich.

Ich habe Wackelkontakt.

Until yesterday I didn't know that you could drink Holzfassbier from a Steinkrug at Oktoberfest, so I'm glad that I did that today.

I'm a bear 🐻

Round two after a rock paper scissors decision.

Prost!

Not so sunny today but good Bavarian vibes from the Platz Konzert!

The downside of choosing Salzburg is you're locked in a bit as soon as you get here. The bus drivers like to remind German tourists that you're in fact in Austria and your Germany-Ticket doesn't work here. Still, for a city day trip, there are worse places. A well needed change of scenery for me.

I don't remember them closing Oktoberfest due to overcrowding in previous years. Is this new? Seems logical to me of course.

Going to places like Salzburg or Nürnberg in 2 hours on a train that's included in my monthly ticket won't get old anytime soon.

Wondering if the UK government could have avoided a lot of inevitable pushback on digital IDs by calling them a login, instead.

As the UK debates introducing digital ID cards, I’m struggling to explain to my partner how the country still doesn’t have them, or why they will be so unpopular.

'The Tomorrow War was my TV for the day. An epic sci-fi with smartly planted story elements that cascade into a spectacular series of payoffs in the final third. Please, someone give Alien: Earth season two to these guys.

I've seen Thrice exactly three times. I don't think I'm allowed to go again.