Pádraig’s is the only room with a mass card and a little bottle of water from Lourdes, one of our friends sent for him. Hamburg is, like the rest of northern Germany, predominantly protestant. At the beginning of the last century, Max Weber wrote a famous book called “Prostestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism” (Die protestantische Ethik und der Geist des Kapilalismus), in which he discusses the connection between protestant ethics and the development of capitalism in Europe. The desire to achieve things.

Pádraig was sitting in a ‘chair’ when I came in to visit him today. It’s like a cross between a really comfortable arm chair and a bed. He look super-comfortable and spent more than three hours in this chair today – there is nothing better for his lungs than sitting up, at the moment. Two carers had slipped him across from his bed into this ‘convertible’ chair by pulling him across from his bed onto this chair/bed. They could do this with two people. In order to move him from his bed into a wheel chat, they would have needed 3 people.

When I told them that carers and nurses in Ireland had used a hoist to lift him out, I was told that they would not use a hoist here for someone like Pádraig, that this wouldn’t be safe enough. Later in the day, I talked to the Oberärztin looking after Pádraig. She said that on Friday they would try to turn him completely onto his chest in the bed, in order to clean out his lungs from any secretions.

Two of his best friends from Dublin arrived today. It has been so nice to see them, and, although Pádraig wasn’t at his most alert today, I am sure he was so happy to hear familiar voices, and especially Irish. They will stay until Thursday – it’ll be really nice to have them around. And it was so good for them to make the journey over to Hamburg to visit Pádraig.

Pat once told me that the nuns running her school wanted to be up-to-date and modern  and all, and sang all sorts of great contemporary songs with them. One of their favourites was John Lennon’s ‘Imagine‘: “Imagine there is no country, it isn’t hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too… You may say I am dreamer, but I’m not the only one…” According to Pat, with all their enthusiasm, it took the nuns a long time to notice the bit about “and no religion too”. – Myself, I hear and see Alice’s Restaurant in the last line: I might be a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.

I believe that our dreams can inspire others. The desire to help other people because this is the right thing to do is something that I found in Dublin more than anywhere else. The amount of help, love, and support Pádraig is receiving from his wider family and friends is inspiring, and nothing I have ever experienced previously in my live. – I wonder, is there the possibility of a connection between catholic Ireland and German protestant work ethic? Just Imagine.

Today’s German Music Tip
The Beatles, Sie liebt Dich (1964) (The Beatles startet their career on 17 August 1960 in the (in)famous club Indra, just off the Reeperbahn.)
What’s hot
Imagine.
What’s cold
Being stuck with no way out.
The German word/phrase/verse of the day
Ja, sie liebt Dich und da solltest Du Dich freuen!