WS 12/13 eMAG 21
Dear reader, ‘Home’ is quite a difficult word to define. That’s because it means different things to different people. You should really go and ask your friends and family what ‘home’ is to them sometime. Let me tell you, it’s a great conversation starter and a lot of the time will get people to tell you stories you wouldn’t otherwise have heard. But for now just stick with us. We’ve done a lot of research for our “Home Sweet Home” issue and I’m sure you’ll be surprised at the variety that ‘home’ has to offer. It ranges from an interview with someone who knows how hard it can be to find one’s way home to different kinds of home all around the world and even ideas on how to make a house a home. But beware - ‘home’ is not all smiles and sunshine! And it’s certainly not the safest place in the world. No worries, though. You’re safe with us - and well entertained at all times. Read about what’s up on and around campus (ever heard of Jugendhaus Kosmos?) and in Augsburg more generally. Get inspired by our “Home Sweet Home” photo contest winner and try out one of our featured Scottish recipes - oh, that layer cake! Anyway, enough from me. Now, see for yourself and enjoy the show! Your editor, Susi
eMAG is an independent non-profit magazine published twice a year, by students, for students. It is part of a University of Augsburg Language Center course, as well as the Begleitstudium Problemlösekompetenz. Everything related to the production of the magazine is conducted in English. The aim of eMAG is to entertain and inform the university community about international, intercultural and local topics in the English language. As part of its philosophy, every semester eMAG donates a full-page advertisement to a local charity. The content of individual articles does not necessarily reflect the team‘s view and opinions. print run: 1,000 price: for free published: January 28th 2013 printed at: Senser Druck GmbH copyright: 2013 eMAG. All rights reserved. http://www.eMAG-augsburg.de
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Author: Susi Steinacher Layout: Adina Mutter Pictures: Susi Steinacher
The elite graduate program FIM Of stones and flying men New kids in town Home for a few hours Jam gems in Augsburg “Don‘t do it if you don‘t like it“ Home Street Home
Home from home Living all over the world Home, but different Through new worlds to new fulfillment Home-cooking with Iona “Goodbye Germany” 200 years ago
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Same Procedure
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Whole Wide World
What would Dorothy do? Do it yourself! Talking about home From teatime to Timbuktu Living in close companionship Where danger lurks around every corner Between busy schedules and future plans Home is where my ♥ is
Keep it local
Home Sweet Home
Table of contents
Random people – random questions Watch. Read. Listen. Photo contest winner Savour the world Charity article - Jugendhaus Kosmos Love it or hate it Staff‘s favorites
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fter eBotscha JANDA+ROSCHER, Die Werb
line oder live: » Jetzt on inenstraße 12 Karol 86150 Augsburg
Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to. (John Ed Pearce)
What would Dorothy do? The beautiful heroine from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz will now take your questions. Or rather mine.
This term’s issue of eMAG is all about ‘home’, as I’m sure you’ve figured out by now. So what comes to mind when you ask yourself all those philosophical questions about what makes you feel at home, what makes a home a home and where you can find a place to call home? Dorothy, of course. Our hero when it comes to finding a way back home again. I was lucky enough to get an interview with her. But since deep, thoughtful questions make me feel uncomfortable I tried to keep it as shallow as possible. Enjoy.
Seriously though. The topic of this term’s issue is ‘Home Sweet Home’ and you are kind of the expert on finding your way back home again. What would you say to someone who is struggling to find their way back home?
Do you miss being on the Road? Do you really think someone would miss killing witches and getting kidnapped by flying monkeys? (After a second) Okay I do. The last time you burst out laughing uncontrollably was when… I saw the lion, the tinman and the scarecrow perform with their band for the first time. I was really trying to be supportive but it was a KISS tribute band, for god’s sake. Can you imagine the makeup on the lion?
So, Dorothy, what are you doing here? (laughs) Uh, my agent called and told me to get dressed and here I am. Thanks so much for taking the time to meet with me. No problem.
Dorothy, have you ever done drugs and while doing so imagined being in a strange land with a bunch of little people telling you that you had to follow a yellow brick road to get back home? (laughs) Hey, don’t forget that the spinning house I was traveling in conveniently landed on a wicked old witch and killed her.
I have a couple of completely random questions for you. Are you up for it? Yeah, I heard that’s kind of your thing. Okay, what’s your favorite song at the moment? On the Road Again by Canned Heat.
Dorothy… may I call you Dorothy? Sure.
Let’s get started, I have a lot of questions for you. Okay, go for it.
on your journey. It’s always more fun to sing with friends than alone (chuckles).
What would you suggest someone who is addicted to therapy do? (laughs) Uh, I think they should get a hobby. Making soaps or something. Like the guy in Fight Club. Well, I’d say, keep following the yellow brick road until you’re ready to discover that you’ve had the ability to go back home all along. What have you learned from following the yellow brick road? That it’s actually true what they say: Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. And also I guess to invite people 5
Let’s hope people don’t take that particular bit of advice. But thanks so much for your insights! My pleasure. Author: Jessica Friedline Layout: Sybille Ehing Pictures: Jessica Friedline
Do it yourself! Home decorating on a budget Tired of having the same shelves, frames and decoration as all your friends? Give your flat, room, apartment your own unique touch in line with your personal taste with our do-it-yourself tips and tricks. Decorate your home on the cheap with these easy ideas for upgrading old items once destined for the trash and simple steps that require only a few inexpensive materials. Of course, these are just a few ideas for great decorations in your home! There are so many more cheap, easy ideas. If you‘re creative and try to use things in your home differently, everyone will ask you where you bought them. To see more detailed instructions for the last idea and links to good DIY websites, visit the eMAG homepage: www.eMAG-augsburg.de 1. The cheapest idea
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Pimp old glasses, bottles and jars! You can use practically everything in your flat to decorate! We used old bottles as candlestickholders, cut out some photos and put them into upside-down glasses and shaped old book pages and glued them onto small jars. Be creative!
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2. The most useful idea Pinboard from paint color samples All you need is a cheap frame (e.g. IKEA) and paint color samples from a building supply-store (e.g. Bauhaus near Bukowina Institut). Cut the paint chips, glue them onto a piece of paper, put it into the frame and write on the glass with a non-waterproof marker. There are so many ways to use this: as a calendar, reminder, To-Do or shopping list, quotation collection…
3. 3. The most decorative idea Flowers from old book pages You need two pages from an old book, some twine, a beautiful pearl and some glue. Just follow the easy steps in the picture and you will have some gorgeous flowers in no time! It’s easier than it looks.
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4. For more ambitious decorators Make a ball out of glue and twine! For this idea, you need the following materials: balloons, twine and (very sticky) glue. Don’t forget to put some newspaper onto your table. It makes quite a mess! Blow up the balloon. Put the twine (you need a lot) into a mixture of (more) glue and (less) water, so that the twine is soaked with it. Then wrap the twine around the balloon very tightly, covering the whole balloon. Then let it dry. You can speed the process up by using a hair dryer if you like. Then cut the balloon and remove it and you’ve got a ball made out of twine! Special tip: Use different colored twine to match with the colors in your room or try putting something into the twine. For that purpose, leave a hole while wrapping the twine. Our experience: We needed a few attempts to get it right. It took some nerve, patience and a lot of time, but in the end, it worked!
Authors: Adina Mutter & Nathalie Bauer Layout: Nathalie Bauer Pictures: Adina Mutter & Nathalie Bauer
Heroes – Heldenmythen im Tanz
Erleben Sie fünf renommierte Choreografen im zeitgenössischen Tanzabend Premiere: 11. Januar 2013 | brechtbühne Weitere Vorstellungen: 16.01., 18.01., 01.02., 08.02., 23.02., 26.02., 03.03., 07.03., 15.03., 17.03., 22.03.2013 Tickets ab 9 Euro.
Talking about home Idiomatic expressions - bacon, cows and castles
The concept ‘home’ seems so important that it’s become part of our language. For example, many idiomatic expressions refer to home, some of them in quite a funny, interesting way. So for this article, I’ve collected five good examples and have found out that some are quite similar in English and German. Bacon and bread
Black cows?
Feel like home!
Who brings home the bacon in your family? Obviously, we consider food so important that we also include it in our language. While Englishspeaking people “bring home the bacon”, Germans prefer to talk about bread (“die Brötchen verdienen”). This confirms some common stereotypes - just think of a nice English breakfast!
Let’s go back to animals for the next one. Cows are also part of a funny expression:
My home is my castle: Home means privacy, a place where you can behave the way you want to and feel like the king or queen of your own kingdom. Germans totally agree with this (“Zu Hause bin ich König”). Simply be yourself and enjoy the whole place just for yourself - sounds great, doesn’t it?
Food or good looks? Food comes up in other English expressions, for example, in “eating someone out of their house and home”. Apparently, Germans care more about their appearance than about food, as they’re afraid that someone might eat up their hair (“jemandem die Haare vom Kopf fressen”). Can you see? When we want to make something clear to someone in English, we “bring it home to them”, but for Germans eyes are more important (“jemandem etwas vor Augen führen”).
If English-speaking people don’t believe something’s going to happen, they “wait for it till the cows come home”, whereas Germans prefer to change colors (“warten bis man schwarz wird”). So let’s see what happens first, a cow returning on its own or someone turning black...
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So, as you can see, the English- and Germanspeaking worlds share some expressions, which shows that the love of homes and food is international. For example, a comfortable private place, a delicious breakfast and a herd of cows outside seem to make life perfect and even provide an opportunity to use a funny expression from time to time. Now what do you think?
Author: Janina Reiter Layout: Nathalie Bauer Pictures: Janina Reiter
From tea time to Timbuktu Where do you feel most at home? Choose the example that best represents your daily routine and find out what “home” means to you! 1) Breakfast is usually… A) A nice coffee topped with a milk foam heart, and best of all, my favorite food on a long, sleepy morning. B) 5 minutes to make toast and another 5 to clean everything up, which leaves about 10 minutes for an enjoyable breakfast. C) Ow! Just burned myself with the hot water for my tea… and oh my, I forgot the toast in the toaster…. I’m going to miss my tram! D) A croissant, a hot coffee, Nutella, or something else. My day begins with different breakfast foods from all over the world. 2) When I take a moment to relax… A) I make myself a nice hot chocolate and then take a nap on the couch wrapped in a comfy blanket. B) I like to have a “working” cappuccino break;
I have my timetable and I go over the day’s schedule. C) I really wanted to drink a beer, but I dropped my backpack and it broke on the way home… D) You can find me listening to Mexican music, drinking Chai tea, and planning my next trip to Africa. 3) My sense of humor is best described as… A) I love to laugh along with other people, and I love to tell jokes. B) I’m a better listener than teller of jokes. C) The easiest thing for me to laugh about is myself! D) I’m a storyteller, so I can make people laugh with my crazy experiences from all around the world. 4) Home décor-postcards, mementos, and pinboards: A) I keep everything I’m sent and make collages to creatively decorate my walls. B) There is a calendar, schedule, and/or pin-
board on my wall as part of my organizational system. C) Pinboard, piles of pictures, chaos – splashes of colors and memories. I remember best when I stumble over it again and again. D) A map and postcards cover not only my pinboard, but my whole wall. They mark places I want to go, as well as places I’ve already been. 5) Shower habits: A) I always take a bath, light a candle, and enjoy the fluffy bubbles and the sweet smell of my vanilla shampoo. B) After I get up and silence my alarm clock, the next step is a quick, and slightly cold shower to energize myself. C) I’m sick again because I forgot to dry the towels and the water was warm, but the rest of the house wasn’t. D) Clean is clean so I don’t really care. I would even take a shower underneath a waterfall.
Mostly B) Home is where things make sense. You feel at home when everything is clean and organized. You have an ability to see through chaotic situations and instinctively create order. Your home is neat and everything is in its place. You are probably German :-) Mostly A) Home is where the heart is. You like your home to be warm and comfortable. You decorate with presents from your friends, your favorite things, as well as little things that represent your personality. You can make any room feel “cozy” with your creativity.
Mostly D) Home is out there somewhere. You easily feel at home anywhere. You don’t need a special place or special people to make you feel “at home”. You can easily fit in and find friends. You enjoy new experiences and being out of your comfort zone. Mostly C) Home is where it’s ok to be chaotic. You are comfortable with yourself and all of your funny little quirks. You don’t understand why people look at you in a strange way when they see the colorful mess you made of your place. To you, it just wouldn’t feel like home if it weren’t a little crazy.
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Author: Marion Born Layout: Tamara Kögel Pictures: Simone Hainz/pixelio.de Stephanie Hofschlaeger/pixelio.de Andreas Stix/pixelio.de
Where danger lurks around every corner Hidden and not so hidden risks at home
Life is dangerous. No big news there. I mean, there are car accidents, waiters balancing hot soup between restaurant tables or your usual stress-induced heart attack because not one of the university photocopiers is working. Facing all these dangers the moment we step out of our cozy, safe homes, many of us aren’t aware that these homes may not be so safe after all. The most common accidents Figures clearly state that more than half of the accidents occurring every year take place within our homes or, at least, within their close vicinity. Statistics taken in the UK, the USA and Germany even agree on the most dangerous spots, namely the kitchen, the bed- or living room and, not surprisingly, staircases. The bathroom isn’t far behind. When you think about it, the percentage of accidents occurring in our flats or houses doesn’t really come as a surprise. Counting all the times I fell down (or up) the stairs, bumped my toe on a piece of furniture or cut my fingers when I only wanted to prepare dinner, I certainly can relate to the figures.
many times have you left a candle unattended for just one second? Some people pay a high price for answering these questions with ‘One time too many.’ Still, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t feel safe and protected in your own home any more. It should remain a place to relax in and to enjoy time with your family and friends. The statistics presented just mean you should pay attention and avoid daydreaming when handling kitchen supplies or cleaning the staircases.
Top 5 of the most unbelievable home accidents At least, sometimes home accidents make for good anecdotes. The accidents described in the following list all happened, some to me (I’m definitely not telling which ones), some to friends and some to strangers who just happened to walk by when this idea came up. 1. Trying to dry a canary in the microwave. I guess I don’t need to add ‘May he rest in peace’ to get my point across, do I? 2. Setting a frozen pizza on fire. How that works exactly will, probably, remain an eternal mystery. 3. Getting your head stuck between the windowsill and the heater. I guess you’d need some background information on that one, but, I can assure you, it’s painful. 4. Knocking your head into the sink because you want to wrap your hair up in a towel. So, girls with long hair, beware. 5. Smashing a glass door, because you walked into it. If you have one, better not clean it too thoroughly.
The most dangerous accidents Of course, on a less amusing note, you have to keep in mind that some accidents have a much more serious outcome than just jumping up and down and cursing the sofa you ran into. Some statistics show that the death toll for home accidents is even higher than for those occurring on the road. How many times have you slipped on the stairs and could only grasp the banister at the last moment? How
Author: Nicole Gifi Layout: Nicole Gifi Pictures: Nicole Gifi
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Between busy schedules and future plans One day in an ambitious student’s life
Welcome to my world. You’re invited to follow my thoughts while I’m trying to find the balance between work and relaxation, the wide, wide world and home sweet home, fun and seriousness. Early morning routine Monday morning, 6 a.m. It’s really early… Should I just stay in bed? Should I just skip my Chinese class? “Actually,” I say to myself “I don’t even have a choice! If I want to succeed in my future I can’t just stay in bed, being lazy, doing nothing but relaxing… I have to be ambitious but, more importantly, determined.”
I receive a text from one of my mates who is spending his gap year in Australia. He writes about how many exciting people he meets every day but also that he doesn’t want to come back to Germany despite the fact that his family and friends still live here. He doesn’t miss his home sweet home. Should I also have taken a gap year? But no, I remember why I decided against this once-in-a-lifetime chance because I was frightened of not getting back into the learning process after one year of relaxation.
8 a.m. Chinese lecture. I was normally more interested in Italian but who in this world needs Italian? Chinese is spoken by at least 1.3 million people, and China is THE economically important country in the world. Whoever wants to succeed in life has to jump on the moving train. If not they’ll fail.
Relaxation? No chance. 2 p.m. Back home I go through my scripts and then call my grandma, who misses me and who doesn’t understand why I had to move so far away. I try to explain but have the feeling that she doesn’t really understand she only moved because she had to during the war but then just stayed in one place forever. Her husband died in the very same house her son was born in ages ago. 5 p.m. Now! Time for one episode of “The Big Bang Theory”. I watch it in English. This way I can learn something while enjoying myself. Isn’t that a good compromise? Looking forward to my future… I know that my future is still a rather vague vision in my head, but I have to work and try hard if I want to succeed. I don’t know yet which place in the world will be my “home sweet home” one day. Do you?
11 a.m. A crowded linguistics class and the room is overflowing with students; more than 20 are already sitting on the floor, trying to take notes and listening to the professor. The professor, who has already successfully done a doctorate himself, is really young, and also ambitious, it seems.
Author: Bibiane Holst Layout: Sebastian Allehoff Picture: Bibiane Holst
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Living in close companionship The Tempelhof Project
Have you ever imagined how your life would be if you weren’t at the University of Augsburg? Maybe you would study somewhere else, do some other qualification or go abroad? Or maybe you would try something else, something different, something like ‘Tempelhof’. What exactly is the ‘Tempelhof’? I’m sure most of you don’t know what I am talking about, so I will try to explain: ‘Tempelhof’ is an airport in Berlin, but it is also a community near Kreßberg in Baden-Württemberg. When I say community, some of you might think about the wild 70s first, with its hippies and about “Kommune 1” with Rainer Langhans. But living in these communities is (in most cases) no longer like this but more like at the ‘Tempelhof’. The ‘Tempelhof’ website puts it like this:
But maybe it’s best if Ramon (a 17-year-old ‘Tempelhof’ long-term resident) tells you something about it:
Life with more than 80 people isn’t always easy, is it? Yes, that’s right. You need lots of different kinds of events to manage. Once a week we have a forum, where we talk about the internal problems of our village and try to solve them. You have to be considerate of others in the community and respect and take care of other people.
The Tempelhof village has: eMAG: In your own words, what is ‘Tempelhof’ for you? Ramon: Well, it’s an awesome community where everybody is free to be themselves, everybody is accepted the way they are. We try to implement a new way of communicating and a new form of culture and we try to live as regionally as possible. It’s just a great place, which can also be quite exhausting because you have a big responsibility. Everybody is responsible for everything they do, say and hear, simply for everything.
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At the Tempelhof there are: • •
“Twenty people from different social and religious backgrounds have for three years intensively worked on a vision of collective life and considered an ecologically sustainable, social and fulfilling way of life. In 2010, the project began at the perfect location of ‘Tempelhof’ and since then the community has expanded to 65 adults and 15 children, who are transforming our visions into reality.”
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5 timber-framed houses, 2 apartment buildings, 2 additions and 2 flat-roofed buildings, a large beautiful pink building used for many purposes 30 hectares of farmland 60 goats and 100 hens a bakery, a honey farm, a cheese maker, a tailor, a carpenter, a bicycle repair shop, a nursery, a big canteen and a café a school and a hospice are planned
about 90 residents a Frenchwoman, an Argentine, a Pole, a Romanian, a Slovenian, a Swiss couple and soon a Japanese couple about 500 guests per year, who stay for one or two weeks
Do you think it’s good for a kid to be born and to grow up at ‘Tempelhof’? That depends. For some it’s good, for others not.
‘Tempelhof’ is in the middle of nowhere; isn’t it sometimes boring there? Yes, there are heaps of boring days. But there are also days when you have a lot of work to do. There are so many people at the ‘Tempelhof’, so you always have the opportunity to do stuff with other people. And of course we don’t always have to stay at the ‘Tempelhof’; we can go wherever we want to. Actually, at the ‘Tempelhof’ we have loads of things to do since there are so many people here (more than 100 including guests). I’m sure you have certain rules at the ‘Tempelhof’. Which one is the hardest for you? Actually there are no stupid rules, because they aren’t determined by just one person. There are only suggestions and recommendations. We don’t have a certain dogma which leads us in one direction. The only direction that connects us is that we want to live ecologically and in a community. We try to discover new ways of doing things and that’s simply not possible when you have to obey given rules.
How come you’re at the ‘Tempelhof’? Actually my parents wanted to found a community with another couple, but it didn’t work out. So when the other couple moved to the ‘Tempelhof’, my parents had a closer look and they really liked it. Afterwards, they decided to move there as well and when they told me that there was a gym, I agreed. Since then we’ve been living at the ‘Tempelhof’. What’s the funniest thing that‘s happened to you here? One of the funniest things I remember was when I was at a construction site with my dad. We were climbing really high, and because it was raining, it was often waterlogged. I was walking into a puddle with a stick when my dad told me to go one step backwards. There was just one problem: my dad forgot that there was a 1 ½ meter-deep hole in the ground. So suddenly I was swimming in a hole full of rainwater. It was so funny. There are heaps of funny things that happen out there. Is there anything you envy about other guys your age? Maybe the city. But apart from that, nothing. What have you learned at ‘Tempelhof’? Everything and nothing. The answer to that would take days.
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What’s your favourite place on the ‘Tempelhof’? It depends how I feel. It always changes. I like to go on the roof to phone my friends in summer when it’s hot. In winter I prefer to stay in my room or in the living room.
Would you recommend ‘Tempelhof’ to other people your age? In my opinion, nobody should go there who doesn’t want to. Anyone who wants to go should try it out first. What are your hobbies? I enjoy helping with the farming and I do a lot of sports like football or basketball. Do you have any specific plans for life after the ‘Tempelhof’? I have no idea! So for all of you who might be interested in visiting the ‘Tempelhof’, just drop by or visit: http://www.schloss-tempelhof.de/index.php.
Author: Leila Vaziri Layout: Leila Vaziri Pictures: Leila Vaziri, Ramon Willaredt
My home is where my ♥ is … and my home is definitely not confined to one place
Have you ever been abroad and got a strange look from your friends because you said “Let’s go home” instead of “Let’s go back to the hotel?” Well, I have.
in Würzburg for six years, in a tiny flat right beside the River Main. When I think of my flat, I’d say it’s the huge poster of Aragorn, that by some evil wizardry got stuck permanently and irremovably on the kitchen wall that puts the biggest smile on my face.
When you ask people what they consider their home, they usually tell you about The River Main and the old town of Würzburg one specific place. If you asked me, I’d tell you about my three homes. For some reason, I’ve always been able to make myself feel at home pretty quickly. From birth till 20 in one house We never moved when I was a kid, and my parents still live in the same house that they built together before my birth and where they raised me and my brother. I think it’s great that I have a home to which I can return and where my parents will always welcome me – but I would never want to miss the experiences of also having created two new homes for myself. Ten flatmates and still counting So far, my total number of flatmates adds up to ten; six in Würzburg and four in Augsburg so far. I moved out when I was twenty and lived
bookshelves are full of memorabilia that remind me of where I come from, but I also own many objects that are connected to new experiences and recent friendships. Home isn’t just about furniture… Actually, friendships play a huge role in what makes me feel at home. You can only bring so many pieces of furniture and so many plants to decorate your flat. But isn’t it the people we meet, the people who become part of our lives, who make us feel at home? I would feel uncomfortable anywhere if I couldn’t have my books with me – but I would also feel uncomfortable if there were no friends in my life who I could invite over. …it’s also friendships
Flat number two I’ve been in Augsburg for two and a half years now. What has stayed the same are my books, my coffee machine and my bedspreads. What is new are the many pictures of friends and family which I never had the space for. My 14
about
No matter how cozy my flat is, I don’t like being confined to it. I prefer to go outside and make my new surroundings my home. This not only includes walking through the streets to find out where the nearest supermarket is, but also to get to know the people who live around me. The couple next door. The cute guy on the tram…
the same. The town still has a friendly, familiar face and it feels like seeing an old friend. And like a dear friend, it has a place in my heart. I don’t lose my old homes; I can return there whenever I want.
My house in Augsburg
A sense of belonging When I return to one of my home towns, I still have a sense of belonging. It’s nice to see that the city has changed, but so have I. And despite this, I still feel at home. The street corners, the houses, the parks and the tourist sites are still
Author: Sybille Ehing Layout: Sybille Ehing Pictures: Sybille Ehing
The Ulm Minster
Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home. (Edith Sitwell)
Keep It Local
The elite graduate program Finance and Information Management (FIM) An interview with Augsburg FIM student Caroline Helm
Why did you decide to study FIM? I have a bachelor degree in Business Mathematics, which is a solid foundation for several different master programs. I didn’t want to graduate in Math though, because for me it is too theoretical. I knew some FIM students who were always enthusiastic about their program, so I thought I would give it a try. FIM has renowned business partners. What influence do they have on your studies? The most direct influence is the personal mentoring provided by the business partners. There is a kind of company-speed-dating event in the first semester to match us with the best possible mentor, depending on interests and focuses. My mentor is a manager from the Radeberger group (Beverages). I visited him several times in Frankfurt. It was extremely beneficial for me to talk to somebody from the real business world about my future plans.
FIM is an “elite” program – What makes it so special? “Elite” means it is funded by the ENB, the Elite Netzwerk Bayern. Their goal is to support and sponsor particularly motivated high-potential students, and to provide excellent working conditions. The special thing about FIM is that it is an interdisciplinary program. We have students with many different undergraduate degrees, such as Mathematics, IT, Business, and even Media and Communication. This makes studying very exciting. Everybody contributes in a different way, and we learn from each other. Another important aspect is the mentoring program. Each student has an academic mentor; most also have a business mentor.
What’s been a personal highlight so far? Recently, I had an incredible seminar. We were a very interdisciplinary group of students, the time frame was tight, and we had to work together efficiently in order to finish the project. It was great to see that we could rely on each other and complement one another. One student did the coding, another one the businessrelated tasks. It challenged our ability to work as a team. I also liked the soft skill courses. I particularly remember a week-long seminar that emphasized presentation training and team building. What role does the English language play in your studies, and do you think you can be successful in business without it? We had some lectures that were held entirely in English and we had to hold presentations 17
in English. Several students did internships abroad. At the moment, the application period for writing the master thesis and for a research semester abroad is open. There are many English-speaking options, such as the Universities of Toronto and Calgary in Canada, or Sydney and Brisbane in Australia. My internships were mainly with internationally operating companies. In principle, almost every company interacts with foreign countries. Naturally English plays a big role in these companies. Even companies that are located only in Germany usually sell products in international markets. Could you imagine working or studying abroad at one point in your life? Yes, definitely. I am currently applying for a program abroad. My goal for the future is definitely to have a job in which I can work abroad for a limited amount of time, to acquire more intercultural experience and to improve my English. Not for ever, though; I am much too attached to my home. Do you have any advice for people that plan to apply for the FIM master program? It is very important not to be intimidated by the expression “elite”. I talked to many FIM students who gave me the courage to apply. It is important to be willing to perform well, to take on responsibility, and to work in interdisciplinary groups. But most importantly, you need to study the subject that you think is right for you. If you decide that this is FIM, then give it a try! For further information about the FIM program see inside front cover. Author: Manfred Schoch Layout: Leila Vaziri Picture: Caroline Helm
Of stones and flying men Your personal campus art guide
In 2011, a cleaning lady in a museum in Dortmund caused quite a scandal when she accidentally removed a stain on the floor that turned out to be part of the artwork of a famous artist. I bet that wasn’t a pleasant thing to explain in the morning. However, in her defense, I honestly have to admit that I can’t always tell by the mere look of something whether it’s meant to be art or not. Just take our campus in Augsburg. Are you sure you’re aware of all the pieces of art you pass each day? Do you know what they’re about or have you even sat down on them or used them in order to quickly get rid of your chewing gum before the next lecture? Well, to avoid such mistakes in the future, why not take a look at the following guide to some of the art pieces at our university.
Most of us probably know this pair of two granite stones right next to the pond and have passed it numerous times already. You might even have used it once or twice (or countless times, like me) as your personal bench. I wouldn’t be surprised if you weren’t aware of this being art because I know I wasn’t until recently. They’re actually part of two other pieces, namely the stele not far from the stones and the little fountain in the courtyard behind the pond. The artist apparently wanted to show different ways of working on different materials and also to enable different forms of perception. Still, I think it’s okay to use the pair as a seating place from time to time. They’re quite comfy.
“Lagerndes Steinpaar” by Herbert Peters
“Kopfform” by Wolfgang Bier Okay, in this case, it’s clear that someone didn’t simply bring an oversized helmet with them and left it on the lawn behind the humanities faculty. According to the artist, this work is meant to show the vulnerability of the human being. No one wearing this thing would do any good in a fight (and it’s not only because it’s so big that it would crush you immediately). While a helmet is always associated with war and battle, this one is a rusty colour and all sharp edges. I have really looked
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at it with different eyes ever since I heard this and have to admit that there’s something to it.
“The Flying Man” by Jonathan Borofsky You can find this little guy up in the law faculty, for which he was specifically designed. The artist put emphasis on the figurine hanging in this exact place and follows the lines of minimal, pop and concept art. Of course, I can see that the idea of flying has something inspirational to it, especially at university where so many dreams are still taking shape. I can’t, though, deny that there’s some ambiguity to the way “The Flying Man” looks. Is he flying or jumping? And doesn’t his face look a tiny bit desperate?
So, now you know, hopefully, a tiny bit more about a few of the many, many art works that lie directly in front of us each time we run from one lecture to the next. Take your time to look at them now and then. It always makes me smile a little that despite life becoming more and more hectic there’s still space for art, creativity and inspiration. And, the best part is you don’t need to stick to the explanations I have just told you and can simply interpret the works by yourself and find your own meanPerhaps this was intended. After they have just suffered as the result of a horrible exam, many law students probably can relate to the whole jumping idea . . . The fountain without title by Erika Berckhemmer With its colours, materials and forms, this fountain suits the law and business faculty perfectly. It’s placed between the two and was, again, specifically designed for this purpose. The artist herself referred to it as “Geistiges Kraftwerk”. Thoughts and ideas require a certain flow, just as the fountain does. Also, since some of its elements are able to move and produce sound when wind hits them, it shows that we need to be flexible for our inspiration and ideas to develop. I find this a really nice thought and, certainly, a good piece of advice as well as art.
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ing in them. They might give you good ideas or simply provide a nice place to sit down for a few minutes and ponder about the world, your dreams and yourself. Author: Nicole Gifi Layout: Nicole Gifi Pictures: Nicole Gifi
New kids in town An interview with the new staff at the Sprachenzentrum
They are young. They are dynamic. They are ambitious. They are motivated. THEY are the new staff members of the “Sprachenzentrum”: Svea Schauffler, Matthew Emery and Jessica Kistler. We were really honoured that they found time for an interview with us despite their full schedules. eMAG: Why are you working at the University of Augsburg? Svea: I moved back from England this summer and started looking for jobs all over Europe. Then this job came up and it sounded interesting. I had no previous relationship with Augsburg. Matthew: I was teaching in Britain for a while and then I moved to Frankfurt, last year, to work for “Diesterweg”, an education publisher. We worked on school books for Gymnasiums and a few other things. But it wasn’t quite what I wanted to do full time and I missed teaching a bit and my partner already had a job here, so I decided find a job in Augsburg. Jessica: Originally, I’m from North Dakota but I’ve been living here permanently since 2003. I love working with university students and decided to come to Augsburg because my husband is from here. What did you study? S: Anglistik, French and Media Studies. Then I went on to do a PhD in Applied Linguistics, that’s mainly translation. I just recently finished my PhD at the University of Sheffield M: I studied German at the university of Ex-
eter in south-west England. J: Education and German Studies (similar to Germanistik). I also took a couple of courses to teach English as a second language. What did you do before you came here? S: I have worked at the University of Sheffield as a lecturer and I’ve worked in a number of ‘strange’ jobs like waitressing. I’ve worked as translator for quite a long time. Especially subtitling English movies in German. It’s difficult, but it’s really interesting – when it works. Working as a freelance translator is fun because you can work whenever and wherever you want. You don’t have to be in a specific place. But it’s very unreliable. You have to keep obtaining work and jobs and running after your money and everything, so this is nicer. You show up, do your job, go home and get paid. J: I worked at a University in Ohio and then worked in Munich at a private high school and prepared students for their Matura (Austrian Abitur) and their Mittlere Reife. What does you daily routine look like? S: When you teach, you’re mostly preparing for your teaching. That’s a lot of macro work like planning the whole semester and when to do what but also a lot of micro work like how do you fill 90 minutes and how do make something clear to students. I also have to do a lot of administrative work like answering emails, doing photocopying. M: There are 18 hours a week of just teaching. So that’s a lot of time already and you spend
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at least the same amount of time preparing. J: I come here, have a tea, answer a whole lot of emails, organise some things with my colleagues teach some lessons, prepare the courses and at some time of the day I can go home. How many languages do you speak? J: English is my native language. My German is very good and I learned some Dutch and Swedish but I can’t speak those that well any more. M: Well, apart from English obviously, German is my other one. I studied German at university and I got a big passion for German, so that’s really what I like to do. S: I also did a French degree but my French isn’t as good as my English. I also learned Swedish. And when I was in university in Wales I also learned Welsh. What did you want to become when you were a child? Did you always want to become a teacher? J: I always wanted to be a teacher and I’m glad it all worked out! M: Oh no, absolutely not! When I was kid I saw my teachers in the classroom and thought I do not want to become a teacher! But then I saw there were many different sides to teaching and you could teach people of different ages and students at the university generally don’t behave badly. I tried it out once in 2008 and I quite enjoyed it and I decided to do teacher training and it kind of developed in a career
then. S: From a very early age until I was 20 years old I was convinced I was going to be a musician. And I kind of already was and then I changed my mind. I had no idea what to do with my life. And then being a teacher just kind of happened. And now I think it’s actually a good idea. You said you wanted to become a musician. So what is your favourite music?
Svea Schauffler born near Stuttgart
S: Well, when I make music it’s usually classical music, but I listen to a lot of Old Jazz vinyl records. M: I have quite a weird one: I quite like Gothic Rock. Can you play it as well? M: Gosh no, but I’d love to be able to, but I have no musical talent whatsoever. S: Do you like dancing to it, though? M: Maybe by myself. S: What’s your favourite music to dance to? M: I’m not really bothered as long as it got a strong beat to it and is quite loud. I just don’t really mind. Gothic Rock, you can’t really dance to it easily. But I prefer listening to it. J: My favourite music is Country. I’m from the Midwest after all.
Matthew Emer y born in Leeds, England
Jessica Kistler born in Fargo, North Dakota, USA
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Authors: Bibiane Holst & Sebastian Allehoff Layout: Sebastian Allehoff Pictures: Svea Schauffler, Matthew Emery, Jessica Kistler
Home for a few hours The “Wärmestube” in Augsburg
In today’s consumer society, most people focus on their own problems. They rush through life without looking left or right, or without really thinking whether other people are in need. And in the evening, they go home. But not everyone’s so lucky, as some people don’t have a place to stay, or they’re even on the verge of losing their home. Did you know, for example, that an estimated 22,000 people in Germany are permanently homeless, and another 220,000 are in danger of losing their home or live in unacceptable conditions? But once people are in this situation, it’s hard for them to get back on their feet again. Luckily, though, there are places they can go for help. In Augsburg, for example, there’s the Wärmestube, and even though the people there work really hard, two staff members found time to give eMAG an interview: Kurt Bliesener (B.) is a social worker who has dedicated himself to the SKM Augsburg (Catholic Association for Social Services) for 22 years, and Theresa (T.), who’s a student at our university and an intern at the Wärmestube. eMAG: Where do you get your money from? B. From various sources, like the diocese, the city of Augsburg, the administrative district or
the government. But there are also donations from large companies in and around Augsburg, like the “Stadtwerke” or the LEW. T. We also receive donations from bakeries which bring sandwiches, or the “Augsburger Tafel” brings in warm food. Families often donate not just money but also clothing, furniture, like beds, sofas, or sometimes even an old television.
B. It’s multifaceted; you’re confronted with different kinds of tasks. Over time, the Wärmestube has developed into something which is much more than just a place for people in need to stay and get some food. We also take care of people, counsel them and help them with whatever problems they’re facing. Most of all, we’ve become a mouthpiece for these people and help them to get noticed by society.
eMAG: What other services do you offer besides the Wärmestube?
What you can do
B. In our “Kleiderkammer” (open every Monday) people can get cheap clothing. For homeless people it’s free. There are also facilities where people can wash themselves and their clothes. Once a week, there’s also a doctor present. What´s more, we provide homeless people with the opportunity to have an address, a bank account and counseling, and help formerly homeless people or former prisoners to get back on their feet. eMAG: What do you like most about your work? T. You get to meet people you wouldn’t have met under different circumstances and you get to work with them closely, and help them with the different challenges they meet in life. And there are very nice colleagues. 22
When I was at the Wärmestube, I was surprised by the colorful room and the friendly atmosphere. The SKM really tries to give these people a home, and it has really become one for them, a place where they can always go for help or just for company. The social workers are doing a great job for the Augsburg community and they can use all the support they can get. Maybe next time you’re sorting out old clothes, donate them to the Kleiderkammer, or find out if you can volunteer.
Some facts about the Wärmestube • founded by the SKM in 1984 • 20 social workers plus volunteers • 100 to 150 people go there every day
Author: Tamara Kögel Layout: Tamara Kögel Picture: Tamara Kögel
Jam gems in Augsburg Live Music Guide At the age of 25 I consider myself a grandpa amongst students. One thing that shows me I am getting old is that I don’t like clubs anymore. Loud electronic music and drunk teenagers just don’t make for a good evening. What I like better is live music. When I first came to Augsburg one year ago, I thought the live music scene was a disaster. One year later, I know more about the city, and my assessment hasn’t changed much. But there are some great places with live music on a regular basis that I want to introduce you to. What’s a jam-session? A jam session is collaborative music; anybody can participate. The music is mainly improvised and spontaneous. Both amateurs and professionals can join in.
Bluessession - Mohrenkönig The “Augsburger Blues Session” at Mohrenkönig takes place every first Friday of the month from 8pm to 11:30pm. The bar is located in Göggingen, Sulzerstr. 20, only meters away from the tram station “Kongresszentrum”. Musicians This is a very special jam session. People who have never played with each other step up and play together. In contrast to other events like this, there is no house-band. A lot of the musicians at Mohrenkönig are regulars and play with each other at least once a month, but newcomers are welcome to join the band at any time. Usually groups of musicians play three or four songs and then somebody else takes over. The musicians vary from students to street workers to academics, which makes this event unique.
Jazz-Tatort - Hempels @Annapam This event is in the cellar of the Annapam bar and takes place every first Sunday of the month at 8:15pm. Annapam is located in Augsburg city, Bäckergasse 23, only a few steps away from “Margaret” tram stop. Musicians At Annapam, the local Jazz band, The Flonny Four, is the main event of the evening, and plays for about one hour. Usually there is one special guest, who joins the band each month. Naturally, the kind of jazz varies depending on the guest. After the opening set, people from the audience can join the band or substitute a musician!
Atmosphere The atmosphere is very lively and the bar is packed. People of all ages come to the bar for the jam sessions to drink beer, talk, and enjoy the music. In the bar area the music is not as loud, which allows for conversation. This is the place to go if you want to have some loud, Blues and Rock & Roll fun!
Atmosphere This event is more like a concert. There are several rows with individual chairs for the audience. Most people just relax with a drink and enjoy the music and there are several breaks in which you can grab a beer at the bar upstairs. Later in the evening, when the jam part starts, it becomes more casual. The location is a very unique old cellar. This is the place to go if you like any kind of jazz! Good news for students: These two events are free of charge, but donations are greatly appreciated!
Author: Manfred Schoch Layout: Leila Vaziri Pictures: Manfred Schoch 23
“Don’t do it if you don’t like it” Interview with ELT legend Alan Maley
English Language Teaching (ELT) legend, Alan Maley spent most of his working life living abroad; he did his military service in Germany, worked for the British Council in the former Yugoslavia, Ghana, Italy, France, China, and South India, and after this taught at universities in England, Singapore, and Thailand. It was with great delight that Augsburg University’s Chair of English Didactics was able to invite him to Augsburg last November. During his stay, he held a guest lecture, taught a weekend seminar on using literature and creative writing in ELT, and found time to speak with us.
it’s okay. Even if it’s not perfect, because nowhere is. So, was one of those countries your favorite? No, people often ask me that. I mean, it’s not really easy to say, because, you know, some are culturally much closer to me,
Now, let’s move on to your field of expertise. Over the past two weekends, you’ve taught the class “Teaching Literature” focusing on using literature as well as creating it. How important do you think is literature and the actual act of writing for English as a second language (ESL) students?
eMAG: Mr. Maley, your life story is pretty amazing. What I’m curious about is, if you could live your life all over again, is there anything that you would do differently or that you would do exactly the same way? I know it’s probably a hard question to answer... Alan Maley: (laughs) It is diff-icult to answer, yeah. I mean, I probably wouldn’t want to change very much. I’m just being happily serendipitous, if you know what serendipitous means. (laughs) I mean, happenstance. I always wanted to travel, and I would like to live abroad, and in fact I have liked living abroad, so I was lucky. And I think if you are open to the place you go to, then
Starting from about 1980, that was the starting of the opening of China. And I was there from the beginning. We were bringing British teachers to teach in China and I had to travel all over China arranging for these people to go to certain universities and so on. Even though it was a very hard time, materially hard as well actually, it was also very interesting and rewarding, in retrospect.
like France for instance. I’m happy to go almost anywhere. China was a very difficult country to work in at the beginning. That was just after the ‘Gang of Four’.
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I think it’s very important actually. Because so much of the time in class they’re using a textbook or whatever, so it’s all very restricted and kind of limited, the kind of writing that they do or even the kind of talking that they do. I think it really opens up students when they get the hang of doing something more creative. These are not wildly difficult things; they’re quite simple activities. But they just draw on a different part
of the brain. (laughs) I mean if you’re going to learn a foreign language, one of the things you have to do is to play with it. And this allows them to play. You know, in a kind of guilt-free environment. So, was there a point in your teaching career when you realized that? Or was that kind of clear to you all along? It was probably a slow drip. (laughs) Probably since the 1970s, I’ve been trying, you know, with other colleagues, to write books mainly for teachers which they can then draw on for more creative activities for their own students. Is there any advice that you would give to teachers-to-be in general and ESL teachersto-be in particular? Apart from “Don’t do it!” (laughs) No, I mean, I think if you’re going to go into teaching, whether it’s language teaching or anything else, don’t do it if you don’t like it. I think you have to have a passion for it. And as far as the language teaching is concerned, I think one of the things that teachers need to beware of is getting into a rut and then kind of plateauing, you know, in the language. So, if you’re teaching a language, you need to keep it alive, and I think that many teachers don’t do that. The language that they’re exposed to is the language of their students and the language of the textbook, both of which are not going to get them very far, you know. (laughs) So, it really is necessary to go on reading, to go on traveling, to go on having friends in different countries and things like that, so that your language is alive still.
And the other thing of course is that there are any number of new things happening [in teaching] all the time, there’s a new idea every few years and it comes, it goes, it comes, it goes, it comes, it goes… (laughs) So you have to keep a thinking critical mind on some of the ideas that you find in magazines and journals and research papers and all of these things, because the reality is that you’re in a room with however many students. It doesn’t matter what method you’re using. In that case, if you don’t get on with the students, you’re not going to get on with teaching them anything. You always have to be alert to what’s happening, so you can ride the wave I think. But I’m not really very good at giving advice. (laughs) This sounded like great advice to me. Thanks very much for your time.
Author: Susi Steinacher Layout: Adina Mutter Pictures: Senem Özkul, Adina Mutter
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Home Street Home A quiz about the streets of Augsburg Getting lost was – and still is – a frequent activity for me in Augsburg. Just searching for a particular room in Building D at university is an adventure which consumes a great amount of time, so imagine me in the jungle of Augsburg’s streets! After living in Augsburg for 3 terms now, I am still trying to discover new ways of getting home and pretending I really wanted to end up 10 blocks away from my flat! So, what about you? Do you know Augsburg like the back of your hand or are you still a stranger to its streets? Check out this quiz and find the solution word below! Collect the letters for the solution in every question. The number of the question is also the letter’s place in the solution word.
N°1, N°2, N°3 Which streets are these? (Combine the picture and its streetname) Maxstraße (S)
3
Annastraße (R)
Universitätsstraße (T)
2
1
N°7
N°4, N°5, N°6
Whi
Which streets are translated here?
Ostfriedhof
□Lechhausen Neuer d (Q) □P+R Augsburg Nor (E) □Haunstetten Nord
4: At the red gate _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5: Old postway _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6: Kings square _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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r Tram 13?
inal stop fo
is a term ch of these
(S)
N°11 ated into German
Which street if transl
N°9
exists in Augsburg?
□ coffee alleyway (T) □ tea street (N)
Which tram
line exists?
□ 46 (B) □ 1 (K) □ 2 (A) □ 31 (L) □ 3 (M)
□ beer way (O) □ water alley(P) N°10
Which square was called “Maximiliansplatz” from 1806 to 1955?
□ Moritzplatz (D) □ Elias-Holl-Platz (K)
N°8
□ Ulrichsplatz (R) □ Königsplatz (N)
Mark on the map where you think the following sights are. You will see the last letter if you connect the following places in this order: Kö, Theater, Rathaus, Dom and Fuggerei.
Solution Word: If you got all the questions right, you really are
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Author: Adina Mutter Layout: Adina Mutter Pictures: Adina Mutter 27
Not all those who wander are lost. (J.R.R. Tolkien)
Whole Wide World
Home from home You can take the girl out of Scotland ...
... but you can’t take Scotland out of the girl. Having spent more than a year in the past 3 years out of my home country, I still feel that Scotland is my base or ‘home’ and I take a little piece of it wherever I go. Probably materialised in my red hair!? Being a very patriotic Scottish Brit I feel very passionate about spreading my wings and sharing Britain with the world. I think that being Scottish means being very strong, confident and independent so this helps me on my travels. Verbier – the cold The year I lived in Switzerland for 7 months was one of the coldest winters recorded. Everything I own I take with me and it is sometimes an unsettling feeling that you live out of a suitcase but if I have my “home first aid kit” then I can build my own ‘home’ from the contents. I guess not being materialistic helps. You take only the things you really need and make your home out of these. My most prized possessions are photos, a ring from my grandmother, a world map and my fairy lights. When I feel home sick I can either glance up at my friends from all over the world or see my ring and know that my family always supports me in everything I do. I always put my world map up on the wall just to remind myself that no matter how far away from home I am the world isn’t too big to get back again, as well as dream of my next adventure. And the fairy lights bring a glowing light that you don’t get from the sun in some places in the world.
China – the food China is probably the most culturally different place to Scotland you could ever find, which is probably why it interests me so much. Studying the language there for 6 weeks I somehow made a little home there and now miss it sometimes. The taste and smell of the spices and flavours is something that always bring me back to a holiday or different place and that is the thing I missed the most while I was in China; all I wanted was British home comforts on a plate but I quickly fell in love with noodles, rice and stir fry instead. Now I cannot have these foods easily so I miss them dearly. Seeing British branded foods in the supermarkets or the Chinese equivalent of foods made me very nostalgic but it is never the same as you get at home.
dissimilar to Britain; the people work hard, they like to be reserved yet still have a kind nature. I guess what this new home of mine has taught me is to see the best in a situation. Don’t think about what makes you homesick or what you miss; instead notice and embrace things you can do/eat/have in your new home that you wouldn’t have if you were anywhere else and really enjoy every new experience. If you are happy in that, you will be at home in no time.
Germany – the plan Even though I have been to Germany 4 or 5 times before on holiday I did not notice before now that it is a country with hidden rules and tricks. Having been here as an ERASMUS student for 4 months I am still getting used to the office hours being in the morning, the strict obeying of the red man at a crossing (even when the road is deserted) and the fact that the city turns into a ghost town on Sundays. I guess living in a country is a very different experience to a flitting holiday. Germany isn’t too 29
Author: Iona Geddes Layout: Tamara Kögel Pictures: Iona Geddes
Living all over the world The globetrotting experience
We all love to travel. We love going on holidays to go skiing, hiking, exploring different countries and cultures. Normally such a holiday is just a short break from reality. As short as a week or maybe two weeks. Some of us think that’s too short and look for ways to travel for longer. Luckily there are possibilities: Many countries offer Work and Travel visas, the possibility to do WWOOFing (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) or being an Au-Pair. But how long do you want to do something like this? How long can you do something like this?
first ten minutes of the conversation about their possibly exaggerated adventures. Dawn was very modest about it. I asked her how she came to be a globetrotter and this is what she told me.
In 2004, when she was almost done with her Bachelor’s in Psychology and unsure what to do after graduation, she decided to respond to an ad in a student newspaper that advertised teaching English in Japan for a year without needing any educational background or minimum GPA (grade point average) but offered free training instead. This job started it all. At first, it only seemed to be a great opportunity to make some money to pay off student loans (a thing that plagues students in the US for years after they graduate) while seeing another part of the world which is completely different from what she was used to. Just one more year... She spent one year in Japan as an ESL teacher (ESL = English as a Second Language). It was a great time and when the time came to return to the “real world”, she realized she wasn’t yet ready and decided to teach in China. Then Korea. And Singapore after that, always saying: “Just one more year.”
Meet Dawn I met Dawn when I was backpacking in Australia in 2011. She’s American, as you might be able to tell by her name (Americans just love naming their children after concepts: Joy, Liberty, Faith, Grace, Hope...) Dawn is originally from New Jersey, near New York City. When I met her, she had been traveling for 7 years and had already seen most of Asia as well as New Zealand and Australia.
Three years passed and eventually she began to embrace teaching English as a second language as a valid career choice. By then, she had created a timetable and a list of countries and places to visit. She would spend some time backpacking in between contracts, always making sure to have at least one month of breathing space between contracts to do so.
Teaching English in Japan I was confused. How did she manage to travel for years? Especially because those select few other guys I met who had been travelling for years were an entirely different type. Slightly odd and big on bragging. The kind of person who tells you within the
In her five years of teaching, she explored 17 countries. All the while teaching people English to earn money to continue travelling.
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Problems with work permits After seeing large parts of Asia in those five years, she wanted to see Australia and New Zealand for a change, so she acquired working holiday visas. The problem with working holiday visas, though, is that you’re restricted in you freedom to work: You may not work in one place for longer than a few months, which meant she couldn’t take an skilled job.
since no area fully defines me or is filled with attributes similar to my own. I prefer the former thought - that each place I’ve been has made me who I am, to a certain extent, has provided me with friends, hobbies, and a life, has entered my heart, and has been somewhere I identify with, some more so than others.”
To make matters worse, in order to be an ESL teacher in an English-speaking country, you actually need a degree in the field, even if you already have work experience. So she started studying for her Master’s while working in the entertainment industry. Favourite Places and What is Home When asked what her favourite places during all of her travels were, she replied, after carefully thinking about it, “I loved Jeju Island in South Korea for living. It had paragliding, scuba diving, sailing, martial arts, tons of hills to climb, plenty of culture and scenery. I even learned to ride a motorcycle there. It was just filled with a ton of activities. The Philippines were my favourite to travel through, though. I was there for two months and just went from one island to another. Of all the places I visited, that was the one I got most involved with the locals and the local habits. Not to mention, there was endless scuba diving.” Do people miss home after travelling for such a long time? Some people will never leave the city they’re born in. Others will move and settle down somewhere else. But when you’re constantly moving from one place to another, how do you feel about home? After all, a home isn’t just the place you sleep and eat in – it’s more than that. To Dawn, New Jersey will always be her home, to some extent. This is where she was raised and where her family is. The US, by extension, will be as well. “I suppose I could look at it in two ways,” she says, “that every where I’ve been has been my home to some extent, or that none have been,
Author: Sebastian Allehoff Layout: Sebastian Allehoff Pictures: Dawn Parks
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Home, but different How “social outcasts” live in Beijing and Granada Can you imagine living on a boat? In a caravan? In a tree house? In a glass cube? In a cave or even in a bunker? I’m sure that for most of you, that wouldn’t be the first place that occurs to you when thinking of home. For other people, however, it is. For example the “hippie outcasts” in Granada or the Asian internal migrants who, for social reasons, either live outside the city walls or have had to make tiny underground rooms their home.
for example, rodents carrying infectious diseases could come in. In rainy seasons water ran down the bunker-walls and stays there in form of lung-damaging mould; even after the rain has stopped. But in spite of everything, behind the shabby doors and at the end of dark, musty corridors, you can discover rooms which are rich in colour with lovely décor to match.
Searching for a new life In China a lot of people set off to big cities, like Beijing, full of hope to find a job and to establish a new, prosperous life for themselves and their families. The majority of these internal migrants are low-wage workers, but there are also a lot of young people just leaving university, with high expectations of climbing the career ladder. The big shock Most of them have had to learn the hard way that the life they dreamed of is far from being easily achievable. They have to start at the bottom, which could be taken literally, as some migrants have to rent a room underground: the closer to the sky, the more expensive the flat. Living together with two or three others in tiny 8m² rooms in underground tunnels seems pretty astonishing. But then sharing only one bathroom, one toilet and an improvised kitchenette for 50-100 inhabitants who are complete strangers is even more staggering. Home despite everything Besides the fact that these “bunkers” aren’t the most comfortable homes, they aren’t the safest either. Built mainly in the 1960’s, the underground tunnels were badly insulated, so,
“Rat World” Because of the afore mentioned inhumane conditions, the underground community is often referred to as “rat-world” that the city’s government would like to get rid of sooner rather than later. The end of the underground housing would mean for many bunker occupants that they have to fear for the future. How could they proceed if they lost one of their basic elements, if they lost their homes? Beijing society makes them lead the life of social outcasts, although they wish for nothing more than to belong in society. In Granada, however, it is the other way round. Hippies choose to live like outcasts in the Sacromonte grottos.
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Grottos: the homes of social “outcasts” in Spain’s biggest melting pot Granada has always been one of Spain’s greatest cultural melting pots. But not every ethnic group was actually welcomed in town. In the 16th century Muslims and Jews who were chased out of the town walls had to find themselves new homes. It is thought that it was during that time that the grottos in the Sacromonte Mountain in Granada emerged. Since then the grottos have always had a great attraction for communities with nomadic traditions: from the 19th century onwards, the zone was almost exclusively occupied by gypsies. Today the Sacromonte – located directly in front of the Alhambra - is inhabited mostly by Granada’s enormous hippie community, following the spirit of the gypsy culture with their flamenco music and dance. Their members still seem to see themselves as being on the fringes of society and try to avoid coming under any administrative control, just like gypsies before them. Home within the nature Living without running water and electricity, their lifestyle is quite “back to the roots”. The grottos mostly constist of one big room; areas for cooking, washing, and all sorts of bathroom-activities are located in the surrounding area.
Hippie-tourism Although the Sacromonte inhabitants see themselves as social outcasts, as different from the norm, they constantly receive unwanted attention. With more and more tourists flocking to the Sacromonte in order to gape at its inhabitants and their daily lives. There are even tourist companies offering a holiday package promoting the experience to live for a couple of days in a grotto – just like the real hippies. Personally, I think that it’s amazing how people can make themselves at home even in places where I would least expect it. It is remarkable that Chinese bunker inhabitants put so much effort and love into their tiny homes, despite all the negative conditions they have to deal with. Author: Elisa Thoma Layout: Nicole Gifi Pictures: Sim Chi Yin/G. Monteforti
Through new worlds to new fulfillment Guest article by Alexander Wowra
A German native, Alexander Wowra (24) is a former student in International Security and Conflict Resolution at San Diego State University. Currently, he is pursuing a degree in Global Media Communication at the University of Melbourne, in Australia. He wrote “Through New Worlds to New Fulfillment” as a literary journalism article for his “Writing for the Media” class in Melbourne. It is hot and humid. Dirty, rundown squatter homes teem with little kids, not older than 12 years. Their uniforms bear the seal of a Manila elementary school. Some of them smoke cigarettes. One young boy pees in the middle of the street. His friends gaze into the misty distance, seemingly going nowhere. Their faces are as vacant as the newly built up condos that tower over the scene, throwing a long grey shadow across the squatter areas. Observing the scene surrounding her, Muriel wonders, “I don’t know if I am cut out for this kind of stuff.”
And so, into the uncertain she went, hoping she could make a tiny dent and improve peoples’ lives. She found work at the Office of the Presidential Advisor to the Peace Process in the Philippines.
“Hey are you interested in micro finance?” he approaches one of the farmers. The skinny man shakes his head and responds in an alien dialect. Matt doesn’t understand but thanks him and moves on. A sobering thought creeps into the spheres of his mind. “Even if I became a citizen I would never be Chinese. Because of how I look.” And again, people point and stare. Matt moves constantly due to his job as Marketing Officer for Opportunity International (China). “I get very bored. I get very anxious, and think about what’s ahead. I am always looking what’s next. Here… I know here, I am comfortable here. So now I wanna move on.”
Philippines
For the first time, she decided to leave all the comfort that home provided behind. “Moving to a different place that you are unfamiliar with is challenging. It makes you cry and it makes you scared; it shakes you up.”
ers scurry around. Their bronze skin glows in the smoldering sun. They spit constantly onto the dirty market roads. The sun visually ignites his red hair. People stop, stare and point at him. They smile and greet him.
*** A sea and a landmass north, Matt rushes through the busy market of Suqian, Jiangsu, China. Sour-salty smells of meat and vegetables hit his nostrils. Cigarette smoke mashes with the pollution of mopeds. Masses of farm-
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He wants to widen his perspective and reassess his values. For him, the intrinsic value of travelling in between different cultures lies in self-reflection and applying what he learned through observation.
“I constantly have to bridge between both worlds. I’m always confronted by stereo types and trying to fight it. There are huge differences, but nobody listens to you for longer than 10 seconds… I would like very much not to be like that. I would like to be like: whoever you are, wherever you come from, we can be good friends.” *** Shift six time zones east, across the globe. Tobi is going out with some friends in Observatory, an artists’ district in Cape Town, South Africa. They pass little bars and cafes. First, the bar population is mainly white. People chat vigorously while local beers are drawn to the sounds of AC/DC. Tobi’s group crosses the street and the atmosphere changes. The lights are dimmed. All of a sudden, there are hardly any white people around. Now Jazz music is playing. The smell of grilled sausages permeates the air. A street vendor greets Tobi, so does the owner of the bar they choose. Tobi and his folks walk over to the pool table when his eyes catch a guy repeatedly ashing his cigarette into his drink. He cracks a broad grin. “I ash in my drink to make it strongaa.” Tobi chuckles. He came to the rainbow nation to study Zoology and Environmental Management. “I am very happy with what I am doing. This was a huge step in the right direction,” he says. “It’s part of a self-finding process. It helps to figure out what you actually want to do with your life.” But he also faces challenges. “I knew of the race divide, and said: ‘I wanna build bridges.’” To a certain extent, he succeeded. But he also came to realize that things were much more complex than they seemed. Now he looks at
his closest friends and it strikes him: Most of the friends that stayed are white. While he knows many black people, too, “the connection is much easier to maintain when you share similar cultural backgrounds.”
people who are absolutely incredible. Whatever I am doing, I am only doing it because others make it possible.”
Particular inspiration comes from his girlfriend, Sun Lu. “I talk to her 99 point nine per cent of the time on a Muriel, Carl and Alexander daily basis and I think my relationship with her is very much tied to this.” Meanwhile, evening is approaching in South Africa. Tobi sits on top of Signal Hill. The sinking sun is kissing his face, beaming off bright light rays that are reflected in sparkling glitters on the ocean surface. The city lies peacefully in the silent glow. On the other side of the valley ranges Table MounMuriel has found it difficult to fully immerse tain. Tobi soaks in the scenery. He lets his herself in the native life as well. Being all by mind flow with the slight breeze setting over herself, contemplating her situation, she the hills, blowing over the valley, into the city. feels reminded of the condos that overtop the “Wow, this is my home now.” squatter homes. Then her thoughts wander back to San Diego, where she had friends all Matt and Sun Lu around. But she knows what she is capable of. “At home I felt like I had seen it all, over and over. I get bored easy, so I had to see something new. And I guess I just wanted to be in awe of something again.” While all three travelers tirelessly challenge themselves to immerse and find themselves in a new country, they redefine their comfort zone. Muriel talks to her boyfriend Carl. His analytical advice is embellished by empathetic lines which reach perfection through tads of inspiring language. It is all she needs to recapture faith in her mission. “Whenever I remember I am with Carl, I feel at home.” In contrast, Matt observes “I don’t feel at home anywhere anymore.” Instead, he draws his confidence from others. “I am surrounded by
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Author: Alexander Wowra Layout: Adina Mutter Picture: Alexander Wowra
Home-cooking with Iona Our Scottish Erasmus student shares her favourite family recipes Granny’s Stew Ingredients tbsp sunflower oil, 200g smoked streaky bacon, preferably in one piece, skinned and cut into chunks, 900g stewing lamb, cut into large chunks, 5 medium onions, sliced, 5 carrots, sliced into chunks, 3 bay leaves, small bunch thyme, 100g pearl barley, 850ml lamb stock, 6 medium potatoes, cut into chunks, small knob of butter, 3 spring onions, finely sliced 1. Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Heat the oil in a casserole dish. Sizzle the bacon for 4 mins until crisp. Turn up the heat, then cook the lamb for 6 mins until brown. Remove the meats with a slotted spoon. Add the onions, carrots and herbs to the pan, then cook for about 5 mins until softened. Return the meat to the pan, stir in the pearl barley, pour over the stock, then bring to a simmer. 2. Sit the chunks of potato on top of the stew, cover, then braise in the oven, undisturbed, for about 1½ hrs until the potatoes are soft and the meat is tender. The stew can now be chilled and kept in the fridge for 2 days, then reheated in a low oven or on top of the stove. Remove from the oven, dot the potatoes with butter, scatter with the spring onions and serve scooped straight from the dish. Easy!
Mum’s Legendary Flapjacks Take 150g butter, 100g caster sugar, 100g Golden Syrup and simmer in a pan until all of the ingredients are melted and the sugar has dissolved but don’t let it boil. Pour into this mixture 300g porridge oats and mix together until all the oats are coated. Then put this mixture straight into a swiss roll tin and flatten. Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes until golden.
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My Berry Layer Cake Ingredients Cake: 200g caster sugar, 200g softened butter, 4 eggs, 200g selfraising flour, 1 tsp baking powder, icing sugar To decorate: syrup: 85g caster sugar, 50ml Disaronno liqueur Icing: 284ml tub double cream, 250g tub mascarpone, 3 tbsp caster sugar, 150g punnet raspberries 1. Heat oven to 190c/fan 170c/gas 5. Oil and line 2 x 20cm tins. Beat together all the cake ingredients until you have a smooth, soft mixture. Spoon the mixture into the two tins. Bake in the oven for 20 mins until golden and the cake springs back when pressed. Turn the cakes onto a cooling rack.
2. Heat the sugar, 2 tbsp water and Disaronno together until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool, about 10 mins. Use a large serrated knife to cut each cake in half. Brush the syrup all over all four pieces of cake with a pastry brush. 3. For the filling, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Beat the mascarpone and caster sugar in a large bowl to loosen, then fold in the cream and mix together until smooth. 4. Spoon a third of the cream mixture over one of the cake halves. Scatter over some of the fruit then sandwich another half on top. Do this again until the top layer. Lay the final cake half on top. Sprinkle with icing sugar or decorate as you please. Author: Iona Geddes Layout: Tamara Kรถgel Pictures: Iona Geddes
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“Goodbye Germany” 200 years ago Would you have the courage to do it?
Did you know that a place on earth exists where German is spoken differently? No, I don’t mean Switzerland or Austria. In actual fact, some communities in the USA founded by German settlers still speak German – or rather their own version of it. Being proud of their homeland, these settlers made sure that the ‘German’ language wouldn’t become extinct. They also brought a lot of different traditions with them and it’s fascinating to find specifically German ‘things’in the midst of North America. First and foremost, let’s start with the beginning of the German settlement in the Hill Country of Texas. Leaving Germany and everything you know behind…. Imagine living about 200 years ago in politically unsafe Germany and your biggest wish would be to choose a place where you could live your life in your own free way. Freethinking wasn’t a privilege granted in 19th-century Germany, especially when you think of the Revolutions of 1848 and all the problems they brought with them. However, a lot of people did exactly that. They packed up all their stuff and got on the next ship to the New Continent – America. The ‘Adelsverein’ – a German society founded in 1844 – created the idea of having a German colony in Texas and made it possible for settlers to actually move abroad. Their first destination was a place called Galveston (Texas was not yet a state of the USA), where the settlers had to sleep for months under the stars or, if they were lucky, in tents.
From there, they went to towns such as Sisterdale, Fredericksburg or New Braunfels – mostly by carriage if one was available, otherwise they went on foot. The journey was rough and sometimes cruel. You have to keep in mind that they had all their belongings with them and were travelling through a wilderness – a land that was only inhabited by Native Americans. A lot of families had reduced in size by the time they arrived at their destination because of disease, accidents, heat or cold, which almost always ended in certain death. Then, once the settlers had arrived at the towns, often there was no shelter available as the Adelsverein did not have enough money to finish building. Despite having been promised a new, free country with all the opportunities one can imagine, the early settlers were disappointed. Some of them had left Germany even though their life there was comfortable since they were aristocratic. This comfort was promised to continue in their new country. Unfortunately, money didn’t count for much and the settlers had to manage on their own. Looking for new neighbors? Comanches in the Texas Hill Country make it possible. Another downside was the situation with the Comanches. They lived in wide areas of land that were in the part of today’s Texas that was offered to the settlers. The most important Comanches were Santa Anna, Buffalo Hump and Mope-tshoko-pe; all three of them were chiefs of their own tribes. Apart from a few incidents, it was possible to overcome the difficulties between Comanches and settlers, as the ‘Adelsverein’ signed trea38
ties with the Comanches. These treaties made it possible for the settlers to have a life worth living. Nevertheless, they were deeply scarred by the difficult situations they experienced during their first weeks, months and years in the “New World”. A special kind of ‘German’ The descendants of those settlers still speak – although not all the time – their own kind of German. You could compare it to café or pub meetings in Germany where you aren’t allowed to use your mother tongue but have to speak English on some days of the week or at special events. Even some buildings in towns like Comfort or Fredericksburg are still named after German ideals of freedom. So, don’t be surprised if you go to a little town in the middle of Texas and are greeted in German. Finally, … … to get back to the question in the title, would you have had the courage to settle abroad, bearing in mind what the German settlers went through? It’s not an easy question to answer. For some of the settlers, it was probably the worst and least thought-through decision of their lives. They left behind friends and family, and even lost some on their journey through the wilderness. For others, it was perhaps the best decision they ever made. If you’re looking for a place to spend your next holiday, you might just have found it – especially if you’re into history, love small, idealistic towns and landscapes that get you dreaming…
Author: Susi Vogel Layout: Sebastian Allehoff Pictures: Susi Vogel 39
Miss Sophie: I think, we‘ll have champagne with the bird! James: Champagne, ya...Sssame procedure as last year, Miss Sophie? Miss Sophie: Same procedure as every year, James!
Same Procedure
Random people - random questions It’s a thing now.
A lot of people were very irritated the first time I ran through university and threw random questions and candy at them. So obviously I had to do it again. You’re welcome.
such a badass. Christina, 19: Benedict Cumberbatch. Valentin, 22: Martin Freeman... he’s just so cool and so… cuddly.
This time I had to be a little sneakier, however. I didn’t want to use my ‘ANSWER A RANDOM QUESTION’-sign anymore because I had detected a certain distrust towards a girl with a random sign asking random people random questions. Surprising, I know. So I decided to change my tactics: I left my sign and the candy at home and got myself something pretty instead: My friend Nathi. And you know what? I had better results than last time. Could it be that people respond even better to charming girls than to candy? Seriously, someone should do research on that.
What DVD is in your DVD player right now? Tom, 29: Art of War. Martin, 30: Castle in the Sky.
How often do you vacuum your apartment? Barbara, 22: Every other day. Melanie, 23: Me too. Stefan, 29: Once a month. What is your favorite color of socks to wear? Thomas, --: Black. Felix, 25: Gray-bluish Puma socks. Michael, 24: See-through socks in a teasing red color. Is there a celebrity you just know you could become best friends with? Patrick, 21: Jason Statham because he’s just
What was the last video you watched online? Christian, 19: Full Monty. Stefan, 29: Soccer news. Brahim, 25: Uh, yesterday I watched the sports broadcast and some music videos. And today? (no comment) Have you ever done something really dangerous? Phil, 21: Hm, what’s really dangerous? Or have you ever hurt yourself? Phil: Oh I’ve had a couple of accidents with my motorcycle. But you know, only about… three. And that’s not your idea of dangerous? Phil: Hm. I do like to jump off cliffs. You mean like bungee jumping? Phil: Uh no, without any safety measures. But never off cliffs higher than 20 meters. Who was your favorite cartoon character as a child? Magalie, 24 & Manuela, 23: Pocahontas! Ariel! All the Disney princesses! Jonas, 22: Son Goku… the guy from Dragon Ball! 41
What’s the worst habit you feel you have? Anton, 27: I’m always late. Karin, 25: I’m very impatient. And I constantly forget to switch off the lights. Stefan, 25: I don’t know, I have so many. Just pick one. Stefan: I guess I’m a little schizophrenic. Karin: And he has a bipolar disorder.
Can you see dead people? Anselm, 24: A lot of the time. Luis, 48: Yes, actually I saw my grandpa die. Matthias, 28: How ‘dead’ would they have to be?
Author: Jessica Friedline Layout: Sybille Ehing Pictures: Jessica Friedline
Watch. Read. Listen
Film - Eat.Pray.Love
Film - Country Strong
Book - Sara Gruen: Ape House
Liz, a travel journalist has come to a crisis point in her life. After feeling like she has lost everything, as well as herself, Liz decides to go travelling for a year and the exploration she takes us on is an endearing one.
Country Strong is a bittersweet story that deals with recovery from addiction, fame, trying to find oneself and the trials and tribulations of love. Put behind a the setting of the country music states in America, Gwyneth Paltrow puts on a breath-taking performance as country star Kelly Canter, trying to get back on track after a year in rehab. Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester plays her best film role to date, portraying a not so sure of herself wannabe country singer, Chiles Stanton.
After her bestseller “Water for Elephants“, Sara Gruen has published another animal themed novel: “Ape House”.
First to Italy where cultural differences, rolling trills and hand gestures are plenty. But let’s not forget the food. Pasta and pizza galore are at the heart of her Roman adventure! Next Liz goes to India and encounters the true strength of prayer; beautifully showcased behind a backdrop of bright colours and Indian chants. Last of all, to the wonders of Bali where an old medicine man helps Liz fulfil the purpose of her visit but where she also finds new hope for her life ahead. Taken from a true story, this mini travel guide is truly inspiring and a journey well worth taking.
The music is key to the film’s success; however the real star is Garrett Hedlund, playing Beau Hutton the lover and carer of Kelly Canter. Although it was Gwyneth’s stunning performance of ‘Coming Home’ that was nominated for an Oscar amongst other awards, Garrett’s performance of ‘Timing is Everything’ near the end of the film is simply beautiful, no other way to describe it. His duet with Leighton is also noteworthy with the captivating love song, ‘Give into Me’. This film is real breath of fresh air from the usual American blockbusters!
Isabel, a scientist at the Great Ape Language Lab found not only an interesting scientific project in the six bonobos she’s working with, but also a family. Among them she feels comfortable in a way that she has never felt around humans – among humans she was ill at ease and never managed to trust a human being as she could trust a bonobo. When an explosion rocks the lab, Isabel gets severely injured and the bonobos lose their home. Now, Isabel’s biggest challenge begins: she has to find out where the bonobos where taken to, she needs to fight to protect them from dangerous humankind, and she has to find a new home for the apes and for herself. John Thigpen, a reporter, takes a keen interest in the work of the Great Ape Language Lab and tries to help Isabel with her difficult task, risking his job and marriage. His report eventually turns into the fascinating story of Isabel and her bonobo family. Sara Gruen manages to open the animal world to us with her very well investigated novel and her own captivating style that makes it hard to put “Ape House” down.
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Music - Jake Downs
Music - Mayer Hawthorne
A friend recommended Jake Downs to me; he is a true musician. At almost 19 he is already establishing himself in the world of music with a truly breath-taking single called ‘Seize the Water’.
If you’re a Motown fan, you are sure to like this guy. If you’re not a Motown fan, then give Mayer Hawthorne a listen anyway as he might just be the one to convert you!
The composition is simple but the whole ensemble of instruments creates the perfect scene for raising your spirits. The music is complimented by stirring lyrics, telling you to take every opportunity available to you and not to regret it; some could see it as quite an inspirational song. The B-side, ‘The Prince’ is equally as charming. Despite sounding somewhat similar to ‘Seize the Water’ the mix of motivational lyrics and great musical orchestration progressively uplifts any mood. This certainly makes for a very credible musical debut for a music student at Oxford University. Jake Downs is definitely a name to remember for the future in the world of alternative pop music.
Discovered recently by word of mouth, in just three years, Hawthorne already has two albums out, his second, “How Do You Do’, being particularly praised by well-established artists like Kanye West and John Mayer. Described as a neo soul singer, Hawthorne blends R&B and soul behind a 60’s feel background; mixing classic Motown with modern music ingenious way to revive the genre! A song I particularly love is, ‘Hooked’ because of its catchy upbeat tune that just makes you want to get up and dance your heart out. Including also, a duet featuring Snoop Dogg, this is the kind of album you can enjoy listening to and keep you motivated whilst you’re hard at work on all those essays for Uni.
Author: Amanda Brown & Elisa Thoma Layout: Nathalie Bauer Pictures: Bromskloss, Rocket000, Maja Kocon/Wikipedia, Amanda Brown
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What‘s your favourite movie/ book/music ar tist? Send us your sugges tions via email or facebook m essage. eMAG-augsburg.de info@emag-augsbur g.
facebook.de/eMAGUn
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iAugsburg
Photo contest winner
Yonca Melisa Bahap is 23 years old and grew up in Aalen. She studies English and Geography in Augsburg to become a ‘Gymnasium‘ teacher. She‘s loved taking pictures ever since she was a child: “I think photos are the best way to capture moments, like in the saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words‘.“ About her ‚Home Sweet Home‘ photo: “It shows my friend and her husband; they moved into a new house together, and they love their new house. But for me/us it‘s not just the house or the place that‘s important to feel at home. It‘s also family or the person you love that makes you feel at home, and I think this photo shows that.“ To see the photos that made 2nd and 3rd place and read about the photographers, visit our website:
www.eMAG-augsburg.de
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Savour the world Top 5 eat-outs in Augsburg
Food: 10/10 Service: 9.5/10 Cost: € 15-20 Atmosphere: 9/10 Total Stars:
Food: 8.5/10 Service: 8/10 Cost: € 10-15 Atmosphere: 9/10 Total Stars:
Food: 7.5/10 Service: 7/10 Cost: € 5-12 Atmosphere: 6/10 Total Stars:
The décor inside Indian Palace is beautifully intimate in shades of red with traditional statuettes and objects on display. The food is cooked to perfection and generously served, so you certainly get your money’s worth; the taste of tender chicken was heavenly but they also offer a large variety of vegetarian dishes too. The menu is in German and English as well! Perfect for a romantic meal.
The pub, the décor covering the walls and ceiling, the traditional music, give you a glimpse into all things Irish past and present making you feel right at home. The majority of food ingredients are imported directly from Ireland, to savour the real taste of Irish food. The staff are great fun, friendly and helpful, leaving you the choice to order in English or German. Ideal on a Sunday, after a night out on the town.
As soon as you step inside this African takeaway, you are immersed into the wonderful aromas herbs, spices and fresh vegetables being prepared and cooked before your very eyes. The majority of drinks available are organic, plus, there is a lemonade drink similar to what can be drunk in parts of Africa itself. There is also the possibility for a small group of people to sit and eat inside. If you fancy something fresh and different this is your place.
Food: 9/10 Service: 9/10 Cost: € 11 + drink Atmosphere: 9/10 Total Stars:
Food: 9/10 Service: 8.5/10 Cost: € 13-23 Atmosphere: 7.5/10 Total Stars:
Warm, welcoming and proud of its Spanish heritage, Bodega la Bamba is a wonderful, little cosy restaurant. For a student night out, all you can eat tapas on Wednesday nights is a real treat and not just for your purse! With 10 dishes between 2 people and possibly more for groups, you get to experience the genuine taste of Spain. Great for a mid-week boost with a small group of friends.
The S-Bar is elegant, chic, and stylish; you really get the feeling of being someone special. They serve exclusively Japanese dishes, prepared according to the Japanese traditions using only fresh ingredients – believe me, you will taste the difference! The menu offers a wide range of starters, main courses, single makis, and desserts, as well as 7 fixed menus, including options suitable for vegetarians. Somewhere to catch up with your best friend. 45
Authors: Amanda Brown & Elisa Thoma Layout: Nathalie Bauer Pictures: AIGA
“Some of the teens stay all day” Charity article about Jugendhaus Kosmos
A place for young and old that facilitates integration, creativity and fun. Sounds utopian? I can assure you, it’s not. Actually, this place is located only about 700 meters northeast of our campus. It’s called Jugendhaus Kosmos and run by Stadtjugendring Augsburg. A cross-generational, integrative community center Jugendhaus Kosmos has been around for quite some time; actually, for about 30 years . Among teens, it has always been a quite popular place. A few years ago, though, it became clear that the old Kosmos building was getting too shabby and run down. It was time for a change. So, one and a half years ago, after 18 months of construction, the youth center moved into its brand new home at Blériotstraße 39 in Augsburg’s Univiertel. Thanks to the spaciousness of the building, the Kosmos team, which is made up of two full-time and one part-time employee, has been able to realize a new concept and establish what can be called a cross-generational community center. Of course, its main focus is still youth work. But as there are many Russian Spätaussiedler (late repatriates) living in the neighborhood, another very important aim is to foster integration.
A typical week at Jugendhaus Kosmos To give you an idea of what all this means in practice, let’s take a look at a typical week at Kosmos:
Tuesday: cooking project, English class for kids, chess, weight training Thursday: baking, weight training, aerobics for girls Friday: recording studio workshop, soccer practice, basketball practice Saturday: kids.action, recording studio work shop, trendsports
In addition to all this, Kosmos offers two or three other events, workshops or field trips for kids and teens every week. On average, there are between 50 and 70 teens at Kosmos every day, some of whom stay all day long. Honestly though, who wouldn’t want to spend their entire afternoon there? Apart from the various courses and groups, there’s a lot of other stuff to do. For example, you can play ping-pong, work out in the fitness room or record a song at the center’s recording studio. Besides, it’s a great place to meet up with friends and hang out. Ways to get involved Have I sparked your interest? If you want to find out more about Jugendhaus Kosmos or would possibly even like to volunteer and hold a workshop for the neighborhood’s teens, check out their website: www.juze-kosmos.de or stop by – like I said, the center is just around the corner.
Author: Susi Steinacher Layout: Adina Mutter Pictures: Kosmos
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BERLIOTSTRAĂ&#x;E 39, 86159 AUGSBURG, Tel. [0821] 455 278 - 20, kosmos@sjr-a.de
Du machst gern Sport oder magst Musik, kennst dich mit Aufnahme-Equipment aus und willst dich sozial engagieren ? Dann komm zu uns und hilf und, ein abwechslungsreiches Angebot fĂźr Kinder und Jugendliche auf die Beine zu stellen!
www.JUZE-KOSMOS.de
Love it or hate it Homesick or sick of home?
Homesickness It’s not a real illness – or is it? Do you remember being little and sleeping over at your grandparents’ or maybe a friend’s house? Did you get homesick and long for your Mom right around bedtime? Maybe even now that you’re all grown up, you sometimes get this feeling. But what is homesickness anyway? Did you know that a few centuries ago people died from this ‘illness’? Dying of nostalgia – a brief history Yeah, you read that correctly. In the 17th century, there were people who died because they were incredibly homesick. This was the time of mercenary armies. It was normal for a country to have an army made up of paid foreign soldiers. Many of these mercenaries were Swiss, and a fair amount of them died from homesickness – unless they were sent back to Switzerland before it was too late. Around the end of the 17th century, homesickness (or nostalgia) came to the attention of a few doctors. They had some very interesting theories concerning this serious illness. According to one of said theories, the Swiss were supposed to have a predisposition for homesickness; apparently, their blood would thicken because of the higher air pressure in the valleys as opposed to the low air pressure that they were used to in the mountains. This would then cause fevers, headaches, you-name-it, and even irrational behavior in battle, which in turn could lead to serious injuries. Finally, the homesick soldiers died.
In the 19th century, not only soldiers, but also young girls that had had to leave their homes to work as maids and nannies for rich families were affected. They didn’t usually die of their homesickness. Instead they killed the children that had been entrusted in their care or turned into firebugs. Homesickness – an illness of the past? Since the beginning of the 20th century, homesickness has been regarded as a psychological issue. Being away from home or, in some cases, even just the thought of being away from home, can functionally impair a person and cause them distress. In our modern world, this is not seen as an illness anymore; it’s a (in most cases) temporary state of the mind. And homesickness definitely still exists, even in adults. Thanks to modern media and globalization, the world has become a smaller place, and our horizons have become much wider. Nevertheless, as the saying goes, “home is where the heart is” ... and sometimes we don’t realize where our hearts are until we’ve left them behind.
Homesick killers and arsonists Over the following centuries, nostalgia went on to take hold of other ethnicities. At some point, it got so bad that it was labeled an epidemic.
Author: Susi Steinacher Layout: Adina Mutter Picture: Katharina Bregulla / pixelio.de 48
Sick of home?! 11 reasons why you should leave Germany Have you ever thought about going on a somehow different holiday? There are plenty of possibilities – such as an ice hotel. Imagine waking up with the crystal clear shine of the sun in its thousands of facets – through the window without glass in your hotel room made of ice. Obviously, you’d find yourself at the south pole/north pole at an ice hotel. There are many other interesting places to visit but maybe you’re looking for more than just an amazing vacation.
The English-speaking part of world:
China: To be honest, it’s a lot of people’s dream to be like Karate Kid and have the inner and outer strength to do all those great moves – even on the Chinese Wall.
Here’s a list of possible destinations for you to move to … Europe:
lost, thirsty on burning-hot days and freezing on biting/extremely cold nights. You might also be wandering about some poisonous snakes or even a desert storm that could bring you to your end.
USA: Kind of fed up with your slim body? Go to the USA and try the delicious and world famous fast food there. What’s more, you might have the chance to ask president Obama about his favorite dish.
Egypt: You always wanted to know what it’s like to be buried in a real small and labyrinthlike room? No problem. Pyramids in Egypt are perfect for your last holiday.
Canada: Always wanted to be in a country where you can either speak French or English as an official language – depending on which part you live in – you have to move to Canada. It might also be possible to see real elks.
Italy: Have you ever wondered what a love like Romeo and Juliet’s might have been like? Well, you have to move to Italy – especially to Verona, where – according to Shakespeare – those star-crossed lovers lived. If you can’t find the love of your life, you can still become a nun because the Vatican is right around the corner. Sweden: You always wanted to move to another country and leave all your furniture at home? Perfect. All you have to do is to move to Sweden – just as the IKEA saying goes: “Wohnst du noch oder lebst du schon?!” Another plus might be the great school system there. Russia: Vodka, what else is there to say?
New Zealand: Are you looking for the place where the chances of bumping into your expartner are around zero? New Zealand it shall be! Why? Less than 5 percent of NZ’s population is human. Furthermore, we all fell in love with its landscape since Lord of the Rings. Other magnificent parts of the world: Japan: If you’re fond of Anime, you have to move to Japan – where you can disguise yourself as Sailor Moon, Son Goku or any other Anime character and not get any funny looks. You might catch a glimpse of a Ninja as well. South Africa: The first thing you think of when someone mentions Africa: Safari. But, the continent Africa has so much more to offer. Just take the Sahara for example. You want to be 49
Brazil: You always dreamt of dancing half-naked – except for a really tight bikini covered with bananas and other fruit – to the rhythm of Brazilian music in the middle of a road crowded with strange people? → Carneval in Rio de Janeiro. … Convinced? ☺
Author: Leila Vaziri, Susann Vogel Layout: Leila Vaziri Pictures: Lelia Vaziri, Susann Vogel
Staff’s favorites
Tam
What is your favorite place in Augsburg?
ara
Sybille
My favorite place is the Weiße Gasse as seen from my window. Yes, I’m that boring.
Jessica
I feel at home wherever my books are, and since I couldn‘t take them all with me, I go to the Neue Stadtbücherei nearly every week to get new reading material.
The Hauptbahnhof is my favorite place because from here I can go anywhere I want to.
I love the Hochablass, a weir you can walk across in the Siebentischwald. It‘s great to stand over the huge mass of water and get sprayed - and watch people shriek because they don‘t want to get wet...
Lau
ra
Iona Europa Platz is usually where students go to get somewhere else; home, supermarket, the tram stop etc., but I think it is a beautiful little square where I can take 10 minutes to clear my head.
Amanda
Leila n Mario
The tram - who doesn‘t love it? ;)
Susi S.
My favourite place in Augsburg is Murdock’s Irish Pub. It reminds me of Father Ted’s, an Irish Pub in Auckland, where I used to go after an exhausting day with my French friends while I was in New Zealand. The Kräutergarten is a great place to just sit and enjoy a nice day outside. And the best part about it: you can cut fresh herbs for a delicious home-cooked meal.
Kahnfahrt is a wonderful place. You can either relax and read a book, drink something in the little café or go rent a boat and play pirates.
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Seba
Bibi
stian
My favorite place in Augsburg is definitely the „Siebentischwald”. The peaceful atmosphere always makes me happy and clears my head.
Manni
My favourite place in Augsburg is my Taekwondo dojo, mainly because it‘s the one place where I don’t think about university at all. :P
Susi V. When I moved here in October, I became very fond of the Siebentischwald, the peace and quiet there. Someone told me once the forest seems never-ending; even if you tried walking through it a hundred times, you might never actually see all of it.
Janina Augsburg’s Stadtwald is right outside our house in Haunstetten. We love going for little strolls through the forest, especially when fresh snow covers the branches of the trees.
Henry‘s Coffee at the Rathausplatz is the perfect place to have a hot drink, a bite to eat and a chat with friends during the winter. In summer, the whole Rathausplatz is a great place to hang out.
I love the Hofgarten with its public bookcase. The idea is just awesome, the park has a beautfiul atmosphere for reading and you can even do bookcrossing there!
Nicole
Elis
a
Imagine a cosy old-fashioned living room just big enough to celebrate gigs and to invite people to exhibitions in. This is the Grandhotel Cosmopolis - its special combination of art and social commitment makes it my favourite place in Augsburg.
Adina
Nathi I don‘t have one particular favourite place in Augsburg, but I love its bookstores, especially shops selling antique books like „Die Eule“.
For me, the Hofgarten is the perfect place, especially in summer, to retreat to, read a good book, wind down and recharge my batteries.
Layout: Adina Mutter Pictures: eMAG 51
Team Winter 2012/2013 Susi Steinacher Editor-in-Chief
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Cover pictures: Jessica Friedline, Susi Steinacher, Adina Mutter, Sebastian Allehoff, Lali Masriera/piqs.de. All rights reserved. Section dividers: Adina Mutter, Christoph Anzenhofer/pixelio.de, everystockphoto/diloz, Elisabeth Schmitt/Dinner for one
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