a poem on thursday : deutsch haiku

A little bit of a change this week.  From classics to, well, my first attempt at German poetry.  Over the easter break we were told to write a poem about love or friendship (our theme for this month).  This was a challenge - poetry in your native language is hard enough, but in German!?!?  I settled on writing four Haiku-inspired pieces and I'm proud of how they turned out.  They are also partially inspired by last week's poem by ee cummings. 

die Bluetenknospe

erblueht

judendlich verliebt

Karneval der liebe

heisse sonne

Verbrennt meine Haut

Hand in Hand

goldern faerbt

Die Blaetter fallen

Das licht verwelkt

alles von Schee bedeckt

lange liebe verloren

The english translation is written below.  It doesn't quite translate into the typical syllable rhythm of traditional haiku, but you get the idea.

the flowerbuds

blooming

young love

carnival of love

hot sun

burns my skin

hand in hand

goldern colours

the leaves fall

the light fades

everything is covered in snow

long love lost

ping pong

Posting a little bit later today due to computer issues.  

I'm a little bit obsessed by this 'table tennis in the park' thing.  Yesterday I was supposed to be taking pictures of "nature" for the last C&C Photography workshop assignment and I ended up spending a good while snapping shots of these men battling it out.  Such dedication to the pursuit of the humble game of ping pong!  There were jumps and twists and legs in the air, all of it rather unsuccessfully captured by my lens.  In the end, I decided what I like most was how determined they all looked.  Must. Win. At. All. Costs.
  

Flickr Faves - a touch of yellow

1. "Love Leaps" Rose Headband, 2. Pale Yellow Spool Catalog, 3. lemon man, 4. A whiter shade of pale

A touch of yellow to brighten up my day.

everyone plays table-tennis

This is what happens in Berlin when the sun comes out.  People play table-tennis.  In the park.  There are public concrete table-tennis tables at several parks in my neighbourhood and almost all the tables are always full after work.  I think people must stop on their way homes from work/school for a hit with friends.  Pretty cool huh?

C&C Assignment III : Tulips

I found this week's assignment for C&C Photography hard.  The challenge was to pick a colour, any colour, and tell a story.  Within this story we should practice the skills we've learnt in Week I and Week II, and include a photo using complementary colours and a photo that included people.  I could blame it on the short week, but I really procrastinated with this one.  I wanted to try to use some pastels with the aim of experimenting with a softer colour palate.  This became my inspiration.

Photos of a person was one of the hardest challenges.  I took some of people on the streets of Berlin, but they all looked too washed out.  So I decided to set-up the camera, chose the spot and then directed Matthias to take some photos "off centre" "flowers in focus" "blur the background".  I think he did an excellent job, not sure that I can claim that this is only my assignment this week though!  I also played around a bit with aluminium foil - spotted on one of the C&C Photography blogs last week.  Typically, I can't remember who it was and have looked for it again and am coming up with nothing.  Sorry whoever it was - I thought the idea was great.

I'm not completely happy with the finished assignment, but you have to work with what you've got and this week this is it.  This weekend we have visitors in Berlin so I'll be checking in on all the C&C Photography blogs on Sunday evening.  Happy weekend!

stumbling blocks

Moving is always a funny experience.  I don't think it matters if you move one suburb, one city or a whole continent there are always adjustments and changes that need to be made. No matter how prepared you are there are always things that stump you.  

In 2008 I thought I had handled my move to Boston relatively well until one day, two months after arriving, I went to buy a folder (binder) in an office supply shop and was momentarily caught off-guard when I realised that the US only has 3-ring folders.  You see, throughout my life I've always been a 2-ring folder girl. The prospects of studying with my papers filed by 3-rings and not 2 was for a split-second a mind bending experience.  I know this sounds pathetic, but it's really the little things that throw you, not the big stuff.  You're prepared for the big stuff - the language, the accent, the driving on the "wrong" side of the road, it's the small stuff that throws you.

In Berlin it's been the doonas/quilts/bedcovers, whatever you like to call them.  In german-speaking europe everyone gets their own doona.  Even if you have a double or king-sized bed, the doonas are 135cm x 210cm (single bed sized).  Two people in the bed - two doonas.  I'll be the first to admit that this immediately solves the near universal problem of "who stole the doona in the middle of the night".  It also allows for different sleeping habits; arm-in, arm-out, only covering your legs - the choice is yours.  But, well, I don't like it.  I don't like how it looks when you make the bed and I seem to always be falling through the gap between the two doonas at night.  


Quietly I'm plotting a way to reinstitute a single-doona policy in our house.  All I need is to find a big enough doona.

a poem on thursday : anyone lived in a pretty how town

Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town 

ee cummings

anyone lived in a pretty how town

(with up so floating many bells down)

spring summer autumn winter

he sang his didn't he danced his did.

Women and men (both little and small)

cared for anyone not at all

they sowed their sin't they reaped their same

sun moon stars rain

children guessed (but only a few

and down they forgot as up they grew

autumn winter spring summer)

that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf

she laughed his joy she cried his grief

bird by snow and stir by still

anyone's any was all to her

someones married their everyones

laughed their cryings and did their dance

(sleep wake hope and then) 

they said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon

(and only the snow can begin to explain

how children are apt to forget to remember

with up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died I guess

(and noone stopped to kiss his face)

busy folk buried them side by side

little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep

and more by more they dream their sleep

noone and anyone earth by april

with by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men (both doing and ding)

sumer autumn winter spring

reaped their sowing and went their came

sun moon stars rain