GERMANY
I don't know exactly what the occasion is, but in the little kind of town-square thing that we have here, there's suddenly sprung up a selection of fairgroundy stalls and a stage for dodgems. It's kinda bizarre to see it here, seeing as it's a quiet row of cafe's and guesthouses attended by Neuerburg's elderly contingent, who number in the hundreds, and all of a sudden there's a load of screaming kids and bad fairground music blaring out.
Neuerburg also continues it's ongoing mission to disrupt any attempt of mine to sketch its buildings and beauty-spots. However, whereas yesterday was a group of excited kids, today a cat found me. After just kind of prowling around a bit and sniffing my bags, it jumped onto my sketchbook mid-drawing and did that kind of 'mehhhh, give me attention' thing that cats do. So I stroked it a bit to see if that would be enough to make it go.
Instead, it went to sleep on my picture. At first I thought it was just chilling while I stroked its head, but then realised it wasn't purring or doing anything, so I half tipped it onto the floor without realising it wasn't awake. It didn't seem to like that, but it got the message across. Eventually, it left and I carried on drawing, thinking I'd seen the last of it.
Had I shite. 10 minutes later, it came back. But it wasn't back for another stroke and a power nap. No, it had brought me a dead fucking mouse, which it dumped, as affectionately as one can dump a mouse, onto my bag strap, off which I've since sluiced the blood.
Throughout the entire sketching session, there'd been an old couple sitting opposite, enjoying the sun. I only really drew attention to the fact I was there however when the dead mouse appeared. I think I must have made some noise, perhaps "Aagh!" or "Whoa!" or "Shit!" because they both looked up and asked if I was ok. And then, in perhaps my most cringeworthy moment in Germany so far, without even considering the fact that they hadn't seen the cat, I gave them the honest explanation, "Es hat mir eine Maus gebracht!"
After the painful silence that followed that one, I wonder in retrospect what must have gone through their heads.
Ahh, look Hans. Zat boy, he is drawing a picture of ze church!
Ja, Helga. Aber was! he cries out! Ist he in pain? BIST DU OK?
He says zat something has brought him a mouse!
Mein Gott, Helga! Zis boy is fucking insane!
So yeah, it'll be fun if I run into them around town. Stupid cat.
I don't know exactly what the occasion is, but in the little kind of town-square thing that we have here, there's suddenly sprung up a selection of fairgroundy stalls and a stage for dodgems. It's kinda bizarre to see it here, seeing as it's a quiet row of cafe's and guesthouses attended by Neuerburg's elderly contingent, who number in the hundreds, and all of a sudden there's a load of screaming kids and bad fairground music blaring out.
Neuerburg also continues it's ongoing mission to disrupt any attempt of mine to sketch its buildings and beauty-spots. However, whereas yesterday was a group of excited kids, today a cat found me. After just kind of prowling around a bit and sniffing my bags, it jumped onto my sketchbook mid-drawing and did that kind of 'mehhhh, give me attention' thing that cats do. So I stroked it a bit to see if that would be enough to make it go.
Instead, it went to sleep on my picture. At first I thought it was just chilling while I stroked its head, but then realised it wasn't purring or doing anything, so I half tipped it onto the floor without realising it wasn't awake. It didn't seem to like that, but it got the message across. Eventually, it left and I carried on drawing, thinking I'd seen the last of it.
Had I shite. 10 minutes later, it came back. But it wasn't back for another stroke and a power nap. No, it had brought me a dead fucking mouse, which it dumped, as affectionately as one can dump a mouse, onto my bag strap, off which I've since sluiced the blood.
Throughout the entire sketching session, there'd been an old couple sitting opposite, enjoying the sun. I only really drew attention to the fact I was there however when the dead mouse appeared. I think I must have made some noise, perhaps "Aagh!" or "Whoa!" or "Shit!" because they both looked up and asked if I was ok. And then, in perhaps my most cringeworthy moment in Germany so far, without even considering the fact that they hadn't seen the cat, I gave them the honest explanation, "Es hat mir eine Maus gebracht!"
After the painful silence that followed that one, I wonder in retrospect what must have gone through their heads.
Ahh, look Hans. Zat boy, he is drawing a picture of ze church!
Ja, Helga. Aber was! he cries out! Ist he in pain? BIST DU OK?
He says zat something has brought him a mouse!
Mein Gott, Helga! Zis boy is fucking insane!
So yeah, it'll be fun if I run into them around town. Stupid cat.
