Hello my lovelies!

Welcome to this week’s Weekend Coffee Share. How are you? Come on in and I make us a pot of coffee or tea, depending on what you prefer. It’s getting colder already and that even though summer is not over until the 23rd.

If we were having coffee today I’d tell you that I spent most of the week preparing for two courses at university. World Cultures and Communication & Human Relations. I’m hoping to get both done by the end of October.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you a bit about last weekend. There was the flea market, yes, but we also had a local election for our new lord mayor. And it saddens me to report that out of 127,000 registered voters only 36% went along to the polling station. Next Sunday we’ll have another election as the low number of voters meant the result was inconclusive. Only the top 2 candidates will be eligible this time round.

I have absolutely no understanding for people who do not vote. If some legitimate reason prevents them from voting, that’s fine. I myself could not vote in Germany’s General Election once because I was living abroad. But I still voted for my UK local councillor, because it affected me. If you’re on holiday or unable to walk to the polling station, vote by mail. It’s a right and a privilege. If you do not agree with the candidates, go along anyway and leave the card blank. That will say more than not going at all. Because by not going you’ll be labelled “lazy” and that you didn’t go out of protest will not be discernible from those who just couldn’t get their arses off the couch for 5 minutes. And not being informed is not an excuse. There’s plenty of material on all candidates.

If you didn’t vote and you live in a free and democratic country, please do me a favour and walk up to refugees and explain why you couldn’t be bothered to simply put a cross next to the name that represents your ideals the best. Because you cannot tell me that if all the people currently seeking refuge from war-torn countries run by dictators had guaranteed fair and free elections, that just one of them would not use their right to get their voice heard and counted. Even today there are people who do not have the right to vote. There are countries still in which women do not have that right at all. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s a relatively small election for a new mayor or a General Election – a vote is a vote.

Sorry, I had to rant there. But 36% is a very poor show.

If we were having coffee, I’d show you a few photos, as my End of Summer recap of my travels is now online.

If we were having coffee, I’d also show you these:

They are Field Notes sized Study Planners. One Weekly Schedule – with a classic Week on 2 Pages layout, an overview for Assignments and grades and one booklet per course to note the focus of each module, the assignments, required reading and any thoughts and ideas as well as info that might come in handy when I get to write my thesis.

My Week on 2 Pages layout. Undated, dates later added with my fountain pen. I write the deadlines and submission dates for assignments in the colour attributed to the course so I know which one’s which. © Cornelia Kaufmann

Inside of my Assignments & Grades inserts, a page for all course info, and a list of assignments, the percentage I got, the grade it equals, the weight per assignment (because some might only count 30% towards the total etc.) and the date I handed it in. © Cornelia Kaufmann

Running tally of my grades so it’s easier to calculate my overall average grade. FN size insert. © Cornelia Kaufmann

Yearly Planner in the front of my Study Schedule. There is one for 2015 and one for 2016, followed by 53 Weekly inserts. I mark each course with a different colour and note the start and end date and X marks extension deadlines. That way I know exactly ow long I’ve got per course and I think it’s a neater overview than drawing lines. FN sized insert. © Cornelia Kaufmann

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I am slowly falling in love with the Field Notes size. They’re handy, about the size of my Sony Xperia smartphone. I still love the original, regular Midori size, but the small one does have its own charm.

If we were having coffee today, I’d also tell you that I read Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane this week and absolutely loved it! If you haven’t read it yet you should check it out!

If we were having coffee I’d probably end this by saying “I want my own dragon.” And not just any dragon, I want a Night Fury like Toothless. Yes, I watched How to train your Dragon, and I love how cute Toothless is. Basically, he’s a combination of cat and dog personalities, the size of a horse and wings like a bat. If I can’t keep a dragon in the city I’d settle for a black cat with green eyes – Though I’d still quite like that dragon.

Well, that’s it from me I think. Thank you for having coffee with me, but I need to get back to my uni work. One year ago today I got confirmation that I had been accepted on this course, which means I only have exactly a year left – and up to 6 months of that will be my thesis. So I need to get a move on. If all goes to plan I should be done with the proper courses in January or early February.

Please check out the other Weekend Coffee Sharers and our hostess Diana at Part Time Monster as well.

Same time, next week?