Tut-tut, it looks like SNOW

A view from my window: a barren field in Bremen-Nord

♪... It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go ... ♫

Successful Renovation!

We finished renovating the Graduate Student Lounge!!! We stripped the dark, nasty, dull, cluttered and dated elements and transformed the three rooms into bright, optimistic, creative, open and pro-social spaces!!! 


Countless hours and late nights went into this project - I am so pleased with the final product and turnout of the party (OVER 80 PEOPLE SHOWED UP!!!) Everyone had a great time and seemed to really like what we have done!! :)


BEFORE: 

dried blood red permeating every wall of every room

  

Me, Dom, Vanine, Karin & Louise in big room. The blue curtains completely clashed with the red walls.

Rion, Dom, Louise, Stefan and Marina in the old coffee break room. Inconsistent, immature pictures plagued the walls and extra drinks were always shoved behind the door.

AFTER!!!!

Karina, Marion & Natalya in the NEW Coffee Bar room. Dublin Mint-colored walls now feature grads black and white photos.

Cristina & Nourdine in the old coffee break room - now called the PANORAMA ROOM, which has a Terra Cotta/beige motif

Tanya & Louise sitting in the bright, new foyer below a new, description Map of Die Welt

Me & Magda in the new Coffee Bar room. Red was transformed to white to convey simplicity.

Big mirrors decorate the walls of the sunny foyer to bring in light and warmth.

Black and white photos taken by the grads pepper the entire space. Here, grads are relaxing, enjoying some beers at our new kitchen table. 

All photos were taken by Louise Elali. 

Black and White Out

We are holding a photo submission contest to have grads send in their best black and white photos of their hometowns, their travels, or just their favorite places. Here are mine: 

Manzanita Tree, Moon Rocks, Santa Cruz, CA USA

National Library of Congress, Washington D.C., USA

Golden Gate Bridge, SF, CA

Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

Outside Zion National Park, Utah, USA

Isla Bastimientos, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Fern Canyon, Humboldt County, CA, USA

Portland, Oregon, USA

West Cliff, Santa Cruz

<3

Make Me Dance

http://www2.theuglydance.com/?v=byxxutcim5

I can't dance as cool as you... 

Whaddya Want from Me?

 Spent a sensational Sunday in Hamburg with my great new friend (RESBIAN). We took the train from Bremen to meet my great old friend (NEILIO) for drinks and lunch, who is on the Glam Nation International tour with his pop star brother (ADAM "GLAMBERT" LAMBERT). He invited us to the show... VIP status (what, what)

 Adam dressed in the most incredible gorey glitter glam gorgeousness possible. His band was surprisingly great and the dancers were HOT.

Men kissed, glittery women went wild, and I drank my Johnny Walker Black Label thinking... 

whaddya want from me?

Continental Contention

North & South America: One Continent or Two?

There has been a voracious debate going on betwixt friends here about the 

continental definitions of North and South America. 

I say it is TWO continents because of the logic of landmass. I was taught that there are 7 continents: Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Antarctica and Australia. This is confirmed by wikipedia, under the entry "continent": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continent 

Other friends, primarily those from South America, think otherwise. They were taught that in fact they are ONE continent, as confirmed here by the spanish wikipedia, under the entry "Americas"

Can you weigh in?

Autumn = Gorgeous

I finally bought a chocolate-brown leather jacket.

It's the one I've been waiting for my entire life. Sounds dramatic, but it's true. It's the sweetest purchase in recent memory, from Mango. 

<3

On this very successful shopping trip to Hamburg, Cristina and stumbled into the most beautiful botanical heaven in the universe. The leaves were fell and covered the ground with the richest purples, reds, oranges, yellows and greens I've ever seen. 

And, Cristina made friends with a ladyduck. 

I have created "that special place" in my head to return to during stressful times - i.e. on a run, meditating, or doing yoga. The California Coast has got nothin' on Germany's Autumn. FACT.