Mafling in Berlin

The stress factor

2007-03-29T08:27:00.000+02:00

Having had two months preparation time for this interview for a job as a choreography lecturer I was probably the most prepared I have ever been for anything. Now having been through the four hour ordeal I realise that perhaps I need two years for the next one to be able to understand what's going on here........and that is not because of my language skills.
I felt like I had travelled back to the 1930s as an alien. There were only 5 students in the class. "What is this contemporary dance thing"I kept expecting them to say. With 10 people on the panel watching me teach everything felt decidedly unbalanced. No real introduction to anyone, no directions to the changing room or toilets so I had to ask a student and no offer of a drink or anything for that matter. Am I being demanding here or is this the way it's done? I am trying to fit in honest.
So, I started teaching and struggled with getting the cd player to work. Luckily I'd taken some music just incase the musician was ill. After all I was supposed to have a musician, and later while they were quizzing me about my choice of music I had nothing to say beyond.............."well, you said in the brief that I would have a musician so the choice of music was totally random"..........'there was a musician', they said. Am I totally mad or did that piano have an invisible pianist sitting at?
Anyway, the whole experience got decidely more confusing as I was meant to give feedback on one of the students dance works which consisted of her and her notebook telling me about what she planned to do but with no dance or dancers in sight. "Well it all sounds very clear to me" was all I could manage to stutter infront of the panel of ten, "but usually I would give feedback on something that exists". After four hours I was desperate to get out and hobbled away with a bad foot which later discovered was a stress fracture.......how appropriate.
So that was my interview and even though I haven't heard yet, I definately didn't get the job, if there was actually a job going and I'm hobbling about with blue crutches thinking it's definately time for me to open my own place and find my own imaginary musician.

2007-02-20T12:11:00.001+01:00

Herringsdorf

2007-02-19T18:33:00.000+01:00

Spent last week by the sea with the lovely Elf in Northern Germany where everything seems to be a palace and the locals do weird things. Jumping into the sea in minus temperatures is perhaps a normal weekend activity here?! Anyway this was our flat for the week so I definately felt like Rebecca at Manderley. The sea was frozen at the edges and it snowed and covered the sand.....the first time in 40 years I have ever seen that. So we ran in and out of waves, in our wellies of course and I contemplated a life full of windy weather, hot chocolates and big waves.

calling all recipes....

2007-01-22T18:04:00.000+01:00

Does anyone know of a fail safe recipe, quick to cook, for eight people, one of whom can't eat wheat or dairy, and ends up looking fairly impressive. I can't cook Indian again, can I? Nothing on the web is inspiring me............and need something for tomorrow.

2007-01-19T12:50:00.000+01:00

Yesterday reading the morning Newspaper which stated " Hurricane heading across germany" I got ready to turn into Dorothy, get everyone inside, remove potential flying objects from balcony and find a good place to watch 'The Storm'. I have always loved storms ever since my Gran told me about her fear of them when she used to open the front and back doors to let the thunderbolt through and crawl under the concrete paving slab in her pantry. I have often wondered how and why she did this although she never did elaborate. I couldn't understand how anyone could not be excited by the noise, the lights, the wind; but then I have never known real weather fear such as a Tsunami or a Twister. Though neither had she.......though perhaps WW2 had something to do with it. If I had lived through such fear then I might have spent yesterday in our suitably equiped Deutsche cellar.
Instead, above ground I became quite fascinated and excited by the days events as parents were told to pick children up from school early and everyone was advised to stay in, don't delay, do not travel and WAIT. Even the so called 24 hour shop across the road started packing up at 4pm.......unheard of. So The Elf and I did just that and yes the trees did get a little windy although we waited in anticipation at the window for an extraordinary event to occur. One flash of lightning and all was quiet. How does one explain the concepts of Hurricanes to an 8 year old after that?
However this morning I am convinced that it just didn't visit our street as I read the papers about the destruction and chaos it caused, even here in Berlin. The biggest storm in Europe for 20 years.(mmmmmmm)
It is now well into the New Year and it is time for me to begin on one New year's resolution, ' To start analysing my Dad's 50 years of daily weather recordings' and not rely on unreliable German weather predictions for my excitement.

Why is it....

2006-11-14T17:59:00.000+01:00

.......that when one has all the time in the world, nothing happens and then suddenly out of the air when one has filled one's nothing time with enough self-development to fill 24 hours a day that jobs, people, activities, parties etc fly in at the same time from all directions? As a result I have spent the last week applying for a job at theHochschule für Schauspieler kunst 'Ernst-Busch Berlin. Yes exactly! I can't even say it's name so not much hope for the job I think, but as it was the only suitable job to appear since living here in the last year thought it wise to apply. Think I might need to improve my German though seeing as I couldn't understand a word of the letter that the F so kindly wrote for me.
Aswell as this I have been meeting some interesting types through some private shiatsu and yoga sessions. Berlin seems to be full of struggling artists and little else, all needing to chill out and get some sleep. So hopefully this can become my new career here. Keep finding myself giving out weird pieces of advice, but maybe this is still the language problem. Zum beispiel: I think you need to wear socks in bed to help you sleep..... and was that a bladder or a back problem? Anyway, I seem to be getting by, just about, but have permanently sweaty palms when I have to try and make myself understood. Thought I would be fluent by now ( ha ha). Those books that say you can learn a language in three months are talking complete and utter rubbishness......30 years perhaps.Yesterday we worked out that The F has been learning English for 37 years which means I will be a really good German speaker by the age of 76. Cool !! Can't wait!
Will also be doing a bit of work here it seems so need to claim a bit of Hausfrau status back before I become completely fulltime. Oh no, help don't want that.
Back to Goethe until Christmas with Hilda......fabulous woman teaching me lots of new words and letting us all make hundreds of mistakes without shouting. The class is, as usual a mixed geographical bunch including, Bolivia, Korea, The Ukraine, Syria, America, Switzerland, Japan and Nepal and me being the UK contingent which makes for somewhat heated discussions, but more about that next time.......

The new Nachbar

2006-10-16T10:56:00.000+02:00

It was a relatively normal weekend until I spotted our new neighbour. Should I befriend him or direct him to the airport?

Rollerblade Berlin

2006-10-11T10:42:00.000+02:00

:) I hope I am a bit better than this before the next marathon.

My new sport

2006-10-09T17:05:00.000+02:00

Last month I left the house one calm Sunday and came face to face with 5000 rollerskaters wizzing passed. The Elf and I stood transfixed partly because we were unable to cross the street and after twenty minutes I had become completely hooked and vowed to be part of the Rollschuhe marathon next year. It looks like the most exciting thing to do ever! No, I have never even been on a pair of rollerskates but after my intensive rollerskaing research on the web I have discovered that it is the sport of the moment and there seem to be inline skating rinks all over berlin. The only problem is I have no idea what a beginner roller skater is called.......

Kurbis mania

2006-10-09T16:47:00.000+02:00

Germany's answer to Halloween starts on the first of October and everything turns very quickly into a pumpkin and stays that way for a month. As we were in London this time last year we managed to avoid the Kurbis fest and avoid the takeover of our street by Kurbis people selling pumpkins in all shapes, sizes and manners. Every restaurant in the area also starts to whip up a pumpkin frenzy offering pumpkin in every dish, with everything from pumpkin pasta to pumpkin juice?? All one can do is go with the flow and swing a few pumpkins over the shoulder and hope soon that we can walk down the street without being overwhelmed by Kurbisness.

Word of the week.......Referral.

2006-09-27T17:14:00.000+02:00

As I am soon approaching the big, oh so big birthday I have felt inclined this week to get everything checked. Don't know why? Perhaps my brain is telling me that once we reach that 4th decade everything physical will start to fall apart and one will be too old for jobs, so need to stay healthy because of a lack of funds to get ill with. Anyway, I am now officially Ms Uberweisung. The German health system is very good but fills up your life with paperwork and prevents you from having the time to find a job. First one must go to a 'normal' doctor to get an Uberweisung( or in my case 7) to go see another doctor. This is for everything, even for a cold. I spent the WHOLE of last week, collecting these pieces of paper and making appointments to see other doctors, and learning along the way. For a cold you see an ear, nose and throat specialist and for a headache a brain surgeon, it seems. I am totally confused and feel that I may need to become a doctor myself in order to know which specialist you see for which ailment.
Anyway the trip to the gyno was an interesting one, but I won't go into details, except just to say that I am a convert to specialists:) So this is what an Abstrich should be like. Not all that fumbling, agony with an English nurse, who never knows which object to use, let alone where to put it.
So I am feeling very well thankyou, except for my back which has decided to pack up for awhile............and then oh no, there are all the alternative therapies to go into. That's my job for next week then.
If you want the weirdest experience ever, go and try craniosacral therapy........ha ha. Back feels great but think I've officially left the planet.

Are we aliens?

2006-09-11T10:07:00.000+02:00

My task of the day is, after very little sleep due to the snoring, juddering Mr F, to write an essay on the human beings relation to the Infinite Cosmic Consciousness and Ultimate reality. Phew! Think I need to go back to bed first in order to have enough brain power to tackle this one. I thought this yoga training was going to be easy.......didn't think I'd have to ponder over the worlds existence. According to my research so far everything is an illusion anyway so maybe I should just go back to bed and I won't even notice. Have 8 more assignments to complete before my practical in November which is unfortunately not an illusion. How did anyone ever function before the internet?

If only.......

2006-09-09T22:19:00.000+02:00

The Elf had her school summer fair today, and even though it is no longer summer here I was totally blown away by the talent of some 16 year old boy born to be a popstar, with his Blur like tendencies. It is true that this youngster needs a haircut and perhaps a new band but performance talent he certainly has. Were we like this at 16? I think not. I didn't even know what the word talent meant and was sipping hot chocolate at 9pm and revising for physics A level under the bedcovers. It is definitely time to grow my hair long and rediscover some hidden musical talent. Where did I pack my drums? Now is the time to buy myself a new piano. If anyone wants an old crappy one look on eBay..........going cheap for 30 euros
Goodnight. I am off in search of my ambition and youthful talent. You might not hear from me for months. Got to practice, no time for idle chat. xx

Heat

2006-09-06T10:28:00.001+02:00

In the last few weeks I have become quite addicted to this. Everytime I go to this strange new yoga phenomenon called Bikram yoga I think of the Shark and how much she would dislike this class! It involves doing yoga in a room that is a minimum temperature of 34 degrees so that you just have to walk into the room to start sweating, let alone move and I am truly addicted. The cold Berlin winter approaches fast and I know exactly where I'm going to be spending most of my days. I should easily be a yogi by Christmas.....
If anyone's interested look here

Aside

2006-09-06T10:19:00.000+02:00

........ as for front cooking I am learning fast. Spot me at the back holding the microphone?

I will be 63 at mine

2006-09-05T21:48:00.000+02:00

If you get married at 21 and you are a bit older than me then you are likely to be having a 25th wedding anniversary this year. So this explains why I spent the weekend in the depths of the german countryside at The F's sisters 25th Wedding Anniversary celebrating with 90 others in a schutzenfest abode with front cooking?I have no idea what schutzen people do but did manage to pick up a few hints from the locals. Basically from what I could gather men from villages get together, dress up in costumes, drink alot, elect a King for the year, be nice to people and shoot clay birds. Maybe my understanding of the German language is not quite there yet?
However, I had a ball after managing quite by accident to seat myself next to the only camp married man in the room. We twittered in german ( or something) for most of the evening and I went to bed very happy, full of champagne and dreaming of my future life as a Schutzen wife.

Beware of spanish small waves

2006-09-05T21:37:00.000+02:00

2006-09-05T21:06:00.000+02:00

I love the sea. In fact I am one of those people who can happily swim out to sea with nothing in the distance and always have the urge to keep on going, perhaps in the hope that I will one day reach Treasure island. I did this once in Thailand on what became later known as the Tsunami beach. I remember that the sea was so calm I just kept on swimming out but my desire for another Thai Green Curry became greater than my desire to find an island so I came back.
I have now had two near disastrous experiences in the sea and now I have lost that urge to swim into nothing without stopping.
This year in Spain with the lovely family Foxwells it became the daily ritual to jump the waves with one child in each hand. This was usually F's job and the kids loved it for he was extra brave and went in the sea just that little bit further than I would. They were surfing beaches after all. This particular day The F decides to do big walking tour up the nearest mountain so said children pick on nearest willing adult which was me. The water was up to my thighs.......honest. Then out of nowhere I was adrift with nothing beneath me and a child in each hand and rapidly being pulled away from the beach. Whoops! What now. Never quite been in a situation like that before and had visions of going back to the beach and having to explain to M that I just mislaid her daughter. However Baywatch Spain was on alert and luckily three very tanned, beautiful lifeguards were already entering the sea to tell people to get out because it was dangerous. I was shouting to the Elf to keep swimming but she looked totally embarrassed and just replied,' How can I swim if you are grabbing onto my arm?' Fair point.
The Elf became even more embarrassed as I got scared enough to scream for gorgeous Baywatch lifeguard who responded like in the movies with orange lifebelts and muscles any man would die for. Safely back on the beach The Elf and A both declare at the same time," I'm not going in the sea with you again.....when's F coming back?" and I'm left to tell the story to which I get a few grunts.
It seems in life that telling the story afterwards never has quite the same impact as the event itself.

Appallingly bad behaviour

2006-08-27T10:51:00.000+02:00

Seven weeks and nearly back on Earth for update blogs. Am recovering from near drownings, fires, camping and the bigM but should be back with you all very soon.

Anticlimax

2006-07-09T23:49:00.000+02:00

Just watched the final and personally I found it a complete anticlimax.France should have won and what happened to Zidane to cause such an aggressive attack on an opponent.It is lovely to be in London and i hope Berlin retains some of it's party spirit. I have become accustomed toit and slowly begun to love this strange city. I return on Tuesday and then await the Shark's and TH arrival( hurrah) followed by Spain and then a trip to Madonna. What a fab summer!

This is how it is.

2006-07-05T13:17:00.000+02:00

It's quiet here, and everyone's crying. Check out the pics.

Get watching

2006-07-04T20:58:00.000+02:00

Ten minutes until Germany and Italy play and I think Berlin is about to burst with excitement. It's all getting very emotional and I'm not used to all these tears over football. I hope they win. Any ideas yet about a Herne Hill venue for the final? I will come equipped with lots of fake mohicans in red yellow and black. Ok the anthem is over........get watching.

I was wrong about Brazil then.

2006-07-01T23:01:00.000+02:00

Final: Deutschland gegen Portugal?

Oh no!

2006-07-01T22:01:00.000+02:00

Well, Germany is definately in and England out. Just been watching the game in the local beer garden amongst many Portugal fans. In fact I think I was the only England supporter. I am definately on for Germany to win now as they are playing fab football. What happened to England? No Michael Owen, injured Beckham and Rooney sent off......disaster.
Bertlin is buzzing and last night I was in the centre just as Germany won and I have never experienced such hysteria...made lots of friends in a very short time?! Everything here is turning red, yellow and black even the icecream. So, Herne Hilliers where will we congregate for the final. Can't wait to be in London......
Votes for the final post here!
Germany against Brazil is mine.

Fussball Queens

2006-06-29T17:33:00.000+02:00

Germany plays tomorrow and everyone is going wild

Frankreich gegen Spanien

2006-06-27T21:47:00.000+02:00

Oh yes more football......yawn. Half time and the score is 1:1
As to my course, well, today I was definately not the best in the class but I have put a ban on speaking English at home from today so that should improve my speaking hopefully even though the F has been very quiet this evening? I had a chat with Cami about her shoes of which she has admitted, she has many. In fact when she moved here last year a seperate container was needed for them. I walked to the tube with the Polish model and attracted much attention. How strange it must be to live your life with every man turning around to look at you with an open mouth. Yes she is quite stunnning and I did feel like the frumpy, dwarf next to her but to be honest I wouldn't want all that leering. Ok second half........France will win. Saw an interview withMichael Owen and he talked about his son alot. Didn't mentiion his knee. Always liked him.

I have been watching........honest

2006-06-26T00:00:00.000+02:00

It's so hot today that at midnight we are still sweating and it's still 34 degrees. Football is still everywhere and I have been watching despite a lack of updates. I am very happy that Portugal, Germany and England are all through to the next round. I will be leaving the host city for the Final but will be in lovely London so could all you Herne Hillsters do a bit of research as to the best place to watch. Requirements are: Good screen, with not too many people but enough people for cheering and general noisiness, outside, lots of cold beer and lots of familiar faces.........

Half Tme-Japan gegen Brazil

2006-06-22T21:52:00.000+02:00

I want Japan to win but Brazil got a goal a few seconds before half time so it might not happen.If you read this in the next half hour watch the rest of the game because it's a good one. It stands at 1:1
Just been to parents evening where I understood about 10%. Apparently the Elf talks alot and sometimes talks to herself very loudly while she works. Nothing particularly worrying there then and she seems to be speaking German like a native. How unfair is that? Wish I was seven. A few beers with The Macedonian and a few laughs about the lack of laughing here.
Words of the day: Can anyone explain when to use Dative and when to use Accusative in the German language. I have been here only a year and apparently Germans still make mistakes after a lifetime of learning so what hope to I have?

The Knee

2006-06-21T22:16:00.000+02:00

If any of you saw the match yesterday between England and Sweden then you might have seen Michael Owen fall down. It looked like his leg split in half and as I watched I thought 'oh no' that's the end of the World Cup for him as his knee cap seemed to fall off his knee. Not nice. Anyway here is the outcome. Shame as he is one of my favourite players. Let's hope England can still play good football without him.

Deutschland!

2006-06-20T21:01:00.000+02:00

Well Germany are playing bloody good football and I am developing an obsession for new courses. Today I had to miss my German course to go to a meeting with a computer school about a new course learning how to design websites. That was a struggle as it was all in german, but luckily the Macedonian was there so she could translate everything in English to me and Italian to the woman sitting on the right, with a little bit of Romanian here and there. She seems to collect a new language every year. Wish I did. England- Sweden, must fly. Laters. xx
Costa Rica 1 Poland 2
Ecuador 0 Germany 3

Ronaldinho

2006-06-18T10:00:00.000+02:00

Favourite picture of the week

Betting

2006-06-18T09:53:00.000+02:00

Ok everyone let's start betting. I am actually getting bored watching every match. Nothing exciting to report. I am going for Brazil as a safe winner (boring) and in the final with Deutschland ( Well I am in the host country after all) That's my bet! Brazil playing tonight at 18.00. Updates

Mexico 0 Angola 0

2006-06-16T23:27:00.000+02:00

Yawn

34 degrees

2006-06-16T20:39:00.000+02:00

In the midst of a huge storm with hailstones the size of ping pong balls. So humid today, like I remember Singapore to be. Leaving a very cold air conditioned airport and being thrown into fumes and sauna type heat. I remember thinking I was going to die because of lack of oxygen but today it just makes me want to go on another long travel into the depths of the jungle where you sweat all day long and never get cold........
...and back to football.Well, Argentina truly trashed Serbia and Montenegro then with a 6:0 win. I couldn't watch it all but comments here. Mexico is now so better go. It is supposed to be a good one to watch.....
In class today I got one sentence completely right. Progress! Cami didn't turn up. Perhaps she has run out of new pairs of shoes to wear.
Football calling me.......

Rooney news

2006-06-15T20:42:00.000+02:00

The Latest

England 2 Trinidad and Tobago 0

2006-06-15T20:07:00.000+02:00

Now that was good! Have to say though Trinidad and Tobago are really good. Watch this space. So any bets on who will win yet?

As for class I watched My first film in German today. About a girl whose parents are both deaf and she grows up to be a musician. Yes I understood it!! But it seems that the more I understand the less I can speak.

Cami wore the same shoes today as yesterday. I am worried. Also she seems to be the only one who hasn't mentioned football.
Sandro returned looking more like a cross between Johnny Depp and Dali than ever with not a Tandem partner to be seen.
Today he taught me the word " Tor" ( GOAL!)
Na is becoming completely overexcited by her growing belly and the football though she thinks germany are playing Schleckt.
Ny-Yung is in love with Beckham like every other self respecting Korean girl.
Tadashi hasn't spoken much since Japan lost but still loves his daily apple.
Anna/ Mexican (new) Not much happening here yet.
Berny/ Spanish (new) seems very shy and eats lots of sandwiches.
Jose continues to keep us all entertained and acts out the various goals from the night before every break time.
Sandy is battling with the noise of English and German football fans outside our window, but at least now we all know how to say ' Can you close the window please?' 'Can you open the window please?' 'Can you close the window please?'

Don't Miss...

2006-06-15T08:05:00.000+02:00

England against Trinidad and Tobago. 18.00 hours German time! Meanwhile I am off to school to watch my first ever film in German. Help! The F still doesn't seem to understand a word I say or I to him. ( In German of course!)
And if you don't likefootball.

Germany 1 Poland 0

2006-06-14T22:59:00.000+02:00

Well that was a bit boring until the 91st minute. It didn't look like they knew who was on which team. Germany won though so Hurrah.......Lots of fireworks in our street and cars hooting all over everywhere. It's fun being in the host city!!! other updates

Ball gossip

2006-06-14T16:51:00.000+02:00

The new ball

Brazil 1 Croatia 0

2006-06-13T23:02:00.000+02:00

Tonight's revelation is that The F believes he could have played better than Ronaldo........

The class ( Part two)

2006-06-13T20:54:00.000+02:00

Ok so I admit I am failing miserably trying to keep up with all the football but I will at least try to keep up with Germany and England before The Sis disowns me completely. France and Switzerland was 0:0 and I guess tonight's game with Brazil and Croatia will be 2:0 to Brazil?
Anyway back to German class.

I am into my 26th day and Cami has managed to wear 26 different pairs of shoes and is now going through her sandal phase. She is heading to Scotland at the weekend for a PHD reunion with her other 'Cement friends'.
Valina, the Polish nanny is disrupting the class because none of the boys are able to concentrate as she is going through her 'mini skirt/ develop tan phase.'
Sandro has just split up with one of his Tandem partners who was declaring love, even though practically married to someone else. He hasn't been seen since.
Jose has purchased some very strange new reading glasses which attach to the side of his head but don't go around his ears? His constant use of the word 'Cool' has now progressed to ' Cooleh' and he is proud of his new notebook which he fills with useful German love phrases.
Massimo( new addition) sits very near the teacher and seems to think he is having a private lesson unless he sits next to Cami and then they both seem to think they are having a private lesson.
Sandy ( teacher) has long wistful pauses staring out of the window and has a very kind way of saying 'fast' (almost) when we are SO TOTALLY wrong.
Purplemafling sits between Valina and Jose with the wrong textbook and keeps saying. 'What page are we on?'

Gotta go. Football is calling.............

Football football football.........

2006-06-11T16:39:00.001+02:00

Ok, so football was never really my thing! However, I am drawn to the new, overexcited Berlin and actually suddenly love living here. Lots of people, lots of noise, flags everywhere and screens on every street corner. The Ubahn is full of unwanted copies of The Sun(?) and alcohol is flying. It feels like London. Hurrah. Sorry about my wrong scoring but I am surprised only The Shark noticed. Is anyone out there watching the football or not? England won yesterday by the way........and gotta go because another match on and got to prepare for the third birthday party of the day. Beckham looks fit, always liked Owen cos he can still run fast, but what about Rooney!Oh no.
Scores more reliable than mine

Germany 4 Costa Rica 1

2006-06-09T21:42:00.000+02:00

Worldcup fever Day 1

2006-06-09T20:48:00.000+02:00

Day one and Berlin has now definately in my mind qualified for City status as millions of fans and 25,000 reporters arrive for The Worldcup. Everything including sausages, bushes and icecreams have morphed into a football shape but this is perhaps taking the whole thing a little far.........
It is noisy at last!

results/updates

The Elf and the Helicopter

2006-06-05T22:06:00.000+02:00

Vogelgripe and jogging

2006-06-05T21:35:00.000+02:00

Had an urge to see the sea so despite bird flu trecked to Rügen and told the Elf not to touch any dead birds.....Actually Vogelgrippe seems to have disappeared here now but I did ask my friend PA who works with the spread of infectious diseases before finally agreeing with the F and getting into the car reluctantly.
Actually it was fun and I made the F go on a helicopter, a boat and for an hour long run ( Tee hee). Actually he chose to do the run and that makes me think he must be getting ill as he hasn't run like that for ten years? Weird.
Only one person seems to live in Rügen and go out. The first morning I saw her while out for a jog and tripped over her dog lead. The second morning I saw her and she looked me up and down and said, "Schon wieder Sportlich". ( Already doing fitness again!) So I obviously don't need to do any more of that jogging nonsense again this year. Never liked it anyway and I obviously look Sportlich to your average Rügen over 70's local. That's good enough for me, but in the lead up to summer if it ever arrives here I thought I would start a get fit blog......what do you think? But think the other option of blogging the World Cup which starts here on Friday is better. I am unlikely to be going out let alone be getting fit. Better go and get my flag.

On the map

2006-05-27T20:44:00.000+02:00

Berlin finally has a central station and not only a station but the biggest main station in any city in Europe. It opened last night with millenium type fireworks. Next week sees the opening of the World cup here so it looks like Berlin is at last a cool place to be. The Kittens have arrived in big storms with suitcases full of Yorkshire tea, crisps and apricot facial scrub so I am very happy. Berlin has a great station but crap tea and crisps........( Note to anyone visiting in the near future:)

The class

2006-05-18T15:04:00.001+02:00

Into the third week of, yes, yet another German course and yes, I should probably be fluent by now but with recent words like damit, womit and woruber I feel I am going backwards rather than forwards.
The one and only communal language that we all know in class is German so the breaks are, as you can imagine full of scintillating conversation.
The class;
Valina: Polish, maximum 20, 6ft, blonde, tanned, beautiful and also lovely. The typical opair but think any hausfrau would run a mile before employing her unless she wanted to leave her husband.

Sandro: Italian, hair like Dali, chain smoker, laughs alot and introduced me to the world of the.Tandem partner. He has seven Tandem partners on the go at the moment which perhaps explains his late arrivals and daily vitamin drinks.

Tadashi: Japanese, eats an apple a day and manages to crack jokes in German. Impressive.

Na: Vietnamese, pregnant, smiley, cooks vietnamese snacks for the breaks. Seems to speak alot of German but no one seems to understand her.

Cami: Romanian. Never stops talking in whatever language that comes out first. Favourite words" Zum Beispiel".Owns lots of shoes and likes old cars. Did a PHD about cement.

Jose: French. Understands what the teacher said five minutes after everyone else and then screams" cool".

Paulo: Mexican. Very clever.

Maria: Spanish.. Nods alot.

Ny-yung: Korean. Small. Perfect face. Likes chocolate. Fights with the fat? ( Her words). Dreams of opening an original chocolate shop.

to be continued....

Where have all the people gone?

2006-05-14T18:38:00.000+02:00

Yesterday evening I got free tickets to see the wonderfulMr Rattle in action with 200 singers, 200 dancers and an audience of 3000 performing Carmina Burana. It was quite something. Last time I saw him was when The Shark was playing in Birmingham? ( correct me if I'm wrong) and I remember thinking this Mr Rattle man had gorgeous hair and behaved like a dancer with over excited arms. His hair is still as curly but grey and he still has the same way of creating amazing music with his arms. The last time I heard the whole of Carmina was when I attempted the Gong solo and managed ( luckily for the dress rehearsal only to play it in every pause as opposed to after every pause). Thank goodness Mr Rattle wasn't there then. So yesterday evening was definitely a trip to the past and made me appreciate what a huge amount of work goes into an event like that. I enjoyed being a spectator and no longer a performer.
Yesterday 3000 people got together for one performance and today as I wandered around three different empty, huge museums, I wondered where all the people in Berlin are? How sad is a musical instrument museum with the biggest collection of instruments I have ever seen sitting in silence. No people except for the over vigilant security guards desperate to tell you not to touch and to keep quiet. Something feels wrong here and I can't quite work it out............

And here is the proof!

2006-05-05T18:27:00.000+02:00

Dogs

The Year of the course

2006-05-05T17:46:00.000+02:00

I am now into the third day of my third language course. This means I have already spent twelve weeks out of the last 8 months here studying, and only now am I beginning to enjoy it and understand how to form a complete sentence in this unusual, complicated language. Sandra, the teacher has a faraway quality which normally would drive me mad in an ordinary situation. However, her lengthy pauses and gazing into the distance allows me just enough time to understand what's going on and to find the correct page in my workbook. I am happy even though Sandra says I shouldn't keep looking in my dictionary. Phew, it only took me 8 months to find the right language course. How long will it take me to find the right job?? Actually my obsession of the week is to take part in as many courses as possible because it seems that The F is offered an extra job each week so I am perhaps free to self develop for a little while longer! I have discovered many courses. However this is more than a little worrying that anyone can learn these particular subjects over the web. A yoga qualification without ever taking a class? I thought I'd try out some animal healing and start a campaign to hypnotize dogs to stop them shitting everywhere. In Berlin this is a HUGE problem. Failing this I might follow in the footsteps of The lovely Ivor Cutler and spray paint around all the shit and turn it into an artwork. Anything goes here and I feel many a mission calling.
Phrase of the week: Ist das hier dein Hund?

The overexcited Friseur

2006-04-24T14:39:00.000+02:00

Saturday morning and a message on my mobile. I don't get many of these and after The Elf's translation I realised that it wasn't serious but just that 2 months ago I made an appointment with the Friseur and was already 40 minutes late for it. There is one thing in Deutschland that you don't do and that is be late. People are rarely late here but do seem very understanding of the fact that this particular English hausfrau is never late but is often forgetful. With Elf in tow we trotted on down to lovely Simone. It took three hairdressers to discern what I wanted, which actually was just a trim and perhaps a little more red. Three hours later I emerged with ginger hair like my childhood, black wimpers (don't you just love that word for eyelash?) brown eyebrows and a big cue at the door. The Elf also had haircut along the way but luckily managed to avoid the wimper bit. It is now Monday and I am beginning to feel doubtful and slightly regretting my Saturday morning of fun. Time to go back on a German course and learn how to emphatically say `No`.

Not an Art work.

2006-04-20T21:33:00.000+02:00

The Story of Berlin. Took a tour down here into the depths of a bunker, never used and hopefully never will be.

......has finished.

2006-04-20T20:51:00.001+02:00

Berlin has become arty in the extreme for a couple of months so I have spent the last few weekends trailing the streets looking for it in the hope of becoming inspired in this on the edge city. It is true that anything goes here and that in itself is inspiring. Some of what I saw would not be let anywhere near the London art scene let alone inside a gallery and for that I think Berlin has a future. I like the fact artists are allowed the freedom to make mistakes. The highlight for me however was not an artwork but a venue stuck in time. The Ballroom is perhaps the perfect 40th party venue so watch this space....because it will need at least 200 people to fill it.

The endless party drink

2006-04-04T14:38:00.005+02:00

Have just returned from Yorkshire and the 3rd, 40th birthday party of the season, hungover and with cough, wondering how I will get through the next five this year, mine included. I am almost inspired enough to hire a huge, gorgeous Berlin ballroom, buy some heels, and invite everyone I have ever known to mine. Strange what a party and flow of friends can do. I am suddenly looking forward to hitting 40 because at that age one is surely grown-up? The party was on a building site in what was Kitty's house. The house is being transformed from a small, yorkshire one bedroom into a london penthouse it seems and I spent most of the evening in what was labelled the Chillout, Bird's nest room....
Back now in the lovely Berlin flat where the weather outside is doing weird things. One minute hail storms, the next humid and able to sit on the balcony. As a result haven't done much yet today and it's almost time to fetch the Elf. Did get offered a job though which I almost immediately turned down. Not sure working in a bar is where I'm at just now!? My one and only experience of this was 12 years ago in what was the old Royal Court in Sloane Square. The bar only held about 6 bottles but still I managed to cause chaos. My favourite moment was removing a cork with my teeth because I coudn't get the corkscrew to work. That funny guy from Only Fool's and Horses was not impressed as I preceded to collapse into fits of hysterics behind the bar covering myself and everything else in red wine. So my first Berlin job offer has been declined and I contemplate the next months of job searching. That is after the next round of visitors! Will be free by July, but no offers of bar work please...

Fellow Bloggers

2006-03-27T22:29:00.000+02:00

Dear fellow bloggers thankyou for all your lovely support. I have quit the ciggies, done lots of homework and feel much better. I have decided not to partake in the language course on Thursdays and Fridays for the forseeable future as these are the days with the language teacher from Hell. Seems like the Shark and the Purplemafling are surrounded by people who resemble a certain family member. So on Wednesday I do a 15 minute talk onPina Bausch auf Deutsch.....Impressive or what! And everyone seems to be turning 40 this year so the rest of the month is full of parties around the globe. Have I missed anyone?

mashed up brain

2006-03-21T21:16:00.000+01:00

Well I absolutely don't get it anymore and seem to be having a severe identity crisis. Those of you who know me well will realise how severe this is when I say that yesterday evening I wandered the Schöneberg streets smoking! Ah ha what is a happening to the purple mafling? She is turning into a Bohemian wild thing and knows not how to continue with this strange place and language. Since the lovely Shark went I have been struggling on a new language course where I only understand a few words of what is said all day and sit at the bottom of the class. Not good for the soul but I WILL continue even if I become a twittering, smoking, alcoholic. I absolutely don't get this language and don't even really want to.........this I fear might become a problem.
Anyway, I was in London at the weekend for M's 40th birthday, at the back of The Half Moon with it's sticky floor, broken toilets and terrible lighting. We danced til dawn to all the music I have ever listened to in my life since I was 13. It was wonderful.The highlight of the evening was M on the stage giving his all to Underworld's Born Slippy ( My choice of track for the evening).
Conclusion: I miss Herne Hill. I miss London. I miss friends and I now want to go home.......any advice??

Fluent

2006-03-01T10:16:00.001+01:00

Yesterdays main event was a trip to the doctor, something I have managed to avoid for the last six months, but with this complaint of which I can't talk about because it is too gross for words a doctor could not be avoided. Anyway the most exciting thing was that I managed to converse for a good 10 minutes in German and Frau Dr Meyer said I was obviously a very quick learner! Cool. I'm fluent.......roll on 3rd language.
Following this was a trip to the Chemist for yukky tablets to get rid of unspoken of yukkyness where the man behind the counter didn't seem to understand a word I was talking about. Oh well looks like blog will continue to be in English for a wee while longer and I will have to partake in new language course on Monday.
Might have to skive a day or two though because the Shark is heading this way. Hurrah!

2006-02-24T14:16:00.000+01:00

I usually ignore the doorbell because it's usually for the dentist upstairs and I am sick of having to let in punters who aren't coming to visit me anyway. Yesterday after much ignoring it turned into a knock on MY door.......someone must have let said person in downstairs. I opened it and was greeted by two large very chatty German guys who calmly walked passed me into MY flat and preceded to measure the old unused oven. They threw questions at me and in panic I alternated between 'Ya' and ' Nein' not having a clue what was going on. Definately time to get back to german school. They left seeming happy and me laughing hysterically. Have I agreed to have a new heating system installed? Has the F sent around builders to measure up for a gorgeous, new flat screen TV? Or am I just going bonkers? Whatever...I need a German language brain implant.

The old unused oven story

2006-02-24T09:48:00.000+01:00

The plan

2006-02-20T10:07:00.002+01:00

Had a very grey weekend. The weather here is getting to me and last night I woke up many times with many plans. Was it a full moon CNL? It must have been. So the one plan I have settled on is to learn German really fast ( which means doing a year long course I reckon) or not, then have another wee Elf to accompany the Elf, then travel the world with a stop over in NZ to study with thebest yoga teacher in the world, then set up a yoga centre in somewhere very warm by the sea and during all this become a visual artist with my one very good idea, which I'm not going to share just now.

The Reichstag

2006-02-16T15:20:00.000+01:00

Tour guide

2006-02-16T15:06:00.000+01:00

Apparently people have stopped breeding in Germany so new laws have been introduced to encourage everyone to produce babies. These include giving lots of money to the father if he takes off two months in the first year of the babies life on top of his salary.....not bad eh! Anyway I have been introduced to a new side of Berlin as M an M, two children and baby have been here all week. I have been tour guide for the week and have been amazed at how having a baby helps! We have been fast tracked away from the cold cue outside the Reichstag and put in special warm lift and zoomed to the top and down again. " Thankyou baby frank" who managed to sleep through the whole event. We have received so many gifts, sweets, cakes and extras in every cafe and restaurant that I am not surprised that the germany economy isn't booming. So I suggest anyone wanting a baby comes here.......The famous five return to Herne Hill tonight and I will return to my hausfrau duties and try to find the floor again under the jungle of lego, clothes, tents, starwars, boxes and sweetie wrappers. That was a fun week......

Bekannt is short for famous.

2006-02-09T10:55:00.000+01:00

Last night managed to limp to a performance which could have been classified as dance, music or theatre and was definately the best thing I've seen here yet. The highlight was Graham Valentine singing from his soul and his feet. Never heard or seen anything like it. See him if you can.
Meanwhile today, Berlin is filling up with filmstars for the Berlinale. Apparently the biggest Film festival after Cannes? So now, German books in hand I intend to head down to the local Berlinale caf in search of a few British stars........ and learn a little German of course. My new method of learning this incredibly difficult language is to watch lots of television and read lots of magazines and pick a theme a day to work on......laterx

Todays German theme: Bekannt British filmstars

Schlittfahren

2006-02-07T17:02:00.001+01:00

Just returned from lovely London (Sorry CNL never did manage that Indian......but back in March!). Friends happily took over my blogging time but now with no friends here I'm back with it. Sunday went sledging for the first time ever and The F had to deal with hysterical screams and over excitedness from both myself and the Elf. He spent his whole childhood doing this...........
Yesterday went to a dance class and a yoga class and now can't walk. Ended up going for Indian dinner with ten strangers and wandered home at 1am through huge amounts of falling snow. Wow Berlin looked beautiful. A lovely evening and even managed the odd broken conversation in German ( Ha ha). The F had visions of me falling into the hands of some gorgeous yogi never to return. But no I am back blogging away much to The F's relief. The snow is disappearing fast now and my inability to walk has left me house bound. Incase you 're interested the reason being the tortoise posture. Can't find an image I'm afraid but it involves sitting down, body forward over legs and then getting both your ankles around your shoulders?! Don't think I will be trying that one again for some time.

Word of the day: Die Schildkröte

Any colder and I'm out of here.....

2006-01-26T09:49:00.000+01:00

Yesterday it was -17 outside and -15 inside. I was about to grab bag and passport and head off to nearest warm destination when knock on door by friendly female plumber with hairdryer stopped me. Yes, on the coldest day of the year the heating decides to pack up and for a hausfrau, needing to study this is a complete and utter no no. After all I have been back in Berlin for two days....and would like to complete the week if possible.

So friendly plumber precedes to search flat for a reason. Haben Sie eine Terrasse? Hurrah my German is improving. I took her to the Balcony and she found the problem, 'Ach so, Ach so, Nay ya'. She almost smiled. So, frozen pipe INSIDE flat by balcony is heated up with 10 minutes of hairdrying and heating worked. Wow. I tried to hand her a 100 euro note but she was having none of it and left. She must have been my guardian plumber? I switched up heating to 25 degrees as the H wasn't in and left flat to go to Dentist.

Another story. The Dentist, Herr something lives above us. There are so many dentists here that there is one for approximately every 120 people in Berlin and almost one in every block of flats. As I walked in I was hoping that was the reason why it was so empty and was greeted by three dental assistants. I filled in form which took 30 minutes and involved a panicked scramble through the dictionary and then got called into very clean, very quiet, very white room with only bird and water sounds in the background. Herr something introduced himself, goodness knows what as, and I cracked what I thought was a joke about my broken tooth being caused by the German bread...............lots of silence later. I understood almost nothing except luckily, lift up your left hand if it hurts. Clenching my left fist he preceded to make me a tooth and fit it without me noticing anything. Wow. Second time today. I was truly impressed. So, if any of you need a dentist this seems to be worth the flight......and all for only 10 euro.

Word of the day: die Faust ( fist)

Mailand or Milan or Milano

2006-01-24T14:55:00.000+01:00

Have spent the last few days in Milan and I can now honestly say that I am feeling more like a nomad than ever before and definately not feeling like a resident German. The Elf and I arrived at Schönefeld airport only to discover that the ticket I had booked for her was no where on the sysem. So what to do? Couldn't really leave a stranded seven year old Elf and hop onto a plane with the parting words 'Bye bye honey I am sure you can find your way home.' However the Elf being much more intelligent than myself decided perhaps that I had written the wrong reference number down. A Z is a 2 and the Elf says I need to work on my handwriting?
Since when has Milan been called Mailand? Well, always apparently in this country. Once more needed some help from the Elf to find out which destination to go for........
Milan is warm. Milan is full of the most gorgeous pasta one has ever tasted. Milan is full of Italian.........and oh I wish, I wish I was learning Italian instead of the big G.......but don't tell the F!
Italian fits my mouth better and my soul better. I can wave my arms around saying Ciao Bella, va bene, vorrei un taxi and everyone knows what I am talking about.
There is a wonderful market place in milan where you can have secret conversations from one corner to the other. The accoustics are such that one can stand and whisper into one corner and it can be heard by someone in the other corner. If you get what I mean? Had much fun with the Elf....

Words of the day: vin rosso, vin bianco, vin secco

Snow

2006-01-17T20:15:00.000+01:00

I don't remember the last time it really snowed in London? Can anyone remind me? Tonight is the second time since being in Berlin that it has........and I love it. I am secretly hoping that it will snow all night and then I can stay in all day and skive my only one job of the week. ( hee hee) By Thursday however it has to clear because I fly to see the other Scottish redhead and her new wee one. Life is good but I am feeling a little more guilty by the day for my lack of German learning and job hunting. Check out this. The blonde librarian hasn't had a job since 2002 so what am I worried about?

It must be a redhead thing.

2006-01-08T21:59:00.001+01:00

Your HARE DAEMON represents your passive,
kindhearted, and honorable nature. Though you
are occasionally shy with new people, friends
admire your unshakable tranquility, even in the
face of chaos.

What Animal Would Your Daemon Settle As?
brought to you by Quizilla

Speaking backwards

2006-01-08T21:26:00.000+01:00

Chocolate man left on Thursday with a trail of yummy Suisse goodys behind him and I attempted to return to the life I had here before Christmas. Finally got to the gym and managed a conversation with woman behind desk which went a little like this,
Hallo
Hallo
Kan ich eine termine machen
Ya,wenn?
Nächste woche
Gut, danke

Piss easy this language......
However, I have realised that it is now January and I should have a job and should be speaking fluently with the F. Mmmmmm. So on Thursday evening the family Maflings went for dinner and spoke only German. What a laugh that was!! The Elf suddenly after speaking not a german word with us rambled away as if she had never known any different ( how unfair is that ?) I however, stumbled with a vocab of twenty words and wished I had stayed at home in the safety of laptop land. If I have only one resolution this year it is this.
By 2007 I will be able to have a conversation in German using the perfect German grammar and a conversation in English using the perfect English grammar.

I will to bed soon go be.

Christmas decorations are down. In our house anyway. In Germany there is no such ' take them down date' . Isn't the world supposed to end and for there to be a year of bad luck if you don't take them down by the sixth?

Not here it seems so I share with you my favourite tree of the season ( apart from Sharksters of course!)

Being Home?

2006-01-04T17:35:00.000+01:00

Well we have returned to Berlin. It was very strange flying over the London town and leaving the Sharkster and the TH and all the high buildings and the noise. Berlin is sooooo quiet and lots of snow which is lovely. we arrived back to find a big HAPPY NEW YEAR sign on the door and the chocolate man in residence. He thinks he lives here now and that we were coming to visit him??This has made the return a little happier because he is noisy and always brings lots of chocolates and laughs with him. New York was quite wonderful and I know I will return soon but first it seems that we are inundated with friends visits and trips to
other places. So to continue hausfrauing for a little longer and back to my one job a week
starting tomorrow.............and of those New Year Resolutions? What were they? I simply can't remember. Is it the jetlag or have I just given up on trying so hard? This is the year to get unfit, get drunk, spend money and work less.

The Elf view of New York.....

Four things

2006-01-01T04:35:00.000+01:00

Four places I have lived:
1. London
2. Brussels
3. Birmingham
4. Berlin

Four jobs I have done:
1. Road census researcher
2. Foley Artist
3. Filmstar( ha ha) Knights and Emeralds
4. Checkout assistant ( British Home Stores)

Four favourite cafes:
1. Maison Bertaux ( London)
2. Cafe Einstein (Berlin)
3. Chartiers ( Paris)
4. ( for chocolate man meetings) F and M

Four favourite places
1. Brockwell Park
2. Khao Lak, Thailand
3. The sea
4. Top of the Empire State Building

Four favourite foods
1. Indian
2. Indian
3. Indian
4. Indian

Four favourite films
1. Rear Window
2. Delicatessan
3. Breakfast at Tiffanys
4. Hairdresser's Husband

Four phrases of the year
1. Whatever.
2. Do we have...........?
3. Ich hätte gern einen Karotten saft
4. I'll be there in a minute.

.......to be continued in 2006

The year just going....

2006-01-01T04:11:00.000+01:00

So 2005 was quite eventful. In January I was unmarried, living in London, wondering where the next money was coming from and contemplating a life of comfortable regularity. ( Ha ha) It is December and I am sitting in New York, married, living in Berlin, without a job, with a little more money and trying out the hausfrau existence and contemplating a life of frequent holidays and personal development. Wow! What will 2006 bring,
Twins?
Travels to india and Chile?
A Madonna body?
Another language?
An installation?
Sleep?
New friends?
Air miles?

Happy New year,

The very happy Purplemafling XX

I am......

2005-12-29T16:10:00.000+01:00

Your Elf Name Is...

Floppy Cartwheels

What's Your Elf Name?

New York New York

2005-12-24T21:56:00.000+01:00

Well, yes I apologise for my lack of blog. Arrived in New york and there has been no time as such. However, the Elf has been blogging away and keeping up with all happenings so I don't feel so bad about it. The Sharkster and TH are the perfect hosts and despite the Transit strike all has been fabulous. I was last here seven years ago while pregnant with the Elf so it is wonderful to be back to show her the sights properly. Have done it all. Even tried out the Hospitals but not for the Elf this time thank goodness. After the flight I had the blocked ear syndrome which always puts me into a bit of a panic and makes me feel like I am permanently on a very rough sea. So, advice from the Sharkster and we walked the 40 blocks up town and I was greeted by the doctor. First questions.........Do you have mental health problems, drug abuse, alcohol intake? All clothes off and they irrigated my ears and I happily left $400 lighter of pocket.
New York is a wonderful place and I definately won't want to leave The Sharkster and the TH. Boo hoo.

Words of the week: Happy Holidays

Krankenhaus ( part two)

2005-12-12T21:28:00.000+01:00

Well the Elf seems to be getting into the habit of having an accident a week these days and I am hoping that she grows out of this phase quickly because I am aging rapidly. However, I will soon be qualified as Purplemafling SRN extraordinaire. Last Friday involved me turning up to school to find an ambulance outside. I did not think for a moment after last weeks events that this could be for Ms Elf. How she does it out of 280 children I do not know. Much panic from me because no one seems to believe that I DO NOT yet speak German and I discover she has had a fight with a spade. How a plastic spade, a sand pit and a best friend can cause that much blood I don't know. Anyway we didn't really need the ambulance but went for the ride anyway and lots of proper SRN's ran around and glued up the cut between her eyes. Phew!
I am a little confused however as to why the school called an ambulance for a cut and ignored a broken arm for five hours? Oh well, maybe I just need to accept that things are different here. If I can make it to Friday without another event I will be singing all the way to NYC and be drinking all the way into the New Year.

The Krankenhaus

2005-12-03T21:19:00.000+01:00

Well, it has been an eventful week. I have had to miss a lot of school but have learned many new german medical terms. The reason being that the Elf broke her arm on Monday skating. Her school didn't seem to realize ?????? and I went to pick her up at the normal time and was a little shocked to see her arm looking somewhat strange and stiff. But, about suing the school........Need to look in my dictionary before attempting to go ahead with that one.
German hospitals I have to say are,as one would expect, very clean, efficient and organized. No one in casualty, no waiting time ( King's hospital you could learn a few tricks here) lots of doctors and lots of disinfectant. However, they did forget to give me the vital bit of information, Don't feed Elf because she might need an operation. So three tangerines, biscuits and rice cakes later they decide they do want to operate on the arm but can't because being a mother I have fed her everything in my bag. A lot of tutting and cross looks at me and then they plaster the elfs arm up and tell us to return in the morning when they will add a bit of cork? Yes, my German is really improving with this one.....If this doesn't work then they will operate.
So we have spent the week in and out of the Krankenhaus and at one point they did decide to operate and I got to wear a great nurses costume complete with rubber boots and the Elf had some medicine which made her very drunk and hilariously funny. I wasn't laughing then but now luckily all seems fine so I can. Just before op they said to me. 'Hast sie einen Schrittmaker'. It sounded very important and all I could think of was why didn't I learn German years ago because now it REALLY MATTERS. Anyway, after much miming over the drunk, giggling Ella who was trying to reach for the lights I understood. " Has she a pacemaker fitted?!"
So it's now Saturday and we have spent the day shopping for clothes to fit over broken arms. And that brings me to a possible new career. Thought I would set up 'The broken limb clothing factory'.
Off to study hard and learn how to say. " How the fuck do you not notice a child with a broken arm in your class for five hours after it has happened. You are well and truly sued."

Words of the week:
Der Gips-plastercast
schmerzhaft-painful
Schlittschuh laufen-skating
Die operation- operation
Das Geschenk-present
Der Chirurg- Surgeon

Schnee!

2005-11-26T18:53:00.001+01:00

Yes the snow has arrived. It fell all day yesterday and I love it. The Kittens also arrived out of the fog on Wednesday so we have spent the last few days doing tourism. Lovely to see them as always and the Lili is as much fun as ever and spent much of the time saying 'aya`which means 'Where is the Elf ' I think. It is only 6 pm and the Elf has now gone to bed. These early mornings are really doing her in and I sympathize entirely. Might go myself soon but not before brewing up the first Glüwein of the season. Just sent F out for some bottles of red to complete the ritual. The Christmas Marketsstarted today. A good excuse to drink more wine and pretend I like these cold days. I have no idea how I will cope in January and February when it is -20. Time to stay in and tackle the next language I think. Thought about Japanese. I am definately devising tactics for holding off on the work for a couple more months. Once a week teaching yoga is just fine with me.

The second home

2005-11-21T15:16:00.000+01:00

Arrived in London again on Thursday night and went straight out to the familiar Tandori Nights. Feels like I've never been away. Tis funny how you can so easily slip back into a previous life. It took me all of 20 mins. I am actually ( don't faint) here to work. A day of teaching with M. Lots of lovely people somewhere in the north of london and a day of yoga. Day flew by and and there were talks of doing similar workshops in Berlin and weekend spas in madrid and Israel. So this was the most work i have done in months and have returned To Berlin completely trashed. How does one keep up a job, a social life and have a family i wonder? Today the Kittens are supposed to be arriving from the Shire but we have just heard that there is fog everywhere so all flights are cancelled and they might get another one within the next 7 days. Oh Great! Their holiday was only going to be 5 days. So I am hugely disappointed and need to think up a good diversion tactic this evening for the Elf because she will be truly unhappy. This is the problem with these cheap flights that only go once a day. Any mishap and that's the end of your holiday. Oh well hopefully will see them at some time this week even if only for a night. Having recollected their bags they are now driving the hour and a half from Liverpool back home and will wait and see. What a pain!
Word of the day: Nebel......Fog

Calling is free!

2005-11-14T20:57:00.000+01:00

Ok so this is a little gripe to all( well not ALL but most) of you lovely friends in the U.K. I have crossed water it is true. I am also living somewhere with a different language it is true. The ansaphone sounds strange it is true.....but I am not in Timbuktoo. Look phoning iscodebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0"
width="468" height="60" id="skype-banner-30">

menu="false" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="468" height="60"
id="skype-banner-embed" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain"
type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer">
<div><a href="http://www.skype.com" target="_blank">http://share.skype.com/show/flash/?id=30" border="0" alt="Share Skype" id="skype-banner-img" width="468" height="60" /></a></div>

free so we can talk for hours.

How it is.

2005-11-13T20:16:00.000+01:00

Berlin

Langweilig sunday

2005-11-13T19:28:00.000+01:00

Well the first friends have visited. Ap and Ia turned up on Thursday so I have been a very normal, happy creature and feel like everything here is a bit more real now. Someone has seen my new life and apparently it's not that bad so I feel I don't have to do that three year travel/runaway thing just yet. Staying here for a year or two is even perceived of as quite hip? So I am feeling much more like my old self but in the meantime this weekend I have completely lost all my German vocabulary. So, we went everywhere speaking English even though not everyone understood us and occasionally looked disapprovingly. There was much shopping done and Ap went home with a suitcase full of socks and a father Christmas type coat ( we loved it, but unfortunately Ia didn't). However he seemed quite happy to pay for it.
There is something here though that is really bugging me and today more than usual. Sundays are dull! I hate to sound materialistic but not one shop opens on a Sunday. Finding milk is a chore and the streets, subways are almost empty. I have never been very good at empty........Where does everyone go on Sundays? Are they all inside sleeping, cleaning, blogging? If someone knows please let me know....

Where am I going? To fill in the white spaces

2005-11-09T19:56:00.000+01:00

create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands

Fast is best

2005-11-06T22:17:00.000+01:00

The weekend was full of seeing people with extraordinary talent. Friday night went to see a dance performanceAkram Khanat the Hebbel Theatre. This man can really move at speed. It was however a strange evening as the woman sitting next to us had, what seemed like, first night nerves. She must have been his mother for every movement on stage caused her to sigh and twitch and elbow my neighbour. At the end she stood up with mouth open, unable to clap or respond in any way. I am glad she enjoyed herself but i had to restrain myself from standing on her toes........
On Saturday went to see the WDR Big Band and Joe Zawinul Project. The highlight was definatelyAlex Acuna, another man with incredible speed. So I am now on a "speed" mission to find the fastest way to learn a language. Preferably by Christmas. I am at that really frustrating stage of losing English before having grasped German. I am unable to speak and have become fascinated with peoples' mouths. I am hovering in a floating world.....
After the gig went to a fabulous barThe Rum Trader. You can only find this place if in the company of one who knows. You ring the bell and Herr Scholl invites you ( perhaps?) into his very small bar. We are talking half the size of a Quadrangle flat here, for those of you who know. The bar holds about 15 people and Herr Scholl and friend ( Orton and Halliwell) whip up some fantastic cocktails and sing along to some opera and shlager. Thoroughly entertaining place not to be missed.
Word of the year: Schnell.

Time to travel...

2005-11-05T18:31:00.000+01:00

Having just read sister blog Jazzsharking and done the map create your own visited countries map it is definately time to go get some more red. Mine is definately too white. I am off to travel. See you in a few years......

Thursday

2005-11-03T19:52:00.000+01:00

Having spent the last couple of days at a decent language school with a good teacher I am well on the way to becoming fluent in the German language...........Not. The teacher, Detlef, looks and sounds a bit like Hugh Grant, with a German accent and I have begun to feel a bit sorry for him as he tries desperately to get anyone in our group to speak. Today I could stand it no more and shouted out all the answers, right or wrong, and I am now officially the class swot. Tomorrow I might even try standing on the table aswell. What can a girl do? From experience I know that there is nothing more demoralizing than a group of students looking at you as if you are the most boring teacher on the planet.
After class I was determined to try out my new phrase and went into the supermarket and asked if I could pay with my EC card. The woman at the checkout was convinced I wanted a special type of cheese even though I was waving my card in front of her face and she wouldn't let me leave without some Manchego? Since when has Manchego or Käse for that matter sounded like credit card? Finally it clicked ( for her....) Much hysterics and repetition of the word "Klar" followed and she finally allowed me to leave with some unwanted cheese and a headache. Is my accent really so bad or was she from Mars?
Home now and must do extra homework. Now in the difficult position of having to live up to my new image.
Word of the day:kauffrau

Learning German. Part two.

2005-10-31T19:45:00.000+01:00

Having attempted to learn German on a three week course at a school around the corner from here, where the teacher made us shave balloons, learn about Fantasy islands, world records and how to bid on an antique market ( yes, I really did do all this in German) I have decided to change language schools. At The Goethe instituteI hope to learn things like, how to buy oranges, how to find the toilet and how to buy a plane ticket out of here.... Useful things like that as opposed to the ridiculous information now wasting brain space.
So I turned up at 8.30 this morning, was greeted with a cup of coffee and a map and had a very nice chat with one of the teachers ( in German!!) about balloons, shaving foam and antiques and she put me in group 2.2. What does this mean I wonder? Is my vocabulary a little obscure? Do I not fit into a group 2 or a group 3 or even a group 2.5? Anyway she said there were no classes today ( Hurrah) so I spent the afternoon wrestling with the cross trainer at the gym and I start tomorrow with other 2.2 ers. Can't wait!
Word of the day: Gespräch ( conversation!)

It could be Brockwell Park.....

2005-10-29T22:51:00.000+02:00

Saturday

2005-10-29T22:22:00.000+02:00

The world here today is covered with orange and yellow leaves. I have never noticed Autumn like this before. Apparently you are supposed to love the season you are born in the most? Today I definately do. Cycled for hours and found the most wonderful cafe literatur haus
Spent a few hours here with the Elf and F and had many thoughts about writing novels, books, articles etc. Beautiful ceilings and apfel strüdels. Cycled home among the leaves. I never will write a novel. It's not me, but I will definately be returning to the Literatur haus with a notebook and pen and a friend.

The Hobby Shop

2005-10-25T10:13:00.000+02:00

Just taken the Elf to school and on the way home was distracted ( again ) by the hobby shop. This has to be one of the best shops on the planet and makes the biggest and best 'Paperchase' seem utterly dull in comparison. I don't have a hobby, but they have everything in here one could possibly want for any hobby you might, or might never want to do. You can easily lose a morning in here as I have just done, thinking you have a hobby and need many things for that hobby. It's a bit like when you go into Ikea for one item only and come out with enough stuff to fill a truck. So, I am happily at home now with a bag of hobbys to join the others I purchased earlier and now must crack on with more studying.......or maybe I should just make that cloud covered, mosaic, self-moulded, purplecandle? Later.......

Ich bin Studentin

2005-10-24T21:33:00.000+02:00

Yes I have spent the whole day, yes the WHOLE day with my German books. A few minor distractions only:

1) Dying some clothes black. ( 15 mins)
2) Finding winter clothes box in storage somewhere in flat ( 30 mins)
3) Blog reading ( 30 mins)
4) Learning German online research ( 1 hour)
5) Short lunchbreak to Lenzig cafe ( 45 mins)
6) Mobile shop to find out why mobile won't send messages? ( 20 mins)
7) Picking up the Elf ( 1 hour)

Have confused my brain with der, die, dem, den and das and wonder why there need to be so many variations for "the". I am dreading tomorrow because I have set myself the task to tackle the word " one".

Onwards....

Words of the day: I am a student?

Sunday

2005-10-23T19:58:00.000+02:00

Rain, rain pouring rain, beautiful skies and wet pavements. Wandered along the river and into a fabulous museum. The Pergammon. This was a typical sunday. Feel like I'm in France ( the markets and the buskers) or Italy ( the flats and the church bells) but not Germany. Going with the flow but today miss all you lovely friends!

Word of the day: regen ( yes, you guessed it.......rain)

Lost in the Rathaus

2005-10-21T22:27:00.000+02:00

Spent the morning with the lovely Macedonian.....happy to have finally found a friend to lead me astray. Then to register at the Rathaus ( town hall) for residency, of which you are supposed to do within three months of being in the country. For me that is next week and after this mornings trial I feel sure that they will very soon have me on a flight back to London. I arrived at the rathaus, elf in tow, and was unable to get in the door due to to salvation army band and its followers. Stood in the rain for ten minutes listening, or tying not to, and then fought my way into rathaus amongst 100 pensioners. Having found my way to correct room practising sentence all the way. "Ich brauch ein Stempel für meinen Anmeldung" ( I need a stamp for my registration) I utter my sentence to the receptionist. She shrugs and points in another direction. I repeat sentence to various people in the room and land with a woman who asks me lots of questions and even though I understand nothing I nod furiously. This seems to be happening alot lately. It must be the English in me trying to be polite and amenable all the time. It really isn't helping just now though. Anyway, I left with no stamp and all papers back in my hand and the woman saying Früh alot. Feeling despondent I went to the market and bought lots of vegetables I didn't really need because at least I know how to ask for those and the market seller looked very happy when I parted with 20 euros worth of stuff.

Words of the day: ratty rathaus

Ring the bloody bell...

2005-10-20T22:25:00.000+02:00

Starting to really like it here..... Spent yesterday searching for a yoga class that wasn't to pop music or involving an hour of chanting and horrible biscuits after ( My experience so far). Eventually found the lovely ashtangayogaberlin after much searching. A small poster on a gate with locked door and buzzer. Buzzer lead me into huge courtyard which lead into another and another. The door at the back clearly locked and no-one in?
Flustered woman appears from behind on bike, "Du müsst klingen"
I must what?? Anyway after much exasperation because quite clearly the woman thinks I am thick, she rings a bell, we enter. She rings the next bell...we enter, the next we take off our shoes and then I am greeted by Robert in his flat, and lead into the back room where six or seven people are happily contorted into positions I have truly never seen anyone in before. Overwhelmed? Yes! but having got so far I was not going to leave. I fought with my stiff hips for an hour or so and left commiting myself to at least two classes a week. Then happily stuffed myself with three croissants at HäckesherHof and spent the afternoon contemplating the German language. Starting to realise why people stare so much. I have only recently realised that I am forever muttering beginnings of German phrases in the hope that one day soon they will stick.

Best phrase so far: Kanst du mit mir sprechen ( Can you talk to me?)

Lollipop Kids

2005-10-18T18:03:00.000+02:00

Decided this week that it is time to embrace the whole living in Germany experience. Need to learn German ( obviously), eat sausages and continue to try my hand at driving on the other side of the road. Having passed my test 20 years ago and not driven since except for on a very quiet straight road in New Zealand I am terrified and I must admit have been putting it off. I am after all driving a big English left hand drive car and have often been doing so in the school rush hour. Children, bicycles and cars parked all over the place, very narrow streets, roadworks, Mr F in the seat next to me and me feeling like I've done a days workout at the gym, sweating buckets and swearing I will never get back in the car again. That was three weeks ago so is time to have another go? Tomorrow, or tomorrow, or tomorrow.
In Berlin you don't get those lovely jolly lollipop ladies ( remember them?). Instead you get very efficient looking seven year olds from the local schools who run into the road and shout at all the drivers and pedestrians........Frei.......Nicht Frei and anyone who dares park in the school bus lane gets a real bollocking. So, off to brush up on the German guide to road signs......

Word of the day: Halt!

Dogs....

2005-10-17T20:10:00.000+02:00

Have spent the last two weeks in London so have developed blog neglect, but I am now officially purplemafling as I have managed to snaffle it from another blogster. ( Don't ask)
So London time was filled with seeing all the lovely friends and being constantly reminded of all the things I miss: tea with normal milk as opposed to UHT crap or hot frothy stuff you get here, the view over Waterlo Bridge, Brockwell park, book shops and of course the friends! However, I came back with a bag full of black dye ( sorry shark got the last packets) and chocolate hobnobs for the Elf's teacher. So feeling much more at home now back in the warmth of the Berlin flat.
Yesterday went to the Grünewald with F and the elf......very beautiful except for the discovery that we were in the restricted area for dogs only. Walking, or trying to in the forest with 300 dogs yapping and licking your legs is not nice. Perhaps though I should get one as it might help me pick up a few friends. Never did like them much though. Might settle for a couple of fish, or a floor to ceiling tropical fishtank as wall divide between bedroom and living room. That sounds more like it. The Marriott hotel here has the biggest free standing fishtank in the world. Dead cool. The lift goes up in the middle of it...

Word of the week: London
Word of the day: Hund