Wasserhöchstdruckarbeiten

Sometimes it’s quite mundane things that bring a little zest into everyday life. Like the German language for example.

The week was mainly characterized by lists and anticipation. It was my last week in Basel before finally heading to New York again. There are always a lot of things that need to be organized before a change of location. Even if I’m only away for a few weeks, as in this case. Although I’ve developed a certain routine by now, it’s still always a bit of a challenge to get everything under one roof before I can finally close the door behind me and start my trip.  I have learned that it is important to tackle the known and planable things well in advance. Because after all, unforeseen things usually crop up that need to be dealt with at the last minute.

A joyful commissioned work

Besides all the organizational and mainly building management stuff, I had another creative job on the list this week that was a lot of fun. It was a book cover for a book that a friend from New York has written and will publish in September. As soon as it’s ready, I’ll write about it again. For the artwork on the cover, she wanted a collage like the ones I sometimes make in New York from the inside of envelopes that I always receive in the post there. I got some ideas for this after reading her book, a collection of short stories from her life. Most of the time, these ideas come up somewhere while I’m doing completely different things. Showering, for example, or watering the garden. After a sketching phase in which I formulated these ideas a bit, the execution of the commission began at my work table in the studio with tracing paper, cutting mat and knife. Because I work so much on the computer, I’m always happy when I can work manually and enjoy the feel of the materials, the paper, the tools… My friend really liked my proposal and after a round of feedback, the cover was finished.

Winding down in nature

My weekly visit to my father was not so trivial. Unfortunately, due to his dementia, he always provides negative surprises. If the time with him was too exhausting, I always have to treat myself to a moment in nature afterwards before heading back into the city. I thought of the grain fields that cover the landscape with their golden hue at this time of year and that it would probably be the last opportunity to enjoy them before the harvest. On a short walk, I immersed myself in summer. I love these fields and the wind that plays in them as the shadows of the clouds drift across the landscape. In between, cherry trees, walnut, and apple trees on which the fruit is ripening. It’s simply beautiful to watch what you eat every day grow. It creates a certain connection and allows you to be part of this wonderful cycle.

Grammar fun

Sometimes it’s quite ordinary things that brighten up everyday life. You can find them everywhere if you go through life with open eyes and an open heart. When I went jogging on Friday, there was suddenly this sign on the road: Wasserhöchstdruckarbeiten! It’s part of German grammar that you can write nouns together to create new meanings for words. Instead of writing “Arbeiten mit Wasser unter höchstem Druck” (works in progress with water under the highest pressure), a single word in German suffices: Wasserhöchsdruckarbeiten. Simple, right? Since I’ve been writing regularly (I usually start my days writing morning pages), I often stumble across the subtleties of the German language and find it very exciting to express myself with, despite or perhaps because of its complexity.

Up and away

I ended the week with my trip across the Atlantic and the storm of emotions that came with it. The relief of having done everything and now being able to leave everyday life in Basel behind me for a while. Saying goodbye to the sky full of swifts, which will start their return journey to Africa in my absence. The joy at how smoothly public transport works in Switzerland and the handling at Zurich airport. The tears that the plane taking off brings to my eyes when I feel its power and this indescribable feeling of taking off and flying away. To be able to see the world from above and arrive somewhere completely different in just a few hours. How many thousands of years did it take for mankind to be able to fly and we are lucky enough to be living exactly in the time when this is possible.

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