My head feels currently like a thousand bees were whirring through it. It’s really difficult to concentrate on learning, but it has to be done. In a week, on Wednesday 22. October, I will have to pass my bachelor exam. Nevertheless the more I learn the more I have the feeling that I will fail. Nothing I should think of… that only makes life harder and nights much shorter. Also my stomach is getting worse at the moment. That’s something I hope that will disappear after all this stress, but I have less hope. It could be everything. I guess it’s a gastric ulcer and that is nothing that simply disappears.

At least I have now holidays for 5 days to concentrate again on learning and to prepare my presentations for the exam. I will also try to get some time away from all this stuff by wandering or maybe jogging (I am completely out of form).

I hope that I will get more time to create a new design for Dol-Guldur, Ankantoiel’s Diary and some other projects after the next week, but as far as I see it’s getting worse with stress in the future.

The Lasse Lanta was again a wonderful event for me. I have met a lot of people, learned to shoot with bow and arrows and to stitch. The weather was as expected very cold and on Saturday a bit rainy, but that couldn’t destroy the party.

I arrived on Friday with Wolfgang, Miriam and Monika from Salzburg. They picked me up at the train station in Salzburg and together we made our way to Burg Kreuzen in Oberösterreich (very near to the borders of Niederösterreich).

It was a really big welcome that was followed by a very interesting and funny workshop concerning “Smith of Wootton Major“. Julia had the wonderful idea to bake 24 muffins. It was bad luck that the small Elvish star that should lead to the Elvish realm was in the last muffin that noone had eaten. It was a sign that noone of us eligible to enter that fairy land.

In the evening we made a big bonfire and a BBQ, and late in the night the Hall of Fire took place.

Saturday was dominated by cool weather (and sometimes rain) and a lot of workshops. Beside stitching, we designed T-Shirt and Banners with heraldics or Tengwar that we could also learn at this day.

In the afternoon I made my first experiences with bow and arrow and took an oppressed left arm back home. It was more or less blue from the string that bounced against it. But well, I guess that I am not Legolas if we are talking about archery. Nevertheless it made a lot of fun, and at least I was better in Vicings (if we oversee that the my first shot knocked the king over).

The evening was again spent in the Hall of Fire where late the great Tolkien quiz took place and near the bonefire (it was still cold but without rain). My group “Finlandia” could finally win that very tough quiz (thanks to Julia that knew so much).

Sunday was the day of saying farewell, but it was not bitter good-bye everyone was eager to meet again at the “Hütte des Vergessenen Spiels” or at least at the “Mereth Ethuil” (the spring feast of the ÖTG).

For me it was a really great weekend where I met a lot of new people. A big thanks to Barbara tfor teaching me stitching and taking me back to Kufstein. I am very excited to see everyone again very soon.

PS: I promised to take some photos, but after 15 pics the batteries ran low. I am really sorry about that, but I hope to get some better pictures from Peter.