Cityboy

I finally finished Cityboy by Geraint Anderson. It was really painful and digusting reading it, mostly because you have the feeling that it is slightly exaggerated but then it might as well be true...



I have some investment banker friends and they would not be my friends if they behaved like those greedy idiots of this book. But I do feel really sorry for them having to work in such an environment. It is probably even more disgusting when you are a woman...

Anyway, I am happy that I am done with this book - although it was quite fun to rub it in the faces of all these suits I met in the tube every morning. Next time, I move to London I def move (North)East (Shoreditch, Angel, Camden, Islington... I am coming!).

My next book will be Business stripped bare by Richard Branson. I have already read the intro and the first chapter today and it is so much more fun although the topic is quite similar. And of course, it is a Random House book!

Notting Hill Carnvial 2009

Well, I went to Notting Hill Carnival today and expected Brasilian dancers and amazing costumes... instead it was just masses of drunk British people who were NOT dressed up. Their only aim was to dance in the streets among all the others... more like love parade then Carnival I guess. Police was leading people safely through the less crowded streets. The only way to survive was to adapt! We went to different dance areas (pubs or trucks with music) and enjoyed the bizarre event. What struck me most was that some residents offered their loos to ppl for a quid. If not you had to visit the dixie toilets.

When I went home after a nice meal with lots of red meat at a Turkish restaurant in West Ken, I checked the website which told me that tomorrow will be the main day of Carnival but I decided not to go again and check out Greenwich and the Zero Meridian instead.

Bank Holiday weekend: day-trip to Brighton

Today I went to Brighton with Ulli and Christoph (both fellow HMS students). Unusual to German punctuality, we almost missed the train due to Ulli who was actually the only one of us who did not party all night long the night before... we (Christoph) also managed to buy the wrong train tickets (single instead of return for the same price) but the South Western train employee made our day by believing our story and friendlily exchanging our tickets. We went to the beach immediately and caught some sun rays - these moments are rare in this "summer". I think I got tanned most but on the other hand I almost froze my a** off as I had not taken the wind and the
< 19° into account.

Christoph has also been a freelance journalist in his youth

we are actually in Brighton not Dubai...

On the way back we met some German girls who were obviously drunk and talked pretty good English among each other due to her Italian company. Christoph, the little "Spießer" asked us to sit down somewhere else which of course was understood by the girls. Ulli and I had so much fun mocking Christoph all the way back for believing German was a secret language in our neighbour country. However, the girls were really nice and even helped me to find my way back home. Of course the train was delayed and I missed the last tube, so they took me to the bus stop and even offered to sleep over in their place. Danke!

Michael Jackson Flashmob in Hamburg

No. 9 Cheers

Danke Heidrun!

Wer mitmachen will, findet alle Details hier.

Blumentopf: Geh zur Wahl!

Lebenschancen Malawi Trailer

Dies ist der heute fertig gestellte Trailer zum Film unseres Entwicklungsprojektes Lebenschancen Malawi.

Hilfe für Malawi e.V.

Watch: The Inglorious Basterds

I watched it today and I am still thrilled - best Tarantino movie so far! Watch it in English to enjoy all the accents and if you watch it abroad - do not say you are German, keep running!

Umfrage: Mediennutzung von Bewegtbildangeboten im Internet

Ein Kommilitone von mir hat eine Online-Befragung im Rahmen seiner Master Thesis entwickelt. Es geht um Mediennutzung, vor allem um die Nutzung von Bewegtbildangeboten im Internet. Also das, was seit einiger Zeit fast jeder von uns gerne macht: sich Videos auf YouTube und Co. anzuschauen.

Er würde sich sehr freuen, wenn er Euch für zwei Dinge gewinnen könnte:
1. nehmt teil!
2. leitet den Link an möglichst viele Freunde, Bekannte und Verwandte weiter !

Hier ist die URL: http://ww3.unipark.de/uc/hh_fak4_mfoos/8126/

Da inzwischen auch immer mehr „ältere“ Surfer diese Möglichkeit nutzen, wäre es toll, wenn Ihr den Link auch an Eure Eltern und sonstigen Verwandten weitergeben könntet!

Durch Euer Engagement kommt hoffentlich eine ganz vernünftige Teilnehmerzahl zusammen und die Umfrage wird aussagekräftig. Natürlich bekommt Ihr die Ergebnisse auch am Ende per E-Mail zugestellt, wenn Ihr möchtet.

Jeder von uns, der schon einmal selbst eine Umfrage gestaltet hat, weiss wie wichtig eine kritische Masse ist!

Vielen Dank für Eure Hilfe,

im Namen von Markus und mir!

Michael Jackson alive??

Obwohl Nachrichtenseiten wie “Bild.de” und “Daily Telegraph” über das Video berichteten, handelt es sich lediglich um ein Fake, hinter dem RTL steckt. Der Sender will den Viralspot als Aufhänger für einen Beitrag “Wie leichtgläubig sind Verschwörungstheoretiker?” zeigen und die Sache aufklären.

Ursula von der Leyen und die Pressefreiheit

Korrespondenzartikel London I

Beautiful Moments

100 years of special effects

8. Postkarte

Danke, Toni!

Wer mitmachen will, findet alle Details hier.

Paintball

before...


and after...

Social Media Revolution

Inspiration: Lammbock

Dieser Artikel, über den ich heute gestolpert bin, hat mich an einen meiner Lieblingsfilme erinnert...

"Pub employees at center of drug investigation
By: CHRISTOPHER RUVO In: The Intelligencer

You could get more than pepperoni and cheese with your slice at the Pizza Pub in West Rockhill. Pennridge police say employees of the Pizza Pub were selling cocaine out of the bar on the 1100 block of Bethlehem Pike. (...)"

Sony field trip

the Sony office building in Weybridge

After work (1pm) Ulli and I visited Christoph - my future flatmate at Sony where he currently writes his master thesis. Here are some impressions from our field trip.

Unfortunately, we were not officially allowed to take pictures inside the building, so you have to believe me when I tell you about the "Minority Report" like non-touch screen, the Sony 50% discount store, the silent room, the chill out room, the fun room, the fancy cafeterias...

Inside the chill our room we found three massage chairs - if you have never tried one, you def should!

We also visited the Mercedes-Benz World Museum which is close-by.

At home we cooked a nice gluten free pasta dish - just a little too spicy for my fellow chef.

Watch: Beaufort

I went to the Random House Beaufort Screening today and the film really got to me. Before the film started there was a brief Q&A with author Ron Leshem who impressed me as well. Read the NYT review of his book here.

interning at random house digital: sex, drugs and rock and roll...

Just a quick update for those who wonder what I am concerned with @ work.

Still, the Good Pub Guide is my major project. Since David, who is responsible for the site, is on annual leave this week, I am in charge of approving licensees who want to join the page, updating the pub news and twittering about pubs!

vwt office and other media companies building

There will be a new sub page called "blog" soon which I am currently developing with vision with technology at the moment. This is the agency that developed the GPG website and they have a real fancy office with a start-up-atmo in Islington. It is also my task to recruit interesting and motivated bloggers who blog about all kinds of different perspectives on pubs such as pub crawls, pubs in Yorkshire, beer drinking women, pubs as business hubs, etc. It might be quite obvious that I very much like that project.

As we are still a young website we also need to tell the people we are out there and generate traffic via XML feed partnerships. It is my task to analyse the market and see who is a good fit for our trusted brand.

Also, we still need many more licensees to use our website to promote their pubs - so I have been talking to the major UK pub companies, breweries, etc. Talking on the phone to publicans with various local British accents - no probs anymore! :) Plus, the beer and liquor industry within the UK is quite complex and most of them are far behind the new media developments - I might even think of applying to work for a renowned brewery in my own social media department next year...

Since David is on holiday, I might be asked to help some other colleagues here and there and finally get to know what all the others are doing. Nicole asked me today to write a book review for a high ranked book on youwriteon - a very interesting, though pretty ugly looking, author's community.

Jenny asked me to help her researching ways to promote our Ann Summers' erotica audio books (click on the link to listen to free samples). She also told me to inform IT that I will spend some time on dodgy sex websites in order to research. So, yes, I am basically concerned with booze and sex at work. What is that going to look like on my CV?

Mehr Geld für Bildung!

Denkanstoß von der Piratenpartei

British habits

Alright mate? Cheers! I am a British robot again.

Instead of coffee I have a black tea with milk and loads of sugar in the mornings. I eat crisps for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And sometimes in between. I order Caffè Latte at the Café Nero counter and although I know there are mostly South Americans or Europeans behind the counter I pronounce "Latte" in the way the English think Italian sounds... although I know it does not.

I always take my umbrella and my sunglasses with me because I know it will rain and then be sunny later.

If I run into people, yes, even if I just slightly touch their bags when I hurry past them, I excuse myself. Sorry all day. 24 hours. I say sorry when there is not gluten free dish on the menu. I say sorry when I have the feeling my German guests are not saying sorry enough. Sorry, sorry, sorry.

I queue no matter how long the queue and no matter what reason for queuing. I know that unlike in Germany old retired people will not overtake me and queuing really is the fastet way to everywhere.

I read the free metro newspaper on the train. I am used to tubes being late or being out of order due to people on the tracks. My mind immediately keeps figuring out an alternative route to where I am going. Tfl's journey planner is in my head. And it is actually working properly without mixing up postcodes all the time.

My bathroom is made of wood and the pipes are so old that the plumber is a regular guest!

I go for after work drinks at 5:30 pm although I know I can only handle one cider without having dinner. And I say yes if somebody wants to get me another one.

I ask my fellow workmates how they are. Every morning and whenever I meet them in the bathroom or elevator. We exchange small talk about our weekends and we do not spare binge drinking stories and at what bar we got beaten black and blue. Or how much money we wasted on drinks and that we should not have gone home with that fat English girl...

Helen

Today, my friend Karina, who was visiting me for the weekend, and I went to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre to see the Greek play "Helen". In contrast to my obviously uneducated friends, I knew the story of Helen of Troy from my Latin classes at school. We bought 5GPB tickets for the Yard like the poor crowd in good old times. In contrast to a concert, you do feel your bones after 1,5 hours...

The plot - in case you were not taught Latin or Greek at school:

"Seven years have passed since the end of the Trojan War and Menelaus, King of Sparta and husband to Helen, is making his slow and painful way home. When his ship is wrecked on the coast of Egypt he stumbles upon what seems to be his wife lingering outside the royal palace. But if this is the real Helen, who was the beautiful woman stolen by Paris, for whom all Greece took up arms?"

Nottinghill Portobello Road and Market

Portobello Market in Notting Hill is one of my favourite London attractions. It takes up most of Portobello Road and stretches for around two miles. Every Saturday, it is a popular destination for Londoners - like me - and tourists alike. I drag all my visitors (tourists) to Notting Hill - in case we wake up before 5 pm. Fortunately, the area is only ten minutes by bus from where I live.

Apparently, George Orwell, author of 1984, seemed to have lived in Notting Hill.

My latest shopping treasures.

Of course, there is a café Nero on Portobello Road where you can have a real strong coffee to keep you going. And Market Thai, my favourite Asian restaurant is also located on Portobello Road.

Man without a face

I saw this artist Saturday close to London Bridge. I know my camera is not the best but hopefully you can see that he does not have a face!

Just do it!

Today, I went home at 4:30 p.m. I told my boss I was about to leave now. He looked a little bit startled but said it was alright. I passed all my colleagues on my way out. They were still working like busy bees. Usually, I am one of the very last ones. But after calling twelve pub companies and having been put through and through and through to the right person, I just wanted to get out of the office asap. It hit me when I was in the elevator: I got confused with the times - I was supposed to work until 5:30 p.m. - one more hour to go... Anyway, I decided not to get back upstairs and to enjoy my early day off.

Danke Jörg - No. 7

Wer mitmachen will, findet alle Details hier.

What the F***k is Social Media?

What the F**K is Social Media: One Year Later

View more documents from Marta Kagan.

Gluten free UK - gluten free London

As I meet more and more coeliacs I thought it might be helpful to collect some gf intel for my blog. Feel free to add within the comments section or send me an email and I will post it. Cheers!

GF websites:
- gluten free London facebook group
- charity for coeliacs website
- gluten free London blog

GF supermarkets and what to find where:
- Wholefoods near High Street Kensington tube station: they have gf beer! :)
- Sainsbury: gf naan and much more
- big Tescos: great bread "genius" and "ener-G"
- Waitrose: have not been there, yet

GF restaurants:
- Giraffe: it's a chain. They have an allergy information menu which leaves you quite a choice
- Hell: This is a pub that serves gf pizza and it tastes like Pizza. WOW! Finally! They import the dough base from New Zealand. :) And they deliver as well...
- imli: Indian tapas AND they have a gf menu! :) I had some problems after but I don't dare to blame imli for it...
- Italian cotto: They have gf Pizza, Pasta and Tiramisu... If you are a coeliac and you enter the place you get a very special and warm welcome by the owner. They do have two completely separate kitchens. I met a Belgium guy who had not eaten Pizza for 8 years. He was so happy! Unfortunately, the restaurant is closed 22.8.-7.9. But you should definitely give it a try!
- Japan Centre: Really good sushi: they prepare you gf Sushi if you ask.
- Market THAI in Nottinghill: now they know! :) The staff is quite helpful and the food is good and cheap
- Preto: Brazilian Steakhouse: You have to ask someone to talk you through the buffet, but honestly: it's all about meat and that's gf! :)
- Roka: they know what gluten is and prepare each dish gf if you ask. Good quality Japanese food!
- Table d'Hôte du Palais Royal: this is a really good restaurant that looks like it used to be a brothel. I ate my first Foie Gras there. The chef said she was sorry she did not have gf bread. So cute. Okay, to be honest - it's in Paris. :P
- Thai Café and Restaurant: Really good Thai food! Ask for gluten and wheat free dishes! The food is definitely worth the effort!
- Thai Metro: really good Thai food. I just mentioned I was a celiac and the waitre created a dish for me out of his head - amazing and delicious. Reminded me of the bok mafia chain in Hamburg which is also amazing!

No matter what

Haunted Room

This night while I was still fully awake I heard a weird noise: it sounded like a hiss that came from different directions within my room and reached different noise levels. I have never heard that sound before and could not figure out where it was coming from. After discussing horror movies with my flatmate Ashley for an hour in the kitchen just before I went to bed, my first thought was that I must be imagining it. But then after a while the sound came back. I did not hear any tripping noise that would lead to the conclusion that it must be an animal making that noise. So I concluded it must be a supranatural power - not that I believe in such things... When I finally heard some human noise in the hall I jumped out of my bed and found Katharina. I dragged her into my room and she heard that weird hissing as well. Thank God - I was not crazy! Edward had to get out of his bed as well and tried to scare the monster away. But to our suprise - he did not hear anything. We all decided it would be best if I shared tonight's bed with Ashley. I woke her and told her the story but she was still drowsy and could not make much sense of my story.

Even now, two weeks later, I sleep in my own room again, I have not figured out the noise and it did not come back. My friends are indecisive if it was a rat or a snake. I just wish that I will never find out...

Chips vs. Fries

I love fries! Besides, it's basically the only thing I can eat when I want a snack. With only a filter coffee in my stomach, I was craving fries for lunch when I met with Anis and Nicola. We decided not to go to Mc D but to support the local pub at the corner. I ordered a bowl of fries when the emo looking girl behind the counter asked me if I wanted CHIPS. Seriously?

Bouncy Castle Party tonight

Did not go in the end because the Jubilee line is under construction during weekends and it was raining as usual. :(