Author Archives: Clare B. Dunkle

Auf Wiedersehen in Rodenbach!

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Clare B. Dunkle

When I was a kid back in Texas, my brother Anthony used to call out, “Our feet are the same!” whenever he was leaving. This was, of course, a childish joke on the German phrase, “Auf Wiedersehen!” Being an ignorant … Continue reading →

Posted in Daily life | 2 Comments

What exactly does “Auf Wiedersehen!” mean? Auf means at, upon, or on. Sehen means to see, and wieder means again. So “Auf Wiedersehen!” means, “At our seeing each other again!” Or, in other words, “See you later!”

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Clare B. Dunkle | Leave a comment

How Many People Live There?

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Clare B. Dunkle

Germany is not like the Texas suburbs I grew up in, with their obsessive-compulsive zoning laws separating business, homeowner, and apartment dweller. Many houses in Germany contain built-in apartments, and many regular homeowners are also landlords. Given their population/landmass ratio, … Continue reading →

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The other night, I was watching a television show on World War II. The number of World War II shows on television here is truly astounding! One of the subject matter experts was discussing naval warfare. After talking about U-boats … Continue reading →

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Clare B. Dunkle | Leave a comment

At Home

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Clare B. Dunkle

Consider this German home: thoroughly modern and downright adorable. This is what realtors mean by curb appeal. This German house probably dates from the 1800s. Still, it has a lot in common with the modern house above it, and several … Continue reading →

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The other night, as I was flipping channels, my television informed me that the title of the next show was Die Gebärdensprache. What kind of Sprache (speech)? I found out that sich gebärden means to behave or act, and die … Continue reading →

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Clare B. Dunkle | Leave a comment

Happy New Year!

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Clare B. Dunkle

What a peaceful nighttime scene! Just a quiet street in Rodenbach, Germany. But that was before the madness. I’m from the western United States, a land of droughts, dead vegetation, and fast-moving wildfires. More than 21,000 wildfires burned across my … Continue reading →

Posted in Festivals, Folk traditions, Holidays, Weather | Leave a comment

One of the interesting things about life in Germany is listening to a German-language sermon each Sunday. Last Sunday was devoted to the Holy Family–Jesus, Mary, and Joseph–and Father spoke at length about what a wonderful Vorbild that family is … Continue reading →

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Clare B. Dunkle | Leave a comment

The New St. Vith

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Clare B. Dunkle

I’ve always loved the high rounded hills and wide valleys near Spangdahlem Air Base. They’re colorful even in the middle of winter. This is the Eifel, a land of strong winds, big sky, and beautiful scenery. Thousands of years ago, … Continue reading →

Posted in Belgium, Food and drink, German history, Tourist destinations | Leave a comment

In my Lucky Luke comic book, the cowboy warns that he and his friend are entering the territory of a tribe that has mastered die Tarnung. What have they mastered? You can tell from the photo above. Die Tarnung means … Continue reading →

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Clare B. Dunkle | Leave a comment