on whiles

As some of you might know, I wasn’t allowed to drive for a while. For a while, I had to learn, being a rough estimate. The borders of time becoming highly viscous. There exists a stereotype about Germany, that for me lost all it’s glory. I grew up with the image of Germans being an organized people, functioning like clockwork. Punctuality being a treasured virtue. This preconception, somewhat chipped during my experiences over the last 16 years of having the pleasure to live and work here, is now finally out of the window for good. Officially, I could not drive for seven months. But it took the state a while, to arrive at that judgement. That particular while lasting three months. During which I couldn’t drive. Adding those two whiles, my penalty now already running to ten months. But at least, an exact ending date was given here. I romantically relied on it. Wrong move. Now the worst while started. The one, that read: we know that you are entitled to get your licence back, but we won’t let you know, when. In a while. Now, this while was the hardest. Maybe, because of my idea of how things work in this country crumbled away to nothing. I just wonder, would the taxman wait as patiently as I did? It took the office concerned exactly four months and ten days, to not quite deal with my reapplication file. But yesterday, at least I got an interim license out of them. So I am a happy girl again. Driving to work as of today after full eleven months. Until I get my license proper will last another while. The estimate for that while said a couple of weeks. We’ll see. However, I am still considering a disciplinary complaint against those nerds vegetating away in their office. Soundtrack: a slight snore. I saw them personally yesterday, and let me tell you: this sight is worth its own separate entry. I was on the brink of telling them, I’d rather have murdered someone. For the sentence would most likely not be as hefty and maybe they would show more respect than they paid me.