eMAG 26 | SS 2015
emag-augsburg.de
Yet another term is about to come to an end — the perfect time to get “up and away”. This can mean a multitude of things: Leaving university and moving on to a new stage in life, going abroad or simply traveling to distant (and not so distant) places. But it can also mean pursuing your dreams, as you’ll find out in this issue of eMAG. We’ve tried to explore all the different facets of “up and away”: Some articles focus on the literal act of traveling and different ways to do so; others invite you to explore the city you live in and escape your daily routine without spending a whole lot of money on flights and accommodation. Yet others tell stories of life-changing experiences, of people fighting hard to reach their goals or trying their best to turn the world into a happier place. Throughout the different sections you’ll find articles connected to the topic, which range from super funny to very serious, in some way or another. And, of course, we’ve included the popular Watch.Read.Listen, this time allowing you to ’armchair travel’ to South Africa. So take a deep breath, turn the page and immerse yourself in all the different ways of getting “up and away”. Because, let’s be honest, who wants to stay in the same place for all their life? Enjoy the read and the summer to come.
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 donate an advertisement to a local charity. We also regularly publish articles on our website www.eMAG-augsburg.de. The content of individual articles does not necessarily reflect the team‘s view and opinions. print run: 1,500 | price: for free | published: July 1, 2015 | printed at: Senser Druck GmbH | copyright: 2015 eMAG. All rights reserved. | www.eMAG-augsburg.de
Author, Layout & Pictures: Nadine Ellinger
Your Editor-in-Chief, Nadine
Table of contents 8
42
12
More than just Cape Town Leaving your heart in Africa Living the sky life Ho Chi Minh, Hitler and other stories Ever tried out surfing...on a couch?! Watch.Read.Listen. The conference is...in English!
5
No need for speed What has eight limbs and can really mess you up? Pick it up and throw it away Home is where the heart is A long way to go... Please fill in the gap! Eat - Train - Love Last stop. All out.
5 6
17 18 20 22 24 26 27
17
24
8 9 10 12 14 15
22
29
38
Restaurant hopping in Augsburg Muggles on broomsticks? The CityFarm Art is more than meets the eye The naked truth - Prostitution in Augsburg Where the cows are prettier than the girls My car is your car It‘s a dog‘s life
29 30 32 34 36 38 40 42
Augsburg
Spotted: We asked you about your favorite spots in Augsburg in the summer. Here are your top five answers!
#2 Sonnendeck
#3 Rathausplatz
t
#1 Wer
h端tte
ulper ach & K
e& #4 Unise
Campus
Author; Layout: Christian Donat, Katharina Soffer Pictures: google maps, CSFBAY/commons.wikimedia.org, Andreas Brain/commions. wikimedia.org, Chris Potter/StockMonkey.com, Katharina Soffer
#5 Siebentischwald
3
No need for speed
The art of slow travelling
High-speed internet, multitasking, speed reading, power napping, cocktails to go – sometimes it’s better to slow down a little, especially during the best part of the year: your holidays! What is slow travelling? Don’t worry, it’s not a guide to how to make your trip less exciting! So if you’re older than 99, you may feel like reading on. Since our world is shrinking and globalization has become part of everyday speech, the generation that used to collect Pokémon Cards, Diddl Sheets and Bravo Posters is now collecting exotic stamps in their passports. Think about your last vacation. Can you say with any certainty that you experienced things and not just saved them on your SD-Card? Any doubts? Then let me introduce you to something new: the art of slow travelling, which means wasting time, turning into the rhythm of a city and becoming part of the natural world that surrounds you. It’s about adventures and forgetting the standard way of travelling. Where to go? The usual criteria for holiday destinations are the costs, the weather and the exclusivity of the place. I‘m sure you already know what‘s going to come next: It‘s best to stay in Europe or, even better, in Germany. And YES, you‘re absolutely right! Isn‘t it a shame you’ve seen Thailand, Australia and the Dominican Republic, yet have never visited Hamburg, the Black Forest or the Baltic Sea? And in some way it‘s more exclusive, because it‘s not what the typical tourist would do. Now you‘re going to bring up the weather argument and again you‘re right, at least for summer time. How lucky we are to be surrounded by countries with a Mediterranean climate and with distinct cultures and languages: Spain, France, Italy, Turkey, Croatia, Portugal, Italy, Bulgaria and so on and so forth... Convinced? And how to get there? Another aspect that affects how we travel is time. That‘s why we tend to fly without sparing a thought about the in-between: the different landscapes and climates, the change of vegetation, all the cities and cultures that we simply fly over. Let‘s stop seeing the hours we spend to get to our destination as a waste of time, but as a chance. In case you disagree: do the transport part at night and save money that you‘d spend for a room! Here is an example:
What to do and what not? An alternative way of seeing a place is to get a commercial trip advisor - and avoid places they want you to go to, unless it‘s something you‘re really interested in. Forget about the pressure of sightseeing. There‘s definitely nothing wrong about hanging around in museums, but a day at the Louvre or the Hermitage if you‘re really not into art won’t make into your long-term memory. Visit markets and parks, use public transport and go to see current events like concerts, festivals or private art galleries, pop into hidden bars and cafés, talk to people and don‘t hide too much behind your camera. Free yourself of the stress to satisfy social media, because the only person who needs to be satisfied is you!
Author: Maria Pätzold; Layout: Andreas Böhm; Pictures: Maria Pätzold
5
What has eight limbs and can really mess you up?
The story of a female Muay Thai fighter
Muay Thai or Thai Boxing has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. For the general public things like the films of Tony Jaa (Ong Bak) have probably had a bigger impact than the achievements of fighters like Buakaw, Saenchai, the late Ramon Dekkers or Germany’s Enriko Kehl, but the number of people training around the world is rising. For many travelling to the art’s home country to train at a camp and maybe end their stay with a fight is a dream. Of the ones who do make the trip few can endure the gruelling training for more than a few weeks. In 2012 American Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu decided to move to Thailand to live as a professional fighter. On her blog she shares every step of the way. Fifty fights. That was Sylvie’s goal when she and her husband moved to Thailand more than three years ago. For Thai fighters this is nothing to get excited about. Pros in the Asian country often exceed one hundred fights (Saenchai, probably the best fighter right now, is currently listed at around three hundred and forty fights). But Sylvie is a foreigner (a farang) and, as if that wasn’t enough, a female farang. For her, fifty fights were ambitious. And that’s putting it mildly. She knew that she’d have to prove herself in a world of masculine ideals and tradition and that she’d have to show everyone that she’s not just one of the countless fight tourists who come to Thailand for a quick thrill. Unsurprisingly, her everyday routine is hard work. Most of her days start with a 10-km run, followed by three training sessions divided across the entire day. During the first two years she had on average one fight every ten days, sometimes even more. In order to face the best competition, she sometimes agreed to fight women five kilograms heavier than her. Depending on the rules, this can be a difference of two or three weight classes. The coaches soon saw her fearlessness and iron will. She won the respect and trust of the people around her and was allowed prospects that most Westerners can only dream of: insights into the gambling culture surrounding Muay Thai or the stories of the pad holders at the gyms, many of them former fighters themselves. Phetjee Jaa, Sylvie’s sparring and clinch partner and secret idol, has become a very important person in Slyvie’s life. She and her brother started fighting to support their family. Today she is one of the most promising professional female fighters in the country. At only thirty years of age she has already fought on national television and regularly competes against heavier opponents, simply because she’d run out of competition otherwise. But the most important story is Sylvie’s own. On her blog and her YouTube channel she documents her journey that has led her from the North of Thailand all the way to Pattaya, with fights all over the country. Apart from incredibly useful resources for people who train, interesting stories surrounding the camps and thoughts related to her status as an outsider finding her way into the scene, the posts that stood out the most to me were the ones about her fights. She not only describes the bout itself, but everything leading up to the big day. How did her training go? What
6
were her thoughts on the opponent? What happened on the journey to the location? Her vivid style ranges from travel report, to a sportscaster’s play-by-play, to stream-of-consciousness. When you read these stories, they simply come to life. You’ll understand the joy after a victory and the emotional chaos resulting from a tough defeat.
Some information about Muay Thai: •Kicks and punches are legal, of course; you can also use your knees and elbows. That’s why Muay Thai is sometimes called “The Art of the Eight Limbs.” •Clinching (holding your opponent), strikes from the clinch and some throws are explicitly allowed and are an important part of the sport. •The traditional music that is played during the fights speeds up as the rounds progress, to encourage the fighters to put on a show. •Before many fights the competitors perform a dance, called the Wai Khru Ram Muay. Some people say that they can guess the winner based on how well he executes his Ram Muay.
Fifty fights. That was Sylvie’s goal back in 2012 — a long time ago. A time that has allowed her to gain so much experience, learn more about herself and the people around her and that has changed her goals. She fought fifty times, and her new target became reaching one hundred. And this number was reached earlier this year. By then it had become just that: a number. It served as a motivational target, something to strive for. But more than anything, it was an inspiration that nothing is impossible, as long as you work hard for it.
•Gambling is a big part of Muay Thai, but actually illegal in most of Thailand. In the case of Muay Thai, people are only allowed to bet in registered venues like the famous Lumpini Stadium in Bangok.
Her stories and video updates will help you to understand why she had to choose this life. You’ll see why prejudices because of her background, aching shins from blocking kicks, or even over sixty stitches to close facial cuts caused by opponents’ elbows have not been able to stop her. Injuries and setbacks are simply part of the path she has chosen for herself, just like the milestones of fifty or one hundred fights were. Sometimes the road gets bumpy, but staying on it until you reach the end is what makes you grow as a person. And Sylvie hasn’t reached the end of her road yet.
Author: Andreas Böhm; Layout: Andreas Böhm; Pictures: © Emanuele Siracusa/emanuelesiracusa.com; Robert Cohen/ robertpcohen.com; Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu/8limbs.us
Follow this link to get to Sylvie‘s blog.
7
Pick it UP AND throw it AWAY My journey to minimalism We often buy things without thinking. We take them home and chances are, we never make use of them. A lot of stuff clutters our lives, and we don’t realize how much it distracts us from the important things!
“Minimalism isn’t emptiness for the sake of emptiness, but rather making room to move freely, think clearly, and open ourselves to the beauty and wonder of life.” - Francine Jay To me, minimalism means … … letting go of things that we don’t need anymore, that we don’t want anymore or that we haven’t ever used. Minimalism helps to set priorities and focus on beautiful moments in life. Yet it doesn’t mean to just throw everything away. You can donate, or sell things that are still in good condition. Minimalism is not about owning nothing, it isn’t just black and white — it can be something in between. Simplifying life, owning less and living more is the aim that should be pursued! How I got to minimalism! For a few months I’ve been following the YouTube channel of the German vlogger DiieJule. She herself started to change her life into a more minimalistic style and allows her audience follow the steps she’s went through. Jule inspired me to follow her example and live with less. Decluttering my life I started the whole decluttering process about half a year ago and I still find something that I want to get rid of. There’s one motto to follow: Identify the essential! Eliminate the rest! I learned to follow these rules and started with my beauty products and clothes, because I owned way too much of that. I got rid of old things, everything I never really liked and enjoyed and everything I didn’t even know I owned it. After that I felt great! Everything looked so tidy. Then I started reducing my paperwork. Now my desk is all empty and this really helps me stay focused.
YouTube Playlist
Minimalism changed my life There are several things I’ve learned over the past six months: Firstly, I don’t need more space, I need less stuff. Secondly, I learned to spend money and time for experiences rather than things. I’d rather have some amazing pictures of valuable experiences instead of another useless piece that only gathers dust and piles up on my to-do-list. And lastly, I buy less, but choose well!
8
Author & Layout: Stefanie Doldi; Pictures: Anelka/pixabay.com
Home is where the heart is Or is it?
Home? To me it has always been the place where I was born, where I grew up. Home is where I went to kindergarten, where I first learned to ride a bike and where my brother taught me to swim. It’s where I went to school, where I made most of my friends. It’s where my whole family still lives. Home to me is where I spent my childhood and most of my teenage years. My home is Berlin. Or is it? When I turned sixteen, Berlin didn’t seem enough anymore, as I wanted to explore the world. So I did the first thing that came to my mind - I decided to spend junior year abroad, so I ended up living in a small town in beautiful Arizona. And, even though the year was a mix of up and downs, I soon fell in love with the country, the people and the American way of life. I also made new friends and was accepted into a new family. I felt at home. But was it home? Three years later I packed my bags once again. This time I was going to spend a year in Vancouver. For the first time in my life I was on my own. I had to look for my own apartment, pay my own rent and I had my first job. Once again I thought I’d found a new home. That is, until a year later I moved to Bavaria to study at the University of Augsburg. After only a few weeks of living here, I felt like this is where
I belonged. But does this mean Augsburg is my home? And if it is, what are all the places I lived in before Augsburg? Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the word “home”, and what it means to me. Can I only have one home, or is it possible to have more? And if I talk about home, do I mean a place, the people, or is it just this feeling of belonging? Personally, I don’t think it’s possible to have only one home. How can I call Augsburg home when I felt just as comfortable and at ease in Berlin, Vancouver, and Holbrook. All the places I’ve lived in and all the people I’ve met have a special place in my heart. And as cheesy as it may sound, I still think it’s true: Home is where the heart is. In my case, though, it just seems to be scattered all over the world. And what about you? Where is home for you?
Author & Layout: Katrin Bottke; Pictures: Kirs/flickr.com, geralt/pixabay, Katrin Bottke
A long way to go... Long way to Rio - Destination Olympics 2016 Michael Schrader is a 28-year-old German decathlete. His biggest wish at the moment: to compete in the Olympic Games, again. This time in Rio de Janeiro 2016. He gained his first experience at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, but it’s not always so easy to stay on track… First steps Michael took his first steps on the track when he was two years old. Both his parents were athletes; his mom was his first coach, so he inherited an athlete’s genes. You can find videos of Michael, a small boy, doing the long jump. Even back then, he was all smiles once he was on the track — something that hasn’t changed a whole lot. And looking at his story proves that everything’s so much easier if you’re passionate about it.
bat out of hell, he made it. The year after he won the most important competition after the Olympics, which takes place in Götzis, Austria, right at the beginning of the season. This event is used by athletes from all over the world to test their potential after the indoor season. Goal-setting The worst part came next. He had many injuries, which meant he couldn’t work out or compete: back issues and the first foot stress fracture. Every time he got a bit better, he started working out again. But he did so too quickly, which forced him to stop again. And with lots of hard work and passion, he made it to the World Championships in Moscow in 2013, where he finished second overall. This was his best result after being injured for such a long time. Did he remain healthy for a long time? Nope. Another throwback! He was diagnosed with another stress fracture in his os navicularis. For all of you without a medical background: it means that a teeny-weeny bone in your foot is broken, which meant surgery again. Another break. When I asked him what he does to get back on track or what motivates him to try all over again so much, he said: “Being able to compete is my passion as well as my biggest hobby. I have to be on the track. It’s where I belong. And I haven’t reached my personal limit yet and that’s what I’m aiming for and what motivates me the most!“
Setbacks and triumphs But it wasn’t always just fun. He had to fight a lot because of his many, many injuries. It all started off pretty well. As a teenage boy, he started practicing with a new coach — getting new impulses is always good. The coach, Torsten Voss, also a former decathlete, was known to be the toughest coach in Germany. He’s fifth in the German All-Time list, was World Champion in 1987 and second at the Olympics in 1988. With his help, Michael made it to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where he finished tenth overall. But getting there wasn’t easy. Right before the Games there are trials: this means the best German decathletes compete against each other and only the top three get the chance to go. Before his last event, Michael knew he would have to run seven seconds faster than ever before. After running like a
This year’s goal is to qualify for Beijing, where the World Championships take place, and win a medal there, as well as remaining healthy throughout the season, so that “I’m capable of qualifying, competing and winning an Olympic medal in Rio 2016.” And he’s already reached his first goal: enough points to be nominated for Beijing. What are your best results? Moscow 2013: World Championships, finished 2nd Götzis 2009: first decathlon in the year, winner Beijing 2008: Olympic Games, finished 10thGerman National Champion, three times 6th in the All-time German National Ranking Author: Kim Sommer; Layout: Franziska Leichte; Pictures: SC Hessen Dreieich e.V., Mampu/pixabay, Pumbaa80/commons.wikimedia.org.
Please fill in the gap! Good reasons (not) to take a year off Just ask one of your fellow students: I’ll bet that at least half of them didn’t start studying directly after their Abitur but preferred doing a gap year instead. Sounds like a good idea, doesn’t it? Well, we would say: it’s a matter of taste.
What is a gap year?
The so-called “gap year” is a time out between life stages, normally before going to university and after finishing school. Students can do anything they want, wherever they like and for any length of time. But it usually means traveling, volunteering or working abroad. The pros and cons we’ll discuss will mainly focus on spending time abroad because that’s what most students do.
No idea? Gap year!
Let’s start with the usual arguments for the gap year, the ones you’ve certainly heard a hundred times, the ones that seem indisputable, at least according to the students who have taken a year off. Doing a gap year can make the decision of what to study later at university much easier because you get a better idea of what suits you best. For students traveling to foreign countries, finding work there and discovering new kinds of professions can definitely help them reflect on their talents and experiences and allowing them to study accordingly. Sounds attractive, doesn’t it? Just imagine: You will never again have so much free time. Instead of staying in your hometown, why not pack your bags and start out on an adventure? Take a chance! Life is beautiful and there are so many things waiting for you to discover. Of course, there’s no better way to learn and improve a foreign language than going abroad and spending some time in a non-German speaking country. There, you make contact with natives and exchange different opinions about the world. Moreover, it’s likely that you make new friends and even stay in touch with them when you’re back in Germany. This not only improves your language skills, but could also affect you and your decisions in life concerning what to study. Get out of your routines, be confident now and win more confidence abroad! And who knows?! Maybe, you even get to know the love of your life…
12
No idea? Study here!
Many students only do a gap year because they want to have some time off. Preparing for the Abitur is hard work, for sure, but it cannot be so challenging that you need a timeout afterwards. Otherwise, all students would need a gap year after every single university semester, which is much more stressful than any senior class. Preparing 90-minute-presentations, doing weekly homework and trying to pass all exams are a lot more work than graduating high school. Furthermore, it’s not the perfect time to find yourself or reflect about life because you don’t have that much to reflect about at the age of 18! Some believe that the year abroad will show them what to do afterwards. They are convinced that they will come back and know exactly what to study. Really? You’re traveling around and enjoying life without even caring about what might come next! Doing a gap year is like searching desperately for a fill-in and running away from making decisions! Many young adults clearly have no idea what else to do. Even when they come back from their adventures, they still don’t know what to do and are afraid of making wrong choices. Why has this trend become so popular? There are definitely too many opportunities these days. Having passed the Abitur, you can study whatever you like. Unfortunately, there are not just 150 different courses like some years ago. The course offering is now enormous and there are innumerable areas of studies. Of course, many students have no clue what to do and prefer a fill-in like a gap year. This is also because of the poor preparation for life in school. Everybody with an Abitur knows every detail about Goethe’s life. Well fine, but this doesn’t necessarily help us find a job.
Verena (20, Cultural Geography):
Why did you go abroad after your Abitur? I wanted to have a free year without studying and with a lot of fun. I wanted to get the hell out of Germany and wanted to help people in other parts of the world. Later, I realized that nobody actually needs help from an 18-year old German girl who doesn‘t speak their language and has only just finished school. What did you do during your time off? I worked for the Lutheran church in Tanzania as a volunteer in Morogoro. I stayed at a huge compound. In the morning, I worked in the kindergarten as an assistant teacher and in the afternoon, I had different activities such as teaching English and religiouseducationMost of the time, I was quite busy preparing lessons.
Agnes (20, International Cultural & Business Studies):
Are you interested in a stay abroad during your studies? I definitely want to spend one semester abroad. It may even be a better experience than going straight after finishing high school because you already know how to live on your own, find new friends, build a new social circle and deal with homesickness. It’s easier to enjoy the experience. Knowing where you want to go in life helps you to get something out of it for your professional career.
Author:s & Layout: Dilek Arslan and Theresa Singer Pictures: Theresa Singer, Verena Knöll, Agnes Stöhr
Eat – Train – Love My daily journey to happiness I’m an everyday traveler. Whenever I tell my fellow students that I’m a commuter, they tell me I must be crazy. They think commuting is dreadful and stressful because they only have the negative image of traveling with Deutsche Bahn in mind: delayed trains, train cancellations, overcrowded compartments, the loss of time and of course the latest strikes.… But it isn’t always like that. Commuting by train can be a wonderful, relaxing daily experience and sometimes you only need the right motivation. I decided to commute a long time ago. At that time I had just moved to Augsburg and lived in a flat in city center, where I was very unhappy. I’m a family person and badly missed life in my hometown. This feeling got worse every day.
Commuting is like traveling. Most people love to travel, to explore new countries and to meet interesting people. They put up with a long journey to get to the place they want to go to and to get back home again. So I don’t know why I shouldn’t put up with a daily roundtrip journey of two hours to achieve the same thing. Since I started to travel by train every day, I’ve met lots of friendly, interesting people and had wonderful new experiences. Once I met a woman from Peru with the most heartwarming smile I’ve ever seen. I talked to her every day on my commute and listened to wonderful stories about her life. And I really look forward to every ‘train date’ we have. So sometimes when Deutsche Bahn succeeds in annoying or even frustrating me, I think of all the reasons why I’ve decided to become a commuter. And this thought fills my heart with warmth and happiness.
So commuting wasn’t only a joyful experience; it was kind of a relief, because after a long, exhausting day at the university my only desire was to get back home to the people I love: my family, friends and my boyfriend. They give me strength to cope with almost everything and love me as I am. And I try to love Deutsche Bahn as it is, enjoying every early morning and every late evening. As a commuter, I’ve learned to treasure the mornings on the train. The peace and quiet time is like a balm for my overstressed student soul. I can lean back for an hour, enjoy a cup of coffee, close my eyes and daydream.
Author: Julia Stapel; Layout: Hai Nhu Nguyen; Pictures: Janettesozpix/pixabay.com, private
14
Last stop. All out. “People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.” - Dalai Lama
Oh Darling,
but still welcomed everyone who was standing at the station? That day, you showed me how to get into (physical) contact with people even if you’re shy.
Yes, it ’s true , you made my life easier. The two of us traveled a lot together and , thanks to you, I got to see great places all around Europe .
Darling, there are many things I like about you, and yet I’m writing this letter to you to tell you that it ’s over. There’s one more thing I want to tell you, and I don’t want you to be mad at me . Just think of the Dalai Lama’s words. I’m taking a different road , or actually, I’m taking the road . Because someone new has rolled into my life: I’m in love with FlixBus. He’s wonderful . Always on time , soft, quiet, reliable . Ok , he’s a little boring, never too hot nor too cold . He just doesn’t have your temperament. But, you know, when we go somewhere together, I only spend half of the money I used to spend with you. I know we’ve been together for a long time , and I have thought about this over and over again , but I figured there is nothing you could offer me that I can’t have with him. Except from the looks – I have to admit that you are way more beautiful . But he is just more beautiful on the inside . And the more I think about it, the more I wonder why it took me so long to realize that he’s the right one for me . I’m sorry to hurt you... but I gotta move on ...
But you’ve changed in recent times. You made me wait so often , sometimes you didn’t show up at all . Sometimes you were really moody, especially when we traveled to my hometown Stuttgart; it almost felt like as soon as we got close to this area, nothing worked out properly anymore . And I will never forget how you threw me out in the middle of a Sunday night one time and abandoned me at Ulm main station . That was heartless. I know you didn’t mean it, but the thing is, I can’t handle this anymore . I just don’t know what to expect from you. Yes, it ’s true , you kept me warm in the winter – and also in the summer. Many times even too warm, oh , we spent some unbearably hot moments together. Remember that day in July, when we were on the way from Augsburg to Stuttgart and your heating didn’t work , (man , that must have been 30 degrees in there) and people went to buy drinks at the BordBistro? I remember they still paid €2,50 for half a liter of water... I’m glad you’ve got you priorities straight! Or that other time , I think it was the last day of the Christmas holidays, when you for some reason traveled with one wagon less
Farewell , Deutsche Bahn ...
15
Author & Layout: Sophia Spyropoulos; Pictures: Unsplash/pixabay,staffe/pixabay
A guide to traveling off the beaten track - without actually leaving it Traveling is so much more than just sightseeing. At least to me, it means diving into a different culture, leaving my comfort zone and experiencing things that I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to experience when at home. Leaving the beaten track can sometimes be challenging - especially when in a foreign country. But if you know what to do, you don’t even have to leave the track— and you can still get the full experience.
Rule number one to traveling “off the beaten track”: Don’t read a travel guide. This will ruin your experience a lot of times and most likely (as in the case of Cape Town) scare the hell out of you. Yes, taking a minibus — or as many locals call them: taxis — isn’t the most comfortable way of traveling. But it’s far from being dangerous and way more fun (oh, and cheaper, by the way)! Being cramped into a tiny bus with a ton of locals will give you a great impression of all the different smells and languages spoken in the Western Cape. And you never know, you might end up chatting with your seat neighbor or even holding their kid. Who would get that feeling in a regular cab?
Tired of driving around town? Why not explore the city on foot?! Get lost in the streets and you’ll get to see and explore things no travel guide would’ve suggested. Talk to locals, wander into weird-smelling or -looking stores and ask your way around. As long as you’re aware of your surroundings and don’t act super touristy (like waving around a big bundle of money or staring at a map looking completely lost), no one will bother you. Look confident, smile and enjoy the world usually hidden from tourists. I discovered the most amazing spice store that way — and no travel guide even considered mentioning it.
Especially in countries like South Africa, locally grown fruits and vegetables are not only the cheaper option, but also the better tasting one. The best place to get them is at one of the many street stalls. You’ll find them either lining the sidewalks all over town or at the taxi rank. Be prepared to bargain! The vendors start super high, so you better name a really low price. At first this might be hard, but after a while you’ll get the hang of it — and at the same time the most delicious bananas, pineapples, or avocados for a price usually only locals pay. Just give it a shot!
17
The easiest way to get a feel for the city you’re in is to just take your time doing nothing. In Cape Town, there are so many little cafés (especially in the multicultural student neighborhood, Observatory) that beckon you to spend your morning enjoying the incredible view of Table Mountain and the warm breeze over a cup of coffee and some delicious local (and most of the times organic) food. Grab a free newspaper or pick up a book by a South African author in one of the numerous book stores and feel the rhythm of the city.
Author & Layout: Nadine Ellinger; Pictures: Nadine Ellinger, Henry Trotter/commons.wikimedia.com
Leaving your heart in Africa On medical aid mission with humedica
countries suffering because of catastrophes. A lot of us have probably thought about taking a year off before enrolling in university. Not so many, however, have thought of doing what a friend of mine did: Going on a charity mission to Africa. Jenny told me about her journey via an organization called humedica: First steps Humedica is an organization which helps people around the world when a disaster occurs. Jenny first heard of it through a friend of her grandparents’. He is a doctor and has a lot of experience with humedica. After finishing her apprenticeship as a nurse, Jenny took a five day training course to be mentally and physically prepared for the time in Africa. In 2010 she finally got the okay from humedica and she set out for her destination: Kollo, Niger. First people to talk to Not being able to speak French, Jenny had to find a translator - which was not that easy as only very few people spoke English. When she found a translator, he helped her understand what patients as well as other nurses or midwives were saying. In the end, Jenny learned basic French and local African sentences. Another important person was her coordinator. She herself was part of a lot of missions in different
18
First cultur shock Culture shock hit Jenny the day she arrived in Niger. “The first shock was arriving. Everything was so very different in Niger: the nature was dry, the people were poor, a shepherd walked through Niamey, the capital, with all his cows…” Another shock was that the hospital in which Jenny was supposed to work wasn’t finished yet. Something that really struck me, was when I heard that women and children often came from far away. They obviously walked, carrying their sick children or being sick themselves, and waited in front of the hospital to be treated – which was normal for them. First cultural differences Talking about her experience when she first stepped off the plane in Africa, Jenny said that she felt awful and good at the same time. Even though there are many cultural and ecological differences, she still thinks of it as home. She told me a story about three women who refused to use a gas oven for cooking or a dishwasher for doing the dishes – they were afraid of electricity. “I also felt ashamed because we in Europe have everything and they don’t even have enough to eat or drink.”
Author &Layout: Susi Tallmadge Pictures: Jennifer Murano
First real emotions The most memorable situation? “There were so many!” But one story was the most memorable: two little baby girls - twins – who, in Europe, would’ve been in an incubator. As people didn’t have the means for instruments like that and being in this situation Jenny said: “Thanks to God, it’s so warm in Niger.” Jenny prepared milk in bottles for the tiny babies as their mother didn’t have enough milk for them. Both the mother and Jenny had to be very patient to see what was possible for one of the twins as she refused to drink. They had a special spoon with the help of which the baby finally decided to drink - this couldn’t have been a happier moment. First memories She took a lot of memories home from Niger, but one of the most emotional was the story of another little girl. She arrived at the hospital with her grandmother and didn’t speak, laugh or cry – it looked like she had given up on herself. She also was very malnourished. After being in the hospital for some time and Jenny trying to getting her to eat, her first real emotion was crying. The next emotion was that she was suddenly smiling at Jenny. From that moment on she smiled at Jenny every time she saw her. I remember Jenny telling me about this little girl – she really fell in love with the little sunshine and when I asked her if her trip was worth it her answer was: “Definitely a yes!” She also is still in contact with her coordinator and her translator even after all these years. The final question was if she had suggestions for people thinking about going abroad with an organization like humedica. She then said: “If you really feel you want to do it: Do it! That was my first medical aid mission and I would definitely do it again.”
e ft I got was th “The biggest gi e little girl and th smile from the of of every mother thankful glance en.” cared for childr
Living the sky life An interview with a flight attendant Miguel Pais has been working as a flight attendant for SATA airlines for eleven years. He lives in Lisbon, but as his life has to move with his job, he doesn’t get to spend a lot of time there. Why and how did you become a flight attendant? Maybe because I’m a dumb guy and I couldn’t find anything else suitable for my “special” brain. :) Kidding. To be honest, it was something completely casual. Never in my life have I thought about doing this. One day I met a girl, asked her what she did for a living and she told me she was a flight attendant. I asked her how she got the job and she said “I just applied for it”. The next day I applied for the same airline she was working for and two days later I was called for an interview and I got the job. How long did it take you to learn the safety instructions-show? ;) Not too long. You do it once or twice, maybe practise a bit the routine at home and it’s easier than it looks like. What’s the best thing about being a flight attendant? For me... I’m not sure. I do have more free time than most people, I don’t have regular schedules, which I like, and I work with different people every day (which can be a good thing and a bad thing). Maybe the best thing is that I don’t bring with me any work to do at home. When a flight is over, I am done with it. The next day will be better and if any bad things happened on a flight, I will probably forget about them after a night’s sleep. How many flights do you normally do in one week? It really depends. Can be five or just one. There are days off, standbys, flights cancelled, extra flights, etc. It’s really never the same and it can change every day. So do you get to spend the night in your own bed? Or do you stay at hotels a lot? Both. I do short-, medium- and long-haul flights. I do spend a lot of time in hotels, especially in the summertime. Do you have any say in where you fly? No. I have a schedule every month and the airline decides where I’m going. It’s possible to request flights but not guaranteed that I will get them.
20
Most people think that flight attendants get to travel, see the world. Is that right? Do you have time to see things when you’re working? It really depends on what airline you work for. I see more airports than anything else. My long-haul flights are almost always to the same places. After eleven years they don’t seem that interesting anymore. Most layovers now last 24 hours, so there’s really not a lot of time to explore. There are exceptions, so yes, sometimes I have time to explore the places but often not that much. Being tired and having to sleep a bit before the next flight doesn’t really help either. Are there any advantages you enjoy as a flight attendant? I do get discounts with some airlines but there are also disadvantages. If I have a cheaper ticket I fly on standby, which means that I don’t have a reserved seat. If the plane is full I don’t get to board. That happens often. Plus, with all the low cost companies, almost all the short flights are more expensive with my “discount ticket” than a confirmed ticket with a low cost company. Your job revolves around the clock and your life has to move with it. Do you ever get fed up with it? Do you sometimes wish to have a steady work life? I get fed up much faster now. After eleven years, even though I like my job, sometimes I just feel like screaming and running away. But I don’t think I would like to have a regular job from nine to five. Just a few breaks from time to time to calm down a bit and regain my courage to get back to work would do the trick. What about your social life, friends, family, relationships in general. Does your job have any influence on that? Completely. I spend long periods of time without seeing some friends and family; it’s common to spend important dates away from our loved ones, etc. We do get used to it but it can cause major damage, especially in love relationships. It’s a terrible job to keep a healthy relation. What’s the weirdest thing that happened to you at work? Any funny stories? Can we skip this one?? So many things happen on a plane. We have all sorts of weird things happening. People that can’t use the toilet and do their “business” outside, parents changing their kid’s diapers
on the seat while everyone else is having their meals, passengers sleeping on the floor, in the middle of the aisle. People washing their feet and armpits with the little wet tissues we distribute, cleaning their faces with the same tissue right after... passengers can be very... “special”… sometimes. Did you ever spill food or a drink on a passenger? Pfffffff... So many times, even on purpose :D I’m joking, I don’t do that; I just think about it, hehe. It’s very common to spill things on a passenger, for all kinds of reasons. Because of turbulence, because people forget to move their feet in, because some passengers, instead of saying “it’s enough”, just pull back their glass from under the bottle, because some of them don’t see that I’m working, making some random move so I collide with them... there are so many reasons. Is it sometimes hard to be friendly and smile all the time? I mean, like in every other job, there must be really annoying people around you sometimes! More and more passengers are getting incredibly annoying. But more than that, they can be mean, and not just to flight attendants. They are mean to each other and very unreasonable. People are losing their humanity and in my job that is very obvious. It’s very difficult to keep a smile all the time and, even though I smile very easily, I stopped doing it “just because” a long time ago. Not everyone deserves a smile. I will do my job properly and be polite but I won’t smile to everyone. Are you planning on working in that job for your whole work life? Or could you imagine doing anything else? What? I don’t have any plans for now, I’m just living one day at a time and I’ll see what happens. I don’t think I’ll be able to do this for the rest of my life; it’s getting harder and harder. But for the moment, I can’t really think of something else to do. The few ideas that I have require much more money than I will probably ever have in my life ;). I’ll let you know when I give up and move on to something else. Until then... Welcome, enjoy your flight, see you next time, it was a pleasure to have you on board and have a great day :)
Author & Layout: Franziska Leichte; Pictures: Sp33dyphil/commons.wikimedia.org, Jakec/commons.wikimedia.org, Miguel Pais
Ho Chi Minh, Hitler and other stories How we learned history at school Every country has a story to tell. Germany, Hitler; Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh. Two leaders: one led the country into one of the greatest human massacres in world history, while the other liberated his country. You may know that the year 2015 marks the seventieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the fortieth anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. So let’s reflect about how we learned history at school… My story I was born and brought up in Vietnam. When I was small, my mother gave me many books to read. Along with Vietnamese folk and fairy tales, I read historical books about the Vietnam War. They were stories about the suffering of people in war, as well as children or young people who sacrificed their lives for the independence of the country. I really admired their courage. They were my childhood heroes, and when I grew up, I wanted to be like them. At school, I learned that we were a heroic nation. However, as I grew up and learned more about the world, I realized that things were different... As I grew up, I traveled to different places and met different people. They usually asked me about the Vietnam War, the war I had personally never been involved in. Yet, being asked about the war showed me that I was part of something bigger than myself. The moment I realized that the U.S. also suffered in the Vietnam War, I could no longer consider America as “our enemy.” I also saw many war photos in which American soldiers were seriously wounded. Later on, I learned that many American Vietnam War American soldiers Vietnam War veterans suffered on LIFE Magazine February 11, from postwar trauma. They 1966 regretted what they had done to the Vietnamese, but the war simply brought the worst out of people. As I grew older, I had more empathy with the American soldiers involved in the Vietnam War. They were so young when they were sent to war in my country. They didn’t know the truth about the war and didn’t know what they were doing. Somehow they believed in the country they served. They might also have had beautiful
22
ideals like you or I do. They might also have wanted to live a life full of purpose, to do something good and make their families proud. Yet, at a certain point in the war, they realized how brutal and futile it was. Both Vietnam and the U.S. suffered from the war; there were no real victors or losers. My German friends’ story I often wonder what it’s like for German children to learn about their history. I first learned about the world wars at school in about Grade eight or nine. But it wasn’t until I read The Diary of Anne Frank that I had a real interest in the war. I felt with the book characters and found myself thinking about their fates. Some years later, a friend of mine showed me some movies set in the Second World War: Life is Beautiful and Schindler’s List. While books inspired imagination, The Diary of Anne Frank films showed me realistic scenes. It was so real in the pictures that I had the feeling I could really see and feel history, and this experience had a great impact on me. When I asked my fellow German students about their experience in history classes, I knew how hard it was for them to learn about the past. Its shadow was still so present in their lives. When they traveled abroad, there were local people who greeted them with a Hitler salute. In their discussions, they had to be sensitive and careful with their words in order not to sound racist or discriminatory. Confronting the past was so tough for my friends, but I really admired their strength and courage. It was so brave and respectful of them to take responsibility for history and choose to confront it, in order to understand it.
On the one side, it’s important to learn from history in order not let it repeat itself. On the other side, history had great lessons to teach them. So by listening to the insightful stories of eye-witnesses who had experienced the war, my German friends learned about the past, which in turn helped them to understand the world and human conditions better. What makes a hero? In Vietnam, there’s a saying, Thời thế sinh anh hùng, which literally means that historical incidents create heroes. It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that really matters. And, of course, there are real heroes in Germany. When I learned about Sophie Scholl and the White Rose, I really admired them. They were young people who recognised that there was something terribly wrong, and who raised their voices in order to wake people up, even though it meant that they had to sacrifice their lives. Every country has a story to tell. If you listen, you’ll understand.
Author & Layout: Hai Nhu Nguyen; Pictures: commons.wikimedia.com/Hazhk; flickr.com/Damian Alexander, Jim Forsest, manhhai
23
Ever tried out surfing…on a couch?! Swell reasons to go for it! Have you ever come across the phenomenon of couchsurfing? For those of you who haven’t: Couchsurfing.com is a website mostly used by young travelers where you can sign up, find a couch to “surf” on at someone’s house in the place you’re traveling to and where you can return the favor by hosting other people coming to your city. But have you ever been brave enough to actually try it out? We met Augsburg’s probably most experienced couchsurfer, Andrew (148 positive references!!) who’s been living in Augsburg since 2006, and who’s originally from Newcastle, Australia. We asked the 37-year-old a few questions about his couchsurfing experiences which might give you a better insight into what it’s really all about. Why and when did you decide to host people? I joined the site in 2006 after I had heard about it on my holiday in Spain. I was actually staying in a backpackers’ hostel, where I met a member of the staff who was a couchsurfer and who told me everything about it. So when I got back, I joined up and one week later I got my very first request, and thought: “Wow, that was really quick!” My second request came more than a year later. (laughs) How often and from which countries do you host couchsurfers? In my first few years I wasn’t that active, but that changed when I moved to Augsburg. I normally receive about 30 requests a year, pretty much from all over the world, including countries such as Russia, South Korea, the USA, Indonesia, Iceland and Germany, of course.
24
Have you ever attended a couchsurfing event and if so, what is it about? Yes, when I moved to Augsburg someone decided to set up a couchsurfing gathering and since I was new in town, I went along to it, not really knowing what to expect. Once I got there, I felt immediately at home and that was a good welcome for me to arrive at Augsburg. So basically it’s about getting to know other people and having a good time together. We decided back in 2008 to make it a regular thing, fixing it on the 15th of every month. So there would be no excuse for not knowing it. (laughs) We started doing it at someone’s home, then moving to a public place. The number of people swings around a bit; sometimes we had about three to four people, other times we had about 30. What was your worst couchsurfing experience? There weren’t really any negative experiences; some just weren’t as positive as others. I had a fellow during Oktoberfest who didn’t even introduce himself, but I tried to break the ice by making conversation anyway. He just didn’t want to talk at all, which was sad because that’s exactly the reason why I host. Fortunately I had so many more positive experiences.
Coming to the positive experiences…which one was the best? Probably the best experience I had was with a surfer who had hosted me before. It was during Oktoberfest 2010 when I hosted four Romanians; we went out for dinner and really had a great time together. The following Easter I was in Romania by chance and they actually invited me to stay with their family. You must know that Easter is massive in Romania, it’s even bigger than Christmas and this way I could be part of it, which wouldn’t have been possible without couchsurfing. That was just an amazing experience!
Are you still in touch with some of your surfers? There are some I keep in touch with, but with the majority you simply don’t. Some you will see later on, which is great. Your lives just intersect for a brief moment and you continue on your separate ways. But the way I see couchsurfing is that there are people in the world who would be your friends if you had only met them before. Couchsurfing is a way of linking you up with those people, even if only for an instant. That’s what it’s all about. It’s not about the couch; it’s about people. It can be a money-saver as well, but that’s not the reason to do it. Thanks a lot for sharing your great experiences and stories with us! Get started…now! For those of you who have grown to like the idea of couchsurfing, all you have to do is create a profile on couchsurfing.com and wait for an exciting adventure to come! When as two young girls we were initially skeptical about staying at a stranger’s place, our very first couchsurfing trip to the Northern USA and Canada turned out to be our best holiday ever. You just have to give it a go! Author: Angelika Pfeil, Nina Gasser; Layout: Sarah Arnold; Pictures: Mark Walz/flickr.com, Andrew Mcleod
Watch.Read.Listen. Watch: District Nine At a time when South Africa is grappling with xenophobic attacks, here is a beautifully yet gory South African film about such issues. District 9 is a Niel Blomkamp feature that tells an allegoric story about aliens who are stuck in Johannesburg living amongst humans. The aliens live in an area called District 9, a stone’s throw away from neighbourhoods inhabited by humans. Eventually the mutual tolerance and understanding between humans and aliens start to deteriorate into prejudice and violence between aliens and humans. This movie shows how Southern Africans and other neighbouring Africans treat each other. District 9 is a wonderfully put together Sci-Fi/Action flick that challenges the expectations we impose on others. A proudly South African film that is a must see! Siyah Mgoduka
Read: Home Away — The Definition of ’Armchair traveling’ Traveling the world without actually setting your foot outside your door — sounds tempting? Louis Greenberg’s collection of short stories Home Away allows you to explore 24 different cities within 24 hours. Set in cities across the globe ranging from Berlin to Kampala, the 24 authors tell their unique stories in such vivid ways that you get the feeling you’re right there, seeing and hearing and smelling just what the protagonists see and hear and smell. One moment you might be following a suitcase on its journey around Europe, the next you’re ghost hunting in Triolet, Mauritius. What’s so special about this collection is its structure: Each story is assigned to one hour of the day, the first starting at 1 a.m., the last ending at 12 p.m. And although they’re scattered across the globe, the stories are connected by the main theme, the authors’ reflection on their South African home. Home Away is the perfect read if you want to feel as if you’re far away — even though you haven’t gotten up from your armchair, or couch or favorite spot (which, by the way, is the definition of ’armchair traveling’).
Listen: Ohavy Ben Ahbir “Something I Love” Let’s take a trip to South Africa with no visa or passport needed real quick! “Something I Love” feels like an honest expression from a rooted soulful artist by the name of Ohayv Ben Ahbir. Heartfelt issues are touched on such as being a blue collar worker in order to put food on the table, being a musician by night and pushing pen and paper at a desk job by day. Ohayv shares his experiences of hiking from one city to another only to perform to a handful of people leaving him stranded by the end of the night with no transport to go home with. One almost gets a sense of love, struggle, and contentment when listening to Ohayv. This body of work is most certainly “Something I Love” and I hope you will too. From South Africa with love.
Nadine Ellinger
Siyah Mgoduka Layout: Nadine Ellinger; Picture: Ohavy Ben Ahbir
rchers
resea Young
a
Presenting scientific results in a journal or at a conference is the goal of every scholar. The European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS) is one of the biggest and most renowned conferences in the field of Information Systems. This year, the conference happened to be in Münster at the Westfälische Wilhelms University. Even though this year’s location was in Germany, such a conference is always highly international. It provides a great opportunity for young academics to present their research to hundreds of international scholars from many different countries. This year there were participants from 59 countries. Researchers from multiple different chairs represented the University of Augsburg and the FIM Research Center was able to contribute with a total of six publications. FIM is particularly happy about the contributions of four young researchers that are still in the process of completing their masters’ studies. HR coordinator Dominikus Kleindienst said: “we’re pleased that our student research assistants are highly interested in the research topics that we cover here at FIM. This
ope
rd Eur t the 23
fo
e on In
ferenc an Con
is a great opportunity for young scientists to learn how to write papers and it prepares them for their possible PhD studies “. Anna Oberländer for example held a presentation on the Internet of Things, whereas Manfred Schoch presented a paper on Social Media Analytics. Marco Schmidt and Christian Regal were able to show their work-in-progress of a mobile app that measures stress levels. Marco and Christian said “we had many great conversations with scientists who were interested in our project. This was also a great way to network, as we kept meeting and talking to many of these people throughout the conference.” Anna reported that “the audience was very interested in our contribution and I got very positive feedback on my presentation.”
27
IS)
ms (EC
Syste rmation
Manfred said: “as a former editor-in-chief of eMAG I’ve always been interested in international relations. At this conference, I was able to talk to scholars from Singapore, the Netherlands, and the UK, which was very exciting and insightful.” Everybody agreed that if there’s one general piece of advice that they could give to students who are interested in scientific careers – but also to those who aren’t – is that they should use every possible opportunity to improve their English skills. Because, to follow through with the slogan of the conference, “the conference is ... in English”. The next ECIS will be in Istanbul and who knows who could represent the University of Augsburg with their own scientific papers there. Perhaps it could be you?
Author: Manfred Schoch; Layout: Nadine Ellinger; Pictures: Sebastian Bräuer, Kevin Ortbach, Manfred Schoch
Restaurant hopping in Augsburg Yummy places you should try
If you go somewhere on vacation, going out for dinner and trying new food is always fun. But when you get back home, you often wish to get the same delicious meals as you did on your trip. That’s not always easy, but do we really have to travel to foreign countries to feel like we are far away from home? I say no! – Let me take you on a culinary journey through Augsburg and I will show you where to go. Alte Liebe This cute, little restaurant has a motto: ‘eat – drink – celebrate’, and you can experience it as soon as you enter. The food there is inspired by Jewish immigrants from New York, but they also offer a little bit of everything. If you are looking for a more modern place to enjoy your fancy burger, pastrami sandwich, or cheesecake, then Alte Liebe is definitely worth a visit. My personal recommendation for you: Try their humus – you will love it. /€€/
Kigiku A tiny Japanese restaurant that doesn’t look very spectacular from the outside. However, you won’t find a better place in Augsburg to enjoy your fresh sushi and you can even see how they make it. Kigiku might not have the most stylish interior decor, but the somewhat kitschy decorations are exactly what create the special atmosphere. And for those of you who don’t want to sit down there, you can always order your food and take it home with you. For the inexperienced sushi eaters: Try a sushi menu – it has different kinds of sushi included. /€€/
Nikos Tavernaki Located in the old town of Augsburg, this Greek restaurant is something special. The familiar atmosphere and the informality of this restaurant immediately take you ‘back’ to Greece. In my opinion, the best part of this restaurant is that they don’t have a menu. The chef, Niko, will tell you what ‘mezédes’ (those are starters comparable to the Spanish tapas) they have for that day. You won’t find huge plates of meat here, which might be typical for Greece, instead you will be taken on a unique culinary trip that will make you feel like you are on vacation again. /€€€/
No matter which of these restaurants you try, I promise that all of them will take you on their own unique and unforgettable culinary journey. And after that, you will be as relaxed as when you just get home from a trip abroad. But find out on your own which one is your favorite. Author & Layout: Jacqueline Bauer; Pictures: Brent Hofacker/flickr.com, Michaela/flickr.com, Goeff Peters/flickr.com, Alan/flickr.com
29
d l a r e H e d a Hogsme Price: two knuts
news wizard world owl delivery Exclusice Morning
sticks? Muggles on broom bludger world like a hits wizarding h itc dd ui Q e News of muggl
spondent By Quidditch corre e ttl Vindictus Whi uple of months, During the last co have observed ls Ministry officia of muggles all several groups e aying a ball gam over the world pl mse re g in rik st which bears a pular wizarding blance to our po The Department spor t, Quidditch. e of Magic fear of Improper Us crecy has been the wizarding se yond repair. compromised be
e most signifito do magic. Th is certainly that cant difference e game on the th muggles play of course, the ground, whereas, place in the s real version take can’t make ey th air. Although players must them fly, muggle s between their carry broomstick . legs at all times
ay Quidditch How muggles pl ditch, the three Like in real Quid am try to score chasers in each te ng the qu af fle points by throwi th e opponent’s th ro ug h on e of goal earning ch ea three goals, points. It’s the the team ten ucted nd co s ion at tig sibility to stop Further inves beaters’ respon Magic Ofof e Us er oring. Instead op sc pr by the Im e chasers th rg University ve bu gs ha Au s s, of gle m ug tea m at of the opponent The Quidditch fice suggest th uch in the direction m rs ls) ge as al ud r eb bl fo dg d h do he tc armless played Quiddi of hitting bewitc throw the balls (h m t The first muggle beaters have to ury, Vermont, fro e ball zooming abou eb th dl en r, id ld ve M go we in y as ten years. ho tin 05 a t 20 no in is to ed h rv ich itc en se wh sn ev , ob e s ly, th a sock lia, and Quidditch team wa themselves. Final Americas, Austra is ball tucked into ow it, but a tenn read across the kn sp itch-player. In sn we on t so as en it h, e nd tc er pi pe wh the of an inde nd ba ist y. wa e an th tch the snitch, rm ca to Augsburg, Ge is attached ose aim it is to wh , er ek se a s am ha game. ts and ends the addition, each te an extra 30 poin l teams and Quidditch team am ia n te fic e ow of th ’s s ur rg fo rn bu of ea s gs Au which consist e over ditch Association ase of finding ast one advantag The German Quid ill in the early ph st rg bu gs am Au idditch has at le ex e of the r Qu l lik fo al s gle s, rm am ug am te m rfo te r l s, pe he ia es ly lots of ot Neverthel s can hard les. The offic gle ru ug ” sic m rg ba h: bu e tc ted in ei di th Fr lis id s ng s ni er Qu or ts ha wtruckle players and lear traditional, prop ical Games and Sp “Black Forest Bo ag s re M lve su of t fouls se be e en em es n th rtm th ca ll pa of though we y single one ple, proudly ca 700 fouls the De s Passau”, even r has it that ever small 73). on a ou 14 m ag in en Dr (ru p ev r Cu les or ve ld ru Ri on or of or “Three their book Quidditch W ing as a drag st th fir a e th sch of ug su out “A al ab en s fin g se r the lls runnin me themselve that they’ve neve was committed in fferent kinds of ba di am decided to na of th te d wi gle rg s en sin er bu e e ay th gs pl on Au by r e e referees fo dditch shirts bowtruckle. Th To handle all thes an tch requires five have its own Qu ths di rm to id on Ge s m Qu e nt th en wa gle ev in d ug or an m s am , burg Owls” on the field can last week tablish their te h tc es di to id is r s th Qu de t ke rd or ta en za m in d, s wi l version tch tourna the semester. An game. And wherea h, the non-magica hosting a Quiddi itc on , sn e na ng at th ni en th s Vi an is he pl t m tc is pe fro ca s g snip league, Augsburg until one seeker experienced team other interestin the other, more utes to play. An sexes aren’t sepe er wh ts summer and play or a mere 20 min sp gle ug m w fe au. of the ires “each team Freiburg or Pass Quidditch is one tch rulebook requ di id Qu nt ne go gle ve ug m ha e tify with a differe could this arated. In fact, th the field who iden question is: How s g on ok s sin lo er es ay pr ion pl e rs o or ve tw m t But the much ht, the muggle to have at leas lf, her players”. long? “At first sig ic defends himse an at least two ot ag th M er r fo nd unnoticed for so ge er ist in , the idditch,” the M spection.” Indeed nothing like Qu otted on closer in ility sp ab be in ly r on ei n th r ca mpensate fo “the parallels co to s le ru e th anged muggles have ch
30
reat for Quidditch – a th Muggles playing ? ity mmun ly believe that the wizarding co s? Do they actual gle ug m e ing at in sc fa or t writer J.K. Rowl Why does our sp that even though e th ed m o, su ag as s s ar It’ ye uple of wizards exist? ry y who lived” a co bo (ve e n “th tio fic of y of or rk st leaked the books are a wo day believe the playing the famuggles to this t still fiction). By bu n, tio mefic d ile ta de ted to suspect so well-written and they at least star we ve t ha bu , t, be or ay sp M g ? in mous wizard all around them en dd g hi in ic fly ag of m the the idea thing or grasped dy comes up with bo g no in as rd iza ng lo W e as Hogwar ts, th really hope that, ay from London to pl y em wa th e th let l al st ju a a Ford Angli rld of magic. So still protect our wo Secrecy Act will our game!
ture players
formation for fu
idditch? In Interested in Qu
: er on this website Contact the train e g.d ni-augsbur www.hsa.spor t.u or ts ground the university’s sp on e ac pl s ke ta e tic ac Quidditch pr 30 p.m. every Tuesday, 6. ffer; ut: Katharina So arina Soffer; Layo th parts.co, Ka cli t, ts/ na gh Do eli ris sD Authors: Ch arina Soffer, Viciou th Ka om, n, a.c an iki ffm r.w mort/harrypotte Pictures:Julia Ho t.com, Lord Vólde ar nt via de o/ rp bashco ixshark.com Hallmark 2011/p
The CityFarm Urban gardening in Augsburg Where does our food come from? What role do animals play? Is it possible to make use of resources and still keep the environment in balance – even in today’s mostly urban society? In recent times, a new trend has emerged: urban gardening, which simply means cultivating plants in (big) cities. This new movement has also arrived in Augsburg. Three years ago, two graduates of Augsburg University, Benjamin and Ildikó, started the project CityFarm. To find out more, we traveled to the far north of Augsburg and spent some time with them in the garden. First of all, what exactly is the CityFarm? Good question. In very general terms: it’s a garden for young and old people; a place for environmental education. How did you come up with this special idea of having a farm in the city? It was our last semester at Uni Augsburg and we were confronted with what to do next. Around that time, we spent a month on a friend’s mountain pasture in Zillertal, where we looked after cows, made hay and straw, and, most of all, enjoyed ourselves. Ildi was deeply inspired by the book Meine kleine CityFarm (my small CityFarm) by Novella Carpenter, who shared her experiences as a real urban farmer. In addition, we were already working in the field of environmental education and wanted to continue with that. One thing led to another, and we started the project CityFarm together with friends and family in 2011. Recently, there’s been a big change. The lease of the “old,” or first, farm was terminated because the owner wanted the land. Now, after a long search, the new plot is settled. Where is the “new,” or second, farm? And what’s it like to start all over again?
32
Luckily, our new land is not that far away from the old farm. This made it easier for us to move to the new location. It’s near the stop Alpenhof of the tram no. 4 in the direction Augsburg Nord, the address is Gablinger Weg 36. Looking back, building the first farm was like a rehearsal for us. We put our knowledge into practice right away – and had all kinds of experiences. Now we know what we need to pay attention to. For instance, in addition to constructing the paths wide enough for wheelbarrows, we’ll always count the chickens before shooing them into the henhouse. It’s been four months since the move. What’s already been built? When you enter the farm, you’ll see our caravan with benches and a table in front of it on the right. If you continue straight on, you’ll pass our four Himalayan rabbits in their hutches. They’ve soft, white fur, red eyes and black spots on their feet, ears and nose. The two females will have babies soon. Then, there’s the chicken coop at the end of this trail. The seventeen hens and their rooster Dino love eating grass, sausages, basically everything that’s edible. They’re very curious and might follow you, while you pass through their enclosure to reach the swing, the ping pong table or the compost. Our swarm of bees lives there as well. Nothing’s more relaxing than watching the bees flying out, carrying pollen into their hive and listening to their hum after a hard day’s work. To reach the fireplace, our central meeting place, you have to turn left after you have entered. On your way there, you’ll pass by our re-
ally big, well-equipped workshop which we built with pallets. You can see the many different seats around the fireplace. The biggest one’s made of an old tree trunk. Around this area, we’re planning to set up our outdoor kitchen so that we can make lots of jam, tomato sauce and compôte during the canning season. Now turn to the right. Two flower patches open the way to the garden, which starts behind the workshop and proceeds parallel to the chicken enclosure. This area includes three greenhouses for plants like tomatoes and watermelons, many patches, and more places to sit and chill. We’ve made great strides already. For the future, we plan to build an eco-friendly compost toilet and to pave the paths with flagstones. There are many different sorts of plants at the CityFarm. Which plants do you grow? We grow according to the motto: “diversity beats monotony!” This includes ornamental plants as well as crops: flowers, fruit trees, bushes, herbs, and vegetables. Every plant grows under different conditions. On the patches, for example, we have peas, lettuce, and spinach. The potatoes have a big tub, and climbing plants like beans or the kaywa (or inca cucumber in German) decorate the caravan. For the herbs, we’ve used old bath tubs as pots, for the kohlrabi we’ve built a bunk bed of pallets. We have bushes like currants, blackberries, and raspberries growing steadily to be harvested soon for the canning season. You should always support variety instead of uniformity in your garden.
How do you sustain the farm? Well, actually, the aim of our project is to show that it’s not all about money. We do almost everything on our own. Have you ever heard about the concept of urban mining? It’s similar to recycling and could generally be described as a process of changing waste materials into new products, and thus using resources. A simple example explains the process: we feed our animals with fruit and vegetables thrown away by supermarkets. In the end, the rabbit winds up on our plate. So what was originally thrown away can still be useful. What’s more, bartering is important to us: we know many other gardeners, exchange goods and help one another with the work. Still, to pay the rent or to buy building materials, like fences, we need some money. These expenses are covered by selling our own seeds and plants and by some donations we get. Do you have opening hours so that people can come and visit the farm? Anybody who wants to work and help is welcome! There are many people involved in maintaining the CityFarm, and in time, a stable network has grown. The farm will be open one day per week, like on the “old” farm. Currently, the CityFarm is under construction, and we’re planning to open somewhere between the end of summer and October. Thank you for the interview!
You recycle a lot of things and you’ve got some crazy inventions around here. Is this artwork? I guess the answer depends on your definition of art. We focus on practical aspects. Who’s willing to get up at 5.30 every morning? We’ve got a mechanic alarm clock which opens the henhouse‘s door automatically. With a windmill, we’ve turned a cordless screwdriver into a ventilator. That’s very useful to regulate smoke around the fireplace. To sharpen our tools, we have a sanding machine powered by an old bike. Children love that one. web: https://cityfarmaugsburg.wordpress.com
33
Authors: Miriam Elia & Sabrina Huck; Layout: Sophia Spyropoulos; Pictures: Miriam Elia, PublicDomainPictures/pixabay, ketchupbrause/pixabay
Art is more than meets the eye Social artwork at the Grandhotel Cosmopolis
“It’s a synthesis of art which is composed of people who work here, live here…” These were the words that lingered in our heads after we left the Grandhotel, Augsburg, after our conversation with one of the staff members, Peter. Since our request for an interview had been declined at first, we decided to give it another shot on site. When we got there, we were lucky enough to convince Peter from the office at the Grandhotel to talk to us and answer some questions.
But contrary to many people‘s assumptions, you can’t only live off good deeds alone! This is why the Grandhotel started to employ people on a “minijob“ basis. The revenues from the bar and the café cover the wages of the employees. And, believe it or not, the Grandhotel is, in fact, a hotel! Anyone interested in staying there can book a room on the website, where you can also look at the individually designed rooms. Art is more than...
A brief history Peter has worked at the Grandhotel since the very beginning in 2011, but it wasn’t until June 2013 that they opened the doors to everyone. In those two years, they had to rebuild the former nursing home, which had been vacant for five years. Originally, the group of artists were only looking for a new home for their cultural work and publicly created art. But when they asked the Diakonie for permission to use the house for their project, they also told them about the plan to transform the house into accommodation for refugees. It took the group and the Diakonie 120,000 hours of voluntary work to reconstruct the building completely in order to welcome the first refugees. The government of Swabia pays the rent directly to the Diakonie. The government is also responsible for placing of asylum seekers. Not like any other job Peter also told us about his position at the Grandhotel. Right there and then, we noticed that the Grandhotel wasn’t like any other place we knew. It seemed like Joe Cocker’s “With a little help from my friends” had had a real impact on the work ethic. Although he’s in charge of the staff, Peter still takes on other tasks, just like everybody else. The way the work is divided up is called ‘the container system‘. Thus, depending on their preferences, the employees can choose where they want to work, for example, in the café, in the asylum seeker section or the cultural ‘container‘. In the process, everybody’s encouraged to work independently and democratically.
34
Yes, art is what it’s all about in the Grandhotel. But the idea goes way beyond the colorful paintings and sculptures that first catch your eye when you enter. As Peter explained, the whole project is based on the concept of “Soziale Plastik”, a term coined by Joseph Beuys to express the idea that art is more than materialistic creations. According to Peter, sitting in the office with him, asking him questions, communicating with each other…all this is also considered a creative act. During our interview, for example, a space was created which can be seen as a sculpture, that is to say, “Plastik”. It’s all about interpersonal relations, which is art, and which can be created anywhere and anytime. Music be the food of love Another feature of the establishment is the music events, which have always been part of its charm, and which are usually held at weekends. Spirited, up-coming bands attract a number of devoted music fans from in and around Augsburg. The sound waves of the guitar as well as the beating of the drums are part of their philosophy. Peter believes that life can’t be categorized. It’s all interconnected and part of a whole - everything has an impact. That’s why music is just as much art as the daily meals prepared by the cooks in the kitchen. The members of the Grandhotel strive to do away with this separation and want to show that every individual has their own creativity and potential to have an effect on any space. Everyone has it. This is why the Grandhotel is a beautiful example of what artistic social work can look like.
Joseph Beuys - Soziale Plastik • Was born on May 12, 1921 in Krefeld; died on January 23, 1986 in Düsseldorf • Was a German artist who‘s into humanism, anthroposophy and social philosophy • Created the idea that each individual could make a positive change to society through creative action → “Everyone is an artist” → “Soziale Plastik” • Regarded the development of society as a continuous creative process • This concept goes beyond the common view that only working with certain material things makes someone an artist
Author: Alisa Lechky, Catarina Mateus; Layout: Catarina Mateus; Pictures: Ronald Feldman Fine Arts/commonswikimedia, Grandhotel
The naked truth - prostitution in Augsburg A report about the current situation in Augsburg, based on information from Helmut Sporer, Leiter Kommissariat Augsburg Fear is keeping her imprisoned. Dana (name changed) is sitting in a police station. The police are questioning her about being forced to do what she does. About the violence she has experienced. But she remains silent. “Everything is fine,” she answers. While her mouth is telling lies, her eyes tell a different story.
A typical case
It’s a story of an 18-year-old girl from the former Eastern bloc. One day, some very friendly men asked her and some other young women to come to Germany. The men held out the prospect of a better job, more money for her and her family. The offer seemed just too good to refuse. That’s why many young women accept to take the offer and then find themselves in a foreign country, a different culture all the while having to use a different language. Everything is new and nothing seems safe. Of course, there are no convenient, well-paid jobs in a restaurant or hotel for them. The men who bring the girls to Germany then suddenly tell them about the costs of traveling and living in Germany. Of course, the girls have no money, so the men pay — just as they had planned all along — and the young women end up being in the men’s debt. As a result, they have to do whatever these men order them to do. This is when prostitution begins.
Facts
It’s the story of about 300,000 women who are working as prostitutes in Germany. Nobody knows how many women out of these are forced and nobody knows the exact number, as registration is not compulsory. Some say there are even more than 400,000.
36
In Augsburg, there are some 1,500 prostitutes; 600 of these work here permanently. The other women change cities every three weeks, as their pimps want to earn as much money as possible by exploiting the women’s “novelty.” The number of foreign prostitutes has increased significantly over the last decade. At the moment, more than 90% of all prostitutes in Augsburg and Germany are foreigners. Most of the women in Augsburg come from Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria.
Problems
This situation causes many problems: The risk of infection is higher than ever before because different countries also have different hygiene standards. This danger is aggravated by the fact that more and more clients want to have unprotected sex. To date German health authorities have only required women to report HIV and syphilis, but there are many more sexually transmitted diseases that go unregistered. And since 2002 there have no longer been mandatory health checkups for prostitutes. 2002 was a significant year for prostitution in Germany: Up until then, prostitution was an “immoral job”. The SPD and the Green Party wanted to change this, institutionalize and regulate prostitution for it to become as “normal” as any other job. One effect has been that if a John (a prostitute’s customer is often called a “John”) fails to pay for a prostitute’s services, they can now take him to court, which is, of course, quite a good thing. But the law only requires a voluntary health check, and pimps are allowed the set the working times and places for their prostitutes. The legal age limit for prostitution has also been lowered from 21 to 18. So more than 50% of prostitutes are between the ages of 18 and 21, since this is the most popular age group for customers. In addition, the prostitutes have to go to
a consultation, where they’re asked about their working conditions and their pimps. That’s also where they can have a health checkup. Unsurprisingly, hardly anyone answers truthfully, because the pimps force them not to reveal how they tricked the women and how they treat them. And of course nobody wants a health check, since their bosses don’t allow them to, because they’re too afraid of their prostitutes being sick. Politicians have tried to pass new laws to fix these problems, but the SPD has always rejected new legislation. This raises the question of prostitution and coercion. Do the women choose freely or are they forced into becoming prostitutes? By definition, they’re not forced if they want to work as prostitutes. Understandably, most of the prostitutes would change their profession if they had the chance. But they’re desperate and have no other alternatives; and of course, because they’re often forced to continue.
Solutions
Is there something we can do about these conditions? Generally, prostitution is the responsibility of the federal states and the criminal prosecution is the duty of the nation. In Scandinavian countries, prostitution is not allowed at all. This is unimaginable in Germany. Cities with a population higher than 30,000 are not allowed to ban prostitution. All they can do is to restrict it to certain areas of the city. In Augsburg, the streetwalkers’ strip was prohibited because of the cruel pimp battles about who controls which area of the city. But there’s hope! There are organizations that help prostitutes to get out of the system, to testify in court what happened to them, and to start a new, and above all, a safe life. Our responsibility as citizens is to inform ourselves, and in my opinion, to support the political parties that want to reestablish the legal age limit from 18 to 21, require obligatory registration and make regular health inspections mandatory. But you can also personally support organizations such as SOLWODI or Projekt X Augsburg. In the best-case scenario, they lift women out of prostitution, which is what they did for Dana. After her pimps were jailed, she gradually overcame her fear and started to tell the truth and to show others her injuries caused by violence. Because of her statements, eight more delinquent pimps have been convicted. SOLWODI helped Dana through everything. Today she lives abroad, has a regular job and a husband. Sometimes she even visits the police and the SOLWODI staff who supported her in Augsburg. But there is one thing about Dana’s story that isn’t all that happy: It’s extremely rare. Special thanks to Helmut Sporer, who gave me a lot of information in an interview
Author: Philip Kircher; Layout: Katharina Soffer; Pictures: AlexVan/pixabay.com
Where the cows are prettier than the girls Travel tips for the Allgäu Imagine - it‘s another sunny Saturday morning. You‘re sitting at your breakfast table and you really want to do something fun; but as usual, you run out of ideas. But not far from Augsburg you can find the beautiful Alpine region, the Allgäu, where a whole lot of lakes, hikes, parks, huts... are waiting for you. Continue reading and find out about my favourite “do‘s”. Alatsee Only 6km from Füssen and right next to the Austrian border, at a height of roughly 900m, you will find the beautiful mountain lake right in the middle of some magnificent scenery. The area around the lake is kept very clean and natural; there are car parks at a moderate price and the atmosphere is not too touristy. If you fancy swinging on a rope to jump into the water – go for it! Anyway, it‘s a really myth-laden lake; Nessie‘s niece is meant to live here, as well as rumours about a huge treasure (of World War II Nazi property) abound.
Alatsee Alpsee
Alpsee
Again in the area around Füssen and below King Ludwig II‘s famous Neuschwanstein Castle lies the Alpsee. From the edge of the lake you can enjoy a terrific view up to Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwangau Castle, with the mountains in the background. The lake is ideal for short walks or swimming. You can even rent a little rowing or pedal boat. Loads of tourists make their way through the area; so don‘t be surprised if you‘re asked to pose for a holiday photograph. It’s best not to go there at the weekend; skip public holidays because it could be very busy.
. Breitachklamm You like hiking but preferably in cool weather, sunshine included? You don‘t care whether you have reached the top of a mountain or not? But you‘re not afraid of heights? If you’ve said “yes” three times – then you should definitely go for a hike in the astonishing “Breitachklamm”. It‘s a natural monument and one of the deepest gorges in Central Europe. The gorge is open every day from 9 a.m.- 5p.m. (there are seasonal time changes), admission is €4. Its lovely waterfalls and extremely steep slopes are relaxing and exciting at the same time, and there‘s so much to see, you won‘t know where you want to look first.
38
Breitachklamm
Drehhütte This Alpine hut is at 1250m and can be reached either by a hiking trail via the “Tegelberg” or you can choose an easier way just up from the car park, which should only take you 1 ½ hours. When you‘ve reached the hut, enjoy the view, have a nice meal and a cold drink, relax a bit and prepare yourself for the way back down. If you thought the hut is only open during summer – wrong! Brilliant in winter: take your sled with you. It‘s quite annoying to drag it all the way up the hill but you‘ll be so happy when you can ride all the way down again.
Tegelberg ...if it may also be Austria: Highline 179
Highline 179
Being not so picky about borders – and in the Alps it may happen that you suddenly find yourself in another country - Reutte/Ehrenberg, in Austria, recently opened the Highline 179. The suspension bridge crosses a valley at a height of over 100m. Its dimensions are insane anyway: 115m high, 406m long and only 1.2m wide. Last year, when the bridge officially opened, it broke the Guinness World Record of the Kokonoe Yume Bridge in Japan for being the longest suspension bridge for pedestrians. Author & Layout: Isabelle Wiedemann; Pictures: SB68Manm/commons.wikipedia, Abelson/commons.wikimedia, Bene16/commons.wikimedia,Andreas Metz/flickr, AmaliaSchoppengerd/commons.wikimedia, Clemens v. Vogelsang/flickr
MY CAR IS YOUR CAR Augsburg’s new sharing program!
Without a doubt, having your own car is great! As a student, however, owning a car is a luxury only a few of us can afford. So if you desperately need a car, the car sharing program introduced by Stadtwerke Augsburg this April, which offers twenty-five cars at nine stations located in the center of Augsburg, might be for you. The good news You can choose between various vehicles, such as vans - in case you have to move and your friends don’t happen to own one - or minibuses which can be used on trips with the whole family. And for the more environmentally conscious among you, the Stadtwerke even provide electric cars. So instead of only owning one vehicle, you basically own all of them and can choose according to your needs. Just think about the costs of actually owning a car: TÜV, insurance, fuel, maintenance, parking... to name but a few. But if you’re into car-sharing, you not only share the car, but all the costs as well, making it a less expensive alternative. By the way, the cars provided by SWA also have a protected space where no one else can park. So you avoid the hassle of having to look for a parking spot. And, as if all his wasn’t enough, there’s a monthly fee of €7, which you have to pay even if you don’t use any OK, so I hear you wondering what’s so new about all this? Surely, car-hire companies have existed Stadtwerke cars at all! If you now for a long time? True, but, compared to car hiring, car-sharing is less complicated. If you’re calculate the fees (registration and registered and you feel like using a car, you simply go to one of the nine stations, book the “running costs”), you’ll most likely come car (via an app, call or internet) for the period you wish to use it. Five minutes later, to the same conclusion as I did. This program you’re ready to go! Plus, their cars are available 24 hours, seven days a week. isn’t exactly cheap, and definitely isn’t suitable for going to work or university. And I haven’t even mentioned the environmental advantages this program offers! Did you know that one shared car could replace up to ten private ones? Imagine how much more space we would have in Augsburg if everyone carshared! What’s more, the SWA vehicles are usually the latest, most efficient and thus environmentally friendliest on the market. And some of them even look pretty cool!
Last but not least: Don’t think car-sharing is like owning your own car - there are a whole lot of restrictions! For example, you’re not allowed to smoke in their cars or even to take your pets along for a spin. So your freedom’s limited! Another problem is that you have to reserve your car in advance and for the exact period you think you’ll need it. And if you don’t return the car on time, for example, because of a traffic jam, you have to pay a €30 fine! As you can see, a lot of costs are involved if you use the Stadtwerke Augsburg car-sharing program. So use a calculator and add up all the fees before registering — or else you might be in for an unpleasant surprise.
40
And the bad news Of course, the program also has its drawbacks. First of all, the registration is a bit on the complicated side and quite expensive. If you already have a SWA partner card (for example, your student ticket), you’re lucky. You won’t have to pay any registration fee at all. The less lucky ones — those without such a card — have to pay €49 just to sign up. When you’ve filled in the contract and proved that you have a driver’s license, you have to pay a deposit in case you damage the car. Another hassle is that you have to leave the car where you picked it up. So you have to pay rent even if you park the car near the university for a lecture, since it’s not at the station. While you’re using the car, you have to pay €0.18 – 0.34 per kilometer and while the car’s in the parking lot, it costs from €1.60 – 4.90. So both time and distance matter.
Author: Tanja Schwab & Haris Keranovic; Layout: Stefanie Doldi; Pictures: swa/Stadtwerke Augsburg, Markus Henkel/flickr.com
It’s a dog’s life! Charity article about Tierschutz Russland e.V. Have you ever thought about getting a dog? If so, you’ll most likely think of going to a breeder and just buying one. But there are other opportunities – for example going to an animal shelter or contacting an organization that tries to find homes for stray dogs. Tierschutz Russland e.V. is an example of such an organization. We talked to Ms Korths, the founder of the charity organization, to find out more. Ms Korths, can you please summarize briefly what kind of work your organization does? Tierschutz Russland is a very small organization, consisting of only a few volunteers from Germany and Russia. We rescue stray dogs from Russia and try to place them with a family here in Germany or somewhere else in Europe. We not only try to find a place for healthy puppies, but also for older or disabled dogs. Finding a place for these dogs in Russia is very difficult, because the people there don’t really care about protecting animals. What makes the situation of disabled dogs so special? Disabled dogs are the poorest of the poor. They have to fight even harder than their “healthy” companions to survive on the streets, because they have issues with moving, finding food and, worst of all, they have to suffer from the cold. They have almost no chance to survive without any help. Most of the people want to get a young, healthy dog; they’re not really interested in older or disabled dogs. I want to bring to people’s mind that these creatures are also very amiable and full of life.
Why do you focus on helping stray dogs from Russia? I traveled to Russia some time ago and noticed the bad conditions of stray dogs there, when offering my services as “Flugpate”, that is I took a dog from Russia with me and brought it to Germany. In other European countries there are a lot of stray dogs as well, but there are already a few organizations trying to place them. In Russia, however, animal welfare is still in its infancy; dogs are often maltreated, beaten or killed. That’s why I chose Russia as the focus of my work. Why should people who are considering getting a dog adopt a stray dog rather than buy one from a breeder? I think the main reason is that there are lots of dogs in animal shelters or on the streets of the world waiting to be adopted by a nice, caring person or family. They’re all living creatures who want to have a second chance and a better place to live. Before buying a puppy from a breeder, people should ask themselves what will happen to the dogs that are already there, living on the streets or in all the animal shelters.
42
How can students support Tierschutz Russland? We are always looking for “Flugpaten” to bring the rescued dogs to Germany. There is a detailed description of how this works on our homepage. And, as you can imagine, our work costs plenty of money and all of us have to pay most of the costs ourselves. That’s why we are always happy about donations. Thank you for the interview, Ms Korths!
Ms Korths with some puppies in Russia
How do you place the dogs? A good placement organization should always investigate the circumstances and living conditions of the people who want to adopt a dog in advance, to make sure that these circumstances meet the dogs needs. It’s also important to find out which dog is best for which family. If everything is OK and a compatible animal is found, we bring the dog and the family together. Later we do a follow-up check to assure ourselves that both parties are happy and get on well with each other. Can you tell us about something you’ve experienced in the course of your work that touched you, shocked you or made you happy? When you work in the field of animal protection, you experience plenty of moments that can be touching or shocking. What touches me a lot are the animals themselves; although they had to suffer that hard in their previous lives, they still place their trust in you and have an open mind. These dogs have a huge will to live and enjoy life; it’s almost incredible to me. And, of course, it makes me really happy when we can find a home for the dogs and give them a second chance.
Author & Layout: Sarah Arnold; Pictures: Susan Korths, PublicDomainPictures/pixabay.com
Who’s who - eMAG 26 Christian Donat Deputy editor Website team leader
Angelika Pfeil
Tanja Schwab Sabrina Huck
Julia Stapel
44
Nina Gasser
Promotion
Isabelle Wiedemann Promotion team leader
Kim Sommer
Advertising
Susi Tallmadge Ads team leader
Philip Kircher
Haris Keranovic
Peter James Course coordinator
Miriam Elia
Nadine Ellinger Editor-in-chief
Proofreaders
Heather Bradley, Gavin Hicks, Peter James, Güther Jehle, Kristen Jung, Kathy van Nice, Jenna Peel, John Sigel
Dilek Arslan Jacqueline Bauer
Sophia Spyropoulos Andreas Böhm
Catarina Mateus
Picture sources
Cover/section dividers: Erich Martinek, William Warby/flickr.com; Felix Hartmann, Rudolf Grillhiesl/Regio Augsburg Tourismus GmbH; DonkeyHotey/flickr.com Layout cover: Nadine Ellinger Layout section dividers: Franziska Leichte
45
Katrin Bottke
Maria Pätzold Steffi Doldi
Theresa Singer
Katharina Soffer Layout team leader
Sarah Arnold
Layout
Franziska Leichte Layout team leader
Alisa Lechky
Hai Nhu Nguyen
Website
Who’s who - eMAG 26
Special thanks
Klaus Prem - press & support Michaela Kottmayr - finances Guest authors: Siyah Mgoduko, Manfred Schoch
Layout: Katharina Soffer, Picture: William Warby/flickr.com