Today I got out of work at 1 and met Rene for lunch at Fischers Fritz, one of the best restaurants in Berlin.  It’s part of the Regent hotel (formerly a Four Seasons), where a crowd of Celine Dion fans were waiting for her to walk out at any moment that afternoon.  I guess she’s in town for a concert tonight.  It was superb food and table service, but they were, as could be expected in Germany, a bit unfriendly.  As a main course I had a small white fish called St. Pierre (in french or german) that is found in the pacific, served with a coriander and ginger herb butter.  Never heard of it before but it was delicious!

Today is also Klaus’s 60th birthday, and Germany is playing Croatia in the European Championships.  Jutta’s parents were here earlier and some friends are surprising him later here.  The big party is happening in a week at a small hall north of Berlin where 75+ friends are celebrating with good food, drink, and dancing long into the night.  I will always love how the Germans appreciate and celebrate birthdays! 

Anyways, the office has been slow, quiet, and honestly boring.  I’ve read the entire NY Times online everyday since Monday now, and get out usually at 1 or 2pm.

Getting out early has its upside though: I’ve had time to wander around the city a bit more, during which I’ve fallen in love with Prenzlauerberg.  It’s a former East-German neighborhood now inhabited by artists, 20 and 30-something locals and very hip people.  I always find myself walking around there at the same time all the young parents are toting their kids out to get ice cream, or meeting up for play dates in the park.  There seems to be an unusual amount of new parents and young kids here, too.  I got a few tips from the women who cut my hair on which shops in which I could find good departure gifts for folks here.  I ended up with a unique looking bottle of Argentinian Malbec-Corvina from Masi Tupungato, Passo Doble, 2006 (??), as well as a few great cards and ribbons.

Yes, I indeed indulged in a hair cut at an all-natural salon near Kollwitzplatz – there’s something about the skill, style and eye of European “friseurs.”  They aren’t afraid to give you something different yet what they do, they do it well.  She cut my hair in a manner that I have never seen anyone’s hair be cut in the States, and it looks great.  It was one of the highlights of the week…. well worth it.  

Enough about hair, another Dartmouth student, Elisa, arrived yesterday at the house to spend the summer as an intern in the American embassy here in Berlin.  It is quite the hostel here!  It keeps life interesting, so says Jutta.  It is very kind of her and Klaus to open their homes and lives to young strange students.  It takes effort to do so.  I admire them for giving students a great place to live while we all indulge ourselves in German work, academics, culture and life.  

Such spots are great for evening get togethers or drinks on a warm summer night, but the downside is the sand & shoe situation, and the desire to swim (a personal issue of mine) while sweating in a beach chair with no swimmable water in site.  Which brings me to my discovery today, on a tip from Rene, which is the “Badeschiff,” or swimming boat.  At the end of empty factory buildings, old tram-tracks, and an artists’ warehouse somewhere near the Spree River in western Kreuzberg one arrives at this make-shift beach, and in the river is a boat of sorts that is just a big swimming pool.  Creative idea, I thought.  This whole area is pretty hip with dock-side bars, ethnic restaurants and other various venues.  This area, and Kreuzberg in general (former East Germany territory), certainly has character, culture, and a good down to earth, anything-goes vibe. 

On Saturday, Rene and I drove to an island on Wannsee where Brad Pitt is building a house, only after illegally sawing down numerous trees in the middle of the night and paying off the fine single-handedly.  One could also wander down to the water for a great view at the Evangelical Institute – really just a conference and retreat center, see photo below.  

We then headed to Potsdam for dinner at the old and renowned Villa Kellerman overlooking the water.  Afterwards we drove further Eastward around a few of the lakes, sitting down for ice cream at a oh-so-very-East German spot where we people watched someone else’s wedding.  The distinctions are still remnant today even if one tries to claim other factors for the way things are/appear in this rather poor, rural towns.  We also stopped by the modern but unappealing house that Sigmund Freud’s son built in the early 1920s that recently sold (after the wall came down) for quite a bargain after being unoccupied for many years.  

Sunday I went to Strandbad Wannsee, and in the evening we watched Germany beat Poland in the first round of the European Football Championships (soccer, folks) out on the terrace, which, unsurprisingly, will be a regular evening event this week.  

On another topic, Sofie and her family (from Oslo, Norway) took me out to dinner last night.  We ate at a nice restaurant on Oranienburger Strasse, a hip area in Berlin Mitte that is lined with cafes sprawling onto the sidewalks, and by 11pm one could barely find a table.  We had great conversation, great wine, classic German food (wiener schnitzel the size of a 9″ cake pan), and a dizzying array of Norwegian, English and German all mashed together.  Sofie’s father speaks fluent German as he went to business school in Switzerland and does business there now.  Sofie understands German because she had in for a long time in school, and otherwise many words are similar to Norwegian.  I found it hard to form my mouth around English sentences… hard to break the German groove so to say. 

We wandered down the street and had a drink before Max, the older son of Jutta and Klaus, picked us up and whisked Sara, Sofie and I off to club Week End, which was on the top floor of an office building in Alexanderplatz (think: TV tower).  It was fantastic weather to sit on the roof terrace to lounge under heat lamps and take in the view of Berlin at night.  Max kindly drove Sara and Sofie back to their hotel and we got home around 3am.

I don’t think I ever want to be an elected representative, nor occupy any job having to do with the game of government.  Perhaps I do.  It’s a paradox really.  The job of a woman in any government job (Condi doesn’t count) is one that is consists of fleeting identities and attempts to maintain a competitive spirit and edge, constantly on top of the game.  In these past two weeks I have observed the some of the most primitive and important jobs/roles in the world, and have observed the uphill battle women face.  I’m surely not a feminist, but even the men admit to taking part in activities which inherently exclude women.  Last week a session between the Coalition parties (SPD & CDU/CSU), which have the majority and must vote similarly on important issues, went well past midnight.  Afterwards, said my representative, a few of the men were invited to one of their offices to have a beer and process what just happened.  A small but important example — it is in these meetings that perhaps the most important “advancements” of politicians occur, where they gain respect and can informally voice their opinions, earning the personal respect of their fellow colleagues.  Not many women would willingly participate in such an activity.

Jutta informed me that during the Red/Green Coalition (keyword: Schroeder), female representatives and ministers from the SPD, the opposing CDU party, and the others all got together for a “Bitch Breakfast,” where some of the most important negotiating between parties occurred.  Men were not allowed, and apparently the rather successful activity was a regular issue in the media.

The “chummy-ing” that occurs between male colleagues, the competition, the interrupting of another party during committee sessions, the name calling during party working groups – it is all so very primitive, and not female behavior.  This behavior is especially important in the parliamentary system where negotiation, sacrifice, and party lines are crucial to policy making and effective governing.  

In any case, I am quite disgusted by the entire political process at this point, and am exhausted from standing and sitting around meetings where men dominate.  Accordingly, my desire to participate and make change (by being a woman in government) has also been dampened.  During an informal lunch today with the leading reps. on the renewable energy policy, my attitude bounced back a bit perhaps because it was more about working together, sharing knowledge, etc.  But I don’t see myself keeping up that competitive, biting edge and spirit all the time.  I don’t mind diving in the pool once in a while, but not every hour. 

The other turn-off for me is lack of true leadership available in political positions.  The main task is strategy and collaboration, rather than leading a group.  And when the opportunity arises to speak to those one is representing, the discussion is glossed over with statements emboldening the actual progress of things.  I want to be a leader, not a player.  Politics is too primitive for me, thanks.  But I struggle with the paradox — when will change ever occur?  The instinctual nature of the political game is slow-evolving I believe, and is it really worth it just to put my face out there?

Anyways, Monday we had a visiting group of 50 or so people from Marko’s (my rep.) voting district.  Twice a year representatives are allowed to have group tours to Berlin for two days, all expenses paid.  We met with them throughout the day, and I was invited to go along with Marko on the boat tour that evening, which was a great way to see Berlin and it’s unique architecture and greenery, especially at the end of a hot day.

I ended up befriending their tour guide, Rene, who does such tours for the Bundespresseamt (National Press Agency) four or five times a year when he has free time.  He finished studying architecture, worked in China for a German firm for a year and is back in Berlin taking a few weeks off and applying for jobs in Germany.  We hung out yesterday and I got a great tour of Kreuzberg – the bohemian-hip neighborhood south of Berlin Mitte.  We drove around in his retro Citroen 2CV (see photo below, his is bright red and in a bit better shape than in the photo), and I learned about every important architectural design or monument that we passed, since that’s what he studied and he grew up in Berlin.  There are great parks, quiet streets, and nice cafes to be found in every corner, and was just another check-plus on my Berlin experience.

I  moved to the room upstairs on the third floor, so now I have a sunnier room (on the south side), my own bathroom, and my own terrace!

Later on Saturday Jutta gave me directions to Schlachtensee, a narrow lake two subway stops further from us.  There’s a path that goes all the way around the tree-lined lake, and I walked about 1.5 miles in order to find a free spot.  People were squished into every nook and corner of free space they could find, and the lake was a bit cloudy, but it sufficed for city-wilderness and was at least chlorine-free heat relief.

Around 10pm in the evening Klaus and Jutta picked me up on their way from one party to the next – a birthday party for one of their closest friends.  It was a lovely garden party in the lingering evening warmth of such a hot day, and was nice to meet some of their friends. 

Today I went to Strandbad Wannsee (see photo below), which is a 5km long built up sand beach on one side of a relatively large lake.  There were many people sailing, and numerous marinas at one end of the lake.  It’s advised to get their before noon or else you’ll never find a comfortable spot, i.e. enough personal space, because half of the city heads there on hot days.  I stayed from 11-2pm before I decided to head back before my tan turned red.  There are a handful of lakes in the area just a few miles west of here, which is quite nice to be able to head to the beach or go for a swim without traveling too far.  I’m thankful I was able to get some relief!

In any case, most of the parents thought I was a German student, and I got compliments of my accent – or lack thereof.  I guess I have a knack for the “aussprache,” or, the way a language is spoken.  

The most interesting thing is a small-world moment.  Ben, one of the Dartmouth students, is from Bucksport, ME…!  It’s not often that you meet mid-Mainers anywhere, much less in Berlin.  He was nice, shy, and a little awkward, and I don’t think he understood what I was doing here but nonetheless, neat!

In other news, briefly: Yesterday we went to the Berlin Air Show, the 3rd largest in the world, and got a tour of the Airbus A380 — the two story, largest-airplane-in-the-world that will never be ready, so it seems.  There were some articles about it in the BBC and NYTimes I believe a few months ago… Singapore airlines bought a few of them, and they were still working out wiring issues.  After a “coffee chat” and a short lecture, the French Airbus engineers led us through the unfinished interior explaining random things in horrible English that I could barely understood, mind the other German and Czech men in my group.  There weren’t many women in the group of powerful-looking men, and those women who were there were outfitted in quality tailored suits and Versace sunglasses.  It wasn’t the most enjoyable atmosphere and visit, so to say.  Here’s a photo of me in the cockpit.

Today I summarized the new tax plan proposed by the SPD so that Björn could write an article about it.  In Germany, social services are paid for by two means: General taxation (sales tax, etc.) and “abgaben,” which is essentially a fraction of a worker’s total income paid into the big three funds: Social security (retirement), healthcare, and unemployment.  The majority of those funds are paid for from workers’ incomes, which may not necessarily be as progressive (income-wise) and therefore not as sustainable and fair as the government would like them to be.  In the past decade workers have been paying significantly less into those funds, and to ensure that “our children are not left with debt” the SPD wants to generate more money for those funds.  

To do so, they are proposing less “abgaben,” or contributions, from one’s income and higher taxes (*gasp! yes! higher taxes can be a good thing!) so that the distribution of contributions is more equally spread.  This system is heavily implemented in Scandinavian countries.  It is based on the idea that the wealthier consume more, that the unemployed also consume (but pay no income taxes when unemployed), and it is more easily controlled than general income-contributions. 

I found it profound that throughout the proposal it was continually mentioning the future that our children must inherit, the “long term” sustainability of those three, very important funds, and the debt that will ultimately balloon if not tamed.  The SPD faces challenges for proposing such progressive ideas in that the majority of voters are older citizens who do not pay income tax but pay general consumption taxes who notoriously vote for the CDU/CSU (conservative party).  Beware!  I hope I will keep in mind the future of my country’s youth when I am an older voter… I wish that you will too.

Similarly profound was the small meeting I attended with a Europe Commission member presenting details on progress of implementing a particular braking technology for trains to reduce the noise.  I researched the topic beforehand only to find opening paragraphs bursting with warnings of protecting public health – the first and foremost reason for implementing “noise protection” as it’s directly translated.  This especially applies to freight trains, which travel at nights and very long distances, and are often decades old.  The newer passenger trains already have quieter braking systems.  They have developed this technology and the EU has made weighty recommendations to its countries knowing that it is NOT in the interest of the railway management, companies, etc.  It costs money, brings in absolutely no profit, and they have no incentive other than the public’s health.  Meanwhile, Switzerland and the Netherlands are on the road to outfitting their trains with the new technology, and Germany is in the process of figuring out how to pay for it with economic incentives, among other things, but are otherwise all for it.

I was stumped and speechless to hear about this — a costly (nearly $1 billion) government spending project to keep the noise down to protect the public’s health!  And our government can’t even pass (no, not just Bush folks…) a bill that cost less than $1 billion to ensure that children, whose parents make between 100-300% the poverty level, can get to the doctor for a routine check up.  I’m referring to the recent failure of SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program) to be renewed.  The disregard for the future of our country, the most important group under the name “public health” is left in the dust.  Senior citizens are surely important, but in “quality of life years,” i.e. on average how many life-years a person has to live, children, youth, and young mothers are the most important, and the most often denied the care.  I could go on for pages…

Instead, I’ll just note how different it is to live in a society that truly – and fairly – cares for its citizens and the health of its country in general.  Because implementing noise-lessening brakes will cost the rail industry and companies large amounts of money, I am sure that in the US such a measure would not even be discussed, for being anti-business.  Profits, as a foundational methodology, are inherently unfair, create wide gaps of opportunity, and the furthest thing from a caring, egalitarian, healthy way of life.  

Weekend with Sünje:

Today was the beginning of the “Sitzungs-Woche” when Parliament is in session and there are lots of meetings going on.  Today I sat in on the working group for the SPD-Fraktion of the environmental committee.  The working group is essentially members of a parliamentary committee who belong to the same party, so that they can form their arguments and work in the committee wholly as the party.  It was neat to be directly observing how government evolves.

On Friday I went to Kiel in a carpool from the central ride-share network in Germany.  It was by far the cheapest and fastest option – 15 euros and four hours.  At Sünje’s house they were just finishing up grilling outside on their beautiful granite table top with a grill in the middle.  We slept there, had a wonderfully large and long breakfast, then drove to Hamburg with Omi (Sünje’s grandmother).  It was sunny and in the low 70s, and we spent the entire day walking around Hamburg along the river, stopping every hour for a beer or latte machiatto, and soaking up the sun.  We got home at 8pm and prepared a heavy dinner of asparagus, ham (fine, thinly sliced deli “schinken”) and potatoes — all served with butter.  It was insisted I kept smothering on the butter – “or else you can’t taste anything.”  We sprinkled pepper on our ham and coriander on our potatoes, which was quite a tasty touch.  

Sunday we had a wonderful breakfast, hung around, and we parted our ways at 3pm when I caught my ride back to Berlin and Sünje took the train to Kiel.  It was a lovely time, as if we had just seen one another despite the fact that it’s been one and a half years.  We both think at some point that it would be enjoyable to work in the same place and live together, or at least travel somewhere together.  In general it was nice to spend time with a good friend and be with “family,” or people with whom I feel like family, because otherwise I’m living on the surface and outer edges of others’ lives here thus far.  

This week will be busier than the last.  Tonight I’m going to the Philharmonic concert with Klaus as well.  I’ll post more at a later date.  For more photos that are updated more often, please go the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2029344&l=cd350&id=21503269

After our very academic conversation, I sat here reflecting on that conversation in comparison to last weekend, and my visit with the Hundertmarks.  I am forever grateful that I value – and always ensure that I get enough of it – quality time spent with close friends (or the neighbors), time to myself to cook (something I view as perhaps a form of meditation), knit, hike, or swim, so to remove myself from the unabated highway of academic thought, general work or otherwise.  Every German was out for a walk on Saturday in the sun, and between Sünje and Omi, the nice weather was commented upon at least 15 times: “Wie schön das Wetter ist heute!”

The appreciation of simple things so vital to our health, mood, spirit, etc. is noticeable here, as I wrote in an earlier post (air quality, weather).  The value of physical social contact with others perhaps stands out most next to commenting on the nice weather.  Having the neighbors over for tea is perhaps more important than working on the house.  Come to think of it, except for tending to the garden, it’s rare to see people doing outdoor housework.  That we could sit down two or three times to take in the sun and each other’s company over a glass of tea or coffee, and then begin making dinner at nearly 9pm, and continue on til midnight with one another, speaks highly to what the Germans do on their “vacation day,” as Sünje called it.  We shed any time constraints, stress, work thoughts and spent time with one another – not with one another’s work, ideas, or verbal resume.  

From another angle I see the lingering belief of Germans (or Europeans) in the inherent good of humans.  The topic came up when discussing the ride-share network — of course, best judgement is used when sharing rides with strangers, and that not circumstances may be appropriate.  In order to be more clear I suppose it’s best to describe what such an attitude is not: In the states, most people are out to prove something, in competition with one another – whether on the street, the greenest lawn, the nicest car, the perceived demand to pump out ideas, etc.  Another aspect of this is, I believe, the perceived ill-meaning of our fellow citizens or neighbors.  It takes more to prove to someone that you are not ill-meaning than is sometimes worth it… that you are not intentionally cutting a bit into their lawn when mowing, that you are lost and not intentionally cutting them off, or not shoplifting.  I certainly don’t feel this is 100% of the population, but I get that feeling more than I get the trust & respect & genuineness feeling.  I think the attitude is overall unnecessarily negative.

Perhaps that’s why folks have so much stress: The pressure to prove, to finish, to rack up the income for the next vacation, car, or what have you.  Or the pressure to move up in your profession… the list goes on and on.  

Somehow this all leads me to wanting to work in a social, relevant area/issue in a few years.  But I am discouraged as I’m currently reading “The Shock Doctrine“ by Naomi Klein (she writes often for the Nation and the Guardian), which describes the CIA and US’s heavy and full participation in coups to overturn democratic, peaceful governments in South America and make room for the “Chicago Boys” (neoliberals educated by Milton Friedman at Univ. of Chicago) to institute their wholly free-market economic experiment, meanwhile suppressing any speck of opposition with torture and essentially exponentially separating the handful of elites from the middle and lower classes to create some of the most socioeconomically unequal countries in the world.  A million people were tortured with techniques taught by Americans (and used today at Guatanamo Bay), and millions languished into poverty as they lost their small businesses, healthcare, farmland, and schools — all in the name of nationalism.  In order to keep the act up, the CIA fully-funded fabled threats and plastered the media with praise for the new “miraculous” governments, discovered only in later years to be completely false and made up — Sound familiar??  The overarching, foundational, and manipulative power of the US government is unthinkable — how on earth could any real effective change be done in the face of such a powerful beast?  As the book is beginning to reveal, it has yet to be done and is proving to be harder than any theorist thought.

Before I get too depressed, let me end this with a great quote from Jhumpa Lahiri:

“In fact, the only thing that appeared three dimensional about Boori Ma was her voice: brittle with sorrows, as tart as curds, and shrill enough to grate meat from a coconut.”

Note: The above musings were strictly that, musings, and are by no means set in stone, nor am I suggesting that one culture is necessarily by far better than the other.  I’m open to discussion, if you wish to explore the ideas further.