We are both tired. In a good way.

The ‘routine’ in the morning can take some time, especially if you’ve got it. And it’s nice to have it. No rush. Nobody waiting. No knock on the door. Yet, we got the three meals in, the Stehbett, the Viva la MotoMed (remember that one?) – for the legs and for the arms (!), we went out twice – the first time we were just outside the door when it started to rain so we went straight back in, we watched the silliest German TV programme wondering how they have the cheek to do stuff like this, and I read out loud the next few pages of the guidebook to Alaska.

Cathal Murray is still on holidays it seems (how many holidays do they get at RTÉ???) so it was another Sunday morning with Carol Moran on the Weekend on One playing beautiful music. One of the first songs she played in the morning was The Dutchman. When I heard it, it stopped me right in my tracks and I texted her this. – Earlier in the year, a brilliant documentary was broadcast on Tipperary man Liam Clancy which is really worth watching (and in which he reveals that Bob Dylan stole his girlfriend).

When we went for a walk today, we saw what looked like a new telephone booth. Who on earth would bother putting up a new telephone booth, I thought. So we went to have a look. Turned out that what looked like a telephone booth (Telefonzelle) was, in fact, a book exchange (Bücherzelle). Isn’t that ingenious: the idea is that you can bring your books or CDs and leave them there for others to take it. Volunteers check regularly to make sure that the place is kept in order.

In case you were wondering: we still got no acknowledgement of the receipt of our letters to the Attorney General or the Governor, never mind an answer.

But today, I won’t worry about that. Because I’m tired. In a good way.

Today’s German Music Tip
Johannes Oerding, Alles brennt. Zwischen schwarzen Wolken seh’ ich ein kleines bisschen Blau… Alles wird gut… This song got almost 5m hits – where have I been? Just heard it for the first time…
What’s hot
Let us go to the banks of the ocean
What’s cold
Long ago I used to be a young man
The German word/phrase/verse of the day
Des Teufels liebstes Möbelstück ist die lange Bank.

An  Saol  Live your Life , An Saol eile

While getting Pádraig ready for the day, I was listening to RTÉ. Someone announced that Ireland had decided to take on 600 refugees over the next two years.

Later on, while having breakfast, I looked through the Hamburger Morgenpost, Hamburg’s Irish Times, from last Tuesday, someone had left it behind, with a few pages on the refugee crisis in Europe and in Hamburg. There are between 200 and 300 hundred refugees arriving in the city of Hamburg alone. Every day.

Caring for Pádraig, on your own, is really nice, in one way, and really tiring, in another. After the morning routine, I cleaned up the place a bit, we had a small lunch, went out for a long walk, got porridge and a steak in the shops, back to have a bit to eat, some exercises in bed, and the day was almost over.

Two things happened today for the first time.

The first was that I fried a bit of steak, minced it and shared it with Pádraig. Very little. It was full of flavours and texture. Steak. The first time in over two years. – So, he had beer, now a steak. What’ll be next?

The second was me trying to read aloud a book in English. I’m not good at reading out aloud. Never mind in English. In this case, Pádraig didn’t have a choice. It was from a very special book one of Pádraig’s friends had brought with her on her last, recent visit. It was a guide book to Alaska. It was good that I read it out aloud. Because every word on that first page trying to capture the essence of Alaska made you want to go more, and more. – It’s a pipedream. Well, let’s see.

By the way, the blocks have arrived in Iona Road and will be laid starting on Monday!

Today’s German Music Tip
Leyk & Lockvogel, Ne Sekunde Sommer. Du im Urlaub, ich im Regen… Aus dem Asphalt weißer Sandstrand… Techno it’s called, I think. The video has a really well-made opening!
What’s hot
Alaska – there’s no place on earth like it.
What’s cold
Australia – it snowed there today. Can you imagine?
The German word/phrase/verse of the day
Entschleunigen

An  Saol  Live your Life , An Saol eile

This could be a really nice summer’s evening. I’m sitting with the doors wide open and the warm air is floating through the apartment. Sitting beside Pádraig (who is listening in) I was looking for good music and came across a song from way back then.

Here is one of my favourite songs from forty years ago. I had almost forgotten about it. It’s amazing that it got 5.5m hits because it’s not a song that people watching youtube would have heard much about it, I would have thought. The song is Diamonds and Rust and its by Joan Baez, who wrote it about Bob Dylan (not sure whether he ever wrote one about Joan Baez?). When I was listening and reading one of the comments, i learned that there is also a version by Heavy Metal group Judas Pries of Diamonds and Rust and, although I’m not really a fan of heavy metal, this one ain’t bad.

Pat left in the morning to spend the weekend with Pádraig’s older sister. His younger sister is walking the ‘camino’! So, it’s quiet here and it will be a weekend to spend time together with Pádraig, without work or any pressures.

We started this in the afternoon, took it easy, went for a walk, shared a really healthy home made soup.

It is a really nice summer’s evening, all diamonds and no rust.

Today’s German Music Tip
Andreas Bourani, Engel fliegen einsam. This is really a Christina Stürmer song, but it’s not a bad version of it! Du und ich gemeinsam…
What’s hot
Diamonds
What’s cold
Rust
The German word/phrase/verse of the day
Wer rasted, der rostet. (There’s the ‘rust’ again:)

An  Saol  Live your Life , An Saol eile

As I said, the extension is making progress. Next week, it’ll be very visible, once the walls will be going up. – None of us can wait…

I wanted to share a picture of the front page of the very popular (and very entertaining) German newspaper die Bildzeitung.

Angela saves Greece, the paper writes in big bold letters on his front page, only to add: with our hard-earned money. What a fine sense of humour!!

The Germans are having a great time living, but a hard time supporting weaker economies, for the time being. They are negotiating pay rises for their own workers of 4% and they are paying for it with the interest from much poorer countries. – Anyhow…

I’ve made my mind up. For decades I didn’t know where I belonged. On Tuesday when a friend collected me from the airport and gave me the country’s official marathon shirt as a present, it was confirmed, if that was needed. There are still many other more important things to be sorted out but this will definitely be one. I want to be amongst all those people in this big hall and become a fellow country man.

Pádraig had his usual physio today, a half an hour go on his bike, a long walk on a warm summer’s afternoon. I am looking forward to the weekend and time to catch up with him. The days during the week are so busy for all of us, it’s incredible. His doctor wanted to come today before he’ll be on two weeks’ holidays but then didn’t manage to. In reality, it didn’t matter that much, Pádraig is ok.

On Monday, however, a dentist will be calling to the house, the first time for some time for a dentist to see him. We haven’t told Pádraig yet.

Today’s German Music Tip
KC Rebell feat. Moé, Bist Du real. This is pure pop, with a huge following.
What’s hot
Warm summer afternoons
What’s cold
Being busy to be busy
The German word/phrase/verse of the day
Pustekuchen

An  Saol  Live your Life , An Saol eile

This is another short post after an amazing and long day. I’ll remember it as the beginning of An Saol because of the generosity and trust of someone that, so to speak, pushed me over the edge and, in her own words, got me to a point of no return. More later. (Isn’t the suspense almost unbearable?)

Pádraig is doing extraordinarily well physically and, it appears, has really established a good connection with his OT – I get the feeling they are both amazing each other. They are finding ways to communicate and connect.

Once I get a bit of time, I’ll write up a short plan for the first twelve months of activity for An Saol. I’ll also start a register of jobs for anyone who wants to help. Too late tonight to do this, but hopefully by the end of the week, I’ll share it with you.

Today’s German Music Tip
K.I.Z., Hurra die Welt geht unter ft. Henning May. Another group I never heard of. Another rapper. The title is a little misleading. It doesn’t celebrate the “Weltuntergang” per se, but the disappearing of the world where money is everything and people come a distant second. Not a bad song and makes me think whether rap ain’t as bad as I always thought.
What’s hot
Doing
What’s cold
Waiting
The German word/phrase/verse of the day
Des Teufels liebstes Möbelstück ist die lange Bank.

An  Saol  Live your Life , An Saol eile

Back in Dublin. Tired.

It’s late and I am too tired to write.

Pádraig had a brilliant day today. In the morning, he surprised his OT with a level of co-operation she had never expected him to be capable capable of. A huge improvement.

More tomorrow.

There are people who plan. And there are people who don’y.

When Pádraig traveled, he was a Dreamboater, floating down the stream. Exploring. Allowing for surprises. The unforeseen. No plan.

Today I tried the impossible: find my way through mountains of paper, organising them in heaps, stapling some of them together, punching holes into them, sorting them in arch lever folders, as one does in Germany. I failed of course and didn’t finish this mammoth task. But I am determined and will finish it tomorrow morning before going to Bremen and on to Dublin for the weekly visit to the building site.

Pádraig had a busy day today. After a physio and speech therapy, he had two visitors from Dublin, old friends, and great company. The visit is so special as we all know how much it costs both in time and money to make it out to Hamburg. Each visit brings back home the reality that Pádraig is not where he should be: close to his friends, close to the poetry, the music, the chat, the craic, the company. Won’t be long now.

We were thinking about putting a lift into the Conradh. Getting tickets to next year’s festivals. And in the meantime, cinema nights, readings, sessions at home. There ain’t no limits!

I have started to think again a bit more about An Saol. Also talked about it to people. While the aim is to have a house an land where persons with severe brain injuries can meet, get therapies, where there’s a respite service, where people who can’t stay at home can find a second home – work can start right now. The ‘house’ will come at some point.

In the meantime: we can provide information to families and victims, we can organise courses and educational activities for families and professionals alike, we can share sustainable therapy services across families who need them at home, as well as affordable and sustainable caring services, we could establish a register of caring, nursing, medical, and therapy professional who’d be happy to help.

If I am not wrong, you could employ a full time therapist capable of servicing 3-4 families for what you would pay individually if you paid for five hours of therapy per week, or just one hour per day. While the HSE pays 1,600 (in some cases +300) euro per week to nursing homes, home help could be organised for a fraction of that. Wouldn’t that make sense?

These days, a lot of Dreamboaters are on Tour. On the Road. On the Camino, caminante no hay camino. Traveling. Exploring. Going down rivers nobody went on before. In rainforests, on mountain tops, on long walks and endless bus and train trips. Sharing their dreams. Save travels!

Today’s German Music Tip
Rosenstolz, Wenn du aufwachst. One of Pádraig’s favourite German musicians.
What’s hot
Dreamboaters on Tour
What’s cold
Taking the well-trodden path
The German word/phrase/verse of the day
Aller Anfang ist schwer.

An  Saol  Live your Life , An Saol eile

Last Saturday, a card arrived from one of Pádraig’s friend with a wonderful picture on it but an even more wonderful, great quote.

Today. What a day. One to remember.

Not because something extraordinary happened but because normality came into town. Nothing more boring than normality. The three of us and two friends having brunch. Getting into the car. Having a spin around town. Going for a walk around the Alster, Getting wet while walking the streets during a rain shower. Having a few scoops of real Italian ice-cream (and an expresso) in a nice Café.

A really normal Sunday afternoon in Hamburg. Boring.

Boring? – Everything but!

Today’s German Music Tip
Christina Stürmer, Was wirklich bleibt. Und irgendwas gibt Dir die Kraft wieder aufzustehen… – a really nice ‘unplugged’ version of a good song by Christina Stürmer.
What’s hot
A lazy Sunday afternoon.
What’s cold
Notstand
The German word/phrase/verse of the day
Otto Normalverbraucher

An  Saol  Live your Life , An Saol eile

Just one minute before noon did we make it into the Husum Tax Office where we were to collect our tax numbers that we needed for some paperwork we wanted to arrange today. It was the most wonderful experience I’d ever had in a tax office. The people there were so nice and so helpful. But then, Husum is not Hamburg.

We were away.

We had a full day with meetings and things to be sorted out in Tating and Garding and Husum before we made it back to Hamburg. Last night we went for a pint in Lütt Matten in Garding only to find our precious pint glassed on a table saying ‘please take one’. We took them, and two other pint glasses. The pint I had was not a pint at all but a 0.4l glass of Guinness – with a clover leaf ‘painted’ on the head, but otherwise pretty dull black stuff. Another reason to get back to Dublin soon.

Both Pat and I woke up just after 3am last night, ready to turn Pádraig. It’s strange how you get used to an interrupted sleep.

We were thinking about this drive back into Hamburg on Sunday afternoons last year when we were always wondering what had happened to Pádraig in the Schön-Klinik while we had been away in Tating. – This time, we knew that he had been perfectly ok. Pat’s sister had been keeping us uptodate and we knew that if anything unusual had happened, she would have told us.

When we came back to Hamburg, Pádraig had a surprise visitor, an old friend who had planned to come over in a week or so but had a change of plan and decided to visit today. There will be more visits over the weekend from Dublin. It’s amazing to see how loyal Pádraig’s friends have been. How fortunate is he, with all the bad, terrible, and uncertain times he has been through, to have friends like he does.

He is still away, but at the same time so close to so many people all over the world. You know that. He knows it. There is a connection that is so strong and that has lasted for several years now. That connection will not fade away, to the contrary, it will get stronger and it will survive time itself.

There’s a great quote in Into the Wild by Christopher MacCandless: “Mr. Franz, I think careers are a 20th century invention and I don’t want one.” People used to get all consumed by their careers – I think they begin to realise that what is much worth than their careers are their family and friends. Myself included.

Today’s German Music Tip
Fard, Laufe & Laufe (Bellum et Pax Official Video). Back to German rap. This time it’s a song for runners, in a way. “Wichtig ist, dass Du nicht vergißt, wo Du herkommst.”
What’s hot
Running
What’s cold
Forgetting about your origins
The German word/phrase/verse of the day
HauHauHa! (expression from Nordfriesland)

An  Saol  Live your Life , An Saol eile