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as I told you before - I'm taking an English writing for academic purpose course this year

it started today - it will be great! I am sure of it!

I already have a few appointments until next week. like reading a book (The elements of style, by W. Strunk - the classic of classics of style handbooks), reading essays and reviews as much and as precise as possible, thinking up three adjectives to describe myself to somebody who doesn't know me (recommendations ;D ) AND that's the main point: writing an essay about whatever I want...

so any ideas? besides Japanese entertainment (I really don't want to write about it, especially since I have a classical pianist from Japan in my course and just don't want to debate this) - I thought about something related to my research, but not to much... or anything else?!

so... back to work

I am part of this screaming and bouncing and crying crowd - happy and moved

Today again a great success:

OPERATION ONIGIRI

we prepared Onigiri, gave them out, asked for donations, prepares more Onigiri - for hours
and in the end some of us were singing a Japanese song in front of a huge crowed of people in Berlin's Mauerpark

maybe I can add pictures and a video later

now I am about to prepare a cake for tomorrows bazaar at university to get more donations!

the news from Japan sounding a bit better - not reassuring, but at least a bit better

GANBATTE!

I feel a little bad...I forgot about it...today is October 3th: Germany's Re-Unification Date, the 20th
since I'm from eastern Germany and now living in Berlin this is important, for me, my family, friends...it changed everything back then - I was only 7, almost 8 years old, but I could feel it anyway...since then, the world went upside down for many people I know - to the better or the worse, but nobody stayed unaffected. some didn't made it through this time we call "Wende" (turn) in German or lost sight of the tracks in the following years. But for me, it opened the world, which was outside my reach, my imagination until then - I didn't realize it, I was too young, but now I'm really thankful. I'm thankful to be able to read whichever book or written subject I would like to, to wear whichever clothes I would like to, to travel whichever places I would like to. It is true, freedom makes you worry, it's angst-ridden and it overloads you with responsibility - for yourself, your actions, thoughts and surroundings, your future and your past, but who said it is or it should be easy to be a mature human being. It may be easier to live in a society which led you on in whichever way - but the price is too high, it won't let you out, if you're tired of being treated like a child, patronized or just would like to do something not fitting the image.
(  I put some flowers on the table to celebrate this day )

I'm not sure if the story is improving, but NatsuNiji is getting better with the second ep...
I think even Jun is getting better at acting and this little girl is cute (not as cute as Momoka-chan, but cute ^-^)

( two ladies and poetry )

yesterdays evening was again a cultural highlight! after seeing "Musashi" by Ninagawa Yukio (with Ann Suzuki and Tatsuja Fujiwara acting in front of me...about 2,5 meters away, I'm going all happy again...) in London in May, the Berlinale Films of Yoji Yamada (Otouto (- so wonderful, heart-warming and sad - the whole audience cried, me too, it was kind of embarrassing going out after, it was shown at 10 a.m....) Kyoto Monogatari - which is not really his film, but he supervised it, really interesting setting and story - a combination of documentary and film about habitants of a Kyoto-kuu in which the big filmstudios used to stay, like the one in which Rashomon was filmed...)
a guest performance of the Tokyo Ballet at Berlin Deutsche Staatsoper

( "The Kabuki" choreographed by Maurice Bejart (1986) )

after a good day comes a bad one...
didn't get that scholarship...it's frustrating
I'm not sure what to do now. should I try another one? should I stop this PhD-thing and trying to find a regular job (which is nearly impossible with only a master-degree in literature and philosophy...)? I think I'll do both and in the mean time boost my japanese...that will widen my fields of working places possible
Yosh, it's a new start from now on! in one way or another sooner or later something will definitive work out!

I'm learning japanese grammar - the hole morning, from 9:30 until now...my head's aching! but If I'm able to memorize even a half of that, I'm pretty proud of myself...
in less than 40 minutes the first match of the Japanese football team is starting! even through the common hopes are not really high up, I'm going cheer for them BANZAI!

it's evening in Berlin, even through the sun's already sett, it's still warm - about 25 degree
sitting on my balcony I've just watched two episodes of Tiger & Dragon - love it...I sure my neighbours already think I'm a little bit crazy, starring at my computer and cracking up laughing all the time...

I love this Duo: Okada Junichi and Nagase Tomoya - great, funny and seriously so freaking good looking it almost hurt...I'm going to get  horny sorry, never sad that...

sudden change:
I've just learned today, that a great artist Ohno Kazuo - one of the inventors of Budoh - died on June 1th
a great loss, he was 103 years old, but still active...now he's a legend

natsu!!! finally summer arrived in Berlin! it's hot and sunny...love it!
today there's a small event, where I'm reading texts a great woman wrote - Salima Salih. she's reading them in arabic and I'll the german translation. I'm pretty excited...the poems are in between fairy tales and memories of childhood. they've got a really smooth oriental feeling
the setting for this stage-like reading is a smal garden or more of a park with gardening parts in Neukölln/Rixdorf - if any of you ever get to visit Berlin, just take a stroll around Rixdorf. It's beautiful, even through the surrounding seems the other way