Einschulung

I want to live in this house. Look at that door..It has to be the door to some kind of wild and fun place. Berlin is one lively city!!

Yesterday was a fun day. First grade students in Germany take part in a ceremony called einschulung. It is a kind of welcome ceremony from kindergarden into first grade. Tom and I went and enjoyed the energy of the day. Proud parents and students filled the theater. The second graders sang to the first graders, the new teachers welcomed them and they all got a cone full of candy. (to sweeten their transition into the world of school) We then walked to his school for champagne.

Tom's school is in the neighborhood called Mitte. It is full of sights, and really I cannot begin to describe it. Just on his school's block are a few art galleries (way funky) a wine shop in a celler, an organic store, and a few photo galleries. There is also a Thai restaurant, Itallian, Indonesion, Kosher, Vietnamese..you get the idea. Tom doesn't take his lunch to school any more.

We strolled around his school's hood..and here are a few picturesfrom walk.

This scary picture is of an upcoming exhibition...I am not sure about this..

On the left are photographs on a brick fence..Greta would like this..

The students have lined up their rubber boots outside their classroom at Berlin Metropolitin School. Always have quick access to rubber boots here in Berlin!

Pass me the wine, bitte..

I'm drinking wine again. It has been awhile. but the wine is so darn good, so cheap, and so needed at the end of the day..that ..oh well.

Today we have been in Berlin 22 days. It seems longer than that when I think of everything we have done. These past weeks remind me of a kayak trip I took with my friend Sally.

It was a mistake really..I mean we had no business on that river with sea kayaks. And we were sorely bounced around all day. At the end of the day I would pull into camp and look at Sally and say; "at least I didn't die!' and then she would hand me a gin and tonic. Day after day. And we didn't die, or get hurt, or sick or or or or...


At the end of the day here I say to Tom: "at least I didn't "

• fall off my bike
  
• hit someone on my bike


• lose anything


• make anyone too mad


• say something really stupid in German


• get lost


• lock my self out of our house


• flood the house with washer controls in German


• make German mistake..like puttling hands on lap while eating, or hold flowers wrong


• hit the wrong button on computer..since they are all in Germam
  
• get on wrong train or bus or have the wrong ticket..

Actually I have made a lot of mistakes. Today I fell trying to take my bike down the stairs at the train station. It was messy. It is humbling being plopped into a new country. Then I almost got on the wrong train with my bike..I am glad I remembered to look for the bike sign on the train.

Everything Ionce took for granted seems to be missing. Like the "y" key on the keyboard of computers. Why is it in the bottom left now? It took me awhile to find the @ key too. Friends, oh my I miss my friends. And understanding

what people are saying..that is so wonderful. We smile a lot and nod.

So I navigate carefully here. I smile, say " guten morgan" a lot, and plow ahead. And when I get home I am grateful for another day in Berlin..hand me the wine.

Hello Berlin

We made it! One dog, six suitcases and a few carry on bags piled into the van which was waiting for us. It was so nice having someone from the school at the airport to meet us and take us to our new home. My first impression of Berlin was good..it is green, lively and not full of high rise buildings like most big cities. I also found out that and exhibit of Frieda Kahlo is here for another week..Yes!!

I hesitate to write about our new apartment, since it is embarassing to be duped..but duped we were by the former tenant. We paid triple what we should have paid for her furniture..and when she showed us around I kept asking where items were..like the mattress on the bed for example.
We got a bed, no mattress, duvet cover, no duvet, thread bare towels..I need to let go of this..but it does eat at me. Any lawyers out there with advice?

I will post pictures soon. We do not have internet yet..so am just doing this at internet cafe close to school.

So far we have, signed our lease, opened a bank account, signed up for German health insurance (this deserves another blog) and also got insurance for glass, dog, apt items, liability, and keys. We had to register with the police which took an afternoon..but was well worth it. Without police registration we cannot do much here..like get prepaid cell phone.

We still have to get work permits (which take marriage license, rental agreement, and police registration and passport and 60 eruo)which will happen next week. Then maybe we can get the ball rolling for internet and phone service..I hear it takes 2 to 3 months to get.

So, this is the nitty gritty of settling in. Other things we have learned is how to use the public transport..which is fantastic. We walk everywhere now. My bike is ready to go..and Sunday we hope to go to a flea market and get tom a bike. Our good bikes are being shipped..which is another story.

Food here is amazing..Tom and I just ate at a turkish little deli next to this Internet store. It was fantastic and cheap!!

So much more to say..so keep in touch..pictures soon..