in a forgotten corner © Lilly Schwartz 2011

Just when I was about to go out to my driving lesson the sky turned black and it started to rain heavily. I decided against taking the bike in that weather and walked instead with my flimsy black umbrella with the white dots. It’s a bit broken, but it does it’s job as long as it’s not raining too heavily. So yesterday it wasn’t doing it’s job really, merely decoration. It hadn’t rained in quite a while so I forgot that the shoes I normally wear for driving are not quite water proof. I was standing at a crossing when the water seeped in. The legs of my jeans were soaked full of water, my toes were damp and there were big puddles of water that were hard to avoid which led to more water in my shoes. Well, in the end you just have to bite the bullet and accept that you’re not going to stay dry. After all, we’re not going to melt, since we’re not made out of sugar. Well, apart from Ezequiel that is.

My driving instructor pointed out that the Christmas decorations are already up in some shops. I said that the Christmas sweets are already in stock too and he said “Oh, that’s normal, they have them from September nowadays”. Since we don’t really have Halloween in Germany apart from on TV, it’s not surprising that they sell Marzipan, Lebkuchen and Dominosteine so early. The last few years Christmas also involved mince pies from England and last Christmas there was also turrón from Spain. Christmas is different in the places where I have lived. However, for the celebrations I normally end up in my hometown together with my family.

Well, apart from that one time when I was stranded in Brighton due to bad health. Most of my friends had gone home and I was pretty much alone. Then the boiler broke and I was left without heating at -7°C, the same day when my cash card stopped working too. That was one annoying start into a new year I tell you!

This year I might spend Christmas in Argentina. This will mean that instead of brisk cold weather and snow there will be summer and beach weather! For me it seems unbelievable that Ezequiel says Christmas is the time for ice cream and summer holidays. How different it is for us with the long dark nights, the lights and the snow, although the latter usually only comes after Christmas. And then there is New Year with the fire crackers which involves getting cold and damp feet out on the icy pavement. If it’s gonna be summer for Christmas, it’s gonna be another crazy adventure. I like those, so I’m all up for it.

Yesterday’s picture was taken in a corner of the market hall down the street. I realised that there actually is a second hand bookshop in there which we will probably check out tomorrow. Strange that I have only noticed it now, although somewhat understandable since it’s in a strange corner one probably doesn’t stumble upon by chance.