Weddings, rain, and crocuses...

I am attending a wedding today.

And it is raining in a melancholy way.

The guests are all happy, and smiling, and the bride radiant... (she is Australian and carries sunshine in her soul) ... the groom dashing and charming (he is German but was raised in France). The official ceremony took place this morning, and the reception will be this evening.

It is amazing how many Australians end up in Germany because of love.

A few end up here for work. I've heard that a few actually visit for Oktoberfest and in their hangover - actually forget to go home (although they are few and far between and mostly stay down south in Bavaria). But, for most, it is love the brings them here.

I've not actually heard of any that voluntarily choose to end up here. Germany is not like France or Italy. It's a nice place to visit but very few Antipodeans harbor long held dreams of permanently residing here.

And the german language is not pleasurable to learn like french or italian. Very few people voluntarily take evening classes or long european holidays to learn Deutsch. And while I've developed an appreciation of its merits - the german cuisine does not inspire many award winning restaurants or culinary accolades.

The rain is making me melancholy.

And, more than this, for the last few months I've been homesick in a way that is close to paralyzing. There is a black dog that has been residing inside me and he's eaten my sense of humour, my hopefulness, my motivation, my ability to appreciate all that I do have, and my german grammatical homework.

But tonight I will muzzle him, put him on a leash, and dance and rejoice in someone else's cross-cultural love and try to ignore how it will inevitably demand a life-time of being on conflicting timezones with family and loved-ones, missing significant birthdays (and birth days), no popping in for casual week-end barbies, and lots of expensive international travel.

woof. woof. woof.

My life according to Ella Fitzgerald...

Yet another random time waster that came to me awhile ago... the rules are:

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, answer these questions. Pass it on to 15 people you like and include me (not to be too presumptuous...) You can't use the band I used. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think! Repost as "my life according to (band name)"

Pick your Artist:
Ella Fitzgerald

Are you a male or female:
Hallelujah!

Describe yourself:
Things Aint What They Used to Be (And You Better Believe It)

How do you feel:
The Best is Yet to Come

Describe where you currently live:
Duke's Place

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
Summertime


Your favourite form of transportation:
Trav'ling Light

Your best friend is:
Just a simple Melody

You and your best friends are:
Like Someone to Love

What's the weather like:
The Sun Forgot to Shine This Morning

Favourite time of day:
Five O'Clock

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called:
I found my Yellow Basket

What is life to you:
It´s Wonderful

Your relationship:
I Got a Guy

Your fear:
My heart belongs to Daddy

What is the best advice you have to give:
T'aint What You Do (it's the way that cha do it)

Thought for the Day:
Bei Mir Bist Du Schon

How I would like to die:
My Last Affair

My soul's present condition:
I got it Bad (And that Aint Good)

What would you like to eat right now:
The Muffin Man

My motto:
A-Tisket A-Tasket

Back to school!

Last week, in an attempt to reduce the emerging (and ever growing) chasm between my and the Caspi-Man's ability in the spoken german language, and to overcome my pidgin tendencies, I returned to language school.

For the next two months, for four hours every morning, I will be (once more!) struggling with the nuances and mysteries of German grammar. Well, actually, I do that pretty much everyday, but now I'm doing it, for the first time in 2 years, in a controlled and monitored setting. With tests. Ugh. (Like I wasn't feeling bleak and blah enough as it was!) German grammar does not come easily to me. It's a bit like a forced labour, with forceps and episiotomy, and no epidural. And nothing miraculous to fall in love with at the end.

But on the upside, it does stop me feeling blah and bleak about the mornings I had recently been spending on pretty much pure procrastination...

A friend pointed me in the direction of this site, where you can sign up for sentences delivered daily to your inbox. Here is a selection of last week's offerings:

• Red' nicht mit mir in diesem Ton, du Wichtigtuer! (Don't talk to me in that tone, you busybody!)

• Seit er einen seiner Ferraris verkaufen musste, leidet er unter schweren Depressionen. (Since he had to sell one of his ferraris, he suffers from severe depression.)

• Vertrauen ist gut, Kontrolle ist besser. (Trust is good, control is better.)

• Wenn sie ihre Regel hat, ist sie immer unausstehlich. (When she has her period she becomes insufferable.)

I am yet to use the 2nd example in its entirety. (However, if you replace the pronoun with "I", and the noun with Career/Homeland/Beloved extended Family, and the verb with leave/abandon/sacrifice, I probably use variations of this on a daily basis...)

I have just learnt ...

that it's not just cyclonic storms that get names here ( Xynthia passed Düsseldorf yesterday arvo and wrecked much havoc)... but so do ALL meteorological lows AND highs...

WHO, I wonder actually gets to name them?

And, are they subjected to the same rules and regulations (here in Germany) as humans - who must submit names for state approval to ensure they don't give their off-spring ridiculous monikers?

Curious minds wish to know...