Come Away with Me to Germany and Beating Cancer

Hello out there, dear people of the blogosphere. How are you? I wish you are well and that you can feel the hope rising everywhere. And I am sending you positive vibes.

Please do not bother to ask how I am because I don’t know. My brain is foggy, and my mood and physical state change from second to second. I can get up absolutely happy that I managed the night and got some sleep and arrive downstairs just to be crumpy, hot, and fall on the sofa utterly exhausted.

Chemotherapy is an adventure to say the least ;-)…

Yes, I had my second lot last week Monday, and I have to be fair: Overall I am doing better than the first time around. My non-lady-like problems are dealt with well, and I am not as exhausted as I was the first time. However, my brain seems to be on holiday, and I find it rather hard to concentrate on blogging or anything of that sort. Some cooking, doing the dishes and washing is fine.

I am not complaining, far from it. In fact, I am incredibly grateful that my cancer treatment got ahead despite the virus and that I have family and friends, which are just awesome. So just in case, you feel bad at the moment:

I appreciate you and your support enormously. You absolutely rock in my books!!!!

So many in this country had their treatment on hold and probably will have terrible outcomes. This is so awful and makes me angry and sad and frustrated. Nothing much I can do about it though. But it really makes me appreciate what I have.

For days now, I wanted to write an elaborate post about how my life has changed into a management course: Managing my medication… you can’t just take the stuff because most of them need to be taken at least two hours before or after others. Managing appointments: Yes, Bee, another appointment for taking your blood. No, that appointment with the oncologist will be by phone, and hopefully, the next chemo will happen in two weeks. That’s why you got those horrible injections to get your white blood cells sorted.

Managing my mood swings… my go-to aromatherapy doesn’t entirely work because strong smells make me feel sick. Managing my doubled hot flushes… yes chemo does it too on top of menopausal hot flushes. Aren’t I lucky? And managing my eating…

I seem to eat continuously beside the day after chemo. I hardly eat anything then because I am just sick. Let’s not go there. You wouldn’t like it, believe me. After that, I eat little bits here and there all the time because big meals don’t do me well. Which is nice. I like eating. We have lovely fruit; homemade bread which calms nausea and the hais balls. As I said before, I don’t complain. My situation could be so so much worse.

It just seems like my whole brain capacity goes into managing all this stuff and there is not much left for being creative. Yes, I have posts scheduled and take photos and write poetry. But … something… just… doesn’t… add… up. It’s hard to explain. That is why I won’t. Just take my word for it and then come away with me to Germany 🙂

So, Germany. My home country. Estranged sister, I would say. Always was. I am not someone who is proud to be born in a particular country. To be honest, I find it hard to understand that something so random than where we are born is taken by so many people as an achievement that needs to be “protected” from the “outsiders”. Let’s not go down that route either.

It’s not that I do not like the country I was born in. Germany is a beautiful place with many achievements that made the world a better place. And the utter opposite too. And while many seem to think that Germany did a great job with dealing with their past, I know too well about the dark corners that still exist in its psyche.

Right-wing politicians, rioters and extremists have always gotten away much better than the same on the left. Not that I approve of any extremes. I prefer the middle ground even though I have to admit that I feel more and more moving to the left since 2016. In my opinion, Marx was right; he just should have taken into account that people are not just “good” when all their needs are met. There is something in them that makes them want to have power over others. One day I will have figured out what that is, and then we go down that route. For now, we concentrate on the light and the beauty of Germany.

I was lucky to have lived in a lot of places in Germany. I was born in the South on the Swabian Alb a mountain range that crosses the country in the South from East to West. That is close to the Danube, and everybody knows the Danube, right???? Then I moved close to the then still capital Bonn and the beautiful Rhein valley. I absolutely understand why the British were so keen on visiting in the 19th century. I was lucky to live in Berlin for a year just after the wall came down. Whoa, those were the days when we still thought maybe all that war shit might stop at last. I studied in Muenster a beautiful, creative medieval place that had its share of religious extremists in the olden days. So much so that the good of Muenster hanged them up in a cage at the church. Yes, Germany is so sophisticated 😉 . And yes the absolutely stunning area close to the Dutch border where I lived just before I moved to the UK.

I’ve seen a bit of my country. Also seen a bit of East Anglia in the UK. And believe me, we are all the same. We all want the same and basically hate the same we just make different decisions on how we deal with it.

Germany is big and has it all: Mountains, ocean, rivers, lakes, flats and sky. Lots of it when you live in the North. Modern cities, medieval towns and tiny villages sprinkled along the rivers that made the country. And it’s always been smack bang in the middle of Europe, so the rest of them moved through it with all its trade and war. It makes for a strange mix and eccentric people.

When it comes to music, Germany is pretty versatile too, in my opinion. There have always been years when so-called “Music of the World” was hip in the charts or when a French or maybe Dutch song was famous. Germans are not so bothered with the need to understand the lyrics. We are quite happy to enjoy the rhythm and let ourselves be moved by the knowing that music is a universal language. And let’s not forget the musical heritage. After all, Beethoven, Bach and Haendel are from Germany.

So what to choose? I am pondering this since weeks and still haven’t decided. So maybe a local band is the way to go? Germany developed a big local music scene that created songs in the different dialects that were spoken in whatever area the band or musician comes from. In the ’80s when I grew up, there were several which were either rather funny taking the piss on the local areas of pride. Or who used their tongue to create awareness of injustices. I always loved that sort of music, and I think it has influenced me a lot.

So today, you have to put up with three songs and two bands. The first is Wolle Kriwanek & Schulz Bros, who were famous in the area I came from when I grew up. They sang in Swabian and utterly took the piss on everything that Swabians hold dear: from the good old Mercedes to being proper. The song I have chosen is called “I Fahr Daimler (I drive a Daimler)”, and whenever I see a speeding Merc coming along anywhere, I think of that song. I translate the lyrics after the video, and then you’ll understand 😉

I Drive Daimler (un-official translation)

I drive Daimler. I own the street. I take on everybody who doesn’t get out of my way.

I drive Daimer. No matter what is going to happen. Because as an extra I have the right of way.

I come from the side with 200kmh. I feel like I sheikh just not as rich.

Sometimes I dream that I run out of petrol and my daimler is left on the cross roads. But who would believe that you won’t be able to get petrol anymore?

I drive Daimler. I own the street. I take on everybody who doesn’t get out of my way.

I drive Daimer. No matter what is going to happen. Because as an extra I have the right of way.

In traffic I am someone! I even drive when the lights are red and everybody waits.

I don’t have any hang-ups like my friend Rolf. But that poor bloke only drives a Golf.

I drive 500SE while wearing a Chauffeurs suit. ….

I find it rather hilarious how over 40 years later and in a different country this song still puts it down to the point.

The next song I am sharing is a new one from an old band. The band is called “Wolfgang Niedecken’s BAP” who made a song for the 75th anniversary of Nazi’s giving up in Europe. I already shared one of their old songs about the problem of Nazi-thinking still being apparent in Germany here but am sharing the video again today. But firstly enjoy the new song. I translate the lyrics afterwards.

Quiet before the Storm (please find the Koelsch (German dialect) lyrics here)

Am I dreaming, or is it really true, that the course is set and everything just rolls along? Ruthless conmen are in power worldwide and swarm demented middle class people brought them there bravely.

Fear that makes blind, stupid and manipulates. Suddenly the idiots, ignorant and without plan who were ensared to hate and racial fanatatism. They panic, thinking they fall short, feel continuously threatened. Without compassion and somehow became brutalised. There are people who complain on high standards.

Do you feel the quiet before the storm? Doesn’t this remind you of something? Strange quiet before the storm. Wasn’t there something in those days? Quiet before the storm.

Righwing pharisees, sanctimonious and fat preach barbary. Radical, pigbelly personifiers, bad packagefields inflation of images. Grin and bear it. – Flee, flee and the truth comes a little behind. The worst lies are those that you yourself believe in. I feel like I am a spinning top which rotates until I fall. Zeitgeist, is mutated into a monster, harvests now, what it sew. Fake news used in a targeted way, Algorithm, Twitter, alternative Facts.

Do you feel the quiet before the storm? Doesn’t this remind you of something? Strange quiet before the storm. Wasn’t there something in those days? Quiet before the storm.

The sky utterly dark, nightblack satin. It is becoming more and more humid. Lighting springs and then the thunderclap as if there was an explosion. Then the storm and the rain and the cries. The air smells burned.

Do you feel the quiet before the storm? Doesn’t this remind you of something? Strange quiet before the storm. Wasn’t there something in those days?

–https://lyricstranslate.com/de/bap-ruhe-vorm-sturm-lyrics.html

This is the song Wolfgang Niedecken’s BAP did 40 years ago.

Come Away With Me 2020 Musical Challenge Country for Monday June 22nd, 2020

I am taking a rather random route around the world, but sometimes it makes sense. Next week we move East to Poland and I am looking forward to discover Polish music. Please find some suggestions for bands here on the Last.FM page about Polish music.

As for the suggestions to take part:

1. Join in! No matter where, when and with what. You missed the first week? Don’t worry. Just jump in when it suits you.
2. Send us the link! The ping-back option does not always work so please leave a link in the comments of the post on the day you take part. Or leave it at the “Come Away With Me 2020 FB page“
3. Tag your post either with ” Come Away With Me Musical Challenge”/ #CoAwWiMeMuCh” / “Come Away with Me 2020 Musical Challenge” o/“CoAwWiMe2020MuCh” / . You can also use these as hashtags for Twitter and other Social Networks to give your post more exposure. If you add #blog and #music with your hashtags it will get you more readers.
4. No matter which music or country the prompt favours you create with it whatever you please. This is supposed to be a fun challenge and no chore.
5. I post a prompt for the next week with every “Come Away With Me 2020 post” I write.
6. If you like, use this picture for your readers to find the posts.

Please stay a little longer and find my poetry posts on The Bee Creates… on Weebly. Thanks!

You are more into photography? Then please check out my photo posts on Bee Wordless on Blogger.

You can also find my photos on Dreamstime (affiliate link, you do not need to buy anything but if you do I get 10% from your purchase).

Just one more thing before you go: The hospital that is treating me is fundraising for a dedicated breast cancer unit which would allow same-day diagnosis and better premises for patients and staff.

Please, if you can spare a little money hop over to their Just Giving Page and give as little or much as you can. Or share the page on your social media. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much.

Thanks my dears, for staying with me until the end. I appreciate your presence. Please stay safe, stay kind and remember that you rock!