everyday (part 34)

one first time each and every day - a new taste, a new experience, a new route, a new song, a new whatever. 

20. - 26. August

20.8. went to "Harris+Hoole" for coffee in Guildford. It´s very hip and overpriced but I adored their old German school chairs so had to go
21.8. first time went to East Grinstead on the still fairly new extension of the Bluebell Railway, I love sitting on historic trains
22.8. watched my husband buying black pudding scotch eggs over the counter at Waitrose, brrr
23.8. spend the day exploring my beloved Hampstead and Highgate area of London again - the first? I saw Ray Davies walking by!
24.8. took the train to Putney and spend the afternoon at the enchanting Fulham Palace, how could I not know about this place before!?
25.8. made a pizza dough, waffle batter, a sweet plaid dough and semolina dumplings all in one go...I was a hot mess afterwards
26.8. discovered a historic airmail postbox outside Windsor castle, there is always someting new if you keep your eyes open :-)

question time 5

When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

Definitely! Or at least thought, dreamed, negotiated and planned more than I´ve done. It´s probably a bad thing but show me someone with a bit of a brain in the Western world nowadays that actually does more than he says.

If you had the opportunity to get a message across to a large group of people, what would your message be?
Be kind and decent (think I would make a crap speaker).

If the average human lifespan was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?

First reaction: have kids earlier. But second thought: Why would I struggle less with life´s decision  if life would be shorter. I mean, I wouldnt be aware of it´s shortness then, would I? Would it mean the human body would age much more rapid too? Needing a Zimmer frame by 32? And who knows if the own lifespan is not only 40 years short or less?  Not a nice question to start philosophising about...

What do we all have in common besides our genes that makes us human?

A certain amount of egoism and the instinct of self preservation. Well, same for animals...guess I answered the question incorrectly.

If you could choose one book as a mandatory read for all high school students, which book would you choose?

Impossible to narrow it down to one single book - there should be at least 50-60 books mandatory but the lazy fuckers probably wouldn´t read it anyway. When I think back of the whining about books being waaay to long and time consuming at university... and those were literature students!

Would you rather have less work or more work you actually enjoy doing?

I hardly could have less work so I guess I´d chose more work I enjoy doing.

What is important enough to go to war over?

No idea what answer is the politically correct one here.

Butter, Brot und Läusespray

Autor: Wigald Boning
erschienen: 2013

Inhalt: Sag mir, was du einkaufst, und ich sag dir, wer du bist. Steckt hinter «Rosinen, Butter und Rasierklinge» wirklich der Einkaufszettel einer Gangsterbraut, die ihrem Liebsten eine Fluchthilfe in den Kuchen einbacken will? Und ist die Wortschöpfung «Sewirten» tatsächlich das Werk eines Halbstarken, der gegen den Einsatz von Servietten als Merkmal bürgerlicher Esskultur rebelliert? Ob Charakter, Gesundheitszustand oder Liebesleben: Wigald Boning ist davon überzeugt, dass nichts so viel über einen Menschen verrät wie sein Einkaufszettel. Das glauben Sie nicht? Dann lesen Sie mal los.

was mir gefallen hat: Die Idee ist witzig - Einkaufszettel zu sammeln und als eine Art versteckte Botschaft und Poesie anzusehen ist clever und stellenweise überraschend spannend und unterhaltsam.
was mir nicht gefallen hat: Mehr als ein paar Seiten am Stück kann man (und soll man wahrscheinlich auch) nicht lesen. Teilweise war es mir zu gezwungen intellektuell lustig und damit anstrengend zu lesen.

Fazit: Kein Buch zum spannenden Runterlesen aber eine originelle Idee. Und nun hab ich natürlich die Idee und würde auch gerne Einkaufszettel sammeln, war ja klar das die Möchtegern Amélie Poulain in mir auf so was abfährt ;-)
Mein Favorit: Ein Einkaufszettel auf dessen Rückseite Teile der Fontane Ballade "John Maynard" geschrieben steht, herrlich.

everyday (part 33)

one first time each and every day - a new taste, a new experience, a new route, a new song, a new whatever. 

13. - 19. August

13.8. met a friend from early university days on the plane from Frankfurt to London - how small is this world?!
14.8. watched the Red Arrows flying over Beachy Head during the Eastbourne Airbourne Airshow - first time together with my plane spotter Dad
15.8. went to a free lunchtime concert at St. Martin-in-the-fields in London to listen to some Shostakovich and Beethoven
16.8. discovered a path in Kew Gardens I hadn´t walked on before
17.8. first time picking blackberries and using them straighaway for a compote to accompany my first ever made from scratch semolina blancmange
18.8. went to my English dentist and nothing needed to be done, woohoo!
19.8. bought ten red pointed peppers for one pound on Kingston market, what a bargain

BP Portrait Award 2014

Same procedure as every year - since June the National Portrait Gallery in London is showing their selection of this year´s BP Portrait Award entries again.
As usual the quality is very high and every so often you cannot help but staring at a painting and being amazed by the technical skills displayed and the intensity of expression.

Most of the times I seem to find a theme many artists have followed in a year and this time this has to be the sitter being placed comfortably, self-confident and proud in his chair at home.

This years first prize winner is Thomas Ganter from Frankfurt with his orthodox icon alike portrait of a homeless man.

Man with a Plaid Blanket, Thomas Ganter

Passers by, Lantian D

31 years, Tanya Wischerath

Self-portrait after the Fire, Lisa Stokes

Virginia Sullivan, Benjamin Sullivan

David, Parmen Daushvili

Andrea and Myrtle, Simon Davis

The exhibition is still on until the 21st September at the National Portrait Gallery in London, the admission is free!

Das Lavendelzimmer

Autor: Nina George
erschienen: 2013

Inhalt: Er weiß genau, welches Buch welche Krankheit der Seele lindert: Auf seinem Bücherschiff, der »literarischen Apotheke«, verkauft der Pariser Buchhändler Jean Perdu Romane wie Medizin fürs Leben. Nur sich selbst weiß er nicht zu heilen, seit jener Nacht vor 21 Jahren, als die schöne Provenzalin Manon ging, während er schlief. Sie ließ nichts zurück außer einem Brief – den Perdu nie zu lesen wagte. Bis zu diesem Sommer. Dem Sommer, der alles verändert und Monsieur Perdu aus der kleinen Rue Montagnard auf eine Reise in die Erinnerung führt, in das Herz der Provence und zurück ins Leben.

was mir gefallen hat: Paris, Provence, Bücher und angenehm schrullige Charaktere - sehr schön. Dazu eine poetische Sprache mit kreativen Wortschöpfungen, am Anfang war alles fast zu schön um wahr zu sein...

was mir nicht gefallen hat:...dann kamen leider die Clichés in Form von feingliedrigen und liebestollen Französinnen, duftenden Lavendelfeldern und Kochorgien. Mir wurde es zu viel von allem und ich habe mich immer mehr gequält.

Fazit: Es hätte fantastisch sein können, eine Art literarische "Amélie" - aber die Geschichte entwickelte sich doch recht schnell zu einem hanebüschenen, flachen Rosamunde Pilcher Schmachtfetzen. Das Mantra " Lebe jetzt und lass Gefühle zu" wurde mir zu oft wiederholt und am Ende litt ich unter großer Langeweile und einem gallischen Zuckerschock. Wieder ein französisches Buch geschrieben aus der touristisch-deutschen Kitschperspektive, ich fall immer wieder drauf rein.

everyday (part 32)

one first time each and every day - a new taste, a new experience, a new route, a new song, a new whatever. 

6. - 12. August

6.8. entertained a friend´s two little daughters in a bookshop by trying to read Die kleine Spinne Widerlich to them - I might have hidden maternal qualities after all ;-)
7.8. visited another friend in their new flat in Wiesbaden only two years after they moved - better late than never
8.8. tried the rice pudding ice cream at N´Eis in Mainz but wasn´t overly taken by it´s solid frozen rice corns
9.8. went to the old centre of Mainz-Bretzenheim and had a look at the church were my next wedding will take place
10.8. had fun celebrating the christening of my best friend´s daughter and documenting it with my camera
11.8. shared a plate full of Belgian waffles with my literally oldest friend (had a really social week) at Café Hauptwache in Frankfurt
12.8. bought four large cooking cucumber for taking to England with me - you can´t buy them over here and my plan is to stuff them with minced meat and dill

Boyhood

director: Richard Linklater
year: 2014
with: Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater, etc.

plot: Twelve years in the less than nuclear life of a nuclear Texas family - father Mason, mother Olivia, oldest offspring Samantha, and youngest offspring Mason Jr. - is presented, focusing on the younger Mason's entire public school years. This phase of their story begins in 2002 when Olivia and Mason, who originally married because she was pregnant, are now divorced, the marriage which was destined to dissolve due to these circumstances. Olivia has custody of the two children, and when he is around, Mason has weekend visitation rights, which has not happened in the last year or so as he stated he, an aspiring musician and somewhat irresponsible young adult, was "away somewhere in Alaska" trying to find himself. Olivia wants to eke out a better life for herself and the kids in a way that will also satisfy her own emotional needs. MJ's growing up is affected by these circumstances and whatever the situation at the time outwardly orchestrated by Olivia (but often manipulated by others), and by his relationship with his family members - who evolve as they each grow up chronologically and emotionally - and others in his ever changing life.

what I liked: Wonderful and credible actors all way through and they are allowed to age naturally and not through heavy make up! Nothing is rushed and it is still never boring. And the soundtrack brought back memories as well.

what I didn´t like: Overall I was very satisfied but the end could have been a tad more condensed. Ending it at his Dad´s gig with the music playing and not in the mountains.

verdict: A perfect film for me. Nothing unreal and larger-than-life happens, it is all "normal" (well, apart from getting a rifle for your birthday but it is the US after all), unaffected and through that deeply moving. Great experiment that worked out in the end. Looking forward to watching it again.

The sadest moment for me? When  Mason Jr. realises that his Dad has exchanged his cool oldtimer for a family van...my old fear of becoming bourgeois...

You'll find there's never a dull moment in this house...

To all the "Downton Abbey" lovers out there (and I know there are quite a few :-)) - isn't this done just brilliantly!?!

everyday (part 31)

one first time each and every day - a new taste, a new experience, a new route, a new song, a new whatever. 


30. July - 5. August


30.7. collected more blackberries, in the rain, on a different field
31.7. been to Koblenz again for a lovely and sunny day trip and had blackberry ice cream at the amazing "eGeLoSIa" - so worth the journey!
1.8. first attempt of a proper photoshoot with a four month old one...went well, much more ideas for the next ones
2.8. "harvested" Spanish daisy seeds in the botanical garden in Mainz - fingers crossed they will germinate and grow in England
3.8. had breakfast with those two ladies at "Lokal" in Wiesbaden - the conversation was as tedious as usual but the crepes with maple syrup were nice
4.8. went to Karlsruhe on a Flixbus coach as Deutsche Bahn fucked up the train connection Mainz-Karlsruhe this summer - nearly a convert now, was a cheap, easy and punctual trip
5.8. had some fantastic rhubarb lemonade with my equally fantastic burger at Burgerladen in Mainz

wormery

I can't imagine a day without being tormented, entertained, amused or at least accompanied by one or more earworms - snippets of songs that suddenly appear in my head, stick there, and then make place for another one.
Sometimes I can understand their origin - a song that played in a driving by car, a radio advert or the song that woke you as an alarm in the morning.
Other times it is completely random. Suddenly this melody pops up and there it is.
Of course it is never a full song, no, normally it's one line that "plays" in an endless loop in my ear.
It's not something I ever thought about lots but recently I talked to someone (can't even remember who it was - probably my current earworm at the time was just singing too loudly) and he or she said "No, I don't often get them".
I wonder now, is it not normal to have music in your brain pretty much all of the time when you are awake?

As a glimpse into my potentially abnormal and weird soul - here is yesterday's playlist:

in the morning it was this, no idea where I picked it up (but I like it)

later and only for a short time it was, another "favourite" of mine (I can't even click on the video now otherwise it is back and here to stay)

for an even shorter time it was this because the traffic lights beep in the exact same rhythm

then  popped up, why? No idea...

to bed I went with the help of, a re-occuring friend

Tell me, are there similar parties going on between your ears?

PS: I know that earworm is not exactly a standart British word but "catchy tune" or "haunting melody" simply don't have the same ring to them. 

you want to go to the seaside?

Not only I got stuck in the shower on our recent trip to Brighton/Hove/LEwes, no, I took some photos as well. Some are very much chlichéd but I like them nevertheless and still find an amazing amount of inspiration in my beloved seaside resort.

What is a weekend?!?

Wishing you all a lovely and sunny weekend :-)

(imho still one of the most funny photos that ever circulated around the online world)