adapting to being in "mode"

Wednesday was a day to myself, a day to remember that I am on holiday and therefore push myself to do nothing. I was up early and off to walk around the city. My favourite path to walk is from the hostel to Ludwigstrße (where the StudioBühne is) through Marineplatz. I walked the loop and stopped by one of the museums I so enjoy only to find out they're in the process of setting up a new exhibit and it won't be open until today. As much as I would like to play the museum game, I am waiting until my friends arrive to save myself from paying to go anywhere twice. Besides, anywhere is more exciting with someone who has never been there before. :) After the day outside at a beer garden or two I headed back to the hostel in the evening and crashed into people staying in my room who were collecting players for a card game. Works for me... We played a game called "Janitor" (well A**hole to those of us with dirty mouths), something I haven't played since my first year in residence or high school for that matter. It was fun, however - let me introduce you to drunk Kevin from Texas who thinks that I like him. Why, I have no idea - but the best way to get my attention is to draw circles on my thighs while we're playing cards. After ten minutes of my constantly removing his hands he got up to go to the bathroom and I swapped seats with one of the other boys. It was either that or embarrass the hell out of him and I couldn't bring myself to do that... He got the hint and went to bed. That left three of us - two young guys: one from Burlington and the other from Indiana. They were desperate to wax philosophical about something and so we spent some time babbling about the ways of the world. The catch? They could only contribute what their parents had told them or what they'd read in school to the conversation. Ten minutes in I felt like someone's over-read grandmother. I gave up on being an active participant and played solitaire instead, listening to snippets and periodically tossing in a comment or two - playing devil's advocate of course. The other frustrating issue, the gentleman from Burlington kept saying things like, "well, in Canada..." but none of his statements really applied to the world outside of Toronto. Frustrating and disappointing, but understandable to a certain extent. I was grateful when they went to bed and I could read on my own rather than get stuck inside a cyclical conversation that didn't really have much depth.

Thursday I was off on my own again - found a quaint café that I fell in like with the last time I was here an camped out for most of the day. Even managed to get some writing on my thesis done!! Nothing mind blowing mind you, but enough to keep my fingers and my mind in the game. Then I met up with Marcus, he played Father Lawrence in Romeo und Julia, we were off to a beer gardens I swear only the locals known about. It was a nice change - away from the overwhelming American boys I've been sharing a room with the last couple days. Alas, we were rained out - the night was called to a close early and I made it back to the hostel soaked from head to toe. The one night I don't bring my jacket with me of course... The Americans were headed out to the club district here - a few square blocks on the outside edge of the city dedicated solely to bars and dance clubs - you name it you can find it there. They returned to the room about 6am (early actually - but that's a story about the time 2 years ago when I was out there) screaming loud and with some rather terrifying stories. The guy from North Carolina who is in the bunk above me was so drunk that he fell in the space between the U-bahn (underground city train) and the platform! They hauled him out just before the train left but he had some wicked bruises on his legs. Then it was the usual shenanigans Lister kids used to enjoy so for the next few hours. They stole NC's clothes (after he stripped down to the buff and went off for a "walk" in the next bedroom) and managed somehow to get them onto a balcony on the building across the way. The two guys from NY then tried to climb into each girl's bed because they were "lonely" and it was "their last night here". Right... They sounded like an episode of the Sopranos when they talked, I bent one guy to the floor by his hand when he wouldn't take no for an answer. Around 9am they finally calmed down and we were able to get some sleep.

In the mean time I have moved my amber ring to my ring finger on my left hand - it means making up a story about a fiancé somewhere in the world, but it saves me a lot of headaches. The hostel boys just steer clear and give me a wide berth, something I have learned to appreciate. They all left today which was a blessing, I've committed to not speaking English to anyone new until I've figured out what kind of person they are. In the mean time the staff here adore me, they're all so kind and have gone out of their way to help me out. The Security/Bouncer who comes in at night has taken to getting me whatever I want to drink at no cost and chases people away from me when I am outside having a cigarette. The staff behind the desk have decided that I am too nice for my own good - clearly Canadian in that regard. :)

Friday was wonderful. I took my camera out (pictures attached) and took a few shots of things. I don't like the look of tourists with their cameras attached to their faces and snapping images every time you turn around. I take pictures of little things that mean something to me, otherwise the rest of it stays inside my head. I sat in on the rehearsal for Marat/Sade - one of my favourite plays - and it was great. We headed off to share a few drinks with some of the cast members, one of which was a close friend of mine from the exchange named Max (he played Mercutio in R&J). The two of us stayed up too late talking, sadly not really including anyone else in our conversation as we caught up on the last eight months. He's awful about not answering emails, but loves when I send him updates on my life. He's gone and complicated things though - he's in a show that opens on the 27th and really wants me to stick around to see it. We were planning on heading to Prague on the 26th so we'll have to see what happens. I'll wait until everyone gets here and then broach the topic with them.

Today (Saturday now I guess) we're headed out again tonight and Jessi gets in! She's been working since September in Heidelberg as an au pair and taking classes to learn German. She and I were here two years ago together and "together we are one person!" Her goal is to study Theaterwissenschaft at LMU - she's taking her last round of tests in the fall and things are looking good! I'm looking forward to seeing her again tonight as the last time we had a chance to see each was Christmas. We chat on Skype a fair bit, but a hug and some face to face laughter will be a nice change.

Speaking of Skype - because of the size of the time difference it might be easier to "make a date" with me to chat other than hoping we will run into each other.

My other adventure? I bought a copy of Incendies: Scorched in German yesterday. I've spent today reading it, slowly of course - but I am familiar enough with the text that I am picking things up quickly. It's exciting. I also met someone last night who saw the play in its first German language production in Hamburg and immediately fell in love with it the same way I did. Hopefully we'll go together to see the show next week.

I haven't been blogging daily because things have been quiet - it's perfect but means that there isn't a great deal for me to babble about. I feel like it might be boring and don't want to bore anyone. I'm sure things will pick up when the others get here and I am in a city that is new to me. Until then, I'm reveling in being in "mode" and trying to teach my mind to stop making "to do" lists every time I sit down with nothing in front of me.

Until the next...

P.S. Pictures are a pain and are not turning out the way I want them to - I'll figure something out with another program and we'll go from there...

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