30/08/07

At about twelve or so this morning Maggie and I caught a A$90 000 Mercedes Taxi to the train station where Maggy went off to her interview and I hung out in down town Kiel. I got my phone fixed no probs – the man in the shop spoke pretty good English and I just needed a replacement battery. I then went to catch a bus back to Maggy’s place as she had given me the bus to catch and the station to get off at written on a piece of paper, surely I could go wrong, surely…I must have mispronounced the name of the station to the bus driver and he dropped me off at a place that didn’t look at all familiar – as I was getting off I knew I should have showed him the piece of paper, but I was out of money so I couldn’t have paid to go further and too indecisive. So I walked in what I thought was the right direction, the rain started to lighten up, I saw a lady on a bike that I had seen over in town, I stepped in some dog pooh and almost slipped over (side note: Europeans take dogs everywhere, on trains, buses, into cafes and department stores) and then I asked a random guy at a pedestrian crossing ‘Spreken Zee English? Which he did and he pointed me in the right direction and I got back after only about thirty minutes of walking around. Although that wasn’t the end. I couldn’t open the door to the apartment. I had the keys and everything. The main purpose in mind that a door is constructed for is to open - and I could do it. I pushed and pulled and twisted and ultimately felt very much like I was seven years old. Not even running my fingers through my beard which I have been growing since Switzerland could make me feel any more manly. I called Maggy, but ultimately needed the help of a neighbour to get inside, the neighbour made it all look very simple – turn the key and pull the handle towards you.So from having a broken phone, getting lost and failing to open a door I have met three random Germans who all happily helped me get what I wanted and spoke pretty good English. That must be what travelling is about.