Thursday 20 December 2012

If the world shouldn't end tomorrow... - our design bucket list

So apparently the world ends tomorrow - or at least the Mayan calendar. But if we should all wake up on Saturday morning and the sun is shining we've put together a small 'design bucket list' with things we would like to achieve or do in the foreseeable future.
  1. Eliminate 'Comic Sans' from the world - or at least delete it from my Mac
  2. Go to a restaurant without secretly critiquing the menu design
  3. Design a Google seasonal/anniversary logo
  4. Have our design work featured in a printed magazine
  5. Trend Mako Creative on Twitter... or maybe not
  6. Start a campaign (albeit a very short one) to get rid of all clip art & anything created in Word
  7. Have one of our drawings featured in the Turner prize for its value as actually being art
  8. Be accepted in a tender for the actual work and value we can do as opposed to the amount of forms, policies and so many hoops to jump through
  9. Be an accomplished blog writer and gain a huge following
  10. Write a design bucket list... oh.....
... and finally keep enjoying what we're doing!!

Tuesday 18 December 2012

German Tuesday: German Tradition - Silvester (New Year's Eve)

So this is it, the last part of my small German tradition series for this year and today I'm looking a bit further ahead and tell you about some things we do on New Year's Eve.

Silvester is the German name for New Year's Eve owing its name to the 4th century Pope Sylvester I. But despite the Christian name, many German New Year's traditions go back to the practices at the pagan Rauhnächte of heathen Germanic tribes that took place at the end of December and beginning of January.

As in many other countries we like to have parties on Silvester with fireworks and 'Böller' (firecrackers) at midnight. Every year Berlin hosts one of the largest New Year's Eve celebrations in Europe which is attended by over 1 million people and has its focus on the Brandenburg Gate but personally I prefer private celebrations with fireworks in the back garden. Also at midnight we toast with a glass of Sekt (German sparkling wine) or champagne.

I couldn't get hold of a picture of Berlin so here's a view towards Bonn city from my parents house.
 But even more fun are the hours leading to midnight and these include - believe it or not - watching the 1963 TV recording of the British comedy sketch 'Dinner for one' starring Freddie Frinton. It's a tradition to watch this and it holds the record for the most frequently repeated TV programme ever according the the Guinness Book of Records (1988-1995 eds.; later editions no longer have the category). And even though it's very popular in Germany and other mainland European countries, it is relatively unknown in Britain, Canada or the United States and is typically shown in the original English without dubbing or subtitles. The line "Same procedure as every year" has become a very popular catchphrase in Germany too.

Dinner for One - Freddie Frinton and May Warden
Bleigießen (pouring lead) is another German Silvester custom which involves telling fortunes by the shapes made by molten lead dropped into cold water.

Now try to tell your future from this peace of lead at the bottom.
By Micha L. Rieser (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

The phrase "Guten Rutsch!" is the common Silvester greeting which would translate to a 'good slide' into the new year but more likely comes from the Yiddish word 'Rosch' and means beginning. So to wish someone a Guten Rutsch! means simply wishing a good start to the New Year!

So have a Guten Rutsch! everyone and if you have a spare 18 minutes lean back, make yourself comfy and watch Dinner for One




 [via thelocal.de, wikipedia.org]

Tuesday 11 December 2012

German Tuesday: German Christmas Tradition - Feuerzangenbowle

I hope you enjoyed the first part of my small German tradition series and as promised there is more. Today's one of my favourites and it's perfect for these cold winter evenings.

Ok, so it's a mouthful but if you like Glühwein (German mulled wine) you'll love this one. Feuerzangenbowle is a traditional German alcoholic drink that you can find at a lot of Christmas markets. The name literally translates as "fire-tongs punch" but I think "burnt punch" might be a better description. There was even a 1944 German film comedy 'Die Feuerzangenbowle' which has boosted the popularity of this drink enormously.

So what is it then? Feuerzangenbowle is prepared in a bowl which is suspended over a small burner. In the bowl is red wine with some spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves and orange peel. So far it is quite similar to mulled wine - but now comes the twist. On top of the bowl sits the 'Feuerzange', nowadays a purpose designed metal grate, that holds the 'Zuckerhut' (sugar cone). The sugar is soaked with rum, set alight, so it starts melting and caramelising. More rum is poured on the sugar with a ladle until all the sugar has melted and mixed with the wine in the bowl below.

By Kore Nordmann (own work)
This is the perfect drink for a cold winter evening so if you want to try something new here's the recipe (for all of us who are 18 years and older):

Ingredients:
  • 2-3 bottles of dry red wine (e.g. Rioja)
  • 0,4l of rum (at least 50% alcohol)
  • 2 oranges
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 5 cloves
  • 1 "Zuckerhut", sugar cone around 7 inches long
  • optional) a pinch of gingerbread spices
  • (optional) 2 lemons
Tips:
  • The rum has to have 50% alcohol minimum, otherwise the flambeing won't work.
  • If the rum has a higher percentage of alcohol (>60%) the flame will be very big.
    Proceed with caution and add the rum slowly. 
  • If you can't obtain a "Zuckerhut", substitute sugar cubes.
  • If you can't obtain a "Feuerzange", replace it by a grate.
  • Instead of the "Feuerzangenbowle" bowl and heater you can also use a big pot on a normal cooking plate.
Procedure:
  • Put the wine into the bowl and heat it to about 70 degrees Celsius.
  • Wash the fruit with hot water.
  • Peel the oranges (and lemons) in thin stripes.
  • Now put the zests, spices and juice in the bowl.
  • Place the "Feuerzange" on the bowl and place the "Zuckerhut" on it.
  • Put the rum into a soup ladle and pour it over the "Zuckerhut". Then carefully lighten it.
  • When the flame on the sugar has stopped burning, repeat the process with a fresh ladle of rum.  Add the rum very slowly this time or you will burn your hand.
  • When the sugar has completely dissolved, remove the "Feuerzange" and add another ladle of  unburnt rum to the bowl.
  • Remove all "swimming" parts (oranges, (lemons,) cloves and the cinnamon stick) from the drink.
Enjoy!! And remember - don't drink and drive.

[via wikipedia.org, wikibooks.org]

Tuesday 4 December 2012

German Tuesday: German Christmas Tradition - St Nikolaus

With Christmas just around the corner it's time to get ourselves in the mood for the festive season. So I'm going to share some German traditions with you every week - maybe you get some new ideas.

Have you been good last year? Then put a boot outside your front door.

Each 6th December German children celebrate St Nikolaus. Children polish their boots (dirty boots are unacceptable) and put one boot (it would be considered greedy to put out two boots) called Nikolausstiefel (Nikolaus boot) outside the front door on the night of 5th December. St Nikolaus fills the boot with small gifts and sweets overnight and checks up on the children if they were good during the last year. For naughty children, Nikolaus has a helper, Knecht Ruprecht (Farmhand Rupert or Servant Rupert). Instead of presents, Knecht Ruprecht puts a bunch of dry branches in bad children's shoes. Sometimes a St Nikolaus impersonator visits schools or homes and asks children about their behaviour - checking his golden book for their record - and hands out presents.

Instead of putting your  boot outside the door you can make your own as well though these remind me a bit more of Christmas stockings.
Nikolausstiefel with some decorations
St Nikolaus is usually pictured with a long white beard, red cloak and a bishop's mitre, a sack over his shoulder and a rod in his hand. Even though they have similar outfits Nikolaus is not to be confused with Santa Claus, who Germans call Weihnachtsmann or Father Christmas.

St Nikolaus giving presents to children.
By Richard Huber (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons
So don't forget to put your boot outside on the evening of 5th December!!

[via wikipedia.org, thelocal.de]