These days in July? More events you can visit. More concerts, anniverseries and parties you can imagine. So many options… And so much work stress everywhere. People in administration that I know say: They sometimes work from 4 AM until 11 PM without breaks. Seems Germany has bounced back into full gear. At the same time, however, everyone is still weary of crowds and noise. Therefore, people are exhausted all the time. All the time.
First thoughts of travel creep back into our lockdown-pressured minds. What a joy it was to mindlessly travel from one destination to another before Cv. We’ve taken it for granted. We thought it would stay lcike this forever… that every destination would be in reach, all the time.
I miss travelling. I fear it, too.
I am curious to explore again.
Many people I know book flights again these days. Politicians and doctors warn — will a new surge of the pandemic hit us soon? We’ll see.
Along with travel comes bureaucracy. My family and I have spend long hours in line to get new passports. The offices at the city halls are crammed. People ordered their travel passports way too late, and now pay ridiculous amounts of rush fees. So many people plan to travel again.
Still On My Travel Bucket List
Orange/France. Pyramids in Egypt. Museum hopping in Paris and Amsterdam. Max Fosh’s standup special in London. Hadrian’s Wall again. Bath/UK. Edinburgh/Scotland. Old churches in Vermont. Maybe Australia und Canada.
Meanwhile trending on Unsplash this week: »Sad«
In Covid News
Or Post-Covid: The German Paul-Ehrlich-Institut has started a long-term study on exhaustion after Covid, and also exhaustion as side-effects after getting vaccinated.
On My Watchlist / To-Be-Read Pile
* Peaky Blinders 1-6. How haven’t I heard of this historical series yet? Cillian Murphy seems to TRANSFORM into 1920s Tommy Shelby. You actually forget he’s acting — he just literally grabs you and violently tears you into the story. He inhabits this person from the past with a force that is absolutely breathtaking.
* Bistro Huddy is a one-man comedy channel. Drew Talbert plays ALL the characters, from the cook to the restaurant manager, to the waiters and waitresses and all of the different guests. It’s absolutely hilarious. My favourite character is Nicole, the too-cool-for-all-of-this waitress. As soon as they (well, Drew) announced there would be a Patreon, I signed up! Check out their fabulous videos on Youtube here. And check if you want to join their Patreon, too. 👉 https://www.patreon.com/bistrohuddy
* Massive Talent, the film with (and about) Nick Cage.
* All books from Libby Page (who is a true ray of sunshine over on Twitter, check our her feed here).
* Jessie Burton’s new book. Eleven months ago, I pre-ordered a signed copy of her new novel, and I am giddily awaiting the package in the mail.
On Repeat: Don’t you feel alive / these are your times and our highs?
Speaking of 90s bands. Many of them celebrate revivals these days and perfom at festivals… TLC was at Glastonbury Festival last week. Lefteye was missing, obviously (she’s dead. I still remember hearing about her being killed in a car accident. My then-boyfriend and I drove our crappy car through the Bavarian countryside late at night, after a concert in Munich, when they announced it on German radio). But the other fierce TLC ladies were on stage. And yeeees, they still can perform.
Looking Forward To
* Ryan Reynolds teamed up with David Griner (formerly: Adweek!) and Dionna Dorsey Calloway to create a new non-profit. »The Creative Ladder« is dedicated to making creative careers more inclusive and accessible. VERY exited to see what this team can do together! 💪💪🏻💪🏽💪🏿
* My Policeman; the trailer dropped earlier this week. Is there anything Harry Styles can’t do?
Best Thing On Twitter This Week
Somebody doesn’t know his memes…
In Other News
Injured my ankle, so I could not walk properly this week.
Butter costs 3.29 Euros; petrol costs (E10) 1.77 or 1.80 Euros per litre.
Inflation is at 8 percent in Germany, at almost 70 (!) percent in Turkey. At the same time, German airlines recruit workers in Turkey, and they still call them »Gastarbeiter« (immigrant workers). Why oh why are they using the same terminology as in the 1950s? Le sigh.
Meanwhile, were watching from afar how the British government implodes. German newspapers have from 9 AM written about how he must resign during the day… but he didn’t (of course). We’re watching how a man clings to power. British aquaintances from Twitter were live-tweeting what they saw on TV and live (one MP after the other resigned, also ministers). It’s a farce, they commented. How on earth shall they get a fresh start in British politics?
On My Desk
Newsletters for banking services; concept and texts for a tourism project in the German region of the Eifel; lots and lots of inquiries. Also, we started digitising many historical glass photos of the Middle Rhine between 1900–1920. VERY excited to plough through this treasure box of old images. Visited St. Goar and loved the short ferry ride on the Middle Rhine.
Now, I am off to book a real vacation.