Oh, hello! It seems it’s Friday again already, and we all know what that means…
Well, this week I was back at work as normal again since the train strike was over… and a good job too! Jan set up our new computer at the weekend and I had to actually go to work to be able to get the addresses for setting up our remote server again. Everything’s on the new computer now though, so next time there’s a strike I’ll be able to work from home again! Other than that, it’s been a pretty uneventful week. Jan worked late Monday and Tuesday so I ended up spending the evening alone both days. In fact, on Tuesday I was already in bed by the time he came home! Yesterday, being Thursday, he had choir practice as usual so I’ve barely even seen him this week. Hopefully we’ll get to spend some time together tonight, although I suspect it will end up being the two of us plus a whole bunch of other people because a friend who use to live in Karlsruhe is in town for the weekend and wants to go for a beer. Then tomorrow Jan’s choir is performing at a concert for charity, so of course I will be going to that. Phew, busy-ness! Work-wise things have calmed down a little for me now – I still have plenty to do, but I’m now at the stage where my days are just full enough rather than bursting at the seams. I haven’t even done any overtime this week, which is rare lately!
OK, that’s enough rambling. I know letters is what you want 😉
Dear winter reading challenge. So far, you’ve been so fun! I love the categories that were picked this time round. Now I’m hoping the rest of the books I’ve ordered arrive soon!
Dear Karlsruhe Christmas market. Why do you always seem to start later than all the rest? Some towns’ markets are opening on Monday, but we have to wait all the way til the 27th. No fair!
Dear 2014. I can’t believe we will be entering your final month in a mere two weeks (on Monday)! Between my grandpa dying and an amazing trip to Taiwan, this has been a real rollercoaster of a year, and I’m not actually sure I’m ready for you to end yet!
Dear chestnuts. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to discover you in forms other than roasted and in a paper bag, but now I have I’m making up for lost time! You are DELICIOUS fried together with pumpkin!
Dear cousin, dad’s cousin and Jan’s mum. Happy Birthday!! (Apparently 14 November is a popular day for birthdays!)
That’s all I’ve got this week, so here are some links to tide you over:
- Here’s a list of 18 foods all British people miss when they’re abroad. I can’t stand Marmite or Branston Pickle and I’m not too fussed about custard creams, but the rest gets a huge YES from me. Especially the Indian takeaway. I would love a decent Indian right now. They missed out (savoury) pies and gravy granules though!
- This list of the top 10 imaginary friends in fiction inspired me to add even more books to my want-to-read list. Because clearly it’s not long enough already.
- Speaking of books, according to The Telegraph these are the best young adult books of 2014. Surprisingly, I have read precisely zero of them, which means there are now even more books I want to read!
- The backpackers among you might be interested in this 30 second manual washing machine. Personally, I think it sounds a bit odd but I suppose you shouldn’t knock things til you’ve tried them. Also, I’ve never actually backpacked so clearly I have zero idea what I’m talking about anyway 😉
- And finally, something on my own behalf… I’ve created a Facebook page for Confuzzledom (mainly so I can like other people’s pages without having to give away my real name to all and sundry), so if you want to like it that would be nice. Just click the purple writing then do the likey thing. Ta very muchly!
Confuzzledom 
I’ve heard we are having a one-day Christmas market nearby, so I’m hoping to go to that. I love the idea of them. One day I will get to a real one. 🙂
YAY! Let me know how it is if you make it.
They’re popping up all over the place now. Apparantly Newcastle even has one.
I will give you the full run down and you can let me know whether it’s fairly typical or not.
They are setting up the Christkindlesmarkt here already, but it doesn’t officially open until the 28th! But, on the positive side, now that’s it’s after the 11th, we are allowed to eat Lebkuchen. Woo!
And Nov. 14 birthdays = Valentine’s Day babies. Aww. 😉
Yeah, they’ve been setting ours up for a while but it doesn’t open for another 2 weeks. Heidelberg’s opens on 24th November… so much unfairness!
I didn’t know there was an 11th rule for eating Lebkuchen? They’ve been in the shops since 1st September!
Yeah they’ve been in stores here too. But everyone in the Nbg area is very adament that you can’t eat them until St. Martin’s Day on the 11th. Lebkuchen is very serious around here.
Haha, my colleagues don’t seem to care about that. Someone brought in Dominosteine at the beginning of October and they were demolished within a week!
We did also have a small package of Dominosteine that BV got at work, but he said that it was allowed because they aren’t “real” Lebkuchen. Loophole!
Hahaha, okay then 😉
How cool that Jan is in a choir!! I love going to hear choirs sing 😀
Love that list of YA novels. I also have not read a single one – whoops – so I better get to it!
His choir is a “double quartet”, so there’s only 8 of them. It’s an a capella group really I suppose, but they always refer to themselves as a choir so I do too!
The Koblenz Christmas market starts in a week – I can’t wait! Although I won’t be able to visit until after the weekend anyway.
I checked that book list and I haven’t read any either! YA novels are a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, so I’m surprised I didn’t even recognize any of them haha!
Aaah, no fair! We have to wait nearly 2 weeks for ours!
I love YA fiction and I don’t even care who knows it. I wish half of those books had been around when I was younger (although in those days we were just plain old “teenagers”… none of this Young Adult stuff!)
A lot of birthdays! Alles Gute to all of them! I cannot believe 2014 will be over soon either but I am hoping for a fantastic 2015!
I’m not sure what to think about 2015 yet. It’s going to be an adventure, that’s for sure!
Liked 🙂 They’re starting to set up markets here but they won’t open until the end of the month – that’s soon enough for me!
I need them to open sooooner! There aren’t enough weekends for me to visit all the ones I want to – especially as most close at 9 p.m.!
I thought I’d just visit one – maybe two 🙂 Are they really all that different??
Hmm, yes and no, Generally they’re all the same, but some are different. We have a normal one and then in Durlach there’s a mediaeval one. And this year I want to go to one that’s held at/in a castle. Also, you get some that are mainly selling stuff while others have more food/Glühwein stands. And some have more interesting handmade stuff while others have things I would never dream of buying.
Ha, OK, sounds like you know your stuff! I’ll try to check out a few – think there’s going to be a kind of alternative one across the road from me 🙂
LOL, what can I say… I love Christmas markets! (Well the Glühwein and sausages part anyway 😉 )
Yes, that’s mainly what I’ll be looking for!
Busy week for you! Hope you get to spend some time with Jan over the weekend. I had a read of that article… yeah not a Marmite girl, nor Irn Bru but the rest I agree with! That and TEA! You can’t get good tea abroad!
You can get PG Tips at the Asian shops here.
And in the British shop in Frankfurt! I think I have also seen it in a big Rewe here that has an international section?
I’m upset at how long we have to wait for Nuremberg’s Christmas market. I have wanted to visit since LAST YEAR.