Vero's thoughts

"New world record..."

2012-02-03T17:33:00.002+01:00

I know that I should probably be studying for upcoming exams. Okay, delete the "probably", I should be most definitely studying for upcoming exams but first I have to share a very exciting piece of news with you.

(Insert trumpet blast) Today I managed to scan a book with 180 pages in only 10 min. Picture that. A book with 180 pages in only 10 min. Guiness Book of Records where are you? And while scanning the whole book in only 10 min. I also managed to talk with a colleague at the same time.
What does this tell us? I should probably get a job as a professional "scan person" - not sure though that such a job profile does exist. IF it would exist though... trust me, I would be a star.

"A great addition to the soundtrack of my life..."

2012-01-04T19:35:00.003+01:00

There you go, while listening to RTÉ's classic drive, I stumbled over another potential aspirant for the soundtrack of my life. We're slowly getting there.
Haendels "Sarabande"... truly beautiful.

"A guideline of how not to talk about your fans in public..."

2012-01-01T11:40:00.011+01:00

Once upon a time there was a group of ten young tenors in training who thought it might be a good idea to form a group to earn some extra money for beer. Surely those ten tenors must have been Australian.
The ten tenors were very creative and called themselves: The Ten Tenors. How unique. They became a relatively "huge" success in Europe. Well, in Germany mostly.
They started with a repertoire of classical and not so classical music.

Ten years and a day passed. The members of the Ten Tenors might have all changed by now (they do that on a regular basis) - most of their repertoire hasn't (that could be the topic of another blog post of mine).

It seems though that the attitude towards their fans might have also changed a bit during the years. Really? It is a "lovely" interview of The Ten Tenors which contains a few references to their fan base which brought it to my mind. I copied all the genuinely lovely comments of back then musical director Graham Foote for my post. You surely don't want to miss out on them. I was sooooo touched, it really shows their genuine appreciation and how much they seem to value their fans.

"(...) Underwear-throwing by their largely female fan base is a common occurrence on tour. ''It's not usually the kind of underwear we want to be thrown at us,'' says Foote. ''It tends to be a little bit large and a little bit white and a bit cotton for my personal taste.''

Some of the more zealous European fans have taken their dedication to worrying extremes, posing as the tenors' wives and swindling room keys from hotel security. So do they return to their hotel rooms to find the bed covered in rose petals? ''Rose petals and Spanx [body-shaping underwear],'' deadpans Foote. ''Terrifying.'' (...)"
the whole interview

The message of Graham Foote is really, really charming and he says such kind words concerning the Ten Tenors fans. I don't know about the hotel room incidents but the article put it like it happens in about every second town? How shocking. Wonder why there aren't any rumours of it yet in the usually very well informed fan gossip factory? Maybe I haven't listened closely enough?
As to the "Underwear-throwing by their largely female fan base is a common occurrence on tour" part. IS it? Oh my gosh and why have I never witnessed ANY of it either? Never mind of which size or colour, I would love to see it. I always seem to miss out on the best part. How annoying. And why has the gossip factory failed once again because surely, others would have witnessed and spread the word?!

The occurrences mentioned seem to aim mostly at European fans (and European seems to be a synonym for German in Australia)... Gossip factory failed AGAIN? Maybe the writer, Annabel Ross, exaggerates? Or maybe wishful thinking? I don't know, I haven't yet considered to throw my own underwear on any stage.

And if I may just add one last thought for Graham Foote? Better not bite the hand that feeds you, it might bite back one day!

"Days like this..."

2011-12-21T20:49:00.004+01:00

It all started quite harmless in the morning. I was almost too late for the bus... again - this has become a really bad habit of mine recently... I blame it on the bus, since the bus stop is right next to my place I'm always late.
I had a talk with a professor after the first course concerning my soon-to-be presentation which went very well. She really seemed to like my ideas and gave me a few secondary literature recommendations concerning my subject. Fine with me. But then it all started, with a very impressive "Bang!". Not joking and quite literally.
I accidentally bumped into a glass wall mistaking it for a door. There were witnesses involved. My most embarrassing moment of the day. But it got worse.
In another course I learnt that I also have to present a paper which I hadn't expected. And as if that wouldn't be quite bad already, the subject is even worse: about Gothic verbs. Horrid. But if you think it can't get worse you are quite mistaken.
Prof also suddenly mentioned an exam and I have no idea whatsoever what happens if there will be one because frankly speaking we haven't learnt that much after all... And if you think that is bad, think again.
I went into town and went to the postoffice, when I left it again, I suddenly faced a whole and big and scary group of "Krampusse" (if you don't know the meaning, just use google, type it in and go to the picture section *scary stuff*). I have no idea where they came from but they were kind of very scary and the only thing I thought would help me to actually pass the group without them noticing me and my immense panic was to behave as normal as possible and not panic-stricken at all even though I most certainly felt that way. Hence I put the earphones of my mp3 player into my ears and on full volume and tried to walk as if I didn't care a thing. Obviously it worked. They didn't bother me. Phew.
I went to the library to pick up this huge pile of books I intended to read during Christmas holidays before I knew about the new presentation. Even though that doesn't matter anyway because I will still have to read my way through the pile. Another load is waiting for me. And one was at home already. So there you go... Merry Christmas to me, at least I won't get bored during the festive season, that's for sure...

"I'm in love..."

2011-12-17T20:22:00.003+01:00

... again. This time with Tamino aka Maximilian Kiener in The Little Magic Flute currently staged at a theatre in Salzburg. And how shall I sum it all up? Best with my back then status update:

It was totally worth to wait for Tamino all these years... ♥

How come? I first laid eyes on Maximilian Kiener when he had a guest role in the musical "Cabaret". At least I think it was Cabaret? Anyway, it was a musical and it was a guest role and he was still a student of the Mozarteum University. He was already stunning and also the reason I literally had to buy really expensive tickets for the Summer Festival in Salzburg. He sang Oebalus in the Latin Mozart Opera "Apollo et Hyacinthus". Actually it was the cheapest category, the row before the very last row so I don't even want to think about the costs of another category. But it was totally worth it even though I didn't understand a single thing except of the names of course ... ;-)

Then I lost sight of him. Years later I found him again as part of the Salzburg Comedian Harmonists (yes, I can be quite persistent) - unfortunately I was too late for tickets for their shows. The bad luck continued. Several times Maximilian Kiener was actually involved in Operas of the Landestheater in Salzburg but always as a guest and I was always too late to find out about it. Things changed. Last time I looked for him, I stumbled across someone else I really like and was extremely happy about the coincidence. But I never forgot about Maximilian Kiener and there you go, last time I had a good look around I actually did find him again: in a children's version of Mozart's The Magic Flute. Totally okay with me, I was delighted and after I was able to persuade my best friend to join me, we went, we saw and we were both smitten. Awww. I love his voice.
There you go, I'm addicted again. I already bought his album "Der kleine Rosengarten" and can't stop listening to it. Today I went to the library and got myself a copy of The Salzburg Comedian Harmonists "Veronika, der Lenz ist da". I still want more. Can't wait till the person who has currently borrowed "Apollo et Hyacinthus" might actually return the DVD so that I can borrow it. To quote Dickens, Please Sir, I want some more.

Back to The Little Magic Flute. So very cute. Go and watch it if you are in Salzburg.

And just in case you might be intrigued now:
http://www.tenor-maxkiener.com/

"Comments in books..."

2011-09-27T22:42:00.002+02:00

... you borrow from the library are most of the time annoying. Plus I think it is rude to make notes in books which you do not even own.
Well, at least I thought so till I borrowed an edition of "The Song of Roland" by Conrad the Priest. Loads of comments again and half of them already erased - the other half was greatly entertaining though...
Fancy a little best of?

1#
The emperor tells one of his men to let the Franks finish their affairs on their own and that he should back off.
Scribbled comment of a former reader: "not very nice". I think the reader pretty much nailed it.

And even more hilarious...
2#
Genelun learns the news that he has to go and have a serous talk with their enemies, the pagans. He is very frightened and blames it all on Roland his nephew, who suggested him. He thinks that Roland did it on purpose to get rid of him and he literally begs the emperor not to send him because he should think of his wife - who's the emperor's sister - and his young son etc.
A former reader wrote: "cowardly & dumb". Reader summed it up rather brilliantly.

3#
The emperor is fighting and almost overwhelmed by the pagans but receives heavenly help in the last moment. He hears a voice and learns that god will always help him.
Readers dry comment: "E. almost shot, yet again he hears an angel. E. wins".

I was almost sorry to return the book to the library yesterday. Such fun.

"The soundtrack of my life..."

2011-08-27T21:44:00.003+02:00

If my life would be turned into a film the following song would be part of the soundtrack. Absolutely love it.

"Metamorphoses..."

2011-08-25T12:56:00.003+02:00

I went to the public swimming pool this morning and along with me came the book I am currently reading: Ovid's "Metamorphoses". Between a few swims in the nice and lovely pool I was able to finally finish Ovid's book because seriously, it is not the thinnest of all works.
But while enjoying the sunshine and reading I suddenly heard something right next to me and looked up. There stood an elderly man who exclaimed very enthusiastically that he - being an "old Ovid fan" (his words, not mine) - is very, very, VERY happy to see that there are still young people around who read Ovid's Metamorphoses. He was very enthusiastic about it and all I was able to reply - because I was completely taken by surprise - "ah, thank you". He repeated it again and went away, a big smile plastered all over his face. Seems like I have made his day. He definitely has made mine.

"Ho, ho, ho..."

2011-08-07T10:17:00.001+02:00

Life is full of surprises and one of them is that Christmas arrives earlier each year. I spotted the first signs of it yesterday...

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows..."

2011-07-14T22:02:00.003+02:00

I would not say that I am disappointed of the new Harry Potter film because that would mean that I had actually high expectations in the first place which I clearly had not. Hence I was not even surprised that Harry Potter went all Twilight-ish. The end was the icing of the (hilarious) cake though: what the heck...??? 19 years later? The audience was hardly able to stop laughing again.

Alan Rickman as Snape was all worth it though - I could listen to him forever and Maggie Smith was also brilliant. Same goes for Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom and Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood. Not the same goes for Harry Potter himself (Daniel Radcliffe) or Hermione Granger (Emma Watson)...

"Bachelor..."

2011-07-13T15:50:00.002+02:00

One step closer to my first aim: the bachelor's degree. I have handed in my last results on Monday and the nice lady told me that she has to forward it to the CuKo chairman. I expected the worst but eventually the best happened. Only one day later I received the mail I have waited for - I should come in and pick up my signed papers. Perfect. All courses accepted.
I picked them up today and the next and final step of my Bachelor story is that I have to bring the papers to the office in charge. And they should provide me with a confirmation. Hopefully sooner than later because I want to register for the Master as soon as possible. Same goes for the scholarship office actually but right now I am absolutely still in time.

"Project Pocket Garden..."

2011-07-11T19:09:00.026+02:00

The beginning
I got a so called "Pocket Garden" as a birthday present from Birgit.

[...] Supplied in a sealed leak-proof bag the PG contains specially formulated compost and seeds that once cut open, just require water to germinate allowing them to grow a beautiful houseplant. [...]
(c) http://www.thepocketgarden.com/

I was curious about it and decided to have a go at it three days ago. I am not really sure if it will work out for me as well which basically means that I am not sure if the plants will survive my "special treatment" but I am determined to do my best. I am already responsible for too many deaths in the world of plants but since I moved into my new flat it seems that I have suddenly developed the hint of a green thumb. I do not want to tempt my luck though!
I will document "Project Pocket Garden" so stay tuned for further updates which I will add to this post.

The start

I opened the little bag and followed the instructions which are... truth to be told... fairly simply.

But if you also want to start a Pocket Garden, be warned! I accidentally spread half of the earth on my table when I opened the harmless looking "garden".
After I had planted the seats I used very little water to water it, just in case because I did not want to drown the whole project on its first day - there is no way to get rid of spare water afterwards if you put in too much of it.

1st day
Oh dear, what is that?
In the morning of the 2nd day I already noticed the first new shoots. Wow, that was quick. But it got quicker in the evening. Trust me, they have grown again.

2nd day
If I thought that was quick, then I had to think again because obsessive growing started. It seems that each time I am not looking the plants grow even more and even faster. Reminding me a bit of Audrey II. Will I have to feed them blood next?
On the 2nd day the first 2 of 4 plants have already reached the top of the bag.

3rd day
Oh my gosh, 4 is not enough: overnight the plant family had 3 additions. There are currently 7 plants in the bag. Are you able to spot the newbies?
I continue to water them very carefully.

4th day
Things go a bit out of hand. The garden is growing excessively. And I swear that the plants were at least 1 cm taller in the evening than in the morning. Scary but the growing continues.
I can proudly announce a few more additions to the happy plant family but I have lost count of how many. Plus I have accidentially beheaded one of the lot. Sorry!PS: the first tiny leaf tips turn yellowish. I think that isn't really a good sign but I hope they hang in there. I want to have flowers.

5th day
The plants don't seem to have yellowish leaf tips today but they do look a bit dry nevertheless. And when did they start to grow lopsided?!

6th day
One plant is already pointing straight downwards.

7th day
More of them have suddenly decided to hang their heads. I did not them water today because I actually think their compost is already a bit too wet. Will watch it, check it and hope to keep them alive for a few more days.

8th day
Plants don't look particularly healthy today. I should probably not have put them on a "diet" yesterday.
Question is, how many more days will they survive? I think the problem is the watering. I have always been very careful and at the beginning I did a good job but fact is that you can't always be THAT careful, can you? Hence I think that may be the main problem of Pocket Gardens which makes it difficult to keep them alive...

10th day
Home alone. For the first time ever my Pocket Garden will be totally on its own, I will not be back till tomorrow evening. I am kind of anxious what will happen to it when I'm not here. I mean, not that I'm able to prevent it's dying process I fear but ... nevertheless I want to keep a wary eye on it.Hang in there little friend, I shall be back soon. And keep in mind, never give up, never surrender! ;-)

12th day
The good news is that most of the plants seem to have survived their first night without me, the bad news is that not all seem to be destined to live forever.

Things may not look that bad from the front ...
but have you tried the other side yet? ...
Oh dear!

About 19 days later
I am afraid to admit but my pocket garden has died and turned into a pocket grave!

Project failed.

Conclusion: I don't think that anyone could ever make real flowers grow in such a pocket garden. Too tricky when it comes to watering.

"Celebrations..."

2011-07-10T11:48:00.003+02:00

In order to celebrate the end of term and new chances in life we (namely Grissy and me) decided to throw an "end of term party". Mainly for ourselves though. And it was a great party...

"Diets..."

2011-06-26T21:11:00.003+02:00

Sounds like a good idea ... ;-)

"The radiostation and "we"..."

2011-06-08T21:47:00.003+02:00

I think my radio station is suffering from a mental disorder. It is not only speaking about itself in the third person, no, it uses plural as well which basically means that it announced today yet again that "we" are looking forward to the upcoming long weekend. Well, I am not really sure about it - are "we" really looking forward to it because frankly speaking I have to work on Sunday and hence I am not especially keen on it?! So no, "we" are not really looking forward to this long weekend, regardless of what my radio station says.
But then I thought again. Well, it could be worse, really. Even more annoying than the ill-use of the term "we" - when they only really speak for themselves - is when another radio station already starts on Monday to count down the days till Friday. This doesn't really help and isn't very motivating either. And come to think of it... why do they think just because a few people are able to call it a day at 5 or 6 pm that they can officially announce it for the rest of the country as well, because no, this is the time when I often START to work.
I think I might need a new radio station, one who clearly follows my schedule. Any suggestions?!

"April..."

2011-04-09T21:38:00.002+02:00

To the Spring

Welcome, gentle Stripling,
Nature's darling thou!
With thy basket full of blossoms,
A happy welcome now!
Aha!--and thou returnest,
Heartily we greet thee--
The loving and the fair one,
Merrily we meet thee!
Think'st thou of my maiden
In thy heart of glee?

I love her yet, the maiden--
And the maiden yet loves me!
For the maiden, many a blossom
I begged--and not in vain!
I came again a-begging,
And thou--thou givest again:
Welcome, gentle Stripling,
Nature's darling thou--
With thy basket full of blossoms,
A happy welcome now!

(Friedrich Schiller)

Spring has finally arrived and I love it. What a sight, people turn all friendly and everybody seems to be in an especially good mood. Plus I have discovered my new favourite spot as soon as the sun is out and shining: the riverside. It is for free and almost feels like being at the beach. The only difference, you really should not go for a swim. Well, I would not want to anyway, I am far too attached to life ;-)

"Kundin X..."

2011-04-06T23:44:00.002+02:00

Kundin X: "Sind Sie die Kollegin, die nicht Deutsch sprechen kann?" - Ich: "äh, nein?" - Kundin X: "Gut, weil das Telefonat ist abgebrochen, da des (!!) Akku leer war." Hmmm?

"Confessions of a Survivors junkie..."

2011-03-30T22:51:00.003+02:00

Noooo, they cannot just stop broadcasting this really exciting, superb series NOW. Which they (BBC Prime) basically just did. I am not sure if they will continue broadcasting it or if I should consider buying the 2nd season but I really, really hope they will. It is too late for me, I am hooked already.

Same goes for London Hospital actually. Living in constant fear that it will also reach an early end and will not be continued for the next season. Could someone please update the BBC Prime homepage and tell me if Survivors and London Hospital will be continued?!

Uhm, just realised that all my posts these days concern TV series... sorry, will try to change that. Soon. Promised. Probably.

"Lark Rise to Candleford..."

2011-03-18T22:57:00.006+01:00

Woo hoo, finally season 4 has arrived in my postbox and I cannot wait to start with the 4th season of "Lark Rise to Candleford".
Actually, I must admit that I have already started... tonight.
So far I am all excited and I very much hope for an happy ending (no spoilers, pls). I am also extremely relieved that there will not be a 5th season. Do not get me wrong, I absolutely love this series but I think it is best to stop at the top of a series because at one point the downfall always starts.
After the first episode of the 4th season I also have to say that Laura Timmins (Olivia Hallinan) is the most shallow fictional character ever, plus quite boring - as she has been since the first episode of the 1st season actually. Some things (i.e. fictional characters) do not improve... I cannot quite understand how she is supposed to be the heroine but then again, maybe she is not anyway. For me the real heroines are Dorcas Lane (Julia Sawalha) and Minnie (Ruby Bentall), especially Minnie is hilarious at all times and I think Julia Sawalha is the perfect Dorcas Lane. I am also pleased about the newbie Gabriel (Richard Harrington), so maybe love or an happy end are in the air for Dorcas Lane after all? Yes, yes, yes?? ;-)
The only thing left to do is to watch the remaining 5 episodes but it is not as easy as that. To extend the pleasure of watching it, I have to extend the time between watching it, hence it will not be over too soon *phew*.

PS: And just for the record, I miss Brendan Coyle as Robert Timmins, sigh... it was a bad trick to send Robert Timmins up to Oxford, but just between the two of us, I think he didn't go to Oxford! No, he left for Downton Abbey, started to work there and pretends his name is Mr. Bates... but we all know the truth ;-)
PPS: Rumour has it that Dawn French will return as Caroline Arless, fab.

"Easter..."

2011-03-14T21:11:00.004+01:00

I just discovered again what I love most about Easter. It's not the bunnies, it's not the special and yummy Easter lunch (n.b Mum: just in case you read this: Weihfleisch, can't have Easter without it!^^), nope, it's the special Milka spoon egg! I adore the Milka spoon egg, it's delicious. When I saw them again in the shop, I couldn't resist and just had get a packet. What shall I say? Yuuuuuummy.

"Survivors vs. The Wall"

2011-03-02T22:42:00.006+01:00

Today I watched "Survivors" for the first time and it kept me on the edge of my seat.

Geez, not one minute where you can relax and do not suspect something evil be lurking out of the view of the survivors. Nevertheless I quite enjoyed it. But it also reminded me remarkably well of Marlen Haushofer's book "The Wall".
Similar story but compared with Survivors, The Wall only has one survivor - well, almost only one.

And okay, there is no wall in the TV series but still, it strikes me as quite similar. Actually, they are making a film of The Wall now. Very curious - somehow I think it will be still totally different from the BBC series Survivors though. I strongly recommend the story by Marlen Haushofer: great book, brilliant literature!! I really enjoyed her style of writing and even though there is NOT as much going on in The Wall as in Survivors it is still very exciting and touching and should clearly be part of your must read list of books.

"A farce"

2011-03-02T20:40:00.005+01:00

The most entertaining thing at the moment is the story of Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (the German minister of defence) and his doctoral thesis. Apparently all a big fake because he used copy&paste quite a lot and didn't care to mark his sources.
The hilarious part is how he tried to deny it. At first he said that the plagiarism allegations were a lie. Later on he admitted that maybe there had been mistakes in his thesis. Then he said that maybe he his work was badly done till he finally resigned as a politician. Still not really committing to anything because he actually said that he had enough and he cannot stand the pressure any longer. Hello? He blamed it on the others, naturally.
But the fun part continues. Especially when a newspaper follows in his footsteps. The SZ published an article yesterday about zu Guttenberg and his dissertation adviser which Die Presse seemed to have copied today. An article about plagiarism copied by another paper without marking the quotations. Brilliant! (Popcorn anyone?!)

PS: and because I do not want to continue this line I admit that I read about it on twitter (in a tweet by Armin Wolf) earlier this day ;-).

"What does your (not) bank have in store?"

2011-01-24T22:42:00.003+01:00

I just received a really "nice" mail from the Halifax Bank Of Scotland. Being a good bank they asked me (commanded more likely) to update my bank security. "Lovely", "thoughtful" and really concerned as they seem to be, they even added a link for me. How "sweet" of them.

Dear Esteemed Customer,

This is an important Halifax bank security update .

Due to security concerns, You are
expected to provide all required information's correctly.

These information's are required to update our database records.

Follow the Hyperlink Below to continue.

"Click Here" (I deleted the real link!!)
Halifax Bank Of Scotland.

The only problem...

I do not have a bank account at the Halifax Bank of Scotland nor do I believe for one blink of a moment that a "real" bank would send out such e-mails. How daft do they (criminals) think we (the rest of us) are? ;-)

"Die Musical-Tenöre in Wien..."

2010-12-25T17:47:00.006+01:00

Endlich war es so weit und auch Österreich wurde von Jan Ammann (omg, omg, omg), Christian Alexander Müller, Mark Seibert und Patrick Stanke beehrt. Eigentlich 4 Musicaldarsteller, die sich allerdings zusammengefunden haben und seither bei gemeinsamen Auftritten „Musical Tenors“ nennen.

Ein interessantes und zugleich gewagtes Konzept in einer Zeit, in der Tenöre in den Medien omnipräsent sind. Angefangen von den Ten Tenors, einer der ersten dieser Gruppierungen überhaupt und zugleich auch einer der genialsten. Den Celtic Tenors, meinen all-time favourites, quasi meine Ur-Tenöre überhaupt, deren bekennender Fan ich mich seit der ersten Stunde (oder auch zweiten, OKAY, aber wer wird denn auch so kleinlich sein?!) nennen darf und der zahlreichen darauf nachfolgenden Grupppierungen. Die da wären, die 12 Tenors, die jungen Tenöre, die irischen Tenöre, die deutschen Tenöre und die-wer-nicht-alles-noch-Tenöre inkl. natürlich Adoro und Konsorten. Aber diese vier Musicaldarsteller dürften dennoch das unmögliche vollbracht und eine Marktlücke auf dem Tenöre-Sektor gefunden zu haben. Das Genre Musical scheint sich momentan einmal mehr größter Beliebtheit zu erfreuen und Musicalfans ein Faible für Tenöre zu hegen, wobei sich der Großteil allerdings auf Tenor-goes-Pop fokussiert hat. Was bietet sich da mehr an, als eine Musicals-Tenors Formation zu bilden? Eben. Am 20.12 war es so weit und da schwänzt man gerne mal eine Vorlesung über Rituale und Feste im Mittelalter bzw. auch Lenz, Walser und Grass dürfen für eine Woche ausgesetzt werden, um es rechtzeitig nach Wien zu schaffen.

20.12.2010: Ich hatte eine Karte für ziemlich weit vorne und hübsch in der Mitte: optimale Sicht. Nachdem Birgit, mit der ich dort war, allerdings nicht ganz so viel Geld investieren wollte (die Kartenpreise rangierten von teuer bis sehr teuer), hat sie mit einem Platz in den hinteren Reihen vorlieb genommen. Das Theater Akzent ist ohnehin klein, da war das sowieso kein Problem. Ich aber musste JddgA frönen und benötigte Karten möglichst weit vorne, die erste Reihe war schon nach nur einer Sekunde ausgebucht.

Jan Ammann hat mich dann auch naturgemäß nicht enttäuscht, eh klar, ging auch gar nicht anders. Er war genialisch und wunderhübsch anzusehen wie immer. Ich vermute ja ohnehin, dass er eigentlich ein griechischer Gott ist, der sich vom Olymp herab verirrt hat. Ihn jetzt aber mit Narziss und dessen Schönheit zu vergleichen, wäre schlichtweg ungerecht, wenn man bedenkt, welches Schicksal diesen ereilt hat, der noch dazu natürlich keine griechische Gottheit ist. Möge Jan A. sich bloß nie selbst erkennen, bei so viel Schönheit (optisch aber auch stimmlich!!!) könnte das sonst gar übel enden. Der Dorian Gray Vergleich bietet sich ebenfalls an, ist aber ebenso wenig schmeichelhaft, deshalb stelle ich meine Vergleiche jetzt komplett ein. Wobei ich persönlich total dafür bin, ihn als Dorian Gray zu besetzen, falls es in naher Zukunft mal wieder eine Dorian Gray Verfilmung geben sollte, die Letzte war ohnehin nicht wirklich gelungen.

Aber Schluss mit meiner Schwärmerei die natürlich auf JddgA folgen musste, zurück zu den Musical-Tenors. Sehr positiv überrascht hat mich Christian Alexander Müller, den ich vorher noch gar nicht kannte, dessen Namen ich mir aber chronisch nicht merken kann (mein Verweis: "der mit der Brille") und dessen Frisur bei mir für leichte Irritationen gesorgt hat. Ja, ich bewege mich immer noch in oberflächlichen Gefilden, aber diese Frisur weckt Erinnerungen an NS-Filme. Sorry, aber das tut sie generell, nicht nur bei Christian A. Müller. Abgesehen von diesem etwas seltsamen Modetrend, der auf mich auch an der Uni oder sonst wo, wo man ihm halt begegnet, etwas befremdlich wirkt, war Christian A. Müller genial, wirklich FABELHAFT. In meiner immer noch anhaltenden Euphorie gehe ich sogar soweit zu sagen, dass er definitiv die beste Stimme des Abends hatte und zwar in allen Lagen (sorry JddgA) ;-) Als seine Opposition lässt sich dann jedoch Mark Seibert einordnen. Seine Lieder scheinen etwas unglücklich gewählt worden zu sein, oder lag es an einer Tagesverfassung? Eigentlich war ich bisher (mal abgesehen von Radames in „Aida“, da war er definitiv falsch besetzt) immer sehr angetan von seinen Gesangeskünsten. Bei den Musical-Tenors ging er allerdings unter.Und zwar richtig. Patrick Stanke kannte ich bisher nur vom Namen, der zwar in diversen Musicalkreisen omni-präsent zu sein scheint, der mir aber auch nichts sagt, wenn ich darüber nachdenke. Irgendwie ist es nur die Form, des Wortes, die sich eingeprägt hat, aber nicht sein Bedeutungsinhalt. Es war also höchst spannend, ihn endlich auch mal auf der Bühne erleben zu dürfen. Allerdings erlitt er ein ähnliches Fatum wie Mark Seibert. Er ging unter. Aber nur im ersten Akt. Im zweiten Akt fand ich ihn dann wirklich gut, wenn auch nicht JddgA oder Christian A. Müller gut. Dafür sorgte er aber für einige authentische Unterhaltung, doch dazu später mehr.

Von der Songauswahl war ich nicht immer 100%ig überzeugt. Das Problem ist meiner Meinung nach, dass sich Song an Song reiht und das ganz auch noch ohne "Pause". Jetzt weiß ich die kleinen Wortwitze und diversen Spielchen der Ten Tenors, aber auch Celtic Tenors noch mehr zu schätzen. Die erleichtern es einem nämlich ungemein, auch geistig umzuschalten und mithalten zu können. Wenn aber, wie bei den MT, nur Song nach Song abgefeuert wird, dann kommt man als RezipientIn irgendwann gar nicht mehr mit. Ich habe mich teilweise etwas überfordert gefühlt und wusste mitunter nicht mehr, in welchem Song (Musical) wir jetzt eigentlich gerade waren dank dem unglaublichen und atemlosen Tempo. Ich würde sogar sagen, dass diese Raserei durch das Programm einen sehr gehetzten Eindruck hervorgerufen hat. Lief ihnen gar die Zeit davon? Da war es geradezu eine Wohltat, wenn einer der Tenöre mal ein kleines Geschichtchen erzählen durfte und somit das ganze aufgelockern und das Tempo entsprechend drosseln konnte. Selbst wenn diese „spontanen“ Geschichten alles andere als spontan waren, weil sie eben nicht spontan waren und teilweise ziemlich einstudiert wirkten. Die löbliche geschichtenerzählende Ausnahme war übrigens Patrick Stanke, bei dem die Kommentare lebendig wurden und gelebt schienen.

Zurück zu den Lieblingssongs: mein Problem ist, dass ich kein Fan von langsamen Songs bin und dieses Programm vor langsamer Songs nur so strotzte. Nach den Soli war ich meistens etwas müde gestimmt, weil es wieder ewig langsam war. Gaaanz begeistert - und mit dieser Meinung wohl nicht alleine - war ich von Christians A. Müllers Phantom der Oper Einlage. SOOO genial und ich fand es auch super, WIE extrem er sich da gesammelt und konzentriert hat. Das war nicht nur ein absoluter Hörgenuss, sondern auch interessant zu beobachten. Der Song vom Phantom war definitiv das Highlight schlechthin, das hat er so toll rübergebracht, unglaublich und Gänsehaut-Feeling pur. Und dabei bin ich ganz sicher nicht die Person, die sich schnell von einem Song rühren lässt (ich bin die herzlose, ungerührte Variante^^), d.h. also, dass das eigentlich eine sehr reife Leistung von Christian A. Müller war, dass sogar mir das Lied durch und durch gegangen ist. Auch sein "Einsam sind alle Sänger" fand ich unglaublich toll, das hat er so schön gebracht und seine Stimme, grandios. Aber ich glaube, ich stand ziemlich allein mit meiner Meinung über diesen Song da. Interessanterweise gab es bei dem Song nämlich zur Abwechslung mal absolut kein Gekreische?! Wo blieb das permanente Gejohle, das hinter mir immer irgendwie verdächtig nach "buuuuhhhhhuuuuuuu" klang, obwohl es wohl eher "juuuuhuuuuu" sein sollte ;-) Teilweise kreischten sich die längst dem Teenageralter entwachsenen und durchaus älteren Semester die Seele aus dem Leib, als wären sie wieder 13... Okay?!^^ Was mich zu einem leidigen Thema bringt: dem Verhalten des Publikums. Das rangierte zwischen peinlich und sehr peinlich, vor allem da, wo ich saß. Ich war umgeben von Pärchen und älteren Erwachsenen, aber wie sich die teilweise aufgeführt haben!!!! Unfassbar. Und dann saß vor mir noch die "headbanger" Garnison, die bei jedem schnellen Lied meinte, dass sie den Kopf auf und ab zu werfen haben. Amüsant. Ach ja und das Gejohle hab ich schon erwähnt, gell?! Teilweise hatte ich das Gefühl, dass ich nicht bei den Musicaltenors saß, sondern bei einem lasziven Chippendales Auftritt? Dem Gejohle nach zu urteilen, hätte es mich nicht gewundert, wenn auf einmal jemand aus dem Publikum "You can leave your hat on" nach vorne gebrüllt hätte... Ein sehr peinlicher Sager stammte von der Frau schräg hinter mir. Mark Seibert war alleine auf der Bühne und drehte sich um, um irgendwas aufzuheben oder sein Mikro zu holen, was weiß ich (er war es dann auch, der versehentlich seine Rosen runtergeworfen hat^^), in jedem Fall drehte er sich um in seiner sehr gut sitzenden blauen Jeans und dem
noch besser sitzenden weißen T-Shirt (man ahnt, was folgen wird). Es kam, was kommen musste. Die Frau hinter mir gab sich auf einmal ihren Trieben hin und flüsterte merklich hörbar (Gott sei Dank aber
nur hörbar für die Reihe davor) "schaut der geil aus". Hallo???? Die Frau, die das gesagthat, war mindestens 50!!!! Da war dann das Stadium des Fremdschämen für mich erreicht.

Wo wir schon beim Thema Kleidung sind. Irgendwann kamen sie ja mit den schwarzen Hemden und Glitzer-Shirts raus. Jan – ddg – Ammann und Christian Alexander Müller haben sich beim Rauskommen schon halb schief gelacht, als dann Jan vorne stand, ahnte man, woran es gelegen haben könnte. Er hatte ernsthaft ein Hemd an, das ihm mindestens 2 Nummern zu klein war. Viel zu kurz an den Ärmeln und er hat es auch kaum zu bekommen. Ähm??? Es sah aus, als wäre es in der Wäsche eingegangen. Was die Frage aufwirft, ob man (d.h. das Management) ihm nicht ein neues Hemd kaufen könnte? Ging das Geld während der Tour aus? Sollten die Fans zu sammeln beginnen, auf das ALLE Tenöre Hemden tragen dürfen, die ihn auch passen? Das ganze sah so schräg aus, dass das halbe Publikum wie auf Kommando zu lachen begann. Christian A. Müllers Hemd war aber nicht auch nicht viel besser. Das saß ebenfalls ziemlich eng, wenn es auch die passende Länge hatte.

Der nächste Punkt, den ich hier in Angriff nehmen möchte, war das Dauergrinsen der Tenöre, das manchmal etwas geschauspielert wirkte. Das hat mich irgendwie an die Arbeit erinnert, wo wir auch freundlich schauen sollen, weil sich das scheinbar auf die Stimme überträgt.
Die MT haben wohl eine ähnliche Anweisung erhalten. Mich störte das dann allerdings schon, weil da die Euphorie nicht wirklich rüber gekommen ist. Wenn ich mich da an den Faust erinnere... Der hatte in den letzten Stücken, in denen er spielte, immer total den Spaß auf der Bühne und zwar gelebten Spaß, sichtliche Freude, die absolut authentisch wirkte und man registrieren musste, ging gar nicht anders. Zusätzlich hat sie sich auch immer auf das Publikum übertragen ;-) Bei den Musical Tenors kam die Freude nicht ganz so authentisch rüber, auch wenn sie sie sicherlich ebenfalls empfanden, aber übertriebene Fröhlichkeit kann mitunter störend wirken. Was noch? Die Rosen am Ende der Show rundeten dann dieses etwas kitschige Klischee ab und erinnerten mich ad hoc an ein Helmut Lotti Konzert (Schande über mein vergangenes Ich). Dort gab es auch eine Menge Rosen und ganz kurz dachte ich, dass ich mich eventuell verlaufen hatte?! Eine Charme-Offensive? Ich persönlich finde nicht, dass ein Konzert von jüngeren Musical-Tenören der rechte Platz für eine mittelalterliche "Rosenattacke" ist, auch wenn die Geste nett gemeint war. Wo wir wieder beim Thema „Authentizität“ wären, die wollte da auch nicht so recht überspringen. ;-)

Ein Hit war definitiv der Weihnachtssong mit den Weihnachtsmützen. Das war schon super komisch, vor allem Patrick Stankes (spontanwirkender) Kommentar "wir wurden dazu gezwungen" (→ mit diesen Mützen aufzutreten) *ggg*. Die Songs, die mir noch sehr gut gefallen haben, waren "Constance", "Engel aus Kristall", das Grease-Medley, "The Man of La Mancha" (herrlich, den fand ich absolut genial), die "Unstillbare Gier" (Jaaaaaaaaaaaaan *gg*), "Weil ich weiß, in der Straße wohnst du", "Wo ist der Sommer?", "Wie wird man seinen Schatten los" und wahrscheinlich noch ein paar, die ich jetzt namentlich einfach nicht mehr zuordnen kann *gg*. Irgendwann gabs auch eine lustige Szene, weil die MT auf der Bühne irgendwas Lustiges gemacht haben, das halbe Publikum lachte, dann folgte kurz Stille, sie sammelten sich zum nächsten Showact und was ist? Auf einmal lacht ein weiblicher Fan im Publikum total laut und lustig auf^^. Die Frau hatte wohl eine etwas längere Leitung und der Witz brauchte ein paar Sekunden zum Ankommen?? Jan Ammann schmunzelte und Patrick Stanke hat total witzig seine Augenbrauen so skeptisch-zweifelnd hochgezogen und konnte sich auch das Grinsen in ihre Richtung nur sehr schwer verkneifen ;-)

Danach wollten wir eigentlich noch kurz bleiben, mussten dann aber aufbrechen, bevor die Musical Tenors da waren, weil wir die letzte Straßen- bzw. U-Bahn erwischen mussten, um noch nach Hause zu kommen :( ABER.. meine Kontakte haben mir nachher eine SMS geschickt und das Gerücht wurde bestätigt. Scheinbar haben die MT tatsächlich nur Autogrammkarten verteilt und hatten es furchtbar eilig. Frage, wie lange würde es dauern, etwas persönlich zu signieren und damit ein positives Fangefühl zu erzeugen?! Ich tippe mal auf unter 1 Sekunde, selbst bei einem langen Namen. Das bestätigt die Meinung, die ich bereits in meinem letzten Post über selbiges Thema vertreten habe. Schade eigentlich.

Mein persönliches Fazit ist, dass die Musical-Tenors absolut sehenswert sind. Jan Ammann ist absolut genial, von Christian Alexander Müller bin ich schwerst beeindruckt, diese Stimme ist Hammer (um es in einfache Worte zu fassen und meiner Euphorie gerecht zu werden). Ich hoffe in jedem Fall, dass er auch mal eine Solo-CD rausbringen wird, die ich dann nämlich unbedingt haben möchte.

Für das nächste Programm hätte ich noch einen Wunsch: ich plädiere an dieser Stelle und hochoffiziell um schnellere Musikstücke, mehr kurze Atempause während der Songs und warum wurden eigentlich Original deutsche (!) Musicalsongs in Englisch (!) vorgetragen?

So long, and thanks for all the fish. Diesmal sogar auf Deutsch.

"The Continuing and Lamentable Saga...

2010-11-23T21:31:00.007+01:00

... of the Suicide Brothers.

Finally also available on European iTunes store (well, at least in my country, I do not really know about the rest of Europe). It was a good thing that I finally conquered the store even though it didn't work at first and it took me at least 15 min. to figure out that it was not downloading anything and would probably not download anything never mind that I had just handed over my CC details. At the same time iTunes update got stuck and stayed stuck and I asked myself the question again why on earth I put up with iTunes? I quickly rembered my ipod and the reason was crystal but at the same time did not really help with my "I want to order The Continuing and Lamentable Saga of the Suicide Brothers and it does not work" - problem. Clever me did not give up here though. I risked to be charged another 1,99 Euro (what shall I say? I am a gambler at heart^^) and started the whole proceedings again. Well before that I killed my update of course since it was not working anyway. And well, well, well, who would have guessed? It decided to work and it downloaded the short film which was written by incredible talented British actor Tom Mison and Rupert Friend.

A darkly comic fairytale set somewhere between the worlds of Hans Christian Andersen, The Brothers Grimm and Tim Burton, THE CONTINUING AND LAMENTABLE SAGA OF THE SUICIDE BROTHERS is set in a dark forest in a fairytale Bavaria. Brothers Barath (Tom Mison) and Bourbon (Rupert Friend) break up the boredom of their lives by trying to kill themselves each day, overlooking the presence of the long-suffering fairy (Keira Knightley) who lives with them.

Actually I really enjoyed the film despite the dark comic fairytale story or probably BECAUSE of the dark comic fairytale story. The pictures are great and impressive and it was fantastic to watch. Plus there are even funny moments despite the dark story. I highly recommend the film, its very fairytale-ish and I am still greatly amused by the fact that iTunes says it is a PG-0 (!!) film.
Never seen that before, PG 0 I mean... it probably means though that even babies can watch this film? Who else is still 0 years old? Picture a baby aged 0 watching a film, sounds a bit like "Oskar" to me, the boy from Guenter Grass' novel "The Tin Drum"... ;-) Although Oskar would have probably had a blast watching "The Continuing and Lamentable Saga of the Suicide Brothers", that's for sure.

"Homo Faber"

2010-11-10T21:57:00.003+01:00

I saw "Homo Faber" last week and absolutely loved it. Well that was till almost the end. Then someone felt the urge to switch on this awful light for the remaining 30 min and we literally melted. Thanks a million.

Otherwise play was great. They actually had two Homo Fabers, one represented the "mind" or the thoughts of him, depends how you put it. I really liked this new view and even though the topic is serious they managed to stage it in a funny way even though serious bits stayed serious.

It was also great to see how much fun the actors had on stage with Christoph Wieschke as Homo Faber leading the way. It was a bit odd though to see Gero Nievelstein as Homo Faber and the next day as clumsy knight Lancelot in a children musical show. Interesting experience. He was brilliant in both parts though (even though maybe he was lacking a bit in the singing department)

"It's a sad thing about..."

2010-10-30T22:06:00.004+02:00

Jan - dropdeadgorgeous - Ammann, my hero. When I first saw him on stage in Fuessen he played King Ludwig II in "Ludwig²" and he was simply stunning, magnificent. Great voice, great stage presence, great person (I assume he's a great person, I mean, I don't know him personally, so who am I to tell?!^^). Years passed by, I kept faith with him and adored his work. It also seems that I have a nose for new musical "stars" because with the years his fame suddenly grew and now, thanks to "Dance of the Vampires" in Oberhausen his name is well-known amongst (German speaking) musical fans. Well... I even had the pleasure not only to see him on stage in Fuessen but also to almost bump into him by accident after another musical (literally) and to "meet" him after Dance of the Vampires at the stage door where he was really, really sweet with his fans. He always seemed to be sweet with fans but having the chance to experience it for yourself, he really was the sweetest person ever!
But now things have changed. Management was taken over, he's part of the musical tenors, a product which is advertised professionally and suddenly he's not only famous but things have gone a bit out of hand if you ask me. He has his own fan club, by the same management I assume, and you can join the fan club to get a fan club ID which does not - frankly speaking - float my boat. I mean, sorry but I am not 16 any more and eager to join the fan club of my favourite star. The membership apparently also guarantees you not only a few goodies but also a first start at pre-sale for tickets for upcoming shows. Erm, sorry, really that is so not cool. Somehow it manages to destroy a bit of JddgA-illusion for me, Mount Olympus - as much as I hate to admit it - seems to have started to crumble with this very businesslike behaviour and the literally selling of Jan - ddg - Ammann. His halo is getting a bit dusty, is not that shiny any longer and I miss the good old times when you were still able to go to the stage door and - okay, maybe very 16 year old girlish behaviour (mea culpa) - have something signed, take a photo or talk with the musical "star" him/herself, also with Jan - dropdeadgorgeous - Ammann. Reading the latest news of the musical tenors I have discovered that there are instructions for the behaviour at the musical tenors shows after the shows. Due to a lack of time management (...) announced that they (the tenors) will hand out special autographed cards for their fans but will not sign anything taken along by the very same. Hello? That is almost called rude or (my apologies) snotty-nosed behaviour, like suddenly looking down on us (fans) and thinking that they (musical tenors) are someone important but we are not. Do I really want to support such a project? (Unfortunately yes, cannot help myself, I have to see the show^^ -> JddgA, hooray). Just how much time would you have to spend writing your own name on something? A minute if you are a slow writer? As much time as handing out those cards probably. So why bother at all? Like I said before, these days it feels awkward to be a fan, aged not 16 any longer but suddenly being treated like a teenager which is a bit on the crazy side. At least you could be treated like someone they obviously want you to be: someone who spends a lot of money on IDs for fan clubs and a few advantages coming along with it. Where are those already mentioned good old times? But as long as JddgA will not lose his voice and maybe, hopefully, still stays the same nice person despite the new ways of selling himself... I will most likely stay a fan (who is NOT a member of the club).

"War of the Worlds - postponed..."

2010-10-17T10:34:00.002+02:00

Omg I do not believe this. I have tickets for the "World of the Wars" Musical on the 2.01.2011 in Munich and received a mail of the ticket centre today: apparently they postponed the show till the 6.12.2011. Are they joking? That's a whole year gap between the dates. Well, almost. Call it an 11 month gap then. Maybe a typing mistake? Maybe they meant the 6.01?? I dunno, I just checked the website to make sure and at least the ticket provider says it's the 6.12.2011. Well, thanks for that... (in a sarcastic kind of way).
I really hope that Rhydian will still be part of the cast in December 2011 otherwise I would be really miffed, really, really that is! ... I bought the ticket because I wanted to see him on stage so this delay comes a bit as a surprise.

"The Glass Menagerie"

2010-10-16T16:47:00.008+02:00

The god of theatre finally showed some mercy... we went to watch our first play after the long, long summer break. Never mind what the actors think about summer breaks, they are usually always painful for us, the audience. They take ways too long and the time without theatre usually seems to be never-ending. Very eager for our first show, not unlike an addict waiting for his next fix we headed for the play: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.

And we were not disappointed (not really). Tim Oberließen was a fabulous Tom Wingfield and not only because he constantly performed conjurer's tricks on stage. His play was great and he played Tom with a lot of passion and very soulfully at the same time.
Same goes for his "Mum" Britta Bayer who always wins the audience over, not only with her acting but also with her brilliant applied sense of humour. Tom's sister Angela was played by Shantia Ullmann and I am afraid I will only repeat myself if I go into more details because she also did a superb job. She played a girl who could not walk without her prosthetic leg due to the result of a childhood disease. Shantia Ullmann kept hobbling around, unfortunately most of the time only when her illness was actually mentioned. Most of the other time she could walk around perfectly alright.
The only disappointing actor of the evening was Peter Marton, a newbie of the cast. We were really curious concerning him but soon also really disappointed. Maybe he just had a bad day? His acting skills were not really that impression and he always appeared a bit stiff and awkward on stage. Peter Marton played the show-off Jim O'Connor but I am not at all too sure where to draw the line between acting and his real-life self. We will find out pretty soon though because, as far as I am informed, we will have a few other plays (with him in the cast) coming up soon.

I for my part was - apart from P. Marton - quite taken by the staging of "The Glass Menagerie", despite the sad ending and I look very forward to the next one.

"Oops! ..."

2010-09-17T23:14:00.005+02:00

No, this blog is not dead yet even though it has been neglected for a while.
I usually intended to write my England adventure down but as fate has ordained I could not really finish (well, start, really) yet because of two Bachelor papers to hand in (and write before handing in, naturally) and a flat to renovate, decorate and move into.
So far I have at least achived to hand in my Bachelor papers, both of them. Fingers crossed that they will be accepted. As for the flat... We moved from the stage of renovating to decorating and both very succesful (in my humble opinion of course). And after I finally managed to get hold of my bed - in another part of the country, thank you Ikea for not having the bed in S. - we eventually put it together and there you go, I have already spent my first three nights in the flat. Unfortunately the mattress does not really suit me (yet) and most of the time it gets rather painful. But I am determined to wait and give it some time. If worse comes to the worst I can still exchange mattresses. But otherwise the flat is great and next week I intend to move my most important belongings into the very same.
As for my holiday blogging: it's still planned. Give me a few more days, weeks and I will be able to update. Hopefully :)

"Touring Britannia... #1"

2010-07-17T20:57:00.001+02:00

1st day.

An especially hot hot spell seems to have reached home. I am very glad we left for England today, in fact, I spend most of the previous weeks telling my friends and colleagues about the trip and I kept boasting about the agreeable temperatures I could probably expect there. I was prepared because I did not follow the weather forecasts for Bath, Yeovil, Minehead and Penzance for nothing since weeks. And it turns out I was right after all.
We (= me and the other usual suspect B.) met up at the airport after an especially horrible night including 35°C and hence not a lot of sleep, yikes. This time we were privileged enough not to travel with RyanAir that no longer favourite airline of ours. Quite the contrary, we used BA and we loved BA! What a difference to the previous named one. Apart from the fact that I got searched again at the airport (why is it that I always beep in S.?) we had quite an entertaining sort of journey. First of all it was very pleasant that we did not have to fight for our seats (unlike RA again) AND we even got something to eat on the plane (ok, emphasis on "something"... it was rather small) but someone also seemed to care for our entertainment because we had the cutest little boy ever on the plane whose favourite hobby obviously was to run up and down the aisle and to occasionally fall back on his bum.
The food. Yes, we had something to eat but it was not only small, it was nuts! Literally speaking. Who on earth dares to serve nuts on a flight? Okay, BA, quite obviously but seriously, if I am not mistaken there are quite a lot of people who a) are not particular fond of nuts, b) have a nut allergy or c) a not that well working jaw (meeee). Soooo? Why nuts? After I nearly ruined my jaw I was not longer hungry though. Lucky me. New diet.
The airport in London Gatwick was freezing cold. Really. It was not because of the weather, it was because of the air con. While waiting for our suitcases we were shivering.
This time my suitcase arrived amongst the first ones! And we would have made it to the bus terminal quite easily, if B.'s would have arrived equally early. Which it did not. We waited, waited, waited. The .... suitcase did not show up till the very last minute. Thank you very much, we had a bus to catch and we were already a tiny wee bit late considering the fact that we did not know the way. We ran. We sped through the whole building, hopped on a train, left the train in a hurry again at the other side, I ran not very charmingly through a group of young guys and did not mind that I almost crashed into one, they on the other side seemed to be slightly bothered but I could not hear their comments because I was already a metre ahead of them again (and besides, why were they walking that slowly anyway?). Down to the buses. Yes. We made it in time, unbelievable but true. So we caught the bus, totally out of breath and enjoyed a compared to that relaxing bus ride. Unfortunately we had to change bus again though but we used our break to grab some dinner before we went on the next one, this time to Bath. We arrived there more dead than alive, the bus was ways too smelly... Loo in the bus does not seem like such a clever idea after all taking this bus journey into consideration... (I am glad we survived).
Our first B&B was right next to the centre of Bath and owned by a - which we did not know before - German lady named Rita. Rita was ... well, you had to accept her kind of sometimes not that kind humour. Plus her big handicap was that she never seemed to be able to decide in which language to talk to us. Most of the time she used both languages, even in one and the same sentence which was a bit annoying.
The rooms was lovely though (especially after another experience later on)
and we used the first evening to take a little stroll round Bath, our home for the next few days. Hello Bath!

"Chapter 83..."

2010-07-15T18:18:00.005+02:00

(English/GERMAN)

The new Dr. E.

There you go, who would believe it, a new addition to my dental blog. How exciting, somehow.
I still have those problems with my jaw joint, remember last December? It all started back then. Dr. E. told me that it could get worse. He said it's common to have this kind of jaw joint problems, even for patients without surgery, so apparently I am not really an exception which does not really help me a lot because I have problems chewing and I do not really care about the others. Anyway, so Dr. E. said that I should eat soft things and wait. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Which I did. It eventually got better and I forgot about it again. Till four weeks ago. I got the same sharp pain and from that moment onwards the problem obviously got worse because since that time I have problems chewing and opening my mouth properly to its full extent. I did not do anything about it during the first two weeks but then I always had in mind that I am going on holidays pretty soon and maybe I should let a doctor have a look at the problem? Not the hospital though, I definitely do not want to spend a whole morning at the hospital again and keep waiting if Dr. E. would finally turn up or if I would have to see someone else. So finally I plucked up my courage and called at this dentist a colleague from university has recommended to me. I got an appointment for 1 1/2 week later which was fine with me and took place yesterday. What shall I say? He passed my test.
The new dentist is as great as his Internet presence. I am all impressed. It starts with his assistants who are - for the first time ever in my dental career - not really young girls (have you noticed that most dentist have usually assistants ranging from 17-23 yrs?) and above everything they are very friendly and cheerful. Dr. Ch. was very accurate himself because he actually inquired after my surgeries once I had told him that I underwent surgery a little while ago. He even guessed which type of surgery, I am still very impressed even though he thought it concerned only my lower jaw and he thought I had an underbite before the surgeries which was not correct. When I mentioned the name of the hospital he wanted to know which surgeon was in charge of my surgery and if I could still remember his name? Naturally: Dr. E. He also wanted to have the name of my orthodontist and suddenly he asked me if my face has changed a lot? "And, did your friends not recognise you again after the surgery?". I knew almost instantly what he meant and told him no, unfortunately they recognised me straight away because I was really excited about a new face. He thought that my opinion was rather entertaining, he laughed and said that sometimes you can hardly make out a difference at all and at other times the changes are really extreme.
Back to my jaw joint problems. Apparently they are a common after-effect of my surgery. Funny, Dr. E. mentioned that as well but he put the emphasis on the fact that a lot of people have this kind of problem, even people without such surgeries. But then again, HE was the surgeon in charge so of course he has to say such things. He can hardly blame himself (not that I blame him! I know that it was not his fault, just bad luck but then again... so many things could have gone wrong with that surgery and I am happy that nothing of THAT kind happened to me!). Apart from that Dr. E. was right of course. In the meanwhile I have met so many people with exactly the same problem but without the surgery. I prefer a perfect set of teeth and that kind of problem instead of a not perfect set of teeth but still that kind of problem.
Dr. Ch. (the new dentist) said right away that I do not have to be afraid because I will definitely not undergo surgery again (phew!), because (his choice of words) it just needs some time and eventually it (the jaw joint) will go baggy anyway. Is Dr. Ch. the new Dr. E.? At least when it comes to his wording. And when it will be like that (the jaw joint problem all baggy), I will be rid of the pain. I will even eventually forget all about it, till it starts all over again. In short: I cannot get rid of that jaw joint problem again but there will always be ups and downs and there will be times when I do not feel much of it. Hooray. Looking forward to that kind of time.
He then said pretty much the same thing like Dr. E. did half a year ago: do not bite off an apple, do not eat hard things. He also asked me - uh, a little quiz - on which side I reckon that I have to chew? The pain is on the left side, so? I gave it a short thought: the left side. - Yes, that was the correct answer. If I chew on the left side, I will not feel as much pain as if I should chew on the right side. Funny but it seems that you always feel the jaw joint of the other side. Dr. Ch. also equipped me with a few tips how to relax my jaw. I.e. he gave me relaxation training and showed me how to massage the jaw, etc. But he also said that I should not sleep on the tummy which would be very bad for my jaw but which I do not practise anyway. He said that it would be best if I would sleep on the back, which I do not practise either though. I am more the kind of person who sleeps on the side, he was not too thrilled about it but I told him that Dr. T. has once recommended a neck-roll to me which I do use when I have jaw troubles. Like right now. Which is the reason I will probably even take it on holidays with me, just in case. As you see I am well-prepared and an expert on jaws already. Now all I have to do is wait and relax and try to eat soft or at least cut it into small pieces.
By the way he did not drill and even though he is not a second Dr. T. (which would have come as a surprise anyway) I definitely like him. He seems to be quite capable and trustworthy and I think I will stay for a little while.

Der neue Dr. E.

Wer hätte das gedacht? Ein neues Kapitel für meinen Kiefer Blog. Wie aufregend, irgendwie. Ich habe immer noch Probleme mit meinem Kiefergelenk, erinnert ihr euch noch an letzten Dezember? Damals hat alles mit einem kurzen Stich im Kiefer angefangen und nicht mehr aufgehört. Dr. E. hat mir damals erklärt, dass so was (= Kiefergelenksproblem) relativ häufig vorkomme und nicht nur am Kiefer operierte Personen davon betroffen seien. Ganz im Gegenteil. Scheinbar ist es ein ziemlich häufiges Problem und ich bin sommit keine Ausnahme, was mir jetzt aber auch nicht weiterhilft, weil ich Probleme mit dem Kauen habe und ich mich nicht wirklich für die anderen interessiere.
Dr. E. hat mir damals empfohlen, dass ich weiche Dinge essen solle und warten. Warten, warten, warten. Was ich natürlich getan habe. Irgendwann wurde es auch tatsächlich besser und irgendwie habe ich sogar fast darauf vergessen. Bis vor vier Wochen. Mit einem Mal kam der gleiche kurze, stechende Schmerz von Dezember zurück und in genau diesem Moment hat es sich offenbar wirklich verschlechtert. Dr. E. meinte ja damals, dass es entweder besser werden könne oder sich auch verschlechtern. Seither habe ich ziemliche Probleme mit dem Kauen, weil es meistens weh tut und ich kann den Mund nicht mehr ganz aufmachen. D.h. ich kann natürlich schon, aber dann knackst es immer und ist meistens mit Schmerzen verbunden. Also lieber nicht. Während der ersten zwei Wochen habe ich nichts unternommen, einfach mal abwarten, weil Dr. E. hat ja gesagt, dass man nichts machen könne. In Anbetracht der Tatsache, dass ich aber 2 Wochen später in Urlaub fahren wollte, habe ich mir dann doch einen Termin vereinbart: beim Zahnarzt. Ich wollte nicht noch einen halben Tag im Krankenhaus verplempern und darauf hoffen, dass Dr. E. doch bitte Dienst haben möge und ich nicht an einen anderen Chirurgen verwiesen werde. Also wurde es Zeit mal den neuen Zahnarzt zu testen, den mir eine Uni-Kollegin empfohlen hat. 1 1/2 Wochen später hatte ich den Termin. Und was soll ich sagen? Test bestanden.
Dr. Ch. ist so toll, wie sein Internetauftritt. Seine Assistentinnen sind total nett, freundlich, hilfsbereit und hurra, endlich wirklich und weit über ihre Volljährigkeit hinaus (ist euch schon mal aufgefallen, dass die meisten Zahnärzte Assistentinnen haben, die immer zwischen 17-23 Jahre alt sein dürften? Bei Dr. Ch. ist das anders). Dr. Ch. selbst war auch total okay, kompetent und hat sich auch darüber informiert, was bei mir operiert worden ist. Er hat sogar die OP erraten, wenn auch nur halb, weil sie bei mir oben und unten ausgeführt worden ist und außerdem dachte er, dass ich vorher einen Unterbiss gehabt habe, was auch nicht stimmt. Dann wollte er wissen, wo die OP stattgefunden hat und als ich es ihm sagte, wollte er gleich den Namen des Chirurgen wissen. Übrigens sagte er auch, dass das Ergebnis der OP total schön geworden sei!
Und dann wollte er noch wissen, wer mein Kieferorthopäde ist und ob sich mein Gesicht eigentlich sehr verändert hat. Seine konkrete Frage war ja grinsenderweise: "Und, haben Ihre Freunde Sie nach der OP nicht mehr wieder erkannt?". Mein Stichwort, da konnte ich ihm mein Leid klagen, dass dem gerade nicht so war und sich bei mir gar nicht so viel verändert hat. Das fand er lustig. Er meinte, dass das verschieden sei, manchmal wären die Veränderungen total stark, dann wiederum gar nicht. Ich war offensichtlich Letzteres. Zurück zu den Kiefergelenksproblemen: die treten gerade nach so einer OP relativ häufig als Spätfolgen auf, wie er feststellte. Lustig, Dr. E. betonte ja noch, dass das auch bei anderen öfters vorkommen würde. Naja, ER (Dr. E.) hat ja auch operiert und wird sich demnach auch nicht selbst ans Bein pinkeln. Aber Dr. E. hatte wirklich Recht, weil mittlerweile habe ich von so vielen ähnlichen Erfahrungen gehört, unglaublich. Erst vorgestern habe ich eine Arbeitskollegin kennengelernt, die genau das selbe Probleme hat, aber nicht operiert ist!
Dr. Ch. meinte dann auch sofort, dass ich keine Angst haben müsse, es wird bei mir sicher nichts mehr operiert werden (UFF!!), weil (sein Wortlaut) mit der Zeit "wird sich das eh ausleiern". Danke, wie beruhigend. Von seiner Wortwahl ist Dr. Ch. offenbar tatsächlich der neue Dr. E. D.h. wenn sich die neue Gelenksposition ausgeleiert hat, dann habe ich weniger Schmerzen. Bei mir ist da nämlich was rausgesprungen (keine Ahnung mehr, was genau und ich glaube, ich will es auch gar nicht wissen). Egal, das kenne ich schon von Dr. E. und er hat mir dann auch ziemlcih die selben Tipps gegeben. Zum Beispiel, dass ich von keinem Apfel abbeißen soll, außerdem hat er mich gefragt, wo ich denke, dass ich kauen sollte? Ich habe links die Schmerzen, also habe ich dann logisch geschlußfolgert: na links. Genau. Weil wenn ich rechts kaue, dann tut es links weh. Wenn ich aber immer links die Schmerzen habe und links kaue, dann tuts da auch nicht (so) weh, weil man links auf der rechten Seite spürt. Klar?! Ach ja und ich habe dann auch Übungen zum Entspannen bekommen und den Tipp, dass ich keinesfalls auf dem Bauch schlafen sollte, das tue ich aber sowieso nicht. Am besten wäre Rücken, das mag ich allerdings auch nicht wirklich, ich schlafe meistens auf der Seite und mein Kopfkissen habe ich schon so arrangiert, dass es eben nicht weh tut, wenn doch, dann nehme ich abschnittsweise immer eine Nackenrolle. Da man dort das Gesicht so lagern kann, dass nur die Stirn aufliegst. Den Tipp habe ich von Dr. T. Man sieht, dass ich bestens vorbereitet und ein Vollprofi bin. Und jetzt heißt es abwarten und weiterhin weich essen bzw. klein schneiden. Dr. Ch. meinte nämlich auch, dass ich mich irgendwann daran gewöhne, dann wird es besser werden, ich werde es vergessen und normal essen und dann wird es wieder irgendwann einfahren, weh tun und alles von neuem beginnen. Ich werde es also nie wieder los, aber es wird definitiv besser werden. Ach, das reicht mir schon, das finde ich schon prima.
Übrigens hat er nicht gebohrt und auch wenn er kein zweiter Dr. T. ist (was mich übrigens sehr überrascht hätte), ich finde, dass er sehr kompetent und vertrauensvoll zu sein scheint und ja, ich glaube, hier verweile ich ein bisschen.

Zuckerberg's Facebook Apology

2010-07-09T22:02:00.001+02:00

Exactly my sentiments.

"Jedermann..."

2010-06-30T19:51:00.004+02:00

Every year the town turns into a stage and one of the most famous plays staged during summer since 1920 (!!!) [talking about perseverance] is S.'s beloved "Everyman" by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. (Hofmannsthal is pronounced with only ONE "f" not TWO "ff" like most of the Austrians actually practise it, except of an actor who told me about the difference and of another one we heard recently. Aw, I adore him for NOT saying "Hoffmannsthal").

Same procedure this year with only one small difference. Being forced to find a short cut round the newly built stage in front of the cathedral, I found something. A box to be more precisely. The box of Pandora? Maybe. It could also be Mary Poppins box though, bought in the same shop as her handbag... Now I'm wondering what might be in this box? On the box is written in big letters: Jedermann (Everyman) so being a clever girl, I figured it out myself. All the world's a stage and all the stage fits into one small box.
Brilliant, I want to have one of those boxes myself please. Endless storage room to be guaranteed.

"The downfall of ..."

2010-05-23T22:18:00.006+02:00

Oh how do I love thee, you very "unique" and "intelligent" and "personal" messages I am forced to receive on MySpace and who are "composed" by unknown and unwanted strangers who strangely enough seem to know me even though they cannot even have read my profile because it is set on PRIVATE. Who are you kidding?

It is alway a great thing to have someone to call a friend especially your kind of a person. You sound so amazing to me , precious lady like you are few thisday, i can feel the beauty of the heaven around you. I know you are so specially made, and i too like to be special like you
I will be highlly glad if you will give me a room to be your friend so that i will be special like you, i know you are a kind lady and you will do that for me, and it is my prayer and heart desire to have you as my friend
You can add me
(by an unknown spammer who's name is fake anyway)

Oh who do I love thee? Let me not count the ways.

PS: I am not even surprised that MySpace is losing sympathies, a lot of sympathies because seriously, why are they spamming me with spam like that?
PPS: message from me to spammer: your orthography stinks!

"Message to all teachers, lecturers, ..."

2010-05-17T23:23:00.005+02:00

Dear teachers, lecturers, etc.,
most students do not particularly enjoy or let alone fancy the idea of standing up and giving a talk in front of a whole seminar. So it would be actually brilliant if those students could present what they have to present when it is their time to present.
But it is kind of very annoying to have three presentations in the course of one lecture and lecturers who seem to be totally unaware of the passing of the minutes and the fact that too much talking on their side after the first student will extremely diminish the changes of the last one. That's close to torture made worse by the fact that, given that there might be still some time left, you have to try to squeeze in your own talk in very little time which is almost impossible. At the end, all you get will be a maybe embarrassed but totally wrecked student.
So if you could do us all a favour: if you have three presentations calculated for one lecture, let every single one of those three students talk. For the sake of all of us.
Thanks actually.

"Leonard Cohen..."

2010-05-15T16:34:00.003+02:00

A few days ago, when I picked up tickets for another show, I discovered that Leonard Cohen is going to come to my town for a concert. Woo hoo, fab, brilliant.He is coming very soon, which was a big surprise for me. I was really happy and my first thought was that I really have to go: I am sucker for his music since I have first heard Take This Waltz. It had kind of a brainwashing effect on me: I want that song. Hearing it for 2hours in a theatre play, between each change of scenery (which took place about every 5-10 min) just did the trick (best advertisement a singer can ever hope to get for his/her music). Afterwards I ordered the "Live in London" album straight away. Mine, mine, mine. Which reminds me... I have lost my second CD of this album, quite painful, anyone found it by any chance?? Would be bad to loose Democracy, really.
Back to the S.-show. I was really happy, like already mentioned but that was before I realised that the cheapest tickets for the show cost round 84 Euro. Just imagine. 84 Euro. The things I could do with this money and which do not include buying tickets for the LAST category? For example go to two other shows: mind you, best category though. I really wanted to go to this Leonard Cohen concert but now I have changed my mind. So it is back to normal: me and my CD player. There ain't no cure for love.

"Müller's Office..."

2010-04-04T20:38:00.015+02:00

"Mueller's Office" is a musical which is based on the same named crime-parody from 1983. The main character is Max Mueller, a private detective who is ... "like Brando, like Valentino, he is like Clark Gable, he is beautiful like cinema, he's hard on the outside and soft inside."

I didn't know the film before, hence I didn't know much more of the show than that it is supposed to be a story about a private detective called Mueller. I didn't even know that I had bought tickets for a Musical with the purchase of the tickets for "Mueller's Office". Seriously, I didn't know that "Mueller's Office" is a musical, I found out two weeks before the show, or maybe it was three weeks?, when I stumbled over a review in the paper where they called it a "musical". Aha? Did I miss something? I looked it up on the theatre homepage again and there you go... even though you find it amongst the "play"-sector the description clearly reads "musical". I read too hasty again, just like with my seminary with the result that I suddenly found myself confronted with a seminary about the bible and me not having a clue how it had happened that I enrolled for it.

So I was really excited yesterday when I sat at work and waited for the hours to pass by. The time did take its time though and as soon as it was 6 pm, I was gone. For good. Afterwards I met up with my bestie at the theatre and we got really cool seats.
I was very curious how on earth they would possible manage to squeeze 12 actors/actresses - who play 38 characters - on a tiny wee little Kammerspiele stage?! Even though I didn't read the review of the musical properly, because I never trust reviews, I remembered the writer saying something about a crowded stage?

Well, I can't really agree. They solved the little space problem perfectly well: half of the storyline is staged IN the audience. The office of Mueller is ON the stage and sometimes changes into a bar or another room but Mueller and his friend Larry mix amongst the gangsters and the prostitutes and they usually hang around in the streets. "The streets" is the narrow little space next to to the seats. But it is enough space to perform chases and raids, etc.

The cast itself is superb like usually. It isn't a "musical" in the typical "musical kind of way". It is neither a huge nor a slick production: it is something new and I loved it. It sounds very much like a musical parody and they use all different kind of well-known and not so well-known songs, mix it with witty dialogues and the result is a witty unique musical with loads of "laughing material".

Mueller is played by "Mephisto" Sascha Oskar Weis. He did a magnificent Mephisto performance in "Faust I" and is a brilliant Max Mueller in "Mueller's Office". Never mind which part he plays, S.O. Weis is always very convincing in his roles AND he can sing. Even though I have to add that at the end, when Mueller is dying, I - shame on me - couldn't stop laughing. Which wasn't due to S.O. Weis not playing the scene properly (quite the contrary) but because Mueller was dying and at the same time saying things like "my knee goes numb, I feel that I will be dead soon" but at the same time he looked very alive and rolled around like crazy. He just looked so much like NOT dying that I couldn't stop laughing. Sorry. I tried really hard an 5 min later I was all serious again. But I loved that scene nevertheless.

His partner is Larry and Larry is unique in another way. Played by Tim Oberließen he even manages to fall asleep when not being talked to for a few minutes or after he had it just going on with one of the women. The only way to wake him up again is the not very gentlemen like way and it had us in stitches most of the time. Tim Oberließen does also a brilliant job when it comes to the acting, I love his face and all the things he manages to express but his weak spot is the musical-parts. The last duet of him and the red-haired girl was... unique. I admire him for stepping out there and singing wholeheartedly his song but I prefer him talking. He missed not only one or two tunes but it seemed to be contaigous because suddenly the red-haired girl was struggling as well but like I said before, he kept going and it didn't seem to bother him at all and that is why I really think he also did a great singing-job. Not in the classical kind of way but just for stepping out there and doing his job professionally. His acting is superb anyway.

Anja Clementi is a brilliant secretary called "Fräulein Schick" who is head over heels in love with her boss Max Mueller. Unfortunately he doesn't seem to notice or, hold on, he notices but he doesn't seem to share her feelings.

Nevertheless she is loyal till the end and even knits him a jumper. But "Fräulein Schick" lives a double life and her alter ego is "Frau Copain", the Chinese women who constantly asks for the time, even the audience. In the end it turns out that she is the only one who survives the whole musical and we all loved Anja Clementi for just being Fräulein Schick, the clumsy and lisping secretary with the mysterious secret.
One of the actors with the most parts in the play is definitely Sebastian Fischer who plays 6 parts all together.

One of them is a Turkish guy even though I have not managed yet to discover why there is suddenly a Turkish guy on stage who speaks about two lines?! Maybe because I didn't understand those two lines, I didn't sit close enough and there was some noise going on next to me when the Turkish guy made his appearance. Pity. Otherwise Sebastian Fischer does a brilliant job as well and if we would have to hand out marks for "Best Dying Actor/Actress on Stage of Mueller's Office" he would be my #2. Number 1 would still be Sascha Oskar Weis for his brilliant dying as Max Mueller, he was the most entertaining theatre death in a few years. Number 2 would be Sebastian Fischer for his great dead in his awful red suit (I definitely didn't like that suit!) and number 3? #3 is tough. I think I would give "Best Dying Actor/Actress on Stage of Mueller's Office" #3 to Tim Oberließen as Larry even though I unfortunately did miss to see his fall. I was distracted. He fell while too many other people were falling as well and all I saw was him suddenly lying on his stomach on stage, bum in the air (later on we discovered that bum was there on purpose). His bum-exit was very unique, hence he is #3. Well done #1, #2 and #3 (same goes for the rest of the cast though).

The musical was great, we had a very entertaining evening and I am totally convinced by the (mostly) new cast. I hope the new directorship will continue to produce such great plays like "Faust" or musicals/operettas like "Mueller's Office", "Die Golden Boys von der Tankstelle" and "Frau Luna". Finally the times for musical theatre in town have changed, changed for good and not only do we get much, much more musical theatre, nope, we also get unique musical theatre and I cannot wait for the next season to be started. Till that I have still one or two more plays I can look forward to.

"Rhydian..."

2010-03-26T20:39:00.008+01:00

I am going to "The War of the Worlds" musical in Munich next year, I have just booked my ticket and I am soooo excited.
You may be a bit surprised why I am that much excited because the title of the musical doesn't sound like anything I would normally go for at all BUT I am so very excited because Rhydian will be touring with the musical. This is soooo cool actually. Not sure you (my Austrian and German readers) know though who Rhydian is and how come I - being an Austrian myself - have heard of him. Actually, looking back it is quite a funny story.

It all started a few years ago and work already being its usual boring self back then (some things never change). Even though work is not exactly what you would probably call a "mental challenge" it can be rather tough to read books during your shift. But I need to read something or I will go nuts one day. Hence one day I followed the example of my older work colleagues and I started to read gossip magazines because gossip mags can be a useful thing while stuck at work with a headset over your ears: loads of photos to look at while talking to customers at the same time. No need to re-read the whole plot again because one of those customers might have interrupted your really exciting crime story/ novel/ book for University/ etc. which is impossible during Christmas time or any other really busy time when the phone is constantly ringing. So yes, I started reading gossip magazines (I know, I should feel ashamed). But not any gossip magazines (ey, I do have some style). I started to read English gossip magazines to make it a little bit more fun. Those mags are not as cheap as they might be in their own country though and hence I started to read them really, really closely. You could go as far as to say that I almost studied them from A to Z. I did not leave out anything, even if I was not the tiniest bit interested in the story (i.e. Big Brother), ey, I even read ads. Why? Because I had paid for it, I wanted to make sure I took good use of my "investment". I practised this new habit of mine for a few years, before I got too lazy to buy the mag at the trainstation because you cannot get them at any other newsagent in town and therefore switched back to books.
Anyway, and so it happened that I not even got an expert on the English "Big Brother" version without having ever laid eyes on it on telly which lead to a freaky incident in a Hotel room once when I was able to explain all the BB participants and their complete history to my brother even though I have never ever watched this show myself before... no, I was also an expert on the "X-Factor" without having ever watched it on telly either. It kind of helped that the chosen mag of mine had this whole X-Factor series (and BB - by the way, what did happen to those twins?) going on and reported each week of the events in the show of the previous week. That was when I first heard - okay, read - about Rhydian. His appearance sounded quite interesting and I looked a video with him from the show up on YouTube. It showed the "Phantom of the Opera" performance and was GREAT.

Somehow I forgot about it again though. That was till a few years later. Dunno why but I looked him up again and things have changed. There are loads of videos with him on-line 2010. Which is great. I had a good look through them all and could not really stop listening to it ever since. I have already ordered (and received) his newest CD "O Fortuna" and really love it. Cannot stop listening to it either.
This is where the next incredible Rhydian incident (jeez, my life shows all the main important ingredients of a novelette) took place. Someone extremely nice read my tweets concerning his new CD on twitter and pointed the musical out to me. She even send me the link for the German tour and I booked my ticket two days later. (If you should ever read this, thanks a million again!)

http://london.diarystar.co.uk/images/war-of-the-worlds-musical11.jpg

Rhydian joins War of the Worlds cast

Mar 16 2010 WalesOnline

X Factor singer Rhydian Roberts is to star in a musical adaptation of War Of The Worlds, it was announced today.

He will join Jason Donovan and former Atomic Kitten Liz McClarnon in the show, composed and produced by Jeff Wayne.

The Welsh star, 27, has signed up to play Parson Nathaniel – who loses his faith in the face of apocalyptic Martian destruction – in The War Of The Worlds - Alive On Stage!

He said: “My dream has always been to appear in a musical which tours large arenas and I’m very excited to be joining such an incredible cast for The War Of The Worlds 2010 tour.”

The singer, who appeared in the X Factor in 2007, said he is exciting about the prospect of sharing the stage with “an 11-foot floating 3D hologram of my fellow countryman Richard Burton, 26 years after his death”.

Wayne said: “Rhydian is an incredibly talented singer whose range and depth of voice will suit this role perfectly. I am delighted to welcome him into this year’s production.”

The musical, set in Victorian England and based on the HG Wells story, will tour UK arenas in November and December.
Source

So yes, there you go, in less than a year I am going to see Rhydian live in Munich, at least that is what I hope. They only mention Tour 2010 in the press release (see above), so I really hope "Tour 2010" also includes the 2nd of January 2011. How to define "Tour 2010"?! Since it only starts in November 2010 I cannot help but think that I am in the right though and tour 2010 lasts till January 2011 (please!!).

And seriously, I think I should start reading gossip mags again. At the moment I have worked out how to read books at work but maybe gossip mags are THE real thing after all.

"Girls Gang..."

2010-03-15T21:20:00.005+01:00

I never thought I would say this one day but one episode of RTL2's TV format called "Die Mädchengang" (Girls Gang) was enough to make me change my mind. I am so very happy that I am not a teenager any longer. I would absolutely hate it to be a teenager nowadays. I mean, it was already tough all those years ago but just imagine being a teenager now...

Enter a very big shudder at this point please.
By the way, I was not able to finish the episode they showed tonight. Make it my first and last girls gang experience. The "lingo" (ha, finally I am able to use this term) was too much, I could not stand it any minute longer. It was really going onto my nerves, those wicked girls cannot finish one single sentence using the right kind of grammar or no swear words.

"The Killer Frog..."

2010-03-13T12:34:00.009+01:00

I am slowly starting to feel quite "holy".
I have already mentioned it quite a few times on various other occasions but so far never on this Blog of mine. Unfortunately I cannot hold back any longer: I am reading the bible. Now it is out. Yes, I do. Not entirely voluntary though. Not voluntary at all.
The last time I have read the bible was while being forced to do so at school. Awww, those "fond" memories: misbehaving and being punished by your religion teacher. Usually punishment included one or two prayers, quite long ones, to learn by heart. Usually you had to recite the prayers the following week.
Also very unforgettable the rather pornographic part of the bible we had to read during professional school a few years later. How old was I back then? I think 16 or 17 and every one of us in class had to read one part of it out aloud. I still feel the embarrassment of 16 year old me while reading these saucy passages in the text. Hence the reading out loud was naturally followed by loads of not very well suppressed giggles and girlish laughter (we had no boys except one and he did not have to attend this class). That did not stop the teacher tough but then again I have never liked him anyway. At the end of the year he wanted to give me a "4" ("D") for my report which was plain silly. I told him that. And I also told him that I have always had something to say during lesson, I never kept quiet when he asked something. "That is quite true", he replied, "but your cooperation was only negative". HELLO? In the end I got a "2" ("B") and - thank goodness - he did not return to our class next year.
Before that time - lets say during primary school - I have actually read the bible because we had this superb children's edition which I really enjoyed reading. It was somehow exciting. I also got a children's book I can remember till today. It is about Jesus' crucifixion and the resurrection of the death. Actually, when I started reading the "real" bible again last week and reached this part, the pictures of this children's book immediately leapt back into my mind.

Reading the "real thing" again I have to add that it is amazing how many things I have still memorised from the bible but have never been able to place to the right parts. The stories are sometimes even exciting and gripping to read but I am not too fond of the style of writing. It is rather going onto my nerves. Too many repetitions and rhetorical questions. I.e. Abraham's wife Sara is been told that she is going to conceives a son soon but Sara who is already quite old and definitely beyond birth-giving days eavesdrops at the conversation between god and Abraham and secretly enjoys a good laugh about it. God - who of course knows everything - next asks her why she has laughed?! Sara tells him a lie which god - being almighty and all that - sees straight through. Sara confesses and is be put right by god, naturally. Well, WHY did he ask that question in the first place? He knew the answer anyway. Since this is not the only rhetorical question but because the book is full of it, I was rather irritated at the end. The bible could be a whole lot shorter if god would not ask all those rhetorical questions through which every reader will be able to see straight through let alone god himself.
Yet I am still a little bit impressed. It IS interesting to read and a lot of things (concerning literature) do make sense if you start reading the bible. It is a bit like "been there, done that". Amazing how many writers have copied from the stories of the bible.
Although I have to point out that the conditions in the bible are sometimes worse than the ones of the series on telly. I think the "storyline" of the bible is easily able to keep up with all those soap operas out there. It includes a vast amount of entanglements, wars and relationships. Especially the relationship part is rather interesting AND very confusing to follow.

My best moment was the story of Joseph though. I started reading it and, even though I know that the musical Joseph is based on the bible, I of course did not think of it when I started reading it. Hence I started with nothing in particular on my mind (except for: "please, I want to be finished soon, make it to be a short chapter"). After a few lines my thoughts changed "well, this does sound familiar", I read a few more and suddenly a light dawned on me: Joseph IS Joseph. Is THE Joseph. THE Joseph with the technicolor dreamcoat I have seen about 6 times on stage because I fancied Judah. What a glorious moment for me and the bible.
But now I have cause for concern. I think books and films do affect my dreams ways too easily. At first I suffered from a nightmare and woke up very panicky after watching "Repulsion", "The Hunger" and "Le Dernier Métro" in a row, followed by falling out of bed, crawling to the DVD player in panic, pushing loads of buttons in panic, crawling back into bed and finally sitting there and wondering "what the heck did I just do that for?". Last night I must have been influenced by Joseph.

What was it my subconscious mind intended to tell me? Instead of corn and cows I dreamed of a very mean and gigantic frog though who clearly has had bad intentions and feelings towards me.
I think I solved the riddle though. It was probably all Mr. Muffin's fault.
My favourite sis in law and myself met up yesterday and did some serious cooking.

And during this really serious cooking session Mr. Muffin was born:
Well, why am I surprised at all that I dreamed about a killer frog last night?!

"Chapter 82..."

2010-02-28T13:08:00.002+01:00

(English/GERMAN)

I'm a celebrity, get me out of here.

I received an unexpected call yesterday, which earned me an even more unexpected appointment. Dr. T's surgery called to remind me of the appointment I was supposed to stipulate for March. Yes, I was and am fully aware of it which is the reason I intended calling them next or the week after that. Hence it was quite useful that the surgery called me instead. Since I was already talking to the lady on the phone and since it was probably the intention of this call-the-patient - action, we agreed on my next appointment: tomorrow at 11 pm. That suited me just fine because I had to go to town anyway that day for handing in my last term-paper.
I went into town quite early, first stop university and dropped the term-paper at the secretary's office. I continued my way back into town by foot and the closer I came to the old part, the more paranoid I felt. Did I already mention that you-know-who was in town for a show that night?! And S. being a village and me seeing their faces suddenly everywhere, I felt odd. After I had successfully sneaked through all possible side streets and shops, I arrived at Dr. T's surgery in time.
I was called into the surgery quite quickly too. And it was only today that I realised how many assistants Dr. T. has. I already counted more than 10 today who were running busily from here to there and two of them were total strangers to me. That happens if you have not seen your doctor for half a year: I have never seen these new assistants before. I also saw The Butcher today, emphasis on "saw" though. A short scowl (her, me, both of us?) and off she went again. I was asked into the yellow dental chair, in the room with the magnificent view over the old part of town. Technically. In real life my chair was between windows and the only thing I saw really well was the wall. No tourist spotting for me. Just as well. Well, at least I was able to see bits and pieces of the square beneath us but nothing exciting took place. Pity. Just once I could have used the fab view.
At first a nice assistant I did not know took care of me and she risked a look into my mouth. Everything perfect, even the retainers still in place and that was the reason for my visit anyway (and finally I have learned their special name "retainer". Must memorize it - so next time someone asks me I don't have to refer to "wires" any longer. No, it is "retainer" from now on).
"Dr. T. will attend to you soon". Okay. Lalalala. Turning here, turning there. Lalalalala. Watched the square, of course only in the reflection of the window. Finally Dr. T. arrived, he went directly to the girl next to me, the one in the pink dental chair. Great. He was finished the next moment. Really great. Then he came to me. Hooray. Short look into my file, absent-minded he mumbled something which sounded like "V." (my name), then he changed course and went to the third dental chair on the other side of the room instead. Moment, ah, linger on, thou art so fair. Nothing like it, the moment did not stay and Dr. T. was at my rivals'. But it did not take him long to suddenly make an appearance next to me again and this time he stayed. Before I was aware of it, I already had his hand under my nose again. It had appeared out of nowhere. "Hello!". Then I took a little drive on the yellow chair and was floating in the air. Dr. T. had a close look at my jaw and especially retainer situation. He was satisfied. Very satisfied actually. Everything neat and tight and obviously it looks very well all together. Joy! Dr. T. said that we have to see each other again in about a year or so. That sounds brilliant to me. I was happy. Then I remembered that this unpleasant person of a dentist whom I have "met" a few weeks ago has asked me for how long I have to live with the retainers. I know from a friend of mine that she still has hers: 5 years after the treatment. Now her dentist told her that they should better get rid of them due to a higher risk of caries and calculus. True, it's kind of tough to brush your teeth between the retainers. Being at the source of never-ending knowledge, Dr. T., I asked the source himself. Dr. T. told me that he does not really know yet. Roughly? I did not give up. "Well, they have to stay for at least two years". Hooray. That's fabulous! I can manage two years as long as it does not mean "forever". He will tell me more about it next year. All right. See you next year.
And right at the end of my appointment we had a little photoshooting, unfortunately only for my teeth. I was only allowed to present and to held the equipment (i.e. those things you have to put into your mouth to keep the very same open). I had to pose too, kind of. Laugh. Do not laugh. Photo of the front, photo of the side. Quite soon the flurry of camera flashes came to a standstill and I was back at the reception to re-check my details. They are going to call me again next year.

Ich bin ein Star, holt mich hier raus.

Gestern ereilte mich ein unerwarteter Anruf, der mir einen noch mehr unerwarteten Termin bescherte. Dr. T's Praxis rief mich an, um mich darauf aufmerksam zu machen, dass ich für März einen Termin brauche. Ja, das weiß ich doch, ich wollte deshalb sowieso nächste oder übernächste Woche anrufen. Es war also äußerst praktisch, dass das jetzt quasi die Praxis für mich erledigt hat. Weil die Dame also schon am Apparat und es sicherlich Sinn der Rückruf - Aktion war, haben wir gleich einen Termin vereinbart: für den nächsten Tag, 11:00 Uhr. Sehr passend, weil ich sowieso in die Stadt musste, um auf der Uni meine letzte Arbeit einzureichen. Ich bin also relativ früh in die Stadt gefahren, weiter zur Uni und habe der Prof. meine Arbeit ins Fach legen lassen. Dann bin ich zu Fuß zurück in die Stadt, dabei war ich dann schon leicht paranoid, da ja momentan eh-schon-wissen-wer in der Stadt weilt, da die heute Abend hier Konzert haben. Und auf einmal habe ich sie überall gesehen. Man wird zur Gefangenen in der eigenen Stadt, groß ist S. ja nicht unbedingt. Nachdem ich dann durch mehrere Seitengassen und Geschäfte Richtung Praxis geschlichen bin, kam ich bei Dr. T. auch relativ schnell an die Reihe. Mir ist heute erst aufgefallen, wie viele Sprechstundenhilfen bzw. Assistentinnen er eigentlich hat. Mindestens über 10 sind da heute hin- und her gelaufen und zwei davon kannte ich noch gar nicht. Ich habe auch The Butcher gesehen, Gott sei Dank aber Betonung auf "gesehen". Ein abfälliger Blick (von ihr, von mir, von uns beiden?) und sie war schon wieder weg. Ich durfte im gelben Stuhl Platz nehmen, mit grandiosen Blick auf die S. Altstadt (auf einen bei Touristen recht beliebten Platz!). Normalerweise. Leider stand der gelbe Zahnarztstuhl aber strategisch ungünstig, so saß ich quasi zwischen den Fenstern saß. Nix da mit Touristen gucken. Auch gut. In der Reflexion der Scheibe habe ich aber doch noch ein bisschen was sehen können. Allerdings fand unten auf dem Platz nichts aufregendes statt. Schade. Einmal hätte ich die super Sicht gebrauchen können.
Zuerst hat sich die Assistentin, die ich auch noch nicht kannte, meiner angenommen und einen Vorblick in meinen Mund gewagt. Alles saß noch, auch die Retainer, um die es ja ging (ich weiß jetzt endlich, wie diese Drähte heißen! Retainer! Das sollte ich mir merken, damit ich ab sofort jedesmal fachkundig Auskunft geben kann und nicht immer von "den Drähten" spreche muss. Man bzw. Vero will ja kompetent wirken). "Dr. T. kommt dann gleich zu dir". Okay. Lalalala. Mal hierhin gedreht, mal dorthin. Lalala. Straße beobachtet, in der Reflexion der Scheibe wohlgemerkt. Dann kam Dr. T., er ging schnurstracks auf das Mädel im rosa Stuhl neben mir. Prima. Da war er gleich fertig. Wirklich prima. Dann kam er zu mir. Hurra. Kurzer Blick auf meine Akte, irgendwas abwesend gemurmelt von wegen "V." (meinen Namen), dann auf einmal den Kurs geändert und Richtung dritten Stuhl, noch weiter weg von mir, gesteuert. Nein, oh, Augenblick verweile doch, du bist so schön! Nichts da, der Augenblick ging vorrüber und Dr. T. war bereits bei der Konkurrenz. Nicht sehr lange, dann tauchte er doch wieder neben mir auf und hielt mir schon die Hand zur Begrüßung unter die Nase. Die Hand, die aus dem Nichts kam. "Hallo!". Dann eine kleine Fahrt auf dem gelben Stuhl unternommen und schon schwebte ich in der Luft und Dr. T. besah sich die Kiefer- und speziell die Retainersituation. Er war zufrieden. Sehr zufrieden. Es sitzt noch alles ganz fest und sieht scheinbar generell sehr gut aus. Freude! Dr. T. meinte dann, dass wir uns das nächste Mal in einem Jahr sehen werden. Das klingt hoffnungsvoll. Ich habe mich gefreut. Wobei ich mich dann erinnert habe, dass mich ja dieser unangenehme Mensch von Zahnarzt beim letzten Mal darauf angesprochen hat, wie lange die Retainer (ich habe derer ja zwei) noch drin bleiben müssen?! Von einer Freundin weiß ich, dass sie ihre nach 5 Jahren immer noch drinnen hat und jetzt ihre Zahnärztin mal meinte, dass die raus sollen, zwecks erhöhte Kariesgefahr, weil sich dort ja unweigerlich Zahnstein ansiedeln muss. Man kann zwischen den Drähten relativ schlecht Zahnreinigung betreiben. Nachdem ich also heute schon an der Quelle der Weisheit höchstpersönlich saß, befragte ich sie auch gleich. Dr. T. erklärte mir, dass er das noch nicht genau wisse. Aber ungefähr? Ich ließ nicht locker. "Also zwei Jahre sollten wir sie schon mindestens drinnen lassen". Juchu. Das ist doch toll. Mit zwei Jahren kann ich gut leben, so lange es nicht heißt, dass die Retainer auf immer und ewig dort bleiben müssen, ist alles super. Er wird sich das dann in einem Jahr nochmals ansehen. Geht klar. Bis nächstes Jahr.
Und ganz am Schluss gab es noch ein Fotoshooting, leider nur für meine Zähne. Ich durfte nur präsentieren und Behelfsmittel halten (sprich Plastikzeugs in meinen Mund stecken, um eben diesen offen zu halten). Posen durfte ich auch noch, irgendwie. Lachen. Nicht lachen. Foto von vorne, Foto von der Seite. Relativ schnell ebbte das Blitzlichtgewitter wieder ab und ich stand schon an der Rezeption, um meine Daten noch einmal zu kontrollieren. In einem Jahr rufen sie mich wieder an.

"TTT in Salzburg"

2010-02-25T20:37:00.014+01:00

A review.

There we go again: the "big day", or shall I rather say "evening", had finally arrived. The Ten tenors would be back in Salzburg with their new show (The Power of Ten) in tow.
At first I had my doubts and yes, I was highly sceptical but nevertheless we were rather curious how the show would really turn out to be too?! Up until that time we'd only heard rumours and opinions from other people, so it would be actually nice to be able to form an opinion of your own. When it comes to plays or musicals, operettas or operas, I have a rule: never trust any review (which I haven't written myself, haha). How would it be this time?! Top or flop?

http://www.ilgiornale.ch/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1319&Itemid=42

The evening started not that well. Rain and no umbrella, -ella, -ella in the car. Plus I forgot to lock the other side of the car which - thank goodness - no potential criminal in town realised. Phew. Thanks to the rain and me being umbrella, -ella, -ella less, I sprinted towards the venue always trying to stick to the trees. My logic -> being under a tree = no rain. Crumbs that it isn't spring yet and trees don't really have leaves at this time of the year, do they?! Plus you have no idea which kind of people you might find lurking at the dark riverside of the Salzach... Whoops.

The bar was already very crowded, did I mention that the venue was the "basement" of a bar? I love this venue, it's actually pretty cool. Last summer I had the chance to watch a play by Young Director's Project (part of the famous Summer Festival) in the same venue which was also superb! Reminds me, next time I'm in Hamburg, I have to book tickets for the Thalia Theatre. Back to topic: we had superb seats and found them immediately (been there, done that). It was the same setup as last tour. You've to picture a big basement, sort of small factory building, with partly unplastered walls. A very “hip” kind of venue. You know, the place where'd you usually expect concerts from really cooool bands. And such a venue, such an “underground” venue, was this one. Brilliant.
The setup for the seats was a rising sort of setup. Picture football stands. Sort of like that. It was a steel tribune and it was ascending - brilliant view included. But as soon as people started to stamp to express their fondness for the song (i.e. The Boxer) you got the not-so-good - feeling that this thing underneath you would fall any minute soon. Thank goodness for not being row 30 or something like that which included being pretty high above the ground. Next to me set an elderly lady but she was really nice and didn't mind our enthusiasm at all. She also didn't mind I sat on her coat till she removed it, haha. The most interesting sight was in front of us though: about 8 middle-aged women and all of them looking like victims of plastic surgery. Bit like clones really! I was especially smitten by one extremely ugly case/accident of plastic surgery and wished I could have seen a photo of her face before she did THAT to herself. Shudder. Like my former dentist. Poor woman has totally lost her face. Literally speaking.
All of the people around us were elderly or middle-aged people and partly VERY posh. No surprises here: we are in Salzburg, town of snob-ism – deluxe! And they all looked every inch like it. Maybe it was also due to the prices? Very posh as well, so probably another reason why the younger people mainly sticked to the seats in the middle and the back! ;) Despite me putting it that way first, the audience - I have to point it out too - was well mixed!

Ok, the concert started and even though we were both highly sceptical before, we LOVED the new show right from the beginning. Yes. There, said it (and it didn't hurt even though I hate being wrong). Finally back to the roots! I will not repeat the whole repertoire because I might have a brilliant memory when it comes to faces and names but I'm really lacking in the song-list department. I can neither remember the repertoire nor the order of the songs. And it didn't help either that there wasn't a song list included in the playbill. So how was I to know? (Okay, I could have looked it up on the net later on, which I did but apparently it has changed again … anyway! My story, I define the rules! Keep on reading *g*). What I loved about the new show? The mix of songs of course. Most of the songs were really cool and I really enjoyed them. Come to think of it, it is embarrassing but I can't even name my favourite songs due to the lack of song-list and also due to the fact that I've only seen the new show once so far (which will change - there are two more concerts in our schedule at the end of the tour: quite close to Salzburg). Hence I loved pretty much all of the songs and was very happy to find some Italian songs amongst them. But not simply Italian Opera songs, sometimes boring Italian Opera songs ("Tosca"! I died during Tosca myself, that one lasts over 3h and Tosca dies for at least half an hour! If she wouldn't have been dead already at the end...!!!! One of my worst Opera memories EVER. I clearly prefer "Turandot" or Humperdinck's "Hänsel and Gretel", etc), nope, most of them seemed to be sort of a crossover. Pop meets Opera?! Very cool actually. The only thing which I didn't really like that much were the encores. Not because I don't like the songs which I actually like, no, I do but it was the choice of the encore - songs. Why put the slowest songs at the end of a show as encores? Oh and another detail I didn't get, why introduce the members of the group at the end of the show?? Uhm? Wouldn't it be better at the beginning?

The atmosphere during the show was brilliant right from the start. I think, that's due to the “underground”/basement/fabric hall/howsoever-you-call-it - location because it is SOO unlike Salzburg that the audience goes crazy like that during a concert. Hey, I've watched a lot of concerts and I know how the audience in Salzburg usually reacts to concerts and operas and I don't know what else. So maybe this didn't come as a total surprise thanks to the fact that we already had the pleasure to witness last years reaction of the audience to a TTT show but somehow we were again quite taken by surprise as a lot of people started to cheer after only the first song and kept it like that during the whole show. The show went on and the cheering stayed.

The jokes during the show were partly old, partly new but most of the time great fun. The choreography was sometimes rather dramatic and sorry, looked a bit funny at certain points but at the same time it was also highly entertaining. If the show doesn't lack one thing, it is brilliant entertainment.
And I, well we, were also pleasantly surprised by the new members of the group: definitely a gain and I hope next time I'll also to be able to see the new Swing on stage.
All left to say is to repeat myself again: great show, definitely loved it. I personally think it's the best show in years and I hope time will fly by very fast till the middle of April.

"The Farmer Wants a Wife...?!"

2010-02-11T21:09:00.003+01:00

Last week I discovered this really fascinating poster in town but I was only passing so I didn't have time to inspect it any further. This week I discovered the very same fascinating poster in my village. I had time. I inspected it. Oh my! A classic case of: "The Farmer Wants a Wife"?! It isn't that silly. Maybe if the farmer is really desperate and if being on telly isn't enough? Who knows? And after all, the chap on the poster does look very much like a farmer. Hey, he even dresses like a farmer (no offence dear farmers of Austria! But he's wearing some kind of national costume, you can't deny it, can you?!). And then the cow! Why is there a cow on the poster? How did she get there (is it a she?)??
On second sight I realised... maybe not "The Farmer Wants a Wife" after all. Actually it is an election poster for the Austrian Freedom Party and it is one of the rare occasions I feel embarrassed for Austria. Okay, maybe not the whole of Austria but for the Austrian Freedom Party.
1st of all the silly rhyme: I can't really decide whether it is a case of "rhyme or die" or a not so nice try to stir up people or just plain stupidity?!
2nd: the cow! What's up with this cow? Why is there a cow in the picture?
3rd: kind of answers question two. I suggest the appearance of the cow should justify the term "pedigree/pure blood".

I'm kind of disappointed though that the election poster isn't an ordinary poster. That the farmer doesn't want a wife because bluntly I would have preferred it that way, it would have spared me to feel embarrassed for someone else (i.e. the chap on the poster, the people responsible for the poster, even the cow who didn't have much of a choice to appear on the poster, did she?!).

"Courses and my sentiments..."

2010-02-01T21:21:00.006+01:00

I have decided that the thing I do not like about university at all is to build one's own timetable. I know that most students do love that one best but I am not one of them. Almost as worse as creating your own schedule for the next term (too much responsibility to carry on my shoulders) is registering for your new courses. Usually they are activated 9:00 am straight on a certain day. Which means for you that you really have to be online at 9:00 am straight. Be online and pray that the system will not break down because most likely ALL of the students will be online at 9:00 am straight. Hence it might be advisable to be there a bit earlier, otherwise you will miss out on your courses like it almost happened to me today.
I was online at 8:00 am because I wanted to re-check my maybe not so wise choice of courses. Usually you find out after the start of the new term if you have created a clever schedule or if you should have looked more closely to the descriptions of the courses first. I was quite pleased with my choice of a timetable (and I am still worried because it was ways too simple this term). A few last changes and I was finished. But then I discovered - 15 min. before the start of the "register-as-soon-as-possible" competition - the perfect solution for how to get a lot of ECTS points in a very short time for the (useless) "free" optional subjects: enrol in a language course. While I was pondering over essential questions like: a) which course and - after I had realised that French might be the best idea cos I could seize the opportunity and dust off my French language skills - b) which level (me thinks the starter level would be brilliant because 1st I won't have to take part in a grading test, 2nd I would not have to STUDY for that grading test in my holidays and 3rd it would be a very easy French course) I missed that the clock had already struck 9:00 am. Oops. I went immediately back to my courses and tried to click my way through them as soon as possible. I had sorted them earlier by the popularity of the profs holding them. Usually this is a brilliant technique but it looks like I underestimated the popularity of prof B. and his xy-course. Noooo. I was number 26 which means: 1st place on the waiting list. Brilliant. It had just turned 9.02 am and I was already number 26?! Exactly how many people have registered?!
The usually popular prof I registered for first thing after I discovered it was 9:00 am was still ways under 25 by then. How odd. At least I was right when it came to course no2. It was almost packed when I joined the list. Ha!
To be on the save side I also enrolled for a second similar seminar like B's xy-course. Just in case and because I am very excited that I am now allowed to take part in seminars and do not want to waste any time at all. I fear I might not be that delighted any longer after the new term has actually started but right now I feel like I must have felt on my very first day at school.
To look on the bright side: I have enrolled in less courses than last term (still mostly pro-seminaries and seminars though) and it will stay the same the term after next term. Next I would be finished if I would not have those really needless 38h of "free" optional subjects.

"Chapter 81..."

2010-01-31T22:13:00.003+01:00

(Englisch/GERMAN)

This chapter should have been posted on the 23rd of December 2009. Sorry, I'm late.

Screw loose? Certainly not.

I surrendered. When? On the 23.12.2009. I have to struggle with pain in the (left) jaw since 3 or 4 weeks and all because I dared to eat a bun on my way to Uni. It looks like the food did not agree with me and preferred to be the cause for a big revolution. Back then I got a bad stitch, ambushed by the enemy, followed by even more bad stitches and suddenly I was not any longer able to close my mouth properly. I started to panic and due to the panic I pressed my fist - without thinking - against the jaw. Who would have guessed it? The occlusion went back to normal again. I was shocked though. What had just happened? I was able to close my mouth and to chew normally again afterwards but something had changed and was a bit, or more than a bit, uncomfortable and close to be called "pain" (1). I thought that this little adventure only occurred thanks to the snow and would disappear again in no time with the snow, just like always. I was wrong this time. It got worse yesterday after naughty me dared to have an apple for lunch and it was the reason why I decided rather spontaneously to pay a visit to the casualty department today. I mean, hey, long time no see.
I got up really early because the early bird catches the worm and who would like to miss out on tasty worms?! I took the bus at 7.10 am with a particularly heavy-heart (it was a "Sound of Music" bus! Quite funny, Maria and the Trapp children literally all over the bus - and it was not even a very nice Maria painting, it always looks more like a guy on busses of this type) and started my march towards the hospital, through the rain and the wetness of a cold 23rd December. The weather fitted my mood. I walked across the town because it is easier and shorter to walk than to take the bus. On that account I almost lost my annual bus ticket but a very nice passerby called and went after me. Thanks a million. I arrived at the hospital at around 7.45 am, magnificent timing, even within the official casualty department times (8:00 - 11:00 am).
Half of the waiting room was empty since it was the day before Christmas. Obviously my Mum's theory was right: the casualty department should be almost empty because most of the people would be still busy buying last minute gifts and would not have the time to spend their last remaining shopping hours at the hospital. My reasons for the visit at the surgeon's today. I am quite convinced that it will be very crowded after or between the festive season.

My first glance was directed at the short list of doctors on duty. No Dr. E and except for one none of the other names did ring a bell. Crumbs. Did I miss him again? But hope dies last and I clutched to the thought that I would be treated by Dr. E. after all.

I was called up pretty soon but only to be guided to an empty surgery and interviewed for the cause of my visit?! Fairly easy: jaw hurts on the left side, since approx. 3-4 weeks. - Aha. - Nurse wrote it down and asked for the name of my last surgeon. - Dr. E. - Aha. - Then she called for Dr. T. who lingered around close-by (N.B.: not MY Dr. T., no, ONE Dr. T. belonging to the hospital). I had to tell him my whole story again and he sent me - with his very soft voice - to the x-ray room. The nurse inquired precautionally "You do know the way to the x-ray room, do you?". Of course I do. I am always there. I walked to the xray room and posted my documents through the door: the "mail box" of the x-ray room.

Then I started waiting all over again. Another lady in front of the queue was called in first but afterwards it finally was my turn. I think the xray doctor knows me by now. All the time I have to pay another visit to the hospital due to my jaw, I am sooner or later sent to this room. I must have already been there 3x this year. Is that still healthy? Between those 3 visits to the x-ray room I have also been sent x-raying by two other doctors at least twice (dentist and orthodontist) - therefore I have been x-rayed for at least 5x (or more) this year. Therefore I almost needed no instructions whatsoever concerning the proceedings. And the few instructions she gave all started with "You already know anyway how to but...". Jup, but not ALWAYS. Maybe I should jump at the chance and apply for a job as a doctor for the x-ray room?!

After we had taken felt 100 photos in embarrassing positions ("open your mouth really wide and stay like that"), I was allowed to go back to the safety of the waiting room area. The very same was still half empty. They called out for me again very quick and this time I did not care for politeness at all, I did not even knock, I just took the surgery by storm. After all they were expecting me, were they not?! Oh my gosh, whom did I face there? The other Dr. E., the second Dr. E. (II), who had provided me with sleeping pills in the recovery room after my 2nd surgery, the one to whom I am devoted ever since. I think I called him Dr. S. back then? In order to not to confuse you, my beloved readers. He is one of the young doctors and a little bit of a show off, really. Back in the old hospital times he was on a round in our room (us = another patient and myself) and wanted to throw something - very elegantly - into the bin but unfortunately missed it. Therefore he had to go to the bin, bend down, pick it up again and throw it into the bin himself. I was hardly able to suppress my laughter, it was very funny matter of fact, he might have not agreed though. He even blushed on his way back to the bin. I really like him.
Yes and Dr. E. II greeted me solemnly, introduced himself (see, that is how you are able to recognise the friendliness of your doctor immediately - a hint for all future doctors: introduce yourselves, patients like that!!) and explained the bare facts. It is very obvious that Dr. E. II is the polite one (Dr. E. the competent clown). He explained very long and complicated that Dr. E. is in a meeting, that he is very sorry and that he (still Dr. E.) asks me to wait for him. Either that or I am very welcome to return at another day?! - Well. How long can such a meeting last? - I do not know. - Well, just roughly. - About 1 hour? - But he could not say so for sure. Hey, 1 hour would be brilliant. Dr. E. II also told me that Dr. E. was on night duty today and afterwards decided that he had to attend a meeting at the eye hospital by all means (did it sound a bit like criticism?! - Yes, definitely criticism). "But well", finished Dr. E. II resigned his little speech. The "each to their own" stayed unsaid. Afterwards Dr. E.'s shift would be finished which means that he has no other surgery scheduled and he will just pop in to have a look at me. Awww that is sweet of him. By the way he also sent his regards via Dr. E. II. Awww, even more sweet of him. Of course I decided to stay and wait for the surgeon himself. "I mean, I am already here, it does not matter now if I stay for a little while longer". That comment educed a smile from Dr. E. II, a very friendly and warm smile. But I played safe and asked quite a number of times again if the meeting would - by all means - not last till the afternoon because I would have to be at work in the afternoon?! No, for sure not, he assured instantly (yeah well, who can tell how long such meetings at hospitals usually last? If you watch hospital series on telly, you know that it could take ages). He then very eagerly announced (a bit pompous) that he is going to inform Dr. E. of my decision to wait for him.
Next I was dismissed for once more. I tried to read but somehow it did not really work out for me. I was not able to concentrate any longer and wow who would have guessed? The meeting finished half an hour later. Around 9.30 am I saw Dr. E. hurrying through the hallway (he seems unable to slow done and walk leisurely) and only a few minutes later a girl was called out who was "blessed" with a swollen face. It looked like her treatment was not really going accordingly to plan.

The girl did not take that long and the next turn was me. I briefed Dr. E. concerning this rather dramatic evening 3-4 weeks ago and the pain which has never left ever since. He did not think it was that tragical though and discovered the reason almost instantly. Hooray. The explanation followed but I am sorry, I cannot repeat it because most of it left my brain the very minute it entered it. I am never able to remember such things. He mentioned something like the jaw joint is similar to the knee joint (?) resp. the same phenomena could happen. (It is kind of tough to try to re-tell the explanation without the medical know-how and a memory like a sieve). - The pain is the result of a joint that rubs. - And the cracking sound? Also normal? - (That bothers me as well since 3-4 weeks.) - Yes, even the cracking sound is normal. To cut a long story short and because I do not have a clue anyway: something like this could happen to anyone of us and he also said that a lot of people are actually affected by it. People WITHOUT surgery. He told me that a lot of people would grab the opportunity to undergo surgery and to get a splint but "it would be nonsense in your particular case, you have a most perfect and healthy dentition now. To change it would be pointless." To be honest, it does not really bother me anyway. Now that I am fully informed and know the reason, I feel already very reassured. I feared that another screw might be lose or even worse: something might be broken (even though it would be kind of unrealistic because a roll should have started such problems?). Splint is no solution either. Hence which choices do I have? Do not eat hard stuff, stick to the soft one. At this point my face must have spoken volumes: Dr. E. started to laugh and reassured me - still grinning - that I should not think into THAT direction (mash and liquid food???). I am still allowed to have schnitzel and similar things, I should only be careful and avoid hard food like apples. The same goes for chewing gum. At this point I felt like caught in the act and explained to him that I was very obsessed with chewing gums just before the nasty incidents took place. I already felt that chewing gum might not be the most cleverest thing for me to enjoy back then. That proved his theory and yes, I had apple yesterday and yes, it got worse again afterwards. Memo to myself: no apples or chewing gum for the next few weeks/months. Pity. I love both probably because I had to go without it for the last two years.
By the way it could also happen that the jaw joint phenomena disappears again in a little while. It could also get worse i.e. that I would only be able to open the jaw halfway but I would not wish for that to take place, would I? Definitely not. It could snap one day and *click* I would only be able to open it halfway. Well but I'm in cheerful spirits. I am sure it will eventually disappear again.
The reason for the jaw joint in my case is that it is an outcome of the surgery (it happens quite often after such surgeries). Well, I know that too now.
Can I also help you otherwise? I could prescribe you painkillers for an instance?! - Whereupon I replied pretty quickly and hasty "No, definitely not!", which caused him to start laughing again. He smiled knowingly and said "You just wanted the piece of advice, right?!". Yes. Now I am informed about the cause of the problem and hence I am satisfied, even happy. Especially because there are chances it will improve again and after all there is nothing either broken nor anything lose. By talking about that: Dr. E. had a look at my xrays as well and asked me quite surprised and while pointing towards my (on the xray) visible screws "You decided to leave the metal in?". - I replied not less surprised "You never ASKED me". - I mean, did I have a choice? Dr. E. said that he had of course asked me but I know it better, it never was an issue. The nurse interposed. Do you have problems with the jaw during winter? - Well, no? - Does anything hurt? - No? - Well, very good, the metal can stay. - Okay.
We said goodbye for once more and Dr. E. added grinningly "And otherwise, you are well?". Yes, definitely.

ad (1) Pain is not just pain. For someone something might be really painful while another person would not think it to be painful at all. It was only a very light version of pain for me, but other people might name it a violent kind of pain. It varies and I am used to a lot when it comes to pain.

Schraube locker? Mitnichten.

Ich habe kapituliert. Wann? Am 23.12.2009. Seit 3 oder 4 Wochen schlage ich mich jetzt schon mit Schmerzen im Kiefer (links) herum und das alles nur, weil ich damals ein Brötchen auf dem Weg zur Uni gegessen habe. Das ist mir allem Anschein nach nicht wirklich ganz bekommen und stattdessen lieber eingefahren, aber gewaltig. Damals gab es plötzlich einen bösen Stich aus dem Hinterhalt im Kiefer, gefolgt von weiteren bösen Stichen und auf einmal konnte ich nicht mehr richtig zubeißen. Kurz mit der Hand in Panik dagegen gedrückt und der Biss saß wieder. Beißen kann ich wieder, aber es ist immer irgendwie unangenehm und wandelt an der Grenze zu Schmerz (1). Ich habe mein Erlebnis damals auf den Schnee geschoben und mir gedacht, dass es schon vergehen würde, so wie es das immer tut. Diesmal nicht. Gestern wurde es dann wieder schlimmer, nachdem ich einen Apfel gegessen habe und deshalb entschloss ich mich spontan dazu, heute mal der Kieferchirurgie einen Besuch abzustatten. Ich war auch schon lange nicht mehr dort.
Dafür bin ich extra früh aufgestanden, den Letzten beißen bekanntlich die Hunde und wer möchte das schon gerne? Ich nahm also schweren Herzens den Bus um 7.10 Uhr morgens (das war ein "Sound of Music" Bus! So lustig, von oben bis unten mit Maria und den Trapp Kindern bepinselt - dabei ist es noch nicht mal eine schöne Maria Zeichnung, die sieht da immer wie ein Mann aus, auf jedem dieser Busse) und marschierte im nasskalten Wetter und Regen gen Krankenhaus. Quer durch die Stadt, weil es kürzer ist, als den Bus zu nehmen. Dabei hätte ich fast meine Jahreskarte für den Bus ausgestreut, den mir ein netter Passant nachgetragen hat. Danke. Im Krankenhaus war ich gegen 7:45 Uhr, perfekt und innerhalb der Ambulanz Zeiten (8:00 - 11:00). Nachdem es auch noch einen Tag vor Weihnachten war, war das Wartezimmer entsprechend leer. Offenbar ging die Theorie meiner Mama auf: heute wird die Ambulanz leer sein, denn heute müssen die Leute ja noch Einkaufen gehen. Genau, das war auch einer meiner Beweggründe heute zu gehen, weil während der Feiertage herrscht sicher Hochbetrieb.
Der erste Blick galt wie immer der kurzen Liste der Ärzte, die heute Bereitschaft hatten, sprich ordinieren. Kein Dr. E. und bis auf einen Namen, sagten sie mir alle nichts. Mist. Schon wieder versäumt? Ich hielt immer noch an der Hoffnung fest, dass ich trotzdem von Dr. E. behandelt werden würde. Ich kam dann auch relativ rasch dran, allerdings wurde ich nur in einer der Ordinationen gerufen, um zu besprechen, was denn überhaupt bei mir los sei?! Kiefer links tut weh, seit 3-4 Wochen. - Aha. - Krankenschwester notierte sich das und fragte mich nach meinem letzten Chirurgen. - Dr. E. - Aha. - Dann rief sie nach Dr. T., der in der Nähe stand (Anm.: nicht MEIN Dr.T, nein, ein Dr.T des Krankenhauses). Der ließ sich das nochmals nacherzählen und schickte mich dann mit sanfter Stimme - er redet immer so - zum Röntgen. Die Krankenschwester fragte noch vorsichtshalber nach "Sie kenne sich eh aus, oder und wissen noch, wo der Röntgenraum ist?". Klaro. Da bin ich ja ständig. Ich ging zum Röntgenraum und warf meine Unterlagen ins "Postfach". Dann wartete ich davor. Vor mir war noch eine andere Patientin dran, dann kam ich an die Reihe. Ich glaube, langsam kennt sie mich. Immer wenn ich ins Krankenhaus muss, lande ich früher oder später beim Röntgen. Allein dieses Jahr war ich schon mindestens 3x beim Röntgen. Ist das noch gesund?! Dazwischen bin ich noch 2x bei den anderen Ärzten (Zahnarzt und Kieferorthopäde) geröntgt worden - sprich eigentlich war ich im Jahr 2009 ganze 5x (oder mehr) im Röntgen. Entsprechend wenig Anweisungen habe ich dann auch bekommen und es hieß immer nur "Sie wissen ja bereits...". Jup, aber doch nicht alles. Vielleicht sollte ich die Chance nutzen und mich mal um den Job als Röntgenärztin bemühen?! Nachdem wir gefühlte 100 Fotos in blamablen Positionen ("Mund ganz weit aufreißen und bitte so bleiben") gemacht haben, durfte ich wieder im Wartebereich Platz nehmen. Selbiges war noch immer halb leer. Ich wurde relativ schnell erneut aufgerufen und kümmerte mich nicht erst ums anklopfen, immerhin wird man ja quasi erwartet, sondern stürmte in die Ordination. Huch, wer ist denn da? Der andere Dr.E., der zweite Dr.E (II), der mich nach der 2. OP im Aufwachraum mit Schlaftabletten versorgt hat und dem ich seitdem treu ergeben bin. Ich glaube, ich habe ihn damals Dr. S genannt? Zwecks der Konfusion die sonst auftreten könnte. Er ist einer der jungen Ärzte und ein kleiner Angeber, weil er damals in meinem Krankenzimmer irgendwas gen Abfalleimer geworfen hatte, um anzugeben und dann leider daneben traf. Sprich er errötete und musste sich doch selbst zum Mülleimer bequemen, sich bücken und den Müll auf diese Art und Weise loswerden. Das war lustig. Ich mag ihn. Ja und Dr. E. II begrüßte mich also feierlich, stellte sich kurz vor (da zeigt sich immer gleich, wer nett ist und wer nicht - Mein Tipp an angehende Ärzte: sich vorstellen, das kommt sehr gut an bei neuen Patienten!!) und erklärte mir die Fakten. Er ist offensichtlich der Höfliche (Dr. E. der kompetente Pausenclown). Er erklärte mir nämlich lange und umständlich, dass Dr. E. gerade in einer Besprechung sei, sich vielmals entschuldigen lasse, aber mich bitten würde, auf ihn zu warten. Entweder das, oder ich könne gerne ein andermal wieder kommen. Tja. - Wie lange dauert denn so eine Besprechung? - Das wisse er nicht. - Na, ungefähr halt. - Ca. 1 Stunde?! - Man könne es aber nicht genau sagen. Also 1h wäre eh voll okay. Dr. E. II. meinte auch, dass Dr. E. heute Nachtsicht hatte und sich dann "eingebildet hätte" (hörte ich hier gar leichte Kritik?!), dass er unbedingt zu der Besprechung in der Augenklinik müsse. Ja doch, definitiv Kritik. "Aber bitte", meinte Dr. E.II. abschließend und resigniert. Das "jeder wie er meint" ließ er unausgesprochen. Danach habe Dr. E. eigentlich frei und würde nur noch kurz hereinkommen, um mich zu sehen, d.h. er habe dann auch keine OP mehr oder ähnliches. Ui, das ist aber nett von ihm. Im übrigen habe er mir jetzt schon mal schöne Grüße ausrichten lassen. Wirklich nett. Ich entschied mich natürlich dafür, auf ihn zu warten. "Ich meine, jetzt bin ich schon mal da, jetzt ist es auch schon egal". Das entlockte Dr. E. II. ein sehr freundliches Lächeln. Ich habe mich allerdings noch mehrmals versichert, dass die Besprechung keinesfalls bis zum Nachmittag dauern würde, weil da müsse ich dann arbeiten gehen. Nein, ganz sicher nicht, wurde mir bestätigt (ja, weiß man, wie lange solche Besprechungen in Krankenhäusern dauern können? In diversen Krankenhausserien im TV kann sich das mitunter schon über eine längere Zeitspanne erstrecken). Er teilte mir dann noch erfreut (und auch ein bisschen pompös) mit, dass er Dr. E. ausrichten würde, dass ich auf ihn warte.
Dann wurde ich erneut entlassen. Ich habe es danach mit Lesen versucht, aber mich nicht mehr wirklich konzentrieren können und siehe da, die Besprechung war nach einer halben Stunde um?! Um 9:30 Uhr habe ich Dr. E. über den Gang eilen sehen (er kann nie langsam und geruhsam gehen) und kurz darauf wurde ein Mädel mit geschwollenem Gesicht aufgerufen, bei der auch irgendwas nicht nach Plan verlief. Das Mädel hat aber nicht all zu lange gebraucht und die Nächste war schon ich. Ich habe Dr. E. kurz von dem Abend vor 3-4 Wochen erzählt und den Schmerzen, die ich seither verspüre. Er hat das ganze nicht tragisch gesehen bzw. kannte er sich gleich aus, was es ist. Hurra. Und dann kam die Erklärung, von der ich jetzt schon wieder die Hälfte vergessen habe. Ich merke mir sowas doch nie. Er hat mir irgendwas davon erzählt, dass das Kiefergelenk so ähnlich wie das Kniegelenk sei (?) bzw. es zu dem selben Phänomen kommen könne. (Schwierig, das ohne medizinisches Know-How und mit einem Gedächtnis wie ein Sieb wiederzugeben) Wenn das Gelenk reiben würde, dann könne es eben zu den Schmerzen kommen. - Und das Knacksen? Auch normal? Das beunruhigt mich nämlich auch. - Ja, auch das sei dann normal. Um es kurz zu machen und weil ich ja eh keine Ahnung habe: sowas kann jeden von uns treffen und er meinte auch, dass total viele Menschen davon betroffen seien. Menschen OHNE Eingriff. Er meinte, dass das viele Betroffene zum Anlass nehmen würde, sich einer OP zu unterziehen und eine Schiene einsetzen zu lassen, aber "bei Ihnen wäre das Unsinn, Sie haben jetzt das perfekte Gebiss und daran was zu verändern, wäre unsinnig". Ehrlich gesagt empfinde ich es auch nicht als wirklich störend. Jetzt, wo ich weiß, was es ist, bin ich doch sehr beruhigt. Ich dachte mittlerweile schon, es sei eine Schraube locker oder gar etwas gebrochen (obwohl das unrealistisch wäre, weil von einem Brötchen als Auslöser?). Schiene fällt für mich also flach. Was kann ich machen? Harte Sachen vermeiden, weiche Kost konsumieren. An dieser Stelle hat wohl mein Gesicht Bände gesprochen. Dr. E. begann zu lachen und meinte noch immer grinsend, dass das jetzt nicht das sei, was ich mir wohl gerade vorstelle (Brei und Flüssignahrung???). Ich könne sehr wohl immer noch Schnitzel und dergleichen essen, ich solle nur aufpassen und im Moment auf harte Sachen wie Äpfel verzichten. Das gilt auch für Kaugummi. An dieser Stelle fühlte ich mich ertappt und ich habe ihm erklärt, dass ich in der Zeit vor dem besagten Abend ziemlich exzessive Kaugummi gekaut hätte und das auch im Kiefer gespürt habe. Das bestätigte seine Theorie und ja, auch gestern habe ich einen Apfel gegessen und danach begann wieder alles von vorne. Memo an mich selbst: für die nächsten Wochen/Monate weder Äpfel noch Kaugummi. Schade. An Beidem hänge ich mittlerweile, wahrscheinlich deshalb, weil ich auf beides 2 Jahre verzichten musste.
Übrigens kann das Phänomen mit dem Kiefergelenksknochen auch wieder verschwinden, ich bin also guter Dinge. Es könnte auch schlimmer werden, dass ich das Kiefer zum Beispiel nur noch halb aufbekommen würde, aber das wollen wir doch nicht hoffen. Irgendwie könnte es nämlich eines Tages einschnappen und dann würde es nur noch zur Hälfte aufgehen. Nein, bitte nicht.
In meinem Fall dürfte es eine Folge der OP sein, das würde nach solchen OPs gerne passieren. Klar, das weiß ich jetzt.
Kann ich sonst noch was für Sie tun? Ich könnte Ihnen zum Beispiel Schmerztabletten verschreiben?! - Worauf ich ziemlich hastig mit "Nein, bloß nicht" antwortete, was ihn wieder zum Lachen reizte. Dann grinste er wissend und meinte "Sie wollten nur Beratung, oder?!". Stimmt. Jetzt weiß ich, was das Problem ist und bin zufrieden. Vor allem auch, weil es wieder besser werden kann und nichts gebrochen oder locker ist. Apropos. Dr. E. betrachtet meine Röntgenbilder und meinte ganz erstaunt und auf meine Schrauben deutend, "Sie haben das Metall im Kiefer gelassen?". - Ich nicht minder erstaunt "Sie haben nie GEFRAGT". - Ich meine, hatte ich eine Wahl? Sicher hätten sie gefragt, meinte Dr. E., aber ich weiß es besser, es stand nie zur Wahl. Die Krankenschwester schaltete sich ein. Haben Sie im Winter irgendwelche Probleme mit dem Kiefer? - Öh, nein? - Tut ihnen dann irgendwas weh? - Nein? - Prima, dann kann das Metall ja drinnen bleiben. - Okay.
Wir verabschieden uns und Dr. E. meint grinsend "Und sonst, geht es Ihnen gut?". Ja, definitiv.

ad (1) Schmerz ist nicht gleich Schmerz. Was für die einen bereits schmerzhaft ist, ist für die anderen noch sehr leicht zu ertragen. Für mich war es nur ein sehr leichter Schmerz, aber andere Menschen werden es sicherlich als schwerer zu ertragen bezeichnen. Das variiert und ich bin schmerzlich gesehen ziemlich abgehärtet.

"Guilt..."

2010-01-17T21:23:00.005+01:00

Guilt. Guilt is what brings me here even though usually my conscience is as pure as a conscience could ever possible be. [pure = white = angel = Vero playing snowangel]I know that I have been a bit lazy during the last few days, maybe weeks (hopefully not month). It is mainly due to two reasons:
1) no appointments at orthodontist or someone else teeth-jaw - involved and 2) a lack of inspiration concerning other topics. No hold on, make it 3). 3) would be a lack of time.
Conclusion: nothing to write about.
But be patient, I have an ace up my sleeve. It is just not finished yet, well, partly finished really. Do you want a hint? It will be like meeting an "old [dental] friend" again (actually, we will meet an old dental friend again).
As soon as I have some space again - the exam season has just started and I cannot possible take any more time off from work unless I want to end up with no holidays left during summer and the rest of the year in general (noooo way!) - I am going to finish my already half-written and extremely exciting story... !!! Therefore stay tuned, it will be worth it, you will not regret it.

"Chapter 80..."

2009-12-15T19:53:00.012+01:00

(English/GERMAN)

Long time no see.

I'm late, I know. Terrible late, yes. I had my new/last speech therapist appointment about two weeks ago but I'm not entirely sure about it.
Do you remember that I had that big gap between last and new appointment? When I called her for the new one (yes, only the early bird catches the worm), I had to pass a kind of examination first. Mental exam of course, that makes sense, it was only recently that I learnt by coincidence of the second profession of my speech therapist. She is - hold your breath - also a shrink. Specialised in panic attacks and states of anxiety. Very amusing, very fitting.
Next she asked me on the phone if I am really sure that I want a new appointment. [short consideration] Well, yes?! - Are you really sure? - [??? Silence ???] Well, yes? - Because we only have to make a new appointment if you really want that appointment. We don't have to make it if you don't want to just because the health insurance has agreed to 4 more sessions. (Why did I mention the health insurance and the outstanding 4 sessions earlier on? Big mistake) We don't necessarily have to use them. - [?????] Well, I AM sure.
What was that supposed to mean? A nice try to get rid of a few patients?! By the way, yes I still have 4 more sessions, agreed by the health insurance and it would be nice to use them. I did get my appointment in the end even though I was very tempted to reply a snotty and grumpy "fine, forget about it again!".
I made it, I got it. It is almost more difficult to get an appointment at hers than an audience at the Pope's. Our first step today was to repeat my exercises. Which ones do you still master? - The yield is embarrassingly poor. For example I still think of my exercises while drinking or when I swallow. That's good, very good indeed. She was full of praise (but no news here? Her permanent cheerfulness can get rather annoying at times).
Not all good in the hood though when it comes to those bright rubber rings. The rubber rings and I, that is a totally different story. We are not too fond of each other and I keep forgetting about them even though they usually rest on the study desk next to me (whereby I sit in front of the desk, the rubber rings lay on top of it). Always! But my speech therapist is not a shrink for nothing, she let me in on the deep, deep depths of my subconscious. She had a brainwave concerning it. I am inhibited. That's right, so to say mentally blocked. She reminded me of the incident with the other speech therapist of which I had told her in our first session. Thus (I am not too fond of people telling me "You are stupid") I have not returned.
In any case she came to the conclusion that there must be a reason for my forgetfulness and the reason is a mental blockade. She has to point it out to me and maybe that will already do the trick? Maybe we simply have to talk about it? Mh, I do not really agree and reality shows that I am in the right. I am even more forgetful about them than before. But it does not matter anyway because I am exempt from this exercise. Since my subconscious shows prejudices and does not want to cooperate with rubber rings, we decided (well, she did really) to discard the rubber ring - exercise. Yay us (subconscious and me).
I also totally forgo about the "n", "t", "z" exercise. I only realised it when the speech therapist asked me about it. Oops. Unfortunately we did not discard this one but we re-arranged it. I have to count from 10 - 20 in German (fairly easy) because those letters appear all in those numbers. All's well that ends well? Not entirely.
The session lasted only 20 min. but I was charged quite a lot. Therefore I have to fill in another form for the health insurance. But my speech therapist was prepared. We name it differently next time. We will call it simply a "check", she will not teach me new exercises and it will only last 10 min. Hence it will be a whole lot cheaper and I will not have to hand in yet another form. Hooray.

Lange nicht gesehen.

Ich bin spät dran, ich weiß. Ich bin sogar sehr spät dran, auch das weiß ich. Mein letzter/ neuester Termin bei meiner Logopädin liegt ungefähr 2 Wochen zurück. So ganz genau weiß ich das auch nicht mehr.

Erinnert ihr euch noch daran, dass es zwischen dem letzten und dem neuen Termin ein sehr großes Zeitloch gab? Als ich also vor ein paar Wochen bzw. Monaten (ja, dafür muss man früh aufstehen) wegen eines neuen Termins angerufen habe, musste ich erst eine Art Test bestehen. Mentaler Test versteht sich, das ergibt Sinn, kürzlich habe ich nämlich eher zufällig erfahren, dass meine Logopädin auch eine Psychotherapeutin ist. Spezialisiert auf Panikattacken und Angstzustände. Irgendwie lustig und sehr passend.
In jedem Fall fragte sie mich dann am Telefon, ob ich mir wirklich sicher bin, dass ich einen neuen haben Termin möchte. [kurz überlegt] Öhm, ja?! - Sind Sie sich ganz sicher? - [??? Pause ???] Öhm, ja?! - Weil wir machen das nur, wenn Sie es auch wirklich möchten. Wir müssen das nicht machen, wenn Sie nicht möchten, nur weil die Krankenkasse Ihnen noch 4 Termine bewilligt hat, müssen wir die nicht auch nutzen. (warum nur habe ich ihr das am Telefon erzählt?) - [??????] Na, aber ich BIN mir sicher.

Was war das? Ein netter Versuch ein paar Patienten loszuwerden?! Es scheint leichter zu sein beim Papst eine Audienz zu bekommen, als bei ihr einen Termin. Übrigens habe ich noch 4 Sitzungen offen und ja, es wäre schon nett, wenn wir die aufbrauchen könnten. Meinen Termin habe ich dann also doch bekommen, obwohl ich schon Lust gehabt hätte, einfach mit patzigen "okay, dann eben nicht!" zu antworten.
Als ich jetzt wieder in ihrer Praxis saß, gingen wir mal die Übungen durch. Welche beherrschen Sie noch? - Die Ausbeute ist mager. Ich denke zum Beispiel immer beim Trinken und manchmal beim Schlucken an meine Übungen, die ich in den Situationen machen sollte. Das ist gut, sehr gut sogar. Sie war voll des Lobes (aber ist sie das nicht immer? So viel gute Laune kann ganz schön nervig sein).

Weniger gut läuft es aber mit den Gummiringen. Die Gummiringe und ich, das ist ein eigenes Kapitel. Wir mögen uns nicht allzusehr und obwohl sie neben mir auf dem Schreibtisch thronen (wobei ich vor dem Schreibtisch sitze, die Ringe liegen aber darauf), vergesse ich immer wieder gerne auf sie. Immer! Aber meine Logopädin ist nicht umsonst eine Psychotherapeutin, sie weihte mich quasi ein in die Tiefen meines Unterbewusstseins. Sie hat nämlich spontan eine Theorie dazu entwickelt. Ich sei gehemmt. Jawohl, ich sei innerlich sozusagen blockiert. Sie erinnerte mich an das Erlebnis bei der anderen Logopädin, von dem ich ihr einmal erzählt habe. Aufgrunddessen (ich lasse mich nur ungern als "Sie sehen dumm aus" bezeichnen) bin ich dorthin auch nicht mehr zurückgekehrt. In jedem Fall wertete sie diese Aussage jetzt als die Ursache meiner inneren Blockade. Sie müsse mich jetzt darauf aufmerksam machen und vielleicht würde es schon helfen, wenn wir darüber sprechen?! Mh, ich glaube weniger, weil ich vergesse jetzt fast noch mehr auf die Gummiringe als davor. Das macht aber auch nichts, weil ich von der Übung jetzt sowieso befreit bin. Nachdem sich mein Unterbewusstes derart und mit dieser Vehemenz zu verweigern scheint, lassen wir sie jetzt auch einfach weg.

Auf die "n", "t", "z" Übung habe ich auch total vergessen. Das habe ich erst bemerkt, als sie mich danach gefragt hat. Oops. Diese Übung darf ich leider nicht vergessen, wir haben sie aber umformuliert. Ich muss einfach die Zahlen von 10 - 20 aufzählen (sehr einfach), da kommen alle diese Konsonanten vor. Ende gut, alles gut?! Nicht ganz. Die Sitzung, die noch nicht mal 20 min. gedauert hat, kostet mich einiges. Ich hole mir also bald mal ein Formular für die Krankenkasse. Aber auch hierfür wusste meine Logopädin Rat. Das nächste Mal machen wir einfach eine kurze Kontrolle daraus, ohne neue Übungen und dann dauert das Ganze nicht nur weniger lang (nur 10 min) sondern kostete ebensoviel wie es dauert. Hurra.

"Twilight... film and book"

2009-12-05T23:10:00.023+01:00

Those amongst you who know me personally also know that I usually show strong feelings of dislike when it comes to one special topic: "Twilight".

The Twilight phenomena

The book by Stephenie Meyer has suddenly turned extremely famous. Everybody seems to be totally nuts about it even people who have claimed - before reading the book - that they do not like it either. I admit, I am mystified. What is it about this book? Some kind of spell under which people are put?
Fact is that everybody who starts reading the novel seems to develop a strange kind of addiction. I was puzzled concerning the effects and decided: no, I am stronger than the book and I will still be able to resist it, if it is not after my fancy.
Now it is kind of tough to rail about a book you have not read yet, even for me. You might have clever arguments, even an ace up your sleeves (where ever you might have picked that one up because - remember? - you haven not read it yet) but as soon as it comes to the "have you actually READ the book?" you have to confess sheepishly "nope" and suddenly your points are not that clever and witty any more and worse than that, maybe are even deflating. Same goes for the film.

A decision

Well, what to do? I was on the horns of a dilemma and decided to give the book a go. That is the least I could do after all and afterwards I could still continue my slandering, this time professionally.
My only problem was that nobody I knew - at least nobody living close enough - was able to call this book her/his own and lend it to me. There you go, I took it as a token. No book, no read, it is as simple as that. Was I relieved, even happy? I think so, yes. At least till I was hit by this glorious brainwave of mine. I looked Meyer's book up at the uni library and guess what? They have it in their repertoire. I was a bit shocked. They seriously have books like this at an institution like that? I was also clearly embarrassed of myself especially when I had to pick the book up and face the librarian for that purpose. Two days later I am already on page 220. But hold on, do not make a hasty judgement! Do not even think into that direction but wait for my explanation first. I might not be addicted after all.

Reading and watching "Twilight"

Last Thursday - the same day I borrowed the book from the library - I also met up with my sister in law for a girls-only fun evening which included DVDs and yummy food. One of the DVDs was (you might have already guessed it) "Twilight". I had already started the book when I saw the film and now I am in the lucky position to know both: film and (ok, only half of it yet) book.

The film

I do not understand the fuss about it?! There we go, I have not even started my little review but I am already complaining. Sorry, but I cannot help it. After two hours of this film I clearly had enough and I only survived the film because we kept on talking through the course of it. I have never seen such a boring film in all my life. Well, okay not exactly true: Karin, do you remember this awful French film? The one who started in the middle of a play and during which most of the audience left the cinema?!
No, so maybe not THE most boring film but certainly VERY boring. The thing about the film I did not like was that NOTHING happened. Nothing. Except for 5 min. at the end but 5 min. are definitely too short.

Geisha girl or vampire boy?

Edward (Robert Pattinson) was also rather disappointing and a real bore. He for sure was not handsome enough to tempt me and seriously, he was totally different to the Edward I had in mind after reading the first 30 pages of the book while waiting for my sister in law in town and her promised lift.
Yes, you might have guessed it, I would have imagined a Jan - dropdeadgorgeous - Ammann kind of person, too beautiful to be real (hey, I am only a girl and he is my only weakness - matter of fact he would also be my perfect Dorian Gray).

the most beautiful vampire ever: JddgA (center)
(c) http://www.stage-entertainment.de/

Maybe it did not help either that I have heard about an interview of Robert Pattinson a few months ago where he stated that he usually does not use styling gel but simply refuses to wash his hair to achieve the wet-look on his head. Now how disgusting is that?! Iiiiicky. Yes, I know, actor and fictional character are never the same person but sometimes it is pretty tough to keep that in mind and draw the line. I am still shuddering at the mere thought, fighting the urge to collect some money for R. Pattinson and buy the poor boy some shampoo (the actor, not the fictional character, silly!). Hence I am also not at all surprised that I was not smitten by his Edward performance. And an Edward with too much of very obvious white powder on his face and lipstick clearly irritates me. Is he a geisha girl or a vampire boy? Maybe I should start collecting money for a proper make-up artist as well?

Bella (Kirsten Stewart) was okay

even though she always looked the same (always a bit on the sulky side) and never changed her facial expression. A bit like Matthew MacFadyen in the new but awful "Pride and Prejudice" adaption?! Okay, I am going to stop here and not into another discussion why there is only one P&P version (BBC 1997 - Colin Firth, yes!).

Been there, done that!

Apart from the "I'm too old for that kind of teen film" point which might explain why I am just not into the film and the fact that it IS a really boring film, I have also another theory for my lack of enthusiasm: been there, done that.
I have already had my fair share of vampire films and maybe you can only experience such enthusiasm once?! When I was 14, 15 or was it 16 (?) I watched "Interview with a Vampire" and was smitten. Lestat and Louis, now THAT'S what I call vampires - the little girl was fab too - and even though I am neither a Tom Cruise nor a Brad Pitt fan (but I adored Christian Slater) I just loved the film. Brilliantly done and I was fascinated by Pitt's character Lestat, a very melancholic vampire. Which was the reason I fell in love with Roman Polanski's great musical "Dance of the Vampires" in 1997 and I am still a fan of it.

See, now we are talking vampires, real and proper vampires, not so called vampires who sparkle in the sun and walk around during day time. No, melancholic and depressed vampires. Hey, I would also be depressed if I would know that I would have to live forever. Sigh. A boring and depressing thought.

But I am in a generous mood. I had "Interview with a Vampire" (and was almost too scared to return to my room after I had watched the film because unfortunately it finished about 1 am in the morning and the house suddenly seemed really big and really dark) and "Dance of the Vampires",

Alfred (Aris Sas) and the gay vampire son Herbert

let the new generation of teens have a go at "Twilight"...

The book

I am currently at page 220 (2nd day, remember?) but not because I am that smitten, simply because I read it at work and work can get very boring even though it might be extremely busy at the same time. Thank god I am the master of multi-tasking which enables me to talk and read at the same time. I have been to work yesterday and today, hence that explains why I have already reached page 220 which is a good thing because I have to return the novel to the library in less than 12 days.To be fair I have to add that I much more prefer the book to the film!
The book is quite nice matter of fact, with only a few - but huge - weak points.
It furthermore might not be the most challenging kind of literature but it is neither trash. I can imagine that teens of 2009 might get sucked into it. Even I think that a few parts of the book are gripping but what really annoys me about the book (we have reached the topic of the weak points) is the character of Bella. I think Edward is a great fictional character, I go as far as to admit that I like him!!! As much as I dislike him in the film - I love his character in the book (except the sparkling part when he meets the sunshine, that is soooo girly!) but I cannot stand Bella. She is such an annoying person: little Miss Perfect, an overachiever.
Bella is brilliant at everything she does! Come on, get real.
Examples: Bella is perfect in school, she has no problems to follow anything (except PE), she loves reading and is above all a book-worm. Meyer even included a scene where Bella chooses a book of Jane Austen, nice attempt - it seems that some writers have the urge to mention Austen, Bronte, Shakespeare and the likes just to upgrade their own work, or why otherwise is Bella writing essays on Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" as well as reading Jane Austen? Of course, all goody-two-shoes characters love books and have a weak spot for Miss Austen... Quite obvious.
What else? Bella is above all her perfectness also the perfect daughter of Charlie (could it be otherwise and why does it not come as a surprise?!) and LOVES nothing more than to cook for her Dad. Hello? You okay?! Which 17 year old loves cooking for her parents, does all of the housework, loves books, school, etc. has the whole of the school as a friend and is admired by all the boysl? The book does also not get tired to mention that Bella looks only average, but why do all the boys fall for her, when she is "only" average?!

The problem of the book

Here we are, we have reached the main problem of the novel: the character of Bella has no faults, she is a personality with no rough edges to her. In short: Bella is too perfect to be real or let alone likeable. Okay the writer does not stop telling us that Bella is also a real scatterbrain and the reader gets the impression that she cannot survive a day without Edward (I am actually still wondering how she was able to survive her first 17 years without him?) because she constantly stumbles and falls over EVERYTHING but that certainly is a bit too much. No person is that clumsy, not even I!

Stephenie Meyer obviously wanted to paint a very typical version of a nice character, someone you can identify with easily and to whom you take instantly. She threw in cleverness, brightness an awful lot of goodness and clumsiness, gave it a good stir and et voilà: Bella was the result. But I am afraid S. Meyer overdid it. It is really hard to read the book because of Bella. She always stays a well planned fictional character and you can always guess why Bella is like she is, behaves like she does. No surprises. I think that is a pity, it spoils the whole fun of the book. Bella is ways too transparent and seems very unreal thanks to her perfectness, opposite to Edward who has his rough edges and whom I clearly prefer - as well as all of the other characters. You may argue that Bella is not perfect because she is extremely clumsy and cannot even walk straight for once without stumbling but then again: how realistic is that? A person with her amount of clumsiness would not be able to survive a week. It does not make the character more likeable, quite the contrary. You figure out instantly why Bella is the way she is. A bit less clumsiness would have helped to actually make her likeable.

Read me

I am not finished reading the novel yet but I am curious what the end will bring and if Bella stays the annoying character she has been during the first 220 pages (I am afraid, yes). At least nobody can say that I have not tried it and have not read the book.

And, am I under the spell of "Twilight"? As you might have guessed by now from my previous statements: only partly. Bella prevented my "Twilight" addiction. Phew.

PS: interested in a really good book? Try "The City of Dreaming Books" by Walter Moers - one of my all time favourites or why not have a go at "Pride and Prejudice" - the best book of all times? But maybe you love Jane Austen and are in the mood for chick lit? Then you should read "Me and Mr. Darcy" by Alexandra Potter.

"Children series..."

2009-11-21T18:49:00.003+01:00

I do not know how you feel about this topic but generally speaking I think that children series nowadays have changed a lot from those in my days. Seriously and even though I am not THAT old (stop the sniggering) I have to join the "everything was better in the good old days" chorus.
At least OUR favourite series were nicely drawn ones, being perfectly able to persuade with their clever, witty, intelligent storyline and without all those monsters and I-dunno-what you find in today's series (i.e. Pokémon). Equally bad are those series about certain sponges (how silly is that?) or programmes for toddlers including characters named (shudder) Lala, Po, Tinky and Winky. Hem hem. What does this tell us about the state of our period?! ;-)

My brother sent me the link to Alfred J. Kwak today. Do you still remember him? The little yellow duck with the (not surprisingly) female German dubbing voice and the (surprisingly) dutch accent?! Awww... What I did not realise back then is that it actually was not "just" a children's series but quite the contrary, an educationally one. Highly interesting actually and to be looked up for more details here. The character of Dolf i.e. is not only Alfred's archenemy but also resembles a certain dictator (that's why he is called "Dolf" - the second part of the dictator's original name). Make sure to watch the clip and you will be surprised concerning his speech.

This send me down memory lane.

Did you know that the Duckdales (German) intro has a touch of a Viennese accent. Watch second 0:08 and "wer verhülft zum Happy Änd"???

The series which had the most impact on my mind - and I am still surprised I was not traumatized in the end - was probably Perrine. Nobody - except myself - seems to be still able to recall this series but seriously, this one was soooo sad. I think everybody died during the course of it. Hardest was the death of Perrine's mum.
Listening to the intro today has made me realise that I should have not been surprised that it was such a sad series, the chorus should have prepared me for the story behind it "(...) then stop crying Perrine".

Yeah well, I was not able to stop crying and who thought that Niklaas was sad, should think (or watch) twice.
My favourite part of the intro always was when Perrine and her dog grab those dandelions and fly away. I always wanted to be able to do just the same, heck, I even TRIED to do just the same, somehow it did not work out for me though. Wonder why?!

Niklaas, ein Junge aus Flandern (Niklaas a boy of Flanders) was also quite sad - remember when his Granddad died? Omg, I think I will never ever get over it! Did you know that the English title is "The dog of Flanders", how funny is that?!
(Couldn't find the opening only, you don't have to watch the whole thing).

And the series nobody except myself (and this time I mean: NOBODY - I mean, after all a few people I asked actually knew Perrine) - and my best friend from childhood days - knew was: 3 Jungen und 3 Mädchen (German title translated: 3 boys and 3 girls). Years later I learnt that the show's original title actually is: The Brady Bunch. I have quite fond memories attached to the show. I always went to my bestie to be able to watch it because my Mum had strong opinions (and strict rules) concerning our hours spent in front of the telly (almost non existing) and our programmes (almost nothing was acceptable). Hence I was being smart and usually watched at bestie's place.

(The intro is sooo cute and the only thing left I remembe - I probably was too young).
Actually, we did the same concerning The Adams Family because Mum would not let us watch that one.

I could rave on like this forever and a day but I will stop here.
And, did you also have favourite children series?! Which ones?

"London, what befell you? ... Part III"

2009-11-12T21:36:00.012+01:00

The last day and to mark the occasion I persuaded my fellow traveler to have a lie-in: at least till 8 am. I woke up, spread over the whole of my bed. That's what I call life.
We had brekkie and myself the first faux pas of the day. I noticed an odd looking couple during breakfast. He was at least 30 years her senior, I got carried away a bit and whispered to Grissy that she does not look like his daughter at all, quite the contrary. I continued in that manner till I suddenly realised: those two speak GERMAN. Oh geez, how embarrassing. But worse than that, they spoke German with an Austrian accent. Where is the grave I have been so busily digging during the last few minutes? I wanted to jump into it, to use it as a hiding place. Thanks heaven the pair did not seem to notice though. Phew.
After breakfast we continued packing and finally wheeled our suitcases through our very own personal hallway, directly to the reception where we got the key for the luggage room. We left our luggage in capable hands (= the luggage room) and went for a short visit to Hyde Park. Gosh, I might have been to London quite a number of times already but it has been AGES since I last visited Hyde Park. The weather was brilliant for a little stroll round the park and I redefined the term "to hang out". May I introduce? Hanging out in Hyde Park:No, do not even think to get started. This is certainly not a monkey and if, it is the most elegant monkey ever. But all that hanging out is exhausting, hence we searched for a little spot to rest a bit. This bench seemed pretty close to being perfect.The perfect chance to gain back our strength. And maybe also to enjoy the splendid view: I really love this place. If I would live in London, I would definitely use it as my daily jogging route. Very picturesque.
Since Piglet insisted upon practising a bit of sightseeing on our last outing, we ended up in front of her: you cannot travel to London without seeing something royal-ish, can you?! Aye?
We were running (yes, you might have guessed it correctly) late again. Therefore we hurried back to the Hotel, got our stuff and hurried farther to the tube station. In fact we hurried that much, that we almost forgot our shadows in the park.On the train to the airport I stared at a poster on the wall for I-dunno-how-long (I think it was at least 10 min.) before I actually registered it. And it took me another 5 min. to figure out what it was about. So much about me being bright. Not very bright at all. After I finally got the message of the advert, I thought it is hilarious and hence took the liberty to take a picture. Without flash, otherwise the sleeping woman underneath that poster would have woken up and accused me of taking photos of her (which would have not even been true, iiiicky).The ad reminded me of my Dad. No, that is not true: it reminded me AN AWFUL LOT of my Dad. Must remember next time I call him to pick me up, that he is not, I repeat NOT, my taxi driver!
Once at the airport, we stormed into the next pub (as if there would be more than one) and I had one more chance for fish and chips. YAY. I was extremely pleased with myself and my brilliant idea to go there for lunch. And since I am such a touristy tourist, I took a picture of my meal, though I must admit that the mushy peas looked rather... uhm, peculiar? Maybe I should have changed the view of my camera and took the picture from the other side of the plate instead. Nevertheless it was very yummy and I can now officially recommend a good pub at the airport.If you refuse to look to the right in the pub, you might even forget that you are at the airport. If you do not look too close up to the ceiling, you will not notice the screens with the arrival and departure times of the planes and you will again forget where you are actually seated.
My funniest experience that day happened in the repack zone though. We wanted to weigh our suitcases and it was there I first saw this Austrian family with the not-very-clever teenage daughter. The girl was about 14 yrs and also weighing her suitcase. Apparently it had 9,9 kg (remember, you are allowed to have 10 kg of hand luggage) and she then went to her Dad "I have got 9,9 kg, what shall I do?". He replied "Well, what weighs less? 9,9 kg or 10kg?". She did not reply but had this really worried expression on her face. I tried not to laugh. A few minutes later she approached him again "Dad, what shall I do about my 9,9 kgs?". She was still not able to figure out her TRUE problem. Dad replied very drily "well, what weighs less? 9,9 or 10kg?". Girl turned around only to approach him again a few minutes later, with a happy grin on her face because she has finally made a decision: "I will unpack the boots!". Neither Dad nor I could believe her statement (and I really had to watch myself and not to be bursting with laughter) but I hope Dad has had a serious talk about her maths skills later on. I mean, I might be hopeless of ever understanding maths but this girl... WOW!
Next step, uh, by the way, I had about 8kgs (well, my suitcase, silly!), was the security check and you will not believe my next words. I did not beep during security check. Yes, I did NOT beep. Not a tiny little beep when I walked through this detector-thingy. Omg, when has THAT last happened to me in LONDON? Humph, let me have a quick think: never. Needless to say I was flabbergasted. Oh my, oh my, oh my. I almost froze in the security area and was not even able to make place for the next ones, passing the detector after myself. Nope, the security guy had to beckon me on. Sort of: keep the line going!
And while I was standing there, smiling all over my face and trying to adjust those jeans of mine again which I was almost losing (because my belt went through the security check without me), I saw that they searched Grissy. That day will go down in history as the day I did not beep but this never-ever-beeping friend of mine.
After a short break at Starbucks I had persuaded her that we and our suitcases should go directly to the gates we always go to, even though they were not yet mentioned at the big screens in the big hall. Who cares? I mean, it is not as if R.A. would ever depart from another building, is it? Well, actually, yes, it is. Crumbs! We arrived there after a 15 min. walk which felt like crossing all of London and the little screens at the gates showed only two destinations. None of it was Linz. Oh bugger. I got a bit nervous. Plus we (and two guys who walked in front of us) got told off by a R.A. member of staff who just stood there, at the entrance. What was she supposed to be anyway? Decoration? No, apparently she was the one with the crappy job: telling people off if they dare to enter the building with more than one piece of hand luggage. Fairly easy if you are a woman and take your handbag along too. Naughty, naughty you. It seems that R.A. - this bloodsucker of a low budget airline with the crappiest service ever - has tightened once again their restrictions: one piece of hand luggage means one piece of hand luggage and one piece of hand luggage only. Got that? No? Me neither. Since they are not yet able to charge money for visits to the loo midair, they came up with this really clever idea of how to be otherwise able to bully their customers. It seems they are doing a brilliant job so far.
I put the handbag into the suitcase and still, no mention of Linz? Oh dear. I went to ask one of the R.A. staff but yeah, well, one cannot expect one to be friendly if one is working for a low budget airline, right? The first lady told me that she cannot help me, because she is WORKING (I asked the one who told us off earlier on, so yes, it IS a job), uhhh, sorry for interrupting you. I asked the next one. She needed ages to look up from her computer screen (must have been really fascinating, what was going on, on her screen) but again, she only made vague innuendos and told me, yes, there are also other buildings they depart from (BUGGER!) and my flight (it took me ages and lots of "but my flight?" inquiries later) would depart from this one. Excuse me, what exactly does include the term "this building"? She did not tell me that but recommended that I go back to the main hall and have a look at the big screens. As if the big hall would be just around the corner...! I hurried back to G., told her how things are and hurried back (without suitcase) to the main hall. I arrived there 10 min. later and totally out of breath (and nerves). I came to a full stop at the big screens and guess what? Exactly at that very moment, the text changed and our flight was suddenly scheduled. I was seriously miffed! She could have TOLD me so. Whom was she kidding 10 min. earlier? I was loaded. I went back. It turned out that we actually were in the right building (see, I told you so, they always depart from there) and the lady in question was probably lucky that she was not at her work place when I arrived back at our gate. R.A. and their service seriously sucks!
Eventually we boarded our plane and were on our way back to Austria.Just when I fell asleep, the plane had to land. Pity. We arrived at the airport in Linz because it was cheaper that way. A shuttle service (we and another girl were the only passengers) drove us to the train station of the very same village, small town (?) named Hoersching. Hoersching might not be the place at the back of beyond but you can clearly see it very well from there. And guess what? They do not even have a ticket machine in H.!! We searched for 10 min. all over the place before someone discovered a sign which told us that vandals have demolished it once too often and hence it has been officially removed from this train station. If you need to buy a ticket (yes), you have to buy it on the train (oops). Furthermore the same message told us that we have to approach the ticket collector actively for this purpose, not passively. Uhhuuu? Wonder how you can approach someone passively?We did never approach him anyway, because he never arrived. Well, he did but it was seconds before the doors opened and it would have been a waste of time to approach him at the end of our journey besides he was busy anyway.
We arrived in Linz and changed trains for home.

- The End -

"London, what befell you?... Part II"

2009-11-08T18:49:00.002+01:00

7:00 am. Alarm clock went off. Nasty. I start up from deep, deep sleep and my first thoughts were "uni today? exam to sit?" followed by a relieved "Lord no, I'm in London" and an even more relieved "hooray!". Nevertheless I was terrible tired at the same time, even though we had literally saved 1hour of sleep because it was the day of the annual time change. Lucky us. I left my warm and cosy bed very unwillingly and dragged myself to the bath room. God, that one was its usual cold self again. Iiiicky. Now I WAS awake.
First stop of the day was - quite naturally - the breakfast room. Afterwards we started our tour of the day. We went to the tube station and while queuing up for the lift, I already noticed a funny looking chap. It was a young man, about my age (very young indeed! we have just left nursery, haha) who was dressed very snobbishly or in other words: like a true and proper golfer. For which he might have had a reason because he was actually also pushing a golf bag. Cute blond snobby golfer, in his polo shirt and plaid pants was also wearing thongs! Interesting combination. While we went down to our station, he pushed his golf bag along too, in his thongs. I am still amazed he did not stumble. All three of us entered the tube. Nothing unusual here. Then I lost sight of him. We left after a few stations though and changed lines. Again we had to cross half of the underground before we arrived at our next platform. We were not standing there for long when blond cutie of a golfer came along too as well as his golf bag. He stood next to us gain. The hilarious thing was though that he seriously unpacked his golf bag, took one of his bats out of his golf bag and practised his tee. On the tube platform!!!!
Pity I was too much of a faintheart to take his picture. It was gold!
Our next stop was Shakespeare's Globe. Yes, the shop - I have a weakness for museum shops - and we have already visited the theatre on one of our previous trips to London. Nevertheless we still intend to watch a play there one - sunny! - day. But since we are easily distracted, it took us much longer to arrive at the Globe theatre than intended.At first we passed Kings Cross and hopped off the tube to catch a glimpse of maybe, uhm, Harry Potter's platform 9 3/4? Unfortunately we had to learn that badge in its "honour" seems to stay hidden. After searching the whole darn train station we realised that Kings Cross is very similar arranged like the train station in Munich. And where do we usually have to go to catch our trains in Munich? Yes, till the very far end of the station. To the hidden platforms 9, 10 and 11 if I remember it correctly. I think it also includes an 8. One of its not very famous qualities is that it is always cold and windy. And believe it or not, Kings Cross does have the same hidden platforms. Amazing! How high are chances that they have shared the same architects? In a nutshell we technically found platform 9 3/4 but we still could not reach it. It reminded me a bit of this German folksong.

"There were two royal children
They loved one another so true,
Yet they could not come to each other,
Cross waters so deep and so blue. (...)"

Well, okay maybe this comparison is flawed. I mean, I do not really LOVE platform 9 3/4, do I? That would be a bit odd. Our problem was not cross waters (thank goodness, I still remember with a shudder HOW seasick I was on this tiny little fishing boat in Ireland many, many years ago) but at least a barrier we did not dare to pass. God knows what might have happened to the balance on our OysterCards? Instead we abandoned that idea and found back to the first one: the Globe shop. Off we went. Not for long. Did I already tell you that we are always very easily distracted? I know how Hansel and Gretel might have felt, when they lost their way and ended up in the wood. We did not end up in the witch's cottage (the Knusperhäuschen - like they put it so cutely in Humperndick's Opera) but were attracted by the statue of the Swan Marker. I tried to take over his job, he did not let me though and hence I decided it is time for a little ride on that swan of his. I can be so lazy at times. I would have loved to take that swan home with me but I do not think it would have fitted very well into my tiny little suitcase. Maybe I should have done it like Nils Holgersson and just fly away with the wild geese?!After getting friendly with the swan marker and his swan, some of us enjoyed a little bath in the leaves.Next we really focussed on our old scheme again. Globe shop, remember? Eventually we really arrived there but funnily enough we did not get the thing we wanted most (= calendar with loads of Shakespeare insults) but all the other small things we did not plan to buy. Life is pretty tough, do you not agree? But you do not have to feel too sorry for us because the calendar's fault was to be too heavy for our hand luggage. Hence we had a brainwave and decided to order it via web 2.0. We left the shop with a big smiles plastered upon our faces.
It was still very early but now we were hungry again. How odd. We gave in and headed for the next pub but it seems that we stumbled over a hole in the time instead: past meets future.And pub was still closed. Crumbs. They would only open in about half an hour. Hence we changed plans again and marched on. Like soldiers. Like proper ones. Not the ones in hiding.The past did not leave without making a mark on London. Someone had forgotten to tidy up after it had left. Soon we stumbled over the next gap in the time. They are sprinkled all over London. This time it lead us straight to the future and "we" (well, I think I am the guilty one) had great fun jumping up and down, back and forth on the lights.Our journey also led us - quite involuntary - to the Tower of London but since we were already at it. PHOTOOOOOOS!By now I was almost starving. We hurried back and yep, pub had finally opened its doors. But I must say that fish and chips have NOT improved since last time I was at this particular pub. Quite the contrary. Yucky. Chips tasted like flour and the batter was not very well done. Plus I did not have salt on the table but pepper and accidentally used it like salt. Iiiicky.
Neveretheless it was as very pretty pub. Before lunch we were not able to keep up walking because we felt too faint (starving! remember?), afterwards we were not able to keep up walking because now we felt too full. Life was pretty tough again. We dragged ourselves to the next tube station which was very far off for London conditions. At home we made the mistake and stopped for coffee at Whiteley's. Once back home in the hotel room someone (which again was not me) realised that we would be probably too late for our next musical. Brilliant. Just marvellous. Next time I want to be granted a say. We got changed within minutes - we are experts thanks to years of practise - and hurried back to the tube. Bye, bye little afternoon nap, I wave you farewell. Hello full and crowded tube.
One lady in the tube had the not very bright idea to take a picture, with flash, of the very same. The driver (or was it some higher authority?) acted very witty and told her off in a very British manner. He intervened via loud speaker and said that "it might not be a very clever idea to blind the driver of the tube with a flash" and furthermore "could the lady in the red coat please stop taking pictures using flash?". Everybody in the tube and outside on the platform turned their heads in search for the lady in question with the red coat. I think I saw her. How embarrassing.
We on the other hand started to encounter a little time crisis. We were supposed to pick the tickets up 30 min before the show. We arrived there 15 min before the show and it was our turn in the queue 10 min. before the show. Tickets were still ours though. Phew. Plus we did a sprint. I won (vastly superior *g*). My jogging experience finally paid off. We both looked like a complete mess though.
The show was a musical comedy show called "Talent". Wicked was my special request, Talent was Grissy's. So, what is the story of Talent?

It’s talent night at Bunter’s niteclub, and contestant Julie and her fat friend Maureen are waiting backstage. As they are plunged into a world of ukulele wielding pensioners, crotch grabbing comperes and some long buried personal history, Julie and Maureen have to decide how lucky they really want to be.

Talent is a comedy with original songs written by Victoria Wood. It was first performed in 1978 at the Crucible Theatre Sheffield, winning Wood the Evening Standard award for Most Promising Playwright. Adapted for TV the following year, it won her another Most Promising Writer Award and a BAFTA nomination.

“The first and last thing to be said about Talent is that it is very funny – at times, too near the knicker-wetting degree… in its short and pithy span it incorporates a wealth of human disillusion and more comic one-liners than is altogether fair” - Guardian

http://www.menierchocolatefactory.com/talent

I have to say that this show had a strange effect upon me. Up until now I still do not know for sure what the beginning was about? The show just starts... then everything changes and the rest of it might make some kind of sense but I am still confused concerning the beginning?
The show does its genre (comedy musical) every credit but what I missed was not only the end but also a proper story. I am still not over the lack of story yet. I have never seen any musical like it. While I was still congratulating myself that we had front row seats without any problems reaching the doors and hence would be the first during the break who could queue up for the loo, the musical finished. Seriously? That was it? You joking? No? That was really it!?
It finished with a lack in story and a proper end. Plus the jokes. The jokes were highly entertaining most of the time but some jokes just seemed to vanish and were not taken fully advantage off. May I just throw "the plastic hat" into my little speech? Everybody was waiting that this hat with its dubious content would fall off the window sill and... but nothing whatsoever happened, once placed up there it sadly enough stays there. I felt really sorry for such a waste of joke, it deserved better than this.
Performers were brilliant, especially Maureen and Julie but I fear that it is all I can say about the show. Hold on, no. Our view was brilliant. We had 1st row tickets which left us a bit nervous at the beginning. After all it was a COMEDY musical. And the theatre was tiny. Very tiny in fact. Auditorium and stage were almost like a living room and our row was like one big couch. Advantage was that you felt like in your own living room, very cosy. Once the light was out I was able to stretch my legs and the only thing missing was crisps or popcorn. It became a problem for someone else who wanted to leave earlier. Very rude behaviour anyway, he just got up and left the room during the final applause. One of the performers was extremely funny. While the rude guy passed him, he waved cheerfully and said "bye".
After we had left the theatre, we walked into the wrong direction but did not realise it quickly enough. Once we had realised our mistake we decided to keep on walking into that direction, there are tubes everywhere anyway. Plus it was still very early evening and this is London. Hence it was just a matter of time before we arrived at the next tube station. We used the time walking without having a clue where we were heading to for taking photographs again. Lights!! All those funny little lights. And hey, we transformed into shadow people. Eventually we arrived at a tube station and took one to Leicester Square. Starving again. It was time for dinner. We went for Pizza Hut but had to wait AGES for a table, AGES for the food and yes, AGES for the bill. I think I aged for at least a hundred years while waiting.
Next point on our busy schedule was: "Dorian Gray", the film. And I discovered that the Odeon at Leicester Square has a 2 class society. Amazing. I think Karl Marx would have had a few words to say about it. The premium member ship cinema - a grand, nice looking part of the building - and the other one - the not so grand looking building. We experienced the second one, and how cute, very tiny with plenty of long and confusing corridors.
I had two simple reasons for the film: 1) Colin Firth (very strong reason) and 2) Dorian Gray (the novel). Ad 2) I love the book by Oscar Wilde! Fascinating story. In my opinion JddgA would be the perfect Dorian (judging from his looks only of course) and I was very curious how they would have solved the problem of this really beautiful, gorgeous looking Dorian Gray. I mean, I know that Jan - dropdeadgorgeous - Ammann does not have a part in this film. What a surprise. ;-)
I must say that Colin Firth did a brilliant job as baddy. Too brilliant. I felt constantly torn. Should I hate or love him? He was very convincing.
Dorian Gray actor Ben Barnes might not be as beautiful as JddgA but he was definitely a perfect Dorian. Unlike Björn Johan Andrésen who played Tadzio in Viscontis Death in Venice in 1971. I never figured out why they used HIM as Tadzio. I do not think he looked beautiful enough for that part but anyway. Back to "Dorian Gray". The only thing which I disliked about Ben Barnes (Grissy please do not hurt me) are his teeth. Seriously. I am a little teeth fetishist, I know, but why did they bleach his teeth like THAT? They looked ways too white. The only thing missing was a flash every time he smiles.
Conclusion: I enjoyed the film but again, I was not really convinced. They changed too much of the original story. Dorian was reduced to screwing around, being a great womaniser as well as a constant visitor of brothels. I am pretty sure it was not in the original novel even though it was some time ago when I last read it. They even changed the end a bit. Mind you, not the main important thing but others.
End of day: too late again.

(to be continued)

"University..."

2009-11-05T14:24:00.003+01:00

Want to have a peek at our new university? Trust me, it's totally worth it. And somehow I am happy that it isn't finished yet. How come? Well, just have a look at the picture.

Isn't it cute? What a unique way to build an university. With trees. Maybe that is the origin of the term "Baumschule" ("tree nursery" - in German: "tree school").

"London, what befell you?... Part I"

2009-11-02T20:10:00.009+01:00

There we go again. We (me and my bestie) have not been to London this year, a fact which clearly irritated me for a while. At least till I had persuaded Grissy that it is a matter of some urgency. We had various reasons suggest to go to London immediately: shopping, musicals, plays, shopping, fish'n chips (yes, that is also a very good reason), musicals, plays, shopping, (...).
Finally we came to the conclusion: Yes, we can!
Aye, we really do. Our journey started on the 24th of October. Everything went wrong that morning. I almost put milk into my orange juice instead of the coffee and after I had realised that mistake, I actually knocked the cup of coffee over and spilt the coffee over most of the table, the next chair and almost half of the floor. Crumbs! I spent the next 10 minutes mobbing the floor instead of reading Saturday's paper. Somehow I managed to leave the house unharmed though. We met at the airport at 8.30 am and I was really lucky to not miss that flight. You do not have an idea how close I was to missing it all. Problem is that I have never been able to read the clock properly. It all started in my childhood, when we had to learn the clock in primary school. God, I think I was the worst clock scholar ever. And on various occasion I obviously still proof that I have not really worked it out yet. Even not after all those years. Thank goodness I asked Grissy - by coincidence - a few days before our departure about the time again and realised then that I have to be there one hour earlier than expected. Hence I did arrive in time.
And by the way, I did beep again during security check at the airport. How frustrating. What is the reason? I still have not figured it out but ended up running through the sensor in my "Hello Kitty!" socks instead. Like a real grown-up. At least I was not alone. Grissy beeped too, for the first time ever (if I recall it correctly?).
Everything went very smoothly at the Gate though which was a thing we did not expect to happen. Since when are Europeans able to queue up properly? Without being mean and trying to overtake others while they are not paying attention? Maybe the "mix" was the reason. It was almost young people only. It seems that a whole generation had decided to leave the country for an extended weekend. And we also discovered that Priority Check-In seems to become rather unfashionable. Hooray. I never liked it.
I got the window seat at the plane (why is it always me again? Makes me sound greedy, like a sucker for window seats which I am not. Seriously, I am usually a very nice person and do not necessarily have to sit at the window in planes) and we even got tickets for the Stansted Express from the stewardess. Woo hoo. They were already sold out last time they reached us. Maybe my streak of bad luck had changed? Arriving in London was brilliant. Back. Finally. Yay.
First mission to grab something for lunch. Hence we went to the same little bistro we already knew. You cannot teach an old dog new tricks. I was not only happy to finally get my coffee and something to eat - Piglet too...... no, I was also greatly entertained by two young police officers. They walked into the bistro, seriously heavily armed. Machine guns between their legs, they sat at a small table and sipped their café latte appreciatively. Err, yes?
Eventually it was time to leave. We bought ourselves our precious cards for the tube and were rather amused when the ticket guy told me that he only sells those for visitors. "Ah, yes?" I mean, that was the idea, was it not?! Happily we sat on the train to London. We know the way to the hotel by heart by now and hence did not have to look it up. Which is an advantage. It saves you a lot of time. But the tube was crowded and quite sticky. Not like always. Hmmm? We were very relieved when we finally arrived at our station and even more when we finally stood at the reception of the hotel. The receptionist however did not look familiar. He was definitely a newbie. And what a newbie he was. I named him "Casanova". But he was more of a "I want to be a Casanova but I'm not" kind of Casanova. God, I did not like him. You could even go as far as to call it: dislike at first sight. He was actually quite slimy. Yucky. Our room was brilliant though. We were already very curious what kind of room we would get this time and were really surprised when we found out. It was a four-bedroom! How marvellous is that? Uhuuuu! I had the first pick of the bed (thanks Grissy!) and took the big one. After running through the room for more than 10 minutes - you do not have an idea how long it takes to peer into all those cupboards and doors - we decided that we had to get changed as soon as possible and hit the town. Otherwise we would run late and because of that would get our schedule muddled up. Soon we were dressed and our way to the Oxford Street.This time tubes were even more crowded than before and I had the dubious honour to be squeezed into the tube next to a really disgusting guy. He definitely had some kind of a problem and I was squeezing myself very hard against the wall, just to not have too much contact with him. He looked a bit like a maniac and all people round me were doing the same thing: trying to get out of his way. Unfortunately nobody was successful.
We arrived somewhere at Oxford Street but it was packed. Unbelievable. I have never seen it that packed. Clearly something was amiss. I was also lacking the shopping spirit today and Grissy felt the same, so we ended up fleeing from Oxford Street. Leicester Square - Hello! Of course we could not leave before we also had a quick look around at "Waterstones", best book shop ever. I was devastated though when I was not even able to find Lindsey Davis' "A dying light in Corduba" here. It is the book I need to read next which belongs to the brilliant Falco series but I do not seem to be able to lay hands on it. Rather frustrating. Any Lindsey Davis fan out there who can actually help me? Where am I able to order those books? I am stuck at "A dying light in Corduba". You can contact me at vero (at) kaffeeschluerfer.com! Thanks a million.
Back to my story. Us at Leicester Square We could not resist this very touristy picture.
Then it was time to go back to our hotel again. We had to get changed once more. This time for "Wicked", the musical.I was really eager to see it. I have wanted to go to a Wicked show for AGES. But I could not get over myself and order tickets for Stuttgart. Hence I missed Mark Seibert as Fiyero. Pity really. But then again... Who knows what London would bring? Usually we buy our theatre/Musical tickets directly IN London, at the only official 1/2 price ticket shop. This time we booked tickets in advance, just to make sure we would actually get tickets for Wicked.
And gosh, we definitely did not regret it! In honour of Wicked I picked something green for the show and we could also not resist the obligatory picture in front of the venue. Too tempting but very touristy, I know.
I already look very wicked on this one, sorry.
The show itself. The show was brilliant! Seriously. I was smitten. First of all we had marvellous seats, a magnificent view - except maybe for the guy in front of me, who was rather on the tall side and obviously enjoyed moving his head CONSTANTLY as well as the lady next to me, who was rather on the big side but at least she did not move! But hey, I got even used to them. View was great. After getting used to the two already mentioned guys, I truly enjoyed the show.But where shall I begin? Very tricky. I am not sure everybody wants to read a full review of Wicked at this point hence I try to cut a long story short.
My only comparison was the already mentioned German cast of Wicked. I might not have been there myself but I got the record. Was I sorry before the show (and very sorry I was!) that I had not the chance to catch Mark Seibert as Fiyero due to the wrong country, I was very happy afterwards that I was lucky enough to get Oliver Tompsett instead. His Fiyero was amazing. I am quite sure Mark Seibert's would have been equally brilliant but I have to say that Oliver Tompsett's did a very good job here. Same goes for Alexia Khadime as Elphaba. She has an absolutely impressive voice and I really enjoyed her "Defying Gravity" even though I am already a bit fed up with this particular song cos it gets always performed during TV shows and Wicked presentations. My most favourite song stays my most favourite song "No Good Deed". Furthermore - even though I hate to say it - I think Alexia Khadime betters the German (Dutch) version of Elphaba, namely Willemijn Verkaik.
I think I will not have to mention that I also quite enjoyed Dianne Pilkington as Glinda and especially Alex Jessop as Boq. Well, and all the rest of the cast too of course. I think I will stop here. Cannot mention all of them and besides... point is that the whole show was just PERFECT. I think I have never had such a perfect cast before. Seriously! The Ludwig² cast in Fuessen (including Jan - dropdeadgorgeous - Ammann) was already pretty much close to being perfect (JddgA certainly IS perfect) but the Wicked cast of London beats it all. Should you happen to be in London or should you intend to travel there: go and see this musical.
The funny thing was though that the the storyline of the show reminded me a bit of AIDA and another musical I cannot think of at the moment. You just have to compare the set-up of the relationship between Fiyero and Elphaba (Wicked) and Radames and Aida (Aida). Very similar. I would go as far as to say they are the same. In either instance they first have a strong dislike for each other which eventually turns into love, only to learn that they are not allowed to be together. They overcome those gaps in class at the end. And in either instance there is a very envious but appropriate first relationship which gets destroyed during the course of the second one and who in either instance react rather harsh. Both first relationships are blond and on the dumb side but also very entertaining at the same time. At the end both of them help to unite the "real" lovers again. Come to think of it. I think someone has copied from someone here. ;-)
After the show we originally intended to go home before we almost bumped into Oliver Tompsett which was a very nice surprise and of course it did help that we obviously passed the stage entrance at just the right time. A few minutes later I nearly bumped into a hunky guy in the tube station, Grissy accused me of doing that on purpose but no, I swear, I really did not see him coming my way.
I have forgotten what time it was when we finally arrived back home. After a bit of moth hunting who turned out to be a lady beetle in the end on my part and who above all almost attacked me, while I was hopping up and down on the fourth bed to catch it, we fell into our beds like dead. Good Night!

"First snow..."

2009-10-14T21:34:00.005+02:00

When I looked out of the window today I could not believe my eyes. Snow. It was snowing this morning - and since it is already 9.30 pm I can safely add a - and on a few more occasions later on.
I do not want to sound ungrateful but it felt so wrong. May I remind you that we are not even in the middle of October yet? Okay, by tomorrow we actually are but nevertheless, since when is it supposed to snow in October?! That just does not feel right and above all, it makes life more difficult. Ever tried getting up in the morning when it is warm and cosy in your bed? Yes? I felt like that today.
Before I left for the bus I even managed a photo of the first snow. Awww, ain't it pretty nevertheless?
Even though I am not a huge fan of snow - what an understatement - the first snow is always something very special.
When I left the house it was still snowing - yes, that was snow, no rain. Pity that I could not find my winter shoes though. I had to use my sneakers and hence my toes were almost numb when I left town again in the late evening.
This morning I stood at the bus stop, freezing like hell. Although that it is probably a paradox, you can hardly freeze like hell, can you?!
And anyway, the little white fluffy things on my coat - normally it is a BLACK coat, the lightening's fault - are snowflakes. Real proper snowflakes! With this in mind, ho ho ho, Merry Christmas. Just joking ;D

"Twitter..."

2009-10-06T21:33:00.005+02:00

Holidays are over, literally and I started to ponder over certain things again. Like for example yesterday. Yesterday I sat in front of Einstein and surfed through the net. While doing so and since being a modern web 2.0 user, I send out loads of tweets. I am sure all of you are familiar with Twitter? Hey, we are all grown-up people living in the year 2009 and tend to be notoriously addicted to all kind of social networks. I am sure that I am not the only one who has networks all over the world, literally again. I am a member of facebook, myspace, studivz, etc... and god knows what else. So yes, it was only a question of time when I would give in to Twitter. Anonymous set the ball rolling. She persuaded me. Here I am, member of the 1001 social network. Hooray. Spreading my data all over the virtual place again. But I am loving it. Unfortunately I am also a person who can never stick to the limit of 160 signs which is the reason I usually end up sending at least 3 - 4 tweets in a row because I can never express all I want to say in one tiny, wee little tweet. No, it has to be 3-4 at least. Probably due to the same reason why I can never write short mails and if you know me, you will know exactly what I mean.Yes, I am another victim of Twitter, it keeps me entertained. You just have to follow the right bunch of people. To "follow" means that you get their updates regularly and their updates means you get their moods regularly.
But there are different kind of people around tweeting all kind of things. Some may keep you updated on a VERY regular basis like Blake, the band. Some may not keep you updated that regularly but are equally entertaining like Idiots of Ants, an upcoming comedy group. It gets a bit scary at times (not with the Ants though^^) when you get new updates every few minutes. Sort of "I know what you did about 5 min. ago". Freaky.
Some used to be the first celebs on Twitter (at least judging from the amount of mentions in national and internation papers) like Stephen Fry but have slowly changed from very heavy user, to hardly ever online. Each country has its Stephen Fry and I think ours is Armin Wolf (on a serious basis of course and not really a comedian, naturally. Mh, this was meant as a compliment, not sure I put it properly though). Keeps you updated on a very regular basis too, which is brilliant.
There are also people who - very unfortunately - do not have Twitter profiles, but whom I would love to follow, like Jan-dropdeadgorgeous-Ammann. Pity, really.
And of course you got "real" friends there as well.
But that is not my point. Recently I have noticed a change. More and more spam-people seem to discover their love for Twitter as well. There is hardly a day where I do not have to delete those nasty creatures from my follower's list again. That does not stop them. They keep on returning and trying it over and over again. Problem with them is that they offer you all kind of useless things. It varies from enlargement of certain private parts of the male body to little blue pills which promises again a male clientèle a lot of things, to improper and faked pictures of naked celebrities I do not want to see naked anyway.
Usually you can spot them very easily, recognisable on the already mentioned body part in the picture. But now they have changed tactics. They use pictures of normal looking females and you have to look twice before you realise that it is again spam and not a real person.
Now that is my point. Where do they get those photos of this really normal looking women? I have the suspicion that they are stealing them online?! They are stealing people's faces in the deep, deep depths of web 2.0. How mean and rude of them. Boo. And I am surprised that they might have luck with their methods of looking for customers. Cannot be possible, can it?! But I think there would not be a market if there would not be a demand.
All left to say is "O brave new world, that has such people in't!“.

"My life as a scarecrow..."

2009-09-23T19:52:00.005+02:00

I cannot believe it, we have been robbed. Thieves! Catch them!
...
How it began? They started to hang around in the garden very innocently. At first they behaved totally normal but probably their purpose was to watch us, learn everything about our daily routines so that they could go for it as soon as we were distracted and rob us.
"They" is "them" by the way (photo below) Their scheme was evil but quite simple. They took a sip of water now and then.
Next step was to spy out the surroundings...... while mate kept a lookout.
As soon as they had realised they were alone, the boss of the gang went for the up until then well hidden treasure. But it was a clever boss and he spied it almost instantly. Greedy him was not even able to SHARE. Boo. They had conquered my Dad's precious blueberries once again and it looked like they already knew their way under the cover, past the CDs (Dad's smart birdy defence system) up to the blueberries very, very well. Clever but cheeky birds. I was an eye witness but had to interfere at this point of the story, otherwise my Dad would have probably disinherited me.
I failed though. Yes, it is hard but I failed as a scarecrow. I ran towards the blueberries, while making loads of silly noises and what was the bird's reaction? It had the balls to lazily emerge from under the cover, hop around (I am convinced I saw him laughing at me), I ran around going "hush hush hush" but it did not even FLY away, no, all it did was to HOP away. Cheeky you-know-what.
I returned to the nice and beautiful butterflies. Lovely creatures THEY are.

"Chapter 79..."

2009-09-14T18:21:00.009+02:00

(English/GERMAN)

I knew it.

There we go, Chapter 79. Wow, time really flies and I have a première to announce. I was too late for my Dr.T. appointment, mind you, first time ever, and all thanks to uni (it is always nice to blame it on someone else, is it not?!). They decided to unlock the courses of my branch of study today, at 9 am straight. Crumbs! My appointment at Dr.T.'s was supposed to take place at 9.30 am. Hence I asked my Dad if he could give me a lift to town, even though "lift" might not be the appropriate term. I mean, he only went there in the first place because I asked him which does not really characterise a "lift", does it?!
Anyway, I was too late. 1 min. too late to be more precisely (1 min. of which I am quite proud)! But since I forgot to take my removable brace along as well, the brace which later turned out to be totally unnecessary at today's appointment, we had to turn around after we had just left the village and drive all the way back, I had to unlock the house again, ran up the stairs, snatched the corpus delicti and sped towards the car again. Later on I sped towards the surgery. With a delay of 1 min. I arrived. I had to wait for a few more minutes and was then called into the green chair. I cannot even remember when was the last time I sat in the green chair? I think it did not happen that often.
I even had one of the nice assistants. She was really friendly and had a look into my mouth, she also told me straight away that from now on I do not have to wear the removable brace again. Yippieee. Joy. Cock-a-hoop. Extremely happy. Phew.
I was really pleased and almost forgot to ask her about the "maybe shift" of my nerves (no, not about laying pipes). Even though her facial expression could not have looked more surprised if I would have really inquired about pipes.
Not sure at this point of my story if you are familiar with my by now two weeks ago dental - horror - experience at the dentist from hell?! To make a long story short: dentist gave me an injection because she intended to replace one of my old fillings. Unfortunately (for me) injection did not work out. Hurt like hell. So she gave me a second injection. Pity it did not work either. This time it hurt even more like hell. Blimey, I even got goosebumps because the pain was so strong. It did not stop her though. Like a true dentist from hell she continued her work and did not stop before work was finished. Nay, she did not even mind that I was almost falling off the chair by the time she was finished. Yes, and this dentist from hell, this devil incarnate of a dentist who lives in dental hell told me, as a sort of lame excuse, that the injections did not work because they have probably shifted nerves during my last surgery. AHA? Are you joking? I very much doubted this "shifting of nerves" story. I mean, are nerves pipes and can you just lay them? I suspected a lie behind this whole nerves storyline. I mean, honestly. Shifting of nerves and nobody had told ME afterwards? She has probably just missed my nerves and that was her really lame excuse. She did not even say "Sorry". Hey, I would have not minded the whole business as much as I have in the end, if she would have at least had the decency to admit it was her fault and had just apologised. As things are, she did not do that.
I was still curious, so I took today's appointment as a chance to ask my orthodontist about it. I did not want to tell him about my dentist (he knows her) but a bit of asking and informing could hardly do any harm, could it?! Therefore when the assistant asked me if I have any questions left I asked her bluntly "Is it possible to shift nerves?". She looked at me blankly. Okay, that was probably a bit too straight forward and totally out of the blue. Hence I asked her again. She of course did not know anything about it but she told me to ask the Dr. Yes, just the thing I had in mind.
Dr.T. eventually came, wearing a very colourful shirt, as usually, we shook hands and the assistant briefed him. At the end she added a "oh and the patient has a question". Cheers very much mate. I asked my question. Maybe he was as stunned as herself earlier on concerning my totally out of the blue and having nothing to do whatsoever with today's appointment - question, but he did not show it. In fact, he was very sweet. He started to explain it but then he interrupted himself and said that we will first finish today's business and he would then explain it to me. We finished today's business. He had a good look around, as well as a good knocking around, everything perfectly alright and once again I was told that I do not have to use my removable brace again, before he made a second start to explain the whole nerve-subject to me. He even made the assistant to bring him a fake set of teeth to be able to explain it properly. In the end it was myself, the assistant and a boy from a neighbouring chair who hang on his every word.
Gosh, I think he would make a brilliant lecturer.
I am enlightened now but I will sum the essentials up for you. Apparently it IS possible to shift nerves, he himself has done it once, when one of his patients had a major inflammation in that particular area. Nerves usually run just under your teeth (well, he showed it to me on the fake set of teeth, not sure if it is really UNDER your teeth but I do not know how to name the area otherwise) but my surgery took place ways under my nerves. He told me that hey have certainly not shifted nerves during my surgery.
LIES! My dentist has really told me big fat lies!!! She wanted to pull my leg. Eerie. I so knew she was wrong. Not on my watch!
He also promptly added, even though I have never mentioned my dentist it was probably crystal clear why I asked in the first place, that it could happen to EVERY dentist, even the most skilled ones that he/she does not hit the nerves at the first attempt but (that was the really interesting part, he added that without me asking him!) if that should be the case then you either have to 1) stop immediately, send the patient home and try it again later on or 2) you have to inject another one. Yes well, I told you so. Totally my dentist's fault.
I also told him about the pain - week with my jaw, after the injection, but I think I did not really mention the injection again, and he looked a bit concerned at first. I on the other hand enjoyed giving him a full report on my not-being-able-to-open-my-mouth-properly-for-a-few-days - situation. That does sound a bit mental, I know. Uhh, maybe I am an yet undetected sensationalist?
Anyway, eventually he finished his brief and very nice nerves-tutoring for dummies and we departed with the knowledge that it will be March 2010 till it is time for my next appointment. Immensely pleased with myself and my discovery I left the surgery.

PS: I knew it, I so knew it!

Ich wusste es doch.

Kapitel 79. Wow, die Zeit verfliegt und ich habe eine Premiere anzukündigen. Heute war ich zu spät für meinen Dr. T. Termin, allerdings das allererste Mal überhaupt und alles sowieso nur wegen Uni (es ist doch immer wieder nett, die Schuld den Anderen zuzuschieben, nicht wahr?!). Denn die Verantwortlichen haben sich dazu entschlossen, die Kurse heute um 9 Uhr morgens und zwar Punkt 9 Uhr freizuschalten. Mist! Dummerweise hatte ich meinen Termin um 9.30 Uhr. Man muss kein Rechengenie sein, um zu erahnen, dass sich das für mich, die nicht um die Ecke wohnt, nur schwer ausgehen würde. Deshalb fragte ich gleich mal meinen Vater, ob er mich in die Stadt mitnehmen könnte? Wobei "mitnehmen" wohl der falsche Terminus dafür ist. Ich meine, "mitnehmen" inkludiert ja, dass er sowieso in die Stadt gefahren wäre. Dem war aber nicht so. "Mitnehmen" ist in diesem Fall zwar nicht angebracht, ich verwende es aber trotzdem.
Und deshalb war ich schlussendlich zu spät, um 1 Min. zu spät. Wahrscheinlich wäre ich ursprünglich sogar durchaus in der Zeit gewesen, aber leider habe ich meine herausnehmbare Spange, die ich überflüssigerweise mitgenommen habe, wie sich später rausstellen sollte, Zuhause vergessen. Also fuhren wir zurück, ich raste ins Haus, die Treppen hinauf und schnappte mir das corpus delicti, raste zurück und ab ins Auto. Etwas später hechtete ich schon in die Praxis. Mit einer Verspätung von 1 Min. (auf die ich stolz bin) kam ich an. Ich musste noch ein paar weitere Minuten warten und danach durfte ich auch schon auf dem grünen Stuhl Platz nehmen. Dem grünen Stuhl. Wann saß ich das letzte Mal im grünen Stuhl? Ich weiß es nicht mehr.
Diesmal war mir auch das Glück hold und ich hatte eine der netten Assistentinnen. Sie war ausnehmend freundlich und hat sich mal die Situation in meinem Mund so angesehen. Danach hat sie mir gleich die frohe Botschaft überbracht, dass ich die Herausnehmbare fortan nicht mehr zu tragen brauche. Juchu! Freude. Unendlich große Freude. Phew.
Ich war mit einem Mal in so großer Feierlaune, dass ich beinahe vergessen hätte, sie nach der Möglichkeit der "Verlegung von Nerven" (nein, nicht Rohren) zu fragen. Ihr Gesichtsausdruck hätte jedoch nicht verwirrter sein können, wenn ich nach besagten Rohren gefragt hätte.
An dieser Stelle meiner Geschichte bin ich mir nicht sicher, ob ich schon die Ehre hatte, euch von meiner nun schon zwei Wochen zurückliegenden Zahnarzt - Horror - Story berichten zu dürfen? Langer Rede kurzer Sinn: die Zahnärztin hat mir eine Spritze verabreicht, um eine alte Plombe gegen eine neue Variante einzutauschen. Leider (für mich) gab es aber ein Problem mit der Injektion. Die hat nämlich nicht funktioniert und es tat höllisch weh. Also hat sie mir noch eine Spritze verabreicht. Schade, dass die auch nicht anschlug. Dieses Mal tat es noch mehr weh, als einfach nur höllisch weh. Teufel noch mal (wo wir uns thematisch schon in der Höllengegend bewegen), vor lauter Schmerz habe ich sogar Gänsehaut bekommen. Das hat sie allerdings nicht aufgehalten. Wie eine Zahnärztin mit direkter Verbindung zur Hölle arbeitete sie einfach weiter und hörte nicht auf, bevor sie ihr Werk vollendet hatte. Nein, es schien sie auch nicht sonderlich zu stören, dass ich derweilen vor lauter Schmerzen schon fast vom Stuhl gefallen wäre und am Ende schon halb in der Luft hing. Ja und diese äußerst "kompetente" Person, diese Inkarnation des Bösen, die ihr Zahnarztunwesen treibt, hat mir dann noch als Krönung meines Tages eine absolut deftige Rechnung und umso dürftigere Erklärung hingepeffert. Wahrscheinlich hätten sie bei der letzten OP einfach Nerven verlegt und deshalb hätte die Injektion nicht gewirkt, weil eben Spritze nicht die Nerven getroffen hätten. Aha? Wollte sie mich vergackeiern? Ich meine, sind Nerven Rohre und kann mich sie einfach "verlegen", ohne es danach auch der Patientin mitzuteilen?! Ich konnte ihr diese anrührende Geschichte, in der sie selbst das Opfer war, nicht ganz glauben. Ich meine, also wirklich. Nerven verlegen, aber Keiner sagt es mir? Sie hat wahrscheinlich einfach nur den Nerv' verfehlt und danach nicht den Nerv' gehabt, es mir auch zu sagen. Lahme Ausrede! Sie hat noch nicht einmal "Entschuldigung" gesagt, weil damit wäre es für mich okay gewesen, aber wenn sie noch nicht einmal Fehler eingestehen kann und es vorzieht mich zu belügen, dann haben wir wohl ein Problem.
Genau und nun war ich neugierig, ob man Nerven einfach so "verlegen" kann und habe deshalb den heutigen Termin genutzt, um mich bei Dr. T. darüber zu informieren. Ich wollte ihm zwar nichts von meiner Zahnärztin erzählen, aber ein bisschen nachbohren kann ja nicht schaden, oder?! Als mich also die Assistentin gefragt hat, ob ich noch Fragen hätte, habe ich ihr auch prompt mit "Ist es möglich, dass man Nerven verlegen kann?" geantwortet. Sie hat mich verdutzt angesehen. Okay, das war wahrscheinlich zu schnell und kam wohl zu sehr aus dem Blauen. Ich habe meine Frage wiederholt. Natürlich wusste sie keine Antwort darauf und meinte, dass ich den Dr. fragen sollte. Ja, das hatte ich auch vor.
Dr. T. kam schließlich, wie immer trug er ein sehr farbenfrohes Shirt, wir schüttelten Hände und die Assistentin informierte ihn über mich. Am Ende fügte sie noch schnell ein "oh und die Patientin hat eine Frage!" hinzu. Jawohl, das hatte ich in der Tat. Also fragte ich ihn. Vielleicht war er auch etwas erstaunt über meine total-aus-dem-Nichts-kommende - Frage, die nichts mit dem heutigen Termin zu tun hatte, aber er hat es sich zumindest nicht anmerken lassen. Ganz im Gegenteil, er war ziemlich süß, weil nämlich total bemüht, mich aufzuklären. Er hat gleich mit seiner Erklärung begonnen, dann hat er sich selbst unterbrochen und gesagt, dass wir am Ende der heutigen Behandlung darauf zurückkommen werden und er mir dann alles erklären würde. Wir haben die Behandlung beendet. Er hat sich alles genau angesehen, überall herumgedrückt, gehämmert, was auch immer und in meinem Mund ist alles Bestens. Zudem hat auch er mir mitgeteilt, dass meine herausnehmbaren Zahnspange - Tage gezählt seien. Fortan keine Herausnehmbare mehr für mich. Dann hat er sich von seiner Assistentin extra eins dieser Plastik-Gebisse zu Demonstrationszwecken bringen lassen und fing an mit seinem Kugelschreiber darauf herum zu kritzeln. Am Ende hingen ich, die Assistentin und der Junge vom Nebenstuhl an seinen Lippen.
Ich muss schon sagen, er wäre mit absoluter Sicherheit ein famoser Vortragender. Er hat es nämlich ganz leicht und einleuchtend erklärt. Ich bin jetzt erleuchtet und werde es für euch nochmals zusammenfassen. Augenscheinlich IST es tatsächlich möglich, dass man Nerven verschieben kann, aber er selbst hatte es zum Beispiel erst einmal in seiner Praxis, als nämlich eine Patientin eine massive Entzündung hatte. Nerven verlaufen normalerweise unter den Zähnen (naja, er hat es mir zumindest auf dem Demo-Gebiss so gezeigt, ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob die Region auch wirklich "unter" den Zähnen genannt wird, aber mir fällt keine andere Bezeichnung dafür ein), aber meine Operation fand noch weiter darunter statt. Deshalb platzte er heraus, dass in meinem Fall keinesfalls Nerven während der OP verlegt worden sind.
LÜGEN! Ich wusste es doch, meine Zahnärztin hat mir dicke, fette Lügen erzählt. Arg, ich wusste doch, dass sie mir Lügenmärchen auftischte. Aber nicht mit mir!
Dr. T. hat dann allerdings auch sofort hinzugefügt,dass es den besten Ärzten passieren kann, dass sie mit der Spritze mal daneben treffen (er hat offensichtlich geahnt, warum ich gefragt habe), aber (und das war für mich die wichtigste Aussage überhaupt!) in so einem Falle müsse man a) den Patienten sofort nach Hause schicken und später noch einmal zu sich bestellen oder b) nachspritzen. Ja, davon wäre ich auch ausgegangen.
Ich habe es ja gewusst, alles die Schuld meiner Zahnärztin.
Ich habe ihm dann auch noch von meinen Kieferschmerzen erzählt, die ich nach der Behandlung hatte, aber ich habe das mit der Fehlbehandlung nicht extra erwähnt und er ging mal davon aus, dass es sich dabei um eine Erkältung gehandelt hat. Mal wieder. Irgendwie scheine ich seit meiner OP dauernd Erkältungen im Kiefer zu haben, sie beschränken sich allerdings wirklich immer nur auf das Kiefer. Dafür habe ich ihm auch lang und breit von meinen Kieferbeschwerden in der Folgewoche berichtet. Auch davon, dass ich das Kiefer eine Zeitlang fast gar nicht weit öffnen konnte. Ich habe die Erzählung sichtlich genossen, irgendwie krank, aber wer weiß, vielleicht habe ich gerade die sensationslüsternde Seite an mir entdeckt?!
Wie dem auch sei, schließlich hat er sein kurzes, aber äußerst interesantes "Nerven-Tutorium für Dummies" beendet und wir haben uns in dem Wissen verabschiedet, dass mein nächster Termin erst im März 2010 sein wird.
Mit mir selbst und meiner Entdeckung äußerst zufrieden, habe ich dann die Praxis verlassen.

PS: ich wusste es, ich habe es sowas von gewusst!

"Still pretending to be a tour guide..."

2009-09-02T17:05:00.011+02:00

Next day. Okay, where to start? Mirabell Garden. Very obligatory if you ask me (and you better should, because I am the self-appointed tourist guide of this story). I mean, after all it is a real baroque garden belonging to a real palace and it does not happen very often that you have free access to a real and proper baroque garden (quoting my former art teacher here. Remember his ode to the baroque garden Helga?! Obviously it had quite an impact on me, I constantly have to think of T. when I walk into the garden).I also got a bit sentimental when we arrived at the second fountain of the garden. Once upon a time we went there in primary school (hence it was only yesterday) and I made a wish. Still waiting that wish will be fulfilled but changes are pretty low by now. *dramatic and melancholy sigh*

But I met a lovely couple at the fountain. Only at the second glance I discovered that something was amiss. Do you also find the mistake in the picture (no, not you Grissy, you know about it already)?
Next stop was at my favourite part of the Mirabell garden. The "Zwergerlgarten" ("dwarf garden"). Those dwarfs were built in 1715 with marble from the Untersberg.
Personally I think those dwarfs are brilliant even though you should probably not challenge them (thank you very much Lena).Because otherwise they might attack you with vegetables and fruits of all kinds and shapes.
No you have to treat them with care and maybe lend them your bag for their next shopping trip
and hence they will carry you around if you are too lazy to walkand provide you with a soft shoulder to sleep on.
Aw, it was hard but we had to depart again.
We left the baroque dwarf's garden and suddenly found ourselves at a playground. "Poor" us, really. But of course we used our chance and not only indulged in producing beautiful music (Lena started to play Mozart's "A small serenade" on those musical thingies you can see on this photo) but also took part in some sporty activities like climbing a monstrous chute and sliding very speedily down again. Ey, do not laugh, I even got my very own fan club.Our adventures at the playground were followed by another stroll through the town to reach our next destination.
The "problem" (if you want to refer to it as problem) with Salzburg is that it is too small to constantly take the bus because in my experience you are usually much quicker if you just keep on walking then waiting for a bus which might arrive too late anyway. But then on the other hand, if you already did a lot of that not-waiting-for-the-bus - kind of walking you might get tired after a while and the town suddenly becomes unusually big. Still with me so far? No? Me neither.
We walked to the old part of the town.In fact, we walked right to the bottom of one of the town's very own mountains. And yes, we climbed up to the Castle all by ourselves. We did not cheat and take the little train.
Our walk up the mountain turned into quite an exhausting walk in the end (lend us horses, please!) but nope, we did not give up, we did not surrender. We only got a bit hungry.
But it was worth it. The castle did not exactly look bad and it was a lovely day with loads of sunshine.On various occasions we nearly slipped cos we were wearing thongs (oh, those TOURISTS) but we did not hurt ourselves which might come as a surprise for you.
The view from up there was certainly terrific and it turned out to be a good thing to queue up for the guided tour. Mind you, not the Vero guided tour, I can hardly clone myself, can I? No, we got real proper guide thingies. You know, those little things you have to hold to your ear and eventually a male or female voice tells you all about the sight in front of which you are standing that very moment.
We enjoyed such a guided tour through the castle and learned a few important things. For example that Lena is originally at home in the castle. That was certainly news, also for us. Blimey, did not know it was her home we were visiting. But apparently, the mysterious voice in our ears told us, the torture chamber is Lena's home. That was the place where they used to keep the protestants (anyone who wants to keep Lena company?)... muahahaha. Therefore I decided that it would be best if Lena would stay there, still wonder why she did not agree? Since she did not want to stay, we continued our audio-tour and landed on top of the Castle. Ace! But it was also not long before I actually discovered my next toy! The cannon. Give me the cannon, I want to play with the cannon. Whoopee!Fabulous and since I am as I am, I just had to climb it. Yeaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh... While I was still highly excited about the cannon, we found the puppet museum. How useful because we wanted to attend a performance of the famous "Marionettentheater" (it seems that everything in this town wears the label "famous") next evening anyway and I had forgotten to organise the tickets for it in the morning. Ha, my chance to buy them now. The puppets were really cool actually and did you know that they are doing a "Sound of Music" performance at the Marionettentheater?! I would love to see it but no luck so far. They only had "The Magic Flute" on their schedule for tomorrow but never mind, I was quite convinced that it would also be a highlight. So far I have only seen "The Nutcracker" years ago (remember Karin?!) and back then we had absolutely loved it even though it was a ballet (performed with marionettes, splendid!).
Just when we left the museum we also met the new Papageno and Papagena and I must say that they were very charming indeed.
Before I will tell you more of our adventures back in town I have to give you a word of advice how you can save 3 Euro. If you go up to the Castle yourself, without taking the lift, you save 3 Euro. Honestly. Up there they "only" charge you 7,50 Euro (adult) and you can take the lift down if you chose to return that way (which was exactly what we did cos we paid for it). But if you already take the lift up, you will be charged 10,50 Euro. Horrendous. I mean, you drive up the mountain with the little odd train for about 1 min? I would have happily walked back down again myself if that would have saved me another 3 Euro but unfortunately that was not possible. Pity. Really.
Back in town we stormed into the next restaurant (no, not true, in fact I knew exactly where I was heading to, one of the best Pizzerias in town, but it sounds more dramatic that way) and had lunch since we were almost starving. After a very delicious Pizza, we headed for the best ice cream in town. Lena was a bit shocked concerning the prices but honestly, this is Salzburg we are talking about. That's normal.
It was still extremely hot and I decided that we needed a little bit of cooling off again. What seems to be the most decent thing to do in such a situation? Yes, exactly, climb the next fountain which was in our case the - oops - posh Residenzbrunnen.Never mind, we literally climbed it (very high fountain), without drowning and enjoyed the water even though it WAS a bit on the dirty side... but I am not complaining, no, not me.
The view was splendidand we had a bit of a leisure time up thereTill the wind decided to change and till we found ourselves suddenly being soaked...
cheers very much.
Afterwards, already very knackered, we continued our sightseeing trip and also visited Mozart's house. Unfortunately no cameras permitted, so no photos at this point of my story. Sorry.

But things looked a little bit brighter the next day. First thing we did, before we met up with Birgit, was to visit Mozart's birthplace. Still it was not permitted to take photos but... yes, well.
The tour through the house was without audio-guide which was very painful for us. Honestly. You get attached to them so easily. We were already accustomed to people handing out audio-guides at every possible opportunity. We could already handle those audio-guides without even looking at them, forget about paying attention to the instructions (which might have been the reason I always got audio-guides who were doing funny things or behaving a bit odd - maybe I should have listened to the instructions first?).
Not at this place though. Pity. I missed my audio-guides and its funny ways. While walking through the house we not only learned that you are NOT allowed to take pictures inside the house, no, people also got told off for trying to take pictures from the windows onto the streets outside. Weird.
Still, how exciting! You will never guess whom we met at Mozart's birthplace??? This is dead exciting. We walked into a room were two people were having a rest on a little bench, apparently a rest from the exertions of being over 200 years old and still walking around in this house. On the wall it read that those two on the little bench were Mozart's wife and his children. Blimey, we met Mozart's wife and his children in real life!!!They were as excited as we were! Watch out, a photo of Mozart's wife and his "children" (even though it looked suspiciously like only one child to me!), I think that is a very unique photo.
By the way, on our way to the Marionettentheater we were not only besieged by a stag party who wanted to sell us saucy things (I was so kind to let Lena handle this matter of business and worked in the meanwhile on my abilities to get invisible which sadly enough did not work out), nope, we also happened to stumble over Lena's shop.On our way back it was already gone again though! Geez. Okay, maybe not the shop itself but they were already getting the decoration off the shop. Wow. Lucky us.
And at the end of my story we were reunited with Birgit at the Marionettentheater and enjoyed an evening with "The Magic Flute".They did an awesome show (the puppet players, not the elderly people on this photo)!!!!!

Au revoir, that's it. I am off.

Pretending to be a tourist guide...

"Pretending to be a tour guide..."

2009-09-01T17:44:00.014+02:00

I thought it was about time again to test my potential tour guide qualities and where would be a better start than in your own town?Hence I invited a friend and the tour could begin... Welcome to Vero's tour guide world.
One of the first things we met on our way to the zoo - not very typical for a town, I know but it seems that all girls are in love with zoos [including my humble self] and therefore I decided it would be a good thing to start at the local zoo - was our town's mascot who is omnipresent, very much like our second favourite town's mascot, only known to American, English, Asian and maybe Australian visitors... You cannot escape both of them, forget it and sometimes they almost look like tourists themselves (at least former):
Mozart
and
The Sound of MusicBut back to the zoo. It is not an ordinary zoo. Nope, apparently it is declared as "Alpen Zoo" (Alps zoo) which caused a little bit of confusion when I tried to discover if the bus stop "Alpen Zoo" and THE "Zoo Hellbrunn" are one and the same thing? I mean, not very likely that we have TWO zoos anyway but you never know and I would hate to get off the bus at the wrong bus stop. Just for the record they ARE the same thing and in the end we got off at the right point of our journey (unlike the Italian family who left the bus too early *not our fault though*).
First thing we did at the ALPS zoo was to study the various differences between pigs. Mind you, we studied them VERY closely. Not a very nice sight.
We moved on to the sheep who were having an image problem I guess. They seemed to be everybody's darling but all they wanted was: I'm a celebrity, get me out of here.It did not work out for all of them. I felt a tiny wee bit sorry, but not for very long either because they were scroungers! Geez, at first they ogled at you and next thing you knew was that they were sniffing for your (non existing) food. But we also met an especially handsome sheep amongst them, dear little creature it was. Very charming one, and very elegant too. We wanted to adopt it instantly but I am afraid we were not the first ones. Pity.
We continued our journey, but which way first? So many choices. Africa, North America? I was overwhelmed and took the easiest way: down.Little boy envied me, Dad looked slightly amused.
We did also meet a lot of interesting animals. We met lazy monkeys,cool as ice monkeysabsent-minded monkeys
and mean looking monkeysWe met cute cuddly little baby animals
and not so cute onesas well as beautiful onesand an almost dead camel (of course it wasn't dead, it just took a little nap)Not to forget the coolest animal on this planet, well, at least the animal with the coolest haircut:I also found myself a cute little house, beautifully painted...I invited friends along and we had a little BBQ (I know it looks like I'm fishing in the BBQ which isn't true, don't be ridiculous)Lena also invited me but the next generation of squatters had already arrived and needless to say that she could not live there any minute longer.Did I already mention that we had a few troubles to actually find the animals? Most of them seemed to prefer the camel's way of life and they hid. Not many of them were walking around. Boo. So hence we helped ourselves and took photos with their look-a-likes instead. Ha.
Then we thought it should be time for cooling off and we went to the Trick Fountains...Refreshment basically everywhere.We also enjoyed little stroll round Hellbrunn palace went up to the little castle and on our way there we had a little fight with a rhino
At the castle we saw a gigantic edelweiss and a maniac flying towards it...That was certainly enough so went back again. In the park we saw a monster fish though...

well, definitely enough for today (come on, this thing had at least four eyes). See you tomorrow.

"Adventures in Vienna..."

2009-08-22T17:38:00.010+02:00

I was recently able to discover yet again that time changes a lot. Take train journeys for example. I can still remember (at least bits and pieces) of my first train travels. If I do remember them correctly (yes Mum?) we were going to my Grandma. "We" included my Mum as well as myself and my brothers. Come to think of it, I think my Mum has probably not particularly enjoyed those train journeys. We had to be kept occupied and I thing that had never been an easy task.
Today everything is different.
When I went to Vienna a little time ago (was not able to update earlier, sorry) I was lucky enough to get one of the last empty seats in the whole train. Squeezed in between a family consisting of Mum and two children. Nice. The thing which amazed me most was the stuff this woman obviously carried along to please her beloved ones. Amazing. We definitely did not have that kind of bric-a-bracs when we went onto one of our very rare train rides. The train journey WAS our highlight. Not those children though. Apart from the fact that Mum had all kind of unhealthy food for them in store and bought some more on the train (I got envious here, we never got that either, we had our food in our back bags), Mum also carried a DVD player along. Yes, a DVD player. They watched DVDs whilst I tried to read or alternatively listen to my mp3 player. Did not work out that well, thanks to noisy DVD player.

Once happily arrived in Vienna I discovered the construction site named Westbahnhof (train station) and met up with Karin. I also discovered that I am not able to eat Thai like a grown-up. After the meal I had not only gained the knowledge that I am not very talented in trying to eat with chopstick (should have not tried in the first place - must practise in secret before I will go public again), no, my T-Shirt had also gained a few oily spots thanks to my (useless) efforts.
The fortune cookie helped me to recover from my oily spots again. "You will find a way to create the happiness you desire". Does that mean I will be able to get rid of those nasty things on my T-Shirt?!
Next stop coffeeeee before I met up with my younger brother. I spent the following 2 1/2 days at his place and I must say that I had 2 1/2 very entertaining and funny days.I learnt quite a few things. For examples that some parts of Vienna look like totally ordinary countryside places.I also learnt that my brother is a talented shepherd when it comes to birds. Even though it looked like those birds wanted to attack me in the end.They did not though. Quite a surprise, ey?!
We also went to the Fernwärme Wien building (distance heating Vienna). Commonly not a touristy sight but things are different in Vienna. The building is one of the magnificent architectural projects of Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser (his alias does sound a bit like a joke, does it not? I mean i.e. rainyday darkcolour?), an Austrian painter and architect. I loved the building like I love all of his buildings. They look ever so different, unique and fairy tale like.Even a distance heating building suddenly looks very grand, posh and special.
Bit like a huge playground castle.
I did not want to but we had to leave again. And on we went and saw some other great places. At first we searched for our "Mama". Where's my Mummy?! Oh look, found it.Ok maybe I did not find Mum but I found myself.
"Ich" = "I" = "moi" ;)I thought that a photo would be really appropriate cos otherwise people would probably not know that I am I, would they?! Hence I, that is me. Very logically, is it not?! Are you still with me?
But I can top that. I teamed up with Birgit on Sunday, after saying Farewell and See You very soon (matter of fact middle of September) to my baby brother, and next thing we knew, we were on our way to the Sunken City, obviously a very mysterious place because a Sunken City *woo hoo*. But we did not reach it without a few problems. One of them was a big, fat, nasty orthographic mistake. On the wall. Come on you graffiti person (cannot call him/her/them writer cos he/she/they made a bad, bad spelling mistake) if you are not able to paint something really great onto the wall and have the urge to just blemish an innocent wall, why not at least try to write it properly and without very obvious mistakes?! Next stop of our journey: Soho. Wow this turns into another world tour, does it not? And guess what followed after Soho? You will not believe me but we know what most people want to know. We found Hellmouth! At least that was what this writing told us. Hellmouth. If you want to visit it too, it is in Vienna. If you should meet Buffy, the Vampire slayer (is she not the one who used to live right next to it?) could you tell her please that Hellmouth has moved?! Cheers!We intended to spent the rest of the evening at the Copa Cagrana (n.b. Birgit: even the English Wiki version uses this name *haha*) which would have been a very nice thing to do...
We had already crossed the bridge to the other end of the Copa Cagrana and felt like being on holiday in the South, all those bars and all this Southern music was taking its toll... We had just ordered in one of the various bars our drinks and something to eat. While eating suddenly wind got up and got really, really nasty. At first it scattered our yummy crisps all over the place, then it even broke my wine glass which had still contained wine up until then! Which was the point when we gave up and tried to escape the crazy Copa Cagrana Island storm. We went back the same way and the water got rather rough.I learned my last lesson of the day while standing on another bridge, waiting for the tube. You cannot take proper night shots on a tube bridge, not even with a tripod. It constantly wobbles especially when you are facing a major storm.PS: you might not have guessed it but we arrived back home before the rain started (cos it never started that night).

"Touring Europe... part VI"

2009-08-14T18:04:00.011+02:00

6th day.
The last day had to be celebrated in style. Again it started with a lie-in, wonderful, I could definitely get used to those. After another late breakfast, we went to Dortmund to get my train ticket for Cologne airport. We were not sure, not sure at all matter of fact, if Silvia's car would survive another long journey to Cologne, unharmed, because during the past few days it had transformed into some kind of wicked, ticking time bomb. For how much longer would it be drivable?! Hence I decided to invest into a posh train ticket including (watch out for suddenly posh me) 4 Euro extra for a seat reservation. See, I was truly generous and treated myself to a ride on an ICE train (cos it meant no change of train) including a totally unnecessary (discovered it the next day) seat reservation. The train was more than half empty anyway.
Since we were already in Dortmund Silvia decided to give me a tour around town. Another megacity to add to my collection.
We started with introducing ourselves to a few of the inhabitants of Dortmund. They were a bit stubborn and refused to let us through, so we had to get them out of our way. I tried to make them follow me, which did not work.
Silvia tried to push them away, with did not work either. None of it helped. Sigh.
We had a little break where some of us sipped their coffee while others felt the urge to talk to "cola bears" (O-ton little child in a pram). Then we gave it another try. As soon as nobody was looking I climbed up, onto the back of one those lovely but delicate creatures. I think I must have mistook it for a blue version of Falkor (Fuchur in German). In true I-want-to-ride-Falkor-style I clinged to its white wings, raised my nose into the air and took off. Almost. Silvia on the other hand showed where her true loyalties lay. Nah, wrong picture. Not with Germany, with the little hippo of course.I discovered a new hobby of mine. Car driving. I think I am a natural.
Almost fell out of the car during an especially tricky turn though. That was before I almost really fell. I mean a real, a proper fall. But since I am - like already discussed in an early post of mine - cool as ice, no harm done here.
Highly professional I swang back into place. Phew.Which was mainly it. The rain caught up with us and we hurried to the next wurst stand (by Jove, did not even know that word "wurst stand" existed) and tried my first Curry Wurst ever! I must say that I liked it a lot. It was like a Bosna without the bread, the mustard and the onion (ok, so just imagine a "naked" Bosna sausage here *g*) and the curry in a sort of sauce, instead of being pulverised. And with this culinary highlight I will end my "Touring Europe" post.
See you soon (in Vienna).

"Dance of the Vampires - a review..."

2009-08-12T19:26:00.007+02:00

Okay, here we are. Still stuck at day 5 (if I am not mistaken and of course I am not) but I cannot move to day 6 before I have written down my thoughts on "Dance of the Vampires" (Tanz der Vampire) in Oberhausen.
This is kind of difficult though because I am afraid it has been a little while since the premiere including the original cast in Vienna. It certainly has become difficult for every DoV (TdV) staging now to live up to it. Time usually tends to whitewash the past even though I think in this case, time is right. The first version (which of course mainly means the first staging in Vienna plus its cast) was the best one. Nobody can better that.
Nevertheless I was looking extremely forward to Oberhausen and a probably different DoV version. Of course my reason for "extremely" belonging to "looking forward" was no less a figure than Jan - dropdeadgorgeous - Ammann. Hence I was especially delighted when I read his name on the cast notice of the day. Up until now there had been the "risk" of getting the second cast. Which would have been no problem with any other performer but please NOT JddgA!The theatre in Oberhausen looks like one of those especially created new theatres for musical productions. I have never set eyes on such a theatre before but I believe they are quite common nowadays, especially in Germany. At least that is the impression I got. While already waiting in the foyer and enjoying the view from up stairs (magnificent view to gossip) time flew by.
Soon it was time to take our seats and I was delighted to discover the brilliant view of row no.3. We did not really have a seat in the centre but it was still quite close and trust me, best seats ever!!! (you will find out "why" later on)
I was very excited by then.
I will start my probably not very neutral review with the first person who entered the stage. Alfred. Well, I had high expectations, thanks to Aris Sas and was not at least surprised when Tibor Heger could not live up to it. No one can, except Aris S. himself. But apart from the fact that Tibor Heger was not Aris Sas, he was quite good. At least when it came to the acting. I was not that convinced by his voice but then again, I would have not been convinced by anyone else except Aris I guess. That is the curse of the Alfred - part. The funny thing about Tibor Heger was pointed out by Silvia. We sat there in silence, watching him, when Silvia suddenly commented "He looks like Harry Potter". Goodness gracious me, NO, do not say such things. But she was right. Have you ever seen a singing and ACTING Daniel Radcliffe? A sorcerer's apprentice as assistant of Professor Abronsius? Something was wrong. He did indeed look an awful lot like Harry Potter, a blond Harry Potter. The only thing missing was the scar. Cheers very much Silvia, of course I had to think of Harry Potter for the rest of the musical, as soon as Tibor H. aka Alfred entered the stage which was kind of ... distracting?!
Professor Abronsius was really brilliant even though he was not played by Gernot Kranner, I dare say the performer with the longest endurance. He has always been Professor Abronsius and probably always will be. The other one was Sven Prüwer and even though probably quite young he was a very convincing and a very entertaining cranky old chap. One of my most favourite songs is the one when Prof Abronsius and Alfred set off for the crypt together ("In der Gruft") and they did definitely a good job there. But of course it is always a bit weird when the really old, almost ancient "Professor" suddenly turns out to be an almost "youngster" in real life. I dunno anything about Sven Prüwer's real age, except that he seems to be quite young, but I must say that he was brilliant!
Equally brilliant was Jakub Wocial as Herbert. What a VERY gay version of a gay vampire. Almost too gay but he always got his act together and was just fab. I also very much liked his voice.
Jerzy Jeszke as Chagal was another favourite of mine but I have the faint suspicion that I have seen him on stage before. Chagal and his wife Rebecca (Heike Schmitz) were fab as Jewish vampires. I also quite enjoyed Linda Konrad as Magda even though I think that she was ways more impressive and had a much stronger voice AFTER she had turned into a vampire. She suddenly - also vocally - turned into a Femme Fatal which was fascinating. Where had that voice been before?! Was it on purpose? I really hope it was on purpose because it totally fitted the scene. My second theory was that they changed the actress but that of course was a very silly theory of mine (but I think a very creative one too *g*).
By talking about thin voices... Sarah. Sabrina Auer as Sarah was really sweet and nice like you would imagine such a Sarah to be. While she takes full advantage of Alfred (which is the reason I was never able to like that character), she is obviously submissively dependant on the Earl (for which I cannot really blame her^^). In Oberhausen Sarah reminded me visually of young Elisabeth from the same named musical. Maybe both productions have had the same wig maker? But on the other hand I was not able to be bothered by two forelocks like the bunch of guys behind me. Seriously, do you not have any other problems? (NO, obviously not, watch out for more criticism during the break). So those hardboiled bunch of DoV fans (clearly recognisable by identical T-Shirts) criticised those two forelocks. I on the other hand criticised Sabrina Auer's voice. At first it was absolutely perfect but later on, during her duets, it got lost. Honestly, her voice got regularly lost as soon as her partner's voices became too powerful. Which might have been appropriate to a certain extent when she had her duets with the Earl himself and besides would have fitted her character but ... that was certainly a bit too much.
Which is a perfect transition nevertheless (I have to congratulate myself at this point of my review for this very smooth transition). The Earl. Played by, yes, you have all guessed it correctly, Jan - dropdeadgorgeous - Ammann. Here starts my not very impartial opinion. He was brilliant, really, he was. We were really lucky and I have to praise the choreographer because by a (very, very, very) happy coincidence Jan A. aka the Earl was most of the time in front of us which provided me with a very stunning view. As soon as he entered the stage, I was no longer able to stop grinning, there sat a very happy Vero in the audience, trust me. Silvia told me later on that she was very entertained by the very happy Vero ("cheers very much" -> boo, it is not nice to watch people who are too smitten to realise they are being watched themselves while behaving a tiny wee little bit silly) but it was all worth it. He was brilliant, really. Well, apart from the fact maybe that I started to giggle as soon as Jan - dropdeadgorgeous - Ammann started to talk on stage. It is not my fault and it obviously also does happen to heroes. My reason for this fit of laughter was simple: uhm, he has never talked like that in "Ludwig²". Why did he talk like that anyway? He talked with a suddenly very dark voice and sounded like an operatic singer talking in an opera. Only that this was not an opera. No surprise then that I could hardly control myself. His singing voice was also much darker than it had been on the previous occasion which then of course lead me to the suspicion that it was done on purpose!?! Yes, that must have been the solution, either that or something was clearly wrong with my ears. The only thing missing now was the soprano, and et voilà there could have been a Dance of the Vampires opera.
Back at home by the way I discovered that he really probably did it on purpose because he sounded suddenly very much like Steve Barton. He was really good. Jan - dropdeadgorgeous - Ammann I mean. Very much like the Professor Sven Prüwer, Jan - ddg - Ammann was visually too young for his part but he performed it like he would have had the same age as the Vampire. Ok, maybe not the SAME age because how old is the Earl of Krolock in the musical, technically speaking?! 700, 800, 900 or even more years?!
Another funny detail of the musical was that Chagal and Rebecca sometimes reminded me of the musical "Mozart" (dunno why), Sarah of the already mentioned younger version of Elisabeth and Earl of Krolock funnily enough of Jekyll & Hyde. No, I have not even seen Jekyll and Hyde with JddgA (unfortunately, I am still heartbroken) but sometimes he did really sound a lot like that musical and those two characters.
One of his best appearances was definitely the very first one. Before he left the stage again he glanced around in a very ingenious manner. Fab! Honestly. I also admired him (apart form my usual amount of admiring of course) for being able to sing with those teeth. At first he did even sound like he would not sing in his own native language those choppers were providing him with an accent!!! You could see that he had to move his lips a bit funny to be able to sing with those thingies and without spitting them out again or maybe start lisping. He lost his non existing "accent"" very soon and was totally without teeth again during "Unstillbare Gier" , brilliant performance (even though I thought he would crash into the orchestra pit as he sprinted forwards, let himself fall down on his knees, skidded forwards and came to a sudden stand still only inches before the orchestra pit chasm) despite his young and his old character's age, he sounded totally and utterly depressed, full kudos for that one. He played the depressed vampire Earl very convincing, it made my skin crawl which IS a compliment.
One of the things which entertained me - and the rest of the audience - most were the constant "boh's" to frighten the others. Capital, capital (to quote Sir Lucas).He used his "new" Earl of Krolock operatic voice for those. Aw. The laughs of his character were equally entertaining but I wonder why he looked that grumpy during the dance scene at the ball? It got very obvious because he really looked rather miffed and bored. I came to the conclusion that it must have been on purpose again, Silvia at first did not agree but then again... Must have been on purpose. I cannot remember the ones in Vienna (I never sat that close to the vampire stage before) but I have been told that he - Krolock - usually looks rather pleased. Hence I guess it was a new way to interpret his character. It certainly made quite an impact, the grumpy Earl, haha.
Which brings me to my conclusion. Jan - dropdeadgorgeous - Ammann was brilliant which was no news to me anyway! After all he is my hero.
I am almost at the end of my review. I just have to add another "interesting" fan voice from during the break. Apparently the same group of fans who have already complained about Sarah's two forelocks, also complained about the height of Jan - dropdeadgorgeous - Ammann. Without joking, accordingly to those fan voices in my back during the break, JddgA is too tall for the part of the Earl of Krolock. Well, yes, "interesting" opinion.
Next I have to spice the review with a strange incident which took place during a duet. Sarah and the Earl were the only ones on stage, everything was totally silent when suddenly some maniac of a fan in front of me screamed like someone would have just knifed her. Goodness gracious me, she gave me a fright, unbelievable. I almost jumped off my seat because of this scream. I looked around, for a second I had thought that it must have been on stage but there were still only Sarah and the Earl and none of them screaming??? Then I realised that it has been a woman in the first row, just in front of me. Told you, she was a fan maniac! Hey, she did that one on purpose, how weird is THAT?
The funniest incident happened at the end of the show. Curtain call. Performers were bowing and audience was cheering. Suddenly someone lifted a probably 9 year old girl onto the stage (!) and this girl started to go to every performer (who were still standing in a row next to each other thanks to curtain call) and shook every performers hand. We all stood there with big questions marks upon our heads. Was that planned? Suddenly we realised "no", it was not because some of the performers (especially hunky Jan - dropdeadgorgeous - Ammann) could not stop laughing and were obviously very entertained/delighted by this incident. Little girl kept a straight face, shook all those hands and it was only when she had reached Chagal (almost the last one in the row) that he took charge of her. He took her by her hand and guided her off the stage again. Minutes later I saw the same girl lead by a security back to her parents. - The End (of this review, last day of travelling yet to follow).
How can we sum those events up? What takes it to make a Vero happy?!
Take a few vampires, add a JddgA and I am in JddgA heaven. (To tell you the truth, if you don't have any vampires at hand, it doesn't matter, JddgA would be enough anyway). Cheers for a brilliant show/day!

"Touring Europe... part V"

2009-08-11T11:25:00.007+02:00

5th day.
Wow, so this was it. The day. THE day. The day I would finally be able to see "Dance of the Vampire" (Tanz der Vampire) with, *fingers very crossed*, Jan - dropdeadgorgeous - Ammann as Graf von Krolock (the Earl).
How does a day like this start? With rain. Not very promising I dare say but I refused to accept the rain and started a mantra once again. "It will not rain after the musical, it will not rain after the musical, it will not, not, not."
Actually today was also the first day we were able to have a lie-in. How nice for a change. Hence we got up at around 9-ish am instead of 5 am which was brilliant, really. Before we had a chance to starve, we organised breakfast and started the rest of the morning very lazy. That is how I love my Saturdays.
In the early afternoon we met up with "the others". Namely Tanja and Nana and apart from the fact that it was great to see "the others" again (Hi Tanja, Hi Nana *waving into your direction, can you see me?*) I was SO happy to get my first real coffee of this week. Cheers a million Tanja, you have probably saved my life ;) Pity there is no chance for coffee being served intravenous, would have quite enjoyed that. I could hardly stop drinking coffee which was a bad idea cos too much coffee means a where-the-...-is-the-next-loo - problem for the very near future.It was still raining when we left the girls again and I almost forgot my umbrella. I always forget my umbrellas, annoying habit of mine. But like I mentioned before... my interesting abilities to foretell the weather (anyone want to hire me as their new weather frog?!) were true once again. When we arrived at the musical theatre it had already stopped raining. Yay me. Pity that I had forgotten my magic crystal ball at home because I had to do a bit more of foretelling and trying to influence the future as well as in any possible way. Silvia was suddenly convinced that Jan - dropdeadgorgeous - Ammann would not be playing tonight. No, that was NOT possible, I repeat, not possible at all. I would drown myself in tears if that should be the case!
Hence I shut my ears again and he - JddgA - became my new mantra. I told her that he would be there because he had to. I mean, I am not that often in Oberhausen (matter of fact never), of course he simply had to be there. It is as simple as that! ;)
Focus very hard on JddgA, JddgA, JddgA, JddgA, JddgA, JddgA, (see, it is already working)...
We were a bit too early for the show but also a bit too late for a snack somewhere else so we stayed at the theatre. We "enjoyed" the view on the motorway (is it a motorway?) next to the theatre, how charming (no actually, not at all) before we set off for the box office to collect what was ours: the tickets. Hooray. With the tickets safely clutched in our hands we were also allowed to enter the theatre building and we (especially me, hey we are talking about my hero after all, I am allowed to behave a little silly) of course almost sprinted towards the notice containing the cast of tonight. Unfortunately we could not find a proper notice on the wall (no money for one, ey?!) before we realised that today's cast was printed on a pile of copies, piling up on a, uhm, sort or reception desk? Okay. As you were! Turn around, off we went to the pile of copies. Quickly scanning the names and YES, I knew it. Jan - dropdeadgorgeous - Ammann was indeed in charge of Graf von Krolock tonight. We did a little happy dance in our minds (of course not in public, in a over-crowded foyer, did you really think that?) and I could hardly stop grinning again. One or two or even three other names did ring a bell as well but unfortunately we did not have Gernot Kranner as Professor Abronsius which I would have absolutely enjoyed too. I have seen "Dance of the Vampires" 2 1/2 x in Vienna (about, uhm, 11 or 12 years ago?) and I would have really loved to see him on stage again. He is definitely the person with the greatest perseverance in the cast.

A maybe not very impartial review should follow soon, stay tuned for more...

(to be continued)