Why I Love Berlin – Part 2

Today, for the first time since last October, we have had beautiful t-shirt weather here in Berlin. Luckily, hubby had a relatively short work day (he was back home by 2:30 pm) and we went out and took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy another aspect that I love so much about Berlin – namely, how green it is.

Berlin is the largest and most densely populated metropolis in Germany, although you would not think it at first glance. Unlike the concrete jungles familiar to North Americans, Berlin is an urban woodland blessed with an abundance of parks and forests, as well as having most residential and major streets lined with trees. I do not need to venture far from my front door to enjoy mother nature – and I live right in the city centre!

I will never understand the North American obsession with replacing trees in the city with concrete. It is quite sad, actually.

Inside the Sony Centre at Potsdamer Platz - a square built upon a former dead-man's-land. A perfect example of the German habit of incorporating nature as much as possible in new urban developments.

Unter den Linden - "under the linden trees" in English - is a grand boulevard in the city's core.

Inside Kranzler Eck, another example of the incorporation of nature in modern urban development. In the centre-left of the photo is a birdcage filled with exotic, colourful species.

Why I Love Berlin - Part 1

The past few days have had their toll on me. Gastroenteritis paid our home a visit just as hubby’s two week break ended. Our laundry loads doubled and we lived off of electrolyte solutions and crackers as the kids and I quarantined ourselves from the outside world and waited for our guest to leave.

Today, with the smell of fresh laundry and orange-poppyseed cake wafting through our home and the satisfaction that there were no remaining traces of the stomach bug having visited us, I took the kids to Tiergarten for an afternoon stroll. (Tiergarten is to Berlin what Central Park is to New York City.) It was our first time outside for half a week and the kids were thrilled. So was I.

I mentioned earlier that my love of Berlin warranted a blog post of its own. I was wrong.

There is so much that I adore that a single blog post would be misrepresentative. Funnily enough, however, I can categorise most of what I love about Berlin in one word: choice. This post is centered on the choices I had today, literally, just outside my doorstep – public transport.

Berlin has an intricately dense web of buses, streetcars, U-Bahn lines (subways) and S-Bahn lines (light rail). I can get almost anywhere in the city within an hour, the few exceptions being the most desolate and obscure corners of Berlin that I would visit once a year, if at all. Just outside my doorstep, I have the choice between an U-Bahn line and two bus lines (four if you count the overnight routes). Within a two-minute walk from my doorstep I have an additional U-Bahn line and four more bus lines at my disposal. Within a fifteen-minute walk from my doorstep I have access to yet another subway line, at least five more bus lines, three S-Bahn lines and a number of Regional Express lines which take me outside of the city for a tiny surcharge.

Many people are hesitant to depend on public transport for their daily commute. I can confidently say, from six years experience, that the BVG (Berliner Verkehrs-AG, responsible for buses, streetcars, and the U-Bahn) and DB (Deutsche Bahn, responsible for the S-Bahn) are extremely reliable. An advantage to having two different companies running the different methods of transport is that the city rarely has a complete shutdown. When busses, streetcars and the U-Bahn ceased to operate due to striking workers last spring, the S-Bahn, run by DB, continued to operate and even increased their service to pick up the slack.

I have no need for a car. The opportunity cost is much too high to justify my owning one. Between the monthly car loan payment, gas, and insurance, my wallet would be around 550 EUR lighter every month – more than FIVE TIMES what hubby and I spend monthly on public transportation.

As odd as it may sound, I find travelling in the city with my kids on public transport easier than in the car. I never have to struggle getting impatient kids/babies buckled in or repeatedly fold and unfold my stroller. Hubby and I can freely interact with our children without having to concentrate on the traffic. Our oldest son is completely infatuated with anything train-like, so rides on the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, and streetcar are always a welcome novelty to him.

I have said it before and I will say it again – if you live in this city, own a car, and use said car daily, you are either lazy or crazy, or both. Berlin is a city in which you can live car-free. Sadly, I cannot say the same about the city of Mississauga, where I grew up.

Puppy Love

In Langenhagen, Mika and Anna-Lena are in love. Following the overwhelming emotion pouring out of their hearts, they decided to elope. What better way to celebrate your love is there than to get away from the record low temps in Germany and tie the knot in Africa? Along with Anna-Lena’s sister (the planned witness to their wedding) they packed their bags for time under the sun and started to make their way to the airport.

Oh, and the betrothed are five and six years old. The witness is seven years old.

Aw. If this is not puppy love, I do not know what is.

As always, there are those grumpy sourpusses who claim that the parents of these children are irresponsible. After all, how could they let their children get out so easily during the night?

I think those sourpusses have not been loved enough. In this instance, I think it is safe to say that the children live in a very loving household; unlike this four year old that shot his babysitter for stepping on his foot. Children often reflect their parents’ attitudes and habits. Having said that, hubby and I should probably spend more time explaining that we hug and kiss a lot because we love each other, and that we do not do that with random strangers. Here is my little Romeo in action:


I cannot speak for those sourpusses, however I would much rather have my children piece together a somewhat cohesive plan to elope than violently attack their babysitter.

Parallel-parking 101

We have all seen it before; the driver with absolutely no sense of how big their car is. It can be especially annoying when you are stuck on a narrow road because someone is having a hard time parallel-parking their huge car.

I usually give the driver the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they are driving a rental, or they have newly purchased the car, and have yet to adjust themselves to the dimensions of it.

Drivers such as the one in the clip below, however, just make you want to scream how much room there is – never mind the fact that they are driving a Smart, the car that practically fits into your pocket!

I feel sorry for Adolf Hitler…

...and that is surely not an easy thing for me to say. I am actually referring to Adolf Hitler Campbell. He is a three-year-old boy who was denied his name on a birthday cake at ShopRite. (I would have refused to inscribe the cake as well.)

I feel sorry for him and his two sisters, JoyceLynn Aryan Nation and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie. As long as they keep these names, these children will be branded by their parents’ small and hateful minds. Whether or not they believe in Nazi ideology in their adult lives, they will be equated with one of the world’s worst hate crimes.

You can be sure that these children will never have a chance for a decent job. Just imagine: A newspaper headline “Adolf Hitler new Director of Communications at XYZ Inc”. How about your child running home from school saying that their new history teacher is Adolf Hitler?

I sincerely hope that these children will have the chance to grow past their parents’ limited mental capacity. For Pete’s sake, they could not even get Himmler’s name right (for Adolf’s sister)!

Photo source: AP

Democracy: US vs. Canada vs. Germany

But our perfect democracy, which neither needs nor particularly wants voters, is a rarity. It is important to remember there still exist many other forms of government in the world today, and that dozens of foreign governments still long for a democracy such as ours to be imposed on them. – Jon Stewart

With Obama’s overwhelming success in America’s recent election, Jon Stewart echoes an inspiring point. But is the American “democracy” really that enviable? How about other democratically elected governments in the western world, such as Canada’s directly representative House of Commons and Germany’s proportionally representative Bundestag?

The American Electoral College system has a few drawbacks. Primarily, criticism centres on the possibility of electing a minority president, one without the absolute majority of the popular vote. This system also has an inherent tendency to suppress voter turnout due to its indirect nature. You do not vote for the presidential candidate you want to be in power; you vote to show a third person, the elector, how you want them to vote for you. This, in turn, leads to another potential problem: the faithless elector. There is no guarantee that the elector will follow the democratic majority of his electoral district whilst casting his/her vote in the Electoral College. Sounds confusing? I certainly think so.

Furthermore, the American system gives way to a bipolarisation of the political landscape. The winner of any state will take all electoral votes of that state. This prevents any significant showing of a third or independent party candidate. On the other hand, the system gives way to a strong, limited term presidency, wherein a democratically elected president is free to implement politics as he/she sees fit, provided congress plays along. That strength allows for major political shifts with the election of a new President.

The Canadian direct representation offers a bit more accountability. Each member in the House of Commons is elected by a plurality of popular votes in separate constituencies (ridings). The party that gains most seats in the House (parliament) fills the position of prime minister. The advantage of this system is that members of parliament (MPs) needing to vote on any bill can be subjected to direct scrutiny and influence by voters in each riding. If voters pressure their MP to take a specific stance there is a good chance that this MP may vote faithless to party lines – there is a long standing history of voter influence in ridings in Canada.

The disadvantage is, however, the possibility of a minority government such as the current conservative government. This article details very nicely some of the perils of a minority government. Also, similar to the American system, there is a good chance of over- or under-representation in the Canadian parliament. As an extreme example: if in every riding a member of the Conservative Party won a marginal majority, they would fill 100% of the seats in parliament (one of my worst nightmares), thus starkly skewing the make-up of popular political preferences.

Finally, looking at the German version of proportional representation in parliament, the plurality of political representation in the Bundestag makes a seductive first argument in favour of such a system. Similar to Canada, the party gaining an absolute majority or majority coalition may fill the Chancellor’s seat. Any party gaining five percent of the popular vote (barring minor electoral adjustments) will gain the same proportion of seats in parliament. This system, installed by the allies post WWII, has proven immensely stable and truthfully reflective of the popular political fabric.

There can, however, be made an argument that a voter will quickly feel disenfranchised as the impact of his or her vote is not immediately apparent. The plurality of political platforms and virtual impossibility of a majority government by a single party forces the government to negotiate for virtually every aspect of daily business, leading to perpetual compromises. This prevents the occurrence of bold moves and frequently bogs governmental business down in trench wars.

Which system is best? The short answer is very political: it depends. It depends on your set of priorities and political affinities. For me personally, the Canadian one suits best. It allows bold moves within reason. It limits US-like bipolarisation without the paralyzing effects the Bundestag frequently endures. Either way I look at it, any of these systems, no matter how skewed or imperfect they are, supply the best answer to our current political challenges. It is the plurality of ideas – allowing for more than just one idea to be right - that will win the struggle against tyranny and totalitarianism that some people unfortunately have to endure.

As Winston Churchill put it, “Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried”.

Tackling young and novice drivers, con't.

In light of the young and novice driver rules the Liberals in Ontario are pushing forward, here is a thought: instead of limiting the freedom of responsible drivers, take a page out of Germany’s book.

Raise the minimum age from 16 to 18.
Two years may not seem like a big difference to some, but the adult mind is much more capable of fully realising the responsibility that comes along with operating a vehicle. At 18, with the end of high school and beginning of university/work life, comes a sense of social responsibility. And the hormones are not quite on the rampage any longer.

Penalties for speeding and drunk driving.
From my understanding, there are already harsh fines and penalties in place for speeding and impaired driving in Ontario. More should be invested into the enforcement of these rules. As I mentioned here, I am in complete agreement with the alcohol ban for young and novice drivers – although two years is the requirement here. This rule should not be seen as an intrusion to one’s freedoms, but rather as a practical way to combat impaired driving habits.

Make the attendance of driving school mandatory.
In order to pass driving school and qualify for a driver’s exam in Germany, one must fulfill certain requirements such as x number of hours of successful nighttime driving, driving in rural areas (for those who live in the city), city driving (for those who live in rural areas), and driving on the speed-limit-free sections of the autobahn. All in all, there are around 14 theory classes and at least 12 driving sessions. Theory is taught alone at first and then parallel with the practical lessons, so that students learn the rules and how to apply them. This ensures drivers with a well-rounded experience.

What if the whole process of getting a license costs an arm and a leg (anywhere from 1000-2000 EUR)? Driving is a privilege, and there is no reason against making people work for the opportunity to do so. Paying that kind of money will result in people taking care to drive within the confines of the law. (And think of the jobs that will be created with the implementation of mandatory driving schools!)

In short, teach the population to treat their driver’s licenses like gold, and harshly punish those who do not. This is how, despite being the country of beer, Germany sees relatively small amounts of drunk driving.

Read more on the controversy here and here.

Tackling young and novice drivers

Young drivers (21 years of age and younger) and novice drivers in Ontario may soon face new laws in regards to alcohol consumption and the number of young passengers with them in the car. I have mixed feelings about them.

The new rules require young drivers to have a zero blood alcohol level whilst behind the steering wheel. This will also apply to novice drivers of all ages for their first year of driving. I am in agreement with this aspect of the proposed laws. Germany already has such laws in place, with the difference that novice drivers must adhere for two years instead of one.

What I disagree with in the limit set upon the number of youth in a car, which makes it illegal for young drivers to drive with more than one passenger 19 or younger with them in the vehicle. Don Forgeron, the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s Ontario vice-president, rightly says that saving lives is of more importance than inconvenience. They are, however, essentially making it illegal for young people to carpool to work, or to drive their two younger cousins to their swim class. This also affects the responsible party-goers – the designated driver will no longer be able to chauffeur their friends home. This inconvenience is utterly unnecessary.

This limit comes as a result of a fatal crash that occurred on the south shore of Georgian Bay. Five teenagers died, three of which were not wearing seatbelts. According to police, alcohol did not play a role in the crash. Speed and road conditions likely did.

I do not understand how that crash would lead to the limit proposed. Instead, I believe that higher fines for speeding and failure to wear seatbelts are in order. Significant speeding should also warrant immediate license suspension.

How appropriate!

This week is International Babywearing Week. According to an email sent to me by Beate Uhse online, it is also National Climax Week.

I find this hilarious! Participation in National Climax Week this year would likely cause you to join International Babywearing Week next year. =P


Only in Continental Europe would you have a week dedicated to orgasms. And maybe, perhaps, also in Japan.

Missing Hubby

Hubby is often away on business, and even though we’ve been married a while, we still have a hard time falling asleep alone. Yes, we are a cheesy couple.

Today, for the first time since our youngest was born in May, our home is Papa-free for more than his usual working hours. I have been feeling a little down all day, which is silly because he is flying back in two days.

Even when he is not out of the country, he still spends a lot of time at work. He, however, usually manages to be here for either breakfast or dinner, and he helps out around at home as much as he can. Now that our little army of rugrats has increased by one, there is so much more housework to do. I have not properly appreciated that fact until today, when hubby is not here to give his helping hand.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and makes our home seem bigger.

I suppose another reason that I feel crummy, other than the gloomy weather we had today, is that I wish I was in Paris with him. It appears I have adopted the need to travel several times each year – a trait integral to the collective German mentality.

I probably will not have the time to do much more than read a few blog posts and the news headlines as this single-mom-marathon continues. What is keeping me sane is our family road trip to the Harz Mountains on the 22nd. That and the cute little number I picked up for hubby’s visual pleasure; my way of saying thank you for all the help and support he has given me this past turbulent year.

And the fear-mongering continues...

Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) fears a possible implementation of a “Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist dictatorship” by President-elect Obama. It never ceases to amaze me how dominant the ultra-right’s obsessive-compulsiveness lets them visualise the big red dog digging in their backyards.


Obviously Clifford is not the dog that they fear - but their fear is just as infantile as the toddlers who love those books. A small amount of political education and open-mindedness would allow anyone to see how Obama is NOT even remotely tending towards Marxism. It is an entirely different cup of tea. The only Western world leader to invoke near-Gestapo-like security and surveillance is the only unelected President in American history - George W. Bush - by means of the Patriot Act.

Is the radical right genuinely this unenlightened, or are they indirectly trying to elevate the fear-mongering to mobilise mentally unstable individuals like Lee Harvey Oswald or these two skinheads? Do they not realise that the irresponsibility and the divisive consequences of their actions are inherently anti-American? (Sorry Michele Bachmann, but you opened a Pandora's box.)

The love-hate affair between Germans and their rules

When I made the decision to move to Germany, someone “warned” me that Germans are, among other things, inflexible and in love with rules (or something similar to that – it was almost six years ago, so I paraphrased it). The warning was only partially correct. It is more accurate to say that Germans are inflexible and in love with rules, as long as those rules do not interfere with their comfort levels.

For example, two Deutsche Bahn conductors, in two separate occasions, essentially left two young teenagers stranded in rural areas far from home because they forgot their tickets at home. I understand that there will always be those who free-ride and ruin it for the rest of us. On these two occasions, however, an exception should have been made. The conductor could have taken note of the teenager’s address and DB could have clarified the situation afterwards – similar to the procedure when charged with a speeding ticket. I, myself, would also be infuriated if my 13-year-old was left stranded almost 50 kilometers away from home by an inflexible, rule-hardy conductor. At least one of the conductors have since been suspended, in addition to an apology from DB.


On the flip-side, you have the one rule that many Germans love to break: the non-smoking rule. It does not matter where you are – a subway station, restaurant, etc. – there will be someone smoking. What’s worse is that those people will argue the life out of you if you decide to point out that they are in a non-smoking area, which I often do. My favourite stand-off occurred inside an elevator on the way up to the train platform. Just as the doors closed, some nutcase lights up a cigarette and breathes out smoke into the faces of two of my children, both of whom were sitting in their STROLLER coughing! I pointed to the big non-smoking sticker on the wall beside him, and asked him if he really needed to blow cigarette smoke into the faces of my then one- and two-year-old children. He shrugged and said that it doesn’t matter because we were going to be in open air in a matter of seconds. I reminded him that the smoking ban also applied on the train platform. That was when I crossed the line. “Why do you people always try to take away our right to smoke!” he bellowed, before he huffed and he puffed all the way to the other end of the platform. Funnily enough, he continued smoking beside another non-smoking sign.

NB – Smoking is a passionate subject for Germans. They used their veto power in the EU to prevent a smoking ban from coming through. The non-smoking ban has been reversed for traditional Kneipen (corner pubs).

Yes, Germans can be very inflexible. I want to make it clear, though, that it is a stereotype, and that not all Germans are that bad – thank goodness!

Gay Gay Gay

Gay TV
All I seem to be running into today is news linked to homosexuality. A new gay television channel called Timm was launched last Saturday here in Germany. It struck me as odd that Germany, a country seemingly more accommodating towards it homosexual population than countries such as the US, launched a channel created specifically for them later than the US. What particularly piqued my interest is the channel’s slogan – “Wir lieben männer”, which translates to “We love men”. Whatever happened to lesbians? Are they not gay as well? If the induction of such a channel was done in the interest of general inclusion in the world of television, I believe that should have been reflected in their slogan.

Gay on TV
My enthusiasm for Grey’s Anatomy has been wavering this past season, but I was happy when the show introduced homosexual relationships into its storylines. Portraying normal, ordinary people in homosexual relationships on screen is a wonderful way to counter the obtuse belief some have that homosexuality is an aberration. For that reason, I am annoyed that Brooke Smith has been written off the show. (Her character, Dr. Hahn, was exploring her homosexuality with Dr. Torres, played by Sara Ramirez.)

The official reason behind her dismissal is that the character was not received well by the majority of the viewership. Many people believe this to be a prevarication and feel the producers have submitted to the will of homophobic America. Whatever the rationale, I mourn the exit of a storyline that finally entered territory that is, for the most part, woefully unexplored on mainstream television.

Gay in Real Life
Arizona, California and Florida have taken a big step forward with America in the election of Barack Obama for President. They, however, have taken a big step back when they became part of thirty states that ban same-sex marriage. Arkansas has also passed a measure banning parents in homosexual relationships from adopting children.

This has been called a victory for religious conservatives. That very description exemplifies why such bans should not even be pursued at all - the propositions were put forth by religious conservatives, who appear to enjoy scorning the principle of the separation of church and state.

I do not agree that issues surrounding homosexuality should be left to be dealt with separately in each state. I believe politicians take this stance with the sole purpose of avoiding disapproval in certain states. There should be a country-wide acceptance, not intolerance, of homosexuals, and because the rejection claims it roots in religious belief, there should be no place in the law for such discrimination.

The Muppet Felon

I am not sure how this works elsewhere, but when you see a quick, small flash of red on your right whilst driving in Germany, you have been photographed speeding. Within the following six months you would receive a letter outlining your fines and/or points of Flensburg (home of the national database of traffic violations), complete with your picture and a form you can send in if you believe that the person in the picture is not you. Hubby received on of these in September. He is pictured quite clearly, scratching his nose **lol** . I was sitting beside him, but I was blurred out.


Someone driving a British car in Bavaria has had a bit of fun with these speeding cameras. A life-sized Muppet doll (most likely Animal) was placed on the front passenger seat - the driver's seat in continental Europe - and was caught driving 155 kph in a 120 kph zone of the autobahn.

I initially found this funny, but apparently the driver has done the same thing for several traffic cameras. This showed that the driver knew the authorities cannot pursue him/her because of the foreign license plate. Potentially endangering others on the road for the sake of a joke - not funny.

"No, I am not an American!"...

...is something I am sure every Canadian in Germany has had to explain. I realise that with Canada being in North America, Canadians are, in a sense, American. Following that thought, however, would lead to the assumption that one can call everyone in North, Central and South America an American, which we all know nobody does. I am referring to the seemingly widespread interchangeability of Canadian with American.

I can see where this might stem from. The US has played a big role in recent German history. From the installment of the Marshall Plan up until the departure of the Clinton administration, the US was seen as a shining beacon and as THE ideal to be emulated. With all that PR, I am not surprised that Canada was viewed as not much more than 'the neighbour to the north'. I already foresee disagreements with my children's future world history teachers over things like the War of 1812 (if I am not mistaken, it is also known to non-Canadians as the American-Indian War).

Bottom line? Stating that a Canadian is practically an American is something you do not want to do, just as you would not call the Scottish practically English, or the Austrians practically German. For a crash course on what Canadians are proud of, please watch this brilliant commercial:



(Photo from freefoto.com)

Mariecel vs. A flamingpoodle - Round 2

I'm happy to say that flamingpoodle, a.k.a. Garg the Unzola, has continued the interesting exchange of standpoints. For his original rebuttal, click here and scroll down to comments. Here we go!

In fact, taking the Hippocratic Oath is no longer a requirement to become a doctor.
The oath is no longer a necessity in the US? Interesting. This speaks of a sad change in the culture of the US medical community, but is also very telling. In a quick search I was not able to find support for your statement. Would you mind providing it?

Give it a try. Claiming that there are logical fallacies in my statement and actually indentifying them and pointing them out to me are two different things entirely.
Perhaps you did not notice that I indeed address and rebut every position of your statement. But far more interesting is that you ignored a good portion of my points. Perhaps, somewhere deep down, you agree?

You are assuming that someone who suffers from cancer would necessarily be reliant on a social health care system and won't be able to afford private health care.
Either you are ignoring selective phrases or I recommend for you to take a class in logic. I do NOT assume that the patient would not be able to afford private health care - this is indicated with the use of the word 'should' in conjunction with 'on the basis of financial ability'.

By your logic, it is entirely acceptable for me to get a yacht by virtue of the fact that I can't afford it. Or for me to have someone do my accounting for me free of charge, by virtue of the fact that I can't afford an accountant. Where do you draw the line between a fundamental human right and a privilege?
I draw the line where the issue at hand no longer directly affects my physiological and mental well-being. As I said previously, long hair will not kill you, but a cancerous tumour will. Not having a yacht will not kill you, but untreated diabetes will. Not having an accountant will not kill you, but untreated heart disease will.

Are the fundamental rights of those who can't afford health care not the same as those who are qualified to provide health services? If they are, then you can't say the doctor has to provide his services to someone who can't afford them any more tha you can deny me a haircut because I can't afford it.
Yes, I believe they have the same right to health care. That does not mean, by any standard of logic, that I can therefore force my hairdresser to cut my hair. You cannot equate the right to life with a wish for comfort.

Even though I think everyone has the same right to health care, I do not think everyone has the right to the comfort of private hospital rooms or medical practices that are not necessary to the physiological and mental well-being of the patient, such as medically unprompted cosmetic surgery. In most of continental Europe, general health care does not pay for your random nose job, unless it has become medically necessary, i.e. due to an accident.

If they aren't, then all are equal, but some are more equal.
We should all be equal with respect to basic, universal access to health care that treats medical ailments in full according to best practice.

It is a matter of basic equality that anybody, regardless of their financial background, who is in need of a specific medical treatment ordered by a doctor (be that dialysis or a simple break away from stress factors), should have access to said prescribed remedy. If you are lucky enough to be affluent, you can add comfort factors, such as private rooms and exclusive attention from the head doctor of the department, at your own cost.

That's all for now. =)

(images from i-hostels.com, bluebuddies.com, and cartoonstock.com respectively)

Welcome to the Twilight Zone!

All the household chores are done. I've been to the doctor, went shopping, had lunch and now the kids are letting their imaginations loose on legos whilst baby naps happily. I managed to do everything but WATCH THE DEBATE RERUN!!! I was so surprised when my cell-phone calendar started ringing, reminding me of my doctor's appointment. I hope I don't forget about the next rerun at 6pm.


Today is such a beautiful autumn day, and I think it's lifting everyone's spirits. Perhaps it was just coincidence, but every person I encountered for more than a few seconds jovially chatted me up - very odd in a country that is so often characterised by its inwardly-oriented population. And just when you think I've hit the peak of obscurity - wait for it - nobody asked me where I'm from! **cue theme music from The Twilight Zone**

This experience of being treated as a fellow German as opposed to an immigrant has yet to happen to me in the former East. The former West is much more in tune with a culturally diversifying Germany. I always knew this, but it really struck home for me today.

(photo from stern.de)

World's Largest Expat Survey / Weltgrößte Expat-Umfrage

“Mom, if we have to move again, can we move to a country where I can at least get a good hamburger?”

If you are a parent who moves around the world frequently, you’ve probably heard this question before. Thanks to HSBC, you can check if your destination will meet your children’s expectations.

HSBC Bank International recently published what they claim to be the largest expat survey. It covers three areas:
Expat Existence – Focus on living standards, ability to learn and save, country popularity and level of luxury experienced
Offshore Offspring – Explores the challenges of raising a family abroad
Integration

The Offshore Offspring Summary includes an overall ranking of fourteen countries in regards to sport activity, junk food eaten, computer games and television watching. It doesn’t surprise me that more that 50% of the children who relocated to the US eat more junk food. It does surprise me, however, that in the UK, a country that is experiencing a similar boom in childhood obesity, the percentage lies much lower at just over 20%.

On the upside, it is nice to see that Germany is the third and Canada the fourth best country to raise children in.

(Chart courtesy of economist.com.)

Not Your Everyday Hijacking / Eine ungewöhnliche Entführung

This morning a 41 year old man highjacked a BVG (Berlin public transit) bus. He waited until all the other passengers disembarked at the final stop, threatened the driver with a knife, and demanded to be driven to Usedom Island, around 300 km away in the Baltic Sea. They didn't make it all the way. They got stuck in a traffic jam just north of Berlin, during which the bus driver opened the doors and the hijacker tried to escape on foot. The bus driver subsequently suffered from shock.


Sounds dramatic, doesn't it? What if I told you that the hijacker wore nothing but a bathrobe, happily chatted about the wonderful weather and how fun the drive to the island was, and showed no resistance to police when he was finally caught? I kid you not. I highly doubt this man is mentally sound. Perhaps the warmer weather confused him into thinking that summer was making an impromptu comeback?



Heute Morgen entführte ein 41-Jährige Mann einen BVG Bus der Linie M37. Er wartete bis alle Passagiere aus dem Bus gestiegen waren, bevor er mit einem Messer bewaffnet den Busfaher zwang, in Richtung Insel Usedom zu fahren. Sie haben allerdings ihr Ziel nie erreicht. Auf der Berliner Ringautobahn sind sie in einem Stau stecken geblieben. Der Fahrer öffnete geistesgegen- wärtig die Passagiertür und der Täter versuchte zu Fuß zu fluchten. Der Fahrer erlitt einen Schock.


Diese Geschichte klingt mehr dramatisch als komisch, oder? Aber es geht noch weiter: Der Täter war nur mit einem Bademantel bekleidet, redete unbeschwingt fast die ganze Zeit über das sonnige Wetter und wie toll die bevorstehende Fahrt nach Usedom sein wird. Er ist wenig später nach seinem Fluchtversuch von der Polizei ohne Widerstand verhaftet worden. Ich glaube, daß der Täter geistig nicht zurrechnungsfähig ist. Vielleicht ist er von dem tollen Wetter, daß wir gerade in Berlin haben, verwirrt?