A Good Slide into the New Year

That's what Germans wish each other with every new year approaching. And that's exactly what we had... in a different way than we had expected.

We spent New Year's Eve at my parents-in-law's place with my brother-in-law and his girlfriend (and their huge dog) and had a wonderful feast on raclette. Afterwards, we watched "Dinner For One", which is my favorite New Year's Eve tradition.

At midnight, we went outside to see the fireworks.

Whew. There was a lot of them shot into the sky this year! It's just difficult to take photos. Seems like everyone wanted to scare the ghosts of 2015 away in a very loud and colourful manner. We were right next to the St. George Church at Brockhagen, which was built in the 16th/17th century, and as every time we celebrate there, I was a little tiny bit afraid that its roof might catch fire. Well, it didn't...

We had invested about 30 EUR into fireworks ourselves, and we seriously enjoyed what we got for our money. I know that there are more and more people criticizing this practice, especially dog owners and the oh-so-good-people who think it's a waste of resources. And, lately, the even-better-people who point their fingers to the "fact" that the sounds of the fireworks might reinvoke some traumata of the refugees living in Germany nowadays.

Let me say just this: We're talking about maybe 20 minutes of fireworks, once a year. I sympathize with the dog owners, but that's something you need to see in advance when you think about getting a dog. To the oh-so-good people: It's clearly none of your business how I spend my money. Just make sure I don't catch you watching and enjoying the fireworks or you might be hit by some irony! And to those who are afraid that refugees might be reminded of the terror in their home countries: Instead of lecturing your neighbours, go to the refugee accomodations, explain what happens and why, and invite them to join! But don't segregate them by telling them what they should be afraid of.

We went back home around 2.15 in the morning, and all was fine - until the last bend in the road about 100 yards from our place. I was behind the wheel, and the car suddenly went a bit out of control because though the air temperature was above freezing, the road had for some reason decided it would play a trick on us and become icy. So we rather slid home and into the new year. We had almost involuntarily taken the shortcut onto our grounds... 

So I've already found the first reason to be grateful in the new year: My car is not totaled! 

Happy new year, everyone!

Five Days after the Paris Attacks: Fluctuat nec mergitur!

Day five after the terrible attacks in Paris. I still can't help thinking about it though I wasn't there, I don't know anyone who was there and got hurt or killed, and I think I even don't know someone who does. Paris feels close, though it's  a seven-hour drive by car.

Only seven hours. Leave here in the morning and have lunch by the Eiffel Tower. 

I told you we went to Paris in February. I had been to Paris before, twice, but only for a few hours each. I had never spent the night there. Not enough to even get a feeling for that city. But on that trip nine months ago, I suddenly found myself madly in love in Paris. 

Yes, I fall in love with cities. There are cities I love, cities I like and cities I don't care that much about. Into the first category I'd sort London, Dublin, and Paris, into the second for example Québec, Montréal, Hamburg, Oslo, San Francisco and New York. 

I was thrilled when I saw the illuminated Eiffel Tower. And it blew me away (sorry for the choice of words) when I saw the letters they projected on it: 

Fluctuat nec mergitur. She stumbles, but she will not fall. 

One of the few moments I was actually happy that I suffered four and a half years of Latin in school. Usually, I regret that I didn't take French instead. What an irony! 

During the past four days, I spent quite a lot of time on the net or in front of the television. Everything I hear makes me feel so thankful that I've never been really close to terror. We went to a live comedy show on Sunday evening, as did about 4.500 other people, and we got into the venue without being searched. No-one even wanted to take a look into the people's bags. It's strange, but I couldn't help thinking, at least for a moment: "If someone really wanted to attack us, they could come in here easily and we'd have nowhere to hide. We wouldn't have a chance. We'd be cannon fodder." I tried to shake that thought off immediately. 

Last night, I had worked until 08.15 and planned to watch the friendly in Hannover, Germany vs. The Netherlands, afterwards. Not so much for the game itself, though I really like watching football (or soccer, as some of you may call it). But to see that events like this can create feelings of defiance and togetherness. Then I learned the match was cancelled due to the probabily of a bomb attack, so I watched the news instead. Again.

This morning, I heard of the latest shooting near Paris and that another person seems have blown herself up by using a suicide vest. I watched the news. Again.

I freely admit, I feel a bit... disturbed. I know that there will always be good and evil in the world, but the impact is coming closer. I have decided for myself not to change my lifestyle even a single bit, but my mind is racing anyway. 

Fluctuat nec mergitur. 

Mes Condoléances.

How can people hate so much? I don't get it. And I hope I'll never get it. 

The two of us were sitting on our sofa last night, watching the soccer game France vs. Germany. During the first half, we heard the first explosion, looked at each other, and we knew exactly what the other one was thinking: "Whatever that was, it wasn't anything good!" Then the second explosion came, and the feeling became even stronger. Until the news of what was actually happening poured out. Bit by bit.

We kept on watching rather the English and US news channels than the German ones. Just because they were faster. Around one in the morning, we fell asleep. I dreamed of gunmen running around trying to shoot everyone they could.

On Valentine's Day weekend this year, we had visited Paris. Remember, this was only a few weeks after the Charlie Hebdo attacks. You could easily tell the city was on high alert. There were groups of armed police patroling everywhere, of course especially near the tourist places. We stayed at a nice and still a bit bohémien hostel in Montmartre, enjoyed macarons and éclairs from the artisan boulangerie next door and explored the city.

on top of the Eiffel Tower on a February evening

This morning, the first thing I did after waking up was turning on the TV again. The atrocities of the attacks became clearer. Eye witness reports that literally give you goosebumps, and pictures you never wanted to see again. The strong guess that the attackers had intended to get into the Stade de France (which we had actually passed on our way back home in February), but never made it. I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if they had managed to smuggle someone in there - Stade de France holds more than 81.000 people during soccer matches.

Reporters talk about the long-term preparations these attacks must have taken. I think they're wrong. Once you have managed to find a group of willing people, all you need to do is equip them with guns and suicide vests and instruct them to be at a given place at a given time and to kill as many people as they can. I'm sure people who know where to find potential attackers like these guys also know where to get the devices. It's basically that simple. And it makes it shockingly clear that it can happen again pretty easily.

Je suis désolée. Mes condoléances.

Helmut Schmidt (1918-2015)

A great loss. 

One of his most famous sentences: "You need real intention. And cigarettes." 

 If you'd like to know something about political ethics, here's the link to his wikipedia arcticle.