Articles – Page 15 – eMag Uni Augsburg

Five things I hate about summer – and five things to make it all a little more bearable

Confession time: I hate summer. I know full well that I’m in the minority here, but it’s just what it is. It’s also not a very recent development for me, so I can’t really blame climate change or so. I know, though, that a lot of different things come into play which make me hate the favorite season of the majority of the population.

The most obvious reason is, of course, the heat. My favorite temperature is somewhere between 13° and 18°. In summer, it seems like it’s 30+° most of the time. There’s just no middle ground anymore. The thing is I’d be totally able to deal with it if it wasn’t so humid. This is what makes the heat so unbearable.

And this brings me to my third point. As a consequence of the heat and the humidity, I sweat. Yet I always seem to be the only one. Other people don’t suddenly have a very shiny forehead or little rivers running down their necks, slowly making their way down the back, even though they are not doing anything that could possibly lead to sweating. I, of course, do have to deal with both. All the time.

Number four on my list of most hated things about summer would be spiders and bugs. Bugs simply bug me. German bugs more than others, though. In other countries, they seem to leave me alone most of the time. In Germany, they seem to attack me the moment I step outside, but, of course, they also don’t leave me alone when I’m inside either. They’re just always there. What makes it all so much worse is that outside they find a way in my mouth, even though I have my lips pressed tight together, and inside they have a tendency to drown in whatever drink I have standing on the table. It doesn’t even have to be something sweet like orange juice or lemon water. They’re just as alright with dying in a regular glass of sparkling water. Apparently, they really like the added thrill of the bubbles.

Finally, number five is that everybody all of a sudden flocks outside like a bunch of summer zombies. I actually spend a significant amount of time outside all year round, so naturally I wonder: where are all these people in winter?
So in case anyone feels the same way I do about summer, here are five tips to get through it all relatively unscathed:

Obviously, you should make the air condition or your fan your new best friend.
Don’t take a cold shower. This only heats up your body way faster afterwards.
Insect repellents are your second best friend 😉
Always look in your glass before you drink, you never know what’s floating on top.
Count down the days ’till September 1st, the magical day of meteorological start of fall 🙂

Finally, hang in there: it’s going to be autumn soon.

Author & Pictures: Alisa Lechky

Independence Day: The fourth of July

If you happen to spend the 4^th July with a bunch of Americans today, you will most likely be having a backyard barbeque with burgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, coleslaw and watermelon, the juicy ripe red watermelon everyone loves and can’t get enough of. All of this is often served on paper plates. Cans of beer, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, Snapples, Coke or Pepsi are kept in cooling bins full of crushed ice. Perhaps little paper flags or streamers displaying the typical colors of the Star-Spangled Banner will be part of the decoration.

Maybe the town will offer picnic and barbeque opportunities at some public area. Baseball games, parades, concerts and other summertime events mark this national holiday. Politicians might even appear at different celebrations holding speeches on all kinds of freedoms. Most likely there will be fireworks, too, in honor of the birthday of the United States of America.

Although Independence Day is a significant American holiday, it doesn’t dominate the summer as Thanksgiving and Christmas dominate the fall and winter season. For instance, there are no greeting cards in the stores. Along with beach parties, family trips and BBQs that dot the summer months, the Fourth of July is one of many typical summer events. School will have been out for a month already and another month and a half to go.

But what is Independence Day originally about?

The English established their first permanent settlement in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. By 1733 there were 13 English colonies: Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island. These colonies were ruled by the King of England, King George III. Over time the relationship between the settlers and the British began to crumble due to unfair laws and taxes and the growing sense of nationalism in the colonies. In short: people didn’t want to be ruled by a king so far away.

A letter to King George III

The Continental Congress – a meeting of delegates from the thirteen colonies – appointed five leaders, called the Committee of Five. They were meant to write the King a formal letter. These five men were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman and Thomas Jefferson. Their letter explained why Congress had voted to declare Independence. This Declaration of Independence contained three essential points:

Beliefs of what made a government good
The dislike of the oppressive government
Break with Great Britain

On July 4^th, 1776 Congress officially adopted the final version of the Declaration of Independence. On August 2^nd, all 56 delegates of the Continental Congress signed it.

A holiday is born

Following its adoption, the Declaration of Independence went viral in various cities, by word-of-mouth, being read aloud before troops and published in newspapers or delivered on horseback and by ship. Whenever heard, people shouted and cheered.

People continued this tradition by lighting candles, setting off fire crackers, firing guns and ringing bells.

Finally, Congress declared July 4^th a federal holiday in 1941.

Author & Picture: Elisabeth Stützel

Happy birthday, Canada!

Today is July 1 and that means it’s Canada Day! You might be wondering why this is of special interest. Because today isn’t just any birthday of the North American country. This year Canada turns 150! What a great opportunity to celebrate the big white North or, if you’re not as much of a Canada fanatic as I am, at least take a moment to appreciate everything that’s unique to the country. It’s not very hard to tell that I’m crazy about Canada, even for those who’ve met me just once. Our love story began more than a year ago, during my semester abroad, and ever since I haven’t stopped talking about going back (shout-out to my friends for tolerating me). So, that’s what I did and I’m super excited to be here this special year.

A bit of history

Okay, so let’s quickly brush up on our knowledge of Canada. The country was once a British and French colony until two provinces founded the Federal Dominion of Canada on July 1, 1867 – so that’s why, surprise, Canada Day is celebrated on the first day of July. More and more provinces joined the Dominion and in 1931, the country gained almost total independence, but remained under the authority of the British government. Only in 1982 did Canada gain full sovereignty. Today, Canada is made up of ten provinces and three territories and has two official languages, English and French.

The Big Birthday

As you might’ve guessed, the whole country is pretty excited about the 150-year anniversary and the celebrations honouring this special year. Plus, it’s not just the country as a whole that is celebrating. Montréal, a city in the province of Québec, is turning 375 this year! So, this anniversary is the perfect opportunity to travel to Canada, as numerous festivities are taking place all over the country and admission to national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas operated by Parks Canada is free! The biggest Canada Day parties are, of course, in major cities, so Ottawa, but also Vancouver, Toronto, Montréal and Edmonton are perfect for everyone who digs fireworks and parades. However, you don’t have to attend one of these events to notice that this year, or at least this summer, everything’s about July 1. Every second ad on TV is about Canada Day, stores have different offers featuring the number 150 in one way or another and you can get any imaginable item, like mugs, aprons, pillows or socks, with a maple leaf on it.

Fun facts

Did you know that Canada is the second largest country in the world (only exceeded by Russia)? Germany fits almost 28 times into its land mass! On the other hand, Canada’s population is just around 35 million, which is less than half of Germany’s. Isn’t that crazy!?

Among other stereotypes like Canadians living in igloos (nope, they don’t), putting maple syrup on pretty much everything edible (yes, they do) and loving ice hockey (another clear yes here), Canada is well-known for its multiculturalism and diversity and the hospitality with which it greets immigrants. These attributes make it a role model for many countries when it comes to immigration policies. Toronto, Canada’s biggest city (but not its capital!!), is said to be one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the entire world and about half of its inhabitants were born outside of Canada. Their rich cultural heritage can be seen in Chinatown, Little Italy, Greektown and many more places.

In love

What I love about Canada mostly relates to the province I lived in. Its sheer size makes it pretty much impossible to make generalizations about the landscape or citizens. This is an important aspect you should keep in mind when talking about the country. Canada is so much more than just a few big cities most people might’ve visited or heard of. Canada is its diverse landscapes, whether it’s mountains, beaches, prairies or the sea, its languages, people and heritage. I will always love Canada for its mostly rugged but incredibly beautiful landscape and for the people who are the friendliest, warmest and most generous in probably, no offence here, the entire world. Most people refer to politeness when they joke about Canadian stereotypes, but I’ve got to say that this very feature (yes, this stereotype is true), the hospitality and the people’s optimistic and light-hearted nature (speaking in general terms here, of course) are features that made me truly love Canada.

Cheers, Canada!

Like the country itself, ways to celebrate Canada Day are also very diverse. There is no typical way to celebrate it – there are no restrictions. Personally, I will climb a mountain in one of the many national parks all across the country and raise my glass to my home away from home. Everything’s possible here, not just on this day, but every single day. Canada is a country for everyone. And that’s probably why I love it so much

Author & Pictures: Henrike Wilhelm

What coming out taught me about tolerance

I’ve always thought of myself as a very tolerant person. I’m not a racist. I’m not scared of Muslims. One of my best friends is transgender. I could never even begin to understand how anyone could dislike a person just because of their skin colour, religious belief or sexual orientation. I told myself that there just had to be something seriously wrong with those people.

Welcome to the minority group

And then this happened: I came out. Now, here I am, newly out of the closet and getting used to being part of a minority group. I’ve never been different from what our society considers to be the norm. Only now do I realise how easy life is when you tick all the “normal” boxes. White? Tick. German? Tick. Christian? Tick. Heterosexual? No tick here.

What happens if you can’t tick all the boxes? That’s right, all of a sudden you depend on other people’s open-mindedness. But what I’ve learnt is that for my life to work out I’m the one who has to be tolerant. I can’t change the reality that some people are homophobic. For some reason I will probably never grasp, the thought of two girls or two boys loving each other is scary, revolting and wrong for some people. I could just stay away from homophobes, you might say. Why should I waste my time and energy on those people? But what do you do if those intolerant, homophobic people are people you love?

Here comes the life lesson

I came to the conclusion that if I deserve tolerance, so do others and I’m as much a recipient of tolerance as I’m a giver of tolerance. So far so good – now to the tricky part. It’s all quite honourable to decide that everyone deserves tolerance. But I can tell you it’s not as easy as it sounds. I always thought tolerance comes naturally to me because it perfectly fits into my worldview. However, when I came out to one of my closest friends who happens to be very religious it was the end of easy-peasy tolerance for me.

She told me that homosexuality could be healed if only you trust in God. I don’t agree. I believe with all my heart that if homosexuality was a life choice, there wouldn’t be any gay people left on this earth. Being gay sucks. It’s complicated, scary, exhausting. So when I sat there and listened to my friend tell me about her views that go against everything I believe I realised that tolerance is painful. It’s actually not a natural and easy thing. It’s horrible and upsetting and challenges your innermost values.

Be brave!

All the more reason to make an effort for it. My friend and I tried to understand each other. We failed. I don’t understand her and she probably has difficulty understanding me. But that’s OK. Because that’s where tolerance comes in and has helped us save our friendship.

Tolerance doesn’t mean agreeing with things you believe to be right anyway. That’s easy – anyone can do that. Tolerance means accepting people whose values you consider to be wrong and listening to opinions you ‘despise’. It’s only natural that people struggle with that. We just have to be brave enough – or should I say tolerant enough – to try anyway.

Author and Pictures: anonymous

What do you know about Mozart?

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – a name you should be familiar with. Everybody knows Mozart and has heard at least one of his amazing pieces or seen one of his famous operas. But what if I tell you that most of what you think you know about Amadeus was actually made up after his death and is probably not true? What if even the name you’re so familiar with isn’t his actual name?

Before you start panicking, there’s still something that has remained almost unadulterated and that is his music. Although Mozart lived in the eighteenth century, which is quite a while ago, we still listen to his music today and even if you don’t listen to it in your free time, you’ll at least have heard some at school.

Mozartfest Augsburg 19^th May – 28^th May 2017

As Mozart spent a lot of time in Augsburg – where his famliy came from – the city has decided to honor his genius every year with the so-called “Mozartfest”. Not only does the “Mozartfest” concern itself with Mozart’s first-class music, which still inspires and provokes people all over the world; it also gives you insight into the person Mozart was as well as the people that surrounded him such as his father, Leopold. At the festival, contemporary composers present their works for the first time and the “MEHR MUSIK!” workshops give children and teenagers the opportunity to learn about improvisation or the invention of instruments.

Mozart – “as touchy as gunpowder”

Now you might be wondering what makes Mozart and his personality so interesting? He was born Joannes Crysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. Later, he would call himself Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, which is close to what you’re used to. However, he was actually never called Amadeus but Amadé or usually “Wolferl”. So, this is one of the things you probably didn’t know about him.

Also, he had very high self-esteem, as he received a lot of positive feedback from his father and many other people he met throughout the years. He was quite lively and somewhat jittery but not so handsome and was always well dressed. He was very religious and trusting, which sometimes led him into trouble. He was also very sensitive when it came to negative criticism or his artistic existence being restricted. Many people also think that Mozart was poor towards the end of his life. He did suffer financial problems but was never really poor.

Not what you expect

All in all, he was definitely not just an inconspicuous, hard-working and successful musician as you might have imagined. There were quite a few people during his lifetime that actually disliked Mozart’s music because it was too complex with too many notes.

So, if you want to be surprised by the world of a person you don’t know enough about yet, then go ahead and take a look at next year’s “Mozartfest”. You won’t be disappointed.

Text and Image: Ana Stanković

DIY stamped tea towels on Towel Day

– A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. –

( Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)

Today is 25 May, which means it’s Towel Day! Why should we celebrate towels? Well, I believe Douglas Adams could have given a more than satisfactory answer if he was still alive.

Actually, it’s thanks to him that Towel Day came into existence in the first place, as it’s celebrated as a tribute to the author’s famous book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The day was first celebrated two weeks after Adams’ death in 2001 and refers to the phrase that “a towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have”. Therefore, fans all over the world celebrate towel day by carrying a towel with them wherever they go that day. If you want to join in the celebrations and you want to have your own special towel, then here is a fun tutorial on how to make stamped tea towels:

You will need:

white bed linen (that you don’t need anymore)
foam sheet – use one of the thicker ones
fabric paint
carpet cutter
pencil
scissors
glue

Firstly, grab your bed linen and lay a tea towel on top. Then outline the shape of your towel and cut it out. Now draw your designs on the foam sheet and cut them out with your cutter. You can make whatever shapes you like, but if you’re as bad as drawing as I am, geometric shapes are just fine 😉

Then cut out a small piece of foam and glue it to the back of your cut outs as a handle for your stamp.

Now cover the stamp with paint and start stamping your towels.

Once you’re happy with your towels, allow the paint to dry and iron them afterwards in order to prevent the paint from coming off when they’re being washed.

Now you have your perfect towel for celebrating Towel Day, but of course, you can just use it as a regualar tea towel as well. I hope you have fun crafting and always bear in mind: don’t panic!

Author & Pictures: Ricarda Rosenbaum

“A day without laughter is a day wasted”

Everybody knows Charlie Chaplin because of his fame as actor, filmmaker and composer of the silent era. But I bet you don’t know everything about him…

Let’s start with a short biography:

Charlie Chaplin was born in London in 1889. His birth name was Charles Spencer Chaplin, though he had many nicknames such as Charlie, Charlot and The Little Tramp. Charlie Chaplin went to the United States in 1910, at the age of 21, trying to become a professional actor. Two years later, Chaplin signed his very first contract and entered into the famous world of Hollywood. He grew to become one of the most popular and successful actors of that time. The moment that really kicked off his long career was in 1921 when he produced his first full length film called “The Kid”. From then on, most people all over the world knew Charlie Chaplin and loved his movies. He had a great career and life. He died in Switzerland in 1977, at the age of 88.

#1: Charlie Chaplin once won the third prize in a Charlie Chaplin look-a-like contest

I know, you’re probably thinking, are you kidding?! This is a myth that has been around for a long time, but there is no direct record of it happening, and all of the claims are anecdotal. This anecdote, told by Lord Desborough, whoever he may have been, was quite widely reported in the British press at the time, so it was assumed that this is the source of an urban myth. However it may be true!

#2: Charlie Chaplin once confessed he had sexual relations with more than 2,000 women

He had a fondness for young women. Chaplin was married four times and had eleven children. He was 29 and his first wife was 16 when they married. His second marriage was to Lita Grey, who was 16, when he was 35. His third and possibly fictional marriage to Paulette Goddard, occurred when he was 47 and she was 28. Chaplin married his last wife, Oona O’Neill, shortly after she turned 18 while he was 54.

#3: Charlie Chaplin’s corpse was stolen

Three months after Chaplin died on Christmas 1977, his body was stolen in an effort to extort money from his family. Chaplin’s body was recovered eleven weeks later after the grave robbers were captured. He is now buried under six feet of concrete to prevent further theft attempts.

#4: Charlie Chaplin has an asteroid named after him

3623 Chaplin (1981 TG2) is a main belt steroid between Mars and Jupiter, which was named after Charlie Chaplin. It was discovered on October 4, 1981 by Ms. Karachkina.

#5: Charlie Chaplin never became a U.S. citizen

He was exiled from the USA in 1953 because he refused to accept the American citizenship. That’s why he lived in Switzerland during his exile years and then died there.

#6: Charlie Chaplin’s imprints on the Hollywood Walk of Fame were removed

Because he was suspected of being a communist, his imprints were removed from the Hollywood Walk of Fame and were afterwards lost.

Author & Pictures: Deborah Ghezzi

Mozartfest Augsburg 19th May – 28th May 2017

Mozart – “as touchy as gunpowder”

Not what you expect

Mozartfest Augsburg 19^th May – 28^th May 2017