Permanently Blue

Berlin really is like a second home to me. I have lived there for only 6 months total ever, but still it is more comfortable and comforting to be there than it ever was at Boston College. I arrived at 11pm on Thursday and Basti picked me up from the bus station. It was so great to see him and we had a huge hug and I felt so good. We stopped at a kneipe on the way back to his WG and talked for a few hours about life and how everything is going. Suddenly it was 3am and we had to go to sleep because we had an engagement (not ours, unfortunately) in the morning. Friday I showed up and surprised Michael and, by that way, Susanne also at the Bundestag, which was great. Also got to see Serge again who, I think, has just come to expect to see my face all the time at the Reichstag.
That afternoon we walked around and went for coffee, chatting just like we always had. It was fantastic. Then we went to play beach volleyball with Basti’s friend Ansgar who turned out to be one of Basti’s friends that I met two years ago at the Germany v. Argentia game on the Fanmile. Unglaublich! This was a hilarious experience because I somehow led them to believe that I knew nothing about volleyball (when, what I had in fact said was that I didn’t play well . . .) so they insisted on teaching me every move in volleyball, never hesitating to stop the game entirely to correct my hand position. Two incredibly cute German guys touching me to move me into proper volleyball position . . . nicht so schlecht ;-). After 3 hours of volleyball, Ansgar said he loved playing volleyball with me, that I was such an incredibly fast learner (no duh . . .) and couldn’t wait until next week when we could play again. It was then that I clarified I am not actually living in Berlin, and he was sad. It was a nice compliment though!
That night we went to Ansgar and Christian (another one of Basti’s friends I had met in 2006)’s WG to make dinner and talk. It was really really nice. Then we went out to a bar with 3 Ost-Europaischen friends of theirs and then out to dance at a disco – also fun – then another bar and then finally at 5am home. New lessons of the weekend: 1) how to take a shot of liquor 2) how to take four shots of wodka in a row 3) a liter of beer and four shots of wodka is not enough to give me a hangover.
Saturday, Basti had to work, but left me a sweet note on his desk when he left! J I explored berlin and ran some errands and got back in time to meet Basti when he got home. We made my favorite dinner: Paprikasahne Haenchen and salad. It was delicious. Then we took naps and went out at 2am to a birthday party, where Basti remained relatively silent and I talked the whole time to German guys who marveled at how well I speak german after only two years and only one real class. I appreciated the attention, although it was sort of embarrassing because I know how bad my German still is.
Sunday, we made breakfast together and went out to see an exhibit on Germania in der nahe von dem Denkmal fuer die ermordeten juden Europas. It was interesting, but no really new information. Then I gave Basti his birthday present (a stuffed animal turkey and card) and got a big kiss on the cheek : swoon :. And then we left for dinner with Susanne and Michael, which was great, if all in German (HARD!). It was so nice to see them, but it was a quick dinner because I had to run right off to the train station.
I cried on the way home, not sure why. I guess I just feel llike Basti and I could have this amazing friendship, and we do to an extent, but it will never be complete because we’ll likely never be in the same place again.