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German connection 3
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Message 1.Â
Posted by oldbloke2 (U2285767) on Friday, 28th November 2008
As I can't find the old thread I thought I'd start a new one.
Has anyone read Marco's book about his view of the events and his experience in a Turkish prison?
I reckon I'm going to buy it. What interests me most is why the Enlish parents insisted on him being prosecuted and how they and the girl see things now. -
Message 2
Posted by jane c (U2234970) on Saturday, 29th November 2008
Good morning, oldbloke
Here's the link. Happy 1st Advent.
jx
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Message 3
Posted by That Old Janx Spirit (U2140966) on Saturday, 29th November 2008
Ooh.. thanks for reminding.. now I know what I wanted to put on my list for today - some Christmas wreaths and some branches to decorate the flat.
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Message 4
Posted by oldbloke2 (U2285767) on Saturday, 29th November 2008
I've just disobeyed orders on Xmas wreath. I told OH I'd forgotten it when I got back from shopping. I can't stand the things. Just make a mess and are a fire hazard - we've had two fires caused by them, one very serious one. The first less serious one ended with me standing naked in the kitchen with my son and his mate giggling at the sight!
Don't mind a Xmas tree (though I prefer plastic to real). -
Message 5
Posted by oldbloke2 (U2285767) on Saturday, 29th November 2008
Serves me right for insubordination I suppose. Sent back to supermarket to buy wreath only to find they've sold out. So now I'll have to into town on Monday evening.
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Message 6
Posted by Bearhug (U2258283) on Saturday, 29th November 2008
Why are wreaths a fire hazard? Don't they just sit on the front door getting cold and wet?
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Message 7
Posted by oldbloke2 (U2285767) on Saturday, 29th November 2008
Some do. Others lie on the living room table and have four candles. A candle is lit on each Advent Sunday, so by the fourth Advent Sunday you have a pretty powerful incendiary device.
I actually invented an inflatable advent wreath. This is true. You blew up the candles like ballons, which were shaped like, well, candles. The company decided not to market it because it required too much puff. But they did make a bob or two from my idea of an inflatable Xmas tree. We still have one. IIRC Stefan Raab had one on his show, as well as other products from the same company. -
Message 8
Posted by nepete (U11290337) on Saturday, 29th November 2008
Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:26 GMT, in reply to oldbloke2 in message 5
Serves me right for insubordination I suppose. Sent back to supermarket to buy wreath only to find they've sold out. So now I'll have to into town on Monday evening.Â
You know, I was going to "predict" something like that, but thought it might sound rather cheeky, so i didn't. Advent without "Adventskranz". Fire hazard. Go and buy a powerful fire extinguisher.
Have a nice 1. Advent..... -
Message 9
Posted by oldbloke2 (U2285767) on Saturday, 29th November 2008
I wonder if I could get the TÃœV (health and safety mods) to insist that all xmas wreaths have to have a stamp of approval on them to show they don't constitute a fire hazard? I bet if one did cause a fire (again!) I could sue the shop that sold it. That would put the cat amongst the pigeons. Tee hee!
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Message 10
Posted by nepete (U11290337) on Saturday, 29th November 2008
Sat, 29 Nov 2008 20:48 GMT, in reply to oldbloke2 in message 9
Well, advent wreaths, especially towards the end of their working life, /do/ constitute a fire hazard, so no chance that they would get such an approval.
But then again: no risk, no fun! -
Message 11
Posted by Miladou bloody but unbowed (U3518248) on Saturday, 29th November 2008
Just popping in here quickly to say thank you, Oldbloke, for your rant about wreaths. My OH feels much the same as you do about them. The only time that I defied him and hung a beautiful homemade one on the front door, the whole family spent Christmas in bed with flu. I've never dared get one since.
He has lots of dreadful stories from his student days in Germany about houses being burned down, etc., including a narrow escape himself when staying with his German "adopted" family. Since that time, he won't ever leave a candle burning in an empty room - quite ironic for someone who I've been trying to train for nearly 40 years not to put "dead" matches back in the box. -
Message 12
Posted by That Old Janx Spirit (U2140966) on Sunday, 30th November 2008
Well, you should only light the candles if you are in the room with them so why all the fires? And if the candles are large enough, they should never burn down that far that they can reach the leaves.
I can do without a wreath inside the house, but I love having one my door. I love smelling it every time I open my door. For the last few years, I did two - one for my door and one for the communal inside door of the building. After the door to the building, there was a short corridor where the letterboxes were and then another door leading to the stairs and apartments. That's where I hung the second one.
And then after Christmas, I use the branches and leaves to protect my plants on the balcony from the worst of the cold. I've already taken them down from the top of the balcony and placed them on the ground next to the walls so they have a bit more shelter. -
Message 13
Posted by oldbloke2 (U2285767) on Sunday, 30th November 2008
When we had our two fires it was when the kids were living at home, all 4 and often mates hanging around, dossing down. So in those day you wouldn't have noticed if the Charge of the Light Brigade or the Spanish Inquistion had passed through the house, let alone if a candle was burning.
I will of course get a wreath tomorrow and impose my usual rigorous disciplinarian restrictions on its use. (;
PS I did buy a really magnificent poinsettia (?) without being told to! -
Message 14
Posted by oldbloke2 (U2285767) on Sunday, 30th November 2008
By the way, DCM, when you do your Xmas event, if the couple who guided me out of Düsseldorf are there, could you say thank you to them on my behalf - if you get the chance?
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Message 15
Posted by That Old Janx Spirit (U2140966) on Sunday, 30th November 2008
Ah, OK. Had to think for a moment which Christmas event you were talking about. There are quite a few.
back to work. I'm translating two Jerry Cotton books into easy English for learners. -
Message 16
Posted by oldbloke2 (U2285767) on Sunday, 30th November 2008
Thanks.
That sounds pleasant work- I reckon I'll canvass the publishers I've worked for before about similar stuff I can do at home. Traipsing to Düssleldorf and back, even twice a week is a bind. And I can't deal with the deadlines usually involved in translating. I don't mind reasonable, mutually agreed planning but I'll never do this 10-pages-by-tomorrow stuff again. You know what I mean.
Have a merry time at your various get-togethers. -
Message 17
Posted by That Old Janx Spirit (U2140966) on Sunday, 30th November 2008
Well.. we were supposed to have 8 weeks for 2 'books'. Now it's been narrowed down to 4 because that's how long it took them to send it to us. We also have one hectic week in January by which all corrections have to be finished. Grrrrr.
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Message 18
Posted by oldbloke2 (U2285767) on Sunday, 30th November 2008
That's not for me then. If we'd agreed on 8 weeks I'd stick to that and if they didn't accept it they'd have to find somebody else to do it.
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Message 19
Posted by Miladou bloody but unbowed (U3518248) on Sunday, 30th November 2008
"Well, you should only light the candles if you are in the room with them so why all the fires?"
I suspect alcohol may also enter into the equation! -
Message 20
Posted by oldbloke2 (U2285767) on Sunday, 30th November 2008
miladou! What on earth are you suggesting? (;
No, it wasn't in our case. Both were during the daytime and we just forgot about them. The minor one happened when I was having a bath. I heard a terible commotion downstairs, and ran down with just a towel around me.
OH was faffing, filling a saucepan with water. Without a thought for my own safety, I draped the slightly towel over the flames, extinguishing them immediately.
My youngest, then about ten was standing there with his mate. Instead of"Thanks dad, yo saved our lives, dad!" all I got a was subdued sniggering from the two lads and hilarious laughter from OH. -
Message 21
Posted by That Old Janx Spirit (U2140966) on Sunday, 30th November 2008
Ah, but oldbloke, I need the money.
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Message 22
Posted by Miladou bloody but unbowed (U3518248) on Monday, 1st December 2008
Ooo-er - it wasn't meant as a personal jibe, OB! I was remembering OH's hair raising stories of German Christmas conflagrations - one in particular involved an eight foot tree complete with lighted candles, one group of merry-makers syphoning cherry brandy for a reason which never became clear and another lot elsewhere in the room casting lead to tell fortunes.
Strangely enough, OH went to bed early last night and I decided to watch TV. I turned the main lights off and thought "Oh, I'll just light that new candle, where are the matches?". Then I found out that good old Mr Safety First had found where I'd hidden them and ... hidden them somewhere else.
Sometimes that man just doesn't realise who's in charge round at our place. -
Message 23
Posted by tillytrolly (U8311312) on Monday, 1st December 2008
Hello, folks !
Not a lot to say really (as usual) Must admit....going back to oldbloke's opening post....that I'd completely lost touch with the Marco story. I suspect the girl's parents haven't changed their minds at all. Of course, we can only go on what we've heard & it's easy for me to comment because I don't have any children but, a few years ago, we saw the "reverse situation" (if that makes sense) ....well, more serious, in terms of what happened.Young teenage pregnancy,...the father was also a relatively young teenager. He admitted that he'd gone out of his way to get the girl drunk to see if she would sleep with him, because his friends had bet him that she wouldn't . But his parents took the line that it was all her fault because it's up to the girl not to be a slut....men/boys are completely without responsibility unless a rape has been committed.
The fire alarm siren has just gone off here.......someone's Christmas tree ? -
Message 24
Posted by oldbloke2 (U2285767) on Monday, 1st December 2008
I admire his courage though.
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Message 25
Posted by oldbloke2 (U2285767) on Monday, 1st December 2008
I meant mr miladou's.
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Message 26
Posted by Miladou bloody but unbowed (U3518248) on Monday, 1st December 2008
That's twice already this week that you've made me larf out loud, OB!
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Message 27
Posted by notjenniferaldrich (U8555450) on Tuesday, 2nd December 2008
Oldbloke, you must send out the investigators PDQ and explain why I was able to BUY an inflatable advent wreath as a joke for my sprogettes a couple of years ago. Someone has been exploiting your intellectual property if you invented this wonderful object that humanity had been waiting for since the dawn of time. As my mum was wont to say, if it had been down to people like us to invent things, we'd still be living in caves!
Glad I've found all you good people again. Have had head beneath parapet due to work etc. - had a mad, mad time. Won't bore you with today's disaster, which just has to be the culmination of everything. Suffice it to say that the Hague will never be the same again! -
Message 28
Posted by Dunlurkin NL (U2675855) on Tuesday, 2nd December 2008
Sorry to hear that last, notjen. I haven't noticed anything out here among the greenhouses. Maybe I'd better check the local news.
Foul weather here today though.
Dunlurkin -
Message 29
Posted by notjenniferaldrich (U8555450) on Tuesday, 2nd December 2008
Ahem. To continue the advent wreath debate - I love 'em. I love the countdown, now conducted on the adored grandson, but I like the four candles and the way they burn down successively and end up all different heights.
This year, my Christmas pressie from the tribe is a permit to spend it in England. So, as I shall be absent from the usual family "do" on Christmas Eve, I thought I'd thank them with a little Xmas stocking each to go with each of the Advent candles. A wreath for each household was duly purchased, and also the requisite number of appropriate stockings. Unfortunately, OH has the irritating habit of not tuning in to news of such earth shattering significance. So while I was away for a week working, he delivered the wreaths without the stockings and spoiled my lovely surprises!
It's been one of those months! But I still love Advent wreaths. And if they go up in flames, it smells gorgeous at first. -
Message 30
Posted by tillytrolly (U8311312) on Tuesday, 2nd December 2008
Just sending Best Wishes, notjen....sorry you seem to have had a torrid time (in the nasty sense of the word)
Christmas card writing session coming up on Thursday -
Message 31
Posted by tillytrolly (U8311312) on Tuesday, 2nd December 2008
Oh yes.....& I've just seen that Urban Myth has posted on the old thread.....so hello
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Message 32
Posted by notjenniferaldrich (U8555450) on Tuesday, 2nd December 2008
Well, dunlurkin, perhaps I'll reveal my dread secret in complete confidence just between ourselves, natch.
You're dead right about the weather BTW - was going to the cinema with colleagues but have cried off.
This morning at 7.30, I was pondering whether to get into gear for the day, when I had a wierd phone call from a lady calling from Bulgaria and trying to contact a magazine I'd never heard of with my name. After that, I did a desultory bit of translation, until my mobile went with an SMS from a colleague telling me he was on his way. I simsed back asking if I should be on my way too. Then went to look at my documents in the office.
Eek! I had a date in the Hague today and was still sitting at home, not dressed or prepared. After hyperventilating for a couple of minutes, I girded myself up and threw a few items into a suitcase (of which I have many) and drove to the Hague. I was sooooo fortunate - the traffic was fine, and the weather was almost acceptable. I was here in no time without exceeding the very strict Dutch speed limits.
Fortunately, the real work had not started yet, as they had been debating formalities for a couple of hours before I arrived. I then had a lot of explaining to do, of course, but punishment was swift and terrible. My poor colleague had been brought down low with a cold and a terrible cough, so I was able to make up for my failure by doing a good bit of the work. And the proceedings went on till nearly 7 p.m.
Serves me right, I hear you say? Indeed it does. Maybe I should be thinking about retirement after all! -
Message 33
Posted by oldbloke2 (U2285767) on Tuesday, 2nd December 2008
Blimey, notjen, if the producer was a la carte I've missed the boat yet again! (; It was just an idea though, they would have had to do all the work, so I don't seriously think it involved intellectual copyright.
The company also made those board games with figures based on TV series and films - The Simpsons, Tellie Tubbies, Star Wars etc. I've got a stack of them. And a few really lovely Loriot Collectables. -
Message 34
Posted by Dunlurkin NL (U2675855) on Tuesday, 2nd December 2008
Oh dear, notjen.
You have my sympathy - a 'there but for the grace of God' moment, I think.
I bet the drive was not much fun, but at least there was no snow. I hope you have a restful evening and a more relaxed day tomorrow.
Dunlurkin -
Message 35
Posted by tillytrolly (U8311312) on Tuesday, 2nd December 2008
Yes, notjen....but it could happen to anyone & I'm sure it's happened to many (I'm sure quite a few would have invented a story instead of being so honest)
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Message 36
Posted by Urban Myth (U2261658) on Wednesday, 3rd December 2008
Thanks Miladou for pointing me in this direction. I tend to use the "Your discussions" link for my regular posting homes, rather than looking in at The Village Hall or The Bull Upstairs.
Notjen you have my sympathy. In my current working life, missing appointments doesn't factor. But in a previous one I seemed to spend an excessive amount of time driving round the M25 at speeds above the legal, one eye on the speedo, the other on the lookout for cameras and police cars, trying to get to clients punctually.
I've never seen the inflatable (was going to write "blow up" but thought in light of previous discussion it an unfortunate turn of phrase) Advent wreathes, but have seen inflatable birthday cakes with candles over the years - same principle really I spose. I've only ever done Advent candles in a holder (a Swedish one, that I bought in Uppsala when I worked there as an au pair a million years ago).
But here'll be a real (Scots pine) Christmas tree chez Myth this Christmas - provided by a friend who goes off to the woods to cut them down. Legally, as she does volunteer work for to a tree-caring charity and this is the perk that the volunteers get. I love the smell of Christmas trees and hate the fact that most of them sold in South-east England are Nordmann, which seem to smell of precisely nothing. In my opinion you might as well have plastic as one of them. And I haven't yet worked my head round to taking the plastic route.
Good luck with Jerry Cotton DCM. A girlfriend in Munich used to get 6 weeks for translating a standard English-language thriller/detective novel. Four weeks, even simple language, strikes me as being pretty mean. -
Message 37
Posted by That Old Janx Spirit (U2140966) on Wednesday, 3rd December 2008
Snork.. love it.. the perks of working for a tree-caring charity is you get to chop them down.
Jerry Cotton books are not standard length novels. I've just finished the first one - with revision (i.e. going through and simplifying it) and vocabulary help. Only allowed a maximum of 4 words per page. So you can imagine what fun that is. Most of the words turned out to be something to do with cars (accelerate, rear view mirror) or crime ( submachine gun, mugging, assault).
Back to the serious stuff tomorrow and then I start book two on Friday. -
Message 38
Posted by notjenniferaldrich (U8555450) on Thursday, 4th December 2008
Hi, all! Didn't manage to get online yesterday but had a lovely lunch with the colleague now sitting next to me in the booth and bought goodies for sprogette no. 2, who has birthday and Christmas in rapid succession. She wanted huge duvet covers that you can't get in Germany except made-to-measure and at head-spinning cost. In the Netherlands, available at all good dept. stores.
Weather not so snowy as in Duss. area, thank goodness. Lovely colleague also from Dus and trains impaired by wonky wheels or something, so travelling home together by car.
Thank you for all the kind words of encouragement re my senior moment on Tuesday! I've had to take quite a bit of teasing, needless to say, but I was so lucky not to let loose a complete and utter disaster, and so have managed to make amends and survive (I hope!). But all your niceness was very much appreciated, I assure you.
Dame C., are you up for some nice book translation in the New Year? Or is anyone else? -
Message 39
Posted by That Old Janx Spirit (U2140966) on Thursday, 4th December 2008
OOh. . a nice book translation? So long as it's not a computer manual, I'd be interested. Let me know more.
Hope you're keeping well otherwise. -
Message 40
Posted by tillytrolly (U8311312) on Thursday, 4th December 2008
Well, there you go, notjen.....all those lazy Duutchies, snuggling down under their fab duvets......not like the German spring out of bed & go to work ethic (think Mr T must have a bit of Dutch blood in his veins, which becomes clear at 6:00 every weekday morning)
Probably get modded for racism now -
Message 41
Posted by Dunlurkin NL (U2675855) on Thursday, 4th December 2008
Oy tilly!
Plenty of folk round here are already up and working by 6 am. (Not me, I hasten to add; I am up but not working.)
I cannot for the life of me understand the liking for double/king/huge duvets. I would always go for two singles. Fortunately I can buy those here as well as the huge ones favoured by notjen's daughter.
Glad to see you had the opportunity for a bit of retail therapy, notjen. Hope the St Nicholas music didn't drive you potty.
Dunlurkin -
Message 42
Posted by oldbloke2 (U2285767) on Thursday, 4th December 2008
The very last thing I would want to do is to compete with DCM, notjen, but if she can't do it, I'd be quite interested. Could we discuss it on a triangular off-board thread? DCM has my email address.
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Message 43
Posted by Bearhug (U2258283) on Thursday, 4th December 2008
not like the German spring out of bed & go to work ethicÂ
Would you like to explain what that is to tLG and a couple of other German colleagues who are no capable of springing out of bed, it seems?
(Speaks she who overslept till 08:50 this morning, which is unusual.) -
Message 44
Posted by That Old Janx Spirit (U2140966) on Thursday, 4th December 2008
I think it must be computer-related. The last BF worked with computers and could barely crawl out of bed before 1. I've seen him up a couple of times before 12 this week and it's pretty amazing he's achieved that.
My aunts used to get up at 5.30 and be in the office by 6.30. They'd be home by 3 p.m. I think that's taking things too far. Now, in one job in the UK which offered flexible working hours, I'd get up at 6 and start work at 7 - along with the British woman who worked the Dutch translation desk. Lovely. I got to go home in the afternoon and that freed my desk up for someone else to come in and work half a day. -
Message 45
Posted by Bearhug (U2258283) on Thursday, 4th December 2008
I cannot for the life of me understand the liking for double/king/huge duvets. Â
They're great when you've got them to yourself! And if you're cuddling up to someone, it does mean you don't end up with a freezing draught because two single duvets have drifted apart. -
Message 46
Posted by Bearhug (U2258283) on Thursday, 4th December 2008
I think computers might have something to do with it. And in my case, I am on call this week, and have not been feeling 100% - face is currently burning red, though rest of me is okay. In tLG's case, I think he often does go to bed too late, but he also seems to need a lot more sleep than I do.
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Message 47
Posted by Dunlurkin NL (U2675855) on Thursday, 4th December 2008
Oh absolutely not, Bearhug. Great heavy things that lie on top of you and you can't roll yourself up in them. Even worse with two people IMO.
You obviously haven't mastered the 2 single duvet cuddling technique yet. Keep on practising
Dunlurkin -
Message 48
Posted by tillytrolly (U8311312) on Thursday, 4th December 2008
No, that's what I mean, Dunlurkin.....Mr T is definitely not a leap out of bed in the morning person.
Oddly enough, altho traditional German work times tend to start (& finish ) earlier than the traditional British ones used to (think this concept has disappeared in Britain), I've found that our retired neighbours in Germany ( & we have mainly elderly neighbours) tend to sleep later than the retired people I know in Britain, who seem to get up at the crack of dawn & be chafing at the bit till 9 o'clock comes around & they can use their bus passes -
Message 49
Posted by tillytrolly (U8311312) on Thursday, 4th December 2008
PS If you're cuddling properly you only use one single duvet anyway
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Message 50
Posted by That Old Janx Spirit (U2140966) on Thursday, 4th December 2008
Tilly,
If only this were true of my German aunt. I hadn't realised she'd be in Berlin on my last visit and she woke me up every time she got up - which was oooooh.. between 6.20 and 6.30 a.m.
True, it's an hour later than she used to get up when she was working.. but even so..
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