Also, I'm still overwhelmed when I think about trying to share everything that happened in the fall while I was in the US, so I'm just not going to right now. I'll write about it, I promise, but in pieces, and later.
I arrived back in Kassel at the beginning of January, and promptly slept for four days straight. This wasn't entirely because of jet lag, although I'm not as good at handling it as I used to be. I also had a flu, and I spent much of my flight hallucinating. When I arrived home to my bed, I did not want to leave for many many days.
I anticipated the same dreariness that Kassel always has to offer, and after a month back in my depressing little city, I have one thing to say about the weather: Ha ha hahahaha!! Suckers!! HAHAHAHHAHA!! While all of you in the United States are stuck with well over two feet of snow,
Kassel has had actual nice weather! I don't really mean to gloat, but I had exactly two weeks of nice weather all of last year, so actually... I guess I do mean to gloat. Enjoy your snow covered misery!
Anyway, it's been a treat to have pleasant weather for once. Every morning this week I've sat on the balcony at work and read until the sun passes to the other side of the building. I couldn't have even done that in July last year.
So, apart from the weather, life in Kassel this year is much like it was last year. I come to work, I read, I research, I write, and then I go home to work on my papers, and I read, I research, I write. It's a thrilling existence. Still, most of my friends are here again, and we have picked up where we left off with our beer and coffee fueled debates and discussions. Sometimes I wonder if all groups of friends are as argumentative as mine. Is it because we're all studying the same thing?
One new thing for this year is that I have started going to the public swimming pool a few times a week. It's only 2 euros, so it's pretty popular. The problem is that it is always so crowded, and Germans are somehow incapable of swimming in a straight line. There are no lane lines or anything, so it's a free for all. People want to have their own personal lane, so they end up swimming straight into your head. Last week, I decided to go later in the morning, to avoid crowds. Well, there were less crowds, but there were TONS of old people. They weren't so annoying, and at least there was more space in the pool.
After swimming, I like to go sit in the warm tub for a bit. Not the hot tub, but the warm tub. It's three times the size of a hot tub, has far fewer jets, and is pleasantly warm. I went over to get into the warm tub, but there was a seniors water aerobics class going on. I waited until they were done, and got in. Most of the old people got out, but one old lady stayed in (I'll call her Greta). Then another lady who had been in the class came back, and got in the warm tub (I'll call her Helga). Greta started screaming at Helga about something, I think it was about her taking up too much space in the warm tub. Helga started arguing with Greta, and it got really uncomfortable. Then a third, REALLY old lady came in (we'll call her Olga), and Greta asked Olga to agree with her that Helga was such a jerk. Olga told her to shut up and stop yelling, so Greta and Helga keep arguing and Olga keeps yelling at them to shut the hell up.
It was super uncomfortable, so I got out and went into the showers.
Now, I should mention that the other crowd of people who come to the pool in the morning are young kids having swimming lessons. There's a revolving door of little kids, and they were everywhere, but fortunately they have their own kiddie pool to swim and be annoying in. However, when I got into the ladies shower room, there was a big crowd of little kids, age 6 or 7, waiting to go start their lessons. They were in there with their female teacher, and they were taking turns pre-showering. I started my shower, but of course there are no curtains or stalls because this is Germany, and soon all the little boys and girls were staring at me, like 6 year olds do. I tried staring back at them, but they weren't fazed. I tried to ignore them, but I could feel their little eyes boring into my bare backside. I was so freaked out to have such an attentive audience while I was showering.
I may not go to the pool in the morning anymore.
Well, that's all for now. I've got papers to write after all. More soon, I super-promise.
Tschüss!
