May 2003 Luncheon at Layali

By Susannah Ewing Bölke

May 14 offered unpleasantly changeable weather, but in the cozy rooms of the restaurant Layali, we were whisked off to the warm and welcoming climate of the 'Arab' world. Chosen by our new one-woman 'Lunch Bunch' Suad Harms, Layali (Eppendorfer Baum 41) calls itself an 'Oriental Restaurant' but serves primarily traditional Egyptian food. The name of the restaurant is Arabic and means 'the nights', perhaps a reference to the 1001 Arabian Nights. This event, however, was much more than a gossip-filled lunch with the ladies at a new and fascinating restaurant. Suad, a truly inspired organizer, had arranged for a veritable steeping in culture as well as food.

The event began with the distribution of several lovely Arab dresses to various willing members who donned these stunning garments to be shown off to each other as well as to the amused restaurant staff and several other guests. As we drank our hot, sweet tea with fresh mint, Suad introduced and described each dress for us. She began by telling us that, in fact, the terms 'Arab' and 'Arabic' are something like the term 'European'. This means that they refer not to a single specific group, but to a much larger group characterized rather by variety than by any single mentality or value system. These often breathtaking dresses came from different countries such as Egypt and Jordan amongst others, and were made of beautifully hand-embroidered velvet, silk or cotton. Many of us felt our fingers and eyes aching at the thought of all that detailed handiwork! Suad also showed us how the sleeves of several of the everyday dresses could be adjusted, either to make a good impression of a hard-working wife on the mother-in-law (tied up over the shoulders), or to relax in the shade with a cool drink and a somewhat more elegant look (let down to cover the elbows).

As we waited for the meal, we were kept busy not by the usual raffle, but by an auction made possible by a previous member, who left behind several valuable collectible plates for fundraising. The bidding was lively and the profit went to the club for new activities. Many thanks to the enthusiastic bidders!

After some time, we were served a small plate of appetizers recognizable to those who regularly enjoy Middle-Eastern cuisine: falafel, tabouli and humus, with baskets of warm pita bread for dipping or wrapping--yum! I think this was the best falafel I have had yet in Hamburg! The appetizers were followed by a delicious spicy soup made from red lentils which left us hungry for more. For the main course, we were offered three options; but no one chose the seafood dish, so I can not report on it. Both of the others, however, were received and consumed with gusto (if I may use an Italian word to refer to Egyptian cuisine!). Several members chose the savory vegetarian Kuscherie, consisting of a tall mound of lentils, rice and pasta with Egyptian spices and dressing. The majority, however, selected the Kebab Masserie: three fingers of minced lamb and pine nuts served with a lovely spicy tomato sauce, basmati rice, and several pomegranate seeds. I suppose the latter were meant to be garnish, but they were quite tasty! As for dessert, this was a light and refreshing apricot curd topped with dried coconut and finely chopped pistachios. And all of this came from the regular lunch menu! After four courses, we expected to feel stuffed; but, instead, the meal was just filling enough and not the least bit heavy. All in all, the food was simply delicious and quite reasonably priced. The ayran, a yogurt drink similar to Indian lassi, was also refreshing and light.

During the meal and between courses, we were entertained by two talented story-tellers, Suad and Isham, an Egyptian tour guide who was helping out in the kitchen. Suad stressed the self-deprecating humor of Arabic storytelling, a feature we otherwise know only from the British. It was difficult to choose only a few of these amusing tales, but I will present two in highly abridged versions:

Once there was a mother who had one daughter and one son. Because she didn't want to deal with any in-laws, she decided to have them marry each other. Though the scandal of the incestuous marriage was great, the commotion died down after only two months and she could live with her happy situation of one integrated family. When the mother sat with her married children in the evenings, she thought she was blessed. At night, when her son took her daughter/his wife to the bedroom, she thought to herself: the face is that of my daughter, but the back is that of my daughter-in-law. When, however, friends and neighbors afterward asked about her daughter's marriage, she reported, 'Oh, my daughter is very lucky! Her husband takes good care of her, she never has to work in the home, for she has a maid, and she sits in the shade and relaxes all day long.' When they inquired after her son and his marriage, however, she complained, 'Oh, my son is very unlucky, he has married a lazy woman who does no work and only sits in the shade and relaxes all day long!'

Isham's story was a tale of the building of the pyramids in Egypt:

The three pyramids were built by the people of three different pharaohs. The first had 50 thousand workers to build his pyramid. To inspire the slaves to work faster and more happily, he hired musicians to accompany the work. When the first pyramid was finished, 25 thousand slaves had died. The next pharaoh kept the same musicians employed to inspire his builders as well, but when his pyramid was finished and he was entombed, another 15 thousand had died in the construction. His son thought he would need only a small pyramid, but definitely a pyramid. He contracted the same musicians to accompany the last 10 thousand workers as they built his tomb. And when he died, only the musicians were left to admire the three pyramids!

In between the stories, of course, was the usual lively conversation at the tables punctuated by the gurgle of Suad's water-pipe, an intricate contraption filled with flavored tobacco, and to which she paraphrased a well-known American politician: 'Oh, I don't inhale it!' At 2:30 pm, many of us were astonished at how much time had gone by so quickly. Many had to dash off to later appointments, sated with excellent food and with new knowledge of a largely misunderstood culture. All in all, it was a highly entertaining and vastly interesting event. Many thanks to Suad for organizing such a memorable occasion!

  Winnetou, You Are My Hero! -- a review of June 2003 visit to Karl May Festspiele

By Becky T

Almost 40 years in Hamburg, and I always wanted to go to the Karl May Festspiele. My grown children’s books about Old Shatterhand and Winnetou are still in my attic. I had seen all the old films such as Der Schatz von Silbersee. Many starred Lex Barker (who also played Tarzan in the old Hollywood Tarzan films) and Pierre Brice, the ultimate Winnetou. Through club member Aranka Mamero we met director Norbert Schultze. On June 27 he invited 27 club members to the free final dress rehearsal of this year’s play, Old Surehand (written in 1894). While most of the group went by private cars, five of us took the train, and arrived as quickly as the drivers did. The experienced Germans in our group entertained us with stories of open-air Karl May presentations in the rain, including one where everyone got soaked for three hours and the actors, riding and fighting in huge puddles, looked heavenward and said, “Manitou, why do we have to do this?”

From the train we walked 10 minutes through the narrow streets of Bad Segeberg along with large groups of children. Herr Schultze invited families of the Rotary Clubs who had organized the attendance of 1,300 handicapped children and adults, as well as families of volunteer firemen. We, of the AWC Hamburg, were in illustrious company. Our group quickly dispersed, since, with a surprise free choice of seats, everyone took off for a favourite corner. I was high up in the back which meant that the cowboys and Indians rode right in front of me, cutting across the audience, much like the skaters do in the musical Starlight Express. The weather was perfect, warm and dry.

That the story was confusing is unimportant. Old Surehand was looking for his long-lost mother, whom he finds in the end, along with an unknown Comanche Indian brother, Apanatschka. The bad guys resemble both confederate and union army members of the Civil War. There are good and evil Indians. Old Surehand (not old at all, but Wayne Carpendale, the 25-year-old son of Howard Carpendale, a South African pop singer who holds concerts in Hamburg), loves an Indian girl. Trapper Old Shatterhand and Apache chief Winnetou, who have been combing the hills and securing justice for 110 years, rode in to that signature music, familiar to three generations of Germans. There are horse-back-riding, fist fights, one song by Dunja Rajter (European pop singer in the 70s) who plays a saloonkeeper, and comic relief by a British lord, his butler, and a tinker. The text is clear via loud speaker. Although in German, there is the occasional “dammit” (very old-fashioned, considering that people today use the f-word) and other bits of English to give it a Wild West flavour.

I loved the pyrotechnics. People carried torches, built fires, and burned bridges to send the scoundrel to his death into the imaginative rushing river below. For the grand climax Winnetou (Gojko Mitic) stood high above us at the top of the cliff, dressed in his traditional white Indian suit, looking like Elvis in Las Vegas, ready to shoot a flaming arrow down into the gulch. Except on this night, he shot himself in the foot by mistake. That set off a small brush fire all around him on the cliff, which he tried to put out by stamping his feet. We thought it was an Indian dance, until the stage crew came out with a hose. Winnetou had the last word, “We all have the same mother: Mother Earth,” which is just one of the noble philosophies of Karl May.

  June 2003 Poppenbüttel Playgroup Angels Tour

By Jennifer M

On June 27, the Friday afternoon Poppenbüttel Playgroup met at the Poppenbüttel S-Bahn station, which was the first stop on their excursion to the Ohlsdorf Friedhof. This cemetery, the world’s largest, was opened in 1877, and contains not only graves, but also sculptures, statues and numerous examples of landscape architecture which make the cemetery famous. Our destination on this sunny, warm afternoon was the Angel Walking Tour, which takes you past 12 graves and statues of angels.

Starting at the main entrance of the cemetery, the first angel is only a two minute walk. Most angels are hidden behind trees or tucked away in secret corners or down shady paths between the graves. The walking map guide provided at the Information Center of the cemetery makes finding the angels easier.

The week before our excursion, we discussed cemeteries, death and angels with the children so they would be well prepared for the experience. We made drawings of angels and looked at photos of the angels we would be searching for at the cemetery. In addition, we discussed the purpose of tombstone rubbings, as this was also on our list of things-to-do at the cemetery.

Angels number five and six on the walking tour are located in a quiet lane under several large trees. It was here that we enjoyed our picnic snack and made our attempts at tombstone rubbings. We began to notice that most of the angels looked alike, with simple variations on the main theme. It was then that we read in our map that most of the angels were manufactured by the company WMF, which actually distributed a catalog of cemetery angels. To retain the appearance of individuality in these mass-produced statues, it became the company’s policy to sell only one of each kind for use in each cemetery.

This group of 12 children and 7 moms rounded up its trip with an ice cream at the Ohlsdorf S-Bahn station before taking the train back to Poppenbüttel. Everyone enjoyed the excursion, and we all look forward to visiting the cemetery again.

  August 2003 Lunch with Suad H

By Elaine J

On August 27, Suad graciously hosted a wonderful Middle Eastern luncheon for the ladies from the club. It was a gastronomic delight with numerous exotic delicacies. Suad hosted us in her home on a lovely sunny August morning in Buxtehude. She set up tables all around her garden and organized a fun-filled event with lots of great food, company and conversation! Suad’s husband kindly helped serve twelve women the most amazing lunch! The appetizers were wonderful. Some of my favorites were Mazza, Hummus, Babaganoush and Tabouli. And there was so much more. Just when I thought lunch was over Suad said, “I haven’t served the main course yet!”, and then her husband began bringing out steaming bowls of the most pungent smelling main dishes! There was a chicken rice curry, Tajajen (chicken with onions), Moujadereh (lentils, onions and rice), and Makouteh (a cauliflower veggie dish). Suad is the most charming host and her husband a real gentleman for spending his morning serving Suad’s friends! Thank you Suad for a most memorable luncheon!

  Nancy T Galerie Opening

By Pat R

On December 9, members of the AWC and of the Hamburg art scene celebrated the opening of Nancy T's Art Galerie on ABC Strasse. It was a festive occasion to celebrate art and music. On the walls hung pictures that Nancy had painted including those of musicians in the world of jazz. A special drawing of our own member Frauke R-H and her bass playing husband Klaus was also on display. In the background the renowned jazz musician, and Nancy's former husband, Jerry Tilitz, played his trombone and sang for us accompanied by two other local jazz musicians.

Irmingard Z, our AWC President, gave an eloquent toast to Nancy acknowledging how we are all enriched by having Nancy and her artistic talents in our midst. She commented, first in English and then in German, about Nancy's amazing ability to catch the spirit or essence of a person in her portraits and drawings. She added that on top of having a busy work schedule, Nancy always managed to find time to help others, as well as the AWC. She has provided artwork for several of the covers for Currents, helped with the magazine's layout, hosted meetings and has always been helpful in many other ways.

We are all proud to know Nancy both as an artist and as a friend.

Nancy's Galerie is located around the corner from the Marriott Hotel on ABC Strasse 44-46.