Time and Leather...weird and wacky concept

Hulle se mos geen nuus is goeie nuus...so in daai opsigte moes dit seker die afgelope 2 of so maande goed gegaan het right? Well, in n mate ja, want die lewe hier het n tune van sy eie gekry. Die ritme het sterker begin klop en op een of ander manier, het ek ingeval in die production daarvan. Weird om te dink dat n mens kan aanpas in enige omgewing, dit vat net tyd. En JA, toe ek eers hier aangekom het, het die Germans my woes aangestaar as ek hulle gegroet het met “Hi, how are you doing?“ Firstly, is dit nie die manier om te groet nie...en secondly het hulle dit as n moerse invasion of privacy gesien dat n stranger van my calibre so n “intimate” vraag sou vra. At least is die mense nou meer oop en ‘warm’...die occasional “Hai” word nou meer kere opgevolg met n actual conversation oor die WEER of n TOETS wat geskryf is of nog moet word. So ultimately, I have broken into the small-talk zone...wat n goeie en groot stap vorentoe is in n land waar mense dink jy is kens as jy probeer vriendelik wees. Next step is daai one-on-one’s waar mens nou vra oor die lewe en die lot.

So much has happened and yet so little is of enough interest to write about. Since one of my very good friends put it: “Who would want to read about other people’s lives in another country, if they have their own lives??” In a sense of the word, he was right, but I still feel that sharing is caring. We have attended the annual Köln CSD parade which was a blasting experience. Refer to my previous blog – Köln, Pulsating Nova – to get a picture of the city and now add colour, music, lights, floats and millions of people partying in the streets and you have yourself an experience which stands out...not just because of the city being overrun by hundreds of thousands of gays and lesbians, but ultimately a unity shared by everyone there.

Ok, so hier is n ou storie...alhoewel ek dit nie eintlik wil oorvertel nie, is dit een van daai life-experiences wat ek vir die res van my lewe gaan onthou! So daar is ons, die Saterdagaand in Köln, min slaap en leef op pizza en wyn en nou moet ons besluit waarnatoe ons gaan vir die aand! Dis die ultimate weekend and the people are crazy! Armed met die innernet en vinnige vingers...kry ek toe sommer vinnig n site wat al die listings mooi highlight en verduidelik wat aangaan, complete met directions en admit prices! Sweet...haha...4 minute later, we have it. Köln United, a party for everyone, a big get-together with good house and trance music in the old bahnhof district. Cool! Sounds like fun...dressed van kop tot tone en heel gekletter op goeie SA wyn...stap ons toe nou maar na die location. Daar aangekom, everything seems pretty normal...mense buite in die lyn, bouncer wat jou MOET voel! En jacket-place-thingy....min weet ons!

After a good walk-about, we deduce that there are 2 dance-floors in a huge warehouse type place and an outside area with a good boring view of the old-tracks. So we venture towards the better music and order a drink or two...few minutes later, dancing and just enjoying. Now...don’t get me wrong, I do not think that I have a super-power of detection...but I certainly have sixth sense about things, and mine kicked into 6^th gear right about then. Something in me just said “slow-down, look around...take in the scene.” So I did...

Daar staan ek toe nou oopbek en verstaar myself aan die most weird scene since the Muppets en Marilyn Manson! Nou ek het pretty much al ALLES ge-experience in clubs ens...but this was a new territory, and I did NOT have the map. Flanked aan al 4 kante deur Leather-Bears!! Vir die wat nie weet n Leather-Bear is nie...dis n ouer knaap wat into leather is. Usually kom hulle met moerse magies en n bushy beard...daai wat mens usually op n Harley Davidson fanatic vind! Ja...nou wat? Surrounded and detected...I think they could smell the fear on us, cause the whole world cramped in upon us! Die een het my selfs gevra of ek sy speelding sal wees??? Ummm...NEEEEEE!!! Ok, so after the initial shock weared off, I quickly acted and searced for the most “normal” looking people in the place...and there were...a few...like 5. So, toe gaan staan ek nou maar by hulle en dans en chat en try die wilde vreemde mense ignore! Moeilik om te doen as jy daar is en jy sien iemand met n skimpie leather broekie en n hairy ass wat uitsteek!!! Lol! Ja...eventually kon ek nie meer omgee nie, en die party was toe heel cool...unexpected and definitely iets wat ek in my memory-bank gaan stoor! A true GERMAN experience if there ever was one!

Exams have also started and I have already written Financial Planning...which did not go off too well, and think that I will wait for the results before I jump to conclusions. The final week of this Trimester is upon us and after that...i have a wonderful 6 weeks of Summer Vacation...wonder how I will be spending it??? Need to still sit down and think about that...

Oh, ons het ook een namiddag n “braai” gehou...well, hulle noem dit “grill” en ek en Francois is toe heel game vir iets wat ons ook ken...you know...stand around the braai met n paar biere en geniet die ambiance. Ons moes 7pm daar wees...ja, hmpf, toe ons daar aankom, toe is almal al besig of KLAAR met eet!!! Wat beteken, ons het die “braai” gedeelte gemis...But when we asked where we could braai our meat...we were shown an Electric grill with an element!!! GREAT!!

Well, hope that I didn’t bore you too much and enjoy the pictures scattered throughout this one...

OC OUT