It is a new year and there is a debate over a general fireworks ban or more penalties for usage of illegal fireworks - again.1 It’s like a sad tradition where people get injured by fireworks2 or get attacked and injured3, buildings get damaged, wildlife is disturbed4 and, as sprincle on top, toxic residue and particulate matter is all over the place5. All this for a short distraction?
I was wondering what exactly changed in dealing with fireworks and discovered an exhibition in the Kulturforum about that topic. So i visited the “DURCHGEknallt und ABgeBRANNT” exhibition today and wanted more information but i left with mixed feelings.
The days around New Year’s Eve are usually a time for me to review the past year and reflect on things. Last year, I tried something different - an experiment, really - where I journaled everything I did for a whole year. To my surprise, I was astonished to see that I reached more goals than I thought (though, of course, there were plenty I missed as well). Journaling helped me focus on new goals and resolutions, and also to re-evaluate some things along the way.
A new year is here, and I hope it will be a better one than the last. At least it feels like a good moment to pick up the plans I made at the end of 2019 (and 2021 ).
Last year, I added three new cameras to my small collection: a Soviet AGAT-18, a FED2, and the new Kodak Ektar H35. All of them should be helpful for some of my upcoming projects. In the spring, I want to try out my Pentacon K-16 with some expired film—maybe I’ll get lucky and it will still work. It would be nice to give the camera a bit of new life, even if just for a short time.
