The Hamburg Express. Local news for an international community.

Living on the edge 1

Written by Peter Mayes

Wednesday, 24 February 2010 12:07

New series of existing on the edge, awaiting that elusive breakthrough.
This ie the time of year when all the old memories of thwarted hopes come again to the forefront of the awoken concsiousness. Filing those Tax Returns for 2008 is the catalyst for all sorts of depressing pictures and gut wringing mis-decisions.
Cellars have a purpose, which is to hold prisoner mistakes for as long as possible. However, even mistakes have a right to remission.
Looking back over the year with all the juggling of borrowing from Paul to pay Peter, always with the hope of grabbing a little extra net revenue, I righly ask myself why do I do it to myself. Constantly letting new ideas into my life,thinking they may do it better and make all, more efficient and profitable, financially and socially.
Alas, 2008 was not to be and produced more work less pleasure, but a lot of things to write about. I am looking for sharers of my fixed assets and sharers of the my constant workload. Two brains are better than one,isn´t it? So may be I have not met the right brain.Or we are all using the min-maxi model instead of the maxi-mini model.
I have made an experiment of living on Harz iv income and reusing everything three times. Walking and cutting diesel costs to the minimum. No more experiments with books and other soul foods. Making my own chutneys and throwing nothing away .It is a war time mentality and you have to feel to understand.
I do this as I know the greatest breakthroughs and artistic inspirations have always been connected with trials,tribulations and poverty.This means the reader can look forward to something really sublime in this log of Living on the Edge.

harz iv

Written by Peter Mayes

Wednesday, 10 February 2010 14:07

Give the kids vouchers for all public services. Access is the most important thing. Food vouchers for Organic foodshops and fitness centres, plus sports events, this will get them out of the clutches of their depressed parents. Naturally extra lessons and access to out of school activities and if they do some volunteering they get extra vouchers. Give them as many opportunituies as possible then the moaning minnies will have to think up something new.

Happy New Year from Britain in Neukoelln and Altona Robert Berridge

Written by Peter Mayes

Saturday, 26 December 2009 14:48

Let our actions be governed by reason and the spirit of co-existence.
2010 here we come
robert berridge

Super rich must start to spend

Written by Peter Mayes

Friday, 03 July 2009 11:52

Super rich must start to spend

Instead of taxing them, they should be "encouraged" to spend their dosh on labour intensive projects and even big parties or mega concerts.
Under the motto "the mega rich gets the economy booming" these accumulators of capital can make a big statement and endear Capitalism to millions.
Free haircuts, health checks, massages etc all sponsored by the big nobs
Not forgetting, extra school tuition in all subjects to kick-start the world´s intellectual reseerves into action.
Their reward will be gratitude and fewer sanctions and a non-confiscation clause.
With dosh comes responsibilty!

The end of another week. Flat

Written by Peter Mayes

Sunday, 21 June 2009 07:22

The end of another week. Flat renovation in Hamburg has taken on form three doors done , two to go . A room to strip and paint, flooring to move out, and the last heavy things to carry down.
The SAGA Housing provider has also interesting rules regarding tenant renovations and their standards expected are much higher than those demanded when they are paying themselves.
This whole tenant renovation debate could all be cheaply solved by budgeting it in to the rent. Then the work can be carried out by the landlord to his affordable standards. Uncertainty always breeds discontent and is a great money spinner for the lawyers.
Storage space is becoming a little scarce. Nevertheless, prays are sometimes answered and an ex-pat appeared at the right moment needing some furniture and household things. So a few essentials have found a good home.
At the same time, my old van was broken into and a few bags and boxes of this and that stolen. Door locks jammed and side window smashed, fortunately as I had been too busy , the van was still registered and therefore insured. I may be lucky and my insurance will cough up without a fuss.

The van was parked on my parking spot which will also cause me a few problems in the coming weeks. Due to an internal battle with a neighbour who would also like the parking, a person appeared taking pics of my mess ( should have been cleared up years ago, admittedly) and this will be presented to Landlord as a reason to get rid of me. Stuff will soon be gone anyway and then I will not be too concerned about parking. However, shows that you have to watch your backs all the time and keep plan B in your pocket.

I will also be getting a letter from the district office of Hamburg city North as I committed the crime of putting leaflets on car windscreens too near their pitch. I hope I can afford the penalty as this office is very pedantic and fussy. And where else can a fringe set up like mine do affordable advertising?
Getting noticed is becoming so difficult, even special offers are not noticed. I made a mistake and put Strongbow cider at 4 for 5 instead of 3 for 5 and not a reader spotted it or saw the bargain as that is cost price.
This proves a point that lower prices does not always encourage sales. Or that my ads are just not read. Food for thought.
My Theatre appearance went down well here in Berlin and my belly shop was met with admiration and applause, this form of direct advertising is up my street. It has to be as there are not too many volunteers queuing up to humiliate themselves for my greater good.
I asked my local sign maker to fix up the new van and transform it into a roving advertising wagon. He is apparently giving me a good price but he is hardly getting his finger out. Have faith, Robert the wait will be worth it.
The month is coming to an end and the battle to get enough cash onto the bank account begins, A few students still have not paid and that dosh is exactly what I need to pay the credit lines. I only hope that a late spurt of sales will come in again, but it is now the start of holiday time and money is being earmarked for other goals. What the hell, I have done this all my life and it works out and my cats are happy and my dog and the garden is coming out really nice. So I am a lucky man???

Well, the sun was coming down

Written by Peter Mayes

Sunday, 14 June 2009 15:56

Well, the sun was coming down heavy in Neukölln Berlin so We decided to go to the Rixdorfer Brauhaus around the corner from my shop. Beautiful surroundings, romantic fish pond with really monster like fish opening and closing ther mouths as they cruised around. The USP about this place is the beer garden and the beer brewed on the premises. Inside is also large enough to cater for large, loud reunions, (Perhaps, we will organise one ourselves.) 1 litre of fresh cold beer was a mere 5,90 euro. The food is acceptable if you keep to the meat dishes. Their speciality appears to be pork Haxe with fried potatoes.
Last night I went to the open night of Science at the Humboldt University interesting exhibits and I saw what flowers I can eat when the crisis really comes. Also I handed out my leaflets at the British Studies stand.
Everyday a new customer.
Robert Berridge

One way of being financially p

Written by Peter Mayes

Friday, 29 May 2009 10:02

One way of being financially poor but socially rich is swopping our skills with others. Doing tasks for others which may be a chore for them but a pleasure for us. How many of us are underworked and have no outlet for our true callings. Hundreds of people are sitting around with unutilised skills ,as noone has the money to pay for them, all of us too proud or not brave enough to voice our needs and state our skills.
Swopping is difficult as we are easily drawn into a relative values debate. However with the financial crisis slowly eating into lives, perhaps now is the time to rethink this option.
The teeth work for rennovations, the cooking for a tax return, the washing for the weekly shopping, a city tour for maths lessons, cleaning for walking the dog etc.
This can be an alternative whilst one is short of cash but having an abundance of skills.
So lets staring making a list of wants and stating what we can offer`!
Food for thought

A bit more

Written by Peter Mayes

Sunday, 24 May 2009 12:49

Wake up every morning just thinking how I can get a few more sales.
It is all too macabre as here am I sitting in my garden in Berlin while Hamburg is burning, and when I am in Hamburg Berlin is stagnating. Why can´t I clone myself?
The job is so easy. Up at five, do some blogging, hand out leaflets, give a lesson or two, open up, prepare for or find next exhibition, invent an event, take a bit of money and get ready for the next challenge.
I heard on the radio that our President Kohler wants the people to get more involved in the decision making process. Things must be looking bad if this neo-liberal economist wishes the imput of the common folk. Clever move though to ask us for our opinions as to who should be cut, nice divide and rule tactic.
How about these morons spending a bit more of their money. That would help and spending less time thinking about whether people should be able to decline being putting on life-support systems.( Debate this Thursday).
Healthy people are being wiped out and the well paid moralists are spending millions on futile lives. We have to make the supreme sacrafice sometime as every neo-economist is now saying. Hhen the curve dips too low it has to go.
Have a nice week

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