Outside the Insel Museum, it was spitting snow. Inside, I was seated around a table with several of the museum's women employees and my friend. We had driven from Geneva so I could research my book Murder on Insel Poel.
The idea had come from an earlier visit when I discovered how the British sunk a ship full of WWII prisoners being evacuated from Neuengamme Concentration Camp on Hitler's orders.
It was a far cry from yesterday when I spent hours listening to oral histories from the former prisoners. This day was filled with chatter about the coming holiday, recipes and the lives of the women although I could only get the gist with my rusty German.
The table was covered with colored paper, Scotch Tape, scissors, glue and glitter. We were making Christmas decorations for the museum, which was rather small but showed the life of the on the island even including a dental chair from a century before along with practical items and paintings from local artists.
When we finished, coffee was served.
Around a very different table, several women were gathered making decorations for the baptism for the new born son of one of the women. Because my Arabic was limited to a few polite words, they spoke English.
The talk was not all that different from the one in Germany: the upcoming event, recipes, things on going on in their daily lives.
When we were finished, maté was served. It is a drink where the herbal leaves half fill a glass. A sprinkling of cardamon topped the leaves before hot water filled the glass. We sipped the drink through a silver straw. I had learned from my Syrian women friends that this was the common drink when women get together, which was often.
Two very different cultures preparing for two very different events, but the similarities struck me as identical...a coming celebration, chatting about their lives, sharing a beverage, and making memories.
Visit www.dlnelsonwriter.com.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment