My Life

Potsdam – Yep, I get around

I realized that I really have gotten around in the last month or so – and it’s no wonder why I’m tired.

I was in the USA (salt lake city) for Thanksgiving. Got home and was here for a week before heading to Dresden for the weekend. Got back from there and 4 days later dad arrived. Since then, I’ve been to Spandau (suburb of Berlin); Downtown Berlin, Charlottenburg (suburb of Berlin), Szczecin (Poland), and Potsdam (yesterday). In between I had Christmas and a tour of Teltow/Stahnsdorf/Dreilinden (near where I work.) Humm.. I think I’m going to need a vacation from my vacation.

Anyhow, The photos (what few I took) from Potsdam are up. (I admit I didn’t take that many since I have a bunch already). They’re at:

the very bottom of the Potsdam Set.

Tomorrow, we’re back off to Berlin again – to ride a double decker bus and see the area around the Zoo and Alexanderplatz. We may even celebrate New Years if I can get them to stay out past midnight. (Granted Danai doesn’t celebrate anything since she’s Jehova Witness but I’m going to try anyhow…)

If not, I guess I’ll turn into a pumpkin this year – and hopefully spend it out and about the next one.

Otherwise, here’s wishing you and yours a very Happy (and Travel filled) New Year!

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Trip to Poland

After a long chat with dad (and his really really wanting to hit at least one other country while in Europe) we decided to go to Poland. The closest country to us is Poland – it’s only 2.5 hours by train, and the price was about 50 Euros round trip.

Unfortunately, the day we decided to go, the weather was terrible. We’re talking fog all day with inturspaced periods of falling misty rain. The train trip up and back wasn’t bad, nor was the humorous experience of trying to communicate. Let’s just say that I speak NO POLISH, and they speak none of the languages I do. I can understand some polish (thanks to the Russian) but that doesn’t help too much in the long run.

Oh – and for those wondering – Poland is a part of the EU, however, they use the Zloty and not the Euro. Now that we have that straight (after 2 hours there – it was only when we wanted to buy something that we discovered this little fiasco) we wandered back, changed money over, and then took more pictures. Lunch wound up being at the KFC (I’ll take that picture right there please) rather than trying to figure out a standard printed menu. (Some things are just easier to point and hold a finger up for “1”.) Anyhow, here’s

A few Pictures from Szczecin, Poland

and a brief history of the town – off their website:

Szczecin, Poland is a city with over a thousand years of tradition and a turbulent history. The city was for many centuries one of the most powerful ports and trade centres in the German world. The past of the City of Szczecin is both multinational and multicultural one. The history of Szczecin began at the turn of 7th and 8th centuries and over time was ruled by the Polish, Prussians, French, Danish and Germans. In April 1945, Szczecin was conquered by the Russian army and a Polish administration took over the town. The German population was then expelled. Their place was taken by settlers from all over Poland and Polish speakers from Lithuania and Ukraine, who arrived in Szczecin and the rest of Western Pomerania in large numbers.

That being said, I will have to go back when the weather is better. They have REAL potato chips there – and a mall – and their Zloty is 3.55 to 1 Euro so everything is significantly cheaper. The only problem is… do they have clothes that would fit a gal with curves? Things that make you go humm….

~Rose

P.S. Your Lost in translation photo of the day (From yesterday’s trip to Potsdam with dad)

Der Butt fischrestaurant

Yes, folks this really is the “butt fish restaurant”. No, I’m not sure I want to eat there – no matter how pretty the sign is.
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Christmas Wishes – World Peace

Happy Christmas to everyone. It’s been a crazy few days here with the family. You know how it is.

Dad and Danai are getting more used to stuff, but they are still having some culture shock. Dad had full camera batteries yesterday and did nothing but take pictures of doors (fancy ones) on buildings and food. LOL it was amusing, but kind of annoying too since I’d be like ok we’re in a hurry… we have to be somewhere at x time. We really can’t dawdle. Oh well. It all worked out.

Had Brunch with friends yesterday – Dim Sum. It was cool.

There was a moslem, a hindi, a Jew, an athiest, a catholic (me), two jehova witnesses (dad & danai) and lots of fun. Now, if we can have brunch and go for a movie, how come we can’t solve World Peace?? Ahh sometimes I just wonder why we can’t see past the superficial and truly into the human heart.

After the brunch and a movie (Golden compass – so good ) Dad, Danai and I went over to checkpoint charlie. He really had wanted to go (could remember when it went up/down) and found it pretty interesting. We also saw the museum (I didn’t want to go inside the last time I was there since it’s 9.50 euros – I kind of figured that I’d wind up inside doing tours with fam/friends when they’re in town). and went through the history of the wall and the escapes that were recorded. Impressive that for the soldiers there, more weren’t killed trying to cross.

So, yeah, that was my Christmas – no presents, no religion -just friends and family and a nice time. 100 times better, and 99 times less stressful.

Guess that’s what Christmas is all about.

Here’s wishing you all world peace, and the opportunity to get together with friends and family.

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