In-between

Dear family and friends,

many greetings from Christmas season-hot Adelaide, with another heatwave record brewing outside (43C today, the third day and not the last until a moderate change tomorrow night).

Also, many greetings from our new (now one-year old) home in Adelaide. Thanks to Lizzie’s efforts, parts of our backyard garden are changing from lawns between long grey metal fences to a garden with vegetable patch, shrubs, vine and some flowers along the fence line. Beneath a large fig tree in the back garden is a little tool shed, so we are all set for our olden days … Our front yard, on the other hand, is very Mediterranean with several citrus and pomegranate trees and an olive tree … we are inly lacking a nice cool cellar to keep all the fruit jars we don’t have …

We also now have a small guest room and a decent folding bed — so feel free to visit us.

Following is my personal part of our news letter.

I think the most important issue for me this year (actually since 2013) is that I find myself a surrogate grand­father for Ainara, daughter of Christoph and Sandra. Christoph’s father, my older brother Dieter, and all the other grand- and great grandparents are living in Europe (Germany and Spain), and Liz and I are the nearest grandies … For me, it’s an interesting experience, although unfortunately we only see Ainara only every few months or so, most of the time via Skype. But because of my name, uncle “Gerhard” has advance to his new name “haircut” …  Well, well, I’ve had worse. (Lizzie’s nieces still call me “heartie” – not too bad either).

Job-wise, my project work at the University of Adelaide with the Aboriginal Kaurna Language revival program finished in October. I am still waiting for the Kaurna Community to decide if they can/want to re-hire me directly as a part-time admin and background supporter, which I would love as it brings me in touch with many interesting people. I will know sometime early next year. There is another project looming in the background, i.e. working for the Lutheran Church with more recent German migrants, but that’s still vague at this point of time.

Performance in the St George Cathedral, Nördlingen Bavaria

In Adelaide earlier this year I met with a staff worker from Finke River Mission, Alice Springs, who after a long conversation, invited me to join as their liaison person to the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir on their tour to Germany in May/June, all expenses paid. The University let me go (I had enough over-time anyway). Subsequently I visited Australia’s “Red Centre” twice and got to know Central Australian Aboriginal people and their way of life so different to those here at the heavily populated Southern and Eastern coastline of Australia. In April they flew me to Alice Springs for a full Choir rehearsal at a holiday resort 100 km East of A/S, and allowed me to visit for the first time the former, but famous German mission station Hermannsburg, 120 km West of A/S.

Concert at the dedicated Youth Church Wiesbaden Biebrich (Orange Order Memorial Church)

In May I flew to Germany to prepare the tour of the 35 Aboriginal Choir women most of whom had never been overseas plus 10 whitefella Australian support staff. It was a most interesting experience as I found myself to interpret between my own people and these visitors. They had a lot of fun, despite record heat waves in Germany during the Stuttgart Kirchentag in June (no worries for them but I got sick), different foods, and style of travel. I hope all enjoyed the trip as much as I did.

Back in Adelaide I had to close down my project office at the Uni Adelaide. In November I travelled by car to meet with Aboriginal people at Port Lincoln (800 km) and again in Hermannsburg (1,700 km, one way each). All together I think I drove about 6,500 in one month, including a stopover at the Uluru (Ayers Rock). It was my first trip driving though the Central Australian outback.

Uluru is huuuuuge …

Uluru (Ayers Rock), Central Australia

Uluru (Ayers Rock) Central Australia

Now we’ll have to wait and see what 2016 is going to bring. Liz and I plan to come to Germany around October, and hope to visit with as many of you as possible then.