WELCOME TO 2-2-2 TUESDAY
Here are 2 Cultural Highlights, 2 Quotes, and 2 Brief Stories for you to enjoy.
Inspired by Landstuhl and Heidelberg, Germany
2 CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS
1.
The Schalke Experience:
Even if you don’t like Fussball (soccer), attending an FC Schalke game will leave you wanting more.
FC Schalke is a club with overwhelming connection to their community in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
How was FC Schalke born?
During the Industrial Revolution, Germans flocked to Gelsenkirchen looking for opportunity in the coal mines. Back then, if you were at least 14 years old, you participated in the backbreaking work for at least six days a week. Despite rough conditions, the community formed a strong bond and made the most of their opportunity.
With great pride in their region, the locals created the Schalke soccer club in 1904 to represent their home in competition against other regions.
In a Herculean effort, the local coal miners, engineers, and architects worked together to build a stadium with their own tools, which held seventy thousand fans at its peak. Absolutely amazing.
This rich history and tradition fueled Schalke players and fans, which contributed to several championship teams.
Today, the passion for FC Schalke continues to thrive. The club draws mega fans from many neighboring towns. It’s fan base is a unique blend of both blue collar folks and executives.
How does the club keep this spirit alive?
The players enter the field through a tunnel that has been turned into a replica coal mine.
During the pregame rituals, the stadium big screen shows authentic footage of the coal miners at work. Thousands of fans sing and chant together using maximum lung capacity. The crowd energy is palpable. I get the chills just thinking about the experience.
Goals prompt crowd eruptions of epic proportions as fans go completely wild! Looking around at screaming, jumping fans, it feels like you’re witnessing thousands of individuals who just found out they each won 1 million euros!
After the the final whistle blows, the Schalke players greet each section of the stadium. As a team, they walk around the entire field looking up to the stands and waving. Both fans and players carry on this tradition every single game. Win or loss. The bidirectional love and support doesn’t hinge on results.
It’s probably obvious that FC Schalke 04 gained another lifelong fan! I’ll be back to see another game someday.
2.
Kegeln in Köln:
Not to be confused with Kegel exercises, “Kegeln” is a German sport that translates into “pins.”
If you enjoy bowling, you’d love the nine pin version of the game.
Before discussing the game itself, the odd history is worth visiting. Kegeln was a religious activity dating back to as early as 300 C.E.
In its earliest version, the pins symbolized sins. Rocks were used to knock them over as a way of purging sins against God. Don’t you wish you could travel back in time to watch this scene play out?
Fast forward to today and it’s set up similar to bowling with some key differences. The pins are shaped like a diamond, and stand farther apart. The balls are made of dense wood and don’t contain any holes.
And the best part of Kegeln? It’s the unique social vibe. Only traditional German cuisine is served as friends or family play a variety of competitive games. In fact, you typically don’t pay to play. It’s a complimentary restaurant game for guests as they order food and drinks.
2 QUOTES TO CONSIDER
- “The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” —Thomas Edison
- “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” — John D. Rockefeller
2 BRIEF STORIES
1.
German Hospitality:
After a terrific hiking trip around the Albanian Alps with our German friend, Felix, he invited us to visit him in Cologne, Germany. It’s rare these types of reunions actually happen, so I was thrilled last week when the stars aligned.
I showed up expecting to crash on the couch, but Felix arranged to have me stay in a nice private apartment next door to his place. He then purchased and prepped fresh breakfast every day.
He built an itinerary with his favorite places and events, including a Schalke soccer match and Kegeln games at a restaurant. Lucky for me, Felix invited several friends of his best friends to join us throughout the weekend, and they treated me as one of their own. We shared belly laughs and deep discussions into the wee hours of the morning. It seems to me that German hospitality is underrated.
2.
Parking Polizei:
While visiting Mannheim, Germany, we accidentally parked in a “residence-only” lot. As we returned to the car, we found a police officer writing up a parking violation. Perhaps we should have bought a lottery ticket on that day, because the German parking police let us off the hook.
Maybe the officer appreciated how excited I was to show my wife old stomping grounds. More likely, she took pity on the American with a goofy accent. Either way, danke schön!
Thanks for tuning in to 2-2-2 Tuesday!
If you have any feedback, comments, or suggestions, we’d love to hear from you. Have a wonderful week.
– Zack and Farah
