Being krank!

Hello Silsdeners,  it looks like you have been looking at my blog a lot last week. But then it could have been friends in London where I should have spent last weekend. Where to start? Let's try the beginning.

Last Thursday I went to my doctor's because of pains in the left of my chest for a few days. He did a check and was not too happy including rapid pulse movements. I had to see him on Friday morning at 8.30 to give him a urine sample and he took a number of blood samples. He put me onto a machine and said I had to go to my local hospital for more checks and that meant now!

I did just that and expected to be there for an hour or so for tests. How wrong I was!  I was taken to a 2 bed room and took the bed near the window with the 'scenic' view. Shortly after I was taken 'downstairs' for the first check. After that I expected to go home. No, it was back to the room for lunch and to meet a patient called Peter who then occupied the other bed.

I was told I had to have more tests and could not fly to London next day. I was more than shocked and a little angry but a doctor allowed me to use his computer to send an e-mail to Sarah in London to say I could not come for Adrian and Tanja's 25th Wedding Anniversary. And so started a six day stay of waiting for more tests, learning to digest hospital food and dozing through the day. I also read half the book in German given to me by Johanna for Christmas!

I managed to contact a few people and they informed others. Thanks to Marcel, Andrea and Mathias for visits and help. Also to Jan for his calls and support. After the final and toughest examination yesterday, when the docs do a 'Stress-Test' on the heart, I was told I had passed and could plan to go home. I called Mathias and he drove me home. Was I happy to open my door!

What an experience. I discovered the shortages in my communication system when suddenly stuck in a hospital and not allowed out. I am meeting Mathias next Tuesday to discuss this and make some changes before I fly on the first leg of my flight to Australia next Thursday = exactly one week from now! Yes, the No.1 Doctor said I was allowed to fly and even suggested I stay in the hospital longer so he could take my place and fly to Australia. I declined his offer with a big smile!

PS: Thanks for your e-mail Barbara. The problem was my heart. The start of a heart attack was feared hence the checks. Fortunately it was not so but I have new pills to take. 

Lunch in KW.

Hello Silsdeners. I had a delicious lunch of slices of roast boar (from the local forest), red cabbage cooked with apples and spices, potatoes and thick gravy + a glass of German red wine to wash it all down! What did you have?

I met Oldie H. for the S-Bahn journey to Königs Wusterhausan. It is the largest town in the Dahme-Spreewald district south east of Berlin. It is in the state of Brandenburg and lies on the Notte Canal and river Dahme. It is worth a visit and you will also enjoy the scenery en route.

Here's a potted history in addition to the photos. A village called Wusterhausen was first recorded in 1320. Local landowning families added a large house called a Hunting Lodge, which became even larger as the village increased. I am certain they were hunting local boar and deer then. I think Robin Hood would have liked it :-))

As a Christmas present in 1698, the future Prussian King Frederick William I was given the house and land by his parents. Not a bad present for a teenager! He liked the place a lot and later spent each late summer/autumn there with his family. Of course, those poor boar and deer took a hammering then! He expanded the Lodge further to the form you can see today.

The town added the name 'Königs' in 1718. After his death in 1740, royal interest in the place declined. His son was too busy carving a large slice out of Poland to add to his lands. With the end of the monarchy in 1919, nothing happened until 1927 when it became a museum. That didn't last long for in 1945 it was used for Soviet Military administration.

They left two years later as students moved in to study financial administration. They did this until 1957 when the Soviets returned, but his time it was a branch of the secret service. They stayed there until 1964 when the building became home to the local council. And so it remained until the Berlin Wall came down at the end of 1989.

In 1991,
there started a long period of restoring the buildings and garden. This included finding and returning many pictures and items of furniture. In Sept. 2000 it was opened to the public and you can go there yourself to explore the history of the Schloss, town and area. You will find the restaurant in front of the Schloss to enjoy a plate of (local) roast boar!

25 years

This afternoon I went to the 25th anniversary of the founding of the SPD in Lichtenberg. It was held in the Galerie des Kulturhauses Karlshorst which is in the centre of my district and six minutes walk from where I live.

The room was full of mainly elderly members of the SPD, for it was an occasion to celebrate their contribution to founding the party at the end of the DDR. If you remember your history the DDR known as East Germany, was formed in 1949.

It was one of many states so created at the end of WW2 in the areas controlled by the Red Army of the Soviet Union. They all collapsed at the end of 1989. It was interesting for me to meet many local people who had played a small part in that and founding of the party.

The SPD was closed down in the DDR when it was merged with the Communist Party to form the SED party in 1949. Members of this party ruled in the DDR until the wall came down at the end of 1989. It is interesting that many people held to the values of the ex-SPD for all those years and then founded it as the old system collapsed.

The old founders got flowers, a book, and certificate in the ceremony. I enjoyed listening to them reminiscing about what they had done 25 years ago and why. Gabi and Christian from my SPD Senior Gang were also honoured and I took a photo. I also bought a book many had contributed to about events in 1989.

Freddie Fish

After leaving Colin, I went to my local SPD committee meeting followed by the members meeting. A full four hours and I was more than tired when I arrived home. I only had to work for one hour checking my student's academic report before I slipped between the sheets!

I had my Oldie Breakfast yesterday then had three teaching sessions before relaxing. This morning I met Kerstin's Oldie Keep Fit Gang then galloped to my Photoshop Gang led by Stefan. Our first meeting since early December so lots of chat catching up with who did what and when and where.

This time we played around with something new. We decided to add photos of our last visit to Britzer Garten last August.I was not in Germany then but we used photos taken by Stefan of the place and of the others in the Gang.

These were added to a Google Maps image of Britzer Garten. We had never tried this before. I had no idea I/you/we can/could mix up such images. Here is my work of art. I decided the lake needed a fish. I found Freddie Fish and added him. He liked the water! What do you think?

Frankfurt-Oder

Last Wednesday morning I met Colin at Ostbahnhof. We bought a ticket for him to travel to Frankfurt - an- der- Oder that day and one to the airport at Frankfurt-am-Main next Tuesday. From there he will fly back to Australia via Los Angeles. I shall meet him at his house in Sydney in three weeks!

Colin wanted to see more of the area around Berlin so we agreed to take the regional train to Frankfurt - Oder. It is a one hour journey from the centre of Berlin and takes you through very nice flat lands and woods until you get to the River Oder. There you will find Frankfurt on the west bank and Slubice on the east bank.

It was all one place until 1945. I am sure you have heard of the Soviet leader called Josef Stalin. He succeeded at the Yalta and Tehran Conferences in changing the Polish borders during discussions with Roosevelt and Churchill.  The 'new' Poland was pushed from the east towards the west by incorporating areas of what were then Germany. The new border runs along the river Oder.

We went to a 22 story 'box' building called the Oderturm. At the top is a restaurant and a panorama view of the towns/area. We had a good look and then a coffee. I also took these photos so you Silsdeners could share the experience.

We then went for a walk along  the river and crossed into Poland via the only bridge. On my first visit many years ago, there was strict security/password/customs control. Both countries are now signatories to the Schengen Agreement covering 26 counties which have removed border controls. It was nice to just wander over the bridge.

We just walked around Slubice and soaked up the Polish signs and language before walking along the river embankment. We returned to the German side, had a late lunch and returned to the railway station. A relaxing journey back during which we talked about the things to do and see when I arrive in Sydney. The main event will be a trip to Canberra which is the political capital of the country. Can't wait!




 

More Daniel

Hello Silsdeners - time for an update. I've had a very interesting week with more appointments per day as the week progressed. Monday began with helping a student write an academic text in English. We needed two more meetings during the week to complete the task, but we got there! Later that day I went to Johanna's for a tasty meal with Jutta, Gerald and Colin. An evening with lots of good humour and jokes.

On Tuesday Daniel came for another lesson. This time he brought a present from his grandfather. It was a plastic bottle containing 'Opa's Special Home Made Palinka' all the way from their farm in the south of Moldavia.  I could not resist having a small 'snifter'. Wow! The first taste blew off the top of my head, rolled my eyes around and produced steam through my nose. Great! I enjoyed the second taste just as much.

I shall take a sample to my Photoshop Gang next week for I told them about it this afternoon and they want to have the top of their heads blown off :-)) His mother sent me a box of chocolates made in Moldavia as thanks for helping Daniel. This is the second she has sent. Thanks to both for your generosity! Here he is with the chocs and the new English Test book he has to work through in addition to his school book.

In my last post I showed the card sent by Andrei from St. Petersburg. Daniel translated it for me and this afternoon Stefan did the same. It reads as 'S novum godam' and means Seasons Greetings/ Happy New Year. Now we all know and thanks to both for the translation.

Andrei's Peninsula

Hello Silsdeners and other blog readers. A very special welcome to readers from the Czech Republik. I note I had more hits from you than any other country in December. What have I done to deserve that honour? Please add a comment and introduce yourself/selves.

I also got a very nice reply to an e-mail from Andrei in St. Petersburg. We met when I was there with Herr Dr. Sir Peter von Longlegs last August - if you remember reading my post then. He sent me a photo of his favourite place on the peninsula. Here it is. Andrei also said it would be nice to meet in Russia in August. Must learn some basic Russian!

We shall no doubt arrange where and when exactly for Andrea in Berlin has priority. She is getting married to Marco in August. I would not miss it for all the gold in secret bank accounts! Can't wait to see Andrea in her wedding dress, smiling at Marco and saying, "I do" in response to the question, "Do you take this man to be your lawful husband?"  Na, klar !!

This is just one of the nice things waiting for me this year. It starts with a flight to London in two weeks to celebrate Adrian and Tanja's 25th Wedding Anniversary. I've already booked the flight and hotel. Hope to see others from my uni days in addition to Sarah and Reena.

Last week was relaxing as we swung into another year. It even included a haircut on Tuesday. Wow! I met my Oldie Camera Club on Wednesday afternoon and they liked the photos I had selected for them to see how good/bad I was with a camera.

I met my Muggelsee Gang in a restaurant for our 'Winter Meeting' on Friday night and this morning I went to a special New Year Brunch for SPD members in my area. Very tasty and with lots of interesting conversation. Have a good start to the week wherever you are :-)

Oz celebrations

I've had a quiet 'slip' into the new year. Things are now becoming more active, but at least I had time to read more. I've had some very interesting cards and messages. As a child I valued presents but as I have aged I appreciate my cards and messages more.

Over New Year I got a short e-mail from Ian and Birgit with two nice photographs attached. You can see them for yourself. They were taken as Sydney (Australia) celebrated the start of 2015.  The quality reflects the current trend to phone-camera to take a 'selfie'. A new and strange word!



Ian and Birgit look really healthy, fit and happy. Perhaps we should all move to Sydney :-)) The idea seems more attractive as I look out of the window to see dark, cold, wet days. I talked to both this morning over skype about my future trip.

I got important tips about clothes, transport, kinds of plugs for electrical equipment, banking-payment and other things. My visit there is now taking shape about when and where and who with. Only 4 weeks to go!

Meanwhile, I decided to fly to England at the end of January. I got an SMS from Adrian and Tanja inviting me to a special party on Sunday 25th January. I know why! It's an anniversary and I can't believe it was so many years ago. Let's see what London looks like in a few weeks.