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Happy German Unity Day!

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800px-World_Cup_2006_German_fans_at_Bochum.jpgTag der Deutschen Einheit 

A relatively young country is celebrating its coming of age

When I was in elementary school, there was no certainty when or if the two Germanys would ever reunite. Every time I visited the United States then, I was met with great interest by many trying to figure out which Germany I was from. … “Are you from West Germany?”, ” Have you ever been to the East?”, and so on …

Nowadays it’s almost unthinkable that Germany, as it looks and feels today, has not always been like that. It had to go through a lot of growing pains!

From its birth as a united country in 1871, to forcefully being separated after WW II, to miraculously being reunited in 1989.

Germany’s reawakening

Germany has gone through quite some changes during my lifetime. I would have never anticipated seeing the German people cheering on the streets with cars happily sporting the German flag. Young people proudly singing the German national anthem and having the colors of the German flag painted onto their faces.

This was 2006. And we happened to be visiting Germany while the country was hosting the Soccer World Cup. We witnessed first hand this newly found self-confidence of a ‘new’ Germany.  It still gives me the shivers!

It’s good to see Germans being proud of their country again. May the past, however, not wane as a reminder of the darker times that Germany lived through but encourage the German people to stand up for the ideals of humanity, social justice, freedom and equality, and keep its doors open to a world that is moving closer and closer together.

My best wishes to a beautiful young country! I am glad you have been finding your way.

Much luck for the future.

Now let’s celebrate! 

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Credits: © Arne Müseler / www.arne-mueseler.de / CC-BY-SA-3.0

‘Wine, the Elixir of Life’ – Continuing a Legacy of German Winemaking in California. (Interview)

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IMG_9478XPAT – Spotlight – Interview with Claudia Schug Schuetz, Partner at Schug Carneros Estate Winery.

Claudia, a dual citizen of Germany and the USA, has experienced both worlds, only the other way around compared with most of us expats.

Born in California and raised in Napa Valley, she has the wine business in her genes! She learned about wine from one of the most respected winemakers in California; her father Walter Schug. Both of her grandparents were part of this education as well, who were highly accomplished winemakers in Germany, with the Staatsweingut Assmaannshausen in the Rheingau and the Weingut Annaberg in the Pfalz.

After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics at Stanford University she moved to Germany in 1988 and lived for almost 30 years in North Rhine-Westphalia, where her ex-husband was from. There she started a California wine import and distribution business, worked as a wine educator, and served even as an international wine judge. From 2012-2017 she was California Wine Institute’s Trade Education Ambassador in Germany before she relocated to Sonoma in July 2017 to join her brother in managing her family winery, Schug Carneros Estate Winery. [Read more…] about ‘Wine, the Elixir of Life’ – Continuing a Legacy of German Winemaking in California. (Interview)

Oktoberfest – All around the world and right around the corner from you.

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Oktoberfest LionIt’s officially on! The Oktoberfest has started in Munich this past weekend.

Have you watched or perhaps even been part of the traditional opening ceremony? It’s always a fun event, starting with the Grand Entry Parade with the Oktoberfest landlords and their festive horse carriages loaded with beer barrels to the entertaining procession of the various costume groups, historic riflemen, flag throwers and many other performers … all on their way to the famous Oktoberfest grounds at the Theresienwiese.

Oktoberfest has come a long way since the day when Bavaria celebrated the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig in October of 1810. Today, you can consider it almost a worldwide event in the sense that you can find and celebrate at some Oktoberfest near you almost anywhere you are on the globe. In the U.S. alone, there are plenty of them you can attend with the largest one in Cincinnati according to Wikipedia. The list is explosively expanding every year.

oktoberfest-Many of the ‘Oktoberfests‘ in California listed in our last year’s post are still happening this year with many new ones popping out all over. In fact, the media is full of suggestions of where to go (Bay Area Events & SoCal Events ), so we didn’t dedicate a separate post to all the listings this year.

However, we’d like to highlight very traditional ones, which have been known to be in California for a long time.

One of them is the Oktoberfest at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim, which has put on an Oktoberfest for more than 55 years! This year they started out their festivities right at the same time as the original Oktoberfest in Munich, on September 21st.

You can celebrate Oktoberfest at the Phoenix Club every weekend until October 28th, and starting on October 7th – you can enjoy a delicious German Sunday brunch just before you dive into the rest of the fun. End your Oktoberfest outing with a hearty meal and a large ‘Mass’ at their beer garden. Check out their website for more information.

Oans, zwoa, g’suffa! Prost!

 

Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest

Images: Pixabay.com

School is back in session! Viel Glück im neuen Schuljahr.

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Schultüte

We are starting the second week in September, and the truth is… Summer is over now! Even if it’s not the official end of this favorite season, it sure feels like it.

Once all kids are back in school again and you don’t hear the laughter of children playing in the streets all day, the beaches are deserted, and the freeways are crowded again, I know,… the serious side of life is back.

All children in California are back in school as of last week. Some were lucky enough to enjoy their summer vacation until right after Labor Day, others had to go back to school already in the middle of August.

German language schools in California are back in session as well. If you are interested in enrolling yourself or your children, go check all of them out on our website. No matter where you are, Northern California or Southern California, we have many of them listed here.

Here is the latest news from some of them:

[Read more…] about School is back in session! Viel Glück im neuen Schuljahr.

How to Stay Fit On a Budget in California

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HOW TO STAY FIT ON A BUDGET IN CALIFRONIA

I think we can all agree that California is home to some of the fittest people on earth.  Especially during summer time I am constantly reminded of how great in shape many Southern California residents are.  Strutting their stuff on beach boardwalks all around the regions constantly inspires and motivates me to live healthier in regards to my nutrition and fitness.

By no means am I intending to become the female version of a young Arnold Schwarzenegger during his Mr. Universe days, but I am striving to become leaner and healthier all around.  While there is definitely no shortage of exercise possibilities thanks to hundreds and hundreds of gyms, Yoga Studios, Cycle Bars etc., it can get costly as some memberships have high fees. [Read more…] about How to Stay Fit On a Budget in California

Following Your Dream – A Challenging Experience at Times! (Interview)

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DSC_5917XPAT Spotlight – Interview with Franziska Steinmetz originally from Barleben near Magdeburg in Saxony-Anhalt.

Persistence, flexibility, and determination mark Franziska’s path of making her dream of living in California a reality.

When she traveled to the USA for the first time as a teenager, Franziska was bewitched by the beauty of California and decided to check out the U.S. as soon as she had finished school. She chose to become an au pair to find out if living in the United States was something she would like to pursue.

Today, Franziska lives in Alameda, CA, but her search for a way to make California her home forever isn’t over just yet. 

Read about her challenging journey in our interview. [Read more…] about Following Your Dream – A Challenging Experience at Times! (Interview)

Travel Life after AirBerlin : Norwegian is the Way to Go

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Robbed Of Our Favorite Choice to Fly to Germany, We Were On A Mission to Find A Replacement.

AirBerlin used to be our go-to airline for years whenever Germany was calling . Even though the leg space between seats seemed to have shrunk a bit each time we booked another flight, we appreciated that it was an airline that would only have one stop-over (depending on the destination), and that one was already in Germany.

Besides, AirBerlin always surprised with a special touch like giving out chocolate hearts upon boarding or sometimes upon arrival, or delighting kids with little toys like stuffed toy airplanes and such. Best of all was that it was an airline that proofed reliable, at least to us, and was not breaking our bank; an important factor if you travel as a family with kids in tow.

Unfortunately, Air Berlin filed for bankruptcy last year, in 2017. “Now what?”, was my first desperate thought. Knowing we would fly to Germany in the summer of 2018 I was determined to find an airline option that would offer me a similar service at a price that would still let me enjoy my vacation. [Read more…] about Travel Life after AirBerlin : Norwegian is the Way to Go

What I Learned From Living Seven Years in California

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WHAT I LEARNED FROM LIVING SEVEN YEARS IN CALIFORNIA

Last month, I celebrated my seven year anniversary of living in Huntington Beach.  It has been quite a journey composed of a lot of learning and self development.  Today, I am a much happier and self-accepting person than I was when I arrived in Southern California.

I believe that life is a continuous ‘work in progress’ with never ending life lessons that challenge us.  In the end, it all depends on what we make out of and take away from them.  I had a really hard time in the beginning when I moved out here, not really knowing anyone and trying to adapt to a new culture. [Read more…] about What I Learned From Living Seven Years in California

It’s Not Always Just Sunny in California – A Different Perspective (Interview)

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XPAT Spotlight – Interview with Desiree Perez, my BFF and CEO of Aviation Leadership Academy

Growing up together in Germany, Desiree and I both immigrated to the United States in 2011.  For the first four years, she resided in Texas before her career brought her to Los Angeles in 2015.  During her time in California, Desiree faced some crucial challenges that made her rethink her move as well as her career choice.

In this interview, Desiree shares her raw and honest perspective about living in California, why it is not her dream come true, and how her experience resulted in a career change. [Read more…] about It’s Not Always Just Sunny in California – A Different Perspective (Interview)

The Captain – A new film by Robert Schwentke on the true story of the Executioner of Emsland

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THE CAPTAIN, a new German biopic, is based on the true story of the Executioner of Emsland in the final days of WWII . It opens in Los Angeles on August 10th at the Nuart Theatre with a Q&A session with director Robert Schwentke to follow.

About The Movie:

Based on the arresting true story of the Executioner of Emsland, THE CAPTAIN follows a German army deserter, Willi Herold (Max Hubacher), after he finds an abandoned Nazi captain’s uniform in the final weeks of World War II. Emboldened by the authority the uniform grants him, he amasses a band of stragglers who cede to his command despite the suspicions of some. Citing direct orders from the Fuhrer himself, he soon takes command of a camp holding German soldiers accused of desertion and begins to dispense harsh justice. Increasingly intoxicated by the unquestioned authority, this enigmatic imposter soon discovers that many people will blindly follow the leader, whomever that happens to be.
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Simultaneously a historical docudrama and sociological examination with undertones of the absurd, THE CAPTAIN presents fascism as something of a game to be played by those most gullible and unscrupulous.
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Director: 
Robert Schwentke (Red, Insurgent, Tattoo)
Main Cast includes : Max Hubacher as Willi Herold (Night Train to Lisbon), Milan Peschel as Freytag (The Manny/Der Nanny),  Frederick Lau as Kipinski (Victoria),  Alexander Fehling as Junker (Inglorious Basterds)
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Watch The Movie for FREE !

Claim one pair of tickets from us that invites you and a friend to see the movie at the Nuart Theatre starting August 13th. (More information is printed on the ticket)

Send an email to californiagermans(AT)gmail.com with “Let me watch The Captain for Free” in the subject line. We will select one winner at random from the first 10 people who email us.

Credits: Images and Video by Music Box Films
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