The day
It’s been a long week or two. But this week has been great.
Numerous folks have congratulated me on my choice of presidents elect. No need to pick nits right now, but it is a damn fine departure from the last 8 years of complete strangers constantly coming up and telling me that I’m an idiot.
Last Tuesday I was told I can pick up my new visa next Tuesday. Yay.
Dresden, or rather Germany, has changed quite a bit since the begin of the year. Like France, they now prohibit smoking in all public places indoors. But unlike other countries, (as far as I know) they have a bit more nuance to the law. Small one room establishments can still have smoking. And there is another loophole, perhaps not originating from Dresden, but still very typical for the Neustadt attitude: some bars have re-established themselves as non-profit organizations, complete with membership cards. Thus being befreit of the new anti-smoking laws.
How could that possibly help them, you might ask? Well, I went out tonight to see some friends play a gig at the Kleines Haus. The sound was great, and there was plenty of room. But the weather was very mild and the space remained empty while I counted a good 40, 50 people who congregated directly outside in small groups, smoking and a-chattin’.