I'm a VIP. In Switzerland.

So my two visits to the Middle-earth festival not only got me a broken down car, two unforgettable long weekends, hundreds of fond memories and even more photos, but also a ticket for the Swiss VIP pre-premiere of Return of the King. On Dec 15th. Including the VIP party afterwards. Whatever that means. Muahahah.
Now I only have to get to Zürich in Mid-December. Drive? Fly? Go by train? I'll take care of that now...

Today I went to Cologne by train, because I don't trust my car to go there without making trouble before the yearly (more like year-and-three-quarterly) inspection, which is on Wednesday. I know, I'm being paranoid. I think it is incredible that by car it usually takes 45 minutes, but by train it's 95. I mean, honestly! It wasn't that bad, though, because I was busy making Kanji-cards. I got through half the list in those one and a half hours, so I dared to take part in the tesuto. Ngah. At least the next list is only due in two weeks, so I'll be free for Ring*Con (not that I had cared if it were otherwise)...
On the bus back home, two students from my former school were discussing three teachers, two of whom I've had classes with. Apparently, they haven't changed at all. Why should they. Then again, I feel I'm changing all the time, so how can they just stay the same.
Maybe my constant changing is the reason why I love Spring and Autumn so much. Summer and Winter are two extremes, the one steadily cold, the other steadily hot, or so it should be; while Spring and Autumn are in-between, switching from cold to warm, dry to wet, death to blossom, leaves to death, with lots of colours and differences in light and shade and mood. Especially the colours and the light. I mean, those sunsets! And the clarity of the air and the details you only notice when the sun stands low!

I finally got around to read on in the Letters. Yes, although I still didn't finish Count Zero. Even though the latter wasn't bad, I enjoy the Letters more. Freak, as kaneda would undoubtedly say.

Speaking of letters, got an e-mail. "Just wanted to recall myself to your memory and say Good Morning." Heh. Like I could forget you.

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( Ich bin eine VIP. In der Schweiz. )

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St Martin, Carnival and whatever else comes to my head.

Tomorrow is St Martin's day. And on the eve of St Martin's day, German kids (that is, the kids in my region - apperently it's not a national tradition - do something somewhat similar to trick-or-treating. Only they don't dress up, and they don't do tricks. Instead, they walk around with home-made lanterns (or they used to; today, I saw very few groups with lanterns, most just leave them at home -whether their parents are too afraid they're going to burn or whether they don't make them anymore, I don't know), ring at doors, sing special St Martin's day songs and collect sweets. Not to stop singing, but as a treat because they did. This is one of the few Catholic customs in my home region, which is generally Protestant territory. But the Protestant children go Märtensingen as well, so it's more of an oicumenical tradition anyway.
Anyway, it's sad they hardly have lanterns anymore. I loved making them as a kid, and I'm sure they still love it (or would if they could). In my childhood, we were, for the most part, using real candles to light the lanterns; only slowly, lightbulbs on sticks with batteries got popular. I strongly disliked those. They certainly were less dangerous, and supposedly less of a hassle, but they tended to short-circuit every now and then, and they didn't do anything for the atmosphere. But rather lightbulbs than no lanterns at all.
Well, the first group I answered consisted of 5 kids, and all had lanterns (with lightbulbs). They even sang acceptably well, without making it ridiculous, so I gave them more than planned. Which was okay, because there weren't many groups around anyway. In former times (oh, I feel so old) the streets were full of kids with lanterns, but of course, those kids were my age, and they're still, and 20 is no age to do Märtensingen and no age to have children of one's own to do it, either. *sigh* The few families that moved here since then either don't have many children, or they don't know the custom.
On the actual St Martin's day, there's a procession with more lanterns and a bonfire and a short play showing how St Martin gave half his cloak to the beggar, and then there's more songs and kids get a Weckmann, which is a sweet white bread in the shape of a man with raisins for eyes and a clay pipe. My brother used to queue twice and get two Weckmänner when he was a kid.

Tomorrow also is 11/11, which means that Cologne will be a hell of a place because at 11 minutes past 11, the Carnival season starts. Ilúvatar gracious. Again, a custom wonderful for children, rather ridiculous on adults, but fine- if it weren't another reason to get totally drunk and unbearable.

Then again, I'll be able to go to Ring*Con by train in my costume without seeming out of place. It's just of a higher quality than most Carnival costumes. *cough*

Practice was... weird. We did lots of coordination training, which I dislike, and actually I don't remember much except hoping for practice to end soon. At least we didn't do much arm work, because mine are still sore from kendô. On plus side, because we were so few, Richie and I were allowed to sit on the Sensei side of the dojo for the greeting ceremonies. Strange perspective, that. And I'm absolutely not used to a bunch of people kneeling to me, though I have to admit things could be worse. Like the rest of the practice. Stupid jokes, lack of motivation, inability to fulfill those coordination tasks in a way as befits a black belt. I must have looked like the last idiot. Then again, so did everyone else.

My brother has to read "that Scottish play" for English class. Now when I came back home, he was waiting for me with his copy of the text, showing me one of the illustrations, which was a photo from a Macbeth presentation in 1976 - with our very own (not yet Sir) Ian McKellen as Macbeth and (not yet Dame) Judi Dench as Lady Macbeth. Heh heh. Sexy young man, Gandalf was. Fits well with some ancient movie I saw on Saturday, with Maggie "Professor McGonagall" Smith - 1965. Eru, they were all young once! *shocked*

I think I'll go by car tomorrow. I have to get my chainmail coat and my shinai and all my costume stuff over to Cologne, and I don't see myself going by train for one and a half hours with a 12 kg+ bag. No way.

Random is a cool word.

Watching the news about Iraq and all, this little snippet from the Letters comes to mind:
"For we are attempting to conquer Sauron with the Ring. And we shall (it seems) succeed. But the penalty is, as you will know, to breed new Saurons, and slowly turn Men and Elves into Orcs. Not that in real life things are as clear cut as in story; and we started out with a great many Orcs on our side..." (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Harper Collins Publishers, London 1995)
That's from 1944. Sort of sad that people learn so little in 60 years.... and I can see that... nothing's changed at all...

Too many thoughts about changing and staying the same today.

Best remedy against Blerkishness: a) A good book and a good movie soundtrack; b) chocolate, c) special people. My chocolate craving is back for good.

Random is a cool word. Which reminds me that I have to re-read Roverandom some time soon.

The LotR figures are back in the "Kinder Surprise" eggs. Which means I have to buy them again. Argh. I so suck at picking the right eggs. And the chocolate doesn't even taste that good, so unless I get one of those LotR figures they aren't really worth buying. Ah, the dilemma.

Too lazy to translate now. Sorry to everyone who doesn't like English.