An inside job
http://annehodgson.de/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/insidejob.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThe election is over and it’s red wine in the evening and discussing the important things of life. I read a nice article in TIME by Nancy Gibbs about the temperament of past presidents where she contrasted McCain with Obama, and said the latter won “on style and disposition”. […]
Going out to the theater
http://annehodgson.de/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/goingouttheater.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadI’ve always felt that if you’re learning English, you should take your learning outside the classroom. If you live in Munich or other major cities in Europe, there are quite a number of events in English in the fall and winter. I used to take people out to the […]
A neat cave of my own
http://annehodgson.de/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/neatcave.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThings are changing. I used to have a very regular schedule connected to weekly classes that allowed me to organize myself. It was Monday? OK, so I had my MVHS evening classes – that was a regular slot for about 5 years – and one, two or three one-to-one […]
Useable
http://annehodgson.de/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/useable.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadNotice anything different about this site? Christmas came early this year, when Christian moved my site domain to http://annehodgson.de, installed an updated version of WordPress, and migrated my content into it. I then spent the weekend trying things out and putting in the tags and categories you see on […]
My blog. Your blog?
When I first started this blog I was unsure what approach I should take. I mean, I don’t stand in the middle of town talking to myself. And I keep my private life private. At least I used to think I did. Until I got this message on Skype from a woman in Russia who said, “Anne, do you know that your secret journal is online?” Last week, when I told my brother Adam over a Mass at the Oktoberfest that I had blogged about our mother, he gave me this very strange look. My husband tells me my topics are too complicated. So what am I doing it for? Give me a few minutes of your time, and I’ll explain.
The truth
I’ve been thinking about what makes democracy tick as I read a book by David Foster Wallace, the most brilliant writer of my generation in many ways, who killed himself on September 12th, losing his 20-year fight against depression. This book is called „McCain’s Promise“, and it’s about what makes people care enough to get involved in politics. According to Wallace, it comes down to straight talk.
Planet Oktoberfest
Once a year this city goes totally nuts. I know enough people who can‘t stand the madness that is the Wiesn, as the Oktoberfest (www.oktoberfest.de) is known here. A Wiese is a meadow, and that’s what the Theresienwiese, as the fairgrounds are called, once were, years ago, when King Ludwig and Queen Therese decided to celebrate their wedding here in 1810. In the first years the Oktoberfest was modeled on the ancient Olympics and was actually a sporting event. Today the only sports involved are raising a liter of beer in a glass mug (that‘s just over three pounds) and keeping your balance while you dance on the table (which is not allowed, but everybody does). Oh, and there’s finger wrestling, or Fingerhakln, of course, and running hurdles to get to the restrooms. So the disciplines aren’t too challenging.
