Shemovesinherownway's Journals

"How I came home at 4am and met the neighbors in my kitchen" aka "Water Damage"

I'm terribly tired because I went to bed at 6am and could only sleep for 3 hours.

Here's the story: I spent the night with my friends. We hung out at Paula's place and watched TV and then we drove to the bar and met some other friends. At some point, it was only Paula, Malin and me, we had a great time and it got really late so we decided to leave. Up to this point it's been a fun night that I really enjoyed. Buuuuut... Here we go...

I came home at 4am wondering why the door was not properly locked as usual. I didn't think twice until I entered the kitchen at the end of the hallway and saw my neighbors. At 4am. Sitting in our kitchen.This was the moment I thought "Something might be wrong here..." and asked what happened when I saw the dining room.

The whole table was stacked with all the electronic devices and stuff from the living room. The living room looked like hell. Towels and buckets everywhere, the light was out, cables on the floor, the carpet was rolled up, one part of the sofa was soaking wet and most of the furniture was moved to the dining room. You can't imagine how terrible and shocking this was to me.

My dad told me that he wanted to go to bed around midnight when he heard a loud saw somewhere in the building and he had to wake up my stepmom who was already asleep. They both went upstairs to see what was wrong. The police and the fire department were there to open the door to an empty flat on the fourth floor with a saw because the neighbors on the third floor had water coming through their ceiling. They turned off the water somehow. Of course they couldn't really help and said it might take a couple of hours until the water stops coming through the ceiling. So my dad knew that the water would eventually reach our living room and he tried to rescue the TV, the TiVo, the video recorder, the CD player, the record player, the speakers, all the videos, DVDs, CDs and records and all the other stuff that could get damaged. As expected the water came to us. We have a huge sliding door between the living room and the dining room and that's where it started but it spread really fast. By the time I came home the water slowed down a bit which is good.

It was confirmed today that there's been a warm water pipe burst between the third and fourth floor. We live on the second floor and luckily got off lightly whereas the family living on the third floor did not. Their whole living room and all the furniture is damaged and useless.

So the dining room had a bit water, most parts of the living room, the water came down in the kitchen and in our little chamber too. My room is right next to the living room and I'm so glad nothing came down there.

I stayed up with my dad until 6am, looking after the buckets and I went to sleep in my sister's room because the dripping was so loud that I could hear it in my room. I woke up at 9 and got up after a while and walked around the flat. It's not as bad as we thought but it's still not nice. We've already had an electrician coming over to check all the conductions and take down the lamp where the water mainly came through. That was the most important thing to check. Our conductions are all save (even though the fuse that's responsible for the electricity and light in the kitchen blows every now and then), that's definitely good but he had to take the stove top with him because the water damaged it and we're supposed to get it back on Thursday. So no cooking for us which really sucks, especially since it's Christmas. Two men from the property management were here too. They documented the damage and explained what's going to happen next. There's all the insurance stuff and then the renovations etc.

We took photos of everything last night and today for our household contents insurance. Luckily my dad could save most of the stuff. We might need a new couch and carpet, a new mattress (they had to use one to collect the water), a new stove top. Who knows?

The worst part is that the wood parquet and the walls and the ceiling need to be done/renewed. My father already said he doesn't want to live on a construction site and if it really comes so far we'll move to a hotel for the time. But the thing is the renovation will not take place over the holidays so we have to wait until January to get all this fixed.

Maybe I'll post a few photos in the next couple of days, I'll keep you updated and hope you're all doing well and life treats you better :)

Didn't I, my dear?

So what's new? I'm not sick anymore which is great. My weekend was fun. I met my best friend on Friday. We went shopping but I couldn't find the shoes I want so bad. We bought something to drink and took a walk down Unter den Linden to the Humboldt University.

In Germany, there is a big "Educational Strike" these days (If you want to know more about it - check this out: www.bildungsstreik.net/aufruf/strike-call). Anyways, the students are occupying the main lecture halls and arranging demonstration marches etc. They also have a cultural program which included a concert of a band called Vinzent. My best friend knows the lead singer and the drummer and was invited by another friend who took photos of the band. So we went there and it was quite funny. The music was good but the sound was just terrible. Afterwards Nils played a couple of songs on his guitar. His voice and the lyrics were incredible.

I kind of had my crazy day on Friday. I couldn't stop talking and it made no sense at all. And I kept embarrassing my friend, it was hilarious. :D I used to be like that quite often half a year ago or maybe a year ago and I've been struggling with some problems for the last few months that somehow kept me from being happy. So Friday was the first day in months that I was quite happy and worriless. Maybe that's a sign that I'm getting back to my own form. : )

I stayed in on Saturday because I was so tired. I got home around 1:30 on Friday night and I couldn't sleep until around 4am and I woke up all the time so I really felt like shit on Saturday. You see, I'm still dealing with my sleep issues. It doesn't only take me two hours to fall asleep (like it used to), I also wake up several times which seems to make it worse. I've had problems falling asleep for years but this is a new low and it's been going on for a while. We'll see how that turns out...

Last night before going to bed, I discovered something that got me so excited and happy:

So, I always buy a monthly magazine called NEON. It's really well done and the articles are always interesting and funny. A while ago, I signed up for the website and they have this category called "Learned from Life" where you can put statements (like "Boys are stupid." for example) on your profile and other users can click on them if they agree with you. They print a couple of the statements on the last pageof the magazine and - guess what?! ONE OF MY STATEMENTS MADE IT INTO THE MAGAZINE!!! Isn't that awesome? That really made my day! Haha

Now it's Monday and I'll be home alone until Friday night because my parents are visiting my sister in Rome. I'm really glad I have some time for myself and I can do whatever I want. But at the same time, I tend to be scared when it's dark outside and I'm home alone haha

How was everybody's weekend? What are you excited about? What are you doing this week?

You've been the only thing that's right In all I've done

So here's the story: On Monday, I made the anti-virus programm search for viruses like I do every week. Guess what?

It found something. And not just a little something but a massive virus-thing. I don't really know a thing or two about computer stuff and viruses but let me say this: It's a killer. So, I googled the bastard and it turns out the only way to make my laptop work again was to format the harddrive. I managed to copy my ~10,000 photos to my external hard disk drive, tried to rescue what's left and eventually turned off my laptop. The next morning, I told my dad about it and he said he'd help me fix it.

I managed to format the harddrive and upgrade my laptop to Windows XP (Yes, I was living under a rock with Windows 2000 Professional by now...) all by myself. I spent the majority of last night and today changing my passwords and reorganizing my "internet life" aka bookmarking several websites etc. Downloading and installing various programs are still on my to-do list. As you can probably imagine, everything's a mass right now and I don't know where to begin.

To top it all off, I connected my external HDD to the laptop only to see that the virus is there too. I guess I knew that, it's kind of obvious. And now I need to find a way to get my photos back without having the virus destroying my laptop again. The photos are definitely there so I'm hoping there's a way to fix it. I'd be so thankful if anyone could help me with this. My photos mean the world to me and it would be horrible if I lost all the photos I took during the last years, the school years, parties, vacations, friends and family, all my trips, photos from Cologne, Hamburg, Belgium, Bulgaria, Berlin, the trips to the Gamescom/Games Convention, especially the photos I took after graduating etc. Does anyone know what to do? Should I bring the HDD to a specialist?

MTV Europe Music Awards 2009

Woot woot, tonight is the night. The EMAs live from Berlin start in less than two hours (at least the red carpet show starts at 8). I'm so excited and I wish I could be there! I know someone who'll be in the crowd.

I'm going to sit in front of the tv watching the show and at the same time I'm going to watch Pete Wentz hosting this backstage interview/party-thing on www.mtvema.com :) I think it's going to be great, especially the U2 performance in front of the Brandenburg Gate, Green Day, Foo Fighters etc.

What about you? Did you hear anything about the EMAs? Will you watch them? I'm just curious 'cause obviously the whole world watches the MTV Movie Awards or the MTV Video Music Awards etc. And we all know there are more award shows like the Australian or Latin Awards, for example. So my question is: Do you actually watch any of the shows? Or is it more like, you know they exist and when they take place and who won what and stuff like that but that's all?

Guess who's back?

It's Thursday, I'm back in Berlin and it's rainy and gray outside. Back in Cologne the weather was great. Kind of fits my mood though. I'm just so tensed up when I'm here and really not the cheerful person I usually am. I was so optimistic when I was in Cologne, I tried to make new plans, find new possibilities and I found my "Get up and do something, life's too short to waste time!"-attitude again but as soon as I put my foot on the ground in Berlin it was gone.

My situation right now is not the best to put it mildy and I know it's pathetic. I am pathetic. I could really do without my parents or rather my stepmom telling what to do ("You have to go to the job center this month./Your dad says you have to get a job./You have to bla bla."). It's not like I don't do anything, they just don't see it and they just don't ask about it. That's probably the worst part about it. It's not like I want them do ask or that I need help or anything, I just don't want them to jump to conclusions or to tell me what to do when they have no idea what's going on in my life and what my plans are and how they change. And that's basically the whole point. I've made it to the point where I think about moving out and starting my very own life without anybody telling what to do next because I don't need that. I'm old enough.

/rant

I'm meeting my best friend tonight. We're going to watch (500) Days of Summer. I really wanted to see it since it came out in Germany last week. I read the tagline on the poster, which is (re-translated into English) He loves her but she doesn't believe in love and I just thought "Story of my life, dude" haha

What's new?

Quick hi from Cologne

I know this is the, I don't even know, fourth? time this year that I am in Cologne to visit my grandparents and the rest of the family. I just needed a break from all that's going on or not going on in my live at the moment.

Originally, I came here last Thursday to make plans for the future as my London plan didn't work out and I can't keep living my life the way I do. I need alternatives. I need to come up with a plan on how to spent the next 10(?) months until I start to study next fall and I need to find the right course of studies.

Now that I'm here I don't really have the time to do what I came here for. My uncle bought a house and like, everyone's helping to renovate it. The majority is done and they move in on Saturday. So it's really busy here but it's fun. I went to the cinema with my cousin on Saturday and we went shopping in the city yesterday. I bought a nice brown bag and a blue knitted cap, a mustard scarf with a beautiful pattern and a blue plaid shirt. I kind of miss spending time with my friends. We use to hang out a lot and only spending time with your family is just a different thing, you know. I'm trying to enjoy my time here but I'm also looking forward to Oct 28 when I go back to Berlin.

What's up in your life? How are you doing?

THE GIANTS ARRIVE

Good morning everybody! It's Friday again and my father has a day off because tomorrow is German Day of Unity. It's very special this year becausei t is also the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall this year. Living in Berlin definitely has its pros these days, there are festivities all over the city which is awesome. I probably won't attend any of the major events though, for example the huge Coca Cola Soundwave festival in front of the Brandenburg Gate. It's not that I'm scared to go out because of the terrorist videos, I don't think anything will happen but I don't like crowded places too much. Plus, it's going to rain.

So, it's my dad's day off and we're going to the Gendarmenmarkt where we're going to see "THE GIANTS ARRIVE - A Fairy Tale for Berlin". I think it's a French street theater group called Royal de Luxe. There are two larger than life-sized marionettes telling a story dedicated to the fall of the Berlin Wall (somehow lol). It's a massive spectacle that lasts four days. I'm really excited to see the giants and how it all works (I know there are cranes..). I'll take my camera and try to take photos and post them.

Tonight is a friend's birthday party. He's currently in Hamburg during the week for his civilian service but comes back to Berlin every weekend.

What are your plans for the weekend? :)

I've seen 110 of 239 films

( ) Rocky Horror Picture Show

(x) Grease

(x) Pirates of the Caribbean

(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest

( ) Boondock Saints

(x) Fight Club

(x) Starsky and Hutch

( ) Neverending Story

( ) Blazing Saddles

( ) Airplane

Total: 5

( ) The Princess Bride

( ) AnchorMan

(x) Napoleon Dynamite

( ) Labyrinth

( ) Saw

( ) Saw II

( ) White Noise

(x) White Oleander

(x) Anger Management

(x) 50 First Dates

(x) The Princess Diaries

(x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Total: 11

(x) Scream

(x) Scream 2

(x) Scream 3

(x) Scary Movie

(x) Scary Movie 2

(x) Scary Movie 3

(x) Scary Movie 4

(x) American Pie

(x) American Pie 2

(x) American Wedding

( ) American Pie Band Camp

Total: 21

(x) Harry Potter 1

(x) Harry Potter 2

(x) Harry Potter 3

(x) Harry Potter 4

( ) Resident Evil 1

( ) Resident Evil 2

(x) The Wedding Singer

(x) Little Black Book

(x) The Village

() Lilo & Stitch

Total: 28

(x) Finding Nemo

( ) Finding Neverland

(x) Signs

(x) The Grinch

( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre

( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

( ) White Chicks

(x) Butterfly Effect

(x) 13 Going on 30

(x) I, Robot

( ) Robots

Total: 34

(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

( ) Universal Soldier

( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events

(x) Along Came Polly

( ) Deep Impact

( ) KingPin

(x) Never Been Kissed

(x) Meet The Parents

(x) Meet the Fockers

( ) Eight Crazy Nights

( ) Joe Dirt

(x) King Kong

Total: 40

(x) A Cinderella Story

(x) The Terminal

( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie

(x) Passport to Paris

(x) Dumb & Dumber

( ) Dumber & Dumberer

(x) Final Destination

(x) Final Destination 2

( ) Final Destination 3

( ) Halloween

(x) The Ring

( ) The Ring 2

(x) Surviving X-MAS

(x) Flubber

Total: 49

(x) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle

( ) Practical Magic

( ) Chicago

( ) Ghost Ship

( ) From Hell

(x) Hellboy

(x) Secret Window

( ) I Am Sam

(x) The Whole Nine Yards

( ) The Whole Ten Yards

Total: 53

(x) The Day After Tomorrow

( ) Child's Play

( ) Seed of Chucky

( ) Bride of Chucky

(x) Ten Things I Hate About You

(x) Just Married

(x) Gothika

( ) Nightmare on Elm Street

( ) Sixteen Candles

( ) Remember the Titans

( ) Coach Carter

( ) The Grudge

( ) The Grudge 2

(x) The Mask

( ) Son Of The Mask

Total: 58

( ) Bad Boys

( ) Bad Boys 2

( ) Joy Ride

(x) Lucky Number Sleven

(x) Ocean's Eleven

(x) Ocean's Twelve

(x) Bourne Identity

(x) Bourne Supremecy

(x) Bourne Ultimatum

( ) Lone Star

( ) Bedazzled

( ) Predator I

( ) Predator II

( ) The Fog

(x) Ice Age

(x) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown

(x) Curious George

Total: 67

(x) Independence Day

( ) Cujo

( ) A Bronx Tale

( ) Darkness Falls

( ) Christine

(x) ET

( ) Children of the Corn

(x) My Bosses Daughter

( ) Maid in Manhattan

( ) War of the Worlds

(x) Rush Hour

( ) Rush Hour 2

Total: 71

( ) Best Bet

(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

(x) She's All That

( ) Calendar Girls

( ) Sideways

( ) Mars Attacks

( ) Event Horizon

( ) Ever After

(x) Wizard of Oz

(x) Forrest Gump

( ) Big Trouble in Little China

(x) The Terminator

( ) The Terminator 2

( ) The Terminator 3

Total: 76

(x) X-Men

( ) X-Men 2

( ) X-Men 3

(x) Spider-Man

(x) Spider-Man 2

( ) Sky High

( ) Jeepers Creepers

(x) Jeepers Creepers 2

(x) Catch Me If You Can

(x) The Little Mermaid

(x) Freaky Friday

( ) Reign of Fire

( ) The Skulls

(x) Cruel Intentions

(x) Cruel Intentions 2

(x) The Hot Chick

(x) Shrek

(x) Shrek 2

Total: 88

( ) Swimfan

( ) Miracle on 34th street

(x) Old School

( ) The Notebook

( ) K-Pax

( ) Krippendorf's Tribe

(x) A Walk to Remember

( ) Ice Castles

( ) Boogeyman

(x) The 40-year-old Virgin

Total: 91

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring

(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers

(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King

( ) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

( ) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

( ) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Total: 94

( ) Baseketball

( ) Hostel

( ) Waiting for Guffman

( ) House of 1000 Corpses

( ) Devils Rejects

( ) Elf

( ) Highlander

( ) Mothman Prophecies

(x) American History X

( ) Three

Total: 95

( ) The Jacket

( ) Kung Fu Hustle

( ) Shaolin Soccer

( ) Night Watch

( ) Monsters Inc.

(x) Titanic

(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail

(x) Shaun Of the Dead

( ) Willard

Total: 98

( ) High Tension

( ) Club Dread

(x) Hulk

( ) Dawn Of the Dead

(x) Hook

( ) Chronicles Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

( ) 28 days later

( ) Orgazmo

( ) Phantasm

( ) Waterworld

Total: 100

( ) Kill Bill vol 1

( ) Kill Bill vol 2

( ) Mortal Kombat

( ) Wolf Creek

( ) Kingdom of Heaven

( ) The Hills Have Eyes

( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman

( ) The Last House on the Left

( ) Re-Animator

( ) Evil Dead 3: Army of Darkness

Total: 100

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace

(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones

(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith

(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope

(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back

(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi

( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage

( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor

Total: 106

(x) The Matrix

(x) The Matrix Reloaded

( ) The Matrix Revolutions

( ) Animatrix

( ) Evil Dead

( ) Evil Dead 2

( ) Team America: World Police

( ) Red Dragon

(x) Silence of the Lambs

(x) Hannibal

TOTAL: 110

Now add them up and put "I've seen --- of 239 films" in the subject line and repost it.

What's up Buzznet?

Oh oh, it's already Friday. I feel like time flies lately.

I'm not really doing much (as usual haha). Which frustrates me to the point that sometimes, I'm really depressed and when I hit rock bottom I get the motivation to change that state I'm in and then I make a weekly schedule.

But whatever. I'm still trying to find an aupair family in London and I signed up for three different websites. I'm in touch with a couple of families but in general I get a lot of negative replies which sucks. So I really need a positive answer soon because it's driving me crazy and I don't want to stay here. My plan B is to try to get into university via lottery (which means you can apply for free spaces) or I'm going to matriculate for a place without a numerus clausus, most likely Chemistry (my best guy friend will study that too). Not sure yet..

I do have some issues with my parents concerning my future. I know my dad gives me the freedom to choose whatever I want to do and he wouldn't try to talk me into something I don't want to do. My mother and my grandparents support me no matter what and so does my dad. The thing is I haven't really kept my dad updated about what's going on because he has to work so much and I'm not really up for useless discussions and he never really asked. So a couple of days ago, I talked to my stepmom - worst idea ever. I told her I might have a family in London that would take me and I also told her about my plan B. I know she criticizes my dad for the way he edaucated/educates me and my sister (which I think is completely fine and great) and she thinks he should not only support us and our decisions but demand more from us in return. I think it's none of her business to begin with. During our conversation she tried to convince me to go to university instead of going to London and I was like, "Yeah, we'll see... You know that's just my plan B.." and in the end I was pissed off and regretted that I told her about my plans...

Besides that I'm fine. I hung out with my friends a lot and we've been through some crazy nights... haha I think I successfully destroyed my sleep rhythm (which was non-existent in the first place)

What's everyone doing? Any plans for the weekend?

My woof on woofertime.com: 1,757 characters

I heard about woofertime on the radio and I was bored and thought I'd try it. I had no idea what to write.. Here is the result:

Well, where do I start? Life's good. Life's good - that is what I keep telling myself every single day of my life. Sometimes it is true but sometimes I have to say it to remind myself that life actually is good. That - despite I am ranting and rambling - deep down I know life is good. We have everything we could ask for and more, compared to others we are rich, there should not be anything to complain about. Yet we do it every day. We complain about the weather, about friends, family or random people we don't know. We complain about prices, politics and politicians, about how frustrated we are, about how unfair our boss is, about how ugly our neighbors are. But you know what? That is not what I wanted to say at all. I had a great summer. I had a great year. I had my ups and downs (not complaining here!). I graduated, I worked my ass off to get there and it paid off. I was in Bulgaria for our graduation trip, I spent an amazing time with my friends all throughout summer and along the way I got to know so many fantastic people. I visited my family for two weeks, I visited my mother for a couple of days, I was on a camping trip with my friends and mates (which was kind of the turning point from a down to an up), I was in Cologne with my best friend and we stayed at my grandparents' house. Now I am sitting here and have no idea what is next. I really do not know. It feels strange in a good way but at the same time I am afraid and all I want to do is go away and live my life abroad. I am sick of chilling, I am sick of seeing the same faces every day, I am sick of this city and the people here. And as the first cold winds come by, the smell reminds me of last fall and I am looking forward to what is next even though I have no idea.

Story of my life right now. Thought I'd post it here since I never really update.