Embracing Emma

Posted: March 1st, 2008 | Author: | Filed under: hamburg | No Comments »

The weather in Hamburg has turned from characteristically somber to stormy and apparently Emma is to blame. What will this mean for my plans to check out Hamburg’s nightlife, especially Reeperbahn?


Hamburger vol 2

Posted: March 1st, 2008 | Author: | Filed under: hamburg | No Comments »

Yesterday was a busy day, I have a ton of business cards. The conference was interesting as well and I now have many new ideas. In the evening there was a really nice dinner on board the Hamburg landmark ship Rickmer Rickmers.


Hamburger

Posted: February 28th, 2008 | Author: | Filed under: hamburg, travel | No Comments »

So I have been in Hamburg now for a while. The flight was pretty eventless, took 1h 45 mins (less time than to Tartu). In addition to some meetings and receptions, I have had some time to do some shopping as well as getting to know Hamburg again. I really like the city and the people. It is strange to look at a street and suddenly remember when you were there five years earlier. It is nice to get away from the worklife, although having a computer with me does not let me be completely relaxed.

The hotel is really great, it has four stars and singing cleaningladys. The room is nice and I even have a bath. The windows face another building, though. Internet is not for free (but not so expensive either) and there is gym and sauna, where I am headed after I finish writing this post.

Yesterday evening I saw No Country For Old Men at the Abaton Kino and it was superb. This evening I went to a reception at the magnigicent Town Hall of Hamburg.

Tomorrow and Saturday should be full working days. I’ll be back in Tallinn again on Monday.


Hamburg

Posted: February 23rd, 2008 | Author: | Filed under: hamburg, travel | No Comments »

Five years after I lived in Hamburg for three months I return there next week for some days. It is a business trip, but it is the first time back there and I am very excited about it. The Hamburg stay also kind of started this blog as I wanted to write down my experiences while there. So if you look at the Feb – April 2003 archives of the blog, you will find all this stuff.

I hope to do some shopping as well, but I am currently on a tight budget so I cannot really afford anything big.


Gangs of New York

Posted: February 26th, 2003 | Author: | Filed under: films, hamburg | No Comments »

Went to see Gangs of New York yesterday evening. It was really a good movie and I was postively surprised. The other thing that surprised me was the amount of blood shed and gruesome scenes which followed one another. It really painted a horrific picture of what New York used to be (or is still in some neighbourhoods?). The person I went to see the movie with did not enjoy the film because her tolerance of the graphic and realistic violence was not as good as mine and she had to look away from the screen for quite many scenes.

I thought the violence actually added to how realistic the movie looked. During the whole 3 hours of the film (for which they charged extra € 1 in the cinema) it really felt that this was the way it was then. In my opinion this is what makes a film great. It was credible, it was believable, it was brilliant.


CIUE no more?

Posted: February 25th, 2003 | Author: | Filed under: hamburg, university | No Comments »

I have just heard that the university I study in, Concordia International University Estonia is negotiating for the shares of the company who owns the university to be sold to the Tallinn Pedagogical University. I really love my school and would not want to it to end up merging or becoming a part of the behemoth that the TPU is. I truly hope that there will actually be no other changes than the fact that there could be some investment and help to pay off the tax debt the univesrity has accumulated. I did know that Concordia was struggling financially, but believed that a way out could be found. This is, probably, a way out, but I have no idea what is the outcome of it for me and for my school.

The worst thing is that I am here in Germany and will not return before the beginning of May, so I cannot find out more about it than the short notices on the website and the online editions of Estonian newspapers. I need more information and soon.


Updates

Posted: February 24th, 2003 | Author: | Filed under: films, hamburg, politics | No Comments »

The weather has improved, it is now around 5 C and the sun is out. I am happy about that.

I did not do much during the weekend. I just could not pull myself together in order to go to the city or something so I stayed in and watched TV/played Transport Tycoon and Alpha Centauri on my laptop. Despite their old age and many flaws, these two games are among my favourites. I really cannot get enough of them. I promised to myself that I will go out the next weekend.

In other news, I ran out of food at home and had to resort to walking to the nearest McDonald’s to bring back something to eat yesterday. Have I already mentioned that all the shops (including supermarkets) are completely closed on Sundays? I guess I have to just stock up for next Sundays.

The obligatory note on Iraq: I am baffled and stunned at how much can be talked about the exact same thing over and over again. If I hear the words “second resolution” somewhere once more, I … It is not like the situation has chamged very much, it goes on and on with the same things. Do something, I say, it is getting boring. My attention span is limited and if nothing exciting does not happen soon on that front I might begin to lose interest. It is probably me just having an overload of news after having watched CNN and BBC World during the weekend. There was a quite interesting profile of Carla Del Ponte, the chief prosecutor at the International Tribunals of Rwanda and Yugoslavia on BBC World.

Tomorrow I will go to see the Gangs of New York, because it is Super Kino Dienstag (cheaper tickets) at the Grindel cinema. I hope it will be a great. There are also many other nice films coming up this and next week which I am determined to see, such as About Schmidt.


No can spell?

Posted: February 20th, 2003 | Author: | Filed under: hamburg | No Comments »

I do not have an English-language spellchecker and it shows. I try to proofread everything I write before posting from now on.


Water kettle

Posted: February 13th, 2003 | Author: | Filed under: hamburg | No Comments »

And… I bought a small electrial water kettle for 10 Euros so I can make myself tea in my own room. This is due to the fact that although there are lots of shining pots, there was none such that I could use to make myself tea. So now I can.


Internet!

Posted: February 13th, 2003 | Author: | Filed under: hamburg | No Comments »

Jiiipppiiiiiii! I am so happy. I have now got an internet connection at my room. Is this great or what?