Short Trip to Berlin 1

I wanted to capture some quirkiness of Berlin.

I cannot remember which district we were walking...

I think the idea was to leave what you want and take what you need.
Quite a sweet idea.

Berghain....
The coolest club I have experienced so far!
Sex, Drugs & Hardcore Techno
Sheer Madness!!!!

Tadshikische Teeslube
A very interesting and tasty Russian Tea Room

And Me!

21-24th Oct

Short Trip to Berlin 2

I went to meet a friend in Berlin last weekend.

Autumn was well into the city and there were lovely

coloured trees all around.

Me, Jella (who I went to meet), Laura

We went to Ai Weiwei's photography Exhibition, which was
curated by the man himself by hand picking the 200 works of his own.

The trip could not have been the same without Jella and her friends
which gave me so much pleasure. As I did not know what to expect
and it was the same feeling when I first meet Jella in March
through Ruben in the naked sauna in the middle of Provence.
I love to NOT plan on trips and holidays and just to go with the flow.
What a connection...encounters encounters!

21-24th Oct

Volumetric exercise

Is that going to justify what I do on a daily basis?
I, we, was given an excel spreadsheet will lots of colums and drop down options
to select what I do for this whole week. I did it for today and I must say it was rather
irritating to clink to the rigid options to fit into what I do
e.g. number, nature and length of telephone calls, case discussions, report writing etc.
....and I do tasks that were outside the given options.

Why?
The re-structuring has started and the council is trying to get their heads
around on the number of social workers required for adult services.
As we are moving to the new office space around summer next year to
quite south of the borough and the ulitmate reason, cost savings to be made!
I know some boroughs have started the re-structuring sooner than us and
mistakes were made in terms of dismantling the specialist teams, like mine.
I hope lessons are learnt to keep it but we will have to see what happens after
this volumetric exercise has been analysed. I am sure the number will be reduced.
Watch the space!

Berlin...

Yes, I do not have to be online blogging on my short trip
but I had a free wi-fi option and an iPhone so why not.
Well, just very quickly to note how much a break was
needed, only realised that I was very tired.
Sometimes you have to come away from your comfort zone.

I am by Humboldt university waiting for my friend for lunch,
with a cuppuccino and oat cookie under the sun.

Most importantly reading 'tinker tailor soldier spy' as all my friends
have somehow cancalled when we have arranged to see
the film on a Monday for the last three weeks!!!
Maybe it is not a Monday film...
Should really see the film next week and the BBC drama
should be good too, 6 hours. Anyone fancy watching the
drama with me, I will bake sweet some cakes to go with
the hard story. Anyone?

John Martin- Apocalypse

I had a free entry to this special exhibition at Tate Britain through a friend.
We did not have much time so we scanned two exhibitions super quickly.
I was there today to see J. Waterhouse's 'Ophelia' after seeing
Melancholia yesterday.

Scanned cover

                 

                   21 sept 11- 15 jan 12

However, I have to say it was a new discovery of John Martin
which I did not really like his paintings but it was more so the content
of his paintings that has grabbed my attention.

My friend was in front of  'The great day of his wrath, 1851' (below)

Scanned

and pointed at the people on the ground nearly dying said
'......evil, faithless, corrupt.....'
Don't all human beings have these elements but at a different degree?

...................Inspiration inspiration inspiration.................................
I would be most happy if I could be an inspiration in whatever area one
need to be inspired in.

Mental health tribunal

I was granted what i went for.
A little too drunk to write about it now.
Will follow up soon

Health and social care bill

Still waiting for the outcome from Parliament.

Choice > Quality???
Health: traded commodity- sounds familiar being a Korean!
Health is not a public utility.- what do you think?

We should think about this issue, it concerns you and
is how your tax is used!

Guardianship Report

Mental Health Tribunal has been arranged for this Friday
which is not my preferred day as I have not completed the
Guardianship report yet but one of the tribunal panel member
could only attend on the 14th so I had to re-arrange my diary.
I am applying for a Guardianship under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Work at present is pretty busy and this piece of work is an
additional to what I have already so finding time to complete this
long report has been a fight. Furthermore, the panel requiring to
see the report prior to Friday has really pushed for time.
So here I am nearly 12pm today working at home after a long day
as I want to pass the report to the senior who is overseeing the work
first thing in the morning for him to add his part. It is not my direct manager
but a different manager who is a specialist in mental health assessments.

I have not brought work home for a long time but sometimes it is just
inevitable, but should not really do it though. I have to say despite the
pressure, I did enjoy writing the report bring my memories back from
my training time at Goldsmiths College. Also, I am looking forward to
presenting the case at the Tribunal with the manager on Friday as
it would be a new experience. I hope I do not get grilled too heavily!

Stirling, Scotland

My second night was in Stirling the old capital of Scotland.
Below are views taken from Stirling Castle, I did not go into the castle
but I found the cemetery very interesting! Maybe I am a bit odd......

Looks familiar, right?

Weather was so bad yesterday... It rained all day but I insisted on

going for a country walk and I did, in the rain alone.

At this point, rain became heavier and I was quite scared that I was alone and
I did not have any reception on my phone!

I must say it was very pleasant when i really needed the time
for myself to reflect on a number of things.
However, I didn't get to do much thinking and I was not thinking
at all which is a more difficult thing to do!

Edinburgh, Scotland

I stayed one night in edinburgh very close to St. Giles cathedral.

It's probably the centre of the old town.

These are the views from hotel room.

A warm encounter at the cathedral


A cigar store owned by an interesting looking man.

Various alley ways caught my eyes this time....enjoy!

I so needed the loo and went in but it was a gallery!

Glasgow Reviews

Never started work this early!
Woke up at 6am to catch the 7.30am train to glasgow.

I had to visit two service users in a residential home to review
how they are at the placements.
Two quite interesting people, 1 hour delay was
all worthwhile!

Isn't this interesting and quite caring?

 

Will write more when I return home.
I'm staying the weekend in Scotland, Edindburgh tonight and not sure tomorrow, I will see where the wind takes me. Will think about it tomorrow.
Let me check out the night life in Edinburgh!