Date: Wednesday, November 10, 1999 14:49 Subject: Mauerfalltag Okay, first, some German advertising to irritate you: in the window of you-know-what, a display of cheap jewelry, a big black-and-white photograph of an Audrey Hepburn lookalike wearing dark glasses and a black sleeveless dress, and the inscription "Frühstück bei Tchibo" - ouch. Just thought I should share that little tidbit. It was almost as bad as the H&M posters all over the city this fall showing Steve Buscemi modeling sweaters - very, very odd. Mauerfalltag was pretty cool, huge crowds around the Brandenburger Tor, music and stuff all along the route of the wall through Mitte. We were late arriving, being exhausted after the final push to finish the dissertation and then delayed by dinner, but still managed to catch much of the action. We finished the night in a café on Oranienburgerstraße, returning home about three. It was a night to be out on the streets. It's odd that the diss was finally, officially completed and shipped off on this very auspicious day. We now feel like our lives can begin again. I didn't understand until it was done just how much time I'd spent in a holding pattern, circling around waiting for Annette to be finished. It was deceptive - we didn't realize the extent to which the rhythm of this household was determined by the progress of the dissertation. Yesterday was for me, and to a lesser extent for Annette also, much more significant than the defense last month. We have our lives back now. Anyway, I should stop writing emails and start writing for the new web site, which lacks content (and much else). A piece on the personal significance of Mauerfalltag, first, and another essay on the enjoyable social experiment of anti-ambitious professional behaviour (the irritating translation client has been quiet for 24 hours, probably not able to comprehend the idea that my response to their criticism was to cheerfully suggest that someone else do the work). Actually first I want to go for a bike ride before it gets dark, then I'll do some writing. Regards, Scott