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4 Oscars for German film “Im Westen nichts Neues”

March 17, 2023 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

Germans were celebrating on the night of the Oscars.  “All Quiet on the Western Front” directed by Edward Berger won four Oscars for Best International Film at the 95th Academy Awards ceremony! A historic win as explained in this report by the ‘Tagesschau’.

In addition to being recognized as Best International Feature, the film was acknowledged for Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design.  

Proud of their Villa Aurora Alumnus is also Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House who congratulate Edward Berger on this amazing success. “We are immensely proud to have had the privilege of hosting Edward as a Villa Aurora Fellow and celebrate the impact of residency programs for the creative process.”

Villa Aurora was honored to celebrate the nine nominations for “All Quiet On the Western Front” past Saturday in the presence of German Minister for Culture and the Media Claudia Roth MdB. Director Edward Berger, together with Nele Müller-Stöfen, was filmmaker-in-residence at Villa Aurora in 2015, a time which he describes as formative in his development and career as a filmmaker.  

Villa Aurora, now a highly renowned interdisciplinary artist residence, was the exile home of writer Lion Feuchtwanger and his wife and collaborator Marta, as well as a center for German and European exiles in Los Angeles. Among the friends and guests of the Feuchtwangers was Erich Maria Remarque, author of the novel “All Quiet On The Western Front.” 

Based on the 1929 novel, the anti-war film “is set during World War I and follows the life of a young German soldier who enlists in the army with his friends. But the realities of war shatter his hopes of becoming a hero and he focuses on his own survival.” (read an interview on abc13)

Congratulations Edward Berger & team!

Filed Under: Art & Cinematographie, Life in California, News Tagged With: California, german film, OSCARS, Villa Aurora

German Immersion Summer Camp for Kids is Back!

January 24, 2023 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

GASA Summer Camp June 2023 - CaliforniaGermans

Plan for the Summer. It’s Camp Time!

It’s only January, but guess what? It’s never too early to plan for some fun summer activities for your children, especially if we are talking about the German Immersion Summer Camp offered by GASA, the German American School Association of Southern California.

The pandemic had put a sudden stop to this beloved yearly tradition. But it is back!

GASA’s German Immersion Summer Camp for kids
from June 18th – June 24th, 2023.

During seven days and six nights, kids will learn about German history and reenact the “Battle of the Teutoburg Forest”. They can partake in a planned special Hye Katch Do, an art of self-defense class, and learn many useful skills before having fun with zip lining, archery, a soccer clinic, and playing other team sports. Group activities will also include nature hikes, dancing, singing, crafting, and so much more.

Needless to say, there is something for everyone before relaxing and hanging out at the campfire at night.

Best of all is that you don’t need to send your children to Germany to be immersed in speaking German. All activities at the camp are held in German.

Camp Application is now open. Register today!

COST: 7 days and 6 nights at Camp AREV in Frazier Park, CA for $975.00. Each additional child within the same
family is $925.00.

.

Image: courtesy of GASA

Filed Under: CA For Kids, Life in California, News Tagged With: California, Camps for kids in California, German Immersion summer camps, German language, summer camps

German Christmas Carol Service in SoCal

December 3, 2022 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

Christmas Carol Service 2022

It’s become a California holiday tradition

Christmas Carol Service at St. Luke’s Lutheran

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in La Mesa is holding a
German Christmas Carol Service on Sunday, 18 December 2022 at 7:00 pm. 
All are invited.

Address:

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church
5150 Wilson Street
La Mesa, CA 92942
www.st-lukes-la-mesa.org

Here is how to get there: Map

Weihnachtsmesse am 18. Dezember um 18:00 Uhr

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in La Mesa hält am 18. Dezember 2022
(Sonntag) um 19.00 Uhr wieder einen deutschsprachigen
Weihnachtsgottesdienst. Wie in vorigen Jahren besteht die
Gottesdienstordnung hauptsächlich aus Lesungen und Liedern, die die
Weihnachtsgeschichte erzählen.  Nach dem Gottesdienst gibt es kleine
Erfrischungen.

Sie und Ihre Familie, Freunde, Gemeinde- und Vereinsmitglieder,
Studenten/innen, und Schüler/innen, usw. sind herzlich eingeladen.

Die Adresse der Kirche ist:

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church
5150 Wilson Street
La Mesa, CA 92942
www.st-lukes-la-mesa.org

Einen Fahrplan zur Kirche findet man per diesen Link:

http://www.st-lukes-la-mesa.org/maps.php

Filed Under: German Traditions in CA, Life in California, News Tagged With: California, CaliforniaGermans, Christmas, Christmas and holiday season, Christmas carols, German Christmas Carol Service in California, Germans in California, Holiday events, holiday season, Weihnachten

Become a Teacher at the German-American School Association in SoCal

September 13, 2022 by Cornelia

German American School Association at CaliforniaGermans

The German-American School Association of Southern California, also short GASA, was founded in 1954 and has been one of the first organizations to offer German classes to families in Southern California. GASA offers classroom-based German language programs to children ages 4 – 17 years in its Saturday Schools. For children, ages 3 – 5 years, there is Kinderland School. Adult classes are available online.

For the current school year, GASA is looking for spirited teachers for their various schools in Southern California. If you speak native German, love children, and want to teach kids not only the German language but also share your German Culture, connect with GASA. Find more details on their website under employment opportunities.

If you like to learn more about Rita Reiff, president of the German-American School Association, you can check out our interview with her in 2018.

GASA Job posted on CaliforniaGermans

Images ©GASA

.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: California, GASA German American School Association, German Schools in California, Germans in California, learn german

California College Application Countdown

November 17, 2021 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

The Countdown for Applying to Public Universities in California has begun.

While students in Germany won’t lose sleep over college applications just yet and keep preparing for the Abitur, students in California, and in fact all over the USA, have been working on their college applications since summer. If a college is high on a student’s list they might have even applied already, either Early Action or Early Decision, with both having had deadlines around Nov 1st.

California’s public state universities impose yet another deadline, November 30th! Since the UC as well as the CSU university system are highly regarded, many students in California are in a frenzy to meet the universities’ deadlines.

California State University Systems – UC & Cal State

California has two fabulous State University systems: the UC (University of California) and the CSU (California State University). While many UCs enjoy international recognition, UC Berkeley and UCLA come to mind; the Cal States have a few schools in their own system that are highly regarded in California but also within the USA. Admission there can almost be as competitive and selective than it is at the UCs. I am particularly thinking of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly Pomona, and San Diego State

What’s the difference between UC & Cal State?

Aside from the size, the UCs serve about  280,000 students spread over 10 campuses while the Cal States have about 485,000 students on their 23 campuses, both university systems are highly respected. So, what sets them apart? We’ll address three defining differences.

1- Approach to Education 

While the UCs prepare students for careers in academia and graduate school, and are highly focused on research, Cal States’ focus is on hands-on education and helping students prepare for practical, non-research oriented professions. Having said that though, there are still many options available for students to engage in research and even go on to graduate school at the Cal States. Over 50,000 students are currently pursuing graduate degrees at Cal States’ 23 campuses. 

2- Cost of an Undergraduate Degree

An important difference to consider, however, is the affordability of a degree at the Cal State or UC system. Being the largest public four-year university system in the USA, the Cal States outscore the UCs for making a Bachelor’s degree a much more reasonable option for many students. The in-state tuition for a Cal State Bachelor’s degree lies around $7,000 while out-of-state tuition is about $18,500.

In comparison a Bachelor’s degree at a UC school has a price tag of about $14,000 for in-state tuition and about $43,500 for out-of state tuition. 

Since these tuition prices are for one year only and don’t include room & board, this is certainly a component that international students should consider when applying to a California university.

3- Application Process

As part of the application to a UC school, students need to answer four Personal Insight Questions (PIQ) and describe their extracurricular activities, not just list them. Students can choose from eight prompts, each potentially giving insight into a student’s character, make up, and life experience. While each “PIQ” can only be 350 words long, it takes time to be thoughtful with your words and make the best use of the given space. 

The Cal State application, on the other hand, seems easy and very straight forward with the part of self-reporting your grades being the most time consuming activity. No essays or answering of any personal questions is needed. 

Final Thoughts

In summary, we think, that everyone in California, who is applying to college, should have one or two Cal States in their mix of colleges they apply to. As mentioned before, they offer a quality education at an affordable tuition price and, should admission to one of the competitive UC universities not turn out for you, you can’t go wrong with an education at the Cal Sates. 


Article Contribution by Global College Advisers

For more information on College Applications in the United States or abroad, please check out Global College Advisers’ website at http://www.globalcollegeadvisers.com

Filed Under: Education, Life in California, News Tagged With: California, California State University, college student, Colleges and Universities, Education, international student, public university, University of California

Zimt Bakery ships Christmas Plätzchen in California

December 12, 2020 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

No time to bake “Weihnachtsplätzchen”? No problem. Let Zimt Bakery take care of it this year!

The love for baking and fond memories of her Oma Doris from Stuttgart made Alina Tompert launch Zimt Bakery in 2020 during the pandemic. Growing up in California she happily joined her mom in the yearly family tradition of backing “Plätzchen” during Christmas season from an early age on. However, she was particularly impressed by the package of Christmas Cookies that her Oma Doris sent from Germany each year for the holidays. It contained an assortment of about 20 beautiful, unique, lovingly crafted “Guadsle” (the Swabian expression for cookies).

Alina Trompert - Zimt Bakery

After her grandma’s passing, Alina turned to baking from the recipes that she inherited from Oma Doris: “I am thrilled to present the lineup of Zimt Guadsle for the traditional holiday baking, and my own mash-up of modern flavors in our seasonal line up of Plätzchen”.

Zimt Bakery specializes in Plätzchen and Guadsle, the former being Zimt’s modern seasonal take and the latter being Zimt’s traditional holiday cookies rooted in Oma Doris’ recipes. Over the holidays, Zimt Bakery will offer also homemade Lebkuchen Hearts which are customizable with a name or message. And even our furry friends can join in the delight of freshly baked cookies. Zimt Bakery also makes Plätzchen for Paws! 

[Read more…] about Zimt Bakery ships Christmas Plätzchen in California

Filed Under: German Foods & Markets, Life in California, News Tagged With: Alina Trompert, California, Christmas and holiday season, Christmas cookies, German Bakery, holiday baking, Zimt Bakery

GASA’s Summer Camp 2020 – German Adventure for Kids

March 20, 2020 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

Southern California’s German-American School Association, short GASA, has its overnight German Immersion Summer Camp scheduled for June 2020.

I think we all can use a little cheering up these days. So, let’s look at summer and the potential of all the beautiful things you can do here in Southern California. If you have children and don’t plan on traveling overseas, you might be looking for something fun and entertaining for them. GASA’s German Immersion Camp offers all that and more!

Planned for June 14th-June 20th, 2020 the overnight German Immersion Camp will take place at the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Recreation Center in Orange, CA. The camp is geared towards kids, ages 8-16 years.

During the 7 days and 6 nights of adventure, kids will have plenty of fun with special activities like zip-lining, wall climbing, and swimming. They will learn about the Germanic people and their struggle to remain free with “The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest” and they’ll learn useful skills in a planned Hye Katch Do art of self-defense class. On top, fun activities such as nature hikes, dancing, singing, crafting, campfire, baking, sports, games and fishing round up the German camp experience. All activities will be conducted in German.

Ready to enroll? Check out the link: http://germanschool4kids.org/camps/

Image: ©GASA

Filed Under: Education, News Tagged With: California, GASA German American School Association, German Immersion summer camps, German language immersion, Summer camp, summer camp for kids

California has over 9 Billion in Unclaimed Assets. Do Some Belong to You?

January 27, 2020 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

Did the past holiday deplete your bank account and left you feeling you have started January with a little hole in your budget? Then go check out if the California State Government’s database has listed some unclaimed assets that possibly belong to you! You might just find yourself ending up with some extra cash.

“How can some of my assets end up with the California State government”, you may ask?

“Businesses like banks and insurance companies are required by law to transfer property to the state controllers office if it goes unclaimed for a certain period of time, generally three years. ” (NBC Los Angeles)

What is considered “Unclaimed property”? 

It is generally defined as any financial asset that has been left inactive by the owner for a period of time. Among the most common types of “Unclaimed Property” are: 

  • Bank accounts & Safe Deposit box contents
  • Stocks, mutual funds, and the like
  • Insurance benefits
  • Uncashed cashier’s checks and money orders
  • And more…

There is no time limit or fee for filing a claim! So it’s for sure worth a try to carve out some time to search the database provided by California State Controller’s office. You may be pleasantly surprised. At least, I know I was when I checked the database, just for fun, and found out that apparently I had some unclaimed assets of about $100. Okay, okay,… it’s not groundbreaking, but hey, who doesn’t welcome a few dollars that he didn’t know he had in the first place!

If you want to give it a try, here is the database URL to try your luck!

To find out more about how you keep your property from being turned over to the State Controller’s office, check out the California State Controller’s website here

Image: Pixabay.com – Resources: California State Controller’s Office, NBCLA

Filed Under: Life in California, News Tagged With: California, California State Controller, extra cash, government, unclaimed assets, unclaimed property

FEUER (Ein Gedicht von Claudia Tichy)

November 3, 2019 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

 

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

——————————————————————————————————————–Claudia_Portrait

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.

 

Filed Under: Lese-Ecke, Life in California, News Tagged With: California, California Wildfires, Claudia Tichy, Feuer, Gedicht, nature, poem

German Summer Camps for Kids In California – 2019

May 29, 2019 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

HAPPY SUMMER – It’s Camp Time!

Have you chosen the perfect summer activity for your child yet? Here are some German Summer Camps to choose from. We will add to the list as we hear of other summer camps out there. Let us know, too, if you hear of one!

GPSSD German Summer Camp in San Diego – from June 24 to July 12 – 3 weeks to choose:

———————————————————————————————

GermanSchoolCampus Summer Camp in Newport Beach – June 17th -21st – Math Camp or Dance Camp:

MATH CAMP :


Summer Math Camp – $295/week covers fees and materials. Camp will proceed with a minimum of 6 Sign-ups, maximum 12.

DANCE CAMP – Rumba / ChaCha / Samba / Waltz

Learn dancing Rumba, Cha Cha, Samba and Waltz with Martine. Find more info on their website

———————————————————–

GASA’s German Immersion Overnight – Camp at the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center Irvine – June 16th to 22nd

———————————————————————————————

Tivoli German Summer Camp for Toddlers in Santa Monica – from July 29th – August 2nd

———————————————————————————————

Let us know about a German Camp near you!!

Featured Image: Pixabay.com

Filed Under: Education, Fun For Kids - Kinderecke, Life in California, News Tagged With: California, German language, German Summer Camp, summer, summer camps, Summer For Kids

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