Archive: February 2008
"Where Words Fail, Music Speaks!"
A Special Feature Article
Wednesday, 20th February 2008, 23:00 GMT
A special blog entry devoted to the unique medium that is music. As promised, I am trying to update the website with new features, and this I hope will be a change from the usual "daily observations" that normally feature on my blog.
"Without music, life would be an error." - Friedrich Nietzsche
For me, the above quote is certainly true. For the past couple of months, I've been rather passionately re-organising my iTunes library with "ratings" for quick access to those tunes that are especially enjoyable or have some musical value that is worth highlighting. With this process, I've cemented certain pieces so firmly in my brain cells that they will remain there for a long while to come.
Read the full special feature article, "Where words fail, music speaks!", here.
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"Do no take life too seriously..."
Tuesday, 12th February 2008, 13:02 GMT
...you will never get out of it alive. As the next chapter of my year abroad looms and the exam stress once again fills the air, I thought a quick break would be nice to update the world on just one of it's six billion unique stories...
Weihnachtsperiode
As 2007 came to a close, I found myself on what you could call a journey of discovery; about the self, life, society and culture. I suppose Christmas is the perfect time to consolidate your thoughts, think about what has past and what the future holds. In particular, this Christmas, I found this process of consolidation particularly strenuous; though given the vast scale of upheaval in 2007 I don't suppose this was especially surprising.
Lübeck Weihnachten - December 2008 - ©2008 andyholland.co.uk
Having started 2007 living with six lovely ladies in a large house in Leamington and ending it ice-skating around a cute little ice rink in the Christmas Markets of Kiel and Hamburg in Germany with people I felt I'd know my entire life (though in reality had only known them for all of two months) all the bits in between tend to blur into one giant fun-filled ball of what can only be described as "life". And indeed it is this "life" that I will now try to sum up into one small entry for the world to enjoy with me.
Though, admittedly, I only have time out of my busy schedule to post a few pretty pictures and mention a couple of the many many things that I consolidated as part of the obligatory "end-of-year", "taking-stock" process.
Kate Nash
Speaking of pretty pictures, here's one from the Kate Nash concert in Hamburg that I mentioned last sitting. Not going into too much detail doesn't give her the attention she deserves. What an entertainer! She was stunning and the small venue only made it that more "intimate" of a gig for her. I'm sure she enjoyed it just as much as we did, which only makes it that bit better for the audience. Her bashing of the piano in her explosive encore, her quiet, but certainly audible mumblings that fed into the next song as part of her character and her subtle facial expressions couldn't go without mention and all led to an absolutely memorable concert experience that I won't be in a hurry to forget!
Kate Nash - Hamburg, Germany - December 2007 - ©2008 andyholland.co.uk
Glühwein, Parties and Christmas
As mentioned already, Christmas 2007 was one which I will probably never forget. Not only due to the unique state-of-mind I was experiencing and the numerous never-before-experienced cultural events, but due to the fact that I spent it with people who have the same love of life as I.
Not only do they have the same love for life, but they come from various different cultures, speaking no less than twelve different languages and their home-towns are situated in various countries across the globe. Spanish, Italian, Danish, Polish, Slavinian, French, German to say the least all came together to enjoy the run-up to Christmas; drinking Glühwein, Ice-Skating, visiting the various northern Christmas Markets and plenty of cheap cocktails.
Of course the English contingent in Kiel seemingly find each others company electric and I can honestly say I´ve never drank so many Chai Lattes in my life. Long may it however, continue. There are some people you meet along life's journey that you simply cannot imagine not knowing, and these past few years has produced more than my fair share of them!
From top left clockwise: Vicky Connock, Andy Holland, Zara Green and Charlene Craggs
The English Erasmus Contingent in Kiel 2007-2008
Whilst this is a briefer version of what could have been an extremely long entry, I felt a shorter one to kick-start the blog entries for the year would suffice and relight my passion for spreading life events on my little virtual abode. In addition, I should be revising for what is the month of exams... but as the headline of this blog states, "Do not take life too seriously... you'll never get out alive!".
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