this is the beginning

starting this day off with listening to boy's 'this is the beginning' and breakfast on the sofa. the sun is out, it feels like spring is just around the corner!

(thanks so much for your thoughts on my last post, and your encouragement, it's good to know so many are feeling similarly, we're in it together, aren't we? - have a good weekend!)

on richard long and some other things

thank you for all your suggestions and well wishes, i'm trying to take your advice and hope that things will ease up a little soon.

what makes me really calm, is being in that big main hall of the hamburger bahnhof, the museum of contemporary art in berlin, and to look at richard long's berlin circle, and his monumental mural, the mud circle he painted with his hands. there's still time to see it, until the end of july. all of the above taken just there.

also, i'm really thankful for the kindness of friends, their emails, letters, and phone calls. and for danica's playlists on 8track and barbara-rose's glorious finds, both of which often give me a lift.

did i tell you i'll go on holiday at the end of august? i so can't wait!

p.s.: a click on the images will take you to my flickr site, where you can also view the photos in different sizes, or on black.

eurovision song contest

we had so much fun at the party my friends threw for the eurovision song contest this year (some bad, bad music, lots of laughter!). we had a little barbecue on the terrace, sparkling wine and some pimm's. general jolliness and silliness. haven't had that much fun in a long time!

what kind of things do you like to organise with your friends? (in general, totally eurovision unrelated, that is...)

saturday

i think i'm cherishing my saturday mornings more than ever. having a little while to sit down, to think and write and maybe read a little before the day catches up with me. and to have a sitting-down breakfast for once. today's was:

coffee and a simple bircher muesli
coarsely grate an apple into a bowl, add some oats and a little boiling water. sprinkle with a little brown sugar and stir well. add a little liquid cream and some cinnamon, stir again. if you like, add some toasted nuts on top. done in less than five minutes.

also enjoyed this morning:
kate's windows down mix
the trailer for documentary film food stamped - is it possible to eat healthy on a food stamp diet?
(take a look, these guys are at sundance at the moment and hoping to get a distribution deal. if you do that kind of thing, you might consider following them on facebook (via their website), which could help them get the film into theatres. oh, and spread the word!)

happy weekend!

breakfast

this was my breakfast a while ago. a perfect simple start to the day.

at the moment, i like listening to the xx.

p.s.: thank you for your kind comments on my last post. i'm trying to rethink many things.

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on music and unusual locations

i promise there will be new photos again soon. there's a roll in my praktica. and i've bought a new vintage camera, which hopefully arrives any day now. more about that soon!

last weekend i had a bit of a meltdown. it's just not enough to have a weekend maybe every four weeks if i'm lucky, and otherwise be working non-stop. it feels like such a rat-race at times, altough i love what i do. it's better than being out of work, no doubt, but i do hope i'll be able to strike more of a balance from now on - it's a process for sure, but i'll get there.

so to make a start, i didn't work late last night, but met friends who took me along to the yellow lounge at berlin's cookie club (they also run a restaurant). the yellow lounge is basically classical music played in clubs - always with a live act. yesterday it was the fauré quartett, germany's most prestigious piano quartett, performing mendelssohn, max reger, schumann and more. i kept thinking - all these hipsters here, listening to top-notch classical music and sipping their beer or g&t, how did that come about? the music was most beautiful. when we left, opinions were really divided. did we like it? i did. some of us thought that the concept didn't really work. all i can say - if you get the chance to catch a yellow lounge when in germany (there have been events in berlin, dresden, frankfurt), go an find out for yourself.

the video above is from a recent album by the fauré quartett for which they re-arranged and played pop songs. not my cup of tea, usually, but i do like this particular track. i would have posted the max reger piano quartett they played last night, but i couldn't find it.

righty-o, back to work.

corner view anniversary post (1): music

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as a tribute to jane's corner view, which is celebrating its first anniversary today, here's a post from last year. thanks jane, for kicking it all off!

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lisa picked music as this week's corner view theme. and what a lucky coincidence - last saturday berlin was full of music. a couple of years ago someone must have thought how lucky the french are, having their fête de la musique - and why not jump on the bandwagon, too? ever since, the idea seems to have gathered momentum and there are stages - professional and make-shift alike - in many parts of town where people gather for free open-air concerts. the weather has been good, too (not a given this year, it has rained and rained and rained in june so far), so everybody was out and about and making, or listening to music. i went to see a stage not far from my house in prenzlauer berg. see how everybody was there with friends and family? they were sitting on the sidewalks, on the street, on the scaffolding, on windowsills, on bikes and tricycles. wish you could have been there too!

take a look at the other corner views around the world via jane's at spain daily. what a great idea to make us share glimpses of the corners we live in - thank you so much jane!

see that little guy on his tricycle? he was fast as lightning! (hm - looking at it again, it's not really a tricycle, is it? more of a fourcycle...)

comment te dire adieu

it's time to say good-bye to winter. and no kleenex needed for that, thank you very much. he's certainly had his moments - with the most beautiful snow, glorious light and happiness. but it's been a miserable drag recently. he's not exactly making a gracious exit at the moment, i have to say. today is officially the first day of spring, and neither is winter buggering off, nor is spring making much of an appearance. there must be some serious motivational problem. anyhoo, we are ready. go away winter, hurry up spring!

on this note... (ah, that video is not great quality, but so much fun. i've just been watching it tons of times. the studio set-up, the rather minimal expression, both on francoise hardy's part as well as in the audience. a rather jolly crowd. but hey, it's a sad song. plus, don't you think francoise looks a bit like a very young charlotte rampling? which makes me think i really want to re-watch a francois ozon film soon, preferably sous le sable. enough associations. have a good sunday.)

p.s.: photos are showing the cherry trees at the end of my street. pictures taken today at lunchtime. and they are colour shots, not black and white. what a glorious day, no? still, they will be flowering eventually. watch this space.

corner view: love

love is when you stop looking for the exit.

discover more corner views via jane's spain daily. oh, and here's one of my favourite songs at the moment: 

let's not ever take love for granted.

p.s.: (you know i'm a great p.s.:'er, don't you?) i often just can't get my head around the fact that while i'm very, very happy at the moment, some people are living through very sad and rough times. i really don't get it. but i suppose it would throw our planet out of synch if we were all sad or happy at the same time - and we couldn't be there for each other either. maybe that's why?

sunday inspiration

1. in the sky, 2. STAY, 3. the rustic pear, 4. sweet!, 5. dance, 6. dance, 7. Earth, 8. Untitled, 9. Socks and shoes APC

i know, i know, i have only just shared some flickr favourites with you... but still. hope you like them! aren't those lbd's and dance moves so cool? go and check out the flickr friends who we owe these beautiful shots to (just click on the captions underneath the mosaic, which will take you there).

after having voted, after browsing the flea market, buying some flowers, enjoying the sunshine and pretend-working for a few hours, i'm now listening to coeur de pirate. don't you love them too?

oh one more thing: i could do with a little bit of inspiration for finger food to serve at my party next weekend. if you have any recipes or links to share, drop them in the comments - i'd be delighted!