More Munich photos!

Im Hofbräuhaus:

Die Blaskapelle:

Auf dem Viktualienmarkt:

Das Olympiastadion:

Ian und Ben: Kultur!

Another podcast, slightly later than we had planned to post it! Another one next week!

Enjoy!

click on the title to listen (right-click and "save target as" to download!)

München Fotos!

Here we are outside the Bayern München training grounds:

and here are Bayern München training:

This is Bismarck outside the Deutsches Museum:

and this is the groovy water sculpture inside the Deutsches Museum:

Watch this space - more to come later!

Ian and Ben talk about Transport

In a new podcast series, Ian and Ben have chats about issues which are (loosely) connected to A-level topics: all intermediate/advanced learners of German should find something if interest here. We'll post a new one every couple of weeks or so!

Today's topic is Transport.

click on the title of this post to listen, or:

http://www.shimnacollege.org.uk/german/Transport2.mp3

Shimnagerman on Twitter!

Now we're tweeting away!

www.twitter.com/shimnagerman

Montanalingua III - The Revenge of Montanalingua!

Zum dritten Mal kehrten wir zurück nach Greenhill YMCA um abenteuerliche Aktivitäten zu erleben, alles in der deutschen Sprache, und mit Hilfe von den vielen echten Deutschen, die dort oben in Greenhill leben!

Es hat viel Spaß gemacht, und wir haben viele wichtige und interessante neue Wörter gelernt!

Dibborsch ÄLA

Guten Tag liebe Shimnaner,

It is time for yet another blog entry. This time it is all about Fastnacht (Fas(s)enacht, Karneval etc.), Carneval. Alongside other countries -the most famous being probably Brazil and Spain- Carneval is celebrated in many parts of Germany. It depends very much on the region; You would find it being celebrated mostly in the southwest of Germany. The town I grew up in doesn´t celebrate Fastnacht very much, the neighbouring town, Dieburg, however, does not only celebrate it but actually has the carneval club (KarnevalsVerein Dieburg) with the most members in Germany.

The Fastnachtszeit starts on November the 11th at eleven past 11 (So 11th of 11th month at 11:11, can you spot the pattern? ;-) ) and ends in February just before the Fastenzeit (the lent), which starts on Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday). During that time there are lots of Karnevalssitzungen (carneval`s session), in which you have Karnevalsmusik (oompah oompah music), dances (traditionally dancers are called Funkenmariechen) and jokes, whose quality is debatable.

The weekend before Aschermittwoch is the highlight of what is sometimes called die Fünfte Jahreszeit (fifth season). People, even adults, dress up and go to parties or just meet in the street to celebrate Strassenfastnacht (carneval in the street). On Tuesday or Monday, depending on where you are, Fastnachtsumzüge (processions) take place, where people, who are dressed up, walk through the streets and throw sweets, Kamelle, for the children to catch or to pick up . Originally used to welcome the spring, Karneval now is used to celebrate on last time before the fasten starts. So people use their last chance, Faschingsdienstag (shrove tuesday, which some of you might know as pancake tuesday) to enjoy the thing they want to give up for lent to the fullest.

To set themselves apart from other towns, you have a special way of greeting eachother. In Köln it would be "Kölle Alaaf", in Düsseldorf "Düsseldorf Helau" and in Dieburg, the town i went to school, "Dibborsch Äla"


So have a nice term break and Dibborsch ÄLA

Haensel und Gretel

Happy new year everyone! I'm sure you're all glad to be back: here's a singsong version of the famous German Maerchen to keep you cheery through the long Winter nights.

First person to send an email (or post a comment) with an MP3 of themselves singing the song wins a prize!

Here's the link (it's on The Voyage) website:

http://www.ukgermanconnection.org/kids/?location_id=379

Wir haben deutsches Weihnachtsessen probiert

Dear fellow Shimnanians,

Heute haben wir mit Jahr zehn deutsches Weihnachtsessen probiert: Lebkuchen (Ginger bread), Spekulatius (spiced biscuits), Stollen (German cake similiar to fruit cake), Vollkornbrot (whole meal bread), Schokotaler (chocolate coins) und Käse aus Österreich (Austrian cheese). Es war sehr lecker. Vieles schmeckte gar fantastisch

Außerdem haben wir Pfefferkuchenhäuser gebaut. Es wurde viel gekleckert und fleissig gearbeitet. Am Ende schuf jeder ein zuckersüsses Eigenheim. Leider sahen die Häuser so lecker aus, dass die meisten Häuser gleich nach Fertigstellung gegessen wurden. Dieses wunderschöne Haus von Candice überlebte und wurde für die Nachwelt festgehalten. Hmmm sieht das nicht lecker aus?

Frohe Weihnachten und bis nächstes Jahr

Am Weihnachtsbaume die Lichter brennen....

Hey there Shimnanians,


Wie geht's euch?


I want to introduce to you bits of the rich German christmas tradition. In Germany the christmas time starts on the fourth weekend before christmas. 'Die Adventszeit' begins. On every sunday from then on you light a candle, so that you end up with four burning candles on the 'Adventskranz' by the last sunday. Children in Germany also get an advent calender, which is filled with either chocolates, pictures or even small toys.




They 'Adventszeit' leads up to Christmas Eve ('Heiligabend'). Germany is not just one hour ahead of Northern Ireland, but when it comes to opening the christmas presents ('Geschenke'), it is even half a day as Germans open their presents on the 24th. Before doing that in the evening you go to church and witness or even take part in a nativity play ('Krippenspiel'). I used to always take part in one until I was about 12. This one looks like mine - - >




Well, there is just one thing left to say:

Ich wünsche euch eine besinnliche Weihnachtszeit und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr 2009.

(Have a merry christmas and a happy new year 2009)

Ben

Der Advent

In connection to the beginning of Advent, some of our partner Primary Schools have been learning to sing O Tannenbaum! in German. We further produced our own English versions of the song and recorded them all - with gusto!

Here they are:

Kilkeel (Mrs McKinney)

St Colman's

or click on the title to hear a single file of all the songs, one after another!

Interview mit Ben

A chat with Ben, our German assistant. The first part is in German and then we speak in English. Click on the title of this post to listen!