WINTERTIME IN GERMANY

Only in Hamburg do you get: snow, sun and seagulls. What a bizarre time of year it is – when the world sinks into a grey, inky, darkness. I come from Cape Town and I must say that the weather in Hamburg is something you have to get used to. Slowly. Very slowly. But you do.

Sometimes the extreme cold just feels like the extreme heat of a summer’s day. But what’s really hard to get used to is: the sky is eternally tinged grey like a milky mess. I treasure every winter’s day when the sky is blue – the seagulls are dancing in the air – screeching and enjoying the sun’s warmth. For then my heart is also screeching. 

I do enjoy looking at the photos I recently took in Cape Town. It helps. A little. 

GOTTA LOVE SOME BRITISH RAP

Sometimes rappers are just seriously comedic. There's something about their posing, their wannabe gangster style and their attitude that makes me smile. Hiding behind Professor Green's potty mouth is a lad with a brain. Recently, the rapper toured with Lily Allen and showed that he has big tatoos but also great talent. 

A REASON I LOVE BEING A TRANSLATOR

While this is just a promotion for Matthias Schweighoefer's film "Friendship" it does highlight the bilingual German-English world I live in.

MOVING DAY

Everytime I move to a new city, country or into a new apartment, I am amazed at all the junk I collected over time. I am not a fan of clutter. Neither am I a fan of a lot of decor. I like clean, simple lines. But still, I end up throwing away bags and bags of things: cartons, old toothbrushes, socks with holes, make-up I never use, plastic containers, broken bags and a vast amount of paper.

And yet, I had lived with these things. Always there is this notion flittering about in my head: One Day I Might Need This. And you know what, I never do.

SENECA'S WISE WORDS ABOUT COURAGE

"Wild animals run from the dangers they actually see, and once they have escaped them worry no more. We however are tormented alike by what is past and what is to come. A number of our blessings do us harm, for memory brings back the agony of fear while foresight brings it on prematurely. No one confines his unhappiness to the present" (Seneca)

BIKES ARE AWESOME

What's nicer than cycling through the city, whizzing past shoppers, feeling the wind in your face as you slalom through streets? The Critical Mass movement is exactly that. It heralds the days of commuting solo, on wheels, using your own strength to get from A to B. Hamburg has a population of over 3 million people. With a bike you avoid the early morning rush-hour, the packed trains and the general stress of using public transport. On a bike, it’s just you and the road (and a few annoying robots) to your destination.

COOL SPACES

Deciding what your home looks like is not only a matter of style but also of personality. My housemate is messy; I am organised. I am no neat-freak but I adore the beauty of simple living. To me, this means: clean design, light colours and mixing second-hand furniture with new pieces. So, are you the stripped-down-bare type – or the more chaotic type?

A MINIMALIST TAKE ON INTERIOR DESIGN

Here are some yummy things I want for my apartment. It's spring and time for a new look. And really...if I could choose any look for my apartment it would be the minimalistic style. I hate clutter with a passion because mostly, it makes me feel unorganised.

THREE TATTOOS

Ink is permanent, so you better know what it is that you want to carry around with you for the rest of your life.

I LOVE CASPER

Casper is a German rapper who is known to be very middle-class. He's like the rich kid, who went to private school, but his lyrics scream of a life at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder. Nonetheless, I love his smokey voice that screams of gravel and late-night parties. This beautiful music video featuring "auf und davon" (up and away) is my current favourite.