Janos

I am sitting in Janos' office at the moment and  shall soon start work on his new blog.

Success, he managed to open an account, write text and add a photograph. He then decided to take a nap after the hard work.

Here is a photo of him relaxing! Nice work Janos and don't forget to update regularly.

Nationalhymne

Since my last post, I have had two e-mails and one phone call about our singing the Nationalhymne. You can easily get information about this on the internet, but given you asked me, here is a short answer.

Below you can see die Nationalhymne der Bundesrepublik Deutschland officially from 1990. It is the third stanza of a text originally written by August Heinrich Hoffmann in 1841. The first stanza was sung during the period of the Nazi Government. This is no longer sung and has been replaced by the third stanza.  It was considered very revolutionary at the time for it calls for a unified and free Germany where the rule of law, not monarchical arbitrariness, would prevail. One year after writing it, Hoffmann lost his job and was forced into hiding. I know what this feels like!

The music is earlier. It was written by Joseph Haydn in 1797. He wrote it to set the words 'Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser'. You can also hear the music in the second movement of his opus 76, No.3 String Quartet commonly known as the Emperor or Kaiser Quartet. With the end of the Holy Roman Empire thanks to Napoleon, the music found a new text to reflect political aspirations at that time.  Hope this explanation helps those who contacted me.     

Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit Für das deutsche Vaterland! Danach lasst uns alle streben Brüderlich mit Herz und Hand! Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit Sind des Glückes Unterpfand;  |: Blüh' im Glanze dieses Glückes,   Blühe, deutsches Vaterland! :|

Unity and justice and freedom For the German fatherland! For these let us all strive Brotherly with heart and hand! Unity and justice and freedom Are the pledge of fortune;  |: Flourish in this fortune's blessing,   Flourish, German fatherland! :|

   

Abgeordnetenhaus Berlin

Yesterday evening saw the big event of the week for me. I told you in a blog post a week or so ago, that I had received an invitation to a special event at Berlin Abgeordnetenhaus. This is the Parliament building for the Federal State of Berlin. As I explained earlier, Germany is a Federal Republic and Berlin is one of the states as well as being home to the central parliament and government.

Mr Ralf Wieland, President of the Parliament, invited me to the first central naturalization celebration. I was one of three selected by the local mayor to represent Lichtenberg, which is the district where I live. I could bring a guest. I asked Marcel if he was interested. He answered with a big yes!

He duly arrived yesterday afternoon, then we got ready. Shower, shave, polish shoes, match the right tie to the shirt and the suit and we were ready. U-Bahn to Potsdamer Platz and then a 5 minute walk. Big smile and enter large building, ushered past security and upstairs to the reception room. Service staff also smiled as they wandered about offering water, wine or juices on their trays.

Into the room to our table. Introduction to neighbours and the event started with music, followed by a welcome speech by the Parliament President, and then we sang one chorus of the German National Anthem. A copy was ready for each of us - just to make sure we got the words right!

More music then a speech by a lady who had taken German nationality many years ago. I think she expressed the experience of many in the room. Then the service staff arrived and poured our water and wine (Riesling and Spätburger) as other staff set down the first course of Truffle Soup. 

More filling of glasses and polite conversation before being offered a 'Tranchen von der Barbarie-Entenbrust' (duck breast) with orange sauce, vegetables and small fried potato balls. We ended with chocolate mousse with Chili-cherries. Mmmmh....delicious!

More polite conversation and music then we were all invited to go to the main stairs where a professional photographer was waiting. We shall all receive photos per post later. Big smiles and goodbyes. Marcel and I took the chance to wander around the building and its rooms.

He took most of the photos of which I present only a few here to illustrate the event. He was very happy to have taken part in this first ever event in Berlin's Parliament House. I was happy that he had learnt more about one aspect of life in Berlin and its politics. 



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Autumn

Autumn was clearly in evidence as we advanced through last week. Darker evenings, temperatures below 10°C and everyone scurrying around Berlin in dark, thick clothes with shoulders hunched up. Kerstin, our trainer. warned us about/against this.

She said it was natural that the body 'shrinks in' as the weather gets colder, but we should try to keep a straight body posture and not walk with a round back or shoulders. We do out best, but I notice that most Berliners have not heard her message!

The day after the football evening, I went to a special meeting of the SPD about migration and integration. There were three guest speakers and the hall was full. One speaker, with a Prof. Dr. title, was very controversial and his thesis tended to direct all discussion that evening. I found it very interesting to listen to the debate and test my German!

On Thursday afternoon I was invited to Berlin Parliament/Abgeordnetenhaus by Karin Halsch who is both Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairperson of the SPD group. I listened to an interesting debate in the parliament chamber before being invited to the canteen for coffee, cake and chat with her and the SPD Chairperson.

On Friday I did my session with Kerstin's Keep Fit Oldies then went to Stefan's Photoshop Gang. On the way back I walked to my S-Bahn at Warschauer Brücke and saw an interesting sight.

Two young men had painted themselves a strange colour and were making acrobatic stands and circles around the place. Rather like acts you see in a circus. There are many ways of begging at that place, but it was the first time I had seen this one. Always time for a 'first' in Berlin.

I finished the week at a SPD meeting where two guests discussed a Minimum Wage policy. One was an MP who specialises in the topic. The other was a women from the DGB,  which is the German equivalent to the British TUC. Again, a very interesting evening with points made I had not thought about before.

Phew!

Phew, but thank goodness the result was England 0 and Germany 1. It was a very interesting game. In the first half England attacked most of the time. Germany played a very defensive game. Suddenly, the German players came forward and scored a goal.

I didn't see it for I got a return call from Marcel. We were talking about different days/time to meet this week when I glanced at my TV screen and saw that Germany had scored a goal. They then played a more dominant role until half time.

In the second half, the game moved quickly between both teams. Lots of player changes as both managers decided to try new ones and judge their abilities. It ended the same as the first half. It was interesting that no player was injured and there were no yellow or red cards given. It was a remarkably 'clean' game!

At least we shall be spared all the anti-German comments in the tabloid press tomorrow in England. I don't have a photo of the game but you can enjoy one from the artists collection. As you can see, the faces are looking in all directions, just like football players have to/should do!

Der Fußball

In just over one hour, the German national football team will meet the English national football team in Wembley Stadium. The match is called a 'friendly'! Really! Since when was a match between the two teams not an excuse for the worst anti-German behaviour demonstrated by some fans, and tabloid press in England?

Answers please on a postcard addressed to .................  I wonder what comments will be made/printed this evening in London. I was with my SPD Oldies this afternoon for a chat plus coffee and cake session. This topic came up for discussion. All were of the opinion that only bad anti-German comments would be made/printed. I would like to hope that they will be wrong, Let's see in a short time.

I asked Marcel if he wanted to come to my home to watch the match. He politely declined and said he had to do a lot of preparation for his final exam at the end of this month. I think he made the right decision!  Yesterday, I spent the afternoon and evening with him and his parents in his new flat. It is in the same building but has a heating system that works!

It was nice to help in the move and spend some time with his parents. They brought things with them to furnish the flat and make it more like 'home'. We also had some nice chats and lots of laughs about many things. I shall be going to a number of events with Marcel this week and no doubt write more about them.

I don't have a photo of his new flat so how about two taken from a recent art exhibition.?  The first is actually a piece of jewellery. I like to imagine it is a fish, but don't ask me what kind. The other is clearly an eye, but look at the colours!

Long necks

Last week saw the end of my teaching an examination course. The exam was last Friday. I am sure the students will do very well. Now I have more time for myself to do other things, including learning more German and meeting my Oldie groups.


I didn't meet Marcel for he is intensively studying for his exams. I decided to leave him in peace to study and get ready for his parents visit. I may be able to help him decorating his flat and installing new furniture. Let's see.

On Wednesday, I went to a party meeting then to a public meeting about education and schools in the area where I live. The hall was full of teachers and parents. Guests were the Senator for Education and an opposition politician specialising in education. It was a very interesting evening with lots of criticism from both parents and teachers. They clearly saw things differently from the Senator etc!

Yesterday I went to my Photoshop lesson and met the Gang for the first time in months. I had to miss the start of the new course due to teaching. It was nice to see them again and catch up on news. I noted how much I had forgotten in the long break. I had to ask for more help than normal but Stefan is always ready to give a helping hand.

We looked again at the photos we had taken during our summer picnic in Britzer Garten. I saw one with two giraffes for the first time. How could I not have noticed them walking by when I was there? In the background you can see half of the gang and they seem not to have noticed the animals. I couldn't resist adding a few words. Have a relaxing Sunday!

Frankfurt-Oder

I have been there before and posted photos and stories on my blog, but I would still like to share something of the day with you. During the week I got a call from Oldie H. I met him a few years ago when I went to a 'Computer Course for Oldies' at the FTW new campus on the Spree.

He wanted to go to Frankfurt-Oder to buy some fresh vegetables and herbs at the market in Slubice. Frankfurt is divided by the river Oder which flows into the Ostsee/Baltic Sea.

At the Potsdam Conference following the end of WW-II, the allied leaders agreed to Comrade J. Stalin's proposal to push the Polish borders 'a bit to the west'. No-one asked the Poles!

From then, Poland started at the River Oder and the town on the east bank became known as Slubice. The two halves of the old town continued to smile at each other across the water, but had different names!

For Oldie H. and I, it is easy to get there. There is a regional train each 30 minutes and we both have monthly 'Oldie-Travel-Passes' so we can travel all over the area without having to pay extra. A nice deal. I enjoyed getting out of Berlin for a bit and travelling through autumnal forests and colours.

The town was heavily shelled and bombed as the Red Army advanced toward Berlin in Feb-March 1945. Most of the old town and buildings were destroyed. You can see old photos/images presented for tourists as you move around the old centre. You can see this in the photos here.

I found a monument to Herr K .Marx as we headed for the bus to the station at the end of our visit. I was surprised that it was still standing and next to a pillar with a political quote from Das Kapital. I just had to have a photo even though I nearly missed the bus to get it!

A nice day made special by a tasty Polish meal, good service and friendly people wherever we went.

Meatballs

I had a new culinary treat yesterday evening. Alan - it's about food and drink again so stop reading! For the rest, Marcel cooked Hungarian Meatballs!

The event started with a call saying he had slept well and done all his homework, so could he come over. I agreed.

He duly arrived with a bag of goodies to turn into meatballs. He also bought 'krumpli' to eat with them as well as sour and sweet gurkins. Nice mix. He set to work immediately and I just watched. We also caught up on each others news, including family and friends.

He put all the ingrediants onto the worktable. He then soaked two rolls in milk, added two eggs to the minced meat then added lots of seasoning. The trick was ground red paprika and chillis from Hungary! You will probably find these difficult to find/buy.

Lots of mixing different things into each other, filling a pan with vegetable oil, heating it, making the meat mix into small balls then dropping into the hot oil. Enjoy the nice smells as they cook, boil the krumpli, put gurkins onto table with plates etc, and get ready to eat.

They tasted really good. Much better than I expected. You can drink water, beer or dry red wine with this dish. Have fun, but don't forget to add lots of spices and garlic. The meat can carry them. I now wonder if Marcel should stop studying and get a job as a chef!

A concert

Already Tuesday and the week looks interesting, but with enough time for me. Nothing unusual, but the concert last Sunday was. I went to the Philharmonie, but not to listen to the internationally known resident orchestra. I heard the Sinfonie Orchester Schöneberg.

They are a local amateur group of musicians made up of students and teachers. Regular readers of my blog will know I support their concerts because they give any profits to buy instruments for poor kids whose parents don't have enough money to buy them one/any.

The programme was Dimitri Schostakowitsch, Festive Overture op. 96, followed by Francis Poulenc, Concert for Two Pianos and Orchestra in D minor. Then a break for snacks, glass of sekt or wine and back into our seats for Schostakowitsch, Symphony No. 10. op. 93. Not a mixture you could possibly sleep through!

I did not know the Poulenc. The others yes. I was not a fan of Poulenc before, but I am now open to be convinced! It is in 3 movements and was composed in the summer of 1932. It was premiered in Vienna on 5 September 1932 at the International Society for Contemporary Music. He played one of the piano parts and the piece was 'warmly' received. What a nice way of saying the public did not boo!

He played it again in England in 1945, to celebrate the end of the war. His co-pianist was no less that one Benjamin Britten. Not a bad mix of talent! The music was inspired by the Balinese gamelan, with the 'jazzy feel' from Ravel. As if that were not enough, we discover that it borrowed elements from Mozart's Concerto for 2 Pianos.

What an unbelievable mix!  It really is an interesing piece. In my concert, the piano parts were played by Mona and Rica Bard. They played without music and with such ease and feeling that you didn't want them to stop. The audience thought the same so they had to play an encore!

After refreshments, we hit Schostokowitsch in his Symphony 10. Heavy work indeed! He wrote it in 1953, just after Stalin's death. He was no friend of Mr. S. and you can hear this in the 'savage' second movement as a musical portrait of Stalin. It includes a number of musical quotations and codes that still have the musical academics discussing to this day.

With his 5th and 7th symphonies, it is the most popular and most played. You should also give a listen to his Festive Overture. Much more relaxed and melodic. It was written in 3 days in 1954, for a concert in Moscow to celebrate the 37th anniversary of the the October Revolution in 1917.  It was later used as the theme music for the 1980 Summer Olympics. They are all worth listening to if you do not know the pieces. Happy listening!

Dinner for 3

And lo it came to pass! Der heilige Herr Bauingenieur Janos descended on my poor abode yesterday evening and met der Lehrling Herr Marcelikus von Student-Leben.

WARNING: Do not read further Alan - this blog contains details of more eating and drinking!!!

It was really great to see Janos again. Last meeting was in Spring. Since then he has been half way around the world, including a memorable holiday in north India. He 'popped in' yesterday after attending a conference in Berlin. He looked fit, healthy and happy!

Marcel had arrived before him so we were able to catch up on news and start cooking. Marcel decided on a new version of his now famous 'Spag-Bol'. Different flavours/spices and way of cooking the 'Bol'. It was very tasty as you can see from some happy faces with raised cutlery.

It was good that I had laid down enough supplies of different beers. Jan had to dash to the airport at 9.00pm to meet Lady A., but I forced him to take a sample of beers for the journey. Interesting conversations during the meal ranging over many topics most of which we had never covered before.

I smiled as he talked in English - he never uses German with me - then his phone rang and he immediately switched into Spanish to talk to Lady A. after which he answered Marcel's questions in Hungarian and all without even thinking about changing languages. He has three more languages  he didn't use yesterday. I think it is called talent!

Marcel stayed after Janos left and so we had the chance to talk a little more. It was mainly about moving to a new flat in the same block this weekend. At least the new flat has better heating and that is important as winter begins to settle in. Keep warm!