A Parcel!!

 

"Raisin Bombers was the colloquial name given by Berliners to the Western Allied  transport aircraft which brought in supplies by airlift to West Berlin during the Soviet Berlin Blockade in 1948/1949. In American English they were called Candy Bombers." Source here.

Later West Germans, me included, sent care parcels to East Germany.

And these days us "Wessies" are interested in the past.

You see, it all went way too fast with the Re-Union.

But I made so many friends for real, I had "fake Grand-Parents" I never was able to meet long before "the wall" came down...

In many ways it still is a "mystery", maybe because I grew up so near!

So near I had East-TV!!! (One program)

 

Near and yet an entirely different world with very different rules and all!!!

 

They had... this!:

 

 

"They" had this for real!

 

K was all ohhh and ahhh when she saw Ingo´s parcel and in our kitchen, walking by this...

 

 

This is an East-product!!! Bet they had not "vegan" on this back then but what the heck - what does this mean????

It means WE ARE ONE for real!

Can you relate?

I am not allowed to visit the place my maternal family came from, they had to flee 1944 - it is now Russian territory (former Königsberg).

Oh. I wish no one bad but one man... "man"...

💙💛

To a world in peace and freedom. Let us have East-German Puffreis (really yummy!!!) and everything from around the world!!!

 

 

 Will ask K about the people showed here...

Henry 🦁

 

 

 .... and fences.

This Lion was saved by this woman. It´s a real situation.

And Ingo ordered this parcel. He lost contact to his "East-family", this is commercial (with a heart).

Love is all we need - happy, yummy Sunday (see coming Thursday for what Ingo made!!! I helped!)

Attracking Attention

 

 

Isn´t it always funny how people follow you?

We were in the city yesterday - pics are to follow, we were high up in the air!

 

But on the way I saw this wreath by the piece of the Berlin wall, asked Ingo if he wants to be in the pic and after I took two pics we walked away and I saw...

 

Others had a look on this, also, just cause Ingo posed and I took pics?

Before there was no one paying attention.

 

 

To those who lost their lives on the way to freedom.

To West Germany, to "us".

Believe me, I know both sides of the "story", having had three teamleaders from East-Germany, one I´m still in contact with every day.

Another sang the Russian alphabet to me, I know about moving, parties, cars and all that. Frustration and happiness.

Ingo had relatives there, more stories.

It was another "Germany", but reckon most were happy in their own way, too.

Apart from those who tried to flee, the ones we think of in pain. In sorrow.

The ones - think of Six-Thirty - made the way for others.

More to come - on just fun - views from above. I braved up!

Henry 🦁

Back to the title - does this happen to  you, too?

You take a pic and suddenly people get interested in what you take a pic of.

Back in the day when you had "film-cameras" I would understand, but here it happens even today!

People, huh - I think I´m the same 😉 - I take a second look on what´s so interesting someone captures.

 

Addendum to last post/Ingo´s comment: I had half a pizza at Guido´s yesterday, the other half sits in the fridge!!! 

Addendum: Called my Niece - 12th Birthday - she wants no pressie she´s happy and said greetings to Ingo.

She´s an adult. (Yet she calls it "children´s Birthday").

Not To Be Forgotten & Six-Thirty

 

 

I  sure do not want to ruin a happy Sunday, but I was ... sad to learn that this war now is another normal to most of you.

Like so many.

Here it is in the "news", in docus every day.

Maybe cause I know one (!) Ukrainian personally this goes to my heart, or maybe cause they are so near.

See...

 

This is a piece of the Berlin wall, from "our" side, the West...

I grew up in the crazyness. It was my normal.

Mostly. Until I "met" a couple in GDR via a helium-balloon with my address attached to it, as many schools did - we are one people after all, we learned as kids, too, and I grew up pretty close to the "frontier" to East Germany.

All pics from yesterday, this is "Platz der Deutschen Einheit".

Why is there war?

Look, this we see in our news.. "news"...

"The Russians" have no influence on what is happening. But look:

The dentist said... "we might or will survive, but mentally we will be broken".

You worked hard your whole life and then this:

And here I sit. At my private PC, two monitors, just made some yummy food.

Seven steps to my back four monitors to work with.

Drinking water? Just go to the kitchen and open the tap!

Germany just helps bit by bit cause that new Chancellor is a whimp.

Makes one sick. Promises  given, not brought.

I have no words other than I admire how strong the Ukrainian people fight and fight the madness.

We need to clean up, get rid of Put#n - and I DO swear .. 100%! this comes chronologically.

What will be left when "the Russians" leave?

They WILL leave, I am positive there is no "back to the USSR"!

We need to be free.

How did you see all this coming? I really would like to know,

Big Russia eating up just another country?

If some Russian person reads along... I do know it´s but Put#n!!

Russian people are nice guys, Ingo works with "them", I met "some", too.

I am "German" - every country has a dark side in history.

And here goes (shortcuts to the essential): 

 

This about 1960+ being 2020+  

Six-Thirty X  

Six-Thirty IX  

Six-Thirty VIII  

Six-Thirty VII  

Six-Thirty VI 

 Six-Thirty V 

 Six-Thirty IV 

 Six-Thirty III  

Six-Thirty II  

Six-Thirty I 

 

Book here.

 

Henry 🦁

 

Let the stupid end, please.

 

No fences - they are just the beginning (#BerlinWall) 

 

Addendum: "Funny" how the top of the Berlin wall blends in with the building behind it.

It gets kinda "scary"...

 

A Day With Darwin

The day started good.
It´s getting light earlier, that´s wonderful, but, wait, what is that?!

The neighbours get two wooden chairs out into the garden. A tad cold to sit outside early morning in around 6 - 8C.
They go back in, try something weird, get two more chairs and go on with their critical endeavor - are they Darwin Awards aspirants?

You tell me:

Sorry it´s so blurry, I couldn´t really get the cam in time, but yes!
I can´t even see if the man is at least trying to hold the ladder on the four chairs or just watching.

Too short, that contruction.
I assume they´d left the balcony door open and locked themselves out.
We do have a bigger ladder.
But. Not big enough. What if I borrow, they put it on the four chairs that stand in grass... and... fail? Like in "fall"...

Someone else either didn´t know exactly what these two were up to or just didn´t care, after a phone call they came with this, the woman climbed all the way onto the carrying handle even.
I could barely look and had the phone ready to call the ambulance, but... look:

She made it, all by herself, that construction was swinging....
Here you get a better idea:

My Mum used to jokingly say, "God is with the dumb ones - the dumbest, he helps".
She must´ve been right!

I would not have dared and I would not let someone else do this.
Even if standing on safe bitumen.

Lion of the day:

Wee... Maybe she works in a circus, who knows ;-)

See here those "who have supposedly contributed to human evolution by selecting themselves out of the gene pool via death or sterilization by their own actions. " (Wiki)

My Lucky Day

Yesterday morno I drove Ingo to the hosp, found a place to park right away when coming back, walked to work with only 15 minutes later (06:15 am).
A start to a lucky day.

Sunday night I´d made some fried rice from leftovers - from the Sunday before (!) and heated that up in the company´s microwave.
I didn´t burn myself and I didn´t get sick (the rice smelled still ok, so I reckoned (rightfully) it´s still ok).

From work I took off to the hosp. It´s just 5 km from there and, my.
I got a Forrest-Gump-scene for sure!
With my backpack up front safely under the brolly I got wet from rain jumping from the ground to my knees!

Whilst walking fast I was warm and it was so beautiful. Did I ever mention I love summer rain? Ok, just 21C, but that´s warm enough.

Ingo was feeling ok, today they investigate further - I SO hope they find something and can do something about it, too!

When I started off home the rain was back, but, aw, well, nice and not for long, either.
The water really looked strange from the rain...

Here, unlike in Perth, you really have to watch your step:

And... well. That was a good reminder!
I found a 10-Euro-note!
Awesome, no?!
I near to NEVER find money! A note, dry, despite the rain - no person around, so I took it.
You think this was my luck? Yes, partly.

I stood at the red light and a man said, "hey, your backpack is open", using the casual "du".
And it was. Not just a bit, no, the backpack that served us so well in Perth... WIDE open.
Inside, due to the rain: HUAWEI, kindle, purse (usually not in the main part but up front).

Lesson learned: Every (!) backback gets a lock now.
250%, 16km, not a bad day.

Uh, and: Ingo not at home: Truffle-alarm, YUM!
I miss him dearly, though. It´s also again strange to be home alone.

Cowboy Hats, Cars And Fancy Bikes

On the way to the city I spotted this cool bike and took a pic.
Whilst doing so, being absorbed by the coolness of that bike Ingo already went "bitching" about how stupid the owner is.

True.
I mean, seriously???
The tire he locked up. But the bike itself... not.

It´s also a German saying, but the Urban Dictionary gives the English version as well:

The bigger the car the smaller the penis.
A small penis car is a big car driven by a man trying to overcompensate for having a small penis .

Goes for cowboy hats and pistols also:



Oh, boy.
Such a cool bike.
Such a very dumb owner!!!

Life Is What Happens....

Saw this on Sat in Welfenhof-Passage.
Kinda fancy, no?

Weird, on looking it up I found out it belongs to former Mövenpick hotel (right behind) where we once had a fancy-funny X-mas-party from my company.
It now belongs to Austrian chain "Fourside Hotel", and mind you.

They offer a Hangover Brunch and start that site with the sentence: "Life is what happens between Coffee & Beer...".

Honestly... brrrr....

Ok, it was late arvo, maybe the hangover-guys were gone.
Preparing for another night out, maybe...

Crazy stuff.
Still fancy seats, no?
Remind me a bit of the bus stop stands in Perth where you can look through the hole to see if the bus is coming without having to have to expose your head in the sun :-)

No hangover involved ;-)

Fine Print

What can I say.
Never in my life have I been treated like this.

My boss presented me for working 15 years for him with a bottle of sparkling wine and a 150€-voucher for a visit at a restaurant of my choice.

That was in May and ever since - Ingo was sick inbetween rather often - I was looking forward to spend the money at OX.

We were too early and went to Schadt´s for a small beer and by chance I saw this card from El Gaucho - and took it!

The one Steakhouse we were over and done with.

J said, come back and tell, ok?

Ingo´s expression says a lot, no?

The "best" Steakhouse in town, right?

They really try to be "better" than others.

I wanted an Argentian 180g-steak, Ingo a rib-eye.
The waiter said El Gaucho is their biggest competitor.
Oh. Really?

Maybe that´s why they make the "efford" to have their own wine and...

70C-hot beef stock.
Which, sadly, didn´t taste good.

I asked if there was roasted bread aside (as in El Gaucho).

The 20-something waiter told me: No. Just the meat.
Strange, but ok, we ordered bread.

Guess what.
10 minutes later the waiter comes back and announces: The salad bar is open now for you, take as much as you like.

??? I said, well, we wouldn´t have ordered the bread then!

Waiter, nasally-arrogant from high, high above: It says so in fine print.

That was the moment I actually wanted to leave.

Very obviously we´re not good enough for their fine restaurant.
I call it "lying", but who cares.

We waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.

Got up, took our stuff, went to the bar and Ingo said, we wanna pay our beer.

I mean, seriously over 30 minutes???
We´ve been in some steakhouses, it took 15 minutes max. And we were the first "guests" to order, too.

We have a different method, that takes longer.

That´s fine, inform the guest!!! Before letting him wait endlessly.

In the end we didn´t have to pay at all and had this instead:

A told us she´d learned in such a "fine" restaurant and was advised, too, to not inform "innocent" guests about the fine print.
And that she´s happy to work at Schadt´s, too.

Hey, OX.
We´ll pay your biggest competitor another visit.
Never say never, right.

Such a huge disappointment.

Such arrogance.

I´ll happily give my bosses` money to someone else!

Call me naive, I´m happy to not visit restaurants that work with fine print for fine people.

Btw, we heard other guests order their meat "well done"!
HA! So much for "best in town" - having money does not mean you know how to order a best steak.