Party on...

Well, well. You can't say no to good party, can you?

Not hangovered, but slightly tired, I got out from bed rather late today. Yesterday's party was nice: good food, lovely cake, cheerful people and splendid music. And of course some dancing (I guess I simply love every party that involves dancing). I wouldn't regard myself as a party animal, but sometimes good parties are the spice of life. To rephrase it, I might not be a party animal, but maybe a social animal. I just love to mix and mingle with people, it's nice to have a chat with other happy people.

November and early December, the darkest time of year around here, are traditionally active party months in this northern part of the world. Maybe partying gives people an extra boost into the cold and dark winter, despite the possibility of an even darker hangover the next morning. Sometimes it is worth it, sometimes it isn't.

Busy as a bee

Just a quick update: I've been really busy with work lately, but I promise I will write something new soon! Until then, arrivederci :)

Rock'n'roll all night long

Last weekend I was invited to a party. It has been ages since I last was at a party with live music, and I'm not talking about any slimy schlager star at weddings. This party had a genuine rockabilly group performing, and those fellows really knew how to rock, roll and shake things up.

What impressed me the most was the heated rush on the dance floor. Not the usual couples-waltzing-kinda-thing, but people just jamming together and truly enjoying themselves. Playing with the rhythm, experiences moves, listening to the beat. Girls and boys, all together, no couplehood things. And it even felt as if the music overstepped all boundaries, everybody was equal on the dance floor and very different looking people were all friends with each other. And everybody was having fun!

The next morning I woke up with a throbbing headache, but for that I cannot blame anything but the alcohol. Dancing doesn't cause any headaches. Then I found a big, red mark on my foot - that was the bruise I got when one of the rocker girls in high heels stepped on my foot - with the high (and enourmously sharp) heel. And all I can say is that it really did hurt. But inspite of the headache and the bruise, I felt a warm sensation of happiness. I felt happy for having danced for hours - dancing brings happiness to your heart!

My Great Sushi Poll

I did it! I finally tried it! Sushi!

Last weekend we had Sushi for Beginners. We made them ourselves, and even ate them! It was fun, a totally new experience. Just the raw tuna found its way to the garbage bin rather speedily. All the other small pieces of art were more or less delicious.

Have you ever tried it? Please participate in my poll by clicking the suitable alternative on your left.

The secret of success

Well, the good news first. No permanent snow yet. I'm relieved and happy about it. Although I have been carrying my black gloves with me in my handbag already. Just in case.

Right now I feel truly relaxed - I'm happy about having exceeded my own limits for once. I have been busy with a work-related project all weekend. It started yesterday, and the beginning did not feel promising at all because the start was a complete disaster. Today the project continued, and I confronted it with rather mixed and nervous feelings. But this time, everything worked out fine and I succeeded big time! I was SO happy about it. And let me point out - this was a job thing I am not so routined at, at least not yet.

Well, tomorrow the work continues, but now I am ready to face the challenge with better self-confidence than yesterday. I guess this is what they call learning for life... :)

Snow!?

They announced this year's first snow to fall on Friday. These are the days when you wish you weren't born so close to the Arctic Circle, but rather somewhere HOT. Well, I do not actually live that close to this mythical Circle, but close enough.

I know it is pathetic to be writing about the weather, but this news really struck me. I was so happy about the atmospheric autumn weather. Well, winter comes every year. And winter can be truly beautiful. Just right now the very thought of mittens, woolen caps, long underpanties (!) and acryl pullovers full of static electricity making your hair look like Albert Einstein feels very, very far away... *sigh*

Autumn has come

The sun shines in through the window, but still there is already a coolish breeze of autumn in the air. And no wonder, the calender shows it's already September! Autumn for me is always a time for something new; new work-related projects, new hobbies, fresh thoughts. After a relaxing summer you feel energetic and keen to take up lots of new ideas and start scheduling your calender with all kind of exciting events.

I guess for some people their psychological calender has its reset-button at New Year - you make New Year's resolutions and renew your complete lifestyle by starting diets and running to the gym (at least for a while). You promise yourself to become a better person. I guess you all know what I'm talking about. Indeed, a new calender year starts on January 1st, but for me also autumn brings an opportunity to start some things from scratch.

I'd love to hear my readers' thought and opinions on this. What season is the start of a new era for you guys? Just click the comment-button underneath and tell me!

Strangers in the street

Today I have been busy with observing people. That's actually a fun thing to do. Probably I have done it more than I know because I when I was leaning out of my kitchen window this morning after my morning cup of tea, I realised that I even know where some passer-bys live!? Scary, huh?

A tanned man in black clothes was walking in the street with his small shopping bag, probably heading towards the store that had just opened for the day. He lives on the corner opposite our house - I know it because he is always sitting on his balcony and smoking. Another man with dirty hair, loose shorts and a way too big yellowish summer coat is usually walking his black old dog late in the evening. Yesterday I saw him out of my window, two nights ago I saw him enter a door next to my favourite pizza place just round the corner when I walked by. And everytime he wears the same clothes. There's also another man with a dog, and it struck me months ago that this dog really ressembles its owner very much - they both look like sheep. A blond girl on the third balcony across the road had a row with someone yesterday. Her conversation couldn't simply be overheard: she was talking on her cell phone very loudly and was upset and swearing. Today she seemed to have calmed down and was enjoying the summer sun on her balcony with a man. And yesterday the old freakish lady from our house was wabbling towards her front door with a BIG (yet unopened) bottle of whiskey in her hands. Now I do understand why she always seems a bit lost.

So I've been doing some true neighbour research I must say. I just love it when I know my neighbourhood. But really don't worry about my new spare time activity, friends, I mostly have much much better things to do...

Lazy days

I have been lazy and busy and everything between, that's why there haven't been any updates recently. But I promise to write more again soon, so -dear friends- please have a little patience and continue reading... I'll be back soon!

Singing in the rain

A rainy day. Cold and grey. But what is it about rain that still fascinates people? Rain has a way of making a different atmosphere, a special rainy day atmosphere. Rainy days don't have to be boring. Why not read the newspaper in bed and enjoy the water dripping on your window pane?

Rain has also inspired musicians and songwriters through the ages. Rain is probably one of the most used topics in modern music, right after love. If we think about songs that have been written about rain, there are quite many that we spontaneously remember: November Rain, A Rainy Night in Georgia, Kentucky Rain, Purple Rain, Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, Early Mornin' Rain, All I Needed was the Rain, No Rain, When it Rains it Really Pours and simply Rain. The list goes on. What all these songs have in common is a certain mood of sentimentality. Rain songs are usually ballads about long lost loves, loneliness or stories about being heartbroken. But why? That's the question I would like to ask you! Comment me on this - all theories will be published :)

I love rock'n'roll, so put another dime in the jukebox baby...

Nothing beats the feeling of coming home from a good and loud pure rock concert. Still feeling hoarse after singing along at the top of your lungs, still feeling the strong bass pumping. When you truly feel it and are able to capture the very soul of it you realize the magic of rock. For some people it remains an unopened treasure, but for some it opens up sparkling and revealing its inner soul. It's more than just music. It's a feeling. It's a life style. More than just a black leather jacket, heavy make-up and some cool poses. Rock'n'roll is something you're born with.

And all that jazz...

Friday night. Jazz on the late night radio show. A glass or two of cider. A warm summer breeze comes in thru the open window. Ain't that quite a combination? It's the small things that count. A sense of happiness surrounds me, calmness and tranquility is in the air. And I promise, it's not the cider. "Summer time, and living is easy" - that's what they sing. And I guess it's true.

In the winter time the scene would be completely different; windows closed, dark outside, maybe candlelight, and still jazz on the late night radio show. Not bad either. And maybe the cool and sparkling cider could be a glass of strongish red wine instead. Very cosy, very atmospheric, very intense - but oh so different from the summer.

Summer nights are for staying up late, summer mornings for enjoying a late breakfast underneath the hot July sun, and summer days for eating strawberries and strolling along the hot and dusty city streets. In the evenings you can sit back and enjoy all that jazz...

The World Wide Web

The web is A Place. A whole unknown universe with no boundaries or no physical places. An abstract area. That's a conclusion I have drawn after thinking about it for a while. If we think about it from a linguistic point of view, why would you otherwise use phrases such as "visit us at www..."? How can you visit a place that is not existing in real-life, only in the virtual universe? And what is the virtual universe anyway? It's not anything you can see or touch, it is something that exists and is invisibly surrounding us all. But still this Place has got adresses - you go to a certain website. So it's almost like a city but without any street maps for orientation.

As you may notice, I have had time to ponder on really unrelevant issues lately. I promise to come up with a more interesting topic next time. Until then, arrivederci virtuality!

Hooked on a feeling

I must say I enjoy this blogging thing. I'm in a way almost hooked on this already. Although, maybe I should come up with some actual topic to write about because it just occured to me that I've now created a blog which tells about blogging. And that is boring, isn't it?

I am, however, not going to ponder on deep philosophical questions, environmental protection, finance or political issues. So maybe this blog will be about communication in general. Or just thoughts and things. Or just anything that crosses my mind. Let's wait and see.

Maybe blogging is like writing a book. There are authors who have a clear vision on their story as a whole, and then other authors who just start writing and don't have a clue how the story continues. Probably I represent the latter type.

A message in a bottle

Here I am again. It seems funny to write to all of you people out there - funny not knowing who is reading my texts. Or if anybody reads my texts at all. Basically, you could say that this is the modern form of messages in a bottle. You send your writings, and then you wait for an answer. With the difference that this is presumably a much faster way of communicating.

You also have to remember that people have been writing to others for as long as mankind has existed. Maybe the hieroglyphs were the foundation for today's newspapers and other printed media. I guess man has always had the urge to communicate. Talk to others, and wait for someone to reply or comment. And that's exactly what I will do now, too.

My first blogwriting EVER

Hello world! I actually never thought I would do this. Write to a blog. Or more specifically, create my own blog. Until today I never even thought about writing anything like this on the Internet. But then suddenly I thought it could be a trendy thing to do. So now I'm trendy. Definitely.

Here I am, a thirty-nothing from a smallish country in Europe. Won't reveal any details, at least not at this point. And what do I do for a living? I do all kinds. Things that I like. No 9 to 5 job - that isn't anything for me. I do stuff when I like and I do what I like. Now I can already here the skeptical talk. But no, seriously, I am a freelancer who is actually doing a lot to earn her money. Her money. Now the cleverest of you figured "hey, it's a woman". You're absolutely right. I am a woman. And I'm proud of it.