Italy Fan

Stefan is a big fan of Italy and now goes there each holiday. As some of you may know, Stefan is The Boss of my Photoshop Gang in addition to being The Boss of the building where we meet. He wears his two hats very well! An exhibition of his work opened last Tuesday.

On show you can see images of his last visit to the north of Italy. He has some very good cameras but now experiments with the camera on his smartphone. No surprise there! Whatever the source, he puts them into programmes such as Photoshop and likes to make changes. Some changes you can see clearly but others not.

He printed out a lot of postcards of his pictures for visitors to take home and enjoy seeing the images again. I took eight that I liked. They show typical images of north Italy and some that remind me of visiting friends in the south of France, just north of Nice.

I include one not for its photogenic style, but for its language. That is why Stefan took the shot. We can clearly see that a man called Leo has opened a Hamburgeria. You can also note that Leo added an apostrophe 's' to his name before creating a new form of Hamburger. I wonder if this is an example of 'New Italian Language'??

From others you can see that he went to Venice. There is a shot of Napoleon's bed in which he slept during 1814-15 when imprisoned on the island of Elba. I am not sure if Stefan took the shot when he visited Elba, or if the bed is now in a museum on the mainland. Last Friday a few visitors said it was short and repeated the story that Napoleon was not the tallest of men!

I checked this online and discovered he was 1.69 metres tall. For that time it was a bit taller than average height. One report said that the British military put out the story that he was very small and this 'false news' continues to this day. I also learnt that he was married twice and chased the ladies a lot, producing six children out of marriage. Now we know what he was doing when not leading an army!

Smashing Time

I had a smashing time last Thursday evening - literally! For years I have used a Nokia as my mobile phone (UK name). In the USA you say it is a Cell Phone and in Germany it is called a Handy. Its successor is called a Smartphone in all three countries. People ask me if I have a Smartphone and I always answer that I only have an Un-Smartphone :-))

And lo it came to pass that I dropped my Nokia and broke half of the connecting sections. Over a few days the damage spread to the other part so that when I opened the phone it went on then turned off. I sadly realised that the day of Nokia was over. I looked in my electronic rubbish drawer and found an old Motorola mobile.

All my phones use Deutsche Telecom chip cards and it still had one, but out of time/use. I think I bought it in the USA. The big problem was that I could not find any equipment to load the battery. I decided that it had to join Big Brother Nokia for a smashing time. I am always curious as to what is inside such phones.

I  moved my reserve Samsung into Position 1 as my mobile and put the chip from the Nokia into it. It worked okay. I then went to an electronic store to see if I could get equipment to activate the Motorola. They said I could but it would cost a lot more than buying another phone. They had one called Telme for just Euro 20,-. I took the cheaper option and bought it.

I then went to the Deutsche Telecom shop next to the store and got a chip for Telme. It is now working as my reserve Mobile Phone with the Samsung as my main one using  the same chip and number that I have used for years. On Thursday evening I decided it was time to find out what was inside Nokia and Motorola. A few bangs and bashes exposed the insides of the phones - as you can see from the photos. What a smashing time I had :-))

Mixed News

I got an interesting comment about my last post. It was about the photo of my haircut. The comment was that I had big ears! Nothing new there. I replied that readers should not forget to look at the photos on the left hand side of my blog. There you can see images of key points in my life. One is of me as a child with mouth open and BIG ears! I replied that I had to get used to living with elephant things on the side of my head :-))

I had some interesting meetings last week. I mentioned that on Tuesday I went to a Berlin Labour Party meeting. Next day it snowed. I shall show you a photo of my garden then. I decided to stay at home, do paperwork, read and relax. I did just that. Next day I had Kaffee und Kuchen with Marita and a good discussion. On Friday I went to Kerstin's Keep Fit for Oldies Group as usual each Friday morning.

In the afternoon I went to Stafan's Photoshop Gang first meeting of the year. It is not far from the bridge you can see above. Nice to see all again and catch up on what they had done over Christmas - New Year. That evening Daniel arrived to work on his English text, describing a cartoon, which he has to give to his classmates.

Yesterday I went to an eltabb workshop. This is the English teachers association I co-founded many years ago. It was about teaching Business English 1:1 and given by an ex-chairperson who now lives in Alsaas. Later we went to a restaurant in the centre of Berlin which offers Italian meals. It is well known for its range of giant pizzas. I normally go for pasta dishes when I sit in an Italian restaurant. I made the right choice!

This evening I am going to The Philharmonie for a concert of Schumann and Schubert. Meanwhile, The Boyz are travelling to my place. I got a call earlier from Bro2 asking if they could visit and watch a film on my flat-screen. I agreed. I think they want to watch a Blu-Ray of Prometheus. I have seen the film but can't remember what it is about. Must be getting old and losing my memory!

This afternoon a special SPD conference is taking place to decide to accept, or not, a proposal to set up another Coalition Government with the CSU/CDU. My spies tell me most members are against and they have the final decision after today's conference. I shall watch reports over the internet while The Boyz doze off while watching the film! Oh to be 17 and 15 again and fall asleep anywhere!

New Hair Style

I got a comment in my last post asking why no photo of my new haircut. Actually a couple of other people asked me in addition to this reader via the comment section. Here is the result of 'The Boyz' collective work.

When I saw the photo I stared for I thought I was looking at a photo of my father! The older I get the more we look like identical twins. I first noticed this about 30 years ago when I visited him in Silsden. There are a couple of photos of us and the similarities are clear. There is one difference: I am losing my hair from the front but my father was bald by the time he was 27.

Back into routine now. Started teaching my Oldies on Monday and Tuesday. Last night I went to a meeting of Berlin Labour Party. Yes, I am a member! This time we agreed the documents to set up an official branch of Labour International and elected a Committee. A good meeting and I was asked to help organise a round table discussion with the SPD, Linke Party and The Greens planned for mid-May.

This Saturday I am going to a teacher association workshop. After that we are going to a restaurant for a relaxing late lunch with lots of interesting discussions. On Sunday evening I am going to the Junge Kammerphilharmonie Berlin with some of my Muggelsee Gang. The daughter of a couple in the Gang will be playing in the orchestra. Looking forward to that. Hope you also have an interesting weekend!

Lads Visit

Last Sunday I relaxed in the morning before 'The Lads' arrived early afternoon. They left 'The Lasses' at home. I didn't expect Papa to be with 'The Boyz' but it was nice to see them together. They quickly made themselves at home. They know my place by now and where everything is. I later noted that 'The Boyz' always ask my permission to go to the toilet, watch TV or use a computer. Very polite!

They said they wanted to practice some English then watch an action film. Papa needed to print out some documents, so I left him to do so with my printer and laptop.  Bro2 said I needed a haircut. We discussed the style and both Boyz agreed it should be longer on top and shorter on the sides. They both set to work this time. Bro1 used the machine and Bro2 told him what to do. I said nothing, just sat quietly and let them get on with it! A number of people later said it made me look younger!

The boys then wanted to watch a film so I let them chose one. The picked a Blu-Ray of Avatar. They settled onto the sofa with cushions, fruit juice, cakes, biscuits and all was quiet as the film started. Papa said he had to go home to cook a meal for the family. Apparently he is a 'hobby cook' and likes preparing a meal for the family. We said our goodbyes and I returned to the boys. They sat there with eyes and sometimes mouths open as they watched the film --- in English!

They say it is important for them to watch/listen to a film in the original language and try to match the words they hear with what they can see. Makes sense! It was nice to share a few hours with them - and have a new 'Boyz' haircut! Here are a couple of photos of them with proud Papa!

Bernau bei Berlin

Last Saturday I went to Bernau bei Berlin. It was the winter meeting place for my Muggelsee Gang. I have talked about them before. Two members were missing due to flu. We met at Lichtenberg rail station - two minutes before the train left! - and settled into catching up on news.

We were met at Bernau by Larissa and her husband, who had organised the meeting. We met a lady outside the station. She was our guide, yes, we were to be taken on a guided tour of the town. She introduced herself and started to talk about the tour she had planned. She then looked at me and said, "I know you."

I replied in the affirmative. Ten years or more ago I used to teach at a re-training college opposite the railway station. The college had now closed. Our guide was then in my class! She is now retired but likes to take people around the old centre of the town. In the group photo you will find her in the right hand corner at the front. What a nice surprise.

We set off on our tour and I learnt more about Bernau than I ever did when I went there twice a week to teach at the college. It really is an interesting old town with impressive walls, gates and what remains of an old moat. All designed to protect the town. At the start of June each year there is a festival with procession that depict the history of the town.

First record of a settlement is sometime early in 1100 AD. There was also a famous victory there against a 'Hussite Army', then came the Black Death, and so on. As all this was happening Berlin did not exist. It is a relatively new city. The history of all the area around Berlin is that of all the old towns like Bernau. Well worth a visit.

We ended out tour at a very old restaurant in the old centre of the town. It was great to relax, have a meal and sip the famous local dark beer. Try it when you are there. I then moved to a light white wine which was perfect with my fish dish! A really pleasant day. The next Muggelsee Gang meeting is on the 1st May for our traditional bicycle tour. I'll tell you about it then!

Shoes and shoes

I met The Family last Saturday at 10.00 am. We went to a big shopping centre next to an S-Bahn station not too far away from where they live now.  Bro1 was missing. I asked Bro2 where he was and was told he just turned over and went back to sleep when the family were ready to go to the shopping centre. Must be his age!

As regular readers of my blog know, I got some money from Peter and Andre as a Christmas Present for The Family. Bro1 got some nice boots and so the rest met me to find some shoes-boots. We went to three shoe shops in the centre as they took their time to find the right ones. We were lucky to be there when the sale started with 30 or 50% off some products.

This time it was the ladies who did most of the shoe shopping. Sister picked some nice thick dark red boots and some blue shoes. Two for the price of one, Nice! Mother bought some classic black boots and a bag. She found two bags she liked and asked me which one. I picked the one you can see her with. All reduced in the sale.

Then Papa was next. He took even more time but finally found some leather boots, like the ones Bro1 bought earlier. His boots were not in the sale but it was a good purchase. Bro2 didn't buy anything but I told him to relax and take his time to find what he needs. Then I had to leave them and take the train to a small town east of Berlin to meet friends for a chat and glass of sekt. Very nice day!  Did you buy any boots or shoes?

New Years Health

The base of the thumb on my left hand has been swollen since October. I decided to just observe it and go to the Doc when something else was wrong. I asked a few other people and they said it was to do with my age and the cause was a trapped nerve. I was told I would need a small incision and a bandage.

Yesterday I went to my Docs. He was surprised to see me and said my last visit was in April. I told him I had three problems. He said, "Let's start with number 1". I told him about the colds, coughing and chesty barking over Christmas and it wouldn't go away. I got 10 antibiotic tablets for that.

Number 2 was the thumb. He recognised the problem immediately and gave me a prescription to go to a neurologist around the corner. I did just that later and got an appointment in ..... guess how many weeks.....yes, seven weeks!

Problem 3 was cataracts on my eyes. This was diagnosed when I visited my optician in Silsden last August. My Doc gave me another prescription but warned that both local eye doctors were not taking on more patients. He suggested I call my health insurance office so they could find an eye doctor. I did just that and was told they would call me back when they had found someone. I'm still waiting for the call! 

I've now removed all my Christmas cards. All done on the 6th January as per tradition. I also opened a present. This was from Ines and my Monday Gang. I decided to call him Angus. Yes, I know that also sounds traditional! Angus the Piper. I'm trying to teach him to play his bagpipes when I enter my flat. So far no luck. He just stares at me and strokes his long white beard. Perhaps he'll start playing before I have treatment on my thumb in 7 weeks!

Oz Images

Just after Christmas I got an e-mail from a nice couple in Sydney, Australia (Oz/Ozland). They sent me a photo of Balmoral Beach, Sydney. I am sure I have been there and that it is in the north of the city/area. Just image spending Christmas Day on that beach. No scarves, caps, warm coats or gloves - just swimming clothes and a box to keep the beer cool!

Later I got another image from them. It could only happen in Ozland! I wonder if it was real or if someone had changed the words/added the words. Even so, it really made me smile and I thought about Oz culture, including language and how people address each other.

I had two colds over the Christmas holiday period. The second was a chest cold with lots of heavy coughing. Now it is better but I still have coughing bouts. I shall go to the doctor's next week to look at a lump growing on the thumb of my left hand. I also need medical advice for I have been diagnosed with cataracts (Grauer Star in German). I notice that my vision is deteriorating so an operation before summer is possible.

The main event this week was taking the train to Juterbog. This is a town south-west of Berlin. I visited Dieter for a chat and to enjoy his nice lunch - it was fish and very tasty! It slipped down the throat with the help of a couple of glasses of cool white dry wine! Tomorrow I am meeting my old business partner and his wife to catch up on news and then on Sunday I'm going over the road to enjoy Kaffee und Kuchen with Marita. Next week also looks very quiet. Nice!

January 2018 Things

So how did you enter the New Year? With lots of happy family and friends I hope. I got some nice e-mails and cards wishing me all the very best. I needed them for I started again with a cold and this time with lots of coughing and chest-throat pains. I'm going to the Docs tomorrow for some medicine. I'm always worried about giving my cold to other people, but that did not stop me from meeting my Kowalke Gang yesterday.

When we met I told them I had another bad cold so we did not greet each other in the normal friendly way. I sat at the table slightly distant from the others! Even so, it was nice to meet again and this time in Martina's big flat. We started with a glass of Rotkäppchen. This is a very popular sparkling wine here. We toasted all our friends in different parts of the world, particularly Colin in Australia. He is Johanna's cousin as regular readers will know.

We then sipped something very different and new to my. Imre brought a bottle of rose wine from Hungary. I have tasted many Hungarian wines and spirits but this one was new to me. Here is a photo. If you see it then buy it. It is certainly a matter of taste on behalf of the drinker. We all liked it. Then we started out evening meal with lots of talk, jokes, comments and relaxation. Here you can see the Kowalke Gang looking very happy!

I was the first to leave for I had to feed and look after Cleo. Who is that? Marita's cat. Marita is having a few days away so I took over caring for Cleo. A really nice cat who is very independent. You cannot stroke her. You have to wait until she comes to you and then you can stroke her. She always makes me smile. I then crossed the road, entered my flat and got ready for bed. I dozed off as the rest of Berlin set of multiple fireworks, but that didn't stop me from falling asleep :-))

Who has a birthday in January 2018?
Hannelore will celebrate her 75th near to Nice in the south of France on the 13th with husband Peter. Wish I could be there. I've had some really great holidays at their place but that was in summer. Back in Berlin, Harald Porsch will celebrate his 53rd on the 21st with family and friends. Dr. Peter von Long-Legs hits 34 on the 24th and will celebrate in Potsdam. Paul Bateson in Melbourne hits 33 on the 27th and will no doubt celebrate with his son and friends there. Returning to Yorkshire, we find my great-niece Scarlett will be all of 10 years old on the 29th. Sure to be a big party there. My ex-German teacher Frau Fox will celebrate her 77th on the 31st with her husband and family in Berlin.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL AND EACH NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE!