As always, I forgot to note down most books and had to reconstruct my list once I remembered, and as always, I excluded job-related stuff. I think I didn't include all the Discworld novels I re-read, either, or some of the audiobooks I listened to, which I do count as books if they're unabridged.

59.

None of these have a Christmas theme, but they're movies which tended to turn up on TV around Christmas while I was growing up, so they've become Christmas movies for me. They're all Fantasy movies, most of them don't only border on but have invaded and taken over cheesy territories, they're WASP-targeted to a fault and none of them apart from The Last Unicorn passes the Bechdel-Wallace test.

 

( Top 5 )

Crocky's conducting a church service and I chose to stay home in the warmth, lazy that I am, because her choir is in the middle of nowhere. We'll attend midnight mass and listen to parts of Bach's Christmas oratio together, though. I'm looking forward to that, because we don't get much time together this Christmas, what with work and parental visits.

Title: Brave.
Rating: G
Credits: =cloaks's  Vintage Texture Pack V, ~redheadstock's light brushes, ~Eterea86's beautiful corner brushes, and Hogwarts Crest, (C) Bloomsbury PLC.
Characters: Minerva McGonagall and Moaning Myrtle.
Summary: It was quite obvious that the girl was dead. More disconcerting though even than the dead body on the floor was the way the transparent shoulders were shaking with silent, ghostly sobs.
Author's Notes: I imagine that Minerva's time as a student can't have always been fun, given the events at the time. I always thought it does explain her somewhat helpless reaction when faced with a renewed opening of the chamber and resulting tragedies later in life.



Other parts in the series:
2. Beginnings
3. Daring
4. Proud
5. Careful
7. Brave
8. Reckless

For almost a year now I've had my double name. It's long and cumbersome; according to my grandmother it's the kind of name fit only for a female teacher (well, mission accomplished), and it puzzles people. It's so puzzling, in fact, that nobody gets it right, regardless of how often I repeat it to them or whether or not they've seen it written down. So I thought just going by "Wock" might be easier, no more crude penis puns on my IRL name! Ha!

It felt weird, calling myself "Wock", as though I was giving myself a nickname or impersonating Crocky. I don't feel they are talking to me when people call me Mrs Wock, because it isn't my name. Wing is, Wing-Wock is, Wock is not me. That's Crocky.
Also, it turns out they can get the "Wock" part of my name wrong.

So I guess I'll have to confuse everybody by going back to Wing-Wock tomorrow, which will mean people wind up calling me a string of syllables which approximate the sound of my name again.

Also, I got to watch the theatre rehearsal of a foreign language production staged and directed by a class of 10 and 11-year-olds today. Yes, they did have a teacher there who helped occasionally, but they mostly did everything themselves - one of them directed, the others worked on getting their parts just right with amazing concentration. Granted, there were lapses in concentration towards the end because the props were so inviting, but their competence is absolutely awe-inspiring.

Title: Careful.
Rating: G
Credits: =cloaks's  Vintage Texture Pack V, ~redheadstock's light brushes, ~gvalkyrie's Suddenly Spring brush set,  ~Eterea86's beautiful corner brushes, and~Jello88's Rearing Up as reference.
Characters: Minerva McGonagall, Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank, a disgruntled unicorn.
Summary: "Merlin's beard, Will! You said they weren't dangerous!"
Author's Notes: Minerva did not enjoy nor show a particular aptitude Care of Magical Creatures. Luckily, her friend showed great confidence when dealing with wild things, and the young Gryffindor was grateful to have her there.



Other parts in the series:
2. Beginnings
3. Daring
4. Proud
8. Reckless

My Crocky-less flat is coming together and is actually starting to be quite comfortable. Now all I need is a big, green leafy palmtree, a proper lamp that gives actual light for my desk, and probably a more comfortable chair.

I'm lucky, though, because it's going to be plant flea market at my school tomorrow and they'll be donated plants. Maybe there's going to be a nice one among them for me.

Title: Proud
Rating: G
Credits: =cloaks's Vintage Texture Pack V, ~redheadstock's light brushes for the sparkles and ~Eterea86's beautiful corner brushes.
Summary: "I hope you are aware of the responsibility this entails, young Lady."
Author's Notes: And does she ever. I\ve got little doubt that Minerva was a prefect in her day, it seems to fit. Her parents, and in my head, Minerva's parents are Vesta and Hamish McGillivray whom you may know from Crocky's fic universe, would have been proud, too.



Other parts in the series:
1. Beginnings
2. Daring
8. Reckless

Given the recent bafflement of my colleagues at my ~lifestyle~ I did start wondering - how many of us are there?
Are there really so few?
Unfortunately, it's difficult to actually find data on existing marriages and registered partnerships, but it is possible to find documentation for the ceremonies per year, at least up until 2004.

In Germany:

Ok, those are not a lot, but then, getting married has only been legal since 2002 and there is hardly the same pressure to get married on non-hets. Still, what about female couples?

( More pie charts... )

I'll be offline this weekend because of my move, so here it is, a bit of Hallowe'en silliness.

Title: Shortcake
Rating: G
Credits: ~hawksmont's great leaf brushes.
Summary:  "You have never had shortcake?!"
Author's Notes: Minerva and Severus sharing an autumnal picnic in a park (which obviously also grows non-European plants).



( Larger version )

So, tomorrow I'm going to move again.

Packing up reminded me of how much I hate moving, and the added bonus that I'm going to have to do it again in a few month fills me with cold dread.

Anyway, this is going to be my street in all its suburban glory: 

Title: Reckless
Rating: G
Credits: =cloaks's Vintage Texture Pack V, ~redheadstock's awesome lightning brushes, and ~Eterea86's beautiful corner brushes.
Summary: "Mind your own beeswax, Poppy, I know what I'm doing, and she's protected by a series of spells, so get out of my way or get hit by a bludger, your choice."
Author's Notes: Another instalment in my series on Minerva's life, the first of which is called "Beginnings", the second "Daring". Again, the trouser dilemma - but I'm sticking to them in spite of the anachronism.

Title: Intimacy
Fandom: Jane Austen's Mansfield Park
Rating: G
Credits: Jane Austen's Mansfield Park with apologies, =cloaks's awesome Vintage textures, ~Harpist-Stock's great Harp stock 4, *Shroom-Stock's as great HC007, *Lileya's equally great Floral and foliar brush set and not least ~redheadstock's awesome butterfly brushes. I swear I did some work myself here, but I am pitifully clueless about Regency fashion, hairstyles, and harps.
Summary: Such was the origin of the sort of intimacy which took place between them within the first fortnight after the Miss Bertrams’ going away—an intimacy resulting principally from Miss Crawford’s desire of something new, and which had little reality in Fanny’s feelings. Fanny went to her every two or three days: it seemed a kind of fascination: she could not be easy without going, and yet it was without loving her, without ever thinking like her, without any sense of obligation for being sought after now when nobody else was to be had; and deriving no higher pleasure from her conversation than occasional amusement, and that often at the expense of her judgment, when it was raised by pleasantry on people or subjects which she wished to be respected.
Author's Notes: Fanny Price and Mary Crawford from Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, whose I paid rather more and a rather different kind of attention to than I suppose the author intended.



( Larger version )



Title: Daring
Rating: G
Credits =cloaks's Vintage Texture Pack and ~Eterea86's beautiful corner brushes
Summary: Bedtimes didn't agree with Minerva, and she knew that if she wanted to keep up with the others at tryouts, she'd have to practice more.
Author's Notes: Second instalment in my series on Minerva's life, the first of which is called "Beginnings".

I'm excited because posting for minerva_fest  begins today. <3

Apart from that, I'll be attending a talk on dyslexia and dyscalculia today. The occasion is my boss introducing courses for dyslexic and dyscalculic children to our tutoring centre. It'll without a doubt be very interesting and I wish I had had more time for some background reading to take away more from it.

Also, I'm still flat hunting and will call several prospective flats today, and hopefully get to look at them tomorrow, if these people are spontaneous.

Title: Comfort
Pairing(s): Minerva / Poppy
Rating: G
Summary: "No, Minerva, there's nothing you could have done." - Minerva holding a vigil at Hermione's Basilisk-petrified body, Poppy Pomfrey lending some comfort and a hot cuppa.
Author's Notes: Less colourful than the previous silhouettes because I felt more drabness was appropriate to the scene. I don't know why Poppy's head turned out this big, but I suspect it's her wimple. Also, I like it when my art passes the Bechdel/Wallace test. Credit: texture by =cloaks.



( Full picture under the cut... )

Title: Cornucopia
Pairing: Pomona/Rosmerta
Rating: G
Credits: ~gvalkyrie's great Flower Brush Set and Suddenly Spring brush set, *Lileya's equally great Floral and Foliar brush set.
Summary: Professor Sprout and Madam Rosmerta sharing a quiet moment away from the students. They're awesome and both are named after goddesses of plenty. Since it's the season of Harvest Festivals, this seemed fitting, and there have to be sparkles, because magic requires sparkles.
Notes: I do realise it's virtually impossible to tell who these people are. Especially with Rosmerta I was a bit at a loss, and Sprout's hat is most likely the only thing that shows it's meant to be her since the fly-away hair did not turn out that great. There's also an orange version, but I'm happier with theg green one.




( Bigger version )

I love coffee, though I'm not so much a gourmet rather than a gourmand when it comes to it. I partly blame my upbringing for the early destruction of my taste buds and their lack of ability to distinguish good from bad. Everybody in my family drinks a lot of coffee, and usually spoons can stand up in it and it smells and tastes like what I expect tar tea to taste like.

Still, this thing has seriously improved my life this week: 



It has a grinder and a timer, and even though it's about as much fun to clean as my French press and my moka pot due to the reusable coffee filters, but the coffee is still really good as far as I can tell.

Now the only thing I need to find is a source for affordable ethical coffee, though I gladly bought the expensive beans because niaseath is staying with us this week.

Went to Bremen afterwards to look at the flats and, because I still had time, took a stroll in the beautiful historic town centre. Bremen is easily one of the prettiest cities in the north simply for the historic town centre, even without the site of the old city walls with its moat and windmill, or the Bürgerpark.



( Unapologetic tourist shots )

Went to Bremen again yesterday to look at some of the flats. In the end I only got to look at one, and it was terrible. I did have the time to look at Vegesack, though, the area in which the school is.

Vegesack is a very suburban small town right outside Bremen which has become a part of Bremen not too long ago due to the spreading urban sprawl. It's a lot like, I don't know, a tiny version of Norderstedt - well, maybe Norderstedt mixed with Poppenbüttel. There is no connection to the trams and you have to go there by Intercity, but they're fairly regular. It does have a tiny harbour, a great big main station with one whole platform, and a mall. It has a badly-stocked book shop which seems to specialise in books on local history, plants, and travel guides, so I assume that people who live there are interested in getting away.

What stood out is that it's one of the most apparently homophpbic places I have ever been to. I walked through this town for maybe two hours, and four times I overheard boys of different ages going, "I'm not gay, you fucking bastard", "Are you gay?", or, "What the fuck are you talking about, I won't do that, I'm not gay" (he was supposed to hold someone's juice box. They were around ten). It might of course have happened by accident, but I can't say that this inspires great optimism.



( Vegesack )

Yes, another silhouette. Minerva and her owl being escorted to the train by her mother because her father is busy that day.

_{Credits
=cloaks's Vintage Texture Pack V and ~Eterea86's beautiful corner brushes.}

Stolen from muddyroad . Repost this with the subject as: I’m (how old you are) but I act (what you got on the test).

( Read more... )

Bremen isn't that far away. I'd have a commute of under two hours, which is doable. Has been done before, too. The ticket would cost about €150 less than renting a flat over there - and we're talking the really cheap one-bedroom flats in one of those suicide boxes they have.

On the other hand, one of those is a mere five minutes from the school at which I'll be teaching, so that would be perfect.

On another hand, I'd once again be in an LDR, and I hated that. Buut, I'd only have to commute for the first four (of eighteen) months, and then move over there together with Crocky.

On yet another hand, I'd be living all alone for the first time in my adult life, which might be a good experience.

I'm running out of hands. I'm looking at flats on monday and will have an interview with a housing corporation. If anyone has any words from the wise to share, go ahead, I'll be grateful!

Crocky and I like reading books together, and we are always on the lookout for books likely to make the Bechdel-Wallace-test, but lately, especially when it comes to Fantasy, even those that make it leave me dissatisfied. It's not only that there are hardly any books with and about strong female main characters, it's that as long as the female characters are older than eleven, they usually MUST. FALL. IN LOVE.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love love. I love being in love. I do not, however, enjoy reading about people finding love and engaging in activities related to courtship. Which is what seems to be the only thing going on in most love plots. And there really does not need to be a love plot in every single book. They rarely ever add anything to the plot and they rarely ever influence characters in a realistic way, and tend to be as exciting to read and varied as people making sandwiches. They tend to be tacked on, without point or purpose, just because it apparently is a part integral to the experience of being a woman to fall for a man - any man - because lesbians don't exist, and god forbid female characters get a plot without throwing a male love interest into the mix somewhere, because there might be riots in the streets and people will protest in front of publisher's houses with torches and pitchforks.

Because Crocky has similar inclinations, we started searching. And searching. And searching. Thus, the challenge came about.
It does not sound like much, but try it, and you'll see what I mean.



 niaseath joined it, spent an hour in a book shop and couldn't find one single book that made it. I must be reading the wrong Fantasy books, because without the odd Discworld novel and the Worst Witch series, which is for young children, and a couple of books by MZB, I've drawn a blank. There are slightly more titles that come to mind outside the genre, but it's only a tiny fraction, and that's usually because the main character is considered to be past datable age or too young.

Granted, there are also few books about men without a love plot in them, but how many can you think of that do exist?
That's more than none, right?

I've been rather too happy about my discoveries on Etsy lately and decided to treat Crocky and myself.

First off, I got myself some earrings because I needed accessories that underline my decorous, understated professionalism, seeing as how I'm going to be a teacher and all-around respectable person soon: 


And I got this for Crocky: 




Quite apart from the possibilities to tattoo on her own arm, there's always the possibility to adorn either her uni work or deserving student's work with the Dark Mark.

Title: Duel.
Artist: mothwing .
Pairings: Minerva McGonagall/Severus Snape
Rating: G
Notes: Trying to get back on the horse. With sparkles. Lots of those. I love sparkles. Credits: ~Tempting-Resources's beautiful sparkle set found here.



Title: Dance.
Artist: mothwing .
Pairings: Minerva McGonagall/Severus Snape
Rating: G
Notes: Another attempt at Severus and Minerva dancing (the first one is here). While I love ballroom dancing, some of those poses give me serious headaches with regards to how gender expectations tie into the figures.

So. Crocky and I went flat-hunting in Bremen.

I don't have a lot of memories about the city, but most of the ones I do have involve beggars kneeling at street corners with bowls in front of them, the inner city (thanks, Wiki:)



( And also... )

I must have forgotten what the area around the main station looks like. It's also really uncomfortable there - beggars lining the streets, really high, depression-inducing buildings with tiny flats.



( The building one of the affordable flats is in and the area around it. )

I'm going to be sent to Bremen Vegesack!

A nice area of Bremen, in the North, with its own harbour. It's close to the water and has a library - perfect. I don't know anything about the school yet - their site is down and they don't have a lot of information on it elsewhere. Their rating doesn't inspire much confidence (four people thought the school sucks and gave it a 3,0 - my old school, which I consider to be good, got a 2,7 - the school at which I did my first internship got a 2,5, and the school at which I did my second internship, supposedly one of the best in Hamburg, got a 2,7, too) I am a bit worried about the low mark that the school climate got - I wonder what's going on at that school).

( Today on wg-gesucht, the German flatshare site: 'Live-in maid wanted, work for board and lodging! Live dangerously!' )

 ... Yeah. I'm wondering if I'm only imagining the creepy overtones there.

The following are the categories in the children's section of the nearest Hannover city library (and I quote):  ...

Yeah. I don't know. Fantasy and action, sure, but reality?? Really? (That's where they put the books on WWII, drugs, child pregnancy and life in the GDR. Reality is depressing in Germany. Romance is a redundant category, because every book I looked at in the other categories had a pretty prominent romance plot, yuck. Kissing books, man).

Am I happy about that because it means no one will have to go through the trouble of teaching the kids these words at school, or am I worried for the future of my mother tongue?

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I'm fine with whatever consenting adults do together.

With children? Barbaric and cruel. I don't think that physical violence should be encouraged in either parents or children, and while people do snap, humiliating and physically harming people dependent on you is inhumane.

Corporeal? That's a what, an angry corporeal patronus? Seriously though, this is a question people seriously ask? This depresses me.