www.how I met your mother…

Source: HIMYM Facebook Fan Page

Well, as well all know, „Social Media“ is getting more and important and everybody should do it.

And as we all know, a lot of people and companies do it though they don’t know how to.

Sure every show has a Faceboook Fan Page, where you’ll find short preview of the next episode or backstage stuff, but this really got me:

Since I started University, I’m watching the show “How I met your mother”. And I have to say, it is better than “Scrubs”, “Dr. House” or anything, I’ve ever watched before.

We will not go through the story, all the characters and everything, but every girl has to admit, as much as he is an asshole, you’d fall for the character Barney! And so would I… (which is not surprising, since we all know I go for suits, assholes and Americans)

Anyways, the awesome, legan –wait for it– dary Barney sometimes mentions his blog. And there it is: The Barney Stinson Blog. Sure thing, you’ll find the latest updates on their Facebook Fan Page. And of course, with his iPhone in his hand, he is now twittering as well.

The blog looks a bit shitty, but read a few lines through it, and you’ll get what you were looking for.

All in all: Great show and also great community. Surfing through the page, you’ll find photos, video specials and everything, but also a Desktop App and Polls on how e.g. the Barney and Robin story should end, …

Awesome!

PS: Also, just in case not knowing, you’ll find all the sites mentioned on the show online. Just as Ted Mosby is a jerk.

Tybee-Back

It’s just a feeling today, that I shouldn’t be here. Not exactly shouldn’t be here, but maybe rather be somewhere else. After work, of course. It started last night, when I remembered my Christmas trip to people I didn’t even know. Last time, Christmas-trouble took me to Savannah, Georgia and to Tybee Island (for more, find the trip diary here). And it was amazing. It was a place where I wouldn’t mind staying for a longer period of time at all. I loved it, I still do. And I wish I could be there. Today. To see the people, the beach, the life. To be back. Back in the States. Back to speak a language I rather speak than German.

Back in Georgia.

To not have to think about leaving Hamburg, starting in freaking Siegen, to not worry about screwing up, to just be.

And to take nothing but pictures and to leave nothing but footprints!

But it’s not vacation, it’s everyday life. So off, so well.
Let’s go. Go on!

Back.

Off and away

Dear everbody,

I did not get killed in a fight with Santa over gifts, I’m just out of town, in Savannah, Georgia. Because I don’t wanna bother others with my internet addiction, I’m not online a lot.

Find your holiday greeting below, in German and English.

Talk to you soon, returning before New Year.

Best wishes,

-Feli-

_____________________________________________

It’s Christmas and we all look for that very special something for our very special someone. Because we want Person No.1, our family and best friends to know how much we care. It could be a trip to somewhere, expensive jurewy or a little puppy. It now comes down to how much you have listened to this „Owwwww, look at that nice little watch there in the window“, „Yeah, I really wish I could have this and that!“, „That’d fit perfectly into my livingroom, but naaaahhh…“. Our very big wishes are most of the time not said in the main sentence, maybe sometimes not even loud. It is more like a standing in front of something a little longer, staring at it and moving the head from one side to the other. 

And again that is, what will happen, when you hand out, this gift, to be honest, whatever it is.

Because maybe not in the main sentence, maybe not in front of others, maybe not at all, but inside, that person knows: The best thing for Christmas, is you being here.  

I hope you all have a great Christmas and a wonderful holiday season. Spend this time of the year with your loved ones and find some rest.

 ____________________________________________________________

 WAS IST WEIHNACHTEN?

Ist der Haupt-Weihnachtstag am 24.12.? In Deutschland ja, woanders auch mal nein.

Ist Weihnachten ein religiöses Ereignis? Hand aufs Herz, der Großteil der Leserschaft geht nicht mal in die Kirche.

Ist Weihnachten eine Erfindung des Einzelhandels? Gut möglich, aber Beweise habe ich dafür nicht.

Gibt Weihnachten nur dem Tannenbaum eine Daseinsberechtigung? Nein, in Südafrika hatten wir damals zu Weihnachten keine Edeltanne neben dem Pool stehen, trotzdem wurde geweihnachtet.

Ist Weihnachten nur eine Familien-Pflicht-Veranstaltung? Nicht notgedrungen, aber es ist schön, wenn man wenigstens einmal im Jahr alle wieder zusammen kriegt.

Ist Weihnachten da, um uns an etwas zu erinnern? Ich denke schon, aber das muss wohl jeder für sich selbst entscheiden.

Ist Weihnachten ein Gefühl? Unter anderem, denn man erinnert sich doch immer wieder gerne an die Kindheit und wie es damals war.

Ich hoffe, dass sich alle Leser auf Weihnachten freuen und dass es das wird, was ihr euch erhofft. Dass es keine Familienstreite gibt und dass ihr entspannen könnt und die Feiertage genießt.

Frohes Fest!

 

Please Welcome: RhineBuzz

Imagine, you’re not from here. Imagine, your company moved to Germany and wants you and your family to move to Germany as well. Imagine doing that. Imagine, not really knowing the language, not really knowing what is going on, imagine, only knowing the bar around the corner, but not knowing anybody to have a drink with.

There are in fact relocation companies, but would you ask these people to go out with you on a Friday night? Would you go to the city by yourself, not knowing how to get in touch with others, since not speaking German very well? Would you go to all these places, they put up in these sightseeing books?

I don’t know what I would do. Especially, if I didn’t know, there was RhineBuzz here. RhineBuzz is trying to help at this point. It got started by Caroline, Pia and Mark. Caroline, for example, did a tour with us in English through the Albert Watson exhibition at NRW Forum. Pia did the same in Japanese. Mark speaks perfect English, the others speak perfect German and either perfect English or Japanese. They want to welcome the people who are new in this area and want to help, whether it comes to job search, doctor’s appointments or tax advisers. The idea is to build up a community of English speaking people, who stay in touch. They want to create a place, where you can go and you’ll always find people to talk to. And that is, what I’ve seen so far. The people I’ve met are really open minded, nice, interested in you and what is going on. They are from all kinds of different places: United States, England, Sweden, South Africa, Japan,… It is not only a great place to make new social contacts, but also to find business contacts.

I really hope, that people, who move over here, no matter if it’s for 3 month, 3 years or forever, get in touch with RhineBuzz and come to the meetings. People from all over the place met at NRW Forum, which has a really nice bar, every Friday at 8 pm. It’s free, you can come and go whenever you want to. CenterTV, a local TV channel, has visited and posted a video on their webpage (mostly in German though), if you want to get a little impression.

Also, RhineBuzz keeps you updated with what’s happening in Düsseldorf and around. And that is so much more than you would find on any other Düsseldorf-Homepage. That for, visit www.RhineBuzz.com  (they are still working on their final webpage, this is just a temporarily one. It’ll be online in January/Febuary 2009) and become a part of it. Because that is, what RhineBuzz is in the first place: A community that would not exists if it was not for and with you.

Let’s face it

 Cuff links are a really nice thing, I think.

ELEVEN FORTY CO. must feel the same and came up with a great idea: Individual cuff links, which as a pair, look like a face. Either like your face or your idol’s, your friend’s, Albert Einstein’s, whatever, they can do it. All you have to do is take a couple of pictures from different angles and mail them in. You can pick between the following materials: Sterling Silver, 18ct Gold, White Gold and Platinum.

Yes, I was thinking of getting a few pairs as well, until I found the pricing, starting at £1,250.00 (somthing like 1,450.00 Euro) for Sterling Silver.

Still, I’m finding this a great idea (sure an amazing gift) and not only a useless luxury thing.  

(Photos by www.elevenforty.com)

Good night, Mister Bryson.

It is quiet and it is dark and it is late and I can’t sleep. I want someone to talk to me. But I can’t call anyone and even if I did call someone, I first had to talk to that person and explain what the fuck is wrong with me. But then, I remembered, that my friend found Bill Bryson audio books at his parents place and gave them to me. I searched through my room… I first heard of Bill Bryson, when my English friend Karina, an au pair girl I met, got me „Notes from a big Country“ for my birthday, after her British friends and I had long talks about if it is „gas station“ or „petrol station“, „color“ or „colour“ and „trunk“ or „boot“. „Notes from a big country“ is simply hilarious and shows that there are more than words who separate England from America. READ IT! Back to the audio book: Whoever thinks, I’ve got a pink, sparkling iPot or some other Mp3 Player is wrong. Whoever thinks, the audio book is on CD, doesn’t know, that my CD-Player is broken. The Audio Book is on cassette. „Bill Bryson, The Lost Continent“ it says on the cover, „abridged and read by Kerry Shale“ stands on the inside. ‘Let’s go’, I think and put it in, move myself back to bed and start listening. The reader is doing a great job here and I’m finding it very amusing. Whenever he talks about different areas and quotes the people, he changes his voice and accent. Very cool! I, at some point, get tired, but want to hear, how the story continues. The author describes how he returns to Iowa after years and drives nearly 14,000 miles through 38 states and goes from one small town to the next small town. At some point, he crosses Virginia and I have to think of ’New Castle, Craig County, Virginia’ where I’ve spent my High-school year. You can’t call it town or village, it was tiny. I do know what Bill Bryson feels like.

I wake up. I try to remember the last thing I heard from the cassette, but I can’t. I rewind it, stop here and there, push „play“ and listen. „No, that is new to me“, I say, pushing the rewind-button again. This goes a few times and then, I finally find the part, where I felt asleep. I leave it there, start my day and already look forward to the night. Finally night (it is still early, but I wanna hear someone reading a story to me), I push „play“, go to bed and listen excited. After some 20 minutes or so, I have to get up and turn the cassette. I do and fall asleep 15 minutes after, which means, I had the problem with finding that part the next morning again.

Still, I can deal with that. Because simply listening to this and enjoying the company of some stranger, who doesn’t ask you questions about how successful your day has been, if you did go to the gym and if you still see this guy, is GREAT. I finished the audio book of „The Lost Continent“ and do now listen to „Notes from a small Island“. I have to find something new after this. Seriously, I cannot imagine to fall asleep without this anymore.

Actually, it is something I wish I could do all day. Just hang out in my bed and listen to someone reading out a story to me. Having some coffee and some chocolate… mmmh! I think, your own bed is the best place on this planet. Comfortable and warm and all yours. Alright, on Friday and Saturday nights, I’d pick bars over bed, but other than that… You know what? It is Saturday. I will not go shopping now. No, I go back to bed and listen to someone reading out a story to me!

Why seeing the World with the eyes of child?

I was in the car, when I heard Reamonn sings in this song: „Why did we make it so hard, this life is so complicated until we see it through the eyes of a child.“ 

No no, this is not gonna be a story about some bad childhood; Things were fine, when I was little. I did in fact have a great childhood. (-Thanks to my parents, at this point!) But I tried to think of what you would see, when looking through the eyes of a child. These wars, financial crises and environmental problems you might not really notice, realize or care for, because it is not of great importance, when you play with your toy cars or barbie dolls. Thing is though, you do have other things, you worry about. If your best friend all the sudden plays with someone else, you don’t go up to him and ask, what the matter is. You just get insecure, cry and run to your mom. At some point, things might work out again. Other issues, don’t work out that easy. Everybody says, your granddad is now in heaven. But why is he there and left you here? You guys always had such a good time and he always said he loved you so much… it was not very nice of him to just leave you and also, your mother and your grandmother cry a lot, now that he’s gone. Another thing, that might happen to you, is „a new child“. All the sudden, all the attention gets taken away from you and everybody is standing around that little new kid. Everybody wants to touch her, the little sister, she gets so many gifts and you only got a little toy and a „So, are you happy, you’ve got a little sister now, huh?!“, while standing outside the crowd.

I’m very thankful, that when I was little, I did not get confronted with unemployment of parents or things like that. Looking at it from that point of view, things were going well, but I wonder what life is like for kids, where all the sudden, the parents have no job anymore, because a company has closed. I don’t think, children don’t realize, that things are changing dramatically. Also, my parents got divorced when I was a teenager and that was still a hard time. I don’t even want to think about how horrible it would have been, if I was younger.

Because the eyes of a child see a lot of things. And maybe they don’t understand all of what is going on. But maybe that is even worse.

Please please please, entertain me!

It crossed my mind a few times already, but last week it just got too much. „Financial crisis“ is probably the term, that has been used the most lately. There was, other than the weather forecast, just one more thing, the public was interested in: Madonna’s divorce.

I don’t care, what she does, if it’s right or wrong, who’s fault it is. It’s none of my business. But the story caught my attention, when all the sudden, they were speaking of her approx. income or how much she owns at this moment. And then, how much the „poor Guy“ gets from her: 77 Million. No. Now again: 77 Million. For being married with her?! Alright, let’s not go there.

What I was actually wondering was, if, in a time where there is no money left nowhere, could Madonna save a bank?! Probably not, cause the minute she would ask for money, the bank had to say „Sorry, we’re out of that much money. Please come back in better times or we have to shut down.“

Anyways, I wonder, how someone, a singer, an entertainer, can make 385 Million Euros. Not, that she didn’t work for her money, but think of how much politicians, for example, earn. I guess, they are doing ok, but all these actors, soccer players and other celebrates make too much money… And all that, only because we want it or them so bad. How can a person make 20 Million with playing soccer? Oliver Kahn, by the way. These people don’t make important decisions or save lives or something. They play music, make movies or do sports. They don’t have an important impact on our life. Or do they?! They help us enjoy life, they give us movies to watch with our new sweetheart, they give us games to watch with the guys and songs to sing to every imaginable mood.

Still, in the end, I think, there is no relation in how much they earn to what they do. And also, they get their designer clothes for free with a little note saying „please wear gucci bag to prada dress on film premiere and mention it, when asked“.

And I wonder: How much is it worth to be entertained?

Fall (in words)

Almost nothing up there in the trees

All the colours on the streets

That’s what gave me the feeling

It was the fall to greet

 

It knocks on your door

But it never comes in

It’s not really tiny

But something really thin

 

It’s not the time for gloves

It’s not the time for teas

You won’t find a snowman

nor will you find bees

 

Don’t forget the time of palms

Don’t forget summer in Greece

It’s slowly getting chilly

But don’t think of Christmas trees

 

Different jacket in your closet

Different shoes on your stairs

No one really loves it and

No one really cares

 

Summer is not really over

And Christmas is too far away

But what is this?

And why why why is it now May?

 

But don’t you see them leaves

Looks like a crown up in the trees.

Yellow, red, brown and gold

Like a hugh King, who puts the winter on hold.

 

The nights are getting colder

The days are turning grey

But those lovely colours outside

Make this so pretty, may I say.

 

Some love winter

Others prefer Summer

Everybody looks for spring.

But why does no one see, that fall is also a pretty thing.

 

How to clean your teeth with one Dot!

It was not planned, that I didn’t find my way home last night… it was late, the subway didn’t come and well, I somehow ended up staying at my friend’s place over night. And I hate going to bed without brushing my teeth. So this guy goes „Wait, I’ve got a toothbrush for you!“ And I’m thinking ‘Not bad, someone is prepared here!’. If you think of a normal toothbrush now, you’re wrong. What he had was ‘Dental Dots’.

They are just small little fussy round things and they’ve got glue on the backside. That way, you can simply put one on your finger and brush your teeth. This is no doubt not an every-day-toothbrush-replacement, but when it comes to nights out, or for example, long flights, this is a great thing! Also, you’ve got toothpaste already on them.

Of course, I’ve never seen this product in Germany. It’s American. And actually pretty old. First mentioned on Google for 1999. Now, it’s of course on my shopping list for my U.S. trip in December.

Stay clean… (dot dot dot!)