Wings At Dawn

Categories: Creative Writing · Publication · Social Condition · Through Frog EyesLeave a comment

Now available at a bookstore near you in the USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore, and Germany from Dorrance Publshing Company Inc. : The first novel of Marie Balustrade dealing with controversial social issues that span the globe. The stories are not meant for the reader to swoon over and fall in love momentarily for a shallow romance. Marie Balustrade intends for the audience to cry with her, to be enraged, be disgusted, and after turning the last page, to be more vigilant.  All Balustrade´s books are supported by extensive travel and research, in addition to having been a development worker in Asia for over 15 years…

Proof of Life

Categories: Adventures in my own home · Battling depression · Food Adventures · Photography · Through Frog Eyes · zenLeave a comment

There are days I just want to prove to myself that I can grow things – whether it is from kitchen scraps or a greenhouse, there is always that nagging sensation that my grandmother is looking down sternly upon me and making sure I don’t kill the plant. Living in Germany is expensive in terms of filling your home with plants, so I live by what a friend advised many years ago: buy small and be patient. This attitude has also fostered my love for gardening, because it has encouraged me to try my hand at growing plants from seeds…

When Soul Sisters Visit

Categories: a woman's strength · After-work quickies (Berlin photography) · Berlin Through Frog Eyes · Culture Vulture · Existentialism · Photography · soul sisters · Through Frog Eyes · women of substanceLeave a comment

My Soul Sisters around the world are fundamental to my well-being. Although we live in different countries and can never really plan our next meeting, we remain connected on all levels thanks to all the modern forms of communication. Whether it is a daily text message, a funny photograph or saying, someone always manages to brighten up my day. Phone calls are special, but visits even more so. Yesterday I had the privilege of spending time with one such Soul Sister who is in town for the briefest of times and managed to squeeze me into her busy schedule. Here’s…

Dam! Time to Zip and Shake!

Categories: Existentialism · Photography · Social Condition · Through Frog Eyes · Traveler's TalesLeave a comment

There is a lot to do in the Harz region, regardless of the season you choose to visit. For the winter sports fans, this is of course one of the recommended areas for traditional skiing and cross-country skiing. The Harz in summer is a haven for cyclists, runners, hikers and general outdoors fans. The beauty of being there is that you are not confined to a single activity, and thanks to globalisation, adventure sports has made its way to some of the dams, like the Rappebodetalsperre (Rappbode Dam). When you first read about the road trips to the various dams…

Down From The Hill

Categories: a woman's strength · Culture Vulture · Existentialism · Photography · Through Frog Eyes · Traveler's TalesLeave a comment

For all the Ateneans reading this, I am aware this is a reference to our Alma Matter, which been very much on my mind lately. “Down from the hill, down to the world go I; rememb’ring still, how the bright Blue Eagles fly. Through joys and tears, through the laughing years, we sing our battle song…” It has been five weeks to the day that I had my rendezvous with a parachute and the wind and fractured my shoulder. A weaker, cowardly, frail, and self-pitying person would have remained at home, on the safety of a couch, and healed. It…

Her Hands

Categories: a woman's strength · angels in our midst · Existentialism · Family · Mourning · Nostalgia · Photography · Through Frog EyesLeave a comment

We held hands since the the moment I was born, sometime with anger, others with frustration, but always with love. Her hands were the ones that taught me how to play, eat, cook, explore, and fight back. It was her hands I always sought whenever I woke up from all the reconstructive surgeries I underwent in my life. They were always there to comfort me, reassure my soul that all would be well. I miss those hands in mine, telling me some outrageous story or what program she fell asleep on, or even just holding on to me while walking….

Bridges of Berlin: Rosa-Luxemburg-Steg

Categories: After-work quickies (Berlin photography) · Berlin Through Frog Eyes · bridges of Berlin · Culture Vulture · customer service · Existentialism · Photography · politics · Social Condition · Through Frog Eyes · Urban ExplorationLeave a comment

Or as the proper title should be: Lichtensteinbrücke Re-discovered, since I already wrote about this particular bridge. Berlin is one of the few metropolitan cities that I did not fall in love with instantly, like Vienna, Paris, Prague, or Delhi. It is a rough city with scorching summers and winters that make you aware of every little bone in your body. The bus drivers are rude, the racism is prevalent, it is incredibly difficult to find an affordable apartment for under 900EUR/month, and so on, BUT if you are into art, photography and theatre, it is incredible. Not to mention…

Difficulties of Healing

Categories: a woman's strength · Battling depression · Existentialism · Photography · Social Condition · Surviving loss · Through Frog Eyes · women of substanceLeave a comment

I write this with great difficulty today, simply because my shoulder is absolutely killing me. The first batch of therapy sessions is over, and the healing process is well underway, albeit the excrutiating pain. The physiotherapist did warn me that the worst is yet to come, and that is a good sign. The trouble with broken bones is that it is pretty much like a broken spirit, there is no medicine that can speed up the healing, you just have to give it time. There is a beautiful quote I want to share with you today: You can’t heal where…