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By Ken Yeager
It is that time again when the Germans go a bit nuts over white asparagus. Partly because the season is pretty short, between six to eight weeks, depending on the weather, but also because, I have to say, it tastes good. Think of it, boiled potatoes, a nice slice of Kateschinken (ham, sort of like Parma, but a different smoke), white asparagus with melted butter or hollandaise sauce and of course, a nice chilled glass of Riesling white wine and, naturally, a bottle of mineral water to refresh the palette.
White asparagus grows completely underground and is only exposed to the sun while it is being harvested. Much of it is grown under plastic sheets to magnify the heat and make it grow faster. The stuff isn’t cheap because it must be harvested by hand and imported labor is primarily used, mostly Poles….Germans don’t like to do work like that. The season starts in May and ends towards the middle of June and during that time, Germans will eat tons of the stuff in a variety of ways. I personally am especially fond of asparagus cream soup, but I’ve also eaten it baked in tinfoil, on pizza and in chicken fricassee and I am sure there are many more ways to eat this vegetable. Asparagus is supposed to be good for the kidneys. Immediately after one eats asparagus, the urine has a very strong smell and this is supposed to be a good sign of flushing the kidneys (who knows).
Continue reading Weisser Spargel (White Asparagus) season in Germany
For those that care, this is to inform all Saigon Kids that I have deactivated my Facebook account due to privacy reasons. I am still registered at Classmates and will remain active there until I begin reading that they too are selling information to third parties. If that becomes the case, I will leave [...]
By Ken Yeager
I am sure many of you have seen this but just in case, allow me to post it as a reminder to get an appointment. It is important. During my time in the Foreign Service we (wife and I) were obliged to have a complete physical every time we changed postings. As we had served in some rather unhealthy places, it was nice to know that after some years in Africa we hadn’t picked up some bug that would come to haunt us later in life. Unfortunately, the full physical did not pick up on my wife’s CLL problem that was diagnosed during our time in Morocco (1997-1999), but so far she is winning that battle. Once we turned 50, this (below article) became a requirement and is something to repeat every 10 years or so afterward.
Continue reading Ugly but very important
By Ken Yeager
Wow ! I am shocked that no one is posting anything on this blog lately. What happened? I stopped contributing because I thought no one was reading my nonsense (and understandably so). But all of a sudden, quiet…..one could hear a pin drop.
OK, some disagreement but hey, it’s over and as Mimi said, we are all entitled to our own opinions. Despite our common Saigon background, the fact is we all grew up (except me-I don’t want to grow up) under different circumstances and in different locations, all of which helps form the person we are.
Over the years, I have become a strong liberal Democrat who supports Obama and his administration. I suppose that having spent about half of my life living outside the U.S. has influenced my thinking. I tend to see things differently than most Americans whose opinions are influenced by U.S. newspapers and broadcasts. I do have to say that I have become much more politically aware in the last 20 years or so.
Continue reading Sunday In Germany
By Ken Yeager
While many of you, I know, have traveled outside of the U.S., most of your trips have been, I would guess, to Europe, perhaps South America and I know for certain, Southeast Asia. But how many of you have been to Africa? When I say Africa, I am referring to that area to the south of the Sahara Desert. My introduction to Africa was in 1977 when I became what was known as an African Rover with the State Department’s African Bureau. During my two years as a rover, I had 23 temporary assignments in 18 countries and that doesn’t include countries that I had to visit to made transfers.
Continue reading Sunday In Germany: Welcome to Burundi
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