Britta's Letters from her life divided between city-life in German's capital Berlin and life in a Bavarian village

Friday 24 November 2017

Bungee-jumping at the FU Berlin?

©Brigitta Huegel


I agree.
This building looks as crazy (and funny) as my newest project. It is a building on the campus of the FU Berlin. Where I study now:
yes - since October I study at the Freie Universität Berlin.

"What?", you may ask, "what???"

I hope you ask what is the subject of my studies.
It is the philology & languange I think so very cute, surprising, powerful, studded with humour - and very, very sexy. I am speaking of Niederlandistik.
I love, love, love it.
3 times a week (and very early too) I learn to pronounce the "cchhh" and all the other interesting sounds, fricatives and spirants - and that, Dear You, is only the tip of the iceberg - I have to learn many many hours, and you see me mumbling Dutch words in the subway ("Ja hoor" - I use every occasion to practise).

As much as I love (and laugh with) Virginia Ironside, I disagree with her in one point (when she writes in "No! I Don't Want to Join a Bookclub"):

"But it is too late!" I argued. "That's what's so great about being old. You no longer have to think about going to university, or go bungee-jumping! It's a huge release! I've been feeling guilty about not learning another language for most of my adult life. At last I find that now, being old, I don't have to! There aren't enough years left to speak it. It'd be pointless."

She is 59 when she writes that.
C'mon!!!
I might agree with her on bungee-jumping (though last Sunday I danced together with other models for two hours over the catwalk; will tell you soon) -
but learning a new language is pure bliss!

A whole new world is opening up!



Friday 27 October 2017

Travelling for almost one and a half month,

... but I do not want to bore you, so just follow me on a little photo-tour!

1. The Narrow-Boat-Tour in England,




         ... beautiful and with a lot of exhausting locks:


                  Big fun with many international good friends,
                                                      and culture as in Cambridge and York:



                       ...and breathtaking landscapes:


 



2. Then from a cottage in the Peak District



                        Wonderful trips to gardens, castles and parks,





                           ... and an Edwardian Opera House in Buxton:


3. Then visiting the beautiful Netherlands:




4. Followed by the Book Fair in Frankfurt:



5. and a visit to Darmstadt:


6. and the Allgäu:



Now I am home again in Berlin -
and will tell you of my new adventures soon!