A Brit in Berlin

Today is Coming Out Day in the US and tomorrow in the UK

britinberlin@web.de — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 07:40:07 GMT

Check out this interesting and useful site

http://www.bisexualindex.org.uk/index.php/Main/ComingOut

I've now got the new LiveJournal Messenger.

britinberlin@web.de — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 12:36:13 GMT

I've now got the new LiveJournal Messenger. My Windows Live ID is goodarcher@livejournal.com. Sign up now and we can chat!

Yay :) and bloor :(

britinberlin@web.de — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:37:26 GMT

I'm in Koblenz for the weekend visiting my friend Fred (yay). The bad news is that I can't get internet access on my laptop :( so no dancing with sp0o0ky sp0o at Fab Glitter in Second Life until Sunday.

Long time no post :(

britinberlin@web.de — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 10:05:14 GMT

I'm staying with my friend Paul in Portsmouth (I finally managed to sell my house in the UK) and he says I should start blogging again. It would be churlish of me not to do so - so here goes.

I really need my vacation break this spring as it's been a really stressful few months with selling my UK home, being in dispute with my landlord in Germany (still not over), taking on a new half-time post as union rep (I get a 50% reduction on my teaching, but that will only kick in after Easter). I'm also organising two one-day workshops.

The goed news is I'm still seeing sp0o0ky in Second Life (I'm her moosie).

Retail Therapy

britinberlin@web.de — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:34:12 GMT

Well I was paid for my September teaching in Italy today. To celebrate I bought the new CDs by Nicola Conte and ... e la luna? The former is cool and smooth nu jazz. The latter is songs for children in Italian. Check it out at www.elaluna.de

Dreamt about my house in England

britinberlin@web.de — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 15:01:29 GMT

Well August was traumatic as predicted, but with the help, among others, of elfgeek and sermoa I got the house 95% cleared. Now I've been back in Berlin for a week (via Brussels where I was pickpocketed - grrr!). Well this afternoon I dreamt I was watching telly in my warm, sunny and cosy living room. I'm going to miss the old place - my own piece of England.

Reading (and posting) on LJ again

britinberlin@web.de — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:30:14 GMT

Recently I've started reading LJ again. This is partly to keep in touch with my SL girlfriend, sp0o0ky Yip, but also because I won't be going to Bicon this year :(

I was planning to go, but selling my UK home has priority. I do have a buyer and I'm pretty confident the sale will go through ok. What depresses me is chucking my Dad's stuff in a skip, getting the house cleared and losing my little bit of England (that I can no longer afford).

This year is the end of an era (I have kept the houise as my UK base for 10 years after Dad died) and next year will be the start of a new one. It'll be great to have Bicon as a major motivation to return to the UK for a few days (or longer).

Have a great Bicon everyone - hope to see you next year :)

The Golden Compass

britinberlin@web.de — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 22:26:53 GMT

SL Wedding Bells :) on Bi Day

britinberlin@web.de — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 16:05:17 GMT

Well my avie Will is going to tie the knot with the lovely Frankie this Bi Day at 9pm CET (12 Noon SL time). The theme of the reception is going to be an 80s retro - "Nice Day for a Bi Wedding" (remember Billy Idol). If I knew how to convert bitmap to.jpg I could post some pictures of our Bi and TG wedding, but I don't.

Anyway if you're on my flist (and also in SL) and would like to come we still have a couple of spare seats on the space station send me an IM inworld to William Interflug.

Back in Berlin and Harry Potter 7

britinberlin@web.de — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:27:52 GMT

After a month in the Uk with Bicon as one of the high points I'm finally back in Berlin. Today I finished reading Harry Potter 7. My question - what do I do with the rest of my life? Do I start reading HP1 again or should I read something new ;)?

I might try to get back into "Snow Crash" on which "Second Life" is supposedly based. If that doesn't work I've got a two-year backlog of fiction to get through.

Going shopping now to get the nice things that can go with a curry.

Bicon

britinberlin@web.de — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 07:24:25 GMT

This weekend I will mostly be at Bicon :)

Confessions of a Second Life Addict

britinberlin@web.de — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 08:47:08 GMT

Well I haven't posted for ages - it's due to me being addicted to SL (just like I used to be to LJ). Anyway I will post to LJ about my SL adventures from time to time. My SL aler ego is William Interflug who is a feminised male avie (nice SL word for avatar). There are loads of US Americans in-world (SL jargon again) so my English has become Americanised (I say I'm "good" when I mean "well" or "fine" and I call all my friends "hun" - this might upset my German RL friends).

I'm certainly this kinky in Second Life - but in Real Life I'm not so sure

britinberlin@web.de — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 17:28:55 GMT

Ultimate!
You scored 73% Poly, 47% BDSM, 69% Roleplay, and 76% Gay/Lesbian!

You are the Ultimate! You want and like it all! You are into Poly, BDSM, and Roleplay, and are interested in pursuing it with either sex. You are uninhibited and seek that in others. Nothing is outside of your reach. Go for it, enjoy life to it's fullest!

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 99% on poly

You scored higher than 99% on bdsm

You scored higher than 99% on roleplay

You scored higher than 99% on gender

Link: The sexual interests Test written by master-tom on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Good job too as I actually teach English :)

britinberlin@web.de — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 18:21:11 GMT

Your Vocabulary Score: A

Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary!
You must be quite an erudite person.

How's Your Vocabulary?

nicked from lucielu

britinberlin@web.de — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 08:28:00 GMT

You scored as Dante Alighieri. According to you most of humanity will spend at least some of their afterlife in hell. You have a high likelihood of being exiled, but anyone as bloody fucking romantic as you deserves what they get. You have an exceptional moral code, overshadowed by the fact that you yourself cannot uphold it.

Your existence bears a definite irony, although of fairly Christian morality, many pagans, satanists, communists, and intellectuals admire you and your works for all the wrong reasons.

Also, the brighest star in your sky is never going to be your lover...

It takes a lot of grief to be the cartographer of hell.

</td>

Dante Alighieri

83%

C.G. Jung

58%

Sigmund Freud

58%

Adolf Hitler

42%

Friedrich Nietzsche

42%

Jesus Christ

42%

Hugh Hefner

42%

Charles Manson

33%

Elvis Presley

33%

Stephen Hawking

33%

Steven Morrissey

33%

Miyamoto Musashi

17%

O.J. Simpson

Mother Teresa

What Pseudo Historical Figure Best Suits You?
created with QuizFarm.com

Actually I speak Hampshire/Portsmouth English

britinberlin@web.de — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 11:33:20 GMT

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Northeast Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The Midland
The South
Boston
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

Back from Second Life

britinberlin@web.de — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 06:15:54 GMT

I went to a workshop on on using the Internet for teaching English as a foreign/second language. The presenter recommended that I join the Webheads (languge teacher techie group) and meet them in "Second Life" (SL). Hmmmh - a week later and I realise how addictive it is.

It is like text chat meets "The Sims", but unlike "The Sims" (as far as I know) there are some quite nasty ppl there (just like in real life), but also some very friendly ones (ditto). For example I joined "Bisexuals in Second Life" and proudly wore the "really hot bi" label (that all members can use). I was promptly called a faggot.

I also notice that my download volumes have gone up as I am staying online too long. This will prolly stop me as I have to pay 1.5 Eurocents per MB over 5000 MB :(. This has never been a problem before.

SL is also pure capitalism - most objects have to be bought here (although there are some freebies - I gut a nice tuxedo/dinner jacket in a jazz club. There is a currency Linden Dollars (named after the owners of SL) with an exchange rate of 179 LD = 1 USD. Just like in RL sex is seen as a commodity. There are (thank Marx) some ppl who resist this.

One good thing is that I get a chance to practise my Dutch as I've met a nice female avatar who turns out to be Dutch and is willing to chat with me in that language.

Anyway don't worry too much about me unless I don't post within two weeks - then you should rescue me :)

britinberlin@web.de — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 19:44:43 GMT

You Are 50% Boyish and 50% Girlish

You are pretty evenly split down the middle - a total eunuch.
Okay, kidding about the eunuch part. But you do get along with both sexes.
You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them.
You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be.

How Boyish or Girlish Are You?

... e la luna? Tre!

britinberlin@web.de — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 16:51:46 GMT

Sono contentissimo! Il nuovo cd di ... e la luna è arrivato. Si chiama "tre" e mi piace tanto!

Eccolo il sito web di ... e la luna? http://www.elaluna.de

Just off to the SPD Election Rally

britinberlin@web.de — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 14:48:35 GMT

8/9 Knowledge
You are 82% knowledgable and 68% intellectual.

Wow! An impressive result. You have an efficient mind that you keep well stocked with information. Keep up the good work-- beef up your objective skills and nothing can stop you.

My test tracked 2 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 99% on knowledge

You scored higher than 99% on intellect

Link: The Knowledge vs. Intellect Test written by rattytintinface on OkCupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

britinberlin@web.de — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 23:00:32 GMT

Who is your fling with the Dark side? (Harry Potter)

Severus SnapeThe Professor fantasy was always one of your favourites. You care more about intelligence, cunning, and sheer force of personality than the superficial things. When you dive in, you dive deep. When you were a student at Hogwarts, you stalked around the Potions dungeons, hoping for a detention. You couldnt help the shiver of excitement up your spine whenever he took house points from you. *Warning: unsolvable mystery*
Take this quiz!

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No electricity - Grr! Grr!

britinberlin@web.de — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 03:20:56 GMT

Got back home last night after a very pleasant trade union summer bash to find no electricity in my flat. When I finally found candles and matches I discovered that none of the fuses had blown. I rang my friend Martine and she thought the power company had disconnected me. I couldn't believe this and had a very restless night 1) as it is still soooo sultry here in Berlin, 2) I was worried about having to sort everything out today and 3) I'm scared of the dark (this means I can't get to sleep easily in total darkness).

Anyway I managed to find an elecricity bill and went down to the cellar to find my meter. It turns out that either one of the main fuses had become loose (they are strange screw in contraptions) or one of the hooligans who now inhabit my appartment block had partly unscrewed it. Either way - Grr! Grr! And, grr! The only damage is a partly melted bathroom cupboard where I underestimated the heating power of the candle and I'll have to chuck some food out where the fridge was off for probably most of the day. The freezer held out very well though.

Anyway "Vive La France!" and all that. I hope to celebrate Martine's national day with her and her son Nico this evening at "bal(le) populair(e)" (my French grammar sucks) in front of the Brandenburg Gate.

No Bicon - boo hoo!

britinberlin@web.de — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 05:48:51 GMT

Well I'm very sad that I will be missing my second Bicon, but I've still got a week and a half of classes to teach and papers to mark. I wish we had the UK academic year! I'd love to know when and where Bicon 2007 will be. I think my BCN subscription is up for renewal too so I'd better put the cheque in the post.

As a compensation there will be the Schwullesbisches Stadtfest (no mention of the "bi" word unless it's hidden in "lesbisch") this weekend in Berlin. Also I'm meeting up with my bi social group. It's a nice group but they are not into activism, discussion of issues, coming out support or research (all the stuff I like about the UK bi community). I'm going to try to get them to do a mini bi fest for ICBD this year. The following weekend is Christopher Street Day, which is like a gay loveparade. I haven't been on the demo for years (see previous activist remark) so I'll join the thousands of bis on the sidelines ;-)

Anyway I'm back to the UK on 5th August and am looking forward to meeting up with my fellow Hampshire Bis elfgeek and sermoa.

britinberlin@web.de — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 13:55:15 GMT

I died in the Dungeon of Adjectivemarcus

I was killed in a moss-covered alcove by The Moogie the troll, whilst carrying...

the Axe of Barking Watcher, the Armour of Lovingboth, a Figurine of Potatoprint, the Crown of Thekumquat, the Sword of Piers, the Wand of Envoy, the Armour of Kerrykat and 0 gold pieces.

Score: 62

Explore the Dungeon of Adjectivemarcus and try to beat this score,
or enter your username to generate and explore your own dungeon...

britinberlin@web.de — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 05:46:30 GMT

I escaped from the Dungeon of Goodarcher!

I looted the Amulet of Kylie Minogue and 0 gold pieces.

Score: 25

Explore the Dungeon of Goodarcher and try to beat this score,
or enter your username to generate and explore your own dungeon...