So thought I would share with you guys some of those little things that have been making me happy:
1) The Dodos - My newest favorite music group. I was introduced to them recently by my good friend Birgit. And I absolutely love them. I think I listen to them at least once a day. And we're going to their concert on the 2nd of December, at the music club 59:1. Can't wait!!
2) Opa Heinz - This is Robert's father, "Opa" meaning grandpa. He and Oma (grandma) Traudel came down - from Rosstal, near Nuernberg - this past weekend to help me out with the kids, as Lilo and Robert were off to Sevilla in celebration of their 10th anniversary. As I really have grown fond of both of them the last couple times I have seen them, I was quite looking forward to their visit. Sure enough, this time like all the others was great! One of the highlights of their visit, would have to be the conversations I had with Opa Heinz. He actually, as far as temperament, reminds me alot of Grandpa John. So obviously I immediately took to him. But what we really put him on my list of favorite people, were the talks we had about his adventures; the many bike tours he has done in his life - to southern France, to Venice, to Spain, and so on-, the post-graduation motorcycle trip that he and a friend of his did down through Italy, Sicily, then through Tunisia, and over to Egypt (and this mind you was in the 60's), and a two-week backpacking tour in the english countryside. Not to mention, he still does a weekly bike tour with a group of friends of his, that is typically anywhere from 150 to 200k. Besides the biking, he is also an avid gardener. He and Traudel, survive mostly off what they themselves grow in their backyard. So needless-to-say he is an inspiration and definitely a kindred spirit.
3) The Isar bike and foot paths - The Isar is the river that runs through Munich. But unlike most urban-bound rivers, the Isar is left very much untouched by human construction (excluding the part that is in the very center of town). In most areas, if it weren't the amount of people around and the occasional glimpse of a tall building or church, it would be easy to think that you were in the countryside somewhere. But what it is exactly that I love about the Isar, is just how essential it is to life in Munich. During the summer, people gather on its banks during the evenings (any day of the week) with friends and loved ones for a BBQ, beer, frisby and other games, or just to sit and chat. There is honestly nothing like whiling away a warm summer's eve with a cold beer in hand and good friends around, having fun, joking, conversing, all the while the river's soft hush in the background. And during the rest of the year, as it gets just too cool for spending whole days or evenings by the river, people spend hours strolling, running, or biking along it, on the many bike and foot paths that line it on either side. It honestly is one of my favorite spots in Munich, and has a way of just setting things right when it seems all is wrong.
4)Uncovering Munich's Best Hidden Watering Holes - Maroto, Cafe' Pini, Weinhandlung/bar in the Gaertner Platz area, Trachtenvogl, Garibaldi Weinbar, Flaschenbar, Schwabinger Sieben, Excess, Schall & Rauch...
5) Virginia Woolf and her book "The Waves" - It is one of three or four books I am currently reading, and it honestly blows my mind. This is my first introduction to Virginia Woolf and her writing style, and I have to say I am profoundly impressed. I have NEVER read anything like it before. It's just so human. Her use of a constant first person perspective for 6 different characters and the stream of consciousness style of writing really gives life to her characters in a way that the audience understands perfectly who they are. I am currently 2/3 of the way through and already have the next book of hers that I want to read on my list... "A Room of One's Own", which comes highly recommended from a good friend of mine.
6) Autumn Skies - I love love love those days in fall when the air is so clear and crisp that there is literally nothing between you and the sun. Everything takes on a frankness and a tangibility. The skies are as blue as can be, and the clouds look as if they've been painted on in soft strokes. The trees are somehow 5-dimensional and their branches seem to be reaching out to you. And everything just everything is alive...
7) Doggy Encounters - Any and all kinds will do, though my favorite is a Bernese Mountain dog that lives in my neighborhood and that I often run into trottng alongside his owner as he rides his bike. They are indeed quite the pair!!
10) Finding out that the green space in munich is truely neverending - Just when you think there could be no more...
11) European Christmas - The start lights are strung and other decorations hung throughout town, the smell of gluehwein (mulled wine) is wafting through the streets, the ice skating rink is in full swing, and it truely feels like Christmas is coming.
12) Unexpected Emails (or even better, letters) of Love from Long-Lost Friends
13) Riding My Bike- In fact one of the highlights of my day is definitely picking up Martin at kindergarten and our bike ride back home together...
14) Good Meals and Good Conversation - I'm especially excited for tomorrow's Thanksgiving in Germany party!! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of all time and I love introducing foreigners to this lovely tradition!!
15) Getting in Touch with My Innerchild - Martin and I every now and again have a dancing session, which entails us spinning around in a circle as fast as we can, hands linked, until eventually he pulls up his feet and I keep spinning until my arms give out. Or as we did yesterday (this is a recent development mind you), I sit on the floor, we hold hands and he runs around me in a circle and I help him along a bit, using my heels to propel me along. Basically it's the best dance in the world. And if you've had a bad day, and you need to find a way to turn it around, or even if your day's been just fine, do try this at home! Other possible options are, jumping on a trampoline or rolling down a hill. They are all equally effective and awesome!
16) Fooling Around on the Guitar and Makeshift Drums
No comments:
Post a Comment