Disconnected

            On Friday morning I was down to translating the last verse of “A la pêche des coeurs" (Fishing for Hearts) by Boris Vian. 

            I memorized the fifth and sixth verses of “Sparadrap" (Plasterwrap) by Serge Gainsbourg. There really less than one verse left to learn before I work out the chords. 

            After song practice I noticed that the wifi was down on Shankar’s network for the first time in about three months. I assume it will eventually kick back in a few hours or by tomorrow. Hopefully it will be on so I can upload my Canadian Literature essay outline on Sunday night. I'll be screwed if it’s off over the weekend because I have research to do. 

            I went downstairs to see if I could get the Popeyes password. My hallway neighbour Benji came down to take out his garbage. I said, “You're still alive! Good going!" He said, "We're the only ones left." He pointed out that Popeyes wouldn’t be open until 11:00 and also that it’s probably take out only right now. That meant I couldn't ask them for their password. 

            He said he had the landlord talk to them about blasting their Arabic pop music in the wee hours of the morning and they turned it down. Benji said he only tried the chicken once since they opened and he didn't like it. He doesn't think these particular people running the place know how to fry chicken. I assume he means Bangladeshis can’t cook Louisianian food.

            Because there’s less stimulation for my mind I often feel sleepy when there's no internet and so I took an early siesta from 12:30 to 14:00. I dreamed more than once that the wifi had come back on but it hadn’t. 

            I had nothing else to do for the rest of the day but to work on my essay on David Chariandy’s Brother. I think that this is my thesis or at least the thesis will be around this idea: 

            “The songs “Feeling Good” and “Ne me quitte pas” bookend the emotional range of David Chariandy’s Brother. “Feeling Good” by Anthony Newley expresses hope while “Ne me quitte pas” by Jacques Brel deals with the despair of loss.” 

            I searched through the book for all of the references to and hints at these songs. I also drew on my own translation of “Ne me quitte pas.” In terms of research there is not much more I can do until I get access to the internet. I sure hope this is just temporary since Shankar’s network is my only way online right now and I have essays to upload.

            I had three little potatoes, a slice of pork cottage roll and gravy while watching Interpol Calling. Since I couldn’t go online to check I couldn’t look up which episode was next chronologically after the one I’d watched last night, so I just guessed. I found out later I was right. 

            In this story Ernst Kaltman escapes from East to West Germany after ten years. He is in bad health because of his ordeal and is being kept at a hospital in Berlin for a couple of weeks until he can be moved. He also has a bad heart. Kaltman’s escape is a surprise not so much for the effort itself but because he was thought to have been murdered ten years before. Schroeder, the man charged with his murder has been in prison in Austria for a decade. He is released but promises to have his revenge. Since one cannot be charged for the same crime twice he plans on really killing Kaltman this time. A round the clock guard has been placed on Kaltman but Schroeder makes his way to Berlin. Guards are checking everyone who enters the hospital but Schroeder calls the hospital because a man is lying in the street in diabetic shock. Then Schroeder lies down, the ambulance comes and takes him to the hospital. Once inside he finds Kaltman’s room and shoots him, then hides himself in a surgical gown and mask in the large hospital. Kaltman is still alive and taken to surgery. Schroeder joins the students in the observation theatre. The bullet is removed but Kaltman loses life signs. When Kaltman dies Schroeder removes his mask and gives himself up, confident that he will get away with it. Kaltman receives a heart massage and is brought back to life after one minute and forty five seconds. Schroeder is charged with attempted murder. 

            Kaltman’s daughter Eva was played by Wendy Williams. 

            Still no wifi at 21:45. I had time to work on my essay but I was mentally too tired so I just read some of Othello for my British Literature course. I’m lucky that I found a book in the garbage years ago containing the complete works of Shakespeare, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to read it without the internet. 

            I felt sleepy early and went to bed at 23:23.