Yesterday was XL day in Ulm, that means that all the shops in the main shopping zone stayed open ´till 22:00…………, now some of you out there in non-German areas may say "Yippity-zippity so f*cking what?" And you are right, but those here in Germany know what I am saying, right? Now it is a big discussion point if the shops are open longer, because the German retailers never understood the point behind it.

1.)    More people have time in the evenings, after they get off work

2.)    Theoretically, more people could be hired to work more shifts, to accommodate the folks from point 1.

3.)    Sometimes it is just fun to go shopping later, if there isn't anything on TV

 

But the counter arguments of the retail are:

1.)    Nobody goes shopping after 20:00 (mainly ´cause that is the way it has been the past 15-20 years. Before that, I still remember when EVERYONE closed at 18:00, but after they went to 20:00, allot of people used the chance, and still do. The closing times have been deregulated since 2008, but since only 1-2 shops stay open longer 1-2 nights a week, hardly anybody goes, hence the retail thinks it is right with its argument)

2.)    It isn't fair to make those (mostly) Women work longer hours. (Duh, that is why more people should be given jobs, instead of firing people, and stretching the remaining few out longer)

3.)    It isn't fair to make the (mostly) women work longer, they have families too (I agree, but I just say, doctors, waitresses, police, nurses. Besides, in all of those countries all over the world, where they have been doing things like staying open longer, even 24hours, there are usually rotating shifts, so that it doesn't always hit the same person, unless they like it. There are some people who simply prefer night jobs, better pay, and less stress.)

 

But anyways, what I really wanted to get at was the big-ass beautiful show at the Münsterplatz! Lights, music, gospel singing, holy-hair water, was that boring! I know, a lot of people may have liked it, so I can only speak for myself and my family, how utterly disappointed we were. We stayed in town, although our feet and backs were killing us, looking up into the sky, getting a stiff neck, listening to music, that we really wernt crazy about. And then it ended! That was great, but it ended so anti-climatic and still, that we didn't realise that it was over, until all the people started dispersing with sighs of relief. I do not want to be unfair, the gospel singer was really good in doing her thing, but her thing definitely isn't my thing, neither was this thing with the hunting horns, or F*CKING LED ZEPPLIN'S STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN FROM FRIGGIN MONKS!!!!!!

 

YO!