The Second Coming

 

I went to the inauguration party in Berlin on Tuesday. The place was filled with Germans and Americans whooping and hollering for Barack Obama. The only thing missing was a white donkey. I wonder where it was...

Coin Operated Moses

 

Michaelangelo's famous statue Moses sits majestically in the nave of one of the important cathedrals in Rome. When we arrived at the church, though, Moses was seated in darkness. Then we heard a "clank" and suddenly, the nave was illuminated. When we looked to see where the sound came from, we noticed a box - similar to one you would find in a laundromat - that requested a "donation" of 50 cents. Interesting way to raise money.

Mingling With the Locals

 

While we were awe struck by ancient ruins and Renaissance architecture, it was the people of Rome who really made our trip extraordinary. Jon got a haircut right below our hotel. The barber, a gentleman in his early seventies, realized that we didn't speak his language. However, after giving my brother a shave, he proceeded to tell us all about his city's history in Italian using an outdated picture calendar he still had hanging in his shop to illustrate his points.

This was the most dramatic example of the warmth we experienced in Rome. It was definitely the rule, not the exception.

The Eternal City

 

"There are slightly more ruins in Rome than dog poop in its streets," goes the old saying. It is indeed true.

Poop stepping count:
David - 2
Danielle - 1
Jonathan - 1

Rome is fantastic except for the fact that you leave with really low self-esteem because the people are so well dressed. I'm not sure how they pull it off, but everyone (men and women) look like they just walked off the pages of Elle or GQ.

Gaza as Seen in Germany

We've kept the blog apolitical up until now, but the recent events in Israel and the Gaza Strip and the reaction in Germany moved us to write something on our blog.

About 8,500 people rallied in Berlin's Alexanderplatz yesterday to demonstrate against Israel. Many of them were members of the large Turkish and Arab communities here. Others were native Germans. The photo above was taken by Joao Paglione at another protest in the city.

From the outset, we want to say this: Israel does not always do everything right. Like any multi-ethnic and multi-religious democracy, it makes mistakes. However, when people in Europe and other places take to the streets to protest against the Jewish State and in favor of the people in Gaza led by Hamas, they are wrong.

Let us explain why.

Hamas was founded in 1987 with the express intention of destroying Israel and replacing it with an Islamic state (see www.nytimes.com/2006/02/27/international/middleeast/27mideast.html?ex=1298696400&en=25164615c0b5f11c&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss). If you have any doubts about this, go online and look at the Hamas logo. At the top, you will see the entire outline of Israel -including Tel Aviv and other places that are internationally recognized as part of the Jewish State. Hamas, past or present, does not intend to negotiate peace with Israel.

Therefore, when Hamas won parliamentary elections in Gaza in 2006 following the withdrawal of Israeli forces, it meant that the people of Gaza were supporting a platform that vocally called for the annihilation of a UN member state. There has been no pressure by people in Gaza to urge its government to renounce violence or engage in negotiations. Indeed, the US, EU and others still consider Hamas a terrorist organization.

Based on historical experience with Hamas (suicide bombings and rocket attacks), Israel initiated a blockade of the Gaza coastline and sealed its borders. This action was meant to stem the flow of weapons being used by Hamas against Israeli civilians. This action was never completely successful and attacks continue today. The fact that the international community is urging a cease-fire against Hamas is shameful.

The loss of innocent lives is always tragic. Images of destroyed homes and schools pains us all. But let us not quickly forget or deliberately ignore how we got to this point. An offensive against Hamas and its infrastructure is necessary and justified. When considering this conflict, please remember to reflect upon it within its appropriate historical context. And to all those who rallied at Alexanderplatz - you are not helping the cause of peace in the Middle East, you are destroying it.

New Layout

We've decided to freshen up our blog by changing the layout. Everything is the same, only the colors are different. Hope you enjoy.

Notes on the Polish Language

 

The following is a quote by noted philologist Dr. Phillip Blackburn, III:

"Polish rings with the sound of centuries of triumph and defeat. It is at once a language of great sorrow and overwhelming elation. But most importantly, she is an endless string of consonants."

Frozen River

 

Part of the Oder River was frozen 6 feet deep, so we took the opportunity to walk on water. Behind us are ice fisherman. We got the bright idea for our stroll from them.

For more pictures check out our Picasa web page (Slubice, Berlin 2008 and now Berlin 2009).

Poland in 12 Minutes

My brother and I went to Poland this morning. It's only 60 miles east of Berlin. The border town of Frankfurt an der Oder, which, despite a declining population and depressed economy, is way better than crappy Frankfurt am Main. We took a train at 10:00am and by 11:30, we were walking around in another country. Since Poland is now part of the EU, we didn't even get our passports stamped. Bummer.

Frankfurt an der Oder sits on the west side of the Oder River and Slubice is on the east bank. Before 1945, both sides were part of Germany (not owing to Hitler's little romp in 1939) but post war, the Oder River became the eastern border of Germany. Anyways, the Lonely Planet doesn't have much to say about either place except that you can buy cheap cigarettes and vodka.

It's Cold!

 

Oh yeah...it reached 0 Fahrenheit this past Wednesday.

Family Reunion

 

My parents and brother arrived from St. Petersburg (not the one in Florida, Emery) last week to spend time in Berlin. We covered the whole city - from the Karl Marx Allee to KaDeWe. It was fantastic to finally see family after 7 months in a foreign country. The hightlight of the trip was finding the perfect Matjes herring for my dad while my mom and Danielle stood by and rolled their eyes. Nothing like spending QT with the 'rents!

Christmas Fun (Part III)

 

Our friends' Nat and Maja arranged for us to see a Christmas concert at the oldest church in Berlin. The performance was Handel's "Messiah" with a full choir and orchestra. I was sitting so close to the cellist that he could have picked my nose with his bow. Fantastic! The concert was followed by a gathering of the neighborhood outside the church to sing Christmas carrols - many of them in English.

Christmas Fun (Part II)

 

The coolest Christmas Market constructed was the one put up in Alexanderplatz, the center of former East Berlin. The organizers brought in a spectacle of rides and amusements for adults and kids. It was the most crowded place I've been so far in Germany (rivaling the state fair in Dresden this past summer). We went at night and were able to collect a few great shots of the rides.

Christmas Fun (Part 1)

 

The most important part of Christmas in Germany is the Weihnachts Markt or Christmas Market. Many locals do their shopping at these temporary bazaars spread throughout the city. Most importantly, they are open Sundays, which make them a magnet for those suffering from the cabin fever caused by closed businesses during the rest of the year. Some had rides, others had high class goods, and all had tons of food. Pictured above are our friends in Berlin enjoying a wurst (German sausage) in a roll. The sausages are always way longer than the tiny bun and make for interesting eating. We took this picture that the Gedamenmarkt Market in Berlin which is the most "exclusive" since it charges a heft 1 Euro entrance fee (apparently to keep out unsavory characters). By the way, I had no permission from the people photographed above to use their image. I hope I don't get sued.

Back on the Wagon

Okay, I was yelled at by my two disgruntled fans for not posting for a while. It's been nearly a month since my last entry, so my apologies for holiday season laziness...