Category Society
Random Thoughts To End The Year
So here we are again. The last day of the last month. A new year begins tomorrow. It is all arbitrary of course. Monday probably won’t feel any different, except perhaps for those who overindulge tonight. Apparently, getting drunk on December 31is one of those things that crosses cultural and national boundaries. For many people […]
Christmas Penguins?
It’s Christmas Eve, also the fourth Sunday of the 2017 Advent season. As I have done the past couple of Sundays, I am featuring a nativity set today. Two of them. I thought about saving one of these for Advent 2018, but I suspect I’ll find other ones to share with you next year. They […]
There’s A Hole …
You could easily chalk this up to cultural differences. Or maybe German children are smarter than their Canadian counterparts. The first time we walked out of our village heading into the mountains I noticed a hole in a hill just outside the town limits. There was a small rail car in front of it with […]
Cultural Differences VII – Baking
With our kitchen having been installed for a week it was time for Christmas baking. Past time really; in Canada I would be on to my second batch by this point. But could I pull it off? Baking requires more than just an oven… I have heard it said that a good workman never blames […]
Cultural Differences VI – The Kitchen
Until this morning, when I walked into my kitchen, all I could see was empty space with a pipe protruding from the wall. The previous tenants took everything, including the kitchen sink. This is a whole new experience for me. In Germany, when you move, you take everything with you. That includes the kitchen sink […]
Stones of Remembrance
I wish I had brought a stone with me, but I didn’t know. As a small town, Sulzburg has few tourist attractions besides fresh air and hiking trails. However, it is known for its synagogue and Jewish cemetery, both no longer in use. Well, the cemetery is still there. So is the synagogue. It is […]
No Clothes, This Time
I wonder how it feels when the academic has no clothes? When their prejudices are revealed to the world and they stand naked, are they embarrassed? Or do they not even notice? The drawback to commenting on current news is that at times events unfold faster than This is the third time I have written […]
Cultural Differences IV
In North America it is common for retail salespeople to wear name tags. Turns out they do in Germany too, but there’s a big difference. The name tag is so much a part of the uniform that those wearing them often forget they are there. If I see a clerk wearing one I tend to […]
On The Bus
I may have mentioned from time to time that I am a big fan of public transit. It provides economical transportation, is relatively reliable and is environmentally friendly. Because I am a fan, and also because we have no vehicle, I have been learning the intricacies of the local transit system. Well, maybe intricacies is […]
Remembrance Day 2017
A hundred years ago today the First World War was dragging on with no end in sight. The troops were mired in the mud of the trenches of France and Belgium. It was not a pretty war. My grandfather fought in that conflict. To honour his memory, each November 11, for as long as I […]
random thoughts from lorne 
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