At this Lunch with Janita & Frank, inspiration did not arrive quietly. It arrived coughing. Frank, also known as “the Mayor,” opened the meeting by offering everyone his “genuine, high-quality, made-in-Germany cough” as a Christmas present. One careful owner, three months of warranty, no refunds. The group politely – and loudly – refused. Janita (Fruitloop)…
Some conversations don’t need a worksheet. They just need a cup of something warm, a slightly rainy memory, and someone willing to ask, “So… what was it really like?” That’s how this one begins: a teacher and a student, no typing today—only storytelling. One week in Bremen, Germany, folded into a chat that swings from…
Sometimes we have to remember: we are not a microwave, we don’t beep when we are ready or perfect. Imagine the confusion it will cause. Found the perfect Christmas gift at the mall. Beeeep! Just had the best cup of coffee. Beeeep! I got out of bed today. Beeeep! Washed my hair. Found a parking…
A Fruitloopy, Heart-Powered Adventure Through the Year Grab your mugs, fluff your cushions, and wiggle into your comfy-chat position — because 2026 is officially the year we talk about everything that makes life feel a little more excited. And because I believe grown-ups deserve fun too (yes, even the tired ones, the busy ones, and…
As the year reached a near end, and we are almost through 2025, I have been doing some reflecting on what happened in this past year. There is a whole list of things, some good and some bad. But what is so surprising is that if feels like this year just flew past. It feels…
Three men met online on a Monday: Their topic sounded deceptively simple: “Inspiring people – or people who inspire you… That’s the topic for today.” The conversation that followed became a cross-continental exploration of admiration, disappointment, responsibility, corruption, and something unexpected: the meaning of a guru. “I don’t have a model person.” The Mayor starts…
When I think about inspiration, it is not one big moment for me. It is many small moments that stay in my mind. Sometimes it is a person at work, sometimes in my family, sometimes in everyday life. These moments help me grow. They help me understand who I want to be – as a…
When people ask me, “Ralf, who inspired you in your life?”, I always have the same problem.I do not have one big hero from a movie or from history.My heroes are normal people.They stand next to me, drink coffee with me, work with me, make stupid jokes with me.They smell of engine oil, wood dust,…
There’s something wonderfully comforting about tossing a bunch of winter vegetables and a pile of spicy chicken wings into the slow cooker and letting the house fill with that warm, savoury smell all afternoon. It’s the kind of dish that feels like a small act of self-care — the weather might be frosty outside, but…
What a week in Brida.If you blinked, you missed a marriage lesson that could save your sanity, a tuna-and-egg masterpiece, a masterclass in human understanding, a philosophical journey across Brazil and India, a town that rebuilt itself (again), a global lunch that decoded “I’m fine,” and a double-dose of running stories that might just drag…
