A library tour through Dresden on two wheels

Mai Quynh on 16. April 2024

What I really like about reasonably large cities is that they have district libraries. A central library and lots of small district libraries, spread out everywhere so that everyone can get books as quickly and easily as possible.

I grew up in a reasonably large city and even back then I went to the nearest, "my" district library. But I didn't read that much back then. It was only later that I realized that I really did go to the local library a lot. Just because. Because a library is a nice place.

Dresden is a reasonably large city. There is a central library in the city (I really appreciate and miss it!), and lots of small disctrict libraries scattered all over the place.

~

A Friday in March two years ago. I had taken the day off work to clear my head again. I had been living in Dresden for a few years at that time and, as it is so often the case, I could barely get my feet in the places I appreciate so much. It was already foreseeable that I would move away from Dresden sooner or later. I can imagine that this was a medium sized kick behind that got me on the bike and finally pursuing the wish I had been harbouring for some time: to visit several district libraries in one day on a short bike ride.

So I packed a bottle of water, a notebook, my pencil case and my little Olympus XA2 point-and-shoot camera.

I had chosen four libraries for the day (Bibliothek = library):

#1 Bibliothek Cotta

#2 Bibliothek Pieschen

#3 Bibliothek Blasewitz

#4 Bibliothek Gruna

I started in the suburb Südvorstadt (in the south of the city) and then cycled clockwise through Dresden. It was just under 30 kilometres - an impressive distance for me who normally only used my bike for grocery shopping. The route on Google Maps has been traced; I certainly did not cycle that way, I know myself. I rather took a detour here and there, intentionally or unintentionally. And the duration must be wrong five times.

I stopped a few times along the way to take photos of pretty/cute/notable corners. I orientated myself in the libraries, browsed around, tried out seating options and used tables to take notes. I enjoyed the children's book corners and the books on display that looked interesting. It must be a gift to be able to make a good and appealing selection. Feeling FOMO when a great book was on display that I would never find again if I wanted to borrow it. Thought that books are just as diverse as their authors - and the challenge lies in finding the right book that picks me up exactly where I am and what I'm looking for. In the Bibliothek Blasewitz, there was a CD corner with a CD player. I had to try it out and was catapulted back to my teenage years when I went to Saturn (an electronics store) in the nearby shopping mall with a friend on rainy Saturdays to listen to random 30 seconds of a track before moving on to the next song. I cycled along the Elbradweg (a cycle path) a bit and watched how spring lured people to the Elbwiese (Elbe meadows) at lunchtime and was amazed by a roller skater who skated like a figure skater (backwards, spinning, smooth). I got to know other neighbourhoods and rated them as beautiful or at least unique. I had lunch in the sun, and in the afternoon I finished the day happily at my kebab store of trust.

There is still so much to say: about libraries, about exploring the place where you live, about books, about travelling. But not today, that's enough for today. I say this to myself first and foremost.

From top to bottom: (1) On the way to Bibliothek Cotta (2, 3) Bibliothek Cotta (4, 5) Bibliothek Pieschen (6) Pieschen

Camera + lens: Olympus XA2
Film: Agfaphoto APX 100
Developement: self developped
Scan: Charlie Engel Lab 2.0

Announcement: Repair date

Mai Quynh on 11. March 2024

I talk (write) a lot about darning but it's actually been quite a while since I actively reduced my repair pile. The last time was in October 2023 - this was one of three repaired pieces.

So this is my announcement that I will get this on and do some repairing again in the coming weeks!

Inspired by Selmin and her blog post Ein Repairdate – Zack, komplettes Outfit I've been planning a repair date for a long time. The idea is so charming and I've finally set myself a date and put it in my calender! So the date will be the least I will do. But I really hope that I will do some repair before and after the date as well.

It's not so much about HOW MUCH, but rather about THAT I do repair (although "more is more" applies in this case). It doesn't have to be darning but whatever my technical repertoire allows and makes the repair heart beat faster is allowed and desired - it's not called repair date for nothing höhö.

Earliest in May I will give a report. Happy repairing 🪡

—

This post is part of the series <Mein stopfendes Leben>.

"Darning is my hobby."

Mai Quynh on 28. February 2024

Darning is my hobby. I am willing to voluntarily invest time into this activity and do enjoy that time. I like to repair a piece of clothing and "rescue" it from being thrown away because it excites me to make something functional again and to lift it out of its broken state. The way I get there is the challenge that spurs me on: understanding the piece in front of me, using a suitable technique and seeing how things come together, row by row or stitch by stitch. Mastering this challenge and making the piece eventually wearable again really hypes me.

I don't "rescue" it for sustainable reasons and to produce less waste. Although this is a very positive side effect when I darn, it is not the prioritized purpose for me. Why do I tell you this?

The narrative

The narrative that I'm mending for the benefit of the environment and for sustainability reasons doesn't apply to me and therefore I don't want to use it (anymore). I never wanted to put sustainability into focus but it probably always resonated somewhere. One conversation stuck in my mind and I've been carrying an uneasy feeling with me ever since. Over the past few days, I have unraveled this feeling and came to the conclusion above.

The conversation

I had to introduce myself at a workshop and mentioned darning as a hobby. At lunch, a participant and I came back to the topic and he said that he wondered to what extent darning was realistic in everyday life. You don't find the time for such an activity and whether it's worth it. I don't disagree with him on any point. Nevertheless, I had the feeling that he was justifying the fact that there is no time to darn, to rescue. And this conversation had stuck to my mind and an uneasy feeling remained and I wondered how privileged I must be to be able to take time for this.

Time and money and value

There must have been times when darning must have been an everyday thing and where people were taught it for life. Times in which (a) there were not masses of clothing available and therefore clothing must have been more expensive due to the reduced supply; and (b) people did not have enough money to buy new clothes; ergo: the clothes they owned had to be looked after and maintained for as long as possible.

But nowadays (b) no longer applies because (a) no longer applies: there is a lot of clothing and clothing is cheap. In many cases, it is probably cheaper to buy new clothes than to repair existing ones. And we know that time is money. Clothes no longer need to be maintained in order to have wearable clothes in the wardrobe. In our world, darning for personal prosperity has become obsolete.

In general: time is time. With so many options for spending your time, I can understand if mending isn't exactly number 1 on the hit list. Or even in the top 50.

I'm sure that in other times, time was as valuable as capital as today and repairing your own clothes was work, just as it still is today. Today, where there is a constant feeling of time scarcity, who would want to do this work voluntarily if one no longer had to?

Not for the environment - for the fascination

For the environment? That would be honourable, extremely honourable. But at least I'm not going to tell you that. Because I'm not acting from that position. I do it for the sheer joy of darning in particular and repairing in general and, as a result, enjoy the individual rescue. It's a hobby. And one likes to make time for hobbies. Being able to live out a hobby is a privilege - generally speaking. In every respect - time capital, financial capital, mental capital.

Of course, I think it's a pity when things are disposed of even though they have a chance of having another life. In my opinion, the work behind every item of clothing should be valued - no matter how cheaply it was made. But I don't want to condemn anyone for that. Nevertheless, I still hope that more people find the same appeal as I do in darning/repairing. It doesn't have to become a hobby and be as much fun as it is for me. But if you're at least willing to give it a go and take the chance at some point, then that's already worth a lot to me. Alternatively, make somebody you know to try out 😛

Who knows which surprise is awaiting and how you or person X will feel once you checked out darning? 🎁

—

This post is part of the series My darning life.