Berlin International Women’s Club e.V.

Reporting Back: 

Cooking with Ancient Grains

Image Consultant

Closet Stuffed, Nothing to Wear 

—Toshi J Freeman                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

A Visit to the Einstein Kaffee Rösterei

Mr. Jouini, Einstein Kaffee master roaster, welcomed the BIWC and began by relating the history of coffee. In 1581 Ethiopian shepherds watched their goats eat red fruits, which resulted in the goats being awake far into the night – hence the discovery of coffee beans.
Coffee can be grown in all the countries around the equator. The most important kinds of raw coffee are “robusta” and “arabica.”  Coffee blends, which contain robusta beans, are of lesser value. The most expensive coffee is “kopi luwak”.  Sumatran cats (luwak) eat coffee beans and excrete them. The change that takes place in the gut results in especially good-tasting coffee beans.
Various types of raw beans are sent to coffee roasters, who create different mixtures before roasting.  Gas ovens are filled with the raw beans and the temperature is raised step by step while the roasters observe the changing colour of the beans. Ten to fifteen minutes later, a cracking sound indicates that the roasting is finished.  Waiting for a second crack produces espresso coffee.
We tasted Costa Rican, Indian, and Sumatran coffees while Mr. Jouini explained the making of good coffee:  take 40 g ground coffee, souse with one litre of hot water, wait three minutes and then enjoy.  While tasting the coffees, Mr. Jouini answered questions and we each received a small bag of either coffee beans or ground coffee.
Thank you to Anette and My-Linh for arranging this informative tour.

Where JFK and Willy Brandt stood!

We were there! Eight Club members, most of whom had read about Willy Brandt for the Biographies Book Group, gathered on the very spot, on the steps leading to the Schöneberg City Hall, where the platform stood for John F. Kennedy’s speech to hundreds of thousands of Berliners on 26 June 1963.
We convened for a tour in excellent English by our informative and entertaining guide, Jessica Posel, of the Bundeskanzler-Willy-Brandt-Stiftung.  She guided us through the interesting exhibition, “Struggle for Freedom – Willy Brandt 1913 – 1992”, while a house photographer accompanied our every step.  [See photo in March Newsletter.]  Unwittingly, we were the last group-visit to this exhibition in this venue, as the “permanent” exhibition closed three days later, on 18 December 2009, which was an ironic choice as Brandt’s birth date is 18 December (1913 in Lübeck).  
The Stiftung (Foundation) has since left Schöneberg City Hall, where it resided since 1966.  It shall reopen a new and expanded Brandt exhibition in Spring 2012 in Mitte at Unter den Linden 68, near the Brandenburg Gate.  Further information is available at www.willy-brandt.de and at “Out and About” in this issue.
After the 90-minute free tour, we were offered gratis publications from the Stiftung and browsed through the books and souvenirs for sale in their little shop. 
Upon departure, we collected a contribution toward the Stiftung’s work.  Thank you to Sue for organizing this most interesting NE Group visit.
 

Reporting Back:
Health and Vitality
An Introduction to Astrology by Monika Herzfeld

Monika’s talk on astrology was both fascinating and informative.  She removed the mystical aspect by explaining the basic principles assigned to the planets and signs of the zodiac as a language of symbols.  Astrology attempts to explain certain behavioural patterns by classifying them with specific features according to the constellation of the stars at birth and the corresponding sign of the zodiac.  This is what Monika does when asked to work out a horoscope for a client, rather than implementing any clairvoyant talent.  Naturally, there was not enough time for Monika to do everyone’s horoscope during the meeting, but anyone who is interested can contact her at her consulting room.
We received a warm welcome at the Berliner Heilpraktiker Fachschule. The rooms are not only used for training future homeopaths, but also for massage, consultations, and talks.  In addition, the Fachschule supports the organisation "El Faro", which helps victims of sexual abuse and violence.
 

"Festive Event Swedish Style"

"Goder afton, goder afton, välkommen var gäst, vi önskar Eder alla en fröjdefull fest!" . With this traditional welcome song, the charming Swedish-Norwegian organizing team of Caroline, Johanna, Berit and Marie opened the BIWC traditional Festive Event in December 2009.  Supported by the Swedish Community (a special thank you to Kersti), they showed us the hospitality and traditions of the two main festivities of the Swedish midwinter, Christmas and Saint Lucia's Day.  A basic part of festivities the world over is food, and Sweden is no exception.  We were offered typical specialities like Pepparkakor (ginger thins), Lussekatter (Lucia bun) und Glögg (mulled wine), followed by a selection of different parts of the traditional Christmas Buffet "Julbord", including Christmas ham, salmon and rice pudding, all adapted to a modern-style menu by Ingo.
We were told about the origin and current practice of the Swedish traditions in a relaxed way and with a huge sense of humor.  We danced around the Christmas tree, sang wonderful Christmas and winter songs from different countries, and heard the story of St. Lucia. Then we were deeply moved by the procession, in which Lucia, with her crown of candles, is accompanied by girls (among them Berit’s daughter), all of them dressed in white gowns and beautifully singing songs about hope-giving light in the dark nights of winter.  A big thank you to our hostesses Berit, Caroline, Johanna and Marie who organized this interesting, relaxing and joyful event, bringing the spirit of a Swedish Fest to the Club. 
Similar to the tradition of the closing ceremony at the Olympic Games, "the torch was passed" to the Spanish Speakers Special Interest Group who have volunteered to be the hosts of the next BIWC Festive Event.  It appears that this Swedish evening was the perfect start to a new tradition to experience and enjoy our fellow members' festive traditions. 
 

Reporting Back:   Science and Technology Group at Otto Bock

At the Science Center Medical Technology of Otto Bock, Europe's leading prosthesis manufacturer, we started with the “walker” where light bulbs illustrate the pattern of human gaits (female or male, in different moods), also to be seen on the façade at night. There was a focus on interactive learning in the exhibition, so we were encouraged to try to balance on a small catwalk high over Potsdamer Platz and to avoid obstacles with a manually-driven wheelchair across Pariser Platz – both virtually and with virtuosity.  We learned how to control an arm prosthesis by generating electrical muscle impulses with our own arms and enjoyed the media table that showed us the anatomy under the skin of our arms, discovering that there are no muscles in the fingers.
We gathered around a statue of the cortical homunculus, a pictorial representation of fine motor skills which enlarges parts of the body according to the number of sense nerves connected to the brain. The result was a grotesquely disfigured human with disproportionately huge hands, lips, and face in comparison to the rest of the body.
Many of us will make a return visit to the exhibition (in English and German) on our own to experience some of the parts that we did not focus on in the guided tour.  The Center is free and open to the public Thursday-Sunday 10-18.  You can learn more at www.sciencecenter-medicaltechnology.com.
Thanks to the Otto Bock Center for inviting us, to our charming and motivating science guide Susanne Hölzer for her animated tour, and to all members and partners for being interested and actively participating!
 

Social Event:
Visit with Philippine Ambassador

On 17 September the Philippine Ambassador, H.E. Delia Domingo Albert gave a talk to the BIWC at the Ellington Hotel. She spoke about the Philippines in the Global Gender Gap Index of the World Economic Forum. This report ranks countries on how well they are dividing their resources and opportunities among men and women in order to close the gender gap. Amazingly the Philippines is among the most progressive, topped only by the Scandinavian countries and New Zealand. (Germany is only 11th.)
She explained this by the high educational achievement and political empowerment of women, as well as the traditional respect for women in Philippine society. Traditionally, the wife controls the finances of the family. Philippine legislation also promotes the fundamental equality of women and men before the law and in society. The availability of household help makes it easier for young women to combine child-rearing and a career.
Because of the high birthrate, the population is growing too fast and there are not enough jobs in the country. Therefore many women (and men) leave their families and look for greener pastures abroad. They send part of their earnings home to help their families. But the social cost of this migration is high because many children grow up without their parents and in many countries there is violence against women migrant workers. The Philippine government is aware of this problem and tries its best to protect its citizens abroad.
 

Health & Vitality:
Bach Remedies

On 23 October Beatrix gave a very interesting talk on the Bach Remedies.
There are 38 remedies in this system. All of them were developed by Edward Bach, an English physician and pathologist, in the 1930s. Each remedy is associated with a basic human emotion. Bach thought of illness as the result of an internal war, leading to a lack of "harmony," thus leading to diseases.
Bach's flower remedies were intuitively derived, based on his connections to the plants. He believed that early morning sunlight passing through dew-drops on flower petals transferred the healing power of the flower to the water. He collected the dew drops and mixed with an equal amount of brandy to produce a mother tincture. Later, he found that the amount of dew he could collect was not sufficient, so he would suspend flowers in spring water and allow the sun's rays to pass through them.
In 1917 Bach was diagnosed with stomach cancer, for which he was operated on, and given three months to live. He continued with his work until 1936, when he had all 38 remedies and said it was complete. He died in November of that year.
His work was continued by his faithful assistant, Nora Weeks, and word of mouth caused it to grow in popularity. His remedies are now available all over the world.
Thank you Beatrix for the interesting talk and for opening your home to us.
 

Morning Book Discussion Group:
Happy 15th Anniversary!

Other BIWC groups have come and gone. But the morning book discussion group is still going strong after 15 years! Many thanks to Thora for opening her home and leading the lively discussions for all these many years!
In November we celebrated with a lovely "pot luck" lunch after our discussion. Sue also updated the list of books that have been read and discussed over the years. If you are interested in seeing it, check out the BIWC website. (www.BIWC.de)

South-West Group:
A visit to the Jadgschloss Grunewald

On 28 October members of the South-West Neighbourhood Group visited the Jagdschloss Grunewald which is situated at one end of the Grunewaldsee. We reached the castle after a short walk through the forest, starting either from H¸ttenweg or from Clayallee. It was a beautiful day; the trees displayed their most intensive autumn colours and provided a perfect setting for a visit to the hunting lodge.
The castle was originally built in 1542 by the Elector Joachim II of Brandenburg. Since then it was used as a hunting lodge by almost all Hohenzollern Electors, Kings and Kaisers. The baroque extensions were added by King Friedrich I at the beginning of the 18th century and Kaiser Wilhelm II modernised the main building around 1900. Since 1932 it has been used as a museum. During the last three years it was closed for extensive renovations.
The re-opening was accompanied by two exhibitions. First was an exhibition of Berlin Portrait Paintings from three centuries. We enjoyed an expert guided tour through the galleries. Unfortunately this exhibition is now closed. Secondly, there was an exhibition about the history of the castle and the museum which is open permanently. There will be new changing exhibitions and other events in the castle, like a Christmas Market on the 5th and 6th December. Information can be obtained from www.spsg.de.
After the tour we had lunch in the nearby Paulsborn Restaurant. It was a pleasant excursion which fitted so well to this time of the year. Thank you, Pam and Beatrix, for organising it.
 

Grace & Exercise

My thoughts were in obvious contrast to the title ìGrace & Exerciseì when I saw the announcement and asked myself, ìChallenge or Utopia?ì I read further. ìÖthis new class, which includes stretching and exercises for control and strength." "Blood, toil, tears and sweat" was my first association. Then I decided to take the challenge. ìOur two goals are to nourish the body through movement and to establish awareness of all parts of the body.î A new awareness of muscles was already established during the first exercises and was kept in memory by some light soreness in the next days. Nevertheless we had a lot of fun together. Sixty minutes of ìcontrol and strength exercisesî just flew by and a good body feeling started to grow. I looked forward to the next Monday and have now found out that Grace & Exercise is the perfect way for me to start a successful week. ìThe class is structured so that each individual will benefit according to her initial level of fitness.î I notice people staring at me as I find myself balancing on one leg in a yoga tree pose while waiting for the bus.
Ingrid has extraordinary talent, tact and sensitivity. She motivates each of us, regardless of age, physical condition or attitude towards sport, to improve our skills. She makes us feel welcome, lets us keep our dignity and helps us forget about the toil. We enjoy Ingridís unbelievable grace and admire the progress of our fellow members. With a lot of persistent exercise we might even dance a step further towards grace!
By the way: soon is time for New Yearís resolutionsÖ.
 

Science and Technology:
First Aid Course

On the first weekend in September, eight BIWC members and four husbands took part in a first aid course at the Wilmersdorf Red Cross. The course was conducted in English just for us! Several of us needed the certificate in order to obtain driving licences, but others just wanted to increase their knowledge. If you have to call 112 for emergency services, for example, it is important to be able to give vital information as to the what, where and when of the accident. We learnt how to cope with the ëcasualtyí in the time before help arrives. We practised turning unconscious persons onto their sides, taking off their helmets and getting them out of a car. We also practiced artificial resuscitation, giving them reviving heart pushes and breaths through the nose. (We practised on a sterilised face that fit onto the practise dummy.) For less dramatic occasions, we learnt how to deal with burns, fainting, breathing difficulties, wounds that commonly occur at home and shock. Iím sure by now we will all have taken a closer look at what is in our first aid boxes. In two years, yellow vests will be compulsory. To quote our teacher, ìIt is good to be seen when you are running across the motorway.î Throughout the course we had fun and laughed a lot! Thank you Angela for thinking of and organising this event for us!
 

A Warm Welcome in Copenhagen

Thursday, 27 August, twelve BIWC members made the journey from Berlin to Copenhagen. Midway through the long, but comfortable bus ride, the almost two-hour ferry trip was a pleasant break. We enjoyed the salty smell and smooth blue surface of the sea.
We were warmly welcomed by four ladies of the International Women's Club of Copenhagen who took us for a walk to Tivoli, a garden filled with restaurants, theaters, music stages and other attractions. Apparently, the idea of building Disney World was born when Walt Disney visited Tivoli. In addition to the amusement park rides, Tivoli is filled with lovely flowers and beautiful lights and buildings. On the way, we crossed the Kongens Nytorv Square, which is transformed into an ice-skating rink in the winter, with the surrounding trees decorated with little lights. Very hyggelik I was told, meaning cozy in Danish, a characteristic of the city we encountered many times more.
Friday morning we explored the area of Amalienborg, home of the Danish royal family since 1784. The Danish flag that was flying did not have the monogram of the queen, which signified that she was not home. Later that morning we saw the Little Mermaid, a copy of the Brandenburg Gate Quadriga at the Thorvaldsen Museum and much more during our boat ride. After lunch we visited the Rosenborg Gardens and Palace, where the crown jewels are kept.
On Saturday we traveled by train to Louisiana, the Museum of Modern Art. I was impressed by the exhibition, ìGreen Architecture for the Futureî, which demonstrated that sustainable architecture is a far more complex matter than just rainwater collection and solar cells. The day ended with a delicious potluck dinner at the beautiful home of Christine Olsen, the President of the IWC.
Sunday we each went our own way. I went with Ginger to the Resistance Museum and for a stroll through the Churchill Park and the Kastelet before catching the bus that brought us back to Berlin.
Many thanks to the women of the IWC for their wonderful hospitality and to Stephanie and Monica for organizing this wonderful trip.
 

Berlin Historical Association

BHA holds monthly lectures with experts in their fields and visits places of historical interest in and around Berlin.
On Saturday, 10 October, BHA will tour the exhibition that is sub-titled "Shadows and Traces of the Imperial Capitalî. "Myth Germania" throws new light onto the historical area that includes Berlin's Spree River—near the Hauptbahnhof (Main Station)—and the former ministerial gardens.
The next lecture is scheduled for Tuesday, 20 October.
As the only English-speaking historical association in Berlin, BHA is international in its composition, with professionals as well as retirees among its members. No children under 10 years.
Guests are welcome. However, registration is a must and there is a small fee for non-members to participate.
For further information and how to join, contact BHA by e-mail (bha_ev@yahoo.com) or send a fax to: 81 81 99 88.
Additional information can be found on the BHA homepage at: www.pinnow.com/bha.htm

Festival of Lights

Wednesday, 14 October
to Sunday, 25 October
This is the fifth year that Berlin has held the Festival of Lights. Over fifty buildings and landmarks will be illuminated during the twelve-day period.
A wide variety of cultural events focussing on the subject 'light' enhance the festival.
The website (www.festival-of-lights.de/Berlin) offers detailed information andóin German onlyóa list of events.
 

Social Event:
Visit to the Staatsbibliothek “Unter den Linden”

On 30 June, we were honoured to be invited by the Director General of the Berlin State Library, Frau Barbara Schneider-Kempf, to visit the library building “Unter den Linden 8”. We were welcomed in the “Roter Salon” and given a short presentation by Frau Schneider-Kempf about the library and its impressive assets and also its surprisingly low funds for further acquisition.
The heads of four special collections, Herr Falk Eisermann, Dr. Katrin Böhme, Herr Roland Schmidt-Hensel and Herr Wolfgang Crom, brought some of their treasures to show us and shared their love and enthusiasm for these rare and precious items with us.
Among them were a map of utopian Schlaraffenland, a 2m-long pirated English edition of the Rhine panorama, an imagined birds-eye view of Dresden with the Frauenkirche, hand-written scores from Bach and Beethoven, impressive magnificently illustrated and bound Bibles and a miniature prayer book.  Clearly a lot of thought went into the selection of items to be shown, the presenters having chosen  items they thought would appeal specifically to an international women’s club.
We were then taken in two groups on tours through the construction and renovation site, where we received an explanation of the original axis-concept of the building by architect Ernst von Ihne and the new design, which will bring the former heart of the library – the reading room – back to its center, adding high-safety cellar rooms to protect the treasures as well as a modern space and structure concept.
A big thanks to Cary and our wonderful Social Events team and everyone at the Staatsbibliothek who helped initiate and organize this fascinating event, which left me eagerly awaiting  the talk by Frau Schneider-Kempf on 1 October. 

Health and Vitality:
Lunch at the Organic Restaurant "tellerfrisch"

On 26 June the Health and Vitality Group went to the small organic restaurant "tellerfrisch" at Chausseestr. 110. The owner gave us an introduction to health food by pointing out how important the use of fresh and unadulterated ingredients is for our health. He explained the difference between organic products and the brand name “Demeter” products. “Demeter” refers to the Greek goddess of grain and fertility and is the older brand. Actually it has existed since 1928 and denotes products from biodynamic agriculture according to the anthroposophic principles of Rudolf Steiner. They are sold in special organic stores or "Reformhäuser". They undergo a much stricter control than ordinary organic products and are usually produced near the place where they are sold to avoid long transports.
As people become more and more health conscious, the sale of organic products has become very popular and they are now sold in supermarkets.  The "Bio/Öko" label has been regulated only since 1992. To be certified as "bio", products should not have been irradiated, genetically modified, or produced with chemical fertilizer. Animals should have been raised in a natural environment, i.e. no mass animal farming, no antibiotics and hormones.
We all agreed that consuming organic products is much healthier, albeit sometimes more expensive. Then we enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared with these healthy ingredients, which was not that expensive at all. The chef was pleasant and quite willing to share his recipes with us.
 

Spanish Speakers:
Summer time at Cecilia's Home

In August more than 20 "Spanish Speakers" ladies had the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful afternoon at Cecilia’s home!
The weather was perfect for sitting outside in her beautiful garden.  I just couldn’t believe my eyes when, almost full from eating all the homemade cakes and pies–and, believe me, every single one of them was delicious–we were served the freshly-made special empanadas from Venezuela made from chicken, beef, and cheese with a delicious spicy sauce–mmm!
Maybe it was the coffee, the tea or the special summer punch with more than just a little kick that got us all singing and dancing to the rhythms of old Latin songs and national anthems.  As if we were not having enough fun, Cecilia came out with maracas, a tambourine, drums and several other instruments to add more spice to the afternoon.  Time flew by and the hospitality of Cecilia was never-ending.  Then came the sambucca and before I realized it, it was already 21.00.
I think we will all hold this wonderful afternoon in our hearts. I cannot thank Cecilia enough for her kind and generous hospitality.
Muchas Gracias!
 

Science and Technology: Language Acquisition, Multilingualism and Language Contact

On 24 June the Science and Technology Group went to the “Centre for General Linguistics “ in Berlin-Mitte to attend a seminar on multilingualism.
Dagmar Bittner presented a paper on SLI (special language impairment) in early childhood.  An SLI child is not a typical late talker, but the size of its vocabulary is at the bottom of the normal level and he uses only a few types of function words. This results in an extreme delay in the acquisition of verb forms and of complex sentences. Language therapy must start before the 3rd birthday.
Natalja Gagarina read a paper on the mystery of bilingual language acquisition. For small children it is very easy to learn two languages. We distinguish between alternate bilingualism acquired at a very early age and sequential bilingualism  acquired after age 3.  If earlier studies associated bilingualism with lower intelligence, later studies affirmed that a bilingual child has mental flexibility, superiority in concept formation and a more diversified set of mental abilities. Early bilingual proficiency, however, has to be developed and maintained.
Tonies Veenstra spoke on language contact and mixing. Language contact can go from borrowing vocabulary to the creation of new languages, the so-called creoles. ‘Code-mixing’ is a widespread phenomenon. Many bilinguals produce mixed sentences in ordinary conversation.  Contrary to prejudices, speakers who code-mix fluently and easily tend to be quite proficient bilinguals.
Stefanie Jannedy spoke about her research into ‘Kiezdeutsch’, a variety of German spoken predominantly in urban multi-ethnic neighborhoods such as Kreuzberg. One of the salient phonetic features of this ‘ethnolect’ or ‘urban dialect’ is the pronunciation of the palatal fricative ‘ch’ in ‘ich’ as ‘sh’. This is done not only by young Turkish or Arab speakers, but also by young Germans of the same neighborhood.

Businesswomen / Networking Group:
"Mediation: Fighting your own Battles Fairly and Successfully" presented by Dr. Bernadette Steinmeyer

After admiring Bernadetteís lovely house and splendid garden, we understood why she receives her clients at home. A friendly meeting place has a more open and hopeful atmosphere in which to reach a constructive agreement than a lawyer's office or a courtroom.
Mediation requires that opposing parties listen to each other. Both sides are helped to express their wants and needs and hear the reasoning of the other party while avoiding accusations, justifications, revenge, the insistence on being right or wrong and the obsession with winning the case. The mediator is impartial; opponents are encouraged to find their own solutions.
The law cannot be perfect and custom-made for each case. For example, in the case of divorce each woman has her own particular situation and her own point of view regarding what's due her. The current financial crisis might also affect situations that seemed regulated. Bernadetteís happiest case was when the couple decided not to get divorced after all!
Ending conflicts may not be about being right or wrong or winning or losing. It is preferable to find a solution both parties can live with.
 

June Social Event: Bus Trip to Wörlitzer Garten

In Germany it is almost impossible to separate the weather from daily life. Being sure that in June the weather would already be really good, the excursion to the Wˆrlitz English Country Garden Park was carefully planned.
Most of us came with an umbrella to the ZOB bus station and travelled by bus with a very pleasant driver.
Soon after we arrived, we started the guided tour in the English Landscape Park, which is situated around the Prince of Dessau's Summer Palace. I found it spectacular, and I think I would have loved to live at that time in the palace and the garden.
Wˆrlitz has a very beauitful landscape. With camera in hand we forgot the cold; people were walking around talking here and there. It was ideal for the group to get closer together.
The guide ñ he unnecessarily apologized quite often for his ìpoorî English ñ did his best to inform us about the details about the Prince, the park and its history.
After a two-hour walk we lunched at long tables in the Green Tree Restaurant, a countryside restaurant with a certain charm.
After lunch we chose between a romantic gondola trip on the canals and lakes that are part of the landscape park or a visit to the Wˆrlitz Palace.
I chose the Palace. It is actually a big mansion which is now under restoration, which means you can see only the ground floor. Fortunately the palace was not affected by the war, so all you can see–the furniture, paintings and wooden floors– is original.
We went back to the bus in bright sunshine, happy and a bit tired. I canít give any details of the bus ride back to Berlinólike most of usó I was sound asleep.
Many thanks to the ladies who organized the excursion, who were very friendly and who took care of all details, and to our President with her ever-present smile.
 

Health & Vitality: Dental Health and Individual Beauty

On 4 June the Health and Vitality Group went to the Lichterfelde dental practice of Dr. Birgit Didner and her team, who specialize in dental health and facial beauty (esthetics).
We were first shown with models and slides the importance of professional prophylaxis. When you suffer from common problems like diabetes, kidney problems or high blood pressure, it is advisable to have a professional look at your teeth and gums twice a year in order to prevent permanent damage.
We next moved on to dental beauty: zoom bleaching and thin veneers. You may have tried a bleaching tooth paste or creams at home, but their effect is minimal. One also needs to be very careful about applying the bleaching cream onto the gums, as they suffer from the peroxide. Professional bleaching can achieve up to 8 shades of whitening. Veneers work best for teeth that are visibly damaged in structure or appearance (e.g. dark teeth after root problems). The beauty of the new thin veneers is that you do not damage the real teeth underneath.
We then had a live demonstration of wrinkle reduction through the injection of collagen or hyaluronic acid. Both substances are found naturally in our body and are not allergenic, so it seems very safe. The effect lasts up to 12 months and is immediate after the treatment. I am highly tempted to give it a try!
We had a very informative evening with a genuinely caring team. We were treated to a lovely buffet and Dr. Didner has kindly agreed to give BIWC members a special price on facial treatments.
 

South-West Neighbourhood Group: Apfelstrudel with Franziska

Every time I attend a new BIWC activity I congratulate myself again and again for having met you. This time I registered – in time  for a South-West Group meeting at Franziska's home. It was a great group that shared this activity. I enjoyed very much the easy conversation about our families, voyages, and especially about cooking.
Franziska masterfully prepared her famous Apfelstrudel, which she thinks that she has prepared about a thousand times. She showed us step by step the preparation of this lovely dessert and gave us many little useful hints. We had good coffee in precious Maria Weiss porcelain. Beatrix had also prepared a cake to celebrate Hildegardís birthday.
Apart from being a sweet and lovely lady, I found out that Franziska wrote a book about her life and another one about cooking, which I had the opportunity to look at.
Gracias!
 

Science and Technology event!

From Life to Death in Sixty Minutes
Sue Schwerin von Krosigk

Scene of the crime: Berlin Mitte, Virchowstraße 17.

Time: May 2 2009 / 17.00

Victims: Nineteen BIWC members, guests and spouses

Perpetrator: Tom Werner, historian at the Charité

Reporting back from an entertaining and informative tour through the exhibition „From the Crime Scene to the Laboratory“ that focuses on unnatural causes of death and the work of medical examiners:

The group received sound advice on how best to get rid of bothersome neighbours, what quality murder weapons must ideally have and how we can speed up inheriting from relatives with the help of poison. But, although only a small percentage of bodies are autopsied in Germany (and many natural deaths are suspected to actually be murders), our hopes of getting away with capital crime were dashed in the end. It seems that forensic evidence is very telling.

On show in the surprisingly stylish exhibition were all the instruments used to identify corpses and to perform autopsies, analyse the crime and ideally lead to the murderer. Also imaginative gadgets that were successfully put to use in suicides could be inspected, and our guide nicely took the suicide section as an excuse for a little pep talk on the quality of life as such.

Most of the exhibits were real and the murder weapons on display had all actually been used. Strangely enough, none of this was as creepy as it may sound, and no one fainted or was sick. There is no sickly smell of death around the place, the photographs of bodies and body parts are tastefully held in black and white, allowing us to keep a respectful distance. Also the ten tables on each of which a cause of death was exhibited were placed in such a way that the squeamish could look away if necessary.

Tom Werner was a wonderfully dead pan story teller, humorous and very willing to answer all our questions. In passing we were informed of the disturbing fact that as victims of an unnatural death we will not longer be in control of our post-mortem destinies. Our bodies will be confiscated by the state attorney (and no last will and testament can influence that). He made passionate plea for the respectful way in which the Berlin forensic department treats the dead, and so we learned that there exists a medical examination practice beyond CSI. Oh, and, should we misbehave, we would be definitely be identified by our DNA as having visited the exhibition. After all, even we, the living, leave traces of our existence everywhere.

So watch your step.

Thanks, Angela, for an interesting life and death experience!

Business Women/Networking Group:
Reiki Healing with Toshi Freeman

On a Thursday evening in February we were invited to Toshi Freeman’s Session Rooms in Schöneberg. We were welcomed by Toshi and her assistant with a cup of herbal tea and relaxing Reiki music. Toshi, a Reiki Master & Teacher, has been working since 1993 with the Usui-System, which is a gentle technique of laying on hands to activate or harmonize body, spirit and mind. Reiki is suitable for all ages, is excellent during pregnancy and has a positive effect on the self-healing system. It can be used to support healing in people, animals and plants. We were all interested in seeing what a Reiki treatment looks like, so Toshi showed us her treatment room with a comfortable massage table. I was chosen to receive a treatment. This was a special treat because I am normally the one giving the treatment. During the Reiki treatment I experienced deep relaxation and did not even hear the others around me anymore. Afterwards I felt very well. For me, Reiki is an effective holistic health treatment, which is also very easy to learn. For further information see www.alohaforum.de or contact freereiki@aol.com.

January Social Event: Visit to the Bundesrat

The first thing we learned from our guide, Club member and independent staff employee Tatjana Kreuch, was that the German federative system is unique in the world. The Bundesrat is the representative body of the 16 states, or Länder, and, as the Chamber of Federal States, forms a counterweight to the other German legislative body, the Bundestag. But, unlike members of other parlia-mentary bodies such as the US Senate, the members of the Bundesrat are not elected directly, because they are members of their state governments, each of which votes as a block with 3 – 6 votes, according to its population. When state elections bring about a change in the governing party or coalition parties, the makeup of the Bundesrat is also affected. Thus the Bundesrat serves as a link between the central government and the states‘ economic, political and cultural diversity.

As a special favor, Tatjana re-ceived permission for us to sit in the members‘ seats in the plenary hall while she explained the workings of the plenary assembly and gave us time to admire the simple transparency of the chamber‘s architecture.
In 1851, the Prussian State bought the townhouse of the family of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, for the upper chamber of the Prussian Landtag. When the townhouse proved to be too small, it was torn down to make way for the present building, the Herrenhaus, erected between 1899 and 1904.
On our way through the building, we saw an installation by the German sculptor Rebecca Horn, consisting of three long bars hanging from the ceiling. As soon as people enter the room, the bars are set into graceful motion—the three powers, legislative, executive and judicial, which move only when the citizens bring them to life.

Many thanks to Tatjana for her illuminating explanation and interpretation of the democratic principles represented in the Bundesrat!
 

Business Women: Computer Training
We had a lovely event at Viola‘s EDV-Didaktik Training Centre
She has a very nice training centre that makes a very positive place for learning. The training studio is equipped with 5 computers.

She told us about her instruction, what courses she offers, how she prices them and how she approaches and customises the les-sons. Most interesting were her "computer workshops". During these workshops you can bring any questions you might have, and she will answer you individually. You may also bring your own lap-top , as well as your files, so that she can teach you using your own examples. This hand-on training very specifically addresses your particular needs. The workshops last 3 hours and are presented once a month.
Viola has many years of experience, loves her computer training career and is an excellent trainer. If you need any guidance with your computer work, you would need to look no further for the very best assistance.

The BIWC Business Women Networking Group, would like to thank Viola for her contribution and the very enjoyable evening.
 

NG2: Jo Johnston’s Artwork

On Friday, 16 January a group of us met at Jo Johnston's house to look at her artwork and observe an artist in action. Jo trained at an art school in England and uses a wide range of media- oils, water-colours as well as linocuts and has made some visually impressive pen-and-ink landscapes. She talked about her formative influences and how she builds up a picture and we looked at a selection of her work. After coffee and cake, Barbara "volunteered" to pose while Jo rapidly produced a recognisable charcoal sketch of her. A highly enjoyable morning for us. Anyone who would like to see Jo's work, much of which is available for purchase, e-mail her at: littlewindow@t-online.de or find her on her website www.littlewindow.co.uk
 

Health & Vitality: Make your own Aromatherapy Gifts

One morning in early December we were greeted warmly by Beatrix as we entered her lovely home, which was already decorated for Christmas. We were served two kinds of aroma teas with delicious finger food. We were introduced to seven essential raw materials that we were going to work with. Nine ladies were divided into three groups: massage bar, bath melt and natural lip balm group. Everyone was moving around and talking, discussing and choosing the essential oils, drinking and chatting. Our group had a long discussion on choosing essential oils. Finally we reached agreement and named our bath melt "Mandarinemärchen"
.
Later on in the kitchen, under Beatrix‘s helping hand, we melted cocoa butter, added the oil, cooled them down, placed rose petals, poured the mixture into a mould tray and put them in the fridge. Then the team impatiently waited until it solidified. It looked so pretty – a great achievement for the day!
Around noon, we all sat down and enjoyed the wonderful lavender ice cream made by Beatrix and some of the ladies. When leaving, each lady received three little bags with the aroma products we had made – early Christmas gifts.

We were still in high spirits and hugged each other to say good bye. And I again felt warm in my heart!
It was a truly amazing experience. Thank you, Beatrix, for your kindness and generosity in hosting this well-organized and informative event.
 

Our Danish Visitors:
BIWC has new friends!

We had the pleasure of meeting and entertaining a very lively and interesting group of women from Denmark during the Christmas season. They traveled to Berlin by bus and stayed on the Ku’damm where Stephanie Mosler, Monika Telger and I welcomed them. A number of their group had already been to Berlin, a city they all like to visit and re-visit. From the hotel, we went to the Literaturhaus for a warming holiday drink and snacks where we met up with several BIWC members. The atmosphere was spirited and there was much laughter and good cheer. From there, the visitors continued on to the Komische Oper together with Stephanie and Nancy. The following day Iris Grötschel led a guided tour of the city accompanied by Sue and Ginger. Those who took the tour made a special point of complimenting Iris on her thoroughness and her knowledge. Knowing Iris, I heartily agree. We left them to their own devices in the afternoon. Some went on wild shopping sprees, showing off their purchases in the evening; they let us know how much more expensive it is to shop in Denmark. Others walked through some of our Christmas markets.
The day culminated with a lavish "St Nikolaus" potluck dinner at Monika’s lovely home, complete with a visit from the Saint himself who was bearing gifts for everyone there! About a dozen BIWC members had prepared international dishes to add to Monika’s well laid out table. At this point, it truly felt as though we had all become friends and the atmosphere was casual and warm. We ate, we drank, we talked, we laughed and we received invitations to pay them a visit in Denmark. They were extremely grateful for the warm welcome prepared by BIWC and we were grateful to have met such a lovely group of international women and to show off our city. Their last day, Sunday, Ginger and Ruby escorted them through Chartlottenburg to yet another Christmas market (they just loved them all and shopped) and the museums there. We bade farewell to our visitors and let them know that they are most welcome to return in the future. I have no doubt that a trip to Copenhagen will transpire in the foreseeable future.
Special thanks to Monika (and her family) and to Stephanie, Iris and all the other women in BIWC who took time out from their busy schedules to help make this visit a success!
 

Art & Architecture: A Visit to the English Theatre Berlin

The Art and Architecture group were treated to a unique theater experience on 6 December. Ling and Monika organized a visit to "Bloodwater," two short plays by Eugene O’Neill written in 1916 and 1917. Both plays were presented with a minimum of staging and props, putting the whole focus on the actors’ words and gestures with music and sound effects. Katalina Mustatea, the very inventive director, found that the first, two-person play, "Before Breakfast," could be understood differently from the playwright’s intended effect by having his elaborate stage directions spoken by an actor exactly as O’Neill had written them. The actress, however, instead of miming the playwright’s description of a bitter, ugly, slovenly shrew who drives her (offstage) husband to suicide, creates an attractive character who is caught up by the forces of circumstance and is trying to maintain her own dignity by rebelling against the masculine code imposed upon her.
The second play, "In the Zone," shows how public opinion can be influenced by seemingly logical arguments. During wartime, men on a ship carrying munitions are moved to ostracize one of the crew members who, they are persuaded to believe, is a German spy. When it is proved that he is not, the men’s remorse immobilizes them.
We, the audience, not being sure that the play was over, put off applauding for several minutes. During the discussion with the cast and director that followed the performances, we learned that the audience of the previous night had sat for even longer before someone dared to start clapping. Katalina Mustatea and the members of the cast explained the innovations with which they had approached the plays in order to integrate the audience into the scenes.
Thanks, Monika and Ling, for a successful and thought-inspiring evening.
 

Business Women/Networking Group:
Beauty Makeover

Fashion styling advice, make-up and hair styles: we did get it all.
The lucky ladies who attended our Business Women Networking Group event at the Anna S. Hair Lounge were treated to a very special evening. Style advisor Yasmin Farhumand (www.yasmin-farhumand.de) was on hand with ideas and advice on how to look our best and the whole team of Anna S. really surpassed all our expectations. Sustained by delicious Prosecco or soft drinks and yummy nibbles, we watched how women were made to look quite fabulous for special occasions or engagements. Pauline, their make-up specialist, never stopped all evening, demonstrating techniques, giving tips and delighting everyone with the results. Nico did wondrous magic to longer hair with a hairbrush, pins and hair spray. Gordon surprised Margaret with a fabulous, elegant hair cut. And Tobias, who is in his final year of learning the trade, helped wherever he was needed.
Later on, we were also joined by Ines Zaunik, the proprietor, who had made the entire evening possible. We owe all of them a big thank you! You could, of course, try it out for yourselves at Raumer Str. 20 in Prenzlauer Berg or find out more under www.anna-s-hairlounge.de. We think it would be well worth the journey.
With a little luck we might be able to arrange another evening there, perhaps sometime next year. If you are interested, please contact Margaret or Karin and we'll see what is possible.
 

A & A visits the Azerbaijan exhibition

On 16 October, about twenty ladies from the Art & Architecture group visited the exhibition about Azerbaijan in the Ethnology Museum in Dahlem. During this visit we were able to gain insight into a country which, due to its geographical position, has for centuries found itself on the cusp of tensions between Persia, the Ottoman Empire and Russia.
With the help of a tour guide, we got to see and learn about traditional cloths, musical instruments (even hearing some melodies), Islamic decor, prized manuscripts and miniature figures from that region. The exhibition ended with the Soviet era, during which the traditions of the country were totally changed. As with almost all the countries of the former Soviet Union, the traditions in Azerbaijan are now coming to life again. Many things in this exhibition left me feeling that mankind is very small and I was overwhelmed by the five thousand years of history and culture of this country that I had previously known nothing about.

Health and Vitality’s Visit to the Salt Spa “Saltero”

The women of the Health and Vitality Group enjoyed a relaxing and informative evening in October at the salt spa “Saltero” at Meinekestr. 5. This is the first salt spa of its kind in Germany. You can choose between two special salt rooms where the walls, floor, and ceiling are covered and packed with many layers of white salt. A salt generator there produces salt aerosol, consisting of tiny, dry salt particles that continually saturate the air. These salt particles are breathed in and go very deep into the lungs and bronchia. The walls of the rooms themselves, which are about 4-5 cm thick, are made of salt taken from a place in Sachsen-Anhalt, 800-900 meters below sea level.
It has been well-known for centuries that salty sea air and the climate of salt mines have healing effects on our respiratory system. Salt therapy or halotherapy can be especially beneficial for people with asthma and frequent viral infections or colds, as well as for those who suffer from bronchitis, ear infections, various skin problems, allergies, and other chronic ear-nose-throat illnesses. There are no side effects since salt is a natural substance found in our bodies. Salt has anti-bacterial properties and strengthens the immune system. It also helps you to sleep and breathe better. Singers benefit from salt therapy, for it helps their voice to become smoother.
A salt therapy session lasts 45 minutes. You can relax in a comfortable recliner at a pleasant room temperature with a warm blanket while breathing in the dry, salty air – there is no need to change clothes.
 

The Cutting Edge

On 28 October, a lucky group of us joined Jill DiGiovanni for another wonderful cooking event.
We met at the Private Kant-Schule in Steglitz. Jill had arranged to use their teaching kitchen, in return for agreeing to teach some students a few simple cooking skills. By the time we arrived at 10.00, Jill had already been hard at work. Not only had she set up our work places, but she had also done a lot of cooking herself. As we unloaded our vegetables and knives, we could see and smell several full stock pots simmering on the kitchen’s stoves.
We were introduced to a series of knives and learned the proper way to use the most common one, the chef’s knife. We chopped and diced, and learned how to julienne. In no time at all, we had worked our way through onions, garlic, leeks, carrots, celery and parsley! Some of these went into a waiting stock pot and, together with lettuce, spinach, beans and pasta, became a tasty vegetable soup. Jill also used some of the garlic and herbs to create a quick savory focaccia, and showed us how to make a sweet focaccia and a simple dipping sauce for fruit.
We then sat down to a lovely lunch of all the soups Jill had cooked – French Onion, Squash & Apple, Leek & Potato, Chunky Pizza, which really does taste like pizza, and “our” Vegetable – and the breads and fruit. Everything was delicious! The school’s director joined us and answered questions about the school. He was clearly also wowed by the soups and told Jill he would be happy to let her use the kitchen again. We left with full stomachs and the recipes for all the soups.
Many of us used our vegetables for dinner that night. On behalf of all who attended, I thank Jill again for her graciousness, amazing cooking skills and great patience!
 

NG 5 and Science and Technology November 2008: Weltmaschine – Large Hadron Collider at CERN

In the unfinished “Kanzler-U-Bahn” at the Bundestag we got an astonishingly intensive and amusing insight into the work of the 27-km-long Large Hadron Collider (LHC) located at the international research center CERN under the Swiss-French border.
In September 2008, the world’s largest and highest-energy particle accelerator started its work of recreating the conditions just after the Big Bang by letting opposing beams of protons or lead ions travel inside the circular accelerator at approximately the speed of light, gaining energy with every lap and then colliding with each other. Ten thousand scientists and engineers from over 100 countries are cooperating to detect and analyze the particles created by the collisions to try to understand the universe, which is, at the moment, still to 95% unknown dark matter and dark energy. Does this sound boring to you?
Our guide, 25-year-old physicist Eva Ziebarth, managed to explain the main principles of the LHC and of the standard and symmetry models of particle physics in an enjoyable, easy-to-understand way and to transmit her enthusiasm for, and fascination with, working on this rather abstract project in a fundamental research field.
A main objective of the scientists at LHC is to prove the Higgs boson, the still unobserved last particle of the standard model. To illustrate the expected characteristics of the Higgs boson, there were explanatory models provided, among them a party analogy of a crowd milling around a film star entering a party. Although we might not be able to name and describe all of the explained particles, the excellent exhibition design was full of analogue tools, so we did learn the principles of how scientists try to find answers in particle physics for questions most people do not even think of.
Not yet convinced that this is a matter that could influence your life? Maybe a spin-off product of the CERN-research may change your mind. The world wide web was invented at CERN and first put to use in 1991.
A very big thank you to Sue and Brigitte for organizing this fascinating event.
 

Art & Architecture and Neighbourhood Group 4: “BEYOND BORDERS” Photo Exhibit

On Saturday, 8 November–a dreary autumn day—a group of BIWC members and guests visited "Beyond Borders" a photo exhibit at the Amerika Haus. On arrival, we received a warm welcome from the photographer herself, My-Linh, a relatively new member of the BIWC.
My-Linh, a former management consultant, started her second career as a photographer three years ago.
The idea for the project "Beyond Borders" was born at the FAWCO (Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas) conference in 2007. Met with enthusiasm and encouragement, My-Linh set out to realize the project. After evaluating nominations from many of the 15,000 FAWCO members, 30 women from 20 cities in 15 countries around the world were selected and invited to be part of the project. The next four months consisted of air travel, photo shoots and interviews. The criteria for this project were that they should be American women living abroad who have achieved something meaningful in their chosen path, making a difference to the world around them. These women come from different walks of life, are living beyond borders of nationalism, racism, ageism and sexism. They are people capable of crossing over, contributing, absorbing and learning from other cultures. Each “Beyond Borders” woman showed strength, courage and inspiration. We all agreed that the ladies in the photographs could very well have been someone from the BIWC.
Indeed, most of us can identify with these women. Like them, we may have followed our husbands/partners to coveted overseas posts. Some of us are adventurers; some have fallen in love with someone from a different country and find ourselves abroad.
Some of us reinvent ourselves and start new careers because to practice our previous professions seems impossible due to language barriers, laws or cultural differences. We can also empathize with the necessary sacrifices and well-deserved triumphs along the way.
Thank you My-Linh for a very interesting and inspiring afternoon. Congratulations to Carol, who won a photo shoot with My-Linh. Thank you Lucy, Monika and Ling for arranging the event. Lucy, thank you so much for organizing the tasty finger food and refreshments.