I smell cash and candy

When we were in Neustadt at the festival I bought a real candied apple. I had never really seen one before, but knew what it was. An apple dipped in red something. That's what it looked like. I'll tell you about the eating part. Ate the apple yesterday. The candied coating was kind of thin, kind of not, but was so sweet that I drank a full bottle (maybe 40-50 oz. worth) of mineral water, brush my teeth (until my gums kind of bled -- i'll admit that my toothbrush's bristles may be a bit too hard...but it was two for one, I couldn't resist) and STILL felt like I had been overdosing on sugar. Another illustration, perhaps? In the less-than-24-hour time span that the apple sat in its little baggie on my kitchen counter, the candied coating ate through the plastic and puddled a jam-lid sized blotch on the stainless steel. Toxic candied apple. I'm getting chills just thinking about it.

As for today... today I had a quick look around the market (which is set up only on Tuesdays, and only until 1 P.M.) and decided that it would be my new Tuesday morning "thing". Market food is so much cheaper, not to mention fresher, than Wal*Mart food. My dignity has been returned! Then I headed off the DHL man and (correctly) guessed that the package he had was for me. The paper on the side of the package had the contents listed in my mother's hand writing: jacket, stuffed animal, scarves/mittens, pens. The package cost over $40 to send. It sounds materialistic, but if that's not a validation of parental love, I don't know what is. They're willing to send me this stuff so my life here is easier, and yet it costs them more than I want to know. It cost me €1 to send a postcard to Japan, and €2 to send a letter to the US. I think I'm understanding how expensive it is to live here. For example, at the bank today, I wanted to withdraw €50. The woman behind me asked for €250, like it was totally normal. Is it?

Moving along, today I also found €60 on the ground (outside) at the University. No one else but Kathy was there. And there is not, to my knowledge, an office in which I can leave something like that. So do I just keep it? For now, hellz yes I do! Before I'm judged by anyone, I'll write here what I said to Kathy earlier today. I will keep this money, and if I wasn't meant to keep this money and Karma kicks in... if I lose a sum of money like that, I will not complain. Too much.