World beware: Right-Wing Populism is on the Rise!

This blog has been silent for (almost) the past two years ... Oops!
But I don't feel like keeping it quiet anymore.



Back in Germany, today was "Super (Election) Sunday". Three states of Germany elected their regional (= state) parliaments. Here in the United States, there currently is a caucus or preliminary election in every state every week or so trying to determine a suitable candidate for presidency with the big election coming up in November.

We are allowed to vote in Germany on the federal level only (as "Germans living abroad"), but not lower than that. We will most likely never be allowed to vote in the US because it would require U.S. citizenship. So we are only observing.

Interesting observations: Back in Germany, the Green Party (Die Grünen) won the elections in Baden-Württemberg, a traditionally conservative state where the CDU has been the strongest party since WW2. Here in the U.S., Bernie Sanders is challenging Hillary Clinton more than anticipated - and Donald Trump is (still) highly popular.

Donald Trump as presidental candidate is still a thing. Nobody would have anticipated that one year ago. From John Oliver to SNL, not to mention several Late Night Show hosts - everyone has their own take in ridiculing this supposedly unlikely presidential candidate. Questionable hair (hamster? grass mat?), a tie matching his regular face color, an outspoken, but continously self-contradicting personality (see the John Oliver segment) - and currently leading GOP polls. (Whether he will actually be nominated is another question.)

He is "not from the political establishment" and "speaks out what we think" - those seem to be the two leading causes to vote for Trump. Channeling fears of migration issues and the promise to build a wall at the Mexican border ...

... sounds rather familiar compared to a newly risen star on the German party horizon: AfD (Alternative für Deutschland = Alternative for Germany). They started their campaign a couple of years back fighting against the common currency Euro, but no one took them seriously. The European refugee crisis has helped them gain popularity. As determined by today's election results. Two digit percentages in all three states. They even made it to be the second strongest party in our previous home state of Saxony-Anhalt with a whopping 20-25% of votes (based upon recent predictions, final results still pending). And I am rendered speechless. 

Similar to Donald Trump, the AfD channels fears.

In the current situation of Germany, they particularly channel fears of "Überfremdung" or "over-alienation" of the (Christian) German nation by (Muslim) Arab refugees taking away their goods, their jobs, their girls.

Stupid if you ask me. Or everyone else with any sense in their body and minds (= most people I know). But I am fairly educated, lived most of my life in a re-united Germany and have extensively traveled and - in the past years - experienced living abroad, meeting people from different countries. At least the first three things are true for most of my friends back in Germany. But most of them had to leave Saxony-Anhalt after their studies because there were no jobs available. I feel confident that among those who stayed, none voted AfD.

But that is also part of the special demographics in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. Saxony-Anhalt has always had a very low percentage of foreign nationals living in its boundaries. Nevertheless (or because of that?), it has always had a relatively high percentage of political right-wing motivated offenses. "Being afraid of the unknown" taken to the extreme. And many educated people followed job offers from elsewhere, leaving the less educated, maybe jobless people behind.

Combine that with a sense of "not being understood or feeling represented" by the regular parties. And unlike the US, there are more than two, namely five major parties covering the whole political spektrum: Die Linke (Left Party), Die Grünen (Green Party), SPD (Social Democratic Party), FDP (Liberal Party) and CDU/CSU (Christian Democratic/Social Union) besides countless others.

The rise of the AfD started with demonstrations in multiple German cities against "the islamization of the western civilization". The refugee crisis divides Germany, showing both its pretty and its ugly face: More volunteers and donations than could be handled on one side, demonstrations and attacks on refugees asylums on the other. The more refugees came, the louder voices got. Criticism against Chancellor Merkel rose: "We can't take all refugees!" vs. her (truly Christian if you ask me) determination to grant asylum to every refugee as stated by the law. And this decision does not agree with the more conservative wing of the CDU and her (Bavarian) sister party CSU - while Merkel steers towards the middle, the most conservative former CDU voters switch further right welcoming the ideas of the AfD.

I am not naive and I don't believe every single one of those one million refugees Germany took in in 2015 came with good intentions. There are enough cases proving otherwise.
But there is no reason to fear them, either. Germany is a dying nation, we need new, young workers. But it's a long way from arriving at a refugee group home here in Germany to finally being allowed to work. Paperwork has to be filed, background stories and origin to be checked. Frustration is building among the refugees who feel stuck. I understand (having been through a lighter version of this when coming to the USA).

But I do not understand how so many people can fall for right-wing populism. You don't have to have a degree in History to figure out similarities between Germany in the early 1930's and today. You don't have to follow every single move or word or tweet of those populists to see how they are contradicting themselves or actively opposing human rights. The AfD feels attacked by mainstream media and is calling them "Lügenpresse" (= "mendacious press"), but does not condemn attacks on mainstream media which have reportedly happened during their demonstrations and ralleys. I hate double standards. 

And I wonder: Does this statement make this blog post a hate speech?


Maybe it just shows that I have more in common with those voters than I thought: I feel helpless. But not because I don't feel represented by the political establishment. I feel condemned to observe.



Oh, one last word, dear USA: Bernie Sanders is far away from being a socialist - based on European standards.

Until TÜV does us part ...

This is about cars. Yes, I am seriously writing about cars.
 

TÜV is one of many German abbrevations. It is short for "Technischer Überwachungs-Verein" which translates roughly to "Technical Surveillance Society". And it is very often a nightmare for German car owners. Why?

Well, TÜV does not only stress-test every masterpiece of (German) engineering that appears for sale on the market - no matter if bike helmets, car seats, or wheelchairs. No. It is mandatory for every car in Germany to pass an inspection by TÜV biannually. New cars have three years only their first inspection. But afterwards - every two years. No exemption. And a hefty fee of at least 100 Euro (about $130) is charged for the main inspection and an exhaust emission test.

Of course, this fee increases when the inspector thinks that your car needs repairs because it is a "danger for the road" in its current condition: Relining the brakes, remove rust from critical parts of the underbody, new tires as the tread pattern is no longer existing ... Whatever they say, it needs to be done. And a second inspection within a month needs to be passed, too.

Sometimes they would even declare a car a complete loss or economical wreck. Therefore, a very popular saying in Germany among owners of those mainly older cars is "I am driving my car until TÜV does us part." You got the reference?! - Well, my first car nearly went that way, but in the end was sacrificed for the Abwrackprämie, Merkels answer to the economical crisis of 2008. (Everybody received €2,500 bonus for purchasing a brand new car. For my little Fiesta with a value of about 10% of that, that was an offer not to be declined. My parents got a new car, I got their old one.)

Why I am writing this? Well, you have to understand why some vehicles that are driven on streets here in the US are simply ridiculous through our eyes.  TÜV would have parted owner and car long ago under German laws. Need examples? Here we are!

Happened to be parked in front of a walmart. No surprise here.

 Well, in this case the visible tires obviously don't match. The back left one was a significantly smaller spare tire. Unfortunately, you can barely see that the trunk and bumper were connected with a lot of transparent duct tape. And yes, there is a large rust hole.

But that is nothing compared to this one ...
Yes, Minnesota winters are harsh and not very car friendly - because of the cold, the salt, whatever. And not everybody owns a garage to keep the car safe from weather hazards. 
I wonder if this one has the Fred Flintstone brake system ...

Seen in St. Paul, MN.

And our latest discovery, on the parking lot of the movies. Toyota advertises that "90% of our Corollas are still on the roads after ten years" - but doesn't mention the shape they are in for a reason. This must be the Home Depot SE.

On our weekly phone call, I showed this picture to my parents. Their faces were priceless!


After living in the US for more than 20 months now, we got used to the amount of cars with bumps and dents. We also know why - car owners did not insure self-inflicted damages. Or somebody hit their car and left - they have no one to blame and their insurance won't pay. 


By the way, we took self-inflicted damages out of our insurance policy, too. Our rate is still ridiculously high, but went down by about 40% after this reduction. Since our driving history in Germany (both Alex and I have been driving for 12 years!) was not taken into account by our insurance, we carry the risk factors of young, unexperienced drivers. Yeah. Then why is our mechanic full of praise for the extraordinary shape our 10 year old car is in?

Meanwhile in Minnesota ...

Great Britain is flooded. Spring flowers are blossoming in Germany. The audience in Sochi wore T-Shirts. It seems to me that only in Minnesota, February means real winter. (As it should be.)

According to the meteorological calendar, spring is supposed to start in a week. But a blizzard at the end of last week did once again turn Southeast Minnesota into a winder wonderland.

Traveling is still not advised, power has been out in some areas of town for more than a few hours, and even though the local street crew is doing a great job, you are driving on ice all over Rochester. A sudden drop of temperature has turned the fluffy snow into a thick ice shield.

So this is for lovers of snow and winter only ... All pictures taken February 21st/22nd, 2014. No digital enhancement at all.

I own all copyrights. But feel free to share for private purposes.

As beautiful as it looks. I would not mind seeing more green than white in the very near future ...

Recipe: Carrot Ginger Soup

After some really georgeous fall colors, freezing cold temperatures have hit Minnesota (and other parts of the USA, too). And since it already is dark at 5:00 pm, it's time to cook soups and stews. Like the following one - a big help for those who are fighting the cold and flu season.
 

Carrot Ginger Soup
"The cold killer" - four large bowls

• Two pounds or 1 kg peeled and cut (baby) carrots
• one large (Idaho) potato, peeled, in chunks
• fresh ginger, two to four inches (up to 3.5oz)
• one clove of garlic
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• one quart or one liter (vegetable) broth
• about half a cup (100g) of sour cream
• salt, pepper
• optional: ground ginger, chili powder

Chop ginger and garlic in very small dices. In a large saucepan, brown both in butter. Add carrots and honey, sear shortly (don't burn!), then add the potato chunks and broth. Bring to a boil, then let cook on low-medium until a small knife cuts through carrots easily. Stir occasionally during that time.

Add sour cream before blending (I use a hand blender and work directly in the saucepan). Season to taste with salt and pepper, maybe ground ginger or chili powder.

Serve with a slice of hearty, whole grain bread ("Dakota" by Great Harvest Bread Company ...).

Good for freezing, too! Enjoy!

Fresh on/from the stove top ...

Additional remarks:
I have read similar recipes replacing a part of the broth and sour cream with coconut milk.
Use potatoes that would also be great for mashed potatoes because they have more starch.
If you prefer to skip dairy products, use two potatoes instead.

Going here and there - before snow hits.

I know that it really has been a long, long time since my last blog entry. But with me being back to work as well and some georgeous fall weather out there, there was just enough time for occasional postings on the German edition of this blog.

Some of you know that I was a trained secondary school teacher back in Germany, with both math and history as subjects (yes, the German teaching degree requires the equivalent of a double master and some educational studies from a university). I am still in the process of evaluation, but the catholic school system in town was able to hire me based solely upon my German degree.

Now I am part-time teaching: algebra as advanced level math in junior high. And I really love being back in the field that I was trained for. Love the kids, too. Love to have adjusted to the different classroom management, style of instruction and administration. Well, honestly, I am still learning, everyday. At least my mind doesn't have to work 120% all the time in class anymore - it felt that way in the first weeks, learning names, math vocabulary, ways to explain complicated things, ways to understand the sometimes twisted junior high mind. But as you notice, this is worth a posting on its own.

There have been blizzards in Minnesota at this time of the year before, so everybody is anticipating the first serious snow fall of this season (with the last one being just six months ago ...). So Alex and I decided to go to Lake Superior as a weekend trip once more before the snow hits.

We had already been up north in June, so therefore we stayed at the uttermost southwest corner of the lake this time, meaning Duluth, MN and Superior, WI. I had the feeling that all hotels in Duluth are at the lakefront and you pay for the view - so we stayed in Superior over night. There is a saying in German "Wenn Engel reisen ... (ist das Wetter traumhaft)" - when angels travel (the weather is great) -, so have a look at some impressions from the Ocean of the Upper Midwest.

Wisconsin Point - a reddish sandy beach (red because of the iron)

Between Wisconsin Point and the mainland

SS Meteor - the only whaleback ship existing in the US

Duluth, Aerial Bridge. Connecting "Minnesota Point" (Duluth's "Long Island") and Canal Park (the historic harbor district).

Duluth Harbor Lighthouse

Lakewalk in Duluth

That was the last weekend in October. But the tourist season had already been over at that point - the museum ship (SS Meteor) was closed for the season, so were other shops and you noticed more locals than tourists (easily to distinguish as some wore light jackets, if at all, and others were bundled up). 

As Minnesota is famous for its fall colors, I also want to share some impressions from Frontenac State Park, located on the bluffs above the mighty Mississippi.

While Rochester already lost most of those beautiful colored leaves, the Bluffs seem to be a little more protected. Since we have had three days of fall last year when driving north as part of our move from Houston, TX to Minnesota, I really embraced the fall colors this year. I honestly felt like a child again, walking through all those both pretty and crunchy leaves ...

Waiting for snow ... Though we'd still like to spend a part of the weekend outside of town, it is hard to tell how long this is going to be possible ...

My (imaginary) shopping list for Germany

We are leaving for Germany and some time with friends and family in a week from today. The flight is long, but however – usually the entertainment isn’t that bad. It’s a night flight, too, leaving at 8:00pm, so we hope to be able to sleep a bit on the plane.

Meanwhile, we have pretty much adjusted to most things that still seem strange to someone living in Germany. The variety of bread isn’t too small at all and if we have a real craving for bread with a crust – well, I bake a loaf myself. But there are some things I’d really like to bring from Germany although there are limitations – like costums or the lack of practicality. So this is my (partly) imaginary shopping list of “German” things I’d like to bring here.

A hair cut

Okay – this is easily achieved. Maybe it is my lack of vocabulary when it comes to hair and styling, but somehow I usually don’t look like I wanted to when leaving the hair dresser. Or maybe she’s just not very good at her job. However, I want to have my hair cut in the two weeks in Germany. Where I had my hair done for our wedding. Nothing more, nothing less.

Deodorant

In the US, I ended up buying deo sticks which are quite uncommon in Germany. We mostly use roll-ons. I have no idea why this difference exists, but however. I want to restock our supplies, especially for my husband. First and foremost: Roll-ons have the big advantage of not ripping out armpit hair … and secondly, I am kind of addicted to the smell of the German brand Nivea for men on him. ;)

Bath tissue / toilet paper

Okay, let’s dig deeper into toiletries: 1-ply or 2-ply in the US vs. 3-ply or 4-ply in Germany! And why less plies are more expensive – again: no idea! I miss 4-ply paper from time to time and will definitely enjoy using it in Germany. (Yes, I know why weird this sounds.) Once I have read a study about the way of using bath tissue in different countries: folding vs wrapping vs clewing. I am a folder, most Americans are supposed to be “clewers” – maybe that’s why my husband and I like our hiney paper thicker?

Coffee pods

Alex and I have a single serve coffee maker called Senseo. This system is quite popular in Germany where we have had one before, coffee pods are sold in every supermarket. However, since the system is far less popular in the US, we are forced to purchase our refills on amazon. But we always restock our coffee supplies in Germany, too.

Dad’s smoked ham (in German: Schinken)

How I would love to introduce Schinken to our bacon loving Texan friends! But unfortunately, costums don’t agree. It is not allowed to bring meat products into the US. *sigh* But well, at least Alex and I are most likely to be fed with all the good German meat stuff while we are there …

Mom’s strawberry jam (Erdbeermarmelade)

I’m not sure if it is allowed to bring canned fruits into the US … Last time we did, packing the jam in socks and then forgot to report them on the costums form. Actually, we really forgot. 

Actually, I also miss Quark - Greek yogurt is quite close, but not the same. But bringing a dairy product is nonsense.

German-Spanish dictionary

Since I am planning to continue taking classes at community ed, a German-Spanish dictionary would be much more helpful to get the nuances. Though it is fun to learn a language based on my second language, I sometimes need to go back to my mother tongue. For the same reasons I now know that calling a Radiergummi rubber (BE as learnt by me in fith grade) causes at least irritation among US students. Especially in junior high it might be better to go by eraser in order to avoid giggling.

Optional: Dress up for work!

Though my husband would call that not necessary, I might order some more tops and pants suitable for work. Especially tops – so far they have mostly been either expensive or too short in length. Maybe I’ll be lucky and make a good bargain.

And I also have to learn some more math vocabulary on the plane in order to prepare for my teaching job …

Recipe: Banana bread (with nuts)

I must admit to not have eaten banana bread (in German it would be a "Kuchen") before moving to the US. But now, I have noticed that my husband and I intentionally let bananas ripe on our kitchen counter: time for banana bread!

Yes, I bake other things than cookies. ;) Usually, I prefer bananas when they are still a little greenish ... But this is an alternative:

Whole grain banana bread (with nuts)!

Ingredients (makes one loaf):

• 3 really ripe (brown!) bananas
• 150g (or 5 oz) butter, not salted, at room temperature
• about 130g (or 4-5 oz) sugar (I usually use raw cane sugar)
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp almond extract (optional)
• 230g (or 8 oz) whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 100g (or 3.5 oz) chopped nuts
• 100g (or 3.5 oz) rolled/old-fashioned oats

First, mash the bananas with a fork on a large plate. Really, mash them as if there's no tomorrow. ;) (Sometimes I sprinkle a little bit of lemon juice over them to prevent browning, but that is optional.)

Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl. In another bowl, beat butter, sugar and eggs (and almond extract) until slightly creamy – I do use a handheld electric mixer, but a fancy kitchen aid might serve as well. ;) 

Then add the dry ingredients and make a dough. Finally, fold in the mashed bananas.

Bake in a bread loaf pan or a square shaped pan for about 45 minutes at preheated (oops, I forgot to mention that earlier) 350°F (180°C). 

After 20 minutes already, the yummy yummy smell should lead everyone to the kitchen.

Enjoy pure with coffee, for dessert or buttered for breakfast with honey!


Remarks:
 * Of course, you can always substitute margarine for butter!
* The almond extract is optional, but does - in my experience - enhance the nutty flavor of the whole wheat flour.