Another glorious Montag

My colleague just brought me some Finnish magazines, Gloria they are called.

I had a lovely weekend full of music. The Ellington concerts were a huge success! I was very stimulated (an excellent word introduced to me by my colleague and travel companion par excelence, Simon) by the combination of a Big Band, 2 Choirs, amazing Solist and a Tap Dancer! It was a great project to be involved in and once again made me realize how much pleasure music and other performing arts really bring me. Especially since my current line of activies are not that fulfilling at all. A very special time of self reflection and growing pains, this Germanic Autumn seems to be. Just my usual autumnal behaviour enforced by bonn'full solitude and work related management issues I guess.

I really miss living in Finland. I have never read Helsinginsanomat or NYT-liite with such intensity before! It is difficult to tell apart missing Jussi, my family, friends and a sense of direction from missing Finland. So maybe if Jussi was here I could cope with not being in Finland and not knowing what I want to do with the rest of my life. All this emotional mess aside, it is becoming clearer and clearer that at the core of all this longing to be somewhere else is my work. I was told (by a HR Professional, no other) to craft my Vision and start steering my life towards that in stead of just always going with the flow, accepting where ever that might take me. I think I am one of those people who've had it too easy in their lifes. Or maybe it just takes being in the wrong places enough times to really know when you finally are in the right place?

This at least makes sense: when deciding on their careers people are guided by their talents, values or interests. I am fairly talented in many things and not exceptionally talented in anything (feel free to argue here! ;-). So that leaves me with my values and interests. It all seems so simple on paper. And maybe it is. Let's see what this all leads to! I must say, it has been an intriguing ride so far.

Musical resolutions

1) thou shall really start going to concerts and clubs around (Bonn and) Köln!

And then to something completely different... my trivial pursuit I like to call Life! I took my time getting up again this morning, and tried to be very quiet so that Dominik the roommate would could continue with his sleep. It is already so dark in the mornings when I have to start my day. The street looks like a black and white film... colours are also still asleep with all the rest of the A. Str bevohner!

Yesterday I was supposed to go to the choir practice at 20. Unluckily the rest of the choir and the band were all under the impression that the practice should start already at 18. So, no practice again and the first concert already this Friday! No worries though; I have practiced my Russian pronounciation! I am, after all, one quarter Russian.

2) thou shall try harder and go to the choir practice at the same time as all the others! thou shall not imagine thou selfeth alone isth enough to be the choir

Duke Ellington: Sacred Concert

Dear all,

Despite its many shortcomings, Bonn offers a great variety of musical events... Not the least interesting one of them all is the upcoming Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert! The Sacred concert is an amazing (and let's face it: weird) mixture of Jazzy big band music and texts with biblical themes. So if you're into either, do come along to enjoy any of the excellent performances listed below!

Friday 21st October at 20.00
University, Aula

Sunday 23rd October at 17.00
Nachfolge-Christi-Kirche, Beuel-Süd, Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Straße

Tuesday 29th November at 20.00
Augustinum (Römerstrasse)

Vocals: Elke Reiff
Tap dance: Ulrike Neth (only on Sunday!!) Uni-Big Band Bonn
Choirs: Bonn English Singers and Haste Töne

All this is free of charge (donations welcome), so you've just run out of excuses for not coming!

I have not yet seen the tap dance, but it sounds... very interesting. And BTW, I sing with the appropriately named BES.

I luuuuv San Francisco!

My first trip to the US of A was a success! San Francisco was everything I had expected and more. Since this was an official and very important business trip, I only had limited time and resources for sightseeing. So didn't get to see Danielle Steel's exuberant house... But I did make use of the excellent photo opportunities at Golden Gate and ate a hot-chocolate-fudge-brownie sundae at Ghirardelli Square... We left Monday morning at 7.05 and returned to Bonn on Friday around 18, so it really was a jam packed week of fun and games. And work of course.

misty morning

I rode my bike to work this morning again. the Rhein was completely covered in mist, it was an eerie feeling riding along the river...I was completely surrounded by this thick whiteness, it was everywhere around me; even in me, coming out of my eyes and making me blink. Or maybe it was just my classes fogging up. I could hear the river boats' engines as they passed me on their way to their destinations. The sound's a soothing one, but their dark silhiutettes looked like ghosts, memories from a time not so long ago, when they ruled the world of transportation..

(a clever transition -nokkela aasinsilta)

...The modern reign of transportation was also completely covered in the dense fog. None of its 40 floors were visible this morning, not even as I entered its formidable cellar with my red companion. I think my floor is the nicest one in this building, but then again, it is MY floor. Today many people are travelling again, so it's quite empty and more calm than usually. I shall listen to some Liekki... Their music fits perfectly the nebulous feeling up here!

the second entry

today is a lovely day! I woke up slowly and took my time getting to work on my lovely red bike. I have been taking it easy ever since the morning and now it's almost lunch time. Autumn is a lovely, lovely time, so fresh and zesty.

And then to the other side. The wilder side... Unfortunately not. The boring side. WORK. I don't like working in this human aquarium... everything that seems cool or succesful here does not appeal to me. At least not at this moment. I am rather impulsive, you see.