Berlin and Beyond (also, Books)

[starfishstar]

Hey, so, a mention of real-life stuff seems far overdue!

Since I now work in a school, I have the immense benefit of having the entire summer off. This is especially good, because when I moved away from Berlin last year (after living in Germany for almost a decade), I left with the clear understanding that a life in which I would never get to come back to this place that's so much a part of me – well, that would really not be okay.

So for this summer, at least, I get to live the dream! A whole month in Berlin, seeing old friends and being part of daily life here. A bit of traveling around, too – primarily to Belgium, where I got to meet indybaggins in person!! If you know her online, then all I can say is that she's just as awesome in person as online! Really, it was so cool to meet and talk to her. Definitely hope to meet again. :-)

Next – just two days from now – to the other part of my dream summer plan: to Iceland for a language course + a music festival, a particular combination I've been dreaming about for two years now... Yes, an Icelandic language course. Yes, I know only a few hundred thousand people speak it. Doesn't matter, I still want to give it my best shot!

Then in September, back to work where I get to hang out with kids and books. Put that way, it's really not a bad life, is it?

Meanwhile, of course I'm always reading and watching and etc. A hodgepodge of books and fandom things under the cut...

I finally watched The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes! This is the movie that deeply influenced Mark Gatiss (overall, in his life, apparently), and also inspired him and Steven Moffat in how they created the characters in their own version of Sherlock – especially Mycroft. So the film is important in the fandom both for that reason, and for the not-even-subtle gay subtext. Can't believe I hadn't watched it until now!

Apparently the sequel to Brittany Cavallaro's wonderful modern-Holmes-and-Watson-update A Study in Charlotte is called The Last of August (that's also a play on a character name, by the way) and it's coming out next year. CAN IT BE 2017 YET PLEASE?

Still reading too many books at once, of course... This month I caught up on a couple of classics (Beloved and To Kill a Mockingbird – which was an odd juxtaposition to be reading both at once, believe me), and read Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (which was very good) and If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan (which was unfortunately a little disappointing). Though I also read a travel account about Iran (in German) during/after reading Farizan's book that's set in Iran, so that made the whole experience quite informative!

Over the last couple years, I've been gradually catching up on all the Jane Austen I never read as a teenager. I've just started Sense and Sensibility, but I think I've read enough Austen that I can somewhat guess the theme... Unless I'm mistaking it, I think this is going to be another variation on "don't fall for the flashy, charming, but ultimately insubstantial guy; go for the guy who's been quietly in the background all along but is utterly there for you when you need him." Which...is actually not at all a bad message. Kudos, Austen.

Comments

[indybaggins.livejournal.com]

*cheers at seeing her name in here* haha I hope you have a blast learning Icelandic and at the music festival!

[starfishstar]

Yay! And thank you!