Jährliches Archiv: 2024

My Trip to Copenhagen – 2024

Day 1 - Lift off!

Finally overcoming my fear of flying, the day after a fantastic B2B Kick Off at Deutsche Telekom, I took all my courage and hoped on the train to Cologne / Bonn Airport!
Dodging flying for over 8 years, it was finally time to fly again. My fear of flying still persisted, so this was a bad experience but as I had a lovely time in Copenhagen, it was worth overcoming this fear and get time to relax after my first semester.
Landing in the afternoon, I took the train to my AirBnb.
Two small rooms in a calm neighborhood, the host was a kind and with 10 minutes of walk to the next train station, it was the perfect stay for a student and for the next 4 days.
After switching clothes, I immediately headed to Copenhagen center, to have a peak at the city and grab something to eat.
Getting off at NyHavn, I got a sneak peek of the days to come. Although already dark outside, the beautiful lit row of houses and boats decorated with fairy lights was a lovely sight.
For my first meal in Copenhagen I headed to Broens Street Food, as unfortunately the world-famous Reffen Street Food festival was out of season.
I got to eat my first, also world-famous, Gasoline Burger! A very good and very very tasty Burger no doubt, but for me a perfect Burger needs to have salad and tomato. – Nonetheless I took my Burger and went for a walk next to the channel, absorbing the atmosphere of the city.

Day 2 - 30K & Good Food

My first full day in Copenhagen!
Starting with a lovely breakfast in ø12 Eatery, I order myself a cappuccino and „Eggs Benedict with salmon on crispy sweet potato -bubble and squeak cake“.
A breakfast made in heaven, the day started on a high.

Already having walked for 10.000 Steps, I checked the map and saw a Metro station nearby. I already heard about the state of the art Metro in Copenhagen, so I was eager to check it out, JUST to find out Metro 1 & 2 were closed for repairs…
Making the best of it, I hopped on a train to the main station and walked to NyHavn.
Even in daylight, NyHavn was beautiful and interesting.

Walking on to the Castellet – I passed small lovely streets to „art nouveau“ houses, Copenhagen has a perfect mix of beautiful and well-maintained buildings.
The mixture of buildings and quality reminded me a lot of Munich.
Entering the Castellte Park from the south, first I came by the windmill. Enjoying the nature and sun, I walked past the red barracks to the little mermaid.
To be blandly honest, I was a bit underwhelmed and expected a lot more. Nonetheless, it’s still a point of interest you don’t want to miss.

Day 3 - Nature & History

Starting out the 3rd day, the weather was perfect for what I had planned, very foggy and mild rainy.
Heading to the architectural modern looking Planetarium – I found out that they have an IMAX dome, so I planed to watch a film there. AND it was breathtaking!
After flying through the stars, it was time to get back to the ground, so next I headed to the Bionic Gardens.
Heading into the plant building, with not too many expectations, I was stunned by the many different interesting plants they had and really enjoyed my visit.
Finishing my plans for the day, I visited Rosenborg Slot, which i can also highly recommend.

 

Day 4 - Animals & Water

For my Copenhagen trip, I had booked the Copenhagen card which allows you to visit many attractions and take the public transport around the city for free.
If you ever visit Copenhagen, buy one!
Already having been to all the attractions I mentioned for free, I used my last day in to use the Copenhagen card to its fullest.
Starting in the Zoo, I saw many beautiful and interesting animals. From red pandas, elephants to apes, Copenhagen Zoo is worth a visit.
After spending half the day watching and learning about animals, I finally went to drive the Metro!
From one end to another I watched the Metro drive itself through tunnels, through building blocks right to the airport. Next I drove back to Nybrogade to hop onto a boats tour, which also was included in the card.
It was a long ride about 2 hours, but it was well worth it, from seeing the small channels to the big boats and the beautiful city and opera in the nighttime, my trip in Copenhagen ended on a high.

WeiterlesenMy Trip to Copenhagen – 2024

Why do people play Dungeons and Dragons?

So why do people play DnD?  This is not so easy to anwser, especialy as will not be the same for everyone but I will try to lay down my ideas and though on why people like it and what makes it fun.
To start I would first go about why I like playing DnD.

Why do I like to play Dungeons and Dragons?

Fights

Blandly, I like to fight!
The intense moments of multiple characters/friends being at the brink of death, while you perform a heroic and critical decision, just feels amazing and rewarding.
The feeling of everyone surviving with just 1 HP (Hit Points) really bonds everyone and makes me connect to my character like nothing else.
Furthermore, the many different decisions you can take while fighting make it feel alive and always different. Fighting coupled with the team play for example, when combining said actions, is what makes the fights feel alive and make them fun.
„Do I strike with my Hand, Axe, Sword or do I cast magic, shoot an arrow, yell at them….“ Just intrigues me and leaves a lot of tactical depth, regarding the many choices you have.

The fight helps to bring the rest of the world and story to life and gives it stakes as well as a deeper meaning, as a fight will always bear the risk of someone dying.

Also for me, I really love to get to know new enemy types.
We are very lucky as we play with selfprinted figurines *Which I can highly recommend*
This helps to bring more immersion into the fights, and I wouldn’t miss it at ANY cost.

 

Exploring and Creating Worlds

From deep caves, majestic citys to dence forests and wild seas.
I love to create these magical places as an DM – spending hours on hours to bring a massive city to life.
For me its always important that my players can do what every they want in such a big city, without it feeling hollow and repetitive. From secret Bathing houses to big casinos and shady characters i love to give my players opportunities to find these things and even ask if anything of the sort might be around.

But not every environment or story is settled in a city. Therfore I love describing the scenery, if its very epic, dark, happy and so on, I always will try to create a certain feel in my players.

Also on the other side, while playing myself discovering these new places and imagining them in my head, has its own unique reitze. Not knowing what comes next, what the next tree might look like, intrigues me deeply.
My urge to see and adventure new places can never be stiled and imersing myself into the environment, helps me to bring the world alive.

 

What makes playing Dungeons and Dragons so special for other?

Although, Fights and Exploring are probably also very important aspects for many players, I think that Role Playing makes it special for most people.
Sure, I can only speak about my own experiences and the various groups I saw play on YouTube, but the most important moments always seem to relate to a death, wether an emotional or a funny momemt, of a character or the group.
Many people seem to connect very deeply to their characters, as naturally many people tend to play themselves or make the character align with their own ideals and interests. Which has its own problems in its own right, but that is a topic for another time.
So as many players connect to their character, like its themself, if something happens to them or any character they care about, they are emotionally invested and have real emotions towards them. Especially after already spending a long time with a character that dies, I made the experience that many people are shaken as they feel like someone real just died.
But it’s not all about death, also the funny and epic moments tend to stick around in many players heads, for the epic heroics to the failed rolls and misadventures.
To answer this question, everyone has their own reasons that make Dungeons and Dragons special for them, and that is what makes it suitable for many different types of people.

WeiterlesenWhy do people play Dungeons and Dragons?

My Top 5 films of 2023

As 2023 comes to a close and 2024 starts, I want to once again talk about the best films I watched in the past year.
This year has been a weaker one, as the SAG-AFTRA in Hollywood striked. A very important strike that will secure many actors and authors in Hollywood a better future and once again shows how many smaller actors struggle and the hard work that goes into these productions every day, to bring us the best films possible.
Talking about films, here are my Top 5 of 2023. Enjoy.

5 - Rye Lane [8/10]

Starting with a smaller film. No theatrical release in Germany. Only streaming on Disney.
But Rye Lane, shouldn't be slept on. Taking us on a journey through a beautiful, fascinating and lively London, this film and its crazy characters, tell us a very honest story about love.
Although I missed Past Lives in the cinemas, I got to witness another unique and heartwarming, film about love, not traditionally romantic, but more of a modern, honest and touching take. The dialogues are not realistic, very "arthousy", but you got to go with it and you will find a great budget film, that very likely went by the most people and subscribers.

4 - Evil Dead Rise [8/10]

Probably the only Horror movie that will ever be on this list.
This one really caught me off guard, Sam Rami having a huge impact on me in my childhood, with his famous Spiderman Trioligy. Unforunatly Sam Ramis more recent films, were disappointing, so I wasn't expecting as much this time around.
Fortunately - this time - Sam Rami seems to have got back to his grips with his beloved series, with creative, intense and never seen before bloody ideas. He once again showed why he is one of the greatest Horror film creators. With the compelling story, unique and fitting humour as well as new and fresh feeling ideas, he perfects a film that in hindsight doesn't tell too much story but a lasting one.

3 - Mission Impossible [8/10]

As this list continues to surprise me. Also, this action hit starring Tom Cruise and his now classic Mission Impossible crew surprised me.
Unfortunately, this one underperformed massively and they even delayed the 2nd Part.
Although this 8th film out of the franchise, starts with one of the most intense opening sequences I have seen in a looooong time, directly hooking you and pressing you into your seat.
Through out this film we get some amazing action sequences and new interesting characters are introduced. Furthermore, this 8th part isn't lacking the humor either, with some creative jokes and funny scenes. Probably the people grew tired of this franchise. That is the only reason I see why this one underperformed.

2 - The Creator [8/10]

Finally, a movie that I could have predicted to be on this list and I also hoped it would be. The Creator comes with a stunning visual set and fantastic visual effects for a small budget. This film should show everyone that good visual effects for smaller films can be affordable and still look good. In the cinema I got feelings of Blade Runner meets Star Wars, this is not surprising as director Gareth Edwards also directed Rouge One: A Star Wars Story. Although some aesthetics remind me of his previous work, this world still feels real and believable and could even be a possible future.
Let's talk AI, if anyone didn't know 2023 was a revolutionary year for AI and this film picks up on these topics and asks the classic question what does it mean to be human. Therefore, you could almost label The Creator as a cyberpunk film but just missing the key dystopian vibe that makes it more a Sci-Fi film. Nonetheless, this film captures the risks and possibilities of advanced AI perfectly, although I would bet it's just coincidence that this film released in the year where AI got popular.
I highly recommend this one, if you liked Rogue One and love creative, real-world esk Sci-Fi visuals.

1 - Spiderman Across the Spider-Verse [9/10]

The number one spot this year takes a marvelous animation film, which had some bad press in the background about working conditions and unfortunately one of the best films this year can't make enough of an impact to change these.
Nonetheless, we once again follow Miles Morales, now one of the most iconic Spiderman to venture through the Spider-Verse. With a more of a subtle approach, for me, the first movie was one to kick off the cinema Multiverse Hype. With just introducing some characters from other Verses and a truly emotional and new spin to Spiderman, they suck many people into the idea of Multiverses.
So no surprise the 2nd part of this new Story was eagerly awaited and it delivered. This time there were many many more and unique characters. Fortunately the film doesn't get overloaded with them and like the first one has funny yokes and unique multiverse ideas.
All these beautiful animations and unique takes really made me love this one. If you liked the first one, you will like this one as well.
So why did this one not score a 10/10 for me like the first one did?
It's down to the story in many beats being predictable, but also about the ending where i am not even sure where this one was heading. As this is planned to be first parts of a doulogy, this one will in a big part then only as relevant for me as its impact on the 2nd part as well as how much i will like the 2nd one.
Furthermore, without sounding too negative about my Top 1, I really loved the more "grounded" story of the first part, you really felt like you could self be Miles as well as the city felt big and alive, like a real place.
Those are my ONLY negative points, the rest is just truly great.
A MUST watch even in 2024.

Pictures:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15893750/mediaviewer/rm3084462337/?ref_=tt_ov_i
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13345606/mediaviewer/rm1828666369/?ref_=tt_ov_i
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9603212/mediaviewer/rm462890241/?ref_=tt_ov_i
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11858890/mediaviewer/rm1268080129/?ref_=tt_ov_i
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9362722/mediaviewer/rm1009725185/?ref_=tt_ov_i

WeiterlesenMy Top 5 films of 2023
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