23rd December, 2011
Hello 🙂
It is Winter here but there has been only scanty snowfall which secretly fell in the night and looked like frosty icing in the morning, quickly melting away. Temperatures have stayed around 3-6 degrees on average. Thinking back to the heavy snow and ice of last year, this is a most genial winter indeed!
And it has been filled with so much activity! Lunch with the Indian group last Sunday, evening cookie-tea at my supervisor´s house just after that, meeting my MSc classmates (in the extra courses I am taking) the previous night, and then again on Tuesday for one of their birthdays! Going to the Christmas Market (Weinachts Markt) with my flatmates to watch one of them sing (another choir), going earlier with a colleague and old german classmates, movie nights, farewell parties (for one of my officemates who has finished her PhD), not to mention listening sessions at home.
And it doesn´t stop for a while to come. I am spending Christmas with my flatmate, his girlfriend and their families. On Monday I have a listening session planned with a friend who is moving to Stuttgart next month. And on Tuesday meeting other friends… I have yet to make solid plans with my old friend (who moved to Düsseldorf) who is visiting family here. Then it is New Years and then my birthday!
On the work front, my pilot has been approved! 🙂 And I have made the corrections necessary for collecting real data which can only start in mid-January because people are away until then. So things are pretty relaxed for now, though I have material to read over the ‘holidays’.
So Winter solstice just finished. I was thinking we should party and unintentionally, it actually happened! 🙂
Yesterday I came home early and watched Dr No (James Bond), fell asleep at the slow pace. Woke up disoriented and Lea called me to go for a music night at the Uni. I said yes, we got ready and went. Stood for a couple of hours as we watched and listened to various music students present their pieces. There was jazz, rock, classical, fusion, and some pop! My flatmate also performed with his unplugged band. Some groups were just fine while others were mind-blowingly good! Then, after a fusion jazz band, the next group further escalated the excitement and it got to a point where many people were moving to the music as they sat so the band (with trumpets, guitars, singers and drums) asked us all to stand up. At that point, a concert/set of performances became a party! Familiar faces from my choir were suddenly animated as we all danced. Group after group; irish fiddle and flute, bhangra, rock, and even rap (eminem). I indeed lost myself in the music; head banging and dancing like there was no tomorrow! Hours flew by as people got carried away in the moment and began performing impromptu, but so well! It was wild! We only left at 3am because Lea had a train to catch at 10am!
What a night! 6 hours of bliss, music and being taken to different parts of the world and planes of ecstasy. I´m still high! And it was better than any club or party where everyone is listening to a stereo because everyone was part of the music, the group was familiar, fresh and spirited! The enjoyment was of and from a more personal part of each musician there.
When colours are bursting in one´s mind, heart and body, it doesn´t matter if the sky is grey.
I hope all of you have a nice Christmas (if you celebrate) and that the new year brings good health, joy and fulfilment 🙂
Lots of love and hugs 🙂