It's a small world

I went to Germany three years ago and among places of interest I visited Marksburg, a medieval castle. After the tour which was really very very interesting especially since I had been in such a place for the first time in my life I went to the souvenir shop and was completely captured by medieval-style earrings there. So I ended up with the earrings exactly like in this photo. The jewellery box has the manufacturer's name - "St. Justin". Today I decided to look the manufactrurer up, and? to my surprise, the earrings appeared to have been made in Britain, Cornwall (Daphne Du Maurier's country!) after some celtic patterns. The long intricate patterns mean longevity the site said about my earrings. All this is very nice, Britain and especially the romantic Cornwall but I expected to be buying some German jewellery in a German castle. Lol! You can never know!

The site displays many other beautiful products, so everyone who's interester in silver eye-candies can look the site up from the link hidden in the post title.

Amelie und die Liebe unterm Regenschirm

I finished this book last week and I feel really sorry it ended for it was such a nice cosy read to have in bad weather curled up with a bit of cinnamon tea (Christmas mystery in June (!) and marshmallows. It tells a story of a young owner of an antique toys Amelie Lenz, from Vienna, who once bumps into a stranger on a rainy day and loses her heart even if she has not seen it face under the umbrella... Of course, she's trying to find him and eventually the man of her dreams appears somewhere where she has not been looking. All in all, it's cute for the Vienna feel, especially if you have been there before and can recognize some places. The book has a very cute toy character too, a large teddybear Augustl, who sits in Amelie's shop window and is ever decorated with various accessories according to Amelie's mood.

(Oh, I find it hard to be retelling a German book in English!)

Well, when I finished it I definitely felt I wanted more "sugar" :-) But switched to "Little House on the Prairie" so far (it's a treasure I discovered in the staff room bookcase at the Uni). Speaking about the Uni, the academic year is finished, we've eaten O.V.'s bluberry cake and now I may think myself free for freelance translating (already started and it's sooo boring to translate about boring machines) and also some holiday afterwards! Belive me or not, but it's the first time I've been looking forward to the beginning of an academiv year hardly has one come to it's end! I think "this academic year results" deserve a separate post later.

I am Emily

Which L.M. Montgomery Heroine are You?

I did this ages ago and now was reminded of it by Paula's post. So let it be here. Time to read about Emily, by the way, I suspect these may become my absolute faourites by LMM!

Can't help it

I wanted to write a coherent post here on Elisabeth later, but I can't help posting it here now. She's absolutely amazing!

(I mean this video: http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=YY-4efOKjeU)

Frozen

It's so cold outside we had to switch on the portable heater and it still doesn't help much/ I want nothing but wrap up in a shawl with a cup of Christmas Mystery (!) tea and L.M.Montgomery's diaries or better Amelie und die Liebe unterm Regenschirm. It feels so much like late autumn! I was taken for a student again. Yesterday I had a re-sit with a student and while she was writing the test I sat at a desk in the next row. A group of students went into the classroom and announced they were going to write a paper there, their teacher would not be present however. I had to expain we were having an exam there. Then the students... asked when our teacher was going to come. Sure I had to explain and saying sorry they left my student and me in peace. I think it will still continue several years longer. Not that I mind it much (better than too look like ateacher ;-)) but sometimes it's too tiresome to explain to people I'm a teacher! it was so cold at the Uni too. The classroom was awfully big and I entertained myself examining the desk graffity left by many many students who had to while away a boring lecture there. I was reading a bit of Amelie und die Liebe unterm Regenschirm too, it fit so much because it was describing late autumn! It does not look like June at all :-( And June my favourite time of the year for its long days and the promise of a whole summer ahead!!!

Not hard on myself anymore

The results were exactly as I expected, there were two failures that would have happened all the same had I even given an easier text to them. The rest of the works were pretty good or at least satisfactory. I'm now searching for an easier text for those who failed to give them a chance to re-sit.

Today I had a dream mum and I were in Vienna... Evidently I had been reading up about Vienna and watching/reading/listening about Elisabeth too much. In the picture is my sister's stuffed dog Bulya and her little (they are a big family joke with us!), here they are thoughtfully studying a Vienna map!

I am a bad teacher

I picked up a too difficult text for the 2nd year exam. The bad thing is that I could not consult anyone at the Uni beforehand: all the teachers were away, so there was no time to change it really after I showed it to the head of the department. Now I feel awfully incompetent and unprofessional and guilty. Even afraid to touch the papers I am to mark. --------------- A song from musical Elisabeth and a drawing I did this night as I could not sleep (inspired by the song).
Ich wollt ich wäre wirklich du In der Zwangsjacke statt im KorsettDir schnür'n sie nur den Körper einMir fesselt man die SeeleIch habe gekämpftUnd mir alles ertrotztUnd was hab ich erreicht?Nichts, nichts, gar nichtsDenn die einzige Lösung wär der WahnsinnUnd die einzige Rettung wär der SturzEs lockt mich der AbgrundIch möchte michFallen lassen -Warum schaudert mir vor dem Sprung?Wär ich nicht verdammt dazuElisabeth zu seinDann wäre ich TitaniaUnd würde lächeln, wenn man sagtSie ist verrücktIch steh auf dem SeilUnd die Angst macht mich krankDenn schau ich nach unten, seh ichNichts, nichts, gar nichtsIch taste mich weiterMit suchendem SchrittUnd fürchte mich immer vor demNichts, nichts, gar nichtsWirklich frei machtwahrscheinlich nur der WahnsinnDoch zum WahnsinnFehlt mir der MutSo spiel ich die StarkeUnd tu was ich tuAls wär dieses Leben mehr alsTäuschung, Irrtum, BetrugAls wärNichts, nichts gar nichtsGenug