A Tribute to Roxette

1989 was the era of change in many aspects. With the Fall of the Wall, it ushered in a transition from what we knew in the past and what we should know about for the future. It was a bridge connecting the usual environment to the new usual. It was an era of change, where the greats from the 70s and 80s were replaced with those who would eventually lead us into the new millennium and beyond.

One of the changes that was taking shape was the style of music. During the 1980s, we were greeted with a combination of rock, techno, pop and disco music, while some of the greats from that era, influenced us through their lyrics that combined events with the past with lessons for the present. Much of that had to do with the Cold War, which was winding down, thanks to Michail Gorbachev’s policies of openness. The 1990s, however, brought a wider, more modern selection of pop and rock music, but also dance music and rap, and it would carry us through, while focusing on the good, the bad and the interesting sides of society.

Yet the 1990s would not have been possible had it not been for some musicians that were up and coming in the late 1980s- before the Revolution of 1989- the ones that would make the 1990s the unforgettable decade that would set the precedent for the future. One of the musicians that led the procession was the music duo Roxette.

Consisting of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, the Swedish pop group was formed in 1986 and its style of music consisted of pop and dance, with some contemporary hits to add to their storied list of songs produced. Yet their breakthrough came in 1988 with the release of the album “Look Sharp!”. With this album, five singles were released, all of which made it to the top 10 in one way or another through 1989 and into 1990. The album was an immediate commercial success in Sweden, selling over 140,000 copies within ten days of release. In the US, the album was certified platinum on 20 January 1990 by the RIAA for shipments in excess of one million units. It peaked at number four in the UK, where it spent over a year on the charts. It was certified platinum by the BPI in December 1990 for sales in excess of 300,000. The album set the foundation for multiple successes for the group over the course of the next two decades, as eight more albums were released, each one with at least three singles, some of them have garnered additional awards.

If there were three songs that defined 1989 and helped usher in the 1990s and a new era of change, they would be (in no certain order):

Dangerous

The Look

 

Dressed for Success

These three songs looked at society and its strive for success both for individuals as well as a whole. It defined the changes that were going to happen and changes which people can simply embrace and take advantage of. Yet during the first half of the 1990s, a lot of Roxette’s songs dealt with love and heartbreak, including:

Listen to Your Heart

Sleeping in My Car

How do You Do?

Spending my Time.

These songs were solely performed by Marie, whose soprano voice was moving to many, as if an angel was talking to the listener and showing him/her where to go. Marie’s career went back to the 1970s, but she’s best remembered for her time with Roxette, where for 30 years until her retirement in 2016, she and Per had a wonderful joyride, impressing her fans and winning the hearts of millions more. Roxette was one of the top 10 music groups of the 1990s and 2000s and there was no household in America or Europe that did not have an album from Roxette.

Sadly, after 17 years of battle, Marie Fredriksson died of cancer on 9 December, 2019. She was only 61. She had undergone years of treatment and operations until it was time to hang it up for her career and enjoy the last moments of her life. As I was compiling a tribute for Roxette, I ran across Marie’s farewell speech when the group was forced to cancel the last leg of a concert in 2016: “Sadly, now my touring days are over and I want to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful fans that (have) followed us on our long and winding journey.” Her partner’s response was a classic: “The joyride on the road is over now – but we sure had fun, didn’t we?”

My response: We did have one heckuva joyride- one that will last forever in our memories. You will be missed for helping usher in an era of opportunity and success, after years of division. Many thanks for that wonderful journey, Marie and God Bless. ❤

 

 

 

 

Advertisement

Christmas Pyramid: Fun Facts and Activities

One of the main features of Christmas in Germany are the Pyramids. Christmas pyramids have existed for centuries but can be found at every Christmas market big and small. Even some markets in other countries have adopted the pyramid as one of the key attractions for tourists to see, especially as the blades are turning, powered by candles.

But what are they, really?

To answer that, I’ve compiled a pair of activities for you to try out. They include a Guessing Quiz and a wordfind with some words describing figures that you will most likely see in a pyramid. An answer sheet is enclosed so that you can display the colorful murals on the white board while answering the questions on a sheet of paper.

The answer sheet can be found by clicking here. Without further ado, have fun with the activities that you are about to do. 🙂

BONUS QUESTION:  Which motif is most likely found on every Christmas pyramid?

a. Nativity set with the Birth of Jesus

b. Winter landscape

c. Miners and angels

d. The Church of our Lady (Frauenkirche) in Dresden?

The printable worksheets you can download via pininterest here:

If you don’t have pininterest, you can access the worksheets via link below:

https://www.canva.com/design/DADuEEup26I/Rz1FBuIT8MMQv8fVLusAow/view?utm_content=DADuEEup26I&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton

For both versions, just simply save as jpeg, then open before you print. 🙂

Please keep in mind that although the words in the Wordfind and the diagram can be used only once, there is one word in the worksheet in the Pyramid diagram that can be used twice. Can you find that word?

Christmas Genre 2019: Reconnecting after Many Years’ Absence: An E.T. Story

Many of us who grew up in the western half of the world will probably be familiar with this movie, produced in 1982 by Universal Pictures:

E.T., The Extra Terrestrial was one of the most successful films of the 1980s and is clearly in the Top Ten of all films produced in the 20^th Century.

This year, the beloved alien makes his way back to visit in this Christmas commercial produced by Xfinity Communications, part of the Comcast conglomerate which also owns Universal. After 37 years, E.T. reunites with his old friend Eliot and his family, bringing back memories and sharing them with the younger generation.

And like the film 37 years before, this one still hits the heart and souls of many who love the little fella as much as in the past. This one will perhaps go down as one of the best Christmas commercials of this decade and beyond.  More I cannot say, because films like this always hits the heart and brings tears of joy. So have a look and enjoy!  ❤

 

Advent of Kindness.

This is the holiday season and with that comes Advent Calendars. It’s a custom in many German-speaking households to have a calendar, where you can open a window every day between December 1st and Christmas Eve. Many have sweet surprises. Some have words of wisdom while others have photos for the camera lover.

This one caught my eye recently, as someone made a Christmas list made with a list of gestures to do to benefit those around you. During the times where people have suffered from many forms of adversity, such as losing their homes and farms and being homeless, losing their loved ones as well as being singled out for personal opinions and preferences or being a victim of hate crimes, sometimes we need to take the time and efforts and do something kind for one another, every day, and make the person happy.  The person who created this Advent calendar made a “to do” list of what can be done everyday between now and Christmas.

Maybe we have one too. If not, perhaps its time to do so. After all, it is the season for love and forgiveness. ❤

Thanksgiving Genre: A Garfield Thanksgiving

 

When we think about Thanksgiving, we think about not only giving thanks for what we have and accomplished, we also take pride in two things: feasting and sports. It is a known variable that we enjoy our dinner with a good football game with the Detroit Lions or any professional NFL team. If we’re not into football, there’s the Thanksgiving Parade and any Hallmark films.

Yet for the young and old at heart, there are children’s TV specials that bring the family together, let alone some great friends. During the 1980s, I remember many specials being televised for Thanksgiving and it set the precedent for an even larger number of holiday specials that came 1-2 weeks later.

The Garfield Thanksgiving Special was one of them. Produced 30 years ago after the Fall of the Wall, it was one of the last specials where Lorenzo Music played the voice of Garfield (he died in 2001). He played Garfield from 1982 to 1994 mainly in the TV series.  The plot of the 23 minute show is in a City where the Jon Arbuckle, Garfield’s owner, took the cat to the vet to check him out, but also check out the vet herself, Liz. All on the day before Thanksgiving where themes such as food versus dieting, romance, and even the role of grandma are presented. The Special may be 30 years old, but it’s great for all ages and it’s an excellent example of how Thanksgiving is celebrated, both the wrong way as well as the right way. 😀

So enjoy! 🙂 ❤

 

Garfield was created in 1978 and first published on June 19th of that same year. It holds the world record for having the highest number of newspapers that carry the series. It has had 12 TV specials, two movies and two TV series with a third one on the way. Its main home is at Paws Inc. in Muncie, Indiana. Its creator: Jim Davis.  To read the comic strip or visit the website, click here.

 

Frankenmuth’s Christmas Market: An Interview with Dietrich Bronner

In connection with the article on the City of Frankenmuth (which you can click here to read), the city known as Little Bavaria is famous for its Christmas Market.  Created in 2005, it is one of the youngest of the ten festivals and events taking place annually in Frankenmuth. And despite its small size, it is one of the most popular of markets in the city. Shortly after the visit in July, 2018, I had a chance to interview Dietrich Bronner, who is the grandson of the late Wally Bronner, who founded the world’s largest Christmas store, Bronner’s. He is the catalogue and product manager of the store who was also one of the driving forces behind creating the Christmas market in Frankenmuth.

The interview unfortunately happened right after the Christmas market ended in December. It only takes place on the first Advent Weekend, about the same time as Thanksgiving. This year, the interview is being posted in hopes that people wishing to see the market can do so, as it takes place November 29th- December 1st 2019.  Details of the Christmas market can be found here.

Without further ado, here’s what you can find at the Christmas market and how you can contribute to its ongoing success:

1. Why did the City of Frankenmuth introduced the Christmas market? Who was the driving force behind this?  The Christkindlmarkt is hosted by the Frankenmuth Farmers Market.  We started the Market in 2005 and that year we added the Christkindlmarkt as a winter-time extension of the market.  This is the 14^th year we are hosting it.  Frankenmuth is very much a Bavarian-themed town that attracts up to 3 million visitors a year.  The market is a nonprofit 501c3 organization.  A board of directors were the volunteers that started it originally with a paid market master.  Laurajeanne Kehn was the paid market master for 12 years and she is the one that had the driving force to start it.

2. How is the market in Frankenmuth plotted out- is it along the streets of Downtown or is there a certain spot where the booths are put up and arranged like in a typical German Christmas market?  Our Christkindlmarkt is in a large heated tent downtown.  We put the tent up just for the Christkindlmarkt.  Vendors have booths inside and outside of the tent.  We would love to have various booths outside more like a traditional German market, but we don’t have the funding or ideal storage to have those booths.  We may in the future.  In 2015 we built and opened a $2.1 building with a vendor pavilion outside.  Inside the building is a Gathering Barn for events, a Farm Store for year round sales of local products, an office, conference room, and a fully licensed commercial kitchen or incubator kitchen (Artisans Kitchen) which can be rented to make commercially sellable foods.  I am the chef there and we cook many various dinners, meals, and experience meals there.  The building is at the north end of town about 1 mile away from the downtown.

 

3. What do you offer for Food, beverages and Gifts at the market? Are there some German products sold there- if so, which ones and in particular, which one is the most popular? We or the vendors have offered sausages, baked goods of all sorts, specialty Germany treats (lebkuchen, stollen, pfeffernusse, springerle), popcorn, kettle corn, pasties (a Dutch/Michigan item), sauces and condiments, teas, coffee, fudge, roasted/glazed nuts, local chestnuts, salsas, and much more.  The German treats sell very well, especially the lebkuchen and springerle.

4. Many German Christmas markets have their Season during Advent, yet yours runs from Thanksgiving to the first Advent. Why is that? Ours coincides when we have the most visitors in town, which is the day/weekend after Thanksgiving which is a huge shopping “holiday”—Black Friday.   That weekend, on Friday night, we have a holiday lighting ceremony where the Chamber of Commerce hosts a program that thousands of people attend.  This is like the start to Christmas.  There is a singing program by the Gemuetlichkeit Club (I’m the president of that, too) and then local church choirs and the Christmas story is told and then the Christmas lights are turned on.  This weekend and the next weekend, there are thousands of visitors, so we run the Christkindlmarkt these two weekends.  It takes many volunteers to run it, so we only have it two weekends.

5. What Special Events does the market offer? We have carolers, a Christmas angel made a proclamation last year, we have live musicians that play Christmas music, we have meet and greets with Santa, but the main attraction is shopping because we want to support our local vendors.

6. How many People have visited the market each Christmas? We have about 20,000 visitors over the six days.

7. If there were some improvements to be made for the Frankenmuth Christmas market, which ones would you point out and why? We would love for it to be larger and have more vendors and a wider variety of products.  However, we are limited on space, the event requires much labor to manage it, and renting the tent is expensive.  We carefully select and screen our vendors and we only allow local vendors to support the local economy.

 

Author’s Note: A special thanks to Dietrich Bronner for supplying the photos and for the interview. Hope your Christmas Market is a success this year and beyond. 🙂 

 

Adam Fletcher’s How to be German

This year marks 20 years that I’ve been living in Germany and making my living as an English teacher and a writer. Looking back at my arrival in Thuringia in 1999, there were no guides as how to speak German properly, no tour guides of unknown cities except those in Bavaria, Hesse and Baden-Wurttemberg (obvious because they were laden with American soldiers stationed there), and especially no detailed rules as to how to behave in Germany and immerse yourself into German culture, unless you have a German girlfriend- later turned wife, who is willing to show you the fine points to avoid making a fool out of yourself.  😉  ❤

But imagine you came to Germany all alone and clueless about the customs and culture. There are two ways to handle it:

You can be a fool and boast about being American, speaking loudly, getting drunk and speaking English as if you own the country (thank God we haven’t become the 51^st State of the Union, especially given the current situation at the time of this posting).

Or you can inquire about the culture and immerse yourself into it while learning the language at the same time.

Adam Fletcher has done the second. Having lived in Germany since 2007, the writer from Great Britain has been writing books on German culture for 12 years and how it has evolved and changed over time. But if there is one book that serves as a “starting point” in learning German culture and its language, but also getting a great laugh out of it, it would definitely be the guide on how to be German. Written in 2013, Fletcher gives you 50 points on how to immerse yourself in the culture in Germany. As a way of learning German, Fletcher has the points written in both languages, dividing the book into the English and the German halves, nonetheless, provides some humor in each of the points, adapted so that they are not lost in translation. The book is easy to read and easy to laugh about, just like the writer himself, as you can see in a TED talk special below:

Fletcher has followed up with part 2, written in 2016 because of changes that have been taking place in Germany due top current events and changes in the behavior of the country’s inhabitants and the environment in general.  How they have changed in terms of German customs, I have an activity for you to try for your amusement and discussion:

:

Take a look at the points Mr. Fletcher makes on how to become a German and integrate into Germany’s culture. Determine if they are true/ relevant or false /irrelevant or dependent on situation.  Mark them with the following letters:

 

• Applicable, like it or not
• Bunch of bullsh–; not true, fake, quatsch
• Changed based on laws passed since 2013
• Depends- depends on the situation and the person(s) you are interacting with
• Eliminated: doesn’t exist anymore
• Forgotten: exists but long forgotten
• Exists; good for the culture

 

Good luck with the points and the discussion that follows. Feel free to comment in the Files’ page or on its facebook page.  🙂

 

Points made by Fletcher	Your Opinion
Put on your houseshoes (Hausschuhe) when entering the house
Eat a long breakfast
Planning, Preparation and Process are key
Get some insurance, it can save your lives.
Dress seriously, no matter what occasion
Speak German, it’s the official language.
Denglish is in- Outgesourced, downgeloaded, upgegraded
Obey the red man- The German traffic light
Drink Apfelschorle
Drink mixed beverages
Eat German food
Know your potatoes (and how to make them)
Bring Kartoffelsalat (potato salad) to a gathering
Eat German bread.
“Mahlzeit” when meeting people
Hate the GEZ/ GEMA (the fees for TV and radio for public channels)
Say what you mean
Speak freely about sex.
Do nothing on Sundays
Watch Tatort- a criminal series that is seen Sundays at 8:15pm on public TV
Nothing is true unless you read it in the Spiegel magazine
Always send friendly greetings (Mit freundlichen Grüßen)
Always use „Prost!“ when making a toast. (Prost means Cheers)
Drink Bionade and buy “Bio-produkte”
Recycle! Recycle! Recycle!
Follow the rules, always!
Love your car.
Deal with “Klugscheisse” (smart-asses)
Interrogate jokes!
Don’t light your cigarettes from a candle
“Fenster auf Kippen” Windows in tilt format when opened.
Feel mixed about Berlin.
Hate the banana.
Hate the Saxony dialect.
Pick a Side and Respect the Divide (between East and West Germany)
Fahr Schwarz (Ride as a Stowaway).
Get qualified
Enlarge your CV (Resumé)
Find a “real” job
Fail at sarcasm.
Learn to enjoy bureaucracy.
Learn the German lingua expressions, such as Gut-gut, naja, ach so, doch, alles klar and und sonst so.
Practicality trumps everything
Travel seriously.
Know that birthdays are serious business
Watch “Dinner for One” on New Years Eve.
Forget anything you were ever told about fireworks
Hate “Schlager,” know every word in it.
Say “Tschüß!” (Good bye).

 

Afterwards, find out what should be added to the Top 50 for some aspects may be missing. From my own perspective, at least 10 additional points are missing, such as the following:

1. The Autobahn is the new Daytona Speedway. Speed limits don’t apply.
2. Dress up as native Americans with fireworks for a soccer game
3. Die Bahn macht mich mobil (The German Railways drive me nuts).
4. Learn the many usages of the word “doch.”
5. Learn the hundred variants of sausages and beer
6. Every window of a flat should have a Christmas arch (Lichterbogen) and pyramid.
7. Flensburg points are no laughing matter, even when visiting Germany
8. Always have carp during months which have the R in it.
9. Smile when you are blitzed by the Gatsometer (Blitzer), have your money ready for photo-pickup.
10. Never rent a flat, whose landlord is a cleaning firm.
11. Know what “Grobmull” is so that you known when to trash your furniture.
12. Miners parades at Christmas markets.
13. Always wish someone a nice day, even if they hate your guts.
14. Take “Jesus-freaks” seriously.
15. Respect the quiet hours, regardless of holiday and birthday.

There are more to add but you have an idea. Some of the points may have been mentioned in the 2016 version and I’m sure Adam Fletcher has part 3 in the works, whose ideas I have may be added. 😉 While he has published a work on how to be British, it would be curious to find out what 50 points should be made on how to be an American. But that would take lots of time and traveling to achieve this feat, for even though the region do share this one key point: “Do NOT talk politics if you want to live a long life.”, each region and state has their set of 50 points. If the 50 points for the whole country is achieved and written, I will definitely be the first one to write (and make a critique) about it.  😉 🙂

 

Adam Fletcher has a website that promotes his work which you can click here:

http://adam-fletcher.co.uk/

After living in Leipzig for many years, he now lives in Berlin.

TÜV: Review Exercise

An example of a steam Boiler exploding Prior to the introduction of TÜV. Photo courtesy of Bayerischen Dampfkessel-Revisionsvereins and available via wikiCommons

This Review exercise is in connection with an article written in 2015 about the TÜV, an organization responsible for the inspection of cars, machines and appliances to ensure their functionality and consumer safety. Before doing the quiz, please look at the text in General by clicking here:

 

1. What does TÜV stand for and how can it be translated into English?

 

 

T/F: Read the following statements and determine whether they are true or false. If false, write in the correct answer in the right column.

Statement	True or False	Correct Statement
Lightning struck the car of the 58-year old woman once, causing a fire.
A police officer pulled her out of the car before it exploded.
TÜV was created in Mannheim.
There are only five TÜV offices in Germany.
The largest TÜV office in Germany is located in Flensburg.
TÜV has three segments: Certification, Mobility and Industry
Your car must be inspected by TÜV three months after purchase.
You cannot operate your car if you don’t have a TÜV certificate.
A person can pay a hefty fine and receive a Flensburg point if flaws in the car are not fixed.
There is a European guide to functioning cars and devices in addition to the TÜV

 

• Multiple Choice/ Fill in the Blanks:

 

• TÜV was established in _______ in response to the high number of boiler accidents in central and western Germany

 

 

1. 1865          b. 1866            c. 1867                        d. 1868            e. 1869

 

• There are _A._ TÜV offices in Germany including: ______B._________

 

A:

1. three                 b. four             c. five              d. six               e. 43

B:

1. Thuringia and Saarland
2. Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein/Hamburg
3. Berlin and TÜV-West
4. South and North
5. a & d

 

• What parts of the car are NOT inspected by TÜV?

 

1. body                 b. lights                              c. license plate           d. tires            e. steering

 

• If the car is not inspected after eight months, how much does the car owner have to pay?

 

• a. 60 Euros     b. 80 Euros      c. 75 Euros                  d. 90 Euros      e. 120 Euros

 

• Which vehicle does NOT require a TÜV inspection (but should)?

 

• a. Smart car               b. Combi         c. bicycle         d. motorcycle             e. truck

 

• Which country has stringent requirements for bikes?

 

• a. Switzerland            b. Denmark                       c. France         d. England       e. USA

 

• Which country requires you to have insurance for your bike (in Germany, it’s voluntary)

 

• a. Czech Republic       b. Switzerland             c. Sweden       d. Iceland        e. EU

 

Genre of the Week: Das Haus am See by Peter Fox

There have been many books, films and other genres that carry the name Lake House, which is the English translation of the title of this week’s Genre special. One of the well-known ones was The Lake House, a film starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reaves that was released in 2006 and focuses on a love affair between two people, two years apart, using the mailbox as the primary means of communication. But even as the film focuses on the love affair and the house that was to be passed down like a torch, another genre bearing the same name has a different meaning.

Das Haus am See is a song produced by German pop and reggae singer Peter Fox in 2008, two years after the release of the film. The song has no relation to the film nor does it have a similar meaning. It primarily focuses on life in the city and how the lead singer longs for life in the countryside, with a house on a lake, a family and an environment where no one knows his name and he has a sense of peace and serenity. The main idea behind this is a quiet life surrounded by green and water, where life can be more diverse and adventuresome than in a city where everyone knows you and you know the neighborhood you are living in.

The setting of the song, also seen in the youtube clip is Berlin, the same place where Mr. Fox was born and raised and still lives in the suburb of Kreuzberg to this day. The song features a diverse set of strings, brass and background choral music, mixing the two music types together that Mr. Fox has gotten accustomed to in his 20+ year career in the music business. And while the music presents a subdued environment which doesn’t require heavy metal or dance pop (the latter, together with techno, is one of Germany’s key signatures), it does take a person back to the house on the lake, enjoying the great times with friends and loved ones. This was one of the key items that this song takes me back to- my time growing up at a house on a lake in Minnesota, with a golf course across the street from there.

Many of you have these memories of your times growing up there, while others long for that life. In either case, this song is for you and should give you an incentive to find that peace you are longing for. Enjoy!

Video:

 

By the way, the lyrics are below, all in German but one can make a good translation exercise out of it.  🙂

Hier bin ich gebor’n und laufe durch die Straßen
Kenn’ die Gesichter, jedes Haus und jeden Laden.
Ich muss mal weg, kenn jede Taube hier beim Namen.
Daumen raus, ich warte auf ‘ne schicke Frau mit schnellem Wagen.
Die Sonne blendet, alles fliegt vorbei.
Und die Welt hinter mir wird langsam klein.
Doch die Welt vor mir ist für mich gemacht!
Ich weiß, sie wartet und ich hol sie ab!
Ich hab den Tag auf meiner Seite, ich hab Rückenwind!
Ein Frauenchor am Straßenrand, der für mich singt!
Ich lehne mich zurück und guck ins tiefe Blau
schließ’ die Augen und lauf einfach geradeaus.
Und am Ende der Straße steht ein Haus am See.
Orangenbaumblätter liegen auf dem Weg.
Ich hab 20 Kinder, meine Frau ist schön.
Alle komm’n vorbei, ich brauch nie rauszugehen.
Ich suche neues Land mit unbekannten Straßen
Fremde Gesichter und keiner kennt mein’n Namen!
Alles gewinnen beim Spiel mit gezinkten Karten.
Alles verlieren, Gott hat einen harten linken Haken.

Ich grabe Schätze aus im Schnee und Sand
Und Frauen rauben mir jeden Verstand!
Doch irgendwann werd ich vom Glück verfolgt
Und komm zurück mit beiden Taschen voll Gold.
Ich lad’ die alten Vögel und Verwandten ein.
Und alle fang’n vor Freude an zu wein’n.
Wir grillen, die Mamas kochen und wir saufen Schnaps.
Und feiern eine Woche jede Nacht.
Und der Mond scheint hell auf mein Haus am See.
Orangenbaumblätter liegen auf dem Weg.
Ich hab 20 Kinder, meine Frau ist schön.
Alle komm’n vorbei, ich brauch nie rauszugehen.
Und am Ende der Straße steht ein Haus am See.
Orangen-braune Blätter liegen auf dem Weg.
Ich hab 20 Kinder, meine Frau ist schön.
Alle komm’n vorbei, ich brauch nie rauszugehen.
Hier bin ich gebor’n, hier werd ich begraben.
Hab taube Ohr’n, ‘nen weißen Bart und sitz im Garten.
Meine 100 Enkel spielen Cricket auf’m Rasen.
Wenn ich so daran denke, kann ich’s eigentlich kaum erwarten.

 

Genre of the Week: ‘Reasons To Stay Alive’ by Matt Haig

This excerpt alone should be the incentive to read the book on how to survive the World without going insane. There have been many issues facing us in the past decade. In the last two years alone, the number of problems affecting us has increased exponentially. Yet before considering radical measures that could potentially backfire, one should take a look around us from an objective point of view, even from others, like this author did. Once that is done, we can take the measures needed to change the things we need to change in our world. Every little thing we do will have a huge impact on how we live, both long and short term.

A little food for thought while you order this book via Amazon or even pick it up at the library. 🙂