George Ezra: Budapest with Lyrics

Since I came back from Hamburg I am keen on improving my German knowledge! I dug out my old high school language books and the book 1000 Fragen und 1000 Antworten (1000 Question and 1000 Answers) that helped me a lot to tackle the German language exam...gosh that was 13 years ago...

Since I am here in England, other than couple of encounters with german people, who are now my friends, I am not really exposed to the language here. But I had a good idea...I just don't know why it did not come to my mind earlier.

Since we live in this technical-gadgety century filled up with tens of thousands of apps for Iphone and Android....there should not only be apps for digital English radios, but there must be something out there for German radios too :)
I downloaded a free app called 'German Radio' by Fredo.

German Radio App by Fredo

It literally has all the German stations in alphabetical order! Super easy to use and it is working even with the headset buttons switching it on or off. Isn't it amazing? I can now listen to German speaking all day long!!!!! :) The only hindrance is that it is full of with adverts!

So finally to get to the point...they were introducing the next song...George Ezra: Budapest....first I could not put it together and thought that maybe they were talking about the new Wes Anderson movie - The Budapest Grand Hotel -,  but soon it turned out to be not, it was an actual song!

Please listen to this Bristol guy's new song: Budapest!

George Ezra: Budapest

Hope you enjoyed it!

And the Lyrics copied from: lyricsmode.com

My house in Budapest

My hidden treasure chest,

Golden grand piano

My beautiful Castillo

For you

You

I’d leave it all

My acres of a land

I have achieved

It may be hard for you to,

Stop and believe

But for you

You

I’d Leave it all

Give me one good reason

Why I should never make a change

And baby if you hold me

Then all of this will go away

My many artifacts

The list goes on

If you just say the words

I’ll up and run

Oh, to you

You

I’d leave it all

Give me one good reason

Why I should never make a change

And baby if you hold me

Then all of this will go away

Give me one good reason

Why I should never make a change

And baby if you hold me

Then all of this will go away

My friends and family

They, don’t understand

They fear they’d lose so much

If, you took my hand

But, for you

You,

I’d lose it all.

Give me one good reason

Why I should never make a change

And baby if you hold me

Then all of this will go away

Give me one good reason

Why I should never make a change

And baby if you hold me

Then all of this will go away

My house in Budapest

My hidden treasure chest,

Golden grand piano

My beautiful castillo

You

You

no barking aRt biennale 2014 London Bricklane

I met a friend for a coffee and walked around Bricklane, as the day was so bright and sunny with the temperature crawling up almost to the 20s :)

We were just wandering around in the small streets before we intended to make our way to Bricklane itself to have that cake and coffee, but we came across some odd faces looking at us from a shop window... They were distorted...little bit like, when I was a kid and played with Barbie's head to make it really thin and long or pushing the top to the bottom, so it looked a chubby Barbie...haha

no barking aRt John Humphreys

We thought to go in and though the place seemed and was indeed small there were actually really many things to observe! Paintings, installations, videos, photographs, clothing...with all their small and interesting details.

Please have a look at some of the works we have seen at the 'no barking aRt Biennale 2014'.

no barking Art Material World flyer

no barking aRt List

no barking aRt Welcome!

Bricklane exhibition Material World

Can you see what's written above these cute kitty cats' heads? Probably what they think ... Fuck You! What a paradox image! Would you ever pair these cute cats with such strong explicit words?
Well Lucy SM Johnston did that and the result is not bad at all! :)

Go to her website to check out more angry kitties.

Fuck you by Lucy SM Johnston

Such a pertinent image...but what does it show? Would this be the ever essence of the USA these days? Champagne? KFC? Flag and patriotism with guns and skulls?

The idea of stretching the extremes is brilliant, however the execution of the picture is not to my taste!
'The Last Supper' by Ben Mellor and in the front 'Far Afield' by Veronica Shimanovskaya. The painting harmonises so well with the installation on the floor resembling to poppies, that first I had thought the installation by Veronica Shimanovskaya was part of the bigger art piece.

no barking Art Material Ben Mellor and Veronica Shimanovskaya 

no barking Art Material Ben Mellor

Eloise Green

Pascale Pollier: The Heart Wax

no barking Art Material Pascale Pollier

Lastly Jaime Freestone's installation with many different parts! Jaime is mainly active in taxidermy and anything related to it.

no barking Art Material Jaime Freestone

no barking Art Material Jaime Freestone

I myself also like taxidermied animals, and this bird with the bones os coxae and os sacrum is just perfect! What does this symbolise in the Material World? Is it the future as suggesting the birth of a black bird...of a black and dark future? guess not, but would like to see what the artist had in mind when creating this.

no barking Art Material Jaime Freestone

no barking Art Material Jaime Freestone

Finally, in the very moment when I actually saw this tribal mask, I had not yet checked the artist's name and someone else has come to my mind immediately!
Do you remember I wrote about Anna selling Jewellery made out of Barbies? Following her blog, I remembered she has also made a similar head piece and costume. So thought it was her piece of art, but after checking the name plate I realised this was from someone else.
Definitely they have some resemblance.
1st picture is Jaime Freestone's

no barking Art Material Jaime Freestone

2nd picture is Anna's Tribal Chic Costume.

Anna Tribal chic. Picture source: cycleinheels.blogspot.co.uk Here.

If you are interested, then hurry it is still there until 11th March! Side street of the Sunday upmarket! Hanbury street!
If you've missed it, Part 2 is coming in April! You can check it out here!

Finally 30 i.e. my Birthday!

As I said yesterday I did not only have a birthday! I had a birthweek or rather a birthmonth so far counting all the celebrations I had :)

1.

So first of all I travelled to Germany again! (Tripreport comes soon) No, not to meet Udo, but to meet my best friend from the medical uni! She now with many others lives and works in Germany and we decided to catch up in Hamburg for my birthday celebrations!

Well I really wanted to start my next decade with a note! 

It has to be glamorous! :)

Travelling on business class, drinking champagne and staying in the top floor room in Radisson Hamburg with nice food, drink and a good friend! :)

2. 

Then when I landed back to London, I went to my usual spinning class...where there were 2 surprises waiting for me :) Wheepieee

The 1st surprise: When I entered my bike was decorated with a pink boa and balloons saying Happy Birthday! :) plus Happy Birthday signs and buntings were stuck on the mirrored wall! Is not it great?

The 2nd surprise! Is my 'partypooper' friend who is actually amongst my closest friends and he came down to celebrate with me and another friend :) on this night too! Plus not being a partypooper! :)

3.

On Sunday some of my friends and me headed down to Banana Tree restaurant to celebrate further and eat yummy foods there!

And I got really great prezzies from them too!

Presents from my friends

Roasted Duck Breast with Pei Pa Hoisin Sauce at Banana Tree

Tamarind crispy fish with Thai basil glazing at Banana Tree

Rob Ryan Four Seasons Plates

Kirstie Allsopp Craft Book

Ikea Ludde-sheepskin

4.

At work a week later they have also wished me all the best with some cool prezzies! :)

From my colleagues I got the below items:

Wow a Letraset Promarker set!!!!! What a great idea! I was really happy for it! :)

Letraset Promarker Set1

I also got a massage and a manicure treatment with a glass of champagne at a fancy beauty salon around Regent's Park. I am not sure whose idea this was, because I'm not sure how much I'd like a massage or a manicure...but let's go and experience it! Let's carry on with champagne in style for my birthday!

ID Beauty Salon Exterior

ID Beauty Salon Manicure

ID Beauty Salon Massage Room

ID Beauty Salon Massage Hot Stone

5.

Finally couple of days ago an old friend took me out for dinner too :)

So I wish my 30s will stay as good as it started!

Except for one thing...Udo did not say anything to me on my birthday...before...he was excited and happy I was going to Germany and haha even said... 'Aww little Sonja turns 30' :) He calls me 'little' or 'cute little' Sonja many times :)

We even talked whatsapped on my birthday, but he did not say anything... except...'Things are a little complicated right now. I will let you know as soon as I know more.'

But what does this mean??? What things are complicated that he also wants me to know about it? Is he coming to London? Is he maybe moving here? He was always open to job offers from London...that would be amazing, but maybe there is nothing behind, just wanted me to stop talking whatsapping on that day...well...strange.

Friends aftermath...maybe a slap in the face?

As I wrote earlier that the friend circle here in London is a changing scene...I was very happy that after the 4 hour phone call with 'my then bestfriend' we finally were to even meet up!

Guess what...

The first half an hour went very fast! We were both extremely excited! :) Had a nice cake and a hot drink but at one point...his old self came out and then he was just talking and talking...not letting me to say even one word...

Then I am sure my face seemed still excited because he then changed to a topic...he found God and as he is studying now to become a teacher he decided to give me a lesson about religion. I thought this evening would be full of with light conversation and not about such deep topics. He talked about it passionately, but again...we were back at square one - I could not say a word and he thought I did not know all those he just told me.

Religions from here.

Later when we actually were about to leave, the atmosphere was ok, but the tension was already there...which then burst out of him in the middle of Topshop when I said something to him...

Stone me! Or just write me your opinion for this.... 

I told him I felt I am now a woman and not only a girl and - obviously besides Udo, Mark or Mr Novartis, - I would only start a relationship with someone who is on the same level as I am in terms of education well not exactly education, I'd rather say being as smart or smarter as I am. I also told him that what I meant I would need someone I could be able to talk intellectually; about life, art, our place in the world, finding ourselves, our personality, work and about all little impressions that I had throughout my day and of course vice versa.

He then vehemently and loudly elaborated how much I changed in the past 8 years. And if he was thinking in the same way, then he should have never talked to me, when we first met, as I had worked in one of the fast food restaurants in London. He told me he would have loved to capture the moment when we met and stay like that for the rest of our life! Because the more successful I became the more despising I was towards him because he was unemployed in the past 2-3 years (pursuant to his theory). Furthermore he also said that it probably was best that we did not talk in the past 6 months and it was because I was changing.

But we all are changing, aren't we? 

This is the normal way of life and personal development we go through until the very end of our life! We learn through our mistakes, through friendships, relationships, travels, education and through every little experience we live through!

Those people who stuck in the past and either want to carry on their life in the past or limit their personal development would eventually become depressed.

I don't want this! I need all those beautiful little things in life which made me who I am today! I respect my past and could not say that I would not change anything, but I learnt how to get back to the right track even from the most convoluted way :)

Life is beautiful from here.

 So first I felt this was just like a slap in the face and I must have become a terrible person...but then discussing this with my other friends, some of them, our common friends...told me he was projecting his own insecurities on me. I think this is too harsh, but at least I don't feel bad anymore!

Lastly a great quote, I think fits in this post perfectly from Marcus Aurelius!

Marcus Aurelius Quote from here.

'Perfect start' for my birthday!

I'll update you tomorrow how my 30th Birthday...well rather birthweek or even birthmonth was/is going on :)

Time to go back to school!

After years of pause from studying and agonising on the right course for me. I think I see the end of the tunnel now!.

..or maybe not...

I went to the university open evening at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Hopefully my next university!

Luckily as there were some annoying tube strikes in London, not as many students-to-be turned up, thus I could go into a seminar about the school's introduction and after that when I wandered around the hall to check the stalls, a woman was just passing me shouting if anyone was interested in talking to the course leaders then should follow her. Of course as a puppy I followed her to the door where I got admission immediately to the highlight of the evening! Happy :)

I was seated at a table with another girl, who was also interested in the public health courses they offer. A man was already sitting with us who was an alumnus, from the exactly the course I want to apply for! I felt delighted talking to him, however it did not last long, as an annoying man arrived, who was not even interested in the courses and was just there because his employer would pay the tuition fee. How annoying. I mean he was annoying, because once he arrived neither the other girl or me had another word with the alumnus, as he took the lead for the conversation, even though he clearly despised the alumnus.

Anyway after the talks I still had some time to interact with people and found some alumni who were really happy to chat! And here after so many positive things, like they assured that the course is definitely doable despite someone is in full time work and gave some ideas about the course layout and about the dissertation.

However here came the kick which frightened me a bit. I was asked what my future goals were and how I could benefit from this course in my career development.

As a well educated and mannered woman I elaborated on my goals...but while I was talking, I felt I might just talk rubbish, because one of them looked at me in strange way...then she told me...

'Have you checked other universities? I think this course is not for you! Your career development is too specific and this course to be honest is too generic, maybe you should check other courses too!'

Well of course I did and half of the course is related and teaches what I want, the other part are bonuses for me and I also have to take into account that this school has its name out there!
If I completed a master degree with them...employers will gladly open their doors for me! And this counts a lot as well!!!

So my to do list for now!
1. Finally I started to write up my personal statement!

2. I contacted my supervisor from the previous university where I completed my bachelor degree.

3. And I approached Mr Novartis, my ex-lover, also who told me that he was going to provide me an excellent reference! :) Isn't he nice!

Wish me luck for a good application that should lead to an unconditional offer!