Open Day at the Goethe Institut London

If you happen to be in London on Sunday, the 20th of May make sure you pop in to the Open Day at the Goethe Institut London. After several months of renovation our friends and PASCH partners celebrate their reopening to the public with a big party and everyone is invited.

Doors open at 12 noon. Adults can enjoy German wine tasting, otherwise it's cakes and coffee, as well as the chance to browse the newly refurbished library. 

One highlight will be Gloria Zein’s new art installation entitled 'I Can't Stop the Dancing Chicken', which was commissioned especially for the 50th anniversary the London Goethe Institut is celebrating this year. 

Finally, from 6 o'clock onwards you have the chance to listen live to Silbermond, one of the most popular bands in Germany today.


Silbermond also play on the 19th of May at the Garage in London before touring the huge arenas in Germany in the autumn with their new album Himmel auf. 

Why not get your parents to take you to one of these events for full immersion in German culture and language!

Premier Mai

Here is a lovely text about May Day in France, written by Laura K. Lawless from the fantastic website 

  french.about.com

Do you understand the French text?


Bonne Fête du Premier Mai
Le premier mai est une journée spéciale en France. C'est la Fête du Travail, ou Fête des Travailleurs, et donc c'est un jour férié, un jour chômé pour tout le monde, avec une grande exception : les fleuristes. Le premier mai est aussi la Fête du Muguet, et il est traditionnel d'offrir à ses proches un brin de muguet, symbole du printemps et du porte-bonheur, surtout si le brin a 13 clochettes. Et les fleuristes sont très chanceux parce que ce jour uniquement ils ont le droit de vendre le muguet sans taxes. Attention : cette belle fleur et même l'eau dans laquelle elle trempe sont très toxiques.
En accord avec la coutume française, je travaille juste le temps de vous envoyer ce muguet et de vous souhaiter une bonne Fête du Premier Mai, où que vous soyez dans le monde. Bonne fête !  :-)

Here is the English translation...
  
Happy May Day
May 1st is a special day in France. It's Labor Day, or "Laborer's Day," and so it's a holiday, a day off from work for everyone, with one major exception: florists. May 1st is also Lily of the Valley Day, and it's traditional to offer one's loved ones a sprig of lily of the valley, symbol of spring and of good luck, especially if the sprig has 13 bellflowers. And florists are very lucky because on this day they have the right to sell lily of the valley tax-free. Be careful: this beautiful flower and even the water it stands in are very toxic.
In accordance with French custom, I'm working just long enough to send you this lily of the valley and to wish you a happy May Day, wherever you may be in the world. Have a happy holiday!  :-)

Follow this link for the website with comments and links for more cultural info on France!

El Dia de San Jorge

Once upon a time.. there was a dragon which used to attack the population of the Kingdom. People didn’t know what to do and they were very scared of the dragon, so they decided to give two sheep to the dragon each day.  After a couple of months they didn’t have enough sheep to offer to the dragon so they offered just one sheep - but one person, as well. This person would be chosen by drawing lots. 

One day the princess was chosen. On the way to the dragon’s cave she found a knight killing the dragon, and from the dragon’s blood grew a red rose which the knight offered to the princess. 
Can you imagine the name of the knight?

San Jorge y el Dragón

In Spanish he is known as San Jorge, while here he is St. George, the patron saint of England.

On the 23rd of April in some regions of Spain (Catalonia and Aragón) men offer women a red rose!

And do you know what women give to men? They give them a book to remember Shakespeare’s and Cervantes’ death, both of them died around the 23rd of April.

‘a rose for love and a book forever’

Muchas gracias to Maria, our Spanish assistant for this text!

Was ist Glück? (Silbermond)

Was ist Glück? What is happiness?

Here are lots of Germans trying to define happiness and saying what makes them happy....
What do you understand? Who do you agree with?

What do you think of how they look? Are they 'typical' Germans? Could they live anywhere?

Und du? Was macht dich glücklich? Was ist Glück für dich?
How about you? What makes you happy? What is happiness for you? 
Write your comments in English or German! Or French or Spanish.....

By the way, the video clip is the latest single by the very popular German band Silbermond, who will be coming to Great Britain ahead of their German tour to play some special gigs in May in London!
Some people at Tomlinscote are over the moon about this news :)

Here is the whole song Himmel Auf with German lyrics and the English translation (click away the ads to see them....)