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Archive for the ‘Walled In Berlin’ Category

What makes Germans German – Top Ten Traits

Monday, March 19th, 2018

My husband placed a tile on the refrigerator door that reads, “Living with a German builds character!” I placed a sign next to his that says, “It is hard to be humble when you’re German.” What makes Germans German? Here is a list of the top 10 traits:

What makes Germans German? Top ten traits. Design © D.N. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Germans have an intimate relationship with the sun

They absolutely worship the sun. At the first sign of sunshine, Germans flock to outdoor cafés, parks, woods and beaches. They’ll roll up their sleeves and pant legs, lean back and turn their faces into the sun to soak up every single ray. German summers are short making sunshine precious. When I first moved to San Diego, I was incapable of doing anything inside when the sun was out – it was always out.

Germans have an intimate relationship with the sun. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2015. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Germans love walks of any length

The love of sunshine leads to a love of the outdoors. Whether it translates into a walk through the city park, promenading alongside the river or hiking in the mountains, a walk is always a welcome activity.

Germans are fond of coffee and cake

Those walks invariably end at a café or bakery where a strong cup of coffee and a piece of delicious cake refresh body and spirit.

Germans cherish their leisure time

Germans value leisure time (Freizeit) above all. It’s in their DNA. No matter how responsible the position held, everybody from trainee to boss needs time to recharge. A job change consideration often includes a critical evaluation of the leisure time options that come with the new position.

Germans expect punctuality

There is no such thing as being “fashionable late” in Germany. Whether for a business appointment or a dinner engagement, late arrivals are frowned upon. Being punctual is considered a sign of respect. That said, punctuality flies out the window when it comes to appointments with physicians or at government offices. Then, substantial delays are customary and expected.

Germans are straight shooters

Germans may not be known for their diplomacy, but you always know where you stand with them. They don’t pussyfoot around but come direct to the point. A yes is a yes and a no is a no.

Germans value their privacy

Despite their directness, Germans do not care to be asked too many personal questions. If they want you to know, they will tell you. As a result, close friendships rarely form overnight, but once they do, they usually last forever.

Germans like handshakes

Germans prefer a handshake over a hug unless the other person is family or a close friend. A handshake infuses a little distance, which will make it less awkward should the relationship sour. The formal address used to accomplish the same thing, but it is rarely used anymore. I used to love the option of the formal address, particularly with pesky young men who were not my type.

Germans do have a sense of humor

Contrary to popular belief, Germans do have a sense of humor. They just don’t like silly slapstick humor. But when it comes to ironic and cynical humor, they keep up with the best. You see the proof during the Mardi Gras season (Karneval in German) when the Germans laugh themselves silly over clever innuendos.

Germans are thrifty

Germans know how to make the most of every penny. Even the least educated German does a quick cost-benefit analysis before buying anything. Their thriftiness is one reason why you see German tourists all over the world. They are masters of the Stretch-Currency.

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

Tags: Freizeit, German characteristics, German personality, German traits, handshakes, humor, leisure time, privacy, punctuality, sunbathing, thriftiness
Posted in J. Elke Ertle, Tête-à-Tête, Walled In Berlin | Comments Off on What makes Germans German – Top Ten Traits

Throw away your old eyeglasses. Get new ones

Thursday, March 15th, 2018

Like a man who has worn eyeglasses so long that he forgets that he has them on, we forget that the world looks to us the way it does because we have become used to seeing it that way through a particular set of lenses. It is hard to let old beliefs go. They are familiar. We are comfortable with them and have spent years building systems and developing habits that depend on them. The truth is, we need new lenses now and then, and we need to throw the old ones away.

— Kenichi Ohmae

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Seeing the world through brand-new eyeglasses. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2017. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Tags: beliefs, eyeglasses, habits, insight, new eyes, world view
Posted in J. Elke Ertle, Thought of the Day, Walled In Berlin | Comments Off on Throw away your old eyeglasses. Get new ones

Weimar Republic – Can Democracy be too Democratic?

Monday, March 12th, 2018

The Weimarer Republik (Weimar Republic) was Germany’s genuine attempt at creating its first-ever democracy. Trying to make it the perfect democracy, its leaders tried to build it on the principal of political and social equality for all. But the Weimar Republic lasted only 14 years before it collapsed. What happened? Was it not democratic enough? Was it too democratic? Let’s take a look.

“Weimar Republic” – an unofficial Designation

Between 1919 and 1933 – after Emperor Wilhelm II had abdicated and before the Nazi regime assumed power – the German state is commonly referred to as the Weimar Republic. That is an unofficial designation, however, because officially, Germany continued to be called Deutsches Reich, (German Empire), Deutscher Volksstaat (German People’s State) or Deutsche Republik (German Republic). The term “Weimar Republic” is based solely on the fact that the German state’s constitution was adopted in the city of Weimar. It was not until the 1930s that the term became mainstream.

Conditions preceding the Weimar Republic

In its fourteen years of existence, the Weimar Republic faced copious problems. They included hyperinflation, political extremism with right- and left-wing paramilitaries, attempted revolutions, public discontent and antagonistic relationships with the victors of World War I. Hyperinflation was such that in 1919, one loaf of bread cost 1 Mark; by 1923, the same loaf of bread cost 100 billion Marks. The value of the paper Mark had declined from 4.2 Marks per U.S. dollar in 1914 to one million Marks per dollar by August 1923. The German people blamed the Weimar Republic rather than their wartime leaders for the country’s defeat and for the humiliating terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

Banknote from the hyperinflationary period of the Weimar Republic – a 1923 banknote in the amount of 20,000 Mark, worth barely the paper it was printed on. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Why did the Weimar Republic last only 14 years?

The constitution of the Weimar Republic contained many features that were to insure a perfect democracy, such as a Bill of Rights that guaranteed the freedom of speech, freedom of religion and equality under the law. But the constitution also had two great weaknesses. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/germany/weimarstrengthweakrev3.shtml One of those weaknesses was something called “proportional representation.” It meant that each party was allocated the number of seats in the Reichstag (Parliament) that was proportional to the number of people who had voted for the party. But no minimum number of votes was required to get into the Reichstag. As a result, dozens of tiny parties ended up sitting in the Reichstag. When none could garner enough seats to represent a majority, the government could not get any laws passed.

The other serious built-in weakness in the constitution of the Weimar Republic was Article 48. That article stated that in an emergency the president could issue decrees without the agreement of the Reichstag. But the article failed to define what would represent an “emergency.” It was under Article 48, the Enabling Act of 1933, that Adolf Hitler assumed power.

These two major flaws in the constitution, albeit democratic and well-intended, made it impossible for the Weimar Republic to survive.

Tags: democracy, democratic, Emperor Wilhelm II, Enabling Act of 1933, Germany, hyperinflation, Reichstag, Treaty of Versailles, Weimar Republic, Weimarer Republik
Posted in J. Elke Ertle, Tête-à-Tête, Walled In Berlin | 3 Comments »

Muckefuck – German for Coffee Substitute

Monday, March 5th, 2018

Muckefuck, pronounced “mook-a-fook” as in book, (not what you thought) is a colloquial German term for coffee substitute. Pronounced correctly, it’s a perfectly innocent word. In September 2011, Deutsche Welle, Germany’s public international broadcaster, listed Muckefuck in its language learning section as the new word of the week.

How did Muckefuck get its odd name?

The word, Muckefuck, is a relative newcomer to the German language. There are several theories as to how and when the term was first used. The most likely explanation dates back to the 18^th century. At that time, about one-third of Berlin’s population consisted of Huguenots who had fled France to avoid religious persecution. When King Frederick the Great, King of Prussia from 1740 to 1786, http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/frederick-the-great-shaped-modern-europe/ substantially raised taxes on coffee imports, Berlin’s Huguenots came up with an idea for a coffee substitute. They brewed roasted chicory roots along with a few coffee beans and ended up with a thin, very black hot liquid. They called it “mocca faux” (false coffee). Lacking in sufficient French language skills, their German neighbors thought they heard the Huguenots say, “Muckefuck” and the colloquial term for coffee substitute was born.

More than once have misunderstood foreign language terms led to unintentional misconstructions. The Berlitz School of Languages put out a Youtube with my very favorite, hilarious example. Although the skid doesn’t refer to Muckefuck, it points out what can happen when marginal English skills lead to misinterpretations. Watch what transpires when a German Coast Guard trainee tries to muddle through an SOS call made in English. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMUsVcYhERY/

What is Muckefuck?

Muckefuck is a non-coffee product intended to imitate coffee. Coffee substitutes are also often chosen by individuals who wish to avoid caffeine or are given to children. Ingredients used in coffee substitutes frequently include almonds, acorn, asparagus, barley, beechnut, beet root, carrot, chicory root, corn, soybeans, cottonseeds, dandelion root, figs, roasted garbanzo beans, okra seeds, persimmon seeds, potato peels, rye, sassafras pits, sweet potato or wheat bran.

Postum, an instant coffee substitute made from roasted wheat bran, wheat and molasses was popular in the United States during World War II when coffee was rationed. Caro and Pero made from roasted barley, malted barley, chicory and rye were popular in Germany for the same reasons. In addition to being a coffee substitute, the term Muckefuck is also used for very weak coffee, which is often referred to as Bluemchenkaffee (flower coffee). http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j/elke/ertle/coffee-saxons-connoisseurs-fine-coffee/

Drink your Muckefuck and eat it too.

I grew fond of my own Muckefuck and still prepare it occasionally as a treat.The best part of homemade Muckefuck is that you can eat the “grounds” as well. Once your brew is made, simply scoop the grain mixture into a bowl, add milk and enjoy a delicious cereal along with your hot cup of “mocca faux.” Here is my favorite Muckefuck recipe:

Muckefuck before roasting – grains are golden like honey. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2018. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Ingredients: 2 cups of coarsely ground bulgur, 1 cup of coarsely ground corn meal, ¼ cup molasses.

Process: Combine all ingredients and rub them between your palms until well mixed. Place the mixture on a cookie sheet and brown in a 250°F oven, gently stirring every 20 minutes. Do this until the mix has a rich, dark color. This will take a couple of hours. Store the mixture in an airtight container. Pour 2 tablespoons of mixture per 1 cup of water into the filter paper of an electric coffee maker. Perk and voila! Your Muckefuck is done. Enjoy!

Muckefuck after roasting – grains are dark like coffee. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2018. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Tags: Berlin, Berlitz School of Languages, Bluemchenkaffee, coffee substitute, flower coffee, Huguenots, King Frederick the Great, mocca faux, Muckefuck, Muckefuck recipe
Posted in J. Elke Ertle, Tête-à-Tête, Walled In Berlin | 1 Comment »

Planning beats best plans

Thursday, March 1st, 2018

Plans are nothing; planning is everything.

— Dwight D. Eisenhower

Plans are nothing; Planning is everything. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Tags: direction, focus, intention, objective, organization, plan, planning, purpose
Posted in J. Elke Ertle, Thought of the Day, Walled In Berlin | Comments Off on Planning beats best plans

Coffee Saxons – Connoisseurs of fine Coffee

Monday, February 26th, 2018

“Kaffeesachsen” (Coffee Saxons in English) is a tongue-in-cheek expression that makes light of the Saxons’ love for coffee. Saxony, one of 16 Federal German states, is located in the eastern part of the country. In the early 1700s, coffee became the region’s most treasured drink. Supposedly, the Coffee Saxons still drink more coffee than the rest of the German people.

Coffee Saxons drink more coffee than the rest of the German people. www.walled-in-berlin.com

The Coffe Baum – Leipzig’s famous coffee house

The second oldest continuously operated coffee house in Europe is the Café “Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum” (To the Arab Coffee Tree), located in the Saxon city of Leipzig. In the early days, coffee houses were social hubs where thinkers and creators congregated. The Coffe Baum was once THE place where composers like Johann Sebastian Bach, Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelsohn-Bartholdy, Gustav Mahler and Richard Wagner talked about music and Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/Goethe-writes-faust-a-closet-drama/ philosophized. Today, the Coffe Baum is mostly a tourist magnet.

Coffee house “Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum” in Leipzig, Germany. www.walled-in-berlin.com

No Bluemchenkaffee for Coffee Saxons

As early as 1697 the first German “coffeehouse order” was issued. It established the guidelines for the strength and composition of the coffee served. The then fashionable Meissen porcelain, invented in 1710, was typically adorned with floral designs. Soon, the Coffee Saxons referred to particularly weak coffee as “Bluemchenkaffee” (flower coffee) because you could see right through the brew to the floral design at the bottom of the cup.

What the Coffee Saxons call “Bluemchenkaffee” (flower coffee). It’s a tad exaggerated, but you get the idea. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2018. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Did the Coffee Saxons start the coffee habit?

Despite their love for the delightful brew, the Coffee Saxons did not invent coffee houses or the cup of steaming Java. Both originated in the 14^th or 15^th century in the Middle East, probably in Yemen or Turkey. There were coffee houses and an entire culture around coffee in much of the Eastern Mediterranean area at that time. It was not until the 18^th century, around the time of the invention of Meissen porcelain, that coffee, along with tea and chocolate gained in popularity in Saxony.

Coffee Consumption around the World

Despite their coffee fondness, the Coffee Saxons are by no means the biggest consumers of the brew. Neither can the United States claim that distinction despite the fact that there is a Starbucks on almost every corner. Although statistics vary, it appears that Finland and the Netherlands are the two top coffee consuming countries. Germany ranks fifth or eighth (depending on whose figures you believe) in consumption. The United States falls somewhere between number 16 and number 25.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/maps-and-graphics/countries-that-drink-the-most-coffee/ and https://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-what-the-world-drinks

A survey indicates that almost 30% of Germans believe that a cup of coffee helps in deal-making. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Tags: Bluemchenkaffee, coffee, Coffee Saxons, flower coffee, Germany, Kaffeesachsen, Leipzig, Meissen porcelain, Saxony, Starbucks, Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum
Posted in J. Elke Ertle, Tête-à-Tête, Walled In Berlin | Comments Off on Coffee Saxons – Connoisseurs of fine Coffee

Will Learning from Experience ever stop?

Thursday, February 22nd, 2018

The trouble with learning from experience is that you never graduate.

— Dough Larson

The trouble with learning from experience is that you never graduate. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Tags: insight, learning from experience, personal development, school of life
Posted in J. Elke Ertle, Thought of the Day, Walled In Berlin | Comments Off on Will Learning from Experience ever stop?

Berlin Brandenburg Airport – A Sisyphus project?

Monday, February 19th, 2018

The Berlin Brandenburg Airport was supposed to open in November 2011. After many setbacks, the most recent opening is slated for the end of 2019 at the earliest. https://www.thelocal.de/20170831/berlin-airport-to-open-at-end-of-2019-at-the-earliest-report/. In the meantime, Berlin’s new International airport has turned into a modern-day Sisyphus project. In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was condemned to roll a huge boulder uphill, only to watch it roll back down every time he neared the top of the mountain. Given legendary German efficiency, what happened?

Berlin Brandenburg Airport, still closed as of February 2018. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Berlin Brandenburg Airport opening delays

In 2006, construction of Berlin Brandenburg Airport began. Grand Opening was slated for October 2011. But the projected opening had to be delayed due to bankruptcy of the construction planning company. A new date was set for June 2012. This time, it was going to be the real thing. Everything was ready to go. As the new opening date drew close, airlines, shops and restaurants prepared for the grand opening. A logistics plan was put into place for moving infrastructure from the old airport to the new. RBB (Rundfunk Berlin Brandenburg) prepared for 24-hour live coverage of the move. The first departure was scheduled. But less than four weeks before the move, the opening was postponed again. Since then, the airport opening date has been pushed back numerous times with no definite end in sight.

June 2012 projected opening delayed. Reason: Major technical difficulties, including the fact the new terminal had not passed the fire safety and smoke exhaust systems checks. A new opening date scheduled for March 2013.

March 2013 projected opening delayed. Reason: More construction flaws. Change in airport management. New opening date scheduled for late October 2013.

Late October 2013 projected opening delayed. Reason: More of the same. The airport authority announced that the opening would be further delayed without citing a specific opening date. 2014 at the earliest, possibly not until 2015. http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/berlin-brandenburg-airport-delayed-again/

2014 and 2015 projected openings delayed. Reason: Safety issues, permit expirations, corruption, mismanagement, another change in airport management. Berlin Brandenburg is not expected to open before 2016 or 2017. http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/berlin-brandenburg-airport-boondoggle/

2017 projected opening delayed. Reason: More technical issues, Approval of the underground station did not occur in time.

The real cause for the Berlin Brandenburg Airport delays

Apparently, the Berlin Brandenburg Airport construction was plagued by too make cooks stoking the fire. Three different entities were in charge, but none had complete oversight. As a result, major technical issues went unnoticed or were ignored; there were many personnel changes, but none addressed the actual problem. In the meantime, workers and contractors took advantage and lined their own pockets. Corruption and financial issues plagued the project. With each postponement, the Sisyphus’s airport project rolled down the hill again.

Tags: Berlin-Brandenburg airport, Berliner Stadtschloss reconstruction, Sisyphus, Stiftung Berliner Schloss
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Getting out of the rat race

Thursday, February 15th, 2018

Sure, it’s nice to get out of the rat race, but then you have to learn to get along with less cheese.

— Anonymous

If you want to get out of the rat race, you have to learn to get along with less cheese. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Tags: income, prestige, rat race, rewards, status, way-of-life, wealth
Posted in J. Elke Ertle, Thought of the Day, Walled In Berlin | No Comments »

Volkswagen comeback with e-generation bus

Monday, February 12th, 2018

During the course of the past 70 years, Volkswagen has experienced greater highs and lows than any other automaker. Invented by Ferdinand Porsche, Adolf Hitler first introduced the VW Beetle’s prototype in 1938. http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/those-tough-little-beetles/ World War II stopped its production. Ten years later, British occupation forces offered Heinrich Nordhoff the management of the war-damaged plant in Wolfsburg. Mr. Nordhoff is credited with putting Volkswagen on the map. http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/mr-volkswagen-heinrich-nordhoff/ Eventually, production of the VW Beetle exceeded that of Ford’s Model T. Then in 2015, greed almost put Volkswagen out of business when news spread that the company had deliberately rigged emission systems in its 2009-2015 diesel cars at home and abroad. http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/volkswagen-when-greed-meets-technology/ Company stock declined 20% on the first day and another 17% the following day.

Now Volkswagen is hoping to make a comeback. CEO Herbert Diess recently announced production by 2022 of the all-electric, fully integrated “I.D. Buzz.” This state-of-the-art e-generation vehicle is intended to make Volkswagen a worldwide bestseller once again.

The Iconic Volkswagen Type 2 Camper Bus

Remember the two-tone, air cooled, rear engine VW camper bus from the 1960s and 1970s, so popular with young people at the time? In the United States, it was called the “Volkswagen Type 2.” Those economical, trouble-free and easy to repair vehicles seem to have remained close to the hearts of many from that era. I never owned a VW bus but I was once the proud owner of a VW Beetle. I have to admit I loved it dearly.

New e-generation Volkswagen I.D. Buzz

I.D. Buzz concept bus on the right alongside the iconic Volkswagen Type 2 bus on the left. Courtesy of newsroom.vw.com. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Tentatively dubbed the I.D. Buzz, Volkswagen’s newest vehicle is scheduled to target the North American, European and Chinese markets. It is designed to accelerate from 0 to 60 miles/hour in less than five seconds and top 100 miles/hour. A powerful battery pack in the floor of the chassis should give the vehicle a range of more than 350 miles, and with a fast-charge system it will be able to recharge to 80 percent of its energy capacity in 30 minutes. The 369 horsepower of the I.D. Buzz exceeds by far the 30 hp of the first Volkswagen bus sold in the United States in 1950. In addition, the I.D. Buzz will be capable of Level 3 autonomous driving, which means that the vehicle will be equipped to take over all driving functions in a less-complex highway environment (i.e. all vehicles moving in the same direction, no pedestrians, no complex intersections).

Volkswagen involved in new snafu

I was almost ready to forgive VW for its “Dieselgate” transgression when it came to light that the company recently conducted tests with Java monkeys. Ten animals were locked into small chambers for four hours at a time to breath in diesel fumes to prove that the pollutant load from diesel motors has measurably decreased. Come on Volkswagen, did you really have to abuse animals for this? Sadly, BMW and Daimler were also in on the tests.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/vw-exec-suspended-over-use-monkeys-emissions-test-n843656

Tags: Dieselgate, Ferdinand Porsche, Heinrich Nordhoff, Herbert Dres, I.D. Buzz, Level 3 autonomous driving, monkey emissions tests, Volkswagen, Volkswagen Beetle, Volkswagen Type 2 camper bus
Posted in J. Elke Ertle, Tête-à-Tête, Walled In Berlin | Comments Off on Volkswagen comeback with e-generation bus

Archive for the ‘Walled In Berlin’ Category

What makes Germans German – Top Ten Traits

Germans have an intimate relationship with the sun

Germans love walks of any length

Germans are fond of coffee and cake

Germans cherish their leisure time

Germans expect punctuality

Germans are straight shooters

Germans value their privacy

Germans like handshakes

Germans do have a sense of humor

Germans are thrifty