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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1985-04-17, Page 21*v r 1 t. leisure features and entertainment Meeting. Micky at Tiffa by Marion 1. Duke • Before leaving the caserne (har- t ak;Its, we stop at the CFXE facilities to change some Canadian dollars to Ger- man marks. We have been issued cour- tesy cards entitling us, to use the facili- ties for the duration of our stay and we've been told we'll find items much less expensive at the caserne than in German stores. By now it is late Friday afternoon and the store is‘growded. It is like a large department store with everything from a cosmetic and drug counter to jewelry, clothing (including army wear), shoes — just about everything imaginable. There are no groceries and I'm told there's a good supermarket that also sells wine and liquor just a short dis- tance away. We have„ neither the time nor the in- clination to even sight -shop. The Ger- man mark on this day is around41 cents to the Canadian dollar and we are busy trying to figure out how much we're go- ing to need. • I have been told previously banks, etc., would ask for a passport, even to cash traveller's cheques and I have mitie ready. Within about 20 minutes we're all back on the bus heading for Hotel zum Lowen. By the time we get there we have about an hour -and a half until din- ner. Before getting off the bus we're in- formed the shops close at noon on Sa- turday, that Saturday night we are go- ing to a restaurant recommended by Frank Kohler, editor of Der Kanadier, the newspaper of the Canadian Forces in Europe, and on Sunday the bus will be at our disposal. It is proposed Cpl. Leo Landry, our driver;„ take us on a tour of the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) area. 'The bus will leave the hotel at 11:30a.m. • Dinner is a pleasant affair. The cen- IM. AVOtttiiin ,a seVertweek -Old baby,' dwartrAnOrtrir, too of our es- cort officer, Capt. Philip Anido and his wife, Dianne. He sleeps peacefully on the carpeted bench at one end.of the table until it is feeding time. Mrs. Anido then borrows a key to one of our rooms and takes the baby upstairs for his supply of mother's milk. When she and the captain return about half an hour or so later, Edward •2s hack to sleep. Lt. -Col. Leonard Dent, senior infor- mation officer with the Canadian For- ces in Europe, and his wife have also joined us for dinner. Whenhe arrives he tells us he has received a telephone call about the incident at the gate with the guard and the Military Police. Lt. -Col. Dent doesn't appear unduly worried. However, one gets the impres- sion it would be just as well if such occurrences weren't repeated. Good Food Next to baby Edward the attention fo- cuses on the food. Individual meals are brought to the table in the pan in which they have been cooked and served in front of one. There is less food on the plate than might be expected back in Canada, but we are. soon to learn second helpings are of- fered at no extra cost. The meal lasts almost two and a half hours and we're also to learn this is the norm in Germany. I am to discover this has an adverse effect upon my appetite. The longer between courses, the less I eat. However, this doesn't appear the case with the men. They tuck into the various dishes as though they've re- ceived warning of a great hungerabout to descend upon us. One can't blame them. The food is as delicious as it is beautifully served. The menu here has English translations and features a selection of fish, beef, pork and wild game dishes. It is a meal for learning as well as en- joying. We get to know one another a bit bet- ter. At least we are starting to sort out the three Richards: Richard James of Bowmanville, Ont.,. the youngest one of our group; Rick Derkson of Steinback, Man., the only one of us with a working knowledge of the German language; and Richard Collicutt, news director of Annapolis. Valley Radio, the only non - print )01,irVlist 0•49upls,. Because Pf the/ tins ilia-Went1 now - knoW Peter Schierbeck of Fairview, Alta., and Allan Willis of Stettler, Alta. 1 got to know Lorne Eedy of St. Marys, Ont., when we travelled to Trenton to- gether. • •The ones I'm still having trouble i- dentifying are Evert van Duuren, edi- tor of Forester Press Limited of Hunts - Crossroads Wednesday, April 1 7, 1 985 • Serving over 20,000 homes in Ontario's heartland. This is the third in a series of articles by Marion I. Duke, editor of The List- owel Banner, who recently participated in a Canadian Community Newspapers Association Study tour of Canadian Forces in Europe, NATO's Military headquarters, and the Canadian em- bassy in Bonn. ville, Ont., and Tim Crump, editor of Jamac Publishing Ltd., of Kindersley, Sask. ' However, there are only nine of us and by the time this night is over we have the names just about straight. When we've finally finished eating, we discover we not only have to ask for our bill, but we must tell our waitress what we had to eat, and pay for it on the spot. This also is the norm on this trip. At no time is it acceptable to put our din- ner on our room bill and always we go through the business of repeating our order. However, the waitresses with their leather change purses are obviously ex: perienced in dealing with people with a limited knowledge of their currency and customs. There are other compensating fac- toil. We learn tipping isn't necessary. Approximately 15 per cent is added to the bill to take care of gratuities. We also discover a complete dinner, in- cluding wine and an after-dinner li- queur, rarely exceeds 30 marks, or something less than $15 Canadian. Usually my dinners are in the 15 -mark range. To Tiffany • The meal ends and we say good -even- ing to Lt. -Col. and Mrs. Dent and Capt. and Mrs. Anido. We won't be seeing Lt. - Col. Dent until the final day of our tour. He is leaving the next morning to take in the NATO exercises in Norway. It is around 10:30 p.m. — the time we've been advised we can retire for the evening and begin to get our inter- nal clocks in working order. I think we're all beyond the being tired stage. That hit tis back in the briefing room about seven hours ago. We're ready to roll and the guys from the west have determined it is to be Tif- Lfarwuthe derman cabaretthat .hiskto_ the'resignation of Canada's defence Mi- nister, Robert Coates, about a month previously. We call for two taxis and head out. We have neidea, in what direction we're going. We only know we're scrunched in the cab and we seem to be heading out to the middle of nowhere. • \\, ••• „.. The city of Lahr in southern Germany is located between the Black Forest and the Rhine Valley. The district was first settled by the Romans almost 2poo years ago. Lahr was first documented as a village in 1267 and as a town in 1299. Above is a residential area of Lahr with the hills of the Black Forest in the background. • Actually, the joint isn't that far from the Forces- base. We recognize it im- mediately, not only from its name dis- played on a small sign raised above the roofline, but from the pictures that have appeared in our own daily press and Maclean's magazine. It is anything but impressive from the outside, a long, one -storey stucco build- ing painted a buff color, trimmed with dark brown. Inside it takes a few minutes to be- come accustomed to the dim lighting. We occupy about three small tables aIong, tbe left .side_of the ,upper„portion of the rociin. I3ehind us; toll* right -of the entrance, is located the bar. To our' right, at. a lowered level is a small tri- angular stage, slightly raisedirom the floor portion fronting it. At the bar end of the lower floor are located a few chesterfields. They are unoccupied. In fact, besides our group, I count 10 people in the place. It turns. out four of them are skiing instructors who have flown over on the same flight we have. They tell me they have been brought to Europe to teach soldiers to become Level 2 skiing instructors. They will be leaving the next morning for Kitzbuhel, Austria, • What are theydoing here at Tiffany? They've read about the place — and its strip -dancer, Micky O'Neil, and were curious. That's her, seated over at the bar, one fellow says. Sure enough, it is. This woman who has become something of a cause cele - bre back in Canada is easily recogniza- ble with her pink and brown hair. By now the somewhat fuzzy porno- graphic film show has blanked out. The American pop tune is cranked up and we get our first strip show of the night. It's a tasteful, but stiff performance by a black -haired young woman. The drinks here are very expensive. Rick Collicutt has kindly bought me a scotch and water. It was a mistake on my part. I should have stuck to the ex- cellent German beer. Not only has my scotch cost Rick a whopping 22 marks, but it has come with warm sada water and no ite. I'm not about to order a se- cond. The porno flicks are back on and I ask the skiiers how long they've been in the place. About a half an hour before we came, onesays.,Anokherleks me_IVIIcky was doing her act when they affived. By now I notice Rick Collicutt has struck up a conversation with one.orthe girls at the bar and Peter Schierbeck has gone over to talk to Micky O'Neil. I ask the skier what he thought of • Micky's act. "She's quite good," he replies, "very tasteful." •Better than the act we've just seen? "Oh yeah," he replies. By now the skiers are starting to look at us. Who are we and why are we ask- ing all these questions? When they find out we are journalists on a study tour of Canadian Forces in Europe and NATO, they look decidedly jittery. "Hey, we're not going to be written up in some paper, are we?" one of them asks. "We don't want to get in any trou- ble." "God nog" says another. "We just came here for a drink before going to bed. We've got to get up early." Minutes later it's a "nice meeting you guys" and the four skiers head for the door. "Have fun skiing," I say. "Oh, we will," one of them replies me,g4,02.M40 004**00WW,P,*ASVA0g4",'4.%A^:',,,AW,04AiSroNr„„.„,,,,„..,,, "' 4%40 :4i:Wit4p,i(SrAfi**V.WO., Via3X,4:030. 44,40 This display, protesting women being used as sex objects, drew considerable attention and comment on a Saturday morning in the marketplace in Lahr. The women in charge of the display talked to those showing an interbst and handed information sheets to passers-by_ and then pauses. "But it will be work too, you know." He's right. It will be work, for both in- structors and those aiming for their Level 2. Skiers as a breed are demand- ing of themselves and others when it comes to their sport. No doubt these four have been hand-picked to do a thorough job. Mi• cky O'Neil By now Peter Schierbeck has per- suaded Micky O'Neil to join us at our table, assuring her, "We're not that kind of press-- we're with fektily news- - ilaref;n attractive :tivewoman and much smaller than one might think from the picture published of her in Maclean's. She is also approachable and comes across as being sincere. There's. nothing coy, or for that mat- ter common, in her attitude. She an- swers our many questionslipenly, and in my opinion, honestly. But I don't care gmruocunhdfo.r her boss hovering in the back- . I have read that Lothar Schaudt is six feet tall and 25 years old. He is aIl of six feet, heavy set, and could be taken -for 35 in this light. He is watchful and sul- len. They've no doubt had more journa- lists around in the last month than they'd care to see in a lifetime. Any- way, they've settled on a price for Micky's autograph. It's 10 marks. It surprises me when at first she re- fuses to takemy 10 -mark bill, after ac- cepting payment from a number Of the men. "No, no," she says, "you make me feel ashamed. No, no, I do it for you." I insist upon payment, telling her it's... her working hours and we're taking her time. She looks uncomfortable but finally accepts the money. She pauses over the autograph, writing my name and adding a personal note. A short time later though, when Mr. Schierbeck asks her permission to have theirsepi.cture taken. with her "to show my wife",. Micky appears somewhat flus- tered. At first she refuses, and then perhaps sensing Mr. Schierbeck isindeed serious about the purpose -of-the pic- ture, says she will have to get permis- sion from her boss. He agrees it will be all right — for a price. This time it's 50 marks. "What the hell, 20 bucks, it's worth it," says Mr. Schierbeck, tossing down the cash, and Rick Derkson takes the picture, then pays the same fee and has his own picture taken with Micky. It is done in good humor and she then tells us why she is leery about pictures. (Continued on Page 9) Little 4t4ward Anido, shown here 4th his parents, Capt. Philip nido and his wife Di- anne, was the centre of at- tention whenever he was present at an outing with the Canadian Community News- papers Association group. Capt. Anido was the group's escort officer during the tour.