four penguins

three times shakespeare with steffi

so, tonight, for the third time – it’s shakespeare at the DT with steffi – i can see a pattern here

first there was “The Tempest” – often classified as a comedy, even though it’s something else as well – something more, shall we agree? – and, incidentally one of my favourites

then, there was “Richard III” – definitively a history – not so much a favourite of mine, too complicated, too many dead, too boring all in all – but a great ilja richter made it a night at the plays to remember – read, what steffi had to say: Richard III at it.takes.two.to.tango

and tonight it’s “King Lear” – a tragedy and, incidentally, my first shakespeare, read at the tender age of sixteen, while in english class in canada – five acts, reading one act a week and then taking a test – my, my, the first test was a desaster, but as i mastered the english language, i also mastered shakespearean language – my test results got better and better in an amazingly short time and my love for shakespeare and the tragedies was raised ad infinitum

two literary giants

so, judge for yourselves – who’s better…

1. … looking

b

b

b

b

b

b

b

b

2. … better written

Man reist nicht um anzukommen, sondern um zu reisen.

Die schönsten Träume von Freiheit werden im Kerker geträumt.

3. better rhymed

Elfenlied

Um Mitternacht, wenn die Menschen erst schlafen,
Dann scheinet uns der Mond,
Dann leuchtet uns der Stern;
Wir wandeln und singen
Und tanzen erst gern.

Um Mitternacht, wenn die Menschen erst schlafen,
Auf Wiesen, an den Erlen
Wir suchen unsern Raum
Und wandeln und singen
Und tanzen einen Traum.

Die Hoffnung

Es reden und träumen die Menschen viel
Von besseren künftigen Tagen,
Nach einem glücklichen gold’nen Ziel
Sieht man sie rennen und jagen,
Die Welt wird alt und wieder jung,
Doch der Mensch hofft immer Verbesserung.

Die Hoffnung führt ihn in’s Leben ein,
Sie umflattert den fröhlichen Knaben,
Den Jüngling bezaubert ihr Geisterschein,
Sie wird mit dem Greis nicht begraben;
Denn beschließt er im Grabe den müden Lauf,
Noch am Grabe pflanzt er die Hoffnung auf.

Es ist kein leerer schmeichelnder Wahn,
Erzeugt im Gehirne des Toren,
Im Herzen kündet es laut sich an:
Zu was Besserem sind wir geboren!
Und was die innere Stimme spricht,
Das täuscht die hoffende Seele nicht.

oh, and you can guess, which literary giant has written which wise and poetic words – cookies to the one who guesses right

one cookie recipe

my favourite cookies ever – you need:

dough: 200 g flour – 75 g corn starch – 1 teaspoon backingpowder – salt – 1 egg – 150 g butter

filling: 1 orange – 100 g ground almonds/or marzipan – 75 g icing-sugar

knead into a soft and smooth dough and chill for at least 2 hours – while chilling the dough, prepare filling: mix the almonds or marzipan with the icing-sugar and add the juice of the orange until it is a smooth spread (careful, you don’t want it to be too liquid, otherwise you have to keep adding almonds and suger)

after chilling the dough, roll it out and cut out round pieces (approx. ø 5-6 cm) – put half a teaspoon of the filling onto each round and fold it in half, carefully closing the edges with your fingers

bake at 200° C for 15-20 minutes – take out and let cool

melt some dark chocolate and drip it over the finished cookies to give them an extra-special taste – they are best after a couple of days, when the aroma had time to exude

christmas is here – bringing good cheer

started my christmas baking today – apple-sauce-chocolate-chip cookies and sugar cookies with hazelnut frosting

and, best of all, while sheet after sheet baked in the oven, i was busy reading for my phd – all in all a very successful day!

happy halloween!

happy birthday

not only one, but two quite important birthdays today – in my world at least

1. the internet is forty today – without the internet, no wordpress, without wordpress, no teacaro-blog, without teacaro-blog the world would be a sadder place – definitely for me
2. asterix is fifty today – without asterix, many a lonely teenage hour would have been disastrously boring and sad – according to three different quizzes in three different communities, i would either be miraculix, asterix or idefix – i’ll agree to the last

Du bist klein, süß und meistens auch sehr lustig. Aber wenn du jemanden siehst den du nicht magst, wirst du zum Berserker oder einer Wilden Kampfmaschine.

so, here’s to asterix and the internet – a very happy birthday and many more fantastic years

que viva la noche

happy birthday, germany

yesterday was a day to celebrate for almost anyone in germany – wolfsburg is football champion – horst köhler is still president and germany turned 60 – so, berlin was one huge party, which i reluctantly attended due to my hatred of large gatherings of regardless, ignorant and hopelessly proletarian people, shoving their way through and not caring on who’s foot they step or which body they elbow – and it was good, apart from the people you always get – the large families, thinking just because they herd three small kids through the crowd, they’re allowed to push through with their bikes – the nasty smiling pretty girls who don’t seem to sweat even as the sun burns down from the sky – the drunk idiots who simply want trouble – but they weren’t many and the day was beautiful, the mood over-whelming friendly and the entertainment quite good

we got there a just as thomas gottschalk walked over the bridge between the two main stages and i got a couple of good shots – unfortunately we were far away from the stage, trying to get a good look at all the stands, when kathi witt (and other sports idols) were there – damn, i want to meet kathi witt – hero of my childhood, who’d keep me glued to the tv, when i was just three years old – http://teacaro.wordpress.com/2009/01/14/girl-skates/

then pur played some songs and it was rather nice – hm, i’d like a concert in that location every week or so – there’s nothing better than a blue sky, an amazing location and catchy sing-along tunes that everybody knows

i missed out on beethoven, but the day had wornd me out and so i made my way home and enjoyed beethoven’s 9th on tv with a cool drink and chocolate, whilepainting my toenails – that’s the way to celebrate your saturday

happy birthday, lena

happy, happy birthday, dear lena – and greetings from the uk, darling shakespeare, whose birthday you share, and me

happy birthday, david

easter can’t come too quickly

Planet Of The Dead Press Release

The BBC Press Office have released the following synopsis of the Doctor Who Easter Special, Planet Of The Dead:

When a London bus takes a detour to an alien world, the Doctor must join forces with the extraordinary Lady Christina, in this one-off seasonal special. But the mysterious planet holds terrifying secrets, hidden in the sand. And time is running out, as the deadly Swarm gets closer.

Planet Of The Dead features David Tennant as the Doctor, Michelle Ryan as Lady Christina and Lee Evans as Malcolm. It is written by Russell T Davies and Gareth Roberts.

There is sill no exact air date but it is expected to be shown on the Easter weekend of the 11th and 12th of April.

wishes fulfilled

my happy-birthday-cake

thanks to two sweet, sweet girls for a lovely cake, a fantastic funny evening and a tinkling tiara, suddenly turning me into a princess and maybe a prince not too far away after all – i know it cannot be a time lord on a white horse, in shining chucks and stripes (as demonstrated here) – but i shall not give up hope quite so easily – and for now, i do have my tardis and time and space travel seems like a good way to spend the time until the prince one his white unicorn decides to come along

supergirl

with all my heart i can say, this song is my life and today i really, really, really feel like supergirl – i am defending my world, as i have always done – i have put on my smile and my bullet-proof vest because cupid, little bastard that he is, shall not try and wound me today – and i really wish to have this damn death-grip on my heart loosened – if it didn’t work as a new year’s resolution it must work as a birthday resolution – so, here’s to a new year and one without me being depressive over something stupid and someone cruel – bye-bye príncipe barbaro, i shall be happy without you!

SUPERGIRL Lyrics and music by Amy Anne

Woke up this mornin’, put on my smile
Had to start practicing since you’ll be here in a while
On my way out, grabbed my bullet-proof vest
Yeah, just in case Cupid tried to hit me in the chest

I won’t greet you with a kiss cuz you’ll touch my forcefield
It envelopes my body and it acts as a shield
Yeah, it covers up all these feelings inside
These feelings for you I’ve been conditioned to hide, cuz

CHORUS:
I’m Supergirl
And I’m the toughest little lady in the whole wide world
I’m Supergirl
You better believe that it’s true
I’m Supergirl
And I’ve been rather busy defending my world
I’m Supergirl
Whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks right back
On you, on you, on you

I wish I could just fly away from this pain
Yeah, but, this damned cape, it won’t work in the rain
If my x-ray vision could see through steel
Perhaps I could see how you really, really feel

(CHORUS)

If I took off this suit and stood naked before you
What would you do, yeah, what would you do
Cuz under this armour is a girl who loves you
If you only knew, oh, if you only knew

Men of steel are so hard to find
Unfortunately they make me blind
Wish I could see through to your ugliest parts
To loosen this death-grip you’ve had on my heart

(CHORUS)

So put ‘em up, yeah put ‘em up
put ‘em up, whoa, put ‘em up
Put up your dukes

today, i will save my world, tomorrow, i will attempt to save everybody else’s as well – because i am supergirl and my superpowers are quite unparalleled and i shall conquer all difficulties and triumph over troubles

doctor and tardis

my seventh and last wish is quite a usual one for me – i’d very much like to go time traveling with the doctor in his tardis

it would be such an adventure – if only – just for one trip – oh, so much to see and so much to know and so much to feel – ah, yes, this is quite easily my favourite birthdaywish of them all

magic and shoes

wish of the day – another pair of magic shoes – i know i want dark blue ones, but here are some tempting reasons to defer that wish and buy another pair just yet

can i have the man attached to the shoes as well, please?

gentlemen and gallantry

today’s wish is one which many a woman finds herself fantasizing about – the lovely bantering of 19th century courtship – here are some of my favourite examples of gentleman, gallantry and jane austen style love-making – can i go back in time, please – or become part of a jane austen novel?

julia and elmo

my next birthday-wish is somewhat unrealistic – i want to be five years old again – be able to fit into all the cute children’s clothes in the stores – laugh my head off over silly sesame street clips – have no worries beyond tonight’s dinner and tomorrow’s play-dates – don’t be embarrassed by the amount of teddy bears and such in my bed – be happy and carefree and candidly starry-eyed about the world around me

tiger and cat

my third wish shall soon be granted – as soon as i move into a new place, i shall have a cat – a tiger cat, maybe even a toyger = tiger + cat

happiness and world peace

my second wish is not only for myself – i wish this upon every human being