Heidelberg vs. Salzburg

Beide haben ein Schloss am Fluss
beide haben eine schöne Altstadt

beide haben eine Hämatologie/Onkologie
beides sind UniKliniken

beide haben ihre Für
beide haben ihre Wider

Mein Bauch und mein Herz, auf die ich mich sonst verlassen kann, schweigen.
Meine Gedanken drehen sich im Kreis und ich komm nicht weiter.

Gehen, jetzt wo ich eingearbeitet bin, ich Freunde hab und mich eingelebt habe.
Bleiben, wobei ich mir doch oft überlegt habe zu gehen und jetzt die Chance hab.

Wer nicht wagt, der nicht gewinnt. Doch beides ist ein Wagnis. Ich muss hinter meiner Entscheidung stehen, denn wenn sie falsch war, muss mir das Risiko es wert gewesen sein.

Ich muss gestehen, ich hab Angst.

Papa, ich hab dich liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieb......

.... danke für den schönen Urlaub.

Judit's Geburtstag und so manche Überraschung

50 werden ist schwer, 50 sein umso mehr...

Naja, wenn das Jahr so wird wie es mit einem echt gelungenen Fest begonnen hat, dann braucht Judit aber wirklich nix fürchten... außer vielleicht einen Kater- vom Tanzen und Trinken auf der Hütte.
Gefeiert haben wir auf der Bellvue Alm. Mit einem der letzten noch vorhandenen Einser- Sessellifte gings rauf zur Hütte.. und dort haben wir dann so richtig gefeiert!

Naja, Somancher hatte dann Probleme beim Heimweg :-)

Schifoan und Hüttengaudi

Gastein.

Da geht da des Herz auf... Berg, Schnee, Sonnenschein und a leiwande Familie. Nach langer, langer Zeit waren wir 'Kinder' der Familie wieder zusammen schifoan. Es war einfach leiwand und alles hat einfach gepasst- v.a. die Stimmung.



Aber schifoan geht nicht ohne Hütt'n.. und das geht einfach am besten mit dem Dreamteam:
Philipp, Sergio, Luisa, Cali, Flo, Cali und mir ;-)

housewives

HOW TO BE A PERFECT HOUSEWIFE

Becci steht am Herd und kocht eine vollwertige Mahlzeit für ihre Lieben...

Jenny strickt eine Weste....

Flo kümmerst sich um das leibliche Wohl der liebsten Zwetschke

Was ich dir wünsche....

Nicht immer steht es in deiner Macht, abgebrochene Brücken wieder aufzubauen...

Dass du damit ohne Groll leben kannst
und dir die Hoffnung nicht nehmen lässt,
dass man mit Liebe und Fantasie
neue Brücken zum Anderen schlagen kann,
das wünsche ich dir.

23.12.07

Walking in a winter winterland

Ein Tag vor Weihnachten und das fern von der Familie.
Lena ist aus Thailand für ein paar Tage gekommen. Sie ist für mich seit dem letzten Jahr so etwas wie Familie geworden. Also hab ich mich in den Zug nach Gießen gesetzt, wo mich meine amá abgeholt hat. Bei einem Waldspaziergang fern von Stress und Weihnachts-trara haben wir Neuigkeiten was Herzgeschichten, Beruf und das Leben so allgemein ausgetauscht.... Es war 'Erholung pur' für die Seele und genau diese Ruhe ist es, die ich mir für diese Zeit gewünscht habe.
Zeit um sich darüber im Klaren zu werden, wer und was einem im Leben wichtig ist.

Den krönenden Abschluss haben dan die frisch gebackenen Waffeln von Lena's Mama mit heißen Himbeeren gebildet. hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Weakerthans

Mein Geburtstagsgeschenk von meine liebsten Heidelbergern.....
Konzertkarten fürs Weakerthaerns Konzert.
Die Burschen haben gerockt und bei 'Left and Leaving' hat's mich voll dawischt- eine Mischung aus Melancholie, Sehnsucht, Angst und Freude.
....Someone choose who's left and who's leaving....

Happy Birthday!

Another year over...
I turned 26

Normalerweise wäre der 26er ja nicht etwas so Außergewöhnliches; es sind doch eher die runden Geburtstag. Aber für mich hat er eine besondere Bedeutung:

Eine kambodschanische Wahrsagerin hat mir vorausgesagt, dass ich mit 26 heiraten werde. Naja, dann noch 3 Kinder und einen naja nicht ganz problemlosen Mann.

Ich hab von meinem Opa- väterlicher Seits- sicher viel Gutes geeerbt, aber leider auch die Eigenschaft abergläubisch zu sein.

Jetzt bin ich sozusagen in der Betrullie....
mal sehen was dieses neue Lebensjahr mit sich bringt.

Ein guter Freund hat mich gefragt was ich mir für dieses Jahr vorgenommen hab. Eine wirklich gute Frage muss ich gestehen.
Was wünsche ich mir für mein Leben als 26- jährige.

... to be continued.

Fécamp

Enfin, Flo est à Fécamp!! Et très vite, elle est devenue "addict" aux bains de mer!! A 11h30 tous les jours, Flo dans les flots! Une vraie sirène fécampoise. On va essayer de lui trouver un travail ici, et un fiancé aussi, pour qu' elle reste parmi nous. Cécile

November swimming

11.30 the most import time in Fécamp.. in my point of view.
A group of young and elderly swimmers meet to go for a swim... all year long.
The first minute is the hardest one... I had to concentrate and remember to breath but then this tingeling refreshing feeling that makes you feel ALIVE is sooooooooooo great!

Fécamp....

November.. a trip to meet my friend Cécile.
We had a great time and with her it's as if we knew each other for years.

Mila's smile

A smile like this warms up my heart and I forget about all troubles around me.
Becci, you have a great daughter and I'm sooooooo proud of you as Mama.

Should I stay or should I go?!

I face the same question again and again. but still no answer.
Meine Gedanken drehen sich im Kreis und ich komme keinen Schritt weiter.
Wofür bin ich hierher gekommen? Gehe ich meinen Weg oder habe ich ihn verloren- versessen auf den Gedanken nach Heidelberg zu gehen?
Oder ist dies ein Weg, den ich einschlagen muss um zu Meinem zu kommen?

Ich fange an mir hier etwas aufzubauen: Freunde, auf die ich mich verlassen kann; Menschen, die mir sehr wichtig geworden sind; eine Wohnung, in der ich mich wohlfühle; einen Balkon, der mein Ruhepol nach einem langen Arbeitstag ist....
Aber was ist mit der Arbeit?! Dem ursprünglichen Grund Thailand zu verlassen und nicht zu Hause zu bleiben.

Nach meiner Zeit in Thailand war mir klar, dass ich zurück gehen muss um etwas zu lernen, um eine Ahnung von Medizin zu bekommen und mein Bestes zu geben eine gute Ärztin zu werden.
Und nun?
Ich mag meine Arbeit, ich begleite meine Patienten gerne und ich denke, dass ich va die menschliche Betreuung meiner Patienten recht gut hinbekomme.
Aber ich will mehr. Ich möchte lernen, Erfahrungen sammeln und ich möchte meine Begeisterung für die Medizin wieder zurück.
Ich habe Angst diese hier zu verlieren und in den Strudel eingesogen zu werden, der einen seine Träume vergessen läßt.

Vielleicht klingt das alles sehr viel dramatischer als es ist, aber ich bin nicht für die Arbeit hier her gekomme, die ich jetzt mache. Ich weiß, dass sich der richtige Weg für mich ergeben wird und mir irgendwann auch ganz klar sein wird, warum ich den Zwischenstop(?) hier in Heidelberg einlegen 'musste'.

but again: should I stay or shougl I go?

Neuer Wein, Zwiebelkuchen und mehr

For some Neuer Wein and Zwiebelkuchen we left Heidelberg for an evening in Edenkoben- somewhere in the Pfalz.
It was my first time to get these things. Well, Neuer Wein (new wine) is something like Sturm in Austria but I never had this onion cake before. Uli and I decided to skip lunch to get a big one at night. Till we finally arrived in Roth, we were starving- therefore the first sips of the new wine made me drunk immediately....
The cake was quite small, so we ordered more and in addition to this we got some Flammkuchen- also very tasty.

As you can see we had lots of fun!!!!

Burma junta faces monks' challenge

Demonstrations continue to gather pace.
The military junta obviously underestimated the monks' political power.

It has been the biggest demonstration since 1988.

Judit and Papa in Heidelberg

two souls

Schloßbeleuchtung

On the occasion of the castel fires in 1689, 1693 and 1764 the Heidelberger Schloß is iluminated 3 times every summer. It lookes like it is to be aflamed....
To make it even a bigger event there are fireworks taking place on the old brigde.



Yesterday was the last time for this summer, so I had to go and see it. The square with the best view to the castle was filled with people- not only tourists. Somehow I had the impression that people are so concerned to take a good picture, that they forgot to look at the castle...
It was quite cold at night and with the fireworks going on, it felt a bit like New Year to me... the only things I was missing were the Wiener Philharmoniker playing the Donauwalzer and my favourite Walzer-dancing-partner....

Wir lernen Österreichisch

-This post has to be written in Austrian, sorry!-

Ob man's glauben will oder nicht, aber die Piefke hier finden das Österreichisch super. Man sieht die versteh'n halt was....

Für die Elite, gibt's seit ein paar Tagen die Österreichisch-Klasse. Alles läuft interaktiv über den Alpenchat....
Zum elitären Kreis gehören: Clara, Yeti, Fräulein Rottenmeier, Geißenpeter und der Haftlmacher- Heidi ist die Lehrerin... (..kurz davon abgesehen, dass Heidi eigentlich aus der Schweiz kommt.....).
Mittlerweile kann die Klasse über die wichtigsten Vokabel von A-K; dazu gehören: Auspuffreparierer, Bazi, Dradiwaberl, Eitirge mit an Buckl und an Schorfn, Fangeisn, Gfrastsackl, Hackln, Jaukerl,....
Am Freitag haben wir Semesterabschlußtestgehabt und ich muss sagen, alle haben super geschummelt! Ich bin ganz stolz auf meine Truppe!

Am wichtigsten ist aber, dass die Lebensqualität am Arbeitsplatz durch den Alpenchat deutlich zugenommen hat. Ich hab schon lang nicht mehr so viel gelacht- das tut Geist und Seele gut.
Ich möcht mich an dieser Stelle bei allen, die sich am Alpenchat beteiligen, bedanken- ihr seids a Wahnsinn!

Mila Lilith

Mila Lilith
geboren am 22. August 2007
23.32 Uhr
55 cm
4250 gr

Grillage

For further traning the Austria class and some 'additionals' met at the 'Neckarwiese'. We had barbecue- Peruvian style, very crispy potatos (with an excellent Benzpyren taste), drinks- German style and lots of fun.
The tiredness from last night's sleep- deficiency vanished within a few minutes with these great people... maybe that's why I ended up again coming home late and having a little hang-over today- BUT it was worth it.

Windy Paris

... Boob boob a doop...

After show party

After the fight, it was time for the after- show party.

All VIPs were there: Jan, Stefan, Lena and the woman, who turned Wladi's head :-)

Klitsch-KO-sely

Wladi and me...

................ wie die Faust aufs Aug

why do I always get so fat un Germany-dixit Lena

Lena: I have no clue :-)

Heidelberg

As all my last posts on heidelberg were not too optimistic, here's a nice one with the view from the old brigde.

friday afternoon

It's friday. I haven't been in heidelberg for the last weekends, so I decided to stay here. It' s still light outside and nearly 5 pm. I checked all the investigation results, called all patients and prepared most of my things for next week. i think it's time to leave the clinic and enjoy my weekend!
Have a good one! Kiss and peace.

Vienna

As a hint of fortune, a meeting -sponsered by a company -took place in Vienna. I took the oportunity to get a paid trip home.

I spent friday evening at my parent's place; celebrating Eva's birthday! Judit and Dad prepared my favoutie dish: Spaghetti alle vongole.

After a long day at the meeting I could relax at Mom's for a while and then 'party'. In fact, I intended to have a nice chill out evening with some of my friends but it ended up in crazy- funny- great night. I have no clue when I got home, but I know that it was a great night- thank's to all responsible persons :-)

Sunday: With a little hang over, I went jogging with my dear aunt in Schönbrunn- this saved my day. Time passed quickly and I had to catch my plane.

Back home I had this certain smile, that made everybody see- this girl had a good weekend!

Strasbourgh

Saturday:
A camera, good music, a way desciption and money- that's all we need.
Lena and I spent a day in Strasbourgh, France.
As we forgot the 'introduction to Strasbourgh', that I printed out the other day, we decided to explore the town on our own.
It was a rainy day, but we didn't mind. To start a 'Fench day' we had baguette (bakery Paul) for breakfast. We visited the 'Münster' (see picture), walked around and enjoyed the flair... a café au lait in the afternoon and Flammkuchen for dinner in 'La Petite France'. This area has it's name from former times when the hospital for soldiers, suffering for the so called 'French disease' (Syphilis), was on this little island- small romantic streets, typical roofs and they had a really good Flammkuchen in the 'academie de la bièrre'.

The desert we had at home-tartelle framboise.
What a day! Thank you Lena!

Gastein

Friday afternoon: I just got my first payment- it's defintely less than
expected and promised. It's rainy and cloudy in Heidelberg, Lena is still at her parent's home, so not the best start for the weekend.

But you know me, there are always some crazy ideas coming into my mind.
I went to the train station, bought an over night ticket to Gastein and surprised my family there on saturday morning. I didn't tell anyone about my arrival. I just knocked on Dad's door around 8am.
After a welcome crying- jumping- laughing session, we had breakfast all together.

But then 'the mountains were calling me'.
Guckie and Leo picked me up and we had a great, great skiing day together.
The snow was perfect, the sun was shining and I was very, very happy!!!
Thank you!!!

First review of Heidelberg

3 weeks have passed since I arrived in Heidelberg. First review:

Physically in Heidelberg, but my mind -especially my heart- is in Thailand on the border to Burma.

My university degree is not accepted in Germany, I have no working license (I'm wondering why I need this being a member of the EU), no appartment...
I'm staying with Lena in her small appartement, but it's fine and we get along together much better than I'd imagined.
I work at the university clinic (kind of illegaly)- departement of hematology and oncology; section multiple myeloma.
My collegs are great and help me very much. I'd be lost without you- Ulli, Michael and Stefan!

This weekend I joined a symposium for tropical medicine, what made me miss 'my home' even more. I still don't feel home here. Do I belong to Europe? Right now I doubt it, but we will see.

Maybe this sounds worse than it is... I'm still smiling ;-)

Mohinga in Heidelberg

Both of us- Lena and me- miss Thailand, Burma and Mohinga more than anything else. To make our suffering a bit better, we decided to prepare Mohinga. We were so excited when we went to the shop to buy all the ingredients....

We slept quite long, dressed in our longees and put on Burmese make- up. Then we started to make peecho and the soup. It smelled so good in our little kitchen....
We put some noodles in a bowl, added the mohinga, chilli-garlic-oil, long beans and the peecho.
It tasted soooooo good. It was the best moment since I'm here....

In the afternoon Lena made some Burmese tea...

It was a very Burmese and great day, but when at the end of the day, I started missing my 'home' even more. My excitement turned into a rather melancholic and sad mood; but at least Lena is with me. Thank you for being a friend :-)

Leaving Mae Sot

26.12.

The day I ignored for so long has arrived. I have to leave.

Simon took me and my heavy bags to the bus station; still I don't realize that I'm really leaving. I get on the bus, the engine starts and we head towards Bangkok.

We pass the rice fields, where new rice is planted and all this is so home to me.

Time passes and 9 hours later we arrive at Bangkok Northern Bus Terminal. I take a taxi to the airport and still I don't feel like leaving. My throat hurts, my nose is running and I cough. I think the last days in Mae Sot were colder than I expected them to be.

I feel sick.

I get on the plane, but still I feel like I go back just for a few days.

My symptoms get worse and I try to sleep.

I wake up and Paris is now closer than Bangkok. I start missing my home.

From Paris I get on the plane to Vienna; I guess my family is already very excited about my arrival. I feel bad, that I'm not excited at all. I rather panic, I'm back...but not home.

As soon as I see my family I start realizing... I left Thailand, the Karen and the place, where I felt happier and more satisfied than ever.

christmas

Waking up at Tasanee's orphanage on 24.12. around 6am. The 3 months old baby sleeping on my left arm, 3 year old Ma Kim on my right arm; in the back Tasanee...

It was cold and foggy, but the air was clear and fresh.
By 6.30 the neighbours started to play Christmas songs, Nekom prepared some coffee for me and the kids were cleaning the house.
I never felt so relaxed on a 24.12.- no hurry, no stress.
I took the car back to Mae Sot to meet Gerhard at the market to buy some food for the Christmas dinner. We decided to make buschetta, pasta frutti di mare and Kaiserschmarr'n.
But before I started to cook, I relaxed at one of the great head massages at my hairdresser....

Around 7 pm our guests arrived- Simon, Benno, Gerhard, Milan and Tristan; the hosts were Inga, Jess, Gigi and me.
Inga prepared the bruschetta, for the pasta we had Federico's red wine from Australia- unfortunately the calamaria tasted like a tire and the noodles were everything except al dente; but the wine was very good- thank you Federico!
By 10pm we called Federico, who was admitted in the hospital in Siena and were singing Christmas songs for him; it was so much fun.
Then it was my turn- the Kaiserschmarr'n. It was the worst I've ever made, but I didn't care.
It was a Christmas were everything went wrong, we did not even have enough plates and forks, but it was the best and relaxed for many years.
For the night Gigi, Jess and I shared a bed, so we had each other to keep us warm.

Summary: it was a day with people I love, where nobody cared about a perfect dinner, but about the people who were there.

Merry Christmas!

24.12.

Frohe Weihnachten!
Merry Christmas!
Buon Natale!
Boldog Karacsognt!
Bonne noel!
Feliz navidad!
A peaceful and calm Christmas!

Than Hin temporary shelter

Tham Hin- temporary shelter.

temporary: impermanent, not permanent, not lasting

Does it mean one week, one month, one year,...?
Refugees staying in this camp for more than 10 years might get confused by 'temporary'. Imagine to be in a camp for such a long time, seing others leave, but you have to stay.
They get food, good medical care, water supply, schools, a football ground ...
but they don't have liberty. Their home country is in war- so no peace, no freedom.

Think about this when you are angry that someone's 5 minutes late, when somebody just took the car park you wanted to have or or or or or ...........

The UNHCR planned to close this camp within the next 3 years, but where should all the refugees go?! Most of them want to resettle, but there are still coming about 1000 refugees per month.
The situation in Burma is getting worse. For 60 years people in Burma can't live in peace.
Do you think that there is a temporary solution?!

The Karen I met in the camp and worked with, are the greatest and most amazing people I've ever met. Before I left we had a farewell lunch, I still dont know if this was one of the happiest or one of the sadest moments in my time here. Crying and smiling at the same time.

I started thinking about, if it is possible that this is the place I belong to....
It felt so much like home to me being there.
Who knows?!

Hua Hin

Hua Hin is Thailand's oldest 'spa area' . King Rama VII built his palace there and gave it the name 'Klai Kangwon' -carefree.
The Royal family still comes here, when Bangkok is too busy or too hot.

For me it was more the face that it's impossible, coming back to Austria and being as pale as usually in december...

In fact for me was Hua Hin a very busy and touristic place... well, but Chap Ta Wai is a small village and I'm sometimes the only forang here...


It was definitly what I needed- sea, beach, sun and lots of good fruits.

... and I got a little tan.

Bhumibol turns 79

King Bhumibol, Rama IX, the world's longest regnant (60 years) king turned 79.
Thai people love and honor their king like a demigod. As he was born on a monday, everybody is wearing yellow (the colour of monday) -shirts and bracelets- to show their deep respect to their king.

Ask a Thai about the king and he can tell you everything- born in Boston, studied in Lausanne, musician, painter and scientist.
But he merit all this- where once poppy sead was growing for opium production, now crop is growing. He spends his own money for social projects and cares a lot about his people.

For his birthday millions were coming to Bangkok- including me ;-)
The area around Grand Palace was filled with Thais in yellow shirts, all excited.
Watching the scenery from the top of a truck, I had a good view and some air to breath.
Around 7 pm the arrival of Bhumibol was announced, all lights turned off and people lightend their candles and started singing the king's song. A heebie- jeebie athmosphere.