I was talking to a friend in Europe earlier today, and was reminded of a funny story...


In the mid 1990's (during a previous life and a previous marriage) I lived in beautiful Gelnhausen, Germany.




Background information:

• To receive mail in Germany, you must first register at a government office.  (Similar to a city hall.)

• My German is bad.  I liken my ability to that of a 2-year old; generally I can get my point across but rarely is it grammatically correct. 

Now that you have the basic background information, let the story begin....


As I entered the town office to register for mail, I found myself in the presence of a friendly older gentleman.  He was the only one in the office, and apparently things were slow that day...so he stopped to chat with me for a while.


He did not speak English, and I speak very little German, but with some patience we managed to strike up a long conversation. As I filled out the paperwork and paid the registration fee, he told me about his only daughter's upcoming wedding and showed me her photographs.


We talked of many things that afternoon, of family and traveling, of food and the local area.  And, we talked about what it is like to be far from home.



He asked about my German last name, if my family was from Germany... Smiling, I told him he was correct.  My father's grandfather was born there.


He asked if I knew which city?  I told him it was Chemnitz (in eastern Germany, near Dresden and just west of the Czech border.)





He smiled and told me he suspected as much... and serenaded me with an old German song about the prettiest girls coming from the east...


Then he asked if I knew my great-grandfather's name and the year he emigrated to America?"  I knew both.


We talked for a short time longer, before I had to go.


A few weeks later, I received my first German letter.  It was official correspondence from the German government, and far beyond my reading level. 


I took the letter to my German neighbor, asking her to translate.  As she read, she burst into laughter.... asking me just what I said when I registered for my mail?


It turns out the letter was an official invitation to turn in my American passport.  I was to bring it to a specific office to make the trade for a German one, and reclaim my German birthright.  Apparently Germany has a repatriation law that allows people who can prove German heritage to return to the homeland.


It would seem that my German is worse than I thought: the man from that government office had filled out the paperwork on my behalf after our conversation.  To this day I have always wondered if he was just trying to be nice, or if it was something I said?



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This article was originally featured on RioDancesOnTheSand.com, a blog for the thinking person... Written by Rio Denali, a 30-something with peculiar curiosities, who makes the observations that many of us avoid. Full of useful links and entertaining articles, it is a fun favorite for the intelligent reader. For more great articles like this, please visit RioDancesOnTheSand.com.

 


The excerpt from the letter begins here:




Well, that is the excerpt of the letter...  It is just a bit of insight into what it was like living overseas.  Yes, it was fun to sample the best of Europe, and travel a bit.  But what I really took home was a new way of looking at the world...




 

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My father raised me to be proud of my German heritage.  Like many Americans, our family did not have extensive detailed genealogical information (until recently), and my father had always believed his side of the family to be almost completely German.  He knew his grandfather had immigrated through Ellis Island from Germany in the early 1900's, and he had always assumed that the rest of the family was fully German as well.


When I moved to Germany, I expected to see people who looked exactly like me.  I had a German last name and growing up in Ohio, I had always been told--repeatedly been told--that I looked German.  But, it turns out that the American stereotype of Germans is wrong; they are not a homogeneous race of tall, muscular people with blue-eyes and blond hair. 


A few months after arriving in Germany, while sharing a bottle of wine with some new German friends, the topic came up.  When I mentioned being told I looked German while growing up, they all started laughing.  Honestly I felt a little offended.  I had always been taught to be proud of my German heritage, and here were Germans laughing at the idea of me being one of them.  To them, the idea that anyone would think I was German was hilarious.  They all agreed--I looked Swedish.  I explained that I didn't have a drop of Swedish blood, but it did little to convince them.  They all swore I was a Swede, NOT a German.


A decade later when I researched my genealogy in depth, I was surprised to find they were right.  Although I do have some family from Germany (the great-grandfather I mentioned earlier)... much of my lineage comes from the Vikings who settled in Sweden, Norway, and The Netherlands. 


My ancestors were the fierce, nomadic warriors who conquered and populated much of northern Europe.  Depending on which generation you look at, they inhabited much of the region; from Iceland to as far east as the Ukraine, conquering into parts of modern-day Germany, and taking the Normandy region of France by force.  (Normandy was so named because of the "North Men" who had invaded/conquered the region.)


As was common in the day, my Viking ancestors inter-married into the royalty of these new territories (usually by force), and thus my family line merges into the royal lines of Europe.  As royalty intermarried within themselves to keep all marriages of royal blood, my bloodline traces back to the palaces of almost every European country. (Arranged marriages were the norm, children were promised in marriage as peace offerings between kingdoms.)  Once I found a link into recorded history, it was easy to trace my ancestry.  Royal family records are highly detailed, and most survive to this day. 


I was amazed to find that if I followed the family tree back far enough, my ancestors came from almost every country in Europe.  Instead of being just German... I could claim heritage from at least 18 European nations.  The majority of my family was from northern Europe, but there was also a princess from Barcelona, several princes from Italy.  While living in Europe I visited the Castle of Salzburg, Austria--imagine my surprise when I learned that my ancestors used to live in that same castle.  My family line even directly ties to the British monarchies of both former years and of today.  Going back a bit further, Charlemagne makes his appearance several times in my family tree due to intermarriage, and I can trace the family all the way to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey)....something I had never imagined possible.

I also found it interesting that along the way many of my female ancestors were listed only as "Concubine" to the King.  Infidelity was expected and the children from those liaisons were often recognized by the royal fathers.


Genetics is a funny thing.... Sometimes one set of genes stands out more than the others.  Out of my parents and grandparents--I most resemble my father's mother, the woman who brings the Viking bloodline to my family tree.  Recently I came across this photo of Anita Ekberg, a Swedish actress and I was stunned.  She could be my sister.  It is funny how right those German friends were:  apparently I look Swedish after all.




Interested in tracing your family tree too?


FamilySearch.org  is a great place to get started, with an ever-expanding list of records from around the world.  All searches are free.


RootsWeb.com and Ancestory.com are two more great resources.


Cyndi's List contains a list of genealogy sites, broken down by region.


And, don't forget the value of Google.  From finding information about historical figures, to finding genealogy resources, through Google the world is at your fingertips.  Good luck!

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Written by Rio Denali

You ask about the most important lesson I have learned in the past 10 years? Well, If you want to give me a little more leeway—say 15 years—I could dazzle you with fantastic experiences, each of which was a lesson in it’s own right. I have hung over the extended rear-ramp of a Chinook helicopter in-flight, was assigned to a 128’ Army tugboat in the Puget Sound, and was chased through the streets of Panama during a military deployment. I could write a firsthand account about the architectural and cultural differences between eastern and western Europe, and the toll an ineffective governmental regime can take on a country. I would tell you how making friends with an older German man—one who told me stories about being a 14-year-old running from the American soldiers at the end of WWII, certain he would be killed if captured--changed my perspective on war; opening my eyes to it’s brutal effects on children. My military and life adventures have taken me around the globe. I have met incredible people along the way, some of whom have changed the way I see the world.


However, for the last 10 years I have devoted myself to raising children. While it does not make for the same excitement, the most important lessons of my life have come from my time as a parent. For example: sometimes a Superman costume is brilliant attire for the grocery store.


Compromise and negotiation are art forms taught to perfection in the boot camp of parenthood. There are battles that must be won at all costs: “Do not touch the stove.” “Look both ways before you cross the street.” “Do not put your brother in the clothes dryer.” Then, there are the other battles--the battles that are forgotten about the next day, over things that in the “grand scheme of things” really mean very little. Compromise is a matter of setting priorities and choosing your battles wisely. Not all battles are equal and if you approach every point of contention with the same heightened intensity, you will exhaust yourself and ultimately lose authority. While I still stand my ground against the girls curling our golden retriever’s hair with a curling iron, I have learned the value of negotiation when it comes to allowing a toddler to wear a Spiderman costume to the grocery store in exchange for eating vegetables at lunchtime.


“What does this have to do with law?”, you are surely asking yourself by now. Well, it is simple. Few cases actually make it to trial. In law, settlement is king—and settlements are only reached through the art of negotiation and compromise. My experience of parenting a large family provides me with years of expertise in this area. Seriously, who is better qualified to successfully negotiate a compromise than a woman who can get a toddler to eat vegetables? Speaking of vegetables, I must be going now—it’s time to take Spiderman to the grocery store.

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This article was originally featured on RioDancesOnTheSand.com, a blog for the thinking person... Written by Rio Denali, a 30-something with peculiar curiosities, who makes the observations that many of us avoid. Full of useful links and entertaining articles, it is a fun favorite for the intelligent reader. For more great articles like this, please visit RioDancesOnTheSand.com.

There was a time that being American gave tremendous privilege and a secure way of life. But, America has changed over the past decades and in many ways it has changed for the worse. Like so many others, I worry that we have not seen the bottom of the spiral, and I have to wonder, am I witnessing the death of America?

In the time of Thucydides, Greeks ruled. Once the power of Rome stretched throughout the known world. And, at one time, "the sun never set on Great Britain". Times change: Greece is no longer a world force. Rome is now nothing but a city; Great Britain has been absorbed by the European Union. Great powers fall over time.

My parents lived a confident life. Superpower citizenship gave them inherent wealth, privileges and opportunities. Being American afforded them a certain security when they traveled, and it meant they were welcomed in most countries of the world. The future looked bright, and they had the luxury of feeling secure within our borders.

Contrast this with the travel advice my generation is given: "when traveling overseas take great care NOT to identify yourself as an American. Ensure you do not attach anything identifiable to your suitcases (such as American flags.)" Now, an unsettlingly large percentage of the world hates us. And at any given moment, there are groups of people plotting ways to kill us at home and abroad, just for the sin of being born in America.

I have always considered myself highly patriotic.  I am a military wife of more than a decade.  Our family has made tremendous personal sacrifices out of patriotic duty.  I am also prior enlisted myself, having personally served a tour in the military.  And, I have engaged in countless arguments with foreign-born friends defending America's honor.

But... America is changing, and I am not fond of the America that stands before me today. American ideals were once celebrated throughout the world. Now it seems we are hated by those same people that once adored us. We are involved in wars that we cannot win, wars that cost trillions of dollars when our country's economy has fallen to the worst state since the Great Depression. Millions of Americans are facing foreclosure and the unemployment rate is at a record high.

What happened to the country I loved? The health care system is broken, with no solution in sight. Identity theft and people who make a business of scamming others seem to be everywhere. Everytime I turn on the TV, I see a report of teen violence, or school/workplace shootings, or another murder.

Racial tension is still rearing it's ugly head. Ten years ago I remember commenting to a friend,

"My grandmother was raised in a time where America was segregated; my mother lived through the time of civil rights and black people being relegated to the back of the bus. I have lived through the time of Affirmative Action. But, to my children, none of this will matter. Each generation comes closer to equality, and my children's generation will be the first to be colorless. Playing with children of all races in the school-yard, they will truly see all colors as equal."

I couldn't have been more wrong. We may have our first black president, but has it really changed? Our entire country stopped last week over racial tension when a black professor was arrested by a white police officer. The tension over Mexican immigration has hit dangerous proportions, with border violence becoming epidemic.

Let me also point out how American's values are skewed. During the same weekend that America was up in arms about the black professor being arrested, several American soldiers were killed overseas defending your freedom. I bet you don't know their names, but I will give you 2 to 1 that you can name that professor....

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And, the best ad of the year goes too.... HEMA!


Advertising is different in Europe, that is for sure.  From the sarcastic humor to the pervasive nudity, European ads are always something of fascination for us Americans.  They definitely approach advertising in an entirely different way.

But, Hema Department Store, in the Netherlands, website takes it to a whole new level!  The website self - destructs right before your very eyes.  Starting with the trashcan that tips over and rolls off it's line in the ad ... which then knocks a roll of tape down to the next line... each mishap leads to another and before you know it you are in for a pinball machine style of cause and effect fun that you will be emailing around the office for everyone to see.

Bright and colorful -- this is a family-friendly link.  No nudity.  Nothing objectionable.  Just some wholesome, adorable fun!

Click here to witness the fun for yourself.

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This article was originally featured on RioDancesOnTheSand.com, a blog for the thinking person... Written by Rio, a 30-something with peculiar curiosities, who makes the observations that many of us avoid. Full of useful links and entertaining articles, it is a fun favorite for the intelligent reader. For more great articles like this, please visit RioDancesOnTheSand.com.

The world is shrinking my friends. Globalization is upon us. And, the internet is the gateway.

International sales, formerly the playground of giant corporations, is now at everyone's fingertips. Worldwide sales access is as simple today as starting a retail website, or listing items on Ebay. And, with the U.S. dollar declining in value against other currencies, more people from around the world are looking to American websites for good deals.

The American economy is in a slump, with consumer spending at an all-time low--but there is unlimited earning potential if you are willing to put the low value of the dollar to work for you. Have you considered opening your business to international sales--or if you are currently out of work, selling American items on the internet with a global market in mind?

Worried about the language barrier? Here is your answer: Free on-line translation services.


1) Write simply.   Forget the colorful prose. Forget the big words. Forget implications. All of this can lead to inaccurate translations, and misunderstandings. Be precise with your meanings, and say it in the simplest language possible. Do not use contractions. Avoid words with multiple or ambiguous meanings.

2) Use short sentences.
Each language has it's own sentence structure: 

In French the adjective comes after the noun: "The red car is big," becomes "La voiture rouge est grande."
In German, a question must always be started with a verb. "Do you come from Germany?" literally translates into the following sentence structure: "Come you from Germany?" (Kommen Sie aus Deutschland?)

Spanish drops the pronoun when it is understood in a sentence. "I want to sleep" translates "Quiero dormir," with the pronoun "I" being dropped from the sentence altogether.

Each language has it's own set of rules, but a good on-line translation program will know them. However, the quality of your translation can only match the simplicity of your writing. If you use long, compound sentences with added phases and many ideas separated by commas....the computer will jumble your meaning as it tries to force your words to the other language's proper sentence structure. The result will be a jumble of incoherent words that lose your meaning.

3) Do not use slang.  "Bucks" will not translate as well as the word "dollars."

4) Avoid cliches.  "I'm keeping my fingers crossed," communicates your thought to an American, but in Germany they "press their thumbs" instead. Each country has it's own set of sayings, most don't translate.

"Keeping up with the Jones" means nothing to an Italian reader.

It is arrogant, and generally wrong to assume that American colloquisms will translate to other languages.

I recently had a Norwegian write that they "have an angel sitting on their shoulder" in reference to our business deal, assuming I would know what they meant. I had no idea. And, your audience won't understand your well-known American sayings either.



1) Yahoo Babel Fish - my favorite! From my experience, this one is by far the most accurate. Translates English text to 12 languages with super-fast speed.

2) Stars21.com/translator Offers translations between English and 45 other languages, including many hard to find translations such as Esperanto, Latin, and Finnish. Although it is a reliable translation site, I have not found it to be as accurate in German as Yahoo Babel Fish.

3) Free-Translator.com Awesome offerings. Boasts an extensive list of links to foreign language resources such as newspapers, radio, and on-line television. Offers translations for websites and emails, foreign language dictionaries, and free on-line language courses. Free-translator.com has an enormous amount of content and links, the only down side is the speed; just a little slower than the others.

Don't worry about being perfect; people in other countries won't expect perfection. Americans have a reputation of arrogance throughout the world. People of other countries often complain that Americans expect everyone to speak English. For most cultures, the attempt to speak their language is a sign of great respect, and in my experience your attempt will be met with generous goodwill.

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This article was originally featured on RioDancesOnTheSand.com, a blog for the thinking person... Written by Rio Denali, a 30-something with peculiar curiosities, who makes the observations that many of us avoid. Full of useful links and entertaining articles, it is a fun favorite for the intelligent reader. For more great articles like this, please visit RioDancesOnTheSand.com.

Sometimes a simple question can launch the best discussions...

by Rio Denali and a friend

 

An excerpt of emails:

 

Him:  Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin?

 

Rio: That is a good question.  Here is my opinion.

Led Zeppelin was one of the most significant musical groups of the 70s (part of the 60s as well) for a couple reasons.  They defined a generation of music, tested the boundaries, and took rock music of that genre to new heights.  Just as it can be said that language is alive and reflects the people who use it, genres of music are the same way.  Led Zeppelin was the musical manifestation of the hippie counter-culture going on at the time in the US and throughout much of the western world.  It was a reflection of the drug experimentation, the need to define a generation as separate from those that came before it, a need for rebellion perhaps.....  It reflected the growth of the psyche of the young (or young at heart) I would say, and their musical progression from album to album is a journey that they both took people on, and was influenced by those sharing a similar journey at the same time. 

Bottom line is that although they are not a favorite of mine (other than a couple songs, I do not actually enjoy their music), they are a defining force in 1970s rock, and rock music overall.  They are a classic band of epic proportions.  But, they are dated in sound and impact, meaning that they belong exclusively to one era of music.  Their music, being so strongly intertwined with a generation, a genre and with the musical experimentation that was going on at the time is not something that endures and speaks to new generations except as a classic--a relic.

The Rolling Stones, on the other hand, is a band who made the shifts with musical changes.  They began as a parallel with the Beatles, that sort of sound coming out of the UK at that time.  And although that was considered "rock" and "hardcore" back then....they were able to transcend that and move into the true genre of "rock" as the 70s came about.  (Many would argue that the Beatles stayed a step behind....they never quite made the move to the rock sound of the 70s.  I know, I know....you may argue this fact, but the difference I am talking about here is this:  The Beatles are appropriate on a 60s station that only plays things like the Beach Boys, while only the earliest Rolling Stones could be played on such a station and no Led Zeppelin could be played there.  I Wanna Hold Your Hand could not be played on a 70s station that is known for hardcore Led Zeppelin, but much of the Rolling Stone's catalog from that era could....)

Rolling Stones went from Beatles-era rock, to the 70s rock successfully....partly because they were never a fringe band, meaning they did not go so far into the experimental realm.  They moved the new direction, seemed to embrace it, and in many ways (and depending on where you lived) even defined it to some extent.  Their music from that era has a timeless feel to it, and still feels relevant today, not just in the musical relic (musical history) way that Zeppelin does though.....it feels pertinent to a new time, even now 30-40 years later. 

 

 A 70s Stones song comes on the radio, and I find myself thinking, "Wow that is a really good song.  I forgot what a good song that is."  Then I find myself noticing how well the song "fits" with the radio lineup of the other bands from the 90s and the past decade.  Although their music from that era is classic in the sense of age, I would argue that much of what they made from that time period is really timeless, and will continue to be musically relevant for decades to come.  (Much of Zeppelin's catalog just isn't musically relevant to today's music and culture....it's more of a niche now, I would argue, much as the Beatles are today.)

Rolling Stones was so successful because they were able to switch genres and stay more in the middle of the road music-wise, never straying so far off into experimental directions as to mark them as fringe music.  Being mainstream in this case, was a key to their longevity, I would argue.  

 

The switch in genres was probably the most important key to their long term success.  Going from the Beatles sound, to the 70s sound, and then managing to transition their music just enough with each passing decade to still be making music that is popular 40 to 50 years later is quite an accomplishment.  Few artists have been able to leap genres like that:  Bon Jovi is a great example, one might even argue that KISS did a good job of it as well (spanning the disco era, 70s rock, and 80s glam rock for example)...but there aren't many good examples of bands who were able to do it, and do it well .

Him:   I really like how you articulated that, I think it would make for a good blog post. 

 

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This article was originally featured on RioDancesOnTheSand.com, a blog for the thinking person... Written by Rio Denali, a 30-something with peculiar curiosities, who makes the observations that many of us avoid. Full of useful links and entertaining articles, it is a fun favorite for the intelligent reader. For more great articles like this, please visit RioDancesOnTheSand.com.