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I spent Christmas (in Stuttgart) and New Year's
(in Berlin) with my Tante (Aunt) Marlis
and Onkel (Uncle) Rainer. They took me
sightseeing to all sorts of places.
(click to find out more.)
Thanks for inviting me to spend the holidays
with you!
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On the way to Dresden, we stopped at this
restaurant for lunch. It was in the part
of Germany that was formerly called the German
Democratic Republic (GRR, East Germany).
They had horse on the menu! This is quite
unusual for Germany, so I had to try it.
It was dark, and a bit gamey, and very good.
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Here's me in Berlin, with the city mascot.
(The bear.)
My uncle gave me this lovely warm parka because
it was snowy and freezing in Berlin.
In Germany, a parka is called an anarak.
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In Berlin, we went to the theater for a show
about the Comedian Harmonists. They were
a very popular close-harmony singing group
between 1929 and 1939. They broke up during
the political and social upheavals of Nazi
Germany.
Thanks Ada and Harry for getting us tickets!
The music is really great. If you are interested,
I suggest getting 'The Comedian Harmonists Story
1929-1933' and 'The Comedian Harmonists Story
1933-1939' from Double Gold. (a total of 4 CDs)
Or check out this
German Website!
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A distinctly German New Year's tradition is
an 11 minute TV skit called 'Dinner for One'.
It has been shown at 11:30PM on New Year's
Eve on many channels throughout Germany
since 1963.
The really strange thing is that this skit
is broadcast in English! A German TV
producer was traveling in England in 1963
and saw this skit in a variety show. He
hired the actors (Freddie Frinton and May
Warden) to do the skit for German TV.
Now it has now become a New Year's Eve
Fixture. The actors have long since died.
Some Germans assume that because the skit
is in English, that people from England or
America must know of this skit. They are
very surprised to discover that it is
virtually unknown outside of Germany.
If you want to read the script, go Here.
(but reading it is not as funny as seeing it.)
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Another German New Year's tradition is
eating jelly doughnuts at midnight.
In Germany, this is called a 'Berliner',
but in Berlin it's called 'Pfankuchen',
which translates into English as 'pancake'.
But American pancakes are something else
altogether.
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