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Holiday Mood

 Journaling 4*



Yesterday, a Christmas tree was decorated in our library. I don't like decorating other people's Christmas trees. Like Taurus, I love only my own things. 

Yesterday I helped decorate our library Christmas trees. And finally I got a feeling... no, not a  holiday, but the approach of a holiday.


I'm not a child and do not wait for a miracle. 

And, in general, Christmas was not celebrated in the Soviet Union. 

Of the wonders in our family were the expected sweet gifts from my parents' employers. I did not like 2/3 of the sweets from the gifts and did not eat them. But the presence of a natural Christmas tree in the house, garlands, Christmas tree toys and the smell of tangerines created a sense of celebration.




Yesterday, while helping to decorate the Christmas tree, I remembered: 

1. the Soviet film “Look for a woman” because the employees were decorating the office for Christmas. 


2. the book “A trap on the stage”  (Konzeption für einen Mord) German detective story by Gerhard Scherfling because the action took place before Christmas  too.


Movie

The film is based on the French play "The Parrot and the Chicken" by Robert Thomas, which, in turn, is an adaptation of the play by British playwright Jack Popwell “Mrs. Piper leads the Investigation.”


A dead man has been found in the notary office of Maitre Rocher. The secretary of the office, Mademoiselle Alice Postik, a woman of indomitable energy, joins the search for the killer….


I don’t know any Russians who wouldn’t like the movie. The cast and acting, and the story - a detective comedy. The Russians immediately took apart the movie for quotes. I try to translate some myself from time to time.


For example:

-When you don't hope for anything, it's great, the best way not to be disappointed.

-Employees are divided into two categories: some are not capable of anything, others are capable of everything. I prefer the latter.


Book

in the Carlsberg District Theater, after a rehearsal, the main director of the opera troupe fell through a trapdoor. An accident due to negligence or murder.

I like to read this detective story around the winter holidays.

Eastern Soviet Germany with all the Soviet attributes such as a shortage of goods, theft, making efforts to get gifts and set the festive table.


When I read the book for the first time, about 20 years ago, I was surprised that there were private bakeries in Germany. In the Soviet Union, private business did not exist, everything was controlled by the state until the collapse of this very state. Somehow in Eastern Germany it existed. 


I tried to find plays by Robert Thomas and Jack Popwell and any novels by G. Scherfling in our library system, but with no result. I guess it was a little too long ago, no libraries keep such "ancient" books. 


So I will re-read the novel (in Russian) and watch the movie on YouTube. 

Down below is a link to a movie (2 episodes) but I'm not sure of English subtitles. 


* I promise very soon I will explain what it means. 


https://youtu.be/fjfB08JEALY?si=b4l1bUdohW8wgcoy

https://youtu.be/gWnefFBV_sY?si=3iJYaA9WmQ7flLdU








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