July 2000 - Nr. 7
Dick reports...
Heimatabend…
…you can’t really translate this word and still make
sense. It is the annual get-together of some of the groups that remember the
past and their heritage. "Heimat" actually means home in the sense
of where you come from or where your heart still resides. The term homesick
conveys an approximation to the feelings.
The event took place at the Hansa House – "Home"
of the hosting " S.T.V.Weiss-Blau Bayern, Brampton" Trachten &
Schuhplattler Group. Oops, here we go again: what is "Schuhplattler"?
Well the closest I can describe it is a number of couples – dressed in
their costumes from the old "Heimat" – performing dances brought
with them when they arrived here.
The
male part of the couple slap their pants or the soles of their shoes (Schuh
& Plattler) while the ladies circle the male group themselves turning in
circles. If you think this is complicated, you should try it yourself. An
experiment that has been tried with members of the audience, time and time
again. It is always an occasion for great hilarity, as you can imagine.
These
old and traditional dances are also now passed on to the younger generations
in order to keep this part of their heritage alive – and the kids appear
to love it. It also fosters a sense of belonging and a closer relationship
with their parents and other families.
The
dancers are usually only accompanied by an accordion player – which was
usually Peter Henkel. This time we had a new artist accompanying his group.
Andreas Mayer played on a diatonic accordion that was built in 1932. On a
diatonic instrument you get a different tone every time you change the
direction of the bellows, thus "diatonic" or two-tone. Something
like a mouth organ.
His
group was the first to perform and are the G.T.E.V. Alpenrösl from St.
Catharines. Other guests were the G.T.E.V. Alpenland from Hamilton,
Concordia Enzian Schuhplattler Verein from Kitchener, the Volktanzgruppe
Almrausch from Brampton and the S.V. Heidengold from Rochester, New York.
All
the attendees were dressed in the colourful costumes of their "Heimat"
of course and ranged in age from 4 to…who knows. And you could tell that
the youngsters were very proud of their wonderful costumes and customs.
Needless to say that the hall was full with only a couple of seats left at the lovingly decorated tables.
The
kitchen provided excellent fare for the inner person: Gulasch with Spätzle,
Schnitzel and "Tartar". The best spot was of course always at the
bar – especially the "Schnaps Bar" by the stage, where the hard
stuff was being dispensed.
The Matt Lebar Ensemble did a great job of providing dance music when no performances of the Schuhplattler groups were in progress and a Tombola (raffle) was available with many delightful items that all found a new home towards the end of the evening. It was a great event again and kudos go to the many helping hands that made it so successful.
Soccer comes to Mississauga
The Sports Media Advisory said: Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion, Ontario Tourism Minister Cam Jackson, and NHL All-star and future Hall-of-Famer Paul Coffey will participate in a News Conference and reception this Thursday (June 8, 2000) to announce the launch of a new Toronto sports team franchise in a major, North American professional sports league.
The sport, the league, the name of the team and its key personnel will be revealed at the News Conference, etc.
Well,
as you can imagine, any media person worth his salt would just have to be
intrigued by this cryptic introduction. So I decided to attend this shindig
in the new - $35 million dollar - Hershey Centre in Mississauga. I tried to
ask a few people there – that seemed to be in the know – what this was
all about, but everyone remained "mum".
Now I was really curious. NHL, NFL, Basketball etc. went trough my mind, what could it be? Well, I took my seat in the media section of the arena in anticipation of some major revelations. And here they are:
Mississauga
is getting a professional soccer league franchise – The "Toronto
Thunder Hawks"! The latest addition to the National Professional Soccer
League (NPSL), the world’s largest indoor soccer network that now includes
14 teams from major and secondary cities throughout North America. The game
itself is played on artificial turf in hockey arenas and presents a dynamic,
action-oriented and highly entertaining sport combining elements of
traditional soccer with basketball and ice hockey.
"This is exciting news not only for sports fans in the GTA, but throughout the entire province of Ontario," said ThunderHawks owner Neil Jamieson. "Professional indoor soccer has been growing rapidly throughout North America in the last few years, and it’s only fitting that a major sports city like Toronto – where thousands of kids and adults participate in soccer programs – should have a strong presence in the sport."
And I must agree. Competing against teams from such cities as Cleveland, Buffalo, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Baltimore, the ThunderHawks will begin their first season in October of this year and their home venue will be the Hershey Centre and its approximately 6,200-seat arena located near the intersection of Highways 403 and 401.
"The
City of Mississauga is absolutely thrilled that the ThunderHawks will call
our magnificent Hershey Centre their home," said Mississauga Mayor
Hazel McCallion, who along with Ontario Tourism Minister Cam Jackson
unfurled and hoisted the ThunderHawks team banner during the Launch
ceremonies. "This is the first professional sports team to locate in
Mississauga, and it reflects our city’s growth and sophistication."
My sentiments also. Soccer fans can check out the Toronto Thunder Hawks website at www.t-hawks.com. Ticket hotline: 1-877-PRO-HAWK (1-877-776-4295.
There are also two mascots to be named – by kids up to 12 years of age – one male and one female. Check the website for details. Contest ends September 15, 2000.
After the official part was over some of the VIPs, including Hazel McCallion had a chance to kick a soccer ball into a net before they were besieged by the media representatives.
Refreshments followed this very interesting series of revelations and to end this interesting conference.
Mardi Gras…
…may
be over, but the get-togethers are not. In the last issue I reported on the
Narrhalla birthday ceremonies and this time on the "Fun in the
Sun" get-together at the Germania Park.
The
weather was ideal. It was so great that even some of the kids present went
swimming in Lake Niapenko. But then, kids will be kids.
We
had one guest there from Germany – Manfred Frank, a colleague from
Konstanz, at the Bodensee lake, who works for the local newspaper there. He
was a guest of Heinz and Jona Wollziefer, one of the Senators of the "Treue
Husaren Mississauga" society, plus other German guests who regularly
get ECHO GERMANICA send to them and who, in turn, pass it on to three other
neighbours. (I may have to revise my distribution figures).
In
total there were about 20 of the THM people that availed themselves of the
Narrhalla 58 hospitality this warm Saturday.
Of course the THM reciprocates at their "Husarenpicknick" in the Clairville Conservation Area, scheduled for September – rain or shine – where the Hamilton crowd is always invited to participate.
The
bar was well frequented – they had some of the fantastic "Berliner
Bügerbräu" Pilsner for sale –but the best-loved place was the
kitchen area and the delicious fare available there. Schnitzel, Bratwurst,
Sauerkraut, Potato Salad and all the condiments you could think of. No one
went away hungry since this year they did not run out of food.
Events
of this type are designed to bring people closer together. To talk about
subjects you do not always have time for during a carnival event. It is
total relaxation and good fellowship and it serves to cement relationships
within and between the clubs.
When the "One-man-band" arrived in the evening, even dancing was on the menu to complete this successful affair.
Frühschoppen
with the Harmonie Brass Show Band
"Frühschoppen"
is an old tradition in Germany where the men (after church!) got together in
a local pub to reminisce with their cronies, play skat or another card game
– while the women at home prepare Sunday dinner for the family.
"Früh"
refers to morning, while a "Schoppen" is usually a large mug of
beer – sometimes several, or a glass of wine.
Here in Canada – and at the Hansa Haus specifically –
the event starts at 11:00 am (after church!) and lasts till about 3:00 pm.
That
makes it more like a brunch, and food is available from the club’s kitchen
to provide a substitute for Sunday dinner. Of course the bar is also open to
provide the "Schoppen", or a glass of wine for the ladies that are
not at home preparing dinner this time.
The
real attraction of this event however is not the food – although it is
always excellent – but the incomparable sound of the Harmonie Brass Band.
When over a dozen of dedicated musicians start playing – including the
"Panzergrenadier" section – people will gladly forget Sunday
dinner and start to dance the time away. This Sunday morning was no
different and the dance floor was well visited.
One
of the more entertaining interludes was the demonstration of the three Swiss
"Alphorns" that the band always brings along - (Shades of Ricola)
– to the great amusement and applause by the audience. By the way, they
have just finished their new CD – and it sounds great!
CARAVAN was here again
Joe
Preis, the "Bürgermeister", and Rosemarie Sax – this year’s
‘Miss Danube" - did their best to make the visitors feel welcome.
At
the beginning of caravan the Szauter Family did lots of entertaining of the
guests, but they left for Austria during the last week and it is now up to
the Edelweiss Schuhplattler and the various "
Donauschwaben"
dance groups to look after the entertainment. Something they all do very
well anyway.
The static displays and the craft exhibit boutique – in the mezzanine – were eagerly visited and admired by many of the visitors.
On
Saturday, the last day of caravan, the whole "Radio Herz" team
visited the club to celebrate the end of Caravan and "Canada Day",
Well, it looks like another very successful 32nd run of Caravan
for the Danube Swabians.
Until next time, as always.
Dick Altermann
Comments to: dick@echoworld.com
