Beard 'n Bikes

At the end of my last post I said I was waiting for The Bros to arrive and that on Friday I was going cycling with Imre. On Thursday evening only Bro1 arrived. He said Bro2 was in bed fighting the flu. His parents and sis were all busy peering into various books and doing German homework!

We galloped to my local supermarket for him to stock up on crisps, fruit juice, snacks and pizza. All needed to make watching a DVD even better. He settled down in front of the screen with lots of juice and crisps. He wanted to watch the 3rd of the Jason Bourne films - and in English. He asked me a few times what some words meant but he could generally follow the dialogue.

At the end of the film it was time to tuck into a pizza followed by chocolate cream pudding. He decided to stay longer and watch another DVD. It was nice to spend time with him. We had time to talk to each other without cross-talking to other members of his family.

He asked me about his new beard. Should he keep it or not? I said he should if only to see how it grows and what he looks like. If he didn't like it he could later shave it off. He smiled at my answer for he clearly liked the logic. He decided to let it grow! We talked about his future plans for training courses before he put on his coat and left.

Yesterday was Good Friday and I had agreed to meet Imre at my local S-Bahn station at 10.30 am. He had cycled from home on the newest of his three bikes. It has lots of bags which he fills with bottles of juice, snacks, cameras (he also has 3 of them!) and extra warm clothes. He wanted to cycle to the local park for it has an area with all kinds of activities for children - and their parents. It is called Wühlheide. I have posted about it before.

One of its attractions is a large outdoor area containing a Model Park of the centre of Berlin. Well worth a visit when next in Berlin. Imre posed in front of a sign. He wanted to send the photo to his lady friend. You can see he looks very well and happy. We then went to the main area of the park. Here you can see the main building behind Imre. We decided to have lunch there. The restaurant was next to a swimming pool so we could see kids and their parents jumping in as we chewed on our lunch. It was really nice to see so many young families enjoying the facilities.

Later we landed at my place. Imre wanted to relax over cups of tea and cakes. Lots of talking before the sun began to set and he jumped on his bike and started the journey home. A very nice day. Hope you enjoyed your Good Friday.

Looking Back

I last posted a week ago so let me take you over the last seven days. You can always read about German politics and personalities on your computers or see on TV. This is just about things in my life in Berlin.  The weather did not break through into Spring although we officially entered Spring last Sunday. Put the clocks forward one hour. We also had more than one day of snow. Like most Berliners, I am more than ready for Spring.

Last Friday was as per usual but Saturday was special. In the morning I went to an eltabb supported workshop. Eltabb is the teachers association I co-founded in the early 1990s. The workshop was about how to write material for teaching/learners. Very interesting. It was followed by lunch then the AGM in the afternoon. I have always enjoyed going to the AGM and seeing how running the organisation has changed over time with a change of generation and facilities such as the internet.

That night I woke with a terrible pain in my left shoulder. I could hardly move my left arm/hand. I think I had turned in my sleep and pulled a bone out of joint. I managed to doze off but spent Sunday in pain and not able to do some things I had planned. I kept my Monday appointments and hoped the shoulder would heal itself. It didn't so I went to the Docs.

I got medicine to rub on the area twice a day plus a prescription for treatment. I have to wait 2 weeks for that at another practice. I also got a prescription for orthopädic treatment. Until now I have not been able to find a medical practice that will accept me as a new patient. In emergency I was told to go to the local hospital! Looks like the health service here is going the way of the NHS in Brexitland!

I thought I would cheer myself up on Tuesday evening by watching Germany play Brazil at football. Of course, I expected German to win after a struggle against Brazil. I was disappointed by how the German team played and they lost 0:1. Arnie the Ape was also disappointed as you can see in the photo!  Congrats to the Brazil team - they were simply better! Wednesday was spent visiting offices, handing over papers, shopping and then meeting a young lady who wanted Maria's old laptop. She liked it, paid for the new battery and left with a big smile :-))

During the week I got some nice emails and telephone calls. I decided to share one sent by Colin in Ozland. He was on a recent tour. See photo of his new 'wagon'. He then found a number of cars from 1957-58 (see first photo). He said they are called Holden which was the Australian division of GM, as was Opel in Germany and Vauxhall in the UK. Seeing those designs takes me back. Thanks Colin.

During the week I listened to BBC Radio 3 Composer of the Week programme. It was about Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613). I confess I knew almost nothing about him. I was surprised by his music - mainly religious - and playing with sounds even to the point of disharmony hundreds of years before other composers advanced that area of music. He also had an interesting private life. Listen to the programme if you can and/or go to Wikipedia to read about the composer.

I'm waiting for The Boyz to arrive. They called on Tuesday to ask if they could visit and watch another DVD. I said yes. I shall take them to my local supermarket to buy fruit juice, crisps, pizzas and anything else to keep them happy as they relax and watch a film. Tomorrow I am meeting Imre for a bicycle ride but more of that later. Have a nice Good Friday!

Academia

It's snowing - again! And we are only 3 days officially into Spring. Fortunately I have no appointments or plans for today so I shall keep warm and continue to read my books. This is very different from yesterday.

I met Dr. Peter von Long-Legs at an academic gathering. I mentioned this at the end of my last post. It was really nice to see him again and looking so well - as you can see in this photo. His mother also came along and it was nice to chat to her again. It was a long academic session starting at 3 pm and ending at 8 pm with a reception and meal. There were two half hour coffee breaks so that made it bearable.

The event was sponsored by a foundation with historical links to the SPD and was held in one of two large cathedrals in the old centre of Berlin. We met in the Kirchensaal des Französischen Doms. You may want to look for more details on/in the internet. The topic was The Crises of Globalisation.  The hall was almost full, mainly of academics and research students.

There were four presentations given by professors from universities in different parts of Germany. The first was about the distribution of trade. The second was about who and why are there losers in Germany. I really liked the third one for it got me thinking. The title was Why Europe must be a Republic and the speaker gave a strong case for her argument. The final professor talked about Globalisation Perspectives.

I liked being again in the company of academics. I noted how many of them spoke to others in animated ways during the breaks and even with waving their arms about managed not to spill their cups of coffee! Thanks Dr. Peter for telling me about this event and I look forward to our next meeting.

Weekend Things

The weekend started with snow. Here is a photo of my back garden sleeping in snow. It was also cold so I stayed at home that evening. On Saturday the weather changed to wind and slightly warmer. The snow melted! I did the usual shopping for the weekend after I had finished cleaning.

What did I clean? The bathroom and kitchen floors! First with the vacuum cleaner in all the rooms then onto the balcony to find the cleaning equipment. I filled the bucket with very hot water and lots of liquid cleaner. A small break then new hot water with no additions and again over the floors. The tiles smiled at me for my hard work!

Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day so everyone in Ireland celebrated with an extra beer/stout. Irish communities in other countries/cities also held parades, played music, danced and generally had a good time. I bought something for my bathroom that day but nothing to do with St. Patrick. My father was also called Patrick.

Look at the photo and work out what it could be. The window? -- er, nooo......the toilet roll holder? ---- er, no, there are two but only one in the photo. I provide a service for those who are left handed and those who are  right handed :-))  The plant? --- er, no, that's been there for some time but I did put it into a larger pot on Friday. Okay, so you give up. The answer is the clock! On special offer so I bought one I could see even without my glasses!

This afternoon I am off to a meeting of residents in the housing association where I live. On Monday my McBook laptop will be 10 years old. A pensioner by computer standards. Colin in Oz has his birthday on the same day. On Tuesday afternoon I am meeting my SPD Oldies to visit a local museum to see an exhibition about the DDR in the district where I live.

From there I shall dash to a Berlin Labour Party meeting held in the next district. On Wednesday I am meeting Dr. Peter von LL at an academic conference in the Kirchensaal, Franzosischen Dom in the centre of Berlin. Friday evening offers a chamber music concert to prepare me for a booked out next weekend! Have fun cleaning your floors!

Oz and Blah

I recently got a nice E-mail from Colin who lives near to Sydney in Australia. This is commonly called Oz or Ozland rather like England is now becoming known as Brexitland!

He said he went on a walk with his walking group and had a visitor from Scotland. They walked from Coogee to South Marouba then around the Malabar headland on a beautiful autumn day in Sydney. He is now in Wangaratha in Victoria to visit friends and test his new 'wagon'. Thanks for the information Colin and the nice photos. Here is one. I think I have been to this bay/beach. Check out the names in case you plan to travel there this year.

This week is going as usual but I hear more Blah and Blah from native English speakers. All heard on BBC Radio 4 News in the last couple of weeks. Do you understand these comments and what is wrong with them?

He was a scrapbooker/he has been met with enormous success/it professionalises Parliament/ what we are hoping is/ is any of your models/to gain traction in an argument/children in food poverty/ around this marketisation/ what could they get nailed down/ we have to re-empower these communities/ it is absolutely very welcome/ it is an under count/ black folks are over-convicted.

I really wonder where the language is going. For example, we no longer talk about something, we now talk around something.  Now it is time for a nap after lunch. Keep smiling!

Mahler 6 Mystery

In my last post I ended by saying I was off to the Philharmonie to listen to Mahler's 6th Symphony and relax. Was that a mistake! Relax? No way! Phew, but it is a musical beast! I have just looked at my CD collection to discover I have all his symphonies except 6 and 7. Yesterday was the first time I had been to a live performance of the 6th.

I looked in my BBC Proms Guide to Great Symphonies and read an interesting review of the piece. Let me quote the introduction: " Ever since Mahler conducted the first performance of his Sixth Symphony in May 1906, commentators have tried to pin down what it is all 'about'". I think that sums up the piece very well.

The comment then goes on to say that many, "including his widow Alma, maintained that the Finale portrayed an individual's heroic struggle against implacable fate, symbolised by the three huge hammer blows that occur at strategic points throughout the movement. Yet the Sixth Symphony was written at the most fulfilled period of Mahler's life".

 He married Alma in 1902, wrote the 6th Symphony in 1903-4 and they had two daughters in that period. He conducted the first performance in Essen in 1906. So far so good, but in 1907 three things happened. Daughter Maria died, his contract as conductor at the Vienna Opera was not renewed, and he was diagnosed with a heart condition that would cause his death in 1911 = four years later! How can all that be interpreted into a piece of music he wrote in 1903-4? 

Back to my BBC book. It says, "The Sixth Symphony simply exists: disturbing in its nihilistic despair, yet ultimately attaining a true and monumental grandeur". Also that, "The orchestral forces are formidable". Is that an understatement! Finally we can read that, " The ending itself is perhaps the bleakest in all music". If you decide to go to a performance don't say I didn't warn you!! 

Gobbledygook

I recently got this from Birgit in Ozland. Many thanks Birgit! I have added the Plain English link to this blog. Go down to the bottom on the left to find it.

Triumph of gobbledygook : UNSW’s grand plan to remake the university, its ‘2025 Strategy’ has been gonged by a world authority — the UK plain English Campaign —whose recipients are recognised for their exemplary use of bad and confusing English.  Here is the winning passage, which valiantly attempts to explain something called a strategic matrix.

“The Strategic Matrix is intended to facilitate the cross-cutting interactions our staff and students are seeking in order to secure the benefits of linking across faculties, schools, divisions, disciplines and other organisational boundaries. The vertical axis — our Schools, Faculties and Divisions. The eight Faculties and Divisions, along with our Canberra campus and the 50 Schools within them form the vertical axis of the UNSW Strategic Matrix. The horizontal axis — our strategic priorities, themes and enablers. The three strategic priorities, which have emerged from the consultation — Academic Excellence, Social Engagement and Global Impact — and the eight themes that sit within them, along with our strategic enablers, form the horizontal axis of our Strategic Matrix.”

I hope that is all clear now :-))  Off to The Philharmonie in a couple of hours to relax with Mahler's 6th Symphony. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. 

Saving lives

In addition to Holger's book, the postal service delivered a letter from Brexitland. It was from Alan. As regular readers will know he is my oldest and dearest friend. We met when we were 16 at Leeds College. He later married Lynne and they started a family. I sent Jan to them when he was 11 and wanted to learn English. They are a wonderful couple who embrace anyone in need.

Inside the envelope was a photocopy of an article from The Times dated 24th February 2018. It was about a 29 year old man called Adrian Stewart. He had won a prize as the Best Newcomer at the annual Stud and Stable Staff Awards.

I hope you can read the headline of the story. It is: "Horses saved my life. I could not have got any lower down". He had been kicked out of school, walked out of home in Leeds and lived on the streets. Aged 15 he saw his best friend murdered who then died in his arms. There then began years of prison sentences for crimes such as drug dealing and dangerous driving.

Now for a special quote from the report: "It began with Alan and Lynne Bateson a retired couple who for 13 years ran Bible classes in the prison chapel at Wealstun prison in Wetherby. It was a fateful decision that was to change the course of his life and set him on the road to redemption." Alan saw information about a racing school on TV and contacted them. They agreed to meet Adrian and then accepted him as a trainee.

This changed his life. Well done Adrian and also to Alan and Lynne who helped and supported him in finding a new direction. Adrian is only one of many people they have helped in many ways over the years - and they are still doing it :-))

New Book

I got a nice surprise in the post yesterday. It was a book. It came from Holger in the town of Weyhe which is to the south of Bremen. Bremen is a city-state in the north of Germany and I used to live there, as regular readers will know!

In the last couple of summers I have gone there for a 'north-German' holiday and posted photos and stories about these visits on my blog. I hope to make it there again next August. I really like the town and the area. Very flat with half the population on bikes. On my last visit I noted the large number of 'seniors' travelling around on electric bicycles.

Holger is a member of a writing club. He has sent me books before containing  his stories. It's good to read and improve your German. Holger sometimes slips in some sentences in Plattdeutsch. In English this means Low German. In many areas of north Germany this is the language of daily communication. It is also the source of English!

Can I hear gasps of surprise at this statement? Yes, it is. Just find a book about the origins of English or look on the internet. You will also find it referred to as part of the West German family of languages. You will find it as the source of languages in The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Have fun researching the origins of the English language.

Holger is one of 23 writers who contributed to the book. The topic is murder and food recipes. An interesting combination. Holger's story is the first in the book with the title: Tante Ingeborgs gute Bremer Aalsuppe. I translate this as: Aunt Ingeborg's good Bremen eel soup. I wonder what it tastes like? 

 He also sent lots of information about tourism and things to see and do in the area. Good to know when I next visit. Now what are you going to eat for supper - a bowl of eel soup?

Red Roses

I had a great time this afternoon handing our roses to women to celebrate International Women's Day. We also distributed a special edition of a magazine written by women appealing to all women to get more involved in politics and make changes that benefit them.

All the women I gave roses to were very happy to take the magazine in addition to the rose. What I really like is when a women pushes a pram or walks with her daughter(s). When that happens I give the women a rose, put one in the pram and chat to her about her daughter. I then give the daughter a rose. What a nice big smile you see!

I could have spent all afternoon handing out roses but the numbers were limited. I took a photo of the gang I was working with. All are members of my local SPD branch and the new Chairperson is on the left of the photo. After that I went two stops on the tram to a computer shop and picked up the new battery for the 'old' laptop I told you about in an earlier post. It is now being charged as I type these words. Will test it tomorrow.

Special Day

Today is International Women's Day. Congratulations to half of the world population. Still some way to go for many before they can claim equality with men. This afternoon I am meeting a group of SPD members to present red roses to women passing by on their way home or from the local shops. Not the first time I have done this and I really like the look of surprise and pleasure on the faces of recipients.

Here is a photo of a happy young lady. You've seen her before with her family on this blog. She came with Papa and Bros1 and 2 last Sunday to my place. I had received a present for her including chocolates but she went straight to the painting book and coloured pencils. She has a real talent for drawing and use of colours.

They brought me a present. A large bowl full of a delicious rice dish. I gave Papa a black jacket I had been given by someone and it fitted him perfectly. A happy Papa! Bro1 had to do some homework and needed my help. When finished, I printed it out and The Bros asked to watch a DVD on my system. Of course, so they settled down on the sofa to watch a film.

Papa and Sis left as the film started. Later I made snacks for The Bros which they ate without taking their eyes off the screen! And so the evening arrived and they left. A nice day for all of us. Since then I have settled into my usual routine plus visited the doctor yesterday. The thumb problem I posted about before. I do not need an operation but have to take two tablets a day and have it checked again in a month. I'm off to the dentist in an hour so shall close by wishing all my female readers a very special and happy day!

How Smart

How smart are smartphone users? Here is a cartoon of 'smartphoners' not looking where they are walking. Thanks to Colin in Ozland for this and the other cartoon about modern smartphone culture.

I think I must be one of the minority of people on this planet without a smartphone. I do not know why people look into these things when they are walking on the street or even driving a vehicle. And I have heard their phones are on 24 hours a day. What about sleeping? Can't they turn the things off for 8 hours?

Back to the first cartoon. It says a lot about the dangers of using these machines. I often see women pushing prams while looking into a smartphone. I am sure you do as well. The number of times I cringe as they hit other people with the pram and even worse, they do not pay attention when crossing the road. I have no idea what we can do with such people to protect the child in the pram.

In this weather I go out with an old fashioned umbrella under my arm. Now it is not only to keep me dry but to protect me from smartphoners. They do not look where they are going so I have the metal point of my umbrella sticking out from under my left arm. Yes, the smartphoners get the painful point quickly as they crash into it - and not me!

The next cartoon is good. Sitting in the sun for hours and getting a very different tan-line! This cartoon is about the unthinking mass of users who harm no-one but themselves. The first cartoon is about dangerous social behavior and danger to others. How do you use your smartphone?