Hello German Newcomers to Beijing, if you just moved to the city, have some extra time or just want to meet more people, check out these two groups. German Christmas Charity Bazaar Group A nice group of women who meet throughout the year to organize the German Christmas Charity Bazaar. We support 7 different Charity Projects around Beijing. We always look for new people to join our group. We make arts and crafts, visit our Charity Projects which will show you a different side of Beijing, organize the Bazaar and just get together for coffee or lunch to share information. The group meets Wednesday mornings at the German Embassy in Beijing from 9.30 to 12.30. You will need your passport to...

Visiting Erlangen offers a lively art scene. The International Figure Theater Festival, the International Comic Salon, a poet festival which is Germany´s most beautiful outdoor literary happening and the Silent Movie Music Days all take place in the historical Huguenot town. The last weekend in August is the date for the annual Poet Festival. Writers, literary critics and readers get together for afternoons of readings and discussions. The location is the grounds of the Erlangen Castle and the homely Margravial Theater. www.poetenfest-erlangen.de

The restaurant and confectionery "Konditorei Carinthia" is a lovely place if you feel like good, hearty Austrian or German food. It has a very cosy and nice interior, the Austrian chef and waiter are really nice and they play German "Schlager" in the back. They offer typical Austrian respectively German meals like pork belly, Kassler, different kinds of (huge!) Schnitzels, Cordon Bleu and Käsespätzle, Tafelspitz (corned beef) and of course Sauerkraut. In the front they have a counter where they offer beautiful pastries like "Schwarzwälder-Kirsch-Torte" (black forest gateau). I must admit I preferred this restaurant to the more well-known German restaurant "Der Metz" in Kohimarama nearby. Konditorei Carinthia Austrian & European Cuisine 17 Roberta Avenue Glendowie Tel: 09 575 1167

My favorite place for Mexican food in Houston (and believe me, there are a number of excellent contenders for this distinction) is El Tiempo Cantina at 3130 Richmond Ave. I always have an excellent meal there, and even manage to stay on the (relatively) healthy side without sacrificing flavor. If you go be sure to try their “7 Quesos” with shrimp. El Tiempo is located at 3130 Richmond Ave.

My favorite market in Sydney is Glebe market. No matter if you look for fancy 2nd hand clothes, hippie jewelry, arts or crafts, you'll find it all here. While I lived in Glebe for a few months this was one of my favorite places to go to. You can almost spend the whole day here. The atmosphere is very relaxed. Some people sit in the grass watching artists like fire-breathers showing their tricks, others just enjoy the sun and look at the people or have some of this nice food you can get here. The market takes place every Saturday. How to get there: Bus 432 or 433 from the city

HIRAMATSU, 52, rue de Longchamp, 75116 Paris France E-MAIL: paris@hiramatsu.co.jp TEL: 01 56 81 08 80 FAX: 01 56 81 08 81 Lunch 12:30-13:30 Dinner 19:30-21:30 Closed on Saturdays and Sundays http://www.hiramatsu.co.jp/fr/

So there's the "website version" of what the Bier Markt is (http://www.thebiermarkt.com/home.html), and then there's the REAL version... ...Well I love the Bier Markt. This to me, is the place to go after work and beyond, when you want to step it up from an average bar (best nights are Thurs and Fri). Sure the website boasts its 500 versions of beer and how you can pair them with the perfect sophisticated meal, but this is what it's really about: -Beautiful big patio, and candle-lit decor inside -Lots of empty space that fills up fast, which means a high potential for mingling with interesting sorts ;-) -A big emphasis on beer, but also a choice of cocktails, wine...whatever you want -Amazing...