Category

Chiko’s  Favourites

Rainer’s   Favourites

Animal

Lesser panda
- not as well known as famous black & white giant panda bear, but much cuter...!

I know I would not survive meeting them outside a zoo, but they are sweet anyway!

Beer

Kirin on internet

Well, I normally don’t drink conventional beer, but I think KIRIN would be the best beer in Japan.
Actually, there is only one kind of beer which I  would go for: German “Hefeweizen” (= wheat beer).

Jever on internet

Jever Pilsener
- from the very north of Germany, where the climate is tough because of the wind. Their advertisement literally says “It tastes like its origin is like” (“Wie das Land, so das Jever”).
It’s true!

Bird

Puffin
- tough bird living in the north... I can’t help being attracted to their humourous and sweet look.

Sparrow
- they are brave, they are little, they are everywhere.

                           ... check out our bird photos ...                      

Book

Kazuo Ishiguro
“When We Were Orphans”

A novel written by the famous Booker-prize-
winning author.
You would be absorbed by its subtlety of sentiment...

“England, 1930s... Moving between London and Shanghai of the inter-war years, this is a story of memory, intrigue and the need to return.”

Haruki Murakami
“Mister Aufziehvogel”
Original: “Nejimaki-dori Kuronikuru”

I got this book from friends as a birthday present - and loved it!
It is all in one: a bit of crime story, a bit of love story, a bit spooky. And after finishing the last page..., well try it yourself!
 

City

London on internet

The only city I’ve ever ‘chosen’ to live in and at the same time truely loved.
 

Lisbon on internet

I was there in 1992 and 1994 - nice city, nice people, it just was the right mixture for me.

Colour

Pale Blue

 Dark Blue

Comic

Dilbert on internet

Dilbert
- I have been enslaved by Scott Adams’ witty sarcasm for years now...

Hagar on internet

Hagar. The Viking who always fights: at home, in the pub, on his explorations.

Country

NZ on internet

Our trip to NZ

New Zealand
- a unique land where the marvellous nature and the first-class civilisation are co-existing. It would be my ultimate dream to live there after the retirement...

Japan on internet

Japan is amazing.
Its seclusion from the rest of the world for centuries gave it a unique culture different from anywhere else in the world. No matter how often you go there, you will always discover something new.

Dessert

Recipe on internet

Creme brulee
- I like all kinds of “pudding-like” deserts. and this is the best in my opinion.

Besides, I’m crazy for custard. The reason why I put so much weight during my first stay in London was that I was eating crumbles with loads of custard sauce after lunch at the canteen every day...

Fruit Salad
- refreshing and diversified - as the fruits depend on the season. No recipe, just your imagination needed.

Dish

Recipe on internet

Shabu Shabu
- one of the finest high-class Japanese dishes.
It’s “Water Fondu”, so to speak. Artistically thinly sliced best quality Japanese beef, instantly cooked in boiling water, will be enjoyed with verious dip sources with fine flavour.

Recipe on internet

Recipe on internet

Tempura
- Japanese dish: deep-fried seafood and vegtables

“Currywurst”
- German dish:
best from the fast food stand around the corner

Film

Chiko’s favourite films - Best 10 + 5
 1. Love Actually (2003)
  2. Billy Elliot (2000)
  3. The Full Monty (1997)
  4. The Usual Suspects (1995)
  5. Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
  6. Nuovo cinema Paradiso (1988)
  7. Gattaca (1997)
  8. The Legend of 1900 (1998)
  9. The Crying Game (1992)
10. The Winter Guest (1997)
-> very close runner-ups...
11. Brassed Off! (1996)
12. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
13. Torch Song Trilogy (1988)
14. Shooting Fish (1997)
15. Trainspotting (1996)
Click here to see Chiko’s ”Three Word Film Reviews”

Rainer’s favourite films

Unlike Chiko, who is a “film fanatic” and has to spend hours to decide the best 10 from her thousands of favourite films, I have quite a simple list of the films I like:

- All “James Bond” films
- Lost in translation (2003)
- Kleine Haie (1992)
- Der Bewegte Mann (1994)
- Nuovo cinema Paradiso (1988)

Flower

Freesia
- they are just elegant...
Their colours and shape are never so presumptuous as orchids, and their decent fragrance is never as bold as roses.

Sunflowers!

Football
Club

VfL Bochum ?!?

...No particular football team had interested me until I met Rainer in 1995. But after being at the staduim with him to watch his one and only favourite team playing, Rainer’s passion seems to have infected me somehow...

VfL on internet

The team from my town of birth, Bochum, in the west part of Germany.
This football club is not one of the boring ones who always win. With this one, you will have all the up’s and down’s which you need as a football fan!

Fruit

Papaya
- the king of tropical fruits. I love fruits, especially mellow tropical ones. Papaya’s moderate sweetness is my most favourite, followed by mango and pineapple.  

Strawberries
- any questions?

Musician

on internet

“The Divine Comedy” is actually a solo-unit by Neil Hannon, who is Irish. When first time I heard his song “In Pursuit of Happiness”, which was the ending theme of the funny film “Shooting Fish” (1997), I instantly fell in love with his music.
His vocal, especially, is absolutely cool !!!

on internet

This guy is from the area I come from and he named his first CD after my town of birth - enough to also like the music.

News-
paper

Asahi on internet

ASAHI SHIMBUN
- one of the major centre-left newspapers in Japan.

FAZ on internet

The German newspaper with, in my eyes, the best coverage on worldwide issues.

Sports

Table tennis
- not many people know that I seriously played table tennis for almost 10 years in my school/college days... Since spring 2006 I’m playing for our local team in Stuttgart.

Bicycling
- because it’s fun!

Tea

Darjeeling on  internet

I like all sorts of tea and it’s very difficult to say which one is my most favourite. However,  Darjeeling is definitely the one which I drink most often. It’s not too strong and harmonizes with all kinds of treat at the tea time ;-)

Fruit Tea
- the same reason than Fruit Salad

Wine

Our source

Fleiner Kirchenweinberg
“Kerner”
Spaetlese
 (Late vintage)
 

Our source

Fleiner Altenberg
“Riesling”
Spaetlese
 (Late vintage)

Special Interest

William Moore &
Laura O’Malley
Stuttgart Ballett

STUTTGART BALLET

Once I moved to Germany, it didn’t take me long before I got absolutely fascinated by this world famous ballett company. No matter what they perform, traditional or modern, they are always breath-taking!

Among the company’s countless talented dancers, William Moore from England is my most favourite. An RBS graduate, who joined the company in September 2005, has so far constantly impressed the audience by his utter brilliance. He has been promoted from Demi-Soloist to Soloist in the 2009/2010 season!