I want to work later in Market Research. But what is Market Research? In the following paragraphs I will give you a short overview.

Market Research

“Market Research is a systematic, objective collection and analysis of data about a particular target market, competition, and/or environment.

For English Class, I had to seek three “about me” webpages and analyse them. To analyse what other people did, is very important. To criticize others gives me the opportunity to know how I would like to present myself on my own “about me” page.

On last Saturday night I went with my team to the Irish Pub at the Europe Center in order to find out English expression and idioms for our market research project. We went there on Saturday night since Saturday is a typical day to go out. In addition to that, we choose as research place the Irish Pub of the Europe center, because it is in the center of Berlin, near the Kufürstendamm, a well-known shopping street. We thought it is a good place to find English speaking people (or tourists) in town. In addition to that, this Saturday was an “all-shopping-night until 24o’clock” and also the Festival of lights, stores are open until 24o’clock and have a beautiful light shine, so many people will surely go out to enjoy this night.

Where Have all The Flowers Gone: performed by Joan Baez

 

Joan Chandos Baez (born January 9, 1941 in Staten Island, New York) is an American folk singer and songwriter known for her highly individual vocal style. Many of her songs are topical and deal with social issues.

She is well known for her longer-lasting passion for activism, notably in the areas of nonviolence, civil and human rights and, in more recent years, the environment.

 

 

Joan Baez started her social and political involvement in 1957 and is still engaged today.

In early 2003, Baez performed at two rallies of hundreds of thousands of people in San Francisco protesting the U.S. invasion of Iraq (as she had earlier done before smaller crowds in 1991 to protest the Persian Gulf War).

I like to take a walk outside in winter. When it snowed in the night I see the world in a magical way. Everything looks so different then. Of course, I took a scarf and my gloves because it is freezing.  The air is so clear and cold that I can see my breath. I like to see through branches into the sky. It is a nice contrast between the dark trees and the bright sky. At home, I drink a mug of tea. It is a real ritual in winter. Everytime I come home I need to drink tea in order to warm up again. I like fruit and herbal teas. The best fruit assortment is orange and strawberry. My favorite herbs are: fennon, licorice, chamomile, lemon balm, vervain, thyme and mint.

 

 

 

10 Days remain until Christmas!

The Pre-Christmas period in Berlin is very exceptional. I like to go out when the whole city is illuminated with million chains of lights.  The streets, the buildings and the trees are shining. This period of the year is very great for going to Christmas markets. Over 70 Christmas markets have opened their gates this year in Berlin. The Gendarmenmarkt is one of the most beautiful squares in Europe and is the exquisite setting for “WeihnachtsZauber “-market which will whisk you away to a magical Christmas world full of scrumptious treats and fairy lights.

 

 

The history of Christmas markets goes back to the late Middle Ages in the German speaking part of Europe. The Vienna “December market” was a kind of forerunner of the Christmas market and dates back to 1294. Bautzen Christmas market was first mentioned “Christmas Market” in records in Germany in 1384. In Southern Germany the Christmas market is also called Christkindlmarkt (“Christ child Market”). Generally held on the town square and adjacent pedestrian zones, the market sells food and drink from open-air stalls with other seasonal items and traditional singing and dancing.

On a German Christmas market you can find many stands with different handcrafts. Here you can buy especially traditional hand-made products as for example: candles, Christmas tree decorations, textiles, stollen, crib figurines….

Something you shouldn’t miss is a glass of

the delicious mulled wine you are offered. It helps stave off the cold winter air which sometimes dips below freezing!

The ambience is further enhanced by the aromas of hot chestnuts, sugar roasted almonds, grilled sausages and other tasty snacks. Youngsters will be especially attracted to the gingerbread biscuits known as “Lebkuchen”, marzipan figures and other sweets. Since

I am a little child, I look forward to eat a candied apple when going to a Christmas market.  

 

I went last month (on the 21.11.2008) to a play called “The cherry orchard” by the famous Russian author Anton Tschechow. This play picked up two of my interests: my interest in the Russian culture and the interest in business.

 

The play concerns an aristocratic Russian woman and her family as they return to the family’s estate (which includes a large and well-known cherry orchard) just before it is auctioned to pay the mortgage. While presented with options to save the estate, the family essentially does nothing and the play ends with the estate being sold and the family leaving to the sound of the cherry orchard being cut down. The story presents themes of cultural futility — both the futility of the aristocracy to maintain its status and the futility of the bourgeoisie to find meaning in its new found materialism. It reflects the socio-economic forces at work in Russia at the turn of the 20th century, including the rise of the middle class in the mid-19th century and the sinking of the aristocracy.  

 

The play lasts three hours, from 19h30 to 22h30. For me it was a little bit too long. In fact, the director could have abridged the last part after the break.

The protagonists played very well there role. The audience really could relate to them. It was a comedy, but you always noticed that there is a tragic dimension in the play. The Russian aristocracy and their mentality were very good displayed.

Skimming stones

 

When I am on holidays near water (a see, a river, the ocean) I like to walk on the beach or riverside and collect stones. Flat stones! And then from time to time I let the stone skim. It is important

• that you have a flat stone
• the water must be as calm as possible
• and the angle is should be the flattest

when the stone hits the water.

I like to choose the flat stones and touch their gnarled surface. And then weight them in my hand before throwing them. When skimming stones, I feel kind of free, surrounded by nature. There is just me, the stone and the water in front.

 

 

‘Skimming’ a stone involves throwing it into a body of water in such a way that it bounces across the surface several times before sinking, leaving a trail of expanding ripples. The aim, if there can be said to be one, is to make the stone bounce as many times as possible. But I think you all know what stone skimming is.

 

 

I always count my bounces. The best number I reached was 7. Is there someone who can outperform me? How many times can you skim a stone?

I didn’t know that Skimming Championships do exist. In fact, there are also World Stone Skimming Championships. This year they took place on Sunday 28 September on Easdale Island (in Scotland).

 

 

The competition is decided on distance rather that the number of bounces, although the stone must bounce at least three times. At the time of writing, the record is an impressive 54 meters.

 

Sometimes it’s the little things . . .

 

Hi, welcome to my category “Things I like”

I will illustrate every day such a “thing” that makes me happy. I hope you will find some that make you happy too. There are so many little things and little moments that life has to offer. All we have to do is look for them, and they’ll magically start to appear.

 

Hi there!!! 

This is my new WordPress Blog. In fact, this is my first entry on this blog.