I really want to bring you up-to-date with all of the stuff I experienced during lockdown in Germany. However, I can't contain myself any longer and I've got to talk about the Biden/Harris win, our crazy/lying president and the political issues that occupy so much space in my head.

The thought of voting "against" tRump crushed my already fragile faith in the democratic system. I was happy to vote for Biden because he selected Harris as his running mate. I can only hope that together they will accomplish more than Obama was allowed to and conquer challenges brought on by the COVID epidemic, systematic racism and global warming to name a few.

Our already questionable democracy took a beating during the tRump administration. "Draining the swap" was the joke of the century. 

The breaking down of our civil liberties, the condoning of violence, the disregard for the law, the nebulous obscuring of the truth, the manipulation of the media, and the control of the judicial system are only a few of the pernicious attacks successfully perpetrated by the tRump cartel on our country.

Biden will inherit the problems that tRump has left behind - a pandemic, 

a massive budget deficit and a faltering economy. How much more damage could he have done to American institutions and elections with another four years? 

And now, this spurious imitation orange Cheeto refuses to concede the election. He and his comrades have done everything they can to divide the country. 

Appointing Amy Barret to the judiciary is only one indication of tRumps attempt to guarantee the continuation of his corrupt legacy. tRump has energized violent militias to do great harm across America making it possible for hate-based and extremist groups to continue after his presidency.

tRumps focus on revenge against Joe Biden and FOX News is astounding. His refusal to cooperate with the Biden transition team is an obviously deliberate attempt to prevent the new administration from succeeding with any plans for change or solutions to our countries problems. 

The Republicans will make no compromises. The Supreme Court is dominated by conservatives. Just as the Republicans did to Obama, they will focus - with tRumps guidance - on preventing this democratic administration from making any real changes to the reprehensible deeds of the tRump administration. The corruption of the GOP will out live tRumps presidency.

In a 1996 interview with Mike Wallace, Louis Farrakhan stated (if I may paraphrase) that America is the most corrupt country in the world. That statement holds true today and the tRump administration is the proof. Trying to overturn a legitimate election is not only an abomination but puts the health and security of our country dangerously at risk. 

We are not a third world country. We cannot let this happen. Every American needs to denounce this attempted coup. Hands Off America!

STRANDED - PART 5

HOME AT LAST - PART 5

By the time I got to Oldenburg my entire tour had been canceled. Okay, I thought. This will give me some time to visit friends while I search for a reasonably priced return ticket. Little did I know how quickly everything would change.

The first few days after I settled into my lovely, temporary home I walked to and from the city center which was about 30 minutes from my location. Of course, everyone was concerned – if not scared – of contracting COVID. Self-quarantine was urgently recommended and seriously adhered to in Oldenburg.

Bus drivers wore masks and the drivers seat as well as first three rows were blocked. Passengers where no longer allowed to enter the bus through the front door. It didn't matter that there was less seating. People were afraid to be in closed spaces so for the most part the buses remained empty.

It was eerie to see the streets completely deserted. The sun was shining so beautifully, the temperature was perfect, yet there was no one to be seen. The scenario reminded me of the “last man on earth” movies where a lone person walks the streets of a beautiful city searching for a sign of life.

I kept thinking this can't be real. Watching the news and listening to the Don's commentary - “It's one person coming in from China and we have it under control”, “One day, it's like a miracle, it will disappear”, “We're doing a great job. Just wait. It will disappear”, “a very contagious virus...but...we have tremendous control over it”, “The 15 cases within a couple of days is going to be down close to zero”.

The U.S. had not yet taken COVID-19 seriously and neither did I. The president was defying every recommendation from the CDC and medical community and encouraging U.S. Citizens to do the same. Quarantining and the travel ban would come much too late to save the lives of tens of thousands of people who would die during the first months.

I was in the safest place I could possibly be in. I was disappointed because Rey could not be with me in Germany, but he was in the next safest place, self-quarantined in the rural village in Mexico we'd chosen to make our home months before the public was made aware of the deadly virus.

I concentrated on remaining happy and healthy until I could get a return flight to Mexico. Then the Don announces a travel ban. Americans must return to the states by March 13^th. Borders between Mexico and the U.S. were closed and Mexico restricted non-essential travel from Europe. A return ticket would now cost over $2,000. I needed to earn money to purchase my ticket. I missed the deadline.

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I would be very happy if you read my stories, leave comments and share your experiences with me. I hope my sharing will be an inspiration and a source of discovery for you as it has been for me!

Sincerely yours,

Empress

© Copyright November 5, 2020

It's free to subscribe. Your paid membership helps me to continue sharing my adventures. Thank you for your encouragement.

HOME AT LAST - PART 4

As I said in my last blog, when I arrived in Oldenburg I stayed in my friend Corneila's apartment. She's usually away during that time but due to the COVID 19 lockdown, Corneila and her partner returned home making individual privacy a bit difficult. Solution - Corneila introduced me to her friends Gudrun and Herbert who had a lovely garden apartment attached to their home.

Gudrun and Herbert welcomed me with open arms. They did everything possible to make me feel comfortable and concerned themselves with my well-being and happiness. 

We cooked together, made music together (Herbert pays guitar), took long walks in the woods, went bicycle riding and visited friends together. What a wonderful couple!

 

COVID presented me with many opportunities, the most important being to nurture old friendships and make new ones.

I am truly blessed to have the support and love of my incredible friends in Germany!

Please like and subscribe!

I would be very happy if you read my stories, leave comments and share your experiences with me. I hope my sharing will be an inspiration and a source of discovery for you as it has been for me!

Sincerely yours,

Empress

© Copyright October 4, 2020

It's free to subscribe. Your paid membership helps me to continue sharing my adventures. Thank you for your encouragement.

HOME AT LAST - PART 3

Oooops!!!

Founding a new band with Alexander, Malte and Daniel focusing on original music exposing racial injustice was a good thing. It intensified the personal relationships we've nurtured over the years and gave us the chance to discuss the challenges of systematic racism with people who wouldn't have dared to approach the subject before the murder of George Floyd. 

And it gave people the chance to show their humanity by coming together to raise their voices against discrimination on every level, as well as supporting the movement with their presence at demonstrations and making donations to equal rights organizations.

My time in Germany was not only filled with serious endeavors, I had more fun than one can imagine visiting friends and eating myself from a size 12 when I arrived to a 14+ when I left. My friends really showed out making sure I was housed, fed, clothed and happy. 

February

August

Let's flip the pages back a little. As I said in an earlier blog, I started out in Hamburg visiting my newly wedded friends Love and Gregory. Shortly after my first concert which should have been in Hamburg was canceled. Next on the schedule was Weyhe, so I packed my bag and went to rehearse and perform with the gospel choir directed by Elisabeth Geppert. 

Luckily for us the lock-down had not yet been initiated, we had a full house and the concert went really well - except for the moment that I fell from the stairs in the middle of my favorite reggae gospel. Embarrassed but not hurt I sprang to my feet with the help of several choir members and continued the show.

HOME AT LAST - PART 2

Solidarity Demonstrations in Germany

Oldenburg demonstrators take social distancing seriously.

The OEins live “window concert” was the first of a series of interesting events during my quarantine in Germany. 

Parallel to the unrelenting news about COVID-19 infections and death counts, yet another unarmed black man – George Floyd – was murdered by the police. Not only our nation, but nations around the world were angered and appalled by the clearly visible and intentional murder. 

8 Minutes and 46 Seconds - The Killing of George Floyd

Mass demonstrations against police violence played out all over the world, while racist politicians invoked support from the right wing conservative media in denying systematic racism, trying to villanize George Floyd and attempting to discredit the black lives matter “movement”. 
Trump Economic Advisor Denies Systematic Racism Because Whites Voted for Obama

While in Germany I joined demonstrations against racism in America and voiced my opinion every chance I got. Protests led to interviews and interviews lead to intense conversations with friends and colleagues who wanted to know the truth about America. 

Interview with Al-Yasha Anderson

Some of my German friends were shocked and appalled by the violence against blacks they were witnessing on t.v. Some were totally surprised that the America they worshiped was not the role model they learned to respect and others didn't care one way or another. 

My closest friends voiced their concerns for my family in New York and some even joined me in protesting. Interviews and performances were distributed on social media and my dear friends Alexander Goretzki, Daniel Haltaufderheide, Malte Hahn and I founded a band called EMPRESS AND THE PRIVILEGED WHITES.

HOME AT LAST - PART 1

NOTHING HAPPENS THE WAY I PLAN IT!

It's always the same. I get a great idea as to what I want to write in my next Blog. However, when I start writing it turns out to be completely different. For example, today's blog was meant to be a thank you and a tribute to all the wonderful people who helped and supported me while I was stranded in Germany.
Then I had an incredibly stimulating conversation with Rey (as we always do) and decided to video our conversation and post it as an interview. 

After we made the video I took a short cruise on my FB page and found lots of great stuff that friends wanted to post to my time line. I got distracted again.

Now I think I should just go back to the beginning of this years adventure in Germany and bring you up to date.

I arrived in Hamburg a week early so I could visit one of my best friends – Love Newkirk, and join her wedding celebration which I knew would be the fantastic party that it was. Good food, good music, good people and best of all ecstatically happy newly weds! 

My first scheduled concert at "Horst Haus am See" were I'd performed a benefit concert for "Erziehungshilfe-Hamburg e.V." last year was cancelled due to COVID 19. After spending some quality time with my bestie, I left to perform my next concert in Weyhe, Bremen with the Gospel Chor Weyhe led by Elisabeth Geppert. 

It was a wonderful concert that was well visited, well received and well reviewed. And very happily I was not injured when I fell from the pulpit stairs wearing my newly acquired obviously too high pale gold boots. That's another story.

I then headed to Oldenburg because I had planed a series of concerts with my band „Empress, Yeti and the M&M's“, as well as several vocal workshops and private parties. 

As I normally do, I went directly to my friend Cornelia's house. Cornelia is usually out of town around that time and has always been gracious enough to hand over the keys to the castle so I can have my privacy when I'm in town. I was looking forward to spending a weekend with her as she passed through Oldenburg on the way to her next vacation.

However, reports about COVID 19 started to spread, countries were locking down and tRump threatened to block Americans from coming home if they didn't arrive by March 13. I reconfirmed my concert series and decided to remain in Germany.

Having been fed a consistent diet of „fake news“ by the press and contracting diarrhea from the numerous lies told by the „president“ I found myself caught in the travel ban and stuck in Germany without an income or roof over my head. The rest of the story is simply amazing.

The first thing I did was let everyone know I was stranded. Because of the travel ban, I had lots of free time and conceded to strict distancing and mask wearing regulations when meeting people. I was willing to go through any restrictions necessary to facilitate the opportunity to meet with dear friends.

Here's how Alexander Goretzki and I managed to make a little music in the first week of the shut down.

Window concert with me andAlexander 

STRANDED IN GERMANY - PART 5

The Corona Virus pandemic has made the past few months stressful for me and no doubt, for most of us, especially those already challenged with health issues, loss of income and/or homelessness. The protests during this pandemic are exposing racial discrimination in health, education, and employment. The ludicrousness is that the COVID-19 epidemic has been overshadowed by a more serious pandemic from which America has not recovered over centuries - systematic racism and the obscene imbalance between the rich and the poor in our country.  

There is an unconscionable amount of suffering hidden in plain sight among the politicians who claim to represent the people while legislating poverty through tax cuts to the rich, slashing of social services including health, education and welfare, mass incarceration polices aimed at increasing the profit of privatized prisons, denial of basic rights of America’s non-white population and refusal of transparency of the most powerful man in America.

Parallel to the pandemic is the suffering experienced by the African-American community at the murder of George Floyd by police officers Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao. Bombarded with content on social media and streaming platforms we are reliving this cruel murder on a daily basis. In spite of massive world-wide protests, new incidences of police brutality, BBQ Becky, Permit Patty and Cornerstone Caroline videos documenting white privilege intimidations and assaults on people of color continue to surface.

The cretinous and callous murder of yet another unarmed black man, George Floyd on May 25 has only highlighted that injustice and the abject vileness of white supremacy are still ever-present in this nation. The Corona virus has forced us to stick together. The virus does not choose. Our focus at this time has been simply to stay alive whether or not we believe everything we are being told or, adhere to any and all of the circulating conspiracy theories. COVID-19 should have been a wakeup call for you. Although this pandemic has shown us that we are all equal regardless of race, culture, religion or wealth it is still painfully clear that we are NOT equal. 

The commentary I see on social media condemning protestors for looting and burning makes me sick. Why are white people more concerned about looting and burning than the murder of innocent black people??? How do you manage to keep your head in the clouds while watching Golfcart Gail, Central Park Karen, Amy Cooper and countless other white women call the police on black men FOR NO REASON other than knowing they will be found guilty because your white skin automatically means you speak the truth. Because you have the possibility of wielding your white privilege without challenge or question. Because you enjoy seeing fear in the eyes of black people who know that any call to the police can end in their death. Because your white skin means there’s only one side to the story – yours! Aren’t you the little girl in the picture smiling while watching a black man being tarred, feathered, castrated and hung from a tree?

Police killing black people is a public health crisis. Black people must constantly be prepared for the death of a loved one. Every time my husband leaves home I fear that he won’t return. We’ve set up a standard communication procedure – we call one another every 5 hours when we are apart, just to check that we are alive and safe. Wherever your head is right now, you must acknowledge the fact that systematic racism is an institutionalized part of our history and daily lives. And you must except the fact that America will fall if the violence against and oppression of people of color continues.

The world’s eyes are now on America. No longer can the “land of the free and the home of the brave” hide behind the “mask that grins and lies”. Your wicked underbelly has been exposed. It’s time for the silent white population to stand up and stop the genocide, the lying and the blatant acceptance of atrocities against Black people in America. We built this country that provides you freedom, security and abundance. Yet you deny us even basic rights to clean water, housing and health services. 

I am happy that the murder of George Floyd has demanded international attention and response. Perhaps we are on our way for much needed changes in the politic and legislation of America. Perhaps we are on the way to developing a structured economy that is not dependent on a division creating abject poverty and obscenely disproportionate wealth. Perhaps we are on our way to a society that does not judge people by the color of their skin.