Apologies for going off-topic, but it would be remiss of me not to mention Manchester United's triumph in Moscow last night.
I had been prevaricating for a good week or so as to whether I should watch the match back at my local in Basle or with friends Stu and Kath plus a bunch of their friends in Zurich. The Zurich plan - which I eventually favoured - was to go to a gig by Newton Faulkner starting at 7 p.m. at the Mascotte theatre and then watch the final on the big screen at the same venue at 8.45. I would then stay over at Stu and Kath's after the game. The idea behind this would be that the concert might help to settle my nerves beforehand and that it would be easier in general given that I was working in Zurich again the following day anyway.
Now, I'd never heard of the aforementioned musician, but his gig was really good and I was suitably impressed and entertained. After his final song - a one-man cover version of Bohemian Rhapsody - the big screen dropped down about 5 minutes before kick-off.
I normally get quite nervous watching big matches involving United, but the music had mellowed me to a certain extent by the time this particular match began. United's free-flowing football and dominance of Chelsea in the first half settled my nerves even more - until Chelsea's undeserved equaliser at the stroke of half-time, that is. Throughout most of the second half, I was shaking my head and fearing the worse. Chelsea built up the pressure while United lost the initiative and reverted to the counter-attacking tactics they had adopted for most of the previous away knockout ties. However, despite a scare when Drogba and Lampard both hit the woodwork, Ferdinand and Vidic held firm in the centre of defence. Vidic was probably United's best player.
United were better in extra-time and could have (should have) won it, but Giggs stabbed at Evra's cross with the outside of his left peg instead of burying it.
As Stu and Kath would confirm, I was quite impassive during the shootout. Was too drained to react much when Chelsea's John Terry missed what would have been the deciding penalty, and then in the moment of victory my watch almost came off, so the final release was somewhat of a delayed reaction.
Anyway, I spoke to my Liverpool-supporting father yesterday evening. He crowed on something about United being lucky, conveniently forgetting to mention the fact that Chelsea's goal was the result of two spawny deflections. True, Chelsea were definitely the better side from minutes 46 to 90, but both teams had their chances and 1-1 was a fair result after 120 minutes.
The only downside to a momentous night was the bar turning the TV off as soon as the match was over. Cue frantic persuasion for them to put the screen back on, to no avail, and then the surreal experience of seeing United lift the cup on the revolving 80s disco ball above the dance floor.
Thursday, 22 May 2008
Saturday, 17 May 2008
Laptop
Bought my first ever laptop this morning! It's an HP. It may take a while I navigate my way round it, but I'm quite excited.
When I returned to my flat this morning, I could hear the strains of "When the saints come marching it" being played by a brass band on the Hauptstraße. No idea why, though it may have been some promotional stuff for Circus Knie who are currently stopping off in Weil for a few performances. I heard that the main attraction of the show is the human cannonball. An American called John Taylor flies some 200 kph in the air, apparently.
When I returned to my flat this morning, I could hear the strains of "When the saints come marching it" being played by a brass band on the Hauptstraße. No idea why, though it may have been some promotional stuff for Circus Knie who are currently stopping off in Weil for a few performances. I heard that the main attraction of the show is the human cannonball. An American called John Taylor flies some 200 kph in the air, apparently.
Friday, 16 May 2008
Currently playing a bit of catch-up with this blog after to my enforced hiatus of the last few weeks due to a dying computer, a long weekend with with my parents in northwest England, and then work commitments.
One good thing during this period has been the weather, which has been warm and bright. Everything is lush and green now, and the commuting to Zurich and back has become more enjoyable thanks to the lovely sunny views out of train windows. Some people like to open up their laptops and work on the train, but in the morning especially, I tend to either daydream or listen to some podcasts on my iPod. I seem to read a bit more on the way home though. If I had a laptop, I'm not sure whether I would want to take it on trains that often.
Anyway, here's the aforementioned lushness and greenness as depicted in a couple photos I took early in the morning above Weil last Saturday.
One good thing during this period has been the weather, which has been warm and bright. Everything is lush and green now, and the commuting to Zurich and back has become more enjoyable thanks to the lovely sunny views out of train windows. Some people like to open up their laptops and work on the train, but in the morning especially, I tend to either daydream or listen to some podcasts on my iPod. I seem to read a bit more on the way home though. If I had a laptop, I'm not sure whether I would want to take it on trains that often.
Anyway, here's the aforementioned lushness and greenness as depicted in a couple photos I took early in the morning above Weil last Saturday.
As soon as I got back to Weil in the late-afternoon of 6 May, I took my computer to the PC specialist shop situated opposite the Kaufring supermarket and explained the situation. Thankfully, the man there was able to rectify the problem within a couple of days, but said that the PC was making funny whirring noises and that I should think about replacing it if it gave me more trouble. At home the next day, I saved the essential contents of the entire hard drive on to my external hard drive - a process with took from morning till evening.
In the meantime, although the PC is working again, its cooling fan sometimes makes such a racket that I'm barely able to work on it. Thankfully, the noise has died down now this evening, but I'm definitely aiming to buy a laptop as a back-up system as soon as possible.
Anyway, on a lighter note, my trip back to Blighty was to mark my aunt's 60th birthday. Over 30 friends and relatives came together at the Clifton Arm's Hotel in Lytham on Sunday 4 May for lunch. The event was really enjoyable and it was genuinely great to catch up with so many people whom I hadn't seen for years and years. A real family reunion, it was.
In the meantime, although the PC is working again, its cooling fan sometimes makes such a racket that I'm barely able to work on it. Thankfully, the noise has died down now this evening, but I'm definitely aiming to buy a laptop as a back-up system as soon as possible.
Anyway, on a lighter note, my trip back to Blighty was to mark my aunt's 60th birthday. Over 30 friends and relatives came together at the Clifton Arm's Hotel in Lytham on Sunday 4 May for lunch. The event was really enjoyable and it was genuinely great to catch up with so many people whom I hadn't seen for years and years. A real family reunion, it was.
Saturday, 10 May 2008
Das Leben ist kein Wunschkonzert
This is my favourite German phrase at present. In the UK, a Wunschkonzert is normally a musical request programme, i.e. something along the lines of Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. In this context, the phrase means, "Life is anything but a picnic". And it's a phrase I've kept recalling to myself over the last few weeks.
Being freelance, but currently working part time until the end of June as a member of staff at a bank in Zurich three days a week, means that I'm commuting a lot at the moment. However, it also puts me in the happy position of not being overly obliged to work from home for other clients at least until July. With Euro 2008 taking up most of June in Basle, I definitely don't want to be stuck in my flat busting a gut over long weekends after having commuted to and from Zurich during the week. I did, however, make an exception on the final weekend in April, when I agreed to help out my former employer, bmp translations, at short notice. Given that the material I had to translate - a brochure about Basle - was interesting and would earn me an extra few bob, I set about working over the weekend on it. It literally took four days of sitting in front of the PC to knock up the translation, but I was more than satisfied with the end product when I emailed the text back to bmp late at night before commuting to Zurich the next day.
That afternoon in Zurich, Susan from bmp called me to say that the file I'd sent just contained funny symbols and assorted gobbledygook. She therefore asked me to resend the file when I got back that evening. No problem, I thought. Probably some gremlin which I could sort out when I returned home, and there was still time as the deadline wasn't until the next day anyway.
So, I got back home, switched the PC on, and... oh, what's that strange and loud noise it's making? I switched the PC off and tried to boot it up again. However, I was confronted with the following sinister-looking error message (a picture of which I thought I would keep for posterity):
Basically, the message gave me five options to choose from. I tried them all, but the PC simply wouldn't boot. All that would appear was a dark grey screen. A view into Windows oblivion, so to speak. I left the machine on overnight, but the same dark screen continued to stare at me when I switched the screen on the next morning.
Now, obviously, my nerves were a bit frayed at this point, and I'd hardly had any sleep when I woke up at around 5.30 the next morning. I'd been unable to resend my translation, plus the version of the translation I'd saved on to my external hard drive was only half-finished, since I'd forgotten to save the definitive version there. The only thing for it was to turn up at bmp's offices with the external hard drive first thing that morning and explain the situation. Of course, I apologised profusely. But to my relief, Susan took the news calmly and said it was just one of those things. She would have to translate the remainder of the brochure quickly that day and wrap up the job herself. I uploaded the unfinished version from the external hard drive, bid my farewells and rushed to Basel SBB to catch the train to Zurich, where I arrived an hour later than usual.
This drama cost me half of what I would have earned on the translation, and it was naturally frustrating that some of my work has gone to waste. However, my biggest worry was my PC. Given that I was working in Zurich and due to fly to the UK on 1 May, a public holiday, I wouldn't be able to do anything about the computer until I returned to Weil from the UK on the evening of 6 May. [To be continued..]
Being freelance, but currently working part time until the end of June as a member of staff at a bank in Zurich three days a week, means that I'm commuting a lot at the moment. However, it also puts me in the happy position of not being overly obliged to work from home for other clients at least until July. With Euro 2008 taking up most of June in Basle, I definitely don't want to be stuck in my flat busting a gut over long weekends after having commuted to and from Zurich during the week. I did, however, make an exception on the final weekend in April, when I agreed to help out my former employer, bmp translations, at short notice. Given that the material I had to translate - a brochure about Basle - was interesting and would earn me an extra few bob, I set about working over the weekend on it. It literally took four days of sitting in front of the PC to knock up the translation, but I was more than satisfied with the end product when I emailed the text back to bmp late at night before commuting to Zurich the next day.
That afternoon in Zurich, Susan from bmp called me to say that the file I'd sent just contained funny symbols and assorted gobbledygook. She therefore asked me to resend the file when I got back that evening. No problem, I thought. Probably some gremlin which I could sort out when I returned home, and there was still time as the deadline wasn't until the next day anyway.
So, I got back home, switched the PC on, and... oh, what's that strange and loud noise it's making? I switched the PC off and tried to boot it up again. However, I was confronted with the following sinister-looking error message (a picture of which I thought I would keep for posterity):
Basically, the message gave me five options to choose from. I tried them all, but the PC simply wouldn't boot. All that would appear was a dark grey screen. A view into Windows oblivion, so to speak. I left the machine on overnight, but the same dark screen continued to stare at me when I switched the screen on the next morning.
Now, obviously, my nerves were a bit frayed at this point, and I'd hardly had any sleep when I woke up at around 5.30 the next morning. I'd been unable to resend my translation, plus the version of the translation I'd saved on to my external hard drive was only half-finished, since I'd forgotten to save the definitive version there. The only thing for it was to turn up at bmp's offices with the external hard drive first thing that morning and explain the situation. Of course, I apologised profusely. But to my relief, Susan took the news calmly and said it was just one of those things. She would have to translate the remainder of the brochure quickly that day and wrap up the job herself. I uploaded the unfinished version from the external hard drive, bid my farewells and rushed to Basel SBB to catch the train to Zurich, where I arrived an hour later than usual.
This drama cost me half of what I would have earned on the translation, and it was naturally frustrating that some of my work has gone to waste. However, my biggest worry was my PC. Given that I was working in Zurich and due to fly to the UK on 1 May, a public holiday, I wouldn't be able to do anything about the computer until I returned to Weil from the UK on the evening of 6 May. [To be continued..]
Sunday, 20 April 2008
This and that
So, the weekend that's about to come to an end was a quiet one. However, here's some flotsam and jetsam.
I went into Basle on Friday night for a couple of pints with Karl-Heinz and Simonetta, two translators from CLS where I used to work until the end of 2006. I hadn't seen Simonetta for a long time, so it was good to catch up with her. Both of them told me about the latest goings-on at my old place of work and we basically had a good laugh.
The weather was fairly good on Saturday, as has also been the case today. I just pottered around, got some food in at the shops, made large meal of the day at midday and then ventured into Basle again at teatime to watch the Blackburn-Man United match.
Went on a bike ride today round the outskirts of Haltingen, then towards home via Friedlingen. Spring also finally seems to have sprung, which is nice.
I went into Basle on Friday night for a couple of pints with Karl-Heinz and Simonetta, two translators from CLS where I used to work until the end of 2006. I hadn't seen Simonetta for a long time, so it was good to catch up with her. Both of them told me about the latest goings-on at my old place of work and we basically had a good laugh.
The weather was fairly good on Saturday, as has also been the case today. I just pottered around, got some food in at the shops, made large meal of the day at midday and then ventured into Basle again at teatime to watch the Blackburn-Man United match.
Went on a bike ride today round the outskirts of Haltingen, then towards home via Friedlingen. Spring also finally seems to have sprung, which is nice.
Sunday, 13 April 2008
SC Freiburg 2 - 0 Carl Zeiss Jena
Went to Freiburg today with two good friends, Karl-Heinz and Pete, to watch some second division football at Sportclub Freiburg. Attendance 14,050.
Jena scuppered Freiburg's promotion chances last season with a last-minute equaliser, so today was a bit of pay-back time for SCF. Not only that, but Freiburg disastrously lost 0-5 the previous Sunday at the home of anarchy that is St. Pauli. (Here is a fact well known to followers of German football, and quoted in, ahem, Wikipedia: "St. Pauli opens its home matches with AC/DC's Hells' Bells, and after every home goal Song 2 by Blur is played, turning the stadium into a giant mosh pit." Evidently no room for Freiburg's pretty passes with eleven hairy-ar*ed cloggers with a skull and cross-bones on their shirts chasing them.
For the first time in ages, we stood in the Nordtribüne instead of sitting elsewhere. Being the typical English-style fans we are, we arrived only a few minutes before kick-off, which meant that we had to settle for standing room at ground level right behind the goal - given that German fans arrive hours before the match to grab the best sun benches.. sorry, terrace spaces.
The match itself was a fairly entertaining affair and Freiburg were well worth their win. One of the notable features of standing in the Nordtribüne was that the crowd were egged on by some bloke with a microphone who stood on a few cardboard boxes about 10 yards from us. He would start each chant through his loudspeaker, then the crowd would follow suit. Not very spontaneous, if you ask me. This cheerleader was facing the crowd during the whole 90 minutes (although I noticed that someone else came on and replaced the original one for the second half). The first one probably got bored. Such a phenomenon is fairly recent and dates back to around 2001/2002 when the more dedicated (or extreme) fans of most Bundesliga clubs began to form Ultra groups - a way of mimicking Italian football supporters and their various groupings. I don't wish to cast judgment on such fans, but only to say that English football does pretty well without them. But then again, English fans are rather more spontaneous.
Incidentally, Jögi Löw, the Germany manager, was at the match today. He supposedly has a house on the outskirts of Freiburg in Freiburg-St. Georgen.
Another notable fact was that the flamboyantly monikered Alain Junior Olle Olle came on for Freiburg some time during the second half. He is from Cameroon and was signed from Uruguay's Nacional during the winter break.
To cap off the day, United beat Arsenal thanks to a stunning free-kick from Owen Hargreaves.
Saturday, 5 April 2008
Opulence
I went into Basle this afternoon to have a quick look round "Baselworld - The Watch and Jewellery Show" (I must say, as a humble native English speaker, I'm glad "jewellery" has been written the British way and not subsided to the US spelling that is all-pervading in this day and age.) Anyway, there was quite a bit of opulence on show around town. Every year I'm fascinated by the business people who come to Basle for this annual trade fair - all dressed to kill in their suits and chunky watches. Supposedly, this is the world's most important trade fair for the watch and jewellery industry, so no expense is spared. Here are some photos I took of the to-ings and fro-ings on Messeplatz.
Friday, 4 April 2008
Fait accompli
Wolfgang Dietz, Oberbürgermeister of Weil, is set to be re-elected for another term as mayor this coming Sunday. It hasn't exactly been the most hotly contested of mayoral races, though that's because no one else actually bothered to throw their hat into the ring and take on Herr Dietz at the ballot box. However, such electoral processes must follow protocol, come what may, so Sunday will still see a vote taking place - but just for one candidate. How quaint. I wonder what the voter turn-out will be like?
I thought about putting my name forward, but I've decided to devote more time to my family.
Sunday, 30 March 2008
It wasn't just "fluish symptoms" I had last week but full-blown influenza. Probably the nastiest bout I've experienced in many a year. After last Monday's post, I felt progressively worse and had to skip work for the rest of the week. It was only yesterday afternoon that I began to feel a bit better (after going to bed the previous evening with a temperature). This improvement has continued over the course of today. However, I still feel weak walking around, as I obviously still need to build up some strength.
Monday, 24 March 2008
White Easter
What with Easter being so early this year, Mother Nature decided to sprinkle some of the snow she couldn't be bothered chucking down over Christmas. Admittedly, it was really just a sprinkling in the strictest sense of the term, but the weather has been rather freezing and uninspiring these past few days. So much for blooming almond trees... Just as well that I've been kept busy translating various wine tasting notes. Other than that, I've been struck down with fluish symptoms, so I've been cooped up at home for virtually the past 72 hours.
Monday, 17 March 2008
I read the following item of news with satisfaction today:
Basically, the flagship news programme on Sat.1 is to be renamed "Sat.1 Nachrichten" - like it used to be before the pernicious influence of "Denglisch" meant it had to be rebranded as "Sat.1 News". I mean, why replace a perfectly functional German word with "news" [sorry, News...] in the first place? Finally someone has seen sense.
Änderungen zum 17. März 2008
Am 17. März 2008 stellt Sat.1 sein Abendprogramm um. Im Zuge dessen werden die Sat.1 News, die von da an Sat.1 Nachrichten heißen (außer sonntags), werktags von 20:00 Uhr bis 20:15 Uhr ausgestrahlt. Neuer Moderator für die Werktagsausgaben wird N24-Chefredakteur Peter Limbourg sein. Die Wochenendausgaben werden weiterhin um 18:30 Uhr beginnen und von Katja Losch und Heiko Paluschka moderiert. Des Weiteren werden die Nachrichten aus einem neuen Studio gesendet. (Quelle: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sat.1_News)
Basically, the flagship news programme on Sat.1 is to be renamed "Sat.1 Nachrichten" - like it used to be before the pernicious influence of "Denglisch" meant it had to be rebranded as "Sat.1 News". I mean, why replace a perfectly functional German word with "news" [sorry, News...] in the first place? Finally someone has seen sense.
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Mandelbaum
I thought I would sit outside the Sparkasse on Saturday (as you do..) and take this photo of the almond tree by the entrance. For me, it's always the first tangible sign that winter will soon be on the way out. It also reminds me of the vineyards of the Pfalz where countless such trees blossom at this time of the year.
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
Some rather shocking local news. On Sunday at around 1.30 p.m. a 49-year-old man stabbed his wife to death in Haltingen during a domestic row. The couple's two sons, aged 16 and 20, witnessed the incident and alarmed the police, who later arrested the man shortly afterwards in his car. While I was walking up through the vineyards to Ötlingen last Sunday lunchtime, I saw a police car racing from the Binzen motorway exit towards Haltingen, siren blazing, and a helicopter hovering over Haltingen. This explains it.
Beziehungsdrama endet tödlich
49-Jähriger ersticht Ehefrau in Haltingen / Ehemann hat Tat eingeräumt /Sohn alarmierte Polizei
Weil am Rhein-Haltingen (mib). Am Sonntag hat ein 49-jähriger Mann seine Ehefrau in der Hermann-Brian-Straße so schwer mit einem Messer verletzt, dass sie noch in der gemeinsamen Wohnung starb.
Mitansehen mussten diese Bluttat zwei Kinder des Paares, die sich in der Wohnung aufgehalten haben.
Es war am Sonntag gegen 13.30 Uhr, als der Einsatzzentrale der Polizeidirektion Lörrach mitgeteilt wurde, dass es in besagter Wohnung zu einer lautstarken Auseinandersetzung gekommen ist. Die ersten Feststellungen ergaben, dass der 49-jährige Mann mit einem Messer auf seine Ehefrau eingestochen hat.
Zwischen dem Ehepaar kam es in der Wohnung, in der sich auch die gemeinsamen Kinder, 16 und 20 Jahre alt, aufhielten, zu einem heftigen Streit. Grund war eine schon länger anhaltende Ehekrise. Im Verlaufe des Streits stach der Mann mit einem Messer auf seine Frau ein, die daraufhin zusammenbrach.
Der Familienvater verließ laut Polizeiangaben das Haus und der 16-jährige Sohn alarmierte die Polizei. Diese leitete eine Fahndung nach dem Flüchtigen ein und nahm ihn kurze Zeit später mit seinem Auto fest.
Das Beziehungsdrama hat gestern die Haltinger tief erschüttert. Viele konnten nicht so recht glauben, dass so etwas auch bei uns passieren könne. Für die Ehefrau kam jegliche ärztliche Hilfe zu spät: Sie starb auf dem Transport zum wartenden Rettungshubschrauber. Todesursache war die Stichverletzung, wie die gestrige Obduktion im Institut für Rechtsmedizin in Freiburg ergab.
Neben Notärzten und Hilfsdienst war auch die Haltinger Feuerwehr im Einsatz und richtete für den angeforderten Rettungshubschrauber einen provisorischen Landeplatz in der Weinbergstraße ein.
Die Staatsanwaltschaft Lörrach hat gegen den 49-jährigen Familienvater und Ehemann der getöteten Frau Haftbefehl wegen Totschlags beantragt. Das Amtsgericht Lörrach hat dem Antrag entsprochen und den Mann, der von Nachbarn als liebenswert und freundlich beschrieben, in Untersuchungshaft genommen.
Der Festgenommene hat zwischenzeitlich eingeräumt, auf seine Frau eingestochen zu haben, teilten gestern die Staatsanwaltschaft und die Polizeidirektion Lörrach in einer gemeinsamen Presseerklärung mit.
Sunday, 9 March 2008
Muusloch
I took the chance to get out for a relaxing Sunday walk today. Caught the train to Haltingen and then walked up the hill to Ötlingen where I had a Schorle outdoors on the terrace at the Gasthaus zum Ochsen ("Ox Inn"). Afterwards, I walked a few metres along the village road to the Muusloch - which was just opening, so I stayed a while and had a Viertele of Weißburgunder sat under the pergola by the entrance [hic].
It was a pleasant hour and a half I spent up there in Ötlingen. One feature in the village which caught my attention was the series of artist murals and sculptures along the length of the village road outside houses. This arty theme is currently the village's leitmotif - and is seemingly all the work of just a handful of locals.
Actually, I've just spotted this (could be interesting...):
Sonntag, 13. Apr 2008
15:00 Uhr Das „ART“-Dorf Ötlingen - neu
Sigrid Droguet wird auf ihrer Tour durch Ötlingen von alten Herrenhäusern und deren Geschichte erzählen, Sie durch versteckte Winkel von Ötlingen führen und Ihnen dabei auch die „Art”-Galerie entlang der Dorfstraße erläutern.
Treffpunkt: Vor dem Gasthaus Ochsen
It was a pleasant hour and a half I spent up there in Ötlingen. One feature in the village which caught my attention was the series of artist murals and sculptures along the length of the village road outside houses. This arty theme is currently the village's leitmotif - and is seemingly all the work of just a handful of locals.
Actually, I've just spotted this (could be interesting...):
Sonntag, 13. Apr 2008
15:00 Uhr Das „ART“-Dorf Ötlingen - neu
Sigrid Droguet wird auf ihrer Tour durch Ötlingen von alten Herrenhäusern und deren Geschichte erzählen, Sie durch versteckte Winkel von Ötlingen führen und Ihnen dabei auch die „Art”-Galerie entlang der Dorfstraße erläutern.
Treffpunkt: Vor dem Gasthaus Ochsen
Quo vadis - eh?
I didn't study Latin at school, although I wouldn't necessarily say this has put me at a disadvantage in life. Learning French was hard enough, but at least that's a language I can use. Much to my genuine surprise then when I first came to Germany at how frequently certain set phrases in Latin appear in an everyday context such as the written press.
Quo vadis - or, "Where are you going?" - is one that's always puzzled me. Thanks to my knowledge of French, I was always aware enough to realise what it would roughly mean. However, the phrase seems to crop up everywhere, though most commonly in German-language newspaper headlines, and I increasingly get the impression it's plonked in there because the headline writer is too lazy to think up something more original. For example, you see an article about FC Basel - for example, an analysis looking at what the remainder of the season holds in store for Switzerland's best supported football club. The headline would look something like this: "FCB - Quo vadis?" I think it's safe to say that that sort of thing is not done by Fleet Street journalists.
Carpe diem is another one which appears a lot here in Germany. It's one of those terms Germans like to use in English, but which usually illicit blank looks on the part of English native speakers. In fact, I had to look up its meaning again (i.e. "Seize the day") just now in that, ahem, authoritative Internet resource, Wikipedia. " It has a nice meaning, though, I must admit. "Carpee Dee-em!"
Quo vadis - or, "Where are you going?" - is one that's always puzzled me. Thanks to my knowledge of French, I was always aware enough to realise what it would roughly mean. However, the phrase seems to crop up everywhere, though most commonly in German-language newspaper headlines, and I increasingly get the impression it's plonked in there because the headline writer is too lazy to think up something more original. For example, you see an article about FC Basel - for example, an analysis looking at what the remainder of the season holds in store for Switzerland's best supported football club. The headline would look something like this: "FCB - Quo vadis?" I think it's safe to say that that sort of thing is not done by Fleet Street journalists.
Carpe diem is another one which appears a lot here in Germany. It's one of those terms Germans like to use in English, but which usually illicit blank looks on the part of English native speakers. In fact, I had to look up its meaning again (i.e. "Seize the day") just now in that, ahem, authoritative Internet resource, Wikipedia. " It has a nice meaning, though, I must admit. "Carpee Dee-em!"
Saturday, 8 March 2008
Rude awakening
I know this is Germany, the country where school starts at 7.40 in the morning, but it really does take the biscuit when you have someone clearing the leaves and debris with a noisy suction machine along the path next to your bedroom window at 7.15 a.m. on a Saturday morning. I know that a lot of my neighbours are pensioners who tend to wake up at the crack of dawn anyway, but can't a job like that be done some time between Monday and Friday?
Yours,
Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells
Yours,
Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells
Sunday, 2 March 2008
Mosquito
Unbelievable for this time of the year, but I was bitten four times in total by a pesky mosquito on two successive nights while sleeping last week. To my satisfaction, I killed the midge in question on Friday morning in the kitchen. Now, some people might say this is all to do with climate change, but I say the reason is probably that January and February weren't cold enough, plus the neighbours opposite have a pond in their garden. Still, it's the first time I've been bitten by midges in February.
Saturday, 1 March 2008
Weil gives the green light
Yesterday evening, Weil's councillors finally approved the tram extension from Basle to Weil, the result being 22 to 10 votes in favour of giving the project the green light. Amid all the excitement, it almost escaped everyone's attention that Oberbürgermeister Dietz abstained from casting his vote. Supposedly, he decided not to vote out of respect for his Christian Democrat colleagues, most of whom were against the motion.
The turning point in this whole saga came a week and a half ago, when Willi Stächele - who is due to become in the next finance minister for Baden-Württemberg next July - turned up at the town hall in person to confirm that the state would make a significant contribution to funding the project. This came as a huge relief, and certainly what Weil had been hoping for. Dietz subsequently intimated that the state of the town's accounts was now a little better than previously assumed and that Weil may yet be able to close the gap in financing that was originally the cause of so much prevarication on the German side.
Anyway, if all goes to plan, Weil should have a tram link direct to Basel from the beginning of 2012.
The turning point in this whole saga came a week and a half ago, when Willi Stächele - who is due to become in the next finance minister for Baden-Württemberg next July - turned up at the town hall in person to confirm that the state would make a significant contribution to funding the project. This came as a huge relief, and certainly what Weil had been hoping for. Dietz subsequently intimated that the state of the town's accounts was now a little better than previously assumed and that Weil may yet be able to close the gap in financing that was originally the cause of so much prevarication on the German side.
Anyway, if all goes to plan, Weil should have a tram link direct to Basel from the beginning of 2012.
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Queuing
A couple of months ago, I received a comment on this blog from someone in Weil who expressed the wish that I write more about my view as an Englishman of life in Germany. In reply, I said I would see what I can do.
I must admit that, up till now, I've consciously avoided going on big treatises in this blog about Germany and the Germans. It has a lot to do with the fact that I'm half-German myself anyway, although I was born and grew up in the UK. After having spent a total of nine years living in the Fatherland (or, technically speaking, the Mutterland), I'm certainly used to living here and have learned to adapt to (or accept) certain aspects of German life which didn't come naturally to me before.
For example:
1. I respect the house rules in my apartment block, such as "quiet times" forbidding loud music, farting and such like. Most of the time.
2. I am more direct with other people than I used to be. (Having said this, I still follow the rules of British etiquette most of the time, and I am still rather too wortkarg for my own good when trying to woo the opposite sex.)
3. I've picked up German dialect: "gleeechfolls" anyone?
On the other hand:
1. I don't necessarily think German bread is superior to bread in other countries.
2. I don't normally do Kaffee und Kuchen and still prefer a nice cuppa (milk, no sugar).
3. I like opening windows in trains (the older models without air con) when the weather is 35C and don't think the cooling draft will do me any harm.
However, one thing that I cannot and will never adjust to is the teutonic idea of queuing.
Now, I think plenty of young contemporary Germans have spent their obligatory six months learning English on the South Coast or in London and have reported back to their parents about strange people waiting orderly in lines at post offices, banks and the like. "Seeehr seltsam!"
You see, in Germany queuing is regarded as a weakness. Instead, Darwin's theory of the survival of the fittest is played out here on a daily basis. You wait at the bus stop with a score of other people. Bus arrives. Regardless who was waiting before you, average German must get on bus as quickly as possible and will take no prisoners in his/her mission to claim last free seat... If you are slow (or British), you resign yourself to letting the frenzy die down and get on the bus last - smiling smugly as you know you're now annoying everyone who got on the bus first a few minutes previously.
Just the other day I was pushed unceremoniously out of the way by some hoodie at the Badischer Bahnhof while waiting to get on the bus. My crime, I suspect, was trying to be competitive and joining in the scrum. I just sighed and let the idiot through. That'll teach me. It's just not worth getting hot under the collar about any more.
I find the younger and older generations are the worst - the younger because they don't know any better; the older because they couldn't care less anymore. Supermarket cash desks are where this game is most traditionally played out. This account describes what happens far better than I could...
I must admit that, up till now, I've consciously avoided going on big treatises in this blog about Germany and the Germans. It has a lot to do with the fact that I'm half-German myself anyway, although I was born and grew up in the UK. After having spent a total of nine years living in the Fatherland (or, technically speaking, the Mutterland), I'm certainly used to living here and have learned to adapt to (or accept) certain aspects of German life which didn't come naturally to me before.
For example:
1. I respect the house rules in my apartment block, such as "quiet times" forbidding loud music, farting and such like. Most of the time.
2. I am more direct with other people than I used to be. (Having said this, I still follow the rules of British etiquette most of the time, and I am still rather too wortkarg for my own good when trying to woo the opposite sex.)
3. I've picked up German dialect: "gleeechfolls" anyone?
On the other hand:
1. I don't necessarily think German bread is superior to bread in other countries.
2. I don't normally do Kaffee und Kuchen and still prefer a nice cuppa (milk, no sugar).
3. I like opening windows in trains (the older models without air con) when the weather is 35C and don't think the cooling draft will do me any harm.
However, one thing that I cannot and will never adjust to is the teutonic idea of queuing.
Now, I think plenty of young contemporary Germans have spent their obligatory six months learning English on the South Coast or in London and have reported back to their parents about strange people waiting orderly in lines at post offices, banks and the like. "Seeehr seltsam!"
You see, in Germany queuing is regarded as a weakness. Instead, Darwin's theory of the survival of the fittest is played out here on a daily basis. You wait at the bus stop with a score of other people. Bus arrives. Regardless who was waiting before you, average German must get on bus as quickly as possible and will take no prisoners in his/her mission to claim last free seat... If you are slow (or British), you resign yourself to letting the frenzy die down and get on the bus last - smiling smugly as you know you're now annoying everyone who got on the bus first a few minutes previously.
Just the other day I was pushed unceremoniously out of the way by some hoodie at the Badischer Bahnhof while waiting to get on the bus. My crime, I suspect, was trying to be competitive and joining in the scrum. I just sighed and let the idiot through. That'll teach me. It's just not worth getting hot under the collar about any more.
I find the younger and older generations are the worst - the younger because they don't know any better; the older because they couldn't care less anymore. Supermarket cash desks are where this game is most traditionally played out. This account describes what happens far better than I could...
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
Decision put on hold
After Basel-Stadt's cantonal government suddenly upped its financial support today at the death for the tram project, Weil has decided to postpone its final decision till 29 February. The Germans say they need extra time to assess the new offer. Oh well, at least they haven't said no.
Still kaputt
The electrician from Siemens left just now after inspecting the fridge. It took him about 3 seconds to tell me that motor was dead and needed replacing. This would take two and half hours, however. He'll be able to do it on Thursday morning, i.e. the day after tomorrow, but may be able to fit it in tomorrow. He'll call me again tomorrow. Thankfully, the cost of repairing the fridge won't be too bad, all things considered. Definitely worth it compared to shelling out for a new fridge.
To tram or not to tram?
Sorry, that sounds like one of those awful advertising slogans in "English" which only German-speaking marketing gurus could think up. Be that as it may, today could be a historic day in the life of the "border triangle" down here. Weil's councillors will decide today whether they want tram no. 8 to be extended all the way to Weil. They need to notify Basle of their decision by tonight at the latest. Wait any much longer and Berne will revoke its offer of financial support for the project. There has been a lot of hefty discussion about this question of financing over the last few weeks, with more twists and turns than Weil's über-roundabout. If you want some truly blinkered views from the Swiss about this whole affair, check this forum. It looks like the recriminations could soon begin.
Essentially, I'm in favour of the tram. However , it takes two to tango - and if the verdict from Weil is negative tonight, it'll be like sticking two fingers up at Basle's self-styled ideal of a trinational metrobasel area. In my opinion, metrobasel being a project conceived in Basle sums up the fundamental problem. No one seems to mention metrobasel here in Germany. How ever much Basle tries to persuade Weil of the fantastic prospect of having a tram, there seems to be a misunderstanding of each other's position and motives. And however much the individuals on the above-mentioned forum reason otherwise, the overriding impression I have is that this is a Basle project, so Basle should put its money where its mouth is.
[Postscript: Not that I'm suggesting that the decision-makers in Weil are against the project, but Weil as a town had a rather serious debt problem when I first moved here. The current Oberbürgermeister looks like he's succeeding in getting the books in order, then the Swiss come with their ambitious plans and you can understand the misgivings on the German side. Hopefully the state of Baden-Württemberg as a whole, i.e. Stuttgart, will agree to provide more funds.
Incidentally, someone in the above-mentioned forum wondered why Weil could afford the finance the pedestrian bridge over to the France but not this. Afforded it?! I don't think Weil would have been able to even contemplate building that bridge without the help of money from other private and public sources.]
Essentially, I'm in favour of the tram. However , it takes two to tango - and if the verdict from Weil is negative tonight, it'll be like sticking two fingers up at Basle's self-styled ideal of a trinational metrobasel area. In my opinion, metrobasel being a project conceived in Basle sums up the fundamental problem. No one seems to mention metrobasel here in Germany. How ever much Basle tries to persuade Weil of the fantastic prospect of having a tram, there seems to be a misunderstanding of each other's position and motives. And however much the individuals on the above-mentioned forum reason otherwise, the overriding impression I have is that this is a Basle project, so Basle should put its money where its mouth is.
[Postscript: Not that I'm suggesting that the decision-makers in Weil are against the project, but Weil as a town had a rather serious debt problem when I first moved here. The current Oberbürgermeister looks like he's succeeding in getting the books in order, then the Swiss come with their ambitious plans and you can understand the misgivings on the German side. Hopefully the state of Baden-Württemberg as a whole, i.e. Stuttgart, will agree to provide more funds.
Incidentally, someone in the above-mentioned forum wondered why Weil could afford the finance the pedestrian bridge over to the France but not this. Afforded it?! I don't think Weil would have been able to even contemplate building that bridge without the help of money from other private and public sources.]
Saturday, 16 February 2008
kaputt
Not only have I had the 'flu over the last two to three days, but I woke up today to find that my fridge had ceased to function. It's a good job that it's nice and cold outside at the moment so I can put one or two perishable items on the balcony. Hopefully I can get the problem resolved within a few days.
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
Carnival
After finishing work for the day, I headed into Basle at the end of the afternoon for a couple of hours strolling past all the Fasnacht goings-on. Tuesday during Fasnacht is traditionally the day for Basler children to dress up and put on their Waggis masks. But it's more than just that. Being squeezed in between the two procession days on Monday and Wednesday, it's also quite an anarchic day when anything goes - from the piccolo players winding their way through the narrow streets of the Basle's old town, to the parent Waggis pulling their little Waggis (some barely aged older than two or three) through Marktplatz; from the Ladärneusstellig (exhibition of lanterns) on Münsterplatz, to the Guggekonzerte in the evening when thousands gather in Basle's three main squares for the official Guggemusik concerts. Talking of Guggemusik, the whole of the city centre is transformed into one big procession again at around 7 p.m. when the various bands march and play downtown on their way to their respective gigs.
I find it hard to convey to my friends who live further afield what Fasnacht is really like, as most of them haven't experienced it, albeit Morgestraich. Fasnacht is a lot more than just the set-piece event that is Morgestraich. It has a lot to do with the atmosphere around town.
And a contentious election poster, which appeared in 2007 (see below), is the sujet of this lantern on Münsterplatz:
I find it hard to convey to my friends who live further afield what Fasnacht is really like, as most of them haven't experienced it, albeit Morgestraich. Fasnacht is a lot more than just the set-piece event that is Morgestraich. It has a lot to do with the atmosphere around town.
And a contentious election poster, which appeared in 2007 (see below), is the sujet of this lantern on Münsterplatz:
Monday, 11 February 2008
Morgestraich
After missing the last two years - 2006 due to half a metre of snow; 2007 due to laziness - I got up in the early hours today to get to Basle for Morgestraich. I watched the spectacle at Barfüsserplatz. Ideally, Marktplatz is preferable, because you get the countdown to 4 a.m., but the crowds were so packed I stayed put where I was. I later walked up to Münsterplatz and then down to the Mittlere Brücke, across the Rhine, through Kleinbasel and home.
Saturday, 9 February 2008
Glorious weather
At this time of the year, the sun is still shining at a low enough trajectory in the morning for it to brighten up half of my flat in brilliant light. It's lovely way to start the day. Anyway, I started today slowly, did some work on the computer until lunch, watched some telly after lunch, then went on a walk in the sun. I walked as far as Alt-Weil, where preparations were afoot for the official opening of Buurefasnacht. I stopped and took a couple of photos of the scene. This year's Weiler Fasnacht has so far been a non-event as far as I'm concerned, and I'll be missing the main procession tomorrow to watch Manchester United vs. Manchester City and the minute's silence in memory of the victims of the Munich air disaster 50 years ago.
Sunday, 3 February 2008
Freiburg vs. Osnabrück
Ended 1-1 (attendance 12,000; poor considering that the capacity of the Dreisamstadion - sorry "Badenova-Stadion" - is 25,000). After what was a rather intense working week, I thought I'd go and take in some second division football in Freiburg. It wasn't the best of matches, although Jonathan Pitroipa scored a good goal in the first half. Freiburg didn't really push on like they should have after the break and needlessly let the game run away from them.
Saturday, 26 January 2008
Modehaus Ermuth
Went into this shop - one of Weil's rare fashion stores - this afternoon to see if there were any decent winter coats. I suspect it's already almost the end of the season for proper winter fashion, but the winter coat I bought from the same shop over seven years ago is past its sell-by date and starting to look slightly shabby. What I was simply looking for was something warm and, if possible, waterproof. As expected, they had a good collection of other clothes, but coats that caught my eye were few and far between. And the ones that did were more suited for milder weather. On two separate occasions, respective friendly sales assistants asked me whether I required any help, and - as is my wont when looking for clothes - I bottled it and applied the conventional blocking tactic: "Danke, nein, ich schaue nur.." ["No, I'm just looking, thanks."]. My attention span when buying clothes is minimal at the best of times, and I quickly felt the urge to leave the store. By the way, this isn't meant as a critique of Modehaus Ermuth, but just as a way of illustrating how all my motivation evaporates as soon as I enter a clothes shop. It's not that I don't want to cut a sartorially impressive figure - it's just that I'm too choosy and can't be bothered unless I have drawn up a point-by-point plan of what I want beforehand.
And the reason why I'm telling you this...? No idea!
And the reason why I'm telling you this...? No idea!
Tuesday, 22 January 2008
A couple of random photos
Taken on a short walk a couple of days ago (without my crutches). I can manage on my own two feet now but I still have to be very careful, and the knee aches a lot if it gets tired. But anyway, I got out and enjoyed one or two late afternoon rays of sun and took these pics. One of them is of a train. It's not that I've turned into a trainspotter, but the picture is notable because it is a Swiss train on the line between Weil and Lörrach - which must be one of the few dedicated, self-containing train lines in the world that runs exclusively within the borders of one country but with the national trains of another country. To liven up the picture, there's also some teenage graffiti if you look more closely. The other photo is of one of the artistic remnants of the Landesgartenschau (Baden-Württemberg garden show) that took place here in 1999.
Saturday, 19 January 2008
The sound of drums
I'm doing a spot of work at home this Saturday afternoon and have the window open, what with the outside temperature being a very mild 15C today. And I can hear drum beats in the distance! I assume the sound is being made by Swiss Fasnacht groups practicing down in the woody meadows along the River Wiese where the German/Swiss border runs. They tend to rehearse their repertoire down there as it's a fair distance from any built-up areas. It still makes a heck of a racket though, and can usually be heard clearly by anyone walking up Tüllinger Hill in Weil this time of the year.
Friday, 18 January 2008
I must say, I felt quite smug when I opened the envelope containing my annual electricity statement today to learn that I'd saved 482 kg of CO2 during the past year. No idea how you can quantify such things in weight, given that CO2 is a colourless, odourless gas. Anyway, the block of flats I moved into four and a half years ago apparently uses electricity from renewable sources, i.e. hydroelectric plants situated relatively nearby. Not that I had any say in the matter, but it's nice to know.
Wednesday, 16 January 2008
Our OB's New Year interview
Our revered Oberbürgermeister Herr Dietz gave a series of e-mail interviews to the Badische Zeitung recently. Here's the first one he gave (in German, of course). The remaining three interviews (dated 9, 10 and 11 January) can be located in the Aktuell section of the website. I must say, he seems to be doing an alright job, our Herr Dietz. He's due to stand for re-election this coming April, though I'm not sure whether anyone will bother to stand against him. At least no one has thrown their hat into the ring so far.
Anyway, that reminds me: one of my pet hates as translator is when German speakers complain when I use the word "current" as the English for the German adjective "aktuell". It's because they mistakenly think that "aktuell" must mean "actual" (which, in German, is usually translated with the adjectives "effektiv", "eigentlich" or "tatsächlich"). It's just another example of what the French call faux amis ("false friends"), but it's one that particularly irritates.
Anyway, that reminds me: one of my pet hates as translator is when German speakers complain when I use the word "current" as the English for the German adjective "aktuell". It's because they mistakenly think that "aktuell" must mean "actual" (which, in German, is usually translated with the adjectives "effektiv", "eigentlich" or "tatsächlich"). It's just another example of what the French call faux amis ("false friends"), but it's one that particularly irritates.
Sunday, 13 January 2008
Arthroscopy
I got back home on Thursday 10th Jan after having spent somewhat of a rollercoaster 24 hours and a bit at the Praxisklinik Rennbahn in Muttenz, where Dr Joneleit performed an arthroscopy on my left knee. On arrival there just before 8 in the morning, I was then led to my room where my blood pressure was measured and other formalities completed. A nurse then shaved the hair on and around my knee, while I talked briefly with Dr Joneleit about the operation and agreed that I would stay conscious during the procedure so that he could explain to me what he was doing. The head anaesthetist finally give me a sedative pill and I was led into the operating theatre.
My anaesthetic - called an SDA - was administered via a spinal injection. It's similar to an epidural, but the injection point is slightly lower down the spine. Electrodes were attached to my chest and arms and then one of the nurses put a heated blanket over my chest. Before I knew it, Dr Joneleit had punctured two holes in my knee and I could follow the operation on the screen. He explained what he was doing as he went along. I was conscious of what he was saying, but I didn't register fully. Maybe this was because of the sedative and also because my upper body was shivering uncontrollably during the whole course of the operation, despite the warm blanket.
After the operation, I was trolleyed back into my room, where I lay for much of the remainder of the day and night with a couple of drips (pain-killers and such like) hanging above me and a thin pipe leading out of my knee siphoning off blood into a small plastic receptacle dangling below my bed.
The effects of the anaesthetic - mostly drowsiness - didn't fully wear off until the early evening. I then ate a pizza for tea, which I had chosen quickly from a menu shown to me just before my operation that morning. Fully sated, I settled down in bed and watched Bundesliga Klassiker 1996/97 on DSF. At that point, the nurse on the night shift, Bianca from Schopfheim (D), made her first appearance and - looking up at the DSF footage on television - mentioned to me that Erik Meijer, erstwhile Liverpool benchwarmer and Alemannia Aachen 2nd Division legend but who was a real star for Leverkusen with Ulf Kirsten back then in 1997, had spent the night after an operation in the very same bed I was now in. She said he was a laugh a minute. I raised a weary yet wry smile in response.
Early next morning, the doctor came in and removed the drips and pulled the blood siphon out. After breakfast with half a dozen other patients, I had physio, where I tentatively tested out my left knee and found that I could already put some weight on it. I then collected my belongings and left for home.
It's now been four days since the operation and I'm feeling fine. I have to take various tablets and inject myself once a day with some anti-thrombosis medication, but I think I may be able to discard the crutches sooner rather than later.
Monday, 7 January 2008
Outlook for 2008
So, what does 2008 hold in store for Weil?Well, firstly we will have a decision being taken one way or the other next month as to whether Weil wishes to give the go-ahead to Basle's tram no. 8 being extended from its current terminus at Kleinhüningen to the centre of Weil. The argument for approving such a project is that this is a unique opportunity to improve Weil's public transport infrastructure. On the other hand, the costs of extending the line could turn out to be too prohibitive for the town, despite the fact that Basle has agreed to fund the lion's share. Some people also believe that the benefits of such an extension are weighed disproportionately towards Basle, in that it would relieve the Swiss city - and especially Kleinhüningen - but wouldn't solve the daily traffic problems in Weil, Haltingen and towards Eimeldingen, Binzen and the hinterland of the Kandertal. Their argument is that the town should work, first and foremost, to improve the local S-Bahn infrastructure and bus services. Personally, though, I'm in favour of the tram line. If they don't approve it next month, then the Swiss funds which have been set aside for the project will be used for something else.
Then we have the ongoing debate about Sunday shopping. "Weil-aktiv", the local association entrusted with representing Weil's commerical and advertising interests, has proposed a number of Sundays this year on which shops in the centre of Weil could conceivably take place. However, a considerable number of shop-owners are supposedly against the plans and want to "keep Sunday special". This issue came to a head late in 2007 when Weil-aktiv's chairwoman Antje Lambert was openly criticised by a prominent Weil shop-owner for acting in the interests of the big supermarkets and not bothering to consult the owners of the smaller shops (* see below). Frau Lambert then surprisingly announced that she would be leaving her post to pursue a new career in Karlsruhe, so it's now very unclear what's going to happen.
This summer of course sees Euro 2008 taking place in Switzerland and Austria, with Basle one of the major venues. I'm looking forward to watching some of the matches at the public viewing area down at Grün 99/Laguna. I'm looking forward to the Czechs coming here. And the banter with the Portuguese could be interesting. And maybe even Jogi Löw's team will be in Basle come quarter-final time. That could also be interesting. As will the Switzerland-Turkey match.
I can't think of anything else of note concerning the town, but from a personal point of view, I would like to perhaps attend one or two of the local tours which people from the town hall organise every so often. It could be an interesting way to learn new things about Weil and meet new people at the same time.
[Edit *: I translated this roughly from a report in the Weiler Zeitung on 19 December 2007.]
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
At my local supermarket, items such as toiletries or stationery are situated in separate areas with their own dedicated cash desks. A pain in the neck, if you ask me, because it means extra queuing (don't worry, I'll tackle the issue of German "queues" at a later date). Whenever I buy something in the toiletries (& cosmetics) section in particular - e.g. toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, shower gel - I thank the woman at the cash till and, by way of bidding farewell, say either "tschüß", "adje/ade" (like adieu but pronounced in the local manner), "auf Wiedersehen" or even "uf Widerluege" - though I only say the latter if the sun is shining and I've a skip in my step and feel like a native. Why does the woman then always insist on saying something different? For example, I say adje one day and she counters with tschüß. The next time, I say tschüß but she reverts to adje. Then the third time, I try to be more formal and say auf Wiedersehen and get an uf Widerluege in return. This is what dialect does to people, I suspect.
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
Happy New Year
Let's hope 2008 is a good year for everyone.
I saw the new year in with my friends Pete and Nicole, their two children Vincent and Lewis, plus Pete's parents, at their house in Blansingen. They also kindly let me stay the night. Owing to the icy weather this morning, Nicole advised me not to walk down the steep hill to the station in Kleinkems and instead dropped me off by car at Efringen-Kirchen Bf. I stayed on the train until Basle because I needed to buy some food at the station.
If you include my year abroad in the Südpfalz in 1996/97, I've lived in this country for nearly nine years, yet there are certain local peculiarities I'm still learning about. For example, I went to Basle yesterday to renew my public transport ticket for 2008 and had to queue for over an hour to do so. No problem, I thought, the shops in Weil will probably still be open until at least 5 p.m. Wrong. They closed at 2 p.m. By the time I had returned home and eaten lunch, it was already too late. It's funny because I did notice at the time how busy with shoppers the Hauptstraße was yesterday morning and then how quiet it suddenly became from early afternoon onwards.... Yours truly left the flat at around 4 p.m. with the aim of getting some provisions in, blithely unaware that the supermarket was already closed. On New Year's Eve I've always either been in the UK or visiting friends in Heidelberg, so I had never really clocked that the shops closed so early on Silvester in Germany. I should really have known, given that it was New Year's Eve. It would have saved me an unscheduled trip to Switzerland this morning.
I saw the new year in with my friends Pete and Nicole, their two children Vincent and Lewis, plus Pete's parents, at their house in Blansingen. They also kindly let me stay the night. Owing to the icy weather this morning, Nicole advised me not to walk down the steep hill to the station in Kleinkems and instead dropped me off by car at Efringen-Kirchen Bf. I stayed on the train until Basle because I needed to buy some food at the station.
If you include my year abroad in the Südpfalz in 1996/97, I've lived in this country for nearly nine years, yet there are certain local peculiarities I'm still learning about. For example, I went to Basle yesterday to renew my public transport ticket for 2008 and had to queue for over an hour to do so. No problem, I thought, the shops in Weil will probably still be open until at least 5 p.m. Wrong. They closed at 2 p.m. By the time I had returned home and eaten lunch, it was already too late. It's funny because I did notice at the time how busy with shoppers the Hauptstraße was yesterday morning and then how quiet it suddenly became from early afternoon onwards.... Yours truly left the flat at around 4 p.m. with the aim of getting some provisions in, blithely unaware that the supermarket was already closed. On New Year's Eve I've always either been in the UK or visiting friends in Heidelberg, so I had never really clocked that the shops closed so early on Silvester in Germany. I should really have known, given that it was New Year's Eve. It would have saved me an unscheduled trip to Switzerland this morning.
Monday, 31 December 2007
Dinner for One
"Same procedure", but not in the UK.
It is a curiosity that this, the most frequently repeated programme in German television history, is an English-language sketch broadcast every New Year's Eve. It's an even greater oddity that this programme has never been shown in the UK despite enjoying a cult following of millions in Germany.
I first heard of the programme during my year abroad in Germersheim in 1996/97 and must say that I was rather nonplussed when my school colleagues told me about it. Even more bewilderingly, the programme's ubiquitous phrase - "Same procedure as every year" - has pride of place in most Germans' consciousness and has even made its way into everyday parlance. Lots of Germans have uttered these words to me over the ensuing years, and if I hadn't heard of the sketch, I wouldn't have had a clue what they were on about.
I finally watched the programme in question on New Year's Eve in 2005. We Brits found it mildly amusing, but our German friends could barely contain their chuckle muscles.
It is a curiosity that this, the most frequently repeated programme in German television history, is an English-language sketch broadcast every New Year's Eve. It's an even greater oddity that this programme has never been shown in the UK despite enjoying a cult following of millions in Germany.
I first heard of the programme during my year abroad in Germersheim in 1996/97 and must say that I was rather nonplussed when my school colleagues told me about it. Even more bewilderingly, the programme's ubiquitous phrase - "Same procedure as every year" - has pride of place in most Germans' consciousness and has even made its way into everyday parlance. Lots of Germans have uttered these words to me over the ensuing years, and if I hadn't heard of the sketch, I wouldn't have had a clue what they were on about.
I finally watched the programme in question on New Year's Eve in 2005. We Brits found it mildly amusing, but our German friends could barely contain their chuckle muscles.
Wednesday, 26 December 2007
Sunday, 16 December 2007
Well, I don't think it was my blog entry that precipitated this, but it looks like this is a story that will run and run. After reading the article attached (scanned from our free newspaper Der Sonntag), I would probably sympathise a little with owners of pubs that only have one small room to welcome their guests. On the other hand, I would venture the opinion that an important reason why some non-smokers are staying away from certain pubs is that they know that these pubs are "smoking pubs" which are reluctantly abiding by the law (or not, as the case may be). Reputation is everything.
Saturday, 15 December 2007
"Public viewing" in Weil?
I don't mean "people-watching" or some state-sponsored Stasi-esque ruse. I mean watching football matches with thousands of others on a field somewhere in Weil.
According to today's Weiler Zeitung, the Dreiländergarten down at the old garden show grounds here in Weil could be the venue for the public showing of matches on a giant screen at Euro 2008 next summer. With Basle's designated "public viewing" venues looking woefully ill-equipped to cope with the 100,000 people expected to visit the city on each match day, the organisers are looking at the possibility of setting up additional venues over the border. Weil has been earmarked as one of these venues.
Anyway, you read it here first.
According to today's Weiler Zeitung, the Dreiländergarten down at the old garden show grounds here in Weil could be the venue for the public showing of matches on a giant screen at Euro 2008 next summer. With Basle's designated "public viewing" venues looking woefully ill-equipped to cope with the 100,000 people expected to visit the city on each match day, the organisers are looking at the possibility of setting up additional venues over the border. Weil has been earmarked as one of these venues.
Anyway, you read it here first.
Friday, 14 December 2007
Rauchen verboten
On 1 August 2007 smoking inside public bars and restaurants was banned in Baden-Württemberg. This unleashed a predictable backlash in the local press from a significant minority of local publicans and restaurant owners who complained that they would lose custom as a result of the ban. (I'm a non-smoker, by the way.) Personally, I view such reactions as short-sighted yammering. Have they thought of the custom they might potentially miss out on from non-smokers who might otherwise stay at home? Anyway, there is a particular pub in Weil which I have frequented every now and again over the last seven years. The last time I visited the bar was early November for an evening meal. To my surprise, not only were a number of fellow guests smoking happily away but the owners behind the bar were doing the same. Now, I've had a "grin and bear it" attitude to smoking in pubs in the past, i.e. it was simply a fact of life that by going into such an establishment you had to expect some people there might be smoking. However, once countries like the Republic of Ireland and Italy took the step a few years ago to ban smoking inside public establishments, I did hope that a similar ban might eventually come into effect here - not that I thought that this would occur any time in the near future. Hence my utter surprise when the politicians in Stuttgart suddenly decided to introduce the ban on the quiet last August - and my subsequent dismay that certain people here are still flouting the rules.
My quiet reaction that evening in November was to decide that the pub in question would not be getting my custom again if this state of affairs didn't change. Now it seems that a number of other disgruntled patrons may have taken the matter further and complained to the town hall. What's more, a number of eating and drinking establishments that were complying with the new laws have complained to the town hall regarding the "competitive disadvantage" they are suffering at the hands of their less law-abiding colleagues! The Weiler Zeitung last week reported that, as a result of these complaints, the town hall sent stern letters to a number of establishments, making it clear in no uncertain terms of their obligation to observe the no-smoking law.
I wonder whether the people at my local drinking hole have now got the message.
I suppose it's good that at least there is a no-smoking law in force here - unlike in Basle where a powerful publican's lobby ensures a rather smoky status quo.
My quiet reaction that evening in November was to decide that the pub in question would not be getting my custom again if this state of affairs didn't change. Now it seems that a number of other disgruntled patrons may have taken the matter further and complained to the town hall. What's more, a number of eating and drinking establishments that were complying with the new laws have complained to the town hall regarding the "competitive disadvantage" they are suffering at the hands of their less law-abiding colleagues! The Weiler Zeitung last week reported that, as a result of these complaints, the town hall sent stern letters to a number of establishments, making it clear in no uncertain terms of their obligation to observe the no-smoking law.
I wonder whether the people at my local drinking hole have now got the message.
I suppose it's good that at least there is a no-smoking law in force here - unlike in Basle where a powerful publican's lobby ensures a rather smoky status quo.
Sunday, 9 December 2007
Schwimmen
Just come back from doing something I very rarely do: swim. With Laguna Badeland, Weil has a popular swimming complex that draws in the punters from far and wide. French is spoken there as much as German, such are the numbers of Alsatiens who use it. I don't mean Alsatians of the canine variety. However, the adult price for one measly hour there is EUR 4.50. This is because of the variety of watery attractions offered, i.e. not merely a rectangle swimming pool but also water slides, wave machines and the whole (water) works.... It's the nearest thing I've seen to the Sandcastle in Blackpool.
My original intention was to go there and do a few lengths of the pool, until I found out that there is an indoor venue in Lörrach open from September to April - a simple no-frills swimming pool costing a euro less, and with no time limit. I did a reconnoitre of the place on my bike yesterday, and it seemed quite decent, so I went again today to have a swim. After fumbling around at the ticket machine and the turnstile, I managed to get in the modern and mixed changing rooms (wahey). I say "mixed", but it was a really a sheep-pen system in which you changed in privacy and then moved on to the lockers and put your belongings away. After some more fumbling around - this time with the locker - and wondering where the exit to the pool was, I finally made it out.
I've never been the best of swimmers and certainly can't do the alternate breathing style. Whenever I try to put my head underwater while doing the breaststroke, I come up spluttering full of chlorine. It's just not worth it, so I gently swim to the other end of the pool getting overtaken by the more proficient swimmers. My crawl is simply a wild flailing of arms. It has to be because my nose has to stay above water at all times. Not very effective, but at least it gave me a good work-out today. Swimming exercises all the muscles in your body like no other activity. I'm now quite tired this afternoon, though I expect getting up at 4.45 to watch the boxing didn't help.
My original intention was to go there and do a few lengths of the pool, until I found out that there is an indoor venue in Lörrach open from September to April - a simple no-frills swimming pool costing a euro less, and with no time limit. I did a reconnoitre of the place on my bike yesterday, and it seemed quite decent, so I went again today to have a swim. After fumbling around at the ticket machine and the turnstile, I managed to get in the modern and mixed changing rooms (wahey). I say "mixed", but it was a really a sheep-pen system in which you changed in privacy and then moved on to the lockers and put your belongings away. After some more fumbling around - this time with the locker - and wondering where the exit to the pool was, I finally made it out.
I've never been the best of swimmers and certainly can't do the alternate breathing style. Whenever I try to put my head underwater while doing the breaststroke, I come up spluttering full of chlorine. It's just not worth it, so I gently swim to the other end of the pool getting overtaken by the more proficient swimmers. My crawl is simply a wild flailing of arms. It has to be because my nose has to stay above water at all times. Not very effective, but at least it gave me a good work-out today. Swimming exercises all the muscles in your body like no other activity. I'm now quite tired this afternoon, though I expect getting up at 4.45 to watch the boxing didn't help.
Stopped in the 10th round
It was not to be for Ricky Hatton. Mayweather was the better, more clinical fighter. The "Hitman"
was the boxer moving forward, but the American is a slippery character and didn't offer much to aim at. Hatton couldn't make many clean hits and kept getting countered with good point-taking shots.
Anyway, it was still good to get up early to watch it and not having to pay Rupert Murdoch for the pleasure of doing so. I didn't really sleep all that well - after being woken up by hammering noises from the neighbours at 1 in the morning. Don't know what that was all about. Perhaps they thought they'd do a spot of DIY in the early hours.
was the boxer moving forward, but the American is a slippery character and didn't offer much to aim at. Hatton couldn't make many clean hits and kept getting countered with good point-taking shots.
Anyway, it was still good to get up early to watch it and not having to pay Rupert Murdoch for the pleasure of doing so. I didn't really sleep all that well - after being woken up by hammering noises from the neighbours at 1 in the morning. Don't know what that was all about. Perhaps they thought they'd do a spot of DIY in the early hours.
Saturday, 8 December 2007
Eight and a half hours to go,,,
...to the main event of the evening in Las Vegas (at 5 a.m. CET): Ricky Hatton vs. Floyd Mayweather. What's more, RTL here in Germany are showing it live and free! The last time I got this excited about boxing was when Hagler and Hearns slugged it out at Caesar's Palace back in the Eighties. The Hagler-Hearns-Duran-Leonard quartet embodied a golden era for boxing. (How pretentious did that last sentence sound?) I just hope this morning's fight lives up to the hype.
Right, time for bed.
Right, time for bed.
Friday, 7 December 2007
A big ask
I'm currently reading John Humphry's excellent book "Lost for words - the mangling and manipulating of the English language". This has got me thinking about my own linguistic pet hates:
Firstly could people please stop using the phrase "big ask"? This is one of those insidious little ticks that have entered English language usage, with the verb "to ask" suddenly morphing into a noun. In particular, during ITV's otherwise solid coverage of the Rugby World Cup I noticed that a number of studio pundits insisted on using this phrase time and again. As the "Urban Dictionary" website tells us, "big ask" is generally used in sporting or business contexts. This makes sense, because rugby players tend to become businessmen after their playing careers and have subsequently picked up the phrase through their personal contact with corporate jargon.
Here's something else: the verb "to engage". This is not a case of misuse as such, but when used in a certain way "engage" is a verb that can irritate. Case in point: Kelly Holmes, the British women's Olympic 800m champion advertising a project to promote sport in schools. She was interviewed on television and must have used the phrase "engage young people" at least six times in the space of two minutes. There being plenty of perfectly good alternatives Ms Holmes could have chosen, such as "get young people involved", "attract young people to sport" or "get young people participating", etc. Thanks again to business jargon, the "engage young people" usage of the verb is becoming more common. Ms Holmes probably heard the phrase being bandied around by sports functionaries such as Lord Coe and thought she'd flog it to death herself. Though I suppose that the spirit of the project is ultimately all that matters and that I'm becoming more intolerant the older I get.
Firstly could people please stop using the phrase "big ask"? This is one of those insidious little ticks that have entered English language usage, with the verb "to ask" suddenly morphing into a noun. In particular, during ITV's otherwise solid coverage of the Rugby World Cup I noticed that a number of studio pundits insisted on using this phrase time and again. As the "Urban Dictionary" website tells us, "big ask" is generally used in sporting or business contexts. This makes sense, because rugby players tend to become businessmen after their playing careers and have subsequently picked up the phrase through their personal contact with corporate jargon.
Here's something else: the verb "to engage". This is not a case of misuse as such, but when used in a certain way "engage" is a verb that can irritate. Case in point: Kelly Holmes, the British women's Olympic 800m champion advertising a project to promote sport in schools. She was interviewed on television and must have used the phrase "engage young people" at least six times in the space of two minutes. There being plenty of perfectly good alternatives Ms Holmes could have chosen, such as "get young people involved", "attract young people to sport" or "get young people participating", etc. Thanks again to business jargon, the "engage young people" usage of the verb is becoming more common. Ms Holmes probably heard the phrase being bandied around by sports functionaries such as Lord Coe and thought she'd flog it to death herself. Though I suppose that the spirit of the project is ultimately all that matters and that I'm becoming more intolerant the older I get.
Thursday, 6 December 2007
Euro 2008 draw
All things considered, I was satisfied with the draw for next summer's group phase matches in Basle featuring Switzerland versus the Czech Republic, Turkey and Portugal. Of course, the Switzerland-Turkey fixture has security implications owing to events of recent history, but I'm optimistic that the many thousands of Turks who'll be in town for the match will want to give a better account of themselves for fear of a repeat of the truly shocking backlash they suffered two years ago.
As far as I know, Czech fans are like the Scandinavians in that they drink lots of beer but are harmless. Fans of the Portuguese national team are also quite amenable, so I've heard. With no prospect of the nasty English making people's lives difficult, at least the head of Basle police should now be able to sleep soundly at night.
As far as I know, Czech fans are like the Scandinavians in that they drink lots of beer but are harmless. Fans of the Portuguese national team are also quite amenable, so I've heard. With no prospect of the nasty English making people's lives difficult, at least the head of Basle police should now be able to sleep soundly at night.
Saturday, 1 December 2007
Lots of my neighbours have already put up their Christmas lights. A couple of houses opposite even resemble the Blackpool Illuminations, such is the extent of the lighting on their respective facades. My flat, on the other hand, is conspicuous for its lack of seasonal lighting. I may go to the Weihnachtsmarkt on Lindenplatz here in Weil tomorrow to shop around for something "Christmassy". Or I may just have a Glühwein instead.
Thursday, 29 November 2007
In the morning chill
I decided to capture at bit of the early morning atmosphere in Switzerland's third largest city with my camera today. After alighting the no. 55 bus at Claraplatz, I walked to the Mittlere Brücke, took my gloves off and took a few pictures. The temperature was still below zero when I took the the photos - I think the resultant images convey this. The fourth photo was taken in the courtyard of Basle City Hall.
Sunday, 25 November 2007
Schneider's Kirchenstück 2006
My friends give me my fair share of stick about this but I am a bit of wine anorak, especially when it comes to German wine. Or is that just my way of saying I'm a wine bore?!
Anyway, as a once-in-a-blue-moon treat I cracked open one of the bottles down in the cellar of Château Blogger and had some of it with my evening meal. It was a lovely wine, although I thought it was a bit reticent and needed more air - which is why I've saved a bit of it for this evening. Ideally, a white wine like this would benefit from decanting, but unless you're going to down the lot in one sitting, that's unpractical. I have a few more bottles left of this wine and I intend to lay these down for some time to come.
Apart from the wine itself, the label on the bottle caught the eye: simple and minimalist yet it has all the basic information you need about the wine you're about to drink (vineyard name, grape variety, wine region, village, year, winemaker). The label at the back which you can't see in the photograph should technically be the "front" label. It contains all the details a wine producer in Germany is legally obliged to disclose, such as the wine's official category - in this case a "QbA" or Qualitätswein - and the official certification number (or AP Nr.). By cunningly relegating such sundries to a mini-label at the "back" of the bottle, the wine producer is adhering to legal stipulations but can still produce an uncluttered, customer-friendly "front" label.
Anyway, as a once-in-a-blue-moon treat I cracked open one of the bottles down in the cellar of Château Blogger and had some of it with my evening meal. It was a lovely wine, although I thought it was a bit reticent and needed more air - which is why I've saved a bit of it for this evening. Ideally, a white wine like this would benefit from decanting, but unless you're going to down the lot in one sitting, that's unpractical. I have a few more bottles left of this wine and I intend to lay these down for some time to come.
Apart from the wine itself, the label on the bottle caught the eye: simple and minimalist yet it has all the basic information you need about the wine you're about to drink (vineyard name, grape variety, wine region, village, year, winemaker). The label at the back which you can't see in the photograph should technically be the "front" label. It contains all the details a wine producer in Germany is legally obliged to disclose, such as the wine's official category - in this case a "QbA" or Qualitätswein - and the official certification number (or AP Nr.). By cunningly relegating such sundries to a mini-label at the "back" of the bottle, the wine producer is adhering to legal stipulations but can still produce an uncluttered, customer-friendly "front" label.
Thursday, 22 November 2007
I got terribly worked up yesterday morning about an article in the Basle edition of Switzerland's daily free paper "20 Minuten". The police chief of the Canton of Basel-Land had gone on the record to say that he hoped England would not make it to the finals as it would guarantee a peaceful tournament next summer. I can accept it if someone wants England to lose; it's a fact of life here on the "continent", although lots of Swiss do support England as if they were their second national team. But his opinion was seemingly based on nothing but the usual lazy prejudices that still get spouted around about English supporters in this part of the world. Grr.
As for the England football team itself, the less said the better. For my own selfish personal reasons, I'm deeply disappointed that England won't be taking part at Euro 2008 because the tournament is taking place in my own backyard, so to speak. Once I get over this disappointment, however, I hope that watching a major tournament as a neutral will be enjoyable in its own way. After all, there is a precedent: the 1994 World Cup in the USA - the last tournament England failed to qualify for - was one of my favourite World Cups. I still remember the buzz I felt of surreptitiously switching on the small telly upstairs at my parents' house at midnight to catch belters like Romania vs. Colombia and USA vs. Colombia.
As for the England football team itself, the less said the better. For my own selfish personal reasons, I'm deeply disappointed that England won't be taking part at Euro 2008 because the tournament is taking place in my own backyard, so to speak. Once I get over this disappointment, however, I hope that watching a major tournament as a neutral will be enjoyable in its own way. After all, there is a precedent: the 1994 World Cup in the USA - the last tournament England failed to qualify for - was one of my favourite World Cups. I still remember the buzz I felt of surreptitiously switching on the small telly upstairs at my parents' house at midnight to catch belters like Romania vs. Colombia and USA vs. Colombia.
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
20 November
To commemorate my birthday, here's one of my most recent boring arty photos taken last Sunday.
Monday, 12 November 2007
Young lady on chair
As part of Weil am Rhein's tourism "push", someone decided it would be a good idea to send the fire brigade out to one of Weil's "tourist attractions" (a roundabout with a big chair in the middle) in order to help a pretty demoiselle up on to this piece of "art" and take a photo of her sitting there.
Inspired!
This is the photo.
I tell you, Weil am Rhein tourist information office should pay me for this.
Inspired!
This is the photo.
I tell you, Weil am Rhein tourist information office should pay me for this.
Sunday, 11 November 2007
Remembrance Sunday / 11.11 / Martinstag
Here in Germany, the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year marks two specific occasions. Firstly, the beginning of the carnival season in the Rhineland and elsewhere - but predominantly in the cities of Cologne, Dusseldorf and Mainz. At 11.11 a.m. on 11 November, to be precise. According to the Alemannic tradition practiced here, the Fas(t)nacht season strictly shouldn't begin until Epiphany (6 Jan). Instead, 11 November marks St Martin's Day - the day on which the children go through the village holding lanterns and singing from house to house. Goose is traditionally on the menu on Martinstag.
In the UK, meanwhile, 11 November this year (or the first Sunday after 11 November) is, of course, Remembrance Sunday. The German equivalent thereof normally takes place slightly later.
Slightly ironic that, as I write, people in Cologne are dressed in costumes, singing and acting strangely, while back in London HRH Queen Elizabeth is laying a wreath at the Cenotaph. Andere Länder, andere Sitten, I suppose...
In the UK, meanwhile, 11 November this year (or the first Sunday after 11 November) is, of course, Remembrance Sunday. The German equivalent thereof normally takes place slightly later.
Slightly ironic that, as I write, people in Cologne are dressed in costumes, singing and acting strangely, while back in London HRH Queen Elizabeth is laying a wreath at the Cenotaph. Andere Länder, andere Sitten, I suppose...
Sunday, 4 November 2007
A quiet November Sunday
Just what the doctor ordered, to be honest. After spending time at the autumn fair with friends in Basle on Saturday (we went on a variety of rides and also went up to the Bar Rouge at the top of the Messeturm), I wasn't intending much today apart from a walk in the fresh air to capture some autumnal hues with my camera.
Otherwise, I cleaned up and put away the table and chairs on my balcony, I discovered this nifty gadget for blocking advertising on websites, and I pondered on what might have been at "Ashburton Grove" 24 hours previously, where Man United sadly conceded late on to draw 2-2 and thus
postpone moving into top spot in the Premier Lea
gue.
Otherwise, I cleaned up and put away the table and chairs on my balcony, I discovered this nifty gadget for blocking advertising on websites, and I pondered on what might have been at "Ashburton Grove" 24 hours previously, where Man United sadly conceded late on to draw 2-2 and thus
postpone moving into top spot in the Premier Lea
gue.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
