Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts

Sunday, August 7, 2011

here I am!

The weather in Germany has been quite disappointing these last few weeks.  A random nice day here and there, but it definitely doesn't feel like summer.  My mood has also matched this weather, or maybe it is the weather that has been dictating my mood...

It's Sunday today, and as usual, the church bells are chiming full force.  I love that about Germany.  Constant church bells ... a sound not so prominent from my life in Montreal but one that has become very familiar while in this country.  And it's not just Sunday.  It's everyday.  Sunday, they go all out though ;)  It's funny that even though I am not religious, I appreciate this sound so much.  It sort of makes me feel guilty a bit ;)  But I don't dwell on that too much and just enjoy the sound for what it is - chiming bells.


I have been so absent from my blog and I am not sure how to explain it.  I think with the end of my final school project just a few days away, I am overwhelmed by what it means.  On one hand, I am happy to be finished, on the other hand, I get nervous about how I will develop my career from this point.  My German is not that great - enough to communicate and be understood, but not yet at a point where I feel people could take me seriously.  Instead, they might think I am charming or dumb-sounding and either one of those is not exactly what I'm going for from a professional standpoint.  But because of the Internet and the fact that English is a global language (although many more people actually speak Spanish...)  I feel that the opportunities will be there.  I just have to find them.  And that is what the next few months of my life will entail.  It's going to be hard work and I am mentally preparing myself for that.  Maybe that is why I have no brain energy left to do other things.

Also, since leaving Berlin and arriving in Frankfurt, I've been living with this real sense of temporary-ness.  We are here only because Paul is studying and from here, we could go anywhere depending on where his job takes us.  It's hard to build a real life when you know that it will all change soon.  But I shouldn't complain because whether you are changing cities every couple of months or not, life is always changing anyways - for everyone.  Everything sort of IS temporary.  That's what life is.  So I'm trying to appreciate things the way they are now, because this IS life.  If I don't pay attention, it will pass me by.

Speaking of time passing by - I don't know how this happened, but I am turning 30 soon.

That's all I'm gonna say about that.

Next, I'd like to address my lack of 7 Sachen posts.  Sadly, I cannot do them anymore.  Sundays are quite routine for me.  They involve doing a whole lot of nothing, which I think is not that interesting to post about, but very enjoyable for me ;).  Yet, I am still inspired by the lovely Frau Liebe, I think I will end up choosing another day of the week and instead of 7 things, I may post about 5 ... we'll see.

Besides working and finishing up my school project, I've been spending some time creating outfit moodboards over at Polyvore.  If you like fashion and daydreaming about clothes, you should definitely visit.  It must be the weather here that is making me dream of stylish outfits for autumn already.

Autumn 2011 - grey, purple, tan



Autumn 2011 - brown, blue, mustard



Autumn 2011 - green, grey, pink




I have also been helping an acquaintance with the living room of her new apartment, which I will posts about separately when the time comes...but for now, here is what the concept looks like:



Before I sign off to return to my day of laziness (I'm contemplating staying in my pajamas all day!) , I would like to share some travel videos with you made by Rick Mereki called MOVE, EAT, LEARN.

About MOVE, EAT, LEARN: " ... 3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films...  = a trip of a lifetime." via Vimeo

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.


EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.


LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.



I hope you liked them as much as I did!

...oh nice!  The sun just came out =)

Have a lovely Sunday and I'll see you here next time.

xoxo
Holly

Sunday, July 24, 2011

restaurant review - Berlin | Cafe V

On my recent trip to Berlin, I went to a great restaurant. 

Honestly, I was quite surprised.  I'm not vegetarian - and I never think of going to vegetarian restaurants.  But my friend is vegetarian so it was a great opportunity to try some out.  This one was really delicious.

It's called Cafe V and is located in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin.  The atmosphere is cozy and warm, the service was really friendly.  We drank some good Turkish wine, which was a totally new experience for me.  I ordered the breaded spinach balls served with new potatoes in a mushroom cream sauce.  It was excellent!  Everyone at the table was envious ;)  But their dishes were good too. The price was reasonable as well, as most in Berlin are.

Cafe V in Berlin

Cafe V in Berlin

 Dinner at cafe V in Berlin


I really recommend the restaurant if you're around there.  Vegetarian or not - you will like it.


 
{excuse the look of the card...
it was in my pocket for the rest of that night
... And what a night it was!
as you can tell from the crinkling and blue discolouration...}



Holly's overall rating for Cafe V:




Any good restaurants you'd like to share or recommend?


'till next time,
xoxo
Holly


German Design - the PassivHaus

The Passivhaus standard of building originates from conversations between German and Swedish professors, Wolfgang Feist and Bo Adamson in the late 80's.  After numerous research studies and funding by the German state of Hessen - the concept was born. 

Building by Passivhaus standard means that the resulting building requires very little energy to keep the temperature right no matter what the temperature is outside - so you end up with a super energy efficient home with a small ecological footprint. The concept is not only restricted to building homes but has also been applied office buildings, schools and supermarkets.


Super insulation and airtightness are the main factors that allow this concept to work.  This minimizes heat loss so that heating needs are about 90% less than those of a standard home. A passive house essentially heats itself by retaining the warmth generated by its occupants and electrical devices as well as using a unique mechanical ventilation with heat recovery system.

Building with this concept ensures a home that always has a comfortable temperature and they usually look really good and stylish - modern design using concrete and natural materials.  I would definitely consider building a future home by Passivhaus standards.

Take a look at this one,the Oberen Berg House by Alexander Brenner in Stuttgart, Germany.  I really like it:
photo credit: Alexander Brenner Achitekt

photo credit: Alexander Brenner Achitekt

photo credit: Alexander Brenner Achitekt

photo credit: Alexander Brenner Achitekt

photo credit: Alexander Brenner Achitekt

photo credit: Alexander Brenner Achitekt

photo credit: Alexander Brenner Achitekt

photo credit: Alexander Brenner Achitekt  


I think it's just beautiful.

See you next time,
xoxo
Holly