Freitag
Two hours left to go in the office. It's been an active week so far. Everyone seems to be over their holiday return-to-Germany culture shock and some of us have also crossed a one year hurdle that is both a milestone and a sad reminder.
My new friend Jason spent his 4 week vacation over Christmas in his home town, Cape Town, South Africa. It was complete with visits to parents and sun burned friends who didn't listen to sun block advisories. He's been here right at one year, just recently started his own business, and after four weeks of sun wasn't quite ready to face down the January winter weather. On the up side, they just ran a feature article of him in the paper and he is actually having to turn people away rather than sit bored at the shop.
This winter thing is getting to be a bit dreary. I don't mind being surprised but I have no expectations of a real break in the weather until at least the middle of May.
This week was also a supplier visit for me. First one entirely in German where I had to introduce myself and give a brief desciption of my job, plus participate in the discussion. I felt like an absolute idiot through the whole thing but it seemed to work out in the end. Also engaging in small talk here in the office for what feels like the first time ever. I can finally talk about a little more than the weather, which seems to run the same most days anyway.
Work has kind of turned into a mother to deal with as well. They've decided I understand German well enough to pile on work. In reality, not much seems to have changed but I feel like it's taken me a year to re-learn a job I already did well. Now I feel like time is running out to actually accomplish something.
I've been informed than winning the "medium" difficulty guitar battle with Lou will unlock Free Bird. Odd, but I'm actually looking forward to that.