more evidence

Today I was doing one of my fitness DVDs. The ones that I bought years ago and basically never do. The one that I dug out a few weeks ago, and was determined to do regularly from then on and then of course, didn't.

Anyhow, the fact that I did some exercise in my living room is reason to rejoice.
The fact that I did the arm and shoulder exercise without any weights (due to lack of weights) and still struggled is unfortunately just more evidence for my complete lack of muscles.
Not that I needed any...

Rosenheim

Loretowiese, Rosenheim

I love that view: the mountains in the distance, the sky preparing for nighttime and the silhouette of the statue.

Play it!

When A came over, we (also) went to the Koenigssee. Various people had recommended it to me. And it is a very beautiful lake. Would have been even prettier had the weather been better... Well, I am sure I will be back with more visitors at some point!

You take a little boat across the lake and the highlight - in addition to the funny anecdotes by the guide (you go in the lake as a king and you get out again a queen... it's freezing!) - is the bit where the boat comes to a halt in the middle of the lake and someone plays a piece on the trumpet and you can hear it echoing across the lake.

And we got to witness an avalanche - not much to see in the photo but it was quite impressive and noisy.

petting zoo breakfast

C really is an outstanding tour guide. When A was over (weeks ago... my blog writing discipline has not been the best since moving countries...), he took us to a mini petting zoo. Not only did I get to pet the goats and donkey and admire the fluffy bunnies, we also had a lovely breakfast with - of course - mountain views.
Welcome to Bavaria!

sushi for those who don't like fish

pretty in pink

Diet starts another day...

May I add that I did not eat this all in one day...

And for dessert:

pink

Pink. And crispy bacon.
I had to buy it.
And it's now in the cupboard with the other bags of crisps that I keep buying and don't eat...
No logic in that.
At all.

Different but good

One of the biggest differences (for me) between Rosenheim and London (yes, there are a few...) is the limited offer of cultural activities. I highly treasured the weird and wonderful and random stuff that you can go and see in London every single night of the week. Nevertheless, one just needs to keep ones eyes open and will find something here, too.

On Wednesday, we went to the Burlesque Show that was in town for just one night. Admittedly not as raunchy as the shows I saw in London - no naked women swinging from their hair - but it was really good fun! A great band, great singers and some sexy Burlesque dancers. 
And a very sexy man next to me. 
Lucky me! :-)

From -1 to 15

That's the forecast for next Thursday. The weather this month is extreme: changing from super sunny and warm, to miserable and cold and rainy. And it is annoying. And while I managed NOT to catch the horrible cold that went round the office back in February, I now have a sore throat and one these niggling dry coughs, which kept me awake last night. 

Hm, I suddenly remembered my resolution to stop the negativity...
Ok, so, I am grateful for the sunny day today, enjoying my lunch break in the park with a Schnitzel-roll. And then on the weekend, when it's going to piss down with rain - that is surely the perfect weather to go to the movies. Right?

backwards

In the UK you can get a free STD test in a number of clinics. Anonymous, too. I expect that the offer is not being taken up as often as it should but at least it exists.

Here in Germany - even when you are prepared to pay - this seems unheard of. I am not sure whether this is just the case in Hinterwald Bavaria or elsewhere, too. Both my GP and my gynecologists were unable to deal with my request. Apparently, here you only test if you have a strong suspicion you might have caught something. What does that mean? In case you had unprotected sex with somebody who you KNOW has an STD already?

I am honestly shocked by this.

Let it rain

Things that make me happy: 
C buying me new windscreen wipers and exchanging them for me, too. 
Now I don't mind the rain quite as much anymore, given they don't make that horrible screeching noise anymore.

What also makes me happy:

FOOD

A romantic boat trip underground

As the forecast announced rain, we planned a trip to the salt mine for Sunday afternoon. Might not sound it, but it was really fun! Not so much fun to squeeze into the overall and I had a slight moment of: 'shall I have a panic attack about being in a confided space?' when the little train went through a long tiny tunnel but it was so worth it. Starting with going down two wooden helter-skelters - much steeper than they looked. And of the course the highlight of the boat trip on the underground salt lake, complete with classical music and a lasershow. Overwhelmed by happiness, I nearly cried. The good kind of crying. And such a contrast to raging Friday.

A moment to remember, when the anger is about to take over.

Full house

We had bought tickets weeks ago. I mean: you don't really expect an international icehockey game to take place in Rosenheim?! Well, I don't, so when I saw the first announcement, I of course marked the day in my diary when tickets went on sale. Good thing I did, as the stadium was fully booked (with 4750 people...). Atmosphere was great but I would have expected a bit more party time from the organizers. 

I still have no clue about the rules and missed the first goal the Swedes scored. We went down 3:0 when Germany asked for a Time Out 3 minutes before the end of the game. Their strategy: to take off the goalie and replace him with another player. Maybe how they should have started the game... As they at least managed to score a goal.

what's with the rage???

Just a few days after my glorious and clearly unrealistic resolution to stop the negativity, I had proper rage yesterday. You know the type that makes you want to cry. Man, I was SO angry and no matter how often I reminded myself that there are much more important things in life and that there is no point to any of this and that I have already resigned - nothing helped. I didn't cry in the end but this horrible feeling in my stomach remained (drinking coffee might have not helped either...).

I am pleased to say that by the time I went to bed, I was fine again. But I don't want this anymore. And I am determined to make lasting changes. The next two and half month will surely offer plenty of opportunity to practice. I know I can do this.

Next career move: formula 1 driver

Since moving back to Germany, I had planned on taking some refresher driving lessons. I got my car at the end of August and shortly after had my accident. And of course felt like a fool for NOT having had driving lessons immediately. Despite this, it took me only another seven months to schedule one. And yes, it's difficult to believe I am an organized person...

Anyhow, so, I had my lesson with Metin on Tuesday. And what can I say: I am a natural talent!

Hahaha, well, not quiet but he did say that he can't see any issue with my driving and that I just need practice and confidence and that I clearly overthink things. I was telling him how I avoid certain roads in town and he said that he avoids the same roads and that is not a sign of bad driving but clever thinking as it's a fact that certain roads are impossible to oversee. His only criticism was that I drive a bit too fast in town. Me???? That can only be down to the fact that his car has a much more powerful engine than mine...

On the upside: no need to spend more money on driving lessons.
On the downside: this hasn't really helped. I still feel reluctant to drive.

My ex-boss used to say that he admired that I identified areas for improvement and then set out to improve them (successfully). Let's see how many more months it will take to make sure I get some practice.

declaration of love

While I was out on my balcony last Sunday, painting my nails and listening to music, my neighbour came by for a chat. And to ask whether I could save the removal boxes I am storing in my basement. Well, I am keeping them for MY next move to be honest and have no plans of binning them....

Anyway, his actual news was that they are now seriously thinking about moving! Not immediately, but sometime next year. Still a few months to go, and who knows what will happen to their plans (and what my plans may be by then) but it would certainly be a bit sad. Seems that he agrees: the only thing that he'll miss here would be me - so he said.
Such a sweetheart :-)

dreams

Read an article on Marie Claire about common dreams and their meanings. Here are the ones that I quite regularly dream:

Unprepared for an exam:
"Exam dreams can be so real that we actually wake up convinced we just failed an important test. Exam dreams are a reflection of your lack of confidence and inability to advance to the next stage in life."
This used to be a very common dream for me, not so much recently anymore though (yeah!). And I could never work out why I still dreamed about failing my Abitur - when I had already gotten my Bachelor. The above makes a lot of sense, of course.

Unable to find a toilet:
"Having trouble finding a toilet means you may be finding it difficult to express your needs in a certain situation. It can represent feelings of your personal needs not being met by always putting others first. You may feel that you are lacking time for personal issues and need more privacy, self-care or self-expression."
Hm, I still think my toilet dreams are just an expression of a full bladder...

Teeth falling out:
"Dreams about your teeth can reflect your anxieties about your appearance and how others perceive you. Such dreams may stem from a fear of rejection, embarrassment or feeling unattractive. As teeth are used to bite, tear and chew, dreams about losing your teeth can stem from a sense of powerlessness which means you may be experiencing self-confidence issues."
Well, yes to all of that - at times....

Being chased:
"Being chased suggests you are running away from something that is causing you fear or anxiety in waking life. It indicates that you have a tendency to run away or avoid a particular issue. The chaser can also represent an aspect of yourself e.g. your own feelings of anger, jealousy or fear can manifest itself as the threatening figure."

no more!

After a couple of good weeks at work, last week was pretty shit. Mostly due to the pressure I keep putting on myself. Surely NOW is the time to learn how to deal with it all. As C always reminds me: you already resigned!

Enough is enough. New resolution: letting go of all negativity. Reminding myself every time something stresses me out, and my bad mood comes to the surface that there really are more important things in life.

Thus no more negative crap on this blog either. Cause writing about it, will just keep it at the forefront of my mind.

Watch this space!
And watch this video:

inspirational quotes

Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.
Maya Angelou

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt

ahead of my time

Read an article about a new 'fun trend': the photo booth.
Can I just say that I organized a photo booth for our annual meeting back in 2013?
Such a trendsetter, me.

beautiful people

Yes, I have said it many times before and I will keep saying it: I am grateful for all the beautiful people in  my life! And I am proud and pleased that my rate of meeting nice people has gone up exponentially in recent years.

One of my latest acquaintances commented the other day, that the kind of people we attract into our lives are of course in relation to how we present ourselves to the world. So, I am really giving myself a pat on the back here. :-)

job hunting? learn from tinder

According to this Marie Claire article.

weekend

I don't have breakfast during the week. I usually just have breakfast when I stay in a hotel (if I paid for it, I might as well...). I do like meeting friends for breakfast though and especially in Germany, where most cafes have a great selection of breakfasts on offer.

Last weekend, I met up with C who I had met at a couple of evening classes earlier this year. And she brought her absolutely adorable daughter Neele. One year old and such a cheeky smile, flirting away with the two boys at neighbouring tables. Also turns out that babies - like dogs (?!) - are a great way to get talking to other people.

plus a break basket - might not look like much, but I never manage to finish them...

SUN-day

First time I used my balcony. After a grey and rainy week, the sun finally came out today. My legs are still pasty white though :-(

wardrobe staple

Glamour shopping week with 20% discounts in a number of shops. I thought that would be good enough a reason to lift my self-imposed shopping ban. Off I went to the big city - aka Munich - and came home with just one piece... Well, that is usually the case whenever I go out to shop. And let's face it: I don't need anything and it's best for my purse, too.

Quite a miracle how I've gone through life without a classic denim jacket! No more though! (and cheaper than the leather jacket I wanted to buy...)

meteorosensitive

Serves me right, I guess. I used to think that 'Wetterfuehligkeit' (ie meteorosensitive according to my dictionary) was all made up. Since moving to Bavaria though, I am struggling with headaches whenever the weather changes. After summery temperatures last week and over the weekend, temperatures have dropped again and I've been having a headache since last night. Not massive, but subtly always there and annoying. Especially as a continuous headache tends to lead to feeling sick...

But not to worry: I shall live! :-)

Always beautiful

No matter what the weather or time of day: another trip to the Chiemsee.

cookie wisdom

The understanding you offer

will open many doors.

another world

Since moving to the UK for my studies after school, I feel that my life has been made up of different worlds. With every new phase, new people and new experiences entered my world but in general, all these different worlds (often marked by a life in a different city and even country) exist within me, but with little overlap.

On the one hand, one of the lessons I learned for myself over time, is that different people bring different things to my life (and hopefully I to their lives) and it's ok that they exist in parallel. And while far away, my friends are still with me and distance is certainly not an indicator for closeness.

On the other hand, I am now realizing that not being able to share one of my worlds with certain people also makes me sad.

Of course, I have felt language to be a barrier on many occasions. To this day, I feel an inability to express myself properly in German as well as English. Maybe communication is my problem rather than language...

But since moving back to Germany, I am also appreciating my language skills so much more. Switching with relative ease between languages depending who I am speaking with is very much a gift and at the very least is opening two worlds for me. Two worlds that will stay separate to a certain degree though.