The booklady in Berlin who many years ago stopped selling me books which, however, didn't stop her from continuing her longlasting friendship, has sent me a late Christmas present.
So what do you give to a man who's already got everything, including lots of money? More money, that's what! - I always become somewhat ungrammatical when it comes to money - and so she stuffed a large million-mark banknote into an envelope and mailed it off to Australia.
Alas, it arrived too late for our Christmas shopping; in fact, it arrived almost a hundred years too late, but it's the thought that counts, isn't it, even if it's a weird one! Thank you, Renate, and allow me to wish you, as Commodore, Secretary, Treasurer, and only member of the Nelligen Yacht Club, a Happy and now also Prosperous New Year!
And, with apologies to Robert Burns, here's 'Auld Lang Syne' in German:
Nehmt Abschied Brüder
Der Himmel wölbt sich übers Land
Die Sonne sinkt, es steigt die Nacht
Der Himmel wölbt sich übers Land
So ist in jedem Anbeginn
Der Himmel wölbt sich übers Land
Nehmt Abschied Brüder
Der Himmel wölbt sich übers Land
|
And since this is a bilingual household, you may also have to put up with the Indonesian version:
Kini tiba saatnya kita untuk berpisah
|