Bound to come in handy...

I have just learnt that Nauru, the world's smallest island nation, was held by Germany from 1888 to the outbreak of WWI in 1914, at which point it was seized by ... 

guess which country?

As a general rule-

many Germans like to make fun of their Dutch neighbours for their caravan-ing ways. (In some circles this is a national past-time.) If they're not making fun of them, then they'll be complaining about them clogging up the autobahns during peak holiday times with their mobile homes.

I find this attitude a bit rich when one considers that the Deutsch population supports 4 (yes, FOUR!!) specialist caravan-ing magazines:

Two of which put out additional summer editions...

Random rants and confessions:

This morning, in defiance of my Australian conditioning, I left the water running while brushing my teeth. (It felt very, very naughty.) One thing we do not have here is a water shortage. It has been torrenting down all morning. (I keep checking to see if the Caspi-man is developing gills.)

I think I am turning into a koala. I am sprouting grey, wirey, tufts above both my ears. While this is cute on koalas, it is not when applied to me. Meanwhile - the hair on the rest of my head is falling out at an alarming rate. Olli and I are competing to see who can shed the most... I'm ahead by a whisker ... and don't get me started on those.

I don't want new stuff (especially clothes). I just want all my favourite stuff (mainly clothes, and shoes) to be new again. I am beginning to detest clothes shopping with a passion. If I can actually find stuff I like, it's always a gazillion euros and they've sold out of my size. I could live with this, but casual aquaintances have started pointed out the freys and holes (yes, but only tiny ones) in my attire.

I am appalled by the state of Australian politics... just appalled. It really makes me want to emigrate. Oh, hang on a sec...

Culinary terms, as applied to our household:

Free Range:

Anything not consummed at the table. Can often be found, in a deconstructed state, under the cushions on the sofa.

Calorie controlled:

Any edible substance in limited supply that has to be shared with Papa. 

Locally sourced:

Whatever happens to be currently residing in our fridge or pantry.

Organic:

Anything that moves of its own accord.

Genetically modified:

Any substance provided by Oma that has an effect of „modifying“ the Caspi-Man’s behaviour... (usually, not for the better).

Convenience Food:

Anything located on the bottom two shelves of the pantry or the bottom shelf of the fridge (excluding the vegetable crisper).


Processed Food:
Anything that requires handling beyond the removal of the packaging.

It's NOT brain surgery, I'll have you know...

except, of course, when it actually IS.

In which case - I have discovered that the first thing that you should say to your neurosurgeon is:

 "I want to give you a piece of my mind"

... haha... hmmm...

The Ger-Man recently went and got himself a brain tumour. As far as brain tumours go, it was a fairly good one. It was called a hemangioblastoma, benign, and in a good position for complete removal.

To compress what could be a very long story - here are the key elements:

1)  diagnosed
2)  operated
3)  recovered
4)  better...

We were/are very, very lucky...

Oh, this picture needs a worthy caption...

It is a hippo, and if I am not mistaken, he is packing a bottle of beer, and is wearing what very much looks like a SS helmet:

(And, I can confirm, the yellow road sign behind his head warns of Kangaroos.)

Just to put him in context, here he is hanging with his mates:

We found him prominently displayed at the 2010 Kirmes... and we are still not sure what to make of him...

note: okay, a few people have advised me that the hippos are NOT wearing SS helmets, just standard storm trooper helmets with an Iron Cross... very different animal apparently. But still, I'm quite sure they are meant to be hippos, and that IS a bottle of beer... I stand firm on that.

Shamelessly Cheating on Catching up...

on my blog by using random facebook status updates from the last few months... (I think I may have done this before...)

30 March at 22:30

pjmel asks does anyone else remember the song from the Goodies that goes: "String, string, string, string, everybody loves string!" ??? ('Cause that's what's been going through my head- earworm style- except I've replaced the T with a P...)

06 April at 21:43

pjmel ventured out of the house today for the first time this year WITHOUT A COAT! (And I only got goosebumbs twice!) :-)

09 April at 21:18

pjmel wishes beyond belief that she was going

to her Darlink sister's baby shower @ Colmslie Beach tomorrow morning....

11 April at 23:12

pjmel fishmarkets today... followed by late lunch of roast pork stuffed with pinenuts and cranberries... followed by 2 little boys having a wildly fun (& clean!) time in a bath of blue gloop!

17 April at 10:21

pjmel is grateful that the Icelandic volcanic flotsam seemsto be having no impact on the sunshine...

30 April at 22:17

pjmel it's been 3 days since I used the bright and funky alphabet letters on our fridge to phonetically spell out some naughty words (yep - this is how I'm getting my kicks these days) ... and no-one in our household has noticed...

06 May at 18:54

pjmel is dismayed that winter seems to have returned to Deutschland, and frustrated that she'll be spending tomorrow morning failing a german grammar exam...

19 May at 18:42

pjmel wants a tardis... yep... I'd park it out the front...

24 May at 08:06

pjmel is very very excited to finally be an Aunty and he's a little carrot top (who'd have thought?)

31 May at 17:58

pjmel has just had a lovely trip to the UK, and a fabulous visit from Tamzinite, and herunbelievable surprise dinner party, and her very fun night out at Lady Gaga, and - oh yeah - that gorgeous little nephew that turned up to help make the last week so very memorable... AND there's yet another public holiday coming up ... yeah - all considered this being (!0) lark is not at all bad...

31 May at 18:20

pjmel just got to inform someone of her new nephew's name (...........) and the response? "Oh, sounds like he's gonna be either a world class spy or an international tennis player."

01 June at 22:35

pjmel so, Aus just played Denmark in a friendly, (1-0, yah!!) and I was just sorta wondering... who do you think Mary was backing?

04 June at 10:08

pjmel is packing bags again! We're off to Turkey tomorrow for a week of sunshine, beach & culture...

12 June at 16:34

pjmel has discovered something even more amusing at hotel breakfast buffets than watching Germans painstakingly peeling the tops off their hard-boiled eggs - and it's watching them using a knife & fork to surgically remove the pips from their slices of watermelon!

19 June at 09:27

pjmel just heard that apparently over 40 % of English men would rather watch their national team play football than watch the birth of their child... asked The Ger-Man which he'd prefer (given the choice) ... "Neither. Both are disturbing to watch."

25 June at 07:46

pjmel WHAT? HOW? I went to Amsterdam for just ONE day - and came back to find a ranga (redhead) now leads my country!

28 June at 19:43

pjmel 31 degrees in Düsseldorf = 40 degrees in Queensland terms. Why is this?

03 July at 20:49

pjmel just walked home through the Altstadt with her two VERY happy boys - and passed many people in red, black & gold singing the popular song from "Evita".

07 July at 06:33

pjmel has been thinking about cheezels today... cheezels can't be bought in Deutschland. I think I miss them more than twisties...

12 July at 00:11

pjmel wonders why the commentator on Germany TV kept using the term "Erste Verlierer" (first loser) to describe the Dutch team. 
(And yes, the Germans do have another word for runner-up...)

Yesterday at 17:57

‎pjmel 's hanging her head in shame after her Schwierig-mutter discovered that she only had (SHOCK! HORROR!) only one cake of soap left in the cupboard, and only 4 rolls of loo paper... how will my family survive???????

and it's such an awfully loooooong and arduous way to the nearest shops (200 mtrs down the road)... oh what peril my poor offspring faces!

Sat. morning egg-head breakfast.

All photos and some of the creations by The Caspi-Man ...

Um, no, no I don't ...

Sorry, C & A, I really DO NOT *heart* this at all.

Not even if it is only €6.

Even The Caspi-Man wouldn't *heart* it ... as he has a heart and is still saying: "Mummy, I wish we hadn't beaten you 4-0... I wish we'd beaten you 4-1..."

What WAS he doing on my computer?

Well that bloody sucked...

and I'm not even just talking about the game, or the fact that The Caspi-Man had firmly pledged his alliance to Germany, but also the long walk home through the centre of Düsseldorf being THE ONLY ONE dressed in green & gold...

GER 2 - AUS 1

I have just coined a new word...

"Unbelievabloodyble".

Very practical in its application. Have used it at least 5 times so far today.

And it is fun to say!

Go on - try it!

(Unless your name is Caspi-Man...)