Thanks to the folks at StilinBerlin.blogspot.com, we know a bit more about the Berlin Fashion Week.

I see it as an annual migration of surly looking models (I think they’re just hungry), fashionistas from all over the globe, and designers looking to make it big like Karl Lagerfeld and Hugo Boss (my favorite) that flock to Berlin every July.

Hey, at least the models for Ulla Popken can eat. This collection of fashion is designed for the size 16+ set.

Come to think of it, I don’t see that “come hither if you’re a sandwich” look on any ad that featured Popken’s models. ;-)

Jokes about models isn’t what I’m here for; and I do it all in good natured fun. But, what I am serious about is everything eco-friendly.

So, it was to my surprise that there was an entire section on Fashion-Week-Berlin.com that talked about using eco-friendly materials and trade practices. Actually, they said “consumers are developing a preference for products manufactured in an ecological and socially responsible manner.”

Hear! Hear! Well said folks at Berlin Fashion Week!

What I don’t get is why they would have an entire section on their website on many of Berlin’s bars, clubs, and restaurants? If you eat, you can’t fit into all those designer clothes, or can you? ;-)

Oh, there I go again. I’m just kidding. Just kidding. I don’t want some model to chuck a high heel at my head at next year’s event.

Honestly though, there were many events held throughout Berlin’s Fashion Week. Had you gone, maybe you’d have gotten lucky to rub elbows with the likes of Heidi Klum or Claudia Schiffer. Wouldn’t that have been nice? Because what would a Fashion Week in Germany be without Germany’s top models (or former models)?

Then again, what would Berlin Fashion Week be without German designers?

In case you don’t know any, Betty Barclay, Strenesse, and Jill Sander are very well known too. And, chances are their models are going to be the hungry type.

—Marcus

Now that the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011­™ is over, and the ladies have all packed up and gone home, I have to say for the most part that it was a fantastic competitive event. For the most part, being the key phrase in that sentence.

Ohhhh, you naughty, naughty ladies. Did you know two women of the North Korean Women’s World Cup Team had made the news for testing positive for anabolic steroids during the games?

That’s a big (huge) no-no. It’s also a big bombshell for what had been a pretty amazing competition. It’s high time you women finally get some serious respect in the world of sports; which is why when these two players from the same team tested positive, it kind of diminished all the hard work all the other women of the competition had done so far.

So, what’s going to happen to Song Jong-Sun and Jong Pok Sim?

Well, for starters they were taken off the lineup, and other team members have been subjected to FIFA testing them for the banned substance.

But, does it really matter? I mean North Korea was eliminated from World Cup Competition; because of their game statistics — not because of the doping, mind you.

Maybe nothing else will happen to them. I don’t see North Korea banning them from future competition, or anything.

The two Jongs weren’t the only ones who have tested positive, either. A Colombian player tested positive two days before the official start of the World Cup.

C’mon, what’s with the steroid use? Don’t you know that all samples of your blood are tested by the World Anti-Doping Agency? They’re also tested at the German Sport University (it’s in Cologne, in case you’re wondering).

What? You know how methodical us Germans are. Did you really think we weren’t going to find it?

That’s beside the point, actually. Theo Zwanzinger (president of the German Football Federation) has said that “there’s an inhumane system in North Korea to give athletes success… which could possibly be used for propaganda purposes.”

Ouch, that was pretty harsh.

Even non-sports playing folks can appreciate everything you go through to become the best of the best in your sport. Just think how much better you’ll feel (and gain all the respect and admiration of the public) to know that you’ve won your matches (games, whatever) on the world stage, without the use of steroids or any other banned substance.

Yeah, that goes for the men too!

—Marcus

You now can book travel health insurance here at MyGermanCity.com!

It was when my today’s wife visited me in Germany for the first time. I researched extensively for the best travel health insurance available and this for a good price.

Long story short, I decided for one of the largest travel health insurance companies, Care Concept, and am happily using them ever since.

Now, I know that many of you are in a similar situation, searching for a travel health insurance company that takes good care of you if need be. So I talked with the folks at Care Concept to offer health insurance packages for my visitors that fit a number of different needs.

So now you can book the following International health insurance packages here at MyGermanCity.com…

• Au Pair Health Insurance — For au pairs and demi pairs who will spend time in Germany and Austria.
• Student Health Insurance — As the name implies, this health insurance is for those who study in Germany and/or Austria. For example, ERASMUS, SOKRATES, DAAD, Working Holiday, Work & Travel and Work & Study programs, as well as other further education and study trips abroad.
• Health Insurance Europe — This one is for those who don’t need or already have a Visa for the European Union (EU). The Health Insurance Europe package, a.k.a. Care Economy, you’re covered in the entire European Union (EU) and the Schengen States (ex., Switzerland).
• Visa Health Insurance Europe — Similarly to the one just above, the Visa Health Insurance Europe package (a.k.a. Visa Protect) is for those who are applying for a Visa (or just received a Visa). Usually, you’ll need to show proof to the Federal Police at the airport that you’ve got a health insurance for your stay. This is the one that you’ll need then.
• Expat Health Insurance — And for “the rest of us,” those who love to travel worldwide and are always “on the run” to the next big temporary stop, the Expat Health Insurance got you covered wherever you are.

My hope is that the above International health insurance packages help free up your mind to concentrate on the bright sides of your travels.

—Marcus

P.S. We might receive a commission for each health insurance contract made thru the above pages. All commissions are being 100% reinvested to the development and maintenance of the MyGermanCity.com Web site and, in turn, get more valuable FREE Germany related information to our beloved visitors.

Thank you very much for your support.

There’s a good number of you Germanophiles (is that even the right word?) that love all things German, I’m sure. And I’m pretty sure there are a good number of you out there that can’t speak German.

Good thing Germany’s news understand this, so over at the TheLocal.de you’ll get plenty of local Deutschland news in English.

Believe it or not, one recent article is all about the US of A. Kind of makes no sense since I just said that it’s all about Germany, huh?

But, hear me out. Did you know that almost a quarter of million soldiers in this “War of Northern Aggression” (that’s what the South called it) were German?

And you don’t have to go all the way to Virginia, Pennsylvania, or some other United State to see a Civil War reenactment. Nope, you can do it within an hour north of Berlin at the El Dorado theme park in Templin.

How cool is that?

Who can resist a whole interactive theater-type extravaganza with hundreds of folks all dolled up in period garb? All right, some of the uniforms might look a little out of place considering you’ll even find some soldiers dating to the American Revolution.

How fitting to bring this up now, since July 4th is the day America celebrates its war for independence, and it was 150 years ago this year that the American Civil War erupted at Fort Sumter.

Sure, some have said (and I quote) “in Germany, its taboo to glorify anything military-related since World War II,” but I say why not? Civil War reenactments have been going on for years in the American South who were for secession and pro-slavery.

Now don’t give me any flack for saying it like that, but this is very much a part of German history as it is an American one. Remember the number of soldiers who fought were German?

Whether you know how or it turns out or not, I just wouldn’t expect TheLocal.de to report the outcome of a different winner.

—Marcus

It’s official, Munich, Germany’s bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics has been denied. I won’t be a sore loser, so congratulations to Pyeongchang, South Korea on their success.

Yeah sure, I do wish it was us though. ;-)

I truly am sorry that this Upper Bavarian town won’t get to host the Olympic Games. Germany has hosted the Games on several occasions throughout the years of the modern games.

We have the resources, we have the infrastructure (a top modern train system that’s prompt, thousands of hotel rooms, international restaurants, etc.), and we’ve shown that we can hold world-class sporting events.

Germany’s hosted the 2006 FIFA Men’s World Cup, the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, international boxing matches; oh, and three Olympic Games in 1896, 1936, and 1972, just to name a few.

Unfortunately, the country’s been turned down for hosting the games more times than it has been awarded them. Germany’s been denied for the 1960, 1992, 2000, and 2012 Games to just name a handful.

Drats, foiled again!

But, before I’ve gone off to sulk about Munich not hosting the 2018 Olympic Games; there’s still a chance to host the 2022 Games.

And even detractors for Angela Merkel would have to hand it to her; she really pushed for Munich’s chance in 2018, as well as Katharina Witt (an Olympic Gold Medalist) and other big names in sports, going all the way to South Africa to make a last-minute push to hold the Winter Games.

Hey, at least Munich has Oktoberfest to help drown out its Olympic woes. ;-)

Hmm, do you think we could petition the International Olympic Committee to make beer drinking a sport? No?

What about a bratwurst eating as an Olympic sport? Still no? Wow, this is a rough crowd — even rougher than the International Olympic Committee. ;-)

We’ll all just have to hold our breath for the 2018 then, huh?

—Marcus

I’m torn on this. I was reading boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko’s blog at www.KlitschkoBlog.com after his fight with Britain’s David Haye (July 2nd), where it stated that Mr. Klitschko (the younger of the two heavyweight champion brothers) dominated the 12-round bout.

Um, I watched that fight — and this champ, whose adoptive hometown is Hamburg, might have won the match, but dominate? Nah, I don’t think so.

I agree that at times Haye boxed like a little kid afraid for a mother’s slam on his face for stealing candy from the kitchen table. But this didn’t make my beloved Wladimir dominate the match.

However, I won’t be a Monday morning quarterback on this sport that’s often called barbaric.

And German fans are rough; sometimes they’ll boo you as soon as they look at you, even if you are a local boy (sorry, Wladimir you might have won but the thousands of Germans in attendance still booed you). I thought that only happened in Philadelphia, USA where they’ll consistently boo their own team, let alone an opposing one.

At least the Germans aren’t known for throwing snowballs at Santa Claus (yes, that really happened in the City of Brotherly Love).

I only brought this up to talk about how boxing in Germany is yet another sport to add to the long list of other blood pumping, adrenaline rushing activities.

A few famous boxers from Germany have been making international headlines (read: title fights) recently besides Wladimir. His older brother Vitali, also a heavyweight champ, is another professional boxer that has made Germany his home base.

Vitali fights Tomasz Adamek in Wroclaw, Poland on September 10th. With any luck, I’ll give you my analysis of that Klitschko fight on September 11th. ;-)

Arthur Abraham would be another champ (an IBF World Middleweight Champ, to be exact) whose title reigned from 2005 to 2009. He’s proud to be Armenian, but he’s also proud to call Berlin home.

Just so you know, you’ll find quite a few amateur and professional boxing gyms in Germany’s capital. It might be off the beaten path, but why not come into one of ’em, you never know who you might find training. Right?

It would also be a disservice to leave out German boxer Felix Sturm, whose win against Irish boxer Matthew Macklin in a split decision bout not too long ago in Cologne has been controversial to say the least.

Say what you will, German Sturm did get to keep his WBA belt; and he got to do it in front of his hometown crowd.

I look forward to a much anticipated rematch.

—Marcus

I got to hand it to Ruth on her German Way blog talking about a yummy Swabian Delight dish known as Linsen mit Spätzle, or Lentils with noodles. There are all kinds of bacon, onion, and carroty goodness in there.

This got me to thinking about other Swabian culinary delights.

Soups are real popular in Swabian cooking, as are potatoes. Try the Schupfnudeln (cooked mashed potatoes) and Kartoffelkuchen, a potato pancake topped with egg.

Of course, if you want to try some true German wurst, Swabian cooking can hook you up there, too. Not all of them are served hot, so you’ll find them in salads or sliced as cold cuts. Hmmmm…

I probably should not be writing this when I’m hungry… ;-)

Here are a few other dishes that’ll wet your appetite while traveling around Swabia.

Gaisburger Marsch — A beef and veggie stew, also made with carrots as well as potatoes and Spätzle.

Maultaschen — This is a ravioli kind of stuffed pasta filled with everything from bacon to onions, bratwurst to spinach generally served in beef broth.

Leberklöße — For those of you who don’t like liver, this dish served with onions might not be for you. But, try it anyway! You actually might not taste the liver part at all.

Hefezopf — Slather this sweet braided bread with butter, and you’ve got a seriously special Swabian supper side dish.

Krautkrapfen — Yeah, that’s right, sauerkraut. Did you really think you could try to eat German food and not find sauerkraut in there somewhere? Don’t worry, it’s not all about the sauerkraut, there’s caraway seeds, onions, and bacon in there, too.

Great, now I’m really hungry.

So besides touring your way around Germany’s scenic routes and looking at all the medieval castles and and palaces, make sure to eat your way around the country too — starting with all these Swabian delights! :-)

—Marcus

It’s time for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011!

From June 26th to July 17th, 2011, folks are looking forward to the matches, and new records in terms of the number of spectators are to be expected as women’s football (a.k.a. soccer) is still fairly young.

So let me list the nine host cities (in alphabetical order) with the names of the stadiums and the schedule of the matches so you know where to go when.

Bookmark this page as I will update this page on a regular basis during the course of the World Cup!

Augsburg

The Impuls Arena in Augsburg will host four matches:

June 29th at 15:00: Norway – Equatorial Guinea (1:0)
July 2nd at 14:00: Korea DPR – Sweden (0:1)
July 5th at 18:15: England – Japan (2:0)
July 10th at 13:00: Quarter-Final 3: Sweden – Australia (3:1)

Berlin

The historical Olympiastadion in Berlin hosted one match only:

June 26th at 18:00: Germany – Canada (2:1)

Bochum

In Bochum it’ll be the Rewirpowerstadion that will proudly host four World Cup matches:

June 27th at 15:00: Japan – New Zealand (2:1)
June 30th at 18:00: Canada – France (0:4)
July 3rd at 14:00: Australia – Equatorial Guinea (3:2)
July 6th at 20:45: Korea DPR – Columbia (0:0)

Dresden

Historical Dresden is among the eleven host cities of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011, and its Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion is where you’ll want to go see the following four matches live:

June 28th at 18:15: USA – Korea DPR (2:0)
July 1st at 18:15: New Zealand – England (1:2)
July 5th at 20:45: Canada – Nigeria (0:1)
July 10th at 17:30: Quarter-Final 4: Brazil – USA (7:5)

Frankfurt am Main

Frankfurt with its legendary Waldstadion (a.k.a. FIFA Women’s World Cup Stadium) is happy to host these matches here:

June 30th at 20:45: Germany – Nigeria (1:0)
July 6th at 18:00: Equatorial Guinea – Brazil (0:3)
July 13th at 20:45: Semi-Final 2: Japan – Sweden (3:1)
July 17th at 20:45: FINAL: USA – Japan

Leverkusen

The Bay-Arena in Leverkusen is able to accomodate almost 30,000 fans for these four matches here:

June 28th at 15:00: Columbia – Sweden (0:1)
July 1st at 15:00: Japan – Mexico (4:0)
July 6th at 18:00: Australia – Norway (2:1)
July 9th at 18:00: Quarter-Final 1: England – France (4:5)

Mönchengladbach

In Mönchengladbach, look out for the Stadion Im Borussia-Park to find these three matches here:

June 29th at 18:15: Brazil – Australia (1:0)
July 5th at 20:45: France – Germany (2:4)
July 13th at 18:00: Semi-Final 1: France – USA (1:3)

Sinsheim

You’ve probably never heard of the town of Sinsheim yet, but for us Germans it became famous for its successful 1899 Hoffenheim football club which plays in the Bundesliga here in its Rhein-Neckar-Arena — and hosts/hosted the following four matches:

June 26th at 15:00: Nigeria – France (0:1)
July 2nd at 18:00: USA – Colombia (3:0)
July 5th at 18:15: New Zealand – Mexico (0:1)
July 16th at 17:30: Third Place: Sweden – France

Wolfsburg

In Wolfsburg, the Volkswagen city, it’s the Volkswagen-Arena that will happily greet tens of thousands of fans for these four matches:

June 27th at 18:00: Mexico – England (1:1)
July 3rd at 18:15: Brazil – Norway (3:0)
July 6th at 20:45: Sweden – USA (2:1)
July 9th at 20:45: Quarter-Final 2: Germany – Japan (0:1)

The date of June 26, 1963 may not be a day that stays in the mind of many people these days. However, for those living in West Berlin at the time, this marked the day that everyone in the world was with them in mind and spirit. This was the date when the US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy stood in front of the City Hall and spoke these words: “Ich bin ein Berliner.”

Let’s go back a bit before this speech to see why it resonated so much with the citizens of Berlin.

Twenty-two months before this famous visit, one of the monstrosities of modern time was erected in the city of Berlin. This was, of course, the reviled Berlin Wall, which divided the city as well as families and friends by a huge block of concrete and barbed wire.

Berlin, for those who haven’t yet visited our lovely country, was situated in the middle of former East Germany, which was under the power of the Soviet Union.

As occupied Berlin was split into four zones, those who lived within the Soviet area soon found that the repressive nature of the Soviet Union was working its way into their beloved city. And so, they began to flee into the western half of the city.

Naturally, the USSR did not appreciate this drain on their population and built the Wall to prevent such freedom of movement. However, they claimed that the Western part of Germany had not yet been properly “de-Nazified” and that the Wall was really for the protection of East German citizens. They called it the “Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart.”

Meanwhile, citizens living in West Berlin felt like they were surrounded by the enemy, who was hoping to take control of the rest of Berlin and fully incorporate it into East Germany.

And so, we can imagine the feeling of these West Berliners when the US President reminded them that they were not alone, and that they were not forgotten.

This speech is regarded as one of Kennedy’s best and is still well-remembered in the United States and around the world to this day. The famous words were repeated twice as the President said:

“Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was civis Romanus sum [I am a Roman citizen]. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is ‘Ich bin ein Berliner!’… All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words ‘Ich bin ein Berliner!'”

—Marcus

Many of us watched in horror as the double tragedy of earthquake and tsunami hit Japan earlier this year. The disabled nuclear power plant at Fukushima reached levels of meltdown that haven’t been seen since the days of the Chernobyl disaster.

But while the rest of the world briefly discussed the possibilities of moving away from this controversial power source, only Germany has made real plans about its nuclear future. The government has announced that all remaining nuclear power plants will be put out of commission by the year 2022.

The first nuclear power plants were opened in Germany in the 1950s. During this half a century, the country experienced three near-catastrophes that resulted from problems with the reactor.

The first was in 1975 in Greifswald, East Germany. A fire brought about by an electrical error came close to causing a meltdown after the main coolant pumps were destroyed. Two other calamities occurred in the 1980s.

In 1986 in Hamm-Uentrop, a broken fuel rod led to the release of an excess of radiation, which contaminated the surrounding area.

And again in 1987, a stop valve malfunctioned at Biblis Nuclear Power Plant in Hesse and released more harmful radiation.

Of course, the disaster at Chernobyl was one of the worst for Germany, despite the fact it didn’t even happen within German borders! While the meltdown occurred in modern-day Ukraine (then a part of the USSR), Germany was just downwind from this catastrophe. In some areas of southern Germany, it is still possible to find traces of radioactivity in the mushrooms or in some wild animals.

Currently, Germany has 17 nuclear power plants, which provide about 25% of the country’s energy. Seven of the oldest reactors have already been shut down because of safety concerns. These power plants will be replaced by newer renewable-energy technology that will not emit greenhouse gases, which places Germany in the forefront of green countries.

Many believe that Germany could provide the “road map” that will enable other nations to give up the risky nuclear reactor system for something more environmentally-friendly.

In addition to the news about nuclear power, which was greeted with happiness and applause by many staunch environmentalists, Chancellor Angela Merkel also promised to reduce the carbon emissions of her nation by 40% in the same ten-year time period.

So in the next decade, all eyes will be on Germany to see how well it adapts to an economy and environment with clean energy and new cutting-edge technologies.

The future will be an exciting place for us! :-)

—Marcus