Fish in tanks & a hunting story.

The view from our balcony, schön no?

Coming from Sydney and now being in small town Ulm can be described a little like this. I feel like a fish plucked out of the ocean and put into one of those fish tanks you see in a Chinese restaurant. It is not crowded here but small it is. Like those fish that have to float around in their tanks all day looking at the same fish faces until someone has the hankering for steamed with ginger, soy and shallots, it is a rare occasion when I am out and about in Ulm that I don't see somebody I know. Those same faces. On the bus. Drinking coffee. Pushing their trolleys at Aldi. I have to admit, I envy those fish at times. They have a forseeable end. I on the other hand, may be here till I am on first name basis with the entire population. Forget anonymity. I have a running count on one couple that just keep turning up, these meetings seem random but I am seriously starting to think stalker. If you are out in Ulm on a Saturday, give yourself at least 30 to 40 minutes to factor in all those people you will bump into and stop to have a wee catch up with. What can get awkward, is when you bump into the same person twice. Do you stop and do it all again? Is a quick smile and a nod OK or is it better just to avoid eye contact and walk briskly on? How do the fish do it?
For a lot of Germans around here, who are used to living in smaller villages just outside of Ulm, Ulm is the big smoke. When I talk to people about wanting to get an apartment right in the middle of the city (I am about 15 minutes away by bus), they wonder why on Earth. It isn't close enough to nature for them, too many people, people are unfriendly etc etc etc. Ulm is small but it is thriving. There is an industrial area where I work a few times a week and it employs lots of the people who live around here. Hence, finding an apartment in Ulm is like going to the Boxing Day sales in Sydney. Be aggressive! The early bird catches the worm. Get your bottom out of bed and be the first to get your hands on the local paper, scour out the possibilities and make those phone calls pronto, lest you find yourselves in our sorry predicament. Our apartment hunt is approaching its one year anniversary. Ways to celebrate, anyone?
Tell friends, colleagues, neighbours anyone who will listen that you are looking. The more eyes and ears you have out there the better your chances are. We were extremely bright eyed in the beginning. If there was no balcony, we said, 'no.' If there was no garage we said, 'no.' If the neighbours looked at us funny, we said... well... 'no.' Oh my. What fools we were. A year on, and I guess you can say we finally get it. No balcony? Surely we can find some other use for our outdoor furniture! Street parking? So be it! The neighbours you say? Gosh! I'm already planning the party!