dodging the police

The sunset tonight turned everything pink.  My room, the street, the sky, everything.  It was incredible.  You know, clouds are different everywhere.  I had noticed the difference between Texan clouds and Californian clouds, but the point wasn't really driven home until I moved here.  Seeing all those Titian paintings, with those epic puffy clouds, I thought, Ha, You wish, Mr. T.  But you know what?  We have those here.  It's just a European cloud thing.  I don't want to say they're better.  But they're certainly more dramatic.

I'll try to get some pictures at some point.  In the mean time, I thought I'd share just a few things I've been noticing the past few days, through my jetlagged fog.  

First of all, I have seen more police in the five days since I've been back than I did in the six months I lived here in the spring.  How is this possible?  I don't know.  Active season, looking to up their quotas, something.  I was biking to Germany the other day and got a little confused about the route I was supposed to take; I knew right away I was going down the wrong part of the street, and what do you know, a police Mercedes pulled up next to me, rolled down the window, and shouted something in German.  "I'm Sorry!" I shouted back, still riding up this little hill.  "You are not supposed to ride in this part of the road!" the man shouted at me.  "I'm Sorry!" I shouted back.  "You cannot read the signs?" he yelled.  "I'm Really Sorry!" I shouted back.  Finally, I pulled over.  "Where are you staying?"  I hesitated because I was out of breath, maybe it was to my advantage.  "Klein Basel."  "So you come here all the time?"  "No!"  "First time?"  "Yes!"  (Lie.  But, it had been two months, in which time the excessive amount of booze in my system essentially erased any internal map I had developed here.  So, partial truth.)  "You need to read the signs!"  "Yes!  I'm Really Sorry!"  "[Rolling Eyes.]"  "I'm sorry!"  "Go."  "OK!  I'm Sorry!"  It was funny, at least.

Then today, I got my bus ticket checked for the first time.  It was all in order, of course; I try to be an upstanding citizen.  I've had two more near run-ins in the past 24 hours alone, so I am aware that I need to be even more upstanding than I'm already inclined to be.  I suspect Swiss police are particular sticklers for Right Behavior.

My ticket got checked on the way to another bass player's house, across town, where I picked up a bass of David's I am bass-sitting for the year.  Yes, that means two basses in my tiny, tiny room.  Kiersten suggested "maybe wood will become the new cotton to you; basses will feel like pillows or friendly clouds that came inside to keep you company" and that is possible, I guess.  It will actually be useful; I can string the bass up with an alternate tuning, and keep my brain in knots for a time.

I also went to school today, to try and figure out what my schedule is for next week (when classes start).  Interestingly, the secretary told me that I can choose my classes on the first day of school, next Monday.  What?  I asked her when to come, and she said I should just come.  What classes should I take?  There will be signs.  [Why Can't I Get Any Information?!?]  I said, "So, it will become clear to me when I get here?"  "Yes, yes."  Mmm hmm.  I'll let you know what happens.  Then I rode my bike home, very, very fast.