Heliospheric

Operation Rolling Pin - Gingerbread

2011-12-22T18:25:00.000+01:00

And yea verily, the gingerbread was made, and lo, Operation Rolling Pin is no more. Lessons in cookie cutting optimisation were learnt: I rolled the dough out a bit too thin, so my gingerbread is really more like ginger biscuits. There were stars and trees and angels and santa shapes: They cooked (perhaps a bit too long) and are indeed quite delicious - the perfect accompaniment to a cup

Operation Rolling Pin - Cranberry Kipferln

2011-12-20T16:52:00.000+01:00

This was the sight that I awoke to this morning. After a bit of dancing around with excitement, I got down to business; Cranberry Kipferln - phase two of Operation Rolling Pin. After my issues with the wet and sticky Linzer Sterne dough, these were a doddle. The dough comes together quickly and is rolled into a couple of long cylinders, wrapped in cling film and put in the fridge to cool for

Operation Rolling Pin is GO

2011-12-15T12:11:00.001+01:00

In an effort to induce an attack of Christmas Spirit ™ , I started Christmas baking yesterday - code name Operation Rolling Pin. So, I grabbed the biscuit cutters, a recipe for Linzer Sterne and cranked some seasonally appropriate music and I was off and running baking. Linzer Sterne dough is wet and a bit of a challenge to work with, but with enough flour on the pin, it rolls out eventually

Poor Planning

2011-11-01T14:03:00.000+01:00

After a flawless Halloween campaign which entailed dispensing chocolate bars to: 4 witches 2 vampires 1 ghost 1 generic superhero I awake to find myself the victim of poor planning. I should have twigged yesterday at the supermarket, where it seemed that the entire population of Mainz was shopping in preparation for the Apocalypse. I failed to take the step in logic that states: after All

Halloween

2011-10-31T13:51:00.000+01:00

Despite the fact that Halloween is not part of my cultural heritage, I thought I'd get into the spirit this year and carve a pumpkin lantern thingy. A couple of hours of scooping, scraping and cutting yielded fairly pleasing results. Once illuminated with an old LED bike light it looks spookily festive. (I really need to work on my night photography skills.) Fingers crossed that I

Kindness

2011-09-10T13:09:00.000+01:00

A little over a fortnight ago we had to make a trip to London for the heartbreaking task of organising a funeral and attending to the affairs of my beloved brother-in-law. As grief is not a spectator sport, I prefer not to write about it here, but I did want to say something about kindness. During our two weeks in London, I was often overwhelmed by the kindness shown to us by virtual

Summer travels - part I, Zürich

2011-08-14T15:52:00.008+01:00

It has been a summer of travelling here at heliospheric HQ. First up was a lovely week in Zürich. The toll sticker was purchased and duly stuck on the windscreen and we were off, hurtling down the autobahn to Switzerland. I played tourist, while R caught up with colleagues at ETH and enjoyed some well-lubricated scientific discourse (which sounds dodgy now that I've written it down). Moving

One a penny, two a penny...

2011-04-19T17:12:00.002+01:00

hot cross buns, a photo by heliospheric on Flickr.Hot Cross Buns!Obviously, my cross piping skills need some work, but I can attest to their utter deliciousness.It also pleases my inner pagan that they taste just as delicious sans croix. I had to eat one of each, you know, for science.I used this recipe, with some modifications:4 teaspoons of mixed spice1 cup currants & 1 cup of sultanascooked in

Almonds and modern medicine

2011-04-11T08:12:00.002+01:00

I have my lovely husband to thank for my latest malady – Tonsillitis. He generously shared it with me before racking off to Vienna for a week, leaving me at home and unable to swallow without tears.I knew he was sick when he willingly went to the doctors and camped out in the waiting room until they could fit him in. The doctor determined that his infection was bacterial in nature and he was sent

Rehab

2011-03-21T14:38:00.003+01:00

The second knee surgery was just over 4 weeks ago and I've been busy recovering and rehabilitating.I feel as though for the last 6 weeks, since my foray into the world of knee surgery, I have been constantly in either the surgeon's waiting room or the physiotherapist's treatment room being poked, prodded, stretched, pulled, pushed, massaged and Pilates-ed. Add to that some swimming and pool work

Did the earth move for you? - Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T15:59:00.006+01:00

Magnitude 4.4.Really, just a short jolt, but enough to make me get up and go outside and check things out. According to the people who know, this was the largest in a series of 4 tremors since yesterday.There was another tremor just before Christmas (magnitude 3.5) which woke me up. I initially put this one down to a large slab of snow coming off the roof.The last time I experienced an

Modern or Traditional?

2011-02-07T18:01:00.007+01:00

Are you are modernist or a traditionalist when it comes to wedding anniversary gifts based on the number of years of marriage?I used to be a traditionalist and followed the formula pretty closely:Year 1 - Paper - Tickets to a classical music concert (I believe it was a Mahler symphony)Year 2 - Cotton - Table cloth and table runner Year 3 - Leather (ahem, let's not go there)That is until we got to

Mr DeMille, I'm ready for my close up

2011-01-26T13:27:00.005+01:00

Dipping into the Family 8mm Film Archive again for some swimming related hilarity to celebrate my rekindled love of swimming.By the time I came along in the early 1970s, Dad's enthusiasm for recording our lives on 8mm film had dwindled. I can hardly blame him - he now had 4 children and precious little time for such nonsense. The movie camera was retired to the back of the cupboard and life

The displacement of water

2011-01-20T10:55:00.004+01:00

It appears I have been using cheese as a replacement for cigarettes for the last 2 years. In retrospect, not such a cunning plan.So, it is back to the pool for me. My motto for 2011 is "fight inertia" because I often find the hardest thing is to get started. This project is no exception. What I've been calling research and planning - which pool, should I buy a season pass/multi-pass/single-pass,

42 lines

2011-01-10T12:42:00.004+01:00

After living in this fair city for over three years, it is a little embarrassing to admit that Saturday 8th January, 2011, was my first visit to the Gutenberg Museum. Visitors have such a lovely way of encouraging one to get out and about.I had visited the print workshop for a language school excursion last year and had thoroughly enjoyed inking, rolling, rubbing, type-setting and pulling levers

Zombie Blog

2011-01-05T16:37:00.007+01:00

In a reckless and ill-considered act of necromancy (and let's face it, it rarely ends well), I've decided to dust off this blog and attempt to write something this year. Zombies are so 2010, aren't they? I wonder what will replace them in the zeitgeist of internetland in 2011?Care to place a wager? I've got an each way bet on something involving Kanye West's twitter feed, a small Marmoset and a

Family Treasures

2011-01-02T13:14:00.003+01:00

I went home for 6 weeks last year. People, I can't tell you how necessary that was.Ostensibly, the trip home was so I could attend the Big Kahuna's 80th birthday, but a lovely side effect was that I found my sense of humour.Thanks to my sister's excellent organisational skills, the family 8mm movie and 35mm slide archives were digitised to mark the occasion. My Dad was a prolific, if not overly

Tap, tap, tap - is this thing on?

2010-06-27T14:45:00.005+01:00

I’ve sat down to write this post many times over the past year and a half and just couldn’t seem to get my head around it. At first it was lack of internet access, and then it was my inability to make sense of the last year and especially my reaction to it. Given that no one wants to hear me whinge, I’ll summarise the past year in the form of titles for unwritten blog posts. If your house were

our home is girt by sea*

2009-01-26T09:22:00.000+01:00

What is one to do, when one finds oneself in a foreign land on the occasion of one's National Day?One attempts to whip up a batch Lamingtons, of course.In the process, I discovered a new found admiration for old-school, no mixmaster/kitchenaid cookery. Creaming butter and sugar by hand is a bitch.How I longed for my old trusty Sunbeam Mixmaster (ca 1960). Ours was a multi-generational machine.

Snow

2009-01-06T11:44:00.002+01:00

Blossoms in the snowOriginally uploaded by heliosphericIt is well below 0°C and forecast to remain that way for the next few days.The novelty of snow has definitely not worn off.Perfect weather for curling up on the couch and reading a book and drinking cups of tea.Heavenly.

Resolving

2009-01-05T09:11:00.006+01:00

New Year Checklist:Cupboards reorganised....check.House tidy...checkNavel gazing complete...check.Right, must be time to do that resolution thingy.I was fairly specific last year with my resolutions and that worked fairly well as I had a number of specific things I wanted to achieve. I'm in a big picture frame of mind at the moment, so I've developed the following mantra:"Positive, Active,

Resolution Round-Up

2008-12-31T10:48:00.008+01:00

Way back on 2 January 2008, I penned my manifesto for the year.It is now time to have a look and see how I did.Item 1: The BodyEnough with the smoking already - it will kill you. Stop it.Result: WIN - although not without some hiccups and obsessive washing-up.Exercise and fun are not mutually exclusive. Get on your bike, back in the pool, join a team. Anything. Make sure it is fun.Result: WIN.

Christmas Ham-ster

2008-12-28T10:24:00.006+01:00

On Christmas Day as we were heading out the door to visit some friends, I noticed that the neightbours had constructed a makeshift enclosure, complete with a little wooden hut - the perfect size for a hamster.My internal monologue went something like..."The kids next door must have got a hamster for Christmas, how cute."Closely followed by..."It's a bit weird that there is no top on that

Certifiable

2008-12-19T16:44:00.003+01:00

I wish I could blame my protracted absence from this blog on madly studying for today's big test - Zertifikat Deutsch.Unfortunately, I can't, because I didn't.I wish I could wax lyrical about the Grammatik and how effortlessly I penned that reply to my 'friend' - full of coherent advice about what she should do with her lazy, football watching brother.Unfortunately, I can't, because I didn't.I

In da hood

2008-11-15T11:35:00.003+01:00

I have developed a bad habit of listening in on people's conversations on public transport. While eavesdropping is not considered a polite hobby, I justify it to myself by thinking that it is good 'hörverstehen' practice.Normally, I don't understand a lot of what is said, but yesterday I had the pleasure of listening to two 14 year old boys whose mother tongue is 'Merkin.It was all 'dawg', '

Ousted

2008-11-10T09:00:00.002+01:00

It appears that I have been ousted from power after 9 long years in government in New Zealand. I, of course, accept responsibility for this defeat and will be stepping down as leader of the New Zealand Labour Party.In related news, an Australian woman currently living in Germany gets her name back. Hooray.

The movement of fresh air is deadly

2008-11-09T12:45:00.003+01:00

So say the majority of my language class. They are convinced that my recent bout of the common cold was brought about by not dressing warmly enough and all that poisonous fresh air to which I am exposed whilst riding my bike.I missed a couple of days of school last week due to feeling utterly awful. When I returned to class, there was a firm consensus and a fair bit of tut-tutting about my

Jobs that my subsconscious mind thinks I should not try

2008-10-13T18:00:00.008+02:00

I've really got to hand it to my subconscious mind - it really is trying to shelter me from the heartache and disappointment of taking a wrong turn on the career highway.Last night, it ever so helpfully expounded to me, while I slept, why I would make a really terrible steam-driven-tram driver. Not only are all the valves, levers and dials so difficult to coordinate and keep track of, there is

The Night of the Open Churches

2008-09-07T09:16:00.005+02:00

If there is one thing that Mainz has plenty of, it's churches.Friday evening was the second "night of the open churches", and being a bit of a sticky beak and a non church-goer, I thought it would be a rare chance to visit some of the many churches in town.As good fortune would have it, I was able to catch up with mr and mrs jb and we wandered around admiring the architecture, soaking up the

Stoned

2008-09-05T17:42:00.005+02:00

No, not in the University Cigarette way, either.begin note to self:A stone -in the old measurein neigh on 3 monthsmust be a new world record.Bloody hell.Get back in the pool.Put down the cheese and back away slowly.Also, stop being such a lush.note to self ends.

Tour Der Deutschland

2008-09-02T18:21:00.003+02:00

I happened to be in town today when the field whizzed through. There was an endless parade of motorbikes, then a quick flash of lycra and muscle, then an endless parade of support vehicles. Each support vehicle carried about 8 bikes, which I'm pretty sure would cost more than the car carrying them. It is a whacky world.I checked out who won today's stage:André Greipel narrowly pipped our Robbie

Conference Crashing - a guide

2008-08-17T17:43:00.004+02:00

Scientific conferences may, on the whole, be fairly boring, but one must be aware that from 4pm to 6pm most conferences provide delegates with free booze and food as an incentive to stick around and look at the posters after a gruelling day of sitting still and listening to boring talks. This is the prime crashing time. It is helpful to have the inside running on what conferences are happening

Sunday rides - Budenheim

2008-08-10T18:56:00.004+02:00

View Larger MapDistance - 22 kmStops for lunch - 1Number of hills - 1Number of Pils - 1Once again calories burnt < calories consumedSchnitzel size - larger than my head

Personal Shopper

2008-08-08T17:34:00.003+02:00

Today I tried my hand at being a personal shopper. My language school buddy, Wagner, is attending a wedding this month and needed to buy something to wear. We discussed at length what he wanted - some black (or similarly dark) pants, a belt, a shirt, some shoes and a pair of socks. Also high on the list of desirable attributes was inexpensive. Cool. I love a good bargain shopping expedition.So

Unhinged

2008-08-06T16:17:00.005+02:00

I am a bit wiped out today due to spending most of last night weeping about a missing cat. The cat, of course, made her grand entrance at very early o'clock this morning and yea verily there was much rejoicing.In my unhinged state I was convinced any number of horrible fates had befallen my beloved Poppy - she had been catnapped, she had been catnapped and eaten (I told you I was unhinged), she

Full up to pussy's bow*

2008-07-30T17:47:00.005+02:00

We are on a bit of a savings kick in the vain hope that we will be able to afford our upcoming and very belated honeymoon in Scotland. This means a tightening of monetary policy here at H&R Inc. The convenient, but pricey, Tengelmanns is currently off the list of approved purveyors of goods and the not so convenient, but much cheaper, Aldi has become a preferred supplier.We are taking this mild

International Love Story

2008-07-29T13:52:00.004+02:00

At some point during today's lesson wedged in between Adjektiven Deklination and Konjunktiv II our teacher asked each of us to tell the stories of how we meet our significant others.We had it all - high school sweethearts, arranged marriages, love over the internet, star-crossed lovers (thankfully without the deaths) and a surprising (to me) number of cousins who had married - I thought that was

Flowers and Faces

2008-07-27T18:50:00.009+02:00

What better way to spend a Friday afternoon than a leisurely wander along the Rhine, admiring the beautiful flowers and works of art at the Landesgartenshau in Bingen with mr and mrs jb.jb has blogged about the new and improved Bingen river front over at Mainz Daily Photo.The last time I visited Bingen it was for the start of the bike ride I took with my sister. I can assure you, the new Bingen

Sunday ride - Nackenheim

2008-07-27T14:17:00.005+02:00

View Larger Maptotal distance - 30.2kmstops for icecream - 1stops for beer - 1calories expended < calories ingested (bummer)detours - 1total time - 2 hoursroute: bretzenheim - bodenheim - nackenheim - mainz - bretzenheim

Life with Cats

2008-07-16T16:17:00.002+02:00

Just like this, but squared. For the rest of the series visit Simon's Cat

Sunday ride - my god two weeks in a row

2008-07-06T17:26:00.005+02:00

View Larger MapNumber of hills - 3Instances of walking bike uphill - 0Planned distance - 28 kmActual distance ridden - 32 km (a number of wrong turns)Stops for refreshments - 1Total time taken - 2 hoursTotal time staring at map - 15 minutesAcknowledgment of our existence from other travellers - 4 (a new record)

Aus seinem Herzen keine Mördergrube machen*

2008-07-06T10:04:00.006+02:00

Ich habe schließlich erlebt der berüchtigten deutschen Neigung zu brutalen Ehrlichkeit.Letzte Woche, während einer improvisierte Besuche von meiner Nachbarin, war ich informiert, dass ich einiges Gewicht gewonnen hatte, da ich mit dem Rauchen und dass vielleicht sollte ich nicht so viel essen.Ich habe ihr drei wörter, "hart aber fair".What I meant to say was.....Don't make a murder's hiding place

Es tut mir Leid

2008-07-04T08:11:00.003+02:00

Es tut mir leid. Gestern hatte ich keine Zeit zum bloggen. Ich verspreche, dass etwas mehr schreiben heute, wenn ich zu Hause von der Schule.What I meant to say...I'm sorry. Yesterday I didn't have time to blog. I promise to write something more today when I get home from school.

Manchmal liegen die Dinge lustiger auf Deutsch

2008-07-02T17:08:00.002+02:00

Nicht so oft, aber manchmal.

Beichten von einer Ausländerin

2008-07-01T15:26:00.006+02:00

Wann bin ich zuerst nach Deutschland gekommen, habe ich so viele lustigen Fehlern gemacht.Zum beispiel, in meine erste Woche in Deutschland, habe ich degacht:"Wer war "Herr Einbahn", und was hat er gemacht, dass er so viele strassen nach ihm zu benennen war?"What I meant to say...Confessions of a foreignerWhen I first came to Germany, I made so many funny blunders.For example, in my first week in

Meine Neue Sprachschule

2008-06-30T15:47:00.011+02:00

Letzte Woche habe ich eine neue Deutschkurs angefangen. Bis hierher klappt es gut. Die Lehrerin ist toll und erklärt alles sehr schlicht.Die Leute von meiner Klasse kommen aus viele Länder: Irak, Morokko, Romanien, Polen, Afganistan, Pakistan und Schottland. Ein paar sind ein bisschen lästig, weil sie immer zusammen sprechen sind. Aber, meistens sind freundlich.What I meant to say....Last week I

Sprache Woche 2008

2008-06-30T15:34:00.006+02:00

All this week for your reading pleasure I will be posting auf Deutsch in honour of Language Week 2008.Enjoy the ensuing hilarity and poor grammar.

Sunday ride

2008-06-29T14:04:00.006+02:00

View Larger MapHills - 2Getting off bike and pushing it up hill - 0Mechanical failures - 1Stops for coffee - 1People we overtook - 8Overtaken by others - 25 (they were in full racing strip and participating in a race, so we don't feel too bad)Time for round trip, including coffee break - 1.5 hrsTotal distance - 20.8km

I'm gunna build me an Ark

2008-06-25T18:00:00.004+02:00

My word, it is floody today.I was riding home from language school today and the water was up to my knees, in places. The town's drainage system obviously couldn't cope with the deluge and water was gushing up and out of the manhole covers, and in some cases the water pressure blew the covers off.I felt a bit sorry for the people whose cars seemed to be filling up with water.Pardon me while I go

The first three days

2008-06-15T14:56:00.000+02:00

"So, H, how is that non-smoking thing going for you?" asked jb last week."Um, not so good, actually," I muttered shamefacedly.I thought I was ready - but I may have underestimated the need for some proper planning. It really was a bit rash.I hadn't even made a list.No one in my family does anything without first making a list. So really the whole first attempt was mere folly.With list in hand,

Fest-o-rama

2008-06-10T18:23:00.005+02:00

The season of the Fest is upon us.Last weekend was the local 'Brezelfest'. After missing out last year due to torrential rain I was determined to experience all that the Fest had to offer.Up until now I was convinced that the population of Bretzenheim was around 50 - seriously this place is quiet. True to form the Fest brought the Bretzenheimers out of the woodwork and by the time we arrived on

No more

2008-06-03T14:27:00.006+02:00

Today is as good as any, I thought.One of the things that was stopping me from attempting the first item on my new year's resolution list, was the fact that the thought of it terrified me."Too hard, too hard, too hard," followed by "la, la, la, not listening" and perhaps a modicum of gentle rocking back and forth were my very grown up response to the simple fact that deliberately inhaling

It's a long way to the shop if you want a sausage roll

2008-05-24T17:07:00.005+02:00

(the title is only funny if you are Australian)I went to a party last night.As it was a party consisting of my language course friends, we each brought along a 'traditional' dish from our respective homelands. After much gnashing of teeth and wishing I was from somewhere that had a readily identifiable national dish, I got down to thinking about what would qualify as traditional Australian

I met a real live person from the internets

2008-05-18T14:45:00.005+02:00

And I didn't even end up locked in a cellar. Bonus.For the last little while, I've been helping jb with the Mainz Daily Photo blog while he either flitted around the world, or lay in a hospital bed recovering from surgery. He managed to escape the asylum for the weekend and he and the lovely Mrs jb met me at the market for coffee.Such excellent fun! It is always great to meet new people,

1 year...and counting

2008-05-18T10:19:00.001+02:00

This post has been languishing in draft form for 3 or so months, mainly because on reflection the original post seemed mostly negative and that is not a true representation of our experience.Sure, there were days when I desperately wanted to take my bat and ball and go home, but those days are fewer now. You know what, I kind of like it here.With a year under our belts, I wanted to share with you

Coming up for air

2008-04-27T14:05:00.003+02:00

After a fabulous, but exhausting visit from my sister and her family, things are settling back to a semblance of normality. We have spent the weekend enjoying the silence. Who knew that 2 small children could create such chaos? I promise to tell you all about it, but for the moment I'm just savouring the serenity.

Top Shelf

2008-04-05T17:52:00.006+02:00

After a lovely exchange of comments with G in Berlin about how minimise the affects of cat allergies and what a pain in the bum it is to get a drivers licence in Germany, she suggested I might like to participate in a "what's on your bookshelf" meme-thingamebob. I gladly accept her suggestion because:a) This week I dusted EVERY SINGLE book in the house (and I mean thoroughly dusted) as well as

It's Official

2008-04-03T13:10:00.006+02:00

I have finally gone crazy. I vacuumed the ceiling today.All for a good cause - I'm in full preparations for my sister and her family coming to visit. My nephew and bil suffer from asthma, and assorted allergies, including an allergy to cats (of which I have 2). The last time they came to stay with us in Melbourne we ended up having to make a trip to the emergency ward. I'm not taking any chances

Tea and Sympathy

2008-03-14T16:51:00.003+01:00

Eventhough our Deutschkurs has finished, our little band of intrepid language aquirers have decided that we like each other enough to keep meeting once a week at a cafe for coffee and conversation (in Deutsch of course), or tea and sympathy - or perhaps a little of both. We are all in the same boat - we don't know many people and are looking to expand our circle of friends and improve our

A photo a day keeps boredom away

2008-03-13T14:43:00.007+01:00

For the next little while, I'll be helping out a fellow antipodean by contributing to Mainz Daily Photo - a project in which, yep you guessed it, one posts a photo daily from ones city of residence, in our case Mainz, along with a brief commentary.It should be fun and gives me added incentive to get cracking on another of my new year's resolutions.So, any Mainzers out there, I'm looking for

Confusitive Case

2008-03-10T16:59:00.005+01:00

You will be pleased to hear that I passed the 'abschluss test' for my Deutschkurs. I can hear your collective sighs of relief.I understand just enough German to be dangerous....they'll never know what hit them. My verbs continue to be all over the shop, and my grasp on the correct usage of personal pronouns remains tenuous, but I'm ready to go forth and converse - badly.So, if in the coming weeks

International Women's Day

2008-03-07T16:17:00.007+01:00

Remember when I told you I was helping my sister prepare for a debate?The debate is held annually to mark the occasion of International Women's Day, and is a hot ticket in Brisbane. The event is hosted by the Australian Institute of Management at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, and is attended by over a 1000 people. Now you know why she donned the 'brown underpants'.The debate

Galloping Death

2008-03-03T10:05:00.003+01:00

There has been a devastating outbreak of Galloping Death at our house. No fatalities yet, but definitely two casualties. It started on Tuesday with a desperate phone call from R at work - "I'm sick. Can you go to the Pharmacy and get me some medicine?"Surely this could not pose a problem. I think there is a law in Germany that states there must be at least 4 Pharmacies per square kilometre, or 1

Overcapitalised

2008-02-22T14:10:00.004+01:00

I really enjoy the challenge of learning a new language. It is bemusing, perplexing, and at times, frustrating. At the moment I'm having a love/hate relationship with the requirement that all nouns must be capitalised.I put this slightly bipolar attitude down to my laziness. I resent that when I write in German I have to take care to begin all nouns with a capital letter. On the other hand, it

Second speaker for the negative

2008-02-20T15:18:00.004+01:00

It looked like such an innocuous email from my sister. There is was, piggybacked on a discussion about a present for an upcoming family birthday, information about changes of email addresses, and potential Skyping opportunities on the weekend."I'm participating in a debate soon. Can you help me develop my argument/speech? I'm second speaker for the negative. kthnxbai."Foolishly, I said yes.

Sorry

2008-02-13T14:46:00.008+01:00

SorryOriginally uploaded by Halans I rushed home from Deutschkurs today to watch the PM deliver the speech.It was long overdue.It was confrontingly honest.It was sincere.It was moving.It had a joke!It didn't pretend that it would be easy.It contained that magical word - sorry.It is the first step on a long journey.It made my heart glad.Edited to add: at the suggestion of a commenter, I am

For the Mens

2008-02-12T14:34:00.000+01:00

The Europeans are famous throughout the world for their relaxed attitude to nudity, and I do admire them for this, but you can imagine my chagrin when I realised that the local pool actually has male and female changing cubicles in the not so separate changing area.This was pointed out to me by my language exchange friend on the weekend when we went swimming.She pointed to the door of a changing

Lektion Eins

2008-02-06T16:53:00.001+01:00

I'm giving myself a big tick on this item in my new year's resolution list.I started German lessons today at the VHS. First impressions are good - the teacher is engaging and my fellow students seem quite fun, so it should be a good way to spend the next 5 weeks.The class consists of people from a delightful array of countries: Spain, Surinam, France, Mexico, Brazil, Romania, Bulgaria, and in

Helau! It's Rosenmontag!

2008-02-04T14:17:00.000+01:00

I'm not sure what it's all about but I've never seen such a high concentration of clown suits in my life.The constant refrain of "Helau" does tend to grate on ones nerves after a while.I feel sorry for the scantily clad women with pom poms - it can't be more than 2 degrees C.The locals all seem to be having a whale of a time. Even Gutenburg has donned a festive hat.

365 days

2008-02-04T13:16:00.002+01:00

it's officialOriginally uploaded by heliospheric Wow, that was fast.I'm pretty sure not everyone's wedding day starts with an appointment for a moving consultant to come and work out a quote for moving to another country....My wedding day went something like this:7 am - get up and have a shower8am - appointment with moving consultant to provide quote on moving to Germany10 am - brunch4 pm -

Release the Hounds

2008-01-22T17:39:00.000+01:00

I’ve never owned a dog. My Dad could possibly claim that this was his single greatest (some would say only) victory as head of our household. He grew up on a farm, where dogs were for rounding up sheep and definitely were never allowed in the house. The conversation (had biannually) when we were growing up went something like this:“Daaaad, can we have a dog?”“No, you kids can’t have a bloody dog.

Blessed be....this House

2008-01-05T17:10:00.000+01:00

While I was in town this morning, Richard had a visit from 3 wise men (well children dressed as the 3 wise men) and a star. Needless to say he was extremely perplexed.After explaining what they were doing, the children sang him some songs and scribbled the following over our doorway:20 + C + M + B + 08Apparently this is a Catholic tradition to celebrate the Epiphany. So, you can all relax, we've

Come the Resolution

2008-01-02T16:31:00.001+01:00

Comrades, while the year is all shiny and new, unsullied by disappointments and annoyances, I thought I'd draft my 2008 manifesto, and do so publicly in the interests of transparency and accountability.Item 1: The BodyEnough with the smoking already - it will kill you. Stop it.Exercise and fun are not mutually exclusive. Get on your bike, back in the pool, join a team. Anything. Make sure it is

This Country's gone Crackers

2008-01-02T10:28:00.000+01:00

I had noticed the packs of fireworks in the supermarket in the days leading up to New Year's Eve, and thought it funny that in a country where crossing the street against the green man can lead to a slow moving Oma springing into action to affect a citizen's arrest for such a flagrant disregard for the rules and public safety, that fireworks are so readily available to all and sundry.The sale of

26 Again

2008-01-01T11:53:00.000+01:00

A few days ago, I turned 26 for the ninth time.It is a running joke with a friend, whom I first met when I was 26 and living in Melbourne. She reckoned that to her, I would always be 26, and who am I to disagree? I really like being 26, and I've gotten pretty good at it.My birthday fell on a Sunday this year, and given that Germany should basically put up signs at the borders on Sundays that say

A slightly White Christmas

2007-12-28T11:00:00.000+01:00

Christmas has come and gone. It was slightly white which was tres exciting. A few flakes of snow fell on Christmas day, but it was mostly a heavy frost providing the whiteness.We decided to go native for Christmas this year, and celebrate on the night of the 24th with a roast dinner and present opening. Champagne, of course, was a staple.Christmas day started at 4am with a phone call from my

Haus Frau Disaster #3

2007-12-03T15:16:00.000+01:00

Puff Pastry. Two words that should strike fear into the heart of any sane person. Definitely not to be attempted by the faint of heart. Avoided by the wise.I am neither faint of heart, nor wise.It all began with a hankering for an old fashioned meat pie, but without the traditional ingredients of a meat pie (gristle, snouts and bottoms, hooves, the occasional rat and soforth). Our masterful plan

Glee! Schnee!

2007-11-14T17:20:00.001+01:00

It's snowing! Kinda. It is definitely non-wet rain, and I think it just may, in fact, be snow! Joy! It won't stick around for long, so no snowball fights are in the offing just yet, but I remain in a state of cat-like readiness - which, if my cats are anything to go by, means I'm about to curl up with my nose very close to my bum and go to sleep.Counting today, the number of snow experiences I've

9 months, 5 days

2007-11-07T12:14:00.000+01:00

That is how long it took me to send out our wedding thank you notes. The irony of the timescale is not lost on me either.Now that they are all in the post, I can sit back and bask in the non-guilt.

Hallowhat?

2007-11-01T12:45:00.000+01:00

Last night was Halloween. This festival that has always been a big mystery to me, firstly because I'm Australian, and quite frankly, we don't usually go in for all of that palava, and secondly, I've always found the idea of Halloween to be somewhat disturbing - people, pumpkins are for roasting and making soup - Don't whittle them!That fact that Halloween was last night had completely escaped my

Marriage - the third quarterly report

2007-10-26T09:45:00.000+02:00

Shareholders,It is with pleasure that I report another impressive quarterly performance of H&R Inc despite some long running administrative issues.Highlights:Non-failure of the month long Deutschsprache KursA fabulous visit from Belinda & Sally which included a whirlwind tour of various German cities and a fabulous bike tour of the RhineThe arrival of H&R Incs newest nephew (hello Angus)Another

The Maiming of the Shrew

2007-10-04T14:40:00.000+02:00

Update on an earlier post about the cats and their wicked hunting ways.I have finally identified the small, mouse-like creatures that the cats have been dragging in. They are Shrews.As it gets colder, the shrews must be out in greater numbers foraging for food, or that cats have found the mother lode, because for the last couple of weeks, it has been a near daily occurrence - shrews, both

ANZAC Biscuits

2007-09-25T14:35:00.001+02:00

ANZAC BiscuitsOriginally uploaded by heliospheric Comfort cooking can be dangerous - fun - but dangerous. These biscuits were only in the house for 1 day. Then I insisted that Richard take them to work with him to distribute to work colleagues.

Reading Material

2007-09-23T13:43:00.000+02:00

Moving to a country where you don't speak, read or understand the language is a bit like being a child again. In some ways it is liberating, and in others it is frustrating.In an attempt to build on and reinforce the German we absorbed in the past month, we trotted off to the book shop to get some reading material that was at 'our level'.I'm pleased to announce that 'our level' is roughly that of

Haus Frau Disaster #2

2007-09-18T17:46:00.000+02:00

Note to self: Turn on the light while sorting the washingSo, it was early, and I wanted to get a load of washing on before German lessons, and I rummaged through the laundry basket to put a load together ready to take down to the cellar where the washing machine lives, and unwittingly included my favourite black cardigan (or Unsworth*, as I like to call them).I threw the clothes into the machine

Help! I'm drowning in verbs!

2007-09-05T17:20:00.000+02:00

Yes, it has begun. The inevitable, the slow, and the excruciatingly painful journey that is learning to speak German.The 'Intensive German Course' started last week. Originally, we were in a class of 8, but after the test to see how much German we all knew, we were a class of 3. The others were obviously way more advanced than us, so were promoted to the smart class. This is a great thing - but

Bike trip

2007-08-23T18:31:00.000+02:00

More photos of the bike trip can be found on flickr

Berlin

2007-08-16T10:15:00.001+02:00

Brandenburg Gate in the rainOriginally uploaded by heliospheric I love Berlin. We were only there for the weekend, but love at first sight does happen. The weather wasn't great, and we got wet, and we had tired legs, but it was just so good. I'm going back - soon.The city drips with history, and it is impossible to do it justice in a mere 2 days. We stayed in the Central part of Berlin, so we

Who let the Clarks loose in the Kirschgarten?

2007-08-09T17:39:00.001+02:00

The Clark's in the Kirschgarten Originally uploaded by heliospheric Day 1 of Bella's German Odyssey, and we went into town for a bit of a poke around - stopping to take the requisite tourist photos (exhibit A).Also ticked off the list were the Cathedral, the Market place, the Altstadt, and of course, the famous Ferrets of Mainz.After threatening to go for a run this afternoon, it is most

Introducing - the amazing ferret man

2007-08-09T17:18:00.000+02:00

It must have been a special treat for Belinda's first day in Germany - a man taking his three ferrets for a walk in the city. Oh, how we laughed. Bella has just arrived, has had the obligatory post flight nap and welcome to Germany beer. We are off to Berlin tomorrow.

It's Sunday - and that means BELLS

2007-08-05T09:20:00.000+02:00

So, it's Sunday, and in Germany that means "SHHH!" No mowing of the lawn, and depending on the "House Rules" of which there are at least 4 pages, no using the washing machine, no vacuuming, or anything else that may cause disruption to the general serenity of your immediate environs.Except for the bells.Some Australian towns are famous for having a pub on nearly every corner, Germany has its own

Playing silly buggers with Photo Booth

2007-08-03T16:14:00.001+02:00

image.jpg Originally uploaded by heliospheric Introducing "comic book character me", courtesy of Photo Booth . Looking at this reminds me that I desperately need to tidy up my dead grubs (eyebrows).

Marriage - the second quarterly report

2007-08-03T08:41:00.000+02:00

Shareholders,It is pleasing to report that H&R Inc enjoyed another quarter of strong growth, to end of financial year (30 June 2007).Highlights:Successful relocation of H&R Inc HQ to Bretzenheim, with no losses incurred to possessions during transitResumption of bicycle transportation for both H and RTelephonic and cyber communications systems established (it may not sound like much of a

An open letter to the people of Darmstadt

2007-07-24T10:21:00.000+02:00

Dear DarmstadtiansYou have a rockin fossil collection. This fact alone should be enough to put a smile on your faces, but apparently not. You all look so sad. Please consider smiling.with kind regards,Helen

Coin Slot

2007-07-24T10:16:00.001+02:00

Dear Ladies of GermanyYour pants are very tight, and invariably low cut. As a consequence, I can see your bum cracks. It disturbs me greatly. Please stop.Dear Men of GermanyIf you are over the age of 45, you are wearing your pants way too high. You are the quintessential "high-pant wearer". This amuses me no end. Don't stop.

Letters from Home

2007-07-20T16:55:00.001+02:00

Each week, like clockwork, a letter from my Dad arrives in the post. It is like Christmas when I see that blue, red and white striped top of the air mail envelope. His letters are filled with the weather (of course), what's going on in Newcastle and the Bay, and what he's been up to that week.I keep in touch with the rest of the family via email and skype, but there is something comforting about

Back in the Pool

2007-07-18T17:44:00.000+02:00

After a 4 month hiatus, resulting from sheer and utter laziness, you will all be pleased to know, I'm back in the pool. It hurt. Alot.I shouldn't have been surprised when I discovered my swimming cap disintegrated due to lack of use - I'm SO pleased I dragged that little piece of latex to the other side of the world.Managed to get through my statutory 1 km without drowning, but it took a good

Ikea - it's like lego for grown-ups

2007-07-11T14:09:00.000+02:00

I spent a day (and I mean the WHOLE day) at ikea last week, shopping for the various pieces of furniture we needed. I love the crazy swedish names of all the products, the way you must follow the proscribed route through the store, otherwise you will be forever lost, and doomed to live in the store for eternity. I love the little pencils and paper tape measures so thoughtfully provided so you can

That's a big chicken you've got there mister

2007-07-11T10:43:00.001+02:00

That's a big chicken you've got there mister Originally uploaded by heliospheric One of my favourite stalls at the markets is the Egg Master (Ei Meister) - I am so going to buy all my eggs from him from now on. I suspect that he has a bit of fishing line attached to the rooster's leg and when he makes a sale he gives it a tug so that the rooster crows - pure marketing genius.

Faunal deaths

2007-07-10T09:46:00.000+02:00

When I worked in the Northern Territory at a mine, each week there would be a report on activities at the mine, x tonnes of ore dug, y number of safety incidents and there would be a report of Faunal Deaths on the mining lease, and a brief, but grizzly discription of the manner of the demise of the poor animal - 1 kangaroo stuck in the mud after wandering into the shallows of the tailing dam.I