One week in Germany, one night in Prague, one week in Germany -- three weeks after a few days in Connecticut

This pic has nothing to do with this post.

Post title almost is Steven Wright's Air Bizarre joke. Look it up.

This marks my third trip to Berlin. No touristy stuff specifically planned. After a couple weeks of crazy travel to new places, now time to spend a couple of weeks just chilling w/friends, their friends and some cool cats. I mean actual cats. Felines.

Oh, before Berlin. I bought socks. My socks were stinky. Got souvenir socks in airport. Totally worth the absurd price.

Got to Berlin, Kathryn's friend Elgin met me at airport -- after a long search for each other around a tiny airport. She did not bring a pig.

Did laundry (oh thank god ...). Worked at Kathryn's food co-op. Lamented lack of wifi options.

Went to a Starbucks, got a drink, used wifi. Waiter came over, took dishes, then took my clean napkins. I tried to protest but he was gone. Damn German efficiency.

Oh, this reminds me -- crazy guy in Estonia. At one point he reaches for a napkin at the bar to use to wipe his hands. It was crumpled up. Because I had crumpled it up. After using it to blow my nose. My slo-mo protest wasn't in time. He used it. Oops. And... ha.

Back to Starbucks... I'm sitting outside. Suddenly I feel someone flick my hair. I turn, some woman starts babbling at me in German, slowly backing away into Starbucks proper.

No idea.

Then a deaf girl comes up to me with a petition to sign. The petition -- in German and English -- explains the organization's mission to help the deaf community. I sign and give a few euros. She seems very thankful. She leaves.

About 10 minutes later another deaf girl from the same organization comes up to me. I try to explain that I just gave. She gets annoyed and keeps pointing to the petition. I sign but don't give more money. She keeps asking/pointing to donation amount column/looking annoyed. I keep trying to explain that I just gave.

Seems speaking English to a young deaf woman who probably doesn't know English ain't easy. Maybe she can lip-read German? Does me no good. Anyway, dilemma sounds a bit crass, but it was infuriating. Eventually she leaves, annoyed. I prep Google Translate for next visitor, who finally came 20 minutes later. I showed him the message (in German) that I already gave to someone from his group. He didn't seem to understand. I said (again) I gave. He waved and left.

Sigh.

Meanwhile, birds are surrounding me. Are the mad about the puffin?

A very, very funny man.

Oh, so then a woman asks if a seat at my table is open (pretty sure that's what she asked, anyway -- was in German). I motion that it is, she sits immediately to my right. She then lights up a cigarette and blows smoke in my face. Smoke, and politeness, blown (up) in my face.

BTW -- compared to many Europeans, Americans are crazy polite. I think I mentioned this before. But now I mention again. Personal space, Europe. P e r s o n a l     s p a c e.

Smoking woman leaves, another come by and starts talking. I say I don't understand, so she asks in English whether she can sit there AND whether it's OK if she smokes.

I say sure. Because she was nice enough to ask. My eyes burn, everybody smokes. Of course, it then occurs to me that the first woman also might have asked -- in German. Damn Google translate.

Oh, and the first deaf girl (not ever -- just among those I encountered that day) returns to ask for a donation and signature. I try to explain I already gave money -- to her. She seems to remember me, smiles and walks away. Either this is a series of moderately unfortunate events or some sort of bizarre sociological experiment. Either way, ultimately entertaining.

Later I'm on the U-Bahn (part of Berlin's train system). Just as the doors are closing at one station, one kid shoves his friend off the train. The doors shut before the kid can get back on. Ends up the next set of doors still were open, so the kid wasn't stranded, but it still was pretty hysterical. Stupid kids.

Legen -- wait for it ...

There's not necessarily any rhyme or reason to how the Berlin blogs will be broken up. I almost did one mega-blog just to be done with it. But no. That's not happening.

Stupid blogs.

But the next entry will feature a couple of self-proclaimed bitches talking about lazy and afraid men, while professing their distaste for Mitt Romney.

BUT... the photo selection in this blog and maybe the next several might be limited. Because the pics are on my iphone. Which currently is sitting in a bowl of rice as I try to dry it out after an/yet another unfortunate ATV incident. Crap.