mychai's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Happiness is... When I first started my English major, way back in the mid-1990s, one of my first English professors made us write daily exercises called "Happiness is" poems. It helped us think somewhat abstractly in finding new ways to explain what happiness was to us. After writing lines like "Happiness is... a kiss with a new love" for a few months, you eventually got more exact and abstract, so you began to pump things out like "Happiness is... the sweetness of her soft lips; your heart jumps when a hand whispers against her breasts for the first time." It was a fun little exercise that I still do every now and then. It's definitely not publishable poetry, but it is fun to play with words and ideas, and for me, it teaches how to find happiness in the simplest of pleasures. As was today's adventure into Kaiserslautern. I woke up at 8:30 and opened my moleskine to look at the bus schedule out of Sembach that I wrote down last week. The next bus was to leave at 10:17. This gave me plenty of time to shower and catch up on some emails before walking the mile or so to the bus stop. I almost ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast. The bus arrived in downtown K-town at 10:45. I forgot until I arrived, but Kaiserslautern has a huge outdoor market on Saturdays. Anything you would want to put in your mouth -- unless your mind is in the gutter -- is on sale there. I bought a banana as soon as I got there because I was starving. I then found a beekeeper selling all kinds of honey products: honey, bee pollen (which is tasty. You should try it!), royal jelly, and some honey wine (mead) he made himself. Eleven percent alcohol for under 5�. I had to buy it. I then went to a stand that was selling all kinds of cured meats, cheeses, and products made of said meats and cheeses. I was still hungry, and I wanted something light, fresh, and provided a new experience. They had a mozzarella salad with fresh buffalo mozzarella, red onions, and baby greens tossed in a very light vinagarette. I bought 100 grams for 1.50�. I also bought some prosciutto ham because my mind was racing. America has Starbucks on every street corner. Germany (or at least Kaiserslautern) has bakeries on every street corner. They are constantly making really good bread, and it is still steaming when they put it out for sale. I bought two whole-wheat buns for 0.18� each. I walked around for a bit longer until I couldn't stand it. I found a nice outside area with tons of tables and a lot of people walking by. I got a coffee and sat down and made my sandwiches. There I was. This little Mississippi kid who had somehow made his way into Southwest Germany, and on a cool, bright Saturday morning was sitting in the middle of this fantastic shopping district with the freshest brunch you could imagine, watching beautiful German people walk to and fro. And I was happy. So, yeah. I changed the layout of the diary. I was growing very tired of that last layout. It was the same layout I had just after Mandy and I went splitville, so it has been a long time since I changed the look of this place. What do you think? Email me because I would really like to know if you like it or would rather me go back to the old look. I also really, really need a new name. I was just using "European One last thing... I am seriously considering getting one of these as my main mode of transportation. No. Really! I am! They have them all over the place here. They are super cheap, get about 60 miles to the gallon, and can park anywhere! I think they are darn cute. What do you think? Ok. I'm done. I will post again later. 10:58 p.m. - Sunday, Apr. 25, 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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