„No comment“

When we arrive at the excavation house, punctually at 6:00 am (haha, just kidding, as if. More like 20 after), we learn from Kai that Robert has already driven off, but that the bus got stuck in the mud after only 150 meters. Yesterday we already almost did not make it through some places. Vitali calls out to me, „I have something for you,“ and laughingly shows me a photo of the stuck bus while moving his hands as if he was drawing. Good idea.

While it is still being discussed who will go to the excavation and how, I start plodding off. The sun shines in my face from across the wide-reaching corn fields that stretch across the hills.

„Would you be mad if I drew this?“ I ask Robert and the others that are standing around the stuck bus. „I won’t comment on that,“ replies Robert.

Two of the workers from the village are standing around the bus. I type „Schadenfreude“ in my translation app and show them the result. They shrug their shoulders; maybe they don’t understand. Either the translation is not right or that word just doesn’t exist here. Maybe there’s actually no „Schadenfreude“ here at all. A nice thought with which to start the day.