Word for the Travel Wise (01/27/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

I believe it was the great Homer Simpson who made such profound statements like “Mmm beer” and “Ah, beer, my one weakness. My achilles heel, if you will.” While one of televisions greatest Dad’s ever may be beer’s biggest philosopher, guzzler, and lover of all time, it is the Germans that truly know the brew inside and out. On the other hand, I know nothing of the fermented alcoholic drink brewed from malt. A stein of Eder & Heylands, Pilsner, or Früh Kölsch are unlikely beverage orders to fall from my lips with that being said you’ll probably find me at the party posted against a wall with mineral water in hand. So, I’m the definition of lame.

Today’s word is a German word used in Germany:

Vorglühen (s)– To pre-party, have a drink to get you started. Lit. Warm up your battery before starting the engine.

My friend would call this ‘pre-gaming’ to keep it simple, but you can find the audio and any additional German slang at BBC Languages, who continue to impress on the online scene. They probably have one of the BEST FREE German language guides on the net. Make no mistake in passing this one up! When it boils down to it there are several good sites to learn the Deutsch lingo. Deutsch Lernen and German for Travellers are two other good picks. First Step World offers study abroad courses in Munich and Berlin. A good side activity to all the futbol watching many of you will probably take in during World Cup.

Berlin Film Festival

by Erik Olsen on

I know I mentioned Sundance earlier and it may seem like I’m all about film festivals right now, but I promise you it is just a coincidence. It is a coincidence that I am mentioning to you the coming of the Berlin International Film Festival in Germany. This is another one of the big ones and it is happening in one of the most happening cities in all of Europe. A buddy of mine just got back from Berlin and he said it is electrified. The nightlife is excellent, the art scene is thriving and the economy, well, if not booming, at least Berlin is the heart of what growth there is taking place.

The fact is that the Berlin Film Festival allegedly has the largest audience of any film festival on the globe, with some 180,000 tickets sold for over 700 different movie screenings. Does this mean everything shown is good. No. But if you’re into documentaries about East Angolan Snake Charming school, well, Berlin is the place for you. The festival, should you speak German, is called the Berlinale, and it runs this year from February 9 to 19. Some of the hot films being shown include “The Elementary Particles”, based on a book by Michel Houellebecqas well as a all new British-Canuck film called “Snow Cake,” that stars Alan Rickman and Sigourney Weaver.

German Comedy Lessons

by Erik Olsen on

I just flew in from Berlin, and boy are my arms tired. (ba dum bum). Oh, how fun it is to make fun of the German sense of humor (and/or lack thereof). But it turns out that German cities like Berlin have a burgeoning standup culture, and a new type of comedy class is offering them ways to sharpen their wit.

Dunno. I know a couple of Germans and they’re pretty funny. Not Jon Stewart funny, but they get a good joke. That said, having traveled to Germany, I don’t recall there being a culture of humor there as prominent as it is here. But, hey, it always more fun to generalize about an entire culture for a good laugh. Something perhaps the Germans are now learning.

Asparagus Capital of the World

by Adrienne Wilson on

Nothing is absolutely more incredibly delicious at dinner time than, asparagus. Oh yeah! And if you happen to be in Schwetzingen, Germany around this time you’ll probably be having the veggie for breakfast, lunch and dinner. That just goes to show how wild they are about the season as they kick po-ta-ta’s slightly to the curb and restaurants all over the city serve up asparagus in more ways than one. Try your asparagus with hollandaise sauce, as a salad, or cream of asparagus soup and for dessert you can feast upon asparagus shaped candies made of white chocolate filled with brandy. Now that’s veggie lover for you and the perfect time for vegetarians to swing thru.