All Things German In California
HANGING IN THE SWING OF THINGS – THE SECRET SWING
My dear readers, please excuse my absence from this platform! You could quite say I took some sort of a hiatus the past two months. I know I brought up this excuse before that life happens – but boy, did my life happen. But I’ll come back to that in a future post. For now, I am going to let you in on a secret gem I recently discovered in the Los Angeles area.
[Read more…] about Hanging in the Swing of Things – The Secret Swing
100 Years Ago the First World War Ended in 1918. What if…?What if the world had emerged out of devastating World War I with peace negotiations that had helped restore world order, create balance among world powers, and had called for cooperation among nations?
Hitler, Stalin, and WW II might never have happened!
On the basis of real history, Magnus Dellwig is creating a fictional world in his novel “1918 – Wilhelm und Wilson” and imagines a different outcome in the fateful peace negotiations among the world powers at that time. Follow the account of foreign minister Gustav Stresemann and witness through his eyes how (a different) history unfolds…
Magnus Dellwig’s historical fiction novel is packed with the suspense of diplomatic and political drama. As of now, “1918 – Wilhelm und Wilson” is only available in German. Get a taste of the book with the following German synopsis. [Read more…] about Xmas Gift Book Tip #3 – Historical Fiction Novel “1918 – Wilhelm und Wilson”
XPAT Spotlight – Interview with Claudia Tichy, a writer and therapist bringing European therapeutic techniques to Southern California
Claudia Tichy is originally from Steyr in Austria, a small town between Salzburg and Vienna. After deciding to move to California she settled first in Calabasas before finding her final home in Oak Park. She shares her life and home with her husband and their two cats from Austria: Funny and Fipsy. Fridolin, a Golden Retriever just recently joined them as well in the Agoura Hills Area and he instantly inspired Claudia to a new book that will be coming out soon: Fridolin, the Cuddlemonster.
What made you move to California? [Read more…] about Following her Husband’s Love for California – Claudia Tichy, Writer & Therapist (Interview)
Life of a German Teen during WW II. From Enduring Hardship to becoming a U.S. war bride – The Memoir “Otti Remembers”
What was it like for a teen to live in Germany during World War II?
Our first Christmas Book Gift Tip tells you all about it. The memoir “Otti Remember” lets you relive those turbulent times as Otti Baulig Ney remembers and allows you to be part of her life’s story.
“Otti Remembers: German WWII Teen Immigrates to America,” offers a rare, first-hand account of those turbulent times. Otti Baulig Ney, 89, from Sutter Creek, Calif., reveals how she endured bombing raids, tuberculosis (TB) and extreme deprivation as a teen during the war years. [Read more…] about X-mas Gift Book Tip #1 – The Memoir “Otti Remembers”
It’s hard to believe but we are slowly approaching the end of the year!
First, however, we have all our wonderful traditional German and, of course, American festivities coming up next.
While Christmas season for sure starts with Thanksgiving for the Americans, for us Germans Saint Martin’s Day (Sankt Martinstag) with its festive lantern parades on November 11 rings in the holiday season.
At least that’s how I remember it… Often times the first snowfall covered the city streets in Munich already I recall, when I was walking with my friends in the crunchy snow, our self-made lantern in hands, excitedly singing traditional lantern songs. The air would materialize in front of our mouths so cold it was already, but we knew that a nice hot chocolate would await us at the end of the parade, often together with some delicious cookies and a yummy ‘Weckmann’ as well. Mmmmhhh!
The following Saint Martin’s Lantern Parades are all happening in Northern California this weekend on Saturday, November 10th . Let us know if you hear of any other ones and we can keep adding them to the list.
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Saturday, November 10th:
Bay Area’s Kinderstube has its annual Laternenfest
WHEN: Saturday, November 10 from 4pm-7pm
WHERE: 842 Key Route Boulevard in Albany
Bring your own lantern or buy one. Get your ticket to enjoy German fare from Glühwein, Weckmänner, Pretzels, Spätzle, Bratwurst and more.
Get your TICKETS here
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Saturday, November 10th:
German School in Novato
WHEN: Saturday, November 10th at 5:30 pm
WHERE: Pioneer Park in Novato
German School in Santa Rosa
WHEN: Saturday, November 10th at 5:30 pm
WHERE: School Campus in Santa Rosa
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Saturday, November 10th:
GISSV San Francisco – Lantern Parade & Festival
WHEN: Saturday, November 10th from 2pm-6pm
WHERE: 4 Funston Ave in the Presidio
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Christkindlmarket – Annual Christmas Market At The Phoenix Club in Anaheim
November 25th, 11 am-4pm in the Pavillion
Free Admission & Open to the Public
Enjoy German fare in a Christmas atmosphere setting with music, art & crafts and Christmas gift market featuring jewelry, European gifts and much more
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WEIHNACHTSGOTTESDIENST – Christmas Service
St.Luke’s Lutheran Church in La Mesa
Weihnachtsgottesdienst – German Christmas Carol Service
WHEN: Sunday, December 16th at 3pm , Sonntag, 16. Dezember 2018, 15:00 Uhr
WHERE: St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 5150 Wilson Street, La Mesa
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Image: Pixabay.com
Tomorrow, November 6th is the General Election? Are you going to vote?
If you are an expat, who enjoys dual citizenship, it is your privilege, but also your duty to go out and vote tomorrow! After all, you chose to be a citizen of the United States, as well as your home country, and part of being a good citizen is going to vote in elections.
“But, it’s not the election for the president…!?”, you might say. Yes, that’s true, but the midterms are just as important an election and your vote counts!
In fact, this year’s midterm elections see the largest number of Californians (19 million!) registered to vote in California’s history, according to ABC7news. Especially this year, California’s voice is important.
So, what’s at stake? The control of the Congress and statehouses across the country. And, 36 states will hold elections for governor as well – including California!
On top of voting for our new governor in these midterms, we Californians will have a deciding voice in regards to 7 (!) congressional seats that are up for election. [Read more…] about Go Vote! – The Midterms. A Big Deal for California.
XPAT Spotlight – Interview with Austrian Innerweaving Coach Silvia Schroeder
California was never on her list nor one of her dreams. Contrary to so many others, whose most inner wish is to one day make it in California, Silvia Schroeder was happy with her life and career in Vienna and enjoyed every minute of it. If anyone would have told her then that one day she will call California her home, she would have just laughed.
But, life had it all planned out for her. After eighteen successful years in her coaching and consulting business doing projects for clients like the European Union and the Cancer Association, for which she designed a therapy camp to help the siblings of cancer kids, she suddenly felt the whole world collapsing on her.
What happened?
Silvia, how did you end up in California? What was the trigger for you to consider moving here? [Read more…] about The Rollercoaster of Life brought her to California – InnerWeaving Coach Silvia Schroeder (Interview)
XPAT – 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)
XPAT 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)
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)