Tuesday, December 30, 2008

the reverse resolution!

I got this picture from the internet and LOVED the sofa :)

You guys,

The new year is approaching! Two things to tell you:

Yes, here we go! My New Years resolution is going in reverse, since I am always giving up on the positive ones:

-never relax
-hate music altogether and the Muppet Show
-never stop working
-work hard on a grey tan and wrinkles!

Sam wants a bath, he is so modest

What about you :)

Today, when driving back from Northern Germany, in my mind a wonderful sunset outside framed my wishes for each one of you.

For your children, your partners, your dreams and wishes, yourselfs:

-Minimum once a day somebody or something to make you laugh

-Always a chicken in the freezer and a good piece of anything you like best in the fridge

-Whatever else I am not able to guess!


A HUGE HUG to all of you!

B

Thursday, December 25, 2008

hungry?

www.foodista.com

Merry Xmas

Yesterday was great.

B and a friend of hers took me to the cathedral at midnight! Before that, her friend and her cooked at our house, and I think B is having a hang-over from the champagne with strawberry syrup, but she says the magnificent evening was totally worth it!

In the church, since the guys were talking in Spanish, they discovered there are so many people from Spain and southern America, B was delighted!

Around this time of the year, so many of you have celebrated their birthdays and we have been thinking of all of you, hopefully not forgotten anybody and sending HUGE hugs!

As a Christmas gift to herself, after lots of thoughts about it we invited a gardening team to our house, on the pot is says: a gardeners work is never at an end. :)

here they are:

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

the raubfisch view of words

USING ONLY ONE WORD

Where is your cell phone?
- which one? the spanish, the private, the blackberry?
Your significant other?
- as clueless as Bridget
Your hair?
- too long - no time for the hairdresser
Your favorite thing?
- if it really MUST BE a thing - my Golf Cabrio
Your dream last night?
- wondering why ROCA needs this type of glove....
Your favourite drink?
- I want my CUBA LIBRE!
Your dream/goal?
- happiness by turning Galan into a reliable partner
What room are you in?
- office
Your hobby?
- Galan - horseriding
Your fear?
- serious illness
Where do you want to be in 6 years?
- here - right where I am
Where were you last night?
- www.hipicapre.com (Birgit - what the hell were you doing in Gummersbach?)
Something that you aren't?
- married
Muffins?
- I'd prefer something more salty
Wish list item?
- Galan
Last thing you did?
- answering questions of colleagues
What are you wearing?
- riding boots
TV?
- to relax on the couch
Your pets?
- Galan
Friends?
- Few - but good ones!
Your life?
- exciting
Your mood?
- happy - finally some holidays
Missing someone?
- just a little bit - Javi and Galan
Drinking?
- together with smoking my bad habit
Smoking?
- clueless if I should/could/would stop next year?
Your car?
- normally to get from A to B - but in special occastions to have fun
Something you're not wearing?
- high heels
Your favourite store?
- Krämer-Pferdesport
Your favourite color?
- black and white
Where do you go to over and over?
- http://www.jardiabadessa.com/
My favourite place to eat?
- Piscolabis in Tarragona
Favourite place I'd like to be at right now?
- www.hipicapre.com

MERRY XMAS!

Monday, December 22, 2008

one word

this is supposed to go in an e-mail, but it´s funnier this way :)

USING ONLY ONE WORD

Where is your cell phone?

- jacket

Your significant other?

- clueless

Your hair?

- fuzzy

Your favorite thing?

- Sam

Your dream last night?

- helpful

Your favourite drink?

- sancerres

Your dream/goal?

- happiness

What room are you in?

- living-room

Your hobby?

- piano

Your fear?

-boredom

Where do you want to be in 6 years?

- Barcelona

Where were you last night?

- Gummersbach

Something that you aren't?

- relaxed

Muffins?

- banana

Wish list item?

- Onegin

Last thing you did?

- eat

What are you wearing?

- business-attire

TV?

- nope

Your pets?

- Sam

Friends?

- you!

Your life?

- miraculous

Your mood?

- edgy

Missing someone?

- always

Drinking?

- accompagnied

Smoking?

- accompagnied

Your car?

- fictitious

Something you're not wearing?

- tattoos

Your favourite store?

- tonger

Your favourite color?

- robins egg

Where do you go to over and over?

- Harry´s

My favourite place to eat?

- home

Favourite place I'd like to be at right now?

- Petersberg

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Scrabble

You guys,

Ever since my brother tortured me with board games e.g. teasing me afterwards whenever I lost (he is older and he saw my revenge coming :) ), I am not the biggest fan.

But Scrabble and trivial pursuit is so cool, and now I am waiting for people to come over and play! I will try to get an english and Spanish version too, so it will be fun in any direction whatsoever :)

Hurry :)

Fotos to follow.

A big hug,
B

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

stories about a fugitive monkey, why germans like anglizisms and schnuckies

Dear furry and human friends,

I have the floor since B is watching House and thought that I should share some stuff with you, she misses you all! And I have to make it short since B is taking me on a business trip, so buckle up!


1. Schnuckies
B has Schnucki-issues, sometimes annyoing, sometimes cute ones. Boy, they are everywhere! And at a distance, or unknown. In the office, in the tube, well-spread and so far away. My suggestion is: Take her out if you are in the area. Tell her to stop being shy and relax. I will take care in a furry way and hug her whenever possible so she gets used to that, am I a good pet or what :)

2. why is English so convenient to so many people
B has been wondering: why is it so comfortable to use English expressions, it seems to be so easy to us and so many other people in Germany. Here´s what we think: the German language simply has too many words with thousands of letters!

sorry - Entschuldigung
goodbye - Auf Wiedersehen
health - Gesundheit
show - anzeigen
happy - glücklich

See? By the time you guys finish a German thought english-speaking people might already have finished a bundle of them! In fur-world, hugs mean so much more than this, but B enjoys thinking about such really irrelevant stuff instead of the giant real problems last year :)

3. the escape from the Zoo
B spends all day with serious number stuff and the people around her are: sometimes yelling, sometimes extremely generous, organized, chaotic, in every shape and so many personalities. So today, when one of the clowns (who likes being that, btw) was asked if he would like to tell to the on how he escaped from the apes department in the zoo...

...I think that did it for her, she laughed so hard about it the management came by to enjoy this joke. Then she went down to play foosball with the guys and just relax.

A huge furry smile, wave and many rays of sun, my dear friends,
Sam

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

aaaand the rest of the poem

it´s too cute to isolate two lines from the the rest, so here you go :)

Old Irish proverb:

Work like you don't need the money;
dance like no one is watching;
sing like no one is listening;
love like you've never been hurt;
and live life every day as if it were your last.

work, like you don´t need the money

Dear all,

there is a saying of the following sort:

work like you don´t need the money, love like you never have been hurt


and the poem continues but I am going to stop here.

In business life our paths cross with so many people, and in rare occasions and with a little bit of luck, you will find the right people. Yesterday and today were full of impressions,tons of bosses and and a few non-boss colleagues in a seminar about intercultural project management. It was weird sometimes.

I am finding out who the right people on-site are to face the strange ones, apart from you guys, of course. After some turbulences last week, I think I am finding a way to stick to the first part of the poem and moreover after magnificent holidays I do not wish to be rattled at all (less than ever before). And some colleagues to face the one or other storm. I think they have proven to be good within the limited occasions working life gave us. That might be calming. I don´t think we can face the working world alone.

But maybe you do? Got receipes how to deal with this stuff?

For the second part of the poem, someone will come, there is not to much to comment but I will hopefully be able to do so before I am eighty years old.

For those in need, shall both parts of the poem with us.

Peace and love,
Birgit

Sunday, November 30, 2008

the daytime "sleeping bag"

Dear all,

Birgit has decided to face winter time and spent entire days searching for the warmest jacket available.

The result: something that apparently feels like a sleeping bag, only shaped as a jacket (is anybody familiar with Meeshalawn or something pronounced like that?). My furry nature does not really allow me to comment on temperatures, but judging by the look on her face and yesterday´s phone-call with Bea she is in "temperature heaven"!

Apart from that, more stories from our household:

-my friend Emilia is happy, apparently there is some studying starting and Olivia, Punica and all the other plants and herbs in the house like the studying. Hopefully B will always remember to make sure that she actually plugs in the headphones when she plays after 10 pm, the neighbours might not be too thrilled about learner sessions in the middle of the night :))))

-Myself, I moved from sitting on Emilia to sitting in the window, observing the snow-flakes dancing outside, watching the lights being switched on and off when it is already dark, thinking of all my furry and human friends, fur-maintenance, past and next adventures with B, my cousin who quite soon will be here.

- We are seriously thinking about getting rid of the sofa, B is bugged about it for a very long time already and if it weren´t for the worry of where people will actually sit when they come to visit. By the way, B wonders: Do you guys have something really practical that bugs you in your house? Does it make sense to get rid of it against all common sense?

- A couple of nights ago, I spent the night in the dormitory chair and Sally the salt-lamp distributed a lot of salt in the air! She descends from salt minery in a mountain very far away and has bulb in the belly, she looks so nice and warm!

- I have yet to tell you so much more stuff but today time is limited, I think I am being taken to the sink for a bath, B is cleaning the house and me. B already took a foto from me "hanging out, I promise to send it to you asap.

Toodles,
Sam

Sunday, November 23, 2008

it´s snowing in Köln

view from my living room

Dear all,

it is snowing! Time for:

- hot vine on the Christmas Market
- little light during the day
- in my specific case, a new, North-pole proofed jacket and a hat at all times
- make sure all the bulbs in the house are working
- a warm blanket to wrap oneself in during the night
- winter skirts and very warm tights
- spicy potatoe -curry-garlic soup
-a warm thought for Schnuckies
- my friends annual advent gathering
- Sam´s birthday ( dear Sam, this year we will keep it in a small circle, but next year there is going to be cocktail-party including a piano session :) )
-Emilia, Emilia, Emilia (we started the Moonlight sonata by Beethoven on Thursday night!)

A big hug to you all! Also from Sam, he thinks snow is fun, it melts on his fur and he thinks it spares him a cleaning ritual :)
B

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Dear Anina...

...
It´s your birthday tomorrow and be sure I will be thinking of you :)

Remember the gift you made me with the autobiography of Hélène Grimaud?

To all of you out there, whenever I listen to the pianist Hélène performing pieces of Brahms, I figure he must be smiling somewhere. We cannot really be sure what he would have liked to hear but in comparison to other interpretations, personally she seems to touch me the most, so please accept my apologies for this strange statement here :)

I had to research a little and look what I found:

A documentary!
Hélène performing Brahms op 79!!

With a big bow around it, hope you will not read this before tomorrow :)

Hugsies, dear,
Bridget

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Emilia´s plan

you might already be familiar with this foto



After nerv-wrecking working days, a little bit confusion on the days without the clear frame that a working day provides, I have started having "concentrated" piano sessions, being at home until the end of November simply having fun with Emilia, my dear piano. Sam usually sits on the piano and the books are in the shelf :)

I have given my beginner pieces to Ray so she might have fun with them in Italy (there are two pianos in her monastery).
Hence, I chose some new stuff and here we go.

The first real piece I am working on is supposedly from Petzold. I had learned it months ago. It´s a small piece and since I thought that my old metronom (older than a hundred years I think), was making fun of the speed I was applying, I bought a new one, much tinier (Samuel-size). So we (Emilia, the precise metronom and me) were quite amazed about having to change the order of fingers that will play the actual notes, otherwise I won´t keep the piece together (don´t know how to say that in English). In German the determination of notes/fingers is called "Fingersatz". Very good pianists might be able to vary the order and find the notes on the fly. I am not. And I believe that the brain has a memory for the procedure of things. And for me, a beginner with Emilia, it is very important to find a way to feel comfortable with one specific Fingersatz so after a while I won´t have to think anymore, not sure if I am explaining well.

So, since my first version of that piece without metronom was different, I am "re-wiring" my brain for the new way. Slowly and in peace, exercising with the right hand, the left hand, both hands synchronized.

It is such an adventure and so good! Thank God I am used to the procedure of learning to play an instrument, so this is far less scary than it sounds. And I think all of you know what I am talking about: there is something rewarding about it.

At some point, some varying feels good, so I also bought piano-pieces from Shakira and am slowly getting into accompagnying songs.
But it takes time and I will not sing at the moment, my voice feels a bit rusty and my brain has enough to handle by coordinating my hands and thank God I don´t have to dance :)

Well, you see, a lot of stuff is going on and I need a goal to work on. So Emilia and me are planning to have a concert in one year. Beginner pieces, cocktails and a frame we will have to define. Do not expect the Goldbergvariations but a happy me.

In the spirit of soonissimo I am keeping you up-to date on this one.

essence of birthdays...

... is now clearer to me, thank you so much.

Os quiero mucho.
B

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

it´s birthday time - it blows....

Hi all,

another guide through life.

Today: how do I get rid of being annoyed about my upcoming birthday, same thing with Christmas (also a birthday so it seems to fit somehow, nah, that logic does not really make sense)? Wise people keep telling me I should celebrate and enjoy, but there are 364 other days to celebrate other things....

Today, I spent the almost entire day on the couch (apart from playing with Emilia and buying the following ice-cream), inhaling mango ice-cream, watching movies.

As if I had seen it coming, aversion therapy :) : put my birthday on skype days ago. Might bring cake to the office, don´t know yet, since I will only be back by the end of the month. Writing this helps, too, though it bugs me a little.

Tomorrow I will go to the philharmonie brunch, the orchestra is rehearsing. Will keep up with Sam´s "buy-day"-party in the beginning of December I guess. Maybe I should have a chat with the actor Ethan Hawke, he was born on the same day as me, does anybody happen to have his number :)))).

Boy, these are luxury problems, reading this makes me already feel better :) could we stick to the happy-non-birthday principle like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland?

Got any other suggestions for this case of birthday aversion? What is the most fun for you guys when it comes to your birthdays?

A big hug to all of you,
B

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

peace :)

It´s that easy:

On the last before your holidays:
-delegate as much as possible so your colleague won´t drown
-shut down the company laptop (and leave it there, too!)
-try to forget the password so you won´t look up things in the company mail via web accessed mail

Then:
-shake off the last weeks by speeding down everything for a couple of days
-look outside your window and smile
-start your piano sessions and smile
-have a nap
-have a tea
-enjoy a free concert in the university of music
-smile
-worry for a second about something at work
-smile

in the meantime:
-watch out for the best food
-your friends
-brush the pink imaginary elephant you have trumpeting in your living room in order to avoid thinking about a colleague

I am happy and thinking of all of you.
B

Saturday, October 25, 2008

un dos tres - piano camp

Dear all,

I am so happy!

Eight days from here at the latest I will be on holiday, finally in peace of mind, relieved from most of the issues the tortured my patience and free to play with Emilia! I gave away my beginners literature (is that the right word for the playing instructions/notes?) and I am collecting some nice and simple further pieces. THREE WEEKS with daily quality time with Emilia, I can´t believe it!

This is something I have wished for so long and now I am starting to learn some more piano repertoire, every day 2 hours of happiness!!!!!!

In the spirit of soonissimo, this is all I could wish for, I am so lucky!

A big hug to all of you!

Let the fun begin.

Birgit

Sunday, October 19, 2008

another great Monday morning booster from Maria Sipka

Dear all,

Every Sunday, I receive a message from Maria Sipka within XING and the Global Business Woman network.

This one I would like to share with you. I especially liked the last part :)

Love you all,
B

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day,
while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help
coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.

There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy,
screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad
from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse
surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced
himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.

'I want to repay you,' said the nobleman. 'You saved my son's life.'

'No, I can't accept payment for what I did,' the Scottish farmer
replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son
came to the door of the family hovel.

'Is that your son?' the nobleman asked.

'Yes,' the farmer replied proudly.

'I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education
my own son will enjoy If the lad is anything like his father, he'll
no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.' And that he did.

Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time,
graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went
on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander
Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog
was stricken with pneumonia.

What saved his life this time? Penicillin.

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill .. His son's name?

Sir Winston Churchill.

Someone once said: What goes around comes around.
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth

Monday, October 13, 2008

my first windmill ever

This is Sam and here´s a foto of the windmill I saw two weeks ago in the Netherlands!



Sunday, October 12, 2008

Now that´s what I am talking about :)

Dear all,

as already mentioned, Ray has started a great project and I am really thrilled for her!

If permaculture doesn´t ring a bell immediately, please don´t worry.

Well Ray has started this wonderful permaculture 2-year-adventure of changing the cultivation and allocation close to Rome, which is a hostel for pilgrims and I will keep you guys posted. Or.... oh, let her do it herself:

Ray´s blog

Pilgrims, friends, I am so excited about this project! If anybody wants to go there and see her and the work in progress: it´s not expensive for sure and I think that Ray will be happy to Welcome you :)

A big hug to all of you,

B

ps: Sam says hi, we went to Domburg in the Netherlands last week, just in case you were wondering :)

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

viva el virus, pink soup and Umbria

You guys,

a virus is keeping my brain on low speed which I think is really nice.

Since yesterday until Friday, I am staying home, it is something like a flue, and I enjoy low-brain-life despite the annoying part of searching for tissues all the time and having to stay in bed... so back to low-brain: cooking a soup today that had chicken, chick peas and red beet in it so it actually turned pink, Keren, since I froze some if it I will take a picture later (btw: I am still looking forward to presenting you guys a foto of "Schnitzelauflauf")

Then, my appartment is changing massively again with so much stuff gone! And now that it´s already autumn here, things are changing; no more t-shirts outside, several layers for the daily challenges: tube, main station Köln, another small train and a 3 km walk to the office.

But enough about mundane stuff. As far as you guys are concerned, I have some great news, GypsyQueen aka Robin is going to Italy for 2 years and I think she might meet Roberta there again, they both sound happy about this happening. FOTOOOOOS! :)

Roberta has a new cat called Perla.

a friend in Houston said that "Ike" fortunately only caused him smalled material damages

Anina and her partner will welcome somebody new by the end of October.

Marksi is getting quite close to closing a great professional deal.

And all of you whom I am not explicitly mentioning right now are supposedly doing fine.

Hugs to all of you,
B

Saturday, September 13, 2008

ps: Isa needed inspiration for a party

how about pizza on a grill :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okNXxPepK_A

Patuco and 16 reasons why - 3d edition

You guys,

I have been thinking about 17 everyday-reasons to be happy about. What´s yours!

Here we go:

*having thrown away so much stuff and finding plastic duck Patuco! welsome back!


*escaping from my original office desk in order to be happy and get my work done elsewhere - AND by that keeping the colleague alive who really bugs me

*the sun in the afternoon

*calls from a friend to do crazy things

*recovering from the last two years

*driving cars

*being home

*Gabriel Garcia Marquéz

*researching the internet for weird projects (restore the organism, be happy, windsurfing, SPAIN)

*great sleep after working out in the evening

*Dharma and Greg

*EMILIA!!!!

*SAM!!!!!!

*some of you will visit soon!

*next plans of visiting you guys :)

*celebrating your successes and happiness be they small or big :)

*PIG POWER - greetings to Miss Piggy and friends:

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Randy Pausch is dead

I haven´t checked the website of Randy Pausch for a while and just found out that he died on July 25th.

Randy helt this non-pathetic lecture one month after he knew he had not too much time left on this planet and he inspired me enormously with his Last Lecture, talking about how to achieve your childhod dreams.

He inspired millions of people with his. He simply says: Just don´t let your passion go by. Don ´t wait for things to happen, reach out to what is important to you.

May he rest in peace.

Feng Shui

You guys,

does anybody of you have experience with Feng Shui?

Bought a book th other day and cannot stop putting things in the dustbin. At the moment, six bags are standing in the hall. But I really don´t think I can rearrange my appartment again unless it makes sense. Or does it?

Apart from that I hope you guys are doing great.

And even though Sam´s birthday is far away, I am already thinking about something good to day on that day, suggestions?

Huggies,
B

Monday, September 1, 2008

Raubfisch´s birthday

GUAPAAAAAA,

Its´your birthday today! How far is your 14th birthday away when we saw you sitting on a horse for the first time!

For all of you, here´s the birthday girl Raubfisch aka Isa, a few years later.



Un abrazo muyyy grande, guapetona, now veremos soonissimo :)
Besote,
Bridget

probation time is over :)

Dear all,

just baked a terrible cake without a scale, but I wouldn´t miss the fun around it. The colleagues will have to deal with italian pastries.

This is a perfect occasion for thanking all of you. Special thanks to Sundeep, you endlessly made fun of me in the office while I was trying to figure out how they will fire me and when. What can I brag about now? That´s no fun. But you are fun anyway, thanks :)

A big hug to all of you and talk to you soon,
Birgit

Thursday, August 28, 2008

to all of you

You guys,

the last few days made me think of the world´s logic which led me to soonissimo.

How exciting is it to meet new people you have a connection with, It is rare, a challenge and you know when they are right.

A couple of weeks ago, I have been invited to a book reading from Susuki Perret, having a lovely evening in Köln. The spirit of kindness and authenticity within. That were I met Susuki, her husband, and Liliana. Liliana and me met on Sunday again, luckily with Simona and lovely people from the opera in Bonn.

A few hints on how to deal with surprising things say so much about a person, and I was really amazed about what I saw last Sunday. Feeling blessed with such experiences, I think we will have new visitors here at soonissimo soon, I must prepare them first and Sam hasn´t met them yet, but I guess he will approve when they come to dinner some day in September.

In this spirit, there are further people I would like to mention but I haven´t got their permission yet, so bear with me on this one, too :)

Here are some further messages to all of you, my dear friends whom I always keep in mind! Anisa, Dee, Nouska, Luis, I will skype/call asap, I miss you guys!

@ Lorena, we wanted connect your friend to soonissimo, I think now is a good time, I am not that grumpy any more :)
@ Corina and Peter: I haven´t contacted you guys in ages and hope all is well with you, let´s meet soon!
@ Keren, dear, I am keeping my fingers crossed for the rest of your project
@ Marksi: you will get them, one by one :)
@ Rob: what is the deal with Italy? I am so curious :)
@ Anina: I am so happy about your new life for you, even though the mundane things don´t seem to work, I am thrilled about the rest :)
@ Mon: Allo allo is getting better and better, right? I couldn´t believe you liked it so much too! Loved our Saturday :)
@ Hilli: where are you, hope all is well with you and that the Monday greetings help :))
@ P-A: another bow to world (and skype), I will visit you guys asap even if it takes some time!
@ Paul: you are great, keep the track :)
@ Roby; we are sticking to your gifts you sent us!
@ Bea, Sam and me miss you guys and are keeping fingers crossed

Kisses and hugs to you and your families and beloved ones I will write some more messages to those of you I have not mentioned yet but I have you in mind, but I cannot keep my eyes open now any more

to be continued

Besote,
Birgit

Bridget

Thursday, August 21, 2008

wow wow wow


You guys,

just came back from a business trip in Northern Germany and I have so much to tell you.

One good thing that happened: Without asking about it, my boss told me I had passed the probation time ahead of time (regularly ending by September 1st). My slight paranoia does not really allow me to believe, I am afraid to jinx having a chance for a little bit of stability so I will give it full happiness on Sept 2nd.

Does anybody know who the lady on the picture is? Enjoy KYLIE in her latest video wow wow wow The video kids is much nicer I think, but "wow" will always remind me of Berlin i bet :)

Chronologically, ok. Last week, I went from work in Northern Germany directly to Berlin. Boy, are we grown-ups now: it used to be sharing cars with strangers and nice talks due to the low fare. and now, in casual business attire, take the rented car by the company, listen to Kylie, Coldplay and Rage against the machine enjoying the landscape and seeing your dear friends soon.

Bea went to the airport and it was so good to see her! First story of the trip: we were standing a couple of meters away from each other and my brain must have in in snooze-mode, it took me a while to figure out where I was, I couldn´t find her. But in the end we made it :)

We thought about taking pictures for you guys, but in between we were so tired... me from work, and Bea and Christian from working and taking the cutest care of their daughter. Foto session will be in place next time, I will try my best!

Last time I saw Greta she started smiling. And now she actually understands what we are saying! Ask her where her belly is she will look for it in her shirt! During the weekend we were worried about her, but it turns out that we all went through the same stuff in phases, so thank God everything is alright, "it´s just a phase" is herewith biologically proven!

Bea and Christian, I cannot get tired of telling you this, you are doing a great thing and I admire your patience! Not being used to typical family dynamics with a one-year-old-child, I think I lost it once, but I hope I wasn´t too strange, I did not really get it myself.

Oh, and now that I have a moment to think about it: Beatrix is the loveliest birthday girl I know! A big smile is already part of her, but her birthdays are so cool, it is lovely to see... So on Friday it was her day and I had the honour of joining with her family in Berlin for a BBQ. A nice family, masses of great food, a hilarious dog (his name is Kurt and we had a rocky start, but watching him from afar was so cool).

So many further things to tell (Bea, I will have to check out the Flamenco singer, !qué bombón!)

A big hug and thank you guys so much for this weekend!

To all of you, hope to see you soon and enjoy life!
Besitos,
Birgit

Sunday, August 17, 2008

my *?")(§/%$§ family

I am so mad.

Just came home from Berlin, with good news for all of you guys and now this.

Five steps to anger:

1. shun one part of the family for a year already because they are being disrespectful to you in so many ways and in a specific
case they won´t even apologize.
2. Come from a trip and be happy before the following occurs.
3. Open the outer door to the house.
4. Open the mailbox.
5. Find a note from your stupid stepmother (which always is bad news).

I will not bother you with the details, but this time she really crossed a line.
I am so angry, I cannot describe it.

So my question to you: how to annoy the hell out of her. Right now, the f-word is in my mind, that´s what she is supposed to do to herself. When did this family get the right to be mean to me?

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Berlin is close - viva la vida!




Dear all,

as you can see I have a thing for Pablo Neruda.

Bea reminded me of the fun it is sitting in front of the laptop, letting my mind wander for a minute and writing for and to all of you.

Well my little absence of messages (apart from Pablo of course) had several reasons. So many thoughts in my head. About work-tasks. One friend has started a new job, some of you are involved in finishing something huge you have started. 

here between Köln and Northern Germany, mundane things:  trying to figure out a new pilates exercise without ending up like a knot, I started working out every day again and feel so much better (Roberta calls that feeling "elastic" and I think that is a great way of describing it). Studying small piano pieces. Or Gazpacho when it´s hot outside.

you see, so many things.

But mostly breathing in and out whenever I get nervous, upset or happy. And further to rainbows there are songs like this one: the car I was driving was VERY well equipped and I think everybody around me was forced to hear it on the highway :) coldplay - viva la vida

And going to Berlin next week is so much better even! Beatrix, Christian, Greta and me will try to provide you with fotos :)
I am so happy to see them. 

A big hug and hasta pronto,
B


Monday, August 4, 2008

yesterday I saw my first chestnut this year...

...

Ode To a Chestnut on the Ground (Pablo again)

From bristly foliage
you fell
complete, polished wood, gleaming mahogany,
as perfect
as a violin newly
born of the treetops,
that falling
offers its sealed-in gifts,
the hidden sweetness
that grew in secret
amid birds and leaves,
a model of form,
kin to wood and flour,
an oval instrument
that holds within it
intact delight, an edible rose.
In the heights you abandoned
the sea-urchin burr
that parted its spines
in the light of the chestnut tree;
through that slit
you glimpsed the world,
birds
bursting with syllables,
starry
dew
below,
the heads of boys
and girls,
grasses stirring restlessly,
smoke rising, rising.
You made your decision,
chestnut, and leaped to earth,
burnished and ready,
firm and smooth
as the small breasts
of the islands of America.
You fell,
you struck
the ground,
but
nothing happened,
the grass
still stirred, the old
chestnut sighed with the mouths
of a forest of trees,
a red leaf of autumn fell,
resolutely, the hours marched on
across the earth.
Because you are
only
a seed,
chestnut tree, autumn, earth,
water, heights, silence
prepared the germ,
the floury density,
the maternal eyelids
that buried will again
open toward the heights
the simple majesty of foliage,
the dark damp plan
of new roots,
the ancient but new dimensions
of another chestnut tree in the earth.

http://sunsite.dcc.uchile.cl/chile/misc/odas.html#Ode%20To%20a%20Chestnut%20on%20the%20Ground

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Ode To Tomatoes (Pablo Neruda)

The street
filled with tomatoes
midday,
summer,
light is
halved
like
a
tomato,
its juice
runs
through the streets.
In December,
unabated,
the tomato
invades
the kitchen,
it enters at lunchtime,
takes
its ease
on countertops,
among glasses,
butter dishes,
blue saltcellars.
It sheds
its own light,
benign majesty.
Unfortunately, we must
murder it:
the knife
sinks
into living flesh,
red
viscera,
a cool
sun,
profound,
inexhausible,
populates the salads
of Chile,
happily, it is wed
to the clear onion,
and to celebrate the union
we
pour
oil,
essential
child of the olive,
onto its halved hemispheres,
pepper
adds
its fragrance,
salt, its magnetism;
it is the wedding
of the day,
parsley
hoists
its flag,
potatoes
bubble vigorously,
the aroma
of the roast
knocks
at the door,
it's time!
come on!
and, on
the table, at the midpoint
of summer,
the tomato,
star of earth,
recurrent
and fertile
star,
displays
its convolutions,
its canals,
its remarkable amplitude
and abundance,
no pit,
no husk,
no leaves or thorns,
the tomato offers
its gift
of fiery color
and cool completeness.

http://www.soupsong.com/ftomato2.html

Thursday, July 10, 2008

this is the 99th blog entry plus a tale about rainbows

Dear all,

it´s such fun communicating with you, I enjoy this and I do you hope tooo!!!!!

I have to mention something beautiful. On Tuesday on the motorway, I felt really sad for the one or other reason and was about to wallow in self-pity. That day, I found out that there seems to be a heavenly system sometimes!

Years ago, when I moved my stuff from Rome to Bonn, I was driving in a car missing Southern Europe and being scared of what was ahead and almost in front of my new home, a GIANT and very near rainbow was lifting up my spirit.

That hasn´t happened in a while until two month ago I thought I would never be able to adapt to my new professional position (not to mention the private one) and I found a new heavenly sign right in front of me in the fields next to the train that day. I took a foto with my cell and still need to get it ouf of there so I can share happiness with you.

And on Tuesday again, it was so beautiful I had to stop the car.

Do you guys have such signs or strange occurrences?

Apart form that, I found very nice people from southern America and Spain which is at minimum as uplifting as rainbows or joining my new friends to see them perfoming Tango, reciting their own poems in my preferred language and culture.

Or writing a few lines for you guys.

Friday, June 27, 2008

European Soccer games: SPAIN is in the finals!

Yesterday Spain won against Russia!!!!!

For those of you who are familiar with Spanish, here´s an extract from a spanish online newspaper:

::::::::Para empezar, España salió con una autoridad desconocida, batiendo palmas sobre mofletes rusos. Sergio Ramos fue el primero en presentarse: ha vuelto y sube. A partir de ahora creeré que Luis ha estudiado cada bufido en el departamento de psicología de Harvard:::::

I am so watching that game on Sunday! If you want to join, let me know :))))

besoo y buena fortuna Espanya,
Sam i.A.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

my contribution to the world

Hi there,

apparently Sam has been very diligent here blogging these days, thanks dear! *giggle*


Apart from work - I wil spare you the details - there are so many things to think about from my side. What is tickling for 20 years already:

- aged 18 I wanted to live in Israel and still consider it an option, admiring a country that risks so much to be and to stay where it is now, later on also India for different reasons and Spain is something for the heart :)

- careers and charismatic personalities, I love following what we get to know about them. Are some of them happy, do you think they found THEIR thing?

- the inhabitated woman by Gioconda Belli is a fantastic story about a woman who lives a normal life until she falls in love with somebody and joins him regarding a political goal he wants to achieve (the result is a little extreme, I am aiming at what she discovers inside of her :) )

- the Daniel Pearl foundation

-some friends started getting involved in Africa projects, others are thinking about going into arts and religion

It is very difficult to express this with a few examples. Especially I don´t want to sound spoiled (the shere thought makes me giggle), bored from life or pathetic. I know that there is something outside there that will make me happy (which is now more probable since the circumstances of my life are more in balance than they were two years ago, I remember a day in Chicago when such thoughts would have been a delight instead of being close to a depression, sorry Keren and Ben you had to deal with my moods!). I still haven´t found my thing to focus on and whenever I am reminded of it, I feel like not really having contributed to the world.

So, in the spirit of soonissimo, I will start working on finding something that makes me happy. What is yours? Do you feel there is something to do, be it small or big, is there a chance for you to do that? Sorry for being a but fuzzy when explaining this, I will try to be a bit clearer any time!

A big hug,
Bridget

Monday, June 16, 2008

boy, do we miss Spain

I don´t know how it happened, but today is Spain day.

Ana Torroja singing 4 dias,
Mercedes Sosa singing Alfonsina y el mar
La Unión Lobo hombre en Paris


People speaking spanish so fast they start swallowing words so they finish their sentences in time
Air conditioning in the office

bus driver talking trash
kids dolled up on sundays

a coffee in the bar around the corner
a tapas bar in Madrid
Gabriel Garcia Marquez the writer describing a bar in Colombia that was open 24/7 due to the fact that it didn´t have doors

couples sitting in the sun violently discussing their relationship or the latest episode of a telenovela mexicana (sometimes it is hard to tell from afar)
waiting somewhere without really knowing why

spanish business people complaining about german business people coming late to a meeting
El Corte Ingles in its strange glamour and unique smell

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Punica







Dear all,

our pomegranate is having its first fruit! Like a true flower-paparazzi I just tried to capture the moment. If you look closely at the branch visiting the neighbour pot you might be able to see it. What do we have to do to keep it growing apart from furry love? Anybody?

Birgit spent the last days in northern Germany, and finally starts sleeping well again, I haven´t seen her around in the living room much during the night for water :) I think she is doing well at work. I will enjoy watching the sky right now, whilst B is preparing to go to her favourite bar to grab something to drink with a friend.

A big hug and see you soon,
SAAAAAAAAAM

Monday, June 9, 2008

Raubfisch, where art thou?

this weekend was really strange, because of Saturday....

Raubfisch is in the middle of moving her stuff to Spain. To those of you who don´t know her: we went to school together in Barcelona and she found me here in Germany around 15 years later again Köln, and I get to know the grown-up version of either her and me, it´s really fun to see how many things a person keeps throughout their entire life. Raubfisch (aka Isa) is and has always been a very vivid person, with a lot of curiosity, passion and travelling, not to mention the love for horses (remember your first riding lesson in Barcelona), music and I guess no book is save from her :)

On Saturday, I went to her place to help her packing her stuff. She has already been living in Tarragona since September and is now preparing the big move from Germany which is a big deal: cartons of books, CDs, and other beloved stuff that needs careful wrapping, a promise not to break, melt, stain on the way to Tarragona and be at service in the new home... shall everything arrive well!

As a big surprise to me, her parents whom I hadn´t seen for over 20 years came by and worked a lot, they were so amazing and so kind!

Isa, dear I will miss you here in Köln but am happy that you will start a new chapter in Tarragona,

Hasta pronto donde sea!!!!! BESOOOOOOOOOO
Bridget

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Khalil Gibran

*



In the sweetness of friendships,
let there be laughter and sharing of pleasures
for in the dew of little things
the heart finds its morning and its refresh.




*

Saturday, May 31, 2008

let´s catch up

Dear girls and boys,

I am using Sam´s account :) so many things happened and I don´t know where to start, so will start with what first comes into my mind :)

It´s the last day of May and raining cats and dogs here in Köln, why is that? Just came back from the town center and my jeans were REALLY soaking from the shoes up to the knees. But it is nice, feeling the rain running through the hair, or down the face. One strange observation; why do people with umbrellas always walk close to the building where the people without umbrellas stand or walk under balconies and small roofs so they won´t get wet? It´s cave behaviour all over the place and actually hilarious if I think about it.

Schnuckies:
I am quite confused these days about men and I think they feel the same way about me.

Work:
The main reason for being so elusive throughout the last two weeks was that I went through my first project. It wasn´t just any project, let me explain. The company I work for has more than 30.000 employees world wide, this is without the mother company of course which is by far bigger. The biggest client has aggressively demanded transparency amongst other things in the production process and threatened to seek for another service provider if we don´t do what they want. So my first project started from scratch, the director´s board, my boss, the client and the client´s Key Accounters where politely breathing down my neck. Finished it yesterday including the quality tests, all in time and I think I established the reputation I needed. I must say that I was really tense for several reasons but I do feel better now.

Work and personal impressions
I am lucky enough to have colleagues who let me do my thing and don´t bother me, even though my approaches may be weird from time to time.

Emilia & the house:
this weekend is dedicated to piano playing, letting the rain fall outside, enjoying some good movies and hang out with friends.
Sam is wearing my glasses at the moment until the sun is out again :) I am happy about the new fridge I got two weeks ago after the old one breaking. Olivia; Punica the pomegranate and another plant I haven´t got a name for yet seem to like the rain, two, their green is basically glowing! I think I will put in order my book shelf next week, there is too much stuff in there!
Today I felt really happy because I went to the shop I buy blouses/shirts from and they had one in dark pink, can´t wait to try it once its washed :)

Oh boy, I am getting really tired whilst writing this, so I will have a short nap and will dream of the good things in the world, like Spain, my preferred cocktail-bar, italian food (Keren, tell me about it :) ) and all of you out there!

A big hug,
B

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

please bear with us while we are working some magic



literally!
stories to follow soonissimo
A big big hug

@(^.^)@

Monday, May 19, 2008

Sam alone at home

Dear all,

Birgit is at work and I am, well, having the house for myself!

Let me tell you what is going on...

Birgit´s headache is saying good-bye, she didn´t sleep tonight and I am so curious to know what exactly happened in that meeting today, but I guess she is doing fine.

Emilia the piano: tuned, in a good mood and entertained by Birgit more and more.

Olivia the plant and flower friends: waiting for the rain that is sure to come today.

me: writing to you all, spreading huge hugs and telling you all that we miss you guys! As a matter of fact, we have been collecting fotos (which have to be checked by the people on them) and stories (which they will have to bear ;) )
for you, so please don´t think we are forgetting you, all to the contrary!!!!!!!!

Birgit: I guess she can´t wait to be home again in order to sleep soonissimo today.


A big big hug to all of you!!!!
Sam

Monday, May 12, 2008

I am having a headache

hopefully it´s over soon...

a big hug to everybody,
B

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Olivia seems to love tea!

Dear friends,

Birgit is out enjoying the sun and IIIIII just talked to Olivia the flower about blooming and stuff.

I know now why she is so "bloomy"! Apparently, Birgit has been taking her morning tea in an armchair in the living room for a while now. And when she can´t finish it, she puts the rest in the pot where Olivia lives! Why both think she likes White Tea best:)

And of course he loves the music around very much!

Will write more next week, we have made fotos from people and would like to show them to you!

Huggies,
Sam

Sunday, April 20, 2008

spring is here, finally!

This is the tree in front of my living-room-window, everything is so green!

Your happy Sam



Monday, April 14, 2008

humans are funny - our jobs

Birgit keeps grinning and she couldn´t sleep right now. But looking at her right now I guess it´s getting harder and harder to keep her eyes open.

She says something like: Fake it ´til you make it if you are not sure about something. I think she is referring to the place I have not seen yet: where I think she pushes a mouse around, where Schnuckies run free (and apparently she ignores the living hell out of them), coffee is served in overdoses.

I have just asked her about the difference between cuddly toy work and hers: She is concentrated there for quite some time on figures (shapes?), data extractions and concepts until she really knows what she has to know, until working makes sense again in order to have results instead of more questions than the hour before. Some routine and repeated work will be nice. Sometimes she is worried if what she does is ok though her colleagues and boss already said everything is fine, and I think she is on her way. Being a perfectionist might not really make the world easier, but more interesting. And she sleeps better. Hippo,  the house inventary and me are keeping fingers crossed. My work rather consists of discussing with Olivia and Emilia and the other folks here at home, making people happy, after-work-parties with Greta, demanding a good foam bath from time to time, posing for fotos in any place with the greatest of ease and shiny fur. And meeting my furry friends. And hugging Birgit of course if no one human is around.

Hugs to all of you and I hope you liked the Olivia foto. I guess it´s time to send you fotos from the apartment, I will trigger a session! 

Sam

Olivia and Sam in action


... the three of us couldn´t hold still but we tried :)

ehem, I meant: one Olivia, one Monkey and our fotographer, can you spot the blooming thingies? (what is it called, by the way?)

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Olivia

and since last week, Olivia the flower is blooming for the very first time since 2001! Three times at once :)
happy blooming-day, Olivia!

`Allo `Allo

I haven´t laughed this hard in a long time about something on television.

There is a tv show called`Allo `Allo created in the 80s und probably still prohibited in Germany. I found it in the internet and the story is the following: occupied France village in the 40s, a hilarious French coffee shop owner Renee, the french resistance, crazy Germans and British people and really funny stories about Renée and his three ladies, a fictitious stolen painting of the Falling Madonna with the big boobies by van Klomp (ending up in giant sausage), two British Airmen trying to escape with the help of Renée anding up in lakes, self-manufactured planes, Helga who is shouting all the time, an womanizing italian officer, the French Granny picturing the eccentricities of those cultures with a breeze of British humour.

http://www.surfthechannel.com/show/television/Allo%21_Allo%21.html

enjoy!

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Sam´s bio-garbage bin


in my kitchen, 10 minutes ago :)

Friday, April 4, 2008

ok, and it´s weekend :)

after a few turmoils finally weekend has arrived.

I have so much to tell and at the same time, so many impressions need some time to define themselves bundled.

A big hug to everyone, I am off for the weekend
Yours,
B

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

we love Emilia!

after a break, I started playing the piano again yesterday and it filled me with peace. touching the keys releases stress and everything else kept in my mind and the world is easy for a second.

I don`t even care being a bloody amateur :)

Sam and me are so happy Emilia is here!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

ok, it´s the third day of the working week again

Usually on Wednesdays, I get cranky at work: thinking I am too slow, apologizing to people all the time more than usual (I would even do so if a hippo jumped on my feet, it must be a genetical predisposition I can´t get rid of), thinking I am stupid, hoping I will catch up on some enlightning during the weekend (which I don´t do, one burn-out was obviously sufficient)

...

won´t be boring you (see, I am doing it again)

which leads me to the conclusion: who invented the phrase "my apologies" and why did I EVER learn to use it!

but something good is happening to, I am getting home early!

Hugs to all of you, B

Sunday, March 23, 2008

relaxation is in the house



Don´t know why I am so relaxed, I am not used to it! My street looks as above, very calm, a little bit sunny, I am inside and feel about the same.

Weird. OR maybe I should get used to it.

Years ago, during time of "probation time" at work, I would hiperventilate and be diligent amounting to the results three people would have accomplished (sometimes) working and I hope I am not blind to something I should be aware of?!? Well, I am tense during the week, but weekends are mine. Am I overseeing something? Sam, what do you say? (He doesn´t hear me, he is playing in the next room with Emilia).

Maybe it is because I got attacked and just sent a calm e-mail back. Life can be so simple, be determined, fair and speak your mind anyway even though people won´t like it. But I do like it! Should be so simple and it wasn´t until now :)

This is soonissimo too, part of the journey, learn, be happy :))

A big hug to you guys!

Monday, March 17, 2008

this one is for Hille - it´s Schnuckitime!

Dear all,

I am lucky enough to have Hille in my life. She lives here in Köln, went really patiently and calmly with me through all the hick-ups life had to offer throughout the last few years. I would describe her as a really funny, calm and considerate person with art and beauty her mind. And she is so organized, I sometimes cant´t believe it :) It is so difficult to reduce a person to a few words but these were the ones that first came into my mind :)

This very morning she sort of accompanied me on the phone while I was riding on a train that went into nowhere, my new work-location close to Köln, we both felt it was a really bizarre trip: it sounded weird, I felt weird and people were so strange in the main train station :)

I hope you guys will be lucky enough to meet her and her cute family here in Köln. Here she is with you know who :)



Anyway, Hille, this one is for YOU:
since you and I are keeping track of sort of guys with Schnucki-potential, today another one appeared in the new office, apart from two guys in the other location! I am having fun, dear and thank you and all of you other guys out there for being there also in this fun-matter. The one I am talking about has potential of climbing the Schnucki-latter (is latter the right word for Leiter?) I will have to start a ranking :)))

It´s so good to be teenie sometimes!

A big hug!
B

Friday, March 14, 2008

Schnitzelauflauf-day!

Dear all,

the world is funny sometimes, I can´t stop thinking about the fact that I saw Schnitzelgratin for the first time in my life in the cantina I visited throughout the last two weeks. very creative chef, getting rid of Wednesdays´ leftovers, it´s fascinating and horryfying at the same time: One Schnitzel after the other with some sort of sauce and cheese on it and I think I saw some really small pieces of vegetables almost blushing from the shame of being extras ;)

On the same Wednesday, I went through a crisis because I felt like the last idiot on the planet ´cause I couldn´t figure out a few things which went greatly on the following Schnitzelauflauf-day, so even though I will not ever prepare that dish, it makes me smile every time I think about it :)


A big hug to all of you and the candles continue burning!

B

Sunday, March 9, 2008

I think hippo will make it :)



The second week in the new position is about to start.

Last week is very far away. My new colleague Jan who is introducing me to the hands-on part of what I know in theory and I think we´ve had a good start. I was quite tense throughout the first days and did not really sleep well, but since Wednesday I think I made some progress and sleep came around, too. :)

Sam was having a blast or maybe the cleaning ladies did. Every time I came back to the hotel, he was sitting, laying or arranged in some hilarious ways, I think he liked it :)

Next week is going to be tough and I will be off in a second, wishing you all a good week, lots of fun and whatever else you might desire ;)

Huggies,
B

Friday, February 29, 2008

*


In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

Khalil Gibran


*

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

I love the 1850s




Amongst many weird things in my life, I have 1850 and the time around it haunting me in a good way. My favourite closet at home. John Ruskin (foto), Brahms, Goethe, Schumanns, Jane Austen, Alexandr Pushkin, Auguste Rodin and so many other cultural influences I admire were influenced or did influence that period and I seem to have a pretty strong magnet for it.

And I love the thought of having time to think about this rather irrelevant fact :)

do you have such thing?

Thursday, February 21, 2008

today´s story

Dear friends,

today´s story consists of looking back and being incredibly relieved. Whilst rearranging the house (the dormitory looked awful, nothing was really in its right place, asymetrical) and after connecting my laptop with my piano, I listened to a lot of music.

One album reminds me of last February and March in particular, walking in a park, looking into the sky and hoping for the best. I got much more than I expected. Professionally, from my friends, having a home I love... and all of a sudden I felt really aware, how risky last year has been, under so many aspects.

So, right now I almost feel like realizing I have avoided a really heavy accident, adrenalin goes up because and I am oddly aware of what could have happened, I am sure you guys know what I mean.

Will go to sleep now. Sorry for nagging.

XXX
B

Thursday, February 14, 2008

ga-ga

the last days kept me really busy: searching the appartment like a junkie for the thingies to dry the nose (handkerchieves?), tea, aspirina and lucid moments during breaks from sleeping like a log.

I even skipped Valentine´s day which I was supposed to celebrate today for the first time ever, throwing candies around = joke for insiders

no hugs today but any time later, B

Sunday, February 10, 2008

it´s a sunny, sunny day



Dear all,

as some of you already know, some really exciting days just went by, starting with my orientation days at "berti", my new company, my first actual two days of work in a looong time. It was weird and good at the same time. First of all, I felt totally good there, other new people and the introducing staff people took me seriously in my new position even though they had never met me before and could not really say if I am good with what I am doing. But apparently my new colleague, my new boss and the HR lady had done a good job with announcing me on beforehand :)

Then, as to being accepted in the new position, I have to admit my previous experience in the matter was sort of different. I professionally grew up in my old company, and whilst climbing the ladder, I had to deal with some deal envy, questioning on how and why I got into several new positions and the ordeal of the last chapter. So now there is some kind of relieve to announce, some pressure when it comes to my new area, but that´s an excitement and challenge which is very welcome :)

The geographical area of the branch I had to go to for orientation purposes was weird, too. Being rather in the north, I expected some mumbliness and whatever else (I really love my prejudices :) ) and I found some funny people there. The first evening in the hotel I sat in the bar and some guys invited me over, we actually had some fun time until my urge of sleeping asap overwhelmed me.

Well, and since I am reading tons of belles-lettres form the Hispanic and Anglosaxons, I enjoy sitting in the sun and reading. We are having a very early period of sunny days here. A simple book (some actual paper to touch), something to drink, being grateful for sitting there in peace, health, the blue sky above and thanking God for knowing all of you (which I can´t get tired of repeating :) ) on a really sunny day.

B

Saturday, February 2, 2008

this is Anina



Dear all,

I would herewith like to introduce Anina, left hand side on the foto. This picture shows us after an interview in München last November. We have gotten to know each other in Passau, Bavaria in a catholic choir in 1993 I think, Beatrix I think you guys got to know each other there :) Anina is an artist in her heart, with a lot of music, painting and reflection about people in her mind. She lives in Munich, loves Northern countries, her job and colours and I imagine many children are blessed with being taught by her. I think I took myself my very first steps actually painting with you, thank you for that, Anina! For Moni, she took a small cuddly toy travelling (geez, don´t know the animal´s name in English) and she and her friends ended up in the weirdest situations, taking fotos and making it a nice journey with a lot of fotos and beer in München and being a musician in Passau

Oh, she will come by next week and I am so happy so see here in Köln, I hope we will publish some of our adventures here!

Have a good journey, dear and see you soon,
B

Sunday, January 27, 2008

La tour EiFel



Dear all,

dear Annina, to answer your question: yesterday we went hiking in an area called Eifel which is quite close to Cologne going to a town called Niederzissen. Well, well, Birgit hiked carrying me, ;) and it was fun, sunny, windy and bright, perfect for my fur!

I just looked up some things for you guys: The Eifel covers a big area of land in western Germany, shall anybody be interested in specifics, please click here, you will see Köln in the upper part and Bonn, about 40 kilometres to where we went by car.

Furthermore, the Eifel-people are proud of > 20 peaks ranging from 279 meters altitude to appr. 800, castles like the Burg Olbrück we saw from outside (which might mean castle Owlbridge). It might not be the Himalaya, but some walking to do for humans! Some of the most famous places being Bitburg and Maria Laach, Prüm, there are small and bigger rivers merging at some point or another, the so-called Maars (volcano-seas), a lot of villages, grumbly habitants, wine, beer breweries and quiet, lots of it! Oh, and there is the Nürburgring, famous for Formel-1-car-races, Michael Schumacher, wild concerts and a vine-hiking-area for those of you who enjoy both of it at a time :)

Also, there are unpronounceable kinds of vegetation, stones and volcanoes to be mentioned so imagine the excitement about a castle for monkeys (replica) and the humans (original and HUGE from a monkey´s perspective). This link shows me taking possession of my castle-for-a-day, some pictures reflecting the weather and people (btw: the people you see were very nice and most of them did not even laugh about me though they did not know me or the purpose of accompagnying Birgit :), so no Eifel-natives!)

Thank you Birgit for carrying me around, I had a great time!

A big hug to all of you,

Yours, furry-ish,
Sam

Saturday, January 26, 2008

my home, my castle :)




Dear all, 
today I found something great, a castle in monkey-size! Will tell you more about it asap.
For now, fluffy hugs,
Sam

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

aaah, peace is in the house



you guys,

I am so relaxed.

That´s all for now :)

B

Friday, January 18, 2008

water, crackers and "champagne" on Sunday here in Köln




Dear all,

I couldn´t sleep because I had to think of you all.

After a drought of 1,5 years, including months of hard studying, the first snow after the accomplished certification in November, about 15 hours of onsite-interviews, countless headhunters, emotions up and down, I am so happy to give you a sign of relieve from my side.

Though I have tried and couldn´t make it to Spain in this first round, I will sign a contract with one of the subisidiaries of on of the biggest media groups in Germany (they DO have a subsidiary in Spain :) ) TOMORROW and I cannot stop smiling. Today I found out that they were actually not only waiting, they were stalling other candidates to get me in, that´s unbelievable! And while we´re at it: My next man will have to learn to speak Spanish since I will be there soon, I miss Spain so much!

At the moment, no panic from my side yet, I still have time to come up with that since I will start in March. ;)

I cannot start the list of helping minds and souls out there, I am deeply grateful for the experience of knowing you all and being accompagnied, to say it with Michael Jackson, "love you all"!

Hopefully see on Sunday at 8 pm here in Köln, Chris I hope that is fine with you :), Much less than prepared than usual, I will literally have some champagne, water and crackers to serve!

A big hug to all of you,
B

Thursday, January 10, 2008

today, whilst talking to raubfisch





... just came home from an interview, and here´s the latest status: 1 contract already at home ready to sign, the international position I have been assessed for this week might be mine, don´t know, will know by the end of next week. 1 position within a very famous flight carrier should be fine, too and I might be going to Switzerland next week to check out one last third aaaaaaaannnnd:


decision around Jan 20th and I get to choose, yeyyyyy!

couldn´t be more relieved about having options

Thank you all for being so patient and bearing with me throughout mumbling, whining and SAPpiness.


Big hug, B

ps: do not rat me out to the mirror-syndicate, I have been abusing it treating it like a whiteboard for studying purposes :)

Monday, January 7, 2008

today´s work

Today I found out that the human brain is capable of a few things, even mine :)

the interview went fine. Not perfect, but I went through and after that I learned that I might have some similar options, eg. in Switzerland or else.

Now, the only thing I want to do is to take advantage of my new, very warm blanket and sleep but I can´t because it´s 7-ish pm. So I will enjoy killing some time by making a few calls to see how you guys out there are doing.

"Mumbliness" might not be over, but overcome for today :)

Friday, January 4, 2008

I am still mumbly. Fine, but mumbly

Dear all,

I will be having a second interview on Monday 7th and I am very nervous about it, especially since there is not too much I can prepare apart from sleeping well and talking loong walks and having something I can hardly spell ;) :

Patience

Patience

Patience

Patience

Patience

Patience