and though she will mess up your life, you want her just the same

[dragonladyflame]

Well! I'm back in Chicago. I'm glad to be home, jetlag and all. I feel a little weak, but I think that's just because of recent digestive problems, which will no doubt solve themselves now that I'm back in a vegetarian co-op. I irrationally miss some nectarines that I purchased in Germany and meant to eat on the plane, which were sniffed out by

Comments

Speed comment!

[agnoster]

Döner > Currywurst

Tacheles = teh awesome. Glad you got to see it before it closes.

German news has plenty of coverage of the world. Educated Americans who come to Germany are not representative of educated Americans as a whole.

"Badeschiff" = bathing ship. Of course there's a word for that :-)

Berlin may be poor, but apart from immigrants with no legal status, the state takes care of basic necessities. So ideally, even the poor shouldn't be desperate. Socialism FTW?

Berliners have a reputation for being gruff, even within Germany. I happen to like that you don't get the "Scheißfreundlichkeit" ("shit-friendliness" - faked saccharine smiles that don't extend past the mouth) I've come to expect in every other interaction in the USA. With a Berliner, you know exactly where you stand.

In summary: "I'm Yitz. Everything is better in Berlin. Mnye-mnye-mnye."

[dragonladyflame]

The Tacheles is closing?! Why?

Marek knows a lot of educated Americans. He's lived in America for years at a time. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying that he has more basis for his opinion than you're implying.

How go the plans to return to Berlin?

[agnoster]

"The lease with the property owner ends in 2008 and the future of the art house is uncertain." -- Wikipedia :-(

Fair enough. I think I know plenty of educated people of both nationalities, and there doesn't seem to be a huge difference in terms of awareness about the world. Guess there might be a way to test that empirically... I think the big difference is between the average German and the average American.

The plans go mostly well... except that the dollar continues to depreciate and San Francisco remains an amazing plae to live with wonderful people...

[dragonladyflame]

P.S. Re: "Badeschiff", I was also amazed to discover that there is actually a verb for "pour water on the hot spa rocks".

[foxfour]

the "fireplace?" is a miḥrāb, the niche that points towards mecca.

döner kebab are great; i was just pining for a place in brussels that made very good ones.

dammit. i wish i could teleport.

[dragonladyflame]

A miḥrāb! I should have known. Thank you.

[dvitol]

Mmmm Doner Kebab! How I miss them!

[wyrm_chris]

Kebap is very popular in Austria as well.

A few blunt comments

[anonymous]

It's not called a "Döner Kebab". It's only called a "Döner". Then everyone knows what you mean. And why have I never heard about the Badeschiff. And the Wagenplatz. Lving in Berlin and all. I had the same impression about American newspapers that they cover Africa and other parts of the world better than German ones. German news center in the US, Europe and Israel/the Middle East. Africa is totally left out as is South America and, mostly, Asia. Except China, of course. And India lately. But don't make me think about the news today. They were terrible.

Greetz to America, Marlen

[dragonladyflame]

You HAVE to go to the Badeschiff! It was fantastic.