Friday 27 February 2015

Forty Winks Friday - Improvised pillow!

Handy to be able to use your backpack as a pillow when required 
for a more comfortable nap.

Robyn's Shanghai Nappers

Monday 23 February 2015

Life in February. Germany V Australia

The silver windscreen protectors are being used in both countries.
In Frankfurt, Germany - to stop the ice forming on your windscreen...
In Perth, Australia - to keep the sun off the steering wheel to keep it cool
and save you from having to use your oven mitts to drive!

In Frankfurt, we are turning on the seat warmers as soon as we jump in the car...
it IS -4C outside...a warm bum is a happy bum in these temperatures!
In Perth, mums are putting bottles of frozen water in babies car seats...
so children don't roast in their seats and to prevent burns from seat buckles!
Air conditioners are ON!

In Frankfurt, we go the the supermarket, we get hit by a wave of hot air
as we walk in and breathe a sigh of relief. We buy ice cream and other frozen food.
After shopping, we can stop for a nice lunch in a quaint little half timbered pub,
linger a while before arriving home with everything still frozen an hour later.
If the beer isn't cold enough we can further chill by leaving outside, taking care not to let it freeze.
In Perth, an esky will be in the car and filled with ice bricks.
As you walk into the supermarket you are hit with a blast of cold air, you breathe a sigh of relief.
 The car is loaded from the trolley at record speed, cold stuff going into the esky
 and the car is driven the shortest, fastest possible route home.
Cold stuff will be unloaded first as another two minutes in the car will have the ice cream turned to milk. Of course the beer is shoved immediately into the beer fridge!


In Frankfurt, we put our rubbish into the wheelie bin when the lids are not frozen shut.
We separate paper, bio waste and general rubbish. We take glass to recycling areas.
We would NEVER consider putting excess rubbish in a neighbour's bin.
In Perth, any items that could possibly stink to high heaven an hour after being placed
in the wheelie bin, such as prawn shells, will be wrapped and put in the freezer until 'bin day'.
They will be forgotten until the rubbish truck is heard at 6am
and a mad dash from the freezer to the bin will happen.
If you have more rubbish than your bin will hold, you will, under the cover of darkness...
put your excess in a neighbours half empty bin!


In Frankfurt, you have to wear your Wellington Boots to walk over the lawn which
has turned to mush from all the rain and melted snow.
It  has so much water it will survive Summer without the hose ever being turned on.
In Perth you can only water on your rostered two days and your lawn,
if you still have one, will be a shade of brown.
Your neighbours will 'dob you in' if you water on the wrong day,
water is sacred and will not be wasted.


In Frankfurt it takes fifteen minutes to get dressed ready to walk out the door,
the layers, scarves, boots, hats and puffy jackets. You then have to remove it all
when you arrive at your destination and repeat when you leave.
Approximately two hours is taken up with dressing and undressing over the day.
In Perth you wear as little as possible, two minutes of the day is spent dressing and undressing.

In Frankfurt, you get home, kick off your shoes, sit in front of the fire
and crack open an ice cold beer.
In Perth, you get home, kick off your shoes, sit under the Air Con
...and crack open an ice cold beer!

Sunday 22 February 2015

My Photo a Day, February, Week Eight

My Photo a Day Challenge, February Week Seven.
You can see I am missing China with Chinese New Year this week, 
lots of shots of my Chinese 'stuff' featuring!

The prompt of the day is in red, the photo and description is my take on the prompt!

16 February
Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015
 From where I stand
A pretty good view of the Fasching Parade, with all the colour and costumes.

17 February
Ralph in the forest, Frankfurt
Routine
Get the girls to school, husband to work...then the routine is for Ralph to pick a ball and we
go into the forest and play until he is exhausted!

18 February
Wooden Chinese Bird Cage Lamp
Bedside
My birdcage converted into a lamp, phone, jade ball and inspirational book.

19 February
Chinese Tea Eggs
Fresh
Some fresh tea eggs just out of the pot to celebrate Chinese New Year tonight.
Happy year of the Sheep/Goat everyone. Xin Nian Kuai Le!

20 February
Drinks from around the world
 This is so me
Embracing the culture and traditions of places I have been lucky enough to live in.
England, my home of Fremantle, Western Australia, China, Germany ...and a nice St Clair wine
from New Zealand...never lived there but I married a kiwi and Clair is my middle name.
My husband thouhgt that this gave the wrong impression of me...sadly alcohol was the only
thing I had that could represent each place!

Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015
 My husband's choice of 'This is so me'...cheerful and with a camera around my neck!
That is not my husband ;)

21 February
Chinese Ginger Jars
Matching
I love my matching Chinese Ginger Jars. Love Blue and White together.

22 February
Dragon Bracelet
 Macro
The clasp on my dragon bracelet.

Macro Flower
Macro flower...spring is springing...yay!!!

Friday 20 February 2015

Happy Year of the Sheep/Goat, Xin Nian Kuai Le

 May your year of the Sheep/Goat be full of life, laughter
adventure and abundance!

Year of the Sheep/Goat

CNY fireworks, Shanghai

Chinese tea eggs

Wednesday 18 February 2015

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden Germany 2015

So many characters and costumes at Fasching!
Here are some of my favourites from 2015

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

This group knew how to have fun and enjoy the moment!

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

Smiling, happy people.

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

She likes her wine!

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

Three heads are better than one, right!

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

Two cows and a clown arriving for the day!

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

Who doesn't love a Jester?

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

Parade was stopped for a moment to let the Medics through....

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

Slightly ironic that the guy with the patient was covered in fake blood!

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

Not feeling blue at all!

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

These guys know how to party!

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

Despite the spikes...this guy was so sweet!

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

I am looking at....you!

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

Argument with the head chef over the ratatouille perhaps?

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

These 'ladies' asked me to take their photo!

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

Hackers not so anonymous.

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

Does my butt look big in this???

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

Who you gonna call?

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

It was a monster day!

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

Jolly clowns.

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

Feel like I am being watched.

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

A feather in her cap.

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

Let's party!

Characters of Fasching, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

Two cows and a clown at the after party...
there would have been sore heads in Wiesbaden in the morning!

Until next year...

Tuesday 17 February 2015

Fasching Fun, Wiesbaden, Germany 2015

One of the joys in this expat life is embracing the new cultures and traditions
of the places we are lucky enough to call home for a while.
If we were in China this week we would be stocking up on fireworks, putting out the lanterns
and gearing up for Chinese New Year on Thursday.
In England or Australia we would be making pancakes for breakfast/lunch/dinner for
Shrove/Pancake Tuesday.
Today we are in Germany and it is Fasching, 
time to live it up and let off steam before the fasting of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.
Fasching loosely translates as "last alcoholic drink before fasting".

We went to the Fasching Parade in Wiesbaden on Sunday.

Fasching, Wiesbaden Germany 2015

The parade started with colour and fun.

Fasching, Wiesbaden Germany 2015

Music filled the air.

Fasching, Wiesbaden Germany 2015

Excited children lined the streets.

Fasching, Wiesbaden Germany 2015

Calls of "Helau' came from the passing floats.

Fasching, Wiesbaden Germany 2015

Lollies toys and books were thrown into the waiting hands of the children.

Fasching, Wiesbaden Germany 2015

It is like Halloween on Steroids, costumes, music, treats being stuffed in bags.

Fasching, Wiesbaden Germany 2015

Marching bands galore.

Fasching, Wiesbaden Germany 2015

Dancing to the beat of the drum.

Fasching, Wiesbaden Germany 2015

Minions taking selfies!

Fasching, Wiesbaden Germany 2015

Greetings from those in the parade.

Fasching, Wiesbaden Germany 2015

Happy faces of children on the floats, brightening the day even more.

Fasching, Wiesbaden Germany 2015

I remember this girl from last year's parade!

Fasching, Wiesbaden Germany 2015

Was a bit much for some!

Fasching, Wiesbaden Germany 2015

This lady was in last years parade too, our second year and I recognise the people!

Fasching, Wiesbaden Germany 2015

A fun filled day with music, entertainment and laughter.....

Fasching, Wiesbaden Germany 2015

....and lollies...lots of lollies!

Stay tuned for the 'Character's of Fasching 2015' tomorrow!

Disclaimer
  •  We may have already decorated and bought fireworks for Chinese New Year and planned a Chinese feast....though we have discovered that we cannot legally use the fireworks in Germany except on 31 December. Oh well...we are all set for 31 December 2015!
  • We may partake in some pancakes for "Pancake Tuesday"!