April isn't always the cruelest month - just look what's in store for you at our April meeting: We welcome to center stage Rita Loving, opera coach and pianist at the Bavarian State Opera for 20+ years.
Loving brings along varied experience including: intermittent guest contracts at the New York City Opera, faculty work in seminars and opera courses in Bayreuth and Tel Aviv, teaching master classes at the Manhattan School of Music, and performing Gerschwin concerts in Munich and Salzburg. Loving, who has also been an occasional guest at our meetings, will discuss her wonderfully checkered career, and give us a bit of Gerschwin to top it off. So don't miss this very special opportunity to meet this wonderfully talented and versatile life artist and performer!
AAUPW Members
**************** Some of the AAUPW members at our 2014 Holiday Party ***************
April 5, 2010
March 16, 2010
March Program Meeting
AAUPW was pleased to welcome as March guest speaker Paul R. Houston, Supervisory Special Agent within the Bureau of Diplomatic Security at the US Consulate General in Munich.
Houston earned his BA in Political Science and International Business at the University of Iowa and an MA in National Security Policy from the University of Kentucky’s Patterson School of Diplomacy. He has done Foreign Service work all over the globe, from Washington, DC to Geneva, Belgrade and Port-au-Prince.Houston will discuss the multifaceted nature of Diplomatic Security, which has provided the Department of State with security and law enforcement for more than 80 years. His work assists the Secretary of State and Foreign Service colleagues to safely implement foreign policy of the United States worldwide. Security programs provide the first line of defense for US diplomatic missions against the threats of terrorist, criminal and technical attacks.The work of Diplomatic Security agents is difficult yet critically important: the threats US diplomatic missions face, particularly from transnational terrorists, are real and growing. Houston and his colleagues work to ensure that the State Department’s missions and responsibilities are carried out successfully and securely. We look forward to what promises to be a very interesting and educational evening.
Houston earned his BA in Political Science and International Business at the University of Iowa and an MA in National Security Policy from the University of Kentucky’s Patterson School of Diplomacy. He has done Foreign Service work all over the globe, from Washington, DC to Geneva, Belgrade and Port-au-Prince.Houston will discuss the multifaceted nature of Diplomatic Security, which has provided the Department of State with security and law enforcement for more than 80 years. His work assists the Secretary of State and Foreign Service colleagues to safely implement foreign policy of the United States worldwide. Security programs provide the first line of defense for US diplomatic missions against the threats of terrorist, criminal and technical attacks.The work of Diplomatic Security agents is difficult yet critically important: the threats US diplomatic missions face, particularly from transnational terrorists, are real and growing. Houston and his colleagues work to ensure that the State Department’s missions and responsibilities are carried out successfully and securely. We look forward to what promises to be a very interesting and educational evening.
February 13, 2010
February Program Meeting
The February meeting was held on February 24th (rather than the usual week before) due to the "Fasching" holidays.
Now that German Reunification is celebrating its 20th Anniversary, it is a good time to take a look back and consider the transition over the past two decades. AAUPW was pleased to welcome Colinne S. Bartel from AC Innovation GmbH to speak about German reunification from an East German perspective based on her experience building a cable company in Sachsen from 1993-1998.
Colinne's aim is to get people to look at history from a different perspective, mixing an academic view with personal experiences. No finger pointing but rather, "consider this..." looking at both the positives and the negatives. She will take a look at some of the factors that made reunification difficult, not only from a financial perspective but also psychological.Her company at that time, Kabelmedia, was the fastest growing telecommunications company in Germany in 1995. They acquired 29 companies combined from both East and West Germany in 24 months and it was the first continental European cable IPO. Colinne was responsible for the operational budget of the company.Colinne now owns her own company, AC Innovations, an international investment company that assists small to medium sized companies with expansion and marketing between German-speaking Europe and the US.
Now that German Reunification is celebrating its 20th Anniversary, it is a good time to take a look back and consider the transition over the past two decades. AAUPW was pleased to welcome Colinne S. Bartel from AC Innovation GmbH to speak about German reunification from an East German perspective based on her experience building a cable company in Sachsen from 1993-1998.
Colinne's aim is to get people to look at history from a different perspective, mixing an academic view with personal experiences. No finger pointing but rather, "consider this..." looking at both the positives and the negatives. She will take a look at some of the factors that made reunification difficult, not only from a financial perspective but also psychological.Her company at that time, Kabelmedia, was the fastest growing telecommunications company in Germany in 1995. They acquired 29 companies combined from both East and West Germany in 24 months and it was the first continental European cable IPO. Colinne was responsible for the operational budget of the company.Colinne now owns her own company, AC Innovations, an international investment company that assists small to medium sized companies with expansion and marketing between German-speaking Europe and the US.
February 2, 2010
January Program Meeting
On Wednesday, January 20, 2010, Elisa Moolecherry spoke to our group about BeMeTheatre, Munich’s English Language Theatre.
Elisa is the Artistic Director and co-founder of this organization. Born and raised in Toronto, Elisa has been acting professionally for over 15 years in film, in television series and on international stages. On the screen in Germany she has acted with Til Schweiger in the films “Pastewka” and “One Way.”
We appreciated hearing the history of BeMeTheatre – how Elisa co-founded the theatre in Barcelona and eventually moved it to Munich. Elisa co-founded BeMeTheatre with an economist from Holland whom Elisa met in Spanish class. BeMeTheatre faced many obstacles, for example, during the opening night performance of “I, Claudia, (in Barcelona)” someone’s cell phone played “La Bamba,” the curtain fell down prematurely, and a cat walked across the stage. Due to the lack of interest in English language theatre in Barcelona, Elisa relocated the theatre company. She selected Munich, “because of a boy,” who became her husband. BeMeTheatre now performs at the Einstein Kulturzentrum at Max-Weber-Platz in an old beer cellar that was a bomb shelter in WWII.
Our AAUPW members would certainly agree that there is a need for professional English language theatre in Munich. We look forward to seeing future shows performed at BeMeTheatre!
In March 2010 BeMeTheatre will present the critically acclaimed play “My Zinc Bed” by David Hare. For more information about BeMeTheatre, please see the following website: www.BeMeTheatre.com.
At the end of her presentation, Elisa gave a “call to action”, which hopefully will inspire some of our AAUPW members to become involved in BeMeTheatre. Elisa asked our members to contact her if we have any ideas about publicity, housing space for performing artists, or places to distribute posters or postcards advertising the plays. Elisa’s e-mail address is elisa@BeMeTheatre.com.
Elisa is the Artistic Director and co-founder of this organization. Born and raised in Toronto, Elisa has been acting professionally for over 15 years in film, in television series and on international stages. On the screen in Germany she has acted with Til Schweiger in the films “Pastewka” and “One Way.”
We appreciated hearing the history of BeMeTheatre – how Elisa co-founded the theatre in Barcelona and eventually moved it to Munich. Elisa co-founded BeMeTheatre with an economist from Holland whom Elisa met in Spanish class. BeMeTheatre faced many obstacles, for example, during the opening night performance of “I, Claudia, (in Barcelona)” someone’s cell phone played “La Bamba,” the curtain fell down prematurely, and a cat walked across the stage. Due to the lack of interest in English language theatre in Barcelona, Elisa relocated the theatre company. She selected Munich, “because of a boy,” who became her husband. BeMeTheatre now performs at the Einstein Kulturzentrum at Max-Weber-Platz in an old beer cellar that was a bomb shelter in WWII.
Our AAUPW members would certainly agree that there is a need for professional English language theatre in Munich. We look forward to seeing future shows performed at BeMeTheatre!
In March 2010 BeMeTheatre will present the critically acclaimed play “My Zinc Bed” by David Hare. For more information about BeMeTheatre, please see the following website: www.BeMeTheatre.com.
At the end of her presentation, Elisa gave a “call to action”, which hopefully will inspire some of our AAUPW members to become involved in BeMeTheatre. Elisa asked our members to contact her if we have any ideas about publicity, housing space for performing artists, or places to distribute posters or postcards advertising the plays. Elisa’s e-mail address is elisa@BeMeTheatre.com.
January 19, 2010
Holiday Party
What a Party! Once again, the AAUPW Holiday Party proved to be a highlight of the year. We enjoyed an excellent buffet, the choir’s wonderful singing, a lively “speed” White Elephant gift exchange, and collected and wrapped the gifts for residents of IMMA, our sister chartiy.
And most of us will spend 2010 remembering the heavenly deserts – the (still warm) pumpkin pie with whipped cream, the peanut butter cookies, everything chocolate as well as the main dishes – the gorgonzola risotto, the fragrant lentils, the many chicken dishes, including the now traditional Kentucky Fried! Our annual holiday party is just one member benefit that highlights the comaraderie, community and friendship shared by AAUPW members throughout the year.
JOIN US!
AAUPW Annual Thanksgiving Celebration
The Next Best Thing to Being Home
For the second year in a row, AAUPW members and their families celebrated Thanksgiving at a Bavarian restaurant transformed for the occasion. The culinary team did us proud, with a buffet feast boasting American traditionals, some with a Bavarian twist.
The turkey was moist and flavorful, the bread stuffing was delicious, the pureed sweet potatoes were light and fluffy, the broccoli and green beans were tasty, the apple and pumpkin pies were yummy and even the cranberry sauce was almost right this time!
And this year we continued a couple of "instant AAUPW Thanksgiving traditions" established last year. First the teens entertained us with an amusing skit - courtesy of Dave Barry.
Its a tradition you won't want to miss next year!
For the second year in a row, AAUPW members and their families celebrated Thanksgiving at a Bavarian restaurant transformed for the occasion. The culinary team did us proud, with a buffet feast boasting American traditionals, some with a Bavarian twist.
The turkey was moist and flavorful, the bread stuffing was delicious, the pureed sweet potatoes were light and fluffy, the broccoli and green beans were tasty, the apple and pumpkin pies were yummy and even the cranberry sauce was almost right this time!
And this year we continued a couple of "instant AAUPW Thanksgiving traditions" established last year. First the teens entertained us with an amusing skit - courtesy of Dave Barry.
Its a tradition you won't want to miss next year!
AAUPW November Program Meeting
On Wednesday, November 18, 2009, Hildegard Denninger spoke energetically and enthusiastically to our group about BISS e.V. Frau Denninger is the managing director of the non-profit association BISS e.V. which she transformed into a successful social business. Last year she was awarded the National German service medal (“Bundesverdienstkreuz”) for these efforts.
The mission of BISS is to help people help themselves. BISS is the German abbreviation of “Bürger in sozialen Schwierigkeiten” which means “Citizens in social problems”. BISS gives the homeless and the poor the chance to earn money, and thus find their place in society. It envisions a participatory society in which marginalized groups, such as the unemployed, under-qualified, or younger people without vocational training, are given access to societal resources, such as work, money, education, communication and social networks.
BISS magazine was launched in 1993 and is the oldest street paper in Germany. With BISS, the homeless and the poor have the chance to earn money by selling the magazine of the same name. The buyers can help a homeless person directly. Furthermore, by providing a quality magazine which the vendors are proud to sell, the financial transaction exceeds a charitable donation. For additional information about the BISS magazine, please see the following website: http://www.biss-magazin.de/.
Now Frau Denninger is working on a second BISS project: “Hotel BISS”. This will be a 4-star hotel with 72 rooms in a building that was formerly a women’s prison. (It is located near the Auer Dult grounds.) There, the non-profit organisation BISS will offer vocational training in the hotel business for up to 40 young men and women who would hardly find training elsewhere. We hope that Frau Denninger can raise enough funding to make the Hotel BISS a reality! For more information about Hotel BISS, please see the following website: http://www.hotelbiss.de/.
The mission of BISS is to help people help themselves. BISS is the German abbreviation of “Bürger in sozialen Schwierigkeiten” which means “Citizens in social problems”. BISS gives the homeless and the poor the chance to earn money, and thus find their place in society. It envisions a participatory society in which marginalized groups, such as the unemployed, under-qualified, or younger people without vocational training, are given access to societal resources, such as work, money, education, communication and social networks.
BISS magazine was launched in 1993 and is the oldest street paper in Germany. With BISS, the homeless and the poor have the chance to earn money by selling the magazine of the same name. The buyers can help a homeless person directly. Furthermore, by providing a quality magazine which the vendors are proud to sell, the financial transaction exceeds a charitable donation. For additional information about the BISS magazine, please see the following website: http://www.biss-magazin.de/.
Now Frau Denninger is working on a second BISS project: “Hotel BISS”. This will be a 4-star hotel with 72 rooms in a building that was formerly a women’s prison. (It is located near the Auer Dult grounds.) There, the non-profit organisation BISS will offer vocational training in the hotel business for up to 40 young men and women who would hardly find training elsewhere. We hope that Frau Denninger can raise enough funding to make the Hotel BISS a reality! For more information about Hotel BISS, please see the following website: http://www.hotelbiss.de/.
November 20, 2009
October Program Meeting
Milena Thaller, an Augsburg resident who holds a degree in political science, joined us as the October meeting speaker to discuss her Police Academy training in Fürstenfeldbruck. The police officer candidate shared her insights on the opportunites and challenges of policing and serving as a female officer.
Thaller, a vibrant and inspiring woman (who also is a ballet dancer!), serves as the Chairwoman of the Augsburg chapter of the 'Young Europeans,' a political group supporting a strong democracy in Europe. She is joining an ever-increasing number of women who use their higher education not only to have an increased income, but also to contribute to the well-being of society.
Thaller, a vibrant and inspiring woman (who also is a ballet dancer!), serves as the Chairwoman of the Augsburg chapter of the 'Young Europeans,' a political group supporting a strong democracy in Europe. She is joining an ever-increasing number of women who use their higher education not only to have an increased income, but also to contribute to the well-being of society.
October 17, 2009
AAUPW September 2009 meeting
As our first meeting of the year, the AAUPW September meeting featured "getting-to-know you" exercises and some mind-bending quizzes. We're looking forward to seeing everyone again in October, when we will return to our speaker program, networking and social time and dinner.
October 16, 2009
September Book Club Meeting
BOOK CLUB UPDATE!
On July 13th, the book club met in the Hirschgarten to vote on the books for the upcoming months. Below you will find the list of the new and interesting books decided on!
September: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
October: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
November: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
January: Collapse: How Societies Decide to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond
February: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
The book club is open to all members and is just one of many member benefits!
On July 13th, the book club met in the Hirschgarten to vote on the books for the upcoming months. Below you will find the list of the new and interesting books decided on!
September: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
October: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
November: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
January: Collapse: How Societies Decide to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond
February: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
The book club is open to all members and is just one of many member benefits!
October 15, 2009
Socializing and Singing...
...that's what the AAUPW Seasonal Choir is all about - making music and having fun. We are already planning our repertoire for the Christmas season, and may even put in an appearance at the AAUPW Thanksgiving Celebration. So if you want to take your singing out of the shower and bring it to a wider audience, sign up to join the choir as we put together our autumn rehearsal schedule. The time commitment is not extensive and the fun is plentiful.
Like the Book Club, the choir is a member benefit open to all paid members.
Like the Book Club, the choir is a member benefit open to all paid members.
June 10, 2009
Janice Perry show at Amerika Haus
On Thursday, June 18th at 7 pm, AAUPW will present Janice Perry in performance at Amerika Haus (Karolinenplatz 3, 80333 München). Ms. Perry will be performing her retrospective of 25 years of touring, "Not Just Another Pretty Face." You won't want to miss the woman The Village Voice calls "bizarre and brainy," and whom BBC Radio considers "one of the world's most-respected performance artists." And you won't want to pass up the opportunity to help raise money for the group's adopted charity IMMA. Tickets for the show are only 8 Euros (concessions: 5 Euros) and will be available at the door the night of the performance.
http://www.amerikahaus.de/programm.html
http://www.amerikahaus.de/programm.html
July Book Club Meeting
The AAUPW book club members have selected an amazing assortment of books to read and discuss in the last 6 months. They have included: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama.
In July members will meet at a beer garden to nominate and vote on the next exciting round of books. If you'd like to be a part of this dynamic group, become an AAUPW member today!
In July members will meet at a beer garden to nominate and vote on the next exciting round of books. If you'd like to be a part of this dynamic group, become an AAUPW member today!
June 9, 2009
May Program Meeting & Elections
On May 20, 2009, the AAUPW held its yearly election meeting.
We started the evening’s program by viewing the AAUPW Slide Show that member Annie J. originally created for our 20th anniversary Gala in April 2008. The Slide Show featured the history of AAUPW from its origins as a satellite chapter of AAUW (American Association of University Women) in the U.S. The presentation included photos of past speakers at our program meetings, as well as pictures of our special events, such as the walking tours, the Winter Holiday Parties, and the Fourth of July picnics. As the music "Hail to the Chief" played in the background, photos of our past and current AAUPW Presidents appeared onscreen.
After club announcements, we held our AAUPW Board elections. The current Board members briefly described their roles, which were summarized on a flipchart and then members present voted unanimously to approve the slate of Board members for next year.
We started the evening’s program by viewing the AAUPW Slide Show that member Annie J. originally created for our 20th anniversary Gala in April 2008. The Slide Show featured the history of AAUPW from its origins as a satellite chapter of AAUW (American Association of University Women) in the U.S. The presentation included photos of past speakers at our program meetings, as well as pictures of our special events, such as the walking tours, the Winter Holiday Parties, and the Fourth of July picnics. As the music "Hail to the Chief" played in the background, photos of our past and current AAUPW Presidents appeared onscreen.
After club announcements, we held our AAUPW Board elections. The current Board members briefly described their roles, which were summarized on a flipchart and then members present voted unanimously to approve the slate of Board members for next year.
May 19, 2009
April Program Meeting
At our last meeting, Susanne Böller spoke to our group on the topic of American art students at the Munich Academy of Art from around 1860 to WWI. Susanne studied Art History, American Studies, and English Literature in Stuttgart and Washington, D.C. She presently works at the Lenbachhaus as an exhibition organizer/coordinator and editor. Susanne is writing her Ph.D. thesis on American Art Students in Munich in the last quarter of the 19th century at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU).
April 5, 2009
March Program Meeting
Alwyn Thomson, a Northern Ireland native spoke on the topic "Making It Up as We Go Along - Conflict Resolution in Theory and Reality." Alwyn studied theology at Queens University and got his masters in Philosophy of Religion. After being involved in groups that were working toward resolving the conflict in Northern Ireland, he went back to get a second masters degree in Conflict Resolution. Alwyn spoke to a gathering of nearly 30 women. His talk and answer-packed Q&A time afterward provided a thought-provoking view into a world seemingly far from everyday Munich life...yet with lessons to be applied both to other political and personal challenges.
March 14, 2009
February Program Meeting
"Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Living in Munich as an Ex-Pat But Were Afraid to Ask" was the topic of the February 2009 meeting. One of our "newbie" members to Munich gave a short and humorous presentation and then the evening was turned over to the "long-timers" to answer the most-oft questions.
Much valuable information was shared during the evening. Information sheets on some of these topics were handed out to our members. These sheets are available to members through the blog newsletter links.
Much valuable information was shared during the evening. Information sheets on some of these topics were handed out to our members. These sheets are available to members through the blog newsletter links.
February 6, 2009
January Program Meeting
Starting 2009 with thoughts of keeping healthy, the AAUPW monthly meeting topic was "Breast Cancer: Epidemiology, Early Detection and Breast Self Examination," presented by Prof. Dr. Harbeck, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Technical University Hospital in Munich.
The ob/gyn department at Technical University is a leading clinical trials centre for breast cancer. Dr. Harbeck is an internationally-renowned expert in this field and a well-published clinician and researcher. She presented her topic with her colleague, Dr. Artmann of the MammaCare Center.
The ob/gyn department at Technical University is a leading clinical trials centre for breast cancer. Dr. Harbeck is an internationally-renowned expert in this field and a well-published clinician and researcher. She presented her topic with her colleague, Dr. Artmann of the MammaCare Center.
January Book Club
Members of the book club met to discuss "Personal History" by Katharine Graham.
We've got a wonderful list of books planned for 2009. They include:
February: The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
March: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
April: Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
May: Dreams from my Father by Barack Obama
June: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
We've got a wonderful list of books planned for 2009. They include:
February: The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
March: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
April: Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
May: Dreams from my Father by Barack Obama
June: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
December Program Meeting & Winter Holiday Party
The AAUPW Winter Holiday Party, which took place on Wednesday, December 17th, was a very merry occasion that included several AAUPW traditions as well as some innovations.
Members enjoyed the usual sumptuous potluck buffet, marvelling yet again at what good cooks we all are! The AAUPW Seasonal Choir performed and the jolly atmosphere was made even more festive by the opportunity to wrap the various gifts which we had brought along for our adopted charity, IMMA. Of course the "white elephant" re-gifting swap is always a highlight of the evening. The event continues to be one of the focal points of the year.
Members enjoyed the usual sumptuous potluck buffet, marvelling yet again at what good cooks we all are! The AAUPW Seasonal Choir performed and the jolly atmosphere was made even more festive by the opportunity to wrap the various gifts which we had brought along for our adopted charity, IMMA. Of course the "white elephant" re-gifting swap is always a highlight of the evening. The event continues to be one of the focal points of the year.
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