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?

March 2018 Things

As we move into another month, it is very cold here. It's -7°C on my balcony at the moment but at least the sun is shining and there are patches of blue sky. All of Europe seems to be in the grip of a very cold spell at the moment. I note that a lot of snow has hit parts of Brexitland and many public transport services have been suspended.

Later I shall put on some very warm clothes and then venture out to go to a meeting at my local museum. They are monthly and discuss matters such as how to get more people to visit and the kind of exhibitions to show. Tomorrow evening I am going to a meeting of representatives of the housing association where I live. It is really preperation for the big AGM a week later.

Next week I shall be online to take part in the new Labour Germany Branch AGM. It is being held in Cologne but you can participate via internet/computer. On Sunday 11th I am going to the Philharmonie to enjoy a performance of Mahler's 6th Symphony. Looking forward to that!

The week after hosts my monthly Berlin Labour Party meeting followed next day by my monthly SPD meeting. On the 21st I shall be in the Franzosischen Dom with Dr. Peter to attend an academic conference about the crises of globalisation. The 23rd will see me at a chamber music concert and on the 24th I shall be at a worshop followed by the English Teachers' Association AGM. These are all in addition to my usual weekly activities. 

I include a photo I recently took of a view  towards the eastern districts of Berlin. In the DDR time, many blocks of flats were built just like these. One advantage is that they have grass and trees around them even if you cannot see this detail in my photo.

Who has a birthday in March? The answer is not many! Colin in Australia will celebrate on the 19th. Dr. Günter P. will celebrate with his family in Berlin on the 22nd. Dr. Bernd W. near Bernau will enjoy another birthday on the 28th and a very special lady called Johanna will celebrate with her family and friends in Berlin on the 31st March. I am sure I shall be there!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EACH AND ALL NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE!

Nice Presents

Last Thursday I met my 'Kowalke Gang' at a members home. As you probably know, we meet each month for a meal, a glass of something nice and catching up on news. This time Gerald was not with us. He is still in hospital. Not good :-((

The main dish was a delicious soup. I even had a second helping! One of The Gang gave me a bag with a pair of new shoes for the mother of 'The Family' and lots of coloured pens and activities for the daughter plus chocolates for each. You can see them in this photo.

Next day I went my 'Photoshop Gang'. This time a member of the group said she wanted to give her old laptop to 'The Family'. What a nice gesture! Stefan then removed all her material before handing it to me. At home later, I opened it and put it onto my wlan. It worked okay! I updated the security system and everything went well - except for one thing.

The laptop said the battery should be replaced. I have had it on charge but it is clear that it should be replaced. I found offers on the internet so that will not be a problem. I shall take it to the computer specialist, who works in my housing association, next Monday afternoon and let him check everything. If all is okay I shall contact The Family for a meeting. They do not know about these presents!

I would like all to be together to share the experience of giving the laptop to Bro1. Although the family is not allowed to have internet access or TV where they live at the moment,  they can go to a public library in the next street and access the internet. This will also help Bro1 with his school homework tasks.

My next job is to find an old laptop for Bro2. And then to find another one for little sister. Can't wait to see them smile as they get such nice presents! I shall of course share each with you.

Stefan Visit

Last Wednesday Stefan S. came to visit. He now lives in Halle although he still owns a flat in the north of Berlin. I went to Halle many years ago with Oldie Hermann, but I have forgotten the details. Everyone tells me it is a nice, interesting town with old architecture. I'll see that for myself in May when I visit. Yes, Stefan invited me to see the place and stay in his 'Schloss' = Palace. Looking forward to that.

I have known Stefan for as long as I have lived in Berlin. Many years ago I lived in Bremen and then planned to move to Madrid in Spain to teach at the British Council School. I never got there. I visited friends in Berlin to see their new born daughter. They told me about a flat in the east and that the British Council were advertising for teachers at a new school in Treptow - a district in the south east of Berlin. I applied and got a job there.

I also moved into the nice large flat in Marzahn in the north-east of the city. The friends knew Stefan through another friend and heard that he was looking for a place in Berlin. He then lived in Munich, the capital of Bavaria in the south of Germany. We met and I agreed to share the flat with him. One week later he arrived with his things and the motor of an old Peugot car which resided on a wooden support at the entrance to the flat. I said 'Hello' to it whenever I left or entered the flat :-))

And so we got to know each other. Stefan speaks perfect English for years before he lived and worked in England. He has never spoken German with me! Later he bought a flat in the north of the city and moved there, and nearer to his work. We have always kept in touch and visited each other for different events and parties. And so the years ticked by.

This time I met him at my local S-Bahn station as you can see in the photo. We then went to a nearby restaurant for lunch and catch up on news. I took him to a project where people with psychological problems are trained to cook and work as waiters. They offer a fixed lunch menu each day. Stefan was happy to go there and support the project. The food was also very tasty as you can see from the photograph. Note the words on Stefan's beer glass = 'Non-Alcohol'. I had a glass of red wine with my food.

I then took him on a tour of my area. Not far away from the restaurant is the local fire station. He really liked the architecture. It was one of the first to be built when my district was founded at the end of the 1890s. We then landed at my place for a coffee before he had to leave for his flat, pick up his car then drive back to Halle. A very nice day with a very interesting person. 

To Vote

The right to vote is now considered to be a fundamental right and one which defines a democracy. It was not always so as anyone who has studied European history will know.

Last Monday I found an envelope in my postbox. From the words on the envelope I knew immediately what was inside. It was from the SPD Central Office and contained information about how to vote Yes or No to the latest Gro-Ko Coalition Proposal. It is about creating another Grand Coalition with the CDU/CSU to form a government.

I do not normally report on political events in Germany on my blog.  I take it you get such information from your local radio/TV wherever you live. This decision, with national consequences, must be made by just over 465,000 SPD members.  I am one of them as you know. Members of the other two parties do not have the right to vote.

I opened the envelope and slowly read all the information. I then followed the instructions as to how to vote. Having done that, I  took it to my local post office. We shall know the result on the 2nd March 2018. I bet you are wondering how I voted. It's a secret and that is another valuable democratic right!

In the photo you can see the voting envelope and a special copy of the SPD magazine called 'vorwärts' which means forwards. The magazine contained 73 pages detailing the Gro-Ko Agreement. Phew, but was that a lot to read!

Special Invitation

Some time ago I got an invitation to attend a birthday celebration. It was yesterday and in the SKY Restaurant of Andel's Hotel. The restaurant is on the 12th floor with superb views to the centre and east of Berlin. Not my first time in the hotel but the first time in the restaurant.

The hotel is new and on the Landsberger Allee at the junction with the same named S-Bahn station. If you stay on this road you will reach the Polish border. Continue on the road until you come to a large town on a river. It was called Landsberg before 1945 when it was part of Germany. The border was  moved and it got a new name of Görzöw Wielkopolski. I used to often drive there to visit friends years ago.

In the photo you can see the Allee heading east and in the distance there are some high rise flats. I used to live in one of them on Judith-Auer-Strasse. It was my second address in Berlin and the English teachers' association was founded in my living room. Nice to look out of the window and think back while enjoying the birthday party.

It was Frau Dr. Inge Pardon's 70th birthday party. Here is a photo of her playing the flute. She also plays the accordion, speaks fluent Russian and is still a guest lecturer at the University of St. Petersburg. I met her via Birgit Gast. Inge and her husband, Dr. Dr. (yes he has two!) Michael Pardon had recently opened a language school on the Ku-damm' and Birgit started teaching there. She told them about me and I was invited to teach a few test classes. The student report back was good so they offered me a contract, which I accepted. And so started a close relationship that has lasted until today.

I have reported about them before on my blog when I go to their summer garden parties. Nice photos and stories in the blog archive (to the left at the top of the page you can access all the archive posts). The food and service was really good. I chose fish with an appropriate cool white wine from a vineyard in the south-west of Germany. Very tasty! And so the clock ticked on and it was time to leave. We promised to meet up again and in their big garden for a summer party. Looking forward to that!

Fourth Ape

Just got this brilliant cartoon from Colin in Ozland. It really says everything about 'modern values' and the use of 'smartphones'. Well done the artist who came up with this idea. Many people are surprised that I do not have one. The answer is simple: Just call me if you have anything to say. A simple mobile/cell phone can do this.

As part of language use I decided to share more 'Dinglish'. Seems like a relevant link to the use (or not) of language in current smartphone culture. I found them in supermarket adverts that arrive in my post each Saturday morning. Lets start with Lidl and Sale Styles/ Spaghettitop/ Super-Skinny-Jeans/ Fashion-Top. Aldi gives us even more: Flatbread/ Business-Class/Oversize Pullover/ Basic-Shirts/ Comfort Clogs/ Softshell-Jacke/ Wochenend-Hightlights/ Snack-Hits.

Let's have some more. How about these offers in Real as follows: Cocktailtomaten/ Little Lunch Bio-Erbsen/Citybike Red/Sporttrolley/Jogginghose/Trainingsanzug/Trendsneaker. Not to be outdone, Penny is offering: Bacon Bomb Cheese/Penny To Go Sandwich/Funny Frisch/Sweathose/ Sweatjacke / Fitness-Sandsack and Fitness-Tube-Expander.

If you don't like any of these offers you can go to Netto for the following: Fairer Handel/Pinky Donut
/Currywurst Snack/Chicken Nuggets/Lovables Waschmittel. Finally my favourites. These are on offer at Edeka: Slow Cooked Pulled Turkey and Slow Cooked Pulled Pork. I wonder who creates such verbal rubbish?

Ripped

Last Friday Bro1 rang to ask if he could visit on Saturday afternoon because he needed help with some school work. I agreed and the bell rang only 20 minutes after the agreed time! He was not alone. Bro2 followed him through the door.

Bro1 showed me his school report, which was good. We talked about it then Bro2 dropped some papers onto the table. It was his German homework. Mainly reading and answering comprehension or grammar questions. Both were on holiday last week. I asked why he had not done any and what he had done with his time.

He hung his head and said nothing. There then started a big argument between them. Bro1 was angry that little Bro had done nothing and expected me to help him regardless of what other plans I had. I separated them into different rooms and put a laptop in front of Bro2 and told him to translate into Persian any words he did not know as a first step. I then returned to Bro1 and helped him with his task. And so I passed the afternoon moving between their workrooms.

Bro1 finished first so I got him to help little Bro. The hours ticked away. Time to have a break and eat. First a big bag of crisps. Bro2 munched away as he finally finished his homework. Time taken = over 4 hours! Bro1 then wanted to watch a DVD so I told him to find one. He did just that as they settled onto the sofa and the last crisp. I had thrown different kinds of pizza into the oven, and so they chewed pizza, watched the film and then smacked their lips as they ate chocolate cream pudding.

In my last post, I told you about buying clothes for Bro2 and made a comment about buying what I am told is 'ripped jeans'. I was surprised to see Bro1 wearing such jeans. We had a short discussion about wearing such things in winter. They said what mattered was to have the same style of jeans as the other boys in their class/school. I still don't understand why with holes and rips. They let in the cold air but The Boyz like wearing them, as you can see in the photo.

Angelika had visited a few days earlier and left a big bag of clothes for their mother and sister. The Boyz took this with them plus all the completed homework. I threw some bananas and cakes into  another bag - in case they felt hungry on the way home. Lots of smiles as they left and with the shouting argument between them long forgotten.

Bro2 Clothes

I had a very nice day yesterday. It actually all started on Friday. First to Kerstin's Oldie Keep Fit Gang then to Stefan and the Photoshop Gang. After returning home the bell rang and Bro2 entered. We had arranged for him to cut my hair. First glasses of healthy fruit juice, which he likes, then to the scissors!

Lots of looking at how my hair had grown since the last cut, then getting his opinion about the next cut and so it was decided to have it short on the sides and not to cut it on top. He took his time and so created another 'masterpiece' on my head:-)) Then it was time for coffee and cakes. He also like them a lot. As we sipped and munched we decided on when and where to meet on Saturday. He still had a credit of 50 euros as a Christmas present from Peter and Andre.

He had found some clothes in a sale at Primark near to the S-Bahn Station Rathaus Steglitz. It is a district on the other side of the city and takes 50+ minutes to get there. I jumped into the train at my local station and found Bro2 waiting for me inside with a bonus -- yes, Papa had decided to join us. It was interesting to talk to Papa in English on the journey and in German to his son. He has English lessons at school but I am not sure what they do in the lessons!

And so I got Bro2 to practice his English, but in writing. I always have paper and pen in my rucksack so I wrote questions in English and Bro2 had to reply. He did this with no problem and it kept him busy during the journey. We finally arrived at the store and he found a range of clothes he wanted and tried them on. I took a couple of shots with different tops and 'modern' jeans. What else can I call them? They have holes etc on the legs but are 'in' with young people his age!

He also bought socks and two woolen caps plus another top. The total was €51 but I said I would pay the extra €1. That really made him smile so off we went to pay. I was feeling 'peckish' and thirsty so we found a nearby shop where I bought snacks and drinks. That made both smile even more. I like this shot of Bro2 really biting into his snack and clearly enjoying it.

We headed back home and said out goodbyes. Daniel came to visit later. He needed help with a project for his English class. He is studying hard for exams at the moment. After he left I changed clothes and set off for Berliner Philharmonie to enjoy a concert called 'Klassik trifft Romantik. It started with a Mozart piano concerto before moving onto Dvorak's 7th Symphony. The perfect way to end a very pleasant day. Hope your Saturday was as good!

Er, ya know, like, er I'm like

I have been collecting more verbal rubbish since my last post on the same topic. All came from BBC Radio 4 news reports. These include interviews with politicians, business people and artistic people who you would expect to speak correctly. Alas, that is not the case!

I came cross this nice image on a birthday card so I edited it and shall use it to herald any more posts about verbal rubbish. I have added (m) and (f) to indicate the sex of the speaker. It should show if men utter more rubbish than women. Here goes:

        To walk back a nuclear programme (m)  To better make the case (m). Short-terminism was heavily incentivised (said by Vince Cable, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party- my comment = I am still trying to work out what he wanted to say. Best ways to survive your family (written by Issy Sampson in the Guardian) – my comment = the answer is simple = just kill them all!) )   The tangibility of thinking(f)   Listen back to (f)  Something or some person comes under challenge(f) Work in a pair (f) – my comment = I wonder how the pair will react when I enter them?  A huge long way to go (f) – my comment = how huge is long?  I feel conflicted (m) - my comment = look in your dictionary about conflict.
     
     Update: Got an invitation to read an article in the FT from Birgit in Oz. It was about current pronoun misuse such as me, myself and I. Seems I am not the only one shuddering at the misuse of English by 'native' speakers.

Manila

A surprising coincidence. Two posts ago I told you about meeting Imre for lunch to hear about his recent stay in Manila. Guess what arrived the day after? Yes, a postcard from him. Guess how long it took to arrive? No, try longer-------- yes, nearly one month! Was it sent via horse and cart and a rowing boat? 

Even so it was nice to get it and read his comments. That made me think about what I know about Manila and The Philippines. I did some reading via the internet and decided to share some information with you.

Manila was founded in 1571, by Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi, and was the seat of power for most of the country's colonial rulers It is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay. The Pasig River flows through the middle of the city, dividing it into the north and south

Manila is known for its eclectic mix of architecture that shows a wide range of styles spanning different historical and cultural periods reflecting  American, Spanish, Chinese, and Malay influences It is the most densely populated city in the world, with 263 inhabitants per km² in 2015.  Manila welcomes over 1 million tourists each year.

As a result of Spanish cultural influence, Manila is a predominantly Christian city. As of 2010, Roman Catholics were 83.5% of the population,  Manila is a major center for commerce, banking and finance, retailing, transportation, tourism, real estate, new media as well as traditional media, advertising, legal services, accounting, insurance, theater, fashion, and the arts in the Philippines

One of the more famous modes of transportation in Manila is the jeepney. Patterned after U.S. Army jeeps, these have been in use since World War II. You can see one at the top-right on the postcard. 

February 2018 Things

I'm tired of cold grey days. I have never liked winter except when I am on a mountain and skiing down it! The days just seem to drag on and everyone wears black or dark clothes. In the U-S Bahn people look miserable and most just stare into their smartphones.

On the other side of the planet, people are enjoying lots of sun, blue skies and high temperatures. In my next life I shall be a billionaire and follow the sun via my private jet and countless homes aroundthe world. What a nice idea!

Things have settled into routine after the Christmas/New Year break. This evening I am going to a (late) New Year Reception hosted by the SPD in my next district. I got the invitation via the AWO, many of whose workers will also be there. I shall probably sip a glass of sekt while chatting to local MPs, Senators and party leaders.

I have four other political meetings in February, two special birthday party invitations, a neurology doctor appointment in addition to routine things. Like other SPD members I shall be voting on the results of discussions to form a new coalition to form a central government. That result should be interesting !

Who has a birthday in February 2018?
My oldest and closest friend Alan starts us off with his 75th on Saturday 3rd February. Sure to get lots of messages from New Zealand and Ozland on that day as he celebrates in Casland. He shares the day with Imre who will be 63 and celebrate in Berlin. Jens W. will be 48 on the 5th and sure to celebrate with his family at the house on Muggelsee. Big party for Dr I. Pardon on the 18th as we celebrate her 70th. Looking forward to hearing about her recent stay in St. Petersburg. Eleonora hits 59 on the 22nd and Adrian Bridge will celebrate his 58th on London with his family on the 25th. Alan's son Peter ends the birthday month with his 38th on the 28th February with friends in Australia. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EACH AND ALL NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE!!

Nice Day

The last day in January was a very good one for me. It started with a lazy morning of paperwork, computer texts to read and e-mails. I then got ready to meet Imre for lunch. He has three bicycles in addition to three cameras so he cycled to our meeting place.

This was a restaurant not far from where I live. They offer fixed lunch menus per day for a low price. They attract a lot of office workers from the area and 'elderly' people and groups. We had been there before so knew what to expect.

Imre had just returned from a few weeks in Manila. Yes, visited his girlfriend again. He was full of life and spent all the time showing me hundreds of photos. He is a bit of a 'snipper' with a camera and I told him again he should not just press the button and take a shot but look carefully at what he wants to take - and not do it ten times. Yes, there were often ten of the same shot!

He looked well and was very happy with his holiday. He just wanted to talk and relive the time and I was happy to relax and just listen. When we left, he put on his favourite hat before getting on his bike. I just had to take a shot and here it is. I think you can see how happy he was to talk about his special time in Manila.

I jumped onto a tram then an S-Bahn and ended up at Frau Fox's home. It was her 77th birthday. I took her a box of chocolates. There were other guests so we had a nice time chatting over Kaffee und Kuchen. It was good to see her again and it was agreed I should celebrate my next birthday at her home.

On returning home, I decided to shred all my old diaries. There were ten. It was interesting to read entries from years ago and relive the events. I finished the shredding this morning. Now for the recycling bin!

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!