Cologne is in Germany?

well that means i could go!


so here we have, left to right, jay, andres, kostya, and simon.

this is carnival folks. i dont think i have ever seen so many people. i dont even know what it is they are celebrating, and i bet, they do not know either.


maybe its something to do with fasting and ash wednesday, but, ironically the cathedral was shut up, closed up tight tight tight.


i dont believe i have ever seen anything so huge. really, you cant imagine.

on monday was the big parade. it lasted for maybe 6 or 7 hours, and i couldnt even stay for the whole thing. though there were angry drunk people,
for the most part, everyone is just so happy.


the floats were enormous, and they would throw candy and flowers to everyone. and then everyone would desperately try to collect them off the ground. there were some blood-lust mothers there, doing everything they could to make their kids temporarily happy. there was music and though i got separated from my friends, i hung out with some more relaxed ladies, and we shared some drinks. (not pictured)





surprisingly, there was absolutely no breasts or debasing of woman. these stickers were everywhere.


i used the train system to get there, and i must applaud the train system in germany. actually, the whole public transportation system. it is so convenient and overall, impressively punctual and reliable, though i dont think anyone gets shot if the trains are late, mussolini.


i went to visit Jay Jamison, who skied with me, remember?



hahaha. "if this was in america, shit would go down," says jay.

at the train station:


this guy was not on stilts. on the contrary, was in yellow rubber boots.


capitalism and private enterprise:


in germany, you can do this, i promise.


and on the nice quiet ride home, i saw this, and i cant wait to see it again.


and here is my collected stash. it was a halloween that i didnt have this year, i suppose. bad quality, but most of this candy is made only for this particular weekend, and that is cool.

basically, it was great and i want to live in cologne, and i hate being back here at school.

kostya.