Karnival

The time has come again. Cologne, Duesseldorf, Mainz and Aachen are celebrating. Masqueraded people - known as "Jecke" - walk aoaring through the streets, many of them drunken...
The season did start yesterday on a day called "Women's Carnival Day". As used women from a Karnival Culb 'storm' the townhall and the mayor is to present the key to the women. Afterwards they get some lunch and are celebrating.
Most people use the carnival time to get drunken and just celebrate.
During the weekend the feats continue; there are cortages through the streets where in differnt clubs or schools are walking and throuwing sweets to the cheering crowd.
On Rose monday there are the huge cortages in the towns which are shown on TV as well.


The origin takes place in the christian practices of a heathens way to cast out the winter.

Typically you would eat some "Berliner" (in some areas they are called "Krapfen"); that is a sweet similiar to a doghnut but filled with jam intsteas of a gap in the middle. (I am sorry for this comparison but that way it is the most easiest way to understand.)

Everything is finished on Ash wendsday, after that the Lent starts.

Snow

Great! Snow is falling again! With temperatures round 0°C there could be the danger of black ice in the morning. This in turn means I have to get up 30minutes early (which is before 6am then) in case I have to scavenge a possibly snowy street in the morning and getting to work in time...

St. Valentine's Day

Another year, another february - and another 14th of february in which the paper's are filled with announcements of love. Flower, chocolate and gift shops are advertising in all papers, the shops are decorated with lots of red hearts...

And I have to announce - I DON'T CARE!

I survived another 14.2 and what did I do? I went to see some dart games in a huge tournament in Dortmund. Afterwards I visited some kins and the rest of the day I did do my washing...

So whatever; if you like to celebrate the day you do but don't be cross with me that I don't.

Cinema

I wanted to see so many movies when I have stayed in Australia - especially in the last week. But then there was so little time and I ended up with watching "Madagascar 3" only.
Two weeks ago "The curious case of Benjamin Button" did start here in Germany and I planned to go and watch it. My friend wanted to see a movie as well and so we went for watching it on thursday.
I do like the story: a newborn (Benjamin) looking like an old man, is getting younger the older he becomes. He ended up falling in love with a girl who is visiting her grandmother in the old people's home where in Benjamin is raised. The path of them is crossed several times in their life and when they are in the 30's they become a couple. Problems appear when Benjamin is to become a father...

Johanna and I do agree by saying that the movie is lengthly in some parts but the story of one person getting younger while everybody else is getting older is special.

What a great movie!


Like everywhere else there are several trailers before the movie did start. And like so often I did see a few movies I'd like to see in future.
Now I hope I can find time for those ones...

Work situation

It is incredible! I didn't write lots of aplications but uploaded an CL in one of the PT - pages. So I was really impressed when I got several mails written by possible employers.
Two weeks ago (on a saturday) I went to see one of those employers who has got a small practice in the city nearby. She offered a part-time job with working hours between 8am and 9pm. The people are really kind there and I woulnd't need a car as it is provided for the home-in-physiotherapy. The salary was good and I excepted.
I started on the next friday; the boss hadn't printed the contract till the next wendsday. When I got a call on that morning I couldn't believe my ears - if I would still be interested in a full-time job I applied for two weeks ago. Hey - this would be a full-time job, not in a hospital but with regulated working hours; I made an appointment for a job interview on thursday.
On Friday I spoke to "my old boss" with the result of her drumming me off. So eihter I would be successful on monday on the training day or I would still be unemployed; I didn't care.
Today I went along with the girl who is changing jobs. The colleagues are kind, the patients have got neurological and surgical desease patterns - working hours to 6pm in maximum and week ends free.
Just fantastic!

I GOT THE CONTRACT AT ONCE!

Now I do hope I am attaining happiness there. It could be THE job...

Musicals

Beeing back 4 weeks now and I have seen 2 musicals already!
Two weeks ago I have seen "Ich will Spaß" (I want fun) - it's a quite funny story about a girl in the 1980th, beeign in love with a hot guy for the first time. Her mother is an aged Hippy girl, the father unknown. The girls best friend ( another girl named Rosi) is shy and grown up very protected in a conservative family.
In the end it is shown that the hot guy is the son of the girls father and her mother is still in love with that guy (he appears after a few scenes and dies in the middle of the second part). The girl is having a baby with the guy, Rosi is in live with another boy and everything is fine.
It's not a very profound story but the music is type of the "New German Wave" - this music started in the end of the 70th and the peak was in the early 80th;it is a mix of German spoken punk and New Wave.



Last thursday I did listen to a Musical Night - 4 singers presented songs out of several musicals: New and older ones, well known and nearly forgotten ones.
The ticket had cost just 30€ - usually such tickets coust 70€ or more; but this one was shown in a small town on a small stage.
In the very beginning I was more than disappointed - the voices dind't suit to the songs and the two female singers did kill my most favourite songs (What is the feeling and Defying gravity from "Wicked"). So when the break was on I couldn't understant some people comments who were really delighted from the show.
So when the second part startet I was ready for everything and expected the worst - I was wrong. Ths part was times better than the first - Evita, Chicago, Starlight Express - the voices did suit well and I was happy not having left in the break!!!


Now I am waiting to earn some money as I have to save for my next ticket to Australia as well as for "Spamalot", "Marie Antoinette", "Tarzan", "Peter Pan", "Dance of the Vampires" and "The shoe of Manitu".....
I keep you updated!

Harder than thought it would be

A month is gone now. Everybody talking to me how well I setteld in. The times I am sad and speaking aloud about it all the people around me tell me stuff like: I shouldn't see things so negative, being open minded, not thinking to much about Australia,... I am puting up agood face on the matter.
Here is the onjective view of things in the moment: I live in my old room in my mother's flat, ended my relationship, the grey and rainy weathe makes me depressive and I am starting again in the job I don't like...

This blog seems to be the only possibility to speak about my sentiments. So don't be cross with me when there is no funny post in the next weeks.