Willkommen bei I don't philosophize every morning

Six readers now? Six?? Well, new readers call for a new post. I can't let you guys down. (Utopia, you had better be Utopia Bakery in San Luis Obispo. I love your buns, Utopia.)

I haven't posted in a week, which means it's time for the week in review, a Querschnitt of my life:

***

Last Saturday, I did my second "I'm a cute but shitty reporter!" installment at a Spirit of Football tournament. (See recap of first installment here.)  I felt like I did terribly, though not as terribly as the first time. Sven said that he could tell from the footage that I didn't feel comfortable. However, Marcus from Todo Aleman seeemed to think it was wonderful, so I assume he got the edited version. I personally have not seen any versions, but when I get my mitts on one I'll post it here and for your squirmy viewing pleasure. Have some Schadenfreude on me.

On Sunday/Monday I went with Micha to the village of Gössitz, which for reasons of discretion I am not going to blather on about, except to say  that

1.  I had a Very Nice Time and 
2.  I should have taken a picture of the alpacas.

On Tuesday I finally got around to watching Friendship with Claudius and Daniel. If you recall, C&D are coming to America in two years and are planning to visit me in California. For those who don't live in Germany, Friendship is a fairly bad but highly enjoyable film about two East German kids who, after the fall of the Wall, decide to travel to San Francisco. Being short on funds, they make it as far as New York and try hitch-hiking to California via the American South, which paves the way for many culture-clash scenes, made even funnier because they can't really speak English.

Yeah...not many Southerners speak German. If I had been there, I would have helped out. But then the boys would have been like "what a cute accent!" and would have started fighting over me anyway.

After the movie, my Straßenbahn was in Stau, so Claudius took me to Anger on the Gepäckträger of his Fahrrad so I could catch my Anschluss.  (Incomprehensible? Well, that's what a year in Germany does to a person.)

On Wednesday through Friday I think I puttered around, started working on a new Spirit of Football newsletter, taught two English lessons and wrote the much-delayed fourth Todo Aleman installment.

Oh, and I danced a lot at Stadtgarten. Thursday was Indiecated and Friday was Balkan Beatz. It got so hot and grubby in that tiny upstairs club, it was almost tropical.

Here we are at Saturday again. I really should go shopping before Sunday, when all the stores remain mercilessly closed.

Schönes Wochenende noch (friends, lovers, stalkers and everyone in between),

A.


Author's note:

1. Querschnitt: Cross-section

Ö as in Löve

Dear ö,

You are so cute. I love your innocent, astonished little face. When I see you in italics I imagine you singing in a choir, belting your little heart out. Sometimes when I see you in caps you look so frightened, I just want to hold you close and comfort you. I always thought of you as different from the others. Your sister ä is bipolar and has an attitude problem to boot; your brother ü has a self-satisfied smirk permanently plastered across his smarmy face, but you are as honest and pure as you are expressive. I think I have a crush on you.

However, these days I can't escape the fact that you don't feel for me the way I feel for you. Every time I need you, you're never there for me. I call your name but you are nowhere to be found; in your place a cheap, soulless replica.

I need you so bad. Without you, how could I say wunderschön, Löwe, Öffentlichkeitsarbeit? Oh ö, how I long to know the secret of your ways.

Yet you leave me all alone to tackle löschen, lösen, aufhören. You are deaf to my pleas, staring unblinkingly ahead.