"Ist die Post offen, Otto?" "Nein, sie ist am Sonntag geschlossen."*

I went to the Post Office forty five minutes after the last scheduled pick up time, but fifteen minutes before the store part closed to mail my Netflix tonight. I asked the man at the counter if it was too late to get it out this evening, and he said, "that depends, which movie is it?" with a sinister smile. I answered, "Breaking Bad season 1." And he said, "It'll go out. But let me know when you get to season 3." I said I would. I wonder if postal employees ever do sneak a little peek inside those red envelopes. I wouldn't be surprised.

*When I was in high school German that was one of our dialogues that we would have to say to practice that crazy German intonation. It translates to, "Is the Post Office open, Otto?" "No, it's closed on Sunday." Some of those dialogues were serious fun:

"Fritz, warum bist du so traurig?" Fritz, why are you so sad? 
"Richard ist krank." Richard is sick.  

and 

"Was tust du?" What are you doing? 
"Ich übe Geige." I'm practicing the violin.  
"Bist du müde?" Are you tired? 
"Ja." Yes.

and my all time favorite


"Ute, wo ist der Hut?" Ute, where is the hat?
"In der Stube." In the lounge.


I'm blowing your mind right now, am I right? I know, the German students from AHS were prepared for all sorts of conversation topics auf Deutsch.

So many things.

Sometimes Netflix and I have miscommunications. Mostly, they think I will love movies that I end up hating, like Le Cercle Rouge. This time, it was my fault, I asked for movies without looking at the dates. Instead of the charming Colin Firth/Rupert Everett Importance of Being Earnest, I asked for the 1952 version with 44 year old Vanessa Redgrave's father playing the 29 year old Jack. LAME. And, instead of the Ethan Hawke version of Hamlet I've never seen, I received a 1960 version made for German tv.

This was hardcore awful.

After I watched half an hour I could handle no more. Then, Jooj sent me an email with this little beauty also from German TV past, but the absolute antithesis to the dreary Hamlet. German TV -- so multi-faceted.



All I have to say, is THOSE CRAZY GERMANS!

Then today, while I was at work, I saw a little segment on Telemundo about different traditions for celebrating the New Year. Not being a Spanish speaker myself, I only caught every third word or so, but I am very sure that I lost nothing in translation. First, if you are hoping to travel in the new year, you're supposed to take your luggage for a walk around the block. Ok, this seems a little out there, but not super illogical. But my favorite anecdote: if you're hoping to find love in the coming year, you need to get a coconut, paint it pink and white and then kick it around your house for twenty days. On the twenty first day, you take your painted coconut to your front doorstep and throw it on the ground to break it up.

I'm just wondering where to find a coconut at this time of year.