Dads stories

Sent: Monday, 30 October 2000 12:14 AM
Dear Harald,

Thanks for your letter. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the beast that tried to push Hedwig and me 6 feet under, now is doing its evil in Germany. Nearly daily one or another of the athletes became sick with it during the olympics. Didn’t hear much about the audience but I guarantee that a large percentage of them also suffered, and more, took the virus home with them.

The coughing sounds like an old windmill, a real clattering, and with it a loud rasping. Have never heard anything like it. Eventually I was able to reduce the couging with Eucalyptus oil dissolved in hot water, inhaled as a steam bath. I only hope that you have something different. Because it simply wouldn’t go away. Also affects the lungs. Please go and visit your doctor.

I am happy that you like the cover for Jonah. Please take plenty of time reading it, I am not waiting on you. And I really don’t mind if you find someone else who wants to read it. In fact, the opposite. Preferably a woman. I always had a feeling that Jonah would appeal more to the feminine psyche. But please read it first yourself, because I may be wrong here. And I think it is more something for intellectuals.

Hedwig departs in a few hours. Worked well with the freezer. I always made something with it, mainly steaks or fried potatoes. Today it was mashed potatoes, authentic Neuss sauerkraut and weisswurst. You see, not bad. What a pity I am off the beer.

So now I learnt that Sardinia is actually nice. An entire life I carried the wrong picture around with me. For me it appeared like the last place on earth. One calls this  having preconceived ideas. But I must have had that from somewhere! My brother Willi was in Sicily during the war and caught Malaria there.

I hope that you both recover quickly. Please pass on my regards to Anne.

All the best.

Peter.

Sent: Thursday, 26 October 2000 12:06 PM
Dear Harald,

Before I read my Jonah, I need to thank you for your mail. Your card from Sardegna arrived here yesterday. Many thanks. The address was correct, amazing. Only the postcode was wrong. Your memory is better than mine. But that has nothing to do with my interrupted youth. I have always been a camel. At work once I had to ask a colleague for my own telephone number so that I could ring Hedwig. But now please explain .Why Sardinia? I thought that would be the last place on earth for a holiday! At least thats what we learned at school. But that was in the forties, maybe things have changed since then.

To your email. You are right, the Olympics was fantastic. And I thought it would be impossible to improve on the opening ceremony. But nothing doing. The closing ceremony was something one will never forget. And now we are back in the same atmosphere. Stadiums are filled. Mainly lots of kids, in huge numbers. I don’t know if they have to pay, probably not. They are probably transported there by bus by their schools. At least that’s what it looks like.

........

So, dear Harald, go and sit on your verandah and enjoy the story, or at least pretend to!

Hedwig has not been in contact since the class reunion. Kind regards, also to Anne. Peter.

Sent: Monday, 23 October 2000 10:01 PM
To: Peter
Dear Peter,

Your beloved and your dear little daughter are sitting downstairs on the terrace (nice weather) devouring plum cake. If you are still up, write a few lines.
Sent: Monday, 23 October 2000 11:46 PM
To: Harald
Please ask Hedwig why I never get any plum cake?

I am not still up, I am up again! The shrill ringing woke me out of my deepest dream. But don’t worry about it, I was expecting something like that to happen and to be on the safe side I put the phone next to my ear. Savour the nice weather. In all of  Victoria it has been raining all day.

Tell me, do you Germans know nothing about the Paralympics which is in full swing in Sydney? Australian is leading with gold and silver. But the Neuss Grevenbroicher paper writes nothing about this.

Have fun. Peter.

Sent: Sunday, 22 October 2000 3:49 PM
Dear Harald,

The answer to your letter is coming a bit late. I have so much to do. Considering I have to warm up my own food, that Hedwig cooked for me. The other day I even made fried potatoes. I could be a good cook if I had to be. But I wouldn’t want to do Hedwig out of a job. The kitchen is her one and all.

So you will meet them tomorrow. Susie is our youngest daughter, Inge, Helga then Susie. She is Robert’s twin. She is marrried and has three dear daughters. Our sons are Gerd, Robert and Peter.

„which as an old man I could do without“. But please! Maybe at the beginning of middle age! What will you call yourself when you are 90? Ancient?

Recently I got to thinking. I wanted to construct a verse for the class reunion, but then changed my mind. In thinking about the teachers, who we made fun of years ago, that they were still all young rascals, compared to us, I mean my 70 year old class mates, even though in those days they appeared old to us. They were over 40, because of the war. The young teachers were at the front. Don’t think the relationship between teacher and student was any different then! When we were 10 and I was in Marianbad, staying at the Hotel Walhalla,  as part of the „Sending Children to the Land“ Program. Our teacher often took us out for walks. We of course figured out why. He had a „fried potatoe“ relationship. After a short period he allowed us to run around in the forerst and disappeared. I don’t know how come we figured it all out at 10 years of age, but we knew exactly what was tempting him. One day we went out with the Hitler Youth. But before we left, we moved a wardrobe in front of his door, to stop him from going to his darling. I won’t write the full details because you would never forgive me. But one day he asked the class, who can tell me which birds are not migratory. One who normally never opened his mouth, put up his hand. Delighted the teacher asked him to stand. And this awkward loaf said thoughtfully: „ Spatzen, Sperlinge, Mueschen „ (see below for explanation) .....We slid under the tables with laughter. I think because of the circumstances we were much older. The poor teacher of course, had to return to Reuschenberg with us. And it never bothered us that he had had a love affair in Marienbad, somehow we saw this as normal. Despite the fact that we knew his wife.

But that was not only our class. My brother Willi was 7 years older than me. And he used to tell me at night when we were in bed, how his class drove his poor teacher crazy. One day, he was quite disturbed and he told me, that the man jumped out of a window. And that was 1938. But these were rare cases, people who allowed themselves to be bullied around. Normally teachers knew how to obtain respect.

Somehow the feelings left by a burglary linger on. It is not because of the material things that were stolen and then paid for by the insurance. What you can’t get rid of is the feeling of intrusion of total strangers into one’s private domain. You are left feeling insecure and violated. And you feel so helpless. How great it was here 20 years ago. Nothing was ever locked up. But the later generation has turned out differently.

Enough with all that. I need to tell you about my email english lessons. They are working out well. All the best and kind regrards to Anne. Peter.

Translators’ note: This is a case where translation absolutely kills the joke. When I looked up Spatzen the english word is sparrow. Then I looked up Sperlinge and the english word is sparrow.  So I thought....that Mueschen must be something really funny and sent Mum and email to ask her what it meant. She came back and said it was platt deutsch for Spatzen. So if I were to translate this it would read: „sparrows, sparrows, sparrows“. Somehow doesn’t sound so funny does it!

Apologies...this one’s out of sequence. Just found it in my draft folder. Inge.

Sent: Monday, 3 July 2000 12:01 PM
Dear Harald,

So everything is organised. Mid July you are off!

I had intended to put together a list of all 24 hour clinics in the various cities and also the internet cafes (should you need to send an email message). But that is all ridiculous, you can find that out when you are at the place, in the hotel reception or courzier????

Confession: it has taken me a half hour to find this word in my extensive vocabulary, german, english, italien, french. I know it is there, I have found it once before. Gave me the shits years ago when I was on tour with the musical. These fancy hotels call it that. The strange thing is that my computer wants to have it spelled exactly so (courzier). I thought there should have been an E in the word, Couerzier, but according to my spellcheck that is not the case. In german “cour” is court, to make court. In platt courere is when a man is courting a woman, so the same as “carassere” , like a casanova who is after the women.  Courzier is spelled wrong in English. But how? I can’t find it anywhere. What a dilmma, Mr. Teacher!

Let’s try the english spellcheck:..I was in Melbourne. At the hotel there was a corzierge….doesn’t work.

Ah!!! Peter!

“Peter, at the hotel, the reception, there is a different name for that!”

“You asked me that already a couple month ago”, he replied grumpily. Why he is always grumping I don’t know. Very difficult costumer.

“I know, I forgot!”

“Concierge”, he informed me with another grunt..

It’s spelled exactly the same way in German! According to Berlitz Interpreter.

English concierge

French concierge

German Hausmeister

Spanish conserje

Italian Portinaio

Ph!!!! That’s what happens when one is not brought up with class. In my horse stable, I was the concierge. But I didn’t know it then! Sorry, we went off the subject.

Burials. Maybe I left the wrong impression here. I am very anti everything that that turns humanity’s basic needs into profit, be it the banks, who with their legally approved 16% bank cards turn ordinary people into slaves, tobacco companies who are legally allowed to murder people, gun lobbies who are legally allowed to turn the unsuspecting into murderers, film producers who are legally allowed to ruin our youth and so on. Under that lot are also funeral directors, at least here in Australia, who with distasteful kitsch play around with people’s deepest feelings. I am sorry I have become so cynical when it comes to Capital, Politics and Religion!

I had actually intended to bring them all together and plan for a family grave! The reason for that was to create the possibility for those who are left behind to maintain contact. That is not the way here in Australia. Death and all that’s involved I will deal with in one of our future emails. You don’t want to be bothered by it now, first go on your trip!

So we can slowly look forward to an actual meeting!

All the best and kind regards to Anne. Have you started building the sandbox? The little one will soon be crawling.

Hedwig and Peter.

Sent: Thursday, 19 October 2000 4:02 PM
Dear Harald,

Did you manage to reach her? My beloved? I quickly sent her a text message this morning, but she ignored it. Maybe she was already in bed.

Well, it seems worse with the timetable than you explain. I don’t believe she will be back in Neuss on Monday already. And on the 25th October, Wednesday, is our class reunion, which was organised because of her visit. And it seems to me as if she had said that Thursday, i.e. today, she will be going to Westfalen. I will email you the telehpone number. She will spend a day and night with my sister Gretchen in Schwerte and then go onto Bielefeld, to visit Guenter, the son of my deceased brother.

Life is not easy! But you should not need a whole day, one evening should suffice, otherwise I will end up getting jealous!

„I get less and less excited about things“

I worry about this. I know the feeling, I too was happy when my last years at work were behind me. I always complained about the autocratic old man, my boss, but when the new one arrived, it became dreadful for me. New methods, democracy, and one meeting after the other, shit! You need something at home that completely distracts you. I painted. Great Therapy.

I started something here. I knew immediately, when I sent off the last email, that it would not go well. So, don’t have any worries, my time on earth won’t be over for a long time.I intend to live to 135, my funeral I have booked for the 31st May 2065. I find things down here far too interesting. And there are countless things I still have to put right, otherwise I won’t be going up into ethereal Walhalla, but down into the burning pit. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth! And in such a gruesome environment I would immediately perish J

Silence for me equates with peace, or the manifestation of peace. I still remember a long letter which I wrote to my then best friend Father Esser. I was 17. I wrote to him that I would prefer to spend countless years in a monastry, because of the peace, and to find myself. And straight afterwards I met Hedwig. After that I no longer wanted the monastry! Many years later, I accompanied Dennis on a retreat here in Melbourne for several days. That was one of the best experiences of my life. There was complete silence. Dennis and I sometimes went for walks without opening our mouths. I always believed that we enjoy each others company much more when we keep our mouths shut! Talking forces the mind into gear and often with things that one is absolutely not interested in, which of course is a handicap to the peaceful coexistance of two people. One is usually aware of what the other one is thinking in any case. Animals give a good example, apart from the monkeys. Of course it is much more fun when we yack, because of the yacking! So, silence is spelled by me with a very big capital S.

Sometimes I feel guilty towards Hedwig. She is chatting day in and day out. Fantastic when we have visitors. I am not a good converstationalist. I prefer to write letters. „yes...because nobody can contradict you“ Hedwig says cheekily. I will be so happy when she comes back.

Well this letter is already long! We will get back into practice.

Kind Greetings. By the way, Hedwig had asked me that I should let you know that she is not a big eater!

Kind Regards to Anne.

Peter.

Translaters comment: I remember many a trip with Dad in his car when there was total silence between us. Briefly I would rack my brain trying to think of something to say but gave up. It was too hard. And he never tried to say a word. Now I know why. But it is so uncanny what traits one inherits. I too love silence. Even prefer it to background music. And I find I need my periods of silence to function properly or I get totally uptight and anxious.

Sent: Friday, 15 September 2000 11:47 PM
To: Harald

Please don’t forget the opening of the olympics. Fantastic. Australian!

We saw the specialist. I am feeling better. I was rather depressed yesterday about the whole situation. Well..that happens occasionally. Kind Greetings to Anne. Hedwig and Peter

Sent: Sunday, 17 September 2000 11:03 PM
To: Peter

Dear Peter,

My motherinlaw is 89 today. Shortly we will be having a small celebration….

I hope that you are both on the road to recovery. Your last email sounded already better. I enjoyed reading it.

Yesterday was the big family history meetings for the T clan. International attendance!. I am sure that Inge will expand on this in her report. I enjoyed the day (and lapped up what real genealogists like to talk about). Well the one or other thing will be useful for me.

I won’t be giving you a detailed report of the day, but just share something on the sideline, shows up my mediocre knowledge of English…..with some preparation I could spend the entire evening speaking about God and the world, also discussions (but a bit more difficult), but woe me, when someone speaks to me in everyday english, when I am not sure of the context. Then I have to constantly ask questions!

That’s what happened repeatedly with Dennis who is by the way just like you said. A nice guy! Yesterday after dinner he sat in my car (Inge caught a lift with others), when we travelled from the Pub to someone’s home. We drove past the 800 metre distant carpark. Dennis mentioned that his car was still standing in the carpark. I mumbled my consent. …Dennis didn’t say another word. When we arrived at the house, Inge was missing the car. Of course! Had I heard something like “stop” or some such thing as “we need our car later” silly me would have known what was going on. But …see above!.......

The opening ceremony in Sydney was uniquely spectacular. Great. Even though I only saw the 2 hour summary, but in the paper was written that not a minute was too much of the 4 hours. I can imagine this. Of course I will now be spending countless hours in front of the TV. So I ask for your understanding because my letters will be somewhat shortened. Besides that I have another stupid essay lying around which the students were already enquiring about last week. That will have to be attended to tomorrow....despite olympics. Not really in the mood for it.

You see....I am back into the daily grind. Now first we are off to Anne’s mother, my „Katharina“. I really like the woman. Hope she remains well for some time yet.

Sent: Monday, 18 September 2000 12:30 PM
To: Harald Terhag
Dear Harald.

Even though I have absolutely no time (I can’t loose even one minute from the olympics), I will try and write a few lines inbetween. Hedwig is grinning. Of course one has to nurture such a rare friendship as ours so that it doesn’t deteriorate!

Dennis’ problem is that he is a bit reserved. With him you can’t steal horses! He would first ask the horse, if it is ok, if we would not be causing it any discomfort, and if it is sure that the current owners wouldn’t scold!

I am so happy that the opening of the olympics was well received in germany. I was worried that all that corrugated tin would have caused some astonishment. My workplace in our 2nd year in Australia was at the Opera House. Our canteen was in the top story, and out of the window one looked down on the colorful roofs of Sydney. There was nothing but rusty tin! I found it very depressing, even though I had already become practiced in generous thinking. Later on I of course discovered that half of Australia is constructed of corrugated tin. And boxes. That was still real pioneer sentiment. I was totally overcome by the opening of the Olympics. Impossible to imagine anything more Australian. Down to the dress...ordinary streetwear from the bush! Most of all I liked that little one with her plastic sandals and cheap dress. Thank God, Hollywood Adjeu!

We are much better. Still a bit weak. But strong enough to watch TV. Only having to get up for the occasiona cup of coffee is a bother.

I gave my two german students some time off, until after the olympics. I simply wouldn’t have time for them. The Australian athletes are great. Yes, I am happy that you are in the daily grind! Then we can start once again discussing one thing or another.

All the best. Kind Greetings to Anne. Hedwig has gone on a shopping spree with Helga. Peter

Translaters note: In german the saying „ with you I can steal horses“ is a term of endearment meaning that with you I can go through thick and thin! I checked this out on the internet because I have come across it a few times. In days gone by, to be a horse thief you had to be extremely skilled because this was severly punished. And the horse thief had to be very trustworthy for his companions to risk coming along with him. Hence the saying! But Dad is using it in the literal sense above J This is such a common saying in Germany that the mind boggles....must have been a lot of horse thieving going on many years ago J

Sent: Thursday, 14 September 2000 5:40 PM
Dear Harald.

I hesitated answering your letter. Unfortunately Hedwig and I are still not the best. I think it will still take a while. Helga was sick with it for weeks. But don’t worry, we won’t let it get us down. And today is bad weather. Hedwig is busy with her trip preparations. She now has her passport, insurance etc together.

We have had a very difficult time behind us. Hedwig’s pneumonia took its toll on me. I think we have suddenly become old. And then my flu as well. I was convinced I was immune. I had thought that these injections against pneumonia and flu we have been having each year were really working well. And then that night doctor/locum who didn’t send Hedwig to Hospital! And I never opened my mouth! Susie had to come and order the ambulance. I really think Hedwig would not have survived it.

And then this disappointment with my doctor, who I have always had a lot of respect for. I begged him to send someone around. This @#@#@#  didn’t find it necessary. I should stay in bed and take panadol. In the afternoon I called him again. I was worried about my lungs. I had pain and wheezing. The cough was very painful, especially where my hernia is. But even then he said that I should continue to take panadol because there was nothing available that could help with this flu epidemic. And all that without any checkup. The same night Peter took me to the emergency clinic in the same hospital Hedwig was in. They discovered I had an infection in the lungs, where I was experiencing the stitches, but not a dangerous one. Which was all I wanted to know! They prescribed Antibiotics. And it has taken the entire 10 days to get over this flu. And the cough still hasn’t gone. But I am quite depressed. Tomorrow we will be going back to our heart specialist. He too has done his dash. Hedwig’s treatment in the hospital was fantastic. But this idiot (another one I had great respect for) couldn’t avoid telling Hedwig that if she lost 20 kilos she would feel better. With that he has branded himself in my view as the most stupid idiot there is. And what am I to do now? They are both good doctors. But how can one still trust them? This will take me a long time to find a solution to. As I said, today is bad weather. Tomorrow we will laugh again. We have already known for a long time that doctors are only human. But there are some amongst human beings, even if in the minority, who have at least some intelligence. Why aren’t they to be found under the species of doctor?

Hedwig laughs about your worry that the bit of food she prepared for you knocked her out. Don’t worry, it’s nothing unusual with the large club we have here, and they are often here. It is nice that you enjoyed it!

Dear Harald, the next letter will be happier. Not that we don’t have any fun here. For instance, Peter, who has rented a house in the bush, also has an apartment in the city, right near his workplace, near the casino. Well..considering he officially lives in the country (150 km away) he qualifies for paid hotel accommodation, when he works in the city. So occasionally he takes a room at a hotel. And on Sunday he announced, now that we are better, he would return to his country house. Hedwig said, laughingly,“ I give him two days, then he is back“. Robert in the meantime left his keys with us so that Peter can check out his apartment from time to time, whilst he is in Sydney. On Tuesday, Peter was back, took Robert’s key and moved into Roberts apartment. So all in all, including the hotel, he now has 5 homes where he camps. If that’s not funny then what is!

Kind greetings. I have sort of lost the plot with my book at the moment. Well...it will come back to me.

Tschüss. Peter.

Sent: Wednesday, 6 September 2000 4:50 PM
Dear Harald,

We have nearly overcome it. Hedwig is coming home tomorrow and I am halfway through my antibiotics. And then we will probably sit around at home for a while until we have found our feet again. This was a close shave. Such a serious attack we have never had before, and then both of us at the same time. Thank God that I had Peter here. When it was bad, he worked from here. At the moment he is up to his ears in work with a new program which he has got himself involved in. And he looked after us well. Apart from Susie, the others are all away, Inge and Gerd and Robert in Sydney, Helga has gone to Perth for a funeral.

And how have you settled in at home?

I am also a teacher now. My granddaughter Naomi (Susies daugther) asked me if I could teach her friend some german. Sounded fun, so why not! So I have developed an email beginners course in German. Am interested to know what will become of it. And the little one seems quite sharp. In my first email I asked her to suggest a topic which we could then work on. Her topic: Germany is full of wonderful people and things! What can one say about all that in all humility? I assume she is 14 or 15. Via Susie I obtained her mothers permission. The mother of course didn’t have any idea!

So you can see, no time to be bored. But I am not capable of anything else other than sleeping! Please greet Anne. Tomorrow my better half is here again!

Greetings, Peter

Sent: Thursday, 31 August 2000 7:14 AM
Thanks for the letters. Will answer in due course.

I will see if they won’t send me someone into the house, otherwise I might collapse in transit. I was a bit better last night, and quite confident that I would be OK this morning. Da hat mal wieder einer die Rechnung ohne Wirt gemacht! Sie Frage ist, wer ist hier der Wirt? (translated: someone created a bill without a host. The question is: who is the host here?) But not to worry, I am experienced. It is high time, I get some antibiotics into me.

Sorry about all that

Peter

Note: this email was written in english apart from the stuff I tried to translate! Not sure what the expression means! Mum might be able to enlighten us.

Sent: Wednesday, 30 August 2000 6:51 AM
Dear Harald,

Now I have some sad news. Hedwig is in hospital with double pneumonia. You can imagine what was going on here.

When you were here, she was in top form. I had not seen her that merry for a long time. The following week she started to complain that she had no energy, and her bones were hurting. But somehow it wasn’t bad enough to go to the doctor. She is very stubborn in that way. Then the weekend arrived. Gerd wanted to visit with his children, to say goodbye, seeing he has to go to Sydney. That was last Sunday. But she said that she feared she was not well enough, so she cancelled the visit. That happens regularly. When she isn’t feeling well she cant cope with visitors. So that was ok. But then the drama started. She had a terrible Asthma attack. That continued right through the night. At 11 Peter called the doctor. He gave her an injection and prescribed Antibiotics. I spent the entire night running in and out of her room. There was no improvement. In the morning I called Susie. Hedwig looked dreadful. She could hardly talk. Without any ado, Susie called an ambulance. They arrived within 5 minutes with 2 cars, one for the emergency and the other one for transport. Hedwig didn’t even have a chance to freshen up. Hedwig complained. Susie said: “I don’t care, you are going straight away to the hospital”. I was very proud, there spoke her father’s daughter! Not even Inge could have managed that!

So they took off. I stayed here, I didn’t want to risk a heart attack. I didn’t know where my head was. I visited in the afternoon. Hedwig woke up. She was a bit out of it but didn’t have any more pain, and seemed as if she was recovering. When I was leaving to go home in the evening, we chatted and laughed together as usual. I don’t think this is the end. But one thing is for sure. They will turn her inside out. Thank God. The question is if she will regain her energy. She can’t sit around, she has to work. Well..you saw her „workshop“, the kitchen. Let’s hope for the best. I will go back tomorrow.

In the meantime I have also come down with the flu. Usually I shake it off within a day. Lets wait and drink tea!

Inge had a mysterious problem. She couldn’t find you address. And I send it again. That too was lost. In the meantime she found it, she said. I can’t quite understand it as you are in the phone list. Kids! Anyway, if in the meantime you have not received any mail, let me know. Unfortunately Kirmes was a washout, such a pain! I will write again how Hedwig is. Greetings to Anne. When Hedwig comes home I will get the pavlovla recipe from her. And from Linda the muffins.

Kind greetings. Peter

Sent: Sunday, 16 July 2000 8:35 PM
Dear Harald and dear Anne,

First, a very happy birthday to Anne. I only just realised that your trip to the 5^th continent is a birthday present for Anne. What a nice present!

…….

I hope with all my advise I didn’t frighten you. I thought about it the other day. It is very seldom that anything goes wrong here in Australia. It is much more dangerous to walk about in the city than it is in the Australian bush. You just have to take some precautions, in both situations.

Finally, the Australian Homo Sapien. There is on earth not a more tolerant human being than the Australian. Here you are allowed to think what you want, say what you want, look like you want, dress like you want, be as crazy as you like, everything is acceptable, as long as you treat others the same way and leave them in peace. The Australian can be lazier than anyone else on earth and work harder than anyone else on earth. I experienced one surprise after another. And swearing is their second nature. I cant’ think of a dearer person. As long as he has nothing to do with politics. And the financiers are ruthless, they learned American. But if they are not currently occupied with murdering someone financially, they too are Austrliens, tolerant to the tip of their toes. Only the Aborigines are short changed. A very sad story.

And that is all, the rest you can discover yourself. I am convinced you will have a good time.

In the ocean, there are sharks. The beaches are patrolled by volunteer life savers, and aeroplanes. The safety zones are marked with flags. If you come into danger, and only then, you wave with both arms. Anyone who waves with both arms is dragged out of the water and resuccitated. The life savers, as well as the Salvation Army are rightfully Australia’s pride.

So...pack your bags and come and visit us.

Greetings. Hedwig and Peter.

Sent: Saturday, 15 July 2000 7:02 AM
Dear Harald,

Such a lot in my head. And it is still very early in the morning!

Firstly, I sent you this humongous telefon message at 5:50 our time.

I am happy that you don’t mind my advise. I am sure you will have your own experiences. But when you go swimming, and you know that there are watersnakes in the lake, please get out. They are not very common. What there are a lot of, are snakes. But you don’t need to be afraid of them. My method is, wear solid footwear in the bush, and whatever you do, don’t go barefoot, and also not with light sandals. Tread heavily. They are more afraid than we are and will get out of your way. In my entire time here I have not yet sighted a snake. Also spiders. It pays to look around before you sit on the toilet. And if there is something suspicious, get advise. There are these daddy longlegs, the most common, they are harmless. They are the same we have at home too. Then there is the  huntsman, a big beast. But they keep to themselves. But redbacks and black widows are not so friendly. Should you get bitten, snake or spider, immediately sound the alarm. But in god’s name don’t be afraid. But when you are wandering around in the bush, wear solid footwear. And in the desert, always stick close to the bus. It is easy to get disoriented. And help is usually very far away.

And seeing we are speaking about creepy crawlies, when you get to the Kakadu National Park, stay away from the crocodiles. I have written enough about them. In Jenny. I think that there are no more buffaloes up there. They were removed. And otherwise there is nothing dangerous.

Should there be an emu running around, one that is one head than than you are, please give him my love. By the way, emus are rascals, they steal. And considering we are talking about stealing, it is something else to be careful about. Don’t let anything out of your sight.

Dress. During the night it can get very cold. The weather is quite changeable (nowhere as bad as in Melbourne). So take some warm clothes to cover up with, like a jacket or the like. And now I can’t think of anything else.

As regards the fish. In recent months Hedwig is buying Nile Perch. It is a delicacy. I don’t know if you can only get that in Melbourne. They didn’t have it years ago.

And in Australia one mustn’t forget the giant crabs, crayfish / lobsters and the small types, prawns, absolutely delicous. And also the selection of great oriental, asian and european restaurants and food is amazing, in the large cities – Sydney and Melbourne.

And that’s all I can think of. Please don’t be upset that I write so much. I am sure that you will have a great trip.

All the best. I will continue with my sleep. It is 7 am.

Greetings. Peter.

Sent: Wednesday, 12 July 2000 10:39 PM
Dear Harald,

At last I know when you are leaving. On Friday the 21^st July. Wednesday I will send the last email. I am bound to remember some things, for your trip. For instance, personally I would leave the Oysters, even though there has been rain recently. Very important for the Oyster farms. I am mistrustful when it comes to eating. On the whole the food is excellent in the large hotels. Fish depends. The deep sea fish is absolutely great, but not at all Restaurants. If you have a sensitive nose, nothing can happen. The traditional fish and chips is seldom edible. I don’t know what fat they use here. When Hedwig makes chips, they are always nice and crunchy. Be careful with pork. But even with pork there is no problem in good hotels – they are really good. What I mean is in small Restaurants. When I had to go somewhere, I always first ordered steak until I had time to study the restaurants. Steaks, the national dish, is usually quite good, in the entire country. Rump steak is usually the size of a plate, so it should also satisfy a hungry german! Loin steak is the best but it is small. Tbone is the favourite, also with me. It tastes the best. Only sometimes it can be tough. It is usually served with salad or vegies and chips, or roast potatoes of one sort or another. The salad doesn’t have a dressing, you get it raw, but it is ok. I prefer vegies, a mixture of brussels sprouts, peas, beans, broccoli or whaterver. Either steamed or lightly boiled. You can get used to them. In the interior its best you avoid fish. Unless you know it is fresh from that day, which could be possible in the larger towns. If there is blue-eye on the menu, that is one of the best fish, like I said, on the coast. Snapper and sea perch are also good. I will ask Hedwig when she gets up. The fish in the fish and chips shops is usually shark (called flake). Tastes a bit sweet.

The only problem with Sydney is that you get flat feet from all the walking. It is a wonderful city on a big harbour. Working on the Opera House construction was a delight, right over the harbour. Towards the end I constructed the point of the big shell. That was in 1964.

You definately won’t be bored. The zoo is huge, and as far as I know very good. I am not a customer, I feel sorry for the animals. I would recommend a trip on the harbour, via hydrofoil. The harbour is the best thing about Sydney, a real experience. Hopefully you will have good weather.

...........

And that’s all for today. Have fun and forget all your worries.

All the best. Greetings. Peter.

Sent: Monday, 10 July 2000 6:16 AM
Dear Harald,

....

Some good news. Yesterday our Peter started taking flying lessons. With the teacher as copilot he has already flown for one hour. He has been dreaming about this already since he was a young boy. A while ago he applied for the air force, but was not accepted due to his color blindness. But today that doesn’t matter any more, the laws have been changed in Australia. Two years ago he completed a course in hang gliding, and some time ago in New Zealand he did a bungy jump from a helicoptre. So you could say he is used to heights!

I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. He has suddenly become a different person. Now he is enthusiastic again, the last few years he has been a bit down. This morning he surfed the internet to see what specials were available.

I feel he has a very interesting job and he earns well. But he is not fulfilled. In his opinion even programming becomes routine in the end. Actually I can understand him. I have never been able to stand monotony. So this should keep him busy for 2 years, until he has his pilot license. I hope he keeps it up.

Greetings. Peter.

Sent: Saturday, 8 July 2000 6:52 PM
Dear Harald,

You are making too much work for yourself. Right now you should be preparing for your trip. We will continue with the book on your return. I am very thankful for your suggestions, and will use them as is. When you have the trip behind you, I will have written most of it, and also in best format. I said at the beginning, the book can wait until next year. So, don’t agonise over it. You have better things to do.

When are you actually taking off? On the 13^th I will get my broadband cabel connection, it is called a cabel modem. Most likely I will then be offline, or maybe not. With such installations one needs to be prepared for any eventuality. Should I be offline, I will write via Inge.

Gerd has almost finished with Wimbledon. He returns next week and then has to head immediately for training to Sydney. Rober was there already, for bus driver training. Inge has finally finished her large project, now we will probably see a bit more of both of them. She probably already wrote to you about it.  

So all the best. Greet your beloved from me.

Hedwig and Peter.

Sent: Friday, 7 July 2000 10:11 AM
I think we can write off my friend as advisor. I think he is suffering from amnesia. Well, Hedwig will meet him in October, if I can arrange it. He still hasn’t replied to my email that she is coming. I can’t understand it. The three of us were class mates after all and in each letter he asks after her. Anyway, Hedwig is also not very involved with my writing. She is, as stated, anti all fiction, however that is not the complete reason. I assume that, understandably, she is hesitant to read my stuff, in case, like she (probably correctly) has to expect, the morals don’t quite match her own. And because of that I am actually quite happy that the rest of the family also ignores me. When it is possible, we are all very tolerant!

I think less about the fact that our correspondence has been going on for a whole year than the miracle that it happened at all! And I don’t have a clue what led me to “break down your door” with my letter. It was something to do with your style of writing, that spontaneously led me to contact you. Maybe it was also a small tick of fate.

I thought you would enjoy the CD of the Aborigines. Apart from the overall composition, the individual characters come across as authentic, unaffected and loveable. If you find it difficult to understand the one thing or the other, let me know. I have spent a lot of time in this area. And there are a huge number of books available here on that topic. But you see, in the last 50 years they have become modern people, different to Maria in the beginning of the Emu story. But they are still facing the difficultiy of staying true to their own culture. And it would be a crying shame if more of it was lost. And the tendency to leave everything in the area of fable is in my view also dangerouse. It should not be possible to make a 40 thousand year tradition irrelevant. A terrible problem.

So you are helping Anne. I am happy, honestly. Don’t worry about our emails. That will sort itself out.

Kind Greetings. Peter

Sent: Friday, 7 July 2000 10:11 AM
Here is the latest from Hedwig:

We were sitting as usual in opposite directions, she a bit behind me. She is watching TV and I am sitting at my computer. How I came onto Belfast, I can’t remember:

Me:  „where is Belfast?“

She:  „for goodness sake! Ireland“.

Me:  „god, I wish I had your brain“.

She:  „Now go away! That’s trivia. I have been interested in trivia all mylife. You were interested in other things, like radius by radius by 3.15 or some such rubbish. Things that make me run a mile!“

Me:  J

She:  „You never had time for trivia, it always gave you the shits!“

Sent: Saturday, 10 June 2000 8:36 PM
Dear Harald,

Thanks for your letter. Apart from Hedwig all of us type with all fingers. Hedwig doesn’t type at all, it’s not her style. But it doesn’t matter, we type for her, when she needs us to. Instead she keeps us healthy and happy. Whats one or two typed letters a year compared to that!!

Susie is our third daughter, she is Roberts twin. You will get it all eventually. Peter no longer has a wife. He married with 19 and got divorced at around 25. Since then he approaches the topic with extreme caution, just like Robert. Check out Justin (one of dad’s stories)– I have the same dislike for the modern woman. Susie has a husband and 3 daughters. Robert and she were born in 1963. Exactly one year after we arrived here. It is a very fertile area!

Their trip may shift by a week. But that is not settled as yet.

As far as my cooking is concerned, that is very simple. My breakfast consists of home made Muesli, Hedwig always makes enough for one month. Lunch I get myself, sandwhiches with german fillings. The evening meal, Hedwig cooks for me each evening. But that is also not a problem, she will then cook enough vegetables and gravy and freeze it in small packages. Also potato purree. Soups I don’t eat because of my stomach. So then all that is missing is the meat. Roasts can also be frozen. Steaks and chops I will buy fresh. I am a very simple eater, and eat very small amounts and drink tea or diat coke with it. But with what I eat, I am terribly spoilt. And that is Hedwig’s fault.

I didn’t realise that you had already committed to make the tour, as planned, or that you would loose your deposit. So I won’t continue to get on your nerves with my alternative suggestions. ..........

With your injections, should you also have one against flu? Here we are being warned about the Sydney flu, which has caused a lot of damage in America, at least that’s what one hears on TV.

By the way, the Olympic flame went out several times, according to the newspaper. But they have a sort of mother flame, and this is then still original genuine greek.

Listen, get the stories out of your head. We have a date. And currently I am not doing anything either. In fact at present I am doing nothing, but I sleep a lot. That is also good. We will continue when we have everything behind us. But I have one request. When you roam around up north, there are a few things you should take note of in passing. I will write more about this. It is primarily the Hotel Mataranka and the Cutta Cutta caves. These can be readily seen from the Street. But most likely you will stop there in any case. I will start collecting material and send it to you on CD (CD’s with nice pictures). There will also be email addresses where you can get a lot of information, again with pictures. More about this later.

All the best, I am off to bed. I have just watched a Brecht Opera „Rise and fall of the city Mahagonie“ or some such name. The music by Kurt Weigel, very good. The libretto by Berthold Brecht, not so hot. Salzburg performance. Somehow their joint collaboration didn’t quite work this time, or the direction didn’t work.

Until later. Greetings. Peter.

Sent: Friday, 9 June 2000 1:28 PM
Now I know why I didn’t answer both your letters immediately this morning…something was in the air.

But first, I am happy that Michael is well again. Tell me, for a copper wire, it must have been very oxydated? And now I read that it wasn’t Michael at all but Thomas. One of my favourite pasttimes, switching names!

You probably had not seen my letter, when you were writing yours. Yes I know. You are very busy. But I had the impression that you studied your inbox very zealously, to make sure there is nothing in it! I just spoke with Inge re the doctor’s certificate. Her doctor is also not someone who would be willing to do this. And regards the flu, there is another problem. A flu seldom lasts here more than 2 days, and nobody gets a certificate for it. As much and as often as we are infected by viruses, they usually have a short life. Inge said: „it would have to be a heart transplant or something to last that long!“. Having a baby here legally takes 2 to 3 days, and you are sent home again. Lucky People!

........

An hour ago my dearly beloved came and said „I have news for you“, after she had been all day roaming around heaven knows where. News doesn’t shock me so quickly, she is usually full of it. So „Peter wants me to fly to Germany, with Susie. And he insists, and would be very upset if I didn’t agree with him“. Hmm..So she and he (Peter) had immediately made some enquiries over the how, where and what and it looks like on the 2nd of October they will fly over, for 3 weeks. Susie already applied for leave. So everything has been signed sealed and settled, on the one day! Until this morning, nobody had any inklings about it, unless of course, Peter dreamt about it last night!

Yes...that’s how things go here. Please read my previous email. Inge reckons that my suggestion that you come here and then arrange your trip after you arrive is most likely expensive. Well, I don’t know my way around in this area. But think about it. If you like I can make some enquiries, doens’t cost anything (to enquire). There are alternatives, for instance – you could use my 4WD and buy a tent, or borrow Gerd’s. There are well equipped camping grounds all over the country, where you can also hire vans or cabins, if you want a change.

I just saw on the News that the Olympic flame has arrived here in Australia. It was carried by an Aboriginal Athlete around Ayers Rock and is now on the way to Sydney, I assume.

Please keep me informed.

Kind Greetings.Peter.