tonight meaghan and i watched the results pour in at an english pub downtown. we arrived just before 1am and didn't leave until 8 (the massive time difference made this unfortunate schedule unavoidable). we met some interesting people, had some sandwiches, drank some coffee (and later, champagne), and watched american history unfold before our eyes. there was a really great feeling of camaraderie - lots of cheering and clapping and jokes about CNN's questionable employment of available technology (was it really necessary to have a live hologram interview with will.i.am?).
i think my favorite moment came when we were exiting the pub - it was already light outside and [normal] people were starting their mornings. we were speaking in english, discussing meaghan's "obama 08" sticker proudly displayed on her cello case, and a random viennese stranger turned to us and said, "hey, congratulations!" for whatever reason, this interaction is burned into my brain a proud and happy moment that will not soon be forgotten.
it was such a happy moment, in fact, that for the first and only time in 7 weeks of living here, i forgot to validate my ticket before boarding the u-bahn. as luck would have it, it was also the first and only time i have ever seen u-bahn officers enforcing ticket possession. i tried to talk my way out of trouble, pointing to my "winner obama!" newspaper and explaining that i had been up all night and had truly and honestly not yet realized that it was the next day. while the officer appreciated my political leanings, he did not waver in his insistence that i pay the 70 euro fine or else face a chat with "the authorities." bummer.
so now it's 9am and i'm running on no sleep for the last 24 hours. for the benefit of my health and sanity, i will probably go to bed.
liebes!
ashley
you heard it first from heute!
ashley and her celebratory sekt
meaghan and her pin
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