May 2000
Melt Down
Winter sports leave me cold
Those of us who are completely inept at winter sports look forward to the first opportunities spring presents to get out into the sunshine. No offense to alpine-slope enthusiasts, but I celebrate the first weekend when I don’t have to contemplate strapping on a snowboard and plowing through unsuspecting crowds at the lift lines. Those of you who sail effortlessly down the mountain will tell me that I haven’t had a proper teacher or that I just “don’t want it badly enough.” I don’t know what IT is, but, by the third or fourth time the end of my board has smacked me on the forehead while I am attempting to get on the T-bar, I’m not likely to take advice or constructive criticism very well.
This month, Greg Langley reports on a variety of sports and fitness activities on offer in Munich, clubs where English-speaking expats meet to have fun and get in shape. While some of the organizations covered in this month’s feature take their sports seriously, many have been formed by members who want to enjoy themselves while promoting physical fitness.
The Oberammergau Passion play is a decadal event, which is eagerly anticipated by people around the globe. This 366-year-old production has been criticized in the past for being too rigid in its traditions and its somewhat anti-Semitic tone. This year, however, in step with a new millennium, Director Christian Stückl and playwright Otto Huber have overhauled the play. Elisabeth Ribbans went to Oberammergau to speak with Huber about the changes that have been incorporated into the event.
As promised, Idiomatics has been replaced by Pencil Me In — a column we think will prove equally satisfying to language buffs. Each month we will print various puzzles or word games designed to help readers’ polish their German skills. The theme of this month’s word-search: ingredients on our shopping lists that are often difficult to identify in German.
As Ian McMaster reported in February’s Red Tape column, a new law went into effect January 1, allowing foreigners, who have lived in Germany for at least eight years, the right to apply for a German passport. Recently, the German government announced plans to issue a German-language test to all foreigners wishing to take advantage of that privilege. Most would agree that having a basic knowledge of German is a reasonable requirement to become a citizen of this country, but the test that Bavarian heads of state have devised is extraordinarily difficult. In the Last Word this month, Angela Wilson, publisher of Munich Found, explains the complexities of the exam and possible ulterior motives of the test’s authors.
As I write this editorial, the sun is shining and Münchners are soaking up Vitamin D everywhere I go. After four summers in this charming city, I am keenly aware of its clever tactic of lulling us into the illusion that summer is on its way. It is anyone’s guess how often the blue Bavarian skies will grace springtime, but I am no longer disappointed by what is bound to come: cold fronts and rain. Instead I happily pack up my winter sports equipment, enjoy the days that are conducive to outdoor activities and relish a rainy day with a good book — a far less dangerous activity for anyone in my path of reading.
