The weekend may now start again, a little bit earlier this time as I I did not come from Hamburg to Berlin, but flew in directly to Tegel from Copenhagen. A short business trip, there were others I reported about touristic excursions. But that is not the case usually, more often it is like this time. Just in case you think: Oh great, Copenhagen.

Thursday morning to Fuhlsbüttel airport in Hamburg, meeting 7 people there, fly to Kastrup in Copenhagen, into town, checking into the hotel, lunch with colleagues and business partners and then off to the meeting. Only seldomly these meetings take place in attractive locations, mostly they are staged in boring office areas, which could be located more or less like that in Hamburg, Toulouse, Torino or Athens.

If at all, you only see interesting buildings from far, and if you ask the hosts about them, they do not even know what kind of tower it is and why it is formed like that.

This meeting was a workshop on “Early stage financing for high-tech companies” organised by our BSKR-Project. In this context there also was a small competition between six companies from the Helsinki, Öresund and Hamburg regions, for which we had organised some awards. So the was also an awards ceremony and a buffet (not of the luxurious kind). After that there was only time for two beers at the hotel bar, again with colleagues and partners.

Next day a short project meeting, to the airport and off to Berlin.

Well, I could have stayed for the weekend, but I preferred to go home, seldom as I am there.

That was a again a Friday ride of the special kind. Even under normal circumstances the train is full, but when you than hear the announcement that due to a technical problem the train only consists of one set, that is only half as long, then chaos is perfect. All reservations cancelled, the fighting starts, people hardly were able to get on the train and stood in all aisles and doors. Like the tube in the rush hour, but for one and a half hours to Berlin.

Then the train sat there as the staff discussed if the should start the ride or have the train cleared by the police. Urgent requests to take a later train, which nobody would follow. People edged a bit more into the corners to clear the aisles a little bit. Then, after nearly 20 minutes the train started, a bit slower than usual and we therefore were more than half an hour late in Berlin.

Fortunately I had a seat.

Listening to ”The Ecstasy Of Flight (I Love The Night)”, by Chris De Burgh (Play Count: 11)

To live on the ground floor like I do here where I work is not really pleasant. If you have no front garden you hear everybody passing by, sometimes you are slightly annoyed when people talk in front of your window or if children play basketball.

Currently you here every step particularly well, there is icy snow on the pavement giving loud noises when walked upon. So no wonder that I wake up when there were people running back and forth at around four o’clock. Lights are shining, loud voices, doors banging. Looking through the blinds I see a police car in front of the house. After 20 minutes it is getting calmer, the police drive away.

Oh well, shortly before five there still is a chance to get a nap. Just when passing into sleep I hear a loud banging. At the front door? No. At my window? No. It is at the door to the terrace. Two people on my terrace. I realise it is the son of my landlords with a woman. I open and they ask me if they can pass into the house through my appartment. The ex-friend of the frightened woman stood at the corner, inspite of a court order that he should not come near. Quickly I lead them through my flat a bit ashamed as it does not look very orderly.

No way to go to sleep again. The police come once again, banging of doors, the car is passing a few times. Towards eight the noise gets noramal again, the garbage is being collected.

Stalking live.

Listening to ”Makin’ It Natural”, by Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show (Play Count: 26)

I cleaned up this site a bit. Most of the changes should be visible in the albums: users of Internet Explorer should find that the overviews look better,l everybody should realise that photo shows open consequently in new windows (as they have no navigation bars any longer) and show all images in a Flash show. If you still find errors or inconsistencies, please send me a mail!

Listening to ”Point Blank”, by Bruce Springsteen (Play Count: 19)

In 1997 Apple had its difficulties. At that time Michael Dell (Dell Computer) was asked what one should do with Apple. The answer: “Liquidate the company and pay back the money to the shareholders”.

After the presentation of new products last week, Apple shares went up 12% and Apple had a higher value than Dell at the stock exchange, at least for some time…

The subconsious is working all tricks. Today on the train I thought that the railway’s reservation system had made an error as somebody else also had a reservation for the same seat. Until I realised that I booked my ticket for tomorrow… I would have liked to stay in Berlin, that is sure.

A minor impression: the passing Brandenburg landscape in the rising sun. Unfortunately the train window was dirty.

Listening to ”Denk Ned Noch”, by Wolfgang Ambros (Play Count: 12)

My beloved husband had won to tickets here for La Boheme by Puccini in the Deutschen Oper in Bismarckstraße. He had to be in Hamburg and I am so sorry, that he had to miss this wonderful evening. I picked up Manu at 20 past 6, she had exactly 5 minutes to dress after work. Our taxi driver obviously had lots of fun with our chit-chat, that he promised to pick us up again at 10. What a service, afterwards we only called him Papa! During the afternoon I had a little cirulation problem, my depression, which I am going through currently and fight with pills since 5 days, did not increase the expectations, but it was a nearly unvincible mountain, this visit to the opera. But it was completely different: After we got into the mood with a glass of red wine we went to our seats and only said Whow!

And thanks Hauptstadtblog and Deutsche Oper.

About the production: La Bohème

Today it is the occasion again: the Apple congregation is looking to San Francisco and the MacWorld, where at 9 am local time (18 o’clock in Germany) the great wizard Steve Jobs opens his show called keynote. In a carefully composed and planned production of 90 minutes he will present new products. Well, I am looking forward to it as well, especially if we will have the first Intel Macs and whatever surprises are in store.