After a big group dinner at my apartment and a viewing of an odd British comedy called "Dinner for One" that has a cult following in Germany on New Year's Eve, we ventured out, not knowing quite what to expect. (You can read about the background of the "Dinner for One" obsession here and watch the short video itself here.)
We made it to within about 100 yards of the gate. Amazing. And, except for about 15 minutes of separation from two in the group, we all managed to stay together, although it was sometimes only because we human-chained it through the million-person (really!) crowd. (I mean, just LOOK at that mass of humanity!)
The music selections were entertaining mostly due to their randomness and diversity. We ate crepes with Nutella to keep us happy while we waited for the countdown, which nearly caught us off-guard, but we all managed to count for the last few seconds, then enjoyed the amazing light show and fireworks! Check out the broadcast here.
We enjoyed a lovely walk through the city (earplugs firmly in place to survive the constant fireworks being set off all around us by fellow revelers) -- around the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, across Friedrichstrasse, along the Spree River near Museum Island, finally ending up at the Hackeschen Höfe, where most of the students stayed to continue to ring in the New Year on its auspiciously numbered first day, 1/1/11.
Today (New Year's Day) is a day of rest for us all before a more formal introduction to the city tomorrow and the start of classes at the EuroCentres Monday.
No news about our luggage yet. Just keep getting the vague message "TRACING CONTINUES. PLEASE CHECK BACK LATER. At least they're not saying "YOUR LUGGAGE IS UNTRACEABLE. PLEASE STOP ASKING US ABOUT IT." or, "YOUR LUGGAGE IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE NORTH SEA. WE ARE UNABLE TO RETRIEVE IT." Not yet. So we're all relying on the power of positive thinking, willing our luggage to come to us. In the meantime, we're getting pretty familiar with each other's limited clothing selections and have quickly realized that we need far less than we think we do to thrive. It is just stuff, after all. We are all safe and happy here in Berlin, and that's a good (and cold) way to start off the year!
So, to our friends, families and fellow Lutes, we say:
Alles Gute fürs neue Jahr 2011!
comments:
Willkommen in Berlin und Frohes Neues Jahr!
Hey, your photos are awesome! Too bad I couldn't make it to Berlin. Being at the Brandenburger Tor must have been fabulous.
BTW, I'm very proud of you and your students that you watched Dinner for One! :)) This is not just a cult or obsession... oh no, I would even claim that watching this show is a "national requirement" for NYE in Germany, LOL!!! It's part of our German heritage, like driving without speed limit on the Autobahn, hahaha ;-)
Enjoy Berlin! :)
PS. I hope you get your luggage soon!
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