PARTY MACHEN

Taylor and Chip are snowboarding tomorrow, which means I'll have time to recap the past few days then. In the meantime, here's my journal entry from two nights ago in Koln (Cologne to the Americans), Germany...

I think it's now Saturday, Feb. 1. But I could be wrong. We (Chip, Taylor and I) are in an apartment in Koln, Germany. Taylor is across the hall doing God knows what to his girlfriend. Her neighbor is not here and she let us crash here. I'm way paranoid right now. I just bought 2 grams of weed of a friend of Taylor's girlfriend. We met on a street corner and I bought it in an alley for 20 Euro. He didn't speak English, so I got what I could, which was 2 grams (EDITORS NOTE: I found out later it was three grams after I reached into my pocket hours after writing this and found another baggie). Way too much for one night. Tomorrow we go across the border to Holland, where it's ok. I gotta write cuz I'm freaking out. I bought weed of a dealer on a street in Germany. All of that is wrong. Taylor's girlfriend said to smoke on the balcony cuz the girl who lives here is "very legal." So I'm paranoid about leaving shit here. I'm paranoid about someone seeing me out there. I'm paranoid about one of the neighbors smelling it and knocking on the door. I'm paranoid that I acted like a fool and shouldn't have allowed Taylor's girlfriend to hook it up, even though I told her not to many, many times. I'm paranoid someone in another balcony (there are a ton of them here) saw me and is calling the cops. I'm paranoid of getting caught with it. Obviously, this is stress cuz I'm not having such a good high. It's been 11 days, so my tolerance is low, but not this low. And I spent money on something I can't use on something I can get tomorrow (EDITORS NOTE: I have no idea what that last sentence means). She was hooking it up on the phone when I had to take a gnarly shit, maybe one of the most gnarly in my life. I returned and she had scored. I feel like a drug addict and I don't like that. I put my shoes on to go outside and get rid of it, but I decided to write instead. Now that I'm writing, time is passing and things are getting cool. But no more for me until tomorrow (EDITORS NOTE: This turned out to be false). I'm gonna stash it somewhere for hopefully some lucky person to find. I'm munching on pb pretzels and choc-covered almonds and water. I haven't been eating a lot on this trip, but I haven't been all that hungry either. I'm also paranoid about messing this person's stuff up. I'd be shitting if I knew two strangers were in my apartment right now. I'm having a good time, but I'm getting ready to be home (EDITORS NOTE: This is half true and the weed talking for sure. Today I am super bummed we are leaving in two days). Tomorrow is Sunday and we leave early Wednesday, so not much longer. Chip is sleeping and it doesn't look like he's going out. I'm either staying in and writing a bunch or going w/ Taylor and his gf. I was in a shitty mood today for no reason. My guess is I'm tired and missing home. Venice was so awesome, so easy to navigate, easy to find food, so easy to communicate, but Germany is the exact opposite. Many people speak perfect English, but everything else is off. I turned the tv on here and all 30 channels are in German. The best I could find was a pool tournament. Then Chip said it wasn't pool, it was something similar. That's frustrating. We've spent a lot of time in Garmisch and still have two more days. But it's been nice to have a free place to stay with some American tv programming, where I can buy goods with the American dollar. Bitch as I may, the US is comfort because the US is home. I'm not at home here and I'm aware of this every moment of every day. It's part of the rush and part of the scary feelings. It's true what people say about traveling Europe. I have learned a lot about myself and the trip isn't even over yet. I learned that I'm a man of contradictios. One side is wild, adventerous, exciting. The other is tame, boring and content. I like both. I might prefer the tame, but it's hard to say. I enjoy my comfortable life because I'm allowed tiny pockets of excitement. Maybe that's all I can handle. I do crazy things because I know I got one life and I've got to pack as much into it as possible. I want to experience most everything, but I demand them on my terms. Part of the fun of this trip is never saying no. This pen is getting crazy. My right palm is full of tiny ink spots. My big jacket, lent to my by Steve Haggerty, smells like smoke because it was in Taylor's room for a long time when he was burning a pot of beans and rice. It's so strong Taylor's gf Unga (or is it Ugna?) smelled it as we walked in.

There is so much more to stay about the past few days, but I don't have time now. Koln was a blast and the weed paranoia left after a few minutes and the rest of the weekend was amazing.

I heard the Lakers got Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown and Javaris Crittendon. Sounds like a steal to me.

JIM HALL REALLY DOES SLEEP ALL DAY

ive been to this same internet cafe three times today. chip and taylor are sleeping and said they might not go out tonight. which leaves me wondering what ill do. i just took a much needed nap. we walked the city today. went to san marco square and into some famous church and palace. the architecture is breathtaking.




i am spending money at what i think is an ok rate. but theres one more week to go. there are two americans in the room above mine. i havent seen them, but they are loud and obnoxious. they are playing music very loud and speaking even louder. i heard one of them say they stole all the tp from the bathroom. well, wouldnt ya know it, it was from the bathroom next to my room. assholes. i can tell they are young, but they should have a bit more respect for the others in the hotel. shit, do i sound old or what? they make me understand why europeans stereotypically hate americans. hell, i hate these kids and im a fucking american too. for the most part, ive found the anti american thing to be 50/50. those who are cool with americans are way cool with americans. they speak english well, never bring up politics and are basically down to have a good time. these are mainly the young people. the older people are more standoffish. last night, when i was looking for my hotel, i asked a few people for help and they brushed me off. today a few shopowners didnt care for me, although my only crime was being an american. i am a young, single, straight white male. now i know what discrimination feels like. it sucks. i bought a small bottle of orange juice and a donut and chocolate muffin this morning, hoping the food would be of the italian variety. it wasnt. tasty, but nothing i couldnt have got at home. i got another slice of veggie pizza today. this time it was at the palace thingy. ill have to look up the name when i get home. that place was awesome. when they built it, i imagine the king telling the artists, ya know, i dig what you did in the previous room, but can you make this new room, i dont know, even more decadant? i mean, the art of the 40 feet ceiling alone is spectacular. we saw the old jail and the old courthouse. i asked taylor how many not guilty verdicts he thought were given in that room. he said not many and i agreed. this place had lots of weapons too. war has been around forever, but these old dudes fought eye to eye. swords that were 6 feet long with crazy body armor. i have no respect for anyone who kills, but these people were brave, ill give them that. the price here is 3 euro for 1 to 15 minutes. i am at minute 13, so its time to run.

SCHWEEEEEEEEET!!!!!

in an internet cafe in venice. this is my new favorite city. last night was the beginning of carnival. it was one of the best things ive ever experienced. people everywhere. drinking. partying. we were part of a large group of gatecrashers who tried to get into the main party but we left when it looked like we might get trampled. id love to write about everything that happened, but this place im in charges and the euro is kicking my ass. ive had two pastas dishes and lots of chianti. the pasta for dinner last night was the best ive ever had. being out of the usa is humbling, exciting, worrysome, frustrating and exhilarating all at the same time. there arent many americans here, none that we met anyway. the red wine flows like crazy and its goes down smooth. tonight is round two. chip and taylor (the two friends i am traveling with) are napping right now. i am about to join them because i didnt get any sleep. i was very hyper from all the activity combined with all the espresso and the fact that my body still hasnt adjusted to the time change. usually i go to sleep around 2 am, which is 11 am here. we are staying with a really nice lady named julia. shes a translator and speaks english better than the three of us! she is making pasta for us tonight. taylor says shes a great cook and i dont doubt it. so much to say but the clock is ticking. im very excited to be in europe. i want to see more, but at the same time, i could stay in venice for a very long time. its hard to explain. anyone whose been here can attest to that. to anyone reading this at home, i hope things are well. i hear long beach got hit with a big storm. its chilly here, but not nearly as bad as i planned. i am comfy if i wear plenty of layers, which i am doing all the time. venice has entered my blood and consumed my soul. no cars, no bikes, no scooters, just thousands of people walking everywhere having a good time. except for the two drunken american assholes who fought on the street late last night. fucking americans. i can go on for days. this is a magical place, one that i wil return to before i die or the city floods, which im told is expected to happen in the next 300 years. we took a small gondola (gondole for the italians) and it was amazing. venice is for lovers. small, well behaved dogs rome. but no cats. thats a bummer. ive seen two kitties since ive been over here. im jonesing for more. what else? so much to say so little time. theres talk of going to a city called verona after we leave here. exciting. i could get lost in the city as it is very inspiring. so many thoughts running through my head. makes for good writing. in a perfect world, id live here, drink wine and eat pasta and write. i know my time here will surface in a story somewhere someday. it has to. there is no more poetic place than venice. and plenty of vegetarian food to boot. viva italy!