Bach in Bernau

In my last post I told you I was going to a concert in Bernau. I met two nice ladies and off we went. We arrived at the St. Marienkirche near to the market place in Bernau. We found seats near the front and settled down, We heard J.S.Bach's Weihnachts(Christmas)Oratorium - Kantaten 4-6. It was wonderful to relax and let the music and voices fill the building.

I later wondered about the history of Bach, and the difference between Kantaten and Oratorium. Here is what I found - in a short form! There are 209 surviving cantatas written by Bach, There are more but it is not certain he wrote them. The earliest dates from 1707. Later he was appointed director of church music in Leipzig, in 1723, and it was there that he composed most. The last was written in 1745 and he usually wrote one a week. Busy Boy!!

Most cantatas were written for 4 soloists and four-part choir, within 6 structures including narrative. What is the relationship between the two? The answer is that his oratorios are expanded cantatas. His six-part Christmas-Oratorio was intended to be performed on six feast days of the Christmas season. Each part was composed as a cantata with an opening chorus and a closing chorale. Of the six, we heard 4,5 and 6.

At the end I was able to take a few photos of Angelika who plays viola. Here is one with a musician she has played with in quartets for many years. I have met him on many such occasions, mainly in summer concerts. A really nice evening and a perfect way to approach the end of a year.

Catching Up

Time to catch up with what has happened since my last post on Christmas Day. I had a really nice 25th and 26th. Very quiet two days with walks and cycling in my local park. Lots of families with small children and new toys, games and activities. I sometimes wondered if the parents were having more fun playing with the toys and being children again, than their own children!

On Thursday I went to meet The Family for lunch. Papa was waiting for me at the tram stop. A nice walk to the hotel/home where they have 2 rooms and access to a kitchen and washing machine. Mama had clearly taken a lot of trouble to cook what I can only describe as a 'feast'. Such a range of food. I couldn't eat it all - but The Boys did. No surprise there :-)) Letting the food settle was accompanied by interesting talks, exploring a number of languages, talking about future plans, lots of jokes and laughs.

The Boys left to meet friends and I went to an Aldi supermarket with Papa. I wanted to look at learning materials on offer. I ended up buying a book about learning German. I have now done 12 tests and was surprised at the mistakes I made. Back to my basic Grammar Book to brush up before I try more tests :-((

Tomorrow I am meeting two of my Ko-Gang ladies at Lichtenberg Railway station. Train to Bernau, which is a nice town north-west of Berlin, then a short walk to St. Marienkirche in the centre. Angelika is playing viola in Bach's Weihnachtsoratorium Kantaten I-V. Looking forward to that!

Cards 'n Presents

It is now Christmas Day. I slept into the day. I always read a book when I go  to bed and that puts me to sleep quickly. I woke-up late, at 10.30 am which is not normal for me. It is very quiet here, so  that perhaps played a role. I can even hear my neighbour's cat snoring!

One of the big pleasures of Christmas Day is to sit at my desk, after breakfast, and open my cards. This year I got 29. I love to read all the messages and news about the writer(s) and their family. As usual I got a full report from one of my nephews about his three children and what they all did in 2018. I always read such texts at least twice. Here you can see the cards.

I then opened presents. A bottle of GlenF., sekt, tea, Stollen-Cake, chocolates. I shall give the sweet things to 'The Family' children when I meet them on Thursday. I have been invited to have lunch with them. Looking forward to that.

Cooking anything is not easy for they live on the third floor of a 'Refugee Hotel' and the shared kitchen is on the ground floor. There is no lift so everything has to be carried up the steps.

My big wish for 2019 is that they find a flat. It is not easy now in Berlin. Investment funds are buying property, washing the windows and increasing the rents. Also a problem of land on which to built affordable flats. Have a happy rest of Christmas Day!
UPDATE: I recently heard this on BBC Radio 4: "Turkeys don't vote for Christmas"! Enjoy your lunch :-)

Modern Christmas

Only an hour to go before Christmas Day. I hope you have enjoyed/are enjoying your Christmas Eve. I spent the morning with my Kowalke Gang over a long breakfast. In the afternoon I visited friends for Kaffee und Kuchen and lots of interesting discussions.

This evening I settled down to watch TV. I skipped through many programmes and found only two which interested me. One was a Christmas concert of traditional songs and classical music. No surprise there. Suddenly my telephone rang.

It was sister Fran calling to wish me all the best. Very nice to talk to her. She will be enjoying tomorrow with her grandchildren like many other people.

I got this interesting Christmas postcard. It really makes me smile. I think it is a comment on modern living. Here I mean the switch from shopping on the high street to shopping online and taking delivery of parcels. In this postcard, Joseph is telling Mary that the 3 Kings are delivering presents via such companies. Merry Christmas and have a great day tomorrow!

Visitors

I went to my usual Friday morning meeting with Kerstin and the 'Keep-Fit-Oldies'. I enjoyed all the movements and training and listening to other Oldies speaking in 'Berlinisch'. I arrived home just after noon and waited for the doorbell to ring.

The first was Daniel. I haven't seen him since he started studying Economics at Berlin Humboldt University last October. It was nice to see him again and looking very well. I thought he had grown even more but he said not and that I was shrinking with age :-(

Over 'Kaffee und Kuchen' he told me about life as a student at the university. He is studying for a BSc. over three years and already has plans for work after he graduates. Yes, you guessed correctly. He wants to move to Moscow and work there. No surprise given his Russian language skills.

Meanwhile, he is looking for money to buy a course book about economics written in English. I am still wondering why in English! I decided to give him a copy of The Lord of the Rings in one volume. If he can get through that then he deserves a medal. Watching the films is easier that reading the book, but then I did that years ago before the films were made.

His grandparents bought him a nice Christmas present. It is a Samsung smartphone. Daniel added a rod to it - I don't know the real name of such a thing - so he could take 'selfies' and send to family and friends. He told me my camera was out of date and I could throw it in the bin! There is such a thing as quality, even with cameras and photos, so I think I shall not throw it into a bin!

Then the doorbell rang again. It was the man from the bed company. If you remember I posted about getting a new bed, but the 'bedhead' was broken. A new one was ordered and installed today. Here you can see where I shall lay my head this evening and read a book until I nod off. Looking forward to that. Before then I shall turn on my TV to watch a football match between two German teams. Bayern is not playing but I shall still enjoy the match. Enjoy your evening!

Party Time

It's time for a party - or three! My week started with a party on Monday afternoon. Lots of snacks and glasses of sekt = sparkling wine. It is traditional to drink 'mulled wine' at this time of year, but I don't like it. There are lots of Christmas Markets in and around Berlin now. They offer a range of traditional food and drinks - the main one being mulled wine! You can also buy Christmas presents, decorations and toys.

On Tuesday I went to another party but this started at 12 noon. Even so, tasty snacks, chocolates and glasses of sekt! Here you can see that Gang in the photo top left. A very nice atmosphere with lots of smiles and laughs plus talking about Christmas plans. Mainly family visits and cooking traditional dishes.

I then went to another part of the district to join my SPD Oldies at a party. Here you can see a photo top right. It started at 3.00 pm with 'Kaffee und Kuchen' and lots of talking. There were also speeches and guests. It ended with snacks and glasses of wine or beer.

On Wednesday I met Kerstin's Keep-Fit Gang in the Fitness-Centre. It started at 12 noon and as usual they had prepared a wide range of hot and cold dishes. There was also a range of bottles of sekt! They talked about many things, but mainly about changes in Christmas celebrations since the fall of the Berlin Wall. They also talked about travel plans, family visits and the food they will eat over the festive season. Here you can see them in the photo bottom left.

 I left them to arrive at 'Museum Knoblauchhaus' at 4.00 pm. The building is in 'Nikolaiviertel', which is the oldest part of Berlin, and near to the Town Hall. I met a group who support the museum in the district where I live. We were taken on a guided tour of the Knoblauchhaus Museum. It carries the name of a family who lived there for over 170 years and carried out many changes of architectural interest. It is worth a visit the next time you come to Berlin.

Now to get ready for another party which starts later. Enjoy the parties you are going to, or hosting!

Imre Visit

As I told you in my last post, Imre rang the doorbell just before. He had cycled here so needed a few minutes to 'catch his breath'. He also told me about his Christmas and travel plans, plus problems with the gas heating system in his flat. The latter has been a problem for nearly two months now!

We put on warm clothes and set out for a restaurant. We went to the 'Böhmischer Garten' to discover it had been booked for a private party so we had to find another one. Imre was disappointed for he has heard about this restaurant but never eaten there. Another time for sure!

We went to another one to find it was closed. We went around the corner to the main road to find my favourite Italian restaurant open and happy to serve us. Nice meal and service as usual plus lots of talking from Imre. He had his 'tablet' with him so, between munching his food, he showed me photos etc of Manilla.

He also showed me a beginner book about how to learn the language spoken there. I am impressed that he should take such trouble. More chewing and talking then it was time to pay the bill. We did some shopping, including cakes and ate them at home later with fresh coffee. Nice! It is always interesting to see him. Have a Merry Christmas in Manilla, Imre!

Second Party

I went to my second Christmas Party on Wednesday evening. It was hosted by my local SPD and held at a bar-restaurant only two streets from where I live. Over 30 members turned out for the event and it was really nice to see so many smiles and laughs.

There was a tasty range of dishes set out as a buffet. My favourite was the tomato soup. Very tasty! Others went for a full plate direct from the kitchen, as you can see in one photo. We also had members of the 'young' section of the party. Pleased to be able to say that membership in this section is growing. We need more.

Unfortunately I had invitations to other meetings and events on that evening and at the same time. In the period before Christmas this happens to many people as meetings are squeezed into the first part of the month. Next morning I went to my local AWO for a late and lazy breakfast. This AWO plans to organise more meetings and events in the New Year. I shall certainly support that.

In a short time, Imre will be ringing my doorbell. He is flying to Manilla next Tuesday so he called to arrange a pre-Christmas meeting. He wants to go to a local 'Bömische' restaurant. I think he will like it. I wonder how the other guests will deal with his booming voice and loud laughter. Let's see:-)

NO COMMENTS
As you know each post I write has a section for comments. In my last post it was hi-jacked by someone using a woman's name who wrote lots of things about medicines and links to other web-pages. This is not the first time this has happened but it was the worst.

 I decided to remove the use of 'Comment'. You can still go there and write something but it will not be uploaded to the blog. Sorry about this but I consider your internet safety to be more important. What a pity that selfish people who do such things do not think of other people!

A Walk

Yesterday morning I went on a walk. I can hear some of you saying, "Na, und -what's special about that?" I went to the next area of the district where I live. It is called Friedrichsfelde. There are six such areas making up the district called Lichtenberg. My area is in the south.

The local SPD had prepared a walk through the area to show the interested public what new buildings were under construction and what was planned. My district is run by a political party called die Linke. It is the successor of the old DDR ruling party. The SPD is the second party in the local parliament and the deputy Mayor is called Birgit M. who is also the leader of the local SPD. She had organised the walk.

There is a growing demand for affordable flats all over Berlin now. The investment companies stepped in some time ago and rents increased. Many people could not pay so left - are are sill leaving -  the central districts for areas like mine. Local governments are under growing pressure to build more blocks of flats, local schools and local facilities. That was the background to the walk yesterday.

I was surprised at how many local people turned up and took part in the walk and discussions. I also noted that many of them were 'Oldies'! I had been asked by my local party head if I would attend and take photos. I agreed and took 14 photos which I have now forwarded for local distribution.

Here are a few for you to see something of local politics in Berlin which does not appear in your national or international news radio - TV programmes!

First Party

I went to my first Christmas Party last Wednesday afternoon. It was at the AWO building where I sometimes help people with English problems. The AWO Management invited active members and group leaders to a mixture of 'Thank You' and 'Christmas Party'. Of course the dancing group were present as they showed off their skills. See the photos.

The food on offer was really good ranging from dishes from various countries to traditional German cakes with the afternoon coffee! Actually, there was fruit juice, water, wine, beer and sekt on offer. I met some old friends and really enjoyed the afternoon.

On Wednesday evening I was on-line to participate in a Labour International meeting. The main topic was Brexit news and changes. A lot of worries about where it is going and impact. On Thursday I went to the building where I have my Photoshop meetings. It was to have lunch together and enjoy goose breast with spinach, red cabbage and potato. Very tasty and some nice discussions as we chewed our way through the meal.

I got a call from Holger in Bremen yesterday. He and Gabi had packed a box full of clothes-shoes for the daughter of The Family. It arrived this afternoon. Very generous of them. I contacted Papa to let him know and call me to arrange a pick up time. The daughter loves opening such a box and seeing the contents. Looking forward to seeing her happy smiles:-))  Busy weekend coming up including a concert at the Philharmonie on Sunday evening. More of that later. Have a nice weekend!

A Solution

The Bros came to visit yesterday afternoon. I asked them what their parents and sister would be doing while they were with me. They smiled and said, "Just relaxing or sleeping"! They immediately went into the bedroom to see the changes. I told them I wanted to make part of it into a work area and needed their help.

They carried the table into the room and then we went into the cellar where another part was. They put the pieces together and then moved the iMac onto the table. The problem was the long internet cable, but they taped that to walls and furniture to make sure no-one would fall over it. They then added the MacBook to the table and connected that.

They noted there was only one stool under the table. They found the solution immediately as you can see in the photo. Yes, Bro2 climbed onto the shoulders of Bro1, who sat on the stool, and off they went. I told them that when the family found a flat they would get the computers. Meanwhile, they will use this area and machines when they visit and need to go onto the internet. They smiled!

Then I heard the words. "Opa, I'm hungry": No surprise there. I prepared some food including pizzas and they settled down to a James Bond film. Sometimes I had to explain dialogue but they could follow most of the story by the action. Sad to see them leave, but I still smile when I think of their solution!

December 2018 Things

My December started well yesterday. The high point was going to a concert at the Philharmonie with Johanna for an evening of Russian music given by the Sinfonie Orchester Berlin. The concert hall is well known for its acoustic and we sat just behind the brass and drum sections so that added a special tone. The concert was sold out and most of the audience were 'Oldies' :-))

The programme was as follows. Perhaps you know the music, if not treat yourself to a good listen!
We started with Borodin's Polowetzer Dances from his opera Prince Igor. This was followed by Tschaikowsky's Piano Concerto No.1 b-Moll op.23. You really have to see this played. Our player was a lady called Yukako Morikawa who played brilliantly. The whole of her body and mind moved through her fingers. Amazing interpretation. After the break we ended with Mussorgsky's Pictures from/at an Exhibition with orchestration by Ravel.

I went to bed late with the sounds still echoing in my head and woke late this morning. I have done my homework, ironed my clothes and prepared a few things for later in the week. In a few hours 'The Bros' will be arriving for an evening of DVDs and pizza! Looking at my calendar for December I note many of the usual things plus Christmas parties, meals, meetings. I am sure your diary looks the same for its that time of year.

Oh, look! A piglet has just escaped from a pan. Hurrah - at least it will not be roasted. Have a look at the vegetable counter the next time you go shopping. A lot of alternatives to Little Piggy!

Who has a birthday in December? Michael N. in Marzahn starts us off with his 54th on the 5th, Stefan Block, who leads our Photoshop Gang, will be all of 58 on the 7th, Julie Bolton will be 44 on the 20th and celebrate with family not too far from Silsden :-)) Jonas in Bremen hits 22 on the 22nd = a nice combination of figures. Back in Berlin, Bro2 will be 18 on the 24th = what a Christmas present that must have been! Neil Dickinson near Brighton will be 72 on the 28th and shares the day with Stefan 'Schoni' near Dresden who will be 35 on that day. As usual a very special friend called Ian Maxwell will share his 59th with Birgit at home in Sydney in Oz. Thanks Ian for your generosity towards the family.  Have a wonderful day no matter where you are and no matter how old:-)