Everybody has that one movie- or TV-series they’re crazy about – whether it’s Harry Potter, Star Wars, Game of Thrones, or The Walking Dead – just to name a few. And once you watch one movie or episode, you can sometimes barely stop yourself from binge watching the whole series or season. But actually why shouldn’t you?
The planning
First of all, you need a suitable partner: he or she has to be at least as crazy as you are about what you’re going to watch, and you have to like them enough to spend a long time with them (sometimes not as easy as it seems). Then you need to consider where to watch. You might have to talk to your roommates if you plan to block the TV for several hours (or simply force them to participate), or you can take your own laptop. You also need to set a date: a weekend is probably the best idea, because after you’ve been watching TV the whole night, you might not be very productive the next day. Depending on how long the marathon is going to be, you might want to start in the morning, so you don’t lack a night’s sleep right at the beginning.
Getting closer to the big day
You should calculate the time you need to watch – which can be anything from “only” about 4 ½ hours for the first season of The Walking Dead (well, you can still watch more than one if that’s not enough – you can’t really stop after a finale anyway, can you?) over 8 ½ hours for a season of Game of Thrones, and up to over 20 hours for all eight Harry Potter movies. And don’t forget to include pauses to go to the bathroom and to prepare food! Depending on how long you’re going to be watching that might include breakfast, lunch and supper, plus some snacks and coffee or energy drinks to stay awake.
It’s showtime!
When the day has finally arrived, grab your Hogwarts House scarf, the One Ring to rule them all or your Jedi (or Sith) outfit, or whatever else you think is suitable for the occasion and enjoy the show!
Author: Sophia Brandt
Picture: Noemi Hehl
When visiting California, USA, there are a lot of different things to see that come to mind. Whether it’s San Francisco with the Golden Gate Bridge, the Victorian Houses and Pier 39, Los Angeles with its famous Sunset Blvd., Beverly Hills and Hollywood, Monterey with its great Monterey Bay Aquarium and Whale Watching Tours or national parks like Yosemite or fun parks like Disneyland, these sights are all well known and you already know about these tourist magnets I’m sure. But what you mightn’t already have heard of is “Christmas in the Park”, which takes place every year for about five weeks in San Jose.
hundred decorated Christmas trees on display in the park, which is located in Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park in Downtown San Jose. The trees are decorated with different kinds of ornaments by school classes, kindergarten classes, local companies and community organizations. Every tree is very unique and shines with all its really individual embellishments. In addition to firs, you’ll find a set of displays that are set up lovingly. There are, for example, elf woodcrafters, a candy store, a Little Swiss Clockmaker’s Shoppe, a melting snowman and let’s not forget Santa’s booth. Of course, there are also vendors – food or other merchandise – so everyone will find a way to spend money, if they want to.
Obviously, Christmas in the park is a well-designed family venue, as it offers a lot for kids to discover. They’re bound to love the fact that Santa’s actually sitting there in his booth and they can tell him about their dearest wishes for Christmas, while their parents are taking snapshots. For those who prefer to have professional photos, there’s even a photographer. The quality pictures can be picked up a few minutes later. But not only are the youngest among us bound to enjoy the decorated park. The festive trees might also give adults some new ideas for trimming their own tree at home – or they can simply enjoy the park.
What I really liked during my visit was the special atmosphere. You can walk around the park with all the nicely-decorated trees and the other festive displays. It can’t be compared to a “Christkindlesmarkt” that we’ve been very familiar since we were small. While you’re surrounded by the holiday glitter, you se e the large palm trees in the Californian setting, which gives you a unusual kind of experience, especially if this is the first time you’ve spent the holiday season away from the usual “Let’s hope there’s snow at Christmas” thinking. Don’t hope for snow in San Jose because, you know, it’s not gonna happen.
I actually can’t sum it up in more detail, since the main point of this play is that what you see isn’t 100% clear. For example, if you watch A Mid-summer Night’s Dream, you have a clear storyline to follow (they’re in love, they flee, chaos ensues, they get back together, happy end). You also have clearly defined characters with their own traits, which you discover while watching or reading. But 4.48 Psychosis doesn’t provide you with such things. Personally, I wasn’t entirely sure about anything. I was constantly wondering. I was wondering if the doctors really treat her like that, or if it’s just how she sees them treating her. I was wondering if some scenes actually happened, or if they were just a product of the patient’s imagination or even dreams. I was wondering what might have caused her to feel so bad in the first place…
But the fascination I experienced was not only as a result of the play itself. Because, as we all know, no matter how good a play is, if you have bad actors, it’s worth nothing at all. Fortunately, the university has some amazingly talented students. They were all brilliant, especially Anna Hilbel, who did a fantastic job in the lead role. The amount of text she had to learn was incredible (trust me – there’s a ton of really long, hard monologues in this one), and I was amazed by the feelings she puts into her performance. I believed EVERYTHING. I believed her anger, her despair, her love… everything. At this point, I really have to give credit to Mr. Beck as well, for directing and coaching. The play allows every director a lot of freedom to make it theirs – and he nailed it.
Outlander
Laura