Valentines

As some of you may know, St. Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays, perhaps only trumped by my love of Easter. I accredit this love very much to my family. From Kindergarten to my senior year of high school, I received flowers every Valentine's Day from my father. My mother has always given us Valentine's Day presents, my Grandparents always send cards and a little something special, and I always trade Valentines at least with my siblings. However, for the last 6 or 7 years, I have made my own Valentines and given them to my friends and family, because Valentine's Day is not just a day for couples, but for expressing your love and joy with friends, family, and lovers alike.

I am currently in the assembly step of this year's Valentine- each year is different and there are very few who may lay claim to every Valentine I have made- plus I never repeat. This year was a bit challenging to develop a new design, but I am happy with the outcome. I am currently up to my ears in paper, glue, and other materials- dearly wishing I had a paper cutter among other things (my glue gun comes to mind- why didn't I think to bring that??). As much as I am sure my Valentine recipients cannot wait for this year's arrow to strike- you will just have to wait to see this year's model and celebrate with me, mostly from afar.

Obama

Watching the inauguration last night, in Germany on the BBC with my British friend Lydia and my German roommate Melanie- I was given hope and shed more than a few tears.

And the rain rain rain came down down down

Whenever it rains, I think of that song. Maybe you know the one I mean, the one from the beginning of the old Winnie the Pooh movie, I believe Winnie the Pooh and the very Blustery Day. When it is pouring buckets in the Hundred Acre Wood and everyone's houses fill up with water and Piglet spins around and around. I can only find the video in Swedish, but you get the idea nonetheless. Well, today has switched to rain. It had warmed up and the rain rain rain has begun to come down down down. This is good news for me. It makes it a bit easier to bounce around town when the bouncing is not taking place on a sheet of ice. It was getting to the point that if I had a shovel, I would have gone put there and scrapped that ice off the sidewalk. It was ridiculous, and quite dangerous.


This "advertisement" has been in my local U-Bahn station for some time now. It is quite clearly meant to be a joke (showing the old Soviet Trabant as the car of the future), but the hints stop there. There is no small indicator at the bottom to reveal the creator of this joke, nor has there been a follow-up ad in my station stop. Just this one, for months and months now. I am quite confused. Around the time that this ad originally appeared, there was an equally puzzling, but far more disturbing ad for lobotomies. It has disappeared and I unfortunately did not manage to snag a photo. I did, however, right down the tag line: Jetzt alles in Ordnung bringen mit einer Lobotomie! In English essentially: Now bring everything in order with a lobotomy! If I ever discover the mystery of that one, it'll be a happy day indeed.

A Bit of Spring

SUSAN lives! Susan is one of my plants, a trio of girls living on the wide window sill in my room- Susan, Ingrid, and Blanche. I have been worried about Susan lately, concerned her tropical inclinations wouldn't survive the winter. Until today, when going to water her- I discovered a thing of beauty- a flower!


Here is Susan on my very messy desk (I blame illness), a bit of Spring to keep hope in this very dark January.

Snow and Icy Cold

About a week ago, Berlin was treated to a few inches of snow. Since then, it hasn't repeated, but it has been bitter cold. The snow had been pounded into layers of ice and the entire city has taken to walking like penguins. Two days ago, we were down to about 4°F, today is quite mild in comparison, a balmy 20°F, making my bed all the more appealing. In the meantime, I walk cautiously to class and my S-Bahn stop, sure to keep my chin tucked into the warmth of my scarf and my gloved hands nestled in my wool coat's pockets. It is a cold one.

Long Time Gone

Between Christmas preparations, Christmas, Italy, New Year's, and visitors- I have been a long time gone. Christmas was marvelous and Italy was warm. In Rome I went about without a scarf or hat and when I first arrived in Venice- I wore a cardigan! Skies were blue and it was hard to believe it was winter.


I spent a few days with my Uncle Mike, Aunt Sam, their boys Noah and Abe, and my Grandparents- celebrating Christmas and playing with my active cousins. So much energy! But not surprising, they are 10 and 8 year old boys. Day after Christmas, we headed to Rome- it was gorgeous. Warm, sunny, and full of exciting buildings, etc. I'll need to go back some day, but there is so much to see!


Upon immediate return to Berlin, the blue skies kept for a few days- it was bitter cold, but beautiful and sunny. By New Year's Eve, the damp cold of before returned- this time much more cold than before I had left for Italy. And New Year's day, Melissa, the Grandparents and I awoke to snow. SNOW! Not much, but snow nonetheless. New Year's Eve in Berlin was an experience- to say the least. I was at Potsdamer Platz, it was a veritable war zone. Everyone had rocket launched fireworks and firecrackers that they threw every which way. The debris are still present to some extent on the streets of Berlin.


Around 1am, I got onto a train with some friends to head into Kreuzberg, another area of Berlin. The trains where completely packed with people singing, drinking bear, and celebrating the New Year. It was insane, when Melissa and I got on a train to go home around 4.30am- they were still quite full. That day, around noon, when Melissa and I went to meet the Grandparents, I spotted some people just tredging home.

Now my world has quieted down, visitors are gone and I am regaining energy to finish off my semester.


I am surrounded by light snowfall and the cold- New Year's resolve don't fail me now!