Today I’m away nine months! 75% complete (not counting the Bonus Level(TM)). Feels already so much like I’m coming home…
After I arrived at the train station in St. Paul, I took my backpack and started walking 20 minutes to my motel. It was hot (>34 C) and I was covered in sweat. The roads I took didn’t look like they were usually used for pedestrians (no sidewalk). At least I found a biro after I must have lost mine somewhere in Seattle (again). While I was studying the public transport maps, a guy came into the office to fetch some ice cubes. We started talking and he offered to take me to any place in town. Wow, great. His name was Alfonso, he was from Ecuador and showing his wife from Austria around the states. As she didn’t speak much english, he thought it would be nice to have some conversation in german. And so they took me on a 20 minute ride south (they actually wanted to head north!) to the Mall of America and while we spoke a mixture of english, spanish and german.
I have met a lot of friendly, generous or otherwise nice people while travelling. But it still amazes me every time over again. And I sometimes think that such things won’t usually happen in Germany. Or maybe you don’t see that when your travelling. Or it’s not happening unless you’re a foreigner. I don’t know. And is it really important? The only thing that counts is to pass on this spirit.
The Mall of America is the biggest mall in the US. It’s really big. And it has a theme park inside it. Not just like on a small fair, but sophisticated roller coasters and attractions. The real deal. Walked round a bit, enjoyed some chai and headed downtown.
I took the bus to the Sculpture Park, had a look at the various exhibits but I thought there wasn’t enough time to enjoy the arts museum before it closed. Big mistake (the same one I made in Tasmania). The museum was closed the next day when I stood at the doors. But then again, I had some excellent ice cream and a relaxing time in Loring Park.
I headed back to check into my motel room, took a shower and went back to enjoy some nightlife, but it wasn’t that much fun alone and I went back with the last bus at around 11pm.
On Monday I tried the closed museum in vain and then walked around the Skyway. The Minneapolis Skyway is a large network of buildings in the downtown area which are connected through glass window tunnels at the first floor. Apparently this is was a way to avoid walking on the streets during the very cold winters. It’s logistically amazing how they made that work and how many shops and businesses are available along its way.
The Foshay Tower was my next stop. Once the highest building in the western hemisphere, it is also an interesting story about the American Dream and how Foshay made his way up through hard work, became a millionaire, lost it all during the Great Depression, got (apparently falsely) accused of defraud, got a prison sentence of 15 years, got it reduced to five years after petitions to the president and even got his civil rights restored by the next president a few years later. And started anew with his businesses. Hm. Foshay was also the inventor of the famous fur-trout hoax!
But anyway, the 31st floor of the Foshay Tower offers a magnificent view over Minneapolis and its skyscrapers that by now are a bit taller than this building finished in 1918.
Through the Skyway maze I made it back to the Orpheum Theater. It was the actual reason why I got off in this city instead of making my way all through to Chicago. Fiona Apple live in concert. Although I had a ticket for the most expensive category available, the seats were a bit far away. But that was the only disappointment that evening because Blake Mills (the support guitar player) and Fiona Apple gave it all. Fiona literally stripped naked in front of the 2000 people and gave us all her emotions in a smashing vocal and body movement performance. She is all what Aimee Mann is not in her concerts — Aimee’s performances are as sterile as a sillicon die factory (how Kathrin could faint there, it’s an enigma to me). The other day I had to describe her to Tobias S. on the phone and I called her angry, but she’s so much more than that (although when she sings “I ran out of white dove feathers / to soak up the hot piss that comes from your mouth / everytime you address me”, I would call it VERY angry).
The fans were freaking out the whole concert, shouting “I love you!” and other things whenever possible. She is a rare gem and I am scared that she will pass away too early. She herself says in her lyrics “don’t let me ruin me”, but I guess it’s only a matter of time. I’m so glad I had the chance to see her live. I hope she will tour through Europe, too.
Speaking of time, Amtrak left a message on my phone that my train would be late. This would mean I could sleep a little longer the next morning. If I knew that the train would be a full five’n a half hours later, I might had considered taking the bus instead… But not knowing gave me a good nights sleep after such a nice day.
