Monday, February 6, 2012

the fish jumped out of the water

Friday, being the first Friday of the month was bookgroup and with temperatures falling below -10 people baled - we were left with those who weren't necessarily reliant on the public transport system (which even here in ever so puntual und ordentlich Deutchland doesn't seem to tolerate extremes) that meant the group was the die hards, the alkies and those who could blag a lift...all girls, needless to say.

Due to the demographics of the group (all female, one usual male attendee being 'on holiday', one 'working' and another otherwise AWOL) the conversation took a very female turn, it's bound to happen, in the same way that men will resort to football so women will choose to discuss men, shopping and sex.

Yes, we talked about the book, 'More than you can say', 4 of us (9) had even read it. I didn't like the author's style but can appreciate J's opinion that the book discusses the matter of post traumatic stress disorder following war and the fact that it's a subject possibly passed over as not a 'serious medical condition', and in my defence, I did finish the book, if I REALLY don't like a book then I toss it, life is too short to waste on drivel.

Amongst other things we also discussed;

- Arranging a girlie spa day - a no naked sauna/spa day. Harder to do than you'd think, the locals lurrrrrrrrrrrrve their naked sauna (one friend recounted a tale of being at a spa and being chased to the edge of the pool by an attendant because the swimming was also naked) - it's not a choice, it's a prerequisite, shudder. A possible spa has been found but we've been cautioned to check that they're not naked at the weekend as some spas change their policy on Saturday and Sunday.

- We tried googling T's boss because apparently he's way too sexy for her office and as an ex-pro swimmer still has a cute bod. Despite knowing his name we failed, maybe I'll try again now, seeing as I'm on a proper computer rather than just an iphone...nope, still nothing.

- I had an app "film on" recommended to me by my hairdresser, sorry, make that haircutter (as Justin and Jason like to call themselves) a free app that allows you to watch TV, British, Italian, German, French, Arabic...the list of channels is almost endless. I've now recommended this onto my book group friends - made some of them very happy.

- We have sub zero temperatures here at the moment and this is leading to all manner of wardrobe faux pas. Multiple layers are essential for being out and about, which then means that when you get to your destination you have to strip, we thought R would never stop, layer after layer was discarded. Then there's the problem of timing the washing of your fave jeans, when only one pair fits perfectly in your non slip snuggly warm boots just when do you choose to wash them, and is it possible to get them washed and dried overnight - tricky. One friend has succumbed to the local habit of wearing a coat that looks like a sleeping bag, she was very sheepish as she turned up to bookgroup, sheepish but with a warm ass. The only thing in her favour is that the coat is very dark brown rather than the shiny black that seems to be the in colour for duvet coats.

- We should clearly have talked about Coldplay because K was wearing her hoodie from the Mylo Xyloto tour that she went to last month/month before, sorry K, bet you're gutted we didn't mention it, and I know it must have been a fab concert...sorry.

- A went to the loo (as you do) leaving her chair draped in her coat and various other bits of clothing, she'd been gone no more than a minute when the waitress (a moody creature, who, given the opportunity, would rather serve Satan's spawn than us group of foreigners) appeared and asked if she could seat two people in this gap (note, not the end of the table, but rather the corner, slap bang in the middle of a fair sized English group who can get so voluble that other tables turn and tsk ...hey, we're regular, we buy lots, we tip well - and we're the novelty act for the evening, no one has complained - yet) I pointed out that one of the seats she wanted to give away was still in theory occupied by the girl who was in the loo...she wasn't amused.

And Anika confessed (for some reason) that the first sentence she ever learnt to speak in German (which she'd decided to learn whilst living and working in Chicago because she'd met a cute German guy) was "der Fisch springt aus dem Wasser".




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