Visitors

Recently returned from seeing two of my favourite visitors to Berlin. Yes, you guessed correctly. Jan and Arancha. They came for Jan's mother's birthday and arrived yesterday evening. Stayed at sister Andrea's flat and after a lazy and late breakfast decided to get into motion.

They called me from the airport yesterday evening and agreed they would call me when they entered the day. I know them well enough not to plan anything the evening before:-)  And so they called me and we agreed to meet at 2.00pm. Later I got an SMS to make it 2.30pm. Nothing has changed!

So I went to S-Bahn Hackescher Markt and waited for them on the platform. They duly arrived and I took a shot of the happy couple. They actually did look very happy, relaxed and healthy. Jan had a slight suntan from his recent skiing holiday which went well with his short blonde beard! Arancha looked radiant after her trips to the north of Italy and academic conferences.

We decided to look around the Markt and I told them I used to work in two buildings there. I took a shot of them against a building painted yellow. It used to belong to The British Council and I worked in the Teaching Centre for years. It was closed as the emphasis moved to China and new teaching programmes there.

The other was of a building opposite. This is where I found my first teaching job in Berlin. The school had two floors in the building owned by a publishing company. It had been founded by a group of ex-academics from Humbolt University. I immediately felt at home.There is now an Italian restaurant on the ground floor - as you can see in the photo.  Happy memories of a time when all was new in Berlin and before I met Jan and his family.

We settled on a restuarant under the railway bridge. We caught up on latest news while sipping some beers, or in my case a glass of red wine with veggie soup! We talked about future plans for I would like to visit them in Den Haag. Now I have a better idea of who will be where at what time.

We left to head east. Me for my home and they towards mother's where Kaffee und Kuchen und Abendessen was waiting for them. Wonderful to see them again and looking well and happy. They really made my weekend!

Early presents

Yesterday I got a shock. In the afternoon my doorbell rang and Mr Postie announced I had a parcel. I signed for it and wondered what it could be. It was an early birthday present. Actually this is the earliest birthday present I have ever had = 10 weeks early!

It was from Ian and Birgit in deepest-down-under Sydney. I think they are moving into the end of summer as we are moving into the end phase of winter. Having written that, it is snowing at the moment and more is forecast for tomorrow :-)

They sent me two books to help improve my photographic skills. One is called 'The Weekend Photographer' and each image has details of camera, lens, settings, flash or not, focal length and tripod used or not. Great - just what I need!

The second book is 'Digital Landscape Photography'. It has lots of technical information about an image, including processing and even if changed and how in Photoshop. Wonderful presents. Many thanks to both and I have lots of homework to do.

Newsflash: I am listening to ABC Classic FM (which I often do). The news report is warning of heavy rain and floods around Sydney! Wow - but that is an abrupt end to summer! Take care Ian and Birgit. That also goes for Daniel who lives in Sydney.

Genosse J

I have a new title. I am a Genosse (comrade). When I moved to my present flat I had to join the housing association which owned the property. No problem. I joined a Wohnungs-Genossenschaft and told people I was now a Genosse.

They smiled and said, 'Yes' in a way that said,'Yes and No'. I asked a few people about this and they said this form of address was usually used in a political sense and not for being a member of a housing association. 

At the end of January 2013, I joined the Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschland. In short the SPD. If you remember, I posted information on my blog last September that I would look for a political party after becoming a German citizen.

I spend a number of months attending meetings in two parties and finally chose the SPD. I now have a membership book and card. I was also invited to a wide range of meetings and events in the last few weeks. Lots of things to learn. Welcome Genosse John!

India and ODs

In a short time the television station ARTE is to show the Richard Attenborough film called Gandhi. I read it and groaned -again. The film blurb says it is a biography from 1982. I am in it for a few seconds and as a face in the crowd!

The film opens with Gandhi's funeral procession along Jan Path. In the background is Rashtrapati-Bhavan = The Presidents Palace. I remember shuffling into that area in autumn 1981 and standing on the left side of the street as you see it from the camera angle. My family connection with India does not begin there.

In 1919, great uncle Sir Michael O'Dwyer sat in Lahore and ruled Punjab as Governor-General. He received orders from the government in New Delhi not to tolerate a wave of strikes and unrest in support of an independent India. He called his military boss General Dyer and told him to stop a demonstration planned in Amritser. It was in Jullianwallah Bagh, a large open but walled-in market/garden area in the centre of the city with only one entrance and exit.

General Dyer set off with troops, armoured vehicles and machine guns and confronted thousands of demonstrators in the garden. He ordered his troops to open fire. It was a massacre. Many people died. It has been called the beginning of the end of English rule in India. I think there is some truth in that claim!

Uncle Michael was sent back to England where he lived a nice life with his wife in their villa in Surrey. With little else to do, he researched then wrote a book. It is the history of my family and how we lost our lands, estates and castles in a district of Tipperary. I have read the book and made notes to guide me when I tour the area at the beginning of May this year.

Many years later an Indian man joined his staff and when there was a meeting with leading politicians in Sir Michael's house he took out a pistol, killed Sir Michael and a few others. He was later hanged and at his trial it was discovered that as a child he survived the massacre in 1919. It was his revenge. Now to watch the film again!

Workshop and AGM

Yesterday I went to workshop given by Scott Thornbury. He is something of a star in the world of English Teaching as a Foreign Language. He is very entertaining as well as informative, so you learn a lot as well as having more than a few smiles and feeling good at the end.

It was about language and the body. He is writing a book on the topic. Why do we teach languages to people in a classroom with them sitting down and not moving? I have hardly ever done this and certainly not since the advent of PC/laptop and projector which allows students to move in terms of making their own presentations. Must have been doing something right without knowing I was on the cutting edge of teacher theory and technology:-)

Then we had a nice lunch of veggie soup. We checked to make sure there was no horse meat in it! Who is we? We is .... members of The English Language Teachers' Association of Berlin and Brandenberg. ELTABB for short. I co-founded it nearly twenty years ago. I think there will be a big party to celebrate the event in December of this year.

After lunch we settled down to our AGM. Lots of business items such as finance, planning, events, legal requirements to be met and then electing a new board. It was a pleasant afternoon with some good presentations about the state of the association.

We even got four new, younger members to take positions on the board. Membership is also at a record high. The situation looks good for this year and we decided to open corporate membership. We've come a long way since I opened my flat to host the first meeting.

I noticed that I now have an 'older statesman reverence' when people approach me to talk about the organisation. Not sure I am happy with that - still thinking about it!

Bethany

Now for a story to warm your heart this cold, northern hemisphere winter day. My nephew Jefferson and wife Leanne have produced another marvel. A little girl called Bethany. She arrived on Saturday 6th February at 6:08am weighing in at a healthy 7lb-11oz. Isn't is nice that the English still keep the Imperial System?

The good news is that Mum and baby are happy and healthy. The proud father shared the news a few days ago with a file under the title winmail.dat. I can't open it. I use an iMac and have even downloaded other programmes to try to open it - alas without success. I say that for I guess it contained a super photo of Bethany sleeping in Leanne's arms.

When I get a photo I can open I shall share it with you so we can all look at it and say, 'Aaaaah...Ooooh..isn't she wonderful!!  I'm hoping to see her with her big sister and brother when I visit this June. Keep watching for more news! Meanwhile, here are a few flowers just for Bethany - and Mutti!

Maces

What is the plural of a mace? If it were a joke you would say 'mices', but it is maces. What is a mace? It is not something the 'normal' person ever puts on the weekly shopping list!

It stems from the 'Middle Ages' - or even earlier - when men (no women allowed!) had one to show off their status as a king or something stupid like that. Later they were made of gold and encrusted with jewels to show off how much loot the man had stashed/robbed/stolen. In those days they didn't have a Rolls-Royce car to perform the same task.

When men form a procession these days, led by a man holding a mace, we usually associate this with a mayoral procession. All the men like to wear strange clothes, based on flowing robes like those worn by 'starlets' or 'personalities'. The tradition is also strong in the church and legal profession where men like to dress up in clothes one normally associates with women. In the legal profession they even wear white wigs.

Who is this person holding a mace - or even about to make off with it?  It is my sister Pauline! Amazing but true. Another pic is of her with the local mayor. He appears to have two maces! Check out his outfit. Don't the English just love to dress up!  I recently got an e-mail from someone, not in the UK, who asked me, "Is this your sister?" I answered, "Yes, it is - and how did you find it?"

It was posted online in a picasa web-file with many others. They showed some kind of ceremony at the Anglican Church in Cherry Hinton - which I am sure you all know is in the east of Cambridge, where Pauline lives. So what do you think about that, Frances and Barbara? Strange world isn't it?

Peeling

More adventures about my placards. As you can see, I am now peeling! Variations could be that I am peeled off, peeling off the poster board,  peeling down, need more glue, glue wasn't strong enough.

I checked the word to peel, and can happily report that it is usually used to describe the act of removing the outer skin of fruit with a knife, or skin after a long day in the sun.

 I wonder how many other placards are 'peeling me off''.  This one was found in my district near to the railway repair yards.

Thanks to all who added a comment, phoned, sent e-mails and talked to me in person about my picture on placards. Most were of the opinion that I should have got more money. I immediately agreed!

ikea

Last Thursday, Silke and I met up and she drove me to IKEA. The company opened a large store in the north of the district where I live and I had never been there. I needed a replacement for my old 'Billy' bookcase. I am sure you will find one in every second house in Europe!

As you probably know, you find what you want on display, go to a large warehouse in the store, put it on a trolley, pay for it and try to get it in your car. We eventually did all that but started with lunch. The stores have large canteen style restaurants offering meals at a reasonable price. Nice.

After nearly getting lost and going the wrong way along the arrows on the paths, we found what I wanted. I didn't really like the new 'Billy' and then looked around the corner. There was another kind of display case smiling at me. I smiled back:-)  After paying for it and about to leave the store, we found a "Hot-Dog-Station".

I stared in disbelief. This is just another example of someone in an advertising department/agency who failed English at school but comes up with new 'Dinglish'. Speakers of good German do not like this at all! I don't either.  Since when did a 'Hot-Dog' have a station? Perhaps there is a 'Mustard Platform' somewhere in the store - but we couldn't find it!

More me

Silke was on her bike heading somewhere and found these new placards of me used to advertise red wine from Saxony. Oh, no! Now I am on the side of a 'Müllwagen' - Refuse Truck!

 I am sure I know where all the locations are. So far they have been found in two districts to the east of the city. That makes sense for this is where people originally from Saxony mainly now live.

The railway platform advert is on the Lichtenberg line and the othe is near to S-Bahn Rummelsburg. I used to work nearby, so I recognised it immediately. At least you can see a bit more of the city, Frances and Barbara :-)

I believe the adverts will continue until the end of February. Although I could not buy a luxury car, at least I got some money and used it to cover my Dublin costs. Think positive!

Spending

I have been spending money! Yesterday evening I booked my flight to Dublin for my birthday in early May. I then booked a hotel in Dublin for my first evening. I needed wheels, so I booked a small Ford to pick up at the airport.

I shall drive to our old family lands of Kilmananagh, County Tipperary, in the south west of the Republic. I plan to tour around and look at our ruined castles and find some new relatives:-) Should be an interesting time. I shall also take lots of photos to share with you.  Other images are of a ticket to the Schubert evening last Friday, programmes about future concerts I plan to go to and special purchases today.

I bought a copy of a recent film celebrating the centenary of Kathleen Ferrier's birth. The other is a copy of her complete EMI recordings. I shall reserve both for a time when I can relax, listen, and sip a nice glass of red. Perhaps a glass of Saxony Curvee!

Even more spending: I went to see the new Tarrantino film called Django this afternoon. Over the top as usual - go and see it. Coming up is a new tripod with Silke's help and a trip to ikea with her on Thursday. After this there will be a period of stringent saving!