Mark your calendars. I am about to say something I will likely only say once. I’m really enjoying living in Germany right now. Don’t get me wrong. We had a wonderful visit home and still love our country and are proud of our citizenship. But I like the lifestyle here better. Not just Germany, lord knows I have my bad days, my really bad days, and my near postal days, but Europe in general. As Patrick and I were walking to the grocery store on Saturday we felt at home. It was natural. Not understanding a word of what people around you are saying makes sense. We are in the groove here now and moving home, when and if we do, will cause severe culture shock, to be sure. Though I wish I didn’t have to rush so much on Saturdays, especially when Patrick sleeps until 11:30, I enjoy the societal consciousness of recycling and natural food. We are completely adjusted to bringing our own bags to the store and felt really wasteful while we were home. We aren’t even that surprised when fruits die in 3 days. The US is so easy. Things are made available, comfortable and long lasting to the Nth degree. Yet it is detrimental to society in the long run. Listen to me! I sound like a Green! Anyhow, it was nice to come home to the life that I am familiar with. I can adjust anywhere though. I made it here didn’t I?
The outfit is no big deal. Got the dress last year at Trashy. It is what it looks like. A Madam’s dress. I just wear it with a sweater. I saw this girl wearing a red slip as a dress with a sweater and overcoat on the bahnsteig one day and fell in love with it. Simply but alternative. Not so simple though, as I have not been able to find a plain red slip. So I wear this. Should wear red tights. Anyhow, some male managers look at my funny the says I wear it but I only smile back. My buddy and new boss, Ivette, said to me the first time I wore it, ‘that’s looks like a nightgown’, ‘it is’ I replied. She laughed.
We saw THE strangest movie last night. ‘Mulholland Drive’. It was really bizarre. I am not even going to attempt to explain the plot but simply say that up until last 20-30 minutes, you can follow along, if you have an open mind. The last 20-30 minutes make it feel like a bad dream. But of course, that is David Lynch. I do recommend it for adults with an affinity for the bizarre, mind for the complicated, and interest in multiple consciousness. Scared yet?
Not too much else happening. I went to the gym today for the first time since returning to Germany. I am sure my body will makes its opinion known tomorrow morning. Anyhow, it was way too cold to go last Sunday and Patrick slept until 2 in the afternoon anyway. It is been well below zero here all week. Sunny but so cold it hurts. Oh, important safety tip, when it is below freezing out, do NOT read friend’s emails before leaving for the s-bahn or you will have to run like a mad woman, beg the people ahead to hold the door, once making the train have a horrible pain at the bottom of your throat and feel like you are going to vomit the whole way home. I know this from experience so trust me on this one.
Did I mention this? Twice while we were en route to the US, Patrick and I were mistaken for brother and sister, instead of husband and wife. I guess I should be flattered because that suggests we look too young to be married. Or else they just thought we looked too much alike to be married. Both scary really. Bottom line, after 10 years we look way too much alike.
You know how much Americans love Canadians? We love them so much, we consider them such family members, that flights to Canada fly out of the domestic terminal at SFO. Isn’t that sweet?
Don’t think I have been writing things down like I usually do. I should be more careful. Now I am going to have to fill this with stupid crap. Work was good though I worked 10 hours 4 out of 5 days last week. I am about to do battle with ‘the business’ and even though you will all say, ‘oh Heather, you will win, I feel sorry for those people’, in this case, I might not and I just don’t like it. I just wish we could all get along better. I’ve lost my husband to Alice. It is the video game I bought him for Christmas. Alice in Wonderland has lost her mind and is in a mental institution. You have to help her out. He’s addicted. Of course I still play a ridiculous number of games of solitaire a night on my machine (yeah, Nana!).
Well then. My body is already starting to ache so I am going to get into a clean, warm pair of jammies and play some solitaire. Cheers and good night.