Twilight at 22:30

One of the marvelous things about summer in Berlin is having less than 5 hours of darkness a day.

Yes, I am back in Deutschland for two short but glorious months. Consider yourself invited to visit Germany rent-free -- I've got my own room with big windows, a high ceiling and yellow walls, in an apartment I share with Sarah-Jane Bennett, a British gal raised in Berlin, and Jimi Hendrix, her house-broken chipmunk. He stole apricots from my room while I was at work and then left the pits in my bed, but really he's nice. I think you'd like him.

Speaking of work, this photo from last year approximates what I do every day. From the picture you've probably guessed that work is a total drag and very serious.

Due to certain uncontrollable factors, such as an infrequent pay schedule and arriving in Berlin almost broke, I've survived on a food budget of 32 bucks per week. This figure covers just about everything I've put in my mouth over the past two weeks, from staples like pasta and yogurt to luxuries like Haribo gummi frogs, grapefruit sorbet and a glass of sekt the the gay cafe. It's been a challenge. But as I see it, I need to cultivate an inspiring immigrant story of my own. My mom used to tell me about coming to California in the 70's for grad school with only 30 bucks in her pocket. And how it was her first time leaving Taiwan, and she cried a little on the plane. And how she put a blanket over her head so no one would know. Well, now you know. And now I've got something to tell my kids.

Anyway, Brian recommended I use bullet points when I run out of stuff to say. So, things I have done so far:
* gone sailing.
* swum in a lake in my underwear.
* swum in a pool in my bathing suit.
* watched World Cup in a park with 5 thousand Germans.
* represented Team America in Kicker World Cup in my own apartment (Kicker = Foosball. Germans are so silly.). America lost to Deutschland. I fought my best and hardest.
* seen a 24-piece band from Brooklyn that looked like a matured version (only slightlY) of the Stanford Band.
* seen Love Parade and went home bored.
* "rescued" an abandoned bike and learned, first the wrong way and then the right way, to install a bike chain.
* done at least 4 loads of laundry . . . I packed light . . .
* sewed a fantastic purple-and-tan leather cell phone holster for Chris Turitzin, one of my two coworkers. It's great, except it bulges like a hip tumor when his shirt covers it up. Hm.
* smoked apple flavored shisha. I still can't blow smoke rings. But I can look like a fish while I try to do it.
* smoked one tiny puff of pot and then coughed like a maniac. It wasn't even my first time.
* seen lots of Lesbians.
* eaten lots of 39 cents a loaf bread.
* played the smallest mini golf ever.

Things I'm going to do when I get paid again (mostly mundane):
* pay rent. It's a beautifully affordable 300 a month.
* get a haircut. My bangs are in my eyes.
* buy contact lens solution.
* go grocery shopping.
* eat at the cool vegetarian buffet. I have never been a vegetarian, though people often take me as such, probably because I am so cool in a vegetarian-like way.
* revel in having the weight of more than 1 Euro and 60 cents in my pocket.

And lastly, things I can do before I get paid:
* feast on leftovers: yogurt, cheese, rice, eggs, jam, bread, ice cream, nutella, apricots, bratwurst, tea.
* paint my bike with polkadots.
* watch German news on TV.
* make a bike tour with Chris.
* write the most boring blogger post in the history of the universe!

ALL YOU OTHER BITCHES BETTER WRITE SOON. Now is the time -- my post will make you look so good in comparison.

<3 from the Bee Hookup