Weekend

Saturday evening there was an event called 'Extraschicht - Night of the industrial culture' in my area. Between 6pm and 2am one could go and see shows and performences at 40 locations. Singers, artists, light shows and firework - what a night.

On sunday I went to Hamm for the NRW Day 2009. Uncountable shacks presenting banks, insurances, clubs, and lots more. Shows were given on 13 stages.
My highlight:
'The young tenors' gave a show at 6pm and afterwards Uwe Kröger presented a musical gala. For this he could count on Pia Douwes, Anna Montanaro and Jesper Tydén.
What a show - I loves seeing Pia on stage once more.
Songs from musicals given in NRW were presented, e.g. Les Miserable, Phantom of the Opera, Elisabeth and further more.
They sang for 100 minutes - great! The sqare was packed - no chance to move for- or backwards. My shirt was wet through with perspiration when it was finished.
The last song 'Thank you for the music' was modified. A great job! Uwe Kröger started in German, Pia Douwes followed with and then Anna would take over from here and sing the parts with dancing before walking and about the golden hair.
A great show, great voices and I am happy that I drove the 100km just for seeing Pia Douwes live on stage...

As I don't know if it would be wise to publish a video I took on sunday, here just a few photos:


Pia Douwes & Uwe Kröger performing "Wenn ich tanzen will" from 'Eliabeth - Das Musical'





Uwe Kröger & Anna Montanaro





Uwe Kröger, Pia Douwes, Anna Montanaro & Jesper Tydén just before performing 'Thank you for the music'

TOEFL

Oh my gosh! I survived the first hours in the preparation course!
Friday evening 6pm - others would start a BBQ (especially as the weather was great) but I sat inside a warm room with 10 our people, listening to Cliff (one of the instructors).
Topics were Reading and Listening - enough for the start. Round 9pm everybody was groggy - no chance to concentrate a minute longer...
The next day we started at 9.30am. Kirk lead us through the day with the topics Speaking and Writing. I knew that would be my 2 problems: For the speaking you have to read a small passage, take notes and then listen to a source that is dealing with the same topic you've read about. Not too bad. The problem are all the information you get. I do understand everything but after a short preperation time I have to speak about the listening and reading passage for a minute. The thing is - with all those info I speak round 45sec about the first part and then I'm running out of time...
The really horror is the writing! I mix up the tenses, don't get the structure right or don't know what to write about when a theme but no info are given...

I don't wanna write to gloomy, as I still have another weekend. There will be much work for me and the real test end of the months...

Corpus Christi

The 'Solemnity of the Body and Blood Christ'.
I was christened, went to the Holy Communion, was confirmated 11 years ago and that's it. So I can say today is a seriuos feast day but the really good thing on it is - it is a public holiday in North Rhine - Westphalia.

All the day it is drizzling and cold - I am missing the sun!!!!

As I still should not drive a car on my own, I am stuck at home and do what I can do best - reading.
I have just finished Clancy's 'Patriot Games' so I will continue with 'Red Rabbit',the next 'Jack Ryan' title in the series.
Then there is still the English grammar and '500 essential words for the TOEFL' to go through.....

TOEFL

I don't know what got into my mind yesterday but I finally enroled for the TOEFL.
A preparation course on two weekends in the late June and than the exam a month later.
I really hope that is worth the money I have paid.....
So now I start again in learning the grammar by myself, a special vocabulary book is beeing sent to me and then I have to buy another thick book for the course.
If everything works out like I plan it - I will be able to study English.

Keep your thumbs crossed!!!!

more shows

I went to the movies on saturday evening - it was the present my godchild got from me. After we settled on the 6:30 pm movie (she loved to attend the 8:30pm one) the hardest part was done.
We left home about 6pm that evening and drove to the movies. She got her coke and popcorn and we waited for 'Night in the museum II' to start.
Of course there were again the main characters you'd know from part one: Jedediah, the cowboy, Octavius, the roman general, Teddy Roosevelt and Dexter, a capuchin monkey.
Then several new one like General Custer, Emilia Erhardt (the first woman to cross the atlantic ocean in an aeroplane), Ivan the Teribble, Napoleon, Al Capone and Kahmunrah (Akmenrah's embittered brother).
You mustn't know the first part of all. It is fun to watch that film. A 'war' between the goods and the bad ones (Al Capone, Kahmunrah, Napoleon and Ivan) and a loving affair between Larry and Emilia.
Very good special effects, you will laugh most times of the film!!!


Next evening (sunday) and I went out again - this time in a Varietee with my cousin (that was what I gave her for her birthday; I have had enough from presents you don't really like or need...)
Vertical rope, dancing, a magician, Jonglage - but with massive iron bullets.
A really good show but my favourites were 'Maestro' who walks on a sagging rope while 'conducting' some music classics and Darkan. This man shows you the most beautiful acrobatic with the 'Strapaten' - that are two bands hanging down form the ceiling. Like nothing he did roll up (!) to the ceiling, did do the splits and much more.
A great evening!!!

Meteorology

The weather again!

After 'surviving' the icemen

1. Mamertus – 11. Mai
2. Pankratius – 12. Mai
3. Servatius – 13. Mai
4. Bonifatius – 14. Mai
5. Sophie – 15. Mai

now there is the 'sheep iciness' (a cold spell around June 11th).

Named is this cold snap because of the sheep, which had been fleeced by now, and were because of that in jeopardy.
The temperatures did sink about 5-10°C! There is no sun in the moment and all the day drizzling. We are freezing at temperatures from around 12°C...

Hope there will be sun out again soon

Shopping

Before I even could think about learning some more grammar I went shopping today!
So what do I get? Some more cards for the theater!!!!

I am going to see:

- a Varietee next sunday
- Mandela (9th October)
- Musical Night (28th November)
- Sleeping Beauty (9th December)
- Little Lord Fauntleroy (11th December)
- Thomas Borchert 'Besinnlich' (one of the most famous German Musical Actors has got a gig in the Advent Season - I am curious about it)

Then there will be some movies in the cinemas and hopefully a trip to London or Hamburg in autumn....