Simple, my arse!

I checked out Rossmann [a store that stocks toiletries and various items, much like a Watson's or Guardian but minus the Pharmacy] so i could develop some photos with the instore Foto Service. Gone are the days that i'd bring my rolls of 36 and wait a few hours for the store assistant to get around to printing my dozenth shot of the same thing or camwhore shots of my friends and i.

J said the machine was simple. Don't worry, he said. It's not difficult just follow the instructions.


So i did. I mean i've seen Nanas do it. It can't be so hard. I mean even the woman in the picture seems to understand the concept. Touch and tap away.

There was no instruction manual on the station and i assumed it was like the other machines where one could just SIMPLY touch and print. But noOOoo! Apparently one has to purchase a card that one enters their data and then ONLY then will the machine work before putting your thumb drive.

But this information was NOT there and some woman had left her card in the machine [which i didn't know until later]. I thought the card in the machine was the store's card and then at the end of the day the card is given to the printing shop and the orders go through.

It was an honest mistake.

And so i went ahead and ordered my photos using the card. I stood in front of the machine for a few seconds too long only to realise my photos were NOT coming out of any slot or gap. Yes i felt like an arse. I was definitely having a dumb blond moment [no offense to those who are blond].

Shit. Where are my photos? And why are the receipt numbers the same? I made 2 orders.

I went to the back to look at the rack of photos and noticed that everyone had their own individual number.

Oh fuck.

And like Eureka, it dawned on me what happened. I had printed using some person's card. Damn it! They should clearly write that shit on the machine for first time users!

SO i busted out with my broken elementary German and tried to explain to the store assistant what had happened and that i didn't know i needed a card. And within seconds she was quick to tell me what i did wrong. There's nothing like being told off in a language one doesn't fully understand.

Eyes turned to me and i could feel the temperature rise under my puffy coat.

I apologised and hoped that the owner of the card wouldn't have to pay for my prints. Thank gawd there were no embarressing shots or ones that were for HIS/HER EYES only. The store assistant was quick to call the centre, i'm assuming to tell them that some dumb arse Asian girl had ordered prints on a card that wasn't hers and to cancel them.

How was i supposed to know? Damn this technology. And where was the damn instructions? They should have a warning or at least some kind of sign!

I grabbed one of the price booklets and low and behold on page 11 in 12 point and in an orange box, it states that for those using the Station for the first time, to first ask for assistance from one of the employees and then one can purchase one's personal chip card.

Einfach = Simple, is the chapters' heading.

[Yes, if one knows that one needs their own bloody card to begin with. And if people would not be so forgetful and leave their card in the machine!]

I felt like one of those disobedient children that knocks over the Christmas displays and Security surrounds them like a criminal just to emphasize the seriousness of the incident. The woman made it out as if i had broken the Law. THOU SHALL NOT USE OTHER STRANGERS' PHOTO CARDS TO PRINT WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE.

And because my vocabulary extends only so far, a percentage was only absorbed and the rest was heard by other curious customers. Embarrassed? Slightly.

And then after the whole incident. I don't know what i did but after ordering MY prints on MY card, it froze.

Oh gawd, i broke it!

I was quick to leave the scene. I didn't want to be told off again so i tried to blend into the aisles. Let's just hope my prints come out on Friday. Otherwise i will have to stalk the store and hunt down Frau Araminar.

Nippy but Still Entertained.

I woke up one morning to be greeted by what looked like the insides of a flyby shooting. I thought, "Shit, what is that!?" [No pun intended]. After close inspection, only because sooner or later it had to be removed, it was not what i thought but i was one of many victims of vandalism.

Someone thought it would be FUNNZY to throw eggs at the windows! Our distressed neighbor from the floor below came to our door to inform me that she had counted 23 crushed egg shells and incase i hadn't noticed, eggs were thrown at midnight.


The freezing air made the egg stick almost instantly and i spent the next hour spraying all sorts of cleaning agents just so i could scrape it off.

Gross!

I'm keeping an eye out for any dodgy looking people. I can only assume they're bored teenagers with nothing better to do in 0˙Celcius weather. Maybe Santa forgot to fill their stockings and they're just pissed off.

...


But on another note, my DHL Jumbo Box from back home arrived! A care package of my coats purchased way back in my Melbourne days, some of my clothes, heeled shoes, handbags, various kitchen bits and bobs have traveled across the world to be with me. Thanks mom! It's like going shopping... but not really.

I can't believe it's been already 10 months.

...

Then there was a short visit to the Grafenberger Wild Park. Deers ran freely and visitors could feed the animals.


We brought along macaroni sticks and fed the already overfed wild boars. The best part was there was no Entry fee. The sun was going down relatively fast, so we raced around trying to find the animals but i think most had passed out already. Probably hibernating because the temperature had already dropped down to about 3˙C.

...


10 days left till Christmas and we STILL haven't got our tree up but the Christmas markets are up and running. We brought Little L to the Carousel and watched her go round... and round... and around. Happy and resistant to the effects of dizziness, she kept wanting to keep going round and round... and around.

Even the simplest things in life can be oh so fun.

Stalls littered the area selling various items from puppets, warm wine, beer and trinkets. One booth sold what looked like shades of boobs on a stick and sugar coated nuts; in all shapes and sizes.

Even Cheese. I had to try the melted Cheese on bread. And for a whopping 4 Euro a slice, i had no problem licking the grease off the paper to get my moneys' worth. Bring it on!

But i was freezing my tits off by the end of it all and my fingers were icy cold despite wearing gloves. The air felt like it had hit the minus degrees and my body was starting to become numb.

...

And to add to our list of outings we went to the Aquazoo. Although no where near as cool as Singapore's Sentosa Underwater World. Aquazoo had various aquariums, even monkeys and a walk through mini controlled rain forest with crocodiles sitting below the bridge.


We managed to stretch the afternoon by checking out each animal. We succeeded in entertaining the Little One and hoped that she wouldn't be bored. BUT we were prepared and brought along a bag filled with various snacks, fruit, home-made little sandwiches and water; for all stages of hunger.

...

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