Wishing All Of You a Very Merry Christmas with happy hours of being together with your loved ones!
Frohe Weihnachten! Frohes Fest!
Image: Pixabay byJo-Band aga2rk
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Christmas Carols Services and Christmas Eve Services in German
If you are looking for some German Christmas service this holiday season, here are some suggestions for you:
St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in La Mesa offers two festive events:
Sunday, 15. December 2019 – 3:00 pm
Albert Einstein School Kinderchor (Children’s choir)
Weihnachtsprogramm mit Krippenspiel (The Albert Einstein School’s Christmas Programme with Nativity Play)
Sunday, 22. December 2019 – 7.00 pm
Deutschsprachiger Weihnachtsgottesdienst
Lesungen und Lieder (German Christmas Carol Service)
Please bring your families and friends to these festive events.
Please find driving directions to the church at this link:
http://www.st-lukes-la-mesa.org/maps.php
Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Santa Monica has its
Christmas Eve 2019 service at 3:00 pm.
Family German Christmas Service – a service of readings, carols, organ music, a children’s message and a Kinderkrippenspiel (Children’s Nativity play) entirely in German.
ADDRESS: 1343 Ocean Park Blvd on the corner of 14th street. Santa Monica, CA 90405
“The Medea Insurrection: Radical Women Artists Behind the Iron Curtain” at the Wende Museum
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, The Wende Museum in Los Angeles has put on a special exhibition in collaboration with the Goethe Institut. “The Medea Insurrection: Radical Women Artists Behind the Iron Curtain“ is also part of Wunderbar Together and is on view until April 5th, 2020.
Medea: the controversial archetype of female strength and passion from the East. In the years before the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, East European writers and painters often turned to ancient mythology to express their discontent with authoritarian rule. Their interpretations of mythological figures like Medea, Cassandra, and Penthesilea were crucial in shaping contemporary images for women, and sometimes they were straight-up punk. Working under the radar of the accepted art establishment, the artists in this exhibition provoked, protested, played with fire, and experimented while refusing socialist and bourgeois stereotypes.
The Medea Insurrection was conceptualized and curated by Susanne Altmann for the Albertinum (Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden). It has been adapted by the Wende Museum for its Culver City appearance.
The Medea Insurrection: Radical Women Artists Behind the Iron Curtain is part of Wunderbar Together: The Year of German-American Friendship 2018/19, an initiative funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, implemented by the Goethe-Institut, and supported by the Federation of German Industries (BDI).
The Medea Insurrection: Radical Women Artists Behind the Iron Curtain.
WHERE & WHEN:
The Wende Museum
The Armory, Culver City, California
November 10, 2019 – April 5, 2020
Image: ©The Wende Museum
“Liberty Train – Next Stop Freedom” DocuDrama at Alpine Village
Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall the Consulate General of Germany and the German American School Association invite to a special film screening of “Liberty Train – Next Stop Freedom” at the Alpine Village, Sunday, November 17th, 2019.
The documentary reconstructs historical events that started with Hans Dietrich Genscher’s announcement on September 30, 1989, that the East German refugees occupying the West German embassy in Prague were allowed to leave for West Germany. Special trains should bring the refugees from Prague to West Germany but via the GDR. Dramatic events happen when the trains travel through East Germany, with people trying to jump onto the ‘Train to Freedom’ to the passengers inside fearing they would be taken off the train when Stasi members are getting on the train and start collecting passports.
[Read more…] about “Liberty Train – Next Stop Freedom” DocuDrama at Alpine Village
FEUER (Ein Gedicht von Claudia Tichy)
Feuer
Es graut, es riecht – streng – Feuer?
Die Tiere, seltsam, anders
Der Sturm stört, weshalb diesmal? Sonst doch nicht?
Es graut, es riecht – Feuer?
Vorne und hinten, es fühlt sich gefährlich…
Bestätigung ja, zwei, gefährlich?
Nein, wir doch nicht, doch nicht wir!
Doch! Gemeinsames Essen, was tun? Jetzt?
Sortieren, was ist Dir, was ist Mir – WERT?
Gefühl oder Verstand?
Ersetzbar oder Nicht?
Wann gehen? Sorge – die Tiere!
Wohin – check – klar!
Packen – loslassen – verabschieden
LIEBE ja LIEBE
Ankommen, sicher? Gedanken, nein!
Folgen im Jetzt…die Tiere?!
Alles gut! Alles gut?
Nein! Es kommt wieder, es kommt!
Weiter, die Tiere, weiter
Die Nacht, dunkel und gefährlich
Der ständige Rauch in den Lungen
Unwichtig, wohin, die Tiere?!
Wieder ankommen, morgens, alles vorbei?
Jetzt sicher? Die Tiere geschützt?
Ausatmen, kurz endlich schlafen…
ALARM!! Wieder Gefahr…
Weiter, packen, wohin? Check!
Verkehr dicht! Panik und Flucht spürbar…
Unsicherheit – alles verloren – egal!
Egal? JA – wir sind! WIR leben!
Ankommen – aller guter Dinge sind drei?
Bleiben und langsam erholen…
Ungewiss, was kommt danach?
Danach wohin?Wie?
Hilfsangebote überall – überwältigt!
Oberfläche – keine Spur!
Ernsthafte mitfühlenden Kraft und Unterstützung…
Das andere Kalifornien?
Auf diese Art näher gebracht?
Plötzlich verbindend und gefühlt?
Zusammen gehörend?
Miteinander fühlend, trauernd sich freuend
Diesmal tief und ehrlich…
Dankbarkeit und Verbundenheit
Aus diesem gemeinsamen Schicksal
FEUER
.
©Claudia Tichy
Image: Pixabay.com
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Claudia Tichy, originally from Steyr, Austria, lived in Southern California until March 2019. She experienced California’s wildfires in the fall of 2018 first hand, which inspired her to write this poem. In spring of 2019 she moved back to Austria. Read more about Claudia in our XPAT Spotlight Interview with her husband. she now lives in California. Her stories are inspired by her experiences as an educator, a mother of four children and her therapeutical work. Children and families have always been the most important component of her work. Her innermost desire is to share all her experiences with happiness and love. That’s also how her first book Tesha Discovers The World came about, a book that takes into consideration the sensibility but also the simplicity of the soul. The book reflects Claudia’s intention: not to seduce the mind but rather touch the soul… and with it start a healing motion in the reader’s life. Connect with Claudia Tichy and HealingSystems here.
Summer Adventures Revisited
Two days ago was the official start of FALL! Yes, can you believe it? Summer is over at least according to the calendar. But don’t we all love to take a look back to these blissful days of summer, recalling our adventures?
That’s exactly what Eric Goldston and Kai Levato did. These two teenagers attended GASA’s German Summer Camp at Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center and had such an inspiring experience that they felt compelled to share their adventure with you!
GASA Camp June 2019: Der Zauberlehrling
By Eric Goldston (17) and Kai Levato (15)
Pit Stop in Malta
PIT STOP IN MALTA
Those of you who had the chance to listen to my journey on audio on my friend’s podcast know that I had a pit stop before my final destination Germany. When I made the decision at the beginning of 2018 to leave the US, I already had a destination in mind: the Mediterranean island of Malta. [Read more…] about Pit Stop in Malta
My Story of Life as an Expat in a Nutshell
MY STORY OF LIFE AS AN EXPAT IN A NUTSHELL
Now that the cat is out of the bag, I would like to offer you a deeper look into why I left the United States and reveal where I first ended up before moving back to Germany. But instead of writing you a novel, I would like to switch things up this time and present my story in a nutshell to you in the form of audio.
A few months ago, while I was already living in Europe but not in Germany yet, one of my dear friends, who has visited me twice while living in the States, asked me if I would like to be a guest on his podcast and talk about my experience as an expat. I loved the idea and agreed to record an episode together with him. [Read more…] about My Story of Life as an Expat in a Nutshell
German Summer Camps in San Diego at GPSSD
GPSSD German Summer Camps for Kids – A creative way to Learn German in San Diego
A few years ago, a brave woman from East Germany started a project that is now a wonderful meeting place for many German-speaking families and families, who are interested in the German language: The German Pacific School of San Diego.
In the beginning, Wiebke Elbe, a former pharmacist, had just a few resources but managed quickly to connect with a number of similar oriented projects in San Diego and other parts of California.
With growing know-how, she started one German after-school-class in a small facility in Clairemont followed by the first German Summer Camp in San Diego.
Within six years the school has grown and now has 4 locations in La Jolla, Clairemont, Carmel Valley and Poway with more than 200 students attending classes from 4 to 6 pm during the week and Saturday classes.
Our founder Wiebke has started a new project in Norway! But she has put so much effort and energy in our project, that today GPSSD is thriving and continuing attracting more and more germanophile families that attend our school.
Wiebke has always made a point of creating a relaxed and stimulating learning atmosphere. She had a discreet manner to inspire our teachers and helpers. She induced them to the philosophy that German lessons and German summer camps should be a fun experience, where children should be inspired and helped to develop their own initiatives and creativity.
With our new principal Christine Johnson, we are continuing this philosophy, and we are still getting a lot of support and help from Wiebke and her husband Hauke.
What about our German Summer Camp?
Summer Camp 2019 will be amazing! This year it’s all about magic!
This year’s GPSSD camp will be at a wonderful location at the French American School in La Jolla! It’s a campus that offers a lot of space for many outdoor and indoor activities.
GPSSD 2019 Summer Camp’s Topics and Activities
Depending on their interests, the campers will dive into a magical atmosphere where they can learn magic tricks, create their own theater play or even create their own video ( 3rd week)! We would like to give our campers impulses and inspiration and then encourage and help them to create their own play or show.
In our magic oriented group, campers will read and listen to magic stories and plays. The magic flute might appear from time to time to enchant us with new ideas. Campers will also be surprised by magic tricks and then learn and practice them for a little end of the week show.
In our theater oriented group, campers will get inspiration by German plays and stories, ways to perform a play, and materials they could use. Our camp teacher Heather has a broad spectrum of ideas and ways to carry away our campers imagination. They can choose to create a performance that matches their interests, from a simple puppet show or a self-performed play on stage.
In our third week, campers will create their own small video with the stop motion film making technique.
A lot of crafting, painting of props and other hands-on activities are always part of our summer camps. All groups will liven up their activities with fun games and a lot of music and entertainment. We will also do Karaoke and will not only use the airy sports field but also the playground to do our outdoor activities. And, of course, our camps are full immersion German language camps.
That means that we will help our campers to better understand German words and sentences by repeating, describing and explaining German expressions. We will also help our campers to produce German sentences and to speak German by their own initiative.
We are looking forward to a relaxed and fun summer event, that will take place from June 24 to July 12, 2019 from 9am to 4 pm. And there is also aftercare available for working families.
Weekly sessions can be booked online at www.gpssd.org. Call us for more information at 858-461-9118 or send us an email, germanpacificschool(AT)gmail.com
Text: Vicky Ripart – GPSSD Camp Team
Images: ©GermanPacificSchoolSanDiego
It’s Time to Flip the Script…
IT’S TIME TO FLIP THE SCRIPT…
My dear readers, yet again I owe you an apology and explanation. A lot has happened over the past eight months, but things are finally starting to settle down. I usually don’t describe myself as a person who is willing to settle easily. But at some point, even I need a break and feel home at one place. At least for a little while.
So today, I am sharing some news with you. Not sure if I should call them news though since that entails the word ‘new’, which doesn’t quite fit my situation anymore. I have to admit, I lived in hiding from you the past several months. Not because I am ashamed of my actions, but because I needed time to process. [Read more…] about It’s Time to Flip the Script…