winkris

...

2011-12-29T19:25:00.003+01:00

To be continued...

P.S Here's wishing you all an adventurous, happy and love-filled start to the new year. See you in 2012!

Like a Jigsaw Puzzle.

2011-07-26T19:24:00.003+02:00

18:43

It's the last Tuesday of July for this year and there are already signs that Autumn is approaching. The temperature has pretty much halved since the start of the month and scattered bursts of sunshine have accompanied my day.

Today, we're barely pushing past 20˚C and i've just woken up from a lovely afternoon nap.

Anyway, i can't believe i'm three days away from my last day of my B1-1 German course. If i really think about it, i think i'm actually going to miss going to class every day. Partly because yesterday, after studying after class, i actually kinda got my head around how the fourth German case : Genitive is used and what its' prepositions are. A chapter that previously gave me instant headaches.

But i reckon if i self-study and keep making an effort to practise my German through speaking, it will all snap into place.

[Some] wishes do come true, ya know.

And lately, i've been dreaming a lot in German. Whether i'm speaking grammatically correct, i don't know but those who are in my subconscious seem to understand what i'm saying.

It's definitely nice to have a fluid conversation with someone that doesn't tilt their head to the side in hopes that that would help make more sense of my sentences. If only i could remember what we talked about.

But i'm a week away from really focusing my energy on getting a job.

I mentioned before i'm in need of work but this time i really mean it.

I've also decided i really want to work at the Koelner Zoo - Germany's third oldest. Not only is it a few tram stops away from where we live but i can't think of anything better to do than if i care for animals.

I'm also hoping the job pays, even if it's just a mini job where there's a limit to how many hours one can work [40 hours/month] and i only get paid 400 Euro.

In my opinion, that's better than nothing.

But i've read somewhere that the internship waiting list can be quite long especially now that the Summer holidays have started. I've also read interns don't actually get paid anything but i could be wrong.

J suggested that during Little L's visit we go visit the zoo and whilst i'm there i can find out if there are any jobs available.

My fingers are crossed.

For those of you who've just tuned in, Little L is J's nine year old daughter. She lives in Ireland with her brothers, mother [J's ex-girlfriend] and her mother's boyfriend. I say brothers with a S because J's ex got pregnant by her boyfriend last year and she gave birth to another son in January.

I can't believe it's already been two years since we last visited them in Ireland and it's already close to three and a half years since i first stepped foot in this country.

Time has changed my perception of life but maybe it's just age talking.

Life is like a jigsaw puzzle and as tedious as it may seem to want to complete, it's the satisfaction of finally finding the exact piece to fit in order to want to carry on.

Dental Issues.

2011-07-20T18:50:00.008+02:00

About three weeks ago i was moping around and whingeing that my upper left molars were hurting. As usual, i was convinced something was wrong.

What if my weakness for chocolate and sour candies had finally left me with cavities?

Or worse, i cracked a tooth!?

But after three days of ingesting various painkillers i decided enough was enough. I made an appointment with a recommended dentist and hoped for the best. As a resident in Germany i am forced to pay close to 200 Euro a month for health insurance and whether or not i need it makes no difference.

However, it seems like the average waiting period for a new patient to even get an appointment is about three weeks. And depending on their popularity the wait could even be longer. But it's nice to know that in case of an emergency they allow for exceptions.

I, of course, forgot to mention i was in pain when i made my appointment in grammatically correct German sentences. But was relieved i was even available to get a slot at all [even if it meant i had to wait a week].

J rang the office again, this time slightly exaggerating the truth, and said i may have cracked a tooth.

They ended up squeezing me in at 8 in the morning the very next day and my teeth/jaw couldn't have been any happier.

After several minutes of prodding around in my mouth with various tools the lady dentist tells me she can't see anything and suggests i get an x-ray.

Here's the photo i took with my hand phone whilst waiting for the dentist to return...

[click to enlarge]

It turned out, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

And her only explanation as to why i was experiencing a dull pain was probably caused by stress and unknowingly clenching my jaw.

Take a closer look and it shows i don't have any cavities either.

Yay!

A Case of Time Out.

2011-07-18T20:07:00.003+02:00

Let me begin by apologising to you all for not updating you of my whereabouts.

I realise now that my sudden disappearance from the Land of Bloggers may have left some of you concerned. After all it has been a whole month since my last post and who knows what could have happened. But as dramatic as my last blog entry sounded, i'm now happy to report i didn't decide to move out and neither do i plan to in the near future.

Relationships are hard work, even if one thinks one is meant to be with one another. And as corny as it may sound, it's true "...it takes two to Tango."

However, it took a weekend at my sister + her boyfriend + Mimi's place and dodging the subject for three weeks before J and i decided to talk it out.

Amongst various other things, it turned out the stress from J's work, his lack of sleep and disinterest in wanting to do anything else but play Warcraft on the weekend had finally taken its' toll on our relationship.

A part of him was envious of "my life" and used his gaming as payback for something he knew i had no control of.

But it was the period of two weeks prior to our argument that forced him to work 14-18 hour days. He was bitter that i got to work from home and learn a new language at my own pace. Never mind, that on top of that i also take charge of the household chores, clean after him and make sure his work clothes are ironed just in time for the new week.

But all that seemed pale in comparison to how much he works. And with that i had to remind him, once again, our lives are incomparable. And at the peak of our quarrel he dared to compare me to his ex - which of course, he later apologised for.

This happened around the time i practically finished all my projects and my twice-a-week German course was ending. I had enrolled in the next course but days before it was going to begin i received a letter to say it was cancelled.

Great.

Just as i was getting back into the groove of wanting to learn German.

But i couldn't just sit on my arse till September and wait for the next round of courses to begin. So last minute i decided to join an intensive Summer course. It's an intensive German class which runs Monday through Friday from 9am to 1pm and goes on until the 29th of July.

I'm already in my third week but it ends next week just in time for Little L's arrival at the end of the month.

Oh...

and i've also decided August will be the month i will find a new job.

Or at least will try and find one.

Preferably a full-time job that wants me to speak English as well. But a part-time job will do just fine too and it doesn't necessarily have to do with graphic design either.

As for my relationship with J, well since our big talk last weekend, we seem to be getting along fine. In fact, it's as if nothing had happened.

J is making it a point to speak to me more nicely and believe it or not, is even gaming less. I can even see his patience with me is getting a bit better.

As for me, i'm trying to finish all my daily chores before J gets back from work and am making more of an effort to speak in German with J. Plus i'm also making it a point to be a little more independent and give J his "space" so he can have time to rewind.

Cause we all know, we have our moments when we just need a little time out.

Crossroad

2011-06-17T11:55:00.003+02:00

What would YOU do
if your relationship of nearly four years
came to a crossroad?

Friday Night at the Movies + A whole lot of Cheese.

2011-06-11T17:37:00.004+02:00

J's been preparing for a number events at his work place and the extra stress has meant he's forced to work from 7am to 10pm in order to get all his work done.

So once Friday came along, J figured we'd go out instead of just sitting at home. And seeing that he played Battleships the night before and the rule is he's not allowed to play the next day, we figured a date night at the movies would be perfect.

It was a short 10-minute tram ride to the movies followed by a few cocktails at the Mexican restaurant.

[picture source]

15 Euro for two.

Trailer

I actually quite enjoyed Hangover 2 and found it much funnier than the first.

Having lived in Bangkok years ago, i tried to see if i could recognise any of the familiar streets.

But surprised myself when i felt slightly homesick after seeing all the high rise buildings and skyscrapers. Probably because the average number of floors buildings have here are like, five!

Anyway, a visit to the cinema is not quite complete without a bag of salted popcorn. Yes, even if it's just a small bag.

In the dark i tossed around the idea that the caricatures printed on the bag looked like Casper the Ghost wannabes or albino creepy-looking babies.

J took one glance at them and said, they're popcorn!

-_-

Obviously.

Across the road was the Mexican restaurant and there i ordered a Caipirinha + Mojito and J had his usual Classic Margaritas with blue Curacao. Accompanying our drinks was a hefty load of cheese and some nachos.

I'm not quite sure what our plan is for the rest of the weekend since Monday is a public holiday. But i reckon, apart from catching up with sleep, we may go bike riding and check out the public pool and sauna not too far from here.

All my meals the past week has involved some or all cheese and i'm starting to think i need to broaden my choice of ingredients.

Seriously, i wouldn't know what i would do if my life didn't include cheese and all kinds of carbs.

How To Be A Graphic Designer...

2011-06-09T14:40:00.006+02:00

I have yet to find a bookstore here that sells a wide range of Graphic Design books in English and so i'm forced to order them online.

Majority of my orders are books filled with colourful inspiration and I Wish I Had Thought of That solutions. Many times i will browse through them only when i start a new project and/or when i am lacking a coherent concept.

I am often indecisive as to which book to buy since there really are so many out there. But majority of the time i will decide based on price and whether the content amount is actually worth the said amount.

Although that said, i can also be easily persuaded, especially if it comes recommended and has positive reviews.

For example, there's Nubby, a blogger and graphic designer that never fails to inspire me and has a great sense of style wrote; 8 Design Books That I Love : A list of personal favorites.

Here is her #3 choice;

HOW TO BE A GRAPHIC DESIGNER WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SOUL
By Adrian Shaughnessy

It is brimming with practical, common sense advice that every beginning designer should know. I love the introduction: “Designers are quick to tell us about their sources of inspiration, but they are much less willing to reveal such critical matters as how to find work, what to charge, and what to do when a client rejects three weeks of work and refuses to pay the bill.” This book answers all those nagging questions designers have when starting out but don’t know who to ask. Written in a very straight-forward manner by a designer for designers, this is a must-read for design students.

I found the title rather amusing.

I was also intrigued after i read a few pages on Amazon and had scrolled through the numerous reviews.

17.50 Euro

So i was quick to order myself a copy.

Why?

Because i'm a sucker for good deals and am in desperate need of a bigger push especially since i'm working independently and trying to run a business.

A depleting bank account is, by no means, comforting and neither is not knowing when or even whether a new project will come in.

Blurry Vision + A Random Road Trip

2011-06-08T14:00:00.006+02:00

R.I.P

On Sunday morning i woke to find my Paul Frank Jennie Bomb specs snapped in half. I have a habit of falling asleep with my glasses on but i recall many mornings waking up with them still sitting comfortably on my face.

But not this time around.

Wedged underneath the blanket, she lay lifeless. She was one month shy of five years.

I tried various super glues and even went out and bought a glue specifically for plastic and cost me 6 Euro. It stuck for about half an hour and then when i tilted my head forward, it snapped.

But i'm gonna check out Apollo-Optiker down the road and see if they can salvage her. If not, perhaps they can use my old lenses and i'll just look for an affordable new frame. Glasses here are generally quite expensive in Germany and can cost about 300 Euro.

***

So what's been happening the last one and half weeks?

There is an EHEC bacteria outbreak in Germany. They're saying raw food like cucumber, salad, tomatoes and beansprouts are infected. However, the source has yet to be found.

"Officials just announced that tests on sprouts from the organic farm they thought was to blame came back negative". [source]

Weird.

[source]

Majority of those infected are in Hamburg, although there has been several found cases throughout Germany and surrounding countries. Those numbers marked in red are the number of infected in Germany and those in black are the number of people who have died because of this nasty bacteria.

So until the WHO says it's 100% safe to eat those suspected vegetables, i'm refusing to eat them.

***

As for the weather, it's been ridiculously hot [for German standards]. I'm talking 34˚C in the shade, warm air and clear blue skies. I contemplated bringing up the standing fans from the cellar but woke up this morning to rain and a major drop in temperature. It's already noon, the sun is nowhere to be seen and it's only 17˚C.

A few weeks back, J's 8-year old Audi went in for a check-up. It turns out the brake pads have worn down and the small crack in the windshield - thanks to a flyaway pebble on the ground, is not safe and therefore the windshield needs to be replaced.

All in all, it'll cost about 1,300 Euro to fix. Money, that obviously is not available at the moment.

J thought about selling the car all together but J's father insisted that he didn't. We're going to see if we can find another mechanic and get another quotation.

So knowing that the car isn't exactly roadworthy, i woke up on Saturday, hours before J was supposed to go on a road trip with an awful gut feeling. I couldn't stop crying for some reason.

The plan was to drive to his grandmother's place which is about 4 hours away, then check out a few old peoples' homes and the next day on the way back, pick up his summer wheels from our old landlords' cellar.

He needed to rent a car with a bigger boot in order to carry 4 extra wheels. And ended up renting a Ford Focus which costed 140 Euro for two days.

That was when i decided last minute to accompany him. I figured Luna and Yoshi are capable of staying one night alone, so why not.

Are we there yet!?

However, i did feel kind of spewy the whole way there and decided to crawl to the back and lay down.

For anyone thinking of purchasing or renting a Ford Focus, i say, DON'T. Unless of course you don't mind getting car sick and you enjoy feeling every bump and turn.

HOTNESS!!!

But then again, i don't think it helped that i threw up several times the night before and was incredibly nauseous the morning i got into the car.

No, i'm not pregnant. I blame indigestion and those Knorr Instant fried noodles.

Finally after 4 hours we arrived and as usual, J's grandmother had set up the dining table with an assortment of cake and freshly brewed coffee.

Just in time for Kaffee und Kuchen. Yummeh!

We then went to check out an old people's home. J's grandmother is showing early signs of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, so before it gets too late the family is trying to persuade her that living alone may not be the best option.

After we were done, Oma wanted to visit her husband's grave. He's been gone for thirty-one years but she apparently visits him every two days to water the flowers and clear away the dead leaves.

I can't say graveyards are my favorite places to be at. At the beginning i even contemplated waiting in the car whilst J and her did what they had to do but ended up going along with them. I helped water the plot and J's grandfathers' brothers' grave too.

***

The next day we went to go see another old peoples' home and visited his mothers' new cafe. She recently signed a one year leas and is now co-owner. She has no experience running a restaurant but she says she knows how to cook.

Let's hope everything works out and she can make a small profit.

Catching the last few rays in Oma's garden before the huge storm arrived.

31 + 88 + 31

A group photo before J and i got back into the car so we can make our long 6-hour journey back home.

There was an 11 km long traffic jam on the highway, so for the first half the trip J drove inland and that added another hour to the journey.

Words of Advice : Don't eat butter cookies if you're feeling car sick.

On that note, i'll have to leave you. It's 2 pm already and i've got a bunch of errands to attend to before making my way to yoga class this evening.

I'm Sorry.

2011-05-28T11:58:00.006+02:00

So i'm back.

Every day that goes past and i don't write down my thoughts, an ounce of guilt hovers over me. It's not like i have nothing to say. I just have been occupied with other things. And by the time i'm done with whatever i was doing, the desire to sit down and spew out my thoughts in a logical manner doesn't exactly excite me.

But i think i know what my problem is.

More times than often, i am unable to downsize my posts to just a meer paragraph.

I need to learn that Less is More.

Generally, i find the whole blogging process rather long. First, i'll just type whatever comes into my head. Then i'll read over it at least once before i dive into iPhoto and pick out the more relevant photos. Then i'm in Photoshop to resize them so they don't take forever to upload and if necessary, edit them. I'm only allowed to attach five photos at a time and so inserting the pictures to the relevant paragraphs takes time. And then finally, i read through the post one or several times before i publish it.

And because i can't be arsed sometimes, i somehow convince myself that i'll blog later.

Later soon turns to days.

Days often adds up to a week.

I still have to upload photos from the weekend before and of course write about last weekend. But i'll see if i can work backwards.

If you are one of my Twitter followers, you may remember last weekend i may have said something along the lines of me being pissed off at J because Friday was his 3rd night in a row that he was playing Battleships and World-of-fucking-Warcraft.

We had previously agreed that every other day he would not play any computer games. And on that day he doesn't play, we would call it, Girlfriend Day.

But all hell broke loose when i woke up on Saturday morning and i found him still gaming since the night before.

Apparently, he is currently ranked #100 out of 30,000 players but his mission is to be one day ranked #1. And in order for that to happen, he would need to play a lot more.

So in the event that should happen, i told him, there's no guarantee that i'll still be around then.

After a few hours of silence, J felt guilty that he was ignoring me and suggested we get the Wellnesstag Hama package that included a day at the sauna, a 5 Euro voucher to be used in the café and a 30 minute Turkish Hammam massage at Aqualand. We later found out the massage involved lying on a marble table, get sanded down with some kind of glove and later soaped down and massaged.

But the idea of lying naked and being hidden by a semi-see through barricade in a room full of strangers watching didn't quite appeal to us. So J and i traded it for a normal back massage each in a private room.

The entrance and sauna area featured massive crystals such as amethyst rocks and rose quartz. They say crystals are good for healing, so what better place for us to be at then at a sauna decorated with crystals.

One wasn't allowed to wear swimming gear in the Sauna World and it was the first time i've ever been to a place that didn't allow their customers to wear anything. However, we were allowed to keep our towels on.

All in all, there were 12 saunas, ranging from 55˚C all the way to 100˚C. Each one was themed and at certain times they had special scents. There were two fairly small swimming pools outside and a small café.

And for obvious reasons, cameras and phones weren't allowed in the area.

***

The next morning, J went out to get some fresh bread rolls and croissants for breakfast.

And of course he had to squeeze in a round of Battleships before we went cycling around the city.

On our way, we ended up having to pass through a tunnel which had a sign beside it. Apparently back in 1941 this was the entrance to the train station that deported over 11,000 Jews to the concentration camps.

And after cycling around for a few hours, we decided to ride back but just as we were about to cross one of the bridges, J was convinced that he could hear music.

In the distance we could see people gathering underneath the bridge on the opposite side from where we were at.

So i zoomed in on my camera and true enough there were people there. They had set up their DJ equipment and were playing electronic music.

We decided to check it out but not before stopping at a kiosk to buy a few beers.

It took us about 20 minutes to get to the bridge and by that time it was already 7:30pm. We later found out that it was a replacement event for an outdoor event that was cancelled. The weatherman had predicted rain, so they set up their equipment under the bridge.

It ended just before 10 pm and that's when we decided to head back - just in time for me to get some shuteye and for J to jump back into few more rounds of Battleships.

*Sigh*

Twisting and Turning and Breathing In and Out.

2011-05-20T12:25:00.001+02:00

It's Friday and J won't be back home until late tonight because him and his work colleagues are going out for dinner and drinks. As for me, i'm stuck at home trying to do all the housework and finish off work - "trying" being the operative word for both.

Last week i finally received the final copy changes to the project i've been working on for the last few months. But because there's a lot more text than previously, i'm forced to rethink one of the designs. Which, now that i think about it, is probably a good thing because i wasn't 100% happy with what i presented earlier.

Anyway, some of you may have read, i went to a trial yoga class on Wednesday. It took me twenty minutes to ride my bike there and for the most part of the journey, i avoided cycling beside cars.

It was a small group with only six people [five women and one man] and lasted about an hour and a half. And although i didn't understand every single word that the woman said because she spoke in German, i managed to follow reasonably well. And only when i wasn't doing the correct move, she would then stand next to me and whisper it in English - which i thought was nice.

In the beginning i honestly thought, it was a waste of time but by the end of it my perception changed.

By the time we got the downward facing dog position and into the plank, my legs were shaking. By the end, i was having troubles holding the remaining positions for the said amount of time. And by the next morning my muscles were in pain! I was aching all over.

Who would have thought simple stretches and poses would be such a workout?

Proof that i'm actually not that fit and i've lost some flexibility.

21:15 by the Rhine river.

And because Summer is just around the corner, the sun doesn't actually set until 9:30 pm and that means i don't have to ride in the dark.

So how much was it? Well the initial trial class costs 12 Euro and if one decides to sign up then it's only an extra 58 Euro for the remaining six classes. So in total it's 70 Euros [which makes it 10 Euros per class]. Which is a pretty good deal because at most yoga centres it costs an average 15 Euro per class and most of them are on the other side of the Rhine. Which would mean i would also have to pay for my train tickets and that would be an additional 5 Euro.

And so i've decided to sign up. I figured since i'm paying for it, i will have more initiative to go.

If you want to read the benefits of Yoga click here.

Plus i figured there's no point waiting any longer for J to set aside some time so we could both get into some kind of fitness routine together.

But i'm sure he's happy that i'm getting out of the apartment and being more active now. After all that would mean he would get to play Battleships and Warcraft in peace and i won't find a reason to start bickering.

It's a win-win situation.

Manila is not spelt like Vanilla.

2011-05-18T11:47:00.002+02:00

I spent all morning psyching myself up so i could have a telephone conversation in German with a lady i've been trying to contact about translating my birth certificate for a reasonable price.

German?

I knoooOoooow! Who would have thought i'd have enough guts to bust out questions and be all fancy in a language i was once so scared of.

And thanks to google, i also found out that the lady also teaches a yoga class once a week and the course starts tonight.

So i figured i'd kill two birds with one stone and squeeze in that i was interested in trying out her yoga class AND that i needed her to translate a document for me. In hopes that she would be willing to lower her price to do a notarized translation.

Not because i was being a cheap arse but the other week i had ventured out into the city looking for a translation office. They quoted me a whopping 108.59 Euro! Which is ridiculous seeing that it is for something so small that i'll probably never really need, except if i were having a baby or was planning on getting married in Germany - which in both cases, are not in the near future.

But i had read online that some places translate documents into German for as little as 30 Euro, so there was no way i was going to pay over 100 Euro for a dinky-looking piece of paper.

So after scribbling down grammatically correct German sentences this morning, the lady finally picked up. She lives a few streets down from where we live, so finding the address later is no problem.

My appointment is at 3pm and her Hatha Yoga class is at a different address further down the Rhine at 7:30pm - which i plan to go to by bike.

But the reason for all this hassle began when i registered here as a resident a few months back. For some reason the guy who had keyed in my information had selected the wrong country as my place of birth, even though i had clearly mentioned where i was born.

And the document that one receives to show proof that one has registered, only states the city, so how was i suppposed to know he made the mistake? And it wasn't until a few days later did they realise their mistake when their system wasn't recognising the information.

So because of their mistake, i have to fork out my hard earned money to get my birth certificate translated.

How lame!

But to make it even more confusing, the person who had done my passport at the Dutch embassy in Kuala Lumpur spelt Manila with a double L [apparently that's how the Dutch spell it], so it's no wonder Germans are confused.

Just so you know, my country of citizenship is not the same as the country that i was born in. My father is Dutch and my mother is Singaporean.

Yes, my life is a bit complicated.

Oh well. That's how the cookie crumbles.

I guess that means i'm be going to Yoga class tonight... alone because J has to work late tonight.

The past two weeks in a nutshell.

2011-05-14T11:10:00.005+02:00

WARNING : PICTURE HEAVY*

Yesterday was Friday the 13th and so i thought, what better than to make a comeback. Thinking i could just simply log on as usual and start regurgitating my thoughts, i was wrong. Blogger was down and had apparently been not working for the past two days.

I'll admit it though, i did feel a little guilty leaving you all hanging like that. After all, it has been just over two weeks since my last post. It's amazing how fast time can fly when you don't pay attention to it.

And if it weren't for the fact that i had my camera, i, probably, would have said i didn't do that much.

But in reality the past two weeks were stuffed with various activities like a few bike rides, eating pizza and lots of ice-cream, a night-time barbecue, attending German classes and trying to do some work. But the highlight of the last week has to be going on a random train trip that took an hour and half, which later involved bike riding and trekking through a forest to get to the top.

Oh but that's not all! J and i have agreed that every other day of the week will be "Girlfriend Day" which basically means, NO GAMING ALLOWED on that day. It's only been one week but so far so good.

But as for my absence, i have no real excuse.

I'm just going to blame the lack of motivation and the sudden peak in the temperature. However, it seems like that will be changing. They predict showers and the temperature is said to not push past 20˚C.

It's taken me close to five hours to sort through the photos and write this, so a part from the occasional descriptions, i will let the photos speak for themselves. My fingers are cramping and i need more coffee.

29.04.2011 - Friday

Ate at a new pizza place further up the road. J had his piece of flesh and i indulged in a salmon pizza.

Ate too much but decided to have a quick beer at Vreiheit anyway.

Felt a little sick because we overate, so we rode our bikes to the edge of the Rhine, laid on the concrete wall and stared up at the night sky.

01.05.2011 - Sunday

We checked out another pizza place and found out they cooked their pizzas in a stone oven. And since the weather was so nice, we ate our pizzas in the park near our place.

Spring has an effect on people. Couples are generally more lovey-dovey.

04.05.2011 - Wednesday

On that Monday J left for three days because of his exams. And after two and half years of attending the workshops, he finally completed his Management Development Program.

Go J!

06.05.2011 - Friday

Earlier that week J suggested we go for another barbecue, this time in the nearby by park. But before leaving he insisted on playing one round of Warcraft. By the time we left it was slowly getting dark. The sun sets now around 9 pm, so by the time we got to the park we noticed there weren't that many people left in the park. But those that were left, were already packing up to go home. So decided to make our way to the Rhine.

I didn't think we were going far, so i didn't bring my jacket. So by the time the sun was gone, it got nippy and so J built me a little fire to keep me warm and to keep the mosquitos and flies at bay.

At around 10:30 PM we heard fireworks going off. Apparently in one of the stadiums they were having some kind of talent show, so we assumed the finale involved fireworks.

07.05.2011

After five months, we finally put up some curtains up in our bedroom. There's nothing like having privacy.

Previously, we had put up a roller blind from our previous apartment but to our disappointment it didn't cover the whole window. Kinda ghetto, i know but it sure beat putting up newspapers or a blanket to block their view.

08.05.2011 - Sunday

J suggested we take a train to Bad Münstereifel. One could buy a Weekend ticket that cost 39 Euro a day for 5 people. There was no direct route, so we had to change twice.

Including changing trains and waiting, it took us about an hour and a half to get to our destination.

Old train station.

Surrounding the city/town is a stone wall. As soon as i walked in, it felt like i was walking back in time.

We ate some really good homemade ice-cream. Probably the best yogurt ice-cream i've ever had. The scoops were huge and was half the price than what we usually pay in the city.

Tudor houses line the cobbled streets. I think we were the only ones with "city" bikes. Practically everyone we saw who rode a bike had proper mountain bikes with what looked like a million gears.

A photo opp with my new cap i had just bought minutes before.

As i tried to make my way up the hill and around the corner. I saw J talking to some guy. He was dressed up as one of the gate keepers but lead one of the tour groups. J thought it would be funny if i got a photo taken with him.

Such tourists, i know.

Back in the day, they used to change horses hooves here. I wouldn't be surprised if they still do.

We got up one of the hills but the look out point was closed because the wood was eroding.

We sat up on the wall and looked down over the town.

And before heading down to look for some cake, we roasted on the benches for a little while.

I reckon it was about 28˚C, if not more that day and i remember i was sweating bullets.

We came across a bake sale. A youth group was raising money so they could get to Spain. So we helped them by buying a slice each of apple and rhubarb cake. Home baked cakes are the best!

The next mission was to make our way up the mountain. I could only manage to push my bike up the steep slope.

We got to the stone wall and made our way to the top and peered through the gaps. These gaps were used by the archers to protect the town from intruders or invasions.

We did, however, end up leaving our bikes by the entrance because we knew there was no way we could make it up the steep hill and forest.

Super sweaty, dehydrated and trying to catch up.

We had already finished two litres of water before we made the trek up the mountain.

Word of advice : Be sure you have sufficient water with you before you go on a hike, especially when it's really hot.

After nearly walking about two hours, we eventually get out of the forrest and closer to the top. Entering a residential area, was like walking into another world. We ended up asking a boy on the street for directions to a kiosk but tells us there isn't one nearby. He does, however, tell us where we can go to get to the top of the mountain.

So we're walking down the road and we see a guy in his garage. At which point, i'm about to pass out because i'm so thirsty. So J asks this stranger if he would be so kind to fill up our empty water bottle with some tap water.

He returns and says he's filled it with bubbly water. Nice! And best part was, it wasn't any ordinary kind of bubbly water but the expensive stuff.

See, there are nice people in this world.

Although on a typical ordinary day, i would never accept a drink from a stranger. Especially, if he ran off with my bottle and came back. But at that moment, seriously, it was a case of life and death. I would have drank anything.

We eventually see the path that we need to get to and after passing a perfectly good bench, J persuades me to climb further up.

I'm tired and at the point of exhaustion. We get to the bench at the top and it's covered in mold and insects.

So we opt to lie on the road, which so happened to be on a steep angle.

Two men walked passed us and look at us strange because we laied out our blanket on the hard surface in the middle of the road.

We then found out that further up, not too far away from where we were sitting, there was an even better view.

And lo and behold, there was even a wooden bench. So we lay our blanket over it and sucked in the view.

After about 15 minutes, we decided to make our way down. We were hungry and we weren't sure what time the train back was leaving. And because it was pretty much all down hill, it only took us about half an hour.

And feasted on potato cakes with slices of salmon, shrimps in a garlic + oil sauce, homemade beer bread and a vegetarian flammkuche. But no meal would be complete without a weizen.

We got told the last train had already left but we could take the last bus to the nearest biggest city.

But had we of missed that last bus, J said that he was prepared for us to stay at a hotel.

So whilst waiting for the bus, we treated ourselves with MORE ice-cream.

From below, that's how far up we walked!

On the bus, on a very windy road.

Direction Cologne.

So apart from gaining weight, that's pretty much what i've been up to. I, seriously, need to cut down on my eating/snacking/sweets/ice-cream. Yesterday there was a weighing scale at the pharmacy and it turns out i've gained about six kilos in the last three years.

Yikes!

Oh well. I hope you have a great weekend.

Part 2 - Grilling by the Rhine + Easter Monday

2011-04-28T10:20:00.003+02:00

*WARNING : PICTURE HEAVY*

23.04.2011 - Saturday

Our balcony gets the morning sun, so whilst waiting for J to wake up from his slumber on Saturday, i chose to catch some rays. It's amazing how just a little bit of sun can affect ones' mood.

But by the time J was awake and was changed, it was already 4 PM and the sun had hidden itself behind some clouds. But determined as we were, sun or no sun, we were going to make use of the portable barbecue set that i had bought a few days earlier.

And so we cycled our way to the Rhine and found a shaded area in fear that it was going to rain.

Our pièce de résistance for only 1.99 Euro.

In all-in-one package, all one needed was a light. We came prepared with a stove igniting lighter. By the Rhine and opposite the very few high rise buildings in Cologne.

J took over the grill and made sure the coal was hot enough for the meat/non-flesh items.

And i was in charge of getting our little picnic sorted and the plates covered with salad and leftover mashed potatoes.

***

After finishing all the food, we ended up cycling further down the Rhine to the Easter funfair.

And despite the hefty price of 4.50 Euro per person, we were excited to get on the ferris wheel and check out the view.

Köln = Cologne.

The skyline.

And opted for a semi-healthy alternative to funfair junk food. Probably one of the most expensive white chocolate covered banana on a stick i've ever eaten.

Our outing ended just as the sun was about to set and so we made our way back home just in time so J could skype with Little L.

***

25.04.2011 - Monday

Not much happened on Easter Sunday because J was glued to this computer playing Battleships. And since Monday was a public holiday, J slept in. We eventually made it outside and took our bikes out for another spin. This time in the opposite direction towards J's work place.

Then with no actual destination after that, we just kept cycling and ended up at an animal shelter in Dellbrueck. Unfortunately it's closed on public holidays, so we couldn't go and check out the animals.

So we got back on our bikes and cycled further and ended up in Bergish Gladbach which is a good 15 km away from our home and had a late lunch at Subway.

I reckon we could have cycled further but it was already getting late and we still needed to find our way back home. But before leaving, we ate some ice-cream in a park.

And instead of risking getting lost in the woods on our way back, we took the train back and paid a ridiculous 7 Euro for basically going 2 stops. But decided to get off half way and cycle our way back.

But not before we took a few photos before getting off the train.

Crossing the tracks and remembering to look left, right and left again.

And last but not least, J waiting for me, yet again, so i would catch up and we could continue on our journey back home.

*click to enlarge*

Monday's total cycling distance - from our home and back [minus the train ride half way] about 20 km.

A = Home
J = J's Work Place
B = Tierheim Köln-Dellbrück [Animal Shelter]
C = Bergisch Gladbach

Part 1 - Flammkuchen + Bier

2011-04-27T15:02:00.006+02:00

It's Wednesday already and i figured maybe it's time i start collecting my thoughts. It's been drizzling for most of the day and we're back down to about 12˚C.

Ewww.

However, we did have the most gorgeous long Easter weekend weather. The temperature hovered around the 27˚Celsius mark and the sun was out in full glory. Apart from the occasional bike riding around town and through neighboring cities, we pretty much vegged out at home. At one point J got sucked into one of his marathon gaming sessions and i just ended up watching random episodes online.

But here are some photos of when we did make it outside.

21.04.2011 - Thursday
The evening the long weekend began, we decided to take our bikes for a spin and eat Flammkuchen by the Rhine. But before that, a short pit stop and touristy snapshot before crossing the bridge.

Cologne cathedral at sunset + at night.

Snaking our way through the cobble streets and narrow alleys to get to a particular bar/restaurant that sold salmon Flammkuchen.

We eventually found the place, it was called Staev Koeln. I washed down my share of the flammkuchen with my favorite 0,5 litre Weizenbier and a refreshing glass of Gaffel Kölsch [Colognes' very own brew]. As for the food, i have to admit, the salmon was a wee bit too salty for my liking.

Apparently, Kölsch people have their own dialact. It differs from the German that i have been learning in class [better known as Hochdeutsch].

English : Don't worry about the future.
Deutsch : Habe keine Angst vor der Zukunft.
Kölsch : Et kütt wie et kütt.

***

Making our way back we passed a few shops that were already closed. One in particular sold old items that dated back to the war, including a creepy looking doll, which i thought i'd share with you.

And before taking the long route back, we cycled past the cathedral. Up close it looks so surreal.

***

But before i continue, the supermarket beckons. I'll be back later for Part 2 - Grilling by the Rhine.

Time to bust out the Grill.

2011-04-21T08:45:00.003+02:00

7:37

My weather widget lied, it's actually already 13˚C outside and i foresee a very toasty afternoon.

J woke up this morning with a craving for flammkuchen. He suggested after he's done with work we ride our bikes to the other side of the Rhine and go look for some. Time to bust out the sunblock and sunnies.

Germany is known for its' grey skies but i reckon the most popular activity would be grilling. The second there's a significant amount of sun, you're bound to find Germans in the park or on a random patch of grass turning over their Bratwurst or marinated meats on their grills.

So J thought since the weather is going to be so nice this long Easter weekend, we should just join in on the barbecue bandwagon. I managed to find vegetarian sausages at one of the supermarkets, so i'm all set.

[via]

So today's mission is to find a one-time use/disposable barbecue grill.

I did a quick google and it turns out they're an all-one-package and are called "Einweggrills". They can be priced anywhere between 2 to 5 Euro and can apparently be found in most supermarkets, discount shops and petrol stations.

But before i venture out, i have to wait for the delivery guy to bring my online order i made on Saturday from the pet store. Two bags of 12 kilo kitty litter and six cans of cat food.

Why is it taking so long?

Time To Expose Some Skin.

2011-04-20T07:40:00.003+02:00

It's 6:53 AM and J just left for work by bike. I just heard on the radio that it's going to be 25˚C today and a crazy 26˚C tomorrow. I'm not quite sure what to think about all this heat. Although in the mornings it can be a bit nippy at 9˚C. It's been so long since we've had constant warm weather like this that i think my skin is freaking out.

So anyway, last night i had one of the worst sleeps ever. If i could even call it 'sleep'.

I spent most of the night tossing and turning because the temperature in our bedroom kept fluctuating. It went from decent to stuffy to just plain irritating. We turned off the main heating switch in the hallway but it seemed like the heaters were still warm. And on top of that, my body was soooOooo itchy. I forgot to moisturize earlier and as pay back, i felt like i was being attacked by miniature ants.

I think my body just can't handle sweat so well anymore.

However that said, yesterday i made it out the front door. I was a little overdressed in jeans, a 3/4 sleeve t-shirt underneath another t-shirt, thinking that it may be cooler than it actually was. Geez was i wrong! I was sweating before i even got half way down the street.

Ewww.

But prior to leaving, i needed a destination. Ya know, to make it worth the hassle of getting changed, smelling pretty and painting my face. So i opted to do something good for the environment and walked two blocks to the Glass Recycling bins and got rid of our unwanted glass bottles and jars. But then minutes later, found myself browsing shoes further up the road.

I needed some time to waste and a little retail therapy goes a long way.

It took me a while to realise that spending 20 Euro is far better than spending 40 Euro for a pair of shoes that i may or may not wear regularly. And only until i weighed the pros and cons, did i then leave with a new pair of relatively comfy wedge mules [or as the Germans would say, Pantolette] from Deichmann.

And since my pasty feet have been enclosed since July, i figured it's time to let them breathe.

We'll see.

Maybe, like most of my other pairs, i'll just end up with a tonne of blisters and that will be the last that i'll see of them.

***

Oh and i also bought Essence Nail Art Cracking Top Coat for 1.75 Euro at DM. Which, as you can see, after just one coat it transformed my hooker red nails into something Gothic.

>.< Please excuse the wrinkles and the fleshiness >.<

I also bought a champagne coloured base coat that is meant to go with the black but because i already had nail polish on i wanted to see if the cracking effect works on all nail polishes.

Now i know, it does.

So slap on some clear top coat and you're good to go!

Dear Lazy Bum,

2011-04-19T10:10:00.006+02:00

It's past 9:30 AM and i've been up since 6 AM. I've already indulged in a not-so-secret stash of chocolate i found in the kitchen and i'm functioning pretty well on this caffeine and sugar high. But i'm trying to avoid the bedroom so i don't get lured into taking a morning nap.

I'm starting to believe, naps are complete Time suckages. But oh, how i love them!

Anyway, our apartment is much bigger than our last and with more corners to hide, Luna often plays Marco Polo. With every whine, i respond by calling out her name, which she then uses to acoustically locate me. It can get annoying but the second she finds me, she comes running towards me with a quivering tail and i forgive her.

As for Yoshi, he's passed out in the corner. Probably exhausted because he spent part of the night bringing random toys to the bed again. I woke up with some cling wrap, two plastic strings and a rolled up plastic bag shoved under my pillow. I'm just glad that they're not complete outdoor cats because that would mean i would have to start worrying about them bringing me rodents.

Speaking of outdoors, it's getting quite warm.

Yesterday when i went to the supermarket i had on a thin hoodie, by the time i got back i had already sweat bullets. My winter blubber has been following me around and lately, i've become self conscious about my growing muffin top. J has opted to ride his bike to work instead of using his car, which apparently only takes 15 minutes door-to-door, and i'm starting to feel that eating less junk food may not be enough.

My regular workout consists of walking around our 86 square metre apartment with the exception of walking to the train station down the road twice a week for German classes. And i'm starting to notice living in my 30s, means carbohydrates and all things sweets have started to set up camp on my thighs and arse for much longer.

I'm not keen on paying for a gym or a yoga membership and the nearest public pool costs 14.50 Euro for a two-hour visit. I've reserved bike rides with J for the weekends, so my only solution to get the blood pumping is either walking or learning how to jog. I've heard and read that jogging/running is a great way to burn calories but can be a bitch for ones' joints and boobs if you don't have the correct support.

But i should really stop making excuses and just go out, even if it means just window shopping along the main street. It looks like it's going to be a gorgeous day/week, so go out and do something!

Love,
Chrissie.

It's All Good In The Hood.

2011-04-16T13:17:00.005+02:00

Apparently J was talking to his colleagues about me the other day and mentioned that i've been a little upset lately. When they asked why, he said it was because he's been spending most of his spare time after work gaming. Which to most outsiders, i would think, would probably sound a little selfish. But perhaps, sometimes it takes an outsiders' view to knock some sense into others.

And so their advice to him was to be nice and spend more time with me.

And so after he came home from work on Thursday, he returned with some DVDs in one hand and beers in the other. And because we couldn't be bothered to go out, we spent all Friday [thinking it was Saturday] watching random series and whatnot on television. And to my surprise, minus him playing his computer game in the background.

Let's just say, we kissed and made up... numerous times.

ANYWAY, moving on...

He originally planned on driving to his parents' house on Friday night but decided to postpone it to today instead.

In the last week he had organised for the walls in the family house to be painted since his mother intends on renting out the place. But seeing that she's overseas, J has taken it upon himself to make sure that the house is fixed up before the future tenants move in.

So instead of driving four plus hours, or more if he gets stuck in the school holiday and weekend traffic, he opted to take the train. It cost a whopping a 149 Euro but at least it won't be stressful or a tiring journey. And the best part is the train station is just at the end of the street and across the road!

And not long after he caught his connecting train he sent me this SMS;

Translated : Hello Bunny! Miss you and love you. Have yourself a nice evening. =) Soon i'm there again. xo

Even though he's coming home tomorrow evening, i miss him already. Pathetic, i know.

But it sure makes the reunion at the train platform more exciting.

What Lies Beneath.

2011-04-14T18:58:00.001+02:00

It's been one week since my last post and in that time we've gone from t-shirts-and-shorts weather back down to don't-forget-your-layers kind of temperatures.

So i planned on writing sooner but as you know, laziness has a habit of taking over sometimes.

But between forever waiting for the feedback from my client and attending German classes twice a week, not much has happened.

Oh except, maybe, that i managed to piss J off once again on Sunday.

How?

By forgetting to take the key out from the inside of the door before i shut the door and we went out. You see, even though we had another set of keys with us, the fact that there was still a key inside the lock on the inside meant we couldn't turn the lock from the outside.

Oopsies.

So J had to call the locksmith for the second time [the first time happened last month] to come and open our door. And just like that we managed to waste 59 Euro.

As i continued to apologise to J, i could tell he was really annoyed with me. God forbid that anyone but himself is allowed to make mistakes. And that's when i reminded him i didn't get mad when he got two parking tickets and later got his car towed.

He kept quiet after that.

I then told him we were "even" when it came to wasting money and promised i would never, ever, forget my key in the lock.

We all fuck up at one point or another, but what i've learned is to accept it and move on.

We later spent the rest of the day cycling down the Rhine river and crossing one of the bridges to get to the other side.

And ended the day with yummy but overpriced Flammkuchen and an alcoholic beverage hence the smiles.

But lately i've noticed that J's been leaving obvious hints that he resents the fact that i am able to work from home. The fact that i get to stay at home, in his head, means i have more free time than him. And although i insist there's no comparison, our conversations always end on an unhappy note.

Then on Monday i was super happy when i received an advance on my payments. But my happiness was soon replaced with anxiety when i received an email from a potential new client saying that he may have to cancel working with me if he doesn't hear from his partners.

No work = No money. No money = Not Happy.

I reckon i've got a few more months until i start freaking out that my bank balance is a single digit, so for now i need a new plan.

I've got the next two weeks off from German class, thanks to Easter being just around the corner, so that should give me at least some time to do some research and start putting together my portfolio.

Nesquik Zucchini Loaf

2011-04-07T07:15:00.005+02:00

There was a time last year when i went through a baking phase. I felt it was my only outlet to be creative and it got my mind off work. So every few days i would either bake a Blueberry Cream Cheese cake, some kind of Vegan Apple + Carrot muffin, Yellow Cupcakes or Shortbread cookies.

I craved chocolate and all kinds of sweets. Perhaps it was because i had stopped smoking months before and my taste buds were given a chance to finally appreciate sugar in its true form.

But it wasn't long until both J and my clothing started getting snug. And that's when i realised our metabolisms from when we were kids was finally dimensioning. So for the last four months i've avoided the baking aisle in the supermarket and kept my measuring spoons, mixer and scales out of sight.

Then less than twenty-four hours after Grumpos and my visit to the café last Saturday, we were both craving more of that moist chocolate zucchini cake but somehow couldn't justify paying 2.50 Euro for a piece.

So on Sunday i went online looking for a similar recipe but i was missing one vital ingredient; the chocolate. J then reminded me we had a huge box of Nesquik in the cupboard and hoped that there was a recipe out there that used Nesquik instead.

And lo and behold, there was.

So after making a few changes here and there, i was excited to get started. So thank you mybeautifulair for posting up the recipe.

Note to my Vegan readers:
I'm sorry to say, there's eggs involved. Perhaps an egg-replacement can be used instead of the two eggs mentioned.

Edit for my Vegan readers:
After checking numerous vegan recipes, i reckon you can replace the 2 eggs with 3 teaspoons of egg replacer mixed with 4 tablespoons cold water.

And for those who are health-conscious, instead of the oil, you can replace it with 1/2 cup apple sauce.

Nesquik Zucchini Loaf

Dry Ingredients
• 140 g Flour
• 140 g Nestlé Nesquik Chocolate Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Salt

Wet Ingredients
• 2 Medium Eggs
• 1/2 cup Sunflower Oil
• 50 g Sugar
• 4 ml Vanilla Essence [Dr Oetker Vanilla Flavor]

• 1 Medium Zucchini, shredded

***

***
Preheat oven to 175˚C.
Coat a bread pan with cooking spray/margarine and sprinkle it with some flour. Shake the pan until the flour evenly coats the inside of the pan.
In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients except for sugar and mix thoroughly.
In a different bowl, beat eggs with a whisk. At which point it's best to use a hand mixer when you add the sugar and oil. Continue whisking until it's light and foamy.
Add your combined wet ingredients to the dry mixture and continue to mix until there are no lumps. It may look like it'll be too dry but do not add anymore liquid since the juice from the zucchini will pull the mixture together.
Then add the grated zucchini and stir.
Bake at medium heat [175˚C] in a bread pan for about 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Before • After

So YUMMEHHHH!

Needless to say, J and i managed to finish the whole loaf/over sized brownie the next day. It's zucchini season and a kilo costs 88 cents. I reckon i'll be baking another one very soon.

Multiculti and Trying to Blend In.

2011-04-06T12:20:00.011+02:00

Minutes before i was about to step out of my front door yesterday, a rush of panic came flooding in.

My heart felt like it wanted to rip itself out of my body and make a run for it. The air suddenly got very thin and i had trouble breathing. I looked down at my hands and they were trembling. So i immediately lowered my head, positioned my hands on my knees and took deep long breaths in.

I eventually pulled myself together and convinced myself everything was going to be alright. And within minutes, i was at the underground train station and i was back in my element.

But before that, weeks ago i had received a confirmation letter to say i was registered and "Almuth..." was going to be my teacher. I had never heard of that name before and was slightly disappointed as i imagined the person to be male and Turkish. I'm not sexist or racist, i've just come to the conclusion that [most] female teachers are more patient.

I feel the same about my gynaes, i prefer them to be female. For obvious reasons, we have the same ummm... bits?

So there i am, in class and a woman walks in.

She puts her books on the table then leaves the room. At which point, in my head i'm wondering who she is. A part of me was expecting a tanned, half hairy man with a big gut and an uninterested facial expression to walk in.

Paranoid that i may had been sitting in the wrong class for the last twenty minutes, i turn to the other three women sitting in the room. They are flipping through their text books and doing last minute homework. I ask them in German whether i'm in the right class, followed by the course name and they reply with a short but informative, "Ja".

I breathed out a sigh of relief when i found out that the fifty or so year old woman who had just left the room was in fact our teacher. I later found out from my sister that "Almuth" is an old school German name.

Anyway...

Eventually the class filled up, and including myself, there were a dozen of us. Apparently, there were more in the previous course but many dropped out because they found the course too expensive. At VHS, 80 hours costs 179 Euro, which is helluvalot cheaper than most other schools.

As for the people, there are ten women and two guys. Minus the teacher, i'm probably the third eldest. The average age seems to be twenty-four and the eldest being in her late forties. There are two university students, a few housewives, a handyman and many Au Pairs.

We began by introducing ourselves. Since i was one of two new students, i ended up going last. I had practised the night before with J and made sure i structured my sentences correctly. When i was done the teacher said i spoke very well and wondered why i was put in her class and not in a higher level.

She went on to say that i may be too good for this class and as the other students agreed in unison, i could almost feel their stares piercing me from all angles.

When i explained to her and the rest of the class, i had taken a break and my grammar was actually not that good. She then added, that i could always change courses if i found the class too easy.

But although the level is not that hard, neither is it super easy.

I would much rather be a little more confident in what i'm learning than be thrown into another class where there's a higher chance that i'm repeatedly lost and stressed.

So as the morning progressed, i realised once my classmates figured out i'm not as perfect as they had originally thought, they weren't as shy and were in fact, were really friendly towards me.

But what i was most surprised about was the wide spectrum of nationalities in the class; Indian, Japanese, French, Greek, Mongolian, Turkish, Colombian, Ukrainian, and myself, Dutch/Singaporean.

I dunno if it's just me but something weird happens when an Asian comes across another Asian looking person. It's as if an invisible bond occurs even though not a single word has been exchanged.

Weird, huh?

So anyway, before the class ended, i mentioned to the extremely tall Polish guy with the exceptionally large head who sat next to me, i had troubles remembering when to use the correct articles in Nominative, Accusative and Dative. He then was kind enough to lend me some of his past notes so i could copy them at home.

And after a very noisy train ride home with twenty-five ear piercing screaming children sitting beside me, i spent two hours rewriting my notes and doing my homework.

Yes, the nerd in me was in full force.

So for the moment, i'm going to try and keep a low profile. I don't want to be in anyone's face and neither do i want anyone to think i'm a smart arse.

And just like everyone else, i'm far from perfect.

Break Time is Over... Again.

2011-04-05T07:12:00.002+02:00

It's 7:10 AM and i've got a few minutes spare before i have to start getting changed. Today, after one year plus of taking a "break", i finally go back to German classes for the third time. Isn't there a saying, the third time's a charm?

It feels like just last week that i was waiting for a bus and trudging through ankle deep snow to get to class on time. But this time around the journey to get to school is much longer and i'm hoping i won't be in the midst of peak hour.

As every minute goes by, i can't decide whether i'm excited, nervous or just plain tired. Although the latter could be the result of tossing and turning in bed because i was trying to figure out what to wear today.

And as a means to prevent my stomach from making embarrassing noises later, i've packed some bubbly water, a peanut butter sandwich, wholegrain biscuits, a white chocolate muesli bar and a Pink Lady apple to keep me from starving.

So wish me luck!

Let's hope i meet some nice people today, cause who knows, i may even make some new friends today.

Grumpos Strikes Again.

2011-04-04T20:35:00.000+02:00

On Saturday it was about 24˚C and i have to say, it was probably the best t-shirt-weather we've had in months. As the morning progressed i hinted to J that i wanted to go out and maybe take our bikes for a spin. A part of me was expecting him to be enthusiastic about the fact that i had initiated an outing but all he did was finish his share of the muesli and crawled right back into bed.

Not knowing whether he'd wake up again, a part of me was a little annoyed since the other week he went to bed in the afternoon and didn't wake up until the next day.

But he eventually woke up and said he would get changed. The plan was to ride our bikes to the pizza place two streets over, ride around for a bit and then make our way to Mediamarkt to buy an external DVD drive for J's laptop. But the pizza place was closed, so we decided to make a detour to the cafe near the Rhine.

And that's when Grumpos showed his true colours.

His irritation began when we stopped to eat some potato cakes & apple sauce and i didn't want to leave our bikes unlocked. Even though he sat on a step a few metres away, i opted to sit by the bikes... alone and that somehow pissed him off.

Before he left he passed me my share of the potato cakes and he took his bike and rode off.

I reckon age and stress has given him the inability to be patient with me. In particular, when i don't catch up with him or fall behind.

Annoyed that he sped off and was around the corner and out of sight, i got off my bike and pushed it all the way to the cafe instead. Only because i knew that would piss him off even more.

By the time i arrived at the cafe, i saw his bike parked out front. I walked in and sat opposite him in silence but the silence ended when i questioned him why he didn't wait. And that's when he complained that i'm always so slow and bitched about how i shouldn't be so paranoid about the bikes being stolen.

Never say never because that shit can happen. One day, his bike will be missing and who's fault is that?

At which point i was on the verge of causing a scene but if it wasn't for the fact that we were in public and i had already ordered my meal, i would have probably thrown my glass of white wine + soda in his face.

Yes, i was that annoyed.

But our anger simmered down the minute the food came and our moods were lifted the second we devoured the chocolate zucchini slice.

It's amazing how chocolate can make all things better.

Lecker!

***

So after lunch, we got back on our bikes and made our way to the Rhine. As we passed the bridge we got to a stretch of grass where groups of people were barbecuing and lounging on spread out blankets. And wedged between some trees, some people had set up a pair of speakers and a DJ console. Had we known this was going to be here, we would have been equipped with our six-pack of beers and chips.

But instead we found ourselves a patch of grass to sit on, soaked in some sun and listened to some house beats.

After about twenty minutes, we decided to get back on our bikes and soon found ourselves at a Youth Centre. They were having an Open day and everyone was invited to check it out.

Beside the music practise rooms was a non-alcoholic cocktail bar where one could make their own drinks each for 1 Euro. There were four drinks one could choose from, each with specific ingredients and measurements.

Down in the cellar was another room where you could try out Kegel. No, not the exercise that consists of the muscles that form the pelvic.

"Kegel (from the German for skittle) is an Australian bowling game, in which a player rolls a wooden or plastic ball along a smooth, hard indoor lane (kegelbahn). Kegel is based on traditional German games and is therefore closely related to both skittles and Ten-pin bowling." [source]

I got eight out of nine pins down but gave up after numerous failed attempts to get the last pin down.

***

After which, we made our way to Mediamarkt and J bought himself what he wanted including Dawn of War 2 Chaos Rising. I didn't mind since he hasn't been gaming that much lately. And now that he's set up his computer in the work room and is no longer taking over the living room, our evenings don't end in an argument.

So what is the moral of this story?

[cutpasteprint]

Not Yet Dead.

2011-03-31T10:14:00.004+02:00

As the world shows off their iPhones and fancy Apps, my three-year old Sony Ericsson has been showing signs of Schizophrenia.

It all started a few weeks ago when she decided to change my ring tone all by herself. Then she took it upon herself to remove all my photos from the camera album simply because she didn't like them. And when it came to operating the in-built camera, she had issues concentrating. Her ADD tendencies means she often switches to the main menu when she's in camera mode and then returns as if nothing had happened.

At first i was upset that all my photos were missing but then i thought what if she developed Alzheimer's disease and decided to delete all my phone numbers. Believe it or not, i don't even know my own phone number by heart. But then again, it wouldn't make much of a difference because the only people that actually call me are my parents, sister and J.

So i decided to do some minor surgery and check her insides. Twenty minutes later and a quick rubdown, i managed to bring her back to life.

It seems like her memory has been restored and i was able to retrieve all one hundred and twenty-five images.

2007-2010

Looking at my past through stills sometimes leaves me with a bittersweet aftertaste. But my past has made me the person that i am today and today i feel content.

Before and After.

2011-03-30T12:50:00.012+02:00

J, also known as Grumpos, spent part of Monday night battling his allergies. By 3 AM Yoshi decided he wanted to bring random toys in the bed because he wanted us to play with him. I tried kicking him out of the bedroom but Yoshi just ended up scratching at the door, which was more annoying.

So my only solution was to sleep on the sofa, hoping that Yoshi would follow me. And in turn, hope J wouldn't get annoyed that he didn't get enough shuteye. Yes, i am a thoughtful girlfriend.

My typical week day starts at 6:10 AM, so you can imagine my annoyance when my alarm went off just as i had fallen back to sleep.

I must have clicked the snooze button again because before i knew it J storms out of the bedroom in a frantic mess because he had forgotten to switch on his alarm and had only 15 minutes to get ready and be at work.

I don't know about you but waking up before the crack of dawn AND then getting yelled at, is not exactly how i like to start my day.

Later that afternoon Grumpos came home from work with a bunch of I'm Sorry flowers.

***

But let's rewind back...

After J came back from sorting through and packing up the contents of his parents' house the other weekend, he brought home with him a bunch of stuff including a huge box full of tools which he inherited from his mothers' late boyfriend.

It looked like we were in a mechanics' heaven.

The remaining half a dozen or more duplicates are now in another box collecting dust. But instead of throwing them away, i'm thinking we should rent out a space in a flea market and sell all the crap that we don't want.

As they say, one Man's Rubbish, is anothers' Treasure.

***

Originally, J was supposed to use the small room that leads to our bedroom as his work area but since we moved here, he hasn't once used the space. The area has turned out to be an area to hang our laundry. So to make use of our apartment, we decided to rearrange the furniture and make that area a place to put our closet as well as our deep freezer. We then moved all of J's stuff to my workroom.

But when we moved here in January, J promised me he would help me sort through the leftover boxes in the workroom/guestroom. With no place to put the contents, we were desperate for extra shelves.

So after dinner on Friday, we checked out IKEA online and the Expedit shelf series we wanted were on sale until Saturday. J's ex-colleagues had given him a 88 Euro IKEA voucher and so we decided to make use it.

And after a quick calculation, we found out we would end up having to pay 40 Euros more if we didn't make use of the sale plus whatever extra we needed for other items. So with one hour left until closing, we got into the car and made our way to IKEA.

And thanks to the faulty boot lock on J's car, we weren't able to open the boot. But lucky for us we managed to squeeze the 150cm long boards through the back door.

Had we got them delivered, it would have cost us 75 Euro - which is just as much as a set of 4x4 shelves!

How crazy is that!?

At last, gone are the days i have to walk through a maze to get to my desk.

Before • After

Before • After

We turned the IKEA 2x4 Expedit shelves on its' side and used it as a divider to separate J's working area and my space. I've taken over the open shelves and have used it for my folders, working files and German books. And i've had to leave a gap in between one of the folders since Yoshi and Luna like to use the space as their shortcut to the kitchen.

And the other IKEA 4x4 Expedit shelves are on the opposite wall and is used to house some of Js books, my design books and various other bits and bobs.

All that's left are half a dozen boxes or so and a wardrobe that still needs to be put together - the one item that we couldn't be bothered to put together once we dismantled it in our previous apartment in Düsseldorf over a year and a half ago.

Working at my desk feels so much better now.

It actually feels like i'm in a proper office just minus the colleagues and an irritating boss.

Pasty was SO last Season.

2011-03-25T10:34:00.005+01:00

Once again, Friday has crept up and bit me from behind. Is it just me, or is this month... year so far speeding up?

[via : Twisted Swifter]

I know Spring just got here but at the rate time is traveling, Winter will be back here and i'll be moaning again about how i can't feel my fingers/face/insert body part.

It makes me wonder whether or not i'm fully making use of my day. I'm sure i'm not the only one who feels this way.

Ya know, whether or not we're actually grabbing life by its balls or just simply wasting away. Because before we all know it, Arthritis will take over and/or we'll be old and crusty.

Hmmm. There's a visual i can't get out of my head.

Well not much has been happening in my world the past few days except that my attempt to stick to a fifteen Euro per week grocery bill failed miserably. I have now bumped my budget up to twenty.

OK. I lied, i spent twenty-five on my last bill.

Although, technically, if i split the ground coffee + 8 pack of 3-ply toilet paper + 18 x tissue packs over a duration of three weeks, i sort of, kinda, still stuck to my budget.

Well at least i'm not broke... yet.

My client tells me there's promise that i might get paid next week, so i'm staying optimistic. But then again, i won't believe it until i see those digits in my account.

Sticking to a budget continues to be a challenge. And so does wanting to attend to the sink full of dishes and the rest of the housework.

Procrastination is my friend and i'm in desperate need of a tan.

Eleven more days to go until i go back to German classes - believe it or not, a part of me is actually excited.

Yay for the weekend and random cuddles!

Thank You!

2011-03-24T12:38:00.001+01:00

On Tuesday we went to go register as residents. It turned out the nearest office was up the road and by bike it took us a casual two minutes. The wait wasn't even that long and before we knew it our number was called.

In Germany it's compulsory for every new resident to register. Although the authorities are willing to extend the time frame in which to register to about a month, one is meant to register within a week of moving into their new home.

Uh oh.

So the guy serving us then questioned us about why we wrote 'January' as our move in month. When J explained that's when we actually started moving our stuff over. He went on to say, we were still technically paying our other rent as well - which was true. Lucky for us the guy was in a good mood because he changed our move in date on our forms to February. Which meant just like that we managed to escape paying a fine.

So anyone who's thinking of moving to a new city in Germany, remember to register straight away!

J then asked whether new residents received a welcome pack. When we moved to Guetersloh, they gave us a bunch of vouchers and information leaflets to take home for free. So when the guy went to ask his colleague, he came back with a booklet and said if we wanted we could purchase a booklet full of vouchers for 5 Euro.

And inside were about 50 or so discount/ 2-for-the-price-of-1 entry vouchers for various museums, theaters, sport events, tours and activities for family and kids.

I'm totally looking forward to checking out the chocolate museum.

And here it is, i am now an official Kölnerin.

***

Then when we got back, i checked our mail box and there was a yellow A4 size envelope stuffed inside. It could only be one thing, the present from one of my silent readers. I still can't get over that somebody, especially one whom i've never met, would bother buying lil ol' me a pressie.

So anyway, protected by an oversized ziplock bag and wrapped in pink tissue paper, a small note was attached to say who it was from, Lian Sim * of Malaysia. I pixelated her surname just in case she didn't want everyone to know her full name.

For those of you who would like a better look, the following photos were taken from the sellers' Etsy page. And if you would like a Boojiboo apron too, go ahead and click here.

The BELLA Vintage Inspired

Black and White Polka Dot with Red Full Apron

This is a very cute vintage inspired full apron with a sweetheart neckline! This apron has a cute polka dot print, black with white dots. The pocket and straps are in a solid red! Reminds me of I Love Lucy !!

Our apron design is 100% original and made by us! NO store-bought patterns used! The top isn't just a flat piece, but has shape for a better fit. We've tested and made sure our aprons fit and look flattering on ANY body type, so rest-assured it will look good on you!

The Apron is fully adjustable with two straps that go around the neck [29.5 inches each] and two straps for the waist [32.5 inches each] so you can adjust how high or low you would like it. From top to bottom the apron measures 30 inches, and the waist itself measures 20 inches. One size fits most!

BELLA VS. CLASSIC APRON
The straps on the bella are a little bit longer, and the waistband & waist straps are thicker as well. The skirt is a flared circle, no gathering. The apron is about three inches longer.

So cute, i love it!!!

Yes, i know. I've become quite domesticated.

Spring has finally Sprung.

2011-03-22T10:20:00.003+01:00

Yesterday was the official beginning of Spring and J took the day off. I woke up around 7:30 AM and was greeted by the sun shining down on our balcony and a perfect clear blue sky. I checked the thermometer and i couldn't believe my eyes...

What!?

How could the temperature jump from 9˚C the day before to 25˚C the next? I wasn't going to question it because surely my eyes wouldn't lie.

I then, practically, ran to the bedroom and jumped on the bed with excitement. J was still asleep but soon responded with one eye open, a smile and a quick roll over.

Obviously, he didn't share my enthusiasm.

So i grabbed a cup of freshly brewed coffee and stepped out onto the balcony hoping to soak in some rays and breathe in the fresh air. But the moment i stepped out, the damn sun started moving away.

And that's when i found out the truth.

Hmmpf.

The sun must have warmed up the thermometer and in turn, made me out to be a liar. But the temperature eventually made its' way up to about 15˚C, which is a lot warmer than what we've been having lately but still no where near Sweat Ville.

***

But our plan was to register ourselves as official residents in the afternoon. J checked for the address and found out the office was closed at the time that we wanted to go, so we're going later this afternoon when J gets back from work.

Since we were already dressed and minutes from stepping out the front door, J then suggested we take a walk on the other side of the Rhine river.

We found ourselves a spot on the pebbles to sit and with the binoculars J found at his parents' house, we tried to figure out how to focus so we'd stop seeing double.

J, then, decided he wanted to break a bunch of rocks. I think it was the inner child/cave man in him that thought it was cool to destroy things. And i looked around for pretty rocks to fill my pocket.

But before we knew it, the sun started to make her way down and hunger got the better of me. Overall, it was a somewhat lazy day but at least we managed to get out of the apartment for a few hours.

I realised then how much i really missed J when he was gone but how glad i am, now that he's back. All our petty arguments we had days before J had left, seemed to have been suddenly forgotten.

It's true, distance can make the heart grow fonder.

And here's our new additions before i added them to my Succulents and Rock garden.

On A Budget.

2011-03-19T09:16:00.008+01:00

J is coming home tonight and i'm so happy. The original plan was that he would be gone for two nights but that soon changed to a week. I'd be lying if i said, i didn't miss him.

I did miss him. Especially when it hit day four.

But even though he spends a huge chunk of his normal day at work and i rarely see him, it's nice to know that i expect to see him walk through the front door just in time for dinner.

Well i now have about fifteen hours until he's supposedly back, which should give me ample time to do what i need to do to sort out the apartment and mop the floors.

The weather has been miserable the last few days with grey skies and occasional showers. The temperature has even dropped down to about 8˚Celsius which means there's a need for extra layers. But after a quick peek out the window, it looks like the weatherman may have lied when he said there was going to be rain.

At the moment the sun is shining and i'm tempted to go outside and shop.

[source]

However, in order to keep afloat financially, it looks like i'm forced to keep myself on a 15 Euro per week grocery budget for the next month. Which, theoretically, is not that much considering that that amount is for the both of us. Our usual weekly bill would come up to about three to four times that amount. But at the moment 15 Euro is all i can afford, especially with all our upcoming bills.

So with no chance for an extension, there needs to be mini sacrifices made and careful planning done.

I know J has a little money stashed away in his account from the security deposit we got from our old apartment. But seeing that this is probably the first time he hasn't been broke at the end of the month in years, he deserves every right to hang on to it. Plus both of us can't be broke at the same time - that would just be depressing.

But my fingers are crossed that my client gets all the necessary signatures they need in order to pay me what they owe me by April.

After which, i need to seriously start saving my money because there's no telling when my next job will be completed or whether i'll get anymore big contracts.

With everything going on in this world, life, as we all know it, can be so unpredictable.

But if there's one thing i dislike about being a freelancer, that would be not having a steady monthly income. It's ridiculous how fast money can come in and how quickly it can go out.

Money, is truly the root of all evils.

Version 3.1 - Making The Most Of It.

2011-03-15T23:57:00.010+01:00

Before i get into a long-winded story about how i tried to make the most of my birthday being alone, i have to share with you something that happened to me last night.

So last night when i posted my last blog entry i found myself browsing Etsy and choosing my favorites... again. I swear, Etsy browsing is total time suckage and is starting to get seriously addictive.

Then half way through, something possessed me to check my favorite list and that's when i noticed one of the items i had clicked "favorite" to was no longer for sale.

A part of me felt a little bitter at whoever it was that bought my favorite. Never mind that there were multiple others who thought the same when i decided to favorite the item they had chosen as their favorite.

Then the most unexpected and random thing happened...

I got an email from one of the sellers from Etsy explaining that one my sweet readers [Lian Sim - i know you're reading this] had bought me one of the items she was selling and wanted to send it to me as a gift. Yup, the very item that had SOLD printed below it just minutes before. But seeing that she didn't have my address, she asked the seller to contact me.

And let me tell you in my six years of regurgitating my thoughts online, never did i expect such generosity especially from someone i don't know in person or have even met.

I won't tell you what she bought me, so you will just have to wait until the package arrives. I just received an email from the seller saying the item has been sent and it will arrive in 6-10 working days.

How crazy is that!?

[I so hope that that angry DHL delivery man changed his delivery route and is on leave for the next few weeks].

***

So anyway moving on...

I've been up since 7:30 AM because my sister called to sing me the birthday song, followed by my dad and then my mom. J even called me several times during the day and each time sang the whole birthday song which brought a smile to my face every time.

But today i figured instead of moping around at home smelling of my own funk, i figured i would shower, change and venture out into the city.

So after replying to all my facebook birthday wall wishes and Twitter messages, i was ready to conquer my day.

I couldn't believe how warm it was today when i checked the thermometer on the balcony. It honestly feels like ages since we've had double-digits above freezing point. For awhile there, i almost forgot what it was like to sweat.

But i was soon reminded of that icky feeling when i sat in the overcrowded train carriage beside a bunch of prepubescent girls spreading their germs as they coughed all over the place.

It was gross.

Parents need to seriously teach their kids to cover their germ infested mouths in public when they cough. How hard is it to cough into the fold of your elbow?

Seriously.

***

So anyway, after buying my compulsory German course book, i decided to search the shelves for a book that basically explained the rules and vocabulary in English. I found some cash earlier and took it upon myself to use it to help fund my Ich spreche Deutsch [: I speak German] foundation.

My issue, if you really want to know, is i'm finding that all my material and books i've got so far are in German. So not only will finding a book that basically explains the vocabulary in a language i comprehend will not only make my life easier but i may even learn more.

I'm hoping.

Feeling pleased with myself, i decided to treat myself by making it a point to find that cupcakes store i had found randomly online. But after walking in circles because i took the wrong turn, i ended up where i started half an hour before.

Yes Christina, if you turn right enough times in a row, you will end up where you started.

D'oh!

One of the many side streets that all seemed to look the same after a while.

Here's a bit of history for you...

Further down the main road, standing proudly beside the tram tracks, is the Hahnentor on Rudolfplatz. It is said that it is one of the original twelve gate castles built around 1180-1220 and was part of an eight-kilometre-long medieval town wall [source]. It is one of only three that remain standing.

I was determined to find the cupcake place and when i eventually found it, i couldn't have been happier. As i sipped on my lactose-free milk coffee and savoured my King of Pop, i received my first birthday sms from Ms. Redd... thanks again!

***

So when i eventually decided to head home because my feet were aching, i forgot which escalator i was supposed to take when i reached my station. There's a shorter route that takes me directly home and then there's one that exits on the side of the supermarket - which is where i wanted to get my birthday slice.

So i left it to fate and it turned out...

I was meant to eat more cake after all.

It was a slice of a chocolate roll which was filled with a chocolate mousse. Full of fat but after all the walking i did today, i sure deserved it.

But before it strikes midnight [Germany time] and it's no longer the 15th of March, i'm going to say, i had a happy thirty-first birthday.

And to all my readers; friends and silent followers, thank you. It amazes me to know that there are people out there that care.

And here's one last photo of little Miss Luna wanting to cuddle and get in on some of Lisa Kahlen's Essential German Vocabulary.

Gute Nacht!

The Eve of my 31st.

2011-03-14T16:50:00.000+01:00

Originally, J was supposed to come home tonight because tomorrow is my birthday. But after speaking with him on the phone last night, it turns out he has a lot more things to take care of including arranging the funeral. I told J it makes no sense for him to rush back just because it's my birthday since i know his mind will be elsewhere.

And knowing that his mother, who had admitted herself into hospital since the incident, is finally checking herself out today, i know J wants to just make sure everything is taken care of before he does finally leave including finding a suitable service apartment for her to stay at.

And so he's decided to stay on until the end of this week.

Sensing that i was disappointed, J suggested that i take the train to Hannover, a neighboring city from where his parents' place is and meet up for my birthday. Then later drive to his grandmothers' place [where he's staying the nights at] and i would stay over.

But after checking my bank account, i soon realised my bank balance didn't support the idea. With an upcoming German course and a reoccuring monthly health insurance to pay, there's no extra money for any random getaways.

I later found out that J had planned to take next week off too and that he wanted to surprise me by taking me to Rome or somewhere.

But i ruined his plan when i asked him who was going to take care of the kitties and i informed him of our financial situation.

Yup, he forgot about Luna and Yoshi.

-__-

Oh well, at least he had good intentions.

But it looks like he's canceling his leave next week because i told him there's no point in using up most of his leave when it's only March.

So i guess the decision has been made. I'll be spending my thirty-first birthday all alone tomorrow.

*sad face*

Oh well. That's life, i guess.

So anyway, i've checked my weather widget and the weather, for once, looks promising this week. I think Tuesday will be the warmest we've had in months.

I thought of going to a museum or an exhibition but i'm trying my best to refrain from spending money unnecessarily. In fear that i may want to go shopping and buy random items. Unless of course it has to do with food, then there's no point in starving myself. I just have to be price conscious. Currently, i still have enough food to last me a few days, so i'm making the most of what we have.

However, i have decided i will buy myself my own birthday cake [or slice].

J has agreed to have a Skype date with me tomorrow, that way he can sing me happy birthday and i won't be such a sad case singing the song and blowing out my candle by myself.

***

So until my client pays me, it doesn't look like i'll be spending any money anytime soon.

But there's no harm in window shopping, right?

> Click to see my list of Etsy Favorites <

Show Me The Money!

2011-03-13T13:50:00.007+01:00

Several weeks ago i decided to rearrange my desk. I had read that it was bad Feng Shui to have my back towards the door. And looking at the position of my desk, i noticed everything that they had said not to do, was exactly what i had done.

Oops.

"In Feng Shui, the bagua incorporates the nine areas of life, with the center being the health area. The upper left corner of the desk is the wealth area, the upper right corner of the deck is partnership, the lower right corner of the desk is helpful people and so on." [source] And therefore, by placing a plant in my upper left corner of my desk it may improve my financial situation.

Now seriously, who could say no to that?

So i went to the gardening centre and looked around for a plant that i thought would be happy to come home with me.

And whether it was a major coincidence but a few days after tidying my desk and moving it, i received an email from a potential new client saying he will get back to me with regards to a huge new project he wants me to work on. And a week or so after that, another client that owed me money finally paid up.

Hmmm... needless to say, i'm keeping my desk tidy and that plant ain't going nowhere.

***

So anyway, J left yesterday around about lunch time to spend a few days with his mother and sort through the parents' house. Living further south on the map means the drive would take about 4 hours. But J managed to get a few days off from work next week so he could organise the funeral, speak to the authorities and along with his two brothers help their mother deal with the current situation.

I, on the other hand, spent a huge chunk of yesterday sorting through and rewriting my quotations and invoices i had written for past and current design jobs. The reason being was, apparently, there was some confusion with the sequence of the invoice numbers.

As a designer previously working in a design studio and an advertising company, there was no need to be involved in the billings and/or for me to chase clients for payment. All that dirty work was done by an Account Executive.

Thinking about it now, i definitely took my A.E's for granted. Kudos to all my previous A.E's!

So before J got in the car and left yesterday, he was sweet enough to help me figure out a better bookkeeping system. Knowing how stressed i was about it all, he sat down patiently and explained it to me despite saying he wanted to leave earlier.

Seriously, when it comes to excel documents, i'm a little retarded.

J created an excel sheet in which i could easily key in all the important information such as my billings and basically track how much money i'm still being owed.

Yup, having my own business also means doing my own bookkeeping, which i have learned can be quite complex and super irritating.

But thanks to some sticky notes and a better bookkeeping system courtesy of J, i'm hoping it'll get easier over time.

Six hours, numerous wasted A4 sheets and a depleting black ink cartridge later, i finally completed sorting out my jobs for 2011 so far.

Eventually, i finished and figured it was time to eat. Dinner was spaghetti with some light cream, oregano, vegetable broth powder, garlic, onions, chives and smoked tofu. Easy to prepare, delicious and filling.

As for the rest of my day, it doesn't look like i'll be doing too much. I may consider taking a shower since that is on my To Do List.

I can't believe it's the weekend before my thirty-first birthday and where am i? Home alone with the kitties.

Oh well, the weather is looking kind of grey at 13˚C, so there's no point heading outside. Plus it's Sunday and none of the shops are open, which in a way is good since that would only mean i'd be lured in to spend more money.

I'm on a mission to save money and cut down on my snacking this month. I'm starting to rock a muffin top and i'm feeling self-conscious.

And so i'm off to watch reruns of another reality show that i'm slightly obsessed with called, Dr. 90210. A show focused on plastic surgery in Beverly Hills. And only because i was curious, i found out breast augmentation prices in Germany are way over my head.

If only, i had that much disposable income to begin with.

Life and Death.

2011-03-11T09:55:00.010+01:00

Once again, i've had the motivation of a sloth this week in terms of trying to regurgitate my thoughts. Sorry for my lack of posts. And whilst i had good intentions to writing something midweek, before i knew it Friday got here and i'm wondering where the week had gone.

Workwise, i'm currently waiting for feedback and translations for the visuals i sent to my client nearly a month ago. And the longer i wait, the more anxious i'm starting to get. Not because i'm worried about my work but more like i'm concerned as to when i'll finish the projects and when exactly i'll get paid.

Unfortunately, bills don't wait for no [wo]man and i know i'm going to be broke by the end of the month.

As for last weekend, not much happpened.

J spent both nights gaming and in turn spent most of a normal persons' day sleeping. Although i did convince him to go the recycling centre and get rid of the crap that was filling up the backseats. Then to add the excitement factor, we spent the next two and half hours cleaning his car and changing the covers of the car seats.

oOOo fun times!

Then on Sunday, i wanted to get out of the apartment. The weather was gorgeous at 12˚C and it deserved to be taken advantage of. But J was passed out from the lack of sleep he's had the last week and so i ended up going by myself. I knew if i just stayed in i would just get annoyed, so i decided to walk to the nearby park.

I then spent the next two hours on a bench watching individuals walking back and forth, kids playing imaginary games and couples walking hand-in-hand observing the ducks on the pond.

***

Then on Monday came the carnival parade but that deserves a whole new post which i will eventually get to but something else has captivated my thoughts. I'm still a little shaken up and J was right when he said, he didn't want to tell me straight away because he thought it would scare me.

So J gets a phone call last night from his brother. And seconds into the call, i notice J's facial expression goes almost blank. They're talking in German and i'm trying to dissect parts of their conversation. He doesn't say too much but i'm bugging him to tell me what happened.

At first i thought something happened to his grandmother. But as he's on the phone, he tells me that it's not that. I continue to guess what could have happened but he interrupts me and tells me he'll tell me later. He then walks over to the kitchen pours himself some vodka and mixes it with juice and turns to the the kitchen exhaust and lights a cigarette.

It must be serious.

And at that point, my mind is swimming around trying to think of all sorts of things.

He gets off the phone and remains quiet.

I ask him again what happened but he says, he'll tell me later because it might scare me. At which point, i'm starting to freak out because he's never said anything like that me before. J gets back on the phone and starts talking to somebody else. This time it's his other brother.

And what felt like ages later, J gets off the phone and says, do you want to know what happened?

I'm sitting on the sofa half-heartedly watching Germany's Next Top Model and i turn to him bursting for him just to tell me what happened.

His mother's boyfriend committed suicide in the cellar of their family's house.

My jaw almost dropped when i heard the news.

The very house that J grew up in as a child and the home where his mother is now living since J's parents have separated. The same house that J and i were at when we spent boxing day with his mother playing Mahjong.

So anyway, this is what happened...

The mother and her boyfriend got into a heated argument, so she went to go stay with her friend on Tuesday. When she returned yesterday the doors were locked. So she sent him a text message, telling him to open the door otherwise she'd call the police.

He didn't answer, obviously.

So then Police came and opened the door. They searched the house and that's when the police found him hanging in the laundry room. He was dead for two days. And according to the mother the TV was on and there was no note. I can't imagine what would have happened if J's mom had been the one to find him. I think that would have been more traumatic for her.

The second he told me, i got chills. I still get the chills each time i read the paragraph before.

Thoughts of what could have happened leading to his final breath and the fact that i now have a permanent visual in my head of where it happened has got me feeling almost sick.

It's so sad.

Not only because it's a suicide of someone we both know but also that J's told me of many fond memories of the house he grew up in and now the house is tainted.

Some of you may know that four years ago when i was living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, my neighbour's mistress was killed in the apartment. And i can't begin to tell you how freaked out i was. I knew i couldn't physically go back to living in my apartment knowing that somebody was brutally killed in the apartment right below me and i had to pass their door as i went up the stairs.

I ended up living in a hotel for a month. At which time, it so happened that i had also quit my job two months prior to that and i had a month left to go till i had to leave. I took the murder as a sign that it was time for me to leave.

Yup, the murder was just the icing on the cake.

So yea, now J has to take time off work next week to drive to his parents' house. Most probably to clear some things and do as much as he can to sort through the house.

I told J, as much as i love him, i can't accompany him. He understood. And i went on to say, i don't think i can handle going near the house full stop.

The last time i remember seeing the mother's boyfriend was in the late Summer of 2010. J had borrowed his mother's car because the boot was bigger and so J lent his car to his mother. When they switched cars, the mothers' boyfriend had polished J's car and put J's car keys on a key chain and said that it was for protection which i thought was very nice. Now that i think about it maybe he needed the protection more than J after all.

And although i don't really know him as a person or what his motive was, i'm saddened knowing that he decided to end his life but the other side of me is angry that he decided to do it in J's beautiful family house.

Then there are moments when i think, life can be so unpredictable.

One moment you could be standing there breathing, the next you could be catching your last breath. Whether it was intentional is besides the point. What i really meant was, you never really know whether it's the last time you'll ever really see a person.

So on that note, i'm saying a silent prayer for him.

I'm hoping that he rests in peace and prays to all good things that his spirit isn't lingering anywhere that it shouldn't be a.k.a the house.

So go hug a loved one or a good friend and tell them how much you appreciate and love him/her.

The Prick of the Month Award goes to...

2011-03-08T13:48:00.003+01:00

I was going to write about my weekend but something just happened and it's got me all upset.

So on Sunday i decided i wanted to order some contact lenses online. I've been using a brand from the supermarket which costs me 6.99€ per lens and since i need two, i pay about 14€ for a pair of monthly. Which is pretty expensive considering that overseas i can get a pack that contains three pairs for the price of one pair here.

So anyway this morning around 10:30 AM i checked my emails and saw that Deutsche Post DHL had sent a link to say that my order from Linsenplatz was on its way.

I clicked on the link and it said that at 1:38 AM today the shipment had been processed at the destination parcel center. There was no mention that it was actually in the delivery van on its way to be delivered.

Then at around 11 AM the door bell rings.

The apartment doesn't have an intercom or a camera, just a buzzer that one presses so one can open the front door. Which theoretically makes life easier since that means one doesn't have to walk down the stairs and manually open the door oneself. But the problem with not having an intercom is you can't tell who's at the door, which brings me to my real issue.

So i press the buzzer assuming that it's the rubbish man.

DHL couldn't possibly be here so early since the usual delivery man i know arrives in the mid afternoon. I look out at the back but don't see any of the rubbish men walking past.

The door bell rings again.

This time i hold the buzzer down longer and look through the peephole to see if i can see anyone walking up the stairs.

There's no one.

J specifically told me i shouldn't open the door for anyone especially after that incident where i let that electrician in the apartment unannounced to fiddle with the antenna and those other times those strangers came to our actual door and tried to convince me to switch electricity companies.

A minute or so later, i hear the buzzer again.

I then hear a man shouting from down below.

I walk downstairs and see a man with two small packages in his hands. My guess is he's Turkish, in his late twenties or early thirties [and is sexually frustrated]. I ask him in German which name he's after since it's happened before that the delivery man has given me my neighbors' package. He says my surname and so i walk downstairs barefoot.

Then he starts yelling at me and saying all sorts of crap that he went up the stairs twice and nobody was there.

Which is bullshit.

I was by the door and i didn't hear or see nobody walk up the steps and pass our door.

Clearly, if he's a delivery man he knows that the order of the doorbells at the front door correspond to which floor the customers are on. For example, if the name is on the last row of buttons that means the apartment is on the ground floor, so on and so forth.

So anyway, i apologize again but he doesn't seem to want to accept my apologies. And by the tone of his voice, i can tell he's pissed off.

What for? I have no idea. If he can't handle walking up stairs, he shouldn't be a bloody package delivery man to begin with.

I sign for my package and start walking up the stairs but the dude is still rambling on about something. I say once again, i'm sorry in German and under my breath tell him to "calm down".

What i really meant to say was, calm down, bitch!

I get upstairs and the realisation that i was confronted by such an asshole has got me all upset and i start to cry.

I'm more than certain everybody who was at home in the building heard because sound travels really well up the stairs. So not only was that embarrassing but i thought he was damn right rude.

I then decide to call J and start balling my eyes out as i'm telling me him what happened. He asks me to scan the cover of the package and to tell him the code of the package so he can call and make a report.

Half an hour later, J calls me back and says he's made a complaint at Deutsche Post DHL and has even spoken to the person in charge. I'll find out exactly what he said when he comes back from work later. J then continues to say he's called the property management to request for a speaker system to be installed for security purposes. That way when somebody is downstairs one can announce themselves before anybody presses the front door open.

My fingers are crossed that the property management agrees to installing the speaker system in the apartment block and the DHL delivery man gets his arse kicked by his superior for being such a rude prick.

*Double locks our front door just in case the dude comes back and wants revenge*

Fressnapf delivers*

2011-03-03T08:36:00.003+01:00

For the past few days i've been contemplating whether or not i should take the tram and find the nearest Fressnapf. It's the only pet store that stocks the brand of dry food and cat litter that both our kitties are used to. Unfortunately, the nearest store is several stops away and is a few blocks away from the actual tram stop. Which wouldn't be so much of an issue if i had a car but when one is forced to go by foot, there is that fear that carrying that much weight could eventually cause an involuntary hernia.

So i checked the pet store's website and it turns out they deliver!

And the best part is, every order that's over 19 Euro has no delivery charge. So that means my days of carrying a 12 kg bag of clumping litter up the stairs are finally over.

Thank you fressnapf.de for making my life just that little bit easier.

And as a new customer i got 10% off my first purchase, which i thought was quite nice.

As for the delivery, if i wanted my stuff the next day, there was a 2 Euro surcharge. But since i've been stretching out the kitties dry food, i figured i'd go with the normal delivery which says it takes 2-3 working days.

They then sent me a link so i could track my parcel...

And here i am still waiting.

UPDATE : It's 1 PM and my order just arrived... Yay!

Thank you Mr. Delivery Man.

* My apologies for this super uninteresting post. But it sure beats telling you that i need to bust out a needle and thread so i can do some alterations to my Karneval costume. And that i must attend to another load of laundry and a sink full of dirty dishes.

Movie Night + Costume Hunting + Deutsch

2011-03-02T18:15:00.002+01:00

Has it already been a week since my last post? And my gawd, is it really March already? So much has happened in the last seven days, i'll try and do a short recap of what what happened.

So last Friday, we decided it would be date night at the movies again. But this time we checked out another very small cinema called, Off Broadway. It was near the university area and nearby were various cafés and bars.

On our way from the tram stop to the cinema, we came across La Barra, a restaurant specialising in Tapas and Spanish Prosecco. We had about 45 minutes until our movie started and both J and i were hungry.

The place was packed when we walked in but luckily there was a table for two available. We ordered a combination of five tapas to share and a bottle of Spanish Rosat Semi Seco - super yummy and tasted like a sparkling fruity rosé.

It didn't take us long to finish the bottle and before we knew it we were giggling like a bunch of school kids.

We arrived just as the movie was started and ended up sitting on the second row, which kind of sucked cause my neck hurt after. But despite closing my eyes a few times when the scenes got a bit scary, i thought Natalie Portman did a great job. I'm not much of a fan of thrillers but i have to say, i quite liked the movie.

***

Then on Saturday afternoon we went to Dieters - a store that sells costumes. It's Carnival season in Colone and what better to experience the true essence of Köln and Karneval than to dress up and join in on the fun. They say, there's an estimated one million people celebrating.

Wooooh.

We ended up spending more than we wanted to at Dieters, so there's no turning back and now we have no choice but to dress up.

I won't tell you what i'm going to be dressed up as but lets just say, there's gonna be fishnet stockings involved.

o.O

What!?

My thoughts exactly! I blame J.

Don't worry, i'll be sure to take lots of photos on Monday. Fingers crossed for warmer temperatures and a sunny sky.

"Carnival in Cologne is above all a festival of fancy dress. There are no limits to imagination: the brighter the better. Carnival costumes don't have to be "elegant", the important thing is to show your good intentions and to feel comfortable. The Kölner wears a costume he can identify with, he likes to play the role he presents." [source]

Everybody dresses up for Carnival and everybody celebrates with parties on the streets, in public squares and in pubs. The reason being is it's Carnival season and on Carnival Monday also known as Rosenmontag there's a huge parade in the city where people line the streets and those on the passing floats throw candy and chocolate out towards the crowd.

The festival runs for five days but "the highlight of the street carnival is Rose Monday with the march of "Cologne's Dreigestirn" or Triumvirate - the Prince, the Peasant and the Maiden - in the kilometre-long Rosenmontag procession going through the city. Carnival ends two days later on Ash Wednesday." [source]

Here's a youtube video i found of last years' Carnival;

And no, i don't know any of the songs, so i can't sing along.

We were told there's a mini parade down the road from where we live, so that might save us a tram ride and being caught up in the hustle and bustle of all the drunkards.

***

Anyway, last Saturday i forgot to take photos when J's brother came down but this what we started the night with...

Obviously, we didn't finish all of it since it was only three of us and we had a whole night ahead of us.

But we took the tram and ended up at a Mexican restaurant where we had beers, tequila shots, i had cheese nachos and the boys had their fajitas.

We then spent the rest of the night at Electroküche, where we danced till the break of dawn.

***

Then on Tuesday morning i woke up and decided i wanted to register for a German course. I hadn't studied and figured the last time i did a placement test i didn't do too bad plus i didn't think it would be too hard.

So after traveling close to 30 minutes by train i finally arrived at the Volkshochschule.

After being told by random strangers to go from one room to another, i eventually got to the room i needed to go to. So when i spoke to the lady in German and told her i wasn't sure which level German i was supposed to register for, she gave me a test to complete. There were about 3 other girls doing the test and all seemed to be at different levels.

I soon realised after skimming over the test, the test was too hard. I was only able to answer one complete question and the few that i did answer were merely guesses.

So when i told the lady the test was too difficult, she was really nice and gave me another one, which i'm assuming was the level lower. I ended up getting 27 out of 60, which in my opinion is actually pretty bad but i guess that's what happens when one takes a year long break from German classes and doesn't bother studying.

There i thought all VHS German placement tests were the same, boy was i wrong.

So anyway, i didn't "fail", i've just been bumped down to a lower level, one that i've already done. But if i think about it in a positive way, it's not so bad since it's almost like i'm doing a refresher course. Except this time instead of the intensive course, i've registered for a course that runs only twice a week. With ongoing projects and the possibility of a new client, i need to focus the rest of my energy on getting my work done.

All i can say is i'm glad that i got it over and done with. Now i just have to wait 5 weeks till the course actually begins. My fingers are crossed i get some nice people in my group.

Oh and here's a picture of the church that looks like a mini castle nestled between rows of four-storey buildings just down the road from where i'll be doing my course.

Ain't it pretty?

Congrats! A special blend just for YOU.

2011-02-23T09:21:00.010+01:00

Today i celebrate my third year living in Germany and what better way to mark the occasion than to find out that SOMEBODY had peed in our bed.

Obviously, it wasn't me or J but there's high suspicions that it was Yoshi since there were tufts of light coloured cat hair around the crime scene.

So last night just as i was about to tuck myself into bed, i smelt a distinct L'Eau de Pee Pee in the air. If you've ever dealt with cat pee, you'll know that exact stench the second you get close. So i pulled back the covers and zoomed in on the wet patch that had soaked in on J's side of the bed.

Yup!

Clearly, SOMEBODY wasn't very happy with J and made an effort to show their feelings.

So i spent part of last night and a huge chunk of the morning washing the bed linen, duvets and pillows with a concoction of washing powder, vinegar and an oxi-stain remover. I'm really hoping that works.

SIDE NOTE : If any of my readers have won the battle against The Accidental Cat Pee, please feel free to comment and share your wisdom.

But what i really need is an Enzyme-breaker. One that is said to work wonders in removing the smell and breaking down the properties.

However, currently it's minus 4˚C, grey and depressing and i'm in no mood to gallivant around the city looking for a pet store that stocks it.

And so my mission to remove the P to the double E continues.

***

The last time something like this happened was when the kitties were coming of age. I remember J telling me, as soon as one of them started marking their territories, we would have to intervene. And first step was to close the bedroom door on them. Which, i have to add, they did not approve of and tried every means possible to get into our bedroom for no other reason but because they knew they weren't allowed in there anymore.

Their most famous tag team tactic was when one would scratch the door and the second i'd open the door to shoo them away, the other would come racing in at full speed slipping past my feet and straight under the bed. At which point, i'd turn around and not guard the door and the other one would run in and hide in the corner.

But most of the time it was just a whole lot of scratching at the door. And the more it continued, the more irritating it got since it was usually me that had to get up and squirt them with the water bottle or chase them away.

So when we moved to this new apartment seven weeks ago, we invited the kitties to sleep in the room with us thinking they might be scared sleeping alone. We figured they'd be old enough by now not to have any "accidents".

Everything seemed to work out just fine.

Luna would find her spot by the window sill and Yoshi would snuggle up around my ankles. And only sometimes i'd wake up in the middle of the night to find Yoshi standing beside me dangling a random toy or shoelace above me hoping i'd wake up and play with him. But for the majority of the time, everyone was well behaved.

That was until yesterday happened and comfort got the better of them.

Needless to say, the kitties are now banned from our bedroom... again.

And so, i think, it's time i invest in a pair of earplugs.

Closing Yet Another Chapter.

2011-02-22T12:12:00.003+01:00

It took us about a month and a half to finally get the rest of our ~~crap~~ belongings from our previous place to our current one. Mainly due to timing and the fact that the new tenants had only planned to move in in March, so the rush to remove all our stuff immediately wasn't so urgent.

But prior to Saturday's adventure, we had driven back twice and each time J's car was completely full. And each time we went, we underestimated how much stuff we really had. So instead of wasting more time and having to drive back more than we really needed to, we thought it would be best to rent a combi or some kind of car that was big enough.

93€/day

So we booked a VW Touran online but upon arrival the guy at SIXT told us there was a Citroën C4 Picasso available. Having no idea what the difference was, we had to be there to compare the sizes. But immediately opted for the Picasso not only because it looked bigger but it ran on diesel which meant filling her back up wouldn't be as expensive.

After paying by EC card, we spent the first few minutes checking out the car and its' functions.

I've never sat in seven-seater before but i have to say, for a family car it was very spacious. The seats at the back could fold down which was perfect since it allowed for more room. And it also had a "vast panoramic windscreen" which one could adjust and that gave the feeling that i was on some sort of spacecraft.

But what i, and my butt, was most grateful for were the adjustable heaters that were integrated into the front seats.

Believe me, when it's 2˚C outside, you'll know exactly what i'm saying.

But before we went off on our 170 km journey up north, we stopped off for some lunch at Vapiano. Not exactly the cheapest lunch out there but the pizzas are delicious and we like to think we deserve to splurge on 7 Euro pizzas once and a while.

0.5 litre beer [weizen] and a roasted vegetable pizza for little ol' me and a chilled white wine and Hawaiian pizza for J.

***

It took us just short of an hour and a half to get to our old place. But it didn't take us that long to clear what was left in the cellar.

And when we went upstairs the new tenants had already prepared the apartment for painting and had covered everything in plastic. What was ours were then stacked up against the kitchen wall and ready for us to remove. It felt weird seeing other peoples' stuff in "our" place.

But after having a peek outside, i noticed they had scrubbed down the balcony that we had unintentionally ignored to clean before we left. I was amazed at how clean they had managed to get it.

After handing over the keys to our ex-landlord, i couldn't help but think how glad i was that we chose the bigger car over the smaller one. And had we gone for the other, there would have been no way we could have fit everything in there without having to make a second trip.

But after a day of stress and J sneakily getting rid of some of our stuff in the bins at the rest stops along the highway, i'm just glad the move is finally over.

Next stop is to register as official Köln residents.

Friday Night at the Movies.

2011-02-21T09:05:00.018+01:00

I'm not sure what happened but the last couple of days have been exceptionally cold. This morning i had a peek at the thermometer that the previous tenant had left out on the balcony and saw that it was minus 1˚C. It's no wonder there's so many people sick.

But isn't Spring supposed to be just around the corner?

So anyway, on Thursday J came home from his 4-day managerial training workshop. And for his welcome home dinner, i prepared a Caesar's salad [minus the raw egg and anchovies] and got some store bought croutons. For our mains, we had a soy Schnitzel [bought at Aldi Sued supermarket and that sorta tasted like Chicken Katsu] accompanied by some rice, buttered peas and carrots. Then washed it all down with a cheap bottle of rosé i got at the supermarket for 1.99€.

Then the next day J and i went to the movies. It was my sly attempt to distract J from his gaming that day but somehow he still managed to squeeze in an hours' worth of game time before we left.

So the cinema was called Metropolis and it showed OV [original version] movies, meaning the movies shown there are in the original language that it was made. It was an old skool looking small cinema with only three theatres and each consisting of about a dozen rows.

The movie was scheduled at 7 PM and we left at 6:30PM. We figured trying to find a parking space on a Friday night would be impossible and so we decided to take the train. It only took us 10 minutes and it stopped just across the road. The location was perfect.

You have no idea how much more i appreciate public transport, especially if it's efficient.

So anyway, we decided to watch the romantic comedy, No Strings Attached with Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman. A definite chick flick with a dose of raunchy scenes that would ordinarily be uncomfortable if you're sitting there watching it with, say, conservative folks.

Then after pigging out on popcorn, crisps and beer, we decided to walk around the area. Ya know, to see what else there was to offer.

And found ourselves sitting by the bar having melted cheese nachos, mozzarella sticks, cocktails and tequila gold/silver shots at a Mexican restaurant just around the corner.

Diet? What's that!?

And since we are very much creatures of habit, we've decided each time we go to Metropolis, we'll end our night at Pancho Villa for a few cocktails.

Hell yea to Happy Hour!

Waiting for the number 18 train and heading home on a Friday night before midnight.

We figured we had a long day ahead of us because on Saturday we were driving to our old apartment one last time to clear the left over boxes and officially hand over the keys to our previous landlord.

Halleluja!

Go Kendra... Go Kendra!

2011-02-18T09:18:00.013+01:00

Ever since we moved to our new home and signed up for digital television, life hasn't quite been the same. For those of you who are familiar with TiVo and its' ability to record shows at any given time, then maybe you'll share my excitement.

Yup, T-Home for Telekom has that videorecorder function too.

So anyway, when we signed up for one of the bigger packages, we received channels such as Hustler, Discovery, TNT and Disney.

But if i had to choose between a particular channel that stands out for from the rest, i would pick E! Entertainment. The reason being is every programme is in English. If you live in a country where you can flip the channel and understand every language spoken, you may not understand what i'm talking about.

I remember when i first moved to Germany, i was completely frustrated that i couldn't understand a single word. And every time an infomercial was on, i would struggle to pronounce/repeat the telephone numbers being yelled out at me. Having access to digital or cable television was a luxury we couldn't afford.

So for nearly three years, i've had no choice but watch every programme in German. And if you've ever heard Jamie Oliver dubbed in German, maybe you'll find it just as disturbing as me.

So anyway back to my new obsession with E!

Now you can imagine how excited i was when i got to finally hear English and to be able to be in the next room and still understand every single word being said on TV.

The fact that i have the option to watch shows that haven't been dubbed in German is not only a miracle in itself but one that i am very thankful for.

And much like those housewives who get sucked into watching shows such as Days Of Our Lives, i've been lured into watching one reality show in particular and it's called, Kendra. If you haven't heard of her, she used to be one of the Playboy bunnies. In fact, she was one of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends at one point.

I don't know about you but how in the hell does a crusty old man lure girls a quarter of his age? It's beyond my understanding that's for sure. Maybe it's money, maybe it's fame.

*Shrugs*

And after watching dozens of episodes, Kendra has managed to change my perception of what i thought Playboy bunnies were cut out to be and that included the stereotype of being fake boobed, blond and nothing much else. Although i'm sure the latter would probably best describe some of them.

So then i saw the episode where she's writing the memoir called Sliding into Home. She mentions one part of the book is about how she became Hef's girlfriend and life in the Playboy mansion and then i thought, i soooo want to read that.

I was serious.

And after much anticipation and stalking DHL's track and trace site...

My book order from Amazon.de, along with my stash of soy products from Alles-Vegatarisch, arrived yesterday.

Yup, i couldn't resist. Although i have to admit the cover design is a bit... off.

Anyway, this is her introductory paragraph to her book...

Hmmm.

For those of you who haven't completely lost interest and have decided not to remove me from your blogroll, here's a review i just found of her book. If you scroll down, you can read some of the comments written and have to say, some of them are pretty harsh.

All i can say to them is, chill the fuck out.

I know everybody has their two cents worth of opinions but some of them are just hurtful.

If you don't like it, move on!

My Encounter With A Stranger.

2011-02-17T10:54:00.012+01:00

You know how as a child you were told never to let strangers into your home? For obvious reasons such as security. Well that piece of friendly advice somehow got lost in translation yesterday.

Let me tell you what happened.

So there i was, sitting at my computer and trying to get some work done because a sudden surge of urgency came over me yesterday when i realised another deadline was lurking around the corner.

And then the doorbell rang.

Thinking it couldn't have been the garbage men because i just saw them earlier that morning. And it sure wasn't DHL because i had just ordered some items online hours ago and it would be a miracle if they arrived that quick.

So i crept to the front door and looked out the peep hole.

There was a man in his late 40s, maybe even early 50s standing there with two briefcase-looking bags. One made out of metal and painted red and another faux leather and in black. He didn't look like he was there to sell me anything.

Hallo? Wer ist da?, i said in German.

I opened the door and he went on to explain that he was an electrician and had been asked by our property management to fix the TV connection because our neighbour upstairs on the 4th floor had bad reception.

I tried to ask for his ID but somehow the German word slipped my mind. So i said it in English hoping that he would understand. He didn't.

And after 5 minutes trying to scrape together enough words to explain to him that i didn't receive any letter or know anything about it, i apologised and wanted to close the door on him.

But he insisted that the company had sent a letter and blah, blah, blah.

At that moment it crossed my mind that he could be a fake and was out to rob me. I had watched a programme weeks ago about something similar. Some person rang the doorbell of an old lady and said that there was problems with the water pipes and he had to go into her apartment to fix it. So the lady lets him in and directs him to the kitchen. Meanwhile, his partner in crime is waiting outside and slips inside the apartment and snoops around the bedroom looking for jewellery. And you can imagine what happens next.

So i ask the guy standing in the hallway what he needs to do. And he goes on to explain that there's an antenna in the wall for the TV which he needs to adjust. And then it dawns on me, i remembered when we first moved in, J was fiddling with a wire in the wall because our reception for our TV was bad. And so i assumed that that was what he was talking about.

So what did i do?

Yup, i let the stranger inside my home!

Not like it was much of a consolation but i made sure i closed the front door and that i was only a few steps behind him watching every move he made.

I then went on to apologising that the work room was still in a complete mess with boxes and crap lying all over the place. Hell, if he was going to take anything, he was more than welcome to take the cardboard boxes/newspapers away.

And then he opened the black suitcase.

I could see a small television screen inside and beside it were some buttons. He then attaches the cable that runs through the wall to it before fiddling with some knobs. Which was also around the time that i decided to bust out my camera and take photos of him. And unless he was deaf, i'm very sure he heard me take a few photos of him.

It only took a few minutes before he said, he was done.

And then i asked him to write the name of the company he works for on a piece of paper. Ya know, just in case something did happen i can at least tell the property manager that an electrician from Elektro-Müller came to my home unannounced.

After he left, i watched him walk up the stairs through the peep hole and overhead him talking to somebody upstairs before the door closed.

Slightly relieved that he was telling the truth, i later checked out the antenna that was hidden behind some suitcases. I noticed that there were wires running down into the floorboards and another wire that runs up the wall and disappears into the ceiling.

And wondered, what strange wiring.

Then when J called me later that evening, i told him about my encounter with a stranger.

And let's just say, he wasn't very happy with my decision.

In fact, i think he was a bit upset that i caved and let a stranger inside the home. And even compared me to that of a child accepting candy from a stranger. And then i sort of felt stupid for putting myself and our home at risk.

And then went on to say, what if he was a murderer? Or a rapist?

Oh shit.

He could have been. But lucky for me, he wasn't. I guess one can only learn from ones' mistakes.

So the moral of the story is;

From now on, if i don't know you, you ain't coming inside our home. Sorry.
The word for ID in German is Ausweis. "Haben Sie einen Ausweis?"
And i repeat: No, means no.
Enrol and register for another German course.

I Got Wined & Dined.

2011-02-16T11:30:00.010+01:00

Sorry for the sudden disappearance but work deadlines and just about everything else has been distracting me for the past few days. And as for my brain, it's doing much better - thank you. I've self-diagnosed myself and have come to the conclusion that it was just a migraine.

But let's rewind back to last Friday where i had my pre-Valentine's dinner date with J.

The reservation was made at 6PM and J was informed we couldn't be late because apparently at 8:30PM another party of two had booked that particular table. J refused to tell me where we were going and kept saying it was a surprise but mentioned i should dress nice because the place was fancy.

I'm not very good at the guessing game but when we passed Pizza Hut, i figured that was off the list.

We eventually get to an underground car park and J leads me to a glass door entrance. Security is tight and we're meant to press the buzzer to be let inside. We're then told to get into the lift and it will automatically bring us to the ground floor.

At which point, i still had no idea where we were going.

Ooo so secret.

The door opens and arrive at what looks like the ground floor. We tell the woman we have a reservation and she then tells us to follow a waiter into another elevator and it takes us to the 30th floor.

And let me just add, for the interest of those readers who are not living in Germany, although there is no official law that restricts the height of structures, there is however a law aimed to protect historic skylines. Hence, the reason why many buildings that line the streets are no higher than six levels.

So anyway, we finally arrive at a restaurant called Osman 30 and we're told the couple that had made the reservation at 8:30PM has cancelled, so that meant we didn't have to rush through our meal. We're then led to our table beside the window but unfortunately it's raining so we can't properly enjoy the view.

But before we even get to order, we're asked if we would like to start with a drink and we both order a glass of bubbly wine. And just because we also order a delicious bottle of 2008 Sancerre white wine.

Even though i was able to understand 99% of the menu in German, i was still having troubles reading it.

It didn't help that the lights were dimmed low and the candle on our table was flickering. I often have trouble staying awake during candle lit dinners. I know it's meant to be romantic but damn those "sleepy lights".

Lucky for me hunger got the better of me. I had practically starved myself all day in anticipation for my surprise dinner date.

But when J asked the waiter if i could get the menu in English and the waiter returned, i had a weird feeling as i swapped the menus.

Maybe i'm just being paranoid but i felt like the waiter had that Why-am-i-not-surprised look on his face.

I apologise for the yellow and green tinge to the photos but i didn't want to use the flash because i didn't want to attract anymore unnecessary attention. I reckon some people must have thought i was a tourist because of the number of photos i was taking. Or perhaps thought we were on our first date because of the amount of giggling we were doing - i blame the alcohol and the fake breasted woman sitting at the table beside us.

Moving on...

The first course was a choice of three hors d'oeuvres. All of which were available from the huge trolley the waitress pushed towards us. As the woman explained each dish in English, i couldn't help but wish they were much bigger.

As for our mains, J had the salmon and requested for fried potatoes instead of what was on the menu.

I ended up having pike perch fish on a bed of mushrooms, almonds and a grapefruit infused hummus based sauce.

And for dessert, J chose the selection of cheese. One could choose five out of the selection that was presented.

I ended up going for something sweet which included a small dollop of white chocolate ice cream.

When the clouds cleared momentarily, we could see the Cologne Cathedral in the distance. The rain highlighted the silhouette.

After dinner we stepped out onto the deck to see if we could get a better view of the skyline but it was still raining and we couldn't really see anything.

[wikipedia]

Here's an artists' impression of the Kölnturm a.k.a Cologne Tower boasting 43 floors. "The Cologne Tower is the second tallest skyscraper in North Rhine-Westphalia [after the Post Tower in Bonn] and the twelfth tallest in Germany".

Back into the lift and satisfied.

On our way back to the car i realised i forgot to take a photo of what i wore, so i asked J to take a photo of me wearing heels [a rare occasion but it happens]. And only when i got home did i realise i was standing beside a handicap sign. Which i thought was perfect, since it basically summarised how i feel each time i walk in stilettos.

It may not be very often that i get wined and dined or that we spend as much as nearly a months' grocery bills in one sitting. But overall, i had a wonderful pre-Valentine's dinner. And next year, i'm totally suggesting Pizza Hut or something of that price range.

I wonder if there's a Domino's Pizza here?

The Return of the Brain Jolts.

2011-02-11T09:20:00.004+01:00

I'm not usually a hypochondriac but yesterday i was convinced i had a brain tumour. J, obviously, thinks otherwise.

OK, maybe i was a bit dramatic but that's what happens when one has access to the internet and search engines. So there i was trying to do work and my brain started acting up.

The feeling was similar to those times i would miss my dose of antidepressants or during that period when i tried to wean myself off of my AD medication altogether. And just so you know it's been close to two years since i took my last dose, so i'm not blaming any withdrawal symptoms.

But if i had to use only two words to explain the feeling they would be, brain jolts.

Where it suddenly felt like my brain and the sounds around me were pulsating outwards.

Yes, outwards.

Much like when you throw a pebble in a pond and the ripples makes its way to the edges.

Or better yet, like my brain was experiencing a roller coaster malfunction. Suddenly being jolted back and forth, then to return to its original place like nothing had happened at all.

Weird. I know.

And so i've narrowed it down to the following;

Dehydration
The onset of the flu
A possible migraine

Although the latter may seem unlikely since i've never had any migraine issues before but i'm not ruling it out just yet.

My only solution i've come up with is to take some Aspirin Complex and down as much water as possible.

I'm really hoping it clears up soon because J's taking me out for a pre-Valentine's day dinner tonight. We try not to make the Hallmark occasion a huge deal but since J's going to be away for most of next week for a training workshop, he thought, why not kill two birds with one stone.

OK. Back to work.

P.S. I can't believe it's Friday... already! Is it just me or are the days just speeding along faster than i can type supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?

Hope you have a great weekend.

Chitchatting and A Whole Lot of Walking.

2011-02-09T13:10:00.009+01:00

The weather has been surprisingly good this week. I'm talking blue skies and sunshine. The temperature averaged around 11˚Celsius, which isn't exactly t-shirt weather but enough that you could run around outside with a light jacket or a hoodie.

It's hard to believe that we're still in Winter. Maybe Spring is going to come early this year? Although i'm not going to hold my breath cause the week before last it dipped down to 0˚Celsius.

So anyway, the last two days i had arranged to meet up with two new different German-English Tandem partners.

In both meet ups, there was barely any German spoken - which i know, i am totally to blame. But perhaps i just need to get over my insecurities first. But one girl tried talking in German and i replied in English, which seemed to work for a little while but before she knew it, she switched back to English. Again, i am to blame.

Generally, both girls seemed really nice and both had no problems understanding what i was saying in English.

I think we got along.

Monday, 7 February :
It's funny how the second there's a smidgen of sun, one is sure to see people basking in the sun. No matter what the temperature is, as long as there is that burning ball in the sky, they're out there exposing their pasty skin.

So we decided to take advantage of it too and ended up walking along the Rhine river. The weather was perfect for a stroll and it only took 20 minutes to walk there.

I guess when one is walking and talking, one doesn't really realise how far one is going. I later found out we ended up walking about 7 km that day. No wonder my feet were hurting.

And along that side of the river there wasn't so much to see except some old houses.

OM NOM NOM NOM...

After which i went to the supermarket and bought a whole bunch of food. And then stuffed my blue IKEA bag with too many items including a massive bag of Lays crisps, which i ended up finishing within minutes of stepping through the front door.

I lost some calories and i immediately put them back on.

Yup, i have no control.

Tuesday, 8 February :

Then yesterday i met up with a law student. She sort of looked a little like Miranda from Sex and the City but the German version with glasses.

And instead of coffee, i indulged in spaghetti ice-cream. Mmmmm... more fat food!

Oh and i also found out she's Vegetarian too [but unless you're vegetarian, you might not find that exciting]. I was eager for her to tell me if she knew of good vegetarian places to eat at.

Feeling slightly guilty for eating so much, we decided to walk it off. And i found myself walking along the Rhine river... again.

But this time, we walked the other direction.

I later found out we ended up walking about 5 km and thought, at the rate that i'm going, i'm gonna have buns of steel in no time!

Standing under one of the many bridges in Cologne.

Fancy apartments along the Rhine.

Part of the city skyline.

We had to cross over a small bridge to get to an island that would bring us to the city. And to the right of the bridge and under it is a man made beach with a bar that is open during Summer.

Walking through one of the many parks.

Cologne Cathedral at sunset was absolutely breathtaking.

The bridge leading to the Cologne Cathedral and main train station.

It so happened that J was getting off work and had called me minutes before to see where i was at. And seeing that The Law Student lived really close by, i asked if J could pick me up at a nearby station. The thought of walking back another 5 km didn't sit so well with me.

So yea, both dates turned out better than i expected.

And it's nice to know i haven't completely lost the Art of Socializing.

Date Night - Oh What a Night!

2011-02-08T12:15:00.004+01:00

So my second date with the Kazakhstanian Blond Chick a.k.a German Grammar Nazi was canceled last Friday. When we met, she insisted that i only speak in German to her and she would speak in English. Which is fine, if she didn't mind me making mistakes every other sentence and her sounding a little frustrated.

But then when i received a SMS from her three hours before i was meant to meet up with her, saying that she was sick and asking we can meet some other time. I was almost relieved that our meeting didn't take place. I figured since she wrote her SMS in German, that immediately gave me permission to write back to her in English.

And because i don't have the guts to tell her that i think she's an overbearing Grammar Nazi that needs to loosen up, i told her that i was very busy with work [which is true] and if she wants to write back to me she can do so on the website that we both had signed up on.

I haven't received a message from her since.

***

But that's not what i really wanted to write about. That night J and i went out on a date. It had been ages since we went out on a Friday night, so we were both excited to indulge in a few drinks and see what Cologne had to offer.

Our original plan was to eat at some restaurant that one of his colleagues had recommended but upon arrival, the place was packed. And the thought of waiting for a table did not cross our minds, so we kept walking hoping that we'd find somewhere else.

And ended up at an authentic Thai restaurant called Halima Thogsi, which also had a framed picture of the King and Queen of Thailand above the doorway. I ended up ordering the Tofu and Vegetable Green Curry which was a bit spicy but was very tasty. J had a sweet and sour crispy duck which he said was really good too.

For dessert i ordered some sticky rice thinking it was going to be served cold and with some mango. But it turned out to be sticky rice wrapped in a banana leaf which was steamed with black beans and some sort of banana inside. It didn't taste so good though, so i only ate the rice.

Then just around the corner from where we were eating was Die Wohngemeinschaft - the bar that was set up to look like the interior of an apartment. And because it was a smoking club, patrons were asked to fill in their details and sign a form before entering. And in exchange we got a Smoking Club Identity Card.

The place was completely packed when we arrived but somehow managed to find two seats by the bar. It was a lot smaller than i had thought it was going to be We ordered our drinks and two tequila shots. When we ordered our second round of tequila shots, the waiter forgot to bring it. But when he remembered, he apologised and said they were on the house and we didn't have to pay, which i thought was very nice.

We then decided we wanted to see if there were any bars nearby that weren't so packed.

[after7.de]

And after walking to the end of another street and cursing my high heels because my feet hurt so much, we eventually found a club called, "Einundfünfzig drink & b'eat" which basically translates into English as "51 drink & b'eat" - A place where one can drink, listen to beats and eat.

There was no cover charge but upon entering we see this beefed up guy and his waxed chest dancing on the bar counter.

We weren't sure if it was a lesbian bar since majority of the people in their were women and the waitress kept staring over me and giving little flirty smiles. Or it was some special night [which i then later found out was Ladies Night].

We stayed long enough for a vodka redbull, another shot of tequila and a lucky draw - which my number didn't get called out and so i didn't end up winning anything.

[bilderbuch-koeln]

And to top the night off, we found ourselves at Stardust. A club better known for American table top dancing.

Yup, i went to a strip joint.

Before we went in though, J asked the bouncer if it was OK if women were allowed. Apparently, there are some strip joints that are strictly for men. But the guy supposedly, said that women are welcome and so are couples.

The ticket stubs weren't anything special. I'm guessing it's for the benefit of those who don't want others to know where they've been all night. It only cost 10 Euro to get in but drinks cost nearly twice as much than what you would find in an ordinary bar. For example a redbull vodka would set you back about 7 Euro and a simple beer would cost just as much.

Obviously, photos weren't allowed so i can only give you a short description of what i saw.

Let's just say for the rest of the evening i got to see women dance provocatively around a stripper pole. Some could work the pole better than others and others just bent over a lot and shook their booties. Some wore smiles on their faces, others looked really uninterested and one even had an expression that looked like she was in some far away place.

I observed men of all ages stuff fake dollar notes in their mouths, whilst the women squished their boobs together to grab the notes out of their mouths. One Euro was equivalent to one fake dollar bill.

Some men wore wedding rings and some wore business suits. Some looked like puberty just hit and then there were some who looked like they were regulars. Some looked excited each time their favorite stripper came out whilst others made crude comments and laughed.

A few had private lap dances in cubicles that could rotate to face the other side and some invited some of the girls to drink their champagne with them.

At one point during the night, i saw one of the strippers hiding in the bathroom stuffing her face with chocolate whilst i waited to go to the loo. She was on the phone with somebody and talking in a language i couldn't comprehend. I smiled at her and said hello before disappearing into the toilet cubicle.

Overall, i had a really good time despite not being directly involved in any of the activities. In fact, my perception of the place was it wasn't sleazy at all. I felt safe knowing that there were tonnes of bouncers every where keeping an eye out for drunk customers and any misbehavior.

But i couldn't help but think each time one of the girls would smile or wink at me, they weren't doing it because they liked me but because they were trying to lure me in so i could spend my money. But i wondered, how easy or how confident must one be to get men to hand over their fake dollar bills?

I guess at the end of the day everybody has to make a living someway or another.

I Heart Ink.

2011-02-04T12:45:00.001+01:00

Let it be known i'm a fan of reality shows, especially tattoo related ones. So when i found out the 19th International tattoo convention is being held from the 15 - 17 April in Frankfurt this year, i was excited.

And according to google map, the convention centre is about 185 km away from where we live. To get there by car, it should take slightly less than two hours. I know it's a bit of a distance for a random day trip but it's not every day that i get to perve on tatts in real life.

I haven't told J about it yet but i reckon that'll be something interesting to do on that weekend. We wanted to check out the one that was held two years back but for some reason we didn't have the time. So i'm writing it down in my calendar just in case.

And here's a YouTube video i found of the tattoo convention in 2009. Doesn't it look like fun?

So if you're interested to see which artists are going to be there this year, click here.

And if any of you are tattoo enthusiasts, perhaps there's an artist in the list that you know of and would like to recommend that i check out.

Wrinkles. It comes free with The Aging Package.

2011-02-03T17:15:00.002+01:00

Once upon a time when i was waiting in line to buy a pack of cigarettes, i overheard the lady behind the cash register ask the two customers in front of me for their ID. They had just asked for a pack of Marlboro Lights each.

Both of them looked at least eighteen. Although i couldn't really tell because they were facing the opposite direction.

And when it came to my turn, i told her which brand i wanted.

Expecting her to ask me to flash her my ID, i got my card ready. But the lady only asked me whether i wanted a hard or a soft pack.

And then i wondered, why didn't she ask me for my ID? Have i aged that much?

Gone were the days when i was sixteen and i paraded around with a *fake* ID. Ya know, just in case i got carded at a night club or was asked to show proof that i was of "legal age".

I later found out the lady's trick to deciding whether or not she should card her customers was to take a quick glance at their hands.

Apparently, wrinkles are a big giveaway.

I was twenty-four at the time and thanks to my Asian genes, i've been fortunate to pass for much younger. But apparently my hands show a different story.

***

Gross!

When did i start getting so damn wrinkly?

Proof that not only nicotine ages you, but so does harsh weather, dehyrdation and forgetting to wear gloves when one washes the dishes.

And so, the vain thirty-soon-to-be-thirty-one-year-old side of me wonders, do Anti Aging products really work?

I guess only Time will tell.

***

And just for the record, i haven't had a cigarette in over thirteen months. GO ME!

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone.

2011-02-02T11:40:00.003+01:00

After a week of clear skies and not seeing snow for about a month, the weather has decided to change once again. I woke up this morning to see snow covering the ground.

I guess Winter isn't entirely over. It's 0˚C.

Anyway, my date with the Kazakhstanian Blond Chick has been postponed to this Friday. So that gives me about two days to browse through my old notes i took in German class a year ago. I figured i'd give her another chance, who knows, she may actually be a fun person to hang around with.

Or not.

And so i've agreed to meet up with three other women for more English-German Tandems.

So far the only information that i've been able to squeeze out these women are the following. One is German teacher, another is soon-to-be lawyer but still is a student. And another is a Psychologist who likes bike riding and is into Alternative Rock. One is thirty-five, the other is twenty-eight years old and the last is thirty. One lives on the other side of the Rhine river, another is about ten minutes by train from me and the other lives only just two blocks away.

They all seem to have had some experience with doing a tandem language exchange and they would rather just practise "small talk" as opposed to structured lessons and learning about Grammar.

Out of the three, two of them wrote back to me in English, so i'm excited at the thought i'd be able to speak in English with some other people as opposed to just J and my sister.

So when i told J i've got another two dates and joked around that my 2011 diary is starting to fill up, he seemed happy for me.

But then he suddenly busted out with, When do i get to go on a date with you?

And then it dawned on me that maybe J was feeling a little left out.

So i suggested we meet up on Friday night for drinks after i'm done with my date with the Kazakhstanian Blond Chick.

For once, i'm taking charge and making plans.

***

So the plan is to check out Die Wohngemeinschaft [sounds like Dee Vone-guh-mine-shaaft].

It's a bar/cafe somewhere in the city and is basically layed out to look like a huge apartment. Each area is decorated differently and is themed according to the character/interests of several room mates living together.

There's Annabell, Jojo, Easy and Mai Li.

[If you would like to translate any paragraphs, copy + paste the text and go to online-translator.com].

One "room mate" even has an old VW van parked in one of the areas where you can sit inside and have drinks. Check out the photos here.

Or watch the 6 minute video...

It's in German but there you can get a better picture of what the place looks like. The interior is decked out in 50s and 60s furniture and apparently, "Mai Li" even has a ping pong table.

I can't wait to check it out.

It seems like ages since J and i actually went out on a Friday night. We've been so accustomed to lounging around at home like hermits, that i can't even remember the last time we went out on a proper date together.

Danny & Annie; A Twenty-Seven-Year Romance.

2011-02-01T14:46:00.006+01:00

And then i watched this and it brought tears to my eyes... AGAIN.

Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

"Being Married is like having a coloured television set, you never want to go back to black and white."

Merzenich Saved The Day.

2011-02-01T14:20:00.003+01:00

Our plan was to drive on Sunday morning to our old apartment to clear out the cellar, remove the Christmas tree from the balcony and repair any damages in the apartment. For the last two weeks we've been planning to drive down but have always cancelled last minute because either we had overslept or weren't in the mood.

But then on Saturday evening J and i argued about something that i've already forgotten about but it wouldn't surprise me if it was related to him and his gaming. It then escalated to something entirely different after i made some other comment which eventually left us sleeping in separate rooms for the night.

Whether that was on purpose, i'm not quite sure.

So i got up early and did my own thing in the workroom. It was past one in the afternoon when i heard J tip-toeing around the apartment. Our floorboards squeak when you walk on them, which makes it impossible to sneak up on anyone. But when I heard him switch on the TV and seconds later the front door shut, i got worried.

He had left his phone on the counter which meant i couldn't get a hold of him.

And then it dawned on me, maybe he's pissed off at me because of the comment i made the night before.

So when i looked out the window, i saw him drive out of the car park space.

I wasn't sure whether i was angry or worried but the next thing i knew i slammed the side of my fist against the wooden part of the sofa causing the joint between my pinky finger and my palm to swell up.

By nature, i'm not usually an angry person but there are moments where Anger seems to take over.

Then twenty minutes later i hear the front door open.

It was J.

And just like a scene from a Bollywood movie, i race [in what looks like slow motion] from the workroom to the front door and wrap my arms around J as if i haven't seen him in months. Only to then burst into tears because i actually thought he was going to leave me.

I don't know why. Maybe i'm hormonal.

So when i asked him where he was and why didn't he bring his phone.

His reply was, he went out to buy bread rolls.

Bread rolls?

I later found out, he had actually planned on driving to our old apartment on his own and wanted to leave me at home. But then after buying bread rolls for himself, he thought about it twice and decided to turn back around.

Yup!

Proof that miscommunication, or the lack of it, can cause unnecessary stress on both parties.

But here's some photos of the journey there and back...

Bread rolls from our favorite bakery

&
really yummy round cake ball thingamajigs that i've forgotten the name of.

Somewhere along the highway.
The sky was blue but it was about zero degrees Celsius.

Sifting through past memories and trying to get rid of rubbish.

3 hours later and the car is full of all sorts of stuff
&
"I love you lots!"

We still have to drive back one more time to pick the other odds and ends and find our way to the junkyard to recycle a whole bunch of other crap we've accumulated in the past three years.

Oh yea and paint the wall AND remove the dying Christmas tree from the balcony. Yes i know it's February.

When will this move be over already!?

A Case of Alpha Male Syndrome.

2011-01-30T13:38:00.000+01:00

After much thought, i've decided to meet up with the Kazakhstanian Blond Chick again. I figured my German won't get any better if i'm cooped up at home all day doing work. Plus i'm starting to get a feeling that J is getting annoyed that i have to wait for him to return phone calls and run complicated errands because i lack the confidence and the vocabulary.

January had a lot more expenses than i had calculated for and until my client pays me the money that they owe me, i won't be able to register for any German courses. Majority of the courses began 2 weeks ago and nearly all of them are full already. But apparently there's a course beginning in April which i'm thinking of joining.

So until then i'm looking at other options.

One option is to join a German Language Group which is run by an English speaking guy who is fluent in German. Which i'm actually keen on doing since that will mean i could meet other English-speaking people. Plus by having the lessons explained in English, i may actually understand it better rather than always flicking through my dictionary every other minute.

So when i told J about this idea, i don't think he was as enthusiastic about it as i was.

I think he might even be jealous. Never mind that there will be other people in the group. Maybe it's that whole alpha male syndrome talking. He has no issues with me going alone to meet up with random females but getting tutored by a guy [with other people] is a whole different ball game apparently.

I dunno, boys are weird that way.

Anyway, now that we have a faster internet connection, J has started getting into the habit of gaming after he gets back from work. He's not as hardcore as before and so far it's only been 4 times a week but i can't help but think it'll only be a matter of time.

Nippy and Saying Hello To My Shadow Again.

2011-01-28T11:30:00.009+01:00

Bedroom | Work Room | Kitchen

Not a single cloud in the sky and the most perfect shade of blue. Oh how i wish i didn't have a deadline today.

But every time i look at the five-day forecast, it puts me in a better mood. It's been so long, i can't even remember the last time i saw that burning ball in the sky.

I hope you have a great weekend!

I Told You So + Sitting Face to Face

2011-01-27T19:50:00.016+01:00

If your car gets towed and impounded in Cologne, it costs 197€ to get your car back. I know this because when J woke up this morning, he looked out the window to find that his car was missing.

The first week we moved here he got a ticket for parking at that very spot. And despite reminding him numerous times he shouldn't park there in case the parking inspectors come, he reassured me that they don't check so early in the morning.

On a typical week day, J would leave for work before 7 o'clock but since his boss said that he could come to work late because he's working late tonight, he slept in until 9.

Parking Fine #1

There aren't any signs that says one cannot park there. So, the second time J parked there, he figured that if he parked partially on the sidewalk, it wouldn't obstruct the traffic. In fact, there was ample room for any vehicle to pass.

Parking Fine #2 + Prison for Cars

I guess he was wrong.

Oh well, i guess that shows him, that maybe next time he should listen to his woman!

***

So anyway, yesterday i experienced my first Tandem Language Learning experience. I later learnt that the Russian Blond Chick i was supposed to have a date with, was not from Russia but from Kazakhstan.

When she told me where she was from, it reminded me of that time i was on the monorail back in Malaysia and a guy [who i first thought was from Kazakhstan but ended up being from Kyrgyzstan] passed me his number on a piece of paper as he was exiting the train. You can read all about the days leading up to my "first date" here and here.

And after finally gathering enough guts to contact this stranger, we eventually arranged to have a date several days later but then the dickhead stood me up. Read about what i ended up doing instead here.

ANYWAY, back to my date with the thirty year old Kazakhstanian Blond Chick...

We planned to meet outside a particular bookstore in the city and later have some coffee nearby.

I chose to take the earlier train because i wanted to have a look around the city. It was my first time out on my own, so i wanted to make sure i knew where i was going. And in case i got lost, i would have enough time to find my way back.

2.50€ to travel 9 stops in 18 minutes

But i found my way and had about an hour to spare.

When it got closer to the time, i realised trying to find a complete stranger in a sea of people based on a passport-sized image of only her side profile can be a bit challenging.

But there she was standing by the doorway and not that much taller than me. Somewhat attractive with a shoulder length blond hair, wearing skinny jeans, brown high-heel boots and a matching leather handbag. She definitely looked quite posh.

So the plan was, i was supposed to speak in German and she was supposed to correct me when i made mistakes and vice versa except she would speak English. And although i made far more mistakes and probably ended up speaking a lot more than her, the pressure to make sure my sentences were grammatically correct was on full force.

I almost felt like i was back in school.

So when i explained to her in simple German sentences that i speak English with J and only recently have we started to try speaking German together, she immediately said that it was a pity that my boyfriend didn't speak German with me.

I could almost see the look of disapproval oozing out of her round face.

I immediately became defensive and protective of J and told her in English that it was my fault because i told him not to speak German with me. And that during my early days of learning German, we would often argue because i was annoyed because i didn't understand. But now that i'm slightly more confident and ready, we're trying simple sentences.

So the interrogation continued and just like any other date, we tried to tell one another the more interesting facts about ourselves.

An hour and half later, we ended our session [minus the coffee because we forgot to order some] and to tell you the truth, i was relieved that it was over.

My first impression? She's a wee bit too serious for my liking. Maybe next time i should ask her what her star sign is, so i can see if, astrologically, we get along.

But i think i made a good impression because she wants to meet up again this coming Monday.

I almost feel like i need to study more, in fear that she'll one day whip out a wooden ruler and beat me with it if i repeat the same mistakes for the umpteenth time.

I told her i would write her a message later to confirm.

Maybe if i agree to meet up again, i can suggest going for an ice-cream or maybe drinking a cocktail. There's nothing like a bit of alcohol to make conversations flow better and chill people out.

***

Before i forget...

I apologise for missing half of my nose and looking practically white in this photo. I'm seated directly in front of the window and the blinds were open.

P.S. I'm not that pasty in real life.

Day 2

But this is my new hairdo with a purple tinge to it. I know it's red in this photo but just imagine it to be more purple.

My hair is usually really straight but because i just let my hair down minutes before i took this photo, it looks like my hair is full of volume. I actually quite like it this way but i've got stubborn hair, it refuses to stay curly.

So after growing my hair for over two years and having it hang down to my hips for the last year, i decided to chop off about 6 inches at one go.

Why? Why not.

I figured it won't be another four months or so until i visit the hairdressers again, so i'm sure it'll grow. Plus i wanted to make the visit worth the time and the money.

Signs of Aging + Dating Strangers

2011-01-25T11:28:00.007+01:00

I woke up before the crack of dawn with the worst back pain. So after making a little sandwich for J so he could take to work and some coffee to jolt us both back to reality, i decided i had to lie back down. It helped, somewhat, but still i'm having difficulties finding a comfortable seating position.

No, i did not carry anything heavy the night before and neither did i get into any awkward positions before i fell asleep. Something is pinching my lower spinal chord and it's really uncomfortable.

I have an appointment to get my hair cut and coloured this afternoon. I'm really hoping i can sit for three hours straight.

So apart my morning whinge and showing signs of aging, i haven't really been up to so much except that our diet/mission to eat healthier was put on hold.

The past weekend was relatively quiet. The weather has been really crap and with temperatures hovering around 5˚Celsius and at one time it even started snowing lightly, going further than the living room was a bit of a drag.

But we decided to take a walk to the Rhine river anyway to get some fresh air.

It's about 25 minutes away by foot, shorter if you take the underground train one stop. And saw that the high water levels had gone down and all the debris washed up on to the sidewalks. Apparently, this is the route that bicycles should take if they want the scenic view into the city.

Our original plan was to drive to our old apartment to pick up the remaining boxes and paint some walls that we managed to damage. But since one of J's colleagues mentioned there was a nice little cafe near where we were at, it became a mission to go find it.

We found it. And we couldn't resist trying their Tiramisu and Apple cake. I washed down my share of the slices with a coffee and some soy milk.

I would definitely return for the Tiramisu. It was really good.

After that, we walked around the area for about two hours doing some random shopping and in turn burning whatever excess calories we consumed on the way.

Cover design by Yulia Brodskaya
well known for her innovative paper illustrations

We came across a bookstore and i ended up buying Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert. It so happens to be the sequel to Eat, Pray, Love. I actually really liked the book, hence the reason why i thought i may like the second. I've only read up to the end of the first chapter. I hope to read more when i'm at the hairdressers' later.

We then came home and pigged out on some roasted & salted corn kernels that we bought at the nearby Turkish supermarket.

Interesting, i know. I just thought i'd share.

On Sunday, J went to go buy fresh bread rolls and mini croissants from Merzenich. The first day we arrived in Koeln, we went to this bakery and i wondered why the place was packed with much older people. Perhaps it's because it's been around since 1896 and the quality has remained consistent. The breads are slightly more pricier but the taste is far more superior than other cheaper bakeries i've been to.

It's now one of my favorite bakeries and the best part is, it's just up the road.

We later spent the rest of the day either napping or watching mindless High Definition programmes with our new Entertain Comfort Package [internet & phone inclusive] from Telekom.

It was just one of those lazy kind of weekends.

***

But that's not all.

I have a date tomorrow with a Russian blonde chick!

I'm assuming she's Russian because she states in her profile that Russian is her native language. English is mine but that doesn't mean i'm English.

Anyway, remember how i signed up on that Language Exchange Partner site last week?

Well since then i've been in contact with several people but only two women so far have shown more interest. One who so happens to be a German teacher but is only available next week because she's in Zürich this week. And the Russian chick, who only just switched our meet up from next week to tomorrow because one of her appointments got cancelled.

I didn't ask what she does for a living since i figured i'd leave those kinds of questions for our meet up. Ya know, just in case we run out of things to say within the first fifteen minutes.

You never know.

Awkward silent moments can be really uncomfortable. There are some people out there who can't seem to get conversations rolling. But i'm really hoping she's not one of them and so i'm sending out positive vibes out into the universe.

I'm not actually sure what a Language Exchange Partner should do during these meet ups but i'm assuming each person is meant to practise the language that they want to learn or have difficulties with.

On one side, i can't believe i'm actually doing this.

For those silent readers who have followed me since i arrived to this side of the world, will know of my hesitation towards speaking German and learning new languages.

But then, on the other hand, i'm super excited at the thought that i may even make one new friend. Never mind that i'll be stuttering. At least i can now say, i have a social life.

I mean, i can be rather shy if i want to be, especially when it comes to speaking German. But something in me is possessing me to get off my arse, be more confident and meet new people.

Maybe it's the Kölsch air.

Or maybe, it's my spine telling me i need to get off my arse and finish doing the housework.

-_-

The Battle Against The Expanding Waistline Begins.

2011-01-21T12:47:00.000+01:00

You know when you have to re-examine your food intake when you're forced to readjust your belt size. I wonder how many washing machines out there have been wrongly accused of clothes shrinkage.

And so, as of yesterday, J and i have decided to go on a diet.

Well, more him than me.

They say, "there's a connection between couples and weight. Not only do women and men who live together tend to gain weight at similar times, they also are more likely to achieve better results if they tackle weight loss as a couple." [source]

This sudden leap to start eating more healthier was apparently triggered when he found out that all of his new colleagues are involved in some kind of sport. Which by the way, neither J or i play any sport or attend any gym. One of the sole reasons why we're going to make bike riding a must-do activity over the weekends from now.

But our lack of movement/exercise probably explains why our stomachs have slowly converted themselves into bellies with prominent profiles.

I reckon just as we are aging, so are our metabolisms.

And although i have no real issues with J's expanding waistline, he, on the other hand, feels miserable.

Did you know, "Winter weight gain isn't just an urban myth; it's driven by biology and fueled by mood. In fact, most of us gain between three and four pounds during the winter months. [source]

Damn you, Cold!

So anyway, i've been given strict instructions that the next time i'm at the supermarket, i'm supposed to get J less fattening food and not buy anymore meat for him.

Junk food such as chips, candy and chocolate is now being replaced with roasted almonds, fresh fruits and salad. However, J's allergic to many of the nuts, so i guess that just means that i get to eat them all for myself.

Yum!

Our mission to eat more healthier started with yesterday's dinner;

Salmon encrusted in various herbs and blobs of margarine which i then baked in the oven. And to accompany it, some salad with red radishes, cucumber and red capsicum + rice with a little soy sauce.

The salmon was the frozen kind, 700 grams and bought from Lidl [a discounted supermarket here in Germany] for 5.99€ - well worth the price, i say. It's meant to be for four people but it tasted so good that we managed to eat three-quarters of it.

And the best part was, it didn't even taste fishy! I really don't like eating fish that has little bones or has that awful fishy taste to it. Does that even make sense?

Although technically, if we were on a strict diet there would be no rice, salad dressing or extra margarine. And the salmon would be steamed and a much smaller portion.

OK fine.

It wasn't exactly the most fat-free meal out there but it sure beat the frozen lasagna we ate for dinner the night before.

Now i gotta think, what should i prepare for dinner tonight.

Anybody out there have any suggestions?

One Step Up From Ghetto Curtains + Speaking Deutsch

2011-01-19T09:32:00.005+01:00

To shield ourselves from wandering eyes and nosy neighbours, J found a hand towel to hang over the glass and used a piece of wood from our yet-to-be-assembled-wardrobe and propped it up against our bedroom window.

So in an effort to show my independence yesterday, i wanted to drill the holes in the wall to fix the curtain rods because i was getting tired of our ghetto curtains.

But due to unexpected circumstances, i failed.

Not because i didn't know how to use an electric drill but purely because the box that J had said the drill was in, was filled with everything but the drill.

I would try just using a screwdriver but the wall is made out of plaster and concrete and since i'm not exactly the strongest person out there, i know i'll get as far as only damaging the surface.

Originally J's yellow blinds for his workroom was going to extend to the top but due to a hinge getting in the way and the lack of a drill, i've had to come up with something else.

And so the other day, i bought these detachable hinges which just hook up to the top of a window and the blinds hang down from them. Quite practical since one does not need to drill any holes. And i've also hung white half curtains to the top window, so our neighbours can't peek inside.

As for our bedroom, which is directly beside J's workroom, i've fixed a matching half curtain on top. And until we find the missing drill, i've used a temporary spare blanket, that was once used to cushion the interior of Yoshi's pet carrier, to cover part of the window below.

The window sill is deep enough to rest one of their pet carrier's on it, which Luna has now claimed it as hers and uses it to sleep in it at night.

Yup, both kitties now sleep in our room at night.

Which in turn has solved the early-morning-scratching-on-the-door ritual that both Luna and Yoshi would often take part in.

Let's hope nobody pees in our bed this time.

***

In other news, i've signed up looking for a language exchange partner.

It almost feels like i've registered on an online dating service. The only difference is it's free and instead of looking for a "life partner/relationship", one looks for somebody to practise their language of choice.

I told J about the site and he thinks the concept is great.

I was planning on taking another German course but classes have already begun and money is a bit tight this month. Plus i'm looking for a course that runs only 3-4 times per week and so far, i haven't found anything.

I would like to think i know the basic German grammar and by repeating the same course that i did last year it would just drill it into my head even further. But my issue really lies with speaking, which we all know can only be improved if one practises.

So not only will i attempt to jump start my non-existent social life by meeting up with strangers but i'm hoping it'll improve my confidence when speaking deutsch. I know i'm sort of jumping in the deep end but i promised myself and J i would live less like a hermit and improve my German.

Anyway, back to my search for a tandem language partner...

In my introduction i mentioned that i'm living with my boyfriend only because i don't want random guys/weirdos to get the wrong idea.

And so far, i've got three requests for a meet up.

Although one doesn't really count because she addressed her message to somebody completely different. But all three are native German speaking women looking to improve their English. Two of them haven't included photos in their profiles, which i think are a bit suss, but like a blind date, i'm intrigued.

Fingers crossed that the meetups actually work out and we actually understand one another/get along.

I'm so nervous.

Fickle Weather + Too Much Lactose Ain't Good.

2011-01-18T08:42:00.005+01:00

For the last week we've been having reasonably warm weather. And by warm i mean 12˚ Celsius. So warm in fact, that i've even dared to shed one layer of clothing and not wear tights... UNDER my jeans that is.

But it looks like the tables are turning because the cooler temperatures are coming back. Tomorrow they predict snow-showers and later on this week it's going to dip down to minus 1˚C. Yuck.

For a second there i thought we were going to have an early Spring. Wishful thinking, i guess.

Well it looks like our bike rides will have to be put on hold.

Not only is the weather crap but J's really not feeling so well. I'm guessing the 17 km bike ride on Sunday wasn't such a good idea after all. He started work last Wednesday and already he's caught the bug. But J being the trooper that he is, is soldiering on and has gone into work today.

Cat TV

As for me, i've got a bunch of things to take care of. Mainly domesticated issues such as unpack some boxes, tidy, do the laundry, iron J's shirts, go to the supermarket, put up curtain rods and finish some work.

Speaking of curtains, last night i fixed the blinds in J's work room.

For the last two weeks we've been leaning the spare mattress and a piece of wood against the window for some privacy. From the outside, it totally looked ghetto but i shouldn't really complain, it did its' purpose.

Now i just have to find the electric drill and a measuring tape because i need to put up the curtain rods. I should really wait for J to come home but here's my attempt to showing my independence.

Wish me luck.

***

But before i go, here are some photos of J's impromptu belated-31st-birthday/just-for-the-sake-of-it dinner we had on Thursday. Also known as the night i overdosed on lactose.

Which by the way, i've only just found out, i'm slightly lactose-intolerant.

Did you know :
Almost all Asians and Native Americans are lactose intolerant, and up to 80% of African Americans and Hispanic Americans also have symptoms of lactose intolerance. [source]

5 € cocktails-to-go

J ate a fillet steak with vegetables + cheese potato gratin

&
I ate a Caesar salad + mixed mushrooms swimming in a lot of cream sauce
+ baked potato with crème fraîche.

The Kölner Dom at night
+
Taking photos from a low angle can be very unflattering.

Built in 1721
+
Eating gelato whilst it's 10˚C.

Venturing Through The Streets Of Koeln.

2011-01-17T09:58:00.007+01:00

The second J came home on Friday, he complained of muscle aches and a sore throat. This then escalated to him lying helplessly on the sofa and saying he may have contracted Schweinegrippe = pig flu.

Huh!?

I, on the other hand, suspected that J had just developed a Man Cold.

After finding out he had a 38.8˚Celsius temperature, i spent most of the weekend at his beck and call. And yes, i even made him soup. I also ventured out looking for a pharmacy so i could get him Wicks Medinait which is said to work against fever, pain and cold symptoms.

By Sunday morning he was feeling much better and so i suggested a walk around the park just to get some fresh air.

The weather was looking promising, so J suggested we go on a short bike ride to see the Rhine.

I reckon, it's been over a month since i've rode my bumble bee bicycle anywhere. And at least six months since i've officially done any exercise. So after being cooped up indoors, i was eager to go out.

It was 12˚C and partially sunny, the perfect weather to be out and about.

Several towns and cities along the Rhine river have been slightly flooded due to the mass melting of snow, so we wanted to see for ourselves how high the water had really risen.

So there we were on our bikes, snaking through the streets trying to find our way.

On one of the shortcuts, we had to pass an abandoned industrial factory with broken glass and bricked up windows. And beside it, a squatter area where punk-looking individuals lived in makeshift homes made out of scrap materials. It reminded me of a scene in Mad Max just minus the desert.

Needless to say, we didn't stay very long.

So we eventually got to the Rhine and the park parallel to it was full of people. People of all ages riding their bikes and random people strolling along taking photos. At last, i didn't feel so much like a tourist.

You can see in the above photos, how far the water has crept inland. Previously lined with trees and children's' train track, the water now lies in the foreground, where the promenade once used to be.

Benches along the river are now sitting in water. Jetties that once served as bridges had collapsed and are now isolated.

After crossing one of the massive bridges to get to the city center, we came across a very full canal. The water level had risen to the point where half of the sidewalk [beside the left building] was submerged in water.

Cycling through the back roads and getting slightly lost we stumbled upon a reasonably priced Arabic cafe/take away place called Haibibi.

My love for eating falafel was only heightened when i found out they served them with Hummus.

Each meal was served with a free glass of hot spiced tea and a basket of pita bread. I topped my meal off with a fresh carrot + orange juice and a coffee that ended up being so strong, it's no wonder i had troubles sleeping last night.

Satisfied and eager to just pass out, our next challenge was trying to find our way home.

Somewhere in the middle of the city was a random hill where we took a break, camwhored and watched the sun set.

On one of the massive bridges so we could get back to the other side but not before i had to stop and take a photo of the Cathedral.

After reaching the end, J asked a random couple if they knew of a shortest route back to our suburb. Preferably one that didn't involve passing the Mad Max squatter community. They then told us to follow a path that would get us to another bridge but to be careful because there was high water.

Not knowing what they meant, we followed their directions anyway and soon got to a path a metre wide with banks of water on both sides. And with no light except for the dodgy one on my bike, my biggest fear was falling into the river.

But we eventually made it to the very steep bridge. In the dark you couldn't see where the bridge ended. It was actually kind of scary. That red light at the top is the reflection of the flash on J's bike. The bridge itself was impressive but it was too dark to take a photo.

All in all, our "short" bike ride adventure lasted a total of five hours and i reckon we cycled about 17 km, maybe even more. But despite feeling as if my crotch is bruised and finding muscles that i never knew even existed, J and i had a really good time.

There's so much to see and so many more new streets to venture through. Life just got a little bit more interesting.

Yup, it's official. Ich liebe Köln.

If only Moving was as simple as an IKEA Instruction Manual.

2011-01-12T11:01:00.006+01:00

I can't believe it's been twelve days already since my last post. So much to share, so much to grumble about. Where, oh where, do i begin?

But when i wasn't wrapping random items in old newspapers and labeling boxes, i did manage to sneak in a few photos along the way. I haven't gotten around to editing them yet cause i've only just hooked up my computer and managed to get online this morning.

But here's a somewhat brief update of the last twelve days...

It was everything but relaxing.

The move itself went relatively smooth and thanks to the two big Russian men, J's brothers and elder brother's girlfriend for helping bringing the boxes down to the truck, it only took two hours to basically fill a 6.6 tonne truck right to the brim.

Yup.

We have that much stuff. And that doesn't include all the stuff that is still left in the cellar.

But since we had to give three months notice and our landlord couldn't find somebody to move in before the end of January we still have to pay another months' rent. Which sort of works out seeing that we still need to repair/paint part of the wall and clear out whatever stuff we have left.

Sigh.

But unlike our previous cellar which was tiled, clean and big enough to put a queen size bed plus more, the cellar we have now is quite the opposite. I'm just grateful that we've moved into a much bigger apartment.

Anyway, my biggest headache so far has had to be our IKEA kitchen.

We payed extra for IKEA to gather the components to our kitchen and when we got home we found out that some of the items were either missing or completely wrong. But perhaps it was a blessing in disguise because due to some minor miscalculations and crooked pipes, we had to make some last minute adjustments anyway.

After driving to IKEA twice because they promised to deliver the missing items the next day but didn't. They then said we had to wait a week until they could deliver the missing items and pick up the extra pieces because their schedule was full. Annoyed and frustrated because half of our kitchen was missing, J then threatened to return the whole kitchen and insisted that we get our money back.

At which point, the woman went to go speak to her boss and within a few minutes came back and said, they would deliver the pieces the next day already built at 8 in the morning.

Hmmm.

Proof that a little pressure didn't hurt no one.

So anyway, as part of The Moving deal, the big Russian men that helped with our move, also said they would set up our kitchen and do the necessary drilling. Half way through unpacking the items, they tell us that it was the first time they had ever built a kitchen from scratch.

Apparently, there are other kitchen brands that come partially built. One just has to slot the corpuses together and drill the holes for the sink and stove top to fit.

Uhhhh. OK.

We just invested just over a thousand Euros for the kitchen cabinets and knowing that they haven't put together kitchen cabinets before, only stressed me out further.

But after many hours, a few shed tears and some shuteye, they finally finished the job

Never mind that we ended up having to pay them an extra 300 Euros to drive an hour and a half last weekend to finish the job.

I guess it's safe to say, that will be the last time i will ever build an IKEA kitchen.

***

Anyway, as i get distracted by all the different sounds that the city has to offer and stare up at the five-storey block of apartments blocking my view, i look around me wishing the boxes that have yet to be unpacked would just magically disappear. If only there was a genie who would put away all its contents so i could get on with my errands.

Oh right! I am that genie.

But first, i need to get my arse to the hardware store which so happens to be like, twenty minutes away by foot and return some metre long blinds and various items that don't fit. Seriously, i don't know what i was measuring because i was, like, off by 20 cm.

All in all, i love being back in a big city. Everything is reachable within walking distance and shops are literally around the corner.

Great for exercise, not so great for my bank balance.

I'll be back soonish.

Hopefully with some photos.

Dear 2010, i'm so over you.

2010-12-31T10:38:00.006+01:00

So this will be my last post, for 2010 that is.

Before i get carried away, i just wanted to say thank you to all my readers for tolerating with my long-windedness and at times, useless nonsense. I apologize if my slight obsession with the weather is of no interest to some of you but really when my warmth depends on it, then you'll just have to deal with it too.

By the way it's 0˚Celsius at the moment and there's supposed to be snow showers later.

Anyway, the past twelve months has been a roller coaster of emotions.

But amongst all the tears and laughter, i've learned to be patient [sort of], calmer and dare i even say, more mature. I've slowly gained my independence [thanks to my bumble bee bicycle] and i've even learned to think more positive.

And here is a short recap of 2010 to keep you all company whilst J and i drive to Koeln to get the keys to our new home!

2010 Highlights

Learnt some German [to be continued]
Had major surgery done;
no thanks to an ectopic pregnancy, they had to remove my left fallopian tube too
Bought a corner sofa bed
Visited Hannover
Went to In Qontrol in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Adopted Luna and Yoshi
Got a new iMac
Turned 30
Learnt how to ride my bicycle again after two decades
Went to Ruhr in Love in Oberhausen, Germany
Little L came for 2 weeks in Summer - she now speaks English
Drove down to Wiesbaden for a family reunion
Finally got to see my parents after 2+ years of not seeing them
Tried to get to the Love Parade in Duisburg, Germany
Made it to 3 years with J
Wrote an ultimatum to J
Traveled solo and went to visit my sister, her boyfriend and my niece in Wiesbaden
Completed several ongoing jobs & got payed for them
~~Lost~~ Misplaced my diamond ring
Found my diamond ring
Hired some guy to do my 2009 taxes
Visited Hamburg
Visited Koeln
Went apartment hunting in Koeln
Christmas with J and his family
Found a new home

***

Oh and should i get swept away with the rest of the packing tomorrow, here's wishing all my friends, silent readers and randoms a great start to the new year!

But without further ado, let's just hope 2011 brings in more smiles, laughter, friends, an active lifestyle and a much healthier bank account.

Much love and summersaults,
Chrissie... xox

Past, Present and Future Stored in Cardboard Boxes.

2010-12-30T09:20:00.011+01:00

Time is speeding along. Two months shy of three years ago, i arrived to this side of the world with an overweight suitcase, my design folio tucked under my arm and a back pack strapped on my back.

And last night we managed to pack fifteen relatively big boxes, of which more than half of them belong to me.

I have yet to pack the contents of the bedroom but i reckon there will be at least another five boxes there. As for the kitchen, i'm guessing another two or three boxes on top of the two that have already been packed. The bathroom, there will probably be two boxes. And another two more boxes for the hallway which includes all the shoes outside.

Seriously, where did all this stuff come from?

But i've made a deal with J, since i packed most of the things in the apartment, he's in charge of packing all the stuff in the cellar. And the last time i checked, there's heaps of odds and ends in there to sort through which equals to about one whole room.

So anyway, this morning i transferred 33 Euros to the City of Koeln so we could get a license to block a section of the street on Monday. And an additional 73.19 Euros to some company to put up the signs to prevent cars from parking there from 9AM-6PM. That way when we unload our things from the truck, we have direct access to the front door and don't have to worry that some idiot has parked in the way.

The more we can avoid additional stresses, the better. Money wisely spent, i say.

08:14

I checked my weather widget and it looks like Sunday's forecast is looking good. It'll still be freezing but at least it won't be snowing. Yay!

J's brothers have graciously accepted to help us with our move... again. But unlike last time where we did it on our own, traveled back and forth and nearly broke our backs, we're paying a moving company a.k.a Big Russian Men to do most of the heavy carrying and assembling.

*Grins*

But with only three days to go until the movers comes and takes our things, the apartment is looking messier than ever.

Many of the shelves are empty or have items wrapped in newspaper waiting to be placed in boxes. But it's those random little items that have yet to be packed and are just lying around taking up more space, that are more annoying.

Visual pollution everywhere.

And when i'm not paying attention, every so often Luna and Yoshi will try to squeeze themselves in an open box. My main worry is not so much them crushing what is inside but my fear that they might pee in there.

One can never be too careful. It's happened before.

*Throws an evil glare in Luna's direction*

I guess i should be thankful that it was an empty box.

***

But ohmygawwwd, i'm so excited! I can't believe on Monday morning the Big Russian Men, J and i are going to drive 170 km South-West to our new home/life in Koeln!!!

I'm not exaggerating, this move deserves three exclammation marks, if not more.

And to even think that tomorrow is New Year's eve, just doesn't make sense to me.

What happened to 2010? Seriously.