February 2013

Moving into a new month and leaving one that has seen lots of snow and minus temperatures. Even so, I enjoyed January with many things the same and new events such as trips, meetings, concerts. My mind is increasingly moving to Spring and planning events then.

I have joined a new group of seniors who meet once a month. This includes discussions and going on excursions later when it is warmer. I'm looking forward to that. I'm going to a concert tomorrow evening and will have a drink with Angelika - after she has stopped playing the viola!

Mid-month I am going to an exhibition of theatrical/film costumes with Silka. Would never think about going to such an event on my own, but it sounds interesting. I'll probably post a report to my blog. I've just noted I have three concerts/operas for next month. Busy musical boy!

Who has a birthday in February? Sven starts the month with his 37th on the 1st of February in Berlin. My dearest and oldest friend Alan hits the big 70 on 3rd February. Sure to be lots of visitors, cards and calls to Cas on that day. Wish I could be there! Jens celebrates his 43rd on the 5th, my 'boss' Dr. Ingeborg Pardon has her 65th on the 18th, Eleonora will celebrate her 54th in Berlin on the 22nd, with no doubt lots of calls from Hungary, Adrian in London will enjoy his 53rd on the 25th with Tanja, Frau Reimer will sip a glass of something in Rostock to enjoy her 87th on the 27th, and Peter in Australia will be 33 on the 28th - a day he shares with Ralf who will celebrate his 48th here in Berlin. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EACH AND ALL!

More Placards

Just look at my last but one post. It was about the photo of me with a bottle of red wine from Saxony. I told you it had been taken by Silke at the Saxony Photograph Exhibition. See that post.

I also told you that Silke had been in discussion with an advertising agency and they accepted the first image to put on a placard. We found that and I told you where it was in Berlin.  See that post. I also said I was wondering whether to buy a Bentley or a Rolls-Royce. A nice idea!

I decided on a Rolls-Royce given my age, and that the car looks like an up-market large SUV, but now I am not sure. I met Silke yesterday evening at an event at the Town Hall and she said she was still in discussion with the agency about how many placards they could use, and the price for each one.

She also advised me to cancel the Rolls-Royce for it would appear I would not be a new millionaire given the details of the advertising contract. It seems that I come last on the list of payments after a lot of other people. Even Silke will get more than me when the pay-out starts! Why do I get the least when I am on the photo/image?

Here you can see more images of me, and the wine from Saxony, on different placards in different S-Bahn and U-Bahn stations in Berlin. When do I get some money?

Sailing

You can sail on water, and on ice! Don't you believe me? Have a look at these photos from and of Jan and Arancha. They went ice-sailing last weekend.

It looks like they had a great time. I think I would like it but don't know where I could do this around Berlin. I'll have to ask someone or check online.

Jan took the photos with his new camera then reduced in a programme to send as an e-mail attachment.

I wish a few more people would learn to do this :-) I don't think he cropped them. For example, in such a programme you can focus in on the ice-sail to crop, then reduce.

 Certainly an advance on the snip snap of the small digital cameras - or worse, the camera in a mobile phone.  More nice shots from you two, please!

Placard

Fame at last! I made it onto a placard in Berlin. It is in an area between where I live and where Silke lives. Opposite is a large railway area where trains are serviced, cleaned and repaired.

Silke took the photo of me last Monday evening. I was holding a bottle of delicious red wine from Saxony. See the last few posts. Now it has been used on placards and this is the first one. She must have sold it to agencies. Nice work Silke!

I am just waiting for news of where the rest of the placards will be. I wonder how much money I shall get from these advertisements? Should I order a Bentley or Rolls-Royce now - - or wait until the contract is signed? Decisions, decisions!

Den Haag News

Just got some really nice photos from Jan. I can see he is having fun with his new camera and even used a programme to reduce the photos.

He sent some of the weather in Den Haag. It looks like Berlin. Just lots of snow and very cold. Their car covered in snow, quiet deep snow covered streets and the best of all - yes, beer on the balcony in the snow so saving the cost of a fridge. Nice one, Jan!


They went to the Escher Museum in Den Haag. They didn't tell me about this when I was there! Jan gave me a book about the work of M.C. Escher many years ago, which I still value.  Who is he?

M.C. Escher, 1898 to 1872, was a Dutch graphic artist, but did much of his creative work when he lived in Italy with his wife and three sons. He moved back to the Netherlands just before the outbreak of war and continued his work.

He is famous for his mathematically inspired works, often showing impossible constructions. I am sure you must have seen some of his ideas/sketches somewhere without knowing who composed them. The next time I go to Den Haag I shall go to the museum and share the experience with you on my blog!

Sister P

I recently got a nice surprise packet from sister Pauline. You may be surprised to read that for I have only talked about 'little' sister Frances. I write this blog primarily for her and cousin Barbara. Actually I did originally, but it has now taken on a life of its own :-)

Pauline is one and a bit years younger than I am and lives in Cambridge with Lew. Even at school she showed a talent for reading and writing. Over the years this devoloped to the point where she is now an active member in a local poetry society.

 On my last visit to their home many years ago, I went with her to Grantchester on the River Cam south of the town. I was pleasantly surprised to land in the middle of her group's summer poetry picnic. I was very impressed by their hospitality and the quality of their prose. Happy memories.

She sent me a selection of poems to enjoy, and share with poetry fans in Berlin.Yes, I do know some in our teachers association.  Thanks P and see you mid-June in Cambridge. Until then, signing out with a big kissX.

Silke's View

I have just got a nice e-mail and photos from Silke. The pics were her selection of events from last night. I reduced them for this post and decided to share with you.

One is of me with a bottle of the wonderful red wine from Saxony - which neither of us knew about. She added a link to a wine web page where she had tracked it down, and yes, it is expensive! Since when was quality cheap?

Another is of the Elysee Treaty celebration of lights on the cathedrals I told you about in my last post. Note the great difference in her photos compared to mine. She had a wide range lens and a special filter for lights. You can see that clearly in her photos. There are some special programmes about this on the TV channel ARTE this evening.

The last image is of the road in front of my nice, warm little flat. I am happy to live on a one-way street with limited traffic and a large, quiet garden at the back. That quality makes up for the lack of quantity! 

PS: Details of the wine. 'Cuvee Sachsen', Rotwein QbA trocken, 0,75l  Staatsweingut, Schloss Wackerbarth. €14,35. Hope you can find a bottle and enjoy it!

Elysee Treaty

Silke and I headed off for an event to celebrate the Elysee Treaty. This was after we had persuaded each other to have another glass of the delicious red wine in the Saxony Exhibition. We told ourselves it was needed to keep out the cold!

We went two stops by U-Bahn to Stadtmittte, emerged into the freezing night, walked across the road and arrived at Gendarmenmarkt. This is a large square in the middle of Berlin off Friedrichstrasse. It is dominated by The German Cathedral on one side, and The French Cathedral on the other.

In the middle of the square is das Konzerthaus. I am going to a concert there next Sunday at 11:00 am and then for lunch nearby. They were all built around the same time and are on the list of places to visit  for all tourists to Berlin. It is a popular place in summer when the sun shines.

Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of The Elysee Treaty. I can hear some people in Silsden asking what it is. On 22 January 1963, Konrad Adenauer, Chancellor of West Germany met Charles de Gaulle, President of France in Paris. There they signed a Treaty of Friendship which set the seal of reconciliation between the two countries.

The treaty has shaped French-German relations at all levels ever since, and was celebrated by a light show on the two cathedrals yesterday evening. Silke wanted to record it by taking photographs and I happily went along. I had some problems with settings and darkness, but managed to get a few shots. Here they are to mark the founding of a remarkable and far reaching agreement many years ago.

Freistaat Sachsen

The State of Saxony/Freistaat Sachsen is in the middle-right of the Federal Republic of Germany. It shares its southern border with the Czech Republic and eastern border with the Polish Republic. Its capital is the city of Dresden. Well worth a visit!

Each state in the Federal Republic has a building in Berlin called a Landesvertretung. Think of it as a kind of embassy for there is nothing comparative in the UK, and many other countries. Silke was invited to the Sächsiche Landesvertretung and asked me to join her. I agreed immediately.

Why? Silke is registered as an official photographer with various organisation and groups. That is why she was invited to the Fotoausstellung 2012/Photo Exhibition called, 'Sachsen erleben'. Last year there was a competition organised by the Saxon Journalist Association / sächsischen Journalistenverband.

Member photographers were invited to submit photographs and a panel chose the best. These were on display yesterday evening. We arrived for the opening at 7.00 pm, mingled with other guests and wandered into another hall to see a large table set with water, juice, white and red wine. All produced in Saxony.

Being a cool evening (only -11°C outside!) we decided on a glass of red wine. The ideal choice. Silke rolled her eyes in pleasure as she took a sip. I followed. We looked at the label. Neither knew it, so came to the conclusion that the best wine was reserved for 'special occassions', and we had arrived in the right place:-)

There were speeches, snacks, and a very nice lady played the piano as we guests mingled, ate, drank, smiled, and exchanged polite greetings - then Silke and I had another glass of the delicious red! Took some photos, admired the work of the professionals from Saxony, then left for another appointment. More of that in my next post!

Workshop

I went to a workshop yesterday afternoon. It was called 'Task Based Language Teaching'. A task here is defined as the hundred and one things people do in everyday life, at work and at play and the bits in between. I didn't know I had been using this method, with others, for years!

It was given by a young 'rising star' in the ELT world, name of Dale Coulter. He recently moved to Berlin from Italy where he began to make a name for himself. He also hosts an interesting blog for English teachers.

Another reason to go was to practice using my camera. I took some shots to post to our English teacher association internet platform. I have just done that, and sent copies to Dale so he can use them on his site. This is my last year as a member of ELTABB. There is a time to start a thing and a time to leave.

I co-founded the organisation nearly twenty years ago, and I am approaching a big birthday, so it is a reason to fade out and let the younger members show their considerable talents. Of course, I shall be talking about events and posting photos during this year, but I have told the Board they will have to find another 'talented' photographer :-) No problem there!

I have a 'normal' week in front of me. The extra event is tomorrow evening when I meet Silke to go to an exhibition of photos. She's coming to pick me up and I shall have my camera with me, so perhaps I shall be able to share some interesting images with you.

Turnhalle

Yesterday evening I finally found The Turnhalle and saw Andrea inside reading a book while waiting for me. It was our late Christmas meeting. She was visiting friends and went to a wedding in London so we couldn't meet then.  Better late than never!

Meeting at The Turnhalle for a chat, meal and drink was Andrea's choice. She knows it well and is not far away from where she lives. It is also near her Fitness Centre. The Turnhalle was built in 1953, as was its school.

It was designed by an architect from Switzerland who moved to East Germany just after it was founded. It is opposite a large school which was converted to private flats in 2003. The Turnhalle was turned into a restaurant. What is a Turnhalle? It is a gymnasium (sport) attached to a school.

A very pleasant evening catching up on news, enjoying tasty food, and sipping a tasty Rioja red wine. Andrea is planning to buy a camera soon, so I let her play around with mine. Here are a few photos including a very nice one of Andrea - which I took!

Hits

A short time ago, I registered to update my blog and was surprised that I had a new record. The statistics said I had 15030 page views = hits. When I posted the one before 'Oz sun', I had 14860 hits.

This means some of you were busy little 'hitters' in the days following New Year.  It would be nice if you added a comment via the open comment link. I am sure other readers would be interested in what others thought about particular posts.

Of course, I know this number of hits is nothing compared to the billions/millions per day registered by Google or Yahoo or Microsoft, but for my little family blog it shows that I have a small but loyal following. Quality is better than quantity!

Now to post a couple of pics of flowers for all of you to enjoy. I got them from Ian and Birgit to brighten up our north-European winter. Thanks!

Oz sun

Ian made a gift of some Oz sun this morning. Just what we need at the moment. Here is a shortened version of his news --

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G'day John.
It's been very pleasant for the last month with hot sun but cool breezes off the sea. However today Sydney joined the rest of Oz in the furnace - 43 degrees C.

Lots of bush fires because the last few winters have been quite wet and the summers mild by Oz standards - therefore lots of undergrowth to fuel really hot blazes waiting for a moron with a ciggie.

I know you like posting blumchen piccies for your loyal readers: thought I would send you some from Down Unda to help relieve the gloom of mid-winter up there.
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Isn't that great! Many thanks Ian from me and my loyal readers. Your house looks even nicer in the sun and surrounded by flowers. I like the way you have made a garage of the flowers/branches for your car :-)

Nice things

Last Friday I got a lot of nice things. Just look at these chocolates. A present from Marcel's parents. Mmmmmh quality and delicious! The finest chocolate with various fillings containing different liquers. Nice.

It was very hard not to stuff them into my mouth one after the other. I promise you that I disposed of these delights over three days --- and not in three minutes!



The other pleasures were fine bottles of wine. All of them were presents and came with quality markings. I still have them in my fridge and wonder when I shall open them. Perhaps next Saturday when Marga visits me before we go to Köpenick for a meeting with my Muggelsee Gang.

I also got a surprise note from Andrea. It contained two photos of me with her and Jan. She thinks it was taken in 1995 or 96. Wow - but just look how much hair I had and it is not grey! I put the photos into the album where I have two others from this time. 

The other nice surprise was a packet sent by cousin Barbara. I had sent her some money and a request that she buy me a CD I could not get in Berlin. It will be available in a couple of months but I could not wait so long. I mentioned it on my blog before and as I write these words I am listening to it.

It is delight to the ears. I particularly like track 4. It lasts for 6 minutes and  59 seconds. It is called ' Fra l'ambre e gl' orrori' His voice goes from tenor to somewhere deep in the basement. I have never heard such a bass range before. It makes my toenails curl up! I just have to listen again - and again. How does he do it?

Perhaps I made a mistake stopping my piano lessons and leaving the choir when I was fourteen. Did I really have musical talents? I shall never know. But I still love such music. Thanks Mr Skull, my music teacher. And keep playing that flute, Marcel!

Goodbye

Heike and I said goodbye to Marcel this morning. She picked me up at 5.45am as arranged and we set off for Berlin Hbf. It was interesting to drive through the city centre at that time and see it slowly waking up into the first work day after the holidays.

Marcel told me what he had done since I last saw him. The main thing yesterday was seeing the film Der Hobbit. He said he really liked it and the new 3D technology. We parked under the station so were at platform 2 in good time.

Some smiles and jokes before the final embraces, then he stepped into the carriage. Doors slammed, the whistles sounded and the train slowly pulled away. Final waves and a feeling of sadness that he was leaving. He has a lot to learn this year starting with more German to pass the university entrance exam. Arrive home safely, Marcel!

January 2013

And so we are on day one of a new year. I am busy reflecting on the old one. The dominant memories and images are of my visit to Shirley in Florida. How often have they returned to my thoughts since then! It was a once in a life experience. Thanks again, Shirley.

The next big thing was the arrival of Marcel in Berlin just one week before my flight to England. I really enjoyed meeting him, then getting to know him better on my return. He really is a remarkable young man and a credit to how his parents have brought him up. They deserve a medal!

Other highlights were travel to other countries in Europe, seeing Jan and Arancha in Den Haag, taking on new teaching contracts and discovering there was a market for 'Oldies' like me. Nice! Plus meeting and keeping in contact with old friends and family.

Tomorrow morning Heike and I will take Marcel to the railway station for his return journey to Budapest after which 'normal' life kicks in! Later I start teaching and in the evening a journey to the east of Berlin to meet a very nice couple in a restaurant of their choice. And so the new year starts very similar to how the old one left off!

Who has a birthday in January 2013? Peter hits 54 in Canterbury on the 5 January and that evening I shall be at Kristi's birthday party in Berlin. Daniel in Brazil celebrates his 28th on the 8 Jan - think of us all in Berlin, Daniel. Hannelore slips into 70 on the 13th and I hope to see her and Peter at their home near Nice in September. Harald celebrates his 49th on the 21st January, Dr. Peter von LL celebrates his 29th on 24 January just before Paul Bateson celebrates his 28th birthday on 27 Jan. with family and friends in New Zealand.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EACH AND ALL - Have a great day!

New Year

I celebrated New Year with Marga. We went to Heike's house where there is an interesting collection of family members living under one very large roof. It was Marga's first visit but she soon settled in.

She got on 'like a house on fire' with Heike and her mother. She met brother Jan, and his two sons who also live there, Heike's son and the family dog and two cats! One brother was missing. And of course, she met Marcel again.


She had bought a book with CDs for preparation to pass an exam allowing access to a German university. Just the thing for he recently failed the entrance exam and needs to work on his German to take the exam again and so start studying in Berlin from October this year. I took a few photos and like this the best!

Heike and her mum had worked hard and prepared a large buffet so that all could just take what they wanted when they wanted. A nice idea and it worked! I sampled a couple of delicious things. One from Russia and one from Sweden. An international array of foods, which represents the openness of the family to people from other countries and cultures.  The photos covers only about a quarter of what was on the table!

I finally got all present to pose for a photograph. That was an interesting experience. So many heads moving at different speeds and directions but I managed to get a couple of shots. Here is one. I had a really pleasant time slipping from one year into the next and hope you did too.

HAPPY NEW YEAR. GOOD LUCK and GOOD HEALTH in 2013!