When asking someone to help take a picture for you...

Taking pictures : Girls vs Boys

GIRLS

*takes multiples pictures from different angles, varying between landscape & portrait*

"Adjust your hair. Turn a little to the right. Wait I'm trying to get more clouds into the picture"

Outcome, multiple different types of pictures to choose from.

BOYS

*takes one photo*

"Here! You got a picture!"

Outcome, one picture with only half the body & a huge expanse of empty space above your head.

#selfie

Dachau Concentration Camp

Visited a concentration camp during one of our days in Munich. For the uninitiated, concentration camps were where Jews, homosexuals, political prisoners & so on were imprisoned, tortured & put to death by Nazis in Germany. I believe one of the "worst" concentration camps is located in Berlin. "Worse" in terms of magnitude of torture & general depravity of humanity.

The Dachau Concentration Camp in Munich consisted mostly of political prisoners, so to that extent they were treated a little "better" than the Jews. Terms of comparisons all in inverted commas because well, it's a comparison of who suffered more where. Suffering is suffering.

The overcast grey skies that day suited the setting.

No captions because… what's there to say really?

I feel like here is where I'm expected to write a long dissection of how saddened or horrified I am.

It's sad, of course it is. No person in their right mind could walk through that place & not feel the air heavy with… misery. Misery, mistakes, people in superior positions drunk with the power to hurt & maim. A horrifying display of human nature unchecked.

But really, all I can say is that it's sad. I can't say I "felt their pain" or whatever politically correct thing it is to say. The fact is, I DON'T know at all the horrors of a life living in fear or pain, or even discomfort. I don't have the slightest inkling, & all the media has taught me my entire life is that gore & torture & murder need to get increasingly sadistic & creative to get reactions from viewers.

Frankly, the people who might have the slightly ability to empathise… are the ones who don't have the luxury of going to museums or exhibitions or to even be able to read a book. The people that know fear & hardship have far more pressing concerns than the pain of someone else so far removed from them. So who's left? Us, the ones munching popcorn in cinemas, taking planes & going to Starbucks.

On a completely politically incorrect sidenote, I don't even like beer but German fruit beers are yummy.

Munich, BMW Welt

Yet more pictures from my 2012 winter holidays to Europe! Gosh… wonder when I'll be done with these :x And move on to my 2013 summer holidays to Europe… #samethingdifferentyear

So we headed to another big market in Munich! Similarly to the Christmas market… there was nothing to buy. It's the usual touristy or artisanal stuff, so the main thing to go for is the food!

Lots of cool lights at the entrance.

I love this! You can get it in France too (but normal pizza-shaped) & it's basically sort of like a normal pizza except with cream sauce! In French it's called Tarte Flambée, in German Flamkuche.

The crust is very thin & the toppings are onions & little bits of ham.

German sausage in a bun

Warm wine is a pretty popular drink in Germany (Zurich as well); I tried it once I think but I just somehow find the idea of a warm wine really unappealing! It's like… having a flat Coke. Or a lukewarm hot chocolate. Or a melted ice-cream. Basically an antithesis.

But well, I don't particularly appreciate wine itself either (yet).

Hat choice for the day :3

Got up late the next day & headed to a nearby park/lake, followed by the BMW Welt!

I must have woken up really quite late………

'twas already getting dark!

Lying on the grass for selflies… #IKR

Water of the lake froze over! Of course I didn't really dare to put my weight on it though.

Last one :x

Walked over to the BMW Welt after that, which was…

… not very interesting.

I guess guys would be more interested? 

It's basically just a nice architectural building with lots of nice cars.

Pretty cool layout though! Totally reminded me of the movie Cars 2, where the cars drive round & round the showroom/race building as well.

Munich's metro! There's actually no gantry or barrier to just hopping onboard for free, but they do have occasional ticket inspectors. And the fine is 40 Euros if I remember correctly. Depends on your luck!

Hehe another hat choice of the day :3

I think I brought 3 beanies & 1 hat for this trip :3