Friedrichshain

I realised the other day that I had done something rather silly. Actually, cross that out. Put stupid in instead.
I had managed to apply for a job, move to a foreign country and pay an £800 deposit before I had asked a very elemental question 'Er....where will I be staying?' Hmm. An oversight indeed. However undaunted by my own foolishness (my resolve is of a similar stature) I got straight on the blower to the lovely Jeremy of citytravelreview who, in a display of exactitude sometimes lacking in myself, gave me a colossal run down of what exactly my residency entailed. To be honest, its a pretty good deal! I have a roommate (unknown), a street (unknown) and an apparently large and spacious apartment (size unknown). Er.....maybe it wasn't about the SPECIFIC details but the gist was very impressive at least!

To cut it short I have a little more information about where I will be spending the next two months and it looks pretty exciting - this and the Germany and Berlin Lonely Planets that plopped through the letterbox a few days back have really started the clock ticking down. I will be staying in the district of Friedrichshain which is apparently the very artistic and very cutting edge part of town. It does however retain its working class roots and so is still not overgentrified and expensive so I think that I will fit right in. I have been there before to see the largest remaining section of the Berlin wall.

Is it weird that I am most excited by this?

Edit: Forgot a tune. Enjoy!

Booking schedule

What an exciting period for us eh? The Lib Dems looking like a serious party for the first time in 98 years and the country switching on in huge numbers for a televised debate. Even the terrible themed ties couldn't put off the audience which actually swelled as the discussion lengthened. I'm personally hoping for a major shake up to the complacency of the big two as well as any potential hung parliament reigniting the debate about proportional democracy in England. It has been too long and it has been squashed by any and all incumbents - not all success is measured in whether something gets you re-elected and not all failure is judged by your opponent's cackling. The squeeze from a centre left long sidelined is beginning to exert some pressure once more.

I have just booked my ticket to Germany for my summer soiree and must admit that I am VERY excited. I've booked a flight back from Munich as I want to see some of the lovely German countryside and the provincial peace that is life outside Berlin. An extra 15 days in the country should be enough to see a few cities and spend a couple of lazy days somewhere - I have already ordered my lonely planet for Germany so I can stay at the same hostels as everyone else but what the heck, maybe I can be more interesting when I get there eh?

Anyhow it has all been ridiculously exciting to plan what I am going to over the next few months. Does anyone who finds making tables of fitness activities and language sessions need something else in their life? I'm sure they do but maybe I need to make a table to help with that. Excel is better than a PA. Starting this week I will be working on my german, a new exercise regime involving separating muscle groups (you can't keep them together, they'll just fight.) and beginning running. Running I am nervous about. I have notoriously stumpy little legs which are the reason I'm not close to even lying about being 6ft and add this to my awful and inappropriate tennis shoes as well as my lack of ANY previous cardio training....well....it should be a fun first few days eh? Still if Eddie Izzard can manage 40 I can manage 1. 

Talking about something from the past in a contemporary form coming back to the fore? Maybe its a trend - vintage Politics with vintage music. Whatever you do, don't call it retro though. Actually...maybe vintage isn't such a good appellation....

Eggs

Having just bought a new camera and marvelled again at how difficult I find it to seperate money from my pockets in any substantial sums, I realised that I had been lazy enough to neglect this blog. However in the absence of any solid writing I have been doing that other fantastic research activity by reading. And what
reading it has been! John Pilger, Wilfred Burrchett, Jessica Mitford and Amira Hass. Gunter Walraff. Martha Gellhorn. Paul Foot. These journalists inspire and cut apart the accepted logic of the ruling class, standing apart from the recieved line and ignoring the press conferences to get to the real story. Amira Hass is the only Israeli journalist to live in the Gaza strip and not rely on picking bones out of communiques. Pilger is uncompromising and a thorn in the side of vested interests and corrupt greysuited men. Having then read the drivel supplied by our media daily, even from the Guardian and Independent, on the neccesity of financial instutions - indeed on their being CORNERSTONES of the educators toolbox you begin to realise the malaise affecting Great Britain.

However I can't say that I am innocent on any of these scores - my anger at injustice was just that - anger - and nothing else. I genuinely believed and was hoodwinked by many of the implanted stories in newspapers, I gave them credence and said it strengthened debate. I fervently believed that this would strengthen democracy in England. A breathtaking arrogance really, to imagine that my reading could do all that without ever having to look beyond opinion piece. That I am now wary of these pieces is not all due to these fantastic reporters but I feel a sense of shame for never wanting to get informed more deeply than a few brusque comments.

Needless to say their writing is far more spirited and passionate than my own and I distinctly recommend Pilger's work on East Timor and British arm sales. Read that.