New Year 2017

Eddie the Teddy came to visit me this afternoon. He said, "You haven't updated your blog for the New Year". I replied, "I know but I don't know of anything original to say". Eddie stared at me and then said in a louder voice, " Original! You don't have to be original. Just say what everyone says at this time of year regardless of language."

I stared back as I though about his wise words then Eddie said, "Relax, I'll do it." So here is the New Year Message from Eddie the Teddie and me: " Happy New Year/ ein glückliches neues Jahr/ feliz Ano Nuevo."  Have a great time wherever you are :-)) Eddie nibbled a few nuts then disappeared as quickly as he had arrived. Thanks Eddie!

In a short time I am off to spend the evening with my Kowalke Gang. I am sure there will be nice things to nibble and sip. At midnight I shall be with Marita. We shall sit in her terrace facing the garden and watch people setting off fireworks. We shall then wish each other a Healthy New Year. Health is now the key word for me.

Lunch Together

Yesterday saw a special event. It was lunch. I can hear you asking what is special about that for we have it each day! Yesterday was the first time The Family met my Kowalke Gang. Now that was a special event!

It started at 12.15 when I waited for the family outside the SB station where I live. Of course I expected them to be late. They always are although each now has a watch. Interesting that only Mama was wearing one yesterday! I called them on my mobile and shouted at them to 'MOVE IT'!! They did and we jumped onto a tram and headed north.

Son2 sat next to me so on the way I gave him a number of mathematical calculations to do -- in German -- and he got most right. We arrived at our destination only 15 minutes late and there was a big warm welcome for each of us. Coats and shoes off before marching into the dining room and were seated as the first of three courses arrived. This was a tasty spicy tomato soup - as you can see from the photo.

This was followed by rice and two chicken dishes and consumed with lots of talking and getting to know you. The children did really well in German and my Gang was impressed by how quickly they had learnt (US spelling = learned!). After a brief break the puddings arrived. Yes, more than one. Chocolate pudding, ice cream, fresh fruit salad and this was followed by tea and wine for those who wanted a glass. I put my hand up immediately!

We then decided to pose for a group photograph and you can see the result here. As we relaxed after lunch, Son 2 said he wanted to learn how to box like his big brother is doing. I told him to defend himself to see how much he knew. I got a punch through - as you can see. After a bit more shadow boxing he surprised me with a punch. Just look at the smile on his face :-))

We said our goodbyes to the Kowalke Gang and took a tram home. We bought a few things the family needed at a local shop. Guess what? Hair creme for Son1 and bags of crisps for all. Nice! Happy goodbyes and I walked home with a warm glow when I thought about our first lunch meeting.  I hope there will be one at their first flat.  If they get one, or can stay here, remains to be seen!

Big Smiles

The Family came to my place on Christmas Eve, arriving just after 3.30pm. It was a double celebration for Son1 was 16 on that day. We start with a photo of him looking very 'grown up'. I had loaded the table with cakes, tea and lots of soft drinks, but before they could 'tuck in' they had something to do.

I put the children in a row and gave Son1 a knife. He had to open my cards and give them to Son2. He had to scan the text and announce the name of the person/family who had sent the card. That done, he had to give the card to sister. She then had to put it on one of two flat places I had prepared. They enjoyed this activity and everyone broke out into BIG smiles!

Then they could tuck into round 1 of cakes and drinks. After that it was time to celebrate 'The Birthday'. We all sang 'Happy Birthday To You' then I gave him my present. A card with some money inside. He really smiled at that! More cakes and soft drinks before we moved to the seasonal part of our meeting.

The parents asked me questions about Christmas and the different kinds of cards I had received. Some with Christian images, but most without. I explained the tradition and differences. The children listened with great interest. Then it was time to give them Christmas presents. I gave the family a hairdryer. They had earlier told me they needed one so it was not a difficult choice.

Next were presents for the children. These included a shawl for the daughter plus three notebooks. Then I distributed other presents sent by Paul from my Tuesday Gang. The main gift was a selection of wristwatches. They were very surprised by this for only Mama had a watch. Now she has two! The boys immediately went for the two blue 'sporty' watches and a big silver one. Papa took the traditional silver one with a black strap and daughter took the small silver one.

Here you can see the family posing with the hairdryer, the watches and with big smiles. Again a break for more cakes and fruit-jelly puddings before the final share out. I got them to stand in a line and handed out cards to each. At the command 'GO' they opened their card and read the message. Lots of raised eyebrows before huge smiles broke out on happy faces.

Peter L. had transferred money to my bank account as a Christmas present for the family. On each card I wrote a message then the words, 'Credit of €40.-' From this you can work out the total Peter sent to me. I told the family they could not have it in cash. They would have to tell me what they wanted, such as clothes, boots, school things, then we shall go to the shop and buy them. I would keep the receipt to later show Peter how his donation had been spent. They happily accepted that.

The evening ended with them packing their presents, the rest of the food/drinks they had not consumed and saying goodbye with even bigger smiles! We are meeting on Thursday to go to some of my friends for lunch. Looking forward to that and I shall of course share the happy event with you on my blog :-)))

Seasons Greetings

The writing and sending of birthday and Christmas cards is still part of the English tradition and more so than in Germany. I do not know if this will end because of teenagers staring into smart phones all day. UK reports are not good. Schoolchildren in Brexitland are now way down the international list for reading, writing, maths etc Perhaps they will be top in looking at smart phones for 16 hours per day. Let's wait and see.

I really enjoy selecting cards and writing messages and comments for recipients on birthdays and at Christmas. I equally enjoy receiving cards. This Christmas I got just over thirty. A real pleasure to open, read and then display. I particularly like getting cards with photos and/or news of families with children. You can read about progress in school, music, sports and if photos are attached you can see how they are growing.

All of this happened yesterday as I emerged into the 25th December. In the afternoon I took a tram then a U-Bahn then a Regional Bahn and emerged in Bernau. It is a town north of Berlin and I used to work there. I have happy memories of that time. I arrived to find a two hour wait for a bus and no taxi outside the station.

I set off to walk to the specialist heart hospital in the town before noticing a taxi had arrived. I ran back to the station and jumped into the taxi. Five minutes later I was in the hospital and taking the lift to a ward to visit Oldie H. Yes, another stay in hospital and another heart attack. It had happened six days before.

I was pleased to see him looking better than I expected.We talked about many things including his health and future plans.. On the return journey knew I had made the right decision to visit the hospital. There I saw how staff looked after patients in the best tradition of care which you can argue is also part of the Christmas message. An unusual Christmas Day for me. Seeing the cards again made me feel better when I returned home. Thanks to all who sent them and your messages :-))

Very Happy

I am very, very happy! The last few days have been great starting with Marcel and lunch which I told you about in my last post. Yesterday morning I had a long lazy breakfast with Johanna then The Family arrived at my place at 3.30pm, as agreed. I'll tell you more about that in a later post. I have some really nice photos to share with you and you can see how relaxed and happy they were.

Christmas Day morning started with happy memories of their visit in my head as I sipped green tea for breakfast. I followed that with ironing clothes then got ready for the day. I looked at all my cards and enjoyed reading greetings and news. A warm happy feeling grew as I read all.

I called a few people then it was 12.00 noon. Time to put something in a glass and toast all my family and friends all over the planet. It is now a Christmas ritual. One card really made my smile. It is of Rudolph on a beach with Santa Claus. I really like how the artist created the caricature of both. Rudolph asks Santa, "And what's it called now?" As you can read, Santa says, "Burn out"! I think both have earned this time to relax :-))

The other card is about Neil Deane's new book. It is his third and comes online to purchase, or from a bookshop, at the start of January. I got an early copy which arrived yesterday. Neil was born in Liverpool and his books are very funny as he recounts his experiences of growing up there and later in Germany. I've known him for years and it is always great to meet him. He talks as he writes so there are always lots of smiles and laughs.

The new book is called 'Liverpool: gateway to heaven and hell. A personal odyssey'. It only costs €19.90 which is about 15 pounds sterling so it is well within your budget for the new year! The ISBN number is 978-3-86460-573-4. A must read for those Brits who have not been to Germany as well as for those who have for you can then compare your experiences with those of Neil :-))

Marcel Lunch

The medicine has worked. The coughing, sneezing and sleepless nights are now history. This week I even went to two extra training sessions to get my body ready for skiing. Tough, but I always feel better after. I went to an Oldie Christmas Party on Monday afternoon. Finished the last English for Oldies lesson on Tuesday before going to my local SPD Oldie Christmas Party at 3.00pm. I got to chat with the Mayor again. She's really nice and will be the new Deputy Mayor at the start of January.

On Wednesday I visited my dentist. The annual check and paperwork update. I needed work on some roots but all went okay. I did some shopping on Thursday and went to Kerstin's Keep-Fit for Oldies this morning. Lots of talking about Christmas preparations and grandchildren as we trained. After that I set off to meet Marcel at Friedrichstraße U&S.Bahn. I arrived at 1.30pm as agreed, then my mobile rang.

It was Jan! Wippee! He was calling from Amsterdam airport. I was so pleased that he had thought about me before getting into the plane to Madrid. Heading north from there to spend the holiday with Arancha and family. Just at that moment Marcel arrived looking very well and happy. I put the mobile into his hand and said,"Guess who this is?" He quickly switched into Hungarian as he realised he was talking to Jan. I watched with pride as they used a language they both have in common. Jan speaks 6 and Marcel 3 languages. What talent!

We then walked over the River Spree to a restaurant Marcel wanted to visit for our Christmas meeting. It was my first visit but I had heard about it before. It specializes in German dishes and black-white photos of the 'old days' of East and West Germany. They also sell very good beer from Köln - Cologne. We ordered lunch and then caught up on news. He is flying to Budapest early tomorrow for a holiday with his family.

My present for him was to be the meal but he refused this and said I had to buy him something different, interesting and that he could use. I agreed, so I now have a few weeks to think what that could be. He had bought me a Christmas present and insisted I open it after the meal.

I did so and was surprised to discover a goblet......but not in crystal! He said I had to use it every time I had a glass of something.  His idea of an unusual and creative gift. Thanks Marcel ... I must find something appropriate for you for our next meeting!! Have a great time with your family and thanks for today.

Tissue Time

Since my last post the cold has really taken over. I had a terrible weekend. No medicine and I could not sleep in bed. I sat in an armchair with a blanket and dozed. My head hurt, eyes hurt and I filled a plastic bag with used tissues. On Sunday I tried to doze and managed a few hours of sleep. This time in bed but propped up by lots of pillows.

Monday morning saw me at the Docs where I got antibiotic tablets and cough medicine. Things have slowly improved since then. A number of times I wondered what would have happened if I had had this bad winter cold a few thousand years ago! No Docs and no medicine! Perhaps someone would have poured a bottle of whiskey down my throat and propped me up in front of a wood fire to make me sweat out the cold. Interesting idea!

I've had to cancel training this week. Pity for I need to build muscles on my legs in the next three weeks. I'm going to Kerstin's Gang for Stretching on Friday before having a Christmas Party. I have to take two bottles of Sekt. Tomorrow I am going to Stefan's Senior Centre for a Christmas meal with my Photoshop Gang. In the evening I'm going to the local council meeting. Looking forward to a quiet weekend without coughing!

Here you can see the pre-Christmas presents I got from Daniel. He is now in Moldova with his family. A nice bottle of Italian red and some books to use with my Oldies. His level has moved up so he doesn't need them. The other pic is of my Christmas present to myself. Aldi had a special glasses offer last Monday so after seeing the Doc I bought red wine and sekt glasses. Now I have all I need for guests bearing the necessary bottles :-)))

Lets cough again

I've just written a new song. Sing along. You know the tune. Let's go!
"Let's cough again like we did last concert, let's cough again for winters here. Let's cough again and get it deeper. Do you remember when you coughed much louder. Let's wheeze, splutter and clear your chest, for it sounds the best - coughing time is here!"  Tra..la..laaaa. I wonder if it will go into the Top Ten?

Last Friday evening I met Gerald and Jutta in the church opposite to where they live. It was my first visit and surprised to see nearly every seat taken and only about five people younger than 60!! It was a Christmas Concert given by Berlin Humboldt-University Choir led by Karsten Schultze. As they marched in to take their place at the front, the coughers turned up the volume.

There then followed some cough-barking and whooop, whoops before the choir sang the first note. A group of 'Grannies' to my right hadn't noticed and continued talking to each other. Lots of schhhhhhhhh followed before we could then hear the choir.  I think you have got the picture. They also sang The First Noel in English with very good diction. An old couple in front of me coughed their way through it. When she stopped, he started :-((

It was rather cold in the church and I had a feeling I was starting with a cold. I could hardly sleep last night and have lost count of the number of tissues I have used. I'm cancelling training tomorrow morning and off to the Drs.

Yesterday I found another joke in my local paper. Here it is. It is a word play between English and German. The singers are cleaning women and they 'wischen' for a living = to wipe/clean. If you take the verb and add we, it should be wir wischen, but you will not get the sound so it has been changed a bit to make it sound like the English word 'wish'. Got it?  Now where did I put my tissues?

Thanks Paul

Paul is a member of my Tuesday English Gang at the AWO. Like the others, he is over 65 but still active in many things. Two weeks ago he gave me a large bag of things for my Refugee Family. I mentioned this in an earlier blog.

His new contribution you can see in this photo. The theme is Christmas and Time. Just look at the number of watches he has given. None of the family has a watch. A watch comes way down the list of things they need below clothes and school materials.

The parents are coming here on Saturday to cook a 'traditional meal'. I shall find out what traditional means when I 'tuck in'. They do not have access to a kitchen where they live. The boys are playing sports in the afternoon so eating will start at 6.30pm when they join us. I have decided not to give them the presents from Paul then.

Son1 will be 16 on 24th December and I shall invite them to my place in the afternoon. I shall give the family the gifts as a mixture of birthday and Christmas presents.The best way to combine both!

Marcel Weekend

Marcel arrived at 5 pm last Saturday. It was our first meeting since early summer. He had a lot of studying to do, retake an exam and visit a wedding and family in Hungary. He also has a new student job and this takes up more time.

Very happy to see him and he looked well. He now does regular sport and training with other young men who share a student home. We went shopping for he wanted to cook. He actually is a good hobby cook and I was happy to watch him stir the pans.

Here you can see the result of his work. Very tasty! Next morning he woke me up, which is something new. Normally he is still in the 'land of nod' late Sunday morning and I have to wake him. He ate a 'hearty' breakfast before we slowly started into the day. That began with lunch at Johanna's.
Again, he tucked in as we talked about many things including local politics and the rise of a populist right wing party.

After pudding and coffee we got ready to go to Tierpark = Zoo. Here you can see Marcel posing with a map of the Tierpark. It is only 5 minutes walk from Johanna's home. It is also the largest zoo in Europe in terms of area. I bet you didn't know that! Here is a shot of him with Johanna in front of Schloß Frierichsfelde. A few hundred years ago all the park area, and more, was part of the Schloß garden area.

In the Zoo we saw many animals and I felt sorry for them walking about in 2°C - but then I was doing just the same! At least I had warm clothes on. We walked past an area housing a kind of deer from Vietnam. We stopped to look and one came towards us. Marcel started to talk to it and it came nearer. I thought it was going to kiss him but the animal turned its head. A wise decision :-))

A really nice weekend with lots of different things to do and see. Of course, having Marcel there made it more interesting and a special weekend.

December 2016 Things

Start of the final month of this year. It is grey, cold and wet here. The kind of weather to make you stay at home, keep warm, read a good book and doze through the day. I notice the tempo of Christmas advertising and shopping has recently increased and suspect it will increase further.

Last month was interesting for me and I have shared the major things with you via this blog. Another adventure to share with you concerns a packet. Gabi and Holger, who live near Bremen, collected the old clothes of their, now big, children and placed them into a packet, wrote my name-address on it and gave it to Deutsche Post.

Their parcel-packet delivery service is called DHL so the packet ended up with them. This was on 14th November ---- then nothing. Holger called me a few days ago to ask if I had got the packet. I said no and none of my neighbours had taken it for me. Strange! Holger contacted DHL and they tracked down the parcel.

The driver had rung my bell on the 15th November and got no answer. He/She did not leave a note in my postbox.  He/She left the parcel in a 'Baby-and-Mother' shop near to where I live. Don't ask me why!! I wonder if the driver had a mental blackout. I went to the shop yesterday and collected the parcel.  Now the family can have more clothes for the daughter and son2.

Who has a birthday in December?  Stefan the Photoshop Gang Boss will be 56 on the 7th. Geoff, my brother-in-law will celebrate his big day with my sister in Silsden on the 13th. Little Evie in Berlin will be all of 9 on the 18th.  Julie B., who lives near Silsden, will be 42 on the 20th. She shares this day with Thomas in Berlin who will be 56  then. Back to Bremen to congratulate Jonas on his 20th birthday on the 22nd. Holger and Gabi are his parents - see story above. Back to Berlin for on the 24th, Son1 will be 16. What a Christmas present that must have been for his parents!! Not far from Brighton we shall find Neil having a 70th birthday party on the 28th. He shares this day with Stefan 'Schöni' who will be 33. Finally, Ian in Australia ends the month, as usual, with his 57th on the 30th December. I shall be seeing him and Birgit a week later in Austria when we meet up for a ski-ing holiday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to each and all not matter where you are :-))