Kristin Hofstee

Dear Readers, I am moving my blog to kristininberlin.tumblr.com. I've been using tumblr a little while privately and it integrates better with other services and devices I use and it's easier than Blogger for sharing things I'm interested in. This blog will remain up for now for my own archival purposes. You can also follow Dexter's exploits at littleohm.tumblr.com Love, Kristin

I totally stole the title of this post. Motherhood in the Fatherland was a column chronicling the cultural quirks of having a baby in Germany, written by Sabine, a Canadian also living here in Berlin who Tiffany met through other Canadians, and who it turns out is also the wife of a colleague of Sebastian's. While I've long since ceased to be a German health care noob, I've never had a baby here

You know you want one for your next party: The Mett-Hedgehog Or maybe you'd prefer Kermett or some Christmas Hack-Plätzchen. Unsurprisingly the Mettigel was popular in the 70s. Full disclosure: I like Mett. With onions and pickles on a bun. I'll have to wait until February before I can enjoy my next Mettbrötchen.

Bump Photo Shoot by Sebastian

A short little article  about women in the start-up and technology scene in Berlin was published yesterday in the International Herald Tribune. Like many of my peers, I've experienced various subtle and occasionally less subtle sexism as a woman in engineering and technology over the years. One memorable moment being when a visiting parent at the U of T stated that I must have gotten my summer

I hate the Leergut-Automat. Or, I hate using the Leergut-Automat. The principle is alright. It's a reverse vending machine at the grocery store where you return your glass and plastic bottles and get your deposit ("Pfand" in German) back. Put your bottle into the machine. It gets scanned. The deposit is calculated and your bottle is whisked away to be presumably recycled. Put the next bottle in.

For the first time in my life I have boobs: Aug. 16th @ 18 weeks For now we're calling the baby Kirby, a sort of "working title". Saying "The Baby" seemed too abstract. I've heard that women who are pregnant for the first time often don't show until the fifth month or so. I am obviously showing and haven't fit into any of my pants since sometime in July. In the last couple of days Kirby

I add the book to the pile on the counter, ready to pay."Have you read this?""No, but I'm been meaning to. I hear it's really good.""Me too. I read another book by her years ago. I hated it.""What was wrong?""I found it overwrought and emotional." Overwrought is my new favourite word.She laughs at me."Good for you for giving her another chance."I don't really see it that way. I heard the book was

(photo by fronx)

I'm a big fan of Radiolab, a show about science that doesn't advertise it's about science and This American Life, a documentary show that doesn't advertise that it does documentaries.Ira Glass, host of TAL, attempts to explain what makes Radiolab so great.

Work-life balance, says Nigel Marsh, is too important to be left in the hands of your employer. At TEDxSydney, Marsh lays out an ideal day balanced between family time, personal time and productivity -- and offers some stirring encouragement to make it happen.Nigel Marsh: How to make work-life balance work from TEDtalksDirector(via Swissmiss)

[14:23:31] T: is that a no-cook pie?[14:23:53] S: i have no idea. you're the north americans in this chat.[14:24:13] S: i'm just making shit up.[14:24:28] S: (and eating pie)

VisionAuditionGustationOlfactionTactitionEquilibrioceptionThermoceptionProprioceptionNociception

Almost exactly a month ago, at the beginning of October i travelled to portland, oregon with my tae kwon do school for a week of intense training with Grandmaster Kwon, Jae-Hwa. Master Kwon, although he lives in the US, often does seminars in Germany but they are often either for heads of schools or groups of a hundred or more.I hadn't intended to travel to North America this year let alone to

Landslide by Fleetwood Mac, covered by PS22 Chorus.via ggc

In Meat: A Benign Extravagance, Simon Fairlie pays handsome tribute to vegans for opening up the debate. He then subjects their case to the first treatment I've read that is both objective and forensic. His book is an abattoir for misleading claims and dodgy figures, on both sides of the argument. - George Monbiot (Guardian)Meat: A Benign Extravagance added to my reading list.

More wedding photos!Ten years ago today it was my great pleasure to be the maid of honour at Karen and Dion's wedding. In some ways it seems like it was yesterday. Karen and Dion, I was and continue to be so happy for you. I wish you good fortune and happiness today, tomorrow and always.love,Kristin

This video was made to the poem, How to be Alone, by Tanya Davis (2009). (thx tmc & cavum oris)

Every year the chestnut trees in Berlin start to turn brown shortly after the fruit starts growing. The leaves get brown spots, dry out, shrivel up and the tree essentially looks dead. Nevertheless every spring the tree springs to life again. Years ago I heard that the chestnuts are afflicted by something but didn't really know what. You know how there are things you always wonder about but

For two before adding the yogurt. It seems like all my favourite fruits and berries are in season right now. Breakfast almost everyday has been fresh fruit with yogurt, rice milk or milk and often with müsli. Usually I'm too groggy in the morning to care much about breakfast but at this time of year, especially since it's so bright out so early, it's hardly a chore.

From the ever delightful Mighty Girl: hello 3, 6, 7, 10, 14, 15, and 20!

The Art of Analog Computing from meltmedia on Vimeo.(via interfilm berlin)

The Seasons | Anselm KieferBefore SpringSnow melt in the Odenwald. Goodbye, winter, parting hurts but your departure makes my heart cheer. Gladly I forget thee, may you always be far away. Goodbye, winter, parting hurts.