Munich, Day 4

Life in Munich seems to have a very civilised pace. It's so civilised in fact that even the homeless people seem to be only half-heartedly invested in their role as failures of society. There's was something suspiciously industrious in the loitering of the haphazardly dressed lady on twisted crutches that I passed this morning.

My colleague and I continue to flail around in the sea of knowledge that surrounds us. It would seem that just as soon as you grasp the finer details of the bit you're focusing on, a previously understood component dissolves into a gooey mass of brain-gunk. Some days I feel triumphant as another puzzle piece slides into place and other days I feel like I'm justs free-wheeling along one of those spaghetti strands on a Jackson Pollock canvas. By all accounts this is the common experience and we can expect Normality or a reasonable facsimile thereof within a couple of months.

The process is slightly defeated by a panicky competitiveness that sometimes arises. My colleague's leg twitches and his eyes dart around the room if he thinks I've gotten slightly ahead of him in the process of understanding something. I should be so lucky. I'm going to switch his espresso with decaf.