How are you all doing today? I hope so far you’ve had a great start of the week and a not too harsh Monday (as we all know, they can sometimes be a bit of a pain). I once again have to apologize for being away for another week. As mentioned in my previous post, my mum and I went on our yearly mother-daughter trip last week – we went to Venice and it was so freaking beautiful, holy moly – which led to me not having much time to sit in front of my laptop and write. But as far as I know, no holiday is planned for the upcoming weeks until I’m due to move back to London (I’ve finally found a new flat, yey), so prepare for a ton of content for the next weeks and months.
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Today, though, I’d like to share with you my favourite pictures of the amazing week that I got to spend in Belgium with my friend Lauren (for those of you who’ve been following my blog for a while, meaning the past few months, you’ll know who she is), which was a surprise for her in its entirety. It all started on her birthday in June when her mum messaged me about wanting me to be their big surprise for Lauren, who I hadn’t seen since March, when we had all left London because of our nice friend Corona. And after a few days of messaging back and forth, we had finally found the perfect dates for my visit and a few weeks after that I got on a plane again after what felt like forever. The best part of the whole trip was definitely Lauren not suspecting a single thing. Running towards her at the airport, her waiting for her uncle and definitely not me, and seeing the utter surprise in her eyes made getting up at 4 am on three hours of sleep and having that damn mask stuck to my face for hours and hours more than worth it.
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The next days were filled with laughter, happiness and one adventure after another – at one point we even spent a night in Amsterdam, but more on that later – and I couldn’t have asked for a better trip. After the dreadful weeks and months apart from each other, seeing her again was all that I could wish for and the whole week has definitely turned the summer of 2020 in a far better experience than I thought it would be.
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And with that, I’m more than happy to share my favourite pictures of the whole week with you guys (except Amsterdam, because that deserves a separate post). All in all, we went to Brussels for a day, got to visit Brugge and even the seaside and I finally got to take a stroll around Lauren’s hometown. One thing I can say for sure is that Belgium is a freaking beautiful country and that having the sea so close to you is a literal gift from heaven. But just see for yourself and please enjoy.
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And yeah, there you go. These are my favourite shots from my time in Belgium. I still have to pick up my latest roll of film from the store, which I also had with me in Belgium, so do stay tuned for that as well. And yeah, until then I hope you enjoy this post and the pictures. As always, I’d love to hear from you, so please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. I wish you all a great week and, of course, thanks for reading. x
How are you all doing on this beautiful Friday? I hope you’ve had a nice week and a lovely day so far. And, as a matter of fact, I hope you’ve had some amazing past four weeks, because that’s how long I’ve been gone for. I know, you’re probably thinking ‘where the hell has she been???’ and, to be honest, I don’t even know where to start the explanation. Going into this summer filled with uncertainty and discomfort, I would’ve never thought it would turn out like this, but I guess I straight up made the best of it, because in the past month, I’ve not been on just one, but two holiday trips and I’m already packing up for another one next week. Can you believe that? I’ve been to Belgium to surprise my friend Lauren, then we went to Amsterdam, then I was home for a week, then we flew to Berlin for a week, now I’m home again and I’ll be leaving for Italy on Sunday with my mum for our yearly mother-daughter trip. There is just soooo much going on, holy moly.
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As you can probably guess, this has led to me piling up a huge stock of topics, events and themes I want to talk to all about and share with you guys. It’s massive, that I can tell you – starting from me attending my very first Tomorrowland (still can’t believe that happened), to all my trips and up to a very special online gig I attended with Lauren at 4 in the morning a few days ago. So much amazing stuff coming up, so please stay tuned and excited for more.
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For reasons of actuality, today’s post is about something very very very special that kind of connects to everything I just talked about. Looking at the title of this post, you can probably already tell what it is about. That’s right – I got new tattoos, as in more than one. As in two, to be precise. As you all know, I’m overly in love with tattoos and have my goal of getting like half of my body covered with them set as a personal mission. For all of you who know how Marzia Bisognin-Kjellberg, Pewdiepie’s wife, looks like, including her amazingly tattooed arms – that’s what I want right there. And as the stubborn person that I am, I’ve spent the past years working towards that goal, with all the passion and love for ink that you can possibly imagine.
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I know some people get tattoos of designs that they like, but for me it’s always been essential that I have a special meaning connected to every single one of my tatts – the most recent two being no exception. First of, I got a teeny-tiny heart on my left wrist to symbolize the three months that I spent in Berlin during my first ever stay abroad. It may not sound like much, but I was alone for the very first time in a new city and new country and looking back, I think it was the most vital time for my personal development. I don’t think anything has ever had such an impact on my personality as those three months. They made me who I am now. So that’s that.
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And for the second one – well, that’s just too special to even put it into words. Before I booked my appointment, I knew that I wanted it to be something that would re-connect me with my grandpa. I know I’ve never really talked much about him on here, but back when he was still here (he died in 2009), he was the most important person in my life, apart from my mum. He was my best friend. And I just loved him so so so much. And as I am a very sensitive and call it “esoteric” soul, I still feel like he’s always close to me, watching over me and watching me grow into the person I am destined ot be. Thus, I wanted a tattoo dedicated to him and after much deliberation, and lots of drawing on myself, I decided on getting a picture of us both together tattooed on my arm. I had already found the perfect artist in Berlin – her name is Daana Avni and she’s literally a tattoo wizard (check her out here) – and after I had initially messaged Daana, it only took a few hours until we had fixed the appointment.
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The appointment itself was absolutely amazing and to my surprise it all went down pretty quickly and pain-free. Daana was an absolute angel and made me feel super welcome and appreciated and listened to all my thoughts and answered all my questions. I think what made the whole process even more special though was that it all happened in Berlin, one of my favourite places on earth. Before I had even decided on getting a tattoo, getting some new ink done in Berlin sounded like an absolute dream, a rather impossible one too, but now I’m back at home with these two beautiful new pieces of art on my arms and I couldn’t be happier. I love both of them so much I can’t even put it into words and I’ve been proudly showing them off every day. Tattoos really just are the coolest things ever.
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And there you have it, guys, these are new tattoos. I hope you liked reading about their story and I hope you like their look as well. As I already said, I’m utterly obsessed with them and can’t wait for the next ones – getting closer to my goal, tattoo by tattoo. As always, I’d love to hear from you, so please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. Also, once again, sorry for disappearing for so long, hope you didn’t mind too much. I wish you all an awesome weekend and, of course, thanks for reading. x
How are you all doing today? I hope so far you’re having a lovely Friday and that your week has been nice. Lots of good and bad stuff happening right now, huh? On the one side, there’s the world being in literal shambles, dumb politicians and us being stuck at home, on the other one there movements finally changing the world, Taylor Swift releasing a surprise album and us finding new ways to connect. When I look at the world, I often remember what I read online about a month into quarantine – if this never happened, this version of you right now would never exist. And I see that as both something good and something bad. And it makes me wonder a lot, mostly about which version I would prefer. I think it makes you reflect on life, which I think is really important.
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What a philosophical start, huh? But truly, I think taking a good look at the world is so important right now. Which is probably why I love photography so much, because it makes you look at the world, and in most cases in different ways. It makes you see the beauty in things that you never saw before. And now that I have this film camera, that I’ve been carrying around with me basically all the time, I see this beauty in the world in a way where I have the power to capture it in that very second that I’m taking a picture. Including the surprise of not really knowing how the picture will actually turn out. Which makes me feel a bit nervous and super excited at the same time. And it has kinda also made me love imperfection. You know, with a digital camera you can just perfect every shot, because you can change just about everything. But with a film camera, there’s only so much you can do besides just taking the picture. So when a picture turns out to be blurry, that’s just what it is. That’s how you captured that moment. And it might not be perfect in the way we know it, but it’s still that moment in a picture, so full of life and creativity, and that’s what I love about it.
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So last week, I finally got my second roll of film developed and I’m just so happy to share the finished pictures with you all today. I haven’t been photographing with film for that long now, but it’s already been such a learning curve. I’ve been trying out different types of film for now and I think with the roll I’m currently shooting on, I think I’ll try out different stages of light, just to see how the camera really works with that. But so far every shot has been super fun and I love seeing how the pictures turn out depending on how I’m taking them in those very moments – the pictures down below were taken at home, during a holiday, when we went hiking, at all kinds of places.
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I think compared to the first roll you can clearly see how both the type of film and me getting acclimated and more used to the camera have changed the quality of the pictures (here’s the link to my first roll of pictures). Which again is super fascinating. I’m already super excited to see how the next one’s going to turn out and I can’t wait to show the pictures to you once they’re developed. And until then I hope you enjoy the pictures down below. As always, I’d love to hear your opinions, so please don’t hesitate to leave your comments and thoughts down below. As always, I wish you all a lovely weekend and, of course, thanks for reading. x
And welcome back to a new post and a new week. I hope you’ve all had a great weekend and a fantastic Monday and that your Tuesday is going well so far. I, for my part, had a great weekend, which is partly thanks to the topic of today’s post that we’ve all gathered together for today. I’m here to share something very very very special with you guys and something that has made me more emotional and happier than quite a lot of stuff that’s happened the past few months. And yes, we’re talking about music. Good old live music. But let me start right at the beginning.
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Those of you who’ve been following my blog for quite a while now will probably already know this, but for those of you who are new to this blog (welcome. thanks for being here.), let me tell you a fact about me. I freaking love Amber Run. And no, I’m not talking about some cool movie or a crazy online game, I’m talking about one of the best and most underrated bands of this current time. And this in itself could still be understood as a massive understatement. That’s how good these guys are. Last year in October, I had the absolute pleasure of not only seeing this crazily talented trio live for the first time, but also getting to interview them before their show in London. And let me tell you, they weren’t just three of the kindest and most grounded people I’ve ever met, but the overall night was one I will definitely never forget. The only way I can possibly describe the experience of seeing them live is by comparing it to stepping into pure musical heaven – check out the full review here. I mean, Joe, their lead singer, could sing me the alphabet and I’d quite certainly call that the best song of the century. It’s a voice I wish I could crawl into and surround myself with like a blanket. That’s what it feels like – a warm, cuddly blanket. And don’t even get me started on the other two guys, Tom (their uber-fantastic bassist) and Henry (the beast on the piano). All three of them singing together and harmonizing the way they do is what true heaven must sound like, for sure.
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Okay, so, that’s Amber Run. I love them. I think you got that. But let me get to the point why we are really here today. This talented indie group just gave me the chance to attend my first concert ever since the Corona hell broke loose – but in a different way you would probably expect. Actually, I was meant to see them live in May, but thanks to the pandemic it fell flat. And in order to reconnect to their fans, the guys decided to still put on their show, just a bit differently than they are usually used to. Because instead of a crowd, there were cameras in the room with them and instead of being there with them, I was sitting on my couch at home. Sounds weird, but that’s what concerts look in 2020. And still, it was a concert, and every time I closed my eyes, I imagined myself there at Omeara with them and the feeling that gave me is indescribable.
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During all these weeks and months without being able to attend gigs and without live music, I’ve been feeling like a part of myself, a part of my soul, has been ripped off me, like I haven’t been complete anymore. Which figures, as gigs are literally my life. There isn’t a place on earth where I feel happier than when I’m standing in the middle of a crowd, music blaring through the speakers and one of my favourite bands smiling down at me from the stage. That’s my kind of heaven. The heaven I’ve been missing more than anything else ever since our world got hurled into utter chaos. So when I saw that Amber Run would be doing a real gig, at a real concert venue in London and streaming it live to everyone’s homes, I felt like I had got some part of that heaven back. Suddenly I was able to buy a real ticket for a real concert again, have something I could get excited for, something I could count down the days for.
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In a weird sense and despite not really being able to attend the concert in a way I would nearly do anything for right now, the show gave me something back I had been missing for so long. The happiness I can only ever experience while listening to live music, while being at a live show. Obviously, the streamed show can’t really hold up against the show I got to attend in October, but it’s the closest to a live gig any band has brought me to the past few months and for that I’m eternally grateful. Naturally, that is also because of the guys’ phenomenal talent that only seems to grow and improve over time. My parents watched the show together with me and I think my mum fell just as much in love with them as I did while seeing them live for the first time. Thankfully, we both still have our tickets for their unplugged show in December, which I’m hoping won’t have to be rescheduled again, and I seriously cannot wait for this special evening to finally come around.
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And I know you’re probably thinking that live-streamed gigs can never be the same as actual live gigs, and I couldn’t agree more, but that show on Sunday also made me rethink my opinion a little. Obviously, it wasn’t the same, but I haven’t felt the excitement of going to a concert in so long and that show gave me parts of that back. For example, when they suddenly started playing ‘The Weight’, which is easily one of their most heartfelt and beautiful songs and one I discovered and fell in love with after seeing them live, I nearly jumped off the couch and shouted OH MY GOD THEY’RE ACTUALLY PLAYING THAT SONG!!!!!????!?! And whether that moment happened at home while watching a stream or live at an actual gig, that kind of shock and happiness I felt right in that moment would have always been the same. Even more so when Joe suddenly started singing a new, yet to be released song titled ‘I Hope It’s Not Like This Forever’ (very fitting for the current time), which I’ve still got stuck in my head.
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What that show made me feel even through a screen is proof for the fact that music always has and always will find a way through all the hardships that will come its and our way. It will always be stronger than that and will always reunite us. Always. And I’ll always be in love with it. And Amber Run. Simply for making me feel at home when I’ve felt lost for so long.
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So yeah, and that’s that. Here’s a very loving and very excited review of my first concert after four long months. I will honestly be forever thankful for Amber Run putting up this show and letting me experience live music again. I hope you enjoyed reading all about my experience and if you check the guys out, which you really should, I hope you fall just as much in love with them as I did – you can follow them on twitter and Instagram or listen to them on Spotify or YouTube. Please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And until then I wish you all a great week and, as always, thanks for reading. x
And welcome back to my blog and also, depending on when you’re reading this, another lovely start of the weekend. I hope you’ve all had a great week and that you’re doing well. I, for my part, am doing pretty good. I’ve been spending the past few days tinkering about either in the garden or the kitchen and I’ve also recently taken on doing yoga again, which is making me feel at ease, thank god. I seem unable to get this feeling of like I’m hanging in the air off of me. One second I feel great, and the next the realization of everything that happened the past few months and the longing for the summer that should’ve been hits me like a train, which always drags me back to that sad hole I was stuck in for so long. I guess that’s what all the newspapers have been saying – this whole ordeal hits and affects us, the youth, way harder than anyone would think. But I know that we as a whole are strong enough to get through this together. I will do too.
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Anyway, spending a lot of time surrounded by nature has helped me quite a lot in processing all of this, and thankfully I went on another little hike a few days ago with my parents. Actually, I visited them on their holiday for a day to wander across the mountains together, which actually wasn’t that far away from where we were on our last trip (click here), and I’m so glad I went because it was just so damn beautiful. There are only so few things that can beat the view you have when you’re up on a mountain and looking down on the world. It kinda makes you feel infinite.
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And as I knew the trip would be absolutely magnificent, I obviously took my camera with me to take a few shots, which I would like to share with you today. Basically, the whole hike consisted of lots of greenery, little to no people but even more cows. It was lovely. And I hope you think just the same about the pictures. The only bad thing that came from the whole day was that I had immensely underestimated the strength of the sun, which lead to a little surprise in the form of an intense sunburn on my shoulders that I’m still coming off of. I’ve now moved onto the shedding phase, I feel like a snake.
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Alright, and now I’m gonna stop oversharing again and let the pictures do the rest of the talking. As already mentioned, I hope you enjoy the pictures and please don’t hesitate to leave your comments and thoughts down below, I’d love to hear them. And until then I wish you all a great weekend and, as always, thanks for reading. x
How are you all doing on this fantastic Friday? I hope so far you’ve had a great week and that you’re all feeling well. Personally, I’ve had a super busy week, juggling free time with my new job at my mum’s company and my also new job as editor-in-chief of our uni magazine LDN (link here), which the team and I have been trying to give a huge makeover and thereby rejuvenate it and turn it into the amazing paper it can and should be. And I know it sounds a tad stressful as a whole, but, actually, I’ve really been enjoying it. I’d rather be busy and happy doing more stuff, than wandering around the house, not knowing what to do with myself. And it kinda makes me enjoy and savor some chill and free time even more, which is actually what I want to talk about today – a very specific, but incredibly amazing TV show that has been ruling most of my free time the past two months. As seen from the title and the cover picture, you can probably guess which show I am talking about. Exactly. DARK. Probably the best show I’ve ever watched in my life. But let me start from the beginning.
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For those of you who don’t know DARK yet – my god you’re missing out -, here’s a short intro: DARK is a German sci-fi thriller series co-created by the great Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese and produced by Netflix. Set in the fictitious German town of Winden, the show starts right during the aftermath of a child’s disappearance, which exposes the secrets of, and hidden connections among four estranged families as they slowly unravel a sinister conspiracy which spans several generations. Throughout the series, DARK explores the existential implications of time and its effects upon human nature.
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I’m purposely not going to reveal any more about the plot, as literally everything is a spoiler and as this is literally one of the best, if not even the best series I have ever seen, I don’t want to spoil this perfection of a show for anyone. What I need to add though is that the show is in German (although it has been dubbed and translated into many other languages), so if you don’t speak German, I would highly highly highly recommend watching the OV version with subtitles. No dubbing can come close to how perfect the voices of the German actors go with the show and with the overall feel of it. Seriously.
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I think what makes this show even more special for me, is that I got to watch it with my best childhood friend Maria, who I usually very rarely get to see as I obviously live in London and she lives and works in Vienna. But – and this is going to sound super insane – thanks to the quarantine (crazy, I told you), we were both forced to stay at home and as we only live minutes apart from each other, we spent most of the quarantine watching movies and tv shows together. And DARK was one of those shows – or more like the one show that ruled our weekly and daily tv marathons. I remember googling which shows to watch on Netflix and DARK immediately seemed like the most promising and interesting one, even before I had watched the trailer, which then sealed the deal. Usually, I am not that attracted to German-produced movies and shows, so I think both Maria and I went into that first episode with a bit of uncertainty.
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But after like the first five minutes, that was more than forgotten. I can’t remember the last time I had such a fantastic, thrilling, and exciting TV/movie experience. We fell in love with the main character Jonas in an instant. And the amount of times this show has made us do multiple facepalms, made us cover our faces in shock, even made us jump off the couch out of utter surprise. It’s truly insane but in the best way possible.
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So far, we’ve seen the first two seasons of the show (I even watched it twice) and as the third and last season has been released last Saturday (happy apocalypse day btw, for all my DARK lovers out there), I couldn’t be more excited to finally get behind all the mad secrets and hidden stories of Winden. But as much excitement I feel towards the prospect of finally getting to see the new season, the thought also gives me this somber, even sad feeling. It’s sad to see this show end. But I know the last season will be a hell of a ride. And I’m more than ready for it.
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I probably don’t have to mention that I HIGHLY recommend watching this show, I think I’ve made it very clear that you all need to watch this show right now. Honestly. You will not regret a single second of it, I promise. And for all of my fellow DARK fans, I’d love to hear what you think about the show – but no spoilers, please – so don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And until then, I wish you all the best weekend and, as always, thanks for reading. x
that lemon life 