winter is here

it's been a while. work has kept me from … almost everything. but i have some stories and pictures to share in a little while. winter is here! the first snow just arrived today and i am counting the days to christmas. that is warm and fun family times, being away from the office, sleeping in, maybe even going out ..ha!

last weekend i had a christmas day and evening with some of my best friends. not all of us will be home for christmas so we decided to antedate our celebration. we let the day go by listening to cheesy christmas songs, baking, drinking wine and having a yummy dinner. such goods times. we're thinking of making a thanksgiving dinner next year.

what are you unto this weekend? we're planning to finally finish building our closet! and go to the christmas market (literally around the corner from our apartment) for some mulled wine. 

saturday song

asaf avidian, one day/reckoning song (wankelmut remix).

the best moment. dancing wild and crazy with my brother on my wedding day.

saturday song

maximo park, books from boxes.

my second family, aka my former flat share in cologne, is celebrating today. birthdays, a baby, someone leaving and someone coming … and it might just be the last celebration of this sort. so i will be there. i can't wait to surprise them.

london

i've enjoyed a wonderful week in london. off of work, visiting my parents, enjoying fall's sunny and rainy days and being in britain. it felt so good to sleep in and just live to the day. although i couldn't quite keep myself from checking my emails at least once a day. i am such an addict …
but i also got around to do some cultural program. we visited windsor castle, which was quite interesting actually, although i was disappointed that the queen wasn't there that sunday afternoon. and we also went to saatchi gallery to see some contemporary art. by the way it's amazing, in london most museums are admission free. i especially liked the installation by richard wilson, the paper installations and these children's portraits.

one afternoon my mom took me for a tea time date at the mansion. it was such great fun. you usually go to a hotel bar or parlor in the afternoon time. they ask to make a the tea choice from the menu and then you are served all sorts of goodies; sandwiches, chocolate, cake but always scones with clotted cream and marmalade. i love it.

 

i also had coffee with my cousins, went to see the commitments, did a little shopping and binged on some tv shows. did i already mention how much i love fall? i love fall. and i'm actually looking forward to winter.

a long weekend

last weekend was a long one, thanks to our national holiday on thursday. i completely indulged in a weekend on my own. i slept in and let one day go by with only reading my book, cooking, reading again ... i am back to another book by paul auster, moon palace, which my brother gave me on my wedding day. i love this book not only for the story being told, but also for the story my brother connected to it. his inscription says a book about life, new york and the search for happiness [...] oh!
i went to yoga class several times, strolled around the city and visited a couple of coffee shops i wanted to try (one and two) and a great bookstore in mitte, where i purchased an issue of kinfolk magazine. i was wanting to get one for a while now. the current topic 'the art of weekend' just got me. it's something that's been on my mind for a while. how can i get the most of my time off of work? bring things in balance even if the amount of time spent on work vs. the amount of time that is left to myself seems completely out of proportion ...
i guess the conclusion i've come upon for now is to find an answer to this each and every time there is a day off or an evening to spend or a weekend to hit the road ... or just the couch.

letters

Last night I stumbled upon this amazing blog letters of note, correspondence deserving a wider audience. I got so immersed in reading these personal, deep and lovely letters, time just slipped away. Finally I lay awake in bed thinking about the great value of receiving a hand-written note from a loved one in the distance. And how lucky I am to receive one every once in a while. It also left me with the intention of writing letters and notes more often. But what stuck with me most was the notion of being especially thankful and emotional about the letters from my parents.
So here's a small collection of letters from parents to their children.

Ted Hughes to his 24 year old son Nicholas: Live like a mighty river
Ronald Reagan to his 26 year old soneMichael before his wedding: Love, Dad
F. Scott Fiztgerald to his 11 year old daughter Scottie: Things to worry about
Leo Babauta: Advice to my children

image via

oma & bella

I just watched an amazing film full of love, passion and love of life. Oma & Bella is a documentary by Alexa Karolinski, who dedicated her movie to her grandmother (which means Oma in German) and her friend and flatmate Bella.

Oma & Bella is an intimate glimpse into the world of Regina Karolinski (Oma) and Bella Katz, two friends who live together in Berlin. Having survived the Holocaust and then stayed in Germany after the war, it is the food they cook together that they remember their childhoods, maintain a bond to each other and answer questions of heritage, memory and identity. As the film follows them through their daily lives, a portrait emerges of two women with a light sense of humor, vivid stories, and a deep fondness for good food. Created by Oma's granddaughter Alexa, the film captures their ongoing struggle to retain a part of their past while remaining very much engaged in the present.

You can view a trailer with English subtitles or read more about the film or find out about their cookbook - it has lovely illustrations.