Bag Hag

© Joselito Briones

Either i'm really busy to write anything to you or life here is really boring. I took this picture just to show you my grocery bag. It's the bag everybody here in Erlangen have (which gives the impression that either everyone is proud of the city, or everyone here is from somewhere else). Mine's all battered up and wrinkley from having been shoved in the washing machine a few times. I added some pins to it just so it's not so boring. My favorite, the one next to the big one that says "I (heart) PORN", is this cute cartoon face that says, "kiss me, I have sex hair".

Today I'm in cowboy mode again. And it's so fitting with the minimal verbal communication I have with the locals. Like today, I went to this old-style electronics repair shop because I was looking for some double-sided tape. (Imagine the conversation in low, flat, unhurried tone)

(Me enters shop, letting the door swing back shut)
Me: "Morgen, Do you speak English?"
Shopowner: "No. Do you speak Spanish?"
Me: "No. Do you have double-sided tape?"
Shopowner: "No."
Me: "Danke. Tschuess."
Shopowner: "Bye."
(Me tilts hat, exits. Then wonders all day why he asked me if I spoke Spanish. Did I perhaps looked more like Mexican than a cowboy? I decided to just assume that he spoke the language himself, and so he asked if I did too.)


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We're gonna go see Madge!

image: http://madonna.com

Wilbur phoned with the good news, he got tickets for Madonna's Confessions Tour Concert! He managed to get four extra (don't even ask me how he did the trick) tickets. And guess where we're gonna see it? In Amsterdam. Woo hoo!!!


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Happy Meal

© Joselito Briones

Guess where we went today! Yes, that's right. Ikea. It's been so long since we were here last, I sooo miss it. I miss it so much (it's been a full day since we were here last, after all) that we decided to stay longer and have dinner there. Yep. that's right. Dinner at Ikea. I had meatballs with cranberry sauce and elk-shaped pasta with ketchup passing off as sauce. And Stephen King thought he knew all about misery.

The meal also came with a freebie!, a piece of wood that is its own sorry excuse for a child's toy. It's a wooden train car (photo, above) that has a magnet at the rear end so kids can collect and attach one to another. You know I'm too busy to write anything interesting to you (but then again, when did I ever?) when I'm writing about this kind of crap.

On a high note, the TV is connected again. Yes, folks! we're back in business. The first thing that we watched? Eurovision! (a.k.a. The Erosion of the European Vision), I liked Germany's entry because the song has a very simple happy melody. Then again, who wants happy when you can have Holloween in May? Oh well.


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What a drag (Again?)

© Joselito Briones

One thing I forgot to mention about my childhood recollection yesterday was that not only were we allowed to run around the neighborhood all the time, but we wore costumes! (Yes, a colorful towel tied on your neck as a cape counted as costume - and No!, the picture above is not of me, that's Alex, although I did take the picture and did the digital editing). Inspired by that, I thought I'd dress up a little like a cowboy today (That's still not me in the picture link, that's Robert, but I'm sure you remember him). Well, that, or I'm just sick and tired of spending all day in a wife-beater or t-shirt and track bottoms organizing stuff at home. Any anyway it's not really a full cowboy outfit, just a western shirt, jeans, leather shoes. And a cowboy hat, of course. It's not exactly drag, but now I know how a drag queen feels (and what would any mention of this be, if not including my friends, The Divas). In this clothes, everywhere I go, people looked at me, and they smiled. (I'am an attention ho' after all!) David, a guy I worked with in New York, (his alter ego is the ever fabulous but long-been-missing Tulah) said this is what he loved most about doing drag. The moment you put that dress on, you immediately acquire power. You can do whatever you want and people will just smile at you. People are friendlier to you. Either that or they'd think you're a complete fool but stare anyway. Either way, it's a win-win situation. I think I'll practice tilting my hat with my middle and index fingers as a form of greeting to those who smile at me. "Howdy, ma'am".

Unfortunately there was no paparazzi around so, no photos. Instead I'm showing you this (above)...I went to Handelshof again. I never learn. I bought too much stuff again and struggled to carry it home again. It was even more difficult as I couldn't tilt my hat. Also went to Ikea to buy shelves. Again.

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PS
I had to rush to Handelshof today, tomorrow being a bank holiday and all shops close. There was a rush of people trying to do a last minute shopping. The most interesting purchase I did was of bagels of different flavors, ones even New York doesn't have... vegetable bagel, sunflower seed bagel, and pepperoni bagel.


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Windows to the Past

© Joselito Briones

I'm loving the picture windows in the new apartment. They're like ultra HD tv's and you can pan the picture by moving about in the room. The one in the bedroom frames this really tall tree behind the building. I lie in bed and look at it, I see the leaves swaying, I hear the rustling sound, and I get transported back to the Philippines of my childhood when, after a heavy lunch, playing in the sun, and getting forced to bathe by grown-ups who are against the smell of the sun on my skin ("amoy araw ka na", they'd say), I'd just lay on a bamboo mattress under a mango tree and take a nap, until it's time to have merienda and run around the neighborhood again.

Sigh...

The cow was a present from Nico.


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Escape artist

© Joselito Briones

Back to Erlangen. Back to unpacking. Only I didn't know where to continue. I'm stalled. I couldn't unpack all closet contents because the closets aren't built yet, couldn't build the shelves because it required moving out of the way heavy photography equipment (enlargers) that I couldn't move by myself. After cleaning up and doing the laundry, I decided to escape to the park. The students lying on the grass, soaking in the sun, was a nice sight. I didn't stay long there though, I had to go to the pedestrian zone to get some money and do the grocery.

I also went to Handelshof (their version of Walmart). It's a short walking distance from the apartment. I got carried away and didn't realize I've bought too many things to carry by myself. I managed to get home only after having to stop and pause a few times.

Tonight I made humba (or something close enough).


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Slap me silly and call me happy...

© Joselito Briones

It's a beautiful, beautiful, day!!! The sun is all out.. the sky is clear blue, there's a cool breeze constantly blowing, all the trees are in bright vibrant green and every single one seem to sparkle as its leaves reflect the light, the flowers are in bloom bursting with colors. Ladidi ladada... I've got a silly grin on my face, and it took a lot of effort to stop myself from skip-hopping while walking today on my way to Marktplatz (Okay, maybe I did a couple of times when I was sure no one was looking).

Call me silly, think me corny, but today, I'm very happy.

XXX


P.S.
In case you're interested to know, this is my 100th letter to you!


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