Projekt: Von A bis Z (K)

After a little break, I am ready to continue:

See June 2017's posts to catch up on A through J.  Today's letter is K.




Foods:  der Kakao (the cocoa); die Kokusnuss (the coconut), die Kirschen (cherries), der Kuchen (the cake), der Kaffee (coffee), das Kotlett (the chop/cut of meat)

Animals:  die Katze (the cat); der Kater (the tom cat), das Känguruh (the kangaroo), der Koalabär (the koala bear)

Common Names:  Katerina, Karin, Käthe, Katja, Karl, Kurt

Cities:  Karlsbad, Köln (Cologne), Kassel, Kaiserslautern

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Herkules Monument - water sculpture/art, Kassel

Words you may recognize:  der Kaktus (cactus), der Kapitän (the captain)

verbs:  kratzen (to scratch), kochen (to cook), knudeln (to cuddle)

German brands/companies:  Knorr (food)

Urlaub Thoughts:

My family and I were just on a week of vacation - Urlaub in German ...

The word Urlaub made my mind wander a little down a rabbit trail:

In English, we use the word vacation as our time off work or school ... school children might get a "break" - like a Christmas Break or a Spring Break - but in the summer time, it is VACATION (not that you couldn't say summer BREAK, but not so much).  A vacation is when we have time off from our jobs or school or responsibilities.

In German, there is also the word Ferien.  

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Ferien - in my opinion - coincides better with the British use of "holiday" ... Schulferien are school holidays - Winterferien, Weihnachtsferien (Christmas break), Sommerferien, etc. 

However, when one in on vacation (Urlaub), you might stay at a Ferienwohnung (holiday/vacation apartment/home).  

When I googled the differences between Urlaub and Ferien, I came across an interesting origin for the word Urlaub:  it may have derived from the German verb erLAUBen (to allow).   It kind of implies that someone (an employer or your school administration) ALLOWS you to have a vacation.  

To make things even more interesting, there is also the German word Feier ... not to be confused with Ferien.  A Feier is a party or a celebration or fete ... but a Feiertag is a holiday - a day off work and school like a federal holiday in the United States.  Feierabend (Abend=evening) is the end of the work day.  It's time to go home and rest.  It is the end of the Arbeitstag (work day) ... sometimes when colleagues leave their job site, they might say goodbye by simply saying, "Feierabend!" It can also be said sarcastically when a job goes downhill and you want to quit:  "Na, dann, Feierabend."  It is kind of like saying, "I give up."  

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And this is the end of my Arbeit (work) on this blog post ... as well as the end of my Urlaub (vacation).  And so I say, "Feierabend!"  

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We Interrupt This Blog ...

By the way, I AM ON VACATION with my family this week - 

Terrible internet connection at our vacation apartment = blogging break / social media break.

It's a good thing!!

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Independence Day - from a German-American Perspective

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I don't know the whole history of Germany and American's friendship to tell it accurately, but I do know that after World War II, the American military had a great presence in Germany first as an occupation force, then as a rebuilding support, and now as an ally.  My dad was stationed in Frankfurt in the early 1970s, which is when he met my German mother.   My husband was stationed in Würzburg with the US Army for 3 years from 1995 to 1999, where we spent 3 wonderful years enjoying life in Germany as Americans.  

German-American friendship fests are often celebrated around military bases in Germany - and there is even a German-American Friendship Garden in Washington DC.  Wikipedia provides more information about:

The German-American Friendship Garden in Washington, DC stands as a symbol of the positive and cooperative relations between the United States of America and the **Federal Republic of Germany.

Situated on the historic axis between the White House and the Washington Monument on the National Mall, the garden borders Constitution Avenue between 15th and 17th Streets, where an estimated seven million visitors pass each year. The garden features plants native to both Germany and the United States and provides seating and cooling fountains.

**the Federal Republic of Germany refers to West Germany, which at the time of the Garden's placement was still separated from Eastern Germany (German Democratic Republic).  Germany was unified (facilitated by President Ronald Reagan, among others) in October of 1990.  

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Commissioned to commemorate the 300th anniversary of German immigration to America, the garden was dedicated on November 15, 1988

As noted by President Ronald Reagan, who created the Presidential Commission to complete work on the project after a 1982 visit to Washington by German Chancellor *Helmut Kohl,

"..I'm proud to announce a product of that commission: the dedication of a garden here in Washington as a symbol of the friendship between our two countries. In a few months, I'll be leaving the White House, but the garden, and all it represents, will remain, to be nurtured and sustained by the friendship between Germans and Americans..."

*Chancellor Helmut Kohl just recently passed away on June 16, 2017, at the age of 87.  

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As a German-American, I am proud of my heritage(s) ... and I wish everyone a HAPPY 4th of July - in German-American Friendship-style!

Das Wort zum Sonntag / A Word for Sunday: 1.Juli.2017

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Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.  
Psalm 74:17