frankfurt is great. and it is getting better. now we have finally discovered a new place called saasfee*pavillon, hosting a bit more alternative event than the usual posh ones. we will return i am sure ...
this time it was a performance by notic nastic, with glowsticks in the darkness. great great great
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tried to see "waiting for godot" in london but it was sooooooo sold out that there were only 1 ticket returns and as i was second in line, i didn't get a ticket in the end. there was a guy from romania with his girlfriend with only one ticket and he was offering people 150 pounds for a ticket but still couldn't get one.
i wasn't too unhappy though as i had a backup plan - to watch the new star trek movie in the empire cinema on leicester square. needless to say, the cinema was great - superb sound system, great view and a working air-condition system. the movie was extremely good - action-packed, sexy, funny and very much connected to the original movies. it was also great to walk around in london after the movie and breath in the atmosphere. looking forward to our london weekend in june!!!
oh, almost forgot - saw a fascinating small dispay of a collection of portraits of fabiola, a christian saint in the national portrait gallery. the original painting fromthe nineteenth century is now lost but the artist (francis alÿs) has collected copies of the original portrait over a time period of 15 years from various flea markets. It is really fascinating to watch all these different and still somehow related works in 2 big rooms.
another hopeless night at the sneak - expecting to see star trek and then they show a shitty remake of a horror movie that nobody really wants to see. we left at the middle of the movie. and then i read on wikipedia (which totally spoils every movie so careful ...) that there is a big twist in there at the second half. but i think it was still the best decision. and so we discovered that there is a paternoster in frankfurt in the fleming hotel which is next door to the cinema - with a nice restaurant on the top floor which needs to be checked out once the summer is here ...
Life is good. Inspite the fact that I had to come to london this week for work, life is still great. Just said 'servus' to helen mirren and russel crowe at leicester square at the empire. Okay, it was probably not exactly mutual as I was one of twohundred and they just smiled on the way from the cinema doors to their cars, but still ... I LOVE THIS CITY!
I am getting tired sitting around not doing too much in Bristol. This has been going on for quite a while now and I wouldn't mind taking some time off. So for a change from stayin in the hotel or having a big dinner as an evening entertainment we decided to go to the cinema and watch slumdog millionaire. A great movie, altough I am not sure it will get as many oscars as everybody predicts. Still fantastic to see such an entertaining and enlightening story on the big screen. Hmm, maybe it's time to return to India soon ...
There was nothing interesting at the movies so we went in to see this one. A total must-see, even if you are not into politics. Loved the comment about Vienna and Paris. And for one second I actually thought of buying a new pair of shoes.
am back in bristol this week and am tired again so it's time again to write something that I will regret having written again tomorrow (as usually when i write stuff from the bristol hotel while being too tired to think straight)
the last couple of days & weeks have been quite challenging. work wise but also on the private front. there are changes coming - mostly forced upon me but in both cases there is also an inner feeling and urge to change some of the things around me.
and so creating albas present made me realise that the life i live is not so bad as it sometimes felt recently - and that the issue seems to be that i am back in my old trap of simply not appreciating things around me as much as i should. hmm, weird to see this thought actually materializing in front of me - even if only virtually. it feels weird to let people go again. and even though it's not the first time it happens, it just doesn't get easy. had a fantastic weekend all in all and even though i spent half saturday blaming myself for not having such a good time at the party on friday, i now know why. and it's okay...
cheesy quotes like "change is coming" are not going to work here even though they are buzzing in my head. and slowly i realize that in spite of all i am having a great life. so without too much ado i am posting this wonderful song here and go to bed to get some sleep (yes, it was used as an ipod ad, but only the beginning and it creates such a different atmosphere if you listen to the whole song, so do it)
Sitting in the plane on my way home to Frankfurt. Clouds underneath – like ocean waves moving slowly, the sun rising slowly in front of us on the horizon, reflected in a slight orange colour in the far distance. I can’t think of a nicer view this morning. In fact we are just leaving the waters and I can now see snowy fields underneath. I admit it’s a rather Candidesque view of the events of the last couple of hours but still it pretty much reflects my state of mind at this very moment. Note to self - fly more often during sunrise
Another shameful handling of a Lufthansa flight cancellation at Bristol airport. So basically I was supposed to take the usual Friday evening flight out of Bristol. Obviously I failed to impress the weather gods so that they decided to send some fog over to the airport in Bristol affecting most flights. The issue being not so much taking off but landing. Some smaller planes simply lack the right equipment to land in such conditions. I was warned already during check in to check the screens for announcements so I did just that. The KLM flight took off on time and the Lufthansa flight was counting down properly with messages like “boarding in 30 minutes”, boarding in 25 minutes”, and so on while another plane got redirected to Cardiff airport and some others were announced to be delayed. I got informed at the information desk that our plane was indeed in the air and it would land in 10 minutes. Then right on schedule the Lufthansa flight status changed to “boarding shortly at gate 8” so that is where I went. I informed my parents that they shouldn’t worry, turned on my ipod and breakdanced to the waiting area in front of gate 8 in great expectation. Then suddenly the sign went from “boarding shortly at gate 8” to “flight has been cancelled”.
Having experienced a plane cancellation I was very much looking forward at the chaos outside at the ticketing desk so I was not surprised when I arrived at the usual scene. Passengers arguing with the hopelessly understaffed Lufthansa ticketing desk while airport personnel was handing out checked in luggage. One lady behind the counter, two in front of it trying to explain it and one coordinator running around talking to various airport personnel.
I have to say, at this moment I was furious not because of the cancellation but because of the useless and stupid information we have gotten – or not gotten – on time. After about an hour of queuing and fighting off an angry bus driver who was supposed to take everybody to a nearby hotel for the night I managed to reach the desk and rebook my ticket to fly home from London Heathrow instead of from Bristol in the morning. This way I got a direct flight instead of one via Amsterdam. I was ready to take the train when one of the – now more relaxed – ladies offered to organise me a taxi to London. So in the end I was given a taxi ride worth around 200 GBP to the Park Inn in Heathrow, where they gave me a room, free dinner and a bed to sleep in.
In all fairness the handling of the situation was not so bad as last time when they had to cancel the flight and I was quite happy with the solution. I also met another friendly taxi driver called John who took me to Heathrow telling me all about the singer of Tears for Fears living in his mansion just outside Bath and a girl from Bananarama who was actually from Bristol. John used to work in the British Army travelling the world before he became a driver. He told me how he liked his job a lot as he meets lots of different people.
We arrived in Heathrow just after nine, found the hotel and I managed to check in via phone for my early morning flight talking to a highly entertaining giggly person on the phone. Just what I needed before going to bed. Good night!!!
Just came home from doing some more x-mas shopping at the Cribbs Mall in Bristol. I enjoy taking taxis around here. The drivers always have interesting stories to tell. Last week I met a driver who actually competes in hot air baloon races all around the world. My driver today used to manage the Kelly Family a couple of years ago in the UK. Now he is a taxi driver but at the same time is a promoter for a new upcoming artist (he wouldn't tell me which one - he said he doesn't want to ruin it).
Shopping was great. Managed to buy some proper presents this time and even though I entered both DVD stores (HMV and zavvi) I didn't buy a single DVD. Of which I am really proud of. Like, totally.
I also managed to call Lufthansa today to check how I am going to fly home with my snowboard. Basically it works like this: if I manage to pack only 20 kilos, there is no extra cost for an extra snowboard. If with the snowboard the total weight is more than 20 kilos, I pay 35 Euros per trip and I can transport up to 35 kilos in total. But only if pre-registered via the hotline. Which I did.
Wooooosh, Kawooooom, Satushhhh. Tschingggg!
This is my 500th post on my blog. Yeeeepeeeeeeeee!!!!
Ok, enough excitement. I am sitting in my living room in Frankfurt, the fireplace is making the usual fantastic sounds behind me and my back is being warmed as I write these lines - and yes, I am also sitting on the banana :-)
just entered my hotel room in Leeds, turned on the TV and saw the scene from friends where Rachel and Ross break up and they play "with or without you" from U2 on the radio and it is raining outside and ... you know what I am talking about. And if not, it does not matter either. I remember those good old times of watching endless series of Friends, Melrose place, Beverly Hills 90210, Dawson's creek, etc. Although I don't remember a single scene from Melrose place or Dawson's creek, this scene from friends is stuck in my mind. I tried to find it on youtube but there are only user-edited versions of the song and some scenes. So I am not putting it up. Too bad. Instead I am putting up this one of this guy sitting on a chair that is going to break underneath his weight - listen carefully as you can hear the first crack around 11 seconds into the recording - totally ignored by him, which just makes this one an instant classic.
I loooooooooooooooooove to be in the UK. Not only do people look decent but you have got the coolesst shops around. So after a pretty tiring day I went again to the Cribbs mall for a quick shopping trip before going to bed. I ended up buying a couple of DVDs and a nice book for my brother for x-mas (he is not reading my blog because he doesn't care, so I can write it without risking spoiling the surprise - ha!). I didn't buy any shoes or clothes because I might buy those in London this weekend but for sure I have a backup plan to buy those if the weekend doesn't go as planned. Now back to watching TV - they are showing the Thomas Crown Affair - the remake, not the original but it is OK as a bedtime movie anyway.
PS: I also love Italians - especially these two:
Two stories hit the news today that shocked me both in different ways. The first involves a 13 year old girl named Hannah who is British and would like to die. She has been suffering from Leukaemia since the age of 4 and as a result of an early treatment developed a heart failure and now needs a heart transplant. She however decided that she did not want to get treated any more. Her parents supported her in her decision, but then the hospital called in the child protection agency who – obviously – threatened to take her away from her parents and treat her against her wish. The case has now been dropped by a high court after hearing evidence directly from Hannah. So basically it is officially OK for her to die. She has been all over the news explaining that there was no scientific evidence that the heart transplant would help her and that she has been treated all her life and she just wants no more. She is 13. Thirteen. And as she is thirteen, she also wants to go to Disneyland in the US - kind of as a last trip before she dies. Of course this is a big issue as no travel insurance agency would cover her so she cannot go. But that is not the story here.
The other story involves another 13 year old girl that just blew herself up in Baquba, north of Baghdad in Iraq killing 4 people. I don't have more background information on this. No cute little girl talking about it on TV - obviously. No picture, no name, nothing.
Both shocking in their own way and both showing the disturbed times we live in. In the case of Hannah, I am not her nor I am her parent or the high court judge involved and I am very glad about that. There are many things to consider however. There is the message to others of course. What about other children with terminal diseases? What about other grownups with terminal diseases? Would they have decided differently had they access to unlimited medical resources? Why are they giving up? Again - I am not judging here as I don't have the right to decide for them, just trying to ask questions about the moral issue here.
The 13 year old girl blowing herself up for something somebody told her would be worth it just makes me equally puzzled. I don't have a solution for world peace (surprise ;) and don't want to say how evil she was or how evil others were that told her to do it. Again I am not fingerpointing here.
Two completely different stories with lots of similarities though. Both girls were born in the same year. Both decided to die when they were 13. One directly killed others by making her decision; one might influence others in choosing to die by having made the same decision herself. The moral implications are very similar even though one of them is on TV right now smiling and the other is only mentioned in a newspaper article.
I could be completely wrong here of course - maybe I am just tired and I should stop watching CSI-NY while writing on the blog. Or maybe I should continue reading that book once I am back home. I am looking forward to another sunny day tomorrow :)
I have sinned. Properly. I had a Schnitzel on Saturday evening. It was good. Obviously. So no more “I am a vegetarian” bullshit. I will have to look for a new definition of my eating habits.
of course I am still awake - watching the stupid poker night on pro sieben with stefan raab and other idiots. Buuuuuuuuut at the same time I have started to play with Photoshop Elements and now know how to use the clone stamp tool. Probably the most amateur tool to use, but very handy. Can you spot the differences between the pictures? (I have mirrored the images to make it less obvious ...)
I am sooooooo tired. Just came back from Bristol a day earlier as planned because there was not so much to do this week - will probably go back on Monday. The flight was cool, as always, I managed to read a lot on the plane and picked up the photoshop elements software that I ordered a couple of days ago from the packstation. I have already started with it but don't really know what to do - I guess that will come once I have shot some pictures. With all those nice autumn colors outside it should be easy to find some stuff to shoot later this weekend.
I am so braindead, I need to go to bed before I drop off my chair. So I will just post this video I like from Lily Allen and that's it for today (one of the girsl on Popstars totally looks like her, that is how I remembered to look it up). Good night!
Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I can think of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
they promised us a good movie when we left the sneak a week ago and it really was a good one! The cinema was pretty full in expectation of the new james bond movie I guess - but people were not disappointed it wasn't mr. bond killing all the bad guys this time ...
Having seen this thing in action at the Photokina earlier this year the time has come to get more professional on the tools side and so I decided to order from amazon. Should be there when I return to Frankfurt this Friday - just in time for the weekend!!!
a form of entertainment in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music (and/or a music video) using a microphone and public address system.
It was funny to see Sven Väth's mother having so much fun in Cocoon next to Sven while DJ-ing. Interesting side note - Sven Väth is married indeed - and his wife has a website under http://www.ninapeter.com/. The music I like ...
