New blog!

Hi folks,

if you don't take offence in reading something in German, please refer to my other blog http://blumen-ich.blogspot.com/ from now on. The reason why I have constructed a different one is that I have finally arrived in Japan and wanted to make a clear cut. There are also going to be some more pictures than so far ;)

All the best
Johanna

Drama!

Just a short note, because time is money, as you know!
The English Drama Group is going to perform a new play - our premiere is as soon as next week...!
If you happen to be in Trier during the next two weeks, please come to watch it. It is really absurd and much fun!



http://www.englishdrama-trier.de

Summer rain

Somehow it is odd to talk about rain at this time because in these last few days, the weather has been just brilliant. Temperatures are above 20°C and there's not a cloud to be seen.

The title for my post has rather a symbolic meaning. Remember me mentioning my relationship and the cloud that has been cast on it? The fact is: the cloud has not moved away; it has only grown bigger and darker. Yesterday, it released its rain - in the middle of the most beautiful summer where happy people lie around in the sun or do barbeques.

However, even as an ex-girlfriend, I guess life goes on - I just have to get used to it first. Actually, there's been enough depression in these last few weeks and I should "look at the bright side of life"! I want to go outside and enjoy this most beautiful season. My drama friends are planning to go to a swimming lake next week (if the good weather persists) and I am very much looking forward to it - all the more because next week is completely off! :)

So, I hope you can enjoy yourselves as well out there! It would be too bad not to try because chances are that summer will be over again soon...

Falling Slowly - from the movie 'Once'

Hey folks,

I've recently watched this great movie named "Once" and I could not keep myself from showing you a very beautiful scene from that film. The song is performed by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

Set in Dublin, the movie is about a broken-hearted, troubled, guitar-playing street musician meeting a broken-hearted, sort of shy piano-playing woman and, with her help rising to success.

In this scene, they've just met and she shows him the music store where she always spends time playing the piano. He's singing her a song he wrote some time ago: Falling Slowly.

Enjoy!

Long time no read...

I know, I know... it's been a looong time since my last post! So what's the news?
There sure are some things to tell.

Firstly, I am currently approaching my "Zwischenprüfung", which is an oral examination in the middle of the studies. It will be the exam in English and American studies, with linguistics and literature as the main division. I am not going to bore you with the details, but you can believe me that there is a lot of stuff to be memorized! So at the moment, I can't really relax - in fact, the whole semester "break" seemed to be more stressful than the semester itself. Yes, I am afraid of the exam - it will be on April 21 and I am scaaaaaared! I only hope the profs won't be too hard on me.

Secondly, I recently mastered five performances in a student theatre group. In February, the "English Drama Group Trier" staged seven one-act comedies written by the modern American playwright David Ives, and I was honoured to play two (indeed very different) roles, namely a rather dominant and feminist businesswoman from a megalomaniac consortium ordering two slaves to build the tower of Babel (which, as it was, eventually failed), and in a different play, I mimed a banana-addicted girl monkey with a typewriter in a laboratory, who discusses with her two male monkey colleagues the purpose of the given experiment. It was hilarious and so much fun, not only because of the plays, but also because there are some real fine people in this drama group. I feel like I have chosen the right hobby there, although I hadn't had any acting experience before.


Thirdly, as you might know, I am not only majoring in English studies, but also in Japanese studies. Nevertheless, this is not the news, obviously... In fact, every student of this subject is "strongly advised" to spend a year in Japan after the "Zwischenprüfung", which I will do at the end of the summer term. In January, there was an interview with those who applied for an exchange program between the University of Trier and an affiliated Japanese university, so I also had to put myself in front of eight professors and tell them everything they wanted to know about me. The interview was mainly in German, but there was a Japanese and an English part as well. What can I say... Against all odds, I was chosen to spend two semesters in Osaka! That means that I do not have to pay those tremendously high tuition fees and can even live with a host family for free, so that much of the actual expenses will be covered. Before the semester start in September, I am going to take part in a summer session in Tokyo, which basically means that I will attend a Japanese language class and some other course on culture. However, there is still a lot to do until I'll be on the airplane to Tokyo...


Last but not least, I am going to tell you something you will hardly believe if you know me a bit: I have a boyfriend now. No, this is not a joke, I do. No, he's not imaginary. His name's Martin and we met in a seminar on stylistics. His favourite leisure activities are playing the (bass) guitar in his own band and the game of handball; he has a lot of humour and also has a very gentle side, although he rather likes to be the rocker... ;D After all, a both musical and athletic guy is the kind you won't come across every day! We've been together since the middle of January and I am awfully glad to have him. It really is a wholly new experience for me to be so close to somebody. Only what I have just told you about Japan has somehow cast a cloud on this relationship, at least on my part; so in this respect, I cannot fully rejoice at the prospect of my year abroad. However, as Jack Black states in a highly comforting and reassuring way at one point in "School of Rock": "It's all gonna be FINE." :) (Great film, by the way)

I hope you've all had a good start into the year 2008 and I promise to write again soon!

Last entry for 2007...

Hello folks!

I haven't written anything in quite a long time and I apologise for it. So I thought it might be wise to do at least one more post before this year is over.

I am currently in Berlin during my Christmas holidays. I met my three brothers and my mother, which happens about twice a year, and we had a peaceful celebration under our Christmas tree. It is always nice seeing everyone! Actually I should be studying, I guess, but I always know well how to distract myself from things like that.

I have undergone a bit of a change these last three months, or rather this whole year. It is good to see that one's personal development has not stopped! I see change as something very positive, in most cases.

My New Year's resolutions for this year (amongst others: losing weight) have more or less been fulfilled and I am very proud of it. So I hope that your plans for next year will be just as successful, no matter what this year has brought you!

Happy New Year to all of you! Or as we say in German: Have a good slide into the New Year ;)

Best wishes
Hannah-Joe

Söhne Mannheims - Vielleicht

At the moment, I can't get enough of this song. The chorus goes like this:

Perhaps they don't listen
Perhaps they can't see well
Perhaps there is a lack of sense
Or a lack of courage

It is a song about the belief in God sung by a famous German band. Enjoy!