Schwimmen ab 11 Uhr

On Thursday, after a looong day of doing my best at remembering how to actually do schoolwork (but, ughhhh I could be eating cake instead!), I badly needed to move. I could not get myself to the pool fast enough. The only problem was that it was 9:45pm when I was done working, and the pool closes at 11. By the time I walked there and changed, it'd be 10:15pm, and I'd only have 30 minutes to swim before it was time to get out, rinse off, and make my way back. Not enough time. But then I remembered! It's Wednesday! On Wednesdays, the pool is open until midnight. "Hooray!", I declared, and I headed out the door.

Upon arriving to the pool, I remembered that it was in fact Thursday. With a sad face and disgruntled manner, I shuffled the mile back to my house. Ok, I didn't shuffle. I walked at my normal spritely pace. And I wasn't wearing a sad face. I was wearing an "I'm cold" face. But inside I was feeling grumbly, I tell you!

I had been really excited to swim during the 11 o'clock hour. Would I get a lane to myself?! Would I get the whole pool to myself?! Who knows, but I became really delighted at the idea of ending a day with a late night swim. Their website states that every Friday the pool is open till 2am. 2AM! "Well for Pete's sake, that's my night!", I thought. And so it was planned.

After school on Friday, turning down an invitation for drinks from some lovely fellow students, I made my way home to eat dinner, and anticipate my midnight swim. Oh boy, oh boy! Well, oh boy is right. Read on.

I got to the pool at 11:30pm, wondering what it was even like to sign in to go swimming so late. The lady at the desk looked at me as though surprised to see that I had entered the building with the intention of gaining access to the facilities. The following conversation went something like this, though keep in mind, this was all in German so I'm questioning everything that's happening the whole time- thinking something is really wrong with my listening comprehension skills.

"Hello" 

"Cool... the pool's empty! Here's my pass." 

"Only naked." 

"What? No I... what? I'm here to swim laps? Back and forth? You're open until 2." 

"Only if you're swimming naked." 

"I can only swim laps naked?"

"Fridays."

"Naked?"

She gestures a charade to imply without clothing. 

"You can swim laps but you have to do so naked."

I look in towards the pool to see that its only patron is a middle aged man. No offense to middle aged men, but you know... I'm good. 

 "What time makes everything naked?" 

(I used the verb "machen" because that's just what my language skills happened to spit out.)

"Starting at 11pm Fridays."

"Ok cool. Have a nice evening."

So, strike 2 on the swim. I guess I'm just meant to swim at the same time as everyone except for that one naked dude. Maybe I would have swam naked, but the thought of swimming laps with nothing but a cap and goggles just makes me want to die of laughter and also of awkwardness. This incident mostly just confirmed my theory that, when in Germany, one should expect nudity and sexual references to reveal themselves whenever, where ever.  More importantly, the lesson I learned is to never turn down the opportunity for a German beer. The alternative will be disappointing.