Back in the land of the blogging

It's been one week since I last posted, and so much has happened!

Last Saturday, I officially entered the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. We'll see whether or not I advance to the next round. Fingers crossed.

One of my good friends came to visit from England for a few days, which was great fun, even if we were frozen back inside by six o'clock every evening. Berlin has decided for the first time all season to act like it's, you know, winter, and so all of a sudden there is snow and ice and sleet and negative temperatures. This, luckily, allowed us to enjoy Purcell's Fairy Queen (bizarre baroque extravaganza) and Fidelio, which my friend had never seen. We also managed to out ourselves to the German populace as nerds while in the S-bahn, giddily discussing the antics of Goethe and Beethoven and Beau Brummel and various Victorian serial killers. Good times. :)

Lindsay also introduced me to the absolutely hilarious BBC radio show, Cabin Pressure, about a perpetually skint airline of one plane and four workers. It includes gems such as this: "Listen to this! This chamber orchestra we’re picking up – listen to what their conductor’s put under ‘Any Special Requirements’: “The first violins will not sit together; the second violins will not sit apart. The harpist will ignore you unless your aura is orange; there is nothing you can do to make your aura more orange. The tubist must on no account be given alcohol; the conductor must at all times be given alcohol. He will also require the toilet to himself for an hour before landing. And, most importantly, the bassoonist, Madame Szyszko-Bohusz, will be working under the presumption that you are trying to kill her unless proved otherwise, so avoid approaching her with blunt instruments, sharp knives or hot liquids.” Terrific! How am I supposed to serve her dinner?" Check it out: