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Guten Tag - Goethe Zentrum, Trivandrum

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German Foerign Minister Inaugurates the New Consulate General<br />

The depth of significance attributed by<br />

Germany to further augument the diplomatic<br />

relations with India was once again<br />

reflected when the German foreign minister<br />

Mr. Guido Westerwelle visited Bangalore<br />

late June this year and formally inaugurated<br />

the new Consulate General in the<br />

renowned Cash Pharmacy Building.<br />

Though the Consulate General was operational<br />

from last September, everyone was<br />

waiting with much delight to the arrival of<br />

the dynamic German foreign minister to formally<br />

hand over the keys to the Consul Gen-<br />

The main highlight of the celebrations<br />

encompassing the Festival of Germany<br />

in India happening during this year<br />

across several cities in India has been the<br />

artistically crafted and technologically<br />

Learn German and discover a new worLd of opportunities!<br />

The Quarterly Newsletter • Issue 04 / 2012 • October – December<br />

FRoM The DIReCToR’s Desk<br />

Dear Readers of <strong>Guten</strong> <strong>Tag</strong>!,<br />

soon, the <strong>Goethe</strong>-<strong>Zentrum</strong> <strong>Trivandrum</strong> will<br />

be turning four. over the last four years<br />

we have taken thousands of young learners<br />

on a journey into the world of German<br />

langauge and cutlure, and thus opening<br />

completely new opportunities for them.<br />

The demand for German is increasing<br />

day-by-day and with the introduction of<br />

German at the Kendriya Vidyalayas, the<br />

<strong>Zentrum</strong> is now planning to start a teacher<br />

training program for young graduates who<br />

are aspiring to take up German as a career<br />

Urban Mela Creates Ripples<br />

option. A very important development in<br />

Germany during recent past has been the<br />

introduction of Blue Card for non-EU<br />

citizens.<br />

The German Bundestag ratified a new law,<br />

which now enables German companies<br />

and organizations to recruit professionally<br />

highly qualified personnel from non-<br />

EU nations including India. This is a very<br />

visionary step taken by the German lawmakers<br />

to find a solution to the ever-increasing<br />

scarcity of engineering profession-<br />

eral Dr. Ingo Karsten in the presence of the<br />

German Ambassodor to India, Mr. Michael<br />

Steiner and the Karnataka Chief Secretary.<br />

In his inaugural speech, Mr. Westerwelle<br />

recalled his fondness for Bangalore and reiterated<br />

his strong intentions to promote the<br />

perfected pavillions showcasing the cultural,<br />

political, scientific, technical and<br />

technological facettes of Germany and<br />

the waves of various elements that have<br />

been playing decisive roles in the changing<br />

urban environments in the big cities.<br />

The Urban Mela had its Bangalore edition<br />

in June, where it was inaugurated by<br />

the German foreign minister Mr. Guido<br />

Westerwelle together with the then Chief<br />

Minister of Karnataka. During a span<br />

of ten days, it attracted approximately<br />

80,000 visitors from all walks of life.<br />

- 1 -<br />

als and medical doctors. <strong>Goethe</strong>-<strong>Zentrum</strong><br />

has initiated steps to offer special language<br />

courses for those who are aspiring to seek<br />

employment opportunities in Germany.<br />

We hope that such initiatives by the German<br />

government will bring benefits to the<br />

highly qualified and experienced professionals<br />

from Kerala too.<br />

Happy Reading and take care!<br />

Sincerely,<br />

Syed Ibrahim<br />

Director<br />

bilateral relations between Germany and the<br />

two southern states of Karnataka and Kerala,<br />

which the new Consulate General will be<br />

serving. With the establishment of this fullfledged<br />

Consulate General in Bangalore, the<br />

people of Kerala in general will be in a position<br />

to get better and easier access to the visa<br />

and other consular services offered by this<br />

diplomatic mission in Bangalore.<br />

The <strong>Goethe</strong>-<strong>Zentrum</strong> director Mr. Syed<br />

Ibrahim attended this auspicious function in<br />

Bangalore and exchanged pleasantries with<br />

the German foreign minister.<br />

The Urban Mela then travelled to Chennai<br />

and showcased its marvels to roughly<br />

50,000 visitors late August to early September.<br />

The last leg of the Urban Mela<br />

will be in Delhi, where it will come to an<br />

end with the Asia Pacific Forum Conference<br />

during the first week of November.<br />

This urban extravaganza is part of the<br />

celebrations titled “Germany and India<br />

2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities” that<br />

commemorate 60 years of the establishment<br />

of Indo-German diplomatic ties.


Day of German Unity<br />

Together with the <strong>Goethe</strong>-<strong>Zentrum</strong>, the<br />

Consulate General from Bangalore organized<br />

a reception on 5th of October to<br />

Visitors From<br />

kaiserslautern<br />

Michael Wenk does not only have an eye<br />

on his businesses in the the picturesque<br />

German city of kaiserslautern, but also a<br />

heart for kerala.<br />

He has been visiting Kerala since several<br />

years and this time he took even his family<br />

with him on a trip to Kerala. Mr. Wenk<br />

owns and manages the largest IT park in<br />

Kaiserslautern called the PRE – PARK and<br />

is now planning to expand the wings of his<br />

business to the green state of Kerala, which<br />

has won his appreciation and affection,<br />

thanks to the support he has been so far<br />

getting from the authorities and friends.<br />

Mr. Wenk is very much aware of the opportunities<br />

offered by the Infopark in Kochi<br />

and Technopark in <strong>Trivandrum</strong>, and<br />

he is contemplating the possibilities of setting<br />

up his own IT park in Kerala in the<br />

near future. Mr. Wenk and family visited<br />

the <strong>Goethe</strong>-<strong>Zentrum</strong> to hold discussions<br />

with its director and seek the support of<br />

the <strong>Zentrum</strong> to realize these objectives to<br />

promote business relations between Kerala<br />

and Kaiserslautern.<br />

EVENTS @ ThE GoEThE-ZENTrum<br />

celebrate the 22nd anniversary of German<br />

Unification. Under a starry sky,<br />

personalities from different walks of life<br />

Fables –<br />

The essence of Life<br />

Dr. Margret Lewerenz is a German by<br />

birth, a swiss by citizenship and lives in<br />

egypt.<br />

Irrespective of her origin or residence, she<br />

has been spending much of her time to<br />

understand the German fairy tales and<br />

folklores from diverse perspectives and<br />

propagate mainly the marvellous pieces of<br />

fairy tales written by the famous Grimm<br />

Brothers of Germany.<br />

Dr. Lewerenz visits Kerala every year and<br />

this Summer she took some time out<br />

of her vacation to come to the <strong>Goethe</strong>-<br />

<strong>Zentrum</strong> thrice to narrate beautiful<br />

fairy tales to the language learners at the<br />

<strong>Zentrum</strong>, comprising students without<br />

any age restriction.<br />

- 2 -<br />

in <strong>Trivandrum</strong> were received on the lush<br />

lawns of the <strong>Goethe</strong>-<strong>Zentrum</strong> by the<br />

Consulate General Dr. Ingo Karsten and<br />

his wife Mrs. Toshiko Karsten. The presence<br />

of the Consul General with his wife<br />

and his deputy Mr. Hans-Günter Löffler<br />

accompanied by Mr. Tilj Puthenveetil<br />

(Assistant - Economy, Science & Press)<br />

added unprecedented significance and<br />

charm to the colourful reception.<br />

Mr. Vijaya Raghavan, Chairperson of the<br />

<strong>Goethe</strong>-<strong>Zentrum</strong> welcomed the gathering.<br />

In his speech, Dr. Ingo Karsten reiterated<br />

the commitment of the Federal Government<br />

to international understanding<br />

and peace. With the establishment of the<br />

Consulate General in Bangalore, Kerala<br />

and its people would now get a closer relationship<br />

with Germany, he said.<br />

onam Celebrations<br />

At the <strong>Goethe</strong>-<strong>Zentrum</strong>, every onam is celebrated<br />

by absolutely sharing the universal<br />

conviction of brotherhood, equality and<br />

collective prosperity sans any distinction<br />

of caste, creed or religion.<br />

Children in our Kinderkurse (language<br />

courses of kids) as well as the adult learners<br />

from different parts of Kerala gave wings<br />

to their creative designs of Athapookalams<br />

(floram carpets) to once again welcome the<br />

legendary King Mahabali. The children<br />

presented various aspects and festivities<br />

of Onam through skits, songs and games,<br />

whereas the adult learners did not miss out<br />

the opportunity to present their artistic<br />

talents in singing the traditional Onam<br />

songs or laying out a beautiful Athapookalam<br />

in front of the <strong>Goethe</strong>-<strong>Zentrum</strong>.<br />

The entrance of the <strong>Zentrum</strong> was decorated<br />

with traditional artefacts, fruits and<br />

vegetables in a truly Onam style, giving<br />

the entire premises a complete Onammakeover.<br />

The festivities culminated with<br />

a traditional Onasadya (lunch served on a<br />

banana leaf).


German Goes To The Backwaters<br />

When Mrs. Usha Venkatesh learnt about<br />

the <strong>Goethe</strong>-<strong>Zentrum</strong>, she did not lose any<br />

further time to approach the <strong>Zentrum</strong> and<br />

seek its assistance to introduce German<br />

Puppet show “Duck,<br />

Death & The Tulip”<br />

seldom the subject of death is discussed<br />

openly in our society or presented as a pivotal<br />

theme in any children’s literature or stage<br />

programs.<br />

This convention was effectively and subtly<br />

broken by the German artists Martina<br />

Couturier and Ikkola in their co-production<br />

titled “Duck, Death and the Tulip”,<br />

adopted from the famous book of the same<br />

title by the German author Wolf Erlbruch.<br />

Bringing The Cultures Together<br />

For the nineteen school children and their<br />

two teachers from the <strong>Trivandrum</strong> International<br />

school (TRINs) it was an experience<br />

that surpassed every expectation.<br />

In the month of July they spent three<br />

weeks as guests of the Herzog-Christoph<br />

Gymnasium (High School) in the<br />

south-west city of Beilstein. This visit<br />

was part of the one-year-long project<br />

the two schools have undertaken within<br />

the framework of the ambitious PASCH<br />

(Schools – Partner for the Future) Project<br />

of the <strong>Goethe</strong>-Institut.<br />

The topic of the collaborative study is<br />

to do in-depth analysis on the changes<br />

that are taking place in Kerala and Germany<br />

with regard to old-age care. With<br />

the waves of globalization moving across<br />

Kerala, the care patterns and attitudes towards<br />

the aged have also been experiencing<br />

hitherto unknown forms of changes<br />

in our society.<br />

ThiruVaNaNThapuram NEwS<br />

language classes at her school in Alappuzha.<br />

From the initial discussions in May it<br />

did not take more than two months to formalize<br />

and complete the necessary steps to<br />

This puppet show was staged in <strong>Trivandrum</strong><br />

on 28th of July in front of an audience<br />

that comprised mainly of hundreds of<br />

school children, who till then have never<br />

had seen a show that revolved around the<br />

them of death; a truth, which accompanies<br />

the life of every human being, irrespective<br />

of any difference.<br />

The story of the duck, who realizes the presence<br />

of death only at the later stages of its<br />

life and the friendly efforts of death, marvellously<br />

portrayed by Martina, to gently<br />

lead the death to its natural death as the<br />

- 3 -<br />

start German at her Brightland Discovery<br />

School in Alappuzha. Today, 125 pupils of<br />

her school, which follows the open school<br />

system, learns German as an additional<br />

language. The <strong>Zentrum</strong> director paid a<br />

visit to the school in July to interact with<br />

them to understand what they felt about<br />

learning a foreign languge. The <strong>Zentrum</strong><br />

believes in reaching out to people in less<br />

privileged areas and this cooperation gives<br />

us the opportunity to take German and<br />

the newer possibilities and opportunities<br />

accompanying it to places outside of<br />

<strong>Trivandrum</strong>.<br />

ultimate truth of our life on this world kept<br />

the audience captivated throughout. The<br />

joyful moments death offers to the duck on<br />

its way to this final destination made the<br />

audience burst into laughter very often.<br />

This project proposal was selected by the<br />

Bosch Foundation as one of the school<br />

partnership projects, which are being financially<br />

assisted by the Foundation. The<br />

children from TRINS stayed at host families<br />

of their partner students in Beilstein.<br />

The <strong>Goethe</strong>-<strong>Zentrum</strong> has been supporting<br />

this project in all possible ways<br />

and Ms.Shereen Shihab, faculty at the<br />

<strong>Zentrum</strong>, accompanied the group on this<br />

trip. Ms. Sinduja Menon, faculty and coordinator<br />

for this project at TRINS, was<br />

at loss of words to narrate her enriching<br />

experiences in Beilstein. Twenty students<br />

and two teachers from Beilstein will be<br />

visiting Kerala in October this year to do<br />

their part of research on this subject.<br />

The result of this joint study will be<br />

presented in the form of a report to the<br />

Bosch Foundation and the Government<br />

of Kerala.


sCIeNCe & TeChNoLoGy CULTURe & soCIeTy<br />

The Untapped Potential of WiFi In emergencies<br />

When mobile networks collapse in natural disasters<br />

relief workers can be stranded. But<br />

German researchers say it’s possible to tap<br />

domestic WiFi to create emergency mesh<br />

networks.<br />

It is in times of crisis that we need our communication<br />

networks most - especially our<br />

mobile networks - but they often fail.Even<br />

those that survive the hit of a natural or urban<br />

disaster may go into meltdown under the<br />

strain of all the people dialing the emergency<br />

services, or their loved ones, in their time of<br />

need.<br />

But researchers from Darmstadt in Germany<br />

have been looking into the possibility of establishing<br />

crisis communication networks<br />

that can automatically “piggyback” domestic<br />

wireless routers (using WiFi) in densely populated<br />

urban areas.<br />

“It could help workers in disaster areas to<br />

stay in contact with the public and central<br />

area control - even when mobile signal towers<br />

are down,” says Kamill Panitzek, one of<br />

the researchers at the Telecooperation Lab at<br />

Darmstadt’s Technical University. Panitzek<br />

and his team will publish their findings in<br />

the International Journal of Mobile Network<br />

Design and Innovation.<br />

He says internet routers are so commonplace<br />

in so many countries that even emergency<br />

service personnel in medium sized towns like<br />

Darmstadt, which has a population of just<br />

142,000, could tap into wireless signals when<br />

required.<br />

LITeRATURe & LIFe<br />

<strong>Goethe</strong> Medal For Lithuanian holocaust survivor<br />

she witnessed the greatest tragedies of<br />

the 20th century, but has dedicated herself<br />

to reconciliation. For her work, literature<br />

professor and critic Irena Veisaite is<br />

a recipient of this year’s <strong>Goethe</strong> Medal.<br />

She grew up with a love for Germany’s<br />

language, culture and literature - a love<br />

that has stayed with her and directed her<br />

career path. Irena Veisaite was 13 years<br />

old when she learned Friedrich Schiller’s<br />

ballads and read his famous words about<br />

faithfulness and friendship.<br />

”Those words gave me courage at the<br />

time,” she said. And Veisaite needed an extra<br />

dose of courage to survive: From 1941<br />

to 1944, she lived in the Jewish ghetto in<br />

Kaunas and read the German classics in<br />

the underground school. It wasn’t really a<br />

proper school, said the 84-year-old in an<br />

NEwS from GErmaNy<br />

interview with DW; lessons weren’t held<br />

regularly. Veisaite toiled at the city’s airport<br />

until she literally collapsed with exhaustion.<br />

It wasn’t until she fell critically<br />

ill that the 13-year-old was transferred to a<br />

workshop within the ghetto.<br />

“It was a very, very bad time. I was in constant<br />

fear of being killed and was terribly<br />

hungry,” remembered Veisaite. “Often,<br />

people were arrested or executed. If you<br />

were still alive at the end of the day, then<br />

that was good.”<br />

“No one makes excuses anymore. People<br />

admit to everything. Those who suffered<br />

and lost everything are still receiving money.<br />

I highly respect that,” she said.<br />

Veisaite has already received numerous accolades<br />

in her home country; now she is<br />

being honoured in Germany. On August<br />

28, she will be presented with the <strong>Goethe</strong><br />

Medal for her contribution to reconciliation<br />

and cultural dialogue with Germany,<br />

her independent spirit, her political courage,<br />

and her creativity.<br />

“That’s a great honour, an unexpected<br />

gift,” she said with a smile.<br />

- 4 -<br />

Cuckoo Clocks Make<br />

A Comeback<br />

Ten years ago it was thought the famous<br />

Black Forest cuckoo clocks would disappear<br />

- sales plummeted and several old<br />

clockmakers went broke. Now, new features<br />

and modern designs have enabled a<br />

comeback.<br />

Reinhard Herr, a clock maker from Triberg<br />

in the Black Forest says, that he is<br />

proud to now be able to offer significantly<br />

different styles. “With the young people<br />

nowadays, they think a cuckoo clock is<br />

something to have fun with. When a door<br />

opens, a bird comes out, some little figurines<br />

move, this is a funny type of clock.<br />

And I think that is an interesting point<br />

that we cuckoo makers have to fulfill - to<br />

bring clocks onto the market that are fun.”<br />

A few kilometres further fourth generation<br />

clockmaker Ingolf Haas has completely<br />

redesigned cuckoo clocks using slick minimalist<br />

designs and bright primary colors.<br />

“I thought to myself: How can we change<br />

the cuckoo clock? - It’s been at least 150<br />

years of ‘always the same,’ and I wanted<br />

to do something new for younger people.”<br />

Food And Water<br />

More to water than meets the eye<br />

Direct water consumption in Germany<br />

is less than 130 liters per person<br />

per day. But factoring the water that<br />

goes into everyday products - “virtual<br />

water” - the figure is more like 4,000<br />

liters. There’s even more virtual water<br />

in vegetables grown in arid regions.


DIsCoVeR GeRMANy<br />

Wonders of World heritage: Bad homburg To Würzburg<br />

In this edition of Discover Germany, we take<br />

you across the south of Germany, with its<br />

array of unique World heritage sites. here<br />

you can visit the world’s longest Roman<br />

construction, travel to a fossil site and experience<br />

a rich history that Germany keeps<br />

precious.<br />

The starting point of the route is Bad<br />

Homburg in Hesse. The Romans settled<br />

here some 1,900 years ago and built the<br />

longest construction in their history<br />

between Koblenz and Regensburg: the<br />

Upper Germanic Limes. The 550-kilometer<br />

ancient frontier and its fortifications<br />

are an engineering masterpiece,<br />

and has been a World Heritage Site<br />

since 2005. The Limes were constructed<br />

to separate the highly civilized Roman<br />

Empire from the “barbaric” Germanic<br />

tribes. Many remnants of the old Roman<br />

frontier were discovered during<br />

19th century archeological digs.<br />

DiScoVEr GErmaNy<br />

You can visit one of the fortified Roman<br />

military camps along the Limes -<br />

the Saalburg, near Bad Homburg. What<br />

makes the Saalburg unique is that it is<br />

the only restored Roman frontier fort<br />

in the world, complete with village and<br />

baths!<br />

In Messel you can find out how the prehistoric<br />

world looked. The Messel Pit<br />

is what remains of a 47-million-yearold<br />

volcanic lake. Once surrounded by<br />

tropical primeval forest, today it is a<br />

unique site for ancient animal and plant<br />

fossil finds from the Eocene epoch.<br />

- 5 -<br />

Scientists have dug up some 30,000 fossils<br />

here, including bones from 40 different<br />

species of mammal. There is hardly<br />

a single site richer in fossils anywhere in<br />

the world, and some of its sensational<br />

finds include fossils of bats, prehistoric<br />

horses and crocodiles dating back long<br />

before man. The Messel Pit became the<br />

first ever UNESCO German World<br />

Natural Heritage Site in 1995.<br />

One and a half hours to the east is the<br />

Würzburg Residence and Court Gardens,<br />

built from 1720 to 1744 as a seat<br />

for prince-bishops. The young mastermind<br />

behind this project was court architect<br />

Balthasar Neumann, who kept<br />

a tight grip on this construction for<br />

many years. Together with the best international<br />

architects, sculptors, stucco<br />

plasterers and painters of his time, he<br />

created what became an extraordinary<br />

Baroque palace. The huge ceiling paintings<br />

over the staircase and the wall<br />

paintings in the Kaisersaal - “Emperor’s<br />

Hall” - are indisputable masterpieces<br />

by Venetian fresco painter Giovanni<br />

Battista Tiepolo. The building, along<br />

with the Court Gardens and Residence<br />

Square, has been a World Heritage Site<br />

since 1981.


sTUDy IN GeRMANy<br />

Funding your education In Germany<br />

Getting admitted is only half the battle - students<br />

also have to consider how to finance<br />

their education. But with possibilities that<br />

range from loans to diverse scholarships,<br />

there is no shortage of options.<br />

Many institutions in Germany offer financial<br />

support to students, but the key for<br />

scholarship-seekers is to stand out. That’s<br />

possible not just through intelligence or<br />

grades alone - personality and social engagement<br />

are also considered. The organizations<br />

that sponsor scholarships are just as<br />

varied as the types of students they seek.<br />

There are also a number of programs that<br />

target international students at the undergraduate<br />

and graduate levels. Collecting information<br />

and applying early is important,<br />

given the high number of applicants. In<br />

recent years, just three percent of German<br />

students received scholarships, so students<br />

must also keep an eye out for other ways to<br />

finance their education.<br />

Debt without guilt<br />

The introduction of tuition fees in some<br />

German states has made finances for many<br />

students tight. The course loads expected of<br />

Bachelor and Master students also make it a<br />

challenge to work part-time while studying.<br />

That’s why more and more politicians and<br />

economists are calling for students “not to<br />

fear debt.” Many German banks now offer<br />

loans at generous rates for students, since<br />

statistics show that university graduates<br />

generally don’t remain unemployed for<br />

ExpEriENcE GErmaNy<br />

long and are able to pay back their debts<br />

quickly.<br />

Nonetheless, those interested in loans<br />

should pay close attention to the fine print<br />

- interest rates among various banks differ<br />

significantly.<br />

BAfoeG: state-sponsored loans<br />

The government also provides loans to<br />

students, but they’re contingent upon the<br />

income level of the students’ parents. The<br />

law, known by the abbreviation “BAfoeG,”<br />

allows students to borrow up to 650 euros<br />

per month. Half of the money received<br />

consists of an interest-free loan, while the<br />

other half is a grant that does not have to<br />

be repaid. All German students are eligible<br />

to apply for BAfoeG, while international<br />

students must meet one of several criteria<br />

relating to how long and why they have<br />

lived in Germany.<br />

- 6 -<br />

Scholarship amounts<br />

Most scholarships offered in Germany are<br />

calculated to cover students’ living costs.<br />

But those who wish to work alongside their<br />

studies must report this to the scholarship<br />

provider. The amount they earn is generally<br />

subtracted from the money they receive.<br />

Political foundations<br />

Germany’s political parties have recognized<br />

that today’s students are the decision-makers<br />

of tomorrow. As such, financial support<br />

for international students and doctoral<br />

candidates is also in the interest of German<br />

politicians. Those who study in the country<br />

get to know German companies and institutions<br />

better.<br />

Especially gifted students can receive support<br />

from political foundations, but they<br />

look for those who have demonstrated social<br />

engagement in the past and who may<br />

be likely to use the knowledge they gain in<br />

Germany at home.<br />

Help with finances<br />

The coalition of German student unions<br />

has put together helpful information about<br />

scholarship opportunities on their website,<br />

and the German Academic Exchange Service<br />

(DAAD) also has an extensive database<br />

of scholarship opportunities. Students facing<br />

tough financial circumstances can seek<br />

help from student unions or sometimes<br />

even from religious associations affiliated<br />

with universities that offer support to students.


Traveling by train can be a quick and<br />

convenient way to get around Germany.<br />

It’s also a great way to take in the landscape<br />

- or catch up on some sleep after<br />

your long-haul flight to Germany. Tickets<br />

are cheaper the earlier you book them. If<br />

you book a round-trip journey on a specific<br />

day and train at least three days in<br />

advance, you are eligible for a discount,<br />

subject to availability.<br />

In some cases, children up to 15 years travel<br />

for free when accompanied by a parent<br />

or grandparent. The number of children<br />

traveling must be included on the ticket.<br />

Groups of six or more can save as much as<br />

70 percent, depending on how early they<br />

book.<br />

TraVEl To GErmaNy<br />

TRAVeL GUIDe: GeTTING ARoUND By TRAIN<br />

Also attractive for tourists traveling around<br />

Germany: the German Rail Pass, which<br />

allows vistors to travel on all DB Bahn<br />

trains, including high-speed ICE trains,<br />

for between three and 10 days within a<br />

four-week period at discounted prices.<br />

The German Rail Twin Pass for a party<br />

of two is even cheaper. The German Rail<br />

Youth Pass gives discounted rate for those<br />

who are eligible. Or try the classic Eurail<br />

Pass, which gives you fleixibility in traveling<br />

around Europe for a flat fee for a set<br />

time-period. Other DB offers include the<br />

“Schönes Wochenende” (Nice Weekend)-<br />

Ticket, which enables five people to travel<br />

for 40 euros, valid for only one day, to any<br />

German destination.<br />

A “BahnCard” gives you 25, 50, or even<br />

100-percent discounts on fares for up to<br />

a year. Reserving a seat is a good idea if<br />

you are traveling at peak times (weekends,<br />

rush hour, or holidays) or if you have a lot<br />

of luggage with you. It costs 4.00 euros<br />

($5.20) per seat and connection. Your reservation<br />

voucher will indicate a car number<br />

and a seat number. There will be a sign<br />

at the track indicating where on the track<br />

your reserved car will stop.<br />

Trains are categorized by the distance they<br />

travel and the level of comfort they offer,<br />

which can all mean a big difference in<br />

price. Not all tickets are good for all trains.<br />

ICE: Intercity-Express<br />

These are Germany’s fastest long-distance<br />

trains and are generally more expensive.<br />

They offer luxury services on board like<br />

laptop hook-ups and audio and visual entertainment.<br />

ICE trains only stop at bigger<br />

stations.<br />

IC/EC: Intercity and Eurocity<br />

The IC trains link major cities in Germany,<br />

while the Eurocity trains connect<br />

Germany with major cities in neighboring<br />

European countries.<br />

RB: Regional trains<br />

These trains service shorter routes within<br />

Germany and generally make more frequent<br />

stops.<br />

Thalys:<br />

This high-speed train connects Cologne to<br />

Paris in just over 3 hours. Overnight travel<br />

is also possible in sleeper cars, and Motorail<br />

allows you to take your car along on<br />

the train.<br />

GUTeN APPeTIT! - JeLLy DoUGhNUTs - GeRMAN BeRLINeR<br />

Recipe for 12<br />

Sieve the flour in a large bowl. Make a well<br />

in the centre and crumble in the yeast.<br />

Add 3 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon of<br />

sugar and mix together. Dust over some<br />

flour and cover with a clean kitchen towel.<br />

Leave to rest for 15 minutes in a warm<br />

place.<br />

Mix together the remainder of the milk,<br />

sugar, egg yolks, butter and a pinch of salt.<br />

Add to the dough mixture and knead until<br />

the dough become elastic.<br />

Leave the dough in a warm place for about<br />

45 minutes until it has doubled in size.<br />

Knead the dough on a floured surface and<br />

roll out until about 2 cm thick. Cut out<br />

circles of about 7 cm and leave for a further<br />

10 minutes.<br />

Heat the oil in a large pan until it reaches<br />

180 degrees C in temperature. Add 3<br />

doughnuts to the hot oil. Place the lid on<br />

the pan so that the doughnuts expand in<br />

size. Once one side is golden brown, turn<br />

the doughnuts. Remove the doughnuts<br />

with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen<br />

paper. Heat the oil to the correct temperature<br />

and repeat the process.<br />

Once the doughnuts have cooled slightly,<br />

fill a piping bag with jelly of your choice.<br />

Using a long nozzle attachment fill the<br />

doughnuts with jelly. Lastly sprinkle the<br />

doughnuts with powder sugar and enjoy!<br />

Courtsey: www.tasty-german-recipe.com<br />

- 7 -<br />

InGREDIEntS:<br />

• 500g flour<br />

• 1 cube fresh yeast<br />

• 200ml lukewarm milk<br />

• 50g sugar<br />

• 5 egg yolks<br />

• 70g butter<br />

• Salt<br />

• Oil<br />

• Jelly (jam) of your choice<br />

• Powder sugar


The language courses at the <strong>Goethe</strong>-<strong>Zentrum</strong><br />

have attracted learners from different fields and<br />

locations. Many of them are students of engineering,<br />

medicine and information technology<br />

who wish to go to Germany for higher<br />

studies. Several IT professionals from the Technopark,<br />

priests, nurses, hobby learners etc. have<br />

found the <strong>Goethe</strong>-<strong>Zentrum</strong> a fantastic place to<br />

learn German.<br />

Dear readers, in order to accommodate<br />

the growing demand, we have started with<br />

afternoon batches for the beginner’s level<br />

courses. Please contact the <strong>Zentrum</strong> for<br />

more information.<br />

Website: www.goethe-zentrum.org/courses<br />

Email: info@goethe-zentrum.org<br />

telephone: 0471 3013019.<br />

In association with the Swiss Embassy in New<br />

Delhi, the <strong>Goethe</strong>-<strong>Zentrum</strong> will be organizing<br />

a Swiss Day on 5th of December in <strong>Trivandrum</strong>.<br />

The forenoon event at the <strong>Zentrum</strong><br />

will showcase the linguistic, cultural and other<br />

aspects of Switzerland as a multi-cultural,<br />

multi-language country in Europe; whereas<br />

the afternoon session at the Alliance Francaise<br />

will present a Poetry Evening involving some<br />

renowned poets from Kerala and India.<br />

For more information and participation,<br />

contact 0471 3013018<br />

courSES & upcomiNG EVENTS<br />

GeRMAN LANGUAGe CoURses oFFeReD AT The GoeThe-ZeNTRUM<br />

UPCoMING PRoGRAMs<br />

A slice of<br />

switzerland<br />

The <strong>Goethe</strong>-<strong>Zentrum</strong> offers the six different levels from A1 to C2 in German as<br />

per the European Framework of Reference for Foreign Languages. The internationally<br />

valid <strong>Goethe</strong> Examinations are conducted under the auspices of the<br />

<strong>Goethe</strong>-Institut in Munich, Germany.<br />

Class timings:<br />

Morning Batch (3 months) : 07.00 AM to 08.30 AM<br />

Super-intensive Course (7 weeks): 09.30 AM to 01.00 PM<br />

01.30 PM to 05.00 PM<br />

Evening Batch (3 months): 05.30 PM to 07.00 PM<br />

Weekend Batch (3 months): 09.30 AM to 01.00 PM on Saturdays<br />

01.30 PM to 05.00 PM on Sundays<br />

Children’s Course: 05.00 PM to 06.30 PM<br />

on Fridays and Saturdays<br />

For corporate training programs and other individual courses,<br />

please contact the <strong>Zentrum</strong> for more information.<br />

IFFk Reception<br />

Every year the <strong>Goethe</strong>-<strong>Zentrum</strong> organizes a<br />

reception for the international guests attending<br />

the International Film Festival of Kerala.<br />

It offers an opportunity for them to interact<br />

with prominent personalities from the world of<br />

Malayalam cinema and other fields of arts. This<br />

year the reception will be on Sunday, the 9th of<br />

December at VIVANTA by TAJ.<br />

By Invitation.<br />

Published by Syed Ibrahim, on behalf of the <strong>Goethe</strong>-<strong>Zentrum</strong> <strong>Trivandrum</strong><br />

Casa Julia • University Road • <strong>Trivandrum</strong> - 695 034<br />

Printed at St. Joseph‘s Press • <strong>Trivandrum</strong> - 695 014 • Kerala • South India<br />

For restricted circulation and not for sale<br />

Designed by Koolami Text & Design • Munich, Germany<br />

Film screening<br />

WINTERTOCHTER<br />

Date: Saturday, 1st of December 2012<br />

Time: 06:45 PM<br />

For information and seat reservation:<br />

0471 3013018

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