17 October 2008: Vienna, Austria

I slept in the garage for about an hour, maybe, but didn't really get a whole lot of "relaxation" out of it. After a while I just got up and walked to the center of town since I was awake before the metro started running.

I got yogurt and bread for breakfast, at a paltry 52 cents, and then spent a long time in the library warming up and looking for jobs at the University website. As you might have imagined, the yogurt and bread didn't last too long and I had to supplement with chicken tenders and a cheeseburger from McDonald's. €3 for lunch. Easy there, guy.

At this point I decided to start looking for a couch because I needed a nap like something fierce, and so I began my first true search since Charles-- well, since Tomi, but that happened so quickly it didn't really count.

It took a little while, but eventually I asked a dude who said that he couldn't but had a friend who would probably be OK with it. He went into the computer lab and, a few minutes later, came back out with a big Nigerian dude. He asked to see my passport, I guess because I hadn't had to clear customs when I crossed into Austria. Luckily I didn't come up as a fugitive and he said he would hook me up with a couch.

We left pretty soon after that and, on the tram ride back to his place, the dude just kept grilling me about everything. He couldn't believe I left America and couldn't believe I didn't want to "go back tomorrow." I told him I was trying to find work in Europe and he said no one would hire me. And then when I told him I didn't have a work visa, anyway, he said I was a fool to not just go back to America. I mean, maybe, but I'm not really one for pessimism.

And so the whole ride he just kept going on about how he couldn't believe I didn't want to just go back to the States, and when we got off the tram he said something along the lines of "I don't know what I'm going to do now because of you."

(Here is where I should point out that the big Nigerian dude had a terrible stutter and spoke at about the volume of a mouse. I had to ask him to repeat himself nearly every time he spoke, and so a lot of what he had said I missed completely.)

I didn't know what he was talking about, but I didn't really feel like bothering. And it was still early enough that I'd probably be able to find a new couch. I offered to leave and get him off the hook so he could whatever it was he needed to do that night. He said I had nowhere to go, but when I told him I'd find something and he countered that I didn't know anyone, I explained I didn't exactly know him, either.

I said I'd have no problem finding a place to sleep, but I asked why he hadn't said any of this when we met. And when we were still near the University. He said "Africans can't say no." That wasn't good enough, because it really wasn't impossible for me to leave and be fine, but he insisted. Fine.

When we got to his apartment the dude's brother, Osi, was there. The dude left with his girlfriend after a while and I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again no more than fifteen minutes later Osi had put a sandwich and a beer next to me. Nice work, dude.

After a while Osi got ready to leave for the night and I got up to go to Axel's place to see about the iPod. I told Osi the story, and at the end he just laughed and called Axel a "crazy bitch." Then he got serious and said "I'll come with you."

Oh damn.

At least, he offered to come with me. But Axel's place really was quite a trek away and Osi didn't seem too enthusiastic about the journey. I told him he really didn't have to, which he seemed relieved about, but he said he would tell his friend about the situation. And before he left he said "We'll get you're iPod." Oh damn again.

Now, Axel had said he was leaving for the weekend on Saturday and I figured he would be taking all his stuff-- including the iPod-- with him. So I thought I would go to the apartment after he had gone out for the night and then tell his lady that he had my iPod and I needed to pick it up before I left Vienna in the morning. A flawless plan.

Except I hadn't considered who I was dealing with.

Because, you see, my plan was contingent on Axel being out for the night. The problem is that Axel admittedly has "three friends" from his two weeks in Vienna and Marvin had gone home that morning. So when I got to his place at 11:00 and knocked on the door, he answered it dressed like he had just gotten back from a fancy dinner. And, right behind him, his lady was dressed like she too had just gotten back from a fancy dinner. But of course.

So I asked him about the iPod, not really sure what I was hoping for, and he said he had given the iPod to Marvin who had taken it back to Budapest. Which was the end of that.

But I remembered what Osi had said about his friend, and so very casually I said "You gave Marvin my iPod? That was the choice you made? Watch out." And I left, as calm as could be, not really sure what that meant.

(And as I walked away, Axel screamed at me "That's the choice I made, you fucking no-thinker." That's really what he called me-- a fucking no-thinker.)

I was a mess of upset and tired at this point, but I didn't want to waste my first Friday night and risk getting back onto the Budapest track from my first weekend there. The Nigerian had said he was going to be at his girlfriend's place that night, so I figured I would go back and take a nap for an hour and then go out, since it was only midnight.

But the Nigerian was already home and in bed when I got back, and literally only five minutes later Osi came back too. I told Osi what happened and all he could do was laugh about the whole thing. That made me feel a bit better, to be honest, and I didn't really feel like setting my alarm and waking them both up, and I was already half-asleep in bed, so I figured that was the end of the night.

Another waste of a Friday. Sorry nothing else happened.