Changes - The Cycle of Life

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GOOD LUCK

Meine Frau lernt gerade Autofahren.  

Das ist etwas, was sie schon immer tun wollte.  

Sie macht sehr gute Fortschritte.  

Zu Beginn hatte sie ein oder zwei Probleme.  

Links abbiegen, rechts abbiegen und geradeaus fahren. 

Und das Anhalten an roten Ampeln war gar nicht so einfach.  

Meine Frau hat schnell gelernt, einzuparken.  

Aber nicht ohne Probleme.  

Sie krachte immer wieder in die Autos vor und hinter ihr. 

Auch Gregors Frau lernte das Autofahren.  

Eines Tages krachte sie gegen einen Baum.  

Es war nicht ihre Schuld.  

Der Baum lief mitten auf der Straße entlang!

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Changes

Changes are part of everyday life. And, as Martin Glossauer discovered, the Tour de France, was and still is the perfect example of change. He was watching a film.

 The film Martin Glossauer was watching was made just after the Second World War. It was all about the Tour de France. And, Martin Glossauer noticed three interesting changes. Helmets, smoking, and wine. Nobody was wearing a helmet. The race was just as dangerous then as it is now. Then came the smoking. Most of the cyclists were not only smoking during the breaks, but, whilst cycling as well! And, refreshments have completely changed, too. The favourite refresher was a glass of red wine. During the cycling and resting as well. Then, Martin Glossauer started to think. There had been other changes, too.

There were no seat belts in cars when Martin Glossauer was young. And, very few motor-cyclists wore helmets. These were things that nobody thought of. And, smoking, too was widely accepted. Nowhere was free from the smell of old smoke. Buses, trains, aeroplanes, offices, cinemas, and homes. Everywhere was the same.

And, one last drink for the road was a common farewell. And, more often than not, one last drink became more.

We have seen many changes. Many positive things. So, remember the now, it won't last for ever. Things disappear all the time and are quickly forgotten. And, as Martin Glossauer believes, personal diaries are the best way of saving the past. Our presents will then be kept for the future. But, personal diaries are vanishing, too.

Changes are part of everyday life. Things come and go, and others remain and change with the times. And, as Martin Glossauer discovered whilst watching a film, the Tour d. France was and still is the perfect example of change. Go get a note book and start writing things down. We might be remembered, not completely forgotten. The future will say a very big thank you.

Changes - Simple - 

One day, Martin Glossauer was watching a film.  An interesting film.  A film about the Tour de France. And, this was a film that showed  many changes.

In this interesting film, which was shot just after the end of the Second World War, Martin Glossauer learned about some interesting changes. The first big change was helmets. None of the cyclists in the Tour de France were wearing helmets!  The second big change was the wine. While taking breaks, the riders had wine not water. And, the third and last change that Martin Glossauer saw were the cigarettes.  The cyclists were smoking during the race.  This would never happen now!

Then, Martin Glossauer remembered other changes as well.  When he was young, there were no seat belts in cars, and no motor cyclists wore helmets.  Smoking, too, was very, very common. Most people did it. In those days, smoking was allowed on busses,  trains, planes, and in cinemas and theatres as well. Smoking was a very big part of everyday life.

Changes are part of our lives. Who knows what changes the future will bring!

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Very Hard Quiz

Where does the Prime minister of Austria work?

Who invented hammers?

Was Brunno Kreisky president of the United States or prime minister of Australia?

Is Sofia the capital of Bulgaria or Spain?

In which African country is Cape Town?

Who is the president of Japan?

Who is the British prime minister?

How long does it take to fly from Vienna to Los Angeles?

If it is Sunday in Vienna, which day is it in America?

What do Chinese people enjoy having for lunch?

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Suggested Solutions for Translation Exercise 

My wife is learning to drive.  It's something she has always wanted to do.  She is making very good progress.  She had one or two problems to begin with.  Turn left, turn right, and go straight ahead. And, stopping at  red lights was not easy at all.  My wife quickly learned to park.  But, not without problems.  She kept crashing into the cars in front and behind. Gregor's wife also learned to drive.  One day, she crashed into a tree.  It wasn't her fault.  The tree was walking along in the middle of the road!

Saluting Giraffes

To Warm-up with before we start -

English Warm-ups - Easy and Fun

Short German phrases translate into English.

Click here for good fun and practice.

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In the Stadtpark in Vienna

Saluting Giraffes

This summer, whilst taking an evening tour of Vienna's zoo in Schönbrunn, I got to know something of interest. A story of three very old African ladies. 3 stunning giraffes. And, briefly, this is their story.

Down at the zoo in Schönbrunn in Vienna, the old giraffe house was falling to pieces. A new one was urgently needed. Something much bigger and better. Comfort and luxury for the tallest animals on earth. But, what about the giraffes that were there? A new temporary home was urgently needed.

The solution was easy. It was over the fence in the barracks next door. And all very close.

The army, having lots of spare space on their ground, very nicely offered to put up a new temporary home for the soon to be homeless giraffes. An enclosure. New quarters for three very tall ladies with very long legs. And, there the giraffes were very, very happy.

And, down in the zoo the building began. A new home for giraffes; the ladies wouldn't have to stay long in the barracks. But, the building took longer than planned. In fact, very much longer than expected. Good things take very much time and Rome, too, wasn't built in a day.

And, then, one day it was finished. The new giraffe house. Shining and bright and luxury pure. A comfortable home for giraffes.

But, there was one little problem. A challenge. The giraffes had grown old in the barracks. They were now three very old ladies and too frail to go back to the zoo. What was to be done? No problem. This is a story with a very happy ending.

Four young giraffes came up on the train from Trieste. And, these four young giraffes from Trieste soon settled wonderfully in in their new home in the zoo in Vienna at Schönbrunn. Austrian food is much better than Italian! And, not far away, just over the hill, our three dear old ladies still sleep very well in their permanent temporary military quarters. And, belonging to the army, these three very old giraffes have military ranks. The highest of all. All three are generals. Three General Giraffes. So, salutes at sun-up and salutes at sundown. And, of course, long leather boots and a little red beret to wear on parade.

Life is full of surprises. And, saluting giraffes is very unusual.

Saluting Giraffes – A true summer story written  by Nigel A. JAMES

Very Hard Quiz

If it takes two hours to fly from Vienna to Dublin, how long does it take to fly there and back?

Was the stone age before the bronze age?

Was Shakespeare French, German, or Italian?

Was Goethe a cook in a Chinese  restaurant or a captain of a ship?

What is an astronaut?

What is a Cosmonaut?

Who was the first man in space?

What is the moon made of?

Prester John

It was the time of the first crusades. Many Europeans believed in Prester John, a Christian king from the east. And, Prester John's army was the most powerful of all. There was no one he couldn't defeat. No one could stand in his way.

And, just at that time, the retaking of Jerusalem by the Crusaders was not going to plan. The infidels were proving hard to defeat. The crusaders were not so good as believed. In fact, they were bad. An ally was needed. And so, a messenger was sent to the east with a letter from the Pope. Prester John, Pope Alexander the Third believed, would be a friend he could count on. Two Christians together and one common cause.

But, there was one very small problem. No one knew where Prester John lived. No one knew where to find him, and, he had never been seen. Prester John was a mystery. And, to make matters worse, the messenger never returned. And, the crusaders had to do the job on their own. But, where was Prester John?

The answer was easy. If it wasn't the far-east, then India was next on the list. But, he wasn't there either and the search was taken to Africa. But, Prester John and his army were nowhere to be seen. And, to this day, they still haven't been found.

Prester John was one of the greatest myths of all times. Many people believed it. The truth is that Prester John was thought up by Bishop Otto of Freising in the 12^th century. The story the bishop invented was that Prester John was a descendent of one of the three wise kings mentioned in the Nativity story in the Bible. The rest of the story, the army, power, and so-on, grew on its own.

People like stories, and the stronger and bigger the better. Prester John was – and still is - one of the very best tales of all times!

Prester John – A King From the East

Vocabulary

infidels – people who don't believe

mentioned – spoken of

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Prester John

Bruno Hope - Under a Roman Moon

 I knew Bruno Hope well. He died recently at the age of 93. And, the following story is a tale of great strength.

It was 1945. Bruno Hope was thankfully walking home across Italy. His war was behind him. Life was fantastic. He was happy and young. He had survived the war and his home in Vienna was getting nearer and nearer.  Things couldn’t be better. Soon he would be drinking his favourite beer, and the schnitzels he loved would be waiting for him.  Everything seemed amazingly sweet.

But, then the partisans struck. There was no warning! The firing was dreadful and final. There was no where to run and no where to hide and Bruno fell to the ground. He had been hit. He was seriously injured! And then, with one of his shoulders completely destroyed he passed out. And there, beneath a Roman moon he lay - waiting to die  in a deepening pool of young crimson blood!

And, the doctors fought hard and did a wonderful job. But, his left shoulder and arm had been too badly hit to repair. There was nothing the medics could do. They told Bruno Hope he would never recover. But Bruno Hope knew better. And, he went to work on himself.

He began by lifting the lightest of weights, and then within eighteen months of hard work and exercise his arm returned once again to full strength. He had fought and succeeded!

And that’s how Bruno’s life was. He always got up from his downs, and always took risks. Italy had been a lesson for him, and that's why he always succeeded in all that he did. Luck doesn't come on its own – it's something you make for yourself!

Bruno Hope and his secret of life!

Vocabulary

amazingly - erstaunlicherweise

crimson – rot

faintly – schwach

fought -(fight/fought/fought) – kämpfen

hide – verstecken

pass out – (to pass out/passed out/passed out) in Ohnmacht fallen

perils – Gefahren

seemed – schien

strength – Stärke

survive – überleben

tale – Geschickte

war – Krieg

within – innerhalb

Edith Neni

 

Edith Neni grew up in the depths of an Hungarian forest. And, she knows the secret of getting through freezing cold winters without catching colds. And, this secret is nothing more than bowls of hot water.

Every evening, Edith Neni's mother would prepare the bowls of hot water. One for each family member. And, into each bowl of piping hot water went a touch of bicarb' of soda and a sprinkling of salt.

And, there the family would sit in a circle, each with their feet in a bowl and all having fun. Stories and jokes, and, for those old enough, a cup of hot spicy wine. Wonderful ends of very hard days.

And, these bowls of hat salty water were very important. Edith Nene grew up in a very poor family. Everyone, even the children, had to work very hard. Foot baths in piping hot water kept people in very good health. And, very good health meant money as well.

Edith Neni, who's now 86, grew up in the depths of an Hungarian forest. And, she's never had a cold in her life. Bowls of piping hot water with bicarb' of soda and a small pinch of salt. This could be something for you. You will not only have very clean feet, but good health as well. It's not only cheap, it's easy as well.

Edith Neni and bowls of Hot Water

piping hot – very, very hot

a sprinkling – a small amount

a touch of . . . a small portion ...

a pinch of salt – a small amount