April is the cruelest month,
breeding lilacs out of the dead land,
mixing memory and desire,
stirring dull roots with spring rain
T.S. Eliot
I have to say that this year I agree with Mr Eliot 's sentiment. I feel as if I stepped off a plane (a little water-logged) last January, got punched in the face and have spent the past months trying to find my way out of its lethal concussion. I don't feel ready for budding flowers and fragrant air yet but I suppose April does not care for these things. She must do what she was made to do and slowly, day by day I must learn to let her.
*****
On a side note a wise person told me this week that I should try to make more friends in Basel. This is a sound idea - in theory, however the putting of this idea into practice is another thing all together. (Something my two quasi-Swiss friends at work confirmed when I told them and they both simultaneously raised their eyebrows and said 'goodluck'. I mean if they think it is difficult what chance do I have. It's not that Swiss people aren't nice - of course they are nice - but Basel is not the easiest place to make friends - real friends.)
Anyhow to my credit I did make a twenty minute friendship with a transvestite in a park on Wednesday S/he was sitting on a bench in a red skirt, black top, with lovely long black hair ( perhaps a slight three o'clock shadow) and an overnight bag. S/he needed15 CHF for a train. I only had 3. So then we started talking. S/he came from Milan orignally but now lived in Germany. We talked about the sun and the flowers etc and then s/he asked me my name so I said Giovanna ( io parlo L'Italiano si!) so then I asked for her name and s/he asked if I would like the man name or the woman name. I said ' whatever name you want.' So s/he said Alex which I found to be appropriately ambivalent. So we talked a bit longer and then I had to go. We shook hands and s/he told me what a lovely time s/he had spent talking to me and how s/he wished she had met me with her trousers on instead!
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