Hello and Happy April Fool’s Friday!
So my husband asked me today if I detected any April Fool’s pranks so far. Well looking at the “news” blankly while shaking my head I have to say that most articles I read or saw are a joke anyway. If you are in need of some ideas for a prank, check out this link. I also realized that I don’t have to move to the Bronx or Brooklyn to see street/gang fights, drugs and crime. The police just patrolled the area here in this otherwise quiet, children-friendly neighborhood and almost arrested a bunch of kids who were drunk, screaming and beating each other up. I wonder sometimes what is happening in this world. I try to stay sane and don’t worry or judge too much but I think at the same time to what extend I am able to influence who my son hangs out with when he gets older. As parents one should be a role model and show children the right way that is least harmful for them while leading by example. I want to protect him of gangs like this, you know. But will I be able to? Time will tell. My week was full of awesome things otherwise. Read on if you would like.
Reading: I read Der Trick by Emanuel Bergman and this book kept me up reading until late at night. It is seriously that good. I found out about this wonderful book one evening at my favorite bookstore Riemann when the owner Martina Riegert introduced it to a room full of passionate readers. Ulrike Radecker (Riemann Team) introduced Sally Andrews’s Recipes for Love & Murder that evening and I love love love this book. This is my first book by a South-African writer but will most certainly not be my last one. Book reviews will follow soon!
Watching: I finally watched Anomalisa and I loved it! If you get the chance, do watch this movie. This video that is very special to my husband and I. Also, check out this trailer about the movie Vaxxed from Cover Up to Catastrophe. The movie was prohibited to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival. Why, is the question! You can see it at the Angelika Movie Theater in New York and hopefully at many other movie theaters. Then again, I am excited about the news that Woody Allen produced and directed a new movie. Café Society it is called and will play soon. I cannot wait.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XraVnGsYqTk
Discovering & Learning: Have you heard about Geocaching? Say whaaaat? I have heard about it a couple of months ago when I was walking outside with my friend Susi and her two sons. Her elder son told me to check a little Kodak Film tube that is attached under a park bench. I was a little skeptical at the beginning about anything attached and glued underneath a park bench but then I took a closer look anyway. I opened it and there was a little handwritten note with coordinates in it. What the hell? I was even more surprised when I saw this poster at the Leipzig Book Fair.
I remember that Susi’s son talked about this like it is the most normal thing on this earth and everybody does it. He explained that it is a somewhat worldwide treasure hunt of some type. With GPS you try to find these little containers that are hidden somewhere. Traditionally, they are waterproof (Kodak Film tubes and whatnot) and contain trade items and a tiny log book inside. Trade items or little treasures are usually not worth much but it is just a fun thing to find one. I googled geocachers and found out that there are worldwide approximately 15 million! who participate in this game. Insane, no? How come I have never heard about this? As a child I loved to play treasure hunting but as an adult? And yes, adults are into this as well. All you need is download the app and you are in.
I learned today how easy it is to make perfect sushi rolls. Yay for homemade sushi and sushi cravings. I was even able to make the Japanese rice which I thought I could never do. Piece of cake, or piece of sushi.
This week was full of discoveries. One word I learned is Tsundoku. It originally is a Japanese slang; “tsun-doku”. [「積ん読 and came from 「積んでおく」 “tsunde-oku” (to pile things up ready for later and leave) and 「読書」 “dokusho” (reading books). ] Are you guilty of buying tons of books and piling them all over without reading them? If you suffer from Tsundoku, the chances are pretty high that you will never be able to finish all these books. I am guilty in a way myself but actually I am not too bad. I do read most of my books but many times I do purchase some and have not even finished the one I am currently reading. But honestly, I can never ever go to my favorite bookstore and just look around and buy nothing. I ALWAYS buy one book whenever I go in there. I currently have seven books on my to-read pile. Not too bad indeed I reckon.
I loved to find new galleries in New York. I mean everybody knows the big ones like MoMA, The Met and Guggenheim). But what about all the small ones that are all over Manhattan and Brooklyn? Time Out New York is pretty amazing to be up to date on what is going on in New York City culturally and culinary but also this app specially for the little contemporary art galleries.
Loving: Notebooks, holy Notebooks. I love them and they make me happy. I like to plan and organize everything and this little blank notebook is so great to do so. It is by the publisher Suhrkamp and you can order your here.
Two blog-planners that I use and work for me are the one-year editorial blog planner Epic Blog and this smaller version Blog On that is great as well. This is how I schedule my blog posts in advance.
Looking forward to: To see my husband and travel again. I need some Vitamin “Sea” and of course the adventure. Congo is next on the agenda. Or Mexico, or, or, or…..
What have you been up to? I would love to hear from you. Have a great weekend.
