Blog / Chronik

At the time of this writing, there are 38 breweries in Rhode Island that are members of the RI Brewers Guild. More pop up all the time. Craft beer is a part of life for many Rhode Islanders (and many of these breweries decorate their walls with photos of beaches and lighthouses!)

A brewery is a place to enjoy. To celebrate. To rememeber. To forget. To make questionable decisions. To people watch. To play. To socialize. To relax and unwind. To think. To stop thinking.
A brewery can be whatever you’d like it to be.
Today, it was a place to write, a distraction from life’s troubles. Reggae music, the falling of dusk, water rings on the table, and my little notebook with scribbles of thoughts and poetry.

FG4H+4R South Kingstown, Rhode Island 

It’s one of this tiny, little, kind of secret spots at my working place. Hidden in plain sight it sits there in between various other, way more “screaming” attractions. It’s a decades old Backlit Miracle for me and again it’s a sad fact that photos are so very limited in what they can actually bring to other people’s senses. It’s usually not only the sensation of all those different shades and colours that shine through that window but also how each and every Patchwork Piece there feels when gently touched. My favourite one is the one that looks quite bumpy whereas it’s actually pretty smooth with just a little bit of ups and downs inside. How poetic, how metaphorical all of that sounds now that I’m writing that…

 

87F4+MG9 Linz

Shrimp Mozambique, littleneck steamers, watermelon salad, seasoned french fries, tuna steak, bife a casa, classic rock on the speakers, and maybe just a little too much beer…
In good company, the American camper life might not be so bad after all.

C5F5+HQ North Stonington, Connecticut

PS – Don’t tell my brother about this!

After all my journeys to foreign countries it’s Haribo, Kellogg’s, Heinz, Knorr, Pepsi-Cola, Red Bull and all those other transcontinental brands that make me realize how far globalization has advanced in the past two decades. Uniformity everywhere. Boring uniformity. No matter if it’s on the shelves inside a Spar or Billa supermarket from over here or all the equivalents that I have been to in Japan, Germany or, of course, the U.S..

But then, sometimes, unexpected things happen. Things that are not only unbelievable but – at least for my humble but curious, far-travelled mind of an Austrian supermarket consumer – stunningly unbelievable.

The case: on the American East Coast – a painful ankle. Someone’s seeking advice from “Nurse Stefan” on the other side of the Atlantic. My suggestion: the application of a so-called “Topfenwickel” – something that’s a very traditional and very proven home remedy over here in Austria – particularily for any of such unwanted, uncomfortable medical conditions like inflammated ankles. The very basic principle behind the “Topfenwickel” is to absorb heat. With cheese.

What follows is a look into my dictionary. It says that the German word “Wickel” translates to “compress” in English – niiice. However, the word “Topfen” yields no result or translation at all. Nothing. Only the German (not Austrian) variant of this word – “Quark” – translates to “curd.” Hmm. Does that really fit? Suspicion rises. Could it be possible… what if…could it be…that something like Topfen or Quark…does not even exist in the U.S.?!

Indeed. In my research, I come across recipe adaptations by German emigrants who eagerly exchange views and opinions in various forums about which American dairy products most closely match the consistency and taste of German Quark or Austrian Topfen. Unbelievable, right? What is commonplace in my supermarkets over here is apparently nowhere to be found in the land across the Atlantic!

What remains is the dilemma of being unable to bring my advice, the Topfenwickel, to fruition. We nurses often have the problem that we find no peace until another, alternative idea is brought forward…hmm…where was that forum about American substitute products again? And does the ankle still keep on hurting?

XRJF+8M Laakirchen

Oh, youth. “Back in my day,” I used to frequent the punk rock and metal shows. In secret basements, in grungy apartments; blood, sweat, screaming. And the mosh pit! Oida.
I’ve since become an old lady, listening to jazz, sipping tea, with some calming music in the background. I’m now a stranger to the punk scene. It’s a fun place to visit, though, and take some touristy photos (definitely better subject matter than beaches and lighthouses!!), but I never stay for long.

FPV8+56 Middletown, Rhode Island

From the bottom of my heart, I say thank you, Sarah. For that one, so unexpectedly enlightening sentence that emerged during a cheerful evening conversation between us about half a year ago. And that has since proven to be such a unqiue and loyal companion for me. So many times. I’m saying this because it’s precisely this sentence, and the memories and feelings it evokes, that keep making me smile and giggle every time I pass by the above-posted picture that hangs in the nursing home where I am working.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls – “Buama und Mädels” (as we say in the deepest Austrian slang) – exclusively for you, the visitors of our fine blog, I would like to present now the two truly unique Austrian counterparts to Rhode Island’s lighthouses and beaches! The alpine pendants to the usual maritime Atlantic motifs. The Austrian “twins” of many tourist’s dreams, the “Cliché Cousins” so to say – or, maybe even funnier, the centuries old “siblings of romantic merchandise”.

A curtsy and a wink to Mountains & Lakes, please. If Lighthouses & Beaches are the go-to for many photographers in Rhode Island, then these are the “undying evergreens of a muse” for many creatives, businessmen, souvenir makers, and painters from over here – on fridge magnets, postcards, coffee pots and/or throw pillows (to name just a fraction of what’s really circulating out there).

And now I would now like to raise my glass for a very, very special “anniversary toast mix”: “Glück auf!” and “Heave Ho!” to this truly wonderful similarity of slightly overused motifs and all tourist clichés in general, to two full years and  the unbelievable number of a 100+ posts here on the Photograf*in Blog, a full 8 years of a fulfilling and inspiring transatlantic friendship, and perhaps also to the curious fact that it has indeed been half a year now since my unforgettable and transformative trip to Sarah and the U.S. (and bringing the above sentence with me!). Year three, here we go!

2XWJ+99H Eberstalzell

Post 104 marks two years of Photograf*in. Now that is something to smile about.

Wishing you a light and peaceful day. Breathe some fresh air, and look for those little details that might bring some joy to your life. A house painted pink, a happy face in an unexpected location, a photo from a far-off land. Whatever is happening right now, I hope you find a reason to smile.

996F+R8 Charlestown, Rhode Island

Heavy, stiff, stuck, clumsy, petrified – a few adjectives that currently feel like a mirror to me. The silhouette of an intention, a paused motion and that ironic realization that certain Gorgons might have also had some pretty rocky moments in their lives. And now? Of course, listen closely. Mainly inwards. And remember what it feels like to be tickled. That should suffice, I think.

3WV3+38H Edt bei Lambach

As a 90’s kid, I played a lot of Playstation. I’m something of a collector these days. I’d say I have well over 120 games from Playstation, Xbox, NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, Atari, Gameboy, and more. It’s funny. I collect these things, but I no longer play them. In fact, I don’t even own a TV. I’m still accumulating old games, given to me by people who find boxes in their basements or garages. I’ve begun to slowly sell some of my games, keeping only the ones that have the biggest punch of nostalgia for some future day when I might power up an old console.

Would you like to buy a memory?

JGQJ+4R East Greenwich, Rhode Island

Many things, un-obviously.

First and foremost, I too would like to take the occasion of that 101st post on our blog to express my joy and excitement about how we have been continuously filled and maintained it with vivid content for almost two years now. 101 posts over nearly two years…how time flies. Once again, I must say that it doesn’t feel like that at all; everything seems to happen much too quickly. As it happens way too often for me with things that I simply enjoy doing…

I would also like to use this special post for another matter as well. A somewhat melancholic one. It’s about the fact that I have now completed two major trips. Whenever I finish something big and there’s no new, significant challenge on the horizon, that’s when I truly begin to reflect, reminisce, and indulge in memories. Even though I am often joyfully awestruck like a child during a trip or in the middle of the most wonderful moments of far away places, it’s always with a delay that the true size and impact of many memories, moments, and encounters reveal themselves to me. There are many beautiful things that become even more beautiful in retrospect, but then there are also certain things that go in a different direction. Things I would have liked to have done beforehand. Things I had even firmly planned to do, but for various reasons overlooked and ultimately forgot. And which I only unfortunately remember after the trip ends, when the hustle and bustle has subsided…

There are a few honestly. Bigger and smaller ones. This one might be right in the middle of the whole spectrum. And it’s finally time to take it out into the public (and of course to Sarah) in the 101st post of the Photograf’in Blog.

It’s about how, six months ago, I had a definite plan to spend at least one whole evening with talking to Sarah, face-to-face, about all things concerning our blog. Not just to chat about it (which we sometimes do of course), but to really—deeply—discuss it. What are our thoughts on it? What moves us about each other’s posts? What drives us to keep shaping it week after week? What are the things we would like to further develop together or individually – stylistically, in terms of content or otherwise? In which direction do we want to evolve—personally and as blogging photographers? Are there things we dislike? What should we change or avoid to do in the future? Are there aspects that could or should be coordinated? Are there things we haven’t tried yet, that we should discuss before implementing them? Which specific blog posts should we finally celebrate in person—perhaps even with a nice glass of Whaler’s beer—and talk finally personally about and in depth?

These were questions that unfortunately remained in my suitcase. Although we do exchange ideas about such things from a distance, it’s just not the same as doing that sitting next to each other…

And so, I want to nudge this forward a little bit here. Perhaps for the next trip when we meet in person again.

As for why I do this, what’s all of that for…for me…

…because it tickles me anew every Saturday…it doesn’t let me rest (in a good way)…it challenges and relieves and fulfills me…because it also takes a good deal of courage to share this with the wide world—but especially with Sarah (whatever happens to come before my camera or through my mind)…and because it is indeed a true labor of love…

Ah, and the picture? It is of course brimming with symbolism. It was taken not far from where the opening picture *001 was created. This time, however, it’s a dandelion meadow, and in it, a sky-blue bamboo bowl with white, wooden toy-blocks. For me, it’s all the most beautiful dream logic, free and open to all kinds of interpretations. Everyone is welcome.

May this blog continue to be like the fishing line stretched between the houses by the children in the Swedish town in Bullerbü – where that line was always used to exchange lovely and surprising messages with each other all the time.

This one’s for you, Sarah! Prost, Cheers, and Skål! Let me also raise a glass for our Blog and everything in between and beyond!

3WGJ+GFX Fischlham