The roads were as good as empty, which can’t be said of the airport. ‘Bustling’ doesn’t cut it, neither does ‘popular’ or ‘thriving’. Jam-packed is closer to the truth, but doesn’t imply the 30+ minute queues, just to get into the queue to check hold luggage in.
Here’s to the year 2016. Let’s hope it’s a good one, not only with plenty of cheer, but also a whole lot of: laughter (the ‘with’ kind rather than the ‘at’ kind), good conversations with interesting (and interested) people, love, time for the things that are important to you, clothes that fit well, and look […]
Thank you for all your prayers and good wishes – please keep them up 🙂 Here are the most important updates: – My eye is responding well to all the eye drops (4 different sorts last count) – I am going to be released in the morning, assuming the head doctor says things are ok. […]
Every Christmas, my family does a jigsaw puzzle. This year they’re doing one without me, so I’m doing one without them… 🙂 DB is helping, but hasn’t had nearly as much practice…
It’s gone one am and I’m not asleep yet. I’m at my third AuPair family’s house. I haven’t been here in 8 or 9 years, and it is amazing how much has happened since then, yet how recent my time here seems. It doesn’t feel strained or tense or foreign, it’s more like I’ve been […]
<- part 2 ….Then I moved in with DB. DB is German. DB’s parents are German. All of them were born and live in [former] East Germany. There is a lot of tradition involved in a German Christmas, and a whole lot more in an East German one. I’m not sure why, or even if […]
Once upon a time I lived in a house where we didn’t think about Christmas until all the birthdays were over (mid December). We had a huge (to a small child) box in the attic marked “Christmas”. It was brought downstairs a few days in advance, so we could walk round it and my parents […]
Temperature is a funny thing. Winter has just about reached Berlin. It’s something like -1′ in the mornings when I walk to work from the station. I spent most of the day shivering. The workshop was freezing, despite the flames and the fact thatthe window was newly wedged shut with a borrowed door stopper. The […]
I set this balloon free 🙂 I was one of 8000 balloon free-set-ers 😉 The Berlin Wall is history – for the second time in 25 years 🙂 More tomorrow when I’m not so asleep
The DB has an order for 10 glass things due 2 at a time over the next couple of months. The first 2 are due next week. He didn’t want to leave it to the last minute, but it’s a 2-person job and the guy who usually helps him was away last week and doesn’t […]
I am on my way to the embassy. My boyfriend booked – and his mum paid for – a weeks holiday in Lanzarote. It’s something like an Easter present, and something like a ‘You-must-have-a-break-before-you-have-a-breakdown’ mission. Having spent the last year in an unending battle with exams, quitting work, moving house, renovating, decorating, unpacking and furniture […]
If you are the sort of person who not only wakes up at the same time every morning and gets the same train at the same time, but also reads the same newspaper, after a while, your friendly newspaper vendor will recognise you and have your newspaper folded and ready for you when you walk […]
I’m kneading pizza dough when DB walks into the kitchen… DB: Did you put herbs in that? Me: Yes DB: Then it’s not dirt after all… Me: ??!! – 2 minutes later – DB: Shall I turn the oven on? Me: Not yet, I haven’t finished kneading, and then it’s got to rise and I […]
It’s amazing what you can remember about things you haven’t done for months. It’s also amazing how much you forget. I’ve skied for 2 of the 4 days. Today is the third day. The first day, getting my boots on without help was the first hurdle, carrying my skis was good, standing up without falling […]
I’m in southern Germany in a hostel with 11 other people. The hostel has one shower and we’ve all spent the day on the slopes. I think I’m the last of the unshowered. I don’t care, I have a good book (and a post to write :)). *** I hardly ever mind waiting as long […]