August Bits

In terms of personifying months, aren't June and July like twin sisters who have come to terms with getting mixed up because they are loved by many as being young, fun loving bringers of summer? And isn't August a sort of saucy crush-worthy teacher? He's definitely still hot, but teases those inhabitants of earth who enjoy the seasons with the imminence of September and thus autumn, reminding us that everything is a cycle, nothing stays static and everything changes. But even August depends on the sun, and the sun is a glowing gorgeous star blessing us with life every second of every month. I have no idea where I am going with this, but I hope that you too start imagining the months as actual live people who chat and get excited and go to the cinema together on their days off. Let's write short stories about them and get them published while we're young!

So anyway, here are a few photos of a few things in August.

August book: The Age of Absurdity by Michael Foley. 

An amazing read which is rich with philosophical and psychological references, discussing the way we live in the 21st century. He starts by explaining how humans define happiness and continues with elaborating how this ties in with the actions and thought patterns of the individual and society today. 

What makes it appealing is that it's written in an incredibly witty and non-intimidating way. Foley manages to invoke a sense of self-awareness that is perhaps not for the weak hearted. Brilliant.

August food: This salad
Takes the biscuit as the best salad I've eaten for months. Rocket salad, goats cheese, croutons, walnuts, steamed vegetables, apple, honey, .... This wasn't a salad, this was a culinary surprise, a day-enhancer!

We put our iced green teas on this box so we could unlock our bikes and I said "Gotta snap this, perfect tumblr pic!"And Annika said "So knew it!" (Just that you have to imagine the dialogue in German, then it will be more accurate.)

August film: The Bling Ring

I watched this twice at the cinema. Sophia Coppola is responsible for a series of aesthetically pleasing, loveable motion pictures. There is an undeniable depth to the Bling Ring even though it seems simple, almost as if the real issues are barely touched on. The soundtrack is flawless and I will now keep listening to Drop it Low by Chris Brown as a result of my favourite scene in the movie.

I have no shame in admitting my slight crush on Marc played by Israel Broussard. Although the film was hyped partly because of Emma Watson's role, personally I feel he easily outshone her slight frame and lip-licking with his authentic character and amazing perspex-armed shirt.

And finally...

August male: Colton Haynes
 I think this gif I made speaks for itself.

This tune caught me off guard on the 1st of September. Enjoy! The video is pretty sweet too, love them dudes swimming in 90s nostalgia, groovin' out in band tees with paint!

Swim Deep ~ Honey from daniel brereton on Vimeo.

Silver and Gold and Feet and Hips

In German one uses the verb 'feiern' (to celebrate something) when referring to 'clubbing'. This in itself, is a mysterium I have pondered occasionally by myself. Imagine saying in english: 'You going out celebrating tonight?' when in actual fact you mean: 'You going to intoxicate yourself and dance for hours to mediocre music dodging perverse lonely unsatisfied men tonight?'
I've always thought 'going out clubbing' or 'going out for a night in the town' sounds vaguely off and the German language has found a decent way of avoiding this terminological problem by simply implying that on these seemingly endless Friday and Saturday nights, one goes out to celebrate something lovely, perhaps even your existence on this spinning globe. It seems so paradoxical and absurd, because I know many individuals who in actual fact want o forget what happens during the hours where the sun is up and consign their ever present feeling of depersonalisation to oblivion by becoming one of the many silhouettes in a dark and crowded room with flashy lights and loud rhythms. Of course that's just a conclusion I have drawn from my ongoing observations.
Conversely, it is of course possible to enjoy yourself dancing and forgetting, but I increasingly have the impression it is an excuse for people to try not to try to be cool, minimalistic hip thrusts and exaggerated arm extensions and alcohol consumption.
If only there had been good music last night, because I definitely was not feeling the electronic remixes of 90's Hip Hop.

A small insight into my views on adolescent topics. I could say so much but I'm saving that for when the disconnected thoughts in my head can form to firm opinions.

 This building really took my fancy.

Junk shop find. Old Fujifilm Instax.

 Me

 Applying a mask

 Berlin & Ikea

The Bird And The Bee "Again and Again" from Miky Wolf on Vimeo.

End of Summer

I think the title is wishful thinking, but one can hope that it will end soon. I must admit I don't mind sunglasses, ice cream and not going to school, but I do thoroughly oppose smelly public transport, shaving my legs perfectly every day and overenthusiastic adolescents at every corner.
Although overenthusiastic people are usually likeable in their own way, trams and buses full of seventeen year old boys smothered in puberty aren't always enjoyable.

I spent the past few weeks mostly drinking cold coffee, watching 8 out of 10 Cats and Nevermind the Buzzcocks, feeling hot and somehow contemplating life an awful lot as well as enjoying it.

This has become one of our favourite places to drink coffee in Frankfurt. Located directly next to where I work (Iimori), Magarete has the most relaxed and comfortable atmosphere and seemingly immaculate interior design (except that one bulb isn't working in the picture above-find it!). Can't wait to eat here soon.

A friendly waiter took our picture. Unfortunately my expression was in the middle of changing when he hit the button, so please do admire the crowns of our heads in black and white.

Mozzarella for our pizza.

Behold this delicious discus!

Annika has assured me she's never worn these fabulous leg accessories out.

The final product of the Deadly Sins project.

There's less than 7 days left of freedom and although there is a lot to dread in the coming year, hopefully it will be a good final year at school. When you don't think too much about the future and worry about fulfilling something unknown, life can be quite exciting.

This cover is lovely and almost as good as the original.

There Goes the Fear

I cannot believe it's been almost two weeks since I came back from England. I miss it, so here are a few more photos from those perfect weeks.

Covent Garden

42°Raw - I had a blueberry and basil smoothie. 

Covent Garden II

 Hotel room, Charing Cross

Woops

My grandparents with the Queen and Prince Charles. Smiles all around.

When I'm 81, I want to have a place like this too.

 They were exactly this colour.

One of my mum's friends I met in London described the feeling of hearing a piece of music that practically has the capacity to tear your heart out and showed me this song.

London iPhonology

1 - Packing.
2 - When we arrived in London, we ate heaps of sushi in a park, whilst watching first two business men and then two construction workers playing pingpong right next to us.
3 - After walking along the Southbank, which was beautiful in too many ways, we sat by the Thames and drank a glass of Champagne outside but sheltered from the pouring rain. It was one of those moments we'll look back on in a few months or years and just smile because it happened.
4 - The best coffee I had in England, hands down. Look at that wooden spoon.
5 - London oh London, from the London Eye. I saw Michael Fielding near here, but wasn't sure it was him. It was him.
6 - Outside the Tate Modern there were these boys playing, they were probably around sixteen years old. I stood there for a while. The boy on the left, who was definitely the youngest, was just watching too while rolling a cigarette. I can't say exactly why, but the scene was perfect and I could have stayed there for much longer.
7 - In the hotel room before going to see Wicked, which was amazing!
8 - Did a touch of shopping in Topshop Oxford Street!

Even if you don't speak German, this song might make you feel good on the inside.

Break

So this is summer. And I like it a lot. Who wouldn't enjoy days filled with friends and music and laughs and balconies in the shade.

Before I elaborate I need to proclaim my love for my first pair of Jeffrey Campbell Litas! I've been in love with these before I knew who they were by and before I could ever fathom owning a pair one day. So now I own the cliched Litas and am truly in love and so happy I could finally afford to order a pair off Solestruck. Getting them took weeks and a trip to the middle of nowhere to pay a helathy customs fee, but it was all worth it!

Here's a list, because everyone loves a list:

• One night last week we stayed up late and read horror stories about old ladies and dogs and dead dogs and murderers. We put on face masks took too many silly pictures and stayed up talking and rolling around until we finally weren't scared of murderers and fell asleep.
• Chopped some hair off on Wednesday.
• Still have not packed for England!
• Spent today eating soup with Anniman and laughing in Hugendubel ("Jeder von uns ist ein Engel mit nur einem Flügel. Und wir können nur fliegen, wenn wir uns umarmen.")
• I'm off to Albion the day after tomorrow and I can't believe it... I can't wait to: see smiling people, smile at people, see my family, spend time in London, go shopping, see the sea... (...), yet the return to Frankfurt will be beautiful too.

Taupe Suede mm, with these I finally have long legs!

Annika's jewelry and one of my bobby pins

Annika's hair and the best kitchen in Frankfurt (?!)

Bafta said that straws make everything taste better.

Music

Yum

I love this song and it's on repeat. I will write again after England and who knows what will happen, how we will feel, how life will feel- but I still have this warm feeling in my stomach that these holidays could be, will be, filled with memories that we won't want to forget.

June Showers

It rained all day today and I didn't have an umbrella. In fact, I think it's still raining now, but I am warm and inside listening to Carl playing with a hairband. It feels more like October than June and that's lovely.
In three weeks I'll begin my last ever summer as a pupil and once again embark on a trip to England which I am definitely looking forward to.

Did Zumba for the first time last night and I now firmly believe that everyone should try it out. Shake your behind around, sweat buckets whilst listening to cheesy music? Are you not even tempted?
(Also, the trainer was attractive in an odd way. Or was it just his enthusiasm?)

As promised, here are a few pictures that aren't part of the project but a result of two days worth of taking photos.

Much better than an outtake, which is why it's also on flickr.

To your left, Topmodel candidate Helena Klaric, to your center and right, me hanging on to people in a circle.

Mmm whipped cream and smarties. Delicious...?

日本人になってしまったんだ！(<-- evidence that I did, in fact, spend half a year in Tokyo.)

♥

I hope something exciting happens. Like meeting Noel Fielding in a lift in Frankfurt or winning a trip to Melbourne or perhaps receiving an anonymous parcel filled with chocolate and shoes and stories about elephants in India.
I like listening to this song, when I need encouragement.

The Seven Deadly Sins

Aren't 'the seven deadly sins' cliche but fascinating? I love what wikipedia says:

The seven deadly sins is a classification of objectionable vices that have been used since early Christian times to educate and instruct Christians concerning fallen humanity's tendency to sin.


We do have a tendency to sin. It isn't difficult to commit all seven deadly capital vices in one day.
Annika and I defined a modern, minimalistic version of the seven deadly sins in the name of a school art project. It's probably (easily) the most enjoyable 'work' I've ever done for school.

Avaritia

Invidia

Luxuria

 Acedia

Ira

Gula

Superbia

Our approach was simplistic and I really like the results. We tried to use as little as we could to define each sin. Essential were the bare background and the few props.
All the photos were taken with my Nikon D40 and a Sigma 18-125mm lens.
Slight lighting adjustments, colour enhancing in post editing with Photoshop CS6!

We completed the project over the course of one week, including planing and editing. I'm especially fond of Greed, Gluttony (because it involved whipped cream and smarties) and Envy (because it was hilarious trying to get a good picture of our male stand in/good friend and I looking like a couple).

It's really made me want to start more projects! It's true that it's much easier to complete something if you're not alone.

I'm going to post some of the outtakes of the shoot in my next post!

You should listen to this song while letting the warmth seep through your skin, lying on a breezy balcony, even if you hate the summer.