About immigration and integration

THIS BLOGPOST IS A REACTION TO MY COLLEAGUE CHRISTOPH'S POST. Sorry for writing in German, but this is about integration in German speaking countries. Feel free to use Google Translate in case you are interested.

Sehr guter Blogpost, Christoph!

Ich gebe dir mit nahezu allem Recht. In einem Punkt muss ich dir allerdings widersprechen und würde hierzu meine eigene Erfahrung beisteuern.

Die Integration der türkischen Minderheit in Deutschland und Österreich (und in noch extremeren Maße in der Schweiz) ist leider schon vor Jahrzehnten aus dem Ruder gelaufen. Ich spreche nahezu fließend Türkisch und habe einige Zeit in Istanbul gelebt. Deine These der Integration durch Sprache und gemeinsame Aktivitäten ist richtig und nobel - sie hat aber einen Haken: Sie trifft nur dann, wenn dein Gegenüber nicht die Hoffnung und sogar den Wunsch nach Integration längst aufgegeben hat.

Diejenigen Türken, die Akademiker wie du und ich meistens kennen, sind ohnehin die besser integrierten. Dazu gehören selbstverständlich Kollegen aus Studium und Praktikum, aber auch in vielen Fällen der Dönermann aus der Fußgängerzone mit dem passablen Deutsch. (Noch extremer würde das Diktum ausfallen, wenn du "richtige" Türken, wie einen gemeinsamen Freund von uns mit den Minderheiten in unseren Heimatländern vergleichen würdest).

Das Problem - vor allem in deutschen Großstädten, wie Berlin - aber auch in Österreich - und das darf selbst ich als Piefke sagen - ist, dass eine ganze Subkultur entstanden ist, die Integration aus Sicht der Türken zwar weiterhin möglich, nicht aber nötig erscheinen lässt. Gehe ich durch Berlin Kreuzberg (und in abgeschwächter Form sicherlich auch durch das ein oder andere Wiener Viertel), so fühle ich mich, als Türkei-Liebhaber "zuhause". Die Reklamen sind dieselben wie in Istanbul und auch die Läden sind ähnlich. Was anders ist? Geht man nicht gerade durch die konservativen Viertel Istanbuls, wie etwa Fatih, so sind Frauen im Kopftuch eher eine Minderheit. Die europäische Mode überwiegt. In Kreuzberg hingegen zählen Tradition und islamische Werte (die übrigens ebensoviel "christliche" Nächstenliebe enthalten, wie andere Religionen auch) - viele der Einwanderer der ersten und zweiten Generation kamen aus armen, sehr religiösen Gegenden der Türkei. Für Sie war Istanbul genauso weit weg wie Europa und sie sahen die Chance in den großen Städten. Die Welt um Sie herum veränderte sich in den letzten 30-40 Jahren drastisch. Sie selbst waren weniger willkommen, der Islam wurde unbeliebter, die Chancen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt kleiner. Und die Crux dieser türkischstämmigen Gesellschaft war, dass sie in der Türkei schnell als die unbeliebten, mit ausländischem Geldum sich werfenden, Angeber verschrien waren. Heimatlos also auch in der Heimat.

Was blieb als Rückzug? Die Gemeinschaft, die Subkultur, die Klein-Istanbuls dieser Welt und die Moschee. Die Integrationsversuche 2009 hätten 1979 vielleicht fruchtbaren Boden gefunden, ob sie es heute tun ist fraglich.

Daher stimme ich allen deinen Punkten zu. Vor allem glaube auch ich, dass der Integrationsgrad (also inwiefern jemand die Sprache beherrscht, einen Job und Freundeskreis hat) ausschlaggebend sein sollte. Meine Großeltern haben einen Gasthof, in dem für Jahre ein vietnamesischer Küchenhelfer arbeitete. Er kam bereits als Jugendlicher und gehörte fast schon zur Familie. Nach einigen Jahren wurde er binnen drei Wochen abgeschoben und musste in den Vietnam zurück. Er war von dort als Kind geflohen, hatte keine Familie und Freunde und sprach Deutsch besser als seine "Muttersprche". Alle Einsprüche auch die meiner Großeltern, die sich für ihn verbürgt hätten, halfen nichts. Er musste gehen und durfte nicht wieder nach Deutschland einreisen.

Solche Fälle sind es, die vermieden werden müssen. Ich danke dir, von Wirtschaftsflüchtling zu Wirtschaftsflüchtling, für diesen Denkanstoß. Ich hoffe selbst, dass - vielleicht auch mit der Hilfe türkischstämmiger Politiker und auch Sportler (Ümit Korkmaz für Österreich, Eren Derdiyok für die Schweiz, Mesut Özil und Serdar Tasci für Deutschland) - in Zukunft eine tiefere Integration der "älteren" Immigranten erreicht werden kann. Persönlich glaube ich aber, dass die IMMIGRATIONSpolitik selbst ein wichtiger Punkt ist, die INTEGRATIONSpolitik jedoch noch wichtiger.

... and Weezer gone lame

So one of my beloved bands did not let me down. Another one definitely did. What happened to you, Weezer? There were some songs on the "Red Album" which made me think: "Ok, maybe that is just filling material" - I still don't understand why you don't let Rivers Cuomo sing all the songs. But at least that album had killer songs like "The greatest man that ever lived", even if it did not come anywhere close my all-time-number one "Blue Album"...but WTF (and sorry for being so explicit) did you think when you recorded "Raditude"? I mean, fine - take some drugs to be creative but please, please, please listen to the songs you have recorded once you are clean before you let them loose on mankind. I used to be one of your biggest fans, but there are three reasons why I just have to hate this album (and stop just buying every new release without listening):

a)You rap in those songs - again. Maybe I only speak for myself, but the majority of people, who enjoy your style, DISGUST Hip Hop. I thought it was a one-off last time, but why do you keep doing it. Yeah, crossover was cool for a short while, but when have you heard of Linkin' Park or Crazy Town in the last few years???

b) Your lyrics are so lame, I can't believe you did not produce them by using random rhymes from a machine you found online. What went through you, when you wrote these lines?

"I thought tonight would suck like every other night
I'd party with my friends
But when I saw you grooving on the dance floor
Normal came to an end

We started talking and man, it was so clear to me
There's no one else like you
You got the brains, the body, and the beauty
To top it off, you're cool"

(From: "I'm your daddy")

Well, I suppose even the Blue Album was not without it's flaws, but this is just the mindless babbling teeny bands or hip hoppers call their lyrics.

c) Do not bring out an album every year. I have waited for ages for some of your records. I bought them all. The Red Album was not great, but I still liked it. But if you don't have better ideas than those you show on "Raditude" leave it be until 2011...

I know Weezer won't care about what I think, but maybe I can prevent you from buying their worst album so far. So enjoy some quality music and buy the Blue Album instead. :)

MUSE at the O2...

Ok, as I actually wanted to wait with my next Blogpost until I got some nice pictures from the Dublin Octoberfest and our great Octoberfest TGIF, I haven't blogged in a while.

Even if this will totally destroy the time-space-continuum - well, or at least mess up the chronological order of my posts - I will now share my experience at the MUSE Concert at the O2 in Dublin with you.

In short: It was an amazing show. The stage setting was just mind-blowing and they were playing on a whole level of their own - quite as introvert as the Kings of Leon, so not many jokes there - but a fine piece of Indie Rock. "Unintended" and "Feeling good" in a row made me sing "...and I'm feeeling gooooood!" and I even developed a taste in some songs from their newest album. My favorite still was "Time is running out" as well as one of the songs I can never get enough of: "New born". So listen for your self below and see some pictures.

Feels like home

I am not homesick - I am rather Istanbul-sick after my mum and grandma visited me and kept talking about the time I lived in my favorite city. They made me decide to definitely go to Istanbul in 2010 - who is in? I can be the guide.

Still, after all those weeks of faux-Oktoberfests and Germanic clichées, I have decided to remember my roots and share them with you. A homage to Istanbul would take to long and would make me book a flight right now - so I decided to go for my hometown.

So welcome to a virtual tour of Bayreuth:

They are not stars (yet!)... (Part 2)

If the last blogpost was not promotion enough:

See it for yourself:

False False



Change

They are not stars (yet!)...

...they are just f***ing planets. Yes, I admit "We are the planet" is not one of the most creative band names and sounds a little like an old Michael Jackson song (and no, they are NOT a tribute band), but my old band - they used to be known as "The Missing Link" - have started some nice little things since they don't have to bear me as a lead singer anymore.

They totally stopped covering and have now created a set of songs that consists of finest Indie Rock. Apart from songs that we used to perform together, like "Madam, honestly", "Something" and "Lethal Poetry", they have added some really good pieces of music. My favorite being "Hail reality" and also the more aggressive "Morning pages" or the ballad "The void stares back" - which I hope to hear on their Myspace-page soon, make them much more versatile. One song - sorry guys, I can't recall the title right now, but help me out and I will add it - even sounds a lot like one of my favorite bands "Bloc Party" - which is definitely a huge compliment.

And now being headliners of a regional band festival, they definitely played the best show in their career. Yes, we had a bigger audience at my goodbye-concert - but you played this totally cool and one did not see any difference between you guys and the much older, more experienced bands that were allowed to be your "support acts" ;).

And if all this is not enough for you guys, I will tell you that I sang every song I could with you. I have got one of the best jobs in the world, but when I was standing in the front row, I knew I would give up all I have for being on the stage with you! If you are waiting for a good newspaper article tomorrow - you will get it - but I hope that these lines - that come from my heart - will mean just as much to you guys. I know you are way better without me, I know you all don't really know what to do with your lives yet, I know that you might never be corporate guys, teachers or anything else - for me, you will always be Rock Stars! I miss you a lot. Don't forget me and when you finally play the big festivals - I will be in the front row, as your manager or your biggest fan - and will tell people that I used to play with these great, creative Indie-guys! And maybe you will let me sing one last song with you, to make me feel the way you will do then, even if it is only for a few minutes.

"I'm gonna trade this life for fortune and fame
I'd even cut my hair and change my name"

Keep on rocking!

Yes, Nico...you rock - not only as a song writer - your voice is getting better and better!



My personal guitar hero, Rob!



The show...



...and the work before (soon, you will have rowdies) :)



Backstage.



Now it's "Rockin' Bayreuhth" soon it might be "Rock im Park" :)

Oktoberfest - Part 1: The real thing

It's the end of September, I am at my lovely home in Franconia (Northern Bavaria) and Munich is not to far away. And with a few free beers and food - courtesy of Paulaner - those were enough incentives to visit the biggest fairground in the world.

So we went there - me being the designated driver. This turned out to be a good decision, especially because Stev, the friend I had spent my last Christmas with in New Zealand, was really, really drunk by 6 p.m.

First of all, we had some great food and our first beer in the Winzerer Fähndl tent - for free. Networking is everything nowadays. :) We then went on to check out the fun rides and a few more tents, namely Hofbräu, Hippodrom and Armbrustschützen. Lucky me not being forced to drink 5-6 liters of beer. I had two Radler (shandies) and was able to enjoy the show. Thus, I still contributed to the one million euro profit (yes, earnings, not revenue!) every owner of a tent at Oktoberfest makes every year. And it turned out to be a good one (see pictures) - I won't link you on those in Facebook, Stev, don't worry. :) But this is to good not to share.

The first beer of the day.



In this stand I spent a summer when I was sixteen - my first summer job.



Munich atmosphere.



Barrel on a faux-traditional horse-drawn carriage.



Fancy a big bite?



Fun in the tent - at around 2 p.m.



My well deserved "Radler". Prost!



In the Hippodrom - I like the decoration, but not the in-crowd.



No, he didn't pee himself, it is only beer. We made him clap so we wouldn't loose him. ;)



Way home - please don't vomit in my Mum's car.