#a rew times during the morning hours

[onlythebravest]

.

[freizusein]

today, i

slept less than 5 hours. however i went bouldering yesterday evening with cool people (positive social spoons) and also physically exhausted myself so i at least slept without dreams which, good.

oh nice! my eyes are not red and watery anymore and the cold i prognosed because of this has not manifested.

got out of bed. showered. oh. very nice sunrise colours. -1°C? one month ago we had over 30°C. thisisfine.jpeg. let's get that winter coat

left flat before 7am to get my blood drawn at 7:30 am for large haemogram, vitamin checkup and after that a stomach-ultrasound in my ongoing quest to finally fucking take care of my various extreme symptoms of exhaustion, burn-out, something is not right inside my body (tm) since my psyche started to give me nightmares about being terminally ill. the doc was very kind :)

traversed half the city with public transport during rush hour to get a brand new haircut during my first visit to a curly-hair-specialized hairdresser ever. hair got cut by an openly queer man. free coffee. the conversation vibes are spot-on. gay-lesbian solidarity at its peak. i almost feel happy and relaxed for a while.

make plans with hairdresser for the next cut which i am already excited about. leave. very very happy about the new haircut.

traverse almost whole city during mid-morning rush hour with public service.

arrived at work just in time for a 2h lecture by a well-known scientist. listen to lecture and take notes. get really tired for the first time during the day.

big mensa lunch plate. at that point i have somehow not eaten a proper meal for 18h. there has only been coffee before that?!? (and a banana)

of course, you drink more coffee. plus chocolate.

cell culture time.

start working on my data analysis. uh-oh. early afternoon exhaustion hits you. sleep deprivation kicks in. anxiety and negative feelings about VARIOUS social situations kicks in. anxiety about your 5 pm job interview kicks in HARD. thisisfine.jpeg

oh. mum is calling. my heartbeat rate doubles in 2 seconds.

so-my-father-has-been-brought-to-ER-for-the-third-time-this-year.jpeg (it's not that bad and he's back home already but just the shock and stress from that alone is enough to make my nerves go AHHHHHH)

you go into the bathroom, check yourself out in the mirror, and have such a sudden crisis about your new haircut that you delete your bereal and almost start crying

deep breaths. you are both sleep deprived and very stressed and overthinking. it's gonna be fine. it is what it is. it's all gonna work out (repeat that mantra until actually feeling better)

go back to the lab and continue data analysis until 4:58 pm

interview time

within 20 min i am offered the position with potential contract being set up next week if i say yes

interview ends

??? i do not know how to comment on this further at this point in my thought process except. short circuit. overwhelm.

it is 5:40 pm and i walk out of the building.

i have another phone call with my mum, while walking in the general direction of home. i walk a different route than usual and get a little lost.

the phone call helped to get my thoughts a tiny bit more sorted so i manage to use google maps to realize that the bus station i intended to go to is actually not that far away. i go there. i take the bus to my local rewe as my fridge is empty and i need food and ice cream.

i stand in front of the spices section for 5 min staring into the middle distance until an elderly woman asks me if i am alright. i almost start crying again.

i get the rest of the groceries and also, ice cream. i pay. this rewe trip would have taken me 10 min under normal conditions. this time it somehow took 30???????

i go home. why am i sweating so much. oh my period is due to start in two days.

pms?!.jpeg. ah. yeah. pms.jpeg

unpack groceries.

phone call with my uni bestie to get her opinion on the job offer.

eat.

open tumblrdotcom writing this down to somehow process the fucking day, apparently, which will not be processed for quite a long time i feel like, also, so many things to think about, also, so many things going on EVERYWHERE in my life, world, so many confusing emotions, also, OVERWHELM!!??!!.

i am near tears again

i think i need to sleep

[madelong]

Navy fighter pilot

#Navy fighter pilot movie

Pedersen’s book Topgun: An American Story (Hachette Books) is available for sale and signing. His Navy Fighter Weapons School was credited with producing skilled pilots who raised the air combat kill ratio from two Vietnamese planes downed for every American plane lost to more than 22-to-1.Īhead of the famed school’s 50th anniversary, Pedersen offers a first-hand account of the program, tell the inside story of its development, and examines how its training provided American flyers with the know-how to dominate air combat from Miramar to Area 51. To become a Naval or Marine Corps Aviator, you must be between the ages of 19 and 26 at the time you enter flight training. Rew Killer Given to a Marine F-4 RIO that locked up on the wrong target during an east coast missile shot. Learn what it takes to become a Navy fighter pilot. To do so, he picked eight of the finest pilots to help train a new generation to fly jets like the F-4 Phantom and learn techniques for a new kind of dogfighting. Jugs First female tacair pilot at Miramar ’nuff said Key Instructor pilot that starts every lesson with, The Key is. Navy Fighter Pilot, youll join one of the most innovative and high-tech aircraft in the world. But more than that, he’s one of the sweetest most thoughtful guys I’ve met. Pedersen, who with his signature Ray-Ban sunglasses was the Hollywood image of a fighter pilot, was charged with a mission to determine the weapons systems and tactics that would reclaim the force of American air power in Vietnam. The first time we hung out, Wingnut showed me footage of bombs he’d dropped on an ISIS mortar team that was shelling fleeing women and children from a village. Its leaders turned to a young lieutenant commander, Dan Pedersen, to devise a way to reverse the casualties-and his solution later earned him the nickname “the godfather of Topgun.” Navy undertook a wholesale reevaluation of American military strategy. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.In 1968, when American fighter jets in Vietnam were being downed at an unprecedented rate during Operation Rolling Thunder, the U.S. Dale Snodgrass ( July 24, 2021) was a United States Navy aviator and air show performer who according to the Spokane Spokesman-Review was considered one of the greatest fighter pilots of all time. Former Navy fighter pilot Ryan Graves speaks to reporters after a House Intelligence subcommittee hearing on UFOs, officially called unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), on May 17, 2022. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at for further information. 3) Age You must be at least 19 years old and must not be older than 32 years old upon commissioning. 2) Gender The Navy Pilot program is open for both men and women. Aerial maneuvers in a MH-60 Romeo or MH-60 Sierra helicopter require hours of training, versatile skills and a little bit. Hover over the sea for search and rescue, extract Sailors and Special Forces from a hot landing zone or track and neutralize enemy submarines in the defense of your ship. 1) Citizenship You must be a United States citizen either by birth or naturalization. Ryan Graves is a former Navy fighter pilot that has worked on advanced researchers and development programs for DARPA, the Office of Naval Research, and Airforce Research Labs - specializing. As a Helicopter Pilot, the sky is your domain. You will gather intel, drop ordnance and conduct defensive missionsall in the most versatile strike fighters on the planet. Catapult off carriers at 170 mph and land on moving runways only 300 feet long. Fly at Mach speeds around the globe while completing complex air maneuvers. It's MORNING EDITION.Ĭopyright © 2020 NPR. The list of application criteria for Navy Pilot below is current as of May 2022. As a Navy Fighter Pilot, the latter is your domain. When that happens, someone surely tells the trainee, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash.

#Navy fighter pilot movie

GREENE: But a retired instructor from the elite Navy fighter pilot program tells Business Insider that using that or any other quote from the movie brings a fine of $5. Navy, Carey Lohrenz is used to working in fast moving, dynamic environments where inconsistent. TOM CRUISE: (As Maverick) I feel the need - the need for speed.ĪNTHONY EDWARDS: (As Goose). As the first female F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot in the U.S. To do this job well, you’ll need critical thinking skills, unshakeable determination and the will to persevere through the toughest challenges. You’ll be part of an elite group of aviators who fly and fight in the world’s most lethal jetsall from the deck of an aircraft carrier. No surprise many actual TOPGUN trainees are fans of the Tom Cruise classic. As a Navy Fighter Pilot, the sky is your domain. (SOUNDBITE OF KENNY LOGGINS SONG, "DANGER ZONE")

[themusiciantraveler]

A Trip Down the Rhine

Saturday.  June 2, 2018.

 The day started rudely early as we had had quite a late night the evening before, but 7:30am it was, and we were at the front door after a rushed but wonderful breakfast. We walked out to be greeted by a new van – shiny and black all over.  We began by investigating the new steed, which somehow seemed to have more leg room even though the van was most certainly smaller (we ended up downsizing from a 17-passenger to a 14-passenger).  But alas, we started to load the new van, hoping all the luggage would fit in the back.  By some magic, we somehow made it all fit with sheer willpower and Tetris skills. We won this morning’s round of Tetris and finally around 8:30 we were on the road in our shiny, new van.

We drove quite a while before we next stopped for gas, where we all proceeded to the nearest Rewe (another lovely grocery story) for snacks and such for the road.  After our stop, we headed on to Bonn and Beethoven’s childhood home.  Our little trip up to the north of Germany took us along the beautiful Rhine River.  Trains wound around the mountainside to our right and boats glided along down the river on our right.  The views were absolutely picturesque as we passed castle after castle through the countryside.

We finally arrived in Bonn, one of the many cities Beethoven called home, after one more brief pit stop and another small nap.  Bonn once used to be the capital of West Germany, however, today the once important city in the hierarchy of German culture is rather modern and messy.  But suddenly, in the middle of all the chaos, the crowds seemed to magically part to reveal a petite pink building in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the grey, industrial city – Beethoven’s birthplace and home.  We entered the home and were greeted by instruments and artifacts from the composer’s life.  After a brief run-in with a disgruntled tour guide over my camera, we finally entered the main house.  A note and fair warning: if you see or hear “Fotoapparat” or “Kamera”, be prepared to put your camera away, lest they confiscate it in some of the older monuments.

I was almost in tears seeing Beethoven’s compositions and furniture, and my heart nearly stopped when my eyes settled on his famous Heiligenstadt Testament.  Tears sprung to my eyes as I pondered this document that spoke to how miserable the deaf musician was towards the end of his life – how broken-hearted he was in the twilight years of his life after all but losing his precious connection to music.  We finished our tour with Beethoven’s very own pianos – I just wanted to stay there forever and cry.

We then went into yet another adorable gift shop where I decided to purchase a miniature bust of this favorite composer of mine.  At the last minute, I decided to flip through the stacks of Henle-Urtexts they had on hand. Now Henle-Urtexts are the nicest scores on the market and are the closest thing to the original manuscripts that we have access to today.  And what do you know, the very first score I pulled out was my own Sonata in F minor (Op 2 No 1) that I have been working on for my senior recital!  It was almost like it was drawn to me.  I just could not resist and ended up purchasing it for less than ten Euros.  I left on cloud nine as we attempted to find Michael and the car.

We got on the road to Cologne and another stunning cathedral.  We arrived the description of the cathedral did not do it any justice. The Cologne Cathedral is 240 feet tall and the stained-glass windows contain enough glass to fill over three entire football fields.  The cathedral was simply breathtaking and honestly beyond words.  The crowds surged through the place of worship and filled the hallowed halls, with voices echoing off the high vaulted ceilings.

We soon had to rush back to the van and were soon on our way to Rothenberg ob der Tauber, passing up Worms due to time.  Rothenberg ob der Tauber, not to be confused with simply Rothenberg, is a cute, but large walled-in city from the Middle Ages.  In fact, it is the oldest walled-in city from that time period that is still standing today.  They are world famous for their Christmas shops and souvenir markets.  It took just shy of five hours to get there, but it was well worth the drive.  The quaint little town was absolutely picture perfect at dusk and the most beautiful and relaxing end to quite a long day.

We wandered around the city for some time before we finally found everyone after they had all meandered off and stopped for dinner at one of the last few places that were still open.  The food was some of the best food we have had the whole trip.  I had veal tenderloins, smothered in gratineed cheese, over a bed of spätzle and wild mushroom ragu.  The restaurant was also featuring a fresh white asparagus (spargel) soup, which was absolutely delicious and tasted like heavenly melted butter.  After dinner, Jenessa and I wandered down the street to get ice cream for dessert and ended our day with one last little bit of exploration around the city wall in the moonlight.

I highly recommend that you visit Rothenberg ob der Tauber at either dawn or dusk.  The city is absolutely stunning and picturesque when bathed in the early morning or last rays of the day and is far less crowded than when it is filled tourists during the middle of the day.  Plan to allow enough time to visit the famous Christmas shops and enjoy a stroll around the city in the pale sunlight.  No matter the time of day, enjoy an ice cream cone from the shop in the heart of the city with the Italian flag over its window display.  It is never too early or too late for ice cream.

[darrellkmartin]

Meet the woman behind True Fruits

Inga Koster is not concerned with what others think. The co-founder of the Bonn smoothie producer True Fruits, uses phrases like, “balls of steel,” to advertise their product.

Koster worked – together with her team and co-founders – on this provocative campaign and it paid off: it brought a lot of attention to their company. This unconventional approach is part of the startup’s business model.

But Koster is not too keen on being in the spotlight herself. She’d rather work on True Fruits from behind-the-scenes, with her two co-founders: Head of Marketing Nicolas Lecloux and CEO Marco Knauf.

Since founding in 2006, the trio has created a profitable company selling thick fruit juices in glass bottles: The startup reports turnover of €40 million ($44.7 million) in 2016. A smoothie costs up to €2.50.

From slacker to entrepreneur

Koster, 38, did not think things would come this far. Earlier, Koster explains, she was a slacker. She partied a lot and would even ditch school. “The teachers hated me,” she recalls laughing, while sitting at a table shaped like a True Fruit bottle in a colourful meeting room in Bonn.

True Fruits co-founder Inga Koster.

Although she only did the bare minimum in school, it was enough to get good grades, she says. After graduation she trained to become a bank clerk and the bank job suited Koster well: It was here that she cultivated her natural propensity for thinking analytically.

But passion? It was non-existent. At the bank she was responsible for assisting chief financial officers who worked for various industrial companies.

She remembers thinking: “They were so proud of the tractors or cars they produced. They knew what they were working for – the product. That was not the case at the bank.”

There you had to be able to feel enthusiastic about interest rates, she continues. In the end, she decided to quit her job and study again. “This cannot be it,” she thought at the time.

Inexpensive bus trips – or pornos?

While studying business administration, she met Nicolas Lecloux and later on Marco Knauf. For more than ten years, Koster has been privately linked to Knauf and in 2005 the couple decided to spend a semester abroad in Aberdeen, Scotland.

It was here in a university shop that the pair first saw pureed juices made from fruit and vegetables.

Six months later, when they returned to Bonn, Koster and Knauf decided they wanted to be self-employed.

But how? First they considered an affordable long-distance bus service – or to create a platform for amateur pornos. At that time, Youporn and Flixbus weren’t around, Koster recalls. In the end, however, they opted for a different idea: smoothies. And just like that, Koster found her passion.

In 2006, True Fruits was founded in Bonn. “When I am passionate about something, I stand behind it completely,” Koster says. Koster says she has passion for smoothies, even if she does not drink them herself. She believes in the product. “I am someone who does not like to be told what to do.”

Her gaze wanders to three colorful portraits of True Fruits’ founders that are hanging in the meeting room. Each portrait includes the respective founder’s strengths. Intuition, control, strategy and power are listed on Koster’s.

“You can’t let others introduce doubt.”

The first years in a young company are exhausting. It is a challenge creating recipes, finding producers and collecting advice. Industry experts provided advice like, “move to Hamburg” or “glass bottles do not work at all.”

Koster and her co-founders did not listen. Although she does admit, “You have to be really sure about what you want and you can’t let others introduce doubt. That is hard when you are in your early twenties and know relatively little about life and the industry.”

During the early years, Koster “required” her two co-founders participate in business competitions. First, because it ensured they created a business plan. Secondly, because of the reputation that comes with winning such a competition. She believes that participating and winning awards, would help True Fruits get money from investors.

“Whether you are with buyers at Rewe or suppliers, they are all just people. When they hear that a product comes recommended by others, they are convinced.”

It worked: Two business angels provided financial support for True Fruits. Koster’s analytical approach works in a startups. She ensures things stay orderly and solves problems. She “grounds” the team, one investor, says about her.

“Sometimes I think that other companies manage everything so easily,” Koster says. “But then you look a bit closer and realize they are even more chaotic than you are. Running a business is not easy, but you don’t need to be superman to do it.”

Marketing is not her thing

At first Koster focused on marketing, but she did not like it. “You worked on something for eight hours – and then you have a flyer,” she complains.

“I am more the type of person who controls the company and ensures that everything is running. That is more satisfying.” Her co-founder Lecloux took over marketing and Koster turned her attention to administrative responsibilities.

The same is true at Suckit, another startup she runs with Knauf and another Cologne founder. Their product? Alcoholic slushies.

Koster and Knauf are still together, and have two sons, who are two and five years old. At the company there is no separating their private and professional life. “Sparks fly,” at the office. “You cannot always have the same opinion,” Koster says objectively. “We’ve known each other for 15 years, so you know each other’s tics.”

Even in her role as a mother, Koster tackles and solves problems efficiently, thought through and without drama. So if her youngest son becomes sick and cannot go to daycare, she’ll take him to work – there is a bed in her office just for him.

Knauf and Koster divide their tasks in their everyday personal life, just like at True Fruits. As a general rule Koster takes the children in the morning, the CEO in the evening. In the evening she sits down on the couch to answer emails, she says. Between 6 and 9 o’clock she prioritizes her work, as some afternoons belong to the children.

Setting aside work is often hard for Koster. For example, if a swim lesson is planned she always has to tell herself: “Yes, what I am doing is important, but the swim lessons are just as important.”

“If I were to just drop it, then my son would never be there. There are always important things that need to be done.”

“I’m not just an extroverted attention hog.”

When Koster talks about being a woman and sexism it becomes clear she doesn’t just crack down on issues in her personal life.

She cannot understand why the topic of gender always comes up in conversations with her. “What annoys me is that I am always asked to address women’s issues, like the female quota at company boards,” she says. “Yes, I am a woman, but I am not an expert.”

Of True Fruits three founders, she negotiates the hardest, she emphasizes. “Our business partners get it eventually,” she says. But she won’t let herself be pushed into the limelight.

Her two co-founders often receive more attention and Koster voluntarily takes a role behind the scenes. “Of course, a lot more people know Nic. He holds talks or is on TV. But this is also a job role that I do not want to fulfill.” She’ll give a talk every now and again, if someone forces her to do so, she says laughing. These talks, however, are a waste time, that she could use to do other more important, things. She is more concerned about True Fruits: “I am not just an extroverted attention hog.”

This text originally appeared on NGIN-FOOD.

Photo credit: True Fruits

from Startup Tips By Darrel http://theheureka.com/meet-the-woman-behind-true-fruits

[sarahsadventuresineurope-blog]

3/19/2017

okay so the every other night thing didn’t really work lolol but def going to try to update more.

so lots has happened in the past three weeks lol

the first weekend was frankfurt/wiesbaden to see Selin! ah that was such an amazing weekend. took the early ass 6 am train by myself. that was a journey hahah made a german friend on the train. at first i just sat randomly but then a man came and said it was his seat so i was confused because i didnt know that seats were assigned so i asked and i found out that you could reserve seats beforehand but i didn’t so i had to find an empty seat so that was interesting lol. but yeah sat next to this girl, slept a bit, listened to a bit of music. then started talking to her about random stuff. turns out she studied for a year in arizona! so that was cool. but yeah finally got to frankfurt, got off the train and told selin. she was running late so i just hung out at the train station for a little. she finally got there and it was crazy to see her after like 4 years! she looked exactly the same haha. so yeah then we went to this place called palmgarten, its basically a huge park with a bunch of pretty flowers and plants inside huge buildings, like a botanical garden! that was nice to spend a few hours at looking at all the cool plants. it was nice to be in a lil bit a nature haha. after we were hungry so we went to this main shopping place in frankfurt and we went to this mall and ate at this asian fusion place! it was prettyyyyyy darn good haha. after, we just did a bit of shopping, treated myself to a couple shirts hehe. after we decided to walk to the river to walk along it. so we did that, then we decided to go to this place called main tower and go up to the top to see the city from that view. it was soooo pretty! frankfurt is a big city haha. after that we went to this film museum, which at first seemed a little lame, but it ended up being really really cool! we got kicked out bc they closed at 6 haha but then we just started the journey home to wiesbaden! we got back to her house at like 7:30 i think, and her parents had dinner ready! it was this really good turkish meal, it was like thin naan bread with cheese and veggies in the middle ugh it was sooo good. but yeah we just hung out and talked with her parents for a long time haha they were soooo nice and friendly :) then headed to bed decently early since selin and i had done a lot that day

the next morning we woke up, had a dank breakfast, then we headed to a castle nearby!! selin’s mom drove us, so we were able to see the surrounding scenery and we got to see a couple castles! they were so pretty hehe. they were also all next to the rhine river so it was cool to see the river too. we drove thru this pretty town known for their wine. then we took this ferry across the river in the car (which was pretty cool) and went to our main destination. this castle was cool! it had a museum so we could walk thru it and read all about its history and look at all the cool stuff it had. after, we took some pictures and got a coffee at the cafe, then drive back home. her mom dropped us off in the city center of wiesbaden so we could explore. so yeah selin just showed me all around the city, we went to this bath place thing that is now like  a casino/ball room and it was so pretty! then we got lunch at this suuuuuuper yummy place called du und ich i think, and it was so freaking good ugh. after we found mac and cheese at a local rewe lol then we walked around a little more, saw the world’s biggest cuckoo clock haha then we went to a bar nearby so she could show me where her friends hung out! we got a couple drinks there and just talked and caught up. after we went to this other place for cocktails and talked more. we spent so many hours talking, it was great! the service at the second place was so shitty lol but yeah we left pretty late and we had to take the bus home so we got back to her parent’s place at like 11:30. when we got back we figured out arrangements to get to the train station since selin was taking the train back to maastricht too. they were so nice and her mom drove me to the train station at like 6am! and her mom packed me snacks for the journey and also made me breakfast ugh it was the cutest :)) but ya that’s it for frankfurt! took the train back to berlin and just hung out because everyone else was getting back from munich.

i genuinely don’t remember what i did during the week lol.

the next weekend... so stammtisch on thursday. went to this bar in mitte and it was alright.. it was super crowded because a like alumni group was also having an event there so it was really hard to order drinks. but somehow was able to order two gin n tonics and a beer lol so i got pretty drunk. the rest of the group wanted to go home early but me and jessy stayed back and hung out. then we just went home a couple hours later, got doner, i ate a piece of my fork lol and then went to my room. then on friday... oh we had the stasi prison tour in the morning. that was alright, just sucked because we couldn’t understand our tour guide. after we went to get schnitzel!!! so good!!!! i got this chili cheese one and it was amazing. its like right near the east side gallery. after we did a lil shopping in this neighborhood that i don’t remember the name of. so yeah we just strolled around, i bought this sweater hoodie drug rug thing that im wearing right now actually ahah. then we all went back, chilled a little, then met up again to cook and eat dinner together. we made some pasta, it was pretty gooood. then we got ready to go out. we ended up going to this club that david wanted to go to, something like ritt burtz or something haha it was in kreuzburg.  yeah it was sick! we were nervous we wouldn’t get in so we split into pairs and were silent in line lol and grant went in front of me and the bouncer checked his ID and said he wasn’t old enough so i freaked out and pulled out jayne’s ID but turned out all okay and we all got in ahaha. i ordered a beer then just started vibing alllll night ahaha. chandler left super early, then zach left, then i decided to leave at 3 and go get burgermeister by myself lol. finally got home at 5. passed out.

next morning i wake up and eat my burgermeister leftovers lol then get ready and find out where to pregame for the hertha soccer game!!! messaged matt, he told me a room to meet at, chris’s room. met chris, diane, and madeleine! all super cool and all from BC haha. but yeah we pregamed doing power hour, then we all headed to the game. the girls left first so that we could get more drinks on the way lol. diane and i got a redbull and a tiny bottle of jagermiester lol so we did a jagerbomb on the ubahn platform. then we met up with the guys on the train and headed over. on the way, diane had to pee really really badly so we got off on a random stop and ran around trying to find a bathroom but we couldnt find one we went into this random forest and she popped a squat hahaha. oh i forgot to mention that the night before i peed for the first time in public on the way to the club!!! lolol. anyways we got back on the train and went to the game. we were running late so we ran to find our seats. got there, sat down, watched the game. it was insane! we ended up being in the dortmund section so that was interesting, but there were like specific fan sections and those were crazy. so much yelling and cheering and jumping and flag waving haha. also got a liter of beer and currywurst which was dankkkkk. just realized madeleine never paid me back LOL oh well. anyways, watched the game until the end, then left. we all went to this irish pub in friedrichstr. they had dank nachos. i didnt drink bc i felt like i was gonna die haha. then headed back to the apts with diane and jonathan. went down to meet zach’s twin brother and their friends who were in town. caught up about what had happened the night before lol. then just went to bed!

the next day was sunday, study day for midterms ahha. in the morning we all went to schaffer’s and got brunch. then studied a little. after a couple hours we went back to the apts and i just napped and stuff. then me jessy and chandler decided to go downstairs to the lobby and study. yup that was it!

the week was just midterms. had on monday, two wednesday and one thursday. they all went okay i think haha. on tuesday i explored kreuzburg though! went to ramen with jonathan (soooo good, def going back), then we found this cafe and studied there. he left early bc he had a midterm that day but i stayed until like 6. got home sick from the studying :( then just went home, randomly ran into rae and jessy at ksp! went home, cooked dinner, studied more. took the two on wednesday, then the one thrusday morning, then flew out right after to amsterdam! i ended my german midterm pretty early though so i had time to kill and found this cool cafe where i was meeting david. read for a few hours then headed to the airport!

god this is already SO LONG but i still have this weekend to talk about LOL will do in another post

[relocatingacrossthepond]

ABENTEUER!

Way back at the very end of October J, Bug and I took a family trip with Auntie P to meet up with Mimi and Mamu for a European adventure. The adventure started with a train ride to Leipzig.

We arrived around 2 and got ourselves organized to go to the local Zoo. People who have visited or just heard of Leipzig all recommended the Zoo. It is quite expansive and includes a Biodome and small aquarium. We happened to be there on a special Halloween weekend where the opening hours extended into after dark.

We got up and close with giraffes, elephants, monkeys, iguana, crocodiles, just to name a few.

By the time we left the Zoo it was quite late for out 20 month old and so we just headed back to our BnB for the night to plan the next days activities. Day 2 in Leipzig started with a bus tour of the city. This led me to feeling like I had seen a lot of the city’s sites without actually being to them. 

Back on foot, I made sure to make us stop at a one of the sites so that we could actually be there.

We decided to to stop for Tea time at the very touristy and highly recommended Riquet Café. They have a wide variety of cakes and tortes on offer which we enjoyed after a warm lunch.

Our next stop was Forum. It has a permanent exhibit on life in the DDR which is quite extensive and easy to get lost in. Back outside we wandered around trying to decide what to do next and where we would eat dinner. J took to his phone to solve the problem, while Bug and I ran around a park. J finally suggested that we go to Auerbachs Keller for dinner and we walked straight there. We were told that all the tables had been reserved but we could join another couple who hadn’t made a reservation and were currently sitting at a table for 4. We arrived at the table and the couple there were not all that impressed with being asked to share their romantic dinner for two with a toddler and proceeded to leave. Getting through that awkwardness gave us the table to ourselves for the evening. It was during this dinner that Bug really got into colouring. J tried to play the games that were on the colouring page, but Bug made it clear that he was not allowed to join in the fun, until J agreed to draw vehicles for him.

After a lovely traditional dinner we wondered back to the BnB. The next morning we headed to Café Louise for Brunch. We thought about making a reservation the night before, but it seemed like a silly thing to do for a Monday morning. What we hadn’t counted on, was that Monday being a holiday in that province of Germany. We still however managed to find a table whose guests would not be arriving until we would be on a train. We ate our 12Euros worth of brunch each before catching the train to Berlin where we were greeted in the BnB by Mimi and Mamu. 

We took a bit of time to settle in before heading to Mitte to visit our parents old stomping grounds. 

When we got hungry we headed over to Hummus and Friends for snacks before doing the really touristy Berlin round of Brandenburg Tor / Reichtag Jewish War Memorial / Ritter Sport Store.

The touristy activities ended with a trip to Rewe where supplies for dinner and breakfast were found. On Tuesday J left early in the morning for work and the rest of us eased out of bed and then headed straight to Haferkater for breakfast, where I had told myself I would one day return to.

We all enjoyed some porridge before heading to Kottbuser Tor for the street market. We took our time going from stall to stall and trying what was on offer. It was here that we met up with Auntie P and enjoyed some vegan doughnuts from Brammibal’s donuts.

As we finished up with the markets we took a stroll over to the licorice store and continued to walk around Kreuzberg until we ended up at Mustafa’s Kebap, where we proceeded to stand in line for at least an hour for one perfectly made kebap that may or may not be worth the wait.

We were now ready to spend some time inside and headed towards a café that my sister had found to be highly recommended, but before we could reach that one we discovered The Visit, which makes a very precise cup of tea or coffee. 

They also had a very intriguing menu, but we were unfortunately too full at this point to try anything. You can bet that it will be the first café I visit the next time I find myself in the capital.

From here we headed over to the east side gallery for more touristy fun before splitting up for the night as Mimi and Mamu had more plans to eat and J, Bug and I had no more room.

One other reason for our early night, was Wednesday morning started at 5am so that we could catch an early flight to Budapest.

We were in our flat in Budapest before 10am and Bug very happily went for a ride on the sewing machine.

We ate breakfast at the Lado Cafe  across the street before we all decided to join Bug for his midday nap. Feeling more awake and ready to tackle the streets we headed in the direction of things we had heard about. First thing was Tisza Cipa a Hungarian shoe company.

In styles we were interested our sizes were not available so we left empty handed in the search of food. 

We looked in a lot of windows and found more than one café offering both coffee and wine to go, an offer that some group members found more intriguing than others.

We continued to run into buildings and views and statues, not quite knowing the significance of any of it but still enjoying the beauty of it all.

What did recognize is the similarity to Prag. There was the two city parts divided by a river with the castle on one side and the old city on the other. There were also the street markets and the traditional fire baked cinnamon roll.

There was also quite a number of Macaron places but I only went into one that had a very light pink one in the window and I had to find out if it was grapefruit. It indeed was and after a taste test I knew I had to buy one for Mimi who could never turn down a grapefruit dessert. We then made a dinner reso at Vakvarju which had been recommended to us by the BnB host.

We headed back to the flat to pick up Mimi and Mamu who had just arrived from Berlin and went back to the restaurant where Bug highly enjoyed the play area and we ate (mostly) in peace. In the morning we had brunch at Szimply, and were so intrigued by the menu, that we almost ordered the whole thing. Everything was quite scrumptious and should definitely be visited by anyone in the area.

With full bellies we headed to cross the river in hops of finding a coffee/tea along the way. While in MONO art & design Mimi asked for advice for where to find a good cup of joe and we ended up at Modal Café. I ordered a tea, and even though I don’t normally sweetened by tea some of the available honey. One thing I quite enjoyed about Budapest was that tea also came with honey as a sweetener rather than sugar.

With hand warmers in tow we headed up the mountain in Buda to visit, what had once looked like Simba to what turned out to be a woman holding a giant leaf.

The skies were blue and the walk up with lovely and provided us an excellent view of Pest.

Before heading back down the mountain Mimi and Mamu picked up traditional Hungarian snacks for the trip. As we walked we stumbled into a park where Bug was allowed to test all the slides.

Believe or not, we then headed to another restaurant for even more food. Hadik had quite a good menu and we ordered a variety of items to taste, but not too much that we couldn’t then head into the city for a walk to down the typical shopping street and make some sort of appetite for dinner.

After dinner Mimi and Mamu went out for cocktails and the rest of us headed back to the flat for some rest. Day 3 in Budapest started with Auntie P heading to the baths while the rest of us got ourselves some delicious breakfast at STIKA.

Though our egg breakfasts were quite enjoyable the real winner was the coconut-banana cake, which I have been trying to replicate in my own kitchen.

Mimi and Mamu then had some rather boring business to sort out and J, Bug and I went on our merry way as we wandered towards the castle. We stopped in any shop that interested us on our little meander but before long found ourselves in a huge line for the mountain train up the castle. We opted to walk up as it was the cheaper/faster option. We had not even walked 100m when we found an elevator that also took us up without line or cost. Clearly the mountain train is a tourist gimmick that people from Heidelberg, Germany do not need to indulge in. As we all posed for a family selfie Bug decided to be particularly sweet.

The castle is indeed worth a visit and perhaps we would have took a peek inside if we didn’t have other things to squeeze into our day. Other things included the Market hall, 

the baths and shopping at Rehab a café/store/barber shop. 

For our final dinner in the city we gathered all together J, Bug, Mimi, Mamu, Auntie P and myself for a delicious dinner at Konyha, friends for food.

Though we enjoyed our appetizers and entrees to the last scrape of the plates, the dessert menu send us out to the streets in search of something more interesting. 

This ended with J and Auntie P getting 4 orders of apple pie at Café Lado which happened to have 3 slices/order, leaving us with a hilarious 8 extra slices of pie.

We stayed up as late as we could soaking in the last moments of family vacation. In the morning Mimi and Mamu headed to Vienna, Auntie P stayed on for a last night in Budapest and J, Bug and I took a plane to Stuttgart and ended the adventure how it started, with a train ride back home.