Hi here is the admin for this account. Social media has been brutal lately, I personally need a rest. This account will most probably return , but I need a break. I hope you understand! X katalyst

So this will be my post today. Thanks for joining me here. The stuff I usually post at @nes-tor.bsky.social may be not interesting. I follow many political accounts and I just grow grumpy all the time here. If you want to join me, I'm happy about it. Perhaps there are other things I could focus on

Well I'm back in Marzahn it was a pretty good day in "Switzerland" :)

Good morning, today I'm hiking with an old friend. We are going to Märkische Schweiz. Even though the tallest point is 124m, it's so hilly that it was labeled Switzerland a century ago. Mark is much older: the Margraviate of Brandenburg founded in 1157 by Albrecht the Bear it survived until Prussia

Hello! Just went up the 18th floor & took a few pictures you can see Müggelberg behind which is around 20/30 km distance. I don't face South or West so it's OK not to have a fan or aircon.

Grandiose Bilder aus Bratislava heute abend: Die Proteste richten sich gegen Premier Fico, der als Marionette des Kremls die Slowakei auf einen pro-russischen Kurs zwingen will. Die Hoffnungen dieser Menschen ruhen auf Europa und nicht auf Russland.

Hi everyone! Living in Marzahn one cannot forget the village. When you're walking around Marzahn for the first time and end up here you might feel you need to check the calendar.

On my way back home I strolled around the centre of Marzahn-Mitte. As the people who live here aren't economically privileged there is a pretty good community network. At Unbezahlbar I once sought social advice and in retun I donated some shirts I no longer fitted in (ouch! 😱) A few examples below.

Hello, I want to start the day with some controversy. Next to my tram stop is a reminder of a 19-year-old's tragic death last year. He was on an e-scooter, wearing 🎧 and ended up under a tram. It's the first anniversary this month. I still remember his friends mourning the loss. Heartbreaking.

Let's face it: Times are bleak. Escape with me to a world that's better and more hopeful: Kill monsters, defeat evil wizards and rescue the city! In short: Learn to play #DungeonsAndDragons with me. Sign up for a 2-hour one-shot adventure here: startplaying.games/gm/chrispyak

Good morning! A bit more greenery from #Marzahn – my way to the city center before reaching the S-Bahn. No speeding cars in sight. It's pretty safe for kids. Is your way to work nice?

Germans react to Elon Musk's Nazi salute. www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8FsSTdv/

The picture looks dull, but #Marzahn is just so green! Alongside buildings they planted mini woods in the courtyards as part of DDR-Wohnumfeldgestaltung. When most birds return here in spring, a symphony at night for about a month, then it stops quickly as they have many chicks to feed. Very busy!

I wrote this essay in October 2023 on the rise of fascism in Germany. www.zeit.de/kultur/2023-... Two nights ago I walked past two new and huge far-right election adverts, metres from where I had witnessed a potentially fatal attack. Two years ago it would have been unthinkable to see them there.

Good morning! Since I live on the outskirts & pretty much dark outside, we had great views of the Northern Lights. I used to follow a meteorologist on Twitter who posted about the event & went up to Ahrensfelder Berge nearby, which was once a construction rubble dump when NE Berlin got its Platten.

This year, I decided to spend my free time learning music, so I wrap up my Mondays with sax lessons at the Bezirksmusikschule, where I borrowed this alto sax. Any musicians or aspiring ones here? What's your favorite instrument? I'd love to learn in a group, but there aren’t enough people in Marzahn

In Germany, if you're unemployed, have worked unqualified, or want to change careers, you can do an "Umschulung" (retraining). It lasts 2 years: 1.5 years of theory and a 6-month internship at a company. After an exam at a local chamber of commerce, you receive a recognized job title.

Good morning! Sunrise from my window today. I get to see how the sun rises a bit further up north each day until around Sommer solstice. I'd love to experience the summer beyond the artic circle this year. Till 27 June sunsets will happen later but my windows face only East.

Now a bit about myself before calling off for 2day. I was born in London. My parents are Spanish, my mum half Portuguese, but speaks none. They returned to Spain when I was in Year 3 of primary school. I then ended up in a German school, so I am an immigrant but a bit German too? Aren't we all? 😉

I have a non related question after 2 years this hospice cat from berlin shelter started getfing on me & a few moments ago I had her bum right up my nose! What is this all about?🤣 This lovely cat was classed end-of-life which means they won't try cure her if she had e. g. cancer and that's ageist!

Hello 😀 it's Nestor taking up this week. Thanks @clairesmith1848.blsky.social for a great week! I know most curators come from Berlin but into my 4th year in Marzahn I haven't heard anybody speaking English here yet. I really enjoyed this book - it received the Dublin literary award!

I will be logging out soon. I want to welcome our next curator @nes-tor.bsky.social Thanks again for the positive interactions! I hope you found my posts useful. Come and visit sometime. There's a lot to explore outside of Munich and Berlin. You can find me @clairesmith1848.bsky.social /1

I haven't talked much about politics this, but our conversation turned that way this afternoon. My German family is concerned about what will happen after the inauguration tomorrow. Honestly, so am I. /2

Coffee and cake time! My MIL's black forest cherry cake (made with Kirschwasser!) and blueberry frischkäse.

We always walk the same route to the Zwischenahner See. Normally, you can see Baf Zwischenahn on the other side of the lake. Today, it is so foggy that you can barely see past the dock. It feels like a horror film.

I have arrived at my mother-in-law's for her birthday lunch. More Grünkohl! 😆

Are you interested in sharing your perspective on Germany? We are looking for a curator for next week! Contact @katalyst.bsky.social

Today is my last day with you all on this account. I want to thank @katalyst.bsky.social for maintaining the Germany RoCur account. It makes me happy to see so many of my digital tribe here. And with some of you I go WAY back to the blogging days 😳😉 Who remembers our meet up in Bremen in 2008??

Moin. Guten Morgen. No desk calendar quote with my morning coffee. I was so tired when I got home last night that I went to bed. No headache or hangover, but I had to take a tums. Woke up to a Lions loss. 😕 Somehow, it isn't surprising to me... I'm headed to my MIL's birthday today.

Coffee and cake are done. Time to start walking! Beer anyone? /1

Today we are doing our Kohltour with friends from the Gilde. I forgot to mention the Gilde in my tour of Wildeshausen yesterday. The Gilde was first mentioned in 1403, but is possibly older. As part of the Bremer Stadtsrechte, the town had to provide for their defence and created the Schützengild./1

A Kohltour is a northwest German tradition that emerged in the Oldenburger Land and Bremen but is popular throughout our region. Grünkohl is kale, but my hubby compares it to collard greens. It was considered food for poor people in winter. As with asparagus, an entire culture developed around it./1

Moin! Guten Morgen. Sleeping in on Saturday is something I look forward to all week. Today we are going on a Kohltour with friends from the Gildefest, which will be some fun local culture! Today's calendar entry...

Signing off early tonight. Going to go have a glass of wine and fall asleep on the sofa. I hope you enjoyed my adopted home. Check out my personal account on Jan. 27, when I post about Tag des Gedenkens an die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus in Wildeshausen. Tomorrow: Grünkohl tour and Schutzengilde!

Did you all see the US Supreme Court Ruling about TikTok? Today I finished a Lernsitutation about TikTok in my BG11 Politics class. We did the Urteilsbildung today. After much discussion and writing, 7 voted against a ban, 14 for the ban, 2 still unsure. They were very reflective and thoughtful!

After that cold walk, pull a chair up to the fire. By 1500, this small town, Wildeshausen, was important and rich. In the late Middle Ages however, their fortunes began to change. Wildeshausen was now under the Bishop of Münster. In 1526, a cleric, Nicolas Kasselmann, was murdered in Wildeshausen./1

Wildeshausen was a big deal in the Middle Ages! Beyond its relics, because of its location on the Flemisch Road, it linked important trading routes. By the 1200s, it was controlled by the Bremen Bishop. In 1270, Wildeshausen received Bremer Stadtrechte, an then built a city wall, and a Burg.

Today, I will show you my part of Germany, Wildeshausen. Wildeshausen is located in Landkreis Oldenburg in Niedersachsen. It has a long history tough, first mentioned in 851 when Walbert brought the relics of St. Alexander from Rom. Just finished my lesson for the day. Let's go for a walk.

Moin! Good morning. We made it to Friday, y'all! I love today's calendar. German idioms that make no sense in English. What's your favorite?

Reading today's awesome responses, wanted to defend the DB just a little. My oldest son (almost 17) uses it all the time. He goes to Bremen for orchestra, Hamburg for shopping, Berlin or Köln for workshops. He's everywhere and loves it. Not possible in the US. Night! Tomorrow discover Wildeshausen!

How are we feeling about social media these days? Remember when it emerged and the hope that it could help people organize and lead to a better world. Arab Spring, anyone? That's not my feeling these days. But I have found community that I don't want to give up. I stick around for you lovely people.

Germany is more than just Berlin and Munich. It is also bigger than you might think. My cousin came to Germany in Dec. She sent me a text. Let's meet up! Maybe I could drive down to Munich for the day? That's an at 8 hour drive from Wildeshausen in the NW. So, no. To her credit, she didn't realize.

In Politik I emphasize the importance of controversy and provoking students to think critically. Let me provoke here. Things I like in Germany: shop opening hours, fast check out counters, being quiet on Sundays, Tagesschau Thing that bug: Schlager (not good!), Tartort, some general unfriendliness

This is one of the reasons I didn't post so much yesterday; had a Pressetermin. The EU Juniorbotschafter Program that I advise at our school collected money for our local DRK. These students are the ones that give me hope and keep me going. bit.ly/40AddVM

Moin. Guten Morgen. I don't have a specific topic today. I have to go to Oldenburg and observe one of my student teachers and do some grading. I skimmed the news and definitely need a stronger cup of coffee. What are you up to today?

Good night! My wonderful husband is now a bit upset about the end of that Weder Bremen game. So I'm going to ask him to stop yelling at the TV. Tomorrow's topic: shop opening hours... I'm just kidding. After 20 years here, I don't care anymore. Still contemplating.

Where has the day gone? I wanted to post so much more but real life (see today's calendar quote!) got in the way. I found the comments on citizenship very thoughtful. When I got dual citizenship, my father thought is was really cool. My mom was less... happy. She said, what I was doing is wrong. /1

The responses to "Where are you from?" are really interesting. I suppose we all struggle with the idea of where we are from. My belonging to Germany became stronger when I became a citizen in April 2022. I was lucky and became a dual citizen. Dual citizenship, good or bad?

"Woher kommst du?" "Ich komme aus Wildeshausen." (Verwirrter Blick.) „Nein, ursprünglich. Du weißt, was ich meine.“ Raise your hand if this has happened to you. I have lived in Wildeshausen for 18 years. I will grow old here. I am a citizen. But apparently, because of my accent, I'm not from here.