SaraswatiChB

Due to new job obligations(and my upcoming wedding in July) I might need to take up fewer swaps than the previous months. I hope to be back during the summer holidays.

I am a young teacher from Northern Germany. My subjects are Chemistry and English. I love learning about other cultures and meeting people from all around the world. I used to work at an international school as well. I have been crafty and creative all my life although it didn't have that much time during my studies. Now, however, it is back with a vengeance.

I have many hobbies, sewing, reading, roleplaying (cthulhu, shadowrun, warhammer at the moment) and cooking being the biggest. When I cook and craft I often look to other cultures for inspiration. I have also restarted painting with acrylics and drawing. Occasionally I do art journaling and crafting with paper. My newest addition is embroidery and quilting (not really quilt blocks and such, but more like Denyse Schmidt piecing). I am not too much into the cutesy-cutesy stuff and kitch (with exceptions) but love style and color combinations that work.

I don't watch television much at all, but if I'd have to name a series, it would definitely be "Firefly". Oh, and "Big Bang Theory" and "Gilmore Girls" (which is surprisingly better in the German dubbed version). When it comes to movies, I like anything Sophia Coppola (Lost in Translation, Dargeeling Limited,...), Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, the Namesake), Lord of the Rings, and many arthouse cinema movies that are not too violent/dark/depressing, my favorites among the comedies: "Garden State", "Little Miss Sunshine", "Juno", "Amelie".

I like international folk and world music, although not the electric kind. I don't like mainstream pop music, but I frequently listen to soft rock with interesting lyrics, such as "Anna Ternheim".

Terry Pratchett and English classics (including Shakespeare). And postcolonial literatures. And craft books. And cook books (I've got lots). I also love Astrid Lindgren's children's books (Ronya the Robbers daughter being my absolute favorite).

• My Style: I like IKEA furniture, Amy Butler and Gunn fabric, Denyse Schmidt Quilts. Things with intelligent design and things that make you think or are even a bit cheeky or geeky. I love the anthropologie online shop without being able to afford much of it... I have a contemporary style with some eclectic/foreign culture influences
• Materials and Colors: Living in a city, I love natural materials and colors as well as inspiration from nature (such as all kinds of organic shapes, not country). For wearing I love shades of brown, green and cream. On the other hand I have a little crush on petrol/saphire at the moment, which is not very "natural" at all... For looking at, I usually prefer white, shades of cream and blue, yellow, orange. Actually I think as a painter and fabric addict I love all the colors as long as they are not neon, pink or girly.
• Patterns and Motives: I like Japanese (although not kawaii) and Indian (as in India) motives and patterns. Apart from that any leaf, floral, ornamental or just simple pattern is perfect. I often go for clean, artsy/design prints.
• Things: Lampions and lanterns, Japanese masking tape (washi tape), unscented candles, note books, tea (especially Bigelow: I love lemon, my future hubbie's fav), handmade items, things for serving food (like table decorations, fabric napkins, etc), artsy rubber stamps, punches, diamond glaze, fabric and paper in the above mentioned preferences and lots of other things you feel like sending.

I am allergic to coffee and black/green tea, apart from that I love to try all kinds of foodstuff that the world has to offer. When I cook foreign dishes I usually make them as original as possible. I have done Italian, Indian, Thai, Morrocan and Japanese so far. I usually try to cook low-fat and -meat although I'm neither a real vegetarian nor on a diet.

• unpackaged food items as they will be stopped by German customs.

• cosmetics or perfume. I only use a very small selection of my own choice and don't have anybody to gift it to.

• religious items.

• anything with cigarette smell on it. I'm really sensitive to that.

Just finished a really really really stressfull time (teacher training) and am taking back my life, my health, my hobbies, my friends, my home, but all in new ways. Being there for my beloved. Discovering what I need and what I want in the next period of my life. Learning to regain my strength and recover.

I will always try to rate you as soon as possible (so far I've never been later than two days). If I haven't it means I've forgotten and I don't mind to be kindly reminded. I try to recycle packaging, I hope that's ok for you. I am a noob, but I will always send (or if not, there is a problem and I'll send you a pm). If you don't get anything it is possibly because of the mail system. If that happens, please contact me so we can work something out. PLEASE NOTICE GERMAN DATE FORMATTING - It's different! It is Day, Month, Year, ALWAYS, also on postage stamps, etc. So bear in mind that 5.4.10 or 5/4/10 is the fifth of April (you are not getting parcels from the future :-) )