kulturbeutel
There is a reason why I never knew how to say “toiletries bag” in German. Duh. Isn’t it obvious. Where is your culture pouch, missy?
I’m sure the folks in international airports could profile a person based on what they had in their culture pouch, but that’s not the culture I’m thinking about. Kulturbeutel seems so dirty. I keep thinking of the science experiment I did in 4th grade with petri dishes and mouthwash. Kulturbeutel conjures images of things cultivating in a toiletries bag–where beauty junkies hide their secrets–frankensteinish elixirs to keep our youth in check.
Disturbing. I’m sticking with using something like Reisetasche. Even if it’s wrong, there is something unsettling about the word Beutel.
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Happy 5th “Jubiläum”
I celebrated my 5th year in Germany on the 19th. Whoo hoo. Admittedly it’s getting hard to write something trivial about my experience. Many things are simply too complicated, too emotional, still unknown.Could it be possible? –has just as much happened in the last five months as in the last five years? Planning and performing in a major concert in the Carl-Orff-Saal. Oma’s 90th birthday. Trips to Leipzeig, Rostock, Kiel, and Weimar. Max and Veronika’s Wedding. Interview with a question mark. Teacher shadowing closes one door and leads to opening windows for graphic designing, event coordination, or opportunities in being a personal cook. It’s been stressful but not bad stress.
I’ve realized a lot of hard things as of late. For one, my metabolism has slowed.. oh, and my hair gets fatty in a shorter period of time. I’m pretty sure five years ago I imagined that today I would be doing something amazingly complicated and unimaginable fulfilling–maybe even feeling more innerly settled–instead I’m less invincible and slightly crushed by the fact it will take a lot more effort and time on my part to get to something spectacular.Why is it hard to see what’s lies in front of the nose?
I try to think of the things I’ve given up to be here to get some perspective on things but there isn’t much–aside from a donut addiction. Aber. I did find a good substitute in Kiel, thanks to Ingo! In some ways I was lonelier before 5 years ago. Over the years I’ve developed a bond with Alex, other expats and native cosmopolitans. I am amazed at the diversity of our backgrounds and yet we share so many similarities and life parallels. I doubt this has anything to do with Munich or Germany but because I like where I live it feels like it has a positive influence on my life. Less loneliness makes the foreign life worth while.
Germany surprises me more and more. This gets better the more confident I feel about asking and engaging. It’s no longer all about the food and the sights for me (but they are still on the top happy spots). Much of the culture is ingrained in the language and many things don’t become clear until one uses the language. I get bored and annoyed when people get hung up on generalities and extreme exaggerations about German culture. This tendency is very American and I know I regrettably have it as well, which could explain why this is bothersome for me. Generalities work in the US too well but it’s out of place in a country where there is so much reasoning and study out there on why Germany does what it does.
Mind you some generalities are just plain humorous (i.e., the need to find fault or pass blame, the problems with circulating air, the multitude of conversations on Kreislauf and Verdauung) If something doesn’t seem right nor humorous, I’m learning that it’s best to look to yourself first. Again I’ve learned that using the language is more helpful than reading body or crowd language here. It is unreliable. In Germany I have walk away with hard-to-shake misconceptions because I allowed myself to be heavily guided by on my gut reaction and what my eyes perceive. This is something I will continue to work on 
Slowly it’s becoming less about observing a culture from a distance and more about enjoying the interaction with natives in German conversation. Did I mention slowly? I still space out and get confused with what I see and what I expect to experience. Just because I understand why something happens here doesn’t mean I like it or don’t find it hard to accept. I still need an English-speaking fix now and then. I’m feeling less guilty about it these days.
So it’s been a wild five years and I look forward to continuing to see new places, making new friends, being delighted with interesting foods, and discovering things about myself I never thought possible.
Here’s to chasing life with bliss and another 5 years of adventure.
Driving thru Brandenburg
Not all parts of Germany look like a toy town, which is an oddity for me -someone who has lived in Munich for 5 years and is just discovering other parts of (former East) Germany.
This is Löwenberger Land and Grieben. It used to belong to the Potsdam district in former East Germany, or the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR). Now it belongs to Oberhavel, a county with two white swans on it’s crest, called das Wappen in German (a word that sounds like what would happen if you got hit in the head with one). It seems to be taking the folks here a while to catch up to the 21st century. I didn’t realize this was a tavern until after I uploaded this photograph. Where are the pretty, window sill flowers?
Although, with a newly repaved road, things appear to be on the up swing if you blink a few million times. Before we drove through this village we spent a day in Leipzig, a city booming of reconstruction since the German Unification. But here it is as if time stood still. Everything is some shade of dull, grey-brown–even the cyclist are grey–with a straight, two-lane road splitting the town in two.
Where a household finally splurged on painting their home our eyes squinted at the sight–neon green–ultra bright puce–random, screaming facades jutting out in a row of mud slapped dwellings.
These homes aren’t very inviting compared to the Sarasotian pastels I’m used to seeing in Florida. But it’s getting harder and harder to tell the difference between former West and former East. A tiny part of me appreciates the visible reminder that Germany was separate (and not equal) for a time -almost preserving the history of how towns suffered. I wonder, do some people who have the means to repaint their homes choose to keep them–out of nostalgia–looking so, eh, modest? There are DDR memorabilia shops, after all. Perhaps there is a mild humor here I’m just not getting. Although there are clues (and I didn’t get a shot, unfortunately) that some are screaming to take the camouflage off.
Music For Gong Lovers And The Like
Finally, a window of time has opened up for me to make this announcement on my blog. I’ve been helping to organize my orchestra’s summer concert. The management crew even dubbed me as Concert Manager. Yikes! The truth is, I volunteered. So far it has been a fun learning experience and a royal time consumer, which only adds to my madness of juggling or trying on too many hats.
When I started with the TT Orchestra at the end of February 2009 I could barely remember how to read alto clef and my finger tips would ache after 15 minutes of playing. Playing music again has been so rewarding. I forget the stress that comes with life in a foreign country. The musicians are not only fun to hang out with (I get to use both English and German languages!), I can learn from and relate to them even though we come from very different backgrounds. All this has made it easy to over look the energy it has taken to come to where I am now musically. I’d like to be better in many ways but for the time being I’m content. I believe the orchestra and singers have a bright future ahead of themselves. Strangely, there isn’t one nervous bug inside me about playing 50 minutes of music and switching between alto and treble clef for our next concert.. but perhaps I’m too preoccupied with other things at the moment.
So let me get you caught up with a little Q&A and invite you to see us play, er, perform:
WHAT is the TT Orchestra & Singers?
The TT Orchestra & Singers is an English-speaking, amateur orchestra and choir based in Munich. Not only drawn from a mix of expatriates and internationals living and working in Munich but also native German speakers who enjoy mingling with global minds. Our moto is simply FUN, FUN, FUN! We strive to provide a friendly and relaxed environment to anyone who may have just started learning an instrument, have been playing or singing for years, or haven’t played or sung in years.
WHEN and WHERE is the next gig?
Saturday, July 17th 2010 at 8 PM. Save the date and book your tickets!
We are performing in the Carl-Orff-Saal at the Gasteig, Rosenheimer Straße 5, Munich.
WHAT can I expect?
TT Orchestra & Singers presents its 2010 Summer Concert entitled, “Summer Collection for the Common Man” with music from
- Aaron Copland: »Fanfare for the Common Man«
- Ludwig van Beethoven: »5th Symphony, Op. 67, 1st Movement«
- Howard Shore: »Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings Suite«
- George Gershwin: »Rhapsody in Blue«
- Queen: »Bohemian Rhapsody«.. and much more!
Members of the Munich Ladies Choir will be joining us on the Carl-Orff-Saal stage to celebrate the love of music. Our summer concert culminates our musical efforts over the last 7 months of weekly rehearsals and bi-monthly sectionals.
HOW can I help?
Simple: come to our concert and let us entertain you.
This season will be the first time the TT Orchestra & Singers will charge to see our concert. Boo, yeah I know. You wouldn’t believe what it costs to produce a one-night performance even with 80 volunteer musicians, singers and organizers. Eventually we’d like to subsidize ticket prices with sponsorship support but for now tickets, while trying to keep them affordable for our wide audience, are available from www.muenchen-ticket.de, start from 8 Euros. München Ticket offices are located at the Gasteig, Marienplatz, the Hauptbahnhof, and Olympia-Eissportzentrum.
There are plenty of tickets still available, which makes me nervous, but there is still time to encourage friends and acquaintances. It should be a really fun evening for everyone!
If you’d like more information on how you can help or if you’d like to join us, visit www.tt-orchestra.de
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE: www.muenchen-ticket.de
