47 C (116 F) vs 15 C (59 F) or heatwave vs German summer

July 5, 2024 edithted1 Comment

Germany in July: rubber boots would be a good idea. Or at least a rainproof jacket, insulated, an umbrella and don’t forget a scarf! Outdoor venues are closed, it is freezing f🥶ing cold! Yikes. I’m wearing underwear, socks, long pants, T-Shirt, Sweatshirt, layers and layers, and I’m still cold. I have an extra wool blanket on my bed and I’m cold, despite wearing a nightshirt!

Paso Robles, California on the other hand is dealing with a heat wave right now. 47 degrees Celsius (=116 F), that’s when the air flimmers and everything comes to a standstill. PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric) are switching off the power, air conditions won’t work, your barbecue steaks in the freezer will defrost and there won’t be any ice cubes for your drinks. Americans like to drink everything with ice cubes. I mean, they have a little taste of something in their glasses filled with ice cubes and when they’re finished, half the glass of ice cubes will be thrown in the sink. Hard to understand when you grow up in Europe…

When I moved to the US 26 year ago, I always thought that everything will be the same, except the language, and since I learned English at school, I thought I’m prepared for the challenge. Little did I know! The language I learned turned out to be the medieval cousin of the American language spoken in the US. Not only do Americans have a chewing gum in their mouth when they speak vs English people, who have a hot potato in their mouth, they also use different words and you have to be careful to stick with the proper vocabulary. So don’t buy rubbers for your children’s first day of school equipment when they are just in 3rd or 4th grade. That’s more appropriate for 10th grade, when they really need a rubber / eraser / condom 😳. And calling a doctors office to ask for a date with a gynecologist isn’t such a fun idea either, because a date is something very different than an appointment, one less professional and more romantic than the other. And there are so many more examples of “sitting in the clanger” which means to “put one’s foot in one’s mouth”. But luckily I got a big portion of humor and I hope all the people around me got the same, otherwise they’d just turn around and laugh, roll their eyes, be shocked or otherwise not be my friends anymore.

In college, where I teach fashion design, it is a bit challenging in its own way. Officially there are lots of possibilities to make mistakes and the list is long on what you can say or ask. For example I cannot ask a student where he/she/them is from. That is a micro-aggression, indicating that – because they look different or speak with an accent – I assume that they are not as good as their American classmates. I look different myself and my German accent is recognized as soon as I open my mouth. So I kinda sit in the same boat, but I’m not allowed to ask my students where they’re from?!? And in Fashion Design I’m supposed to say chest, high point, rear and bottocks instead of breast and butt. Sometimes I catch my students with this frozen expression of a shocked deer in the headlights because I say the name of a body part in an inappropriate way and I think: c’mon people, get rid of that prudish political correctness and start having fun again! 😳😳😳

Bavaria – this & that

July 3, 2024 edithtedLeave a comment

Neuburg, where I spent a nice day with my sister Petra…

Munich with everything your heart desires, family,

My niece Saskia and her huge portion of tiramisu. I swear, I only tried a tiny bite! Or was it half of it? I can’t remember and it’s not that important…

Flying

July 3, 2024 edithtedLeave a comment

This time I chose to chop up my flight to Germany in three segments. San Luis Obispo, CA -> Phoenix, AZ -> London, UK -> Munich, DE. It is nice to get off a crowded plane, stretch your legs and walk around before taking the next part of your journey. It is nice to use a restroom that is not miniature size and has a line waiting outside, it is nice to visit some stores, watch people stress about their connection and it is nice to walk seven minutes from your arriving gate to your departure gate when you have 90 minutes between flights.

And then there is Heathrow International Airport in London. Layover: 90 minutes. Time to use a restroom or watch people = 0 minutes. Because at Heathrow, they don’t want you to pee and they are very successful with people who watch you stressing from your arriving terminal to the departing terminal. Visiting store time = 0 minutes, walking = 0. Everything has to be done running. And then you think you arrived at what you thought is terminal 5, but this is just a bus station with a mile long line of people who are all stressed catching the next bus or the second or third bus, because time is running out. And when you finally made it into a bus, you get a sightseeing tour of the Heathrow Airport, because there is no direct drive from point A to B. At Heathrow, the connection is the longest possible way from A to B. It took me 90 minutes to hurry to my connection flight, and I hate to be forced to hurry. I wanted to use the restroom, I wanted to watch people and not be the one being watched. I don’t like Heathrow. Never have, never will…..

But I made it just in time, jumped onto my third airplane and safely flew towards my final destination: Munich! And then there was this mayor storm. The airport was shut down, because a mega thunderstorm decided to give us a little hello party. The delay itself was not so much of a problem, but all the catching up the airport had to do. All those airplanes that had to circle around before landing were in a big rush to land and unload all those people, who were in a sour mood by then. Don’t ask me how the pointy elbows felt at the baggage claim. Everybody had a reason to feel more important and therefore use their elbows to make their way to the luggage. Maybe because they didn’t know that the suitcases, once on the distribution belt, will circle around again and again. It is coming back eventually. It is not falling off the edge of the flat surface of the earth if you can’t get it off the luggage belt the first time around. But people know so little sometimes!

Fashion! Or is it Art? Or both?

July 2, 2024 edithtedLeave a comment

„Viktor&Rolf is the avant-garde luxury fashion house founded in 1993 by fashion artists Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren after their graduation from the Arnhem Academy of Art and Design. Widely recognized and respected for its provocative Haute Couture and conceptual glamour, the house of Viktor&Rolf aspires to create spectacular beauty and unexpected elegance through an unconventional approach to fashion.“

Why do we wear clothing? Is it to show our religious or societal rank? Or because we need protection against the elements? Or because we want to be modest? Whatever the reason, that piece of garment has to be designed and produced, it has to follow rules of chemistry and physics. Materials like icecubes won’t work, especially in warm climates. And then there is gravity. And Viktor&Rolf, who question everything I just mentioned in this paragraph.

This long dress with its simple silhouette is made of fabric that is usually used for blue-screen technology. When the models walked down the runway, the blue-screen material was replaced by videos of thunderstorm, fireworks, nature, etc. The material of the dress was used as a screen, a canvas to go beyond and dissolves the material itself. This plays tricks with your imagination and dissolves the boundary an outfit usually has: inside the dress is the body, and the dress is the border to the outside.

Another way to break all the rules of convention are those outfits below. Fashion designers create gaps and openings in fabrics to stimulate curiosity, to enhance comfort and wearability. But an opening doesn’t have to be limited to a strapless or one-shoulder top, a backless dress or a miniskirt. Why not remove areas in-between? It’s still a long dress, but with maximal exposure.

And don’t forget the fun! Fun with fooling gravity, fun with questioning symmetry, fun with material choices that get your heart smiling and your mind remembering times when you scribbled your first fashion designs with no rule catalog weighing you down.

Viktor&Rolf also show those classics that awe everybody who has an appreciation for a garment that took 600 hours of work, haute couture at its best! This dress was worn by the Dutch princess Mabel van Oranje-Nassau‘s nuptials with Prince Friso. The white satin dress, including a 3-meter train is decorated with 248 silk bows.

Another favorite: it looks like it’s made of 1 yard of nude jersey and some fabric markers. Simple, comfortable, and why not? It takes guts to design an outfit like that, but hey, it’s Viktor&Rolf!

Highschool Reunion – part 2

July 1, 2024July 1, 2024 edithted2 Comments

The last time I attended a highschool reunion was 30 years ago. It was our 10th and it was not very well attended. Mostly the nerdy kids, that had landed a great job; they bragged about “my house, my car, my boat” stuff and I couldn’t keep up with any of their lives. I was a single mom with two boys, I had a masters degree, but no house, no car and no boat either.

This time, 30 years later, we really enjoyed each other’s company. We gave each other hugs, because – as one of my class mates said – now we’re brave enough to do so! Very sweet! We talked about life, fate, disappointments, new beginnings. We talked about trauma, struggles, bumps and loosing loved ones. Starting families, blending families, we enjoyed talking about kids and a few already had grandchildren! No house, no car, no boat was mentioned. Very funny: now that I have a house, a car and a boat. Technically it’s 2.5 houses and it is Ted’s boat, but that’s not the point. The point is: I enjoyed seeing my classmates again and sharing stories. It was a very hot and humid day and the white wine was plenty. This event left a warm fuzzy feeling around my heart and I felt closer to my buddies than ever before. Except Ulrike, my BFF! Knowing somebody so well at the age of 20 and still be so close at the age of 60 is special and I feel spoiled…..

BFF: Ulli and I

Highschool Reunion – part 1

June 29, 2024July 1, 2024 edithted1 Comment

The main reason for this trip to Germany is my 40th highschool reunion. It is a good starting point to remember those times way back when, it is also a reflection of what happened since. And that is a lot!

Between the age of 20 and 30 was the most difficult time and the time when major life directions happened: I had my sons when I was 25 and 26 years old, I went to university, finished with an MA degree despite being a single mom and working for a photographer. It was tough! I moved, we moved many times, we had a tight budget, but I always found time and money to travel: a few times in Greece, France, Croatia and Italy, then Bali, Tunisia, Turkey, USA. In retrospect, I accomplished a lot, and if somebody would tell MY story now, I wouldn’t believe it!

Between the age of 30 and 40 still lots of changes happened: getting married, moving, still moving, but this time further away: to the US. The kids were slowly getting to be teenagers, exploring their own lives. This was fun to watch! And painful sometimes, watching them going through their identification process, separating from the mothership, creating their own characters. I was and still am very proud of them! I heard once that “once you are a parent, you wear your heart outside your body” and I’m sure every parent understands those words….. I started my own business, worked a lot and traveled to numerous juried art shows and wholesale shows all over the US. And if somebody would tell MY story now, I wouldn’t believe it!

Between the age of 40 and 50 I had more changes sweeping through the homefront: divorce, marriage, more moves. The sudden death of my father was a major hit, it haunted me many years! Professionally there were challenges, opportunities and finding passions that I forgot I had: I started teaching in College and I love it! Inspiring my students, sharing my experiences from my own business, helping them find their way, this was always meant to happen. As a little girl I had a “classroom” in our basement, a school board, some chalk and a hotchpotch of little chairs for the neighborhood kids and my sibling. And I played being a teacher. And I guess I was very good, because all of them ended up having a profession and I blame my highly advanced teaching skills for all their successes! And of course, if somebody would tell MY story,…..

Between the age 50 and 60 more changes, more moves, more challenges: being widowed, remarried, working on my career and being financially independent, settled and worry-free. Excessive traveling, for days, weeks, and even months, all is good. Being away for 8 months was only possible because of Covid 19: the lockdown + remote teaching + internet = flexibility on steroids! You just have to see it and create something so beautiful out of the many negative impacts this pandemic had for everybody. As mentioned in a previous post, I don’t consider myself a tourist, I am a traveler! Two days before my 60th birthday my younger son got engaged to his girlfriend and I guess, there will be more excitement in the next decade in my life! And of course, if somebody would tell MY story,…..

In 4 hours, my best friend from highschool, Ulrike, will pick me up and we will visit our school where the reunion will happen: we will be shocked to see all those old people, we will laugh, talk, and we will have a great time! Our graduation year had ~90 students and half of them will attend today. And I am most nervous of not recognizing anybody anymore. I do hope they’ll have name tags or something, so I’d better bring my reading glasses. Not that I ever need them, because, of course I didn’t age…..

Leaving

June 25, 2024 edithted2 Comments

Leaving California is not easy. You leave gorgeous weather, perfect temperatures, crisp ocean water, and a lot of happy people, because the weather does affect your mood, in case you didn’t know!

Leaving California is also great for your wallet: nowhere else are prices so ridiculous, over the top and beyond, nowhere else they expect tips for services not performed, and nowhere else those tips are expected to be 30% [[additionally to a $790 dinner at Justin – I almost had to postpone my trip 😬! But I have to admit that we did receive a gift bag, a special goody bag, filled with a tiny micro jar of seasalt (1/2 teaspoon) and a small bottle of Fiji water, I’m talking plain drinking water]]. So I’m glad to go to „anywhere-is-cheaper-than-California“ country now! Good bye!!!

Anticipation

June 20, 2024 edithted3 Comments

Anticipation is a mixture between expectation and prediction. Expectation leans more to wishes, predictions more to the known. Maybe it is a right side vs left side of the brain thing? Who knows???

I know anticipation really well, I’m in the middle of an overdose right now: the next trip awaits me and it’s packed with predictions (high school reunion in the heart of Bavaria! Cruise through the Caribbean! Broadway shows in New York City! etc) and expectations (will I recognize those people I went to school with? Will the hurricane season be in full swing? Will my non-profit loose momentum during those 6 weeks while I’m gone?, etc) All those hard facts, the predictions have a „!“, whereas the expectations end up with a „?“. What’s more exciting?

We shall see and I’ll make sure to keep you posted. Let the journey begin…

Good-bye food in Munich

October 29, 2023 edithted1 Comment

Every time I leave Munich it is tough. It is tough to leave my family, my friends, it is tough to leave all those hugs & kisses, all those tears.

But then there is the good- bye treat at the airport, which are white sausages, pretzel and sweet mustard. It is the ultimate Bavarian comfort food that makes it a little easier to leave – kind of like a band aid with a Mickey Mouse print…

There are a few rules how to eat them though:

You cannot eat them after 12pm! The saying is: a white sausage shouldn’t hear the 12 o‘clock church bell ringing! They are made fresh every day in the morning and they have to be eaten immediately. Therefore white sausages are eaten for breakfast. And yes, traditionally you have to drink Wheat beer with them. And yes, beer for breakfast – it is Bavaria for heaven’s sake! 🍺
You should never cut the white sausage like you’d cut any other sausage: they have to be peeled, but lengthwise! Or alternatively you can grab them with your hands and suck them out of the skin…

White sausage, cut and peeled lengthwise

You have to eat sweet mustard with white sausages, any other mustard would be a crime. Similar to eating French fries with honey instead of ketchup. The combination of white sausages with a salty pretzel (which is actually called a Brezn), and sweet mustard is the ultimate taste combination made in heaven. In the Bavarian heaven. In the Italian heaven, the ultimate combination is tomatoes and basil, in the French heaven it is butter. Butter with everything and anything…

And here I am, on my way into the airport, via the Bavarian heaven

Things to do in Bavaria

October 27, 2023October 27, 2023 edithtedLeave a comment

Every year in October, the Farm Museum in Ingolstadt let the past come alive by inviting art and craft, food and music vendors to keep old traditions alive.

With my sister and my niece we spent a few hours there, we admired a photo exhibit, we bought some handmade craft and enjoyed the permanent exhibition of the museum.

Petra, Edith and Stephanie (from left to right)

Unfortunately – fortunately the weather goddess is already sad that I’m leaving soon. She’s crying and so we have to deal with rain. It looks like she’s very sad: the prediction is rain until I’ll leave!

The good thing is that there are plenty of indoor activities (cooking, eating and drinking as a last resort 🤣🥗🍷)

Petra and I visited a Salt cave today and spent 45 min relaxing inside this grotto, breathing saline air, listening to a waterfall, soft background music and being lulled in warm light shining through thick rocks of pink salt. Having a warm blanket wrapped around – it was challenging not to fall asleep…