Food for next 5 days – check
Ear plugs – check
enough to read – check
Loud music to compensate – check

Yesterday night, the Fasnet (=carnival) has officially begun, and it only two hours, there were already three marching bands. Thanks to ear plugs and the switched off bell, I slept soundly through the night but when I woke up at 9AM, there was already another marching band. And it will definitely get more because today is what is called “Schmotziger Dunschtig” (”Dirty Thursday”), and that’s probably the most important day here in Baden (which doesn’t keep them from celebrating Friday through Tuesday, anyway).

So I’ve stuffed my fridge with lots of food, bought everything else so that I don’t have to go out for the following five days and have a heap of books to read next to my night stand. I should probably learn but that’s pretty much impossible with all the music, noise and screaming going on around here. Sometimes I feel like I’m swept over by a huge wave… All I can do at this point is trying to ignore the drums, listen to some good music and not be stressed too much. However, I have to go out tonight which I’m a little queasy about – I will definitely stand out since I’m not looking like a pirate, princess or kangaroo. However, there’s always the possibility of shaving my hair, putting on a flannel shirt and going as a butch :P !

Reading material: