The Beggar's Diary, 07.08.2007. - When Filch needs to go to the toilet in the restaurant Kleine Kiepenkerl (NOT Grosse Kiepenkerl!), at the Spiekerhof, the lady of the house informs him that he must pay for it. "If you are not a customer, you have to pay 50 cents to use the toilets." "But I am Filch, I come here every day. I'm from the Sculpture Projects." Perhaps they do no understand his English, because they insist on him paying.
He then tries a commercial argument: "I am a tourist attraction. People come to see me between 11:00 and 13:00."
They still don't seem to understand, but the woman, fed up, ushers him in with a listless wave of the hand, as if to say: "Ah, what the hell, just hurry."
This is interesting, thinks Filch: if people don't understand what you are saying, they let you be. He considers returning to the restaurant later that day with his credentials (06-badge and a flyer), but then he recalls yesterday's story about the butterfly: let it be.
On his way out, he runs into a family conspicuously holding the SPMO7 map, and he begs them to back up his identity, but they explain they just took the map because they needed a city map—they know nothing about the exhibition. He lets them be.
More urgent matters need his attention. He needs 5 euro to buy the 20 pins he ordered yesterday, and Alina comes to the rescue. She pays the 5 euro and the girl he had an ice cream with yesterday comes to bring him coffee. These are friends.
There is a man standing before him who looks every inch like Filch’s idea of a businessman, only a little bit older than Danny Ocean.
Filch could use a little advice from him. "Are you a business man?" he inquires. The man smiles: "A small businessman". During the conversation that follows he tells Filch about his real-estate business and the 15.000 m2 storage space he rents out. By Filch’s light, this is a BIG business man. Exactly the man he wants to talk to. Filch asks the man about his own business venture: if he gains 10 Euro on a 5 Euro investment (= 5 Euro profit), how much should he reinvest? The small businessman suggests 8 Euro (so 2 Euro profit left). "In the beginning, don't buy a big new car, buy a small one", he says enigmatically.
Indeed. The man asks: "Are you an artist, part of SPM07?" Filch replies: "No. Yes". The man collects modern art, but he never sells it. He keeps it for friends and sometimes he exhibits it at his office.
"How about buying ME? I'm friendly and social, and I can entertain your clients!"
The man laughs heartily and puts his hand on Filch's shoulder. "You know what? I will invest 10 Euro in your business. Which benefit do you guarantee? 12 Euro?" While Filch is thinking and counting in silence, the man, who must have taken his silence as a sign of doubt, urges: "11 Euro?" Filch now accepts without counting. They shake hands and the man hands over his business card. R. U. Perhaps Filch needs a business card too? In any case, he has learnt a guideline in business: "silence is gold."
He’s now on his way to collect his pins. Carlos from Ecuador (see yesterday's post), who’s having a coffee, shows Filch the pins. They are just great! He will ask 2 Euro the pin with his picture, and 1 Euro for the one with Danny Ocean’s (thanks, Anna, for the advice!).
Carlos talks about future business venues: love parade in Essen, flea market in Muenster. Filch's head spins. There are just so many possibilities, so many ways in which he could invest his 10 Euro!!
Carlos suggests making a counterfeit picture of Filch with a celebrity. Filch thinks of Danny Ocean but Carlos suggests Scarlet Johansson. Carlos shows examples of himself with her, with Paris Hilton, and with Jessica Alba. Filch is not sure who would buy these. Perhaps he should choose the company of a handsome man, since he used to be referred to as the handsome beggar? As he walks the streets again, he thinks the handsome beggar might invest in his looks. He enters Petzold and sees he can buy a tie for 10 Euro. That's it! But when trying them out in front of the mirror, he's not so sure anymore. He needs to take a rest. To think. To buy a coffee. And above all, he needs to prepare his theatre stand up routine for tomorrow, when The Beggar's Evenings (http://beta.thebeggarsopera.org/evenings) are on again at the Metropolis Kino, Berlinerplatz, Münster, 17:00.
BE THERE!!!!!!!
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