Australian German Welfare Society Inc. Reg. No. A 0010852 B ABN: 98 245 957 640 Newsletter Nr. 524 / November 2015 PRINT POST APPROVED P.P. 344276/00012 4th Floor 24 Albert Rd South Melbourne, 3205 VIC Monday Thursday 9.00am 4.00pm Tel.: 03-9696 0907 www.germanwelfare.org.au contact@germanwelfare.org.au
2 Index Donations 6 Social Worker s Report 6 Calendar of Events 7 TTHA News 9 Announcements 13 Next Newsletter 15 Dear Members The Year 2015 is coming to an end; November, the second last month of the year has started. But what a difference to Germany! November in Germany means fog, rain, short days, sometimes even frost and here, spring, sunshine, flowers in the gardens, warmer days, let s enjoy this time of the year. We, in the Welfare have had our Annual General Meeting that means our business year is now approved and over. The preparations for the last two big events of 2015 are in full swing. I am talking about our Christmas Bazaar. This year it will take place on Saturday, the 28th November, again in the Lower Town Hall in Swanston Street, Melbourne, between 9.30 am and 3 pm. We hope many of you can come and please, bring children and relatives along. German Christmas atmosphere and German cookies, as well as many other articles, will be on offer. As in other years, you can also enjoy a light lunch or coffee and cake. Some more volunteers would be welcome. If you can spare some extra time and would be willing to help us, please fill out the enclosed form and send it back to the office. That would be a great help for the organization. Our Christmas Celebration will take place on the 10th December, again in the rooms of Club Tivoli. Please find further details in our events calendar. Enjoy the warmer season and springtime! Best regards from Linde Mohr AGWS NEWSLETTER Nr. 523 October 2015 2
3 Walking, walking.. good for everything Step by step your everyday problems fade away, your soul is smiling, your blood pressure goes down, and your joints loosen up. Walking is a sport that makes you perfectly happy and it is much healthier than you thought. At least that is what Bernhard Hebelsberger says in an article of the German Magazine Die Bunte of 20th August 2015. He underlines in 10 points the advantages of walking and I will explain them to you in a shorter version: 1) Stick and Stone: Walking improves your balance Walking over soft meadows or uneven forest paces exercises your balance and body experience it is the best prophylaxis against a fall in everyday life! Actually, after 50 years of age your sense of balance is declining and at the same time joint problems and weakness of the muscles increase. Walking educates body control steadily and strengthens your ankle joints and your leg muscles. 2) Walking as a Beauty cure Freshness and healthiness looks beautiful and a skin, slightly reddened by oxygen gives the impression of a strong heart and good lungs. The oxygen contain of the skin decides mainly how attractive one person is to another. 3) To freshen up your spirits Walking to inspire your creativity: By walking through nature your thoughts may reach new heights. Due to this some of the most beautiful German poems were created by Goethe and other famous poets. 4) Follow your heart - walking against heart attack While walking, your heart and your blood circulation produce 50 to 150 Watts over several hours, which exercise your heart muscles and your blood vessels. Your heart pumps harder and so keeps your blood vessels more elastic; pulse and blood pressure go down and therefore also the danger of a heart attack. Many studies with thousands of participants have shown the positive effects of walking and other endurance sports. 5) I will be slim walking as fat burner A woman of normal weight uses, during a walk of one hour, about 300 to 400 calories; during one hour hiking in the mountains about 500 to 600 calories. When walking, you keep your body in the so called fat burning position. That means that your body takes the necessary energy directly from the ugly fat spots and not from carbohydrate resources. AGWS Newsletter Nr. 524 November 2015 Page 3
4 6) Walking against arthritis Walking improves the blood flow and nourishes the cartilages. Sport also strengthens ligaments and muscles. It is important for people suffering from arthritis to walk on rather flat surfaces and to take short controlled steps. You can also still walk with artificial knees. 7) I am over the hill - walking as a weapon against cancer Walking is the optimal strategy against this disease, so Dr Freek Baumann says. Sport increases fitness and self-confidence. This may neutralise the side effects which come along with operations and chemotherapies and other treatments. But you should discuss your first steps with your doctor. 8) Nice silhouette walking as a figure former To walk uphill demands special muscles of the upper leg and your bottom. That guaranties a firmer backside and strong legs. Even going down the hill strengthens the backside. If we use walking sticks when walking and if we use them correctly we strengthen also our upper body, our arms and shoulders in a gentle manner. 9) Beautiful views walking to protect your eyes The positive effects of walking also show on rather unexpected parts of your body- e.g.at the inner wall of the eyes, behind the hyaloid. Studies show that continuous movement reduces the pressure in the eyes- that is, by the way, not connected with the blood pressure, importantly. If the pressure in the eye is too high it can damage the sight nerve. 10) Finally up the hill walking as a gentle anti depressive Those who suffer from depression and manage to do longer and more regular mountain tours, do a lot of measurable good to their psyche: selfconfidence increases, angst and hopelessness decrease. That was proven in special tests. I hope this article will encourage you to walk more often. Regards from Linde Mohr AGWS Newsletter Nr. 524 November 2015 Page 4
5 If you are unhappy Once upon a time there was a non-conforming sparrow who decided not to fly south for the winter. However, soon the weather turned so cold, that he reluctantly started to fly south. In a short time ice began to form on his wings and he fell into a barnyard, almost frozen. A cow passed by and crapped on the little bird. The sparrow thought it was the end, but the manure warned him, and defrosted his wings. Warm and happy, able to breathe he started to sing. Just then a large cat came by hearing the chirping and investigated the sounds. The cat cleared away the manure, found the chirping bird, and promptly ate him. The moral of the story: 1. Everyone who shits on you is not necessarily your enemy. 2. Everyone who gets you out of the shit is not necessarily your friend. 3. And if you re warm and happy in a pile of shit, keep your mouth shut. Broadband Kiosk for Seniors Internet? Email? Broadband? Online? Google? Skype? Please help!!!!! Don t be afraid of computers! They can be so much fun with a little help of our tutor. Wednesdays from 1pm to 4pm at the AGWS office. Give us a call on 9696 0907 if you are interested The shortest way between to people is to smile AGWS Newsletter Nr. 524 November 2015 Page 5
Socialwork 6 Our office was contacted 311 times and we had 63 visitors. Statistics Social Work September 2015 Aged Care 31 Friendly Visiting Service 4 Computerkiosk 12 German Language 4 Information 7 Legal issues/ tax issues 1 Financial help 1 Family issues 1 Total 61 New Cases 3 Client visits office 13 Client visits external 6 Donations Thank you very much for your donations! Donations for the Tabulam and Templer Homes are marked with *. Block Mrs 15,00 Schonewald Mr & Mrs *20.00 Osner Mr 15,00 Schulz Dr. G. 50,00 Stanojevic Mrs *25.00 AGWS Newsletter Nr. 524 November 2015 Page 6
Calendar of Events 7 QU-QU-meet up group Please come and chat! Tuesday, 10 and 24 November 2015 Where: AGWS Office When: 10.00am and 1.00pm German Christmas Bazaar Saturday, 28 November 2015 Melbourne Lower Town Hall, Swanston St 9.30am 3pm Christmas Get-together Thursday, 10 December 2015 Club Tivoli 2pm Deutsche Schule Melbourne Come and join us to get into the Christmas spirit at our German Christmas Market on Friday, the 27th November 2015 from 5pm to 9pm. The school invites you to an enchanting evening of casual Christmas browsing. A variety of specialist stall holders will have their unique, traditional and modern Christmas decorations and gifts on display so you can find that perfect present for your loved ones. Home-made cakes and Christmas confectionery, pretzels, mulled wine, German beer and other dinner delicacies will be available for a developing appetite! Children s activities, handicraft and live music will complete the evening for the whole family. AGWS Newsletter Nr. 524 November 2015 Seite 7
8 Austrian Singers Melbourne present: A European Christmas Concert- A b sondere Zeit Saturday, 21st November 2015 3pm Toorak Uniting Church Toorak, 603 Toorak Rd, Toorak Tickets Adults $25/ under 16 $15 incl. refreshments Bookings recommended: 9461 4958 or 9366 4538 Rappelkiste 2015 Thursday mornings 10 12 pm Parkdale Church of Christ, 176 Como Parade West, Parkdale Enquiries and bookings: Dagmar Logan 0438 353 910 Cost: $ 7 for the first child; $ 3 for every other child two years and older; children below two years of age are free The AGWS family membership for one year is $50 (this includes insurance with Playgroup Australia) A Project of the Australian-German Welfare Society Deutsche Sprache und Traditionen spielend beibehalten AGWS Newsletter Nr. 524 November 2015 Seite 8
9 AGWS German Bookclubs The AGWS book clubs meet every third Tuesday of the month. If you like to read and enjoy sharing your opinion with others, join us. The AGWS Buchclub meets in the morning at 11am in the rooms of the AGWS in South Melbourne and the Bookworms at 7.30pm in the evening. The Buchwürmer meet in a cafe, a bar or someone s house. The meeting venues change monthly, so please book to find out where the next meeting takes place. We welcome new members! Our Book Clubs meet on the third Tuesday of the month: In the morning at 11 am in the Australian German Welfare Society, 4th Floor, 24 Albert Road, South Melbourne, (Tram No 16, Stop 66 Domain Interchange) Tuesday, 17 November at 11am: Winterkartoffelknödel by Rita Falk *** In the evening at 7.30pm at changing venues Please contact Dagmar: dlogan@modelmed.com.au Tel or SMS : 0438 353 910 Tuesday, 17 November at 7.30pm: Mieses Karma by Daniel Safir TTHA news The TTHA Weihnachtsmarkt German Christmas Market returns to Bayswater on Sunday 22nd November 2015. This one-day only event will feature a wide range of Christmas gifts ideas and tempting German food stalls. Commencing at 10am, all are AGWS Newsletter Nr. 524 November 2015 Seite 9
10 welcome to come along and enjoy the many festivities. Car parking is available this year on the Templer lawn area. There will be some 60 boutique stalls conveniently located on site. Some of the highlights include a range of arts and crafts made by the ladies of the Templer Handcraft Group; hand crafted Christmas decorations; Exquisite candles; Handmade German style wooden decorations; Handmade soaps and lotions; Santa stockings; Specially designed pillows; Handcrafted Jewellery; Cards and craft items; & Jams, chutneys and syrups. Many of the showcased items are not available elsewhere and adding the bustling atmosphere will be an array of sweet and savoury German delights, including genuine German chocolates; Freshly baked Brezels and bread; Homemade cakes and tortes, Biergarten; professionally made coffee and much more. For the kids there will be a dedicated entertainment area with a Basteln (craft stall).this is a great Christmas event for the whole family to enjoy and make sure to enter the Christmas raffle - there are many great prizes up for grabs! Who benefits from the Volkswagen-bashing? "Mr Dax.": VW scandal is no scandal at all A commentary by Dirk Müller What an outcry, what a murderous frenzy. People plunge enthusiastically into criticizing Volkswagen and its CEO Martin Winterkorn. His resignation deserves respect - but is as ridiculous as the whole fuss about it. An economic scandal shakes Volkswagen, and, as you can see from the current outcry, the whole of Germany. It seems as if we are dealing with the biggest economic scandal since the 2nd World War. VW shares lose up to 40 percent in value and immediately the head of the most successful and celebrated German manager is required. But let s go two AGWS Newsletter Nr. 524 November 2015 Seite 10
11 steps back- let the excitement abate slightly and let s look at the hard facts. Obviously, Volkswagen has embellished emission values. At this point it is entirely undisputed that this is intolerable and must have consequences. But it should be emphasized once again that we are talking about sugar-coating emission values and not about nonfunctioning airbags, failing braking systems of which the drivers were not informed in good time or knowingly defective ignition locks, which have led to numerous deaths. That was the case with other automakers. We talk merely about embellished emissions. Again, one must ask to what extent is that common in industry? A comparison comes to mind immediately. Have you ever been able to achieve the fuel consumption values given by the car manufacturers (of all brands) in everyday use? We know that these values were pimped only under ideal test conditions, and we take note, and shrug our shoulders. Is that so different from lowering the emission levels? I do not think so. In the end we talk here also about emissions which directly affect the wallets of car buyers whenever they fill the tank. Actually, this is the bigger fraud, but it is accepted nationwide across all manufacturers. So why is the excitement about VW so great? Cui bono? Who benefits from it? That is the question at this point. Does Ferdinand Piëch (former CEO) rub his hands today, as so many believe? I do not think so. With all the triumph he might feel over Winterkorn, his heart will be heavy when he considers the damage done to his life s work, VW, and of course to the value of its own shares. But is it not a remarkable coincidence that this issue just comes up in the US, when VW is about to present the long-awaited new Passat, the vehicle that in the next few years should stir up the domestic market of GM and Ford? Undoubtedly somebody wants to exploit this unpleasant situation as brutally as possible. It is a frontal attack on the German automotive industry, the heart of the German economy. And what do we do? We play this game with enthusiasm. We even place all German automakers under general suspicion. Rambling on about the end of the brand "Made in Germany" and talking about a downfall in the confidence in the German economy. AGWS Newsletter Nr. 524 November 2015 Seite 11
12 The Chancellor decides immediately to speak, even before reliable facts are on the table. Prime Ministers meet for special sessions. Where was this outcry, when the German Bank moved from one billion-dollar scandal to the next? When currency manipulation, interest rate manipulation, real estate scandals took place? Where was here the outcry over the lost confidence in the German economy? How many board members of Deutsche Bank resigned? Not even one! But, less than 24 hours after the publication of the manipulation, the head of a highly respected manager in this country is required by a million voices and is duly delivered. Martin Winterkorn deserves respect for resigning from his post and for taking responsibility for what has happened on his watch, although he, as he says, cannot find a fault in his action. (Chapeau) respect! This degree of backbone, we would like to find in some politicians or board members in recent years. And certainly we know lots of companies with payola scandals, illegal arms sales and other real scandals, whose leading figures have retained their office and dignity. Let us once again, in all our excitement, clarify that we are talking about sugar-coated emissions. Let's keep a sense of proportion and not help our competitors across the Atlantic to stomp our own economy into the ground. General Motors and Ford are likely to pop the champagne corks these days. The defective ignition locks at GM resulted in 174 dead and were punished by a fine of 900 million US dollars. At Volkswagen we are now talking about 18 billion US dollars penalty for embellished emissions. Noteworthy is also the fact that on the same day in Brazil an appeal was made against VW because in the years 1964-1985 the company is said to have collaborated with the former dictatorship. What a strange coincidence. No further questions, Your Honour. Dirk Müller is a stockbroker and author and runs the website cashkurs.com. AGWS Newsletter Nr. 524 November 2015 Seite 12
13 Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book (Ronald Reagan) Announcements / Advertisements (Disclaimer: The responsibility for the content of announcements and flyers remains with the providers) Try our Yarra Valley wines offering finesse and exceptional flavour Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 Chardonnay 2013 We also offer HENKELL TROCKEN, an imported sparkling wine from Germany. Please find our wines and order form on our website www.henkellvineyards.com.au or contact us by phone, fax or e-mail. P.O.BOX 2160 M.D.C., Fitzroy 3065, Victoria Phone: (03) 9417 4144 Fax: (03) 9419 8873 sales@henkellvineyards.com.au Quist`s Danish Coffee Shops: 3l8 Little Collins St (Hub Arcade), phone 9650 2607, and l66 Little Collins St, Melbourne, phone 9650 1530. AGWS Newsletter Nr. 524 November 2015 Seite 13
14 Meet and socialise with other Germans in the Migrant Resource Centre Northwest Wednesdays, 10 12 at Woodlands Park House, Winifred Street, N Essendon Thursdays 10 12 Uhr Westvale Community Ctr, 45 Kings Road, St Albans All inquiries to Regine Keys Tel 9367 6044 Have you heard about meet-up? Germans and German speaker meet on a regular basis about once a month, normally at a Pub or restaurant. Sometimes we will organize different events like a movie night or so. You don't need to speak German very well to attend meetings. Just come along, listen, chat and have fun! Info: www.meetup.com/german-356/ Special celebration: Looking for Migration Stories The Ferntree Gully News (Independent Newspaper) is planning to publish a series about migrants who settled in Ferntree Gully. Would you like to tell your story? About your arrival here, why you decided to leave Germany, how you settled down in Australia Contact Anne Boyd, Tel 9758 7859 email gullynews@gmail.com SBS Radio- jeden Abend zwischen 19 und 20.00 Uhr in deutscher Sprache. An den meisten Tagen laufen unsere Sendungen Australienweit. Ausserdem sind sie auf unserer Webseite www.sbs.com.au/german in der Woche nach der Ausstrahlung in voller Länge zu hören, und einige Sendungen erscheinen dort auch als Podcast AGWS Newsletter Nr. 524 November 2015 Seite 14
15 Sudoku 3 9 6 6 7 1 8 3 2 9 7 1 1 3 5 2 6 4 7 7 4 1 9 8 3 6 7 5 Solution October 8 6 5 9 3 2 4 7 1 7 1 2 4 5 8 3 9 6 3 4 9 6 7 1 2 8 5 5 7 1 2 8 9 6 3 4 9 2 3 7 6 4 1 5 8 4 8 6 5 1 3 9 2 7 6 9 7 3 4 5 8 1 2 1 3 4 8 2 7 5 6 9 2 5 8 1 9 6 7 4 3 Newsletter Would you like to publish something in the next newsletter? If so, we would be delighted. The copy deadline for our December Newsletter is Monday, 9 th November 2015 AGWS Newsletter Nr. 524 November 2015 Seite 15
16 Adrian Plitzco from SBS radio is conducting an interview with Linde Mohr, president of the AGWS The book club is meeting at the AGWS AGWS Newsletter Nr. 524 November 2015 Seite 16