Der Tunnel

Over the weekend we watched Der Tunnel, a German film based on true events regarding a daring tunnel escape from East Germany in the 1960's. It is a beautiful, horrible film, the sort of story for which movie-making exists. Highly recommended. Image from germanfilms.de

I came across it when reading about the 20th anniversary commemorations of the Wall coming down. That milestone also led me to read the book Stasiland by Anna Funder, which tells the stories of ordinary East Germans and their interactions with and in the Stasi, the East German secret police.

Both the film and the book underscore for me that the most terrible thing about the Iron Curtain was not its physical deprivations and repression, but what it did to people in their relationships. Preying on trust and love in order to control people, separating families and lovers causing them to do desperate things. The film shows this in numerous heartbreaking ways. According to Funder, East Germany was possibly the most surveilled society in history. The number of Stasi operatives per capita far exceeded even the KGB's presence. Many of these operatives were "IM's" or "inoffizielle Mitarbeiter," informants. Your wife, your child, your neighbor could be an IM. Statistically the chances were good that someone close to you was. What would that do to the psychology of a people?

In Stasiland, Funder describes meeting a man whose Stasi job was to case a highway rest stop, the last stop for cars on transit from West Germany through eastern territory into West Berlin. Professional people-smugglers would use this route, sending West Germans in who would stop and pick up East Germans and try to hide them in their cars going into West Berlin. The Stasi man tells of opening car trunks and finding stowaways there, dressed in his disguise as a repairman or tourist. He describes the look of joy they had for a moment as they assumed that he was a smuggler and that they had arrived in safety in the West. What sort of inhumanity is it to imprison an entire country?

At the same time, watching Der Tunnel and reading Stasiland makes me proud to be of German heritage. That is not something you often hear, least of all from Germans. However, even though Germans perpetrated some terrible things in history, these things were also inflicted on Germans, and ordinary Germans proved themselves survivors through multiple nightmares such as Americans have not experienced on our own soil since perhaps the Civil War.

Vollkorn Brot, sort of

UPDATE: My German co-worker raved about this bread. She said it tasted like her mother's.

I got my copy of Healthy Bread In Five Minutes A Day a few weeks ago and have been itching to try it out. I had to wait a while, for an order of vital wheat gluten from King Arthur Flours. Now that is a site that inspires all sorts of baking dreams and would be a good, but dangerous, place to go if you need some inspiration for holiday baking. The vital wheat gluten helps whole-grain breads to rise and lighten.

Since my in-laws are on a cruise this month for their fiftieth wedding anniversary, it was just Pavel and me for the actual T-day. He loves wild rice stuffing and I love mashed potatoes, so as I decided to get a turkey roast and put my effort and love into the sides. I decided to make a hearty bread to serve as basis for the stuffing, and picked the Vollkornbrot, a German-style whole-grain bread.

Oh. My. Word. It was lucky any of the bread made it into the stuffing. I had some English Farmhouse Cheddar in the fridge (much as I try to buy domestic, the English really is better) and the combination with the chewy, crunchy, hearty bread is amazing. If you were in the mood, a beer would round out the trifecta marvelously.

Oookaaay... well, it's not really Vollkornbrot. At least not the Vollkornbrot that I know from living in Germany. Actually, I think it's better. German Vollkornbrot is like a brick, albeit a tasty and healthy one. This, on the other hand, has some chew and softness while still being very substantial. At least, my version did. I did have to make some substitutes: Honey for molasses, and since my whole wheat flour had been in the freezer too long and needed to be thrown away, I ended up using a combination of spelt and white flour. The reason I had spelt flour on the shelf was also because of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes A Day, since the authors rave about it. (Spelt is the ancestor of our usual wheat, and whole-grain spelt flour seems milder in flavor. It is also supposed to be easier to digest.) I was worried about all the substitutes, but you can't argue with results.

The results were so good that I began to regret I had used it all in the stuffing, and decided to make another batch, one loaf being designated for my German co-worker. That's when I took the photos. Note that if you try this particular bread, you should make it 24 hours in advance to let the whole grains absorb water, and the final rise needs to be 2 hours rather than the usual "Artisan in Five" rise time of 30 minutes. The extra time and effort is worth it.

As with the original Artisan in Five method, the new book uses a method of stirring up a wet dough and letting it rise in a plastic container which you can then keep in the fridge up to two weeks. On baking day you just quickly shape up a loaf, let it rise and bake. No kneading required and very little babysitting or fussing the dough. I would like to say that I miss kneading out of pure nostalgia, but... I don't. You still get much of the enjoyment of yeast bread baking, especially the smells of yeast rising and baking. Oh, the smells! First of many breads I hope to try from the new book, and a resounding success.

The Wall is still with us

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and I've been remembering my own experiences in Germany in 1987-88 as an exchange student and later on as an exchange teacher in the eastern part of Germany.

In fall of '87, I went with my host family to see host mother's relatives in East Berlin. At the border, we passed miles of gun towers and electrified gate posts, arriving late in the evening at the checkpoint. We had to get out while our car and luggage were searched top to bottom. As a fifteen year-old American, it made an impression. I recall the border police staring at me, comparing my face to my passport photo. They especially stared at my nose. I also recall a guard picking up the book I had left in the back seat. He searched it through methodically, back and forth, up and down, forward and back. It was a book of German fairytales. I wanted to make a smart remark at this point, about Rumpelstiltskin not being subversive or something. Thankfully I held my tongue. The mood was somber. No one smiled.

I stayed with some cousins, sleeping in the too-short bed of the couple's young son. Conversation with the family was surreal. Every innocent comment I made about my family and life at home was received through the settled opinion that Americans lived hand-to-mouth and most of us were homeless beggars or might as well be. The family didn't do this mean-spiritedly; not at all. However, it also never seemed to occur to them to verify their assumptions, even though they had a real-live American sitting at their breakfast table.

For just a weekend stay, we nevertheless had to check in with the police I got a copious amount of stamps in my passport. Police and military were everywhere. My host mother's teenage niece was my tour guide of East Berlin. She was blunt about what she didn't like about the system, and I got the impression that she was trying to show me that she realized what was behind the curtain. However, under the surface, she had the same settled assumptions as everyone else. After the Wall fell, she went to the West but I heard that she suffered some depression. It was just too hard to realize you had been lied to for so many years.

New generations of eastern Germans seem to be dealing with this by going back to the la-la land of erroneous assumptions. According to this article by the author of Stasiland, "A survey in June found the GDR to have its highest approval rating since unification: 57 per cent of people agreed with the statement that the GDR was 'more good than bad', and a majority of schoolchildren were under the illusion that it had a legitimate, democratically elected government." Funder attributes this to the fact that so many Stasi members, especially teachers, kept their jobs and remain in influential posts in German society. Loyal to the end?

In 1993 when I had returned to a now-reunified Germany and taught English in the eastern part of the country, I was walking around Leipzig one day when I stumbled on the Stasi museum. It's called the museum "in der Runden Ecke," in the round corner, because of the shape of the building which once housed the secret police's district headquarters. Like many such offices in other GDR cities, the wholesale destruction of files and evidence was stopped when protesters massed the building and took it over. Now you can walk through and see the propaganda kitsch, old surveillance equipment, and the wigs, prosthetics and fake moustaches used by agents. Reading Funder's account of the Stasi's "rehabilitation" in modern east Germany, I get the absurd image of a Stasi officer trying to disguise himself by slapping a moustache on while his party insignia is still showing. The real question is why so many people want to be fooled?

I can say that though the weekend in East Berlin circa 1987 was obviously a memorable experience, I was never so glad to be gone from a place. All weekend I had the nagging thought that I would not be allowed to leave. My host mother said it, with her usual humor: "The best view of the GDR is in the rearview mirror." Apparently some eastern Germans have painted theirs a distinctly rosy hue.

Related at The Anchoress. Perspective and lots of photos on the GDR and the fall of the Wall from other American exchange students at this PDF link.

Islamism reading list

I asked my friend Jeremy, who is on his second tour in Iraq, what books he recommended as an introduction to the historical background of Islamic extremism. With his permission to post, here was his response (links added by me):

"The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright. It gives good background and history. Al Quaeda's history is important because it represents (unfortunately not the only or possibly even the most potent manifestation of [Sunni]) Islamic radicalism.

Future Jihad by Walid Phares. It gives a good historical background and gets into the ideology.

Willful Blindness by Andrew McCarthy. Covers the 1993 bombing but also the beliefs and methods animating the actions.

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. One of the bravest women alive today. I don't agree with her on everything, she gives unique background based on her experiences.

Inside the Jihad by Omar Nasiri. Some claim the guy made up a phony story. I think it has value in seeing the jihadi movement as jihadis see it.

The Persian Night by Amir Taheri is focused on Iran. I found it to be gratuitously insulting to Muslims (indulging in unnecessary attacks on Islamic doctrines and traditions) but it was nonetheless a good expose on the current regime."

Thanks, Jeremy. Stay safe.

Pancakery, and this dratted bug

My pancake fetish continues apace, and since this week my copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks arrived, I had to try "Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes."

If you haven't heard of The Pioneer Woman yet, by all means mosey on over to her website, which is full of beautiful photography and recipes of the luscious ranch fare she cooks. The book is more of the same, plus whimsical stories and photos of Oklahoma ranch life and of her picture-perfect family.

As for the recipes, within a couple weeks of discovering the website (H/T The Anchoress), I had already made three or four things and everything was as delicious as the photos promised. I would see something on the website and think "boy does that look good, but I can't make something that fattening." And then it would just work on me. And work on me. Until I had to make it! I think the beautiful step-by-step photography is behind this devilry. The book would be a great Christmas present for any down-home cooks on your list.

The sour cream pancakes are great, though I must admit I prefer my staple Cottage Cheese Pancakes. I don't always have cottage cheese on hand, though, so into my file Edna Mae goes for her place on the pancake rotation.

Here's another winner of a pancake recipe for you, Truck Stop Pancakes. They're the best buttermilk pancakes I've ever had. Last weekend, while I was feeling poorly, I decided to just make pancakes from a mix, which I hadn't done in a long time. This was a mix that I used to consider a winner. However, the results were so disappointing compared to homemade, I guess I'm spoiled forever. Good thing homemade pancakes are easy to whip up.
***

So, all pancakes aside, I am still feeling like the butt end of a bad day, now going on the third week. I'm pretty sure that the little souvenir I brought back from Texas is H1N1. Everything seems to fit from what I've read of it, including how hard it is to beat. I'm on my second round of antibiotics for an ear infection, and still sucking down Theraflu, gargling salt water, hacking like a chainsmoker, and generally feeling punk. Normally I am a skeptic about vaccination pushes, but I'm here to tell you, friends, if your doctor offers you an H1N1 shot, TAKE IT.

The only good thing I can say is that my husband hasn't gotten it and thus far neither has anyone at work, so it doesn't seem to be super-contagious. I did stay home from work a few days and have been staying out of public places, but had to take the risk to go back to the office since we are so few- the last of the mohicans after all the downsizing. I am pretty sure what made me vulnerable to catching it (probably at the Alamo) was the fact that I had had food poisoning earlier in the week and my immune system was working double-duty. Now is not the time to be a tourist anywhere, and even if you just have a little cold, take all due paranoid precautions to make sure it doesn't develop into anything else. Just want to do my bit to make sure no one else has to battle this.

A bulletin from the past

A German co-worker was asked to translate a letter that someone found in their parents' things. I thought I'd share it (with names and place names removed) as it's an interesting first-hand historical look from a turbulent time. I'm reminded of my in-laws, six siblings from a little town in Slovakia who had a hard time finding each other again after the war. They were separated during their flight from the Red Army, but managed to find each other in Germany and emigrated together to the US.

Here's the letter:

***

April 18, 1948

I was astonished to receive a sign of life from you again. I thought you had forgotten us, or were drawn into the war and perhaps already dead. And what are you doing in America? From your letter, I see that America is now your homeland. I have thought often of you. One can really say: It's been a long way from there to here. But I enjoy the memories. We passed many happy hours. Earlier on I could still remember the singing, but I don't do that much anymore. I'm now 64 years old, after all, and should take it easy. Have been in -- since 1924. Bought a pretty large farming business. A nice farm with a beautiful view of the lake. Near the main road from -- to --. Since gasoline is again available, about 1000 cars go by in a day. It was quieter during the war, when we didn't get any gasoline in Switzerland. Food was also scarce because we could import very little. We in the country had nothing really to complain about. But in the cities, rations were very meager and also quite expensive. A liter milk costs 43-45 rappen [equivalent to cents]. 1 kilogram white flour costs 1 franc 50. 1 kilogram potatoes 30 rappen. Only vegetables and potatoes were not rationed. Now everything is free again. I'm also enclosing a photograph. Have 8 boys and 4 girls. That's okay as long as we're healthy. We're doing alright financially and health-wise. Hope it's the same with you. Much has changed in your home village, too. You would have a hard time finding your way around, but your birth house is still standing and is still the same. Will close for now and hope to hear from you again soon. In the meantime, greetings from...

A gadget for you

I appreciate low-tech, low-cost things that work better than the fancy-fangled. So I decided to give Melitta's "Ready Set Joe" a try. It's a plastic mold, as you see, that sits on top of your coffee cup. Insert a Melitta #3 filter and your ground coffee, pour in boiling water, stir up the grounds a bit, and it brews a surprisingly good cup of coffee in a minute or two. You may need to pour a bit more water in if you're brewing a big cup.

A drip pot is obviously more convenient if you're making more than one cup or if you need to keep coffee hot for a while, but our work times mean that husband and I are not on the same coffee-drinking schedule. For under $10, this is a good solution for grabbing a quick cuppa joe.



You can use regular coffee filters, though those are a bit more awkward than the little cone filters Melitta makes. I do recommend stirring the grounds while it brews. Otherwise it's too weak, and weak coffee is an insult to God's creation of the coffee bean. The flavor is like French-press coffee. I actually think it is better than French press, because you have the same richness, but not the slight grit. And no risk of things going the way of French presses in my household, i.e. getting cracked in the sink. All in all it's a win for simplicity of design.