the world has turned and left me here

swarm stupidity

Almost missed the train. Eric and I were having so much fun goofing off and eating that we lost track of time. At the entrance to some ritzy multi-colored restaurant we grabbed a box of matches each, and Eric taught me how to flick them in the air while striking them simultaneously. Walked around doing this for a while. (Maybe, as I write this on the train at a safe distance, Berlin is burning to the ground in my wake.)

We saw a Frauen Fitness center where women ran on treadmills in a window. I decided I would walk back and forth in front of it with 5 second rest intervals to see if I could get a reaction, but Berliners are apparently too serious to find any humor in this. Wound up eating in a restaurant where a Spanish-looking girl, sitting alone inside by candlelight, had given me a prolonged, direct look when I passed by earlier. Tried Berliner Weiss Rot Bier--sweet like canned fruit and served with a straw in a cocktail glass.

Eric and I noticed a big flock of birds landing somewhere off in the distance as we were looking for a place to eat. Eventually we came to this place. It was a courtyard closed in by condos, and the birds were making a horrible en masse racket up their in the climbing ivy. Twice, Eric threw rocks into their midst, starting a chain reaction that led to half of the birds flying off, circling, and landing again. "Swarm stupidity," he said.

At the train station an Italian guy was talking on a cellphone next to me. As he talked, he gesticulated wildly, so much so that he kept bumping me with his arm.

Tired now, but can I go to sleep? In need of a good shower and my own bed for the night. The trip has definitely been worth it, but I'm ready to go home, program, listen to Rage, hang with Martina, etc. Munich, I miss you.