Wiggle Wolf
May. 25th, 2021 10:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lupestripeIt has been an interesting weekend, lengthened by the fact that Monday was a national holiday. We decided to take advantage of this by heading over to Brewdog Dogtap to pick up our long-awaited visa stamp, with us last having been at the complex when it was Stone Brewery back in 2017. We opted for Monday for two reasons - we thought it would be less busy as Tuesday was a workday, plus the weather was a pleasant 23C. With only the outside areas of bars and restaurants open, we thought this would be most pleasant, and so it proved to be. Forgetting that Berlin has a public transport system that works, we ended up being there forty minutes eariler than we needed to be for our obligatory COVID test, but they were very efficient and saw us anyway. After the tickly intrusion of a swab up both nostrils, we were given a free beer and twenty minutes to wait for our results. Fortunately, these turned out to be negative, while we enjoyed supping our Kiez Kuele in the shadow of a tall red brick water tower. It was here that we waited for Notefox and CoVahr, who were slightly later than they intended to be. However, having booked the table for an hour after the test, we had plenty of time, even enabling them to eat their takeaway on the roadside as we waited. I was feeling pretty good, having donned nail varnish and worn by new unicorn t-shirt, with me getting into unicorns as they feel slightly more feminine. I also got to speak a fair bit of German with CoVahr too, which really boosted my confidence and understanding.
It was great being back in a bar again and the staff were incredibly friendly, with the terrace being particularly huge. We were sat by the railway line near a wire metal fence, but were interested to see a mini golf area and huge chessboard, not to mention the huge hanger-like interior of the brewery. We managed to try a range of different beers, while we also grabbed some food too. I had a lamb burger with mango chutney, but the pieces were a little too large and solid for my liking. However, the mac and cheese was delicious. It was great catching up with Note and CoVahr, who are fast becoming our closest friends in the city. They also helped us complete our COVID vaccination consent forms that we need to submit ahead of our appointments on Thursday, while the evening ended with playing chess on a beautiful wooden chessboard that Note had brought. Wolfie is rather good at chess so largely dominated, with his aggressive style of play really flummoxing Note. I too had one game but I didn't play very well and got a little irritated by some of Wolfie's comments. Still, it was all a bit of fun and I really should learn to stop being a sore loser. Sadly, the bar thinned out quickly and at 10pm it was time to leave, which at least meant we were back quite early and could sober up quickly. We walked to Atillistrasse, where I forgot to don my mask initially, a combination of semi-drunkenness and a negative COVID test making me forget. I was quickly corrected. Alas, this particular Brewdog bar is over an hour away and even though the transport is efficient, it did involve two changes and three different modes. We may be looking to do the close BRLO bar in future.
Saturday was the Eurovision Song Contest, the first since moving to Germany and the first where we were unable to host a party. We did have the next best thing though - a Eurovision livestream, even managing to get the BBC commentary with the wonderful Graham Norton. We had quite a few people joining us, while we also shared a five liter keg of Krombacher (which admittedly was left over from the previous weekend's Leeds Meet) and some chips and dip too. It was a really good event, only tempered by the internet cutting out in the middle of Finland's metal entry, which was incredibly frustrating. Equally frustrating, was the UK entry getting nil points. It was certainly in the bottom five of songs in the contest, but I ended up feeling surprisingly saddened that my country got nothing. People say it's all political, but as I have said before, it's largely because the UK sends poor songs from unknown artists, as well as failing to work the European audience beforehand. The top songs - Italy, France and Switzerland - all had something unique and I hope that as the UK can now do no worse, they take the opportunity to reappraise their approach. Dull pop songs don't cut it and they would be better off sending a rock or indie band, or even Bill Bailey as has been mooted. People know the UK's pedigree in music, so we should take it more seriously. Interestingly, Germany finished second-bottom with just three points and the exact same arguments are happening in the media here too.
After the event, we enjoyed our usual Saturday evening Stray Jackbox games, with his mother also in attendance, who we discovered looks a bit like Jackie Weaver. Fortunately, we didn't need to tone down the content or uncouthness in front of her, and at one point I even flashed my bottom on camera. It was a lengthy evening of great japes, as was the previous evening when we listed to Gothicat's set and went on VR. We did VR again on Sunday night but this was not a good evening, as I was largely out of the loop and felt a little out of place in an adult-themed world. Watching Wolfie mock humping someone else stoked some elements of jealousy, while I didn't really fit in with the crowd who were there. I went to bed feeling quite maudlin and depressed.
Today has been equally tough. After the highs of the weekend, it has been back to work with a bump, with Wolfie really struggling to get engaged once more. I hate seeing him like this and feel it's partly my fault after being so insistent that we leave the UK. I know ultimately his job hasn't delivered what they promised and that it's just bad luck that it hasn't worked out, but I do feel somehow responsible and find myself apologising profusely. This is really beginning to irk Wolfie, and the cycle is becoming quite self-feeding. It looks like we have secured our current place for another month now that the Spandau move date has been postponed, so at least we won't be homeless, but upon asking some reasonable questions about the move, Wolfie just said I should speak with the rental people myself. I feel saddened that I am putting more pressure on him at a time when he is struggling, but I too feel very insecure and full of self-doubt. My job, while having more prospects than his, is certainly not where I'd like it to be right now and although I think things will pick up in the summer, it is still a concern. I had hoped that as restrictions were easing, things would improve and maybe that will be so, but ultimately things are very very tough right now.
It was great being back in a bar again and the staff were incredibly friendly, with the terrace being particularly huge. We were sat by the railway line near a wire metal fence, but were interested to see a mini golf area and huge chessboard, not to mention the huge hanger-like interior of the brewery. We managed to try a range of different beers, while we also grabbed some food too. I had a lamb burger with mango chutney, but the pieces were a little too large and solid for my liking. However, the mac and cheese was delicious. It was great catching up with Note and CoVahr, who are fast becoming our closest friends in the city. They also helped us complete our COVID vaccination consent forms that we need to submit ahead of our appointments on Thursday, while the evening ended with playing chess on a beautiful wooden chessboard that Note had brought. Wolfie is rather good at chess so largely dominated, with his aggressive style of play really flummoxing Note. I too had one game but I didn't play very well and got a little irritated by some of Wolfie's comments. Still, it was all a bit of fun and I really should learn to stop being a sore loser. Sadly, the bar thinned out quickly and at 10pm it was time to leave, which at least meant we were back quite early and could sober up quickly. We walked to Atillistrasse, where I forgot to don my mask initially, a combination of semi-drunkenness and a negative COVID test making me forget. I was quickly corrected. Alas, this particular Brewdog bar is over an hour away and even though the transport is efficient, it did involve two changes and three different modes. We may be looking to do the close BRLO bar in future.
Saturday was the Eurovision Song Contest, the first since moving to Germany and the first where we were unable to host a party. We did have the next best thing though - a Eurovision livestream, even managing to get the BBC commentary with the wonderful Graham Norton. We had quite a few people joining us, while we also shared a five liter keg of Krombacher (which admittedly was left over from the previous weekend's Leeds Meet) and some chips and dip too. It was a really good event, only tempered by the internet cutting out in the middle of Finland's metal entry, which was incredibly frustrating. Equally frustrating, was the UK entry getting nil points. It was certainly in the bottom five of songs in the contest, but I ended up feeling surprisingly saddened that my country got nothing. People say it's all political, but as I have said before, it's largely because the UK sends poor songs from unknown artists, as well as failing to work the European audience beforehand. The top songs - Italy, France and Switzerland - all had something unique and I hope that as the UK can now do no worse, they take the opportunity to reappraise their approach. Dull pop songs don't cut it and they would be better off sending a rock or indie band, or even Bill Bailey as has been mooted. People know the UK's pedigree in music, so we should take it more seriously. Interestingly, Germany finished second-bottom with just three points and the exact same arguments are happening in the media here too.
After the event, we enjoyed our usual Saturday evening Stray Jackbox games, with his mother also in attendance, who we discovered looks a bit like Jackie Weaver. Fortunately, we didn't need to tone down the content or uncouthness in front of her, and at one point I even flashed my bottom on camera. It was a lengthy evening of great japes, as was the previous evening when we listed to Gothicat's set and went on VR. We did VR again on Sunday night but this was not a good evening, as I was largely out of the loop and felt a little out of place in an adult-themed world. Watching Wolfie mock humping someone else stoked some elements of jealousy, while I didn't really fit in with the crowd who were there. I went to bed feeling quite maudlin and depressed.
Today has been equally tough. After the highs of the weekend, it has been back to work with a bump, with Wolfie really struggling to get engaged once more. I hate seeing him like this and feel it's partly my fault after being so insistent that we leave the UK. I know ultimately his job hasn't delivered what they promised and that it's just bad luck that it hasn't worked out, but I do feel somehow responsible and find myself apologising profusely. This is really beginning to irk Wolfie, and the cycle is becoming quite self-feeding. It looks like we have secured our current place for another month now that the Spandau move date has been postponed, so at least we won't be homeless, but upon asking some reasonable questions about the move, Wolfie just said I should speak with the rental people myself. I feel saddened that I am putting more pressure on him at a time when he is struggling, but I too feel very insecure and full of self-doubt. My job, while having more prospects than his, is certainly not where I'd like it to be right now and although I think things will pick up in the summer, it is still a concern. I had hoped that as restrictions were easing, things would improve and maybe that will be so, but ultimately things are very very tough right now.
