Day 19. Handkäse mit Musik

Today I did little. I got my cell phone ready (0049-1734780076), tried to mail some books (way to expensive), and generally was a faule Socke.

I did manage to embarras myself, however, when we went to dinner with our friends Andrea and Frank. They are super nice people, and whenever we get together they make a great effort to chat with me. Unfortunately this happens late at night, when I turn into a pumpkin, and they must think that I am not very good at polite conversation. Well, tonight it was the worst. First of all, we went to a very cozy restaurant, where the temperature was on the warm side. Second, we had Apfelwein, which seems to have a soporific effect on Mexicans. Finally, we had the specialty appetizer of the house - Handkäse mit Musik or Cheese with music. It is a nice slice of artisan cheese, marinated in oil and vinegar, served on a slice of bread and liberally covered with onions and cumin. Delicious, but it owes its name to the fact that it is an explosive combination that causes an eruption in your digestive system and, if you are not careful, the emission of sonorous blasts of "wind". Of course it is all psychologic, since the stuff cannot work that fast, but in my low ebb state I am easily influenced and within minutes I was rushing to the bathroom to the general merryment of the Germans. La Scheiße!

To add insult to injury, I got hypnothized by the wine, the good food, and the heat, and literally fell asleep in the middle of a conversation. Terribly embarrasing!