Was lange im Dornröschenschlaf liegt wird manchmal mit erstaunlichen Ergebnissen wieder zum Leben erweckt! In diesem Fall die Singer 522 von 1976 der Holzwebers (nicht nur Ilse sondern auch Opa Karl nähte mit ihr). Nun trat sie seit langem ihre erste Reise an, erst von Hoheneich/NÖ/AT nach Wien/AT und von dort nach Neukölln/Berlin/DE. Einstellmöglichkeiten gibt es bei solch alten Maschinen ja Gott sei Dank wenige (sie muss nicht erst ins Wlan oder einen Satelliten finden!) und man kann relativ schnell losnähen (wenn man verstanden hat wie man die beiden Fäden einfädelt und deren Spannung auf den Stoff abstimmt). Den Einstiegsklassiker Kissenbezug (Polsterüberzug) habe ich übersprungen und bin mit selbst gemachten (danke Ilse für’s perfekte Ausschneiden) Schnittmuster-Schablonen einer meiner Yukatas gleich zum Projekt Yukata übergegangen. Ein Teststoff vom Maybachufer-Markt (5€/m, da is nix vahockt!) war dann am Ende doch schöner als erwartet. Jetzt können die etwas ausgefalleneren japanischen Stoffe her!
Great grandpa Johann might not have worn his bowler hat very often after his wedding, but 100 years later in Berlin, it does see the light of day (or twilight of a club 😉 ) from time to time, so finally the seam of the sweatband gave up, and the inner lining had always been a bit sad as well, so it was time for a pimp my bowler hat session! Of course the outer decoration was also upgraded at the same time. Good as new and ready for Kitkat again!
Great grandma Anastasia and great grandpa Johann Besenböck at their wedding, bowler hat in hand …
Final result and various intermediate stages. Inner lining redone with golden silk, sweat band replaced with black leather sweatband by GiustoHats, USA.
Mein erstes Buch! Also nicht das erste Buch in meinem Leben 🙂 sondern mein erstes selbst hergestelltes Buch. Vielen Dank Frauke, für den tollen Einsteigerkurs!
Another year gone by, somewhat low-carb on the sensual side this 2021, much like it’s predecessor, and similarily oblomovian. Landwehrkanal froze and was ice-skated upon, later inflatable boats were rowed on the same canal. Sahara sand flew over Berlin, breads were baked, drinks were mixed, books were read, movies were watched, technology failed. Cats came, cats died. Goodbye FLockerl, you were found dead on the cemetery that was your second home by an old lady – what an iconic way to go. You will be dearly remembered …
Flockerl you were a drooly cat. After you ate dry food – half was gone and half was wet. But you were a worthy successor to Ziggy, with whom you’re now cruising through the cemeteries of cat heaven.
Hedgy & Company are very much alive to the contrary .. growing fatter and bolder, and still preferring cat food over slugs! When there is enough food for everyone, there is peace. But cat food makes you very thristy, so quickly a drink of puro agave! 😉
Sharing is caring. When there is food for everyone, there is peace.
Eine sommerliche remote work + vacation Combo in Hoheneich (und Wien) brachte etwas Abwechslung, das gelegentliche Glaserl “Joiseph”, der Platane beim Wachsen zusehen, Holz einschlichten für den Winter und fast jeden Tag schwimmen im Teich! Du was ham si’ die Zwergerl g’freut jeden Tag beim Pumpen mit dem neuen Brunnen!
‘kochte Haaße. Aufschneid’n. Schoaf. Brot (Scheibn). Gurkerl. Zwa Pfefferoni, schoaf. Budweisa. Da muss bei einen einfachen Menschen einfach Freude aufkommen.
Im Garten in Berlin gab’s heuer frische Gurken, stachelig und schneckensicher wuchsen sie prächtig im und aus dem Hochbeet heraus und kletterten an allem was sich links und rechts zum Klettern anbot. Nächstes Jahr bekommt ihr eine Rankhilfe meine grünen Freunde!
Sorte: Dicke Bertha.
A sunny Friday off during late summer led Björn and me on a bike tour through Berlin in search of brutalist and modernist architecture (yes, we had two dedicated maps ;-)) and there was lots of coarse concrete to touch!
The Shell building (top) was one of our favourites, but among the most brutal ones are mainly churches.
Um brutalistische Betonbauten auszubalancieren hilft: der Britzer Garten! Im September gibt es dort ganz grandiose Dahlienbeete zu bestaunen, und auch die eine oder andere fluffy flower from outer space:
Dahlia, dahlia … and a VERY fluffy sunflower mutant!
A week on Elba in October gave some time to explore the Tao of Physics (highly recommended – probably the best read of 2021), sample local wines (Aleatico!) and enjoy views from various high spots.
Unicorn enjoyed the view from the citadel!
2021 also saw the 20 years anniversary of my master thesis, part of which was completed in Stockholm in 2001. Frequent visits to Stockholm have taken place since then, the latest one last November/December which is a very un-touristy season and very nice just because of that already.
Stockholm then and now. Top: view from Gamla Stan towards Stadshuset in April 2001, bottom: view from Nationalmuseet towards Gamla Stan, November 2021.
The Buddha is rotated, and many things are askew as we try to embrace the paradoxical nature of the universe and are waiting for the pandemic and capitalism to end (neither of which will of course), so we are only left with practicing our minimal-vogue moves.
This would be how the pros are doing it:
With this, I send you into 2022, practice your floor work and your duck-walk, and may the force be with you, as always!
After last year’s pandemic (out)break, 2021 was again an Impulstanz year! The legacy of founder Ismael Ivo lives on. “Does it dance?” is not the question here – it does!
The weekend started with ALEXANDRA BACHZETSIS / Private Song, by whom I was rewarded to assist in opening the zipper of the latex dress during the performance 🙂
We continued with TRAJAL HARRELL / Maggie The Cat, by which we were unanimously underwhelmed. Maybe having read “Cat on a hot tin roof” would have helped. Maybe not. In the meantime we’ll practise our duck-walk …
The anti-climax came in the very end and was provided by MEG STUART / DAMAGED GOODS, supposedly one of the prime performances of the festival. Also the first ever Impulstanz performance I had to leave before the end, because it was so unbearably banal.
Funnily, others felt the same way apparantly (only I don’t stay until the end to “buh” them – the dancers are not responsible for bad choreography or lack of inspiration by the choreographer): Interesting audience reactions and their re-interpretation through the press 🙂
Not surprisingly, the highlight was to be found in what Impulstanz calls “[8:tension] Young Choreographers’ Series”, this time sampled through SOPHIA RODRÍGUEZ / Ostentation Project. 1,5h of pure fabulousness from 23:00-0:30 at Schauspielhaus, complete with life size inflatable jumping castle (with bunny head!) in the end (it’s in the golden bag, believe it or not 😉 ):
Category “hands” to stand for “legs/feet” in this case.
