Class

Today I started my new German course. I already knew some of the people - Suah from Korea and Yoko for Japan. It was good to see them again. It's a small class and the teacher's good, too. I was glad Mathilda wasn't there. She was in the last course and was so dour, surly and argumentative - like a Dementor, she tended to suck the fun out of things.
I just rang this guy who advertised in Tip magazine for a language partner. Apparently he's a plastic surgeon! We keep just leaving messages on each other's phones. He says he wanted a NZer because he likes the accent. Odd...
I watched the scary Korean film last night, it's called A Tale of Two Sisters and was both scary and also a psychological thriller, which I liked - not just random horror but there was a point to what happened. I checked out the IMDB message board and people had a lot to say about it, mostly wrong in my opinion.

Rain

It's a typically rainy, rather cold Sunday for the end of August. Made my typical cold-weather-vegetable-soup. I'm just pottering online today and thinking about some things I have to do. Just updated my CV to send to the Herald (sometimes I have to add and delete things depending on whom I'm sending it to - eg they don't need to be informed that the Herald's NZ's biggest newspaper).
Also sent the Herald some travel articles, but haven't heard back yet...hrmph.
Last night I saw the worst movie - Ken Park, directed by Larry Clarke. It had some points, about how some kids are plagued by their fucked-up parents, for example, but the extended blow-job/wanking scenes just went on and on pointlessly.
Got an email from Russell, an American guy in m last course, that was nice. I start my new German course tomorrow. I already know some people in it. Will force me to get out of bed at a reasonable time.

Museum

I'm writing an article on some of the museums in Berlin so today I went and had a look at one - the Historisches Museum. It's got an new extension designed by Pei, the guy who designed the glass pyramid outside the Louvre.
The extension was pretty cool - a spiral glass staircase etc. I had a look at the exhibitions too. One was American Portraits taken by a German photographer. It was a bit odd that all the explanations were in German only. I liked it, because it made me practise, but a visitor woudn't get much out of it.
I took some photos too, I hope they work out okay for the magazine.
Tonight I "borrowed" (yes, the d-word, but I'm paranoid about typing that online) a Korean film called A Tale of Two Sisters. It's meant to be scarier than Ringu and that was pretty damn frightening. I love horror movies, though. I like the "safe" adrenalin of being scared watching one. We don't have a TV in Germany though so I have to resort to watching it on my laptop. Better than nothing..
I saw some jobs advertised on the Herald website in NZ for feature writers etc. I got quite excited, which was interesting because I didn't think that was what I wanted to do, but maybe I've changed this year. Of course I can't apply - it's for next month and I'm here for at least another 4-5 - but maybe later.

Babies

The suburb I live in in Berlin is called Prenzlauerberg and apparently has the highest birth rate in the country. You can tell - it's impossible to walk down the street without being almost run-over by a pram/toddler on a push-bike/ambulance with woman in labour inside. As a visitor here, you'd be forgiven for thinking the world was being taken over by little people.
Personally, I'm just trying not to get any ideas. Because some of those kids are damn cute...

Hello

This is my first ever blog post, in August 2004, at the age of 26. Who would've thought that this narcissistic act would take me so long? I've been thinking about it ever since I watched Doogie Howser in the '80s (anyone over 20 will remember).
So here we are. Actually I couldn't tell you why you should read my blog as opposed to the other 2 billion out there, but I'm just going to keep writing and see what happens. I like writing. Actually, I like it so much I made it one of my professions. I was a teacher first, now I'm a journalist and this year I'm studying German because I want to do some more translating (I've only tried it once, but it was interesting).
That's partly while I'm here in Berlin. I lived here four years ago too, and had such a great time that I missed it and had to come back. It's not the same as it was then, but I still love it.
More later.