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Fotos: privat; Nicolay Postnikov/iStock.comSpotlight 1/2020 MY LIFE IN ENGLISHaddicted [E(dIktId]
, süchtig, verfallen
celebrity reporter
[sE(lebrEti ri)pO:tE]
, Klatschreporter
embarrassment
[Im(bÄrEsmEnt]
, Verlegenheithesitantly [(hezItEntli]
, zögerlich
honest [(QnIst]
, ehrlich
hug: give sb. a ~ [hVg]
, jmdn. umarmen
smoothly [(smu:Dli]
, glattWhen was your first English lesson, and
what can you remember about it?
I had my first English lesson when I was
four — on my grandmother’s knee. She
taught me to say “please” and “thank you”.
My grandmother believed that people
who were polite got along better in life.Who is your favourite English-language
author, actor or musician, and why?
I love Rudyard Kipling’s poetry, but also
his novel The Jungle Book. Grace Kelly —
alongside Elizabeth Taylor — was one
of the most fascinating women in Holly-
wood and of European high society. Also,
I love Adele’s songs. Her voice is amazing.Which song could you sing at least a few
lines of in English?
A song from La Cage aux Folles. It’s my
favourite musical. The song is called “The
Best of Times Is Now” and describes the
happiness of the moment. I sing the song
in not-so-good moments.What is your favourite food from the
English-speaking world?
It may sound a bit silly, but I love fish and
chips. This may be because I come from
north Germany, or maybe it’s because of
my first school exchange. I was 13 and
stayed in Hillingdon in West London
for two weeks. I ate fish and chips there
for the first time. Since then, I have been
more or less addicted to the dish.Which person from the English-
speaking world (living or dead) would
you most like to meet, and why?
I would like to invite Camilla, the Duch-
ess of Cornwall and wife of Prince
Charles, to meet me for an honest in-
terview. One of my questions would be:
“How do you define happiness?”If you could be any place in the English-
speaking world now, where would it be?
I love the Cotswolds — the green heart
of England. No place in England is more
English. I’d move there tomorrow. I have
already chosen my dream home there...When did you last use English?
I speak English regularly. The last time
I used English was when I was at High-
grove. It’s Prince Charles’s private resi-
dence. It was part of the research I was
doing for my book Stars in Gummistiefeln:
Die Gartentricks der Prominenten.Describe your best moment in English.
It was at a film premiere in Berlin. The
film Moulin Rouge was being shown for
the first time. The star guest was Nicole
Kidman. Of course, as a celebrity reporter,
I was there, too. Kidman arrived, saw me
and stormed towards me. She gave me a
hug and kissed me on the cheek — right
and left. She was pleased that I was there.
After all, I had been at the premiere in
London the day before, and now I was in
Berlin. How lovely! When I reacted some-
what hesitantly, Kidman realized that she
had mistaken me for someone else. Still, it
was a wonderful evening.Which phrase do you use most when
you talk in English?
Whenever I’m stuck and can’t remem-
ber a word, the good old expression “you
know...” has to serve. It always works. The
conversation goes on smoothly without
embarrassment.What would be your motto in English?
That’s easy: “Don’t panic!” You can’t re-
search celebrity stories if you are in a
panic — and it doesn’t help in the garden
either.MY LIFE IN ENGLISH
Frank Gerdes
Der Klatschreporter, der zum Gärtner wurde, erzählt uns,
warum er gerne in die englische Cotswolds-Region ziehen würde.
MEDIUM