Please join us for our November program meeting. Our guest speaker is Courtenay Smith, design expert from the Neumeister Auction House. There is always a lot to discuss and tons of fun to be had.
Be aware that we have a new meeting location near Viktualienmarkt. For more info, please contact aaupw@yahoo.de
When: Wednesday evening, 16 November, 6:30 PM
AAUPW Members
**************** Some of the AAUPW members at our 2014 Holiday Party ***************
November 2, 2011
Girls' Night Out
In November, we are continuing our Around The World in Munich Tour by going to Mexico – at least for an evening. So, if you are up for tacos, burritos, tortas, ensaladas salsas, tamales, fajitas, and margaritas, come join us at a great Mexican restaurant!
When: Friday evening, 11 November, 7:00 PM
When: Friday evening, 11 November, 7:00 PM
November Book Club
In November, we will be discussing The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. This is a fictional account of the 5 year marriage between Ernest Hemingway and his first wife Hadley Richardson. They had a whirlwind romance and wedding then set sail to live in Paris in the glittering 1920's. A heartbreaking portrayal of love and broken loyalty. As we now know, Hemingway once said he wished he had died before loving anyone else other than Hadley. From the Washington Times Review, "That his first wife should have spent her adolescence in a home shadowed by depression and suicide before being married to the famed bad boy who later took his own life is intriguing. It immediately establishes one of the strengths of this book, which is its willingness to grapple with emotional complexity."
When: Monday, 14.November at 6:30 PM.
When: Monday, 14.November at 6:30 PM.
October 3, 2011
October Meeting 2011
Our October meeting speaker is Barbara Gottstein-Schramm, a teacher with the KIKUS language program since its start-up in 1989. KIKUS offers a fully-integrated language learning method designed to encourage and promote early multilingualism. KIKUS (pronounced “keekooz”) stands for „Kinder in Kulturen und Sprachen" (which can be loosely translated as “Children of Many Cultures and Languages").
Originally developed to support the German language skills of young children from immigrant families in Munich kindergartens, the concept has since been expanded and applied to other languages, including English, Spanish, and Turkish. Gottstein-Schramm serves as a trainer and seminar leader for KIKUS, as well as the head of the foreign language department of the association. She will not only detail how the program has helped more than 20,000 students since its founding, but also explore the benefits of early multilingualism and development. Please join us to learn more about this important topic!
Date: Weds. evening, Oct. 19, 2011
Time: 6:30 PM
Originally developed to support the German language skills of young children from immigrant families in Munich kindergartens, the concept has since been expanded and applied to other languages, including English, Spanish, and Turkish. Gottstein-Schramm serves as a trainer and seminar leader for KIKUS, as well as the head of the foreign language department of the association. She will not only detail how the program has helped more than 20,000 students since its founding, but also explore the benefits of early multilingualism and development. Please join us to learn more about this important topic!
Date: Weds. evening, Oct. 19, 2011
Time: 6:30 PM
October Book Club
This month's reading, Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto, is a very interesting take on the American education system and its impact on our kids. Gatto’s storytelling skill shines as he relates tales of real people who fled the school system and succeeded in spite of the popular wisdom that insists on diplomas, degrees, and credentials. He focuses on mechanisms of familiar schooling that cripple imagination, discourage critical thinking, and create a false view of learning as a by-product of rote-memorization drills.
John Taylor Gatto taught for thirty years in public schools. He climaxed his teaching career as New York State Teacher of the Year in 1991. That same year, he resigned from school-teaching in the op-ed pages of The Wall Street Journal. Since then, he has worked tirelessly to bring about school reform.
Come for what is sure to be an interesting discussion on what could be a hot topic!
Date: Monday evening, Oct. 17th, 2011
Here the line up for the next few months:
Nov: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Dec: No Book Club - Christmas Break
Jan: In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
Feb: We pick our reading for the next 6 months!
John Taylor Gatto taught for thirty years in public schools. He climaxed his teaching career as New York State Teacher of the Year in 1991. That same year, he resigned from school-teaching in the op-ed pages of The Wall Street Journal. Since then, he has worked tirelessly to bring about school reform.
Come for what is sure to be an interesting discussion on what could be a hot topic!
Date: Monday evening, Oct. 17th, 2011
Here the line up for the next few months:
Nov: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Dec: No Book Club - Christmas Break
Jan: In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
Feb: We pick our reading for the next 6 months!
Girls’ Night Out
In October, we begin our Around The World in Munich Tour, by dining at a different ethnic restaurant each month. This month features Afghan cuisine.
September 2, 2011
September Meeting 2011
September marks the beginning of a new academic year - and the beginning of a new year in our club calendar. As is our custom, we have no formal speaker this month.
The evening will feature a meet-and-greet exercise, special surprise, regular announcements, and plenty of time to meet new members and catch up with old members we haven't seen all summer. We will have a catered salad-and-pizza dinner featuring several options of each (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian) for approximately 10 euros per person. We will also have several delectable desserts.
This informal evening is a good time for potential new members to get to know us. For more details, please contact Claudia Ziersch at aaupw@yahoo.de.
When: Weds. evening, Sept. 21st, at 18:30 (6:30 PM)
The evening will feature a meet-and-greet exercise, special surprise, regular announcements, and plenty of time to meet new members and catch up with old members we haven't seen all summer. We will have a catered salad-and-pizza dinner featuring several options of each (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian) for approximately 10 euros per person. We will also have several delectable desserts.
This informal evening is a good time for potential new members to get to know us. For more details, please contact Claudia Ziersch at aaupw@yahoo.de.
When: Weds. evening, Sept. 21st, at 18:30 (6:30 PM)
September 2011 Book Club
This month we'll be discussing The Summer without Men by Siri Hustved. Our protagonist, Mia Fredrickson, is a prize-winning poet in her 50s, a university lecturer, and a mother. For 30 years she has also been wife to Boris, an established neuroscientist, who one fine day announces that he wants a pause in their marriage. The "pause" is French and has significant breasts and an excellent mind. Mia tumbles into a brief nervous breakdown. She spends the summer surrounded by women of all ages, in all phases of life, and re-discovers herself.
When: Monday, 12.September at 18:30 (6:30 PM).
Here the line-up for the next few months:
Oct: Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto
Nov: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Jan: In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
When: Monday, 12.September at 18:30 (6:30 PM).
Here the line-up for the next few months:
Oct: Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto
Nov: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Jan: In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
August Excursion to Regensburg
Our August excursion to Regensburg was a great success! Ten AAUPW members participated in a day of culture and fun in this medieval city. The day started with a lovely lunch at the famous Haus Heuport and was followed by an informative city tour. To end the day, we took advantage of the city's great shopping opportunities (TK Maxx, in particular). We are so lucky to live just a short train ride away from such a beautiful city
July 4, 2011
New Monthly Event - Girls' Night Out
Because there are many times when girls just like to have fun, we are encouraging everyone to get out and enjoy all the wonderful eateries Munich has to offer – in great company, of course!
When: Tuesday evening, July 19, at 7:30 PM
Prospective members are welcome to visit. For further details, contact Club President Claudia Ziersch at aaupw@yahoo.de
When: Tuesday evening, July 19, at 7:30 PM
Prospective members are welcome to visit. For further details, contact Club President Claudia Ziersch at aaupw@yahoo.de
No Program Meeting in July
Because of our Independence Day Party on Sunday, July 3rd, there will be no program meeting this month.
July Book Club
Hope you all are enjoying your summer reading. For July's Book Club we will be discussing:
Just Kids by Patti Smith
Here a review from the internet: Patti Smith, the godmother of punk, has written a memoir of the early years she shared with the Artist, Robert Mapplethorpe. The passion for their art is a major theme throughout the story, along with the hard work and devotion to each other. It's a story of love and friendship that Smith describes as aesthetically as anyone I've read. Both Smith and Mapplethorpe achieve their dreams together, becoming celebrities and fulfilled artists. Their ambition, hard work and mutual love for each other carry the day. The characters are perfectly developed with all the necessary complexity.
Join us as Erin Sull moderates this fascinating look into the lives of these artists before they were famous in NYC in the late 60's.
When: Monday, July 18th, at 6:30 PM
Prospective members are welcome to visit. For further details, contact Club President Claudia Ziersch at aaupw@yahoo.de
Here is the line up for the rest of the season:
Month: Title, Author
Sep: The Summer Without Men, Siri Hustvedt
Oct: Weapons of Mass Instruction, John Taylor Gatto
Nov: The Paris Wife, Paula McLain
Jan: In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan
Just Kids by Patti Smith
Here a review from the internet: Patti Smith, the godmother of punk, has written a memoir of the early years she shared with the Artist, Robert Mapplethorpe. The passion for their art is a major theme throughout the story, along with the hard work and devotion to each other. It's a story of love and friendship that Smith describes as aesthetically as anyone I've read. Both Smith and Mapplethorpe achieve their dreams together, becoming celebrities and fulfilled artists. Their ambition, hard work and mutual love for each other carry the day. The characters are perfectly developed with all the necessary complexity.
Join us as Erin Sull moderates this fascinating look into the lives of these artists before they were famous in NYC in the late 60's.
When: Monday, July 18th, at 6:30 PM
Prospective members are welcome to visit. For further details, contact Club President Claudia Ziersch at aaupw@yahoo.de
Here is the line up for the rest of the season:
Month: Title, Author
Sep: The Summer Without Men, Siri Hustvedt
Oct: Weapons of Mass Instruction, John Taylor Gatto
Nov: The Paris Wife, Paula McLain
Jan: In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan
June 4, 2011
June Program Meeting is the Annual Walking Tour
Our June meeting features a special "walking tour" of the Museum Villa Stuck - which includes a look at the historical rooms of Franz von Stuck and at the exhibition currently on display in the extension.
Afterwards we will go out to dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Members may bring a guest.
When: Wednesday evening, June 22
Afterwards we will go out to dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Members may bring a guest.
When: Wednesday evening, June 22
June Book Club
For June we will be reading the German comedian, Hape Kerkeling's entertaining account of his pilgrimage across the Pyrannes to the St. James shrine. A self confessed "pudgy couch potatoe", he was an unlikely candidate to complete this rigorous journey. His travels and his spiritual journey on the tough Camino de Santiago struck a cord in many and his travelogue was a best seller in Germany. The book has now been translated in 11 languages and since the book was published, the number of Pilgrims along the Camino has increased by 20%. By the way, two of our very own members are planning on doing part of the trail this year...I won't tell you who... come to book club and find out!
When: Monday, June 6th at 18:30
When: Monday, June 6th at 18:30
May 10, 2011
May Program Meeting
After much cajoling, our intrepid member, Elyse Shustak, has agreed to tell us about her recent trip to Israel and Palestine at the May meeting. Elyse traveled with the Abraham Path management team from the village of Beit Sahour in the West Bank to Be'er Sheva in the Negev Desert of southern Israel, and was deeply moved by what she saw and heard; the people she met, Israelis, Palestinians, Bedouins, and American peace pioneers. The Abraham Path (http://www.abrahampath.org/about.php) is a cultural tourism initiative - a pilgrimage which traces the footsteps of Abraham through the Middle East. We look forward to hearing about Elyse's experiences and to find out just what she has taken away from a most unusual vacation.
When: 6:30 PM on Wednesday, May 18th, 2011
When: 6:30 PM on Wednesday, May 18th, 2011
April 1, 2011
April 2011 Program Meeting
(NOTE: Meeting date is one week earlier than usual this month -- April 13)
The featured speaker will be Dr. Katharina Bernau-Seiguer, founder of the San Francisco Coffee Company, a German company rooted in an American idea and customer service model. Dr. Bernau-Seiguer, who studied law in Bayreuth, Lausanne, and Munich and has a Phd. in IP and copyright law fron Max Planck Institute, worked at a California law firm in Silicon Valley before returning to Germany and starting her company as sole founder of SFCC in 1999. Her husband followed her into the business about six months later. Dr. Bernau-Seiguer is on the forefront of business trends and will speak about this topic as well as about improving customer service and women in business. She no doubt will inspire us!
When: 6:30 PM on Wednesday, April 13, 2011
The featured speaker will be Dr. Katharina Bernau-Seiguer, founder of the San Francisco Coffee Company, a German company rooted in an American idea and customer service model. Dr. Bernau-Seiguer, who studied law in Bayreuth, Lausanne, and Munich and has a Phd. in IP and copyright law fron Max Planck Institute, worked at a California law firm in Silicon Valley before returning to Germany and starting her company as sole founder of SFCC in 1999. Her husband followed her into the business about six months later. Dr. Bernau-Seiguer is on the forefront of business trends and will speak about this topic as well as about improving customer service and women in business. She no doubt will inspire us!
When: 6:30 PM on Wednesday, April 13, 2011
April Book Club
Come join us to discuss Marilynne Robinson's much anticipated Novel, Gilead. The 77 year old Reverend Ames is told he only has a few months to live and starts to pen a letter to his young son. What unfolds is a wonderful memoir of his life in which he shares his views on family, love, religion. The result is a testimony of struggle and faith over three generations that's more intimate and revealing than most parents can articulate in decades. According to reviewer Ron Charles, of the Christian Science Monitor, "There are passages here of such profound, hard-won wisdom and spiritual insight that they make your own life seem richer."
When: Monday, 04.April at 6:30 PM
When: Monday, 04.April at 6:30 PM
February 27, 2011
March Program Meeting
The topic for our March meeting is Intercultural Awareness and Communication
Our speaker is
Professor Dr. Gertrud Kalb-Krause
Hochschule München
(University of Applied Sciences)
Gertrud Kalb-Krause teaches business languages and intercultural communication classes in the business faculty and thus prepares students for their international careers. She will talk to us about differences between cultures, how to deal with them, and the challenges of diversity in a global world.
Gertrud studied English and French language and literature and worked at the University of Manchester in the U.K. before working at various German Universities. She has published numerous articles; among them are articles on the American writer Joyce Carol Oates, but also on the American political system.
Don’t miss the opportunity to boost your intercultural skills and come and join us for this stimulating and enlightening evening.
When: March 16 at 18:30
Our speaker is
Professor Dr. Gertrud Kalb-Krause
Hochschule München
(University of Applied Sciences)
Gertrud Kalb-Krause teaches business languages and intercultural communication classes in the business faculty and thus prepares students for their international careers. She will talk to us about differences between cultures, how to deal with them, and the challenges of diversity in a global world.
Gertrud studied English and French language and literature and worked at the University of Manchester in the U.K. before working at various German Universities. She has published numerous articles; among them are articles on the American writer Joyce Carol Oates, but also on the American political system.
Don’t miss the opportunity to boost your intercultural skills and come and join us for this stimulating and enlightening evening.
When: March 16 at 18:30
March Book Club
After reading The Happiness Project in February, we thought we would explore the other end of the spectrum with Bright Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking is Undermining America by Barbara Eherenreich. She really is not grumpy, but she has an interesting take on the whole movement of "The Secret" and being only cheerful and upbeat. She even proposes that this, on a national level, brought us to an irrational optimism which might have even been a root cause of the financial crisis. Should be a very interesting book and discussion.
When: Monday, 07.March at 18:30.
Here is the line up for the next 2 months:
April: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
May: We pick our books for the next season!
When: Monday, 07.March at 18:30.
Here is the line up for the next 2 months:
April: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
May: We pick our books for the next season!
February 3, 2011
February Program Meeting (change of speakers)
One of Munich's experts on subculture and the underground cultural scene, Patrick Gruban, talks about "How We Turned a Department Store into a Temporary Cultural Space," referring to one of many sub-culture events he has helped organize over the last 10 years in Munich.
Patrick Gruban's professional work is in the field of conceiving and developing internet applications. There, his main focus is on social media and online communities. But he is equally involved in non-mainstream cultural projects and will point out to you sides and sites of Munich which you will like to get to know.
Further information can be found at www.gruban.de
Patrick Gruban's professional work is in the field of conceiving and developing internet applications. There, his main focus is on social media and online communities. But he is equally involved in non-mainstream cultural projects and will point out to you sides and sites of Munich which you will like to get to know.
Further information can be found at www.gruban.de
February Book Club
This month we are reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. She had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. "The days are long, but the years are short," Gretchen realized. "Time is passing, and I'm not focusing enough on the things that really matter." In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project. In this lively and compelling account of that year, she chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier.
Are you ready to start your Happiness Project? Come join us for the February Book Club on Monday, 07.Feb at 18:30.
Prospective club members are welcome - for more information, please e-mail aaupw@yahoo.de
Are you ready to start your Happiness Project? Come join us for the February Book Club on Monday, 07.Feb at 18:30.
Prospective club members are welcome - for more information, please e-mail aaupw@yahoo.de
January 3, 2011
January 2011 Program Meeting
On January 19th, we will kick off 2011 with a look at one group working to ensure Munich remains a wonderful city in which to live!
Benjy Barnhart will speak about Green City, a 20-year-old Munich-focused environmental group that has helped make Munich one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the world. As a Green City board member and an American, Benjy can provide unique insight into the nonprofit and its programs.
Green City funds, sponsors, or organizes many projects, such as the successful Streetlife-Festival, Blade Nights, Bicycle Film Festival, educational programs for Munich public school children, tree-planting, and gorilla gardening.
The group prides itself on not only "talking" about protecting the environment and reducing greenhouse gases, but taking concrete steps to do it and raising awareness all along the way. Join us as Barnhart, an artist who has lived in Germany since 1999, paints a future Munich we will all want to live in!
Benjy Barnhart will speak about Green City, a 20-year-old Munich-focused environmental group that has helped make Munich one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the world. As a Green City board member and an American, Benjy can provide unique insight into the nonprofit and its programs.
Green City funds, sponsors, or organizes many projects, such as the successful Streetlife-Festival, Blade Nights, Bicycle Film Festival, educational programs for Munich public school children, tree-planting, and gorilla gardening.
The group prides itself on not only "talking" about protecting the environment and reducing greenhouse gases, but taking concrete steps to do it and raising awareness all along the way. Join us as Barnhart, an artist who has lived in Germany since 1999, paints a future Munich we will all want to live in!
January Book Club
The book for January is Thomas Hardy's classic Jude the Obscure. Called "Jude the Obscene" by at least one reviewer, Jude the Obscure received a harsh reception from scandalised critics. It is thought largely for this reason that Hardy made the decision to produce only poetry and drama for his remaining 32 years. The book was burned publicly by the Bishop of Wakefield in the year it came out. Now if that doesn't entice you to read the book and find out what the fuss is all about, what will?
Next Book Club: Monday evening, January 10th, 2011
Next Book Club: Monday evening, January 10th, 2011
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