Tribe

I like these eye-opener documentaries - Tribe. Bruce Perry explored the lost world to film the diminishing precious cultures on earth. He lived with the tribes for a considerable period to experience their respective habit and culture.

With the major premise to attract the audience, it is comprehendible that only the most exotic aspect of culture is presented. Being a foreign white man in a local community, he is largely treated as a guest instead of as an ordinary member. I believe this is the closest a foreigner could do.

Series 1 and 2 comprise 6 and 3 tribal documentaries. Note, 3 out of 9 were filmed in Ethiopia (tribe Suri, Hamar and Dassanech). This fascinating country is great! Was so glad to visit Mursi, Hamar and Dassanech during my visit in 2005, though the short village tour didn't permit me to see such details.

As observed by Bruce Perry in general, the young generation is gradually renouncing their faith to their tradition. Modernisation entice the youngsters opt for better living.

throwing china

A friends wedding is coming up. One of a tradition here in Germany is the so called "Polterabend". The night before the couple gets married their friends will come to the house of the bride's parents and through china into their front yard. Broken crockery brings you luck.

Nobody is invited to the party but everybody is welcome. Often there will be a little announcement in the regional newspaper to tell the date and the place, as it is held somewhere else than the bride's parents home. Friends, former classmates, neighbours, colleagues from work and more or less everybody you know our knew will be there at least to congratulate. There will be small snacks and beer and of course music.

Everybody is welcome to through and break china. Glass and mirrows are forbidden to through, of course, as that would be for bad luck. Wash bowls and toilet bowls (clean ones!!!) are also thrown very often as it is also china, it breaks and it seems funny. (and for those who throw it, it is an easy way to get rid of it...)

Bride and Groom have to clean up the mess of all the broken things together. In former times the party wouldn't start before they haven't cleaned up everything.

The origin of this tradition is unknown, probably Germanic or heathen.
Germany is, as far as I know, the only place where a "Polterabend" is held and this tradition is alive.

Cincinnati, OH Redheads

It's not uncommon to see several redheads when walking around in Cincinnati, OH USA. Although redheads make up only 4 or 5% of the world's population, I have a feeling that the percentage in this Metro area is much higher. This is probably due to the fact that Cincinnati is home to many families of German origin. In modern times, I don't think that Germany has been known for it's redheads. Most of the time people think of Ireland or perhaps Scotland as the origins of the redhead gene, but Germans definately carry the recessive trait, and it shows up in Cincinnati!

Redheads aren't the only place Cincinnati shows it's roots. The first Mayor of Cincinnati was actually born in Heidelberg, Germany. Cincinnati is home to the second largest Oktoberfest in the world (The largest being in Munich). Residents of Cincinnati love Americanized versions of German dishes such as Goetta and Sauerkraut.

Growing up in the Cincinnati area I didn't really understand how unique it is to be a redhead. There was always another redhead in my class at school, and although people always commented on my hair, it wasn't as uncommon as in other parts of the US. This was never more clear to me that when I visited San Francisco, CA, where we saw one other family of redheads, who were also tourists! Even now, when I live just and hour and a half south of the city, there are significantly fewer redheads than in my home town. (There's also a lack of Goetta and Sauerkraut!)

midsummer

The longest day of the year is coming up! I love sunshine and I love long summer nights, so of course midsummer is worth to write a post!

I checked the forecast for my home already: sunrise at 5.17 a.m. / sunset at 9.42 p.m. Wonderful- even if it sounds ridiculous compared to the town of Lulea in northern Sweden:
sunrise at 1.03 a.m. / sunset at 0.03 a.m. on June 22nd.

But still it is a very long day. It is light until late and people sit in their yards or on the balcony to barbeque, to visit or to watch some bats flying around in the late, light dusk light.
As I do not know too much about the traditions in Europe concerning this day, I tried to find out a little on the internet:

The dates of the festivities vary a little in the different regions. Some countries celebrate midsummer, some countries Saint John's Day.

• In France, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and the United Kingdom you celebrate the day with bonfires.
• In Portugal the midsummer festivities also include "Santos Populares" (Popular Saints celebrations). Streets are decorated, there are dances and other festivities. The traditional food are cabbage and potato soup & grilled sardines.
• In Denmark it has been celebrated since the times of the Vikings. They celebrate with bonfires and picnics at the beaches and shores.
• Poland celebrate this day dressed up like dangerous pirates, girls throw wreaths into the sea/rivers and big cities have entertainments.
• In Ireland the day is also celebrated with bonfires and with midsummer carnivals.
• Midsummer fairs are held in Romania.
• In Sweden Midsummer is one of the most important holidays of the year. People travel to their summer cottages on the countryside. Raising a maypole and dancing is a tradition.
• In Finland houses get decorated with flowers and birch branches. People celebrate with bonfires along rivers and lakeshores. Traditional food for Juhannus: potatoes and fish

An Amazing Piece of History

The Vasa (or Wasa) is a Swedish 64-gun ship, built in Sweden 1626-1628. She capsized in the first mile of her maiden voyage in August 1628. After many years she got more or less forgotton, but in 1961 after years of searching and preparation Vasa was salvaged with a largely intact hull on, and is now on display at the Vasa Museum in Stockholm. She is now one of the last surviving ships of the line in the world and the museum (especially built to be fit a ship like the VASA in) is worth a visit. Light and temperature are special to protect VASA against decomposition. The museum does not only show an amazing ship but also all information related to the VASA that the visitor would like to know (life in the 17th century, why did the ship sink, how was the VASA build, etc...)

Clonmacnoise

The monastery of Clonmacnoise is situated in the Irish County Offaly, on the Shannon River south of Athlone. Clonmacnoise (Cluain Mhic Nóis in Irish, meaning "Meadow of the Sons of Nós") was built in 545 by Saint Ciarán who died only few years later in his early thirties.

Clonmacnoise is a historic site of towers, temples and high crosses.

The position of Clonmacnoise is very beautiful but also the point where the major east-west land route crossed the River Shannon. Clonmacnoise became soon the theological centre of Ireland, also a centre of arts, crafts and poetry.

The Beauty of Irkutsk

Irkutsk is also called "Paris of Siberia". It is a wonderful city with many old wooden houses. Even if a fire in 1879 destroyed most of them. Irkutsk is one of the largest cities in Siberia, situated on the river Angara only 70 km from Lake Baikal.

Many of the old wooden houses seem to lean a lot or they already sank pretty much into the ground.
The reason for this is permafrost.

Permafrost ground forms in areas where the temperature of the ground is less than the freezing point of water. Building a house on permafrost ground causes that the heat from the house melts the permafrost ground beneath it. The ground softens and the house starts to sink slowly into the ground. Some of Irkutsk's houses are already sank to the windowsills. People still live in these homes or you can find shops etc. in these houses.