Congratulazione - congratulations to Italy!

Mühltal, July 10, 2006

Dear Debbie,

Italy is World Champion: Congratulazione! Et Zizou, qu`est-ce qui s`est passé? Only he will know what possessed him when he thrust his forehead into the chest of Marco Materazzi. He was shown the red card and Italy finally won the game in a penalty showdown.

It has been a great time for us in Germany and I have the impression that our guests who came from all over the world have enjoyed it, too. Now we are looking forward to the next World Cup.
 

We are already singing: "54, 74, 90, 2010, ja so stimmen wir alle ein, mit dem Herz in der Hand und der Leidenschaft im Bein werden wir Weltmeister sein."

Good-bye and see you then!

Karin

Un, deux, trois - allez, allez, allez!

Mühltal, July 09, 2006

Dear Debbie,

Italy is playing against France in tonight`s finals, and although of course I like Italy I can only keep my fingers crossed for the French. After all, I spent two years there! And with Zinédine Zidane they have the best player ever, elegant, brilliant and modest. Vive l`élégance du jeu: Allez les bleus!

Karin

And the winner is ... Germany!

Mühltal, July 09, 2006

Dear Debbie,

in a fascinating match yesterday evening the German team has won the third place final against Portugal. But World Cup has not only been a great success for the German soccer team, but for the whole country.

The perfect organization was maybe something that most people would have expected anyway, and yes, Germans are known for their sense of punctuality, but having summer arrive the very day of FIFA World Cup kick-off and having it last until the finals? This has been quite a pleasant surprise, especially because global warming seemed to have taken a break this year * – (we had snow until mid March and in May the temperatures went down to zero!). I hope not only that this gorgeous summer weather is going to stay, but also that this joyful and mediterranean atmosphere is going to last.

There are people in Germany who wonder what to do with their flags now. Come on, that is quite obvious: Two years from now it is European Championships and in four years: World Cup 2010! See you then!

Karin

* Die WELT, 07.07.2006, "Warme Liste" von Dirk Maxeiner und Michael Miersch

Mühltal, July 5, 2006

Dear Debbie,

the Italian team beat Germany 2:0 yesterday evening. And Prodi has been watching the game next to Angela Merkel. Of course, I am a little bit disappointed, but I congratulate the Italians on their win! And anyway, World Cup is not finished yet, the final is on Sunday and the German team is going to play the third place final on Saturday. So there is still time to try out the latest fan articles:

Have a wonderful FIFA World Cup time!

Karin

Mühltal, July 1, 2006

Dear Debbie,

the German team has beaten Argentina 5-3 and reached the semi-final – they are incredible! Next opponent will be Italy next Tuesday. I hope we will knock them out, too. I would love to see Prodi`s face. When Angela Merkel invited him to Germany for FIFA World Cup, he said he would come for the final Germany – Italy. Angela Merkel responded with: "Who is late, will be punished by life." I would love her to be right in the end.

Karin

Mühltal, June 27, 2006

Dear Debbie,

first German flags were sold out, now Goleo the official FIFA mascot is sold out as well.

You still want one? Don´t worry: Some 700.000 have been reordered.

Have a wonderful FIFA World Cup time!

Karin

2:0 for Germany!

Mühltal, June 24, 2006

Dear Debbie,

the German team has shown a great performance: They have won against Sweden 2:0 and reached the quarter-final! Now I only wonder whether this is because of or despite American training methods? Well, maybe we should leave this question open, enjoy the victory and hope for more - next Friday in Berlin.

Have a wonderful FIFA World Cup time!

Karin

Mühltal, June 23, 2006

Dear Debbie,

nobody would have expected this: German flags are sold out! And right at this moment where a natural, open-minded, cheerful patriotism is coming up in Germany, the Trade Union Education and Science in Hesse (Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft Hessen = GEW-Hessen) plans to distribute a brochure at schools warning against an "atmosphere of nationalism" * during FIFA World Cup criticising our national anthem which is about Unity and Justice and Freedom. Great values. Values badly needed in the fight against all kinds of extremism whether it comes from the Right, the Left or from Islamist extremists. If the GEW really worried about nationalism they would promote our national anthem and the values it stands for, instead of fighting it. Also, they could have attended the demonstrations that took place against the Iranian president Ahmadinejad and his plans to wipe Israel off the map. But that is probably asking too much. So I suspect the GEW will not like this picture -

for all the rest:

Have a wonderful FIFA World Cup time!

Karin

* Pressemitteilung GEW-Hessen: "Nationaler Stimmungsmache keine Plattform bieten"
Untertitel: "Bildungsgewerkschaft gegen die Atmosphäre des Nationalismus während der Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft" (ohne Datum, mein Ausdruck datiert vom 19.06.2006)

Update: GEW regrets misunderstanding, admits mistakes and is not going to distribute the brochure at schools. **

** Stellungnahme des Vorsitzenden der Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft (GEW), Ulrich Thöne, zur aktuellen Diskussion um die deutsche Nationalhymne unter der Überschrift "Ulrich Thöne bedauert Missverständnis und räumt Fehler ein"

Mühltal, 16. Juni 2006

Liebe Debbie,

das Spiel gegen Polen war ja reich an gelben Karten, sogar eine rote war dabei; eine hat der sonst sehr korrekte Schiedsrichter allerdings übersehen, das war die rote Karte für ARD-Reporter Steffen Simon, der sagte: "Es steht mir ja nicht zu, die Kanzlerin zu kritisieren, aber sie könnte ja mal ihren Mann mitbringen." *

Das ist irgendwie frauen-, männer- und wissenschaftsfeindlich in einem, denn:

1. Unsere Kanzlerin steht ihren Mann auch alleine.

2. Ihr Mann ist renommierter Wissenschaftler und kein Repräsentationspüppchen.

3. Es gibt so viele Wissenschaftler, die ins Ausland abwandern, da können wir doch froh sein, wenn es einem Spaß macht, in Deutschland zu forschen, oder?

In diesem Sinne, weiterhin spannende Spiele (mit oder ohne Männer), Karin

PS: Wenn es im Fußball grüne Karten für "Weiter so!" gäbe, hätte Angela Merkel sofort eine von mir für diese Antwort: Sie hatte Prodi zu einem WM-Spiel eingeladen; dieser sagte zu "für das Finale Italien gegen Deutschland". Angela Merkel konterte: "Wer zu spät kommt, den bestraft das Leben." ** Klasse!

* ARD Live-Übertragung des WM-Spiels Deutschland gegen Polen am 14.06.2006 und BILD-Zeitung vom 16.06.2006, S. 1

** BILD-Zeitung vom 16.06.2006, S. 2, "Auch die Kanzlerin schreit für Deutschland" von Einar Koch und Hans-Jörg Vehlewald

Think big in Germany?

Mühltal, June 12, 2006

Dear Debbie,

as you know I bought the first German flag of my life for FIFA World Cup and I am making every effort to use it properly: Not drive faster than 100 km/h, not use it below 0 degrees (which two weeks ago could have been a problem!), not use it above 45 degrees (which could become a problem if the summer goes on like that). But all that is not enough - my flag is too big!

Straßenverkehrszulassungsordnung allows only 40 centimetres and my flag measures 45 centimetres, that is 5 too much.

Think big in Germany? Not alway easy.

Good luck for your game against the Czech Republic! Karin

Mühltal, June 09, 2006

Dear Debbie,

less than one hour left until FIFA World Cup kick-off! I am fully equipped: I bought a German flag for my car (the first one I have ever possessed in my life) and I got the official FIFA mascot Goleo, a little soccer-playing lion. I think he is really cute, but he had serious image problems: people complained he did not look dynamic enough and that he was not even wearing trousers and then the firm producing the little mascots went bankrupt. But I like him. And I think we are going to win today. I have to leave you for now, do not want to miss the national anthems being played. Especially the German one: Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit – Unity and Justice and Freedom! Yes, believe it or not: FREEDOM!

Have a wonderful FIFA World Cup time! Karin

American training methods for the German soccer-team?

Mühltal, June 02, 2006

Dear Debbie,

only one week left until FIFA World Cup! On Friday 9^th, 6 p.m. kick-off time Germany is going to play against Costa Rica. During the last months there have been heated discussions about Jürgen Klinsmann`s skills as a team coach. As he has spent the recent years in the U.S.A., he imported American training methods to Germany. Now I know that America has brought a lot of wonderful things to us, things like freedom and democracy e. g., but I do not remember soccer being an American specialty. I mean who is triple FIFA world-champion? The U.S.A. or Germany? Anyway I am going to keep my fingers crossed for both teams – the American team will need it, you have Italy and the Czech Republic in group E. And the Germans? They will need it just as much I suspect. But what did our Chancellor Angela Merkel say in her New Year`s Speech: "The women´s football team is already world champion and I do not see any reason, why men should not be able to achieve the same as women."

;-) Karin

PS: In case you should want to contact people in Germany during FIFA worldcup – forget it, or at least make sure you do not call when the German team is playing. You can find a match schedule here.

© Karin Quade 2006