riiiight

do you ever do things and then later realize, "oh RIGHT. THAT's how it's supposed to be done."

two things:
1) when i arrived, i asked stefan how to use his washing machine (no dryer in germany) and so he explains that i need to put the detergent on the left side and the fabric softener in the middle. so i pull out a bottle of detergent i bought and put that on the left and then a bottle of his stuff and put it in the right. i washed 2 loads like this. well, then yesterday, i searched through more of his bottles and find one that looks curiously like laundry detergent. i then look at the two bottles i used and realize i had used fabric softener for both the wash and the soften cycle - i did not notice that they have the exact same words AND both are creamy as opposed to gely. niiice. no wonder things didn't seem clean. they weren't!

2) i've been "washing" my dishes one at a time because the water in the kitchen is so cold. so today i figured out why. when i went to use the washing machine almost 2 weeks ago, i took something out of the socket and plugged in the washing machine. apparently, i was unplugging some sort of water heater. i just today discovered how to get hot water again.

tonight, stefan's friend has to come over to "get a dvd" (secretly i think she's checking up on me). she also told me she'll show me how to "use the oven" which i am hoping means this big ceramic thing in the living room and the other one in the bedroom. apparently there is no heat in this apartment (i told you i'm in east berlin, right?) and you have to use coal or start some fire or something....? i am wearing two sweatshirts, socks and slippers because its so cold. this is like when i moved into my last apt in boston and had no furniture and no heat. i slept on an air mattress in a HUGE empty room with about two blankets and five towels on me until i finally realized that the reason i didnt have heat was because my landlord had to light something in the basement and yes, the thermostat was working... i think i slept like that for almost 2 weeks.

i should not be left alone.