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Spring arrives and the snow gradually departs from the Wendelstein (as seen from my balcony in Bad Feilnbach)
Well it had to happen! The snow has decided to leave us. This weeks photos are quite a contrast to those I published a week ago (with RISKKO trying out his new sledge with his friend the Bavarian mountain bear – if you are interested here is the link). The first couple of pictures are taken from my apartment. The one above (of the Wendelstein Mountain) shows that if you go high enough there is still some snow around.
The photo below is of the local church which I also introduced last week. This is the view of the church as seen from my office. I prefer this view because of the great mountains in the background.
Blue skies over Bad Feilnbach’s Pfarrkirche Herz Jesu – against the magnificent Alpine mountains
Like last week RISKKO and I also went to the recycling area but we decided to come back via the mountain path to enjoy the pretty Spring flowers which have shot up all around the Bad Feilnbach forests.
As well as blue skies RISKKO finds the alpine forests are covered in his favourite blue Spring flowersAfter the long winter even the simplest forest flowers are keen to show off their splendourEverywhere in the Bavarian Forests new growth can be seen as Spring returnsTo observe nature at work in the Forests just look down at the fantastic flowers like this one
In addition to the great forest flowers I would also like to introduce you this week to RISKKO’s penfriend Duke. He lives in South Carolina and loves dressing up for special occasions. Clearly he is giving RISKKO some interesting ideas for his next U-tube video (Thanks to Bob Duggleby for helping Duke to send the pictures and allowing me to publish them)
RISKKOs Penfriend Duke on St Patrick’s Day (courtesy of Bob Duggleby, South Carolina)RISKKOs Penfriend Duke cunningly disguised as an Easter Bunny (courtesy of Bob Duggleby, South Carolina)
In the last couple of weeks I have also published some articles which you might find interesting. One is an update, with some useful questions and answers about the latest outbreak of Bird Flu in China. To date 11 people have died and it has now reached Beijing. The link is here.
And for those thinking of taking a cruise on a luxury liner you might find the experiences of this German family interesting (this one is not for people who are nervous about strange beds – or strange bed fellows). The link is here.
I hope that for those readers in the Northern Hemisphere you are also enjoying the return of warmer weather. Time to unpack the shorts! By the way here is another little article about a rather unusual approach to marketing clothes based on the size of the wearer – just click here.
While you read the following article why not listen to my e-baroque compositions – just click on the box below:
or if techno music is more your cup of tea here are my techno/ambient compositions:
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This week’s blog contrasts quite considerably with my last entry. I might be criticised for having exposed a bit too much flesh last week however with my arrival in the Alps there is no fear of that happening today. I have arrived back in Bavaria and we have just moved over to summer time despite the area being covered in snow.
However, being good environmentally friendly types, RISKKO and I decided to brave the snow and take ourselves off to the local recycling centre. Yes, do not let it be said that this blog is not exciting! In addition to taking the ‘Envirodog’ down to the recycling centre we took the opportunity to benefit from special off-season rates at the local outdoor swimming pool (well RISKKO did – I had to look after the camera!).
In addition, in order to show you how my Bavarian colleagues do not let the snow (or lack of day light) put them off their water sports I would like to share with you a video which was made by truly dedicated local surfer Maximilian Schwarzkopf (filmed with help from Colin Stewart whose name clearly indicates he is from a part of the UK that is even further north than Yorkshire!). Many people who are familiar with Munich will know that the Isar river and particularly the spot known as Eisbach are popular destinations for river surfers. However what few appreciate is that these water sports activities continue into the Winter – with a little help from Neoprene. In fact the truly committed enthusiasts go surfing at night (after seeing the video you might think they should be committed!). If you have never experienced ‘surfin in the snow at night’ I think you will enjoy the following video.
I have also added a few pictures of the local scenery and some of the village sites in Bad Feilnbach. If you are interested in Doggy news I have posted a couple of articles on RISKKO’s own website. There can be reached using the following links:
Meanwhile enjoy the pictures. It is time for a nice warm chocolate! For more info about the video made by the night surfers in the Munich English Garden (at Eisbach on the River Isar) please see the end of this weeks blog.
Environmentally friendly dog RISKKO. Recycling doesn’t stop just because the weather is cold!RISKKO the ‘Envirodog’ disposing of household waste at the Alpine recycling centre near Bad Feilnbach (in the snow).RISKKO meets his old friend the Alpine Bear during the his walk through the Bad Feilnbach forestsRISKKO enjoys the April snow in the Alps with his friend the Alpine Bear.Beautiful Alpine river scene captured during the April snow as we trek back from the recycling centreThe Alpine Heavenly Trail that RISKKO and I follow when we return from our trips to the recycling centreThe Alpine Heavenly Trail in Bad Feilnbach starts with the creation of the world and the departure of Adam and Eve from the Garden of EdenRISKKO and the Alpine Bear sitting on a statue to celebrate the creation of the world and the departure from the Garden of Eden (a suitable venue for Easter Monday)More beautiful alpine scenery from our April visit to the nature park in Bad Feilnbach. Yes it is April – so Spring has officially arrived!RISKKOs sledge was just big enough for one dog and a small alpine bear: time for fun on the snow-covered slopes.RISKKO practices for next year’s Bavarian naked sledging contest (Nackt Rodeln) on the Alpine slopes near homeObserve that look of determination on RISKKO’s face as he prepares for the canine winter olympics on his sledge (with a bit of support from the alpine bear)Next stop for the Alpine Sports team was the open air swimming pool in Bad Feilnbach. Today’s temperatures were around freezing (about minus 2C). Oh what fun in the sun!The good thing about RISKKO’s skinny dipping adventures in Winter is that there is not too much competition in the frozen pool (and we don’t get too much unwanted attention from paparazzi)If you look carefully you might see RISKKO swimming underwater in the rather cool outdoor pool. However he may be difficult to see because the frozen water has made our skinny dipping hound shrink a little !Not every open air swimming pool is surrounded by beautiful Alpine scenery like this. Now it is time to chip the ice off RISKKO’s towel ! How he loves going for a swim.In a modern caring society, like the one we have in Bavaria, the rodents do not have to live in the drains. This is Bad Feilnbach’s official rat houseBad Feilnbach’s beautiful church in the winter sun: Pfarrkirche Herz JesuSide view of the proud Pfarrkirche Herz Jesu, on Easter Monday, 2013: April 1st 09:15 hours (note it has already been adjusted for summer time).Author with RISKKO the ‘Envirodog’ and his pal the Alpine Bear after one of our exciting ‘Spring’ trips to the recycling centre in Bad Feilnbach, Bavaria.
For German Speaking visitors to http://www.ChrisDuggleby.com who would like to read more about the Winter night Surfing Video made on the Eisbach and the two Gentlemen who made it I have included a link to an article this weekend in the Süddeutsche Zeitung. You can find it here
Keep warm, and if you do go surfing at night don’t forget to take your torch!
Chris Duggleby
After months apart while RISKKO was in Africa his friendship with the Alpine Bear is stronger than ever.
Following on from my last blog in which I described what is possible with just one hour to spend on Table Mountain I intend today to present a day of activities that are all possible in, or near, Llandudno. This will be a full day which for me typically stretches from sunrise to sunset. RISKKO and I will not be allowed the luxury of motorised transport so no cable cars this week – we will be doing everything on foot.
The day starts with a sunrise trek over the hill from our roof-top pad on Sunset Rocks to the beach at Llandudno. On this day I was lucky because the tide was out much further than usual. Let me introduce you to a couple of secret beaches next to, but hidden from, the main beach at Llandudno. These beaches are normally out of reach when the tide is in because they are behind some very large rocks. Clearly you could swim from the big beach, but keep in mind that even when the air temperature reaches 30 degrees C the sea is still very cold. It is not for fun that the surfers all dress up head to toe in rubber!
Llandudno’s hidden beaches This one can be reached through a narrow gap in the rocks but only when the tide is outThe larger of Llandudno’s hidden beaches again only accessible when the tide is out. Notice the total lack of footprints!Around Llandudno’s hidden beaches are some overhanging rocks providing nice shaded bathing spots for cute little animalsHere is a panoramic view taken from the larger of Llandudno’s hidden beaches at low tide with the sun just rising over the 12 Apostles Mountain in the background (click on the picture to see a high-resolution version)
After exploring the hidden beaches to the left of Llandudno’s main beach you can stroll over to the other side in the direction of the Llandudno rocks.
Sunrise view of Llandudno beach, Cape Town, before most of the locals wake up. This is the best time of day for a peaceful stroll on the beachSunrise view of Llandudno beach looking out towards the outcrop of rocks. Notice the only footprints visible are those of a little dog: as usual RISKKO was racing ahead chasing the local birds!View of 12 Apostles Mountain from Llandudno Beach before the sun rise: tranquility and beauty – undisturbed by peopleRISKKO’s favourite bathing spot on Llandudno Beach, South AfricaRISKKO loves sitting in the shade and watching the pretty bitches strolling by. With a view like this who needs a luxury villa?As we leave Llandudno Beach even the weeds look beautiful. What a glorious morning for Morning Glory
After leaving Llandudno beach the journey took me over the hill in the direction of Sunset Rocks and Sandy Bay. As often happens RISKKO and I met a couple of attractive birds on the way.
From Llandudno we take the mountain road to Sandy Bay via Sunset Rocks and come across two local birds checking out the action on the beachAs we reach the crest of the hill we cast one last fleeting glance at Llandudno Beach. It is still deserted but the sun will soon do its magic
Approaching Sunset Rocks a boat full of divers was anchored at the rocks. Although you can not see it above the water anymore there is an interesting underwater wreck next to the rocks. If you would like to find out more or would like to visit the wreck there is more information available at the site here. The website shows some interesting pictures of the colorful underwater attractions. I include below some pictures provided by a friend which were taken at the time of the wreck before the vessel was broken up by the waves.
Over the other side of the mountain road we see the familiar sight of home and Sunset Rocks. The early morning diving boat has arrived with enthusiastic ship wreck tourists in their diving gear.July 28th 1977 the MV Romelia was being towed from Greece to a scrap yard in Asia when it ran aground on Sunset Rocks during a storm (picture courtesy of Ian Mcpherson)After running aground on July 28th, 1977 the wreck of MV Romelia broke up next to Sunset Rocks. It is no longer visible above the sea surface but a popular destination for diving trips (Picture courtesy of Ian McPherson)
After popping back to the pad above Sunset Rocks for a quick breakfast it was time to head off to discover more ship wrecks, all of which can be reached on foot. This time I went in the opposite direction towards Sandy Bay beach. After about 10 minutes I arrived at RISKKO’s favourite ‘baby’ ship wreck.
On the path from Sunset Rocks to Sandy Bay beach we come across RISKKO’s favourite ‘baby’ ship wreck. He likes playing pirates here.Close up of RISKKO’s favourite ship wreck between Sunset Rocks and Sandy Bay beach
After another 10 minutes I landed on Sandy Bay beach, where as usual, I was somewhat over-dressed. As they say, you can always recognise an exhibitionist on a nudist beach – he’s the one wearing clothes!
After Sandy Bay beach, I took the path that leads across the back-side of the Karbonkel Mountain. This part of the journey can take over an hour and it is good not to walk around these areas on your own – especially if you have anything worth stealing. This was not far from the place where, about three years ago, I endured three stab wounds and had my camera and phone stolen (strangely, however, the thief left the rosette!).
Eventually you get to a point where the path does not go any further. If you now look down you should be able to see the Oudeschip peninsula. There is a narrow path through the vegetation which leads you down to the peninsula (takes about 20 minutes).
Once you reach the peninsula you can investigate the wreck of the SS Harvest Capella, a fishing vessel which ran aground on the 7th October 1987.
Climbing down to the Oudeschip peninsula (which is an island at high tide) you can inspect at close quarters the remains of the SS Harvest Capella, a fishing vessel that ran aground in a storm on 7th October 1987.
On the other side of the peninsula it is possible to see the wreck of a crane vessel the MV Bos400 which ran ashore in 1994 (27th June). If you are interested in more information about this wreck or about the SS Oakburn which ran aground at the same spot in 1906 this is available from the site here.
Below is a more detailed photograph of this wreck.
A closer view of the crane barge (with helicopter pad) MV Bos 400 which ran aground on 27 June, 1994. This wreck lies on top of the wreck of the SS Oakburn, a British cargo steamer of 3865 tons, which ran aground in fog on 21st May 1906 during a voyage from New York to Sydney.
From the Oudeschip peninsula back to the apartment takes about 2-3 hours. The trip provides many fantastic and interesting views but on most days the sunset will add the finishing touches. It is time now for RISKKO and I to move back to the northern hemisphere to earn enough money for our next travels. Needless to say the sun provided a nice farewell for the customary sipping of evening cocktails on the balcony. Next stop – the Alps!
At the end of a warm day discovering ship wrecks in Cape Town how about a nice sunset evening on the balcony?Savouring the last evening on my Sunset Rocks balcony for this season. When a destination does what it says on the tin – who needs fireworks?
Farewell Sunset Rocks, Farewell Llandudno, Farewell Africa – Chris and RISKKO are off to the Northern Hemisphere to accompany the Spring as it brings much needed warmth to the European Alps.
Chris Duggleby
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Cape Town’s Table Mountain cable cars taking RISKKO to enjoy the sunset view
This week, as a special treat, I had promised RISKKO a trip to the top of Cape Town’s Table Mountain. While we were there we took the opportunity to take some sunset shots and capture the scenery just as the sun was going down.
Before I share with you the details let me quash the ugly rumour we only went up in the Cable Car in the evening because after 18:00 hours it was half-price (the Yorkshire equivalent of an extravagant sight-seeing trip). However I cannot deny being a bit disappointed when the lady at the cash desk explained that the half-price offer no longer applied – at the same time as asking me if I would like to replace my guidebook with one which was written less than 10 years ago (did I sense a little sarcasm)?.
Unfortunately RISKKO’s pocket-money didn’t quite stretch to the full price so we had to borrow some money from RISKKO’s personal Cape Town chauffeur, John, to prevent the trip being a non-starter. If you happen to be interested in the same trip it would be worth making sure you have at least 205 rand per adult.
We did manage to go up on the 18:30 cable car arriving just in time for some sunset photos before we had to catch the last car back down (at 19:30). Fortunately we didn’t miss the ride back down, although I had brought RISKKO’s pyjamas just in case.
Table Mountain cable cars getting rather close as they overtake on a sunny Cape Town dayRISKKO gets his tummy tickled in the Cable Car and nearly has a little accident out of the window.
The cable cars can carry 65 people each and can accommodate wheelchairs and pushchairs. Each car is able to rotate as it goes up and down so everyone gets a chance to enjoy a panoramic view.
The views when you get to the top are staggering and despite having less than one hour we were able to take the pictures you can see below. Why don’t I let the pictures speak for themselves?
Will they get this big cable car into that little hole at the top of Table MountainOnce he gets to the top of Table Mountain RISKKO takes a rest and enjoys the viewThe views from the top of Table Mountain are exhilaratingSome mountain top views from Table Mountain.Have you ever noticed how, whenever you get a fantastic scenery shot, somebody’s pesky dog gets in the way?Inspiring mountain views across Table Mountain without an over excited canine getting into the shotNow for the first Table Mountain Sunset picture (with RISKKO of course)And another sunset snapAlmost managed to get the celebrity canine out of this onePerhaps we will put this one on the cover of RISKKO’s first travel guideAs the sun sets over Table Mountain the mysterious stone-frogs come out to playAs the sun sets the colours and shadows show-off the splendor of the beautiful landscapeAfrican ‘moonscape’ scenery but with some fantastic vegetation – need to come again in spring!As the sun goes down deep red colours illuminate the vegetation giving it a warm glowAfter sunset it is time to take the last cable car down Table Mountain before the mountain ghosts arriveBelow us the city and harbour lights begin to glow ready for the night ahead. Sleep well Cable Mountain!
If you do get a chance to visit Cape Town this little excursion is a ‘must do’ and as you can see you do not need to have a whole day in which to do it (although next time we will give ourselves a little more than one hour of daylight).
Chris Duggleby.
Sunset view of Hout Bay and mountains from the top of table mountain
If you are interested in reading my other health focused articles try the following
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Yes folks, today is the day of the annual Argus Pick-n-Pay Cycle Tour in Cape Town. This exciting event involves lots of very fit people whizzing around the Cape dressed in lycra outfits and showing of their shiny clean bicycles.
One of the main roads they follow is the coastal road which runs past Llandudno which happens to be where I reside when I am in the Southern Hemisphere (like today). This means that the coastal road is closed all day for non-lycra clad folk, especially if they are on four or more wheels. It also means that for one day in the year those of us left in Llandudno (and its sister beach of Sandy Bay and Sunset Rocks, the outcrop of rocks between,) have the place all to ourselves.
Sandy Bay Beach – untouched by human feet
For one day in the year Sandy Bay beach is deserted by its gay, nudist, body building brethren (presumably they have either donned their lycra or are waving their flags as the bikes go by) and the lady selling choc ices next to the ‘No nudity on the path’ sign simply doesn’t turn up. The car parks are empty and the place almost looks like it used to look before man arrived.
“Public Health” sign advising how to minimise exposure to harmful UV radiation at Sandy Bay beach
So as usual this morning I jumped out of bed at the crack of dawn (about 6:30), donned my shorts and scrambled over from Sunset Rocks to Llandudno beach for my excuse for a bit of daily exercise. As I climbed the hill leaving Sunset Rocks, expecting solitude I was rather surprised to see a swarm of teenagers whooshing down the hill on their skate boards. Clearly I was not the only one looking forward to a day without mechanised vehicles on the road. During my one hour round trip to the beach I counted over a hundred skate-boarders all sensibly dressed in protective gear (which was needed since they were clearly going at speeds far in excess of their mechanised counterparts).
International canine celebrity RISKKO gets the whole of Llandudno Beach to himself
Anyway, I managed to get safely to Llandudno beach to meet up with another early riser, the local Eskimo. You might think it strange that an Eskimo should be walking along Llandudno beach in South Africa. I am pretty certain that he is an Eskimo because he was accompanied by a pack of huskies (although I have to admit I did not see a sledge in the car park). The huskies seem to quite like me – I think they can probably smell RISKKO’s saliva on my legs. After the beach RISKKO had to rush back home because he had a Skype call with Pink Lips in Bavaria. The two lovers are missing each other and are looking forward to being reunited before the end of the Month in Germany.
Pink Lips having fun last summer with RISKKO in her Topless Convertible Mercedes
During the last few days I have written a few articles which you might find interesting. One is about (yet) another European food scandal – the German authorities appear to have found carcinogens in Cows milk. You can read more about it here. On the subject of food scandals South Africa is trying to avoid being left behind as Europe strives to be more inclusive in its beef products by including other animals like horse, sheep and pig. The university of Stellenbosch has taken samples from South African mince, sausages, burger patties, dried meats and deli meats and tested them for any animals not featured in the labelling. In most of the 139 meat products tested they have now identified donkey, goat and water buffalo. At a dinner party I attended a couple of days ago a lady informed me that Giraffe meat has also been identified! Clearly when we contaminate here in Africa we do it in style – horses are so ‘yesterday’!
Riskko’s friend Nobbin the horse in the Bavarian buttercups (not in the Rinderfleish!)Two local cows clearly worried about the new competition from Nobbin the Horse
The second article I prepared was on the subject of bees who have a natural desire to get a caffeine fix (which certain clever plants have used to their advantage by plonking caffeine into their nectar). More info can be found on this here.
The third and final article for this week is related to the new Killer Corona Virus which has already cost eight people their lives and is starting to look very worrying. I have included some of the latest scientific findings about the pathogen and also revisited the SARS story to illustrate how quickly things can turn nasty. You will find this article here.
So the sun has just gone down here on the cape and presumably tomorrow the vehicles will be returning to my refreshingly remote outpost.
If you have any comments on the blog or any of the articles please do not hesitate to use the comments boxes. It’s time to brush my teeth and clean out the giraffe and donkey meat to make room for tomorrows delicacies.
This week RISKKO and I went ‘up-north’ to visit my parents in the Midlands and to let RISKKO play with his doggy pal Sid. Sid is known locally as the Batdog and it wasn’t until I saw the latest Batman film ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ that I realised why. The film had several shots of the home of Bruce Wayne (alias Batman) known as Wayne Manor. This is the same somewhat splended house that Sid lives in. Therefore it did not take a genius to work out that Sid was Bruce Wayne’s dog and the big house near to my parents home in Wollaton was actually Wayne Manor. That would certainly explain a number of strange noises coming out of the grounds at night time. Let me share with you some pictures from our visit.
A hall fit for the reunion of two super heros RISKKO and Sid the Batdog at the residence of Bruce Wayne (Batman)Side view of Batman’s residence “Wayne Manor” (known also as Wollaton Hall) not a million miles from Gotham City (and also not far from Nottingham)It is rumoured that Bruce Wayne (Alias Batman), who shuns publicity, can sometimes still be seen walking through the grounds of Wayne ManorAs Batman makes way for the next generation of superheros RISKKO and the Batdog Sid plan how to save the World in the grounds of Wayne ManorBruce Wayne is a genious with technical gadgets and hightech low emission transportation like these motorised transporters used by staff at the manor (also known as the next generation of low carbon Batmobiles)RISKKO has also found an environmentally friendly way of getting around Wayne Manor – he hitches a lift on the back of Freddy, Batman’s pet foxAt the side of the huge park surrounding Wayne Manor RISKKO and Sid take a rest before moving on to meet some more friendsBehind Wayne Manor is a lake with a beautiful uninhabited island. This is rumoured to have a secret entrance to the BatcaveThe only things living on the secret Island apart from bats are the Special Forces trained guard-ducks like DaphneAlso living on the uninhabited Bat Island is Diedre Duck who is Daphne’s closest friend and another key part of the island’s intruder-prevention system. Dierdre is know as the Bat Duck with the killer billHere are Daphne and Diedre on Bat Island lookout-duty keeping an eye out for unwelcome stangers near the Batcave entranceWayne Manor also has its own reindeer who love it when RISKKO comes to visitOne of the Reindeer showing off its antlersWhen RISKKO first arrived his old friend Rudolf the Reindeer was having a rest. He had had a very busy Winter delivering Christmas presents around the World.…but Rudolf the Reindeer quickly noticed his celebrity doggy visitor RISSKO….and then he started to smileAs RISKKO climbed through the fence Rudolf the Reindeer pulled himself to his feetRudolf the Reindeer had an itch on his bottom that he just couldnt reach. The more he tried the more his nose became bright red. Fortunately his doggy friend RISKKO was an expert in scratching bottoms and soon Rudy’s itch had goneOnce the annoying itch on his bottom was fixed Rudolf the Reindeer was ready for action. Bring me my sleigh!Rudolf the Reindeer thanked RISKKO for visiting and asked him to come again soonThis weeks blog featured RISKKO the canine celebrity as guest of honour at Wayne Manor not far from Gotham CityAll the pictures featured in this weeks blog were taken in the grounds of Wollaton Park, Nottingham also known as the former residence of Bruce Wayne
If you would like to learn more about Wollaton Hall and possibly visit this excellent building dating from the 1580s and its magnificent park land please check out the website which is here.
Wollaton Hall, Wollaton Park, Nottingham: construction started in 1580 and it first opened its doors in 1588. As well as housing Nottingham’s Natural History Museum it has magnificant grounds including its famous deer park and lake. It was featured in the Batman film ‘The Dark Kight Rises” (2012) as the home of Bruce Wayne (Alias Batman). It is rumoured that in future Batman films Bruce’s trusty Batdog ‘Sid’ may be asked to play a major role.
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My apologies to regular readers. I have been a rather quiet recently – unfortunately in the gaps between my African vitamin D sessions I have to work my little socks off to pay the travel bills. January has been no exception but fortunately I do have a little helper (in addition to RISKKO) who provides me with guidance and support. His name is Nobby – and he is what we in the trade refer to as an auditor’s Elf.
While I sit down in serious auditing interviews with unsuspecting ‘victims’ Nobby creeps out of his hiding place, ‘borrows’ the keys from their pockets or brief cases and rummages through their drawers. This is a rather unorthodox approach but we have discovered that we identify a lot more control gaps that way.
Nobby the Elf, through his international travels has developed a level of language capability that would cause pride in even the most intellectual of humans (I do not count auditors in this last category). He is not English (and proudly so) but his knowledge of the English language – or better said its shortcomings – is astounding. Let me give you an example.
Today we were having one of our regular debates about why elves have not adopted English as their default language. Nobby speaks a language which sounds like an asthmatic suffering from excessive Catarrh and whooping-cough: this and his bad breath explains why I do not use him in the face to face interviews (we would have to issue interviewees with face masks). During our debate he pointed out some significant weaknesses with the English language.
Although English is the most widely spoken language in the World (elves excepted), there are a few areas where it falls down. Nobby identified 25 words from other languages that do not exist in English and claimed this gives him a major problem when trying to express himself in public (which he does a lot!). Here they are:
1 Age-otori (Japanese):To look worse after a haircut
2 Arigata-meiwaku (Japanese):An act someone does for you that you didn’t want to have them do and tried to avoid having them do, but they went ahead anyway, determined to do you a favor, and then things went wrong and caused you a lot of trouble, yet in the end social conventions required you to express gratitude
3 Backpfeifengesicht (German):A face badly in need of a fisting
4 Bakku-shan (Japanese):A beautiful girl… as long as she’s being viewed from behind
5 Desenrascanço (Portuguese):“to disentangle” yourself out of a bad situation
6 Duende (Spanish):a climactic show of spirit in a performance or work of art, which might be fulfilled in flamenco dancing, or bull-fighting, etc.
7 Forelsket (Norwegian):The euphoria you experience when you are first falling in love
8 Gigil (pronounced Gheegle; Filipino):The urge to pinch or squeeze something that is unbearably cute (an irrelevant term when referring to Nobby)
9 Guanxi (Mandarin):in traditional Chinese society, you would build up good guanxi by giving gifts to people, taking them to dinner, or doing them a favor, but you can also use up your gianxi by asking for a favor to be repaid
10 Ilunga (Tshiluba, Congo):A person who is ready to forgive any abuse for the first time, to tolerate it a second time, but never a third time
11 L’esprit de l’escalier (French):usually translated as “staircase wit,” is the act of thinking of a clever comeback when it is too late to deliver it
12 Litost (Czech):a state of torment created by the sudden sight of one’s own misery
13 Mamihlapinatapai (Yaghan):A look between two people that suggests an unspoken, shared desire
14 Manja (Malay): “to pamper”, it describes gooey, childlike and coquettish behavior by women designed to elicit sympathy or pampering by men. “His girlfriend is a damn manja. Hearing her speak can cause diabetes.”
15 Meraki (pronounced may-rah-kee; Greek):Doing something with soul, creativity, or love. It’s when you put something of yourself into what you’re doing
16 Nunchi (Korean):the subtle art of listening and gauging another’s mood. In Western culture, nunchi could be described as the concept of emotional intelligence. Knowing what to say or do, or what not to say or do, in a given situation. A socially clumsy person can be described as ‘nunchi eoptta’, meaning “absent of nunchi”
18 Pochemuchka (Russian):a person who asks a lot of questions
19 Schadenfreude (German):the pleasure derived from someone else’s pain (e.g. like being kissed by Nobby the elf!)
20 Sgriob (Gaelic):The itchiness that overcomes the upper lip just before taking a sip of whisky – sometimes refered to as sub-nasal thrush
21 Taarradhin (Arabic):implies a happy solution for everyone, or “I win. You win.” It’s a way of reconciling without anyone losing face. Arabic has no word for “compromise,” in the sense of reaching an arrangement via struggle and disagreement
22 Tatemae and Honne (Japanese):What you pretend to believe and what you actually believe, respectively
23 Tingo (Pascuense language of Easter Island):to borrow objects one by one from a neighbor’s house until there is nothing left
24 Waldeinsamkeit (German):The feeling of being alone in the woods
25 Yoko meshi (Japanese): literally ‘a meal eaten sideways,’ referring to the peculiar stress induced by speaking a foreign language
So if you are ever in a situation where you wish to express yourself in public but can not find the appropriate English words please see if there is a suitable substitute from the list above. If you have any other suggestions for Nobby’s list please let me know using the comments box below.
We must now go back and enjoy some more interviewing fun……
Chris Duggleby(and little Nobby, the auditor’s elf)
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The new year is always a time for reviewing the past and trying to learn from previous experiences as we move forward. I often look back on the following pictures to remind me of how things can change overnight.
They say behind every good picture is a good story. Let me tell you the story behind this one. I took the photo on 31st December 2009 as the sun was setting over Sandy Bay beach. My model, as I am sure you will have noticed, was one of the local birds, Wendy. In order to take the picture of Wendy peering into the sunset I had to lie down on the beach behind her on the sand and click at the appropriate moment. Needless to say I got some interesting looks from locals but I think in the main they were amused that I should be paying so much attention to a local bird (“Well he is from England you know”).
Wendy takes one last look into the sunset on the last day of 2009
Observant visitors to my African photo gallery may have noticed that the copyright markings jump after 2009 to 2012: a couple of years of photos are missing. On the day following my photo shoot with Wendy, 1st January 2010, I returned to the same beach and tried to take some more pretty sunset photos. The wind blew my camera into the sand and so I tried to clean the sand out of it before the lens retracted (it was a nifty model which allowed me to change the zoom with one finger allowing me to do other stuff with my other hand). This cleaning operation was not very successful and delayed my departure from the rather remote beach: In fact I was the last to leave.
As I walked off the beach a local gentleman jumped out of the bushes with a knife in his hand and offered to adopt my camera. At first I wasn’t in full agreement with him but three knife wounds later I felt he probably had a point. I was sure one of the knife wounds had hit a major artery in my arm and was concerned that I may only have minutes before losing consciousness. Fortunately I knew a dog walker had just previously left the beach by another route and I managed to catch up with him. This good Samaritan immediately saw what had happened (I was covered head to toe in blood) and took me to the local hospital to get stitched up. They did a great job (Thanks Constantiaberg Hospital!).
I was really impressed by all the help I received in the week following the stabbing. I also find it difficult to have unpleasant thoughts about the gentleman who attacked me – I’m sure he was as much a victim as I was. He was probably able to live of the proceeds from my stolen camera for three months! The great thing is that the wounds healed and I continue to be healthy and take more photos. However it took a couple of years to really get back to full activity (and confidence) and today I am much more careful about where, when and how I take pictures. The lesson for me is to not allow complacency to overcome common sense. Even when you are very familiar with a place it doesn’t necessarily make it any safer (I had been to that beach hundreds of times before the incident).
So at the beginning of 2013 I decided to spend a day just shooting photographs from my balcony – to remind myself that freedom is something to be cherished: Freedom to travel and freedom from economic hardship. I hope the circumstances of my assailant have improved so he does not have to earn his living by such means any more.
Sidney my pet spider guarding the entrance portal to my bedroom in Cape Town
So let’s see what exciting things were around my balcony. First of all there was Sidney my pet spider. While I had flu he kept me company in the bedroom and helped to guard me from any undesirable insects. We grew very close during those 10 days. So he has earned a big thank you (and continues to share my bedroom with me).
An unexplained flying object rises over the 12 Apostles Mountain Range: It is a huge balloon?
During my self imposed imprisonment on the balcony I noticed later in the day a strange balloon appearing over the 12 Apostles Mountains. Gradually the balloon set itself free from the mountains and drifted towards the ocean.
Unexplained flying object takes off from the 12 Apostles Mountain Range: It appears to be heading towards the ocean
Our balcony is not overlooked. This means that RISKKO and I do not have to worry too much about bathing topless in the sun (unlike some members of the British Royal Family). Well at least this is what we thought. On this day of solitude we suddenly noticed somebody flying over our sun beds. Once again the paparazzi were prepared to stop at nothing to invade RISKKO’s privacy.
Warning for celebrities (like RISKKO) bathing nude on the balcony: NEVER underestimate the lengths paparazzi will go to for a photo
Interestingly it was not just the paparazzi who tried to fly over us – take a look at the picture below. Even the local birds have taken to using hang gliding to save them over-straining their tired wings.
Sometimes the local birds need a little help in getting airborne after a tough day on the beach
Now for the highlight of the days entertainment on our balcony. Just to set the scene take a look at the picture below. You might just be able to see a couple of flies appearing to have a cuddle on the balcony wall….
Shocking deviant animal sexual behaviour occurring on the balcony in front of my own nose. RISKKO is undergoing therapy!
Well of course they were not just having a cuddle. Closer inspection allowed me to identify that these flies were in the process of trying out multiple positions from the Karmasutra – on our balcony!
Animal Sexual Behaviour on the balcony Karmasutra position 21: Darling let’s be more adventurous since no one is watching
Take a look at the expression of sheer ecstasy on the face of the fly in front!
Animal Sexual Behaviour on the balcony Karmasutra position 35: Darling what are you doing down there?
Gosh these guys can even do it hanging from the ceiling. So much for Lionel Richie.
Animal Sexual Behaviour on the balcony Karmasutra position 42: Sweetheart I have never had it hanging from the ceiling beforeAnimal Sexual Behaviour on the balcony Karmasutra position 5: Classical passion – upside down against the wall
Well, swiftly moving on (I have had to enroll a therapist to help RISKKO get over what he saw). I had assumed spending the day taking pictures on the balcony would be relatively stress-free. I could not have imagined the psychological trauma these primitive animal sexual activities would have on a relatively innocent dog like RISKKO. Goodness knows what will happen when he gets back to Bavaria and tells Pink Lips what he saw.
In the last couple of days I have also translated some interesting news from the Alpine Press. The first one is about the unusual amount of extraterrestrial activity that has occurred over Bavaria:
and the second article is a sad reflection on human behaviour. It features freeway drivers and Tortoises. Do I need to say more? Only read it if you are of a stable mental disposition (and think twice about viewing the video if you are a highly sensitive person):
Well that is enough excitement for this week. Let me leave you with a calming picture of our New Zealand Christmas Tree after the removal of the Christmas decorations. It survived and continues to merrily bloom.
Enjoy the week and look out for stabbers, tortoises and hyperactive flies,
Chris Duggleby
The New Zealand Christmas Tree continues to bloom with the tinsel removed!
STOP PRESS!! Have you tried the YouTube Playlist featuring all of my compositions for the TRANSFORMATES? Many of the photos below are featured in the video which accompanies the track ‘Heaven’. Here is the play list:
This week has been relatively quiet in my body as I adjust to the quietness left behind by the non-stop all night viral parties. Yes after the departure of the influenza boys I am left to clean up the mess and get used to that day after feeling. Well at least I have some comfort in the knowledge that my viral guests have moved on and are now having fun in some other host. It is probably a good idea to take it easy and avoid too much strenuous activity with RISKKO and his new friend Regy the Vegy Lion cub so this week I will concentrate on a timely update on news from the European Alps (we don’t want them to feel left out) and part 2 of my picture collection from the trek up Chapman’s peak (near Cape Town). Let’s start with the news from the alps.
In the last week I came across five articles in the German language press which may be of interest to regular readers of this site.
The most recent article involved some rather serious revelations about the role of the modern eco-friendly washing machine in the spread of nasty pathogens (timely I thought!). If you are concerned about getting (or have recently had the pleasure of hosting) Noro the famous winter vomiting virus this article may be interesting.
Don’t you just love it how German news headlines have that uncanny ability to smoothly translate into a sophisticated form of english prose (with minimal help from ‘yours faithfully’)?
The second article is all about beer – but a very special beer. This is about Franken’s first Ladies’ beer (and please no jokes about Franken’s Stein)…….
Have you ever wondered how birds learn to sing. They just appear to pop out of their shells and start chirping – however the process is much more sophisticated that you might imagine. Article three explains more…..
I have made no secret of the fact that I popped over to Africa for the winter to avoid the cold. However some of my Bavarian compatriots are significantly more hardy individuals and demonstrate this by sledging – in the ‘altogether’. The winter olympics are just starting to warm up – and this is normally when the Harz mountains open their slopes to the naked sledging festival. This year there are serious over-popularity problems mainly due to the ladies’ events …… want to read more (with videos)?
Finally it was with great relief that I discovered that in these times of austerity the German tax authorities have found another, so far, untapped source of income for the new year. It would appear that some lorry drivers have been over claiming for lavatorial support (= toilet trips) against their annual tax returns. Clearly this is a subject which requires some very careful attention by the fiscal authorities. The long arm of the German fisc stretches deep into the lorry drivers closet. Have I whet your appetite?
Now as promised here is part two of my collection of fantastic flora from the South African outback around Chapman’s Peak. If you can name any of the posies in this (or last week’s) photographs please do not hesitate to let me know via the comments box and I will add the details to the blog for future reference.
I hope your year-end celebrations are fun (and safe) and look forward to sharing more exciting stuff with you in the new year.
Happy New Year,
Chris Duggleby.
Amazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 18 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 19 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 20 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 21 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 22 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 23 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 24 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 25 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 26 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 27 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 28 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa (and cute little dogs) from the Chapman’s Peak trail overlooking Hout BayAmazing wild flowers from South Africa: picture Nr. 30 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa: picture Nr. 31 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa: picture Nr. 32 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa: picture Nr. 33 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa: picture Nr. 34 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa: picture Nr. 35 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa: picture Nr. 36 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa: picture Nr. 37 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownThe view that accompanies the amazing wild flowers growing around Chapmans Peak
An African Merry Christmas from three wild,crazy, and almost ferocious, animals
While you read the following article why not listen to my e-baroque compositions – just click on the box below:
or if techno music is more your cup of tea here are my techno/ambient compositions:
I hope you find the information below interesting…please visit chrisduggleby.com again.
Well at last it is very nearly here, Chrimble approaches Africa and its visitors from the northern hemisphere. The flu that kindly accompanied me down south has decided to stay a little longer – clearly my body is a temple of viral hospitality. Let us not forget viruses are also beings (albeit little ones) – why shouldn’t they also join us in the festive celebrations? So while I am kept busy helping the viruses to multiply and prepare to move onto their next fortunate host RISKKO and his friends have offered to help sort out the Christmas decorations.
RISKKO helps to hang the fairy lights on the Christmas Tree
My virus was not the only little being that joined RISKKO and I on the journey down south. As we were shopping for Christmas decorations in one of those ubiquitous ‘everything for £1’ shops Ted jumped into our shopping basket and pleaded to be rescued from the cold north. Take a look at his picture below – could you have resisted his request? So while RISKKO put up the fairy lights Ted decided where best to hang the tinsel.
Ted decides where to put the tinsel on the Christmas Tree
The Christmas decorations team had a third member, Reg. Reg is from Africa and we found him exploring Sandy Bay beach looking for nice plants to eat: Reg is a vegetarian lion cub and I will explain more about his background in a future blog. He is known locally as ‘Regy the Vegy’ and being a lion it was only right that he assumed a supervisory role in the decorating project.
Reg the vegetarian lion cub supervises the decorations on the Christmas Tree
In addition to our household decorations I would like to introduce you, this week, to some of the natural decorations that make this country so beautiful. When I first came to Africa I noticed that there were not very many Christmas decorations – certainly in comparison to Woking! Then as I looked around I realised why. When nature decorates the countryside as beautifully as the pictures below illustrate there is very little that man can do to enhance the beauty (despite Ted being a dab hand with the tinsel!). So for the rest of today’s blog I am going to take you back up Chapman’s Peak and introduce you to some of the sights and flowers which were simply growing at the side of the path.
RISKKO’s trek up Chapman’s Peak looking for exotic wild flowers
The next three pictures set the scene and show the stunning landscape in which the flowers which follow were found. After that I will simply leave you with pictures of some of the flowers. Each flower picture has a number – if you can identify the name of any of the flowers please do not hesitate to let me know using the comments box and I can add these to the blog for future reference. All the pictures are taken with high-definition photography so just click on the photograph to see a more detailed version.
Enjoy – and have a merry Christmas,
Chris Duggleby.
Mountain views from the path leading to the top of Chapman’s Peak: it’s a long way up!View of Chapman’s Peak from the pathTrail up Chapman’s Peak: The higher you get the more exhilarating the viewsAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr 1 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 2 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 3 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 4 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 5 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 6 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 7 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 8 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 9 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 10 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 11 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 12 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 13 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 14 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 15 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 16 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownAmazing wild flowers from South Africa picture Nr. 17 from the Chapman’s Peak trail, Cape TownPanoramic high-definition view of Hout Bay from high up on the trail up Chapman’s Peak
….and to round off the blog after so much eye candy how about a little ear candy for Chritmas from Enya – when I hear this I imagine the pleasure I am giving to the billions of influensa viruses living in my body. That’s how easy it is to spread warmth and happiness – if you have to endure the flu try and leave the viruses with a good impression – maybe next time they will be a little gentler!
Chris Duggleby 