Sonntag, März 19, 2006

"I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once"

The last week has been insane for me, but at the same time very productive. The wind that's been blowing seems to have torn down some things and given room to others. The melting snow took much with it. And the rain washed away what was left. Today is a sunny day, yet all I see over the sea is fat rainy clouds. This time in four days...

On Tuesday I managed to get myself back together eventually, and by the evening I had actually started writing my essay that was due on Monday. I worked through the night, took an early bus to Edinburgh in the morning, and walked to the Chinese Consulate. I managed to get the Visa without problems, and only minutes later I got a call that our application for accomodation for next year has been successful - it is good to know that you have a place to stay in the next year.

I went to a cafe, stole wireless internet, and finished my essay there. Then I met Matt and eventually sent my essay off to a friend, who would print it and hand it in before 17.00 so that it would be only two days late. Walking around Edinburgh while Matt had a lecture, I took a "free psychology test". I knew it was fishy, but keeping that in mind I was in the mood for a little adventure. I was already intrigued by hundreds of copies of the same book around, advertising itself as "having sold more than 20 000 000 copies". Right. The test itself was just lengthy and boring. When I handed it in, however, it was returned to me and the guy, whom I shall call Bob for the sake of clarity from now on (ah, the good old days in leirskule, when everyone was Bob...), asked me to also fill in the personal details.
"Could you also please fill in your name and address here?"
"Well, actually I'd prefer not to"
"Alright, but this really is nothing bad. I have to enter it into the computer to get results. See, I type x here, and x shows up here"
"In that case I'm not sure I want to take the test. And I'm not from here, anyways. I'm german."
"Ok, well, in that case you probably won't receive anything ever anyways"
"Receive anything ... ?"
"Have you had bad experiences with giving out your details in the past?"
"No, but I don't believe in the concept of personal details."
I turn to go out, turn back, and ask Bob "Is this scientology" (in reference to one of the books I had seen on a shelf). Bob smiles like a six-year old boy being caught nicking candy, grins a little, and says "Well, yes". To which I replied "In that case, I hope my answers will satisfy you, but you won't get my name. Thanks, and have a good day" and walked out. I regret not frying him with this a little longer, but it was fun for 30 minutes...


In the evening I met Mette as well. Even though I had to leave early and couldn't stay with her and Matt long, it was a great evening. On the bus back then I fell asleep a few times (not having slept the night before because of the essay) and eventually saw one of the pathetic and disturbing sides of Scotland live. When I had to change buses, there were three other girls waiting. All about 4 years younger than me, all dressed in rather kinky ways. When the bus came they quickly exchanged some coins so that one of them didn't have enough change. The bus driver knew her by name. Being 20 minutes late, he wasn't in the best of moods, which was clearly reflected in him shouting after her that she could have at least said thanks - giving her the cheapest ticket, and then giving it to her for less than a third of its actual price. The girls sat in the back, I sat towards the front, nobody else in the bus. Eventually they got off one by one. What shocked me, though, was how the bus driver knew the girl's name (and that was clearly because she had done this before, not because they knew one another from outside), how he cheated his company for her even though he didn't really want to, and all only to get some recognition from a 15 year-old, kinkily dressed teenage girl. And how these girls abused this to the full extent and got him to drop them off at specific places rather than at regular stops and the like. I eventually fell asleep to wake up with him shouting at me because we had arrived at the final stop - but when I thanked him for the journey and wished him a good evening, he did seem to smile for a moment. I don't know how I could ever live a life like either of the two sides I witnessed that night. When I told my roommate about this later, he only replied "Welcome to Scotland". Scarily enough, what I've seen seems far from being a single incident.

The one other event of sorts worth noticing is that this weekend so far has been insane as well - but in the opposite sense. I am quite happy, I get to be with the people who I want to be with, and of the two nights I didn't sleep one, and a fair bit the other one listening to Mike Oldfield on repeat. But both times it was what I wanted to do in that moment. At least right now, it seems as if things have a direction, which is maybe what I missed the last week.

Current Music: Under Byen - Den her sang handler om at få det bedste ud af det

random remarks:
Hi Niko!
I don't like to disappoint you but being so cheekily is not a purely scottish phenomenon. Here in germany there are some girls of that kind playing simmilar "tricks" on policemen and so on... But in general you'r right. I don't understand both sides too...
 
It isn't really the cheekyness that got me. I'm pretty sure, in fact, that they didn't have any more money and they only selected the "cuter" one to not have enough. What got me is how the bus driver regognised them. It was as if there is a whole world out there, of bus drivers and fifteen year olds, who lust and (mis)trust each other and this goes on in front of everyone's eyes every evening. The girl cheating the bus driver didn't get me nearly as much as him conforming, and the angry look on his face when she didn't say thanks...
 
just btw, i hope to be the first one to know if there is anything that needs to be told, ok?
 
NIKO!

Your glasses are the ones my sister has, did you dare to steal them!? They are just like my sister's!!!

Today I went looking for a job, and to some govt agencies to sort out a mess my constant being abroad has caused. I basically was not part of any social security system anymore, nobody new where I was supposed to get health care from... That mess was my welcome to Finland:D

Just wanted to share that pathetic anekdote. Finland is cold and the Finns as well, I feel lost.

Hugsies and Burpsies, Tintin
 
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