Category Archives: Life

Auf Wiedersehen, Herr Flett

Posted on 25/02/2018 by alasdairflett

Ah, Sunday. A fine day for reflection and calm, quiet contemplation. In Germany a brief respite from consumerism (also perhaps an inconvenience). Additionally, and purely coincidentally, you understand, optimal for the garnering of likes as the weekend’s accomplishments tie together … Continue reading →

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On Orwell

Posted on 28/01/2018 by alasdairflett

I don’t know if you know or don’t know but I’m currently living and, ostensibly, working in Germany as part of my Year Abroad from the University of Edinburgh. Hence weird gushing praise of Burns, hence the invocation of glorious … Continue reading →

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The man o’ independent mind: who was Robert Burns?

Posted on 25/01/2018 by alasdairflett

Robert Burns is the National Poet of Scotland – a phrase I use to introduce the most important figure of Scottish literature. This led, after about the third repetition to the question of: Why does not England then have a … Continue reading →

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Where fishmen lounge at noon

Posted on 03/12/2017 by alasdairflett

Last weekend I went to London to attend the UK-German Connection seminar, which facilitates the starting up of joint projects between foreign language assistants in each of the respective countries. Before this I’d only ever driven through or skirted the … Continue reading →

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Luther, Lyrik, Lieder und Leipzig

Posted on 19/11/2017 by alasdairflett

Trees increasingly denuded, the mulch on the path starting to settle, I find myself stumbling into the final third of November. Since my impromptu excursion to Manchester at the end of October, Hamburg’s schools have gone back, but of course, … Continue reading →

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A Free Admission

Posted on 28/10/2017 by alasdairflett

Midday in Manchester; streetlamps lit. The overcast gloom was a mental association, acquired thanks to Morrissey and co, satisfyingly confirmed as I was transported through a city whose psychogeography was already etched deep into my mind and which was later … Continue reading →

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Lübeck: charmingly wonky

Posted on 15/10/2017 by alasdairflett

The weather this Sunday is disconcertingly mild for October, it seems stolen from a summer past or future, wrenched anachronistically into autumn. I cower in a room saturated with light. Creamy, lumpy walls that have a vaguely pebble-dashed texture encase … Continue reading →

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Ein Kölsch, bitte

Posted on 17/09/2017 by alasdairflett

I’m writing after the end of my first complete week in Germany, the country which will be my home for the year to come, and there is already a lot to tell. This is how it went down: Day 1: … Continue reading →

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The bleary pilgrim

Posted on 21/08/2017 by alasdairflett

Bundled into the Corsa. Beltless, unshaven and woozy. Despite its lack of a working radio I still love this car. The defunct Blaupunkt reads “SAFE” in all-caps instead of channel, or frequency. It couldn’t display track number; in this respect, … Continue reading →

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I am the Ferryman

Posted on 11/06/2017 by alasdairflett

  Midsummer’s in ten days and I’m eking out all I can of this year’s solstice light, situated as I am just a couple more degrees north of Scotland’s capital where I’ve been studying these past two years at the … Continue reading →

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