Tag Archives: Berlin

flying home

Posted on July 12, 2009 by

We fly from Berlin to Toronto in two days. Today we said goodbye to Achchi and Seeya who are on their way home to Sri Lanka. We’re all caught in the little turmoils of being happy to go home and being … Continue reading →

Posted in . | Tagged , | 1 Comment

when bad children happen to good apartments

Posted on June 20, 2009 by

For now we live in a rented three-bedroom apartment on the top of a six-storey building. All the buildings in our neighbourhood are six-storey apartments. They’re full of families. The architecture and demographics go a long way to explaining why … Continue reading →

Posted in . | Tagged , | 4 Comments

spielplatz!

Posted on June 9, 2009 by

Berlin playgrounds (spielplatzen) are wondrous. In this neighbourhood, they’re on almost every corner. And they’re all different. I keep wondering how it’s done. Are they designed and funded by the city? Do local residents tax themselves to maintain them? Are … Continue reading →

Posted in . | Tagged , | 9 Comments

train trip

Posted on May 22, 2009 by

K. had to give a talk in Frankfurt so we went along for the train ride. Malli’s enthusiasm for trains cannot be over-stated. He knows all the train varieties by sight: trams, u-bahns, s-bahns, “double-decker trains” (Deutsche Bahn regional trains) … Continue reading →

Posted in . | Tagged , | 5 Comments

vesak lanterns

Posted on May 10, 2009 by

Last December I wrote about our mixed-bag of holiday celebrations and looked forward to including a Buddhist holiday in the mix. The full moon in May is Vesak: Buddha’s birthday, enlightenment day and death day. In 2006 we were in … Continue reading →

Posted in . | Tagged , | 5 Comments

family rainy day public transit adventure

Posted on May 7, 2009 by

Faced with a rainy day in Berlin, we were short on ideas. We spent the last rainy day at a mall in Alexanderplatz that has a nice-enough food court with big windows facing the train station. I’m not proud of … Continue reading →

Posted in . | Tagged | 3 Comments

voyeurism

Posted on April 26, 2009 by

This is for those of you who, like me, when out on an evening walk, will look in people’s windows if their lights are on and their blinds are open. Since geography and gravity don’t allow you to look in … Continue reading →

Posted in . | Tagged | 3 Comments

today in Berlin

Posted on April 20, 2009 by

Today in Berlin we rode a tram, a double-decker bus, and a subway train. And we saw a very tall tower. Malli was in heaven. First we went to Alexanderplatz and saw the TV tower,  which we can see from our … Continue reading →

Posted in . | Tagged | 1 Comment

Berlin orientation

Posted on April 16, 2009 by

We arrived yesterday and are all turned around time-wise but we’re starting to find our way around this little corner of Berlin called Prenzlauer Berg. Our apartment is fabulous. On the top of one of the many 6-floor buildings that … Continue reading →

Posted in . | Tagged | 6 Comments