Exhibition by Aida T

By Irmingard Z

Congratulations to Aida on her exhibition of paintings and digital art at the Gallery of the Assisted Living Center at Hamburg-Neugraben, which took place December 11, 2003 - January 25, 2004. It was a wonderful “MEDLEY” (as the exhibition was called) of beautiful paintings of flowers and fascinating pictures of digital art which complemented each other despite being so different. It was an exhibition truly worth seeing!

  January Club Forum

By Jenny M
Originally published in April/May 2004 Currents

On Tuesday, January 20, lots of nice ladies gathered in the bowels of the Hotel Norge to meet our American consul, Susan Elbow. Ms. Elbow had kindly agreed to answer questions put to her by members of our club. These ranged over a number of subjects, including the practical matter of renewing passports so that they are computer readable (look for information on our email loop about that), whether she feels today’s heightened security is truly necessary, and where her next assignment is going to be.

Ms Elbow also treated us to her thoughts on the present state of German-American relations. She has presided over three difficult years, if you think about it, seeing the overwhelming sympathy for Americans after 9/11 disappear when the Iraq War began. Ms. Elbow was able to tell us that there has been a distinct thaw over the last year, and things were never all that bad in the first place.

We ate scrumptious sandwiches and cake, drank coffee, tea and mineral water. Our dear president gave Ms. Elbow a patriotic bouquet of red, white and blue flowers, and we all went home after a very nice afternoon.

It’s too early to say goodbye to our consul but we all know that she’ll be a very hard act to follow.

  Visit to Made by You

By Jennifer M
Originally published in August/September 2004 Currents

On Friday, June 11, the Poppenbüttel Playgroup converged on Eimsbüttel and AWCH member Ulrike H’s shop Made by You to paint their own ceramics. Nine children between the ages of three and six (it’s not for younger kids) and their mothers were in attendance. After washing their hands, the kids picked out such items as a fish-shaped plate, a müsli bowl, a piggy bank, a dragon, a heart-shaped plate and a milk cup to paint. The next step was to plan a design. Ulrike has many stencils and books with ideas, or you can use your own creativity to make your own design. After planning their designs, the children were invited to visit the color bar to pick out the colors they needed, as well as paint brushes, sponges and other tools for decorating their ceramics.

Then the fun began. The children worked hard at painting their items and were constantly calling for refills on colors. After finishing their designs, Ulrike helped the children to write their names and the date on the finished products as a memory of the experience. The children helped clean up by carrying their used color trays to the kitchen, then Ulrike provided refreshments. Three days later, we could pick up the finished masterpieces glazed, fired and ready for use.

Ulrike has a lovely shop, beautifully decorated and with a warm and friendly atmosphere. Our playgroup kids loved the experience, and we moms decided to return some other time without the kids to create our own masterpieces. Prices include your ceramic item, paint, glazing and firing. In addition to individual customers and wedding lists, Ulrike welcomes groups for children’s birthday parties or other festivities. Interested? Just give her a call or drop her a line, and she’ll get you started.

Made by You (Keramik Selbst Bemalen), Mahnsteinstr. 3 (between Bismarckstr. and Eppendorfer Weg), 20253 Hamburg, tel 42 10 43 58, email malen@madebyyou.de. Take the U3 to Hoheluftbrücke or Bus 181 to stop “Eppendorfer Weg”.

By Pat R
Originally published in October/November 2004 Currents

The summer activities began with the AWCH social gathering at Bobby Reich’s on the Alster. Patricia F brought her twins, which gave a few members a chance to enjoy holding them. The weather was so lovely, a group of us stayed there to enjoy dinner, too.

The Mixed Doubles group and the World Affairs group both met at the Alster Cliff Restaurant, although cooler weather kept us inside each night. The World Soccer games kept the men entertained while we chatted away, and the World Affairs group never lacks for interesting topics.

On July 4th, about 50 AWCH members and their families joined the American Club and the German-American Women’s Club for a joint celebration at the Führungsakademie in Blankenese. Although just before the picnic was to start there was a downpour, further rain held off so we could get in the first annual baseball game. Many thanks to Erin and Oliver K for bringing the equipment and for pitching and for coaching the teams. The kids enjoyed water balloons and sparklers, and hopefully this joint effort will become an annual event.

Later in July, Maike B, having moved recently to Berlin, led a small entourage to the city for a visit. She showed us an art shop where you can have prints transferred onto a linen canvas, a great shop for inexpensive jewelry and, of course, the infamous food floor of KDW – yes, they do have pumpkin.

We also took a fabulous four-hour walking tour of Berlin’s historical sights with a good English-speaking guide. We learned about interesting similarities between George Bush’s and Hitler’s rise to power. We hope to plan another outing in the near future to visit a few of Berlin’s museums and to learn more about recent German history.

The Mixed Doubles group ended the summer with a BBQ at Kirstan and Andre B’s home in Elstorf – double blenders with Margaritas and Andre’s homemade BBQ sauce, as well as the new heat lamp, kept us warm and in fine spirits. Thank you both for a fun summer finale.

Looking for New Activity Group Chairs and Co-chairs

We have many new members who would really appreciate the experience and enthusiasm about living in Hamburg that some of our “older” members have to share. This is a great way to give something back to the club and say a big thank you to the club members who gave of their time and talents when you were new to Hamburg. Does anyone remember the Dinner and a Movie group? How about the Bicycling group? The following activity groups could be reactivated with just a few members showing interest: Lunch Bunch, Night Owls, Ladies’ Night Out, Children‘s Events, Day Trips and Tours, Book group – or any new idea that any member is interested in starting!

By Pat R
Originally published in December 2004/January 2005 Currents

A warm thank you to our September Coffee & Conversation hostess, Karin H, and our October hostesses Marie W and Maike B. Although the members of the group keep changing due to travel plans, new members, etc., it is always so wonderful to be “just a guest” in someone’s home, free to chat and eat, and relax among friends.

The Coffee Group also enjoyed a delicious lunch in September at the small and intimate “Weisses Haus” across the Elbe in Neumühlen. All agreed it was definitely worth going back to again.

Ulrike H's Made by You Ceramic Studio is definitely a hit with many of our members and their children, including Adrian S, who pleaded with his mother Shelly to stay just a little bit longer. Thank you Ulrike for hosting the Open House and AWCH Playgroup. It is the perfect place to create a handmade Christmas present.

The World Affairs Group met again at Fit for Fun. What a great soup and salad buffet, by the way. Thank you Kirstan B for giving us a place to vent our frustrations over world politics!

Thanks to Pamela K for arranging for the Wild Waldörfer Women to meet at the new Bok restaurant in Poppenbüttel. Everyone raved about their entrées – the fillet of duck with mango over greens with a spicy coconut sauce was exquisite.

Also, thank you Pamela for arranging for all of the AWCH members to have a free day in October at the new Alstertal Meridian Spa in Poppenbüttel, right near Bok. I hope everyone took advantage of that offer to enjoy the luxurious surroundings and special membership offers to get in shape and lose those extra kilos this winter.

Thank you to our tireless Film Group leader Becky T for keeping us on track with the hundreds of films offered during Hamburg’s September film festival (for reviews, click here). It was a great opportunity to see many new American and foreign films, as well as a few films made here in Germany – many in English. I saw the film Iron Jawed Angels and learned that both New Zealand and Russia had given women the right to vote before the U.S. did.

Last but not least, thank you Cornelia K for arranging for our exotic “Arabian Night” at the Moroccan restaurant Le Marrakech. It was truly an oasis of beauty and delight for all of the senses. The authentic Moroccan food, the lively dancing and the exotic atmosphere made it a trip worth taking! This would be a great place for Christmas shopping and lunch in the Bazaar... Anyone interested??