I am now settled into my new apartment, but still no Internet or phone. Tuesday the 22nd is the day I meet the technician to set up my connection. I have gone three weeks without Internet, TV, movies, radio or telephone and it has been interesting. I ended up getting sick and staying home from work one day. I managed to finish my last book in English print and then nearly lost my mind from boredom. My fingers can only play fiddle for so long. Life ha sslowed down and I am starting to enjoy the peace of no-technology life. I friend has loaned me more reading material and I am back to reading.
Today I sit at the Wasch Cafe where I am doing my laundry, sipping a cappuccino and surfing the wireless Internet. This place might be the most brilliant place ever! Not only can I sit here and relax while doing my laundry but they also put my wash into the dryer for me and fold it for free.
Work is still fantastic. Little funny misunderstandings come up from time to time that can be frustrating for all. On the other hand, I sometimes get a good laugh. Last week my boss asked me what the word for pencil sharpener was. Everyone thought that there must be a shorter word for it, but no. Then the intern, Bjorn, picked up his eraser and stated that it was "a rubber"! I explained that you would not refer to an eraser as "a rubber". Then another coworker, Georg told me about his experience in Canada. He had purchased a map at a bookstore and decided that he needed a rubber band for the rolled map. However, he only knew to ask for "a rubber". The guy behind the counter nearly died laughing and explained that he wanted a rubber band for his map and not "a rubber".
I spent another weekend in Berlin. I met up with a coworker and we decided to have a ladies night on the town. On the way back to her apartment we walked by a karaoke bar and couldn't resist checking the place out. It was two stories high and had a front room with tables set up like a cafe. They also had roughly 20 private rooms. The whole place was filled with Japanese Germans with the exception of the two of us. On the screen was Japanese pop music blasting. Funny thing is, the Japanese music videos were much better than anything Americans make these days. I had a good laugh, needless to say and we ended up staying until 4 AM!
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