The Realm of Excess

When I hear that new airport opening is postponed again

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 16:43:55 +0100

whenyouliveinberlin:

Very accurate

When anyone says anything to me about Neukölln!

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 09:29:14 +0100

whenyoureallyliveinberlin:

"Whenever I hear about a new case of animal abuse, I try to explain man’s indifference to..."

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:18:40 +0100

“Whenever I hear about a new case of animal abuse, I try to explain man’s indifference to animal suffering by thinking of man’s indifference to human suffering. The ubiquity of sufferance is perhaps what makes death more bearable, as it offers an expiration date for suffering.”

Photo

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 14:20:34 +0100

The Unicorn Confucius Philosophy

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:21:42 +0100

Confucius believed in unicorns. He was the man who naively said: “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I recently got dragged into a small internet feud where I couldn’t resist shattering everyone’s beautiful hopes and dreams when I saw this quote posted on a facebook status for the 5th time on my feed. Let me break down this sadly simplistic view of the job market that fresh college graduates have as a mantra. First off, a little disclaimer, Confucius lived in a simpler time. A time when the “nine-to-five” race to the bottom didn’t exist. A time where health care and taxes and all these annoying modern day costs where not the monthly burden they are today. He also didn’t live in a time where rent was as high as it currently is and neither were all other necessities of life. With that disclaimer in mind, allow me to continue.

To quote an internet meme: “One does not simply choose the job he loves.” Take me for example, I like writing, I’ve written more applications to magazines and newspapers than I can remember, all the while writing for shit pay on the side as a freelancer (the pay has increased since my humble beginnings but it’s still not enough to support any type of basic lifestyle.) Most of the jobs I’ve gotten have been through connections, as someone from the inside of one of the reputable publications I work for told me, “we only hire based on recommendations from the inside.” So for those of us who don’t know anyone on the inside, get a different dream!

If you are one of the lucky few –and I do say luck, implying that luck had something to do with your position– that got his/her dream job, congratulations! But never let yourself believe that you got to where you wanted to be simply because you worked harder than anybody else that wanted the position. True, you may have worked hard. You may have gotten no outside help and gotten in through no connections from your social circle. This makes the fact that you’ve achieved this job very laudable indeed, but it does NOT mean that therefore, everyone who “wants it bad enough” can get it. You had an opportunity combined with the learned skill that you’ve accumulated and then you proved to have enough courage and know how to jump on that opportunity. Once again, good for you, but don’t go generalizing people’s dreams!

What I mean by luck, is that if you were not born in a first world country, or if you were born into poverty, or if you come from a family with little means, do you still believe you would have been that lucky? What about if you had dreamed to be actor as opposed to a graphic designer or a graphic designer as opposed to a software developer, would you still have the same odds of landing your dream job? Setting aside the known advantages that money and connections bring you in the job market for a moment, sometimes all you need is just a bit of luck, to find the right job offer, to be in the right place for you to pursue your dream and to have the good timing.

So if you don’t naively cling onto your “dream job” because you have rent and bills to pay, it’s not for failure to “choosing” the right job or even for failure of trying, but sometimes simply because this world is a not a marshmallow wonderland where we poop rainbows and ride our unicorn to our dream jobs.

BOUGHT MY TICKET TO SEOUL!

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:47:15 +0100

BOUGHT MY TICKET TO SEOUL!

This is what a lot of fur coats are made of. STARE IT IN THE...

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:02:26 +0100

This is what a lot of fur coats are made of. STARE IT IN THE CUTE ASS FACE. This is what you’re killing when you buy a fur coat. Also they get thrown on the floor by the chinese piles of shit who collect the fur from their still live bodies! This animal looks so adorable it breaks my heart that some 50 of these have to die so some rich, old (most likely ugly and fat) lady can wear one coat.

Photo

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:28:28 +0100

luxuryaccommodations: Sleeping Around - Antwerp, Belgium -...

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:07:10 +0100

luxuryaccommodations:

Sleeping Around - Antwerp, Belgium - Unique Pop-Up Hotel

German Medical System, You Suck!

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 15:52:46 +0100

So, I might have kidney stones. Nobody knows for sure, because let’s face it we’re in Germany, the land where everything from the bread you eat to the care you receive when you’re sick is over-bureaucracized. I’ve been to the doctor three times in the time span of a week. First receiving treatment for a bladder infection I may or may not have had, then for receiving a kidney infection I may or may not have had all the while still enduring a constant stream of nightly spasms that prevents me from FUCKING LIVING. Tomorrow, I have to go to a specialized doctor, because this bitch, didn’t have a fucking ultra-sound machine to check my kidneys. Well, why can’t I go today? Ladi-fucking-da because I should supposedly wait it out and see if I’ll fucking spasm out tonight. Well, fucking great! Seriously THANK YOU stupid medical insurance that costs me 150 euros for this mediocre medical care. I get to spend one last ( more?) night in bed with my lovely spasms, then waste another day at the doctor’s tomorrow and I’m supposed to smile and say “now that’s progress from the country that’s considered number 1 in Europe.” Well fuck NO!

Merkel, You suck!

German Medical System, You suck!

Techniker Krankenkasse, You suck!

and Wowereit, You suck too (not that you have anything to do in this particular case)

Crispy Kale Chips

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 12:36:47 +0100

kitchenlaboratory:

Ingredients

Kale

olive oil

salt

First chop, rinse and pat them really dry and preheat your oven at 140 degrees

Then toss them around in olive oil, not too much

After line parchment paper or aluminum foil and spread them on it

Finally sprinkle some salt on it and pop them in the oven for 15 minutes or until the edges start to brown a bit

"Debra: Go drink some wine! What the hell are you doing sober right now??? me: It’s 6pm…"

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:09:40 +0100

“Debra: Go drink some wine! What the hell are you doing sober right now???
me: It’s 6pm…”

Photo

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 23:01:48 +0100

Photo

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 21:59:06 +0100

Amnesty international rep: Hi do you have a moment?

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 19:40:00 +0100

Amnesty international rep: Hi do you have a moment?
Me: no, sorry I don't have time for organizations like yours
AIR: why?
Me: Because your organization saves humans and I want most humans to die, so that the animals may finally have peace. What we have done with this planet is a travesty and we need to die for it.
AIR: *Pause* I feel the same way sometimes...

"BERLIN! I’ve got good and bad news. The bad news is we are being invaded by losers and..."

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 22:12:05 +0100

“

BERLIN! I’ve got good and bad news. The bad news is we are being invaded by losers and teenagers from other bundesländer, a majority emerging from the much dreaded Brandenburg, who are looking to celebrate NYE in Berlin as it is probably the only night of the year they go out.

The good news is their night will most likely end at 12:37 on 1.1.13 in a pool of their own puke.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

”

r-milpalabras: ATM and Printer. Rosenthaler Platz U-Bahn,...

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 13:00:05 +0100

r-milpalabras:

ATM and Printer.

Rosenthaler Platz U-Bahn, Berlin 2012

Someone in Berlin was in DIRE need of cash

Kitchen Warrior

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 14:08:04 +0100

Friday was my first day behind the scorching heat plates, the steaming grill and the toasty toaster of a professional kitchen. I loved every minute of it. Even when I suffered multiple cuts from the mandoline, I bandaged that bitch up and continued prepping, peeling, cleaning, searing and working that kitchen.

I started at 0900, meaning I had to wake up at 0745 to get there, which, considering my recent skewed schedule of sleeping at 0300 and waking up near noon, was already a feat in and of itself. However, due to the coffee or the excitement I was not tired, and I worked without toilet break, or lunch break or even looking at the clock until 1500. For those of you working in an office, you understand how that is a feat RARELY accomplished while sitting at a desk, with a lost gaze constantly focused on a random point of the computer.

So when they offered me a job, I didn’t even hesitate. I did ask for a 4 day work week. I figured, I like doing this job, and I don’t want to burn through it like I did with the other jobs. Yes, so far it kicks all my other jobs in the FACE but I don’t want to take any chances. There is a possibility for me to hold down a job for at least a year here. I want to give it a shot. So I’ll be working Wednesday through Friday and Sunday. I am so glad I will be working sundays. I always wanted to work sundays and holidays.

In Europe, sundays are the worst. There is nothing to do, everything is closed, no one outside to play. So why not use this day to work and get a work day off so I can run all my errands when everyone else is stuck at their desks and I can thank the gods of cooking for my awesome irregular schedule.

Photo

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 08:59:36 +0100

Career Switch?

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 20:22:16 +0100

In the last two years, I’ve explored and milked my recreational cooking gene as much as I could before culminating in my recent career switch to the kitchen. That’s right, tomorrow, I will be entering a kitchen staffed with professionals chefs and learn from the best in basics, tastes and plating. I am absolutely thrilled! First of all, it’s a very trendy place. It opened last month and is called Shan’s Kitchen. Secondly, they have an open kitchen, which I always love. And finally, as a meat-free person, I am happy I landed a gig at a place that only serves two meat dishes.

I have no idea how this will pan out and I am loving every minute of it. By making a leap into a job world completely unknown to me, I have recaptured the excitement I felt when I first moved to Berlin. I am happy to find that cynicism has not completely taken over my positive outlook on life. I can’t say it’s gonna be all fun, since I have obviously never done this before, but I am looking forward to doing something without having to stare at a computer the whole day, that involves design and flavors.