New Year

It's hard to believe that it is already New Year's eve. 2010 has been an absolutely amazing year. I have met so many fantastic people, I have seen new interesting parts of the world - and parts of countries - and I have learned so much.
The year has really flown by - and that scares me a little, it goes TOO fast - and I have loved it.

I hope and think that 2011 will be even better, if that is possible, or at least as good.

Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR everybody!!!

It's a puzzle

I had an expected Christmas party when my flight to Sweden was cancelled. I had people over the other day. I have been working from home some of the days. When I work from home one of the big advantages is that the food at this canteen is so much better than at work, slow cooked food that can take care of itself is being prepared when I work from home. And I like to cook in general - it relaxes me. I have had a lot to do, hence I have needed to relax. A lot. Or at least that must have been how I felt last week...

My fridge is at the moment a miracle of packing skills. The freezer is absolutely full. I am so grateful that the weather is cold so that I can use the balcony for storing things. This is ridiculous. I have to eat a lot to make sure I don't have to throw anything away - I don't like to throw food away, it is not good for the environment if food is produced and not eaten, it is a waste of energy. And who wants to waste energy?

Besides I move so much that I need the calories anyhow...


Oh well...

(But I will not be eating in the canteen at work for a while. Have to bring lunch the next coming weeks, I think...)

Christmas 2010

Düsseldorf Airport

For once I had decided to go up to Sweden this year. I failed
miserably... When I got up in the morning - I was travelling on the 24:th, or was at least supposed to - I checked the news and then Facebook - with a big international network that is sometimes the best way to find out what's going on, at least in the airports and train stations all around the world. And it was true this time as well... A friend had posted a comment about her flight being late. So I went online.

Online I could see that this obviously was the case for my flight as well; we were about 40 minutes late. Then. Perhaps it was just as well, considering I couldn't find a taxi but had to use public transportation - a bummer when it is very early in the morning, then it is nice to be picked up by a taxi just outside the building, EVEN if the train station isn't far away, but it is good not having to worry about the time table. Anyhow, I should have started to suspect something was wrong already here... Not being able to reach taxi on a day when many users are travelling is quite normal. It is just the switchboard being overloaded, it was busy busy busy busy. But Düsseldorf is a city with many many taxis so NORMALLY it is not a problem anyhow - just go down to the taxi stop and there will be a taxi. Not this time. Not this time...

It was snowy, really snowy, and that was the explanation. It didn't snow SO bad where I live though, but it snowed, and about 15 cm snow was on the ground, for a city that normally (last year was an exception) doesn't get snow 15 cm s a LOT.  Trains were still on time though so I took the train instead. And I checked in online on the way to the airport. I had counted on taking a taxi so I didn't have that much margin, checking in online therefore seemed like a good alternative. So I did. When I arrived the plane was almost two hour late, but I went to the check-in desk to drop of my suitcase, or at least that was my plan. Instead I was told that the airport was closed at the moment and that no bags would be accepted. So I had to keep my bag - and went over to one of the restaurants for a bit of breakfast instead. Fine with me. Except when I was sipping my tea and enjoying my herring (Matjes) - I already then suspected I'd be late and herring is important for a Swede on Christmas - a text arrived, telling me that the flight had been cancelled and that I should call Lufthansa.

Turned out that the planes were cancelled and the earliest I could get there was on the 25:th... Considering the 24:th is the most important day for a Swede - at least for Christmas - it seemed pretty pointless. When I then found out that it wasn't even the morning of the 25:th but the evening, I gave up totally. I was due back home in Düsseldorf on the 26:th... Travelling for a few hours in Sweden wouldn't have made anyone happy.

However I wasn't the only one stranded. I managed to locate one other person and we decided to do something together - dinner at my place. And then someone else called and left a message. And then, in the end, after I sent out a message to those who I know might be stranded, we ended up having a brilliant party at my place. Just like that, with dinner and everything. Priceless! How many we were? 14... Sit down dinner. A buffet, but still!

And on the 25:th I got to experience a real English Christmas, with other friends who invited me to come over. Turkey, Christmas crackers with ugly hats, and bad jokes inside (and a little gift. Mine was a measure tape. To make sure I don't eat too much??? Don't worry, it was a surprise to everybody, not something someone put in there on purpose...)

All in all Christmas turned out really amazing. I would have loved to see my family but one can't do much about the weather, and as I said: This really was fabulous! It's about taking what you get and make the most of it and we certainly did! 

Snow and ice

Düsseldorf remains icy. The snow that was beautiful if a bit annoying on Christmas Eve, when my flight was cancelled, continued to be beautiful on Christmas day. On Boxing day, the 26:th of December it turned into ice slush - slippery and melting.  I love the snow when it is nice and crisp and you can hear it squeaking under your shoes, but when it is a wet mess I am not so happy any more. And even when it is cold I want to have proper clothes for it, then I don't have a big problem with it - as long as it doesn't stay too long...

OK, enough of the small talk.

Talked to an acquaintance today. He claimed that it isn't the big roads that are the big problem, except for during the snow fall. I can only take his word for it, I sold my car and I am using the train, but I know people do get stuck when it is really bad, also on the motorway - there is always someone else who doesn't know how to drive and get stuck... But my acquaintance tells me that the most difficult bit is parking. The parking spots are snowed over and getting in and out of them is a nightmare. I believe him, I have seen some people trying, and it has been quite amusing in some cases. It really takes forever - I guess it also is down to many Germans not being used to driving in the snow, and the tires not being adjusted for a lot of snow - even winter tires are different, some for snow, some for ice, some for a lot of rain, and so forth - good during certain winter conditions doesn't necessarily mean good on other...

My aquaintance has now made a promise to himself. Next time he will get a 4-wheel drive.

But I like the way he is solving it now: He has 100 kg of bricks in the trunk, the back of the car, to weigh him down and make sure he gets a better grip...

Merry Christmas everyone

Merry Christmas everyone, I am having a ball, despite the plans changing quite a bit due to the snow.

Sweden, here I (don't) come

I was supposed to be in Sweden today. Flight booked in November, up today, back on Sunday evening. Direct flights both ways, perfect.

And yesterday evening it started to snow. And then it just continued. Checked the flight info this morning: 40 minutes delay. Just as well, because I couldn't get hold of a taxi, the line was constantly busy, so I had to take the train instead. The extra minutes was gold sent. Except by the time I got to the airport the delay had gone up to almost 2 hours...

I still tried to drop of my bag but was told they didn't accept bags. Fair enough. So I went for breakfast... And while sitting there enjoying my peppermint tea my phone sounded - and an SMS/text from Lufthansa came in. Plane cancelled... Airport closed...
Turns out that the first flight I could get out of here would be a Saturday evening flight, and taking that when I need ot go back Sunday evening seemed pretty pointless, it is not THAT much fun to be on a plane and in the airport(s). So I cancelled the whole trip.

Thought that was going to be a real bummer but I have an invitation for tomorrow - called the friends and they told me that I was more than welcome. Splendid! English Christmas with Turkey and everything for me! And then it turned out that several of my friends were stranded too - so now Christmas has turned into something great despite me not having a tree:

Spontaneous Christmas buffet/party with friends in a few hours!!! This can turn really really good!  Champagne is already cold...

When life throws you something unexpected - make the most of it!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Hairdryer on the window

I was in a call last week, and all of a sudden I stopped myself in the middle of a sentence. Stopped and stared. The people I was talking to wondered where I had gone.

So I had to explain it to them:
The neighbours on the other side were standing with a hair-dryer, blowing on the window.

It is one of the more odd things that I have seen. Have no idea why, my speculation was that they were putting up some Christmas decorations and therefore needed to do something to prepare the window, but it seems I was wrong.
Seems they have covered their windows with some "do-not-look-inside-my-kitchen"-film. Except I can perfectly well see what is going on inside, if I am interested. Which I'm not. They can theoretically see into my kitchen too, got big windows. Except now they can't see out because the film is covering their windows. But when the light is on we can still see inside their flat. It's a bit like the neighbours when I was growing up, they had the toilet just in front of the window, and a REALLY strong light in the ceiling. The windows was one of those with rugged glass, you know the type you aren't supposed to see through? Well, let me tell you, when the light is strong you can - it is just that those inside can't see out and don't know that they are being watched... (Hence I keep the light off if I have to go and the toilet is too close to a window.

Anyhow, don't understand the film regardless, all it does is shutting out light. 
I have curtains myself. Curtains from IKEA. Curtains I can close in the unlikely event that I would want to shut neighbours and sun out - but that is then temporarily. .. But in Germany people just don't seem to like the light...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Let it snow - who needs alps when you can go to Nordrhein Westfalen???We have ridiculous amounts of snow here - not so much where I live, in Düsseldorf, as where I work. It is snow covered and piling up - everywhere. In the city where I work schools are closed and so are many other public locations, as they are worried for the roofs - I guess the buildings were not made for these amounts! As long as it is new snow it is one thing but when it defrosts, freezes, defrosts, freezes it gets wet and heavy and difficult to cope with. Watch out for what may fall from the roofs as well!

And travelling is not easy. Planes all over Germany are cancelled or delayed though, due to snow, UK is more or less shut down, I hear, Sweden is in trouble - and so  the story goes. It is just not very easy to travel in Europe at the moment... I am happy to have supplies at home, and worst case I can always work from home. But at the moment I am able  to get to work.

I am supposed to travel end of the week. Will be interesting to see how THAT works out. I will bring my computer just in case I get stuck so that I can work when away, it may be needed... Not for the Christmas days, but between Christmas and New Year. I feel I need to make sure I am on the safe  side. Just in case...

Because this, my friends, this is SNOW!

Hmmm... Something fishy going on

So I receive an email from someone "who wants to know me a bit better". He tells me that i am "cute".

Part from the fact that I am not interested in some sort of "getting to know you better" discussion it is quite obvious that it is some sort of phishing/scamming setup - he is referring to photos but there ARE no photos of me on the blog...

Lucia coming up

December 13 is an important day, it is not just the day the protestantic Sweden celebrates Lucia, a saint from Italy that no one but the Swedes have heard about, but in my family it also marks the day when the majority of the Christmas decorations come up. Lights for 1:st of Advent, Christmas decorations in time for Lucia, and then the tree on the 23:rd.

He or she who suggests that a tree should be brought inside before December 23 is banned from my place during these critical weeks... But that's not what I wanted to talk about.

I just wanted to mention that despite all the things needed to be done this weekend, I have of course made sure I have the Christmas decorations up. Little Santas and lights all over the place. Well, all over compared to how I normally have it. My Christmas decoration taste is otherwise rather simple, I'd rather have a few things in a few places than let it be too much, mainly because I am lazy, and I know I have to take them away afterwards as well. But I really like little decorations - even my horrible angles with a fake tan and poorly bleached hair has been taken out from their box. They are now standing guarding my whiskys and I don't think anyone will want to have a whisky until Christmas is over... Except possibly me because I am familiar with the angles....

And... Listen to this! There is Christmas lights on the balcony!
Of course lights especially made for outdoor use and of course also with the safety equipment that you need - but there IS LIGHT!

Love it!

When is it really morning

Was calling a taxi for a friend the other day. And was met by a voice saing "Guten Morgen" - good morning.
Considering it was 00:05 I must say that I wonder when the mornings in Düsseldorf actually start???
When does the morning start where YOU are?

(Interesting number two though: If I leave town at 1:30 on a Friday or Saturday the taxi drivers are wondering why I am leaving so early. I guess the evening end and morning starts different times depending on if you are a driver or work in the switchboard...)

droooowning slowly

Kind of drowning in things at the moment. I haven't forgotten the blog and I will write again, just not now. Sorry!!!