What’s up these days?

It’s a shock looking to the East and following the decisions China made about Hongkong. It’s about breaking a contract which was signed 36 (!) years ago. Don’t contracts matter anymore? It’s fantastic to see the reaction of London. Don’t all lives matter?

It’s a shock looking to the West and following the demonstrations about #BlackLivesMatter. We have black friends in the USA, they lived for 2 years in Germany and just returned back home a couple of months ago. It’s heart breaking when she’s texting me that she wishes to be back in Germany. Don’t all lives matter? It’s fantastic to see the reaction of other countries demonstrating for human rights. Worldwide. Immediately! Forever! It’s also a shock for all those who have valid (!) work visas (and a life! A job! An apartment! A car! Friends!) and where at the wrong time at the wrong place, a Thursday morning in March when the president had decided to close the international borders. Don’t all lives matter?

It’s a shock to look around Europe not being able to handle the refugee situation better. Don’t all lives matter?

It’s a shock to look around the globe and keep following the corona epidemic. Some people demonstrating for their rights while global leaders try to decrease the number of infected people while others aren’t interested in working together developing vaccines. It’s a shock to listen to discussions of countries feeling privileged to purchase the rights of vaccines. It’s a shock that we celebrate hero nurses, doctors, truck drivers (and many others) only in times of corona. Don’t all lives matter? All the time?

It’s a shock following the #FridayForFuture demonstrations and watching the global leaders with hardly any reactions. Don’t all lives matters?

In what kind of world are we living?

In what kind of world do we want to live?

I myself lived as a foreigner abroad. I know how it feels to “look different”, “speak different”, “be different”. We have black friends, gay friends, handicapped friends, old friends, young friends… and I’m glad we do! We have friends in China, Mexico, USA, Italy, France, Ireland, Finland. We have work colleagues in India, USA, China, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico… we are living in a global world. I’m glad we do! Diversity! It’s not just a fancy modern word, we need to tolerate and live it more than ever before!

Don’t take things as granted – because they are not!

How would Germany be without chai latte? Without coke? Without baguette? Without curry? Without dumplings? Without coffee? Without oranges? Without chocolate? Without IKEA? Without Toyota? Without French wine?

What’s up these days?

Something to think about!

Something to be sad about!

Something to have an opinion about!

Time to do something about!

Everyone’s life matters!

Those words are for you, my friends!

Stay safe! Stay strong! Stay healthy! Stay optimistic! Stay the way you are!

Dreaming of better days ahead!

Week#11. Life was shut down for the past couple of weeks. And we have been working from home since. Haven’t seen my desk. Haven’t seen any colleagues or bosses. And it looks like this new working style will continue for a bit longer.

What is working from home like?

Sleeping longer (not in!). Less driving (yeah!). Internet interruptions („hello! Hello? Can you hear me?“). Lunch breaks with hubby. Neck pain (I totally underestimated the purpose of an office chair. No, it’s not made for turning around in circles!). Lounge wear & hair bands. No Autobahn rush hour (the best thing!). My husband, the only visible working buddy in the new next door office (when he spends one day in the plant I feel lonely). Lunch breaks in the garden. Home made cappuccino (still the best!). Somebody having breakfast (muesli crunch) while on Skype. Talking while muted… barking dogs. Crying kids. Chinese mother-in-laws shouting in the background (that’s the best one). Have I mentioned that mute button? Happy next door neighbor chicken (I’m sure their chit chat at 9am can be still heard via my Skype in Beijing), Gin & Tonic (virtual until 5:30pm. After that the real stuff).

The past 11 weeks working from home felt like going through the (culture) shock curve: amazing in the beginning, sucks in the middle, got used to it for the rest… (I’m in the last phase). PS: the new office chair just arrived.

Is it time yet to think about a “CoV working from home exit strategy”?

Maybe not. But shops, hair dressers and even restaurants are open again. And all of that comes with a new challenge: don’t forget to wear your mask (what really sucks: my smartphone’s sensor doesn’t recognize my face anymore…). Many neighbors on the way to the bakery turn half way around to get their masks…

And social life became a topic again. Social what (just kidding)? OMG! Seriously, it took us a while to get (mentally) out of the lockdown again. I have to admit we had quickly gotten used to it and quite enjoyed it. We were a little overwhelmed when (social) life & things opened unexpectedly early up again: ehm, meeting friends? what, family visit? Checking calendars again? Is corona gone? Socializing? What’s that? Dressing? Sounds like a lot of work…

I guess it’s about time to get that „life routine” up again. …routine what? Jep! Some of us may even need a training: getting ready to get back into our normal (work) life again.

On the agenda:

⁃ Clothes & Make up

⁃ Conversations & meeting people

⁃ Driving a car

⁃ In the Office

We are slowly being released to the world again. Yeah!

Let’s use some time to catch up getting ready. Do you still remember those pair of jeans? No… they don’t have an elastic waste band… instead they have a zipper and a button! Sounds like torture? Well, say goodbye to your jogging pants!

Let’s move on to conversations with people: what do you say if somebody says “hi, how are you?”. No, toilet paper is not the right answer… let’s try this one: “do you have plans for the weekend?”. No… sip, wine, wine & sip is not the right answer…

Another important hint: Consider that you cannot take a nap every day anymore! No, you cannot keep that! Instead you need to go to bed on time! And: stop watching Netflix! How? Push through! You can do it!

Moving on to going back to work. Like to a real office with people, colleagues: put on clothes and make up! I know that means getting up an hour earlier again… saying goodbye to that comfortable Lounge wear…

Let’s practice an on-site meeting, you are no longer in zoom meetings! Yes, your colleagues and boss will be able to actually see you! You are no longer on screen sharing (no tik tok movements!). There will be no more zoom calls! Everybody can see you again!

No, you also cannot eat crisps anymore – you are no longer on mute!

All of this sounds hard?

Well, get used to it!

Just drive to work and figure it out, ok?

Oh, you are not sure if you still remember how to drive a car…

Oh dear!

Breath!

Good luck! Have fun!

PS: We really enjoyed the last couple of weeks. It will be a tough change! Not ready yet to enter the (new) normal world again.

We are going to have a vacation instead. Not Italy! It’s corona time (as my nieces would say). We have many ideas but no plans (for the first time, kind of exciting! Kind of scary for a project leader!).

Maybe it will be just Bali on a poster this year:

Haha. Love the title. It was hubby’s idea and his contribution to this blog. „Hell“ has a double meaning: English, OMG we have to go back to „hell“. In German, hell means „light“ like it wasn’t too bad coming back after all.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” – Laotse, China

Our first step to an amazing adventure together was taken pretty much exactly 9 years ago! And how many exciting miles we have made since.

Some of those miles brought us now back to Europe. Already one year ago. We made it! Wow! Time is flying. Back in Germany after 8 years abroad. And what can I say: we were very afraid of coming back (my bucket list pro Germany helped). And yes, life has been different for the past 12 months. Different but good! To our great surprise we are enjoying it!

For sure the „skyline“ of our town cannot cope with the one in Shanghai.

We are also definitely missing Shanghai’s amazing (roof top) bars & fabulous restaurants (what would we give for a visit at Mr & Mrs Bund…) and Mr Xu and the fabric market. And who would have ever guessed the advantages of smog: I was hay-fever-free for 3 years!

Even after 4 years, we are still missing our sunshine state SC, the blue sky, key lime pie, BBQs and the awesome cars we had. Our friends and my all-time favorite city: NYC.

Back in Germany. I didn’t think that I would ever appreciate the most common thing: fresh air. Just simply clean air to breath (and not have to choose between opening the window after showering to get bad air in or keeping window closed and produce mold)! Since Monday I can clearly see (well, or not see. LoL) the benefits of smog: no hay fever (currently missing the smog. Haha).

We love living in a little town in the countryside which brings us to the fields within minutes for walks.

I enjoy experiencing the seasons again (a super hot summer 2019, a colorful autumn, a rather warm winter and a fantastic spring 2020).

I truly appreciate the access to free & unfiltered news again. (Listening to it everywhere, all the time is a different story and can get exhausting.)

It felt weird in the beginning that we could again understand people talking around us (and sometimes I wish I couldn’t or didn’t have to…).

Needless to say: I love driving in the automobile country without speed limits: free, fast & flexible. And hopefully soon on the motorbike.

Back in the country of carnival!

Being in the same time zone as most family & friends (even some are disappointed that we don’t see each other more frequently).

It’s about the little things which have a big meaning to us. And most people take for granted.

Having a garden.

Cool nights. No humidity.

A short walk to the butcher, bakery and ice cream place (pavements & not getting run over by e-bikes, scooters, cars or trucks).

Home office.

Shopping: clothes in all sizes available again, every day (missing the fabulous bargains though).

Favorite magazines & newspaper again available.

Of course there’s a couple of annoying things as well (like in every other country, too): German bureaucracy sucks (7 months waiting time to apply for a driver license and 2 hour waiting time to pick it up – Germany is still far away from service friendly…).

I’m happy that we are happy being back. We are a little less Irish and a little less German and a little more American and a little more Chinese. I love working for an international company which makes everything a little less German, even in Germany.

We became good in taking roots but also learnt to dissolve them. We don’t have only one home but many. We are flexible. We have to be flexible. In British we would be called „anywhere’s“.

Lots of people are asking: what did you like better, the USA or China. We loved both and it’s not really comparable since both countries are very different. We met wonderful people in both countries. We made a lot of amazing cultural experiences and learnt: we all smile in the same language. Big hugs & kisses around the globe. It’s you who made & makes our life colorful!

For now we keep enjoying discovering Germany & Europe with the positive attitude from America and the practical way of China.

There’s lots to love about the cities of Europe: freshly pressed olive oil, grand and sweeping avenues, corner boulangeries, thick café crèmes, tidy public transport, crêperies, chocolatiers, flower shops, antiquity shops, sweet cafés and so much more.

Home is wherever I’m with you (now I cannot get that catchy song out of my mind anymore).

One year in „hell“ – not so bad after all 🙂 Happy to be here!

Cheers!

Beautiful May. The smell of roses. The red poppies. Those temperatures. That blue sky. Maiglöckchen or Lily of The Valley (what a pretty name) & red reddish (we had that one already… still eating them).

May is also the month of Birthday. Bank holiday(s). Mothers Day. Father’s Day. Long weekends… Plenty of reasons to get together to celebrate the happy moments.

Planning my birthday in corona times is not only difficult but rather a real challenge:

1. Challenge accepted! (at no #5 I almost gave up).

2. Find out about the current rules (they change constantly).

3. Try to understand them. It took me quite a while this time. I even had to ask friends & potential guests for help. WTF! Why so complicated?

4. Think about who you want to invite. And more importantly these days: which county do they come from? (if different ones, go back to 1. and repeat research).

5. Calculate how many people from which households are allowed. Who is considered family? New thoughts: Are we not all sisters & brothers?! (LOL).

6. Do I really want to celebrate my birthday?

7. Yes I do!

8. Ask the guests if they “are willing” to be in contact with other “households” (risk!).

9. It was a “first come, first serve” kind of thing. (Sorry for all the others… 2nd party?).

10. Not planned but happened: celebrating all weekend to be able to see everyone 🙂 (the last guests just left. I needed a little siesta… getting older, you know).

11. Social distancing can be beautiful.

I had a fantastic birthday (weekend)! Surrounded by lovely people: family & friends. Thanks for coming! You made my day & weekend! It was fantastic to see you all again! It’s been a while! And that’s all what matters!

A garden party. Not only because of social distancing. The weather was fabulous (well deserved I think)!

Enjoying brunch:

Romantic and yummy dinner with hubby in a restaurant (our first visit since corona re-opening). So much detail & beautiful work on this plate!

More celebrations with family:

Family portrait May 2020:

A visit in the Wilhelma, Stuttgart’s zoo:

Thanks for all the beautiful gifts! A new bottle of gin (very much needed with the never ending home office days). Macarons (that Wanderlust keeps rising…). Beautiful flowers for the garden & for the table. Tasty things from the homeland. A book for becoming a baking goddess (dear neighbors, your diet has ended, new pies will follow). And so many more…

Day 4: a break. Also much needed 😉 (not 16 anymore…).

We know Autokino from America. And from Kornwestheim (cars are not as cool here…).

In corona times it became so popular that tickets have been sold out fast. All the time. Every week. Every day. Except tonight. We made it!

Mini is on!

The program: 25th Tatort Stuttgart. A premier. Love it! (Sunday on TV)

You purchase your ticket online, you bring your own snacks and radio.

Front row is the penalty for coming too late (we notice that we should have cleaned the windscreen…). The film starts rather late due to summer time (let’s see if we middle old people can make it).

#WeStayInTheCar

Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun

I’ll be sittin’ when the evenin’ comes

Watchin’ the ships roll in

Then I watch ’em roll away again

I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay

Watchin’ the tide, roll away

I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay

Wastin’ time…

Love the song.

Love our vinyl.

Love the singer.

Love listening & dancing in the living room at 8am because I cannot sleep anymore (wish I was at the bay though…).

The plan for later: reading my favorite weekend newspaper for a couple of hours. In Pyjamas (or lounge wear how I now prefer to call it. PS: Lounge wear can be also worn in the supermarket!). A lot of coffee included. Followed by a siesta in the garden. Just wonderful! Pure luxury.

My Sunday so far…

Keep enjoying your weekend, y‘all!

Guess, what we have been eating since a couple of days?

Yes! Our first home-grown radishes are ready and soooo tasty!

Lessons learnt though: don’t grow a hundred radishes at the same time and believe half of them not gonna make it. Otherwise, Monday: radish with salt for lunch. And with vinegar for dinner. Tuesday: radish with salad. Wednesday: radish with lamb. Thursday: radish with steak. Friday………..

It all started pretty much 9 weeks ago with the corona lockdown. All of a sudden we had time. A lot of time. A perfect time for gardening! Time for growing red radishes (and chili’s, spinach, carrots, beans, rucola, lettuce, basil, leek, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes…) in our garden.

A seed.

Seedling sprouts.

Seedlings.

It works! They grow!

It feels very gratifying taking a plant through its whole life cycle.

Is there a nicer place to grow?

After sometime we moved them to a new home: hubby’s self-build raised bed (a former TV transportation box from China…).

We watched them grow. Daily. With excitement & big surprise. I guess we didn’t expect them all to grow. And we appreciated how lovely the silence of growing things is. That’s how we felt for the past 9 weeks.

Gardening is the slowest of the performing arts. Don’t they look artistic (well, maybe the shape is a bit weird)?

There’s kind of a competitiveness going on. Between sister & brother and neighbors. In a good way. Exchanging photos of seedlings 🙂 It feels good.

Leek, spring onion, red pepper, chilies, mushrooms, potatoes, lettuce, sunflowers, lavender, poppies, tulips (2021)… to follow. Cannot wait! And in-between we may work on more radishes…

PS: anyone interested in Turley-tomato-seedlings? Let us know! We have plenty. Might be even able to support Italy with tomato sauce this year 😉

Now ready for dinner: red radishes…

Today is Mother’s Day. 46 countries around the globe are celebrating today!

Driving home for Mother’s Day.

Heimat.

For me it’s the first Mother’s Day in 8 years that I’m in Germany and therefore close. Well, this years challenge: Corona! So close and still so far. Only 300km away and lucky us: surprisingly county borders were opened only 3 days ago & it’s now allowed to visit close family members. Yeah! Just in time (I would have gone anyway… just saying).

And off we go.

On the road again.

Hubby, Charlie & I.

For the first time in 9 weeks.

Exciting.

Oh it feels good.

It feels free.

It feels wild.

Our gift: time together & spoiling mummy. Cooking a 3-course-lunch for her (and us):

The chef of the day:

Our menu:

Greetings from the kitchen & starter: Smoked salmon Tatar with a wasabi note and garden spring onions on fresh field salad with pomegranate seeds.

Main: white Swabian asparagus on new potatoes with hollandaise sauce & Schnitzel (from a Swabian pork).

Clinking glasses with my favorite bottle of French Rosé included.

Dessert: A lemon berry mascarpone tart

(Followed by a little siesta, haha).

Bon Appetit!

Enjoying to be together again.

Happy that everyone is healthy.

Precious time together.

Happy Mother’s Day to all fabulous moms around the world!

From Charlie to me:

Lockdown opening continuous. Hair dressers are re-opening! Hallelujah, as my French friend would say.

Survived for the last 8 weeks (thanks to some cheating color spray… hair bands… hats & home office…). Meanwhile, decision was taken: growing hair again (powerless & confirmed decision).

Next challenge: schedule an appointment. ASAP! They shared via email when and how to be contacted for appointments: phone busy. App crashed. They offered what’s up service and eventually called back. The result: 2 appointments! One for color, 2nd for cut one week later (I feel like a winner)!

Next challenge accepted: follow hairdresser rules (informed via email called “update 3.0”):

Wait in front of door until somebody calls you in (luckily the rain stopped). No companions allowed (ok…). Bring your own face mask. If you forget, no problem, you can purchase one. No drinks provided (bring your own). No newspaper provided (bring your own). Hairdressers working with gloves (one pair per customer). Schedule your next appointment via phone only (to avoid queue at cashier). So far so good.

Today is the day, first visit: Maybe a bit nervous, checking my belongings: mask/check. Drink/check. Magazine/check. Wallet/check. Off we go.

Waiting to be called in:

Disinfecting hands. The salon smells like a bar… (No, I haven’t had my margarita yet…).

Smiles hidden by masks. Happy to be back. Happy to have me back (I guess).

Wearing a mask while getting color (mask & hair have now same color, didn’t like that green anyway 😉 ).

Getting hair washed with a mask is not as much of a challenge as I would have imagined. It was fine & fun. I feel like a human again. Yeah! Ready to meet some friends & family soon again.

What I really like and appreciate: hairdresser salon opening time got extended: including Monday’s and daily one hour earlier and one hour more (very work hour friendly). I love it, hope it will survive the corona rush hour).

Enjoy your own important appointment!

Spring is in the air. It’s getting warmer and that means the first rhubarb is ready. Yea or nay?

Anyone who grew up in Germany will most likely remember this “fruit” from their childhood with a combination of fear and shaking. While it should change from astringent to pleasantly tart through cooking with enough sugar, too often this ended up as a sour green-brown pulp. If you were lucky it was mixed with vanilla pudding. And daddy proudly preparing this dish, and ended up eating it for days on his own… year for year. Not such good memories. And repeated every spring again…

All of that doesn’t sound appealing, right?That’s what I thought. But then we had the rhubarb and needed to do something with it. So I started looking up recipes. Thought it’s time to give it another try. And I have to admit: wow, how times change. It seems now featuring in more sophisticated guises, including Rhubarb Martinis!

Well, Martini sounds good but let’s start first with the old favorite tart (made lots of experience in the past weeks with lemon tart, strawberry tart…). This time with rhubarb based on a British recipe: a thin pastry shell topped with a thin layer of dark chocolate (for hubby) & cream.

I loved the different preparation style of the rhubarb – rather than stewing (memories!!), it’s gently roasting the rhubarb in the oven with a little sugar, which means you end up with tender chunks of rhubarb which burst with flavour and have a positively fluorescent pink color – awesome!

Super delicious! So good that it even deserves to be written about. The rhubarb definitely deserved a second chance! (The neighbors loved it, too).

I sent my father a photo, his comments: oh, that rhubarb looks wild (including some crying and thump down emoji…). Just now I asked my mum for her old rhubarb cake recipe… Father’s Day is coming up soon…