Yesterday we celebrated the common 111th birthday of Manu, Karsten and Olaf. Party with Liveband (House band of the Cafe Unplugged in Gryphiusstrasse). In a garden colony in Treptow. Really in the East. Authentic, no ostalgia.

I have always thought that snow is white. There is nothing as ugly as old snow.

Listening to ”Geht auseinander”, by Wir sind Helden (Play Count: 14)

In the very last minute she enters the ICE to Berlin which is nearly full. She is around 40, blond, probably artificially, dressed expensively but not necessarily with taste. She sets down all hand luggage on the table in front of me, a substitute handbag one of this perfume bags with a string as handle, fully packed. Instantly the bag tilts and the content nearly tumbles into my lap: cigarettes, Kleenex, keys, lipstick. A am just able to save it, she does not even say thank you.

Heavily she lets herself fall into the seat, sighing and puts up her dinner. Chinese, does not really smell well, but she is eating with chopsticks. This would have been enough for me, but she is opening the next cardboard case. This time it is Sushi. Of course she uses her mobile after eating. She were on her way to Berlin, if he could pick her up at the station. Obviously a refusal, after finishing the call she mumbles that her son preferred lying in bed over picking her up.

Then she is sitting there, sighing from time to time as if she had to bear all evil of the world. She tries to make eye contact across the table, I avoid catching it and concentrate on my computer. I do not want to hear about her unhappiness, but I can well imagine it: that she was used to drive to Berlin with her husband, in his company-BMW, that he was in marketing. Unfortunately he has left her for an assistant and now she had to take second class, if it were the first at least. Sighing. She had so much work with bringing up her children, and now they are so ungrateful.

Sighing heavily for the last time she leaves the train at Berlin-Zoo station. I would have wondered had it been the Ostbahnhof (Eastern stations).

Ostkreuz (Eastern Crossing), the rapid transit station next to our flat is the most frequented station for changing rapid transit trains in Berlin. Circular and inner city lines meet, totaling some 10 lines. Since reunification and probably longer nothing has been done to this station. It consists of platforms on two levels, two upper and two lower ones, all only reachable using stairs. There are no escalators or elevators, and mildly said, the station is sort of run down.

I use this station twice a week. Usually I have luggage as I commute from there to work in Hamburg or often use this station to reach Schönefeld airport for a trip. On Mondays this means carrying luggage up and down the stairs and frequently I see owners of little shops on the platforms carrying up and down their supplies. Returning on Fridays I use an online ticket of German Railways which includes a ticket of bvg, then usually I skip Ostkreuz and use bus line 240 from Ostbahnhof, even if it takes longer and connections are not that frequent.

And if a trip from Schönefeld airport is the case, with lots of luggage of course: do not enter S9 going to Ostkreuz directly. Going this way would mean stairs down, up, down. Always change in Treptow between circular line and S9, then you only have to manage one set of stairs down.

Considering for a long time, German Railways now have decided to renovate, extend or rebuild the station. This will take years, they plan completion for 2012 or there about. But construction has started and progress may be followed (hoping for the duration) on Ostkreuzblog (German, but with lots of images). This blog since today is in the sidebar’s reading list, so to follow, just click on it!

Listening to ”This Boy”, by Franz Ferdinand (Play Count: 2)

In Berlin we have a big renaming of train and underground stations. I as an Apple user am quite happy about the renaming of the underground station, as described here. Probably not to be taken too seriously. (In German, but the pictures speak for themselves)

… on Saturday. In the middle of March!

Well, in Toronto, Canada, they are already having 10 degrees and my nieces feel like spring is coming… The sun already is on our terrace from 10 am, but the snow is not very inviting to sit outside. Therefore the joy through booking our holiday in Andalucia in May just came right. It is good to think of warm times. I hope Michael from London will manage to visit us there, we will have an apartment, are able to cook, everything which we enjoy.

Axel is winning against me again in our computer game, and therefore I had to make a round of telephone calls. Especially after visiting my mother anything that makes me cheerful is important. This is also helped by our two hooligans when they play “cats’ clew” again and again. Well, this very often ends in redecoration of our flat, but I have nothing else to do anyway… I wish all workers a stressless week…

Everybody would like to have spring. Even monuments freeze!!

We want to have spring. Seen on Traveplatz.

Considering that both 2-year-old tomcats only know each other since two weeks they seem to be getting along well with each other, don’t they?