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Nico Krüger, 42, set builder:
My preference for dressing up
Usually we often have one or two boozy little celebrations at home and in our gallery.
My friend Tamara and I now have a very large pool of party disguises - a wide variety of animal masks, wigs, animal claws, glittering clothes and Co. When our disguise box is opened at the latest, the party atmosphere reaches its boiling point: Then everyone pulls out their cell phones, the wildest photos are made and everyone becomes a bit more exuberant.
At the beginning of February, Tamara gave me three wigs and an animal mask for my birthday.
This dressing up happens at home with pleasure from time to time.
Especially at the moment, masquerades offer a nice alternative to the standard masks that are worn by everyone.
Currently, I'm no longer in training when it comes to drinking, and to be honest, I'm enjoying the rest a little.
But I'm already looking forward to when the time of the parties starts again and I am looking forward to the festivities.
Then I'll slip into my gorilla costume and welcome the new reality.
Photo: Alexandra Polina
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Kirsten Axt, 59, educator:
My three anniversaries
In 2021 I have three celebrations: I met my husband in January 40 years ago, in April I will have 40 years of service, and in June I will be 60. Three good reasons that are worth celebrating!
When you get to know someone and stay together for 40 years, that's something special.
That we still love each other and that we're still happy together is one hell of a reason to celebrate, I think.
The joy of partying is something we both share.
My husband and I met at the disco at night.
We danced together all night and went to breakfast in the morning.
From then on we actually saw each other almost every day.
My husband almost prefers dancing than me.
It's something we've always done together.
I took time off on my birthday, and somehow I will celebrate this day beautifully.
Of course, despite the current situation, I have ideas in the back of my mind and imagine how it could be.
I hope that sometime in the summer it will be possible to meet outside again.
The ideal celebration would begin in the afternoon - with all friends, relatives, colleagues and children.
A location with a garden would be great, and in the evening the whole thing would turn into music and dance.
I would let others cook for and serve my guests and me so that I can really enjoy this day.
Photo: Alexandra Polina
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Curt Zeiss, 89, former competitive swimmer:
My sporting successes
I only learned to swim at the age of 13, in a mountain stream deep in the belly button.
Shortly after the war, I spent a lot of time in the outdoor pool with a clique of thugs.
We romped around there all summer, sometimes until midnight.
There was no fence because it had been stolen to make firewood.
The lifeguards were still in captivity.
One of us finally got to know the handball player Karl Zimmermann, who was 15 years older than us, who was planning to open a swimming department in our Hamburg-Rahlstedt district.
That was in June 1947. A few weeks later we performed at our first swimming festival.
Karl taught us the different styles and trained us correctly - chest play, chest back and crawl.
In the following years I won countless championships.
Among other things, 115 German championship titles, 21 German age group records, 20 European championship titles and two world championship titles.
I'm really looking forward to the swimming pools reopening.
I usually train for an hour and a half twice a week.
My swimming successes have shaped my life and strengthened my self-confidence enormously.
I've practically developed from a razor to a competitive swimmer and am the best example of how a non-gifted person can still become something.
Photo: Alexandra Polina
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Rico Schlobeit, 48, self-employed physiotherapist, and Nicole Schlobeit, 47, pharmaceutical and commercial clerk in the pharmacy:
Our oasis by the sea
We have been going to the »Schöning« campsite in Seelendorf for almost 20 years.
This cozy, familiar and nature-loving place has become our second home.
The owner, Bernd Schöning, is a very fine person.
If someone ever had difficulties paying their lease fees, Bernd always helped.
We last stayed in »Schöning« at the end of August.
We were there the other day, went for a walk and checked that everything was in order.
That was really nice: We got a little foretaste of what it's like when the camping season starts again, with a barbecue and sea air and so on.
At the moment we don't know whether we will be able to go back to the campsite on March 26th, when the camping season begins.
All campers hope for it, of course, we are extremely excited!
Fortunately, we can also take our 18-year-old dog Lilly back with us.
She is the senior citizen there.
After an upset stomach, she has recovered and is now ready for the season as well.
The first thing we'll do then: We'll lie down in our beach chair and have a cup of coffee.
In the evening we eat a fish soup "at Roland's", if he should be open by then, and afterwards we eat a delicious piece of cake in the café next door.
Photo: Alexandra Polina
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Jessica Prautzsch, 33, Creative Director:
My sport boxing
Before I started boxing, I was always a little inhibited about showing myself.
Due to my perfectionist disposition, I always want to be right at the goal.
If I can't do something perfect right away, I'm ashamed.
That is something that has completely changed in a short period of time.
I became much more self-confident very quickly and noticed that people support each other in the group and that it's all about having fun and not about performance pressure.
Once you understand this, there is inevitably a development.
I have become more and more courageous and better over time.
The initial fear and reluctance have completely changed over time.
Two and a half years ago when I started boxing, I was in a difficult phase.
Among other things, I was suffering from a little burnout and was looking for something that would not only strengthen me physically but also mentally.
Something that makes me feel in control and where I can train my discipline and perseverance.
Boxing helped me a lot to feel my strength again.
For me it was almost therapeutic.
I hadn't learned to fight my way through - in the truest sense of the word.
That has changed a lot.
The body stores a lot.
Through the training I taught my body: “Look, you can not only take it in, you can also distribute it well.
And above all: You can too. "
Now that I've started training with a few people in my private life, I realize how good boxing is for my entire system.
One really works out, the head goes empty - the ideal outlet for stress and pressure.
I haven't had that for a long time and got along quite well with it.
But now that I have the comparison again, I'm all the more looking forward to when normal operations start again and I can officially train again with a reasonable schedule.
Photo: Alexandra Polina
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Sawan Kumar, 35, managing director of an advertising agency:
My friends in the club
I've been playing soccer since I was five.
Just for fun, my wife says soccer is my first child.
When you have the ball at your feet and play with others, the other players automatically become your friends, even if you don't know them very well.
This solidarity is something that you appreciate as a team athlete.
When the individual team members fit together well, that's really fun.
Then you don't just play football to do sport, you play to be with these people and to have fun together.
That's what I appreciate so much about our small club.
In 2013 I founded “Indian Football Hamburg” - the first Indian club in the amateur field of the German Football Association (DFB).
I hold three positions there: I am chairman of the board, trainer and player all in one.
It's a very small club: a first men's team with 32 members.
We usually train twice a week and have games on Sundays.
I'm basically the girl for everything there.
I close the gaps and play where there is a need, but actually I'm a left winger.
We are very much looking forward to training and playing again in the foreseeable future and finally getting a ball on our feet again.
We hope that it could start in small groups in March.
And then there is still further anticipation: We have a new pitch - we're switching from a grand pitch to an artificial turf pitch.
Photo: Alexandra Polina
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Sarah Eichler, 39, coordinator for inclusive projects:
My prospect of marriage
My boyfriend and I are getting married on September 10th.
The location for the celebration is booked, the catering and the photographer are fixed.
And the invitations to the guests are all gone.
We hope and are confident that we can celebrate with the number of guests we want: a total of over 50 adults and children.
Of course, there is still uncertainty about the date that has been set.
We still don't know whether we can hold the festival exactly as we planned.
But the hope and the activism are stronger than the insecurities and fears.
Plus, having been preparing for the wedding since September last year has helped me get over the bad news.
Because I have a clear goal in mind.
In the eagerness to plan, I simply forget the new number of cases and suppress my own worries.
Wedding planning has become my second job.
At the moment I'm not thinking about a plan B. We will see what needs to be done when the time comes.
At the moment there is just the strong feeling of: We have to celebrate now.
Photo:
Alexandra Polina