Exploration

It's 9am and 1 degree out, and the morning mist stills shrouds the town.

Okay, well that was when I got here. It's now 12.07pm and the internet cafe meter is at 4.50 EUR, soon to be 5. Just spent so much time researching transport and itinerary for Belgium and Ireland! Oh my. Never paid this much for internet before haha.

Yesterday was a nice day of exploration. In the morning was internet cafe (as usual) and then I headed back to wait for my mattress to arrive. I actually sat at the lobby steps for a while, reading Ben Hur, before I gave up and just waited for the delivery man to call. But interestingly I managed to meet other occupants that way (while looking crazy for sitting there). A few guys including one Italian called Herberto and an Asian girl who didn't stop to say hi.

After that, went to buy a bedsheet (I forgot) and went out by the back instead of the front, discovered the gem that is the Bücherhalle. Herberto said he was going to the library, I had no idea that it was so near. Also, I learnt in NUS that library is Bibliothek in German, so is Bücherhalle a Hamburger thing? Still makes sense (book hall) but wondering why it's different. Anyway I saved that for later, with a desperate hope of free wifi.

And so later I found out that you need a library account at 20 eur per year to use the wifi. So sad. BUT, BUT, I discovered a chinese grocery store/restaurant next door!!!! I know I'm not the most Chinese person around, but I love my Chinese food and I was squealing when I found the rice! Hehe. Instant noodles is expensive at 1+ per packet (not even 5 in 1) though. But sesame oil, soya sauce, oyster sauce all there. There's a supermarket there too, which I figure will be an alternative to the small local grocery store 5 min away, once I'm back and cooking.

There was also a lovely little playground near the library where I sat on the swing for a while. It was beautiful to finally be outside, really outside, with the holly and the birds and the greenery all around. Harburg is pretty, but not that green, at least where I stay. When I get back I'll try to find my way to the big park with the lake. I see it on google maps but I haven't gone far enough yet to see it.

Went shoe shopping as well, cos I decided that I don't really want to walk around in my boots because they get a little uncomfortable after a while. I went into pretty much all the shoe shops in my area (which is a lot) and ended buying Vans knock-offs for 14 eur. Everything is relatively cheap here by the way, for which I'm thankful. Lots of shoes available under 20 eur, most are under 30, even found some for 5. I discovered this awesome awesome thrift store which I'd walked by so many times, and a sell-everything store where I bought hangers and bedroom slippers. I'm definitely going back to the thrift store come April ((:

I've really loved my few days in Harburg alone. I was a little tentative about that and worried about homesickeness etc but it's been great. I love the freedom to do whatever I want and go wherever I want. The freedom to stay as long as I want (eg in the playground, when others would have been bored). But yes, it does get a little lonely at night when there's nothing to do and it's cold outside, and everyone in Singapore has gone to sleep. That's alright though, I manage, especially with keeping track of all my accounts. If I had wifi in my room it'd be better (grumble grumble).

I'll be off for my grand March trip tonight, though. Meeting E in Brussels tomorrow morning! Updates when I get wifi.