Chickens At the Airport – What?!?

This week I had to go to the airport to meet up with a friend. They’ve redone their announcements since the attempted Christmas “underwear” bomber, and it made us both crack up laughing – apparently we have a new animal at the airport.

In a German airport, of course, you expect the original announcement to be in German. However, they also do the ‘courtesy’ of translating it to English so we can better understand what they’re saying. In this case, it’s been read by the same female individual, with a horrible accent and even worse grammar – to the point that it left me wondering about why they don’t hire a native English speaker to CORRECT and READ the announcement.

The announcement is effectively:

“Now securitee gedelines state that bags cannet be left alone. Please do not accept propertee of the other people. Parking is not allowed in front of the chicken areas….”

Um… CHICKEN AREAS? Really? Where exactly are these Chicken Areas? I think maybe they mean CHECK IN areas but…

Even better is the fact that bags cannot be left alone. I think they want to say that bags should not be left unattended, – but then again, maybe the bags get lonely….

Also, I shouldn’t accept items from unknown persons- now really, how do I not accept items from unknown persons – especially since they’re the ones generally SELLING items in the stores – does that mean I can’t take anything with me? Wouldn’t the airlines love it then.. no baggage…

Otherwise, they’ve also changed the announcements on the trains. Yes, I get that English is confusing, and that it’s difficult, and that these are relatively new (they’ve just added the English at the most touristy spots in the last year) . Again, why not hire someone to correct this? (If you’re going to do it, do it properly!)

The Announcement (Again, a literal translation of German):

“now arriving at station (name). Please leave the train to the left / right”.

I always want to ask ‘you want me to leave the train to the left of what – the kitchen counter? the street?’ Is it so someone can find it later?

I mean – I know that they are saying that I should EXIT through the Left/right doors, or maybe that I should exit on to the left platform, but either way, it’s still not correct the way they’ve stated it, and leaves me feeling a bit …

Lost in Translation.

It’s Snowing!!

Maybe it’s because I grew up in Georgia -and snow was a rare thing. Maybe it’s because I’m weird. Maybe it’s because I refuse to grow up… I don’t know.

It is, however, snowing.

Not much, not hard – just a dusting outside- enough to make the streets slick, to begin to cover the world in white, to soften the harsh branches against the sky, to make even the trash sitting at the edge of the road look “nicer”…. and yet.. it’s enough to make me feel giddy and gleeful inside.

It’s Snowing!!

Between the dog (who woke me up at 6 AM with a cold nose, a happy bark, a wagging tail, his “outside” whine, and a jump over me to lift up the curtains at the window) and the fact that it is nearing Christmas, I started singing Carols as I got ready for work and haven’t stopped yet.

Taking him out in the snow was a fun thing – because I was happy and smiling, revelling in the beauty of it – the softness of the flakes, the stillness and clarity of the air, and the crisp crunch of the leaves…. Add to it the fact that my beloved husky was making me crack up laughing…. He literally burst forth out of the door, kicked up the snow on his nose, exhaled and practically danced on the leash before dashing down the street – nearly taking my arm with him. Poor thing had to be restrained on a short leash until we could get across the busy street and down by the canal where he can run. Once the dog was down there though, he raced back and forth as fast as he could, as if to say….

LOOK LOOK! IT”S SNOWING!!! OH MY GOD!! I have MISSED YOU SNOW!! LOOK! LOOK! IT’S SNOWING!!! WOO HOO!! YAY!! SNOW! SNOW SNOW SNOW SNOW!!!

He then proceeded to roll in the white powder, to become covered in the stuff, before running back and forth several times. It was pure and utter JOY. Yes, I admit that I had to tell him to calm down and “do his business”, and that I really felt bad to have to take him inside where he’ll wait all day for me to return (before going out again). But, for the time we were outside, I got to revel in his actions – reflecting my mood.

Oh sure, there’s bad things about it – but for the moment, I’ve left the curtains open at home so the dog can see outside and watch it accumulate (if it accumulates), I’m sitting at work facing the windows enjoying nature’s cold white mystery coming down, and revelling in the fact that when I go home – the dog will be there at the door, with but a single look of joy on is face – that of “Hi Mom – OUTSIDE” and…

“SNOW!”

More Berlin at Night

TV Tower, Reichstag, and Brandenburg Gate Lasers (with the Tiergarten being the trees to the right)

Since getting a new tripod, I have to say that I have enjoyed going out and getting more and more night photography. Yes, it comes in handy for other things too, but … it’s well worth the effort to go outside in the evening with the camera and the tripod and get some fantastic shots. Here’s a few from between the Berlin Main Train Station, along the river walk, and up to (but not including) Potsdamer Platz….