Some Of Us Made It
Jul. 3rd, 2022 04:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lupestripeWhile it was certainly a whistlestop trip back to the UK, with us flying back home to Germany on Friday evening, we still managed to squeeze an awful lot in. This is particularly impressive considering I was working for most of the week too, with me being asked to come into the office on Wednesday. This turned out to be very useful as I managed to get the lowdown on the spate of recent redundancies and the current financial health of the business. Touchwood, everything will be okay for me, at least for the next few months, but things are looking quite stretched right now.
On Tuesday, we invited Arcais and Taneli around for a BBQ. They arrived around 7pm, but as is often the way with my lack of organisation, I needed to go to the shop to pick up supplies after they had arrived. Still, they had brought a range of things for us to try, and we had a great couple of hours just catching up and chilling. I really like it when they come around for an evening and we have made it into something of a tradition, so it's sad to think that this is likely to be our last one this year, with us not likely to return to the UK until early November. I will miss our house in particular, along with a number of our friends, but we have spent a good chunk of the last three months in England and we really need to consolidate ourselves in Germany.
Wednesday saw us go around to British Foxy's house, where we met his 'smelly princess' Larka. She's a cool husky with whom I really get on, and it was great again just chatting and chilling. The main reason we went around there was for me to inspect a Puffy Paws Wolf toy that he was selling on the cheap. It does need some additional plasticising on one of the legs, but aside from that, he looks wonderful and I snapped him up for a bargain price. British detailed all of the care instructions needed for the toy, and even gave us some beach balls which we can use to support him should we ever wish to ride him. Apparently the seams down the legs are the most weak part of the toy. Alas, as soon as I got home, I forgot to remove the plasticisier and the balls from the box in which he is folded - thinking that as British had packed him away, it would be safe - so I hope there will be no latex transfer issues when we get back in four months' time. After inflating and then deflating the toy, we just watched YouTube videos of gamers playing games and a guy reviewing scammy or non-scammy inventions on Kickstarter and Wish. We also grabbed a local Chinese, alas not from the place at the end of British's street, but the Magic Wok in the heart of Castleford. The food took a while to prepare, but it was delicious.
We got back very late, which is one of the reasons why I messed up the storage of the wolf, but there was no real respite as on Thursday I headed to York to see one of my business partners. Really, this was just a social catch-up but there was some company business to attend to. We also managed to grab some delicious pizza in The Hop, with me not realising that the Osset brewery had a bar in the city at all. The barman said it had been there for nine years, which I didn't quite believe. We also grabbed a beer in Brew York and also a few in the Brewery Tap, making for an enjoyable few hours. I'd forgotten how gregarious my business partner can be, but this just led to more conversations. It was great wandering around York and seeing how much it had changed, with a number of interesting restaurants having now opened, and we'll definitely have to go back. We also tried to get into the Boxpark place but my business partner hadn't brought his coat with him and felt it a little too cold. Indeed, the weather has been poor during our trip back, in stark contrast to the 30C temperatures in Berlin today. The same can be said for the trains, which had either been cancelled due to the strikes or turned up late. On Thursday, the Leeds to New Pudsey portion was cancelled due to a lack of driver, meaning I had to get a rail replacement bus service from Leeds. Having been told it was outside Wetherspoons, I realised that this was wrong, and by the time I had gotten out front, there was no bus to be found. Fortunately, I could catch the last number 4, which was laughingly at 23:18, but at least the £1.40 single was much cheaper than it had been before, due to the new evening ticket offer they have going.
Friday was our trip back home to Berlin, an indeterminable nightmare due to late trains and Manchester Airport's ongoing travel problems. The journey over to Manchester wasn't too bad as we bumped into a nice lady called Rebecca at New Pudsey station. She was going to Manchester Airport too as she had booked a last minute trip to see a friend in Amsterdam. We got talking at the station and then spent the entire rail journey nattering, with Wolfie and I having our very dry citrussy Hop City beers as we travelled. There was a man next to us who was very loud and gauche, but he wiped his head on some mayonnaise on the table which was quite amusing. Our train was running late, but fortunately so was our connection at Manchester Victoria, affording us enough time for a toilet trip and a cheeky Greggs. Alas, Rebecca was flying from Terminal 1 and we were flying from the tedious Terminal 3, so we had to split at the airport, but we shared numbers and will hopefully meet up in November. She was very interested in furry and the inclusiveness of the community so maybe she'll come to a meet one day too. It was a very nice couple of hours, with the trip flying by, which is more than can be said for the Manchester Airport experience. We had gotten Fast Track through security so we weren't too long standing, but this only meant we had two and a half hours to kill in Terminal 3. The queue at the one and only bar was incredible, it must have had around 100 people standing in it, while nearly all of the chairs were taken too. KFC and Pret a Manger also had snaking lines, so we had to satisfy ourselves with a soggy sandwich as part of WH Smith's meal deal. I have rarely wasted two hours more uselessly, but there was little else to do, while once we got into the Ryanair queue when our gate was called, nothing happened for half an hour either. I just wanted to get home and Wolfie has bust his foot again, so he could barely walk. It was amongst one of the worst journeys I have ever done and we got back to Spandau just before 1am.
Waiting for me was my German identity card, which was a delight. This has taken me nearly twenty months to get, but at least now I finally have it. I also had my Eisbrecher tickets and a letter from the Census people. We are amongst one of the lucky houses to have been randomly selected to be interviewed by them, with our appointment taking place on Friday. I think I should be able to handle this in German, but I am trying to get Note around to help with the translation. Either way, it's a legal requirement to do it, so it'll have to be done, despite how apprehensive I am feeling.
Our friend Adia has spent the last few days in Berlin, but alas we couldn't see her. It would have been good to have met up, but as we were in the UK, this opportunity did not present itself. She had a good time, I believe, but I do wish we could have met up. Hopefully another time.
For Saturday, we had a choice - stay in the UK for London Pride or come back to Berlin for Sommerfest, the main gathering of the Berlin furs. We opted for the latter as it was cheaper and also we need to get to know more furs here. Unfortunately, Wolfie was not able to make it due to his busted foot, but I at least managed to smuggle three beers out for him as well as his name badge. I had tried to arrange a gathering with the Fureigners so we could all go together, but as usual, this proved easier said than done. Fortunately, Fiasco was interested in going together so I met up with him at Adaneurplatz before we took a bus down to Grunewald, which is where the retreat was. We had paid for everything in advance so there was free food in the form of a BBQ along with free drink too - both crates of beer and cocktails - but none of this was available until 9pm. We went down for the modest fursuit walk at 2:30pm so it was quite a wait to get drink.
Before entering Sommerfest, I had to take a COVID test, which they provided on site. I opted for this as you now have to pay for the COVID tests in Berlin and although this was meant to be €3 for a test, as it turned out, they just gave it to us for free. I had to wait twenty minutes to get my badge but once I had tested negative, I headed inside. The fursuit walk was about to begin so I joined the twenty or so suiters on their jaunt down to the lake. I was tempted to suit myself, particularly when I heard they had showers in the hostel which provided the base for Sommerfest, but it was quite hot and I wanted to see the lay of the land. Maybe I'll do it next year but the walk was quite short and I don't want to get BBQ smoke in my suit. En route, I got talking to a German couple about furries, who switched to English when they realised I was struggling. Meanwhile, we commandeered an English speaking table as there were a few non-Germans there, including Antwerp-based Norje and Snowwolf, a British fur who lives in Frankfurt. A number of Fureigners were with us too, including Villian and later on Note, while I did at least manage to speak to the organiser Tekaru, someone with whom I have spent many happy moments at Gdakon. Sadly, I didn't get much chance to practice German again, but this wasn't for the lack of trying. Still, it was a good evening chilling and even though we sequestered ourselves away at the far table away from everyone, it was great meeting a few new people, including Norje's Berlin-based boyfriend.
There was a lot of fun throughout the day, including pinatas, which saw the least aggressive scrap for candy once the sweets had fallen onto the ground. Norje went first and succeeded in decapitating the boar's head, meaning it looked like a swinging piece of meat for the other ten contestants. Two people were pulling the pinata back and forth on a zip wire, making hitting it much harder, and more fun to observe. The BBQ itself, which was served later, was a great mix of chicken thighs, lamb, peppered steak and sausage, with the halloumi being particularly delicious. There were huge vats of chips and kartoffel-creme sauce, along with pasta and a range of condiments too. It was very delicious and once the beer started flowing, I found myself staying very late. Some poeple were there overnight, having pitched a tent or settled into one of the dorms, but Fiasco, Note and I decided to head home around 2:30am. It was around this time I stole Wolfie's badge - clearly it with Takeru later - and got a few beers for him as he had paid for the event without getting anything from it. The journey back here was a little dicey as it was the salubrious part of Berlin with little public transport, but I soon found a bus and once back in Spandau, saw the sunrise above the Rathaus, which was quite beautiful in its multiple colours.
Today, along with the forthcoming week, will be staying indoors days as I have to work. The big boss is on holiday and with things the way they are, I need to chip in where I can. I also left work at 1:30pm on Friday to travel home so I can't complain too much, although with early morning and late night work next week, I may take a day off in lieu at some point. The weather is very hot and I am just hoping we can cool this house down as once again it's like a furnace. I love Berlin summers and the good weather, but the stickiness of the house really drags me down. Hopefully, I can push on with a few projects this week too.
On Tuesday, we invited Arcais and Taneli around for a BBQ. They arrived around 7pm, but as is often the way with my lack of organisation, I needed to go to the shop to pick up supplies after they had arrived. Still, they had brought a range of things for us to try, and we had a great couple of hours just catching up and chilling. I really like it when they come around for an evening and we have made it into something of a tradition, so it's sad to think that this is likely to be our last one this year, with us not likely to return to the UK until early November. I will miss our house in particular, along with a number of our friends, but we have spent a good chunk of the last three months in England and we really need to consolidate ourselves in Germany.
Wednesday saw us go around to British Foxy's house, where we met his 'smelly princess' Larka. She's a cool husky with whom I really get on, and it was great again just chatting and chilling. The main reason we went around there was for me to inspect a Puffy Paws Wolf toy that he was selling on the cheap. It does need some additional plasticising on one of the legs, but aside from that, he looks wonderful and I snapped him up for a bargain price. British detailed all of the care instructions needed for the toy, and even gave us some beach balls which we can use to support him should we ever wish to ride him. Apparently the seams down the legs are the most weak part of the toy. Alas, as soon as I got home, I forgot to remove the plasticisier and the balls from the box in which he is folded - thinking that as British had packed him away, it would be safe - so I hope there will be no latex transfer issues when we get back in four months' time. After inflating and then deflating the toy, we just watched YouTube videos of gamers playing games and a guy reviewing scammy or non-scammy inventions on Kickstarter and Wish. We also grabbed a local Chinese, alas not from the place at the end of British's street, but the Magic Wok in the heart of Castleford. The food took a while to prepare, but it was delicious.
We got back very late, which is one of the reasons why I messed up the storage of the wolf, but there was no real respite as on Thursday I headed to York to see one of my business partners. Really, this was just a social catch-up but there was some company business to attend to. We also managed to grab some delicious pizza in The Hop, with me not realising that the Osset brewery had a bar in the city at all. The barman said it had been there for nine years, which I didn't quite believe. We also grabbed a beer in Brew York and also a few in the Brewery Tap, making for an enjoyable few hours. I'd forgotten how gregarious my business partner can be, but this just led to more conversations. It was great wandering around York and seeing how much it had changed, with a number of interesting restaurants having now opened, and we'll definitely have to go back. We also tried to get into the Boxpark place but my business partner hadn't brought his coat with him and felt it a little too cold. Indeed, the weather has been poor during our trip back, in stark contrast to the 30C temperatures in Berlin today. The same can be said for the trains, which had either been cancelled due to the strikes or turned up late. On Thursday, the Leeds to New Pudsey portion was cancelled due to a lack of driver, meaning I had to get a rail replacement bus service from Leeds. Having been told it was outside Wetherspoons, I realised that this was wrong, and by the time I had gotten out front, there was no bus to be found. Fortunately, I could catch the last number 4, which was laughingly at 23:18, but at least the £1.40 single was much cheaper than it had been before, due to the new evening ticket offer they have going.
Friday was our trip back home to Berlin, an indeterminable nightmare due to late trains and Manchester Airport's ongoing travel problems. The journey over to Manchester wasn't too bad as we bumped into a nice lady called Rebecca at New Pudsey station. She was going to Manchester Airport too as she had booked a last minute trip to see a friend in Amsterdam. We got talking at the station and then spent the entire rail journey nattering, with Wolfie and I having our very dry citrussy Hop City beers as we travelled. There was a man next to us who was very loud and gauche, but he wiped his head on some mayonnaise on the table which was quite amusing. Our train was running late, but fortunately so was our connection at Manchester Victoria, affording us enough time for a toilet trip and a cheeky Greggs. Alas, Rebecca was flying from Terminal 1 and we were flying from the tedious Terminal 3, so we had to split at the airport, but we shared numbers and will hopefully meet up in November. She was very interested in furry and the inclusiveness of the community so maybe she'll come to a meet one day too. It was a very nice couple of hours, with the trip flying by, which is more than can be said for the Manchester Airport experience. We had gotten Fast Track through security so we weren't too long standing, but this only meant we had two and a half hours to kill in Terminal 3. The queue at the one and only bar was incredible, it must have had around 100 people standing in it, while nearly all of the chairs were taken too. KFC and Pret a Manger also had snaking lines, so we had to satisfy ourselves with a soggy sandwich as part of WH Smith's meal deal. I have rarely wasted two hours more uselessly, but there was little else to do, while once we got into the Ryanair queue when our gate was called, nothing happened for half an hour either. I just wanted to get home and Wolfie has bust his foot again, so he could barely walk. It was amongst one of the worst journeys I have ever done and we got back to Spandau just before 1am.
Waiting for me was my German identity card, which was a delight. This has taken me nearly twenty months to get, but at least now I finally have it. I also had my Eisbrecher tickets and a letter from the Census people. We are amongst one of the lucky houses to have been randomly selected to be interviewed by them, with our appointment taking place on Friday. I think I should be able to handle this in German, but I am trying to get Note around to help with the translation. Either way, it's a legal requirement to do it, so it'll have to be done, despite how apprehensive I am feeling.
Our friend Adia has spent the last few days in Berlin, but alas we couldn't see her. It would have been good to have met up, but as we were in the UK, this opportunity did not present itself. She had a good time, I believe, but I do wish we could have met up. Hopefully another time.
For Saturday, we had a choice - stay in the UK for London Pride or come back to Berlin for Sommerfest, the main gathering of the Berlin furs. We opted for the latter as it was cheaper and also we need to get to know more furs here. Unfortunately, Wolfie was not able to make it due to his busted foot, but I at least managed to smuggle three beers out for him as well as his name badge. I had tried to arrange a gathering with the Fureigners so we could all go together, but as usual, this proved easier said than done. Fortunately, Fiasco was interested in going together so I met up with him at Adaneurplatz before we took a bus down to Grunewald, which is where the retreat was. We had paid for everything in advance so there was free food in the form of a BBQ along with free drink too - both crates of beer and cocktails - but none of this was available until 9pm. We went down for the modest fursuit walk at 2:30pm so it was quite a wait to get drink.
Before entering Sommerfest, I had to take a COVID test, which they provided on site. I opted for this as you now have to pay for the COVID tests in Berlin and although this was meant to be €3 for a test, as it turned out, they just gave it to us for free. I had to wait twenty minutes to get my badge but once I had tested negative, I headed inside. The fursuit walk was about to begin so I joined the twenty or so suiters on their jaunt down to the lake. I was tempted to suit myself, particularly when I heard they had showers in the hostel which provided the base for Sommerfest, but it was quite hot and I wanted to see the lay of the land. Maybe I'll do it next year but the walk was quite short and I don't want to get BBQ smoke in my suit. En route, I got talking to a German couple about furries, who switched to English when they realised I was struggling. Meanwhile, we commandeered an English speaking table as there were a few non-Germans there, including Antwerp-based Norje and Snowwolf, a British fur who lives in Frankfurt. A number of Fureigners were with us too, including Villian and later on Note, while I did at least manage to speak to the organiser Tekaru, someone with whom I have spent many happy moments at Gdakon. Sadly, I didn't get much chance to practice German again, but this wasn't for the lack of trying. Still, it was a good evening chilling and even though we sequestered ourselves away at the far table away from everyone, it was great meeting a few new people, including Norje's Berlin-based boyfriend.
There was a lot of fun throughout the day, including pinatas, which saw the least aggressive scrap for candy once the sweets had fallen onto the ground. Norje went first and succeeded in decapitating the boar's head, meaning it looked like a swinging piece of meat for the other ten contestants. Two people were pulling the pinata back and forth on a zip wire, making hitting it much harder, and more fun to observe. The BBQ itself, which was served later, was a great mix of chicken thighs, lamb, peppered steak and sausage, with the halloumi being particularly delicious. There were huge vats of chips and kartoffel-creme sauce, along with pasta and a range of condiments too. It was very delicious and once the beer started flowing, I found myself staying very late. Some poeple were there overnight, having pitched a tent or settled into one of the dorms, but Fiasco, Note and I decided to head home around 2:30am. It was around this time I stole Wolfie's badge - clearly it with Takeru later - and got a few beers for him as he had paid for the event without getting anything from it. The journey back here was a little dicey as it was the salubrious part of Berlin with little public transport, but I soon found a bus and once back in Spandau, saw the sunrise above the Rathaus, which was quite beautiful in its multiple colours.
Today, along with the forthcoming week, will be staying indoors days as I have to work. The big boss is on holiday and with things the way they are, I need to chip in where I can. I also left work at 1:30pm on Friday to travel home so I can't complain too much, although with early morning and late night work next week, I may take a day off in lieu at some point. The weather is very hot and I am just hoping we can cool this house down as once again it's like a furnace. I love Berlin summers and the good weather, but the stickiness of the house really drags me down. Hopefully, I can push on with a few projects this week too.
