This week I went back to Germany to start working for this research project on elites’ networks. My first day was on Tuesday and I dove in immediately into work. I didn’t know what I would do before so I was quite excited. I like network analysis because it is more or less simple and interesting to see who is connected and how this happens. There is a theory that it will only take up to six people to have a connection from anyone to anyone. Be it from John Smith to George Bush or me to a boat driver in Bangkok. Well, I didn’t do exactly this kind of analysis. I am involved in examining the relations of political elites in 6 German areas. And to be honest, the job was tiring and boring at times. The first three days I had to enter numbers, control numbers and enter numbers again. 10 hours each day starring at a computer screen which isn’t really a good things for one’s eyes. The last day finally brought me some analysis which of the networks is more reliable for analysis. The people I’m working with are friendly (not all of them are nice, one had already forgotten my name the next day although i've only 5 letters in mine; it's not very nice...) and I enjoyed it overall. I will return to Germany at the end of July or so and continue work.
Time in Germany is always busy as I like to see friends there. So besides work I met up with people in the evening for chatting and have some drinks. It is quite strange being in Germany. It now always feels as if it is just vacation and during the first days I just wanted to go back to England. I felt like a displaced person. I didn’t understand the jokes people were laughing about, the stories which were important and going around at the moment. One day I had dinner with my family and my brother’s girlfriend. It was nice to see them but I felt a bit like a third person. I was just the son visiting from England. Well, theoretically and practically I am. But it wasnt really the feeling of what I would consider family. (it felt like a lack intimacy, whatever that means, i dont know to be honest; Keine Sorge, es war schoen!! Nur bin ich nun halt erwachsen und stecke meine Fuesse nur noch sporadisch unter den Tisch...) However, I think I’m just too whiny there. People’s lives go on as mine does as well. So, on one side I wanted to go back immediately; on the other, I wanted to be there because of seeing friends. And, thus, I had the feeling that the week will be hard.
Anyhow, it started slowly to become a bit better. I had one drink with my brother and we talked about his music and how it goes at the moment. I had dinner with a friend and whiskey and beer afterwards, while sitting outside and covering our legs with blankets like old people do… This was really nice and she told me about her new project which is a round trip with boats and seeing art alongside the river. I would like to do this one day. I met another friend before her, who I know from school. While he was repairing a coffee machine (with comments by his girlfriend… I spare my own comment there) we had a beer. We discussed our project (what we have done for the past 10 years already), a synchronic dancing group. Neither of us can really dance but this shouldn’t be a barrier to our success…One day we will be on a all music channels (I guess this will also be the day when a ban on dancing in any places will come into effect…). Then I met another friend. We got some beers from a local shop and sat at a view point facing a part of the city. We spoke about everything and even got a bit nostalgic, remembering old times. Around 11 or so we run out of beer and went to a pub to have another one. This was really good but it was getting even better. We went to another one just around the corner. The owner was called pea and he offered pea soup. I don’t want to know what was inside that soup… here is one picture:
His name was Wolke (Cloud) and he has had more than one beer...Everyone who likes can pick the guitar and play a song and sing or whatever he or she wants to perform. To be honest these musicians there weren’t living from their music but rather from beer. They were playing some blues there with mouth harps. It was great. Ihana. The perfect ending for a long day. I had bit trouble working the next day, I must admit… however, after two painkillers I felt better.
Yesterday, it was night of the sciences. All departments of the university and other academic institutions in my hometown open their doors. There are lectures, music, discussions, court sessions… I saw lots of known faces there and had quite a lot chats. Additionally, there was opera on the marketplace, Italian music. And a lightshow. They are putting pictures on a house and play music and tell stories to them. Here are a few pictures (I had more but I wont bother you too much).
Later we went to a pub (of course, what else…) for drinks. And then something strange/amazing/surprising happened. I trained a habit that I more or less walk home when I’m drunk (I admit that this happens only in my home town in most cases). Because the way is quite long I always try to take a beer with me. This partially explains why I had some beer glasses (I would have had more but sometimes the glass didn’t survive my walking…). Or I took a beer bottle, whatever is available. My friends started to reserve me a walking home beer. Well, and yesterday I had a same way home like my friend and after a while she asked me if I want to come to hers and get a beer, because I like walking with a beer, don’t I? She remembered and conjured a smile on my face. Thank you very much! My way home was much nicer then.
So, at the end of the week when I started to count my chickens, I think the week wasn’t so bad. I still wanted to go back to England as early as possible, but I enjoyed the time in Germany as well. It’s nice to go back and have some vacation. But it’s nothing else really anymore. My home is here. I don’t belong to Germany anymore. This is weird feeling but I guess I will overcome this pretty soon, if I haven’t already.
1 comment:
Und wenn ich jeden Tag Milchreis koche ?
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