Adventure in Berlin

A few days ago, in the Van Gogh museum, I was suddenly struck from nowhere with the thought of a swimming pool elevator, shaped like a cylinder. For three solid seconds, I could think of nothing else and was in fact obsessed with seeing this imaginary thing.

Yesterday, Ben mentioned to me off-hand that there is a cylinder-shaped elevator here in Berlin and it is filled with water. I nearly fell over. I've told this story to Ben three times now but he still fails to be impressed by the coincidence.

Ever since I arrived in Berlin, several times a day as we pass a building, I find myself wondering if it's a hospital. This random obsession with hospital locations gave me slight concern. I don't believe in signs really but what if this was some strange cosmic cross-wire that allowed me to foresee an emergency in which I would have to find a hospital here in Berlin.

Today, Ben and I found ourselves rushing to the hospital. The emergency mission was to rescue a potted plant for Ben's roommate's mother. It's probably best if I don't explain.

On the way to the hospital, we were nearly run over by a Turkish wedding and then we were nearly run over again by a runaway parade float. Today has been an adventure.

The problem with not understanding German (although I do understand sometimes and it's extremely exciting although the only things I ever understand are things like "These are nice windows" and "There is cheese in the refrigerator") is that I sometimes laugh at inappropriate times like when the six of us were piled into Markus's tiny little car and we were hurtling through the narrow, rainy streets of Berlin and Markus mentioned that we were driving into oncoming traffic but he said it in a funny voice so I laughed. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

Speaking of which, I've had a vaguely psychotic-looking smile plastered to my face since I arrived in Berlin and I'm not sure if it's dazed confusion or abject happiness. Maybe it's something in between.