Lost in a space where I am amongst people never found. In a time that does’t count, anymore. On a journey that lost its beginning and its end, I feel so sore. There are people coming in and out who I see like shadows passing by; who I feel like pressure soft on my hand, my arm, my face; who I hear speaking in tongues I treasure like gems from a distance place; I want to be, on my way home. To myself, the world, that has not stopped to my surprise, that keeps on turning, that keeps important people thinking they need to do important things to succeed. When all you need, is love.
On my way home. Da da da dada da dam. Da da da dadada dam. I watched it last night, Jon (of Yes fame) and Vangelis (the synthesizer wizard who was to but never did replace Rick Wakeman as keyboard player in Yes). I found them on Youtube, I watched them thinking of the year, 1981, this song came out and played all summer long. It’s a strange clip, the one lad very obviously doesn’t play the ‘guitar’, the other definitely not the piano. Somehow we’re going somewhere. No question, I’m not alone. Somehow I’ll find my way home.
We got a phone call just after 2pm this afternoon from the UKE that they had heard at very short notice that they had a bed there for Pádraig. A bit more than two hours later, Pádraig was back in the Schön-Klinik in Hamburg-Eilbek. It was like a home coming. There were smiles on nurses’ and doctors’ faces. The Oberärztin staid late to see him and to say ‘hello’ to us. Everybody so happy that they managed to get him a bigger room, with two TVs, a desk, and – wait – a bathroom! The change from the corporate UKE environment to the Schön-Klinik felt was amazing. There was relief, very warm and welcoming feelings, and a sense that Pádraig was getting back on track on his road to recovery. As we were swopping stories with the people about the New Year and all of what happened, it was almost like being amongst friends. Pádraig’s visitor this week explained to one of the nurses (who doesn’t speak English) all about the Irish language, and the nurse kept practicing his Irish trying to say ‘Pádraig’ the Irish way, until he gave up. I think we need more teachers over here, so we can start our own micro-community, Germany’s one and only micro-Gaeltacht.
There were a few ‘firsts’ today: Pádraig was breathing on the ‘feuchte Nase’ without any air or oxygen support. It snowed for the first time this winter. And, at 07:15 this morning, we thought there had been a ring on our door – but decided we must have dreamt. Until the door bell rang again. Willy.tel had arrived to check our smoke detectors. Rauchwarnmelderwartungsdienst. No joke. They had laminated company iDs. No, seriously. The Genossenschaft is paying a company to kick you into action at 07:15 in the morning (for those of us living on Irish time: 06:15am) to come into your apartment, with a ladder and a pretend-iPad, to climb up the ladder (not that the ceilings are particularly high here, to the contrary), to take down the smoke alarms, to press the button, listen to the terrible sound they make, put them back under the ceiling, climb down under the ladder – and move on to the next room. I had to think of Officer Obie in ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ (remember Alice?) who had found the envelope under this heap of garbage with Arlo Guthrie’s address on it… Before they left, I had to sign a form, with the tip of my finger, on their pretend-iPad, and was then handed over a two-sided multicolour brochure which contained loads of pictures essential fire-safety tips like: Each time the alarm sounds, check whether there is a fire. I got it laminated and nailed it on the wall in our hall way. Just in case.
YES.
Today’s German Music Tip
Scorpions, Winds of Change (performed in 1991). Never said it would be just music in German. Scorpions are probably one of Germany’s most successful international acts. Almost 68m hits for this song alone:
“The future’s in the air
I can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change”
What’s hot
On my way home
What’s cold
UKE
The German word/phrase/verse of the day
Rauchwarnmelderwartungsdienst
Twitter: @forPadraig
#caringforPadraig
http://www.caringforPadraig.org
Upcoming events: http://www.caringforPadraig.org/events
Hospi-Tales 
Great news Reinhard. As regards Germanys only Micro-Gaeltacht. There is one up and running and very much alive in Berlin. It was revived a few years ago but had some history I believe. Pádraig would love to give them a visit some day
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cnagbheirlin/
I listened to a podcast about it here last week
Thanks for the links, Aodhán! Sometimes, it’s good to be second, rather than first. If you’re smart, it’ll save you making the mistakes first-timers made! – Reinhard
Hi Reinhard, really happy to hear this evening that you’re ‘home’ in Eilbek and that Pádraig is breathing on his own. The room upgrade sounds great too, the perfect place for Pádraig to get back to himself.
A micro-Gaeltacht in Germany would be lovely, although listening to all these regulations you have for just your apartment makes it sound a little less appealing (I’d like to be the member of our Gael-genossenschaft in charge of ventilation and eliminating condensation 🙂 ). Thinking of Pádraig and you guys and wishing you all well, as always.
It’s a deal, Emily! – But, you know what people do with guidelines, rules, and regulations… Well, it’s not half as anarchic here. So I went to Aldi a invested in five lever arch folders, €1 a piece, and started to file all these letters, contracts, and agreements I’ve signed in the past two months. As the Gael-Genossenschaft Executive in Charge of Ventilation and the Elimination of Condensation, you’ll have a bought job – do you want me to get some of these lever arch folders for you? – Thank you for your good humor and great energy! – Reinhard
Dear Reinhard, so glad to have found your blog. I was looking online for any information about Pádraig. I live on Cape Cod at the Community of Jesus and it was a friend of mine who worked with him, and stayed with him immediately following the accident. We are continuing to pray for Pádraig, believing that he will heal and fully recover. Stay strong!
Dear Richard, thank you for your kind comments, and for your continued prayers and thoughts! We have been talking so much about the time Pádraig spent on Cape Cod, and the kindness and support we found when we were there. – Reinhard
Hello, Reinhard. Just great to hear Pádraig is back in Eilbeck. I got a little shock in the nicest sense of the word, as I hadn’t been expecting this news until, perhaps, later this week. May this be the start of all sorts of better things for him, and for you.
It’s 7.05am here. I’m just wondering how I’d feel in the (thankfully unlikely) event that people came to check on the smoke alarms just now. The answer to that isn’t fit to print…
Sign me up as a remote/virtual member of that micro-Gaeltacht, won’t you? As I’ve mentioned to you though, I think, not on the blog, my Irish gets better when I speak it to Pádraig. I was thinking about the reason for this. I think it is because, like everyone else, I just want to do the very best for him. As of course do the staff in Eilbek, whose delight in having the opportunity to work with him again shines through your words.
With best wishes, Louise.
We’ll get this micro-Gaeltacht going, Louise! If you look at the posters and books in Pádraig’s room, it’s like little Ireland anyhow! – Reinhard
So nice that Pádraig has been so welcomed by the staf and you have a better room. It will make such a difference when you have to spent so many hours there!!! You are loved whereever you good!!!
Yes German hospitals but irish or spanish people to live with
Any idea about how we could get this going: German hospitals but Irish and Spanish people to live with (we’ll allow the ‘odd’ German in for a visit).