There seems to be a new trend – adding quotation marks to rather simple items such as in “cheese” burger. This would imply that the burger is made with something else than real cheese on top.

Well, some Germans like to add apostrophes to ads, e.g. steak’s, T-shirt’s, etc.

See the cheese burger ad for yourself on The Guardian.

For now, Guten Appetit!, and all the while wondering, what kind of topping this could be…

Guest post: The makings of the film Reflections with Broken Edges – by Ina Fischer (1st AD/Casting Director)

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Three years ago I graduated from Frankfurt International School (FIS). In three months time, I will have finished my Bachelor of Arts degree in Film & Television Production.

Time has become somewhat of a “wibbly wobbly” concept, as Doctor Who would say. Not long ago, it seems, I was fretting about my Extended Essay. Now I am working on my final project for university – a short film that was ‘commissioned’ (minus the financial aspect) by my course’s professors over the summer.

I came up with the story for the film around this time last year, while writing yet another reflective essay and listening to my iTunes in the background. Joshua Kadison’s song The Bubble Man started playing and, although I had listened to it a hundred times before, I suddenly started seeing the story of the song play out in front of my eyes. Kadison’s story-telling abilities are unique – one of his albums is quite fittingly titled Troubadour in a Timequake – and as such, the American songwriter is a great inspiration for human conflict, emotions, and distinctive characters.

The Bubble Man tells the story of an unnamed narrator who walks along Venice Beach and sees an old man blowing bubbles. The old man has promised himself to love the world the best he can, mesmerizing young and old alike as the giant bubbles float toward the sun.

I wanted to get to know this old man more. What kind of people does he meet every day? What do the people on the boardwalk think about him? How does his motto of loving the world influence others?

This bubble man, shaped by time and children’s smiles, appeared almost magical to me – as though he has been stood there on the boardwalk for decades, with generations of kids chasing his bubbles. Children grow up with this kindhearted figure, eventually taking their own children to see the bubble man.

I really wanted to tell the story of the bubble. That is how Charlie and Reflections with Broken Edges was born.

In life we take some things for granted, and it is only when they are gone that we truly appreciate the impact they have had on us. Set in the beautiful Lake District, Cumbria, the film tells the heartfelt story of Charlie Marshall. We follow his life from his early childhood, as he visits the bubble man for the first time, to present day fatherhood. One day, he discovers that the old man has disappeared. Finding him terminally ill in hospital, Charlie has to come to terms with losing a lifelong friend. With new-found perspective in the wake of his loss, Charlie begins to reflect on his life.

Reflections with Broken Edges is a poetic, magical film about friendship and trust, about attempting life each day with a smile.

And you can help make it happen by visiting our IndieGogo campaign page: www.indiegogo.com/Reflections-With-Broken-Edges. Any support is greatly appreciated, as we strive to make this the best graduation film yet.

Update received via e-mail on 16 Feb 2012:

The official title of the film will now simply be ‘Reflections’.

What I had earlier disregarded as a hype on the internet, has changed after watching this clip. It was informative and ACTAs purpose was well illustrated. A couple of times though, the word choice was a bit too attention-grabbing. Nevertheless, I recommend watching it.

Definitions cited from the clip provider:

ACTA – ‘The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement’ is a proposed plurilateral agreement for the purpose of establishing international standards on intellectual property rights enforcement.

ACTA would establish a new international legal framework that would create its “own governing body outside existing international institutions” such as – the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) or the United Nations.

Watch this to learn more about ACTA and its possible trails:

The article Higher Education amid Financial Meltdown on today’s University World News points to some interesting facts, such as the expected drop in U.K. university applications, the migration of U.K. students to apply elsewhere, and the effect of the overall transnational academic mobility and migration.

Our son, a senior at Frankfurt International School, has applied to five universities in the U.K. And yes, starting university autumn 2012, we have to pay  £9,000 (US$ 14,200) in annual tuition fees.

Just like many other parents, we will be sitting here wondering if and how many colleges will accept him. Additionally, the criterion of getting accepted has been made more difficult by raising the International Baccalaureate (IB) points.

On the other hand, applications by U.K. born-students  have dropped 15.1% due to the increase in tuition fees.

I can foresee a great shift in academic education around Europe. Mobility in academics, among an increasing competitiveness, might just become the norm.

Starting 6 Dec 2011, Katia Fox’s book The Copper Sign has become available in English.

I read the German version about a year ago and was immediately captured by Katia’s writing style. In the end, I read all three books, with the first two The Copper Sign and The Silver Falcon being my favorites.

The second book also got me interested in falconry, which prompted a visit to the same falconry, where Katia had done her research on the topic.

The Copper Sign is a historical novel, set in the 13th century in medieval England. Ellenweore, the main character, is a young girl aspiring to become a sword smith. She manages to enter an apprenticeship and dreams of forging the perfect sword for the King someday.

She has to overcome many obstacles on her journey, all the while depicted as a strong protagonist. This historical fiction, with interesting tidbits along the way, makes for a very good read. The writing is so good that I am contemplating reading the same book once more – in English, this time.