Today I’ve seen the lightest and most ethereal snow ever. Even a tender breath would have blown this pillow of snowflakes apart…
Posts Tagged ‘weather’
Breathe snow.
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012A change of air. Once more.
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009I like all seasons in their own peculiar ways. During the last years, summer has been Berlin–Germany–home in-between time. Work obligations and monetary restrictions did not allow for real holidays, so that July and August became a mix. A mingling of places: refreshing apartments so that they can be sublet once more without a bad conscience; reading and writing and applying for jobs and wrangling with deadlines; hanging out on balconies; visiting family and seeing friends and trying not to get caught up in obligations too much to not enjoy seeing all of these; enjoying Berlin nights; saying goodbye again to the place that you miss but do not want to miss, because this only makes things harder; riding the bicycle through warm summer fields; trying to keep an eye on expenses; looking out for good deals on necessary and not so necessary stuff; loving to be where you are right now, while trying to be looking forward to where you will be tomorrow, and not being too sad about where you left the day before… Tomorrow, I will let the wind will carry me back to Oslo.
Boston, where the financial markets left me in the cold.
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009
Boston in the winter is cold. But since Oslo is not exactly a warm place in the winter month, this is not much of a problem to a winter-hardened yours truly. However, there is one substantial difference here: I do not have to freeze in the when I sit in the library.
Freezing indoors is a familiar experience to many US visitors in the summer. It usually goes something like this:
Walk into a public building, a store, a cinema. Encounter a wall of cool air. Sit down. Do not have an additional layer of clothing available. Start freezing.
In the winter, I am used to this being the other way round. As stupid as it is, at least it is familiar.
Now, switch settings: We are in the medical library of the richest university of the world. It is really, really, really rich. Ridiculously rich. I arrive from outside, where there is snow and ice. I choose a table. Get rid of my jacket, hat, and extra sweater. Plug my laptop in, sit down, and fire up all of my procrastination-enhancing applications. Fool around a bit. Feel a strange cold. Put on my sweater. Work a bit. Start to feel cold more deeply inside. Feel very foolish, but put on my jacket.
So it seems they have turned the heat down. Maybe the message about climate change has finally arrived? After suffering through this for a few days (and adapting to the circumstances by putting on long underwear and nice woolen socks), an inquiry about the temperature is made. The staff says that because of the loss of money that Harvard University has suffered in the financial crisis, it has been decided to save money by turning down the heat in the Countway Library of Medicine. In parts of the library to about 59°F. That is 15°C. Very funny.
In Berlin’s university libraries there might be leaks in the ceilings, torn off carpets, file cards, and construction noise. But at least I don’t get sick because I have to work for several hours, sittig still while the temperature is at 16 or 17° Celsius.
If you thought that Harvard would be this great place, the place where academics are pampered and where you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else: be warned! I for my part am looking forward to enter the welcoming warmth of Oslo’s university library when I get back…
Starting a new season.
Friday, December 12th, 2008
I think clean white sheets on everything are nice way to start into a new environment. My work here in Oslo has not yet begun, but I feel welcome by all the people I have met so far and I am very much looking forward to the time I will spend here.
We’ll see how long it will be…
Spring-life.
Thursday, May 1st, 2008
This is how life in spring should be. (Luckily, pollen do not transfer via the internet.) With a breakfast on the balcony on a gently warm spring day, life is unfolding like it should. See the cherry blossom tree in full flower? I am so grateful that is exists at exactly this spot on the earth’s surface. I really am. I made some more pictures for my future research project on the perception of nature in the city, thinking it should definitely encompass a visit to Japan during the time of cherry blossom. Ah! The ephemerality of aesthetics… :)
Der Himmel über Oslo.
Monday, January 21st, 2008
Ich habe zwar noch kein Nordlicht gesehen, aber das war auch schon mal nicht von schlechten Eltern…
(Beide Bilder sind bis auf den Ausschnitt und etwas Kontrast nicht bearbeitet.)
Unwetter.
Sunday, May 27th, 2007
Hier ein kleines Chat Protokoll:
ozean [17:38:19]: tröpppel
ozean [17:38:27]: weh tröppel
ozean [17:38:32]: leichtes geblitzel
ozean [17:39:26]: tropf weh blitzel
ozean [17:39:39]: plädder
ozean [17:39:42]: wehhh
du [17:39:45]: hihi
ozean [17:40:14]: rrumpel
ozean [17:40:19]: *plock*
ozean [17:40:23]: (hagel?)
ozean [17:40:32]: plickediplock
ozean [17:40:38]: prassel!
ozean [17:40:42]: blitz!
ozean [17:40:45]: PLOCK
ozean [17:40:49]: PRASSEEL
du [17:40:52]: krass, wo plockt es denn
ozean [17:40:52]: WEHEEEEHHH
du [17:40:53]: ?
du [17:41:11]: noch da?
du [17:41:18]: weggeplockt?
du [17:43:31]: øh?
ozean [17:44:10]: uff
ozean [17:44:17]: krassus
du [17:44:20]: was denn?
ozean [17:44:25]: musste hier erstmal einsatz machen
Der richtige Rahmen für das richtige Buch.
Monday, May 7th, 2007
Bevor das Wetter wieder schlechter wird oder ich mir wieder den Rücken derart verreiße, dass ich nur so wenig sitze wie irgend möglich, habe ich mich heute endlich mal wieder am Nachmittag auf dem Balkon niedergelassen um ein bisschen zu schmökern. Die Szenerie schien mir angemessen genug, um sie auf einem Foto festzuhalten. Mottogebend hier: Michel de Certeaus Die Kunst des Handelns (im Original L’invention du quotidien). In diesem Büchlein geht es um die vielfältigen Taktiken, mit denen Menschen im Alltag die Zwänge der Gesellschaft unterlaufen, sie überlisten und mit ihnen spielen – soweit es ihnen möglich ist. Eine feine Inspiration. Ich habe das Thema gleich aufgegriffen und die Zwänge des allmählichen Bananenfaulens geschickt umschifft; die gelben Früchte kurzerhand samt Milch, Zucker und einem Hauch von Zimt in den Mixer gehauen und zu einem feisten Shake verarbeitet. Dazu dann noch ein übergebliebenes Marzipanei und ein frisch angespitzter Bleistift und schon haben wir einen feinen Lesenachmittag, bei dem man dann und wann mal den Blick über das Geschehen unten auf der Straße oder in den Baumwipfeln schweifen lassen oder etwas Shake in sich hineinkippen kann.
Less gold, more snow.
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2006That would be the Norway-motto for these days. The press laments the unexpectedly low number of gold medals won by Norwegian athletes in the Olympic Games so far. (About fourteen gold medals were expected, two have been won until day eleven.)
There is a recompensation though: Norway, or at least the Oslo region, has more snow than it had for many years. Everything is puffy and white and glistening. We already did two nordic skiing tours. The fist went on for almost three hours (we went from Sognsvann to Hammeren and even a bit further) and caused considerably sore muscles for the female participant of the trip. Yesterday, we were on our first night tour: we departed at 20:25 h and came back two hours later. Although we went uphill almost all of the time and although we raced back downhill later on, we only had one or two falls each and it seems as if the muscles don’t complain as much as they did three days before. Skiing at night is a fun experience, but one should not expect it to be a lonely experience: the electrically lighted cross-country ski run was still well-used – not as many people as there were last Saturday, but still a lot.
Zelte die Zweite.
Tuesday, August 9th, 2005Noch ein kleines Nachwort zum Zeltunglück: folgender Text steht in der Aufbauanleitung des Iglu-Dom-Tunnelzelts Modell Mallorca 3 unter der Überschrift Verhalten bei besonderen Umweltbedingungen
:
Das Zelt muss bei Schneefall oder Sturm abgebaut werden.
Sehr lustig. Die Aufbauanleitung befindet sich selbstverständlich im Verpackungssack des Zelts. Die Produktbeschreibung auf dem Sack führt unter den Ausstattungsmerkmalen folgendes auf:
- Moskitonetz-Eingang
- 2 Hochentlüftungen
- Seitenfenster im Vorbau
- Sturmverspannung
Haha. Tolles Zelt. Die sogenannte Sturmverspannung besteht aus sieben Schnüren, für die es am Zeit drei Befestigungsösen gibt. Die anderen Schnüre soll am einfach am Gestänge festbinden. Das habe ich auch getan und das hat dazu geführt, dass eine der Schnüre die Stoffführung für das Gestänge beim Sturm über eine Länge von circa dreißig Zentimetern weggerissen hat. Tolle Sturmverspannung, die man bei Sturmgefahr lieber abnehmen soll. Ist ja eh viel besser das Zelt eingepackt unter den Arm zu klemmen und sich ein bisschen umstürmen und umschneien zu lassen.
Unwetter und fliegende Zelte.
Monday, August 1st, 2005
oh lala! ‘eute Abend ‘atten wir ein ge’öriges Unwetter! Sturmböen sind durch’s Tarn-Tal gefegt und haben das Zelt von Andi und Tini (inklusive Tini) fast in den Fluß gerissen. Von Ollis Zelt, dass ich mir für diesen Urlaub geliehen habe und das vorher noch unbenutzt war, sind zwei Bodenlaschen einfach abgerissen. Glückerlicherweise hatte ich vorher schon die gesamte Verspannung angebracht so dass das Zelt nicht auch davongeflogen ist. Vor diesem Ereignis war ich von dem Zelt ganz positiv eingenommen. Nun allerdings muss ich sagen, dass es wirklich zu riskant ist, mit billigen Zelten in den Urlaub zu fahren. Die Nähte und der Stoff (es sind auch noch zwei andere Teile etwas eingerissen) sind einfach nicht stabil genug, um widrigen Bedingungen, wie sie auch in nicht-extremen Klimazonen immer wieder vorkommen, zu widerstehen. Qualität ist gefragt – wenn wir nicht dagewesen wären und es gleichzeitig auch noch geregnet hätte, wäre es schon möglich gewesen, dass das Zelt samt Inhalt (das heisst auch diesem Laptop) völlig hinüber gewesen wäre. Gute Zelte und ordentliche Heringe sind also eine sinnvolle Investition. Auch sinnvoll ist es, bei auch nur ein bisschen zweifelhafter Wetterlage die gesamte Verspannung anzubringen und darauf zu achten, Heringe tatsächlich fest einzuschlagen.
Dank einer hilfsbereiten und mit Nähzeug ausgestatteten Bernerin hier auf dem Platz konnte ich Ollis Zelt immerhin wieder zusammengenähen – sollte besser halten als vorher…
Schon kurios: der Sturm kam von einen Moment auf den anderen und hörte nach ca. 3 min auch schon wieder auf – vorhersehbar war der hier unten im Tal nicht. Glücklicherweise ist hier auf dem Platz niemand körperlich zu Schaden gekommen. Einige Zelte und ein Wohnwagen allerdings sind hinüber.
Oslo – Europe’s warmest capital.
Monday, May 10th, 2004This morning Kerstin told me that VG, Norway’s popular yellow press newpaper, features a story in which we are told that last Sunday, temperatures in Oslo have been higher than in any other European capital. Awesome! Now, that’s something to celebrate! Wohooo!
Citizen Frers.
Friday, March 19th, 2004Being a good and honorable member of the residential community living in the Choriner Straße I did my duty today and cleaned the windows. Of course, it was sunny when I started cleaning, and cloudy when I finally finished… thus are the meteorological conditions that we have to live with. Now, if only the first sprouts would be discernible in our balcony plantation I would be a happier man.
Balcony Day.
Wednesday, March 17th, 2004Ah, how wonderful – today we had temperatures above 20° Celsius. Kerstin and I had a very relaxing late breakfast on the balcony, then we both surfed the net a bit. (Today the first preview of the Norwegian browser Opera 7.5 for Mac OS X was published – I tested it for while and it is chugging along nicely and has some neat features. If it would be free I might have given more thought to actually using it.) After this trip into virtual space we returned to more serious matters and started to stick our hands into the earth of our balcony vegetation vessels. Now everything is fresh, some plants have already been sowed, and we are eagerly awaiting the appearance of the first sprouts. Oh what a day!
Spring waiting and ready to go.
Thursday, March 4th, 2004Yesterday was a fine day with lots of sun – it was the first day of this year that allowed me to sit on the balcony and let the sun shine on my face. Well, things have changed again. Today the sky is cloudy, and temperatures were freezing during the night only reaching levels slightly above 0° C today. However, life is slowly finding its way back into the pots on our balcony and the first sprouts can be discerned. I am looking forward to the first real gardening activity of this year!>
Railway, landscapes and snow.
Thursday, January 29th, 2004If only I would have had more time to sit back and watch things pass by on today’s railway trip from Frankfurt to Berlin. It has been a constant change of white, snow covered fields, sunny green meadows, grey skies and snowy hills, misty stretches and heavy snowfall, filling the air with a white-speckled light grey. Trees with snow covered branches have always been one of my top favorites visual aesthetic pleasures. I hope the temperatures stay below zero degrees Celsius; otherwise this particular tree-adornment will quickly dissolve into unpleasant wetness.
I like it.
Thursday, September 4th, 2003The worst part of the declining temperatures is the growing anxiety which I feel before turning on the cold water in the shower. *brrr* But otherwise it’s great: I can wear my favorite jacket again, we had some gorgeous rainbows over the last few days and sleeping is even more attractive.
Skin Cancer risk now dropping again.
Wednesday, August 27th, 2003I’m back in Berlin again. The sky is cloudy and the temperatures are perfect again – around 22 °C. The vacation has been long enough to produce some longing after the city, the balcony and dear friends. It has also been long enough for me to get a real sun tan. Haven’t had such a tan since I worked on the island, I guess. Come and visit me, before I am a pale academic again.
Had a lot of fun and time for relaxation, reading, musing and playing croquet (see this entry).