Current Event Dezember

Germany has left the UN Security council after its two-year term ended with the year 2012. In the new year, Germany will return to being simply a member of the United Nations. However, the stint on the council has made a stir, both positive and negative. Two abstentions marked the nation's term especially. The first, an abstention on a vote regarding the no-fly zone over Libya, has been met with criticism from some. It is clear, however, that this abstention was more a result of a lack of clarity regarding Germany's domestic policy.
A much more well-known instance is the abstention of Germany in the vote regarding Palestine's recognition as a UN observer status. Instead of voting against the proposal and showing its traditional solidarity with Israel, Germany's representatives abstained because they felt that 'the settlement policy pursued...is seen by the German government as a major obstacle on the road to a two-state solution.' This abstention was seen as a diplomatic and appropriate move by many.
It seems that overall Germany's term was a positive one, raising 'several important issues' and establishing a strong position on the council. Other issues such as the role of children in conflicts, climate change, and policy for Afghanistan, were also brought to the table and examined by the German representatives. Although Germany may serve another term on the council, it is unlikely that it will gain a permanent post. The general opinion states that Germany used its time well and made an impression, bringing a new voice to old and new issues.

http://www.dw.de/germany-leaves-un-security-council/a-16486907

Weinachten

In my last post, I mentioned a little bit about German Christmas traditions and culture.
Two weeks later, I have officially discovered that this subject deserves an entire post for itself. Maybe two. We'll see.
Christmas, or Weinachten, begins in Germany about halfway through November. There is no Thanksgiving in Germany, so the tradition of waiting until there's no turkey left isn't an option. There is also no Black Friday, but on Saturdays many large stores are open until 24.00. Advent, the tradition of lighting candles each Sunday in December to count down to Christmas, is a month-long holiday in itself. St. Nikolaus visits children on 6. December, leaving nuts, oranges and chocolate in their shoes as a little teaser for Christmas. The Vorfreude, or anticipation, of Christmas is celebrated as much as, if not more than, the Heilig Abend on 24. December.
Houses in Germany are often decorated with candles and greenery, and Christmas lights only sometimes make a loud and fluorescent appearance. Food and gifts are of course an integral part of the Christmas experience. Plätzchen, Christmas cookies, are baked in ridiculous and delicious quantities and varieties. The crowds in downtown Heidenheim are gigantic, as are the lines at H&M.
But the quintessential German Christmas experience is the Weinachtsmarkt, or Christmas market. The first time I saw a photo on Google Images of the lit-up booths full of greenery and stars, I knew immediately that I would have to visit on during my time in Germany. In my pre-departure presentation to Rotary, I told them my dream of seeing the German Christmas Mecca.
Little did I know then that the Weinachtsmarkt is, well, everywhere. You can't be an exchange student, or anyone else, in Germany and not visit one. I think I've visited 3, or 4, by now.
And let me tell you, they are the coolest thing. Aisles and aisles of traditional German crafts, gifts to buy, souvenirs, and warm food and drink. Decorations and little tables and carousels and everywhere, everywhere, people. Some with cameras (like me), some with children, lots with food; all with gigantic smiles. Because Weinachtsmarkte are awesome.

Thanks

Exchange is a whirlwind. It's a series of ups and downs, of laughing and crying, of jumping in and jumping out. Three months ago to the day I landed in Frankfurt, met my new family, and began my life here. Looking back on these first months of my time in Germany, the moments of confusion, of fear, of loneliness are definitely there. But way more prominent are the moments where I learned a new German word, where I met new people, where I tried new things and liked them, where I felt at home here.
A member of my Rotary club in Heidenheim remarked that my time in Germany was more than a quarter gone. That's incredible to think about. But so far, I think that I have used my time here well. Looking back, I remember the good parts, and almost all of my memories make me smile.
So, here are some smiley memories from the past few weeks.
I celebrated Thanksgiving with my fellow exhange students, and made a pumpkin pie all by myself.

 It was actually really good!

Our brief bout with Thanksgiving was followed immediately by a dive into Christmas. In Germany this holiday lasts a month or sometimes longer. Advent, the season of counting down to Christmas, means that Christmas decorations and cookies and lights must be prepared in the third week of November. Or earlier. 

We observed this early-Christmas phenomenon with Rotary...

...in the greenhouse where people buy their Christmas decorations...

...in my house, baking cookies...

...in the snow that is all over the place...

...and in Heidenheim, where there is a Winterdorf selling Wurst, Pommes and Pfannkuchen mit Marzipan...

...as well as lights everywhere. 

So, to celebrate the holiday spirit, we went to Ulm. There was a Pfannkuchen Haus, which is basically a restaurant where you can order anything you want (liver, fruit salad, mushrooms, amaretto...) on a gigantic crepe. It is completely the best thing you could ever eat, ever. 

I even ate the bananas.
And then we attended a Weinachtsmarkt (Christmas Market). Aisles and aisles of food, Christmas decorations, people...

...all around the Ulmer Münster.

Schöne Adventszeit! 

Current Event November

Relationships are being tested in countries all over the world, and nowhere is this more evident than in the current situation with Israel and Palestine. The battling factions in the Middle East themselves are a stunning example of the breaking and severing of international ties, but allies of the different sides are also finding their loyalties tested and tried. For an example, turn to Germany and Israel. 

As a close ally of the nation since its founding in 1948, Germany has always stood behind Israel in issues of both foreign and domestic policy. The historic and political ties between the two countries are undeniable. 

Filmmaker Markus Vetter of Germany did an unexpected thing by filming Heart of Jenin in a Palestinian refugee camp, but it actually reflected the beliefs of some German people, whose opinions of Israel, Palestine  and the issues of the West Bank are changing despite the attitude of the German government. 

Some, while not opposed principally to Israel, are opposed to the occupation, and this has been reflected through German-led relief efforts for Palestinian refugees. There have been several protests of Israeli actions and the support of the German government thereof. 

On the other hand, the German government has openly proclaimed its support for Israel's actions regarding the Gaza Strip. It remains to be seen what happens with the ties of these nations, and those all over the world, regarding this conflict. 

http://www.dw.de/german-israeli-ties-still-best-of-friends/a-16400725

Grin and Bear It

Sunday was a day of sleeping in, rolls with freshly made apple jelly (basically the most delicious thing I've ever had), cups of tea, looking at the fog, and reading Harry Potter und der Gefangene von Azkaban.
That is, until 15.30. Then, with my parents, I ventured out into the fog. We were going to the Steiff Museum.
Now, if you haven't heard of Steiff, then I guess that's okay. But if you haven't heard of teddy bears, that's a different story. Giengen, where the Steiff Museum is located, is literally the capital of Teddybeardom.

I told you! 

Margarete Stieff was an invalid who initially made an elephant shaped pincushion for her niece, unintentionally creating a cuddly friend that was way more fun than a pincushion. What began as Ms. Steiff's hobby of creating stuffed toys for her family rapidly grew into a business that now has a reputation for quality and creates multitudes of animals (from Triceratops to bears) for children, adults and collectors alike. The story and mission is actually really neat; check it out here. 

We parked at the parking lot and immediately saw the original factory...

...and then the row of Steiff banners... 

...and then the museum itself.

One is immediately confronted by a warm, fuzzy atmosphere...

... and intricate animal tableaus.

 We took a 'tour,' where we were led through a reproduced old-fashioned workshop, and then a world tour, complete with the Atlantic depths...

...the Antarctic...

...and a circular room of international bears, who sang a song for us.  

Then we entered the museum proper, where I rode an elephant. 

Then we had a teddy bear birthday party...

 ...and then we took baths...

...and then we saw a lion being created (he will go to a collector; the collectors' animals are stuffed with woodshavings).

And after a quick stop by Arabia...

...we hit the gift shop.

I felt like a little bear myself in this museum. So full of enthusiasm and color and creativity and huggable creatures...

I brought one home! 

Exchanging Umbrellas

The weekend before last saw me and my fellow Heidenheim exchange students casually boarding a train like we'd lived in Germany all our lives. Well, sort of. We were jabbering excitedly in English, German and Spanish, carrying suitcases, and wearing Rotary blazers. But I liked to think we looked casual.
We were headed to the town of Göppingen, to meet the Rotex of 1830 and fellow inbounds for your average exchange student get together. The program included a damp and delightful day in the town of Schwäbisch Gmünd...

...where we did a quiz about the town's history, although we never did figure out why the town's animal is a unicorn...

...and, because it was raining, we retreated into this beautiful cathedral after almost every question...

...especially after this episode, where we were a bit lost, and then I thought this figure in a tower was a real person.

Luckily, we recovered from this shock by taking photos in the town square.

From left: Michigan, Illinois, Arkansas, France, Ohio, Kansas, California, and Maine! 

That evening, despite the heavy drizzle, we took the lanterns we had created the night before and wandered the streets of Göppingen, singing loudly in a variety of languages (repertoire included the 'Wicked' soundtrack, 'The Ants Go Marching,' and many others), and seeing whose candle stayed lit the longest. 

It was a truly lovely weekend, and I even recovered my umbrella at the end of it!