So, 2010 is already one week old...
...and I'm still hopped up on diet pepsi.
Well, I surely don’t feel like returning to normal life. Normal as in getting back to work, struggling to catch suburbian trains again and not daring yet to try whether my cheque card’s working still.
Unfortunately I’m running on 20 Euros at the mo, so I guess I will have to give that chip a chance tomorrow.
I hope everybody had a great time at Christmas, between the years and into 2010 as well. Aside from a virus persistent as hell (might as well have been H1N1; at least I’d be immunized for the second wave then), I had a fantastic 12 days at home with my family. For the first time in several years, my brother was able to spend Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day with us, which was really nice for a change. I guess it has its advantages to finally be senior physician, being able to get all the interns covering for you for once *grins*. Well, he’s been there, done that - per asperam ad astra.
New Year’s Eve was a veritable disaster, on the other hand, albeit the only one in almost two weeks. I had big plans for that night; a trip to a very good friend in Oldenburg where we wanted to celebrate New Year with a little, but excellent party of friends, and go out dancing afterwards. Well, it was not to be. And I owe it all to the Deutsche Bahn. Or rather the fact that from Hannover up North, people don’t seem to be able to deal with winter conditions. But one thing at a time.
At 15:45 on the 31st of December, I boarded a train in Stuttgart with every intent to get as far as Oldenburg, where I was to arrive at 22:27 after changing trains in Dortmund as well as in Osnabrück.
When we passed Mannheim, we were already 20 minute late, which didn’t get better until one hour before Dortmund, so I set out to look for the train attendant to ask whether she would put me down for the train I had to catch in Dortmund so that wretched thing would maybe, maybe, maybe wait for me. Unfortunately, the very nice lady (and she really was very nice!) had to tell me that the train would not leave for Osnabrück at all, but was to be redirected via Hannover and Hamburg to Bremen - and already 40 minutes late. And that was only the beginning.
As it gradually transpired, from Hannover to Bremen and vice versa, overhead wiring and switches were frozen over, resulting in delays of over 50 minutes in the best and cancellation of trains in the worst case. In Dortmund I found out that the only connection I could still catch would have me in Oldenburg at 00:35 - and that was if all went well. For which there was no guarantee whatsoever. So all in all it came down to two options: Going on from Dortmund to Hannover, not knowing whether I would be able to go on from there and risking to have to spend the night in some hotel - or waiting for the same train I had taken to Dortmund to being made ready for the trip back. For going home to Stuttgart again.
Since I didn’t feel very adventurous that night (actually I rarely do), I opted for the latter, thus spending the arrival of 2010 in a train. One of the most romantic and atmospheric New Year’s Eves of my life *sighs*. Well, at midnight, we were standing in Heidelberg, which did at least allow me a few moments of very fond and nostalgic memories, and on our continuing way towards Stuttgart, we were driving through a kind of guard of honor consisting of most lovely fireworks. A small compensation for all that has happened that evening and night, but a reparation all the same.
Well, that was the thrilling tale of my New Year’s Eve...what a start into 2010 *grins*!
Well, I surely don’t feel like returning to normal life. Normal as in getting back to work, struggling to catch suburbian trains again and not daring yet to try whether my cheque card’s working still.
Unfortunately I’m running on 20 Euros at the mo, so I guess I will have to give that chip a chance tomorrow.
I hope everybody had a great time at Christmas, between the years and into 2010 as well. Aside from a virus persistent as hell (might as well have been H1N1; at least I’d be immunized for the second wave then), I had a fantastic 12 days at home with my family. For the first time in several years, my brother was able to spend Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day with us, which was really nice for a change. I guess it has its advantages to finally be senior physician, being able to get all the interns covering for you for once *grins*. Well, he’s been there, done that - per asperam ad astra.
New Year’s Eve was a veritable disaster, on the other hand, albeit the only one in almost two weeks. I had big plans for that night; a trip to a very good friend in Oldenburg where we wanted to celebrate New Year with a little, but excellent party of friends, and go out dancing afterwards. Well, it was not to be. And I owe it all to the Deutsche Bahn. Or rather the fact that from Hannover up North, people don’t seem to be able to deal with winter conditions. But one thing at a time.
At 15:45 on the 31st of December, I boarded a train in Stuttgart with every intent to get as far as Oldenburg, where I was to arrive at 22:27 after changing trains in Dortmund as well as in Osnabrück.
When we passed Mannheim, we were already 20 minute late, which didn’t get better until one hour before Dortmund, so I set out to look for the train attendant to ask whether she would put me down for the train I had to catch in Dortmund so that wretched thing would maybe, maybe, maybe wait for me. Unfortunately, the very nice lady (and she really was very nice!) had to tell me that the train would not leave for Osnabrück at all, but was to be redirected via Hannover and Hamburg to Bremen - and already 40 minutes late. And that was only the beginning.
As it gradually transpired, from Hannover to Bremen and vice versa, overhead wiring and switches were frozen over, resulting in delays of over 50 minutes in the best and cancellation of trains in the worst case. In Dortmund I found out that the only connection I could still catch would have me in Oldenburg at 00:35 - and that was if all went well. For which there was no guarantee whatsoever. So all in all it came down to two options: Going on from Dortmund to Hannover, not knowing whether I would be able to go on from there and risking to have to spend the night in some hotel - or waiting for the same train I had taken to Dortmund to being made ready for the trip back. For going home to Stuttgart again.
Since I didn’t feel very adventurous that night (actually I rarely do), I opted for the latter, thus spending the arrival of 2010 in a train. One of the most romantic and atmospheric New Year’s Eves of my life *sighs*. Well, at midnight, we were standing in Heidelberg, which did at least allow me a few moments of very fond and nostalgic memories, and on our continuing way towards Stuttgart, we were driving through a kind of guard of honor consisting of most lovely fireworks. A small compensation for all that has happened that evening and night, but a reparation all the same.
Well, that was the thrilling tale of my New Year’s Eve...what a start into 2010 *grins*!