Was denkst du: LIEBE

Was denkst du: LIEBE

Ein wunderschöne Sammlung von Gedanken von Kindern zum Thema „Was ist Liebe?“

Sehr passend zum Fest der Liebe. Allen frohe Weihnachten und ein paar besinnliche Tage!

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Happiness

Last weekend two families made their way to Berlin. It was time to celebrate: the marriage of Cihan and me. After 2.5 years of a distance relationship, we decided to get one step more serious. We married. It was a decision made not long before, so the celebration was small, but nice. The close families were there and some friends. We had a great day with great people, good food and even the sun showed up, unexpected. Thanks again for making this great day possible and being part of it!

 

Some days after, Cihan went back to Ankara, his last weeks working, and in two months, I’ll move to his work flat in Hessen. Then, after three years, the distance is over. I feel incredible… happy, very happy. Even though there are some steps to be done: Mainly, maybe the hardest thing for me is leaving beautiful Berlin and the youngsters I’m working with, the friends I met here. But I’m also happy after long moving together with the person I love. And I also move closer to my family, which I can see much more often then.

 

But now, enough of talking… happiness cannot be put into words as much as I feel it. Maybe this picture is showing a little bit of our happiness:

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Steve Jobs talking to Standford graduates

An inspirating speech… Not a graduation is important, but the believe that dots get connected to a line and lead to a successful life.

„Stay hungry, stay foolish.“

R.I.P. Steve Jobs

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Two weeks to go…

In two weeks, I’ll spend my last night as Katharina S. In two weeks and 13hours, I’ll be Katharina K. Now it’s public, I’m getting married and I’m very happy! Things are going good for me at the moment (let’s not talk about the papers I still have to write): my husband in spe found a job in Germany, I’ll move there and we marry 🙂

The dress is bought, the shoes are here, his clothes are bought (partly), the guests are invited, the hotels are booked, the restaurants chosen… The day can come!

Even though it’s a strange feeling… I’ll be married soon… I don’t see myself as a typical housewife… Time is gonna show…

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Congratulations from a very good friend

I told my friend about the change in my life taking place soon, and he was very happy and sent me a very nice song, fitting very good to my askim and me: Rainy Culture Shock by Mc Broko. Thanks Martinek and see you soon in Berlin or next yearin Turkey!

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It’s getting serious… no way back…

This year many things are going to change:
And (maybe) the biggest thing in my and my askims life is happening in less than 8 weeks… And I’m looking so much for it, and even more: I’m incredibly happy!
This song is from a friend of mine, for us 🙂 Thanks, Verena!

Seni cok seviyorum, askim benim.

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German visa for Turkish citizens – or not?

Spätestens im nächsten Sommer wird es wieder soweit sein. Dann wird sich Fatma Senol, Rentnerin, 79 Jahre alt, einmal mehr in den Bus von Aksaray nach Ankara setzen, fünf Stunden dauert die Fahrt in die Hauptstadt. Sie wird mit einem Stapel Unterlagen vorsprechen beim deutschen Konsulat, wo sie Wochen zuvor einen Termin beantragt hat.

Ebenfalls Wochen vor dem geplanten Besuchstermin muss in Deutschland Zeliha Senol, die Tochter, zum Ausländeramt in Siegburg, mit Ordern voller Unterlagen: Gehaltsnachweise, Versicherungsscheine, Arbeitsverträge, Kontoauszüge und vieles mehr. Sie muss 25 Euro zahlen, um ihre Mutter offiziell zu sich einzuladen zu dürfen. Wenn sie alles richtig gemacht haben, Mutter und Tochter, dann wird Fatma Senol das deutsche Konsulat am Ende mit einem Visum verlassen. Ein Visum, um ihre Tochter und ihre Enkelin zu besuchen, die in Deutschland leben. „Ich verstehe nicht, warum man es uns so schwer macht“, klagt Zeliha Senol über die aufwendige Prozedur.

160.000 Turkish citizens apply for a German visa every year.
But according to some it’s not legal asking for a visa for those coming to Germany not for working. Again the topic about the so called „Stillhalteklausel“ came up. Does „Zugang zu Arbeitsmärkten“ (engl. access to labor markets) also mean the laying claims to (social) services (such as touristic tours)?

More and recent information here: http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2011-07/tuerken-visum-integration/seite-1

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Double citizenship for German-Turks?

Baden-Württemberg, always mentioned as structurally conservative is now become the model federal state. Four months ago it turned politically green, BÜNDNIS 90/Die Grünen and SPD are government now. Several politicians have migrational background and it’s the first federal state launching a ministry for integration. A big thanks concerning first steps to a more open society goes also to the minister of integration, Bilkay Öney, SPD.

Bilkay Öney’s recent calls:
– no „Einbürgerungstest“ anymore
– double citizenship at least for those born in Germany
Both are important for a successful integration as well. Accepting and respecting the country of origin of immigrants (in whichever generation)* motivates them more to also be respectful with their country of living.

*If it makes sense still talking about immigrants should not be topic here.

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Nuclear phaseout – really?

It’s decided: Germany is preparing the nuclear phaseout. Many citizens were happy on that: „Finally!“ Nuclear power plants are a huge risk, we just need to look to Japan… and remember Tchernobyl 25years ago.
But what most of the many happy citizens never thought about:
Where should Germany get the energy from, which is lacking after the 17 nuclear power plants are shut down? Where to take from 20.490 megawatt. Where to take it from? And which are the impacts for the citizens, those needing and using the energy?
It’s gonna be more expensive (for us as citizens). But the worst thing: It’s going to be very harmful to our environment. The dream of a country prodicing energy only through sun and wind was a dream of many pro „nuclear phaseout“ partisans. And it’s continuing being a dream. 20.490 megawatt nuclear cannot just be replaced with alternative energy. But the decision „nuclear phaseout“ is made. And now we realize where the energy is acctually taken from: from cole-fired power plants. But cole is harming the environment in incredible size. Not even a year ago, cole was seen as risk. Before Fokushima (in Japan), Germany invested a lot of money for changing from cole energy to sun/wind energy. But now energy is needed so much, that it doesn’t matter from where, even if it’s th most harmful technique for the environment.
A decision was made without thinking the impacts after.

The base of this post is an article on zeit.de from July 27th 2011.

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Norway – July 22nd 2011

In memory of those who died during the terrorist bombing in Oslo and the shooting on Utøya – rest in peace.

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