Living in Karlsruhe – Love at second sight
On Tuesday, 8th August 2017, I held a talk about my blog Living in Karlsruhe at the Karlsruhe Netzstrategen after-hours event. Although I was very nervous, I did have a lot of fun. I was especially thrilled about the artistic accompaniment of the illustrator Maria Karipidou.
#nmfka World Wide Wurst: Karlsruhe Blogger talk about their home online
Every other Tuesday, the Netzstrategen invite to the #nmfka – Netzstrategen after hours event (Netzstrategen machen Feierabend Karlsruhe) where one can chat in a relaxed atmosphere about topics regarding the digital world, drink beer and have a snack.
The event takes place every month and revolves around different mottos. This month, it was called “World Wide Wurst”, and bloggers from Karlsruhe were invited to present their home on the web. I immediately grasped the opportunity and was eager to talk about my own young website, Living in Karlsruhe.
Living in Karlsruhe = My home online
I had attended the Netzstrategen after-hours event various times, still, this time I stood on the other side and talk about a topic myself. I told the story about how I came to the idea of creating and designing my Living in Karlsruhe blog.
I myself have been on the move for the last 13 years, coming originally from Moers in the Lower Rhine Region. After I had settled in a few other locations, I moved for a job from Berlin to Karlsruhe, more specifically from Berlin-Friedrichshain to Jöhlingen. Jöhlingen in Walzbachtal is a small place in the East of Karlsruhe‘s city center. Its idyllic position reminded me of the Auenland. Nevertheless, it was a bit far from the center and its contrast to Friedrichshain was huge. Thus, I had not felt yet at ease in Karlsruhe and it took a while until I discovered all its beautiful locations.
Also, it is not very easy to find a flat to rent in Karlsruhe. However, I did finally succeed to find something comfortable during the previous spring. I have been living in Karlsruhe Durlach ever since, and can finally say I that I feel at home in Karlsruhe. I have gradually fallen in love with the city and its surroundings. The wonderful scenery, the black forest and the Alsace turns out to be perfect for a hike. The cultural and entertainment options are very diversified and still assessable, so that one can often see familiar faces.
For a while I had the urge of creating an own website. Since Karlsruhe is a very international location, the idea came to mind that I could combine locally, regionally and internationally interesting topics and events and publicize my reports on the website. Also, the wealth of technological undertakings in the Karlsruhe area were to be done justice to, as well.
Thus, ever since March 2017 I have found a home in the world wide web at Living in Karlsruhe.
Was does “home” mean?
According to the dictionary Duden home is:
A country, an area or a locality in which one has been born, raised or which one has accommodated to. (It often expresses a particular emotional connection regarding a place).
For me, Karlsruhe has been my home for the last four years as well as North Rhine-Westphalia, my former home, where my family lives. Thus, I can relate to both parts of the DUDEN‘s definition of “home”, if one can find a proper definition at all. To me, home is an emotion, and I have felt almost everywhere I had lived, except in Jöhlingen. 😉
I have asked various attendants to the event how they define the meaning of home. This is what some of them have told me.
Wurde gerade gefragt #wasistheimat? Was ist es für euch? Für mich, der Ort wo ich sterben will.Und hier lebe ich: Karlsruhe #nmfka
— Reiseaufnahmen (@reiseaufnahmen) August 8, 2017
(I was just asked #whatishome? What is it for you? For me it is the place where I want to die. And this is where I’m living: Karlsruhe. #nmfka)
Heimat ist wo man an der Bude ne gemischte Tüte kaufen kann 🙂 #nmfka #wasistheimat
— Gianna Reich (@GeWirtschaft) August 8, 2017
(Home is where you can get a bag of ‘mixed sweets’ in the kiosk. #nmfka #whatishome)
Frage: Was ist Heimat? Des isch ganz klar: Die Palz! #nmfka #wasistheimat #nichtohnerieslingschorle #pfalz
— Dorfjungs. (@Dorfzwitscherer) August 8, 2017
(Question: What is home? This is very clear: The Palatinate! #nmfka #whatishome #notwithoutrieslingspritzer #Palatinate)
Living in Karlsruhe = Possibility to learn and experience many things
On my website I write both in English and German and my goal is, of course, to publish every article in both tongues. In this, however, I rarely succeed, due to time constraints. A Chinese student actually informed me that she and her Chinese colleagues rarely read English parts, and prefer the German language. Thus, I decided to vary between these two languages.
I have started to plan the website as early as September 2016. The actual setting was facilitated by my acquaintance, the developer Kai Wilzer. Thus, I was able to go online in March this year. The fact that I have learned so much is probably the most important outcome of constructing the website: Working with WordPress and paying attention to Internet rights – supported by the IT solicitor Timo Schutt Timo Schutt.
I am still learning how to prepare and design my articles appropriately, but also how to say no. With the blog I have been discovering so much more great events, but leisure time is not infinite, which is why I have to make a choice…
Furthermore, I have had the amazing chance to meet great people and attend interesting events, like, e.g. the Independent Days Filmfest here in Karlsruhe.
I work with guest authors and arrange interviews concerning local, international and innovative Topics. For the future I‘d like to get acquainted to more and more international citizens of Karlsruhe and find out what journey has led them here to stay and how they have accommodated.
#nmfka meets graphic recording: accompaniment by illustrator Maria Karipidou
It was sheer luck that Maria Karipidou Maria Karipidou, a graphic illustrator, was attending the event as well. She accompanied the talks with her graphic recording. Maria is a freelance illustrator from Karlsruhe and works for different national and international publishing houses for children books and advertising agencies. She has been doing graphic recording for a while, visually accompanying various talks and presentations.
Maria‘s illustration of my talk around Living in Karlsruhe turned out to be wonderful. Many Thanks, Maria! A nice frame is the only thing missing. 😉
Many Thanks to the Netzstrategen, for letting me talk about Living in Karlsruhe!
Images:
Title image © Isabel Schrage
1st image © Christoph Thomas
Portrait Maria Karipidou © Maria Karipidou
Illustration of Maria Karipidou © Johanna Wies
English translation: Sandra Bihlmaier
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