Von den leuten, die wasser trinken

Originally published February 2007

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That’s what my German teacher was once described to in not so flattering a manner by one German to another at a party in Frankfurt in the early 1970s. I found it quite ridiculous.

I had a turning point in life today. I got up in the morning with an incredibly dry mouth. Too much Vodka yesternight. Anyway, so I walked to the kitchen. I picked up a glass and I did not know where to get water. Eventually I chanced on the water dispenser in the living room. It’s right next to the couch that I watch TV on. So I filled myself some super chilled water. I had two sips. And I gave the bloody glass a long stare. Something was extremely wrong. I went to the sink and threw the water down the drain. I walk up to the fridge and take out some strawberry juice. Gulp. Take out some berry cocktail. Gulp. And it suddenly struck me that I haven’t had any water since I landed in Doha on the 5th of January!! I empty a 2 litre canister of juice and lots of small bottles every other day — and am consequently addicted to the zuper-markt! And when I eat out, it’s either one of those gigantic bottomless Americanised soft drinks, or if available a beer or stout… Damn! I love water too much to afford forgetting it. What will I do when I go back to my hostel as alumnus and am not able to finish off a jug in one go! My life is not the same anymore. I have decided that I am going to have a glass of water to drink every night before I go to bed.

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