From now own there will be no new entries in this blog temporarily due to my being hospitalised for at least 3 days.

Hopefully I will write again in a couple of days. Take care until then!

It is in operation from today, the new Berlin Main Station. As Michael, our friend from London, is currently visiting us and wanted to see it, I went there with him yesterday with masses of other people.

It is impressive with its many glass walls and roofs. In the entrance hall you sometimes do not know if you are inside or outside, so light a construction was used. However, we had the impression as if the building as a whole cannot decide if it wants to be a railway station or a shopping centre.

To change trains there you should take your time as the escalators seem to be constructed in such a way as to lead you to the shops, at least that is the impression. They only lead from level to level and then you have to look for the right one again. I still am thinking whether to switch trains there or at the new Südkreuz (Southern Cross) which also would be possible.

These two seem to like each other, at least they are not enemies.

This certainly was not the week of German Rail (Deutsche Bahn). On Monday the Intercity Express was full like a local train during the rush our. Today they really managed to accumulate a delay of 68 minutes on a normal duration of 90. Reason was a detour via a one-track route…

I am not really angry about the delay, this may happen as in over 95% of the cases the train is on time (max. 5 minutes delay). But the train manager always announces in these cases to start with the distribution of vouchers because of the delay. However, they do not manage to reach most of the passengers. The announcement then says that one should contact the service point in the station to get the voucher. What do they think? That I really queue up for half an hour maybe after more than an hour delay? Or is it just a method to avoid paying?

Grafik: www.nogoarea.de

The former German government spokes Heye has started a heavy discussion with his remark that non-whites (or should I say non-Caucasians) should better not visit certain areas of Brandenburg (the German state around Berlin) as they might end up dead. Mabe these remarks make things worse then they are, but the discussion is rellevant and necessary, right-wing violence (and other of course) should not be tolerated.

On the web site No Go Area (unfortunately in German only) you can see a map of Germany with the areas being darker red the more right-wing violence has occurred there in the past, making the darkest ones really no-go areas. In addition the site offers some advice if you really want to go there: not to wear anti-nazi buttons, trying to look as much as an ordinary citizen as possible, like no coloured hair, no extravagant clothing and so so on.

As Berlin is missing on that map, following is a map of Berlin with right-wing and racist violence and attacks. Unfortunately the majority of events have happened in East Berlin (Information via Hauptstadtblog):

Graphics: meinberlin.de

It happens from time to time: the train to Hamburg is running in one part instead of twwo, that is with half its capacity. This time another train hit a group of boars and the second half of our train was needed as a substitute. Well: enjoy life in overcrowded trains!

After having been able to spend some time with Hanna in Berlin (albeit because of unpleasant reasons) I will start off to work in Hamburg tomorrow. As I have no worked for some time it is not too bad that I will have a short week: I will return to Berlin on Wednesday evening because of a public holiday in Germany on Thursday (Ascension Day). It is only a short visit as I have to go to hospital on 29 May for 3 days to undergo some (probably not really comfortable) examinations for a detailed diagnosis..Furthermore I am quite sure to have to interrupt work again some time later as I assume a surgery.

Well, Axel does not always take detailed photos from our terrace. Therefore I tried to take pictures of the current status of the flower for all those interested. Uwe and Frank a brought a basket with flowers they had planted themselves which, upon Axel’s suggestion, I put up in place of the pot with some flowers that are past blooming…and if the photos are good enough (???? ) one may see 2 buds on the roses, my blcase with the lupinas and the forming of flowers on the hortensi. I bought them at Aldi for 1 €last year and it has developed marvellously. Most others also come up great and the oleander gets lots of thick buds. There is no room for the maple tree which I would like to have. I can hardly wait for the first blooms to show and it is always surprising that it already looks that peerfect in May.

Nothing absolutely urgent, no emergency, but further examinations in hospital necessary.