First Post of '07
Dear Constant Readers,
Happy New Years to all of you! I hope it was well-spent. In my family New Years is not that big of a deal. If we are lucky, we spend it with relatives, but usually the with us the new year comes in with a whisper (and hence, leaves as such as well). One year we didn't even wait for it; I tried (one of my very rare attempts) to write a poem and then went to bed around 10 or a 11 pm (also something that's become increasingly rare for me).
I did end up deciding to accept my friend Katrin's invitation to visit her, and I'm glad I did. Her and I spent the New Year's in Cologne, as it was about a 45 minute drive from her house. We wanted to see an art musuem and I also wanted to finally climb to the top of the Cathedral tower, but for former was closed and the latter we didn't have enough time for. So, instead, her and I walked around the city, and got a little lost, before going back to the car and getting *really* lost trying to find her friend's appartment where we would spend the holiday.
Once we arrived safely, we and a few other of her friends, all had a dinner and then went to the Rhein and watched the Germans there explode fireworks (New Years is the largest fireworks holiday in Germany). It was kind of an interesting feeling to realize where I was, and the path that my life has taken. It was a bit humbling to come to terms with how fortunate I am to have the opportunities I have. As for the city itself, it was practically burning down. The best fireworks show I have ever seen before a few nights ago was in France for Bastille Day (their independence day, also in July, although I forget which day, but I think it might be the 17th), that was set to very good music and had explosions so powerful you could feel the concussions rippling through the air.
There was no such technique in Cologne, but under the influence of euphoria and thirst-quenching spirits, the feeling of spontanity was amazing. The sounds and looks actually reminded me of a war, in a way. For some people it probably felt like it, too, because I don't think that everyone should have been allowed to use the fireworks, especially when they launched rockets into the crowds or dropped wine bottles of the bridge (one landing a foot or so from us, right after an explosion landed equally near us). I was quite glad to be there.
I found Katrin's family to be very quiet, which was quite to my liking. They had a woodburning stove, which was also very much to my liking. It's one of the things I'm going to have to have when I have a house of my own, if I live in a suitable environment for it. Hopefully I will. Spending the past couple of weeks or so with two families has been a rewarding experience, and I'm glad I decided to take the chance to do so. But I am quite pleased to be back in Trier in my own room and bed again. I was missing it.
Today was the first whole day I had back, and I spent most of it with Dylon, and most of the evening with Anna and Corinna. Dylon will be starting a job working in an Irish bar on Friday, so I might have more time to myself again, which is OK because I want to get some things done before I have to get ready for class again. But it's caused me to reflect, again, on money, and how I might need to find a job eventually. I don't know what I could really do, although I'm sure I could probably help as an English tutor for students who needed help. We'll see what happens.
I have made some New Years' Resolutions: The first one goes without saying: Learn German well. This is pretty broad, but as I have started my own German book collection, I need to get to reading more, one of my major follies of not doing when I learned Spanish, and one that still haunts me in terms of vocabulary and expressiveness. Which brings me to my second Resolution: learn Spanish better, basically a larger and more expressive vocabulary, as well as better grammar (finally master those pesky compound tenses). Two other languages I've also learned, but not fluently, come next: Finally bring both my Esperanto and Norwegian to fluency. I've both spent a good share of effort learning them, and I want to learn both of these languages better before moving onto a new one (probably French).
I know this all seems to contradict what I wrote a few weeks ago about taking a break from language-study, or at least a relaxation of stress from it, so I feel I should make this clear: First off, I don't know how "clean" of a break that will be anyway. I'll have to see how I feel about it. Also, I don't know if I'll even have time to get to all of this this year. Another thing is that I am not a beginner in any of these languages, so it gives me the advantage of time and energy I'll be saving, plus by changing my overall attitude of just being easier on myself, that's perhaps most critical.
My other Resolutions have little to do with languages per se: Be easier on myself, cut back on my soda-pop intake (one which I need to work on in a serious way), and get into better shape by perhaps lifting some weights, although I won't be doing this until I get home I don't think. I would also like to hit the books on my reading list and maybe improve my sleep habits (earlier to bed and earlier to rise). Anyway, those are ideas, some of them, like the soda one, are definite goals, however.
I would like to write more short fiction, or just write in general. Sometimes I try to find inspirating in the world around, more the natural world, or just observing people's behaviour, like what I've mentioned before. It's tough, though, to express the feelings I get. I feel like there is a poetry inside of me, but I can't find the words for it. It's like the world around me has its own music, a melody of light (sunlight, starlight, nightlight, streetlights) that expresses itself very clearly and loudly, but without words. This is frustrating when I want to express it. It might be part of the reason why I enjoy drawing or why I want to try to get into painting, but I really would like to be able to write about it.
We aren't allowed pets in Cusanushaus, so I bought two wooden frogs that ribbit when you hit them with a stick. :-) I couldn't resist saying that, it's more like stroking them with a stick. I bought them at the Christmas Market with aims to make one of them a gift, but I've kind of gotten attached to them and might end up keeping the both of them. I showed them to some other hallmates and a few of them seemed to fall in love with these little wooden, and extremely realistic sounding critters. Otherwise, my constant companion when I live alone has always been a plant. It's not much for dialogue but it's nice to have the feeling that there is something else alive around.
Anyways, that's all for me from here.
I hope this finds you all well!
Sincerely,
Tristan
Happy New Years to all of you! I hope it was well-spent. In my family New Years is not that big of a deal. If we are lucky, we spend it with relatives, but usually the with us the new year comes in with a whisper (and hence, leaves as such as well). One year we didn't even wait for it; I tried (one of my very rare attempts) to write a poem and then went to bed around 10 or a 11 pm (also something that's become increasingly rare for me).
I did end up deciding to accept my friend Katrin's invitation to visit her, and I'm glad I did. Her and I spent the New Year's in Cologne, as it was about a 45 minute drive from her house. We wanted to see an art musuem and I also wanted to finally climb to the top of the Cathedral tower, but for former was closed and the latter we didn't have enough time for. So, instead, her and I walked around the city, and got a little lost, before going back to the car and getting *really* lost trying to find her friend's appartment where we would spend the holiday.
Once we arrived safely, we and a few other of her friends, all had a dinner and then went to the Rhein and watched the Germans there explode fireworks (New Years is the largest fireworks holiday in Germany). It was kind of an interesting feeling to realize where I was, and the path that my life has taken. It was a bit humbling to come to terms with how fortunate I am to have the opportunities I have. As for the city itself, it was practically burning down. The best fireworks show I have ever seen before a few nights ago was in France for Bastille Day (their independence day, also in July, although I forget which day, but I think it might be the 17th), that was set to very good music and had explosions so powerful you could feel the concussions rippling through the air.
There was no such technique in Cologne, but under the influence of euphoria and thirst-quenching spirits, the feeling of spontanity was amazing. The sounds and looks actually reminded me of a war, in a way. For some people it probably felt like it, too, because I don't think that everyone should have been allowed to use the fireworks, especially when they launched rockets into the crowds or dropped wine bottles of the bridge (one landing a foot or so from us, right after an explosion landed equally near us). I was quite glad to be there.
I found Katrin's family to be very quiet, which was quite to my liking. They had a woodburning stove, which was also very much to my liking. It's one of the things I'm going to have to have when I have a house of my own, if I live in a suitable environment for it. Hopefully I will. Spending the past couple of weeks or so with two families has been a rewarding experience, and I'm glad I decided to take the chance to do so. But I am quite pleased to be back in Trier in my own room and bed again. I was missing it.
Today was the first whole day I had back, and I spent most of it with Dylon, and most of the evening with Anna and Corinna. Dylon will be starting a job working in an Irish bar on Friday, so I might have more time to myself again, which is OK because I want to get some things done before I have to get ready for class again. But it's caused me to reflect, again, on money, and how I might need to find a job eventually. I don't know what I could really do, although I'm sure I could probably help as an English tutor for students who needed help. We'll see what happens.
I have made some New Years' Resolutions: The first one goes without saying: Learn German well. This is pretty broad, but as I have started my own German book collection, I need to get to reading more, one of my major follies of not doing when I learned Spanish, and one that still haunts me in terms of vocabulary and expressiveness. Which brings me to my second Resolution: learn Spanish better, basically a larger and more expressive vocabulary, as well as better grammar (finally master those pesky compound tenses). Two other languages I've also learned, but not fluently, come next: Finally bring both my Esperanto and Norwegian to fluency. I've both spent a good share of effort learning them, and I want to learn both of these languages better before moving onto a new one (probably French).
I know this all seems to contradict what I wrote a few weeks ago about taking a break from language-study, or at least a relaxation of stress from it, so I feel I should make this clear: First off, I don't know how "clean" of a break that will be anyway. I'll have to see how I feel about it. Also, I don't know if I'll even have time to get to all of this this year. Another thing is that I am not a beginner in any of these languages, so it gives me the advantage of time and energy I'll be saving, plus by changing my overall attitude of just being easier on myself, that's perhaps most critical.
My other Resolutions have little to do with languages per se: Be easier on myself, cut back on my soda-pop intake (one which I need to work on in a serious way), and get into better shape by perhaps lifting some weights, although I won't be doing this until I get home I don't think. I would also like to hit the books on my reading list and maybe improve my sleep habits (earlier to bed and earlier to rise). Anyway, those are ideas, some of them, like the soda one, are definite goals, however.
I would like to write more short fiction, or just write in general. Sometimes I try to find inspirating in the world around, more the natural world, or just observing people's behaviour, like what I've mentioned before. It's tough, though, to express the feelings I get. I feel like there is a poetry inside of me, but I can't find the words for it. It's like the world around me has its own music, a melody of light (sunlight, starlight, nightlight, streetlights) that expresses itself very clearly and loudly, but without words. This is frustrating when I want to express it. It might be part of the reason why I enjoy drawing or why I want to try to get into painting, but I really would like to be able to write about it.
We aren't allowed pets in Cusanushaus, so I bought two wooden frogs that ribbit when you hit them with a stick. :-) I couldn't resist saying that, it's more like stroking them with a stick. I bought them at the Christmas Market with aims to make one of them a gift, but I've kind of gotten attached to them and might end up keeping the both of them. I showed them to some other hallmates and a few of them seemed to fall in love with these little wooden, and extremely realistic sounding critters. Otherwise, my constant companion when I live alone has always been a plant. It's not much for dialogue but it's nice to have the feeling that there is something else alive around.
Anyways, that's all for me from here.
I hope this finds you all well!
Sincerely,
Tristan
posted by Tristan | 4:43 PM
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