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jephmatI have a few piccies from Prolog's excurrsion to the DDR Museum, showing us all of the facets of life in the former East Germany in all its kitschy glory!
A Trabant! The mighty workhouse of the DDR's roadways preserved in all its hard plastic glory! How about that?
Tanya is smaller than I am, but even she could only barely squeeze into this thing.
What was cool about the DDR Museum is that it really focused on daily life in the DDR, and not so much all the political hoo-ha. They had a mock living room, chidlren's toys and programs, and even a typical East German bathroom!
Of course, it wasn't all fun and soap. The translation: "Socialist work, Socialist learning, Socialist life."
Kitschier than thou: DDR Television!
The place where I stayed for my three weeks was set up by the school and was pretty swank. My host family's flat was so neat n' clean I was frequently afraid to touch anything. Bernd, the overlord of this mini-palace, had many pieces of artwork throughout the place.
Many of my fellow students at Prolog were quite jealous that I had my very own bathroom. I had to be careful though, the bathroom counter's top was made of a kind of marble that is easy to damage, and if I left a shaving cream can on it too long it would mar the surface. (What I mean by 'afraid to touch anything'.) I usually placed all items on top of a small towel or in the fancy glass bowl, just in case.
When I arrived I was presented with a list of rules to follow. One of them was that you always had to sit when using the toilet, especially if you were a man! (For hygenic reasons.) Just as a reminder, this handy-dandy graphic was provided. Some of the rules were no doubt created after they had had some less than pleasant experiences with other guests, some of whom I believe were a lot younger and randier than me. Other rules: No overnight guests, no smoking in the flat, and don't lose the housekeys!
Here are my hosts: Bernd on the left, and Fernando! Bernd works for thee almighty German government. His position has something to do with agriculture. His normal workday is always "stressful", as every time I asked him how his day was he would always answer "anstrengend". (Stressful.) Fernando is an interesting fellow. He was born in Brazil, but he is also an Italian citizen, (He always uses his Italian passport when he travels, as one of his parents is Italian,) and he lives in Germany. Talk about a man of the world! They were very friendly and generous guests, and I got to partake in Fernando's cuisine, as he often cooked for lunch and dinner. Brazilin-German home cookin'!
Just for kicks, the Alexanderplatz world clock, which looks way bigger in photos than it does in person.
Next Berlin Post
A Trabant! The mighty workhouse of the DDR's roadways preserved in all its hard plastic glory! How about that?
Tanya is smaller than I am, but even she could only barely squeeze into this thing.
What was cool about the DDR Museum is that it really focused on daily life in the DDR, and not so much all the political hoo-ha. They had a mock living room, chidlren's toys and programs, and even a typical East German bathroom!
Of course, it wasn't all fun and soap. The translation: "Socialist work, Socialist learning, Socialist life."
Kitschier than thou: DDR Television!
The place where I stayed for my three weeks was set up by the school and was pretty swank. My host family's flat was so neat n' clean I was frequently afraid to touch anything. Bernd, the overlord of this mini-palace, had many pieces of artwork throughout the place.
Many of my fellow students at Prolog were quite jealous that I had my very own bathroom. I had to be careful though, the bathroom counter's top was made of a kind of marble that is easy to damage, and if I left a shaving cream can on it too long it would mar the surface. (What I mean by 'afraid to touch anything'.) I usually placed all items on top of a small towel or in the fancy glass bowl, just in case.
When I arrived I was presented with a list of rules to follow. One of them was that you always had to sit when using the toilet, especially if you were a man! (For hygenic reasons.) Just as a reminder, this handy-dandy graphic was provided. Some of the rules were no doubt created after they had had some less than pleasant experiences with other guests, some of whom I believe were a lot younger and randier than me. Other rules: No overnight guests, no smoking in the flat, and don't lose the housekeys!
Here are my hosts: Bernd on the left, and Fernando! Bernd works for thee almighty German government. His position has something to do with agriculture. His normal workday is always "stressful", as every time I asked him how his day was he would always answer "anstrengend". (Stressful.) Fernando is an interesting fellow. He was born in Brazil, but he is also an Italian citizen, (He always uses his Italian passport when he travels, as one of his parents is Italian,) and he lives in Germany. Talk about a man of the world! They were very friendly and generous guests, and I got to partake in Fernando's cuisine, as he often cooked for lunch and dinner. Brazilin-German home cookin'!
Just for kicks, the Alexanderplatz world clock, which looks way bigger in photos than it does in person.