Riot Mix: add defeat and stir.

There are a lot of unhappy Germans in the world tonight. Italy has won their place in the finals of the World Cup. Pforzheim happens to have a lot of Italians, “imported” here in the 60s and 70s because of a German labor shortage. They are on the streets at the moment reveling in their success. Unfortunately, though, frustrated, German hooligans are on the streets with them. This can only spell trouble as I have already witnessed several groups antagonizing each other in the street below my window. I can only imagine what is going to happen tonight. It’s the first night that I have actually padlocked my door closed. I just think the potential for disaster is there. I can feel something brewing in the air. We’ll see what happens.

It doesn’t help that the Italians here have adopted the German slogan of “Berlin, Berlin, wir fahren nach Berlin” (We’re going to Berlin.—where the Finals will be played.) The fact that they are singing it, and in German, unlike their other soccer chants seems a bit of an provocation. Whatever...let’s let the two former fascist partners hash this one out, I guess.

In a strange stroke of the German obsession to follow rules to the letter, my entire district has put all of their recycling, including paper, out on the streets. Every few moments, you can hear some young rogue kicking trash into the street. I can only imagine what things will look like in the morning. It is now 12:07 AM and things appear to be just getting warmed up down there.

My newest, favoritest food for the summer: a nice, big, very cold glass of buttermilk. Yum. Good and good for you.

Oh, and thanks to a call from my mom and dad, I now know that it’s Independence Day. Happy 4th!