On the Seventh Day

So today was an almost pointless day. Well pointless if you exclude doing not a hell of alot.

I attempted to get the washing machine fixed. Sadly the next step in this process involves Jana getting back to me about who I need to call. She's currently in Greece, so I don't blame her for enjoying herself to the ignorance of my needs. I bet she has a washing machine.

Solace was found, however, in the fact that I have one other contact number, and I'll try it tomorrow if there's no response from Jana. And yoghurt. For some weird reason it tasted so so very good.

The other non-activities I participated in today involved writing up my German language class notes, and having a look through the touristy websites about Hamburg. I've got an idea of where I'll try to go be a real tourist, take these places as examples:

• The Hamburger Kunsthalle looks to be a great place to start. It should keep the tradition of visiting art galleries and mueseums Kat initiated last time we were here. Unfortunately they're closed on Mondays, so I'll save it for Tuesday or a rainy day. I can't decide just yet.
• The Hamburg Dungeon might be good for a laugh. Supposed to be pretty scary, especially the ride about the Hamburg Floods. Hopefully my washing machine is fixed by then.
• Otherwise for a more tame tourist time, these tiny trains and their miniature towns might be an attractive attraction. Is there something wrong in enjoying the possible experience of being a destructive force of a city. All be it a miniature one. Maybe I shouldn't go.

I've also contemplated budgets, the most enthralling activity you can imagine, second only to watching paint dry on an taughtly strectched canvas. It was made all the more exciting by the prospect of exchange rates, which are so very favourable to the New Zealand Dollar at the moment. It's a rollercoaster you just don't want to get off.

But tomorrow is a new day, filled with new adventures. The least of which includes having to learn German articles. Who would have thought that there are three ways of saying "the" in German, and of all people in all the world, there's no rational nor logical explanation or reasoning behind these assignments of masculine (der), feminine (die), and neutral (das). Take, for example, "the girl". Easy enough, you think, until you're told that it's "das mädchen".

To finish on a higher note, I'm having lunch with Professor Hilf tomorrow. He's the character who shared icecream with me. I'm actually really looking forward to it, should be a good start to the week.

Two quick things before I leave you. Firstly, if anyone knows of a room, apartment or the like going in Sydney can you please let me know. Polli (the girl I'm renting this room from) is struggling to find a place there and I want to help out if I can.

Secondly, and this is something you all should consider, as I've been made to think about these today in a previous discussion: What is religion? Is the absence of religion a sense of religion? What do you make of CS Lewis when he says "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else". Anyone who knows me has not to fear that I will convert, I just enjoy discussion and this proved one of the most stimulating discussions I had in a while. Thought I'd share.

Also, what they hell are people doing to our childhood memories? Just take a glimpse at www.TMNT.com and www.transformersthemovie.com

And finally, again from CS Lewis, just because I like the quote:

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.