Learning to type again

I went back to school again to learn how to type correctly

Yes, I started a typing course on Monday.
Ja, am Montag habe ich einen Tastaturschreibkurs begonnen. I taught myself over forty years ago and although I use all my fingers I realised that I could be better. Vor mehr als vierzig Jahren hatte ich mir das Schreiben selbst beigebracht, und obwohl ich alle zehn Finger benutze, habe ich festgestellt, dass ich es noch schneller tun könnte. Now that I have retired, I have time to take a course. Nun, da ich Rentner bin, habe ich endlich Zeit, einen Kurs zu beginnen. It is from 9.00 am to 1.30 pm and have registered for the level 2 course next week. Er dauert von 09.00 früh bis 13.30 Uhr, und ich habe mich für die zweite Stufe nächste Woche angemeldet.

It is at a vhs (Adult Education College) and very interesting. Er findet an der VHS statt und ist sehr interessant. I have learnt what I have been doing wrong for years - for example: using my middle finger to type M for I should use my first finger! Ich habe gelernt, was ich über all die Jahre falsch gemacht habe, z.B. habe ich immer meinen Mittelfinger für den Buchstaben M anstelle meines Zeigefingers benutzt! Most of the group are women but there is a woman with her son and daughter which is nice. Die meisten der Gruppenmitglieder sind Frauen, aber wir haben auch eine Frau mit ihrem Sohn und ihrer Tochter, was nett ist. Tomorrow they are going to bring cakes and have a small farewell party. Morgen wollen sie mit Kuchen kommen und eine kleine Abschiedsfeier haben.

The teacher is really good with lots of humour and we do finger stretching and relaxing exercises. Die Lehrerin ist wirklich gut und hat sehr viel Humor, wir trainieren Fingerdehnungen und andere Übungen. I also like her stick with the red ball at the end, and she readily agreed to let me take a photo of her with her pointer. Ich mag auch ihren Zeigestock mit der roten Spitze am Ende, und sie hat mir bereitwillig erlaubt, ein Foto von ihr mit ihrem Zeigestock zu machen. The photos were taken today and show nearly all the group. Die Fotos sind heute gemacht worden und zeigen fast die gesamte Gruppe.

Tomorrow I shall give them this url so they can look at the photos, even if they cannot all read English. Morgen werde ich ihnen die URL geben, so dass sie sich die Fotos ansehen können, selbst wenn sie nicht alle Englisch lesen können. I have really enjoyed my week and hope the next group is as nice. Die Woche hat mir wirklich viel Spaß gemacht, und ich hoffe, die nächste Gruppe ist auch nett. Now to the photos which includes one of the building for I like the architecture. Nun zu den Fotos, die eines der Gebäude zeigen, da ich die Architektur sehr mag.

Nice meeting!

I had an unexpected meeting on Sunday

I expected to meet Daniel on Sunday afternoon for a Spanish lesson and had the bonus of meeting Kati. Here is a photo of her on my balcony. Who is Kati I can hear you asking?

Kati is a good friend of Daniel. They met on a Spanish beach last summer. She was studying in Barcelona and speaks very good Spanish. They visited before she went back to uni at Leipzig. We got on immediately and from starting in German we ended up in English and a bit of Spanish. Daniel just looked on and smiled! He later said my pronunciation was getting better.

He also brought my new-old laptop for there were problems with the monitor. Here is a pic of Daniel catching up on his e-mails before I took it to be checked today. I took it to the place where I have my Thursday Photoshop course. Thomas is a technician there and agreed to check it.

Here is a nice photo of the laptop showing all its secret insides! We had quite a session and discovered that the problem was a loose connection of a cable carrying the image information to the monitor. The solution was sticky tape and some old sweet papers stuffed into the hole to stop it from moving around. Very high tech - and so far it has worked!

The King of the Posers

The King of the Posers is coming tomorrow

Yes, Daniel is coming to visit me tomorrow (Sunday) at 1.00pm. I am going to practice Spanish pronunciation and he is going to correct me. He has to work later and so we are going to meet earlier - just as well for I have to visit Micha later to sort out another learning problem!

Daniel is also going to bring my laptop - which he uses. There are some problems so I am having it checked next week. I also hope he is also going to bring a Spanish-English Dictionary. I told him about a bookshop near where he now lives so I hope he has been able to get one.

Last week I went to visit him at his new flat in Kreuzberg. Nice area and flat even though Daniel lives the life of the true student and it showed in the flat. He had forgotten our appointment and just woken up. It was mid-afternoon! He works in the evening and parties all night so it no surprise that his day is the opposite to mine. Even so I got a few pics and here they are.

Micha-Pauline-DVD and books

Micha-Pauline-DVD and books

What an interesting mixture! First I got a call from Micha saying he had problems with his computer and writing a letter, so I suggested he came to me. He agreed for sometimes he has enough of his flat and wants to look at another four walls. I can understand his problem!

And so Micha came, and I got my old practice computer from the balcony and put it on the table so he could practice. The main problem with Micha is that he doesn't listen, and that he is trying to do step 2 before he has learnt step 1. He came and we sorted out his problem. In-between we had a number of cups of coffee, he had a few cigs and I had a few minutes to think about learning problems for 'seniors'.

I took this phot0 as he relaxed on my balcony with a cig! Now he has another problem so I am going to visit him tomorrow, after Daniel comes here to help me with Spanish pronunciation!

What a surprise! I got a nice package from my no-techi sister, Pauline, on Friday. She sent me a book she had read about Einstein, details of her choir and their performance and of course, a nice letter!

Finally, I have added a photo of a book I have just read - it is about the Catholic church and shows how debased, cruel, murderous, deadly and vindictive it became. It was written by a Catholic theologian and not an atheist! I wonder if the catholic half of my family have read it! I suspect they just go through the ritual each Sunday with no thought about what they are doing nor about the serious issues raised in this book.

Interesting that the term 'Roman Catholic' is a contradiction in terms and appeared after the Protestant break away - rather like saying it is a part of the whole, but the whole no longer exists. First the loss of the eastern church then the loss of the church in the north. Well worth a read.

You can also see a few DVDs I have just seen. I can really recommend ' Into the Wild' and 'No Country for Old Men'. Wonderful stories and well made! Get them immediately! And now to the pics.

Trip to Bad Saarow

Last Sunday I went to Bad Saarow

Just before then I had been to a not very successful two day workshop about Linux. Even the teacher apologised, so I was pleased when Oldie Hermann phoned and asked if I was interested in a day out a Bad Saarow. I said, yes, for I needed a break from Berlin and two days of computers and systems not working properly - and just wasting time on theory.

And so as Jan and Arancha got wet at Niagara Falls and Paul was climbing up a pass in the north of Pakistan, I got on a train and headed off for Bad Saarow. It is to the east of Berlin not too far from the Polish border. As the name suggests, it is a place where people go to 'take the waters' for it is a small town built around a volcanic hot springs which erupt very close to the nearby lake.

About five years ago, Alan and Lynne with myself and Peter von Longlegs had nice day there - and Alan and Lynne are Paul von Pakistan's mother and father. What an interesting coincidence. Very interesting that I should return there and so spontaneously. I thought about the earlier trip as I wandered around with Hermann and we even went for lunch in the same restaurant and yes, I ate fish as I had done so many years ago.

It really is a pleasant place to visit and takes you back to the health spa culture of the Kaiser Zeit or as we say, to the late Victorian period. You are surrounded by water, trees and very nice villas. Certainly not a place where the Arbeiterklasse came to settle. It relaxes you as soon as you get out of your car - or in our case - out of the train.

We went to the famous Kurbad where you can see people relaxing-swimming in the thermal waters, and I took a photo of the building. Then to the lake which is only two minutes walk away but not heated by the thermal spring - interesting what Nature does or doesn't do.

We wandered around part of the lake taking in the ferries where years before we had taken one to explore the lake. The memories came flooding back for I had spent part of this summer with Alan and Lynne but when we had last been here I had no idea that Paul would be galloping around half the globe when I made my next visit!

I can recommend a day out to all visitors to Berlin. I have just read that my sister Pauline wants to visit Berlin next March so perhaps we shall make it there for a nice day out. Now for the photos. I have selected seven to give you a flavour of the place, so here goes!

Jan and Arancha inCanada

Last weekend Jan and Arancha went to Canada

Compared to Paul's travels it was a relatively safe journey. They went for a long weekend and Jan posted a nice report on his blog. Canada is BIG so in fact they only went as far as Toronto and to Niagara Falls. I thought only newly-weds went to Niagara Falls for their honeymoon. Mmmmh !

I think it is great that a young couple take the chance to do this. I have never been there so I have to live it through their eyes, report and photos. I wonder why I was always attracted to the other part of the world when I was younger? At least I can enjoy their weekend via Jan's blog report and taking five of their Niagara Falls and two of their Toronto photos to share with you.

I shall start with the Toronto pics and then add the Falls pics. Get your umbrellas out!

Paul in Pakistan

Paul sent photos from Pakistan

I took them from his facebook account and find them a really great set of photos to show we armchair travellers what is is like in that part of the world. Well done Paul and it seems that your stomach problem is now over. He either tells me of news and sends photos in an e-mail or notifies me via facebook, so I am happy to share these views with you. I selected five interesting ones of the thirteen I got.

They show him in what we called the foothills of the Himalayas (in my day!) or what some call the Kamarokooran, but whatever you say, they are in the north of Pakistan and border onto China and Afghanistan. I know he wants to go to Kazakhstan so I wonder which route he is actually taking. Me thinks over Afghanistan for he is wearing some Afghani style clothes in a few photos. Mmmmh still a dangerous route. More news please Paul - and take care of yourself!

Mid-October News

Latest news in the middle of October.

I have some photos and news of Paul in Pakistan and of Jan and Arancha in Canada. Also of me at Bad Sarow last weekend and news of Micha, Pauline and Daniel. Let's go!

Paul leaves India-Pakistan

I got an e-mail from Paul with pictures. I decided to reduce all and post to my blog because they were taken as he left India to go to Pakistan from where I think he has moved to another country. You know that I lived in these countries many years ago, so it is always special to get news and photos and re-live my time there again.

I start with a pic of Paul in the middle of a field and then pics of a town, hotels, restaurants including one owned by Mr Gupta - for I can read it in the sign above the family cooking in the open kitchen. These photos must have been taken in India, probably in Delhi for the language is Hindi. He had to travel through Punjab to get to Pakistan and there the language is Punjabi and Urdu in Pakistan - neither of which are in his photos. Sound like Sherlock Holmes, don't I?

Toilet humour we can see in his two photos of the museum and a shot inside. Luxury - when I was there we used a field! Now to the photos and I shall try to present them in the above order - didn't work out. Okay, let's start with the toilets! More news and photos please, Paul.

This week and Oldie Rolf

This week started with seeing Hans. He was okay with nothing to say except yes and no to questions. The big thing was taking him to a hairdresser and then to one of his favourite restaurants because he can eat liver there! Small pleasures make most of us happy!

That evening I went to my new Spanish course. I decided to go to another to give myself a push, so now I have a lesson each Monday and Thursday. The Monday teacher comes from Peru and so pronounces 'c' as 'c' and not as 'th' --- as in saying Cecilia as against Thethilia which is what my teacher from Spain says on a Thursday. Got it?

Yesterday I went to sort out Oldie Micha -- he was pressing the wrong button to try to turn on his new-old computer. I think he also needs new glasses! I took the opportunity to spend some time with him and practice the same thing over and over ... and over again! He'll get there - the rest of us did!

Tomorrow I am doing some relief teaching at the institute on the Ku'damm. Birgit used to work there and I like the atmosphere for teaching and being able to experiment. Then I have my Spanish course, rush to my Photoshop course and then meet Oldie Hermann in a restaurant and relax over a plate and a beer. On Friday and Saturday I am going to a Linux course. I think it is time to learn something about this operating system given that my Baby Asus runs on it.

This morning Oldie Rolf dropped in. He is part of the extended family of Oldies you get to meet through other Oldies. He had to go to a specialist doctors not far from where I live and called in after for a coffee and chat. He told me more about his boat and the problems of having ten grandchildren including cost of birthday/Christmas presents. On a lighter side he talked about his boat and promised to send me a pic so I can share with you later. I wanted to go on the boat this summer but it didn't work out. Hopefully next year.

Here is the pic and then I shall post the latest about Paul.

Dahlia time in Berlin

Sunday 5th October. A selection of photos of the dahlia display in Britz Garden. You can see it was a rainy grey day but made brighter by the colour of the flowers. Dahlias come from the mid regions of Latin America and were introduced into Europe by a gardener in Madrid about 1670. I read that at the display yesterday!

Britz Garden

Sunday 5th October, I went to Britz Garden with 'oldie' Hermann.

I got a call from him yesterday morning saying he had safely got back from Italy and if I was doing anything that afternoon. I said I wasn't so he suggested we go to Britz Garden to see the dahlia display. And so off we went with warm coats and umbrellas.

The garden is in the south of Berlin and used to be part of a Schloss. It is a popular place in summer and particularly so in spring when the flowers and trees start to bloom. It is also popular with young families and not only with 'seniors'! Here are a few photos to give you an idea about the garden before I post photos of the dahlias.

Micha and Hermann

Saturday 4th October was Micha's 69th birthday. I also got a postcard from Hermann who was on holiday with friends at Lake Garda/Gardasee in the north of Italy. He went on excursions each day for he is an 'oldie' who can't just sit around all day.

He was travelling back as I went to Micha's small birthday 'brunch' gathering. I went by taxi for I took a computer system I had put together for him as a present. Pity that I forgot to take my camera. I picked up the old laptop I had loaned him to get him started in the crazy world of computers and will loan it to another 'oldie' who wants to learn.

Micha is starting a Computer for Seniors course and the new system will be better for his eyes = a nice big monitor donated by Jan! And with a standard keyboard which will be easier to learn on. A nice day with lots of interesting chat.

Mr Postie delivered a nice surprise for me before I left for the party. A book from Ian Maxwell in London. He had read it and was sure I would find it interesting given that it is a social-political history covering my life span. Nice to get something else to read as the nights draw in. Thanks, Ian.

Remembering Birgit

Friday 3rd October

I met Heike at the usual S-Bahn station, then bought flowers and went to Birgit's grave. Their father, Kurt, is also buried there and it was his anniversary as well, so Heike placed two bouquets of flowers. It is still a shock even after four years.

After, we had lunch in the Bömische Restaurant near my place. Heike likes to have lunch there when she visits me in Berlin. We were joined by Dr. Birgit and later by Marita, who we hadn't seen for a long time. It was nice to meet up again and catch up on news.

October overview

Birthdays in October 2008

Starting a new month and thinking where did the summer go?

So to birthdays. Micha starts the month with his 69th birthday on Saturday 4th October. I have prepared a computer as a birthday present and will show it, and his party later. My nephew, and new father, Andrew will be 31 on Sunday 5th October and Birgit Brandt will be celebrating her 40+ birthday with Ian in London on the same day. She looks like 25 and her idea of fun is to jump out of planes with a parachute and glide to earth. Take a bottle of 'Champers' with you this time and sip it as you glide to earth, Birgit!

On Saturday 11th October, dear Tessa would have celebrated her birthday in Brighton. She committed suicide many years ago and is still sadly missed by family and friends, including me. I first met her when I was forced to return from India and housed in a University of Sussex student home (I hated it!) and she was my neighbour (She made it bearable). Interesting times mixed with the shock of suddenly being thrown into a totally different world than my previous research world in the north of India.

Next day, Sunday 12th October, my nephew Warren will be celebrating his 32nd birthday. How time flies - it seems only yesterday that he and his brother Jefferson and cousin Andrew were at school. Now they are all in their early 30ies. His mother, Frances (my dear little sister) will be 62 on Tuesday 14th October. Even with children in their 30s it is still a shock for me to think that we are now in our 60s and all but I are grandparents.

My ex- friend Marita will be 57 on Tuesday 21st October. I have been invited to her birthday 'bash' that evening so I may be able to post a few pics and a report. Watch this space!

Apart from Nicholas, I have dropped off the radar of the Bolton family and this goes with his mother Dianne who will be 62 on Monday 27th October. Stop feeling guilt about Ian and enjoy your birthday, Dianne!

As usual, the month ends with dear Tanja who will be 45 on the last day of the month. What a pity we have not met in so many years but we still keep in touch. Have a great day with Adrian and the children.

And so I shall go through October with thoughts about these people, but unfortunately with past reference for most are not resident in Berlin.