It was a good week for the McNeills. We are getting adjusted to our new temporary flat and the new Kiez. 

Doreen had a productive week dealing with the Finanzamt [Tax Office] and getting our new flat set up. She oversaw the couch, washer/dryer, and lighting installation. In between she found time to explore a few new train routs, get our address changed with the city and sign up for the new all female gym. Newly opened, this gym as something for everyone from machines to olympic style lifting and options for personal training and spa treatments. It’s an extension of the John Reed gym Chad goes to but unlike Chad’s John Reed this location was built with only the female audience in mind and even has one of the only fitness childcare centers in the city - Logan loves the Kids Club!

One of the bigger developments in culture adaptation is Chad’s language skills. On three separate occasions he has managed to order all of the weeks groceries from the meat and cheese counter in complete German. His accent could use a little work but he’s understood. Doreen thought it would be funny if Chad carried this bag to the store and only spoke German while in the store.

On Friday Chad was working a little late so we decided to head out for dinner. We decided to walk down to the Pug Pub that Chad visited while he was on his interview in Berlin. This place is great! It’s pug themed and the evidence is everywhere. Each table also comes equipped with a classic Berliner pour station so you get to learn how to pour a proper half liter. We sat at a group table and were joined by two Swiss bankers from Zurich, Kevin & Phillip. At first they were very interested in the game Logan brought but soon after we struck up a conversation. They were in town for the evening because “…Berlin is cheaper and more fun to go out in than Zurich.” Their plan was to have a few beers, head to the first club around 11 and then maybe hit the second before their early morning flight back to Switzerland. Even though we were at different points in our lives we had some really good conversations about them visiting the US, having children and the best places to ski in Europe. Chad mostly cared about their skiing recommendations and is already planning a trip - he’s on a mission to get Logan to ski the Alps as soon as possible. Doreen might be convinced if there is a good cup of Swiss hot chocolate in the plan.

We still needed some items for the place ahead of moving in so we went in search of them in one of the more famous shopping districts in Europe. This area, in the western side of the city, is steeped in history but has less older buildings as it was relentlessly bombed during WWII; however the beauty in the old classic architecture blending with the new can be seen all over. One such place is the Hackescher Market [still on the old eastern side] where every Saturday they host a farmers market with all sorts of food and crafts in the shadow of a major train artery heading into Alexander Platz. Not all train stations in Berlin are beautiful, but like the graffiti, when they are taken care of they are really outstanding pieces of art. As we rode west we could really see how the city has changed over the years. You see buildings that have ben restored to their old glory to buildings from the 50s, 60, 70s and eventually to some of the most modern structures you can imagine.

The weather has taken a turn towards the cold with -11 Celsius [13 Fahrenheit] temperatures so we elected to tour the church on a warmer day. Luckily we were right next to a brand new center and decided to head in for lunch. This structure is indicative of new Berlin - it’s modern, sleek and understated with a mix of wooden, metal and tile finishes. This center specializes in boutique stores and a foodcourt that overlooks the Berlin Zoo. We headed to the cafeteria and made our selections - some good and some not as good.

Never trust a guy who’s 12k miles away from Mexico when we tries to convince you the Burrito Bowl is a good choice - it’s not!

After lunch Logan got to see the Baboons play in the zoo before we headed to the Lego store and then to our destination KaDeWe. KaDeWe is the second largest department store in Europe, only second to Harrods of London. It’s not really comparable to an America brand. The store has everything from a famous beauty salon to a world class cafe on the top floor. The shopping ranges from the uber elite brands to your everyday clothes. They sell housewares as well as furniture, dishes and cookware. If you want everything in one place this is where you can find it. We explored, made some notes and decided to get items ordered for delivery. After last week’s haul on the train we elected to have cookware  delivered. Logan managed to escape with a Lego set - he always does.

As always we try to do something a little historical/cultural/general getting to know our area ish each week. This week we went to the DDR Museum. The DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik) or German Democratic Republic, Is effectively East Germany and this museum is dedicated to the study of the history and life in East Germany during the time the wall was constructed. 

For those that don’t know, Doreen was born in East Germany and spent the first 8 years of her life living in the DDR. When she was 8 her and her parents defected before the fall of the wall. The separation and scars resulting from the necessary defection still run deep in the broader Schlesier family. The DDR museum is built on the hope is that this museum can help a population who lived through such a miserable experience learn, not make the same mistakes, and move on.

As an outsider who can never really understand the life, let alone the effects, I was struck by a few things. Even though living in the DDR wasn’t a good experience we all have our childhood nonetheless. I found Doreen pointing out various lunchboxes, clothes and toys that she had in exact replica as a child. She was also texting her Mom and Dad while we were there and sending them pictures of everything from the food packaging they had on display to the same brand of cigarettes Mike used to smoke. At one point in the make shift school room we found a cubby for “Doreen.” Was it her actual cubby, who knows, but it was surreal regardless.

The other piece that struck me even more deeply was how engaged Logan was and how his only concern was playing with all the items (they encourag you to touch). Logan was fascinated by the kids toys even though he sees an iPad and TV daily. He found mystery and awe in the slot machine register and corroded rotary phone. When we explored the replica apartments he treated it like another playroom to explore as if he was visiting a new friends house. 

In America we often are too eager to jump to the good and bad, black and while, evil and righteous framing of things. Lost in all of that is the fact that the Wall went up literally over night. One description on the museum wall talked about how people couldn’t get to work the next day. These people weren’t evil or wrong, they were just pawns caught in global struggle. They suffered because of the cold war power struggle and in many instances turned on each other, their own friends and family. 

It’s easy to see things in black and white, good and bad. Logan doesn’t. He just sees the best in everything. If there was only a prescription for those lenses.

For those history buffs or anyone that generally cares. We took pictures of the major description cards that tell the general story of the rise and fall of the Wall. If you read the cards you’ll get a better understanding of the history as it unfolded (use a browser where you can zoom in).

Until next week! The McNeill's.