Some days.

I've noticed a lot of people say "some days"... for "a few days"when they're speaking English here in Germany. No big deal, but I think it's cute.

So I decide to wait around for my watch for two and half weeks. I could go out, I could leave another watch somewhere else, but I decide just to take it easy and wait. I spend a weekend doing not much of anything. And the next week at the new school.

I get an invitation to go out to dinner to say goodbye to a friend from my language school. She's going back to Spain for good.

We go to this Middle Eastern restaurant. When sixteen of us are all seated at about 9:30 at night, we notice that they don't serve any alcoholic beverages. In Berlin. Along with the stunted conversations in German all of us from the language school are having, it looks to be a long night.

Meanwhile, I'm waiting for a phone call from a friend of my cousin/roommate. I was told this morning that a Russian couple he knows would be staying in his room tonight while he is out of town. Really? I ask. Well, you see - he tells me, that they're about to be deported from Hamburg and they're flying out of Berlin tomorrow, just to leave Germany for a few days.

Wow. That should be fun for me, I tell him. And he assures me that they couldn't be nicer people. But would I meet them and give them the spare key?

Fine.

I'm staring out the window, sitting at this restaurant, not much involved in any conversation. I'm bored and I want a beer. My pocket vibrates and I see that I have a message. I assume the Russians are coming. However, much to my surprise, it's a message from Franz. "Hallo Alex! I am back early to Berlin and will be at SO36 tonight at 1:00. YOU ARE WELCOME - FRANZ".... I don't know what that means, but... at the same time it's enough to make me snap out of my bored stare, and wonder how I'm going to leave these nice people at the table. Wow, I think - that's like a half a week earlier than I expected. Thank God. Gott Sei Dank. We/they decide that afterward we would be going to a club nearby. The club I want to go to is far away. Perfect. I can go, have a drink, and be on my way.

Meanwhile, the Russians come - and I give them the key. They ask me what I will be doing tonight and I tell them I have no idea. See you later, I guess.... And they were very nice.

I write back that I will be at SO36 later.

With the language gang, we head to another a club after finally finishing this marathon Middle Eastern meal - drinking water. I need to brush my teeth. And as we walk, I notice that my clothes smell like I was working at that restaurant. Fried Food. I absolutely reeked. I had to go home. I told the gang that I needed to go get some money at home. I'll be right there. I take off on my bike and race home. Maybe I was nervous or something but I had to go to the bathroom big time too. TMI, I know. But I rebathe - change my clothes, re-perfume and head back out the door. I look around and notice that the Russians hadn't been here yet. I guess they're going out first. Who knows.

The gang is at a club with a youngish crowd. Very packed, very packed, and somehow very smoky. The smoking laws in Berlin are as follows: It is forbidden unless you decide to smoke and the proprietor lets you. Make perfect sense. Making my way through the dense sea of people I see the smiling gang, and feel a little guilty about having to take off as soon I finish my beer. But I look at the bar and see the crowd and realize it's going to be a long time before I even get that beer. Damn it! Fortunately I make eye contact with someone I know, next in line at the bar - I mouth 'beer'! and they shake their head ok. Dank Sei Gott.

I manage to speak to everyone before I finish the drink and say I have to take off. One friend joins me. He has to get his coat first though - and the line is long. I'm already late, but... Oh well. We talk. We walk out into the freezing cold night air. We talk at my bike for a little while. He's in Berlin living with a girlfriend. They're both scientists. I bid farewell, and take off on my bike for the S-bahn station.

The next some dayse

The next some dayse are spent learning German at this new school. I learn a new phrase: Großer Spaß. Big Fun.

It's not of course. But I keep busy doing that and working on a novel. (This isn't one, btw.:))

Good times.

I keep thinking that I could go out and, see what else is out there. For some reason, however, I decide to wait for two and a half weeks to see what happens when I get my watch back. I wonder I've lost it.

He has my watch

Riding my bike to the school on Tuesday, my pocket buzzes, and I see that I'm going to miss a phone call. I'm sure it's my cousin, because who else would it be a 9 on Tuesday?

I'm surprised when I see, so surprised when I see that it was Franz. I call and listen to the message. In stilted English it went something like, "Hallo Alex. It's me Franz. How are you? We had zpent zis very nice time togezzer lazt weekend und I zink dat we had exchanges our watches! Do you have mine? Pleazz coll me und we can try to exchange ze Hour! I leave today for some dayse so hopefully I see you today. I hope you have a nize day!"

I called him back and he answered right away. Hallo?

He had thought that somehow we had exchanged watches, and that I had his and he had mine? I don't know where he got that idea from, but it was funny.

But he was leaving at two o'clock for two weeks, he said. We cannot meet today?

No, I said. I have school til three? You have to go though?

Yes.

That's quite a long time.

I know, but I have to do a lot zsingsz und see my pahrunts. You know.

Well. Call me when you get back.

I will! And we can have a vewwy nice kaffee or zomezing.

Yes.

I was thinking about it when I got off the phone, and I was thinking of how long a time two weeks was. I'm starting this stupid new school with people that I don't know either.....This isn't going to be fun. Oh well. Til then, I'll keep busy with work. I guess.

the neighbours

As I sat at my desk, I could hear the neighbors going at it. In both ways. They fought. And then they started screwing.

She was loud.

That may be because he fucked her like a jackhammer. I have fifteen foot ceilings and thick walls, and normally never hear anything. But this was like I was in the Hotel 8 or something with a piece of drywall separating us.

Anyhow. Good for them.

The next day.

I understood he was going to be at a party at a certain club. Not close to where I live at all. Anyhow, I decided to go.

It's very odd for me to like someone. I'm usually trying to avoid people. I don't know how I feel about having the roles reversed. I hate calling people. I hate having to....share my feelings. Ugh.

Anyhow. My dilemma for the day was whether or not to call my friend. Let me call him Fritz. I had to call him because I'd left my watch there.

I was actually waiting for a call from him, to tell me that I'd left my watch there. I was waiting to hear the question, when can we meet, and I can't wait to see you, etc. etc. etc. Or as they write here, usw. usw. usw.

That call never came. I, however, swallowed my pride and got dolled up to go to this party at this club in this neighborhood far away. No bikes tonight.

When I got there... I don't know what the use of talking about it. It was so crowded. If there was a fire there that night, or any kind of scare whatsoever - almost every person in that place would've been dead. I couldn't believe it was legal. The ceilings were so low, and one could not move, let alone get a drink. Of course, I managed to get a drink. I actually got two. One advantage: It makes it look like you're with someone else. And the other, I could drink the first one really fast and still have one so I don't have to wait in line again.

I looked over heads. I made my way through the throngs of people. I pushed my way through the smoking lounge where you almost couldn't see through the smoke. Not that I'm judging. I even bought a pack of cigs out of boredom. I smoked two I think. And I did this circle, or figure eight over and over again. And I saw no one. I actually saw two people that I'd met before and talked to them. They asked me if I was alone and I said no. They excitedly asked me if I was on a date. I said sort of. They told me that I better go find my date. I kept on trying.

When I left finally. Outside in the open air. I looked at my phone. Should I send a text message? I know how late it is. But there's no way that Fritz is sleeping or sitting at home. I sent a message. Are you here at this place? I didn't get a response.

I went home. Because it was so late, I had to wait a while for the trains.

At home, I fortunately had one beer left, and I made an egg sandwich.

The next morning I looked at my phone. There wasn't anything. I looked at the sent messages and couldn't find my message. Could I be that lucky that It never went through? Let it be true.