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| Greg's diary |
| November 1967 |
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This page contains a significant number of German words and phrases. Possibly Google Translate can help, though it's pretty flaky.
| Wednesday, 1 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Up again not too early - I am just a little worried about how many of these early morning Vorlesungen I am going to miss through not being up early enough - Org. Chem at 0800, for insteance, which will mean getting up at 0630 odd twice a week. I might have to invest in a Wecker [alarm clock] - I don't at the moment feel much like missing Vorlesungen, at any rate not until I get a few text books, so that I know what we are on about.
After getting up, and down to check that no letter was from Jayne, up again and slowly got around to having some breakfast, and cooked a couple more eggs before anything else, and doing a rather poor best to get some decent music on my radio. Little else happening - I often wonder how I manage to spend my time thus, but it seems to happen with such monotonous regularity that I don't suppose I really ought to wonder.
Off, eventually, anyhow, to the Uni, by boat - this really is with it, though the boat service doesn't go too late at night, finishing at round 2000 hrs. Over to the Von-Melle-Park, posted a letter to Mum and Dad (about time too), and then to the Audi Max, where Trudy already was, and so off to the Mensam, where she ate sandwiches. I have come to the conclusion that, compared to the food at KCT, the food here is pretty good.
After that, off to the Aud. Max again, and carried on talking for a while, before Trudy said something about going to a lecture, and so off, but when she got there she changed her mind, and so stayed with her another hour until 1500, and then she in for a lecture and I to town, first to Photohaus a.D. Alster, who still haven't got my KLARG, so on to Wiesenhavern, and told them I didn't think much of the focussing on the Edixa, and they tried to persuade me to take one of the spacers off from under the ground glaß, which I didn't consider very practical.
This reflects one of the basic inaccuracies of SLR technology: the focusing screen is not on the film plane, so it needs to be positioned at its mirror image. And in the case of the Edixa, at least at this point, it wasn't.
After that, bought some chemicals, but they were out of Acufine, and to Scheel, where they had Promicrol, which I bought, though I don't think I shall use much of that any more - must though just do a few last tests to check which really is better - preferably on the same subject.
Off after that to Kaufhof, bought some food, and back home, and after a while had Makan with Matin and Karen, and then a cup of tea, and off to meet Trudy, and she was talking to this astro-physicist, with whom I talked about flash measurements. Then off with Trudy to the Hauptbahnhof, as the Studentenbar was besetzt by a party or something, and walked to the Uhenhorster Fährhaus, where we had a bit of fun. I have a feeling she is a virgin. Still, we shall see. She didn't think much of my invitation home, though. Still, she moved OK in the Fährhaus. Took her to Mundsburg, and then home and not too quickly to bed.
| Thursday, 2 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Woke up at 0600 hrs this morning, and after consideration decided it would not be safe to go back to sleep, as I would almost certainly miss the 0630, when I intended to get up. Got up thus at 0610, and dressed and brokefast pretty leisurely, and still had time to read some stuff about the Pentacon super, which looks like being a good camera - I wonder when it will become available this side of the iron curtain.
Then off to the Landungbrücke, and off to the Uni, where I arrived just at about a convenient time, and waited a while for them to let us in, and then a couple of hours of pure „Ni!“, which was very interesting.
This is a reference to my chemistry teacher at school, a Mr. Morgan (nicknamed “Clod”), who was Welsh. “Ni”, they say, is a Welsh thing, though I have forgotten what it means.
Playing around with billiard balls and so on, but did get one contradiction to Clod about benzene - it is apparently perfectly flat, and only cyclohexane is bent. Saw a film on mass spectrography, which looks like an easy way to do an Analyse [analysis], and then off afterwards into town, where my KLARG still has not arrived - I am getting more than a little irritated about this. The bloke is at the moment putting the blame onto Wirgin, which I am prepared to believe. Tried to renew my driving license at the Malaysian High Commission [presumably really consulate], with no luck, and then caught he next boat home, and noted Frau Plehn had a duplicate key to my room, and had started her saubermachen after all. In any case, hung about long enough to read a thing from the Studentenpfarrer, who claims I am interested in becoming Evangelisch, then to Mühlenkamp, where I arrived early, but the boat was even earlier, so off in anger by tram to Mundsburg, and 20 minutes later was at the Audi Max, and there met Trudy. I don't know what to think about her. I felt comparatively unmoved last night, but seeing her there waiting for me sounded a harmonious chord somewhere within. After lunch, in the Studentenaufenthaltsraum, and then to the Staatsbibliothek, where I joined, and Trudy did her best to get a book, and then back into the Audi Max main, where we crashed a lecture, and I, feeling dog tired, decided to miss maths, and then off home, almost unable to stand up. As home, flopped into a chair and started reading „Quick“, which I had whipped from Matin, and rapidly came to, which made me feel rather guilty about missing maths - but I don't think I would have take much in of 2½ hours of it.
Then, having also read „Stern“, which had come into circulation, thought about gaining something out of Jander-Blasius. As Paul observes, it is difficult to start studying again after such a long break. Had makan, which cause Frau Plehn to come and complain about the smell of onions, and then tried again, gave it up as a bad job, having read about 5 pages, worked out my expenditure for October - ugh! - and then wrote up my diary despite Matin, who was trying to persuade me that NaOBr dissociated into NaO⁻ and Br⁺.
| Friday, 3 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Woke up late today - I think that, when I get into the swing of things here, I should be able to make do with going to the Uni 4 days in a week, and begin the weekend on Friday, or use it for study if the need proves to be. In any case, by no means the feeling of urgency today, and so gradually had breakfast, read the letter from Dad in which he said something about the clot in Kuching who forgot to send my money - so that's why it hasn't come - and wondered why I hadn't heard from Jayne - I suppose it is all up with her now - there can't be much else to explain it.
After a while, got round to vaguely tidying up, though didn't get too far by 1200, and it occurred to me that if I didn't get over to the Uni I would probably miss Trudy, and there seemed little hope of having makan with Matin, as he was still in bed. As a result, off to the Uni, and to the Audi Max - no Trudy. Waited 10 minutes, decided she had decided I wasn't coming, and then off to the Mensam, where I decided the food looked grotty, and, that I would rather go without.
Looked for Trudy again, and then off into town, first to Wiesernhavern, to look for Acufine - still none. Will have to start stock-piling the stuff when they get some more in. Then did a bit of shopping in Karstadt, got a record of „San Francisco“, which I like. Now all I need is a record player, and all will be well. Then thinking of going to the bank, but had an hour to wait. Down to the kleine Alster [Binnenalster?], took some photos of swans and ducks there, and then off to the Uni and to the bank there, after which home by boat and, having finished off my CE in the Edixa, decided to check the collimation. Had to take about 0,7 mm of Zwischenstücke out from under the Mattscheibe [focussing screen] before I got much in the way of agreement - this between the groundglaß and another sellotaped in the film plane. Wrote a nasty letter to Wirgin, and then wondered how to spend the evening. Debated going down to St. Pauli, tossed a coin, and an hour later was in the Top 10 Club, where I did not fare too well. The place is just like Jackies [in Kuala Lumpur] - you just can't pick up a bird there, from what I can gather. Off again, to a Wimpy for a Hamburger hamburger, and then home, where Matin went up the wall because I hadn't been to the Barbarina, and said something about going tomorrow night. Then got out my enlarger, while Frau Plehn tried to get me to fix her lamp for her, and Matin came in and an article on Student love affairs and problems, and eventually I got started with this new safelight from Quelle, which I like, and Agfa Brovira, which I like even more, and rattled off a lot of prints representing all I have found worthy to print since I have been here. That took me some time, and later in to have a cup of tea with Matin, which carried on a while, while we discussed our childhood loves. Stuck my prints up on the mirrors, and off to sleep at about 0300.
| Saturday, 4 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Ah, what it is to have no lecture to have to get up early for (I think I said that yesterday. Oh well, nothing like making the point.) Was made even more pleasant (at least to begin with) by Frau Plehn coming in with a letter each from Sandy Schaedel and Jayne - the latter having apparently written because of my letter of Tuesday, and at least he had the decency to write by return of post. Some cock and bull story about having given a letter to Dorothea to post, but did not enclose it Also has spent 10 days on a yacht (or claims to have). Odd. What is wrong with the girl?
Got up, and peeling a few more prints off the wall, after which thinking about food, as I was somewhat hungry, and managed to make a pretty ample breakfast out of rather stale bread and cheese.
Messing around after that, trying to get things together after last night, with even less than usual success, and then decided it might be worthwhile going into town. Talked with Matin, but he wanted to have makan, so off alone on one of these rare clear sunny, cold winter days, and to Wiesernhavern, where I bought plenty of paper and some Acufine, which they have again, and then to Kaufhof for what they have to offer, and then home again, by which time time was certainly getting on, and I had not got round to doing much. The whole weekend, I feel, is somewhat wasted like this. Maybe I should, after all, have arranged to meet Trudy.
In any case, into my room, and did little. Matin was thinking of going to town and picking up a couple of tarts, but I was not too convinced. Started writing a letter to Paul, and then decided to have a bath, which I managed to drag out longer than usual, and then out - Matin was a little put off about my not having come into town. He cooked some makan (leftover from lunch, in fact, I think), and after that we got into a discussion on nuclear physics in which I came to some rather interesting conclusions about p-electrons - with which, unfortunately, he did not agree, but then he does not believe in Einstein.
After that, off into my room and set up my enlarger and stuff, and going 20 to the ½ dozen on that, and am rather pleased with my efforts on various contrast papers - I shall have to stick to this. Rattled off 40 odd, put them in the wash, and delved further back right to the beginning of this file, and then in to talk to Matin, who gave me a couple of brain teasers, both of which I got out - the second, much to his surprise, though, as he was half asleep, he did not show it. Off to bed very late - but did 81 prints, which is no mean effort.
| Sunday, 5 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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I reckon I could almost go on the night shift in 3 days, if the need ever befell me. Up today, feeling thoroughly ausgeschlafen, at 1200 hrs - at any rate, it represents 8 hrs sleep, so all should be pretty well. Thing that does annoy me is that I have not got through much work this weekend, damn it - will have to get down to that pretty soon. Oh, what the hell.
Matin up even later, and complaining because Frau Plehn was having her first bath since either of us have been here. He ought to complain. She came in just before and put a dirty fixer dish in my wetting agent, which I had just made up fresh after she had spilt the old stuff last night. That really annoyed me.
After that, loaded a couple of films into tank - I really must buy one of these Kindermann jobs - and off with a Pan F in Promicrol, which is not very common of late, though I suppose it must be my most used developer/film combination, at any rate to date - though this year I have only developed 30% of my films in Promicrol - and 25% in E2.
Frau Plehn out of the bath - 1½ hours to make up for scarcity - and Matin washed and cooked makan, while I did some work in my photo note-book, and then in to have more rice and left-overs from yesterday, and then a cup of tea while I heard first left-wing politics, and then the religion according to Mohammed, which may all be very interesting, but right then I was not particularly interested. In to my room, and pulled down a few more prints - they are taking longer of late - and then tidying up the place, which was well in need of it, and if I say so myself, did not to too badly.
Then decided it would not be at all a bad idea to at least settle the score with Jayne - I have decided to speak my mind, for better or for worse, and were she as crazy on me as she has made out, she will apologise, and were she not, would it not make any difference. Then read it to Matin, who had just come back from a fruitless girl-hunt, and he approved, and so finished it off and off down to the Hofweg post office, where it doubtless caught the 0145 post. Home again and examining the prints. They seem grainier than for a long time - I wonder why? Might be the enlarger/lens/paper combination, but it seems to be more noticeable on all negs, so it can't be film, or developer. Trying to work out a 2 bath afg [?] developer, and was thinking about NH₂<=>NH₂/phenidone/NaOH, which could be fun if it worked - but what about emulsion speed? Despite all attempts, late to bed.
| Monday, 6 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Oh well, I am getting more used to waking up at the right time. If I can now just get up at 0630 tomorrow, all should be well - though I think it would be well were I to get myself a Wecker [alarm clock] - this is too much of a risk. On the other hand, the Wecker could well prove superfluous - depends on how I manage to work out. Still, today up at 0920, and had a pretty leisurely breakfast, and read, and so on, and then packed my bag, headed off, as usual in a bit of a rush, to the boat, buying some ring book inlays on the way. Think I might buy a few more Ringbücher - one for each Fach, preferably.
Arrived rather early at the Jnstitut, and hung around for a while before going into this lecture on quantitative analysis - supposedly 1 hr. There was already stuff up on the board, which people had been copying down, and the bloke came in at 1100 and started writing on his little epidiascope (which I note is made by Leitz of Wetzlar, as is all optical equipment that I have been able to identify here. Went on about solubility products until 1230, when I left him still at it. This bloke is more of a Pad/Kingcup than a Clod type. Off to the Audi Max, where I waited a few minutes until Trudy came, and then off into the Mensam - rice and stuff (think it was liver), and for the first time I found myself unable to get through it all, though admittedly, I had half of Trudy's rice as well - tasted like rubber).
Yes, the brackets nest like that.
Then off, looking for an Ausleihbibliothek [lending library] for Trudy, and went though 15 minutes of red tape, only to find that the book was not available. Went to the Staatsbibliothek, after buying a Jander-Blasius in the Von-Melle-Park, and looked for a Rubber Book there, but this time couldn't find the bastard. Off, showed Trudy the Jnstitut, and convinced myself that there was a Bibliothek in the Jnstitut. Trudy was impressed with the size of the Jnstitut. Off back to the Philosphenturm, and discovered I had forgotten the time of the psychology lecture, and was ½ hour late as a result by the time I decided to go in despite. More sitting on the floor - tomorrow I arrive early. Didn't learn much in that position, and as a result decided to go off and buy a book on the subject, which set me back another 32 DM, and also bought a Pelican, „The Scientific analysis of Personality “ for 3:60, which was not too bad. Off home, thought about Ringbücher, but the bloke there wanted fantastic prices for them, so decided to see if I couldn't get anything cheaper elsewhere. Bought a file, though.
Off home, and started doing my best to organise my letters, which have been floating around unfiled for considerable periods of time - my organisation is now at the best it has ever been, I think. That took a long time, and after that got moving on the Jander-Blasius. I think I will apply for the Kolloq on Monday next, so that I will have something to work on.
Comparatively early to bed, after writing a letter to Dad - am worried about this early upgetting.
| Tuesday, 7 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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No, it's no good - I shall just have to get myself a Wecker. This morning I woke up at 0145, 0315, 0530, and 0705 - nothing near the right time. Got up at the last-mentioned time, and madly rushed around getting dressed, and then off (without Matin, who elected against coming with me) to the boat, still with a Butterbrot in my hand, which I just about finished by the time I got there. Boy - is it cold of late!
Then to the Uni, where more waiting around until the lecture hall was opened. I suppose I could just about come one boat later - but why spoil the sheep for a hap'orth of tar? This morning, he actually had some demonstrations going on - though also carried on with Quantum mechanics, etc, and got some interesting information. Here, at any rate, I am learning something.
Then watched demonstrations to prove fractional distillation was possible, which appeared quite successful. Took some photos of the dias - should be interesting. Then into town, and to Kaufhof, where I bought some ORWO NC 16 [colour negative] - which is fantastically cheap at 3.40 for 36 exposures - cheaper than HP4 [black and white]. And nearly as cheap as CE. Also bought some Ringbücher, and a Wecker - 9:75 isn't exactly going to break me. Off to the Photohaus an der Alster, where my KLARG has finally arrived, and off back home to dump my purchases, and almost immediately off again to the Uni to meet Trudy, who has a sore throat, which looks to me suspiciously like tonsilitis, but she doesn't want to go to a doctor, damn her. I hope it clears up, anyway. Had each an anti-Grippe Jmpfung [flu vaccination], which could have been water, in which we are liable to a prize of a return trip to New York and 1000 DM pocket money. Should be fun. Then Trudy off to her french class, and I to psych, and then set up my camera and was almost immediately approached by a bloke who wanted prints, in return for which he offered me a tape of the lecture - well, he will have to pay for the paper.
After that, went into town and got some money, and then to the Alsterhaus, which I have decided is not quite in the class of the Kaufhof or Karstadt, and bought some food, and then caught the boat from Jungfernstieg to home.
At home, messing around doing little - had a bite to eat, and considerably tidied up my room, but then did not much. Eventually decided to go to the organ concert at the St. Nikolaikirche, and asked how to get there, and when I finally did, discovered it was the wrong St. Nikolaikirche - the one that had been bombed out in the war. Gave it up as a bad job and came home again. Feeling pretty tired, in any case, and so thought about going to bed early. I am annoyed with myself, not having done any reviews for the Kolloq which I am going to have to do on Monday. In any case, I shall have to do a lot of work in Jander Blasius before I can take the thing. Why am I so tired.
| Wednesday, 8 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Oh, what the hell. When the alarm goes at 0800, and I know that nothing will happen if I don't get up, it is nevertheless very difficult to get up - and so was it this morning, when I woke up and got up eventually at 1030, and decided to have a bath straight away, rather than to wait for any length of time.
While the bath was running, and Frau Plehn was messing around washing herself, down to get the mail. Longest letter from Mum for 6 years nearly - 3½ pages typed DIN A4 (or nearly). Had quite a bit of fun reading that, and she also enclosed a photo of her and Theo [dog] on a new couch, taken on her „Swinger“ - quality is abominable by any standards. Not too much of news that I wasn't really expecting. Reason why I should do philosophy, etc - maybe it would be an idea to go, after all, the way she talks about it.
Had my bath, and made something of it by washing my hair and shaving as well, and then, after a bit of messing round, diary writing, etc - my diary is getting behind of late, which I must correct - off to the Uni to meet Trudy for lunch. She was not there, so decided to go out and see her, to see if she was in pain/need, and left lunch until later. Out west - very nice countryside, beautiful day, like a predetermined idea I once had of Germany, but which I haven't seen for a long time. However, got to Trudy's house, and discovered that, despite all, it was a block of flats, and I couldn't make out which of the 9 flats was her.
Then back again home, reading a „Modern Photography“ on the way - bought that at Dammtor, with a couple of interesting articles - and when I got there got straight down to writing a letter in triplicate to Mum, Dad, and Bev - though this involved going downstairs again and buying a couple of airmail pads, which, on closer inspection when I got home, proved to be the dreaded white similie [?], and which was messy to align. Still, it has the advantage of being half the weight of ordinary airmail paper, so I can send 2 sheets for 5 gm, and presumably 6 for 10. Not at all bad. Wrote quite a long letter myself, breaking off in the middle for some makan, which until then I had neglected, and then again los, and did Mum's of this morning justice.
After a while, decided to have a look at my Edixa, and check the diaphragm mechanism again, and didn't do too badly - the fact that it doesn't stop down fully in doesn't matter too much, because fully in is way behind ∞.
Also had a go at tidying up my photo note book, and put in a different register, as I have considerably more than 5 sections, which confuses the matter somewhat.
Supposedly early to bed, but such things don't go quite so easily, and I ended up lying awake in bed until about midnight. Will have to come to some compromise.
| Thursday, 9 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Alarm off at 0620 this morning - why? I set it for 0630, and 10 minutes seems rather an inaccurate value. Anyway, better than 0705. Got up, and had breakfast, and then off down to the Landungsbrücke, noting on the way that we had had a frost overnight, and the whole Landungsbrücke was covered in ice - fun. Boat came through the fog, about 2 minutes late, and then set of out on the Alster, where the fog must have been getting thicker, because the boats seemed to be able to get up this way before OK. Didn't take any passengers on at Uhlenhorster Fährhaus, and at Rabenstraße the boat was grounded by the Wasserpolizei, who already had a pretty good collection there - 4 of them, in fact. To the Uni at a hell of a belt to make up for the time lost when we ran aground [when?], and got there at 0800 - no lectures today. That was really twisting the sword. Home again by S-Bahn, and started finishing a letter to Paul which was hanging around, and then downstairs to find yet another bank statement and a letter from María, who said some very nice things and is still in love with me - after not having seen me for over 3 years! Still, could be fun if she comes back to Europe, so finished off my letter to Paul, and started on one to María, in a somewhat more passionate tone than her own, and then interrupted by Frau Plehn. She didn't like the mess, so I tidied it up and went in to see Matin, who was still asleep, and then looking for a couple of slides of María and me, which, when Frau Plehn gave me back my room, I stuck in my enlarger and made some 1:1 copies on Pan F and HP4 - I am astounded how much more accurate the focussing is with the KLARG at this range.
After that, had makan with Matin, and then back into my room for a while, and continued with my letter to María, which I had intended to post today, but then changed my mind. After a while, went out, and found a little Drückerei [sic; should be Druckerei, i.e. printer's shop] in the Herderstraße, and bought myself 50 DIN-lang airmail envelopes while I was there, and also a bread at Bolle, and then home, where for a while continued with my letter to María, and then lost interest, and so off to my cosy armchair after having a bite to eat, and started reading Jander-Blasius, but after about 5 pages felt so tired that I couldn't read straight, so off to sleep for a couple of hours, and then up again and continued reading the thing. Got to the end of the exposition of the Quantum theory anyway, and think that is the most important thing. Then developed an HP4 that I loaded on Sunday, which came off the spool, but which, miraculously, was properly developed. Why does HP4 always look so soft in Acufine? Should I really expose at 2000 ASA? Talking to Matin, and so late to bed.
| Friday, 10 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Woke up at 0915 this morning wondering why Matin hadn't put the alarm clock back in my room, and came to the conclusion that he had probably not got up himself. Went down to look for some mail - none - and when I came back, my suspicions were confirmed by the presence of the clock on my table, and shortly later Matin came in saying something about going straight back to sleep again. Oh, well, I suppose I'm not the only one.
Then cooked myself a couple of eggs, which I suppose do me good, and ate them, and finished off my letter, and then off by boat to the Uni. Saw Dr. Klar again, who recognised me and remembered my name - well, I hardly suppose, it's distinctive - and then sent me down to Herrn Schulz, who is apparently my Assistent, and arranged to do my Aufnahme= and Alkalikolloq together on Monday at 1530. Even more work than I had anticipated, or so it seems. Looking for an Herrn Adler for an Arbeitsplatzschlüssel [locker key], and explained my position about money, and they said I would have to see the Geschäftsstelle, which was already zu [closed], so off back to the Chemisches Staatsinstitut wondering about an ancient Big 6 I had seen - must have been pre-war - but no Herr Adler, so decided to leave it until Monday, and to the Mensam, where there was a hell of a to-do about the Rektoratsfeier yesterday - people are unzufrieden about the place, and the Rektor is turning a blind eye to it all.
This was in fact a relatively famous incident. Here a photo from the university web site:
Strangely, it took me over 50 years to understand the deeper meaning of the slogan (“Under the robes the stink of 1000 years”). The 1000 years referred to Hitler's claim that the Nazi regime would last for 1000 years. And I had thought that that claim was an indirect reference to the Millenarium, though I had always thought it to be a reference to the Holy Roman Empire (800-1806).
Posted my letters, and then home again, via Atlantic [boat station], as I didn't feel like waiting all the time at Rabenstraße, and then sat down and did my best to absorb Jander-Blasius, and did not do at all badly, although Frau Plehn did not think much of my tobacco, and created hell about it for half an hour, while Matin and I did our best to placify [sic] her, and then eventually got back.
Broke it off a little later, as my eyes began to glaze over, and off to buy some food and to look for someone to do my glasses for me, but this last was in vain.
Home again, half-heartedly studying and eating, and then back to it solidly for a while, but which time I got through all of the material for the Aufnahmekolloq, and started on the Alkalimetalle, which didn't look too much, so decided to leave it until the weekend, and instead did a bit more eating, and read the papers which I had bought. Matin, who I suspect has not read them too carefully, seems to think that the complaints are very sensible - all seems to depend on money. Oh well, the love of money is the root of all evil. Later photographing, and then talking with Matin, who has a cold.
| Saturday, 11 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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No, it doesn't work. If the alarm goes off and I know nothing will happen if I forget it, I forget it. Got up this morning at 1030 and, as usual, almost immediately down to see if there was any mail. A lot seems to be arriving for this Stumpff bloke of late - somebody must have got hold of his old address and put is on the lists or something. No letter from Jayne - I am not too sure what is going on on the other side of the North Sea, but I am sure that there must be another bloke there. Anyway, I have lost interest. Can't be buggered chasing elusive birds about any more - and that might apply to Trudy as well. We will have to see what happens in the next few days. Still, there was a letter from Dad, and quite a respectably long one at that, with a supplement of photos showing the inauguration ceremony accompanying the laying of the first column of a longhouse. Looks very impressive.
Started as a result on a letter to Dad, in pen as I couldn't be bothered to pull out the Schreibmaschine again, and then thought about food - I really must do something soon about getting some cooking utensils, etc, so that I don't have to live off Wurst and bread. Matin still feeling crook, so off to do some shopping, mainly for him, and then back again to my room, and did a bit of tidying up, etc, as well as a bit of work on my photo files, which are becoming increasingly more comprehensive. Typed out all the formulae for abbreviations etc, in exposure notes. Karen arrived again, and soon I noticed the lights out - you'd think the bloke would leave off the tarts a bit while he was sick. Still, what the hell, I suppose I am mainly jealous. Then thought about going to visit Trudy, but the weather was unclement [sic], and I didn't like the idea of arriving round dusk, so left it for a while, and also decided there was little point in going out to look for a tart for a while, and just sat around, reading magazines, eating, etc.
Eventually decided to have some proper makan, which I did - I have also been drinking a hell of a lot of tea of late, which I suppose is neither good nor bad, except insofar as it means I get through a lot of tea.
After that, dragged out a letter which I started to Sandy a week ago, and which after that I forgot about, and carried on with that until I got bored, and then reading back editions of her letters, which made me again feel like writing to her, but I restrained myself.
A little later came Matin in, and when Frau Plehn made more complaint about the lights, we went into his room, where I pointed out the inadvisability of fucking with a cold, and then we got into another conversation about chemistry, which lasted until about 0100 hrs.
| Sunday, 12 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Slept in again today - I am going to have not to set the alarm on such occasions, otherwise I am liable to get used not to paying any attention to it, and not wake up when it is important that I should. Up at round 1100, and Frau Plehn nearly stopped me from washing, and then into my room and sat, stunned, and cooked some breakfast. Then opened a jar of jam that I bought a Kaufhof a couple of weeks ago - there was a little bit of mould on it. Out came Edixa, KLARG, bellows, tubes, reversal rings, etc. The KLARG really is superb in such uses, but there is no denying that the STak gives bad chromatic aberration under these circumstances, and so I took quite a few with a red filter to minimise this - though I suspect a Na yellow would be better (or possibly Na light). Still, we can compare the results with and without, and if it makes itself useful, well and good, and I might even buy a green/yellow monochromatic filter. If I could only invert my 28/3.5 - that would be something.
After all that, finished my breakfast, and then did a bit of tidying up, and washed some clothes, and off to visit Trudy. Weather was lousy, and, in anticipation that they might not yet have cleared the crane off the S Bahn tracks on the Dammtor side of the Hauptbahnhof, went with the U-Bahn to Sternschanze, and thence to Hochkamp. On the way to Harderweg, occurred to me that Trudy could easily be getting on with this astrophysiker at the same time as me, and that he could even be there today. Got there, got the right flat first time, and was not allowed in - instead Trudy came out and visited me. Maybe my hunch was right - maybe it is Astrophysiker. Funny if it were. She does not look at all well, and was paralysed down one side of her face on Wednesday. I should have gone in then - I had a hunch it was that flat. Still, that she didn't let me in puzzles me, not to mention the irritation.
Home again, and told Matin I had been to see her, but not about the condition, and then off into my room, where I wrote up a bit more in my photo notebook, and then typed out the new film factors for Promicrol, which have changed since I wrote them out nearly 3 years ago. This last 18/24 months had really passed like a flash, although I have been on the move - really, I suppose, since I met Lesley Cannings. Reading older diaries, it strikes me as odd how the opportunity was so often staring me in the face, and I did not see it. I wonder if that is now happening on a higher plane? [Indeed!] Then wrote a letter to Dad, or continued yesterday's, and learning a bit of chemistry. Strikes me that all this is fantastically simple - why? I was doing this 6-7 years ago - have come a long way since then.
After that, working out how to make N-oxyethyl-o-aminophenol, with little success. I wonder if I can find a method anywhere.
| Monday, 13 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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What the hell is wrong with me? - again I didn't get up with the bell. I had better tomorrow, otherwise there will be an almighty ballsup. Anyway, up at about 0940, and slowly got up, speeding up as it dawned on me how little time I had if I wanted to get to Lindenberg's lecture, and as a result had no cooked breakfast, and ended up running for the boat. The service could be a little more regular - as it was, I was 15 minutes early, and swearing because I had forgotten my glasses, on which I discover I am more dependent than I had thought.
Lindenberg on as usual, but at least he did not make any ballsups today, and even got through everything a bit quicker. I wonder how much longer this gravimetry will go on - it doesn't strike me as being the most accurate quantitative method out. In any case, over to the Mensam, and looked in vain for Trudy - not that I had expected to find her - and then had makan, got a bit chick about my Kolloq, and so missed psych and went home and woke Matin up, and then had a bit of a chat with him, while he told me what I would be likely to get in my Kolloq, and I read that through, and at the same time had some coffee, and then back to the Uni - this place is really too far away to do anything about coming home in the middle of the day.
To the Institut, and had a look for Herrn Adler with little in the way of luck, and then sat and waited for Herrn Schulz, who was not very punctual, and in fact rolled up just before 1600 and said that he had no time for me, but that I could start my Alkalianalyse, and do the Kolloq on Wednesday. Eventually found Herrn Adler, and then got my lab key and so on, and was rather baffled by all the semi-micro stuff they have here. Goodbye macro - here we go at it from a new way. Rather fun trying to clean out a couple of crucibles the size of thimbles, and ended up with good old Königswasser, which seems to be the most popular reagent around here. Also some glassy [?] microscope slides - I wonder if we get the use of a microscope as well.
Then, after a bit of tidying up, off to the Mensam, where, in view of the grotty food situation at home, I had a makan, and then off home and told Matin what had happened, and then off into my room to try and sort myself out - this looks like being considerably different from what I expected. In any case, got down to a bit of reading, but the evening disappeared before I knew what had happened - just had time to try and get myself acquainted with the rest of Jander-Blasius, and then it was 2240, and so later than I had hoped to bed.
| Tuesday, 14 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Up at 0630 hrs this morning, with a blocked nose, a thing that has not happened to me for ages - must be this wonderful Grippe-„Schutz“ Impfung. Oh well, what the hell. Got Matin up, and he got a bit more of a move-on than is usual for Matin, and as a result got a bit of a leisurely breakfast in until I want in, ready to leave, and found Matin still only half ready. Hurried him up, anyway, and then off to the boat, which we just about made on time, and sat out the back and had a look there, Matin at the birds [girls] (such as there were, which was not much). Then off to the Uni, Matin to see about a job at the Studentenwerk, and then to the Jnstitut, and both to our own Vorlesungen, and today Heyns was not really up to standard - or maybe it was me. Jn any case, his PA transmitter was not functioning as well as it could have been, and we could hardly hear him. After that, a film about Kekulé, who had an interesting beard - amusing film. Then to the Geschäftsstelle, where I was told that I couldn't get a Bescheinigung to the Bank Negara until I had belegen [?] - will do that on Friday.
From memory, the issue was that my parents required permits to send me any significant sums of money, and this was part of the approval process.
Then into town, got some money, checked that money had arrived from Kuching, and then off back, bought some stuff, and set down to my analyse, which I more or less finished before lunch - matter of getting the hang of the semi-micro system and learning new notes [? probably something else]. Off to see Trudy for lunch - she wasn't there. I wonder if she is still unwell, or whether she is avoiding me. I think I will forget about her anyway - there are other birds about, and a visit to the Studentenbar might prove useful.
After makan, back to the lab, and more tests, and came to the conclusion that the stuff was a mixture of NaCl and NH₄Cl. Told Schulz so, and he reckoned it was more than that. Another test for K⁺-positive. Damn HClO₄. After that, trying to work out the contents of a bottle of pellets - KOH, but some BaCO₃ had appeared in the solution from somewhere - don't know where.
After that, checked with Schulz that I could go on to another, and then off to Kaufhof, where I bought a lot of food, more by 8 pf than what I had, but got away OK. Then, in Winterhuder Weg, met a bird whom I have seen before - only this time we stopped and talked longer. She is a Photogräfin [sic], and rather nice, though she uses a Rollei - still she said something about SL66s, so all is not lost.
At home, nose playing up, and cooked some mah-mee, which was nothing like Conimex's recipe, but probably tasted a damn sight better because of it. Then doing little, talking to Matin, carrying on with my Photo Notebook, etc, and then cooked up some peppermint tea which Matin had given me, and early to bed.
| Wednesday, 15 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Woke up this morning feeling a little better, but not fit to burn over to the labs at 0800, and in any case reckoned that I would not need that much time for my analyse, and so woke Matin up, and then back to sleep until 0900.
Up then, and as leisurely as usual got dressed, and scrambled my breakfast, and then sitting around reading, and cursing my nose - in the meantime, I have come to the conclusion that my allergies are playing up again, as I have no other sign of a cold. But what? My nose smells like house dust, but I haven't had that since I was in KL. Is it something in my room that is doing it, or what?
Bought a cartridge of spray at the Apotheke, which was supposed to be gegen Schnupfen, but it didn't say so on the box. Still, it made me feel better, and that was the main thing.
To the lab, and got my second alkalianalyse, which smelt, even to my nose, of ammonia and which I decided by lunch time had NH₄⁺, K⁺, Na⁺, Cl⁻, SO₄⁻⁻, NO₃⁻ and CO₃⁻⁻, and so then off to Karstadt , and there tried to buy a Multitherm electric frying pan, but they didn't have any in stock, and so I paid and they said they would have it in on Friday. OK by me. Home after that, having bought a Deutsch edition of the "¡Tu estas pisando mi pie!” card which I got for Bev in January - this for María.
I almost completely forgot this. This was a birthday card with the text:
“I wanted to wish you something special for your birthday, so when I met a Spanish person, I asked him how to say ‘Happy birthday' in Spanish. He said: ‘¡Tu estás pisando mi pie!’.
Unfortunately, I later discovered this means ‘You are standing on my foot’”
I have no idea what María (native Spanish speaker) must have thought of the card.
Home, and reading the „Hobby“ and a „Pardon“ which I had bought, and then had a light lunch - bread and cheese. It surprises me that Paech Brot sells with the competition from Harry - I can't find any comparison between the two.
Then sat around trying to work out what Herr Schulz was going to ask me in the Kolloq, and then off by boat thither, and again trying tests for Na⁺ on the stuff - very difficult to work out. Had my Kolloq, of which I made a balls-up, partially because of nerves, and then tested again for Na⁺, decided absent (or rather, lot of Na⁺ as impurity), and then off home, but didn't bump into yesterday's Photogräphin - I shall have to see what I can do on Friday - I might even be able to get somewhere with her, if it is worthwhile.
At home, did little for a while - reading and such like - and then, after a bite to eat, had a bath, which is becoming a regular 2-in-a-week affair with me now. I really must get to know a bird in Hamburg - this is ridiculous like this. After bath, had makan, more reading „Pardon“, and then decided to write a letter to Lesley Cannings (of whom I was reminded by one of the birds). Then in to give the letter to Matin to post, and did an unsuccessful best to get early to bed.
| Thursday, 16 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Dieses frühzeitige Aufstehen macht einen ganz blödsinnig, to quote (or possibly misquote) my namesake in one of Kafka's more gruesome stories.
In fact, very close. The story was Die Verwandlung, the hero was Gregor Samsa, and what he thought was:
»Dies frühzeitige Aufstehen«, dachte er, »macht einen ganz blödsinnig.... «
For once, my version was more consistent with modern grammar than Kafka's.
Still, it is apt - I am getting a bit fed up with all this, and will certainly not cry if I don't have to get up this early in the summer Semester. In any case, this morning woke before the alarm, which was just as well, as Matin had come in at 0100 and pinched it, which rather irritated me, mainly because he had done it without waking me up. Still, nothing harmed. Off to the lecture feeling more than usually stupid, and noted that on Tuesday, at any rate, we will not have a lecture. We are now onto things which I know more about - mainly paraffins and olefines, though in between he kept bobbing about like a yo-yo. I got so tired towards the end that I went off to sleep, though I doubt if I missed much.
Then home, and Frau Plehn was still in my room, so read a letter from Dad, in which he was
distressed about the quantity of food I was eating, and then into Matin's room with my
typewriter, and plenty of paper, and carried on with “Resting Place”, which I expect is a
rather silly name for the book, but I have yet to work out how it is going to finish, so it
might not be so stupid at that. Still, got on quite a bit with it - the first part, at any
rate, is now beginning to take shape. Back into my room, and had lunch, after which I was
still feeling tired, and so off to sleep for a while, setting the alarm for 3.00
pm 1500 hrs, so that I would not miss the maths lecture.
Woke up at 1500, feeling like death hardly warmed up, and decided that it might be just as well to let Maths be, as I would not be sufficiently awake to hear it anyway. As a result, back to sleep, sleeping only lightly, and eventually woke up again at 1730 with Matin and Frau Plehn talking outside. Staggered out there, much to Frau Plehn's amusement, and talked a while to Matin, who has been working with the police the last couple of days, and who has a couple of police jackets to show for it - as well as money, of course.
Then back to my room, and on with the book. Finally we are out of KL and on the way up to KB-this is getting more interesting. After a while, Frau Plehn came in saying that when she looked at the moon she saw triple with red in the middle - odd - and then had makan, after which on yet further with the book. Wrote nearly 14 pages today up to about midnight, and had an exhausted right hand as a result, which is why this [my handwriting in the diary] is so illegible.
| Friday, 17 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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I didn't even hear the alarm today, which I suppose is a bad sign. Still, I don't suppose it matters, when I am not going to lectures, as long as I still can wake up when I really need to.
This morning up at about 0930, and down to have a look at the mail. Another statement from the bank. I am getting through money far too fast. Still, next month or the month after it ought to slow down somewhat.
Got up, and messing around with the book, which is still pouring out, though I feel it is
getting a little strained now strange now. I shall have to get a bit of rest or
fresh inspiration. Then suddenly got an urge to search out a few photos to put in my photo
album, and so got out all my prints and went carefully through the lot of them, searching
out all which might have been of any interest, but to no avail which took a lot
of time. After that, having a bite to eat, and then could not be bothered to cook any
makan, so instead had a slice of bread and sausage, got my camera, and went into town wand
tried, to little avail, to finish off the films in both of them. Had a look in Wiesenhavern, but today the photos just didn't come.
I must need a change of scenery - I have been in the Freie u Hansestadt [the official
title for Hamburg is „Freie und
Hansestadt Hamburg”] now for damn nearly 2 months, must be about the longest I have
stayed anywhere this year - or even possibly this year and last year. I shall have to get
out somewhere soon, before I crack up.
Did some shopping at the Kaufhof, and then off home, where I nearly tripped over something in front of my door, and was just going to swear at Frau Plehn for putting it there, and then I discovered that it was my Multitherm, delivered as promised. Broke it in in the manner suggested, and then off to Bolle to buy some food to go with it. I can see my makan getting noticeably gleasier in the coming months - still, ought to keep me warm.
Then back to my book, where I have decided that cars had better take the background for a while, and I had better put a little more sex and Lebensphilosophie in, otherwise it is going to get boring. Ended up with me and Jenny (“Linda”) on the PCB with a full moon - such as it could have been as I wrote it the time of the year also being the same.
As it happened, today was a full moon.
Then got again fed up, and so off to see „Belle de Jour“, which Trudy recommended to me some time back. It certainly is most wierd [sic] - I am going to have to see it again before I can even come to any conclusion on it. Still, it has inspired me somewhat as to what I am going to do with Linda on PCB.
| Saturday, 18 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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And here is the weekend again, as a result I slept in a very long time, in fact I was woken round 1100 by Matin, who had a letter for me - from Jayne! She was by no means happy with my last letter, said I had depressed her, etc - knowing depression myself, I have come to the conclusion that she is probably telling the truth, though it is extremely difficult to work out how the things she has told me. [sic] Still is the problem of where her last letter is.
After that, decided that Jayne was bad for my book, and so forgot about her, and got on with the book. Cooked myself a breakfast after a while - problem: made a mess of a couple of toads in holes. Then decided to have a bath, and after starting to run a bath, discovered I had no Badedas - either I had lost it, or Frau Plehn had whipped it.
As a result, off down to Bolle, ad bought some food and Badedas, and then had my bath. While I was in it, Frau Plehn came back, and managed to whip my Multitherm. When I came out, she had a line of accusations to throw at me, said I would have to use the Multitherm in the kitchen, and pay an electrician to lay an extension socket for the thing. Told her what I thought of that, and nearly had a fight before Matin came in and broke it up.
Then back into my room, and after a while decided to have makan, and so out into the kitchen with the extension lead, and then cooked a nasi goreng after a fashion, though it did not bear much apparent resemblance. Oh, well - it tasted pretty good, anyway.
After that, down to my book again. I have a nasty feeling that this is getting a bit messed up because I don't really know what is going to happen. Still, it seems to be going OK, and I decided that we would have to get caught in the floods, and try to cross the main range through the jungle, which would be fun. Had makan malam, and was then visited by Frau Plehn on her Saturday night dusting - preparations for the Sabbath, I expect, and was told at the same time that makan pedas was bad for me, and that by the time I was 50, I would be shrivelled up.
More writing, and then I got bored, and decided to print a few big photos of the Citroën, and so got everything out, and printed quite a few photos, as well as some B&W prints of the CE I took a few weeks back. That took quite a while - Matin came in later, and was convinced at first that the shots of the Citroën with different lenses were of different cars.
| Sunday, 19 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Up even later this morning - I wonder what would happen were I really to let myself go like I haven't since Easter 1963. I don't think it would go like that - it might, but the situations are now different. I think the Wanderlust has got too much of a hold on me now - I get the urge to travel, and can't do anything about it. I shall have to thumb somewhere this weekend - to Hannover or Lübeck, just to take a few photos. I wonder what Grete would do if I turned up at her door on Saturday/Sunday - probably throw me out as a Gammler. What the hell - is the beard really worth it? Should I trim it? Should I cut my hair? Why am I worried?
Eventually, when I did get up, cooked myself a couple of more successful toads in the hole than yesterday, and then sat round looking at my photos of the car, etc, and they are not at all bad. Then on with this messing around with the book - I can't really go into too much detail about the trip across the main range, because I don't know much about it. I suppose we might just as well continue across, but I think I shall have to find a moral in it all when we get back to KL, or something.
After a while, decided I was hungry again, and that I ought to try some mee goreng, seeing as though the nasi ended up so well. Then into the kitchen, and cooked it after exactly the same recipie [sic], and then into my room to eat it. Sat round for a while after that doing little, and had a casual look through Jander-Blasius about the next Kolloq, which does not look like being too much trouble, and started writing a few notes on the subject, though in the middle of it all got tied up with something on the radio-BBC is coming in loud and clear now.
After a while, looking at my diaries of past years, which I find vastly amusing, looking back on it all - both my style (I suppose I shall find this funny in another few years) and my actions - one could hardly say I have had an uninteresting life. Frau Plehn in, blew up, and said something about mess in the kitchen, and I had some nasty things to say to her, too - good thing she couldn't hear them.
Back into my room, and decided to tidy up. Finished of the film in the SP taking photos of myself, and then decided to get this film to María finished, and off with that - by the end of all that, room was as messy as ever. Matin back, and discussing with him the position of Sterling, which has now gone down to DM 9.60 as a result of devaluation.
| Monday, 20 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Up at a more sensible time hour this morning, though I should like to know why my alarm went 5 minutes late - my guess is that it is so cheap and crappy, it is not capable of greater accuracy, or even of consistency. Still, it was by no means serious. Out to have a wash, and then a cold breakfast. One of the less pleasant consequences of my increasing consumption of cooked food is, of course, that all my bread and stuff gets stale before I finish it - confusing.
Then got dressed, listening to an old friend, Jack de Manio's „Today“, which has been kicking on for years. With the winter here, reception of England is improving noticably [sic]. Talk about the devaluation is really holding the stage - not surprisingly: the whole world is shaken somewhat about it, and I wonder if it isn't the beginning of another depression like that in the 1930's.
Off to the Uni, and there got a couple of Belegebogen [sic], and filled in one as far as it affected me, in, discovered I had the wrong Bogen, got another, and then, eventually, belegte, and then off to the Chemisches Staatsinstitut, and there heard the next installment of quantitative analysis - we are now in gravimetry of the sulphides. I suppose they are finishing off the gravimetry first, as it is most like the qualitative.
Off to the lab - second analyse had a little “f”. Damn. Now I shall have to guess - it must be Natrium: it was the only one I was in doubt about. But I wish I had kept a sample. If that is wrong, I'm going to have to do another, which is not much good for my average. Still, get it over with, Gaston - and do better on it.
After that, to the Mensa, and then Allgemeine Psych, and that is now in Audimax II, which helps - there were actually enough seats to go around. Place is crawling with birds - I really should get to know one.
After that, off home again with a bit of money, stopping at Bolle on the way to buy some food, and then noticed that they are not displaying the exchange rates in the windows of the bank any more. Signs of the times.
Then messing around with chemistry, and started early to cook some makan, and in the middle decided to cook enough to be able to heat up tomorrow, and as a result the whole thing took me about an hour and a half. Frau Plehn in towards the end, with a few comments which I found somewhat unnecessary.
After that, did a bit of study before getting tied up with Matin and Frau Plehn, and then in a religious discussion with Matin. Back to my room, caught up with my diary, and then finished off a couple of letters, and wrote one to Jayne. I suspect too much listening to BBC is bad for my Deutsch.
| Tuesday, 21 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Up again this morning late, in fact feeling thoroughly lazy, as there were no lectures, and I really had little reason to get up - the amount of work I needed to do for my Kolloq was minimal.
Eventually got up, feeling somewhat disgusted with myself, at 1030, and set about working on my Kolloq, which made me feel at least a little better, and then had breakfast of some by now very stale bread, and listened to the noise on the AFN station in Bremerhaven, which is close to the Light Programme (now Radio 1 or 2, not sure which).
Then back to work. At least I feel like working of late, which is a great improvement on former times - I am now in a mood to get all this Uni course over and done with, and to get my diplom, and go back to Australia, and do my doctorate there. The whole idea of study is getting me down a bit - I want to live my life, not live under the shadow of study under someone else - research, I feel, is somewhat different.
Back to my books, and learnt things of interest about manufacture of calcium products - they obviously have little interest in Strontium or Barium.
Then heated up the nasi goreng I cooked yesterday, which improved it little, and had that. One could hardly say it left me feeling hungry, though the meat I bought at Bolle was bloody awful.
Then cooked myself up some tea, and sat drinking it for a while, and it suddenly occurred to me that it would be an idea to get to the Uni, and so off, and left a lot of tea as a result.
At the Uni, Schulz had not looked at my Heftchen, and so sat round talking to beardie on my right, watching him test a solution for Ni⁺⁺ when it was obviously Co⁺⁺ - he said something about permanganates. Well, it's nice to know that there are thickies here, too. While talking to him, buggered up my finger on a jagged piece of glass he had, and nearly dressed my system [?].
Then to the Kolloq, and did a damn sight better this time - I don't think the bloke would be too worried that I didn't know a 3rd use for CaCN₂.
Then got my Heftchen-no K. That shook me. Home - what a long time these trams take along Grindelallee. I shall just have to get a car - can I wait until I get the Citroën from Dad?
After getting home, did little. Read a bit, and cooked some Bratwürste for makan - they don't taste as nice any more, though the taste hasn't changed. Later writing a letter to Paul and listening to the radio.
| Wednesday, 22 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Up late again today - heard the alarm, but ignored it, which, as I observed before, is a dangerous habit. In any case, got up at 1030, and before I was through with my breakfast, Karen arrived - she obviously had the day off (today is Büßtag [in fact, Buß- und Bettag], which I gather is something like the day of atonement, or penance, or something. In any case, decided after a while that, as I had not been told that the labs wouldn't be open, I ought at least go over and have a look, and this I did - they were closed after all that. Got on a tram, couldn't be bothered to get off, and ended up at the Rathausmarkt, and got off and walked round the middle of town, as I did not feel like going straight home, and ended up in Mönckebergstraße, where I caught the same tram line back to Uhlenhorst - that is useful, having a tram going all the way to the Staatsinstitut.
Then, at home, brewed up a cup of tea and tried to see what I could get on the radio, and what I did get distressed me greatly - something about riots in Penang on ground of the devaluation of the Straits dollar - that will most certainly have grotty consequences, and could even mean the end of me here. In any case, I decided it might mean I would have to go somewhere else, where it wouldn't cost as much, such as Melbourne - that would be OK by me. As a result, à propos of having to leave here, wrote a letter to the Registrar of Melbourne and asked him all sorts of relevant questions, such as length of course, etc, and then wondered how to post the thing, and came to the conclusion that the best bet would be to take it to the airport and post it there.
Then out to the airport, in Fühlsbüttel [should be Fuhlsbüttel] - I must say, I am disappointed with the „Flugkreuz des Nordens“ - it is about the size of KB or Penang, and I expect, about is important. Kopenhagen is probably the big noise round here, what with all the Asiatic flights starting from there.
Home, and before long had a bath, and decided to go out this evening and find myself a bird, and so borrowed 20 DM from Matin, who came back a few minutes later and suggested that the Studentenbar was closed, and that elsewhere there was not much los, so I changed my mind, and decided to stay at home, and sorted out the photos I want to put in my album - that one taken on the 30.VIII.1966 is decidedly obscene, once you sort out the mess in it.
Early to bed - 9.40.
| Thursday, 23 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Oh, my God, what is life? After my early night, Matin woke me coming home, and I had tea with him, and didn't get to sleep again until well after 0200 hrs. When the alarm went at about 0630, I decided, after a bit of semi-conscious consideration, to sleep in rather than to cause a disturbance by going to sleep in one of Heyn's lectures, and this i did. I was woken by Frau Plehn at about 0920, wanting to come in and do the room, and so up and had my breakfast, and then off to the Uni, this time by tram - all the different Verkehrsmittel in Hamburg have their own quite distinctive character - I am not too sure whether I prefer the trams or the boats at the moment, except that the trams supply by far the most direct and easy route, and contrary to what everybody expects, make up for being slow by being direct. It is certainly less tiring to go thus to the Uni, anyway.
After getting there, got straight down to my analyse, which seemed to consist mainly of BaSO₄ and SrSO₄, just to confuse me, which it didn't really, though one would hardly say I found it easy to show what was there, and after messing around with the spectroscope (which I found very disappointing) decided that it would be well to try other methods, but after lunch. Then got into a conversation with a bloke who is thinking of buying an Edixa Prismat TTL, and I did my best to dissuade him, and then off to the Mensam for lunch, and then back again to the lab, where I got myself into a hell of a mess with the hundreds of soda-auszüge I made, and still unable to decide whether I had Mg⁺⁺, Ca⁺⁺, Sr⁺⁺, Cl⁻ or not.
Gave it up as a bad job in the end, mainly because I was rather hoping to see this photo bird in Winterhuder Weg round 1700hrs, but made a ballsup of that by stopping at several places in town - Bank (HK and Dres.), got some money, and found that the pound is down to 9.40 DM buying - and presumably you can't get rid of the things. Malay dollar had not, thank God, been devalued after all. To Wiesenhavern to have a look at the Contarex Super, which has the best metering system I have yet to see, but that is about all it has to recommend it. One would think it possible to make a camera like the Pentax Spotmatic, but with the metering system of the Contarex Super, the viewfinder of the Nikon, and a Copal square electronic (or whatever it is) shutter - but no. Saw the bird I saw some time back at W., who gave me a look as if to say „Wo bist du gewesen?“ [Where have you been?]. She is pretty - I shall really have to get to know her.
Home, and did little, apart from going again into town and buying The Times and Reader's digest. It seems that the disease that I had at the end of September was mononucleosis - caused by „intimate oral contact“.
| Friday, 24 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Matin had borrowed my Wecker last night, and then overslept, so as a result I woke up later as well, and then decided that, what the hell, I didn't have much to do, and so might as well sleep on a bit.
Woke up at 1030 odd, and got up and had a sort of breakfast, and then hung about, having decided there was not much point in going to the Jnstitut before lunch, and thought about this bird in Wiesernhavern - I very much like the look of her, and she seems more than a little interested in me.
Eventually got fed up with hanging around, and so went off into the kitchen and cooked myself some lunch, and then almost immediately went into town - to give an idea of how bad I am, I got off the U-Bahn at Mönckebergstraße, and walked down to see if bird (will have to learn her name) was there, and then caught the tram to the Jnstitut.
At the Jnstitut, did little. Decided after a while that there was Mg⁺⁺ there, but reaction on the ppt form the Sodaauszug showed no Ca or Sr, so I took the flametest and looked at that, and decided that Sr was there.
Then back into town, and to Wiesernhavern, where bird was there, dressed in different clothes that show that she is well endowed above the waist. After a while, went in, and upstairs - she came up to serve me! I didn't quite know what to do, as she obviously didn't know anything about Krokus colour drawers. Another bloke up, though, before I got into any mad passionate embrace with her.
Off after that to look for an Augenarzt, and eventually found one. Jn the meantime, hung round town, looking again round Wiesernhavern, and off to look, in vain, for Photo-Porst, and then to have my eyes looked at, with all sorts of complicated equipment, and the bloke came to the conclusion that I no longer had astigmatism, and so now I just use my old glasses again (pity I don't like them - might have some new glasses made under some pretext).
Hung round Wiesenhavern again, was again approached by bird, and then hung round waiting for her to leave so I could “bump into” her, but missed her, which caused me to swear. Home and told Matin about it, who did not listen, and then decided I ought to see a film, and so off to see “Der Lügner und die Nonne”, which was very funny, and not at all as I had expected it, but I did enjoy it.
Home again, had a chat to Matin, who wants a 3rd world war to straighten things up. Crazy.
| Saturday, 25 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Up again late, for the usual reason that I couldn't be bothered to get up any earlier. As it was, got up at about 1030-1100, and slowly consumed my breakfast and wondered how I was going to spend the day. One thing I did want to do was meet this bird in Wiesernhavern, and so, after hanging about for a while at home, decided that I could kill one bird and learn to know another with one stone, and off to do a bit of shopping in the Kaufhof, where it was so unbearably crowded that I decided I would rather starve than wait, and off, after checking that Karstadt was no better, followed a black Bronica and long lens to Wiesernhavern, and a black mini-skirt and long hair to the Hauptbahnhof, where she waited for the Barmbek S-Bahn. Got talking with her, on the S-Bahn, and tried to get her to come out with me this evening, but she didn't seem very interested, and said something about another time. I shall let her stew a bit, and then persuade her a little more forcibly.
Home, and sat brooding for a while before it occurred to me that I ought to have makan, and so cooked some rice, plugged the extension cord in in the kitchen, and then the thing blew a fuse (or circuit breaker, as it proved to be). Sware, Frau Plehn did similarly, said something to the effect that I make alles kapputt, and insisted I disappear into my room while she threw the circuit breaker. Told her what I thought of her electrical fittings, and in to Matin's room to cook my makan, while he told me that Frau Plehn was thinking of kicking me out. Hit me at first, but it then occurred to me that it might be a good idea to get out in any case, and I would have to look at the ads at the Studentenwerk when I went to the Studentenbar this evening. Then gave Frau Plehn some money, had a bath, and messed about in my room painting my Edixa black until about 0720 [presumably 1920], when I was just about to leave when Matin decided to come for a walk with me.
After walking all the way round Uhlenhorst and finding nothing, Matin suggested we went to the Fürstenhof in Barmbek, and so off with the U-Bahn, and in - it was certainly not how I expected it, but I don't know if it wasn't better. Quite a bit of difficulty getting a bird to dance with me, but eventually got one, and stuck to her. Rather amusing seeing Tom and Jerry films in the middle of it, but not bad. Didn't get too far with this bird, though Matin reckons one has to push more with German birds. Arranged to see her on Tuesday, and found out that she was called Gudrun, but surname evades me - she wrote it down, but her writing is worse than mine. Walked home, Matin telling me I should have kissed her, otherwise I will lose her. Shall I be aggressive again?
| Sunday, 26 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Boy! - something must have been stirred up in my system last night that didn't agree - I think it must have been Matin's suggestion that I let my opportunities slip. Dreaming about women the whole night through, woke up several times, and noted that the key figure in the dreams was quite definitely Jenny Hallett - why do I have to still think about her? It should have been over for more than 4 months now.
Woke up eventually round 1200 hrs feeling completely defeated, and got up, had a slow breakfast, and looked rather bleakly at the world around me, which was not a very pleasant sight, what with the abominable mess around me-I really must do something about all this. Of course, it has a lot to do with the fact that I haven't got enough place to put everything, but I should be able to do something about that.
After a while, as I sat round doing nothing, Matin in to say that if I cooked some rice he would give me some sauce, and so did just that, and when I went in, discovered he had a friend there - bloke from Ghana who, I later discovered, wanted to become a Muslim. Rather flattered when he took me for a local, but then he didn't speak German very well himself. Had makan - boy, are those pickled chilies of Matin's ever scharf! My mouth was on fire half the time. One of these days, I am going to eat one of those things, and then kiss a girl - I suppose it would burn her as well.
After a while, got out again, and into my room to tidy up a bit. I really must do something about my untidiness. Got about half-way, and then decided to fly somewhere off at a tangent. After deciding that I could not retouch any prints I could not find, decided to go down and look up Gudrun's address in the phone book, but came to the conclusion that her surname was sufficiently illegible to make it impossible without looking at every number in the phone book. Gave it up as a bad job, and back home, where I did a bit more camera painting, etc, and then started thinking about makan. Out to see Frau Plehn about the Draht [presumably extension cable], and then decided that it was really falling to pieces, and could not be bothered to use it - it looked pretty dangerous, anyway. Thought about cooking by Matin, but he had visitors - another bloke - and by the time I decided to cook in my room, it was nearly 2200 hrs, and so I pulled out a tin of spaghetti, and cooked that up - tasted revolting - how do they make such a mess of tinned meat in this country? Out later with Matin looking for good junk - tonight is junk night - but nothing worth having.
| Monday, 27 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Mein Gott, was ist mir los? I didn't get up until 1130 this morning, only partially as a result of my equally inexplicable inability to get to sleep until 0245 this morning. I am going to have to buck my ideas up more than a little bit.
Up and had breakfast, if a couple of bread/butter/jams can be elevated to such a title, and then downstairs, where awaited me a letter from David Bell, who had wanted to come to Hamburg on Saturday, but when his opportunity fizzled out, he did the next best thing and wrote a letter. Doesn't seem exactly to be having one mad orgy.
Then off through the snow into town, and to the Uni - first to the Akademische Auslandssstelle about a new room, but there is remarkably little there. Then into the Mensam, and had what they had to offer there. I think on the whole, the old Mensa is better than the new.
Then to the Audimax, and left my bag there, and over to the Staatsinstitut, where, as I had rather feared, my analyse had a kleines f, and all tried to persuade me to stay and do it again. Off, however, to the Audimax again, and there heard the psych lecture without much conviction. I have decided that there is not much point in taking notes, as I have the book, and as a result I might just as well try to soak it all in.
After learning about ears, nose and tongue, back again to the Chemisches Staatsinstitut, and there more messing around, and got a ppt with Kaligrest [?], so decided Kalium was there, and when subsequently Schulz came around with his little book, and told me I only had one mistake, I decided that was it, put it in my book, and tidied up. He came back as I was just about finished - Ca⁺⁺, no K. Scheiße. Now I have one good big f - as well as an Erdalkalianalyse 1a - Damn, damn, damn. I really must tidy up my technique - I am, after all, supposed to be a good chemist. Spoke to one of the blokes who is (or was) thinking of buying an Edixa Prismaflex TTL, and showed him my SP, and suggested he got himself a Ricoh TLS - I think, in fact, he is now thinking of getting a Spotmatic. Good for him, if he can afford it.
Home, feeling none too happy, and more krach because there was olive oil on the wallpaper where Frau Plehn had put my sardines.
After that, repaired a cable, and cooked myself some makan - I am, I can see, going to get a bit sick of nasi goreng after a while, and will have to do something about it all. Early to bed, after writing a letter to David Bell.
| Tuesday, 28 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Scheiße Frau Plehn 100 times over. After my early night, was woken up by Frau Plehn pottering around next door, and as a result didn't get to sleep again until some time after 0400 hrs, but which time I decided there was little hope of getting up again at 0630, and so turned the alarm off.
Up eventually at in the order of 1100 hrs, and a little statement from the Dresdner bank telling me I only had 273 DM left - easy enough number to remember.
Got up, and brokefast slowly, after which decided I had better put in an appearance at the Uni, if nothing more, and also that I would just have to look at the Exakta real, which is my present dream camera, though it has yet no TTL metering. Off thus into town, and found a place in Neuer Wall where they were prepared to give me a prism case and 2,8/ 50 Travegon if I bought a body and Lichtschacht. Serial Nr 00513 - sort of thing you expect to find in a museum.
After that, and after making the discovery that Schacht had a TTL prism out for Edixa and both Exaktas, to the Jnstitut where I put in a request for Erdalkali 1a - Scheiße. I really must brush up my technique - and then off to the Mensa for an incredibly tough Wiener (or other) Schnitzel, and then to the Audimax to wait for the psych lecture, in which I nearly went to sleep, and which seemed a little less interesting - I have gained a hell of a lot of all this from Mum's books, I have discovered, but it doesn't seem to be of much practical use so far.
Off home by boat, a Verkehrsmittel I have been neglecting of late, did a bit of shopping, and then home to discuss with Matin what I would do with Gudrun when I met her tonight, and decided that probably the best thing would be to try and lure her straight home, and so, in anticipation, tidied up my room considerably, and then had a real live Abendbrot, thoroughly stuffing myself with food (but then, I have been horribly thin of late).
Off then to Ochsenzoll, das Ender [?] der Welt, and waited for Gudrun. Saw a bird which could have been her outside, who disappeared before I had a chance to look for her, and then left. Rang the house from Langenhorn Nord, they said she had been, and so back again, looked, rang up, she was still not at home, and so off back home, disgusted, having wasted all but 3 hours on the process. Frau Plehn was pleased with my room - in fact, she was astonished, and I think she is now convinced of the advantage of me bringing birds home. Gudrun I rang again later, and arranged to meet her on Friday at the Hbf same time.
| Wednesday, 29 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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And again up late, dammit. I am really going to have to buck my ideas up in the very near future - I am not doing at all well here, and if this carries on for much longer there is little point in my remaining here. I am even beginning to wonder again if chemistry is really for me - admittedly, now is a fine time to want to change, but I suppose it will probably pass fairly soon.
At any rate, up around 1100 hrs again, and the same old process of having breakfast and looking lost. Eventually took my rubbish of the past couple of weeks downstairs, and then fairly quickly off to the Uni, going directly, where my Analyse awaited me, and so set down to it pretty quickly, and got a surprising number of radicals out quickly: NH₄ made its presence smelt, and in half an hour I also had Ba, Sr, NO₃, CO₃, Cl. Decided that, as things were going so well, I might as well celebrate by going and having lunch. Piece of apple stuff which tasted quite definitely of CH₃COOC₂H₅.
Back again to the Labor - weather today has been grotty - and talking to this bloke who wants to buy a camera. He seems now to be intent on buying a Spotmatic, partially because he thinks he can get it with 50/1,4 STak for 800 or less DM, which seems to me to be unlikely, but I hope he makes it.
After that, back to my work. Is it this semi-micro technique that is buggering me, or is it just that I am out of practice, or my technique is being shown up by these more difficult analyses? In any case, came to some pretty definite conclusions about what I had, and handed my book in, and tidied up. Schulz took the book quickly, and was soon back to tell me I had 2 mistakes. Swore violently, checked everything again, and found Mg, which I could have sworn was not there before, and decided that, as in 3 times out of 4, K had been wrong, I would remove it, handed in my book, and off to the Kaufhof to buy what little I needed, and then off back home by train, where I saw a bloke wearing a KCT tie, shirt and overcoat - astonishing coincidence (or is it?).
At home, Matin had Karen with him, and so I went straight into my room and made some tea - I think a mixture of yon Queen Darjeeling and Lapsang Souchong tastes the best, but will have to experiment.
Then wrote a letter to Jan Peters, which I have left a long time, and after that decided to have some makan, and made a pretty average mess of the mah mee. What is wrong with my cooking lately?
After that, had a bath in water which was only about lukewarm, which at least demonstrated what Pavlik had to say the other day about paradox temperatures. Early to bed.
| Thursday, 30 November 1967 | Hamburg | |
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Up, by some miracle, at 0630 this morning, as the alarm went. I had somehow forced myself to sleep through all the disturbances of the night. Ah, what it is to get up before dawn - a load of rubbish, as far as I am concerned. At any rate, I could still pick up the light programme of the BBC, albeit with a lot of static, and so had breakfast to that.
Then off to the Uni - it was dark as far at [sic] Mönckebergstraße/ Rathausmarkt - by tram, and arrived a bit later than I used to with the ship, but it is much more convenient, and I still had plenty of time, so I shall probably continue thus. One doesn't want to change too much before one is properly awake.
In the lecture, nothing much that was really new - quite a few preparations going (6, I think).
After that, to the labs, but my book had not been corrected. I am dead chick that this is going to be wrong as well, and I don't think I could stand it if it were. Off home, where a letter from David awaited me, and off again into town to get my HHA stamp for Dezember. Priced a few things - I want to send some Christmas gifts to Paul and Jenny - but nothing very inspiring.
Home again, and cooked up the rest of my meat in a nasi goreng, of which, as I predicted, I am getting thoroughly sick - I will have to have something different. I wish I would hear from Mum and Dad, preferably with some recipies [sic] from Mum.
Then, reading Hör Zu, or at least the Roman in it, and in the middle of it in to talk with Matin, and had a cup of tea with him and Frau Plehn, who was impressed by my tea, though she thought it cost enough - she is right there.
After washing up etc, decided that there was no point in going to maths at this stage of the Semester, and might as well forget all about it for a while. Instead, after a bit more messing around, off to the post office in the Hofweg, and there posted Christmas cards, letter to Jan, and a telegram to Bev, who is taking her time to answer. Home again, after buying some food following a decision to eat Western - made some chips, and have decided that the similie [sic] “cheap as chips” has pretty sound foundations. 49 Dpf for 2½ kgm spuds, which yield an untold number of chips.
Then, in the evening, a lot of Quatsch about all sorts of things to do with rent - Frau Plehn seems to be charging more every time - and then talking with Matin about not very important things, except that I decided to do some work with him tomorrow.
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