Right, so I don't seem to be getting too much written on a regular basis. On the positive side, I know that plenty of things are happening, only there just doesn't seem to be enough time to get everything done. On the negative side, the driving reason for lack of time is, yep, you guessed it, work related.
OK, so you might be able to ask, "well, Bryan, didn't you read three books in the past couple of weeks? (Nick Hornby - Slam, Ian Rankin - The Flood, and Ian Rankin - Bleeding Hearts) Seems like you're not working ALL the time."
Yes. I have read a bit, but usually on the train, where there is no connection to Internet. True, I'm not working all the time. However, things seem to stay consistently wacky, so mental stability is sometimes a luxury. (maybe it always has been for me, I dunno.)
Like always, I'll skip the details of the workplace wackiness. In fifty words or less: my boss was fired, the finance manager quit four days later, and we've got several consultants coming in trying to stabilize the shop. Quite the morale boosting experience, let me tell you. Oh yeah, and the customers are still just as pissed off as ever.
Moving right along to stuff that really matters, my supermarket closed!
I've always been a creature of habit, and routinely drop by my little market on the way home from U-Bahn a couple of times during the week. It's right on the way, and I've always found it pretty convenient, even if it closes at 10pm.
I had been in England around the 25th of April, and returned on a Thursday evening. Somehow, I didn't notice that the store had officially closed (though I walked right by it). Saturday is typically my "stock up" day, where I load up on the heavier items, like water and milk. I was returning from the gym Saturday afternoon and found a sign informing the community that the store had closed and would reopen on Tuesday (after the weekend) in a new location.
This irked me for two reasons. First, since I had been away during the week, I had absolutely nothing in the house save for half a liter of water and some butter that was going bad. I really needed a big trip to the store. Tuesday was a lifetime away, and I wasn't looking forward to having to eat kebaps for the next three days. Second, what was all this about a new location? Where was it to be? I didn't recognize the street name (or address).
On the particular Saturday, I quickly went home and tried to think of where another grocery store happened to be. A friend mentioned that there was another smaller store in the opposite direction from my flat, maybe 5 minutes away on foot. Unfortunately, I found this store also closed for the afternoon. It was part of the same chain, and all the stores were preparing for the grand opening in some street that I just knew would be really far away from my house.
I sulked for the rest of the weekend, though I did manage to cope with a couple of liters of OJ and some frozen pizza that I picked up at a quick-mart type of store.
On Monday I was in the pub and ran into Enda, who had been walking with me past the "closed" store on Saturday and who had suggested I try the other location up the road.
"Bryan, I found out the scoop on the Rewe. It's one street over from Bergerstrasse, about 30 seconds away from the old store."
Oh. For. Fuck's. Sake.
Tuesday, the day of the grand opening, I stopped by on the way home from work, and found a super clean new super market that, as Enda has mentioned, was literally one block over from the former store. I just had never noticed because it's a street I never have to walk down. Sure, you might be wondering how it is that I missed all of the construction that was going on, but I just never paid attention. I was aware of something happening for the past couple of months, but I could only see it early in the morning when I was walking in the direction of the U-Bahn. It was always dark at night when I would return from work.
At any rate, this new store is super (markt). I'm really impressed because it's a bit cleaner and spacious. European grocery stores are not known for being particularly big, but this one is apparently the biggest in Frankfurt, and is probably a bit larger than the Whole Foods down Greenville Avenue.
I'm greatly relieved that I have quickly adapted my evening commute so that I can slip in and get a few tidbits for the house. I'm even over the embarrassment of failing to notice that they were constructing a new super market with underground parking garage in my neighborhood for the past six months.
Germany continues to be a nice place to be, and I continue to improve (or attempt to improve) my language ability. Thus, I still meet with Ninjaa most Saturday evenings. We'll do a couple of hours, then inevitably head off to grab a drink or two. Sure, this often means simply walking next door to the pub.
Over the past month, though, Ninjaa has invited me along to other establishments, and as a result, I've now experienced a bit more of the Frankfurt scene, for which I'm very grateful for. Frankfurt is a financial city, and no offense to the financial professionals who read these postings, but sometimes I've found the city to be a bit too "posh" or "trendy." Think Lower Greenville post Poor David's and Royal Rack. Not bad, but a little too clean for me. It's exactly what the bankers and investors want: trendy clubs, upscale bars, and the opportunity to dress up a bit when you go out for a night on the town.
That's never really been my scene, and while I've certainly found my niche in Frankfurt, I'm now able to say that my niche is getting deeper. There are some really great places around that are suiting me nicely. These places tend to have a bit better music selection, crazier bands, and an element of danger. In fact, some of these places remind me of the better days of Deep Ellum, back when it was fun to hang out down there. You always had a chance of finding yourself totally in the wrong place at the wrong time, but for the most part, you'd always be able to get in, grab some beers, see a show, and have a rocking time.
Several Saturdays during the past month, we've been in places that have a Foosball table (known as Kicker, here), and I've discovered that Ninjaa and Natalie happen to be virtually unstoppable in partnership. I've quietly smiled to myself as I've seen two cocky guys come up and challenge them to a game, only to be down and out at 6-0 in a matter of seconds. Meanwhile, a nice punk song plays in the background, and there are plenty of Radlers and Pils to go around.
Last night I was in a Kneipe having a few beers with Ninjaa, then we headed to a club to watch the results of the Eurovision song competition. (didn't expect me to ever write something like that, did you? me neither.)
I could do without the Eurovision contest, but it was interesting to see EVERYONE in the club OUTSIDE on the patio crowded around the television as commentators from 40+ countries gave the voting results. Upon completion of the voting, the winner was announced, and we all went inside. I was talking to some French-German girl that I'd just met, and totally missed the announcement of the winner. Oh well.
Let me be perfectly clear. Life is certainly going along for me, and I'm enjoying myself. However, the frustrations of work are always present, and it's been a really rough year on that front, even with the joy of having an indefinite contract. I've got a lot of questions and there are never enough answers. I've had (and will continue to have) plenty of sleepless nights. The anxiety I feel most every Sunday is difficult to deal with; it's hard not to think about the work week that looms.
That said, I'm aware that plenty of people have loads of challenges that they're going through, both here in Germany and on the other side of the ocean. I really can't do much more than try to get over myself and keep the faith, and hope the same goes for all of them. I saw a friend of mine late Friday night, and he paid me quite the compliment: it would not be good if I were to leave Germany, so I'd better stay.
Deeply flattered, I replied that I had every intention of sticking it out in my little corner of Bornheim.
Another friend is going through some pretty tough moments herself lately, and I've been particularly concerned about her. She's almost as good as I am at being super negative. Once or twice I got pretty alarmed, but realized that I can only support when I've got myself sorted out, so that's what I've been focusing on the past week.
Like always, I have to go back to basics, and remember how I got here. I've pulled out some tasty old music that I haven't listened to all that much in recent years. (part of that had to do with the fact that I didn't have the music here, but thanks to McKee and a jump drive, I'm listening to Bob Mould, the Cult, and Carter USM again). Now, if I only had as much hair as I did when I first started listening to those bands, we'd be in a whole different game.
Along with the music, I realized that I was missing one big appliance. Thus, yesterday I trucked off to my local Saturn and picked up a Kaffeemaschine, a trusty Saeco. I've already had about 40 coffees (which is basically why I sitting here writing this at 11pm on a Sunday night when I should be asleep) and can't help thinking that it was a bloody good investment, regardless of the price. Espresso machines are pretty popular in Germany, and I mean the super expensive ones that start at about 1000 Euros. Mine didn't cost anywhere near that much. I'm a coffee snob, but not a rich coffee snob.
So, things continue to come together, and I keep taking all of it in stride. I still take time to take the piss, though it's harder to keep the sense of humor light all the time. I recently made a small comment on Facebook which prompted a few people to ask me just what the hell was going on. Engaged?
I won't rant about Facebook right now, I don't have the patience. However, I'll quickly explain -
engaged auf deutsch can be translated into "beschäftigt," which actually means "busy."
In a moment of madness (and because I was pissed off at all the drama both in and out of Facebook), I chose to use a word that probably created a bit of confusion. It certainly made me chuckle, particularly because I already got a 50 Euro gift certificate to Crate and Barrel.
I'm going to use that to buy a few espresso cups.
keep the faith and all that.
thanks for the emails, the pix, and the support.
bryan
soundtrack
Sugar - The Act We Act
The Pogues -Haunted
Sponge - Say a Prayer For Me
The Sundays - My Finest Hour
