Winter

Konnichiwa! (= Good day in Japanese :))

It has been a while since my last post, so I thought I had better write something new.

My apartment now finally received a homelike touch. It took a while, but now everything is sorted. I really like to have a little home of my own - I will try to post a picture soon.

I love the Advent season. Last christmas was exceptional for me, I spent it on Bondi Beach, the most popular beach in Sydney, with a temperature of more than 30°C... I needed a lot of time to get used to the thought of spending Christmas in summer with Christmas carols, Santa Claus caps and all those things I would associate with winter. All in all, it was not too bad, but I am glad to be back and spend this time of the year "the proper northern way": First, I love the winter air. It feels clean. I like all those Christmas decorations in the streets and on the windows. Then, everything is just cosier when you have to wrap yourself in a coat or so - and being at home is also nice when it is cold outside. Trier has a most beautiful Christmas fair with those many ornamented stalls and that huge variation of scents. It's magic!

Speaking of magic: Watching the stars can be very inspirational, too. Unfortunately, the sky is cloudy most of the time. However, a few days ago I discovered a star constellation on a clear night sky above the university. It was a constellation I last saw while camping in the Australian outback: Orion, also called The Hunter. Three clear stars in a slightly bended line form the centre, the belt of Orion; furthermore he has legs, arms and a real tiny head. In Wellington, New Zealand I visited an observatory where I learnt a lot about constellations and the myths around it. Not that I can remember everything... I still remember Orion having two dogs with him, but you will not recognize them as dogs. The people who made all this up must have had a very creative imagination. Anyway, Orion is hunting a big beast which contains three virgins, or muses, I am not sure. I find it all very interesting, but unfortunately I do not recognize many constellations - there must be hundreds of them. Seeing The Plough (German "Großer Wagen", part of Ursa Major and only seen from the northern hemisphere) and not the Southern Cross (only seen from the southern hemisphere) brought me back to reality and the awareness that I am not down under anymore...

I found a picture of Orion in http://www.analyticalsci.com/Astronomy/Scobee/Orion.jpg

So much for astrology...
Have a great weekend!