2005-02-02 - 4:25 p.m.

wow loughborough was quite an experience. one of our hosts had lost his larynx to cancer and spoke through an odd vibrating device held to his cheek. it hadn't slowed him down one bit and he monologued like a stand up comic the entire time we were there. we played in a rec room over a pub and it was one of the best performances we've ever done. our hosts had a very similar style and we jammed with them for about half an hour. we then went to one of the most sophisticated nightclubs i've ever seen. i could definitely live many years before hearing more eurotrance covers of rush songs, however.

frankfurt tonight and last night, playing at a small club near the design school. s spoke last night about social architecture at the school in offenbach and then we invited everyone across the street to hear us play. the dj who played before and after us was a master of the wheels of steel and had some of the best records i've ever heard. s and i gushed over him and i'm sure it embarrassed the shy frankfurt boy. we're playing tonight in someone's gorgeous skylit living room in the middle of town. we're staying in the visiting professor's quarters at the design school, which is actually in an old castle.

germany suits me a little more than england did. it's cleaner and it's kind of a weird relief to not understand what anyone is saying. c was an amazing hostess in east end, though, and i was surprised to be able to exorcise a few ghosts from the past during the late nights we stayed up and drank wine like it was the only thing that would sustain us. she and i spent my last day in london wandering around (and around) brick lane and spitalfields chatting and eating and snapping photos.

i'm picking up some german here and there. i hope to be at least proficient enough to pick up dates by the end of my trip.