Dan's Dagblad

So I am back in Harlem, and it’s a shocking adjustment. I’ve been here many times before, but never from the perspective of one that will call it home for a while. It’s certainly not your mom’s Park Slope. But then, what more difference is there besides people selling ice-cold water louder, and my choice of incense and perfume every 5 feet of side-walk?

It’s already been 4 whole days since leaving Germany, and beyond some browsing and information-gathering, the job search has been quite superficial. What I really can’t wait for is moving into our more permanent digs. I need that feeling of “establishment” finally. A place for my toes to sink into, at least until the next high-tide comes up.

The exit from Germany wasn’t a clean one. Lots of battles, lots of faxes being sent, lots of problems. Reflecting back on it all, it was a huge pain in the ass to live there. It just was. But at the same time, I don’t regret my time there whatsoever. I smashed so many bastards, machete’d through so many bureaucracies, had the best working colleagues one could ask for, and did a damn good job at my trade. It was a cool year-and-a-half, in spite of everything.

But now, it’s time to start again, and this time on my home turf. I have no idea what’s waiting for me here, but then again, I didn’t know that when I went to Germany either. And that worked out in the end.

What I learned in Crimea

• Eating regularly and substancially makes me feel great
• Icy mountain water is meant to be swam in
• Swimming without flippers is usually a waste of time
• Never loan your things to fat kids you don’t know
• Snorkling increases lung capacity
• Bees bring a lot of humor to life
• You’re not full until the plate is clean
• All of the plates.
• Inky night-time water is meant to be swam in
• The water is never as cold as you expect it to be
• The older the truck, the longer it runs
• The mule will not attempt those stairs
• And the mule broker suggests you read the fine print
• Before your crying daughter expects the mule to climb that flight of improvised stairs
• Nuclear submarines are worth every effort of hiding
• Dmitri and Yvgeny think your girlfriend is hot
• So don’t let the boat drift too far away after you dive off it
• Sleeping regularly and substancially makes me feel great
• Count your change when you buy something at the airport
• And haggle to your benefit after discovering the cashier’s arithmetic “mistake”
• There are also ticks in Crimea
• And they are drawn to my legs just like American and German ticks.
• I am delicious to ticks.
• Pelmeni are delicious to me.
• Sometimes a real, honest to god vacation is all you really need.

If there is one thing to say about life, it’s that there is a lot of it to go around.

i notice as the horizon slowly transforms from a non-descript line to lightly muddled and bumpy, i am becomming more communicative. and awake. DON’T YOU LOVE GROITS-FLAVORED VAGUENESS??

just want to post that i am still kickin’ around. don’t worry about nuthin.

so much i wish i felt comfortable saying here. a lot of stress at the moment, a lot of things to figure out, plan, circumvent, argue about, buy, ship, sell, hide, and otherwise square away. and the sooner the better. did you know some contracts in this country are automatically extended if you don’t tell them months in advance that you don’t want an extension? for as gentle and socialist as they try to come across, organizations, businesses, and government entities are downright predatory here. The answer is always, always “No.” first. Then, if you have the strength and wherewithal to fight back, you find out that the answer was in fact “Yes” but they just didn’t want to be bothered.

how do them angels sleep when the devil leaves his porchlight on?

new best food to get near work is chinese fried chicken, white rice, and chili sauce. crunchy, spicey, fattening, and filling. i just hate that i can’t drink coffee comfortable afterwards, because my lips are still burning from the chili sauce.