Month: January 2017

“The same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?”

Almut Leitner

This is 2017 now – a new year. You might have experienced yourself a terrible year 2016 – or a fantastic one or just normal business. But we should not be despaired – although it is a feeling difficult to cope with. Terror reached Berlin, in front of the Gedächtniskirche, at a time
of pre-Christmas. So, no same procedure as last year. This is bitter, no doubt –
on the one hand – and there have actions to be taken. But on the other hand we can handle it;
at this point I am optimistic (although this role normally is my husband’s) that we will improve.
This is my special word of consolation for the victim’s relatives and friends.

Politicians now talk and they start to commit themselves to a new line of handling refugees, handling the situation in a whole – for Berlin and Germany. Hope they generate a solution serving as a role model for others. What they discover on their way is bitter too, oh yes.
A terrorist travelling Europe, with several identities, buying his weapon –
perhaps in Switzerland, can you believe this? Has to be verified…
What is clear is that bureaucracy failed. That’s the point.

Germany is preparing the elections, the candidates got off the starting blocks. By the way,
in ‘Berlin direkt’ on TV lately, Mr. Gabriel (yes, he will) made some good points. Mr. Lindner
talks strong, but people seem to remark his tailor made suit/s only.
Well, perhaps he’s trying to copy Schröder a little bit? Or is just an elegant man?
And surprise, surprise – at the end of the report’s election section Mr. Hofreiter appeared
on the scene, sitting right next to Cem Özdemir, and has been acting like
a green Seehofer, See-Hofer, Seehofreiter, *hi hi* – really made me smile.

Mr. Müller, our mayor here, gave an interview in the TAGESSPIEGEL, a good starting point,
as last year he ignored to give any interviews at all. Wish for Berlin is –
and I think I am speaking here for many others – to reduce superfluous bureaucracy
and install more personnel instead. End of cutting down personnel.

Mayors, well, I heard a comment of another one on the radio beginning of the year.
He has been commenting on the fact that some foreign artists with a running engagement
want to leave his city because they do not feel comfortable in his city any more:
“This is a nationwide phenomenon.” he said. And this is reason enough that the situation is OK?
HEY??? In a city that has no problems with foreigners at all… OMG.

Weather report! Having talked about the political climate before,
I close my report with the weather, weather, weather.

We had the first snow here – and really cold temperatures in the East and South East,
‘Axel’ has been strong though as ‘Dieter’, Egon’, etc. pp., you name it.
Me and Rusty enjoyed the snow and still do. Rusty with his winter hairdo and me anyway.
But of course noticed the terrible situation in other European countries.

Forecast? Winter weather still, but not so icy – and when you are living more southerly,
you are lucky with some sunshine. Have a good new year.
Even when you have been stumbling over a Tiger head on the floor 😉

The 90th birthday
What does he say to the Tiger?

P.S.: Finally Mr. Lammert (Presiding Officer of the German Parliament) held a speech
in commemoration of the Breitscheidplatz victims
in the Bundestag, it is clear now that Anis Amri could have been arrested or sent back to Tunisia
already in October last year –
and please, stop Mr. Höcke and others proclaiming these neo racist ideas.
Trump inaugurated…

Everglades – ever glad? Post Production.

Almut Leitner
Nature Preserve
Everglades and more to discover…

Miami – Art, Beaches, Condos and: Everglades! For the first time, Thomas and me booked a trip in the Everglades. Best weather, sunshine and light wind from the southwest.

Our – or better: the internet’s choice – has been ‘Airboat in Everglades’ and we were happy to get a private tour on Sunday at short notice. A 40 minutes drive later we reached our destination and we hastily sprayed tons of sun and mosquito protection on our skins.

Starting point with the airboat has been north of the Tamiami Trail, right into the Water Conservation Area of the Everglades with our guide Stanley. Saw grass prairie is the main plant cover, besides some gulf cypresses, orchids… The boats are fast, “cruising speed” is up to 25 miles per hour but they speed up to 75.

This is really fast and you feel like being part of a Miami Vice or James Bond movie… Fear of falling off the boat? No, not at all. And if you would fall into the water – it is hip high for me, so what…

And when the motor is off you feel the heat, hear the wind slightly whispering through the grass. Fine tones, almost quiet.
Alligators have been around – did not see the big ones but one year olds.

Birds and ducks around as well. No flamingos, they live in another part of the Everglades – the region totally infra-structured with the classic tourist sensations. One region out of several of course – lots to discover. Not to forget a mini tiny (compared to the rest of the Everglades) American Native Reservation in the North.

These reservations have a story of their own – what we did not know and Stanley told us, is the fact, that on the islands in the Everglades the American Indians lived. Used their canoes all over the Everglades (and in summer, when the Everglades sometimes dried out?). Relicts have been found on these islands, pottery e.g. We had the possibility to step on one of these islands – “Watch out there are pythons!” Stanley warned – and have been surrounded by trees even Stanley did not know the name of… and only met a gecko.

Stanley, thank you for taking us and having made this tour a really personal one.
This text is for you (and your son who takes care of the boat).

A propos relicts: Even in Downtown Miami they discover relicts – old houses built on stilts
(no tipis?). And in this very specific American “l’Art pour l’Art” an investor bought the land and schwuppdi another site specific attraction has gone. OMG – no learning effect that these relicts could be money bringers as well? Hey, may be not the billions you’re blinded with
(not with science or by the light like some singers pointed out before…), but regarding a more social money making
LEARN – understand and honor the land and the people who lived there ever since.

 

Leaving you speechless – with snippets

Almut Leitner

Some short noted snippets for the kind readers of my blog:

Snippet No. 1:

She: “TV is not working, there are no images on the screen.”
He:   “You pressed the wrong button as always.”
She:  “No.”
He:   “Yes.”
She:  “No.”
He:    “Yes.”
(…) half an hour later :
He:   “Oh, I see, TV needs an update.”
She:   “…”.

Snippet No. 2:

Had a walk in the woods lately, met a huge but still young dog with his mistress.
We started to play a little bit and have been asking:
“Oh, nice, what’s your dog’s name?” “Rambo.” was the short answer,
the name pronounced in German, with an ‘ah!’.
“Hi Rämbo” I greeted the dog because immediateley I remembered the Rambo movies.
“No, Rambo.”, again pronounced with the German ‘ah!’ was the short and humourless correction.
“(…)”

Snippet No. 3:
Lots of cyclists are using the sidewalks meanwhile, a bit annoying for us using the sidewalks in the way they are meant to be used: For walking.
Here are some recommendations, me and other dog owners worked out for you
showing your anger but are not too offensive at the same time:

“Oh, still under 10 years old?”
“This is a walkway, not a driveway.”
“Please dismount and walk.”
Or just say nothing at all: “(…).
More ideas? Welcome!

Snippet No. 4:
And to all the dog owners in the city: Dispose your doggie dos correctly.
Throw that beat, ah, sorry, no, this a song 😉 So: Throw the doggie dos into the public trash cans. Nobody really wants to step into ‘you know what I mean…’.

In the countryside please follow other regulations as indicated.

Miami FairY Tales

Almut Leitner

Miami Art Fairs, the busy-buzzy art days in Miami are over. 24 fairs, more or less related
to the Arts. Anyone who made the 24? I constantly reported some ideas and stories –
and selected my tops for you. Focus: Tricky language (believe it or not).

All written ex post, not “postfaktisch (loan rendition of your “post truth”) – this is another thing and the “Word of the Year 2016” in Germany. The British, the editorial team of the noble Oxford English Dictionary, were a little bit faster here in predicting it
(November 2016 already).

So, here we go with my POST, believe it or not:

Pizza, Pizza!
Late night Pizza order on the phone:
“Hello, like to order three pizzas: Two Venezia, one Gold, small size please.”
“OK, two pizzas Venezia.”
“No, three pizzas: Two Venezia number 14, one Gold number 2, small size.”
“OK, tres pizza quatorce.”
“NO – tres pizzas: Two number 14, quatorce, yes, one number 2!”
“OK, tres quatorce, Gold we don’t have.”
“But Gold is on your menue!”
“Ah, sorry, yes… tres pizzas quatorce and uno Gold, OK?”
“NO! Dos quatorce, uno Gold!”
“Yes, entonces dos quatorce, uno Gold, small size.”

Guess what had been delivered? One Gold… OMG.

Stuffed? We were, the Pizza in fact was a big one in our eyes, here is one more…
(I admit, another fair, but with all these fairs, you can get really confused sometimes…):
“I like all the staff you have.”
“Thank you – we are proud to show all these works here – any work you are especially interested in?”
“Ah no, I mean, your STAFF, the people you have.”
“…” 😉