Berlin Seminar – weeks 28 & 29

Volunteers with the YMCA like me get to enjoy 4 seminars every year (with the same group of about 25 other volunteers), totalling 25 days. I may have mentioned a seminar in October – I’ve since had another in January (both 5 days) and just recently our 10-day seminar took place in Berlin, with a relatively large amount of things to say about it, and Berlin. (More will follow this post I expect!)

Our group of 25 volunteers (from all over Germany) was joined by two others, one from a region in western Germany, the other made up mostly of volunteers in Berlin.

We all take the train to get to our seminars, usually 4/5 hours for me, so it was nice to only have to travel just over an hour to get to the one in Berlin. We stayed in a hotel-like youth hostel belonging to the Berlin City Mission, who give a warm evening meal, clothes, hygiene products, medical care, and a mattress for the night to those that need. (I assume they are partly funded by the hotel.) At one point during the seminar, we visited the basement where these guests come and food is served, and the rooms in part of the hotel/hostel where they can sleep.

After arriving on Monday 7th March, we played a few games to get to know each other. The following day, we were taken on tours of Berlin in groups by the leaders of the seminar. On the Wednesday, we visited an old section of the Berlin wall, which divided the city during the last decades of the GDR (German Democratic Republic/East Germany), and a museum about the Berlin Wall. We also attended a devotion at the ‚Versöhnungskapelle‘ – reconciliation chapel – which included remembering one of the victims of the socialist regime who died on the 9th March years ago, Herbert Mende.

There was a morning devotion at 8:00 every morning, a Bible study time after breakfast, and a devotion again at the end of the day. Mainly the participants did the devotions, which always included some singing.

We had the rest of the day on Wednesday free to do what we want – I lingered about the museum a bit longer, looking at a few things I’d missed, and then headed back to the ho(s)tel where I think I wrote a postcard home, and relaxed. Some people were out ‚on the town‘ til 2am every morning, but I preferred to rest and relax quite a lot, and save my strength for being back in Frankfurt (Oder).

On Thursday 10th, I was part of a group that visited a Stasi (the secret police of the GDR) museum, on the site of the old Stasi headquarters in Berlin – another group visited an old Stasi prison. The main focuses of the museum visit were Erich Mielke, head of the Stasi for decades, Stasi gadgets used for collecting information (cameras, microphones, hidden in everyday objects, such as satchels and watering cans) and the end of the Stasi, including the HQ being stormed. There was also a talk about education in the GDR, showing how children were taught to think that the evil ‚West‘ wanted to invade peace-loving East Germany, which was quite shocking. But I also found it quite surprising how/how much the Germans (including those who had lived through the GDR) laughed about the story books children had to read, for instance, as part of a state which aimed to ‚know everything‘ about its citizens and keep them doing exactly what the state wanted. I wondered whether they laugh as a way of distracting themselves from the reality of it all, or something like that...?

On Friday 11th, we visited the (most visited government building in the world,) the Reichstag, near the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg gate), for which we needed to be security checked before going. We heard a very good talk about the proceedings of the German parliament/government, and then went onto the roof, where there were very good views of most of Berlin’s attractions and sights.

On Saturday 12th, we played a virtual game (but in the real world) to help us to better understand how politics works, or the difficulties there can be. The game took place in a pretend town with a high proportion of immigrants, with a proposal of introducing books in the language of the immigrants to the library in vast quantity. We chose roles as members of the political parties (following their policies as closely as possible), or as members of certain commitees that were for or against the proposal, and common citizens. I felt I could’ve made more of an effort to try and convince people during the game, but didn’t (and I also found the language of persuasion in German a bit difficult at times, I haven’t argued something in German in a long time!). At the end, there was a meeting of all citizens in the town hall, with speeches and counterarguments, and a vote at the end, which was slightly more in favour of the books, but there were lots of varying proposals from different groups with their particular interests.
     Many people found it quite hard coming back out of the role they had been in during the game, and being their ‚normal self‘ again, which made us think what everyday life must be like for people that really work in politics. We also found a particular person with a particular character can have a lot of influence on how the game develops.

On Sunday 13th, we had the day free, with instructions to visit one of many possible church services in Berlin. Along with quite a few others, I went to a church service in a cinema (the seats couldn’t have been better), which was quite normal, apart from pieces of piano music being played at the start and end of the service, and part-way through, which I certainly wasn’t used to, but it didn’t especially bother me.

On Monday 14th, we prepared for talks with politicians or their staff, which took place that evening and the whole of Tuesday. They were really quite interactive, with lots of opportunities for individuals to ask questions and discuss things. And they were all very good, I found. The six I attended were: Data protection/saving for security reasons, Child poverty in Germany, and then on the Tuesday Islamism in Germany, Criminal Law for young offenders, Christians and(/in) politics, and finally Germany’s involvement in Afghanistan. I very much enjoyed translating for a girl from Swaziland who struggles with such fast German – though I’ve noticed my English is not as good as my German in these cases, some words I have to think about a lot to retrieve.

For part of the day on Tuesday (15th), we prepared ‚acts‘ which we then presented in the evening, as a kind of evaluation of the seminar – our group looked at the accomodation and food, and did a sort of circus-like act with several parts; mine was juggling, but it went quite wrong as it was quite dark on the stage, and I couldn’t see the balls properly. There were lots of other (more) entertaining acts, such as a musical, as an overview of the whole seminar, songs, drama, a picture story, video in the form of an interview with the leaders, which twisted their words, also a do-it-yourself game where everyone together illustrated trying to escape from inside a wall (a human chain), which was fun, reviewing what we’d learnt about the GDR.

Needless to say, despite some problems, food and accomodation were excellent, with yoghurt and fruit cocktail on offer alongside the usual bread, jam, cheese and sandwich meat, and for lunch and dinner many foodstuffs to mix and match from, and lots of salad on the side.

On Wednesday 16th, the tenth day, there was a service followed by lunch, and then it was off back to Frankfurt (Oder), and a restful afternoon before continuing with work the following day.

Berlin, Socialism, GDR, Stasi, Reichstag, German culture, Language,

Going HOME! Weeks 25 and 26

From the 14th to the 27th February, I visited my family back home in England. Everyone (I eventually realised, after Seb, Will and Jeremy remained hidden at first) came to the airport to collect me, even at 11pm or around there, at Bristol (handy, there’s an Easyjet flight between Berlin and Bristol).

I received Valentine’s cards from my two sisters, daffodils from Mum, and was very glad to be back.

On Tuesday 15th, I enjoyed lunch and a good chat with Mum at the refurbished Kings Arms pub turned posh restaurant. then with a good friend from church in Cirencester the following day, and then a walk and picnic in the surrounding countryside with Dad on the Thursday.

On Thursday, our Chinese lodger’s family returned back home, meaning there was room on Friday for our French grandmother to come, with a usual spattering of presents.

On Friday, me and Jeremy walked in on one of Seb’s and one of Will’s lessons in school, for a laugh. AND I received two offers from  U n i v e r s i t i e s , wohoo!

On Saturday, Seb cut my hair very short and not all that evenly; it was his first time though, and I'm happy with the job he did anyway.

I went to church on Sunday, where it was good to see everyone again, though I hadn’t had time to prepare a small something to say about my time in Germany so far.

On Monday 21st, we all went out in the car to see snowdrops – and, whilst playing football, my brother Seb tore his knee open more impressively than I’ve ever seen before, skidding about a meter along a road after tripping over Will’s foot...

On Tuesday, me and Emily spent a long time cooking a delicious meal with stuffed chicken and roast potatoes.

On Wednesday, a hospital appointment in Swindon sadly kept me away from my family for a few hours.

On Thursday, I seem to have spent most of my time filming video clips with my siblings, which can now be found here – (or at the very bottom of the blog) and I think more are to come. (I swear it can be addictive, making videos like this. And very time-consuming.) Well done Seb for the editing, Will, Jeremy and Elise for their impressive (and partly dangerous!) acting, and me, for eating all the cookies.

On Friday, I was able to watch Will at Malmesbury Abbey Skate (where he, Elise and Jeremy had been already on the few days it was running that week), doing very well. (I also saw some good friends again there.) He also took part in a competition that evening, against two younger boys from skater families (!) who made him look not all that impressive, but he’d really improved a lot – good job Will!
      And then, on Friday evening, Dad was kind enough to take me and Will to Riff’s bar, where we enjoyed very loud music from local band Dirt Royal, and from The Supernovas, of North London, and very cheesy chips. We dared sit at the front for a while, and after half a song or so, my hearing was going fuzzy and numb it seemed, so we soon went further back. And then we even said a few words to their singer at the end – and Will dared put on a high-pitched voice, I could hardly believe it.
      Great fun anyhow, and the ringing in my ears had died down by the following morning.

On Saturday I went for a picnic with Sebastian in Malmesbury’s Nature Reserve – for once it was sunny, which was nice. I’d forgotten until I came home that the weather can be overcast or rainy most of the time – it’s a lot more sunny (though colder) in Frankfurt (Oder), with clear blue skies.

And on Sunday, I went to church again, (still hadn't had time to prepare anything to tell about Germany!) seeing a few more people who hadn’t been there the previous week. Then we had a very nice Sunday lunch, and I was given a set of Chinese Opera masks amongst other gifts, by our Chinese lodger.
And then, in the afternoon, according to the sense of German organisation which has taken possession of me, it was time to be off...
We left an hour and a half later, and thankfully Bristol is much easier/quicker to get to, and a very small airport, compared to Berlin Schönefeld, for which my need to be organised would've been more appropriate. I still got a bit of a scare with boarding the flight and had to run a bit...
...and got home, safe and sound, at half 12 early Monday morning, after talking to some very nice people on the plane.

This all reminds me of the story of the very hungry caterpillar, in which he eats an apple on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, etc. We read it in the English club I run the first week I’ve been back. (I’ve been able to bring all sorts of materials – books and games – and edibles back with me, they’re a real help.)

Looking back on the two weeks, it was a really good time for our relationships (especially being away and realising how important they are to me), great fun, perhaps not that relaxing at all, and made me see how blessed we are as a family, which I don’t think I properly realised before. Amazing! Two weeks does go fast though...

I look forward very much to the whole family visiting me in April, up to and including Easter. Woohoo!

On with the second half of the year now...

Fritz Paweltzik... - Weeks 4/5

...is a man who grew up in the very flat ‚Oderbruch‘ region to the north of Frankfurt (Oder), and was a member of the Hitler Youth, and fought against the Russians in the area and later in Berlin, aged 17, narrowly escaping death several times. Since then he became a Christian and did a lot of work in Ghana and also in East Africa, partly with the YMCA there, running a football club, sharing the Good News about Jesus, also running a nursery school for poorer children to learn English so they could then go to school, where everything was taught in English, and building hospitals and other facilities. He was elected chieftain of a tribe of 30,000 people in Ghana. To the present day, he’s also written many books (not sure exactly what about though, presumably his life as well).

Every year he visits schools in Frankfurt (Oder), and tells the children about his life experiences. This he did again from the 27th to 29th September, and the CVJM had the privilege of driving him around, and helping him get about in his wheelchair. He stayed with one of the CVJM families every night.
I heard his story many times, but enjoyed it every time. It’s particularly humbling, in a way, to think that this is the area where the end of World War two was fought, in the streets of the towns and villages, in the woods we drive through. Going for a walk once through some woods, I came across old trenches and shellholes, it really makes you stop and think.


The town of Frankfurt (Oder) was, for the larger part, destroyed in the war, burnt to the ground. Most of the town has been rebuilt from scratch. The CVJM-house and the nearby post office building survived the war, as well as a few churches and the old Viadrina University building, and most buildings in one area of town, further away from the river. But seeing photos of the flattened city after the war in a museum was really quite something, makes you stop and think too.

With Mum and Emily, just arrived - Week 1

I came to Frankfurt (Oder) not alone, but enjoying the company of both Mum and Emily, who travelled with me on the train from Rennes (more-or-less where the French grandparents live in Britanny) to Paris (with ‚le TGV‘ = Train Big Speed), on the Paris underground, then from Paris to Berlin overnight, then finally Berlin to Frankfurt (Oder). Good that they were there, otherwise I would’ve no doubt struggled with my three bags plus guitar, and arrived very sweaty.
But without my (winter) coat, as I managed to completely forget that as we were leaving France. Not so wise when coming so far east.

We were welcomed by the wife of the man who is responsible (in a good way) for my being here – he teaches at a vocational college in Frankfurt (Oder), and, after an email from me asking about working as an English Assistant was directed to him, he suggested to me I could volunteer with the CVJM here.
Anyhow, the first week we were here, we were granted the pleasure of staying at their house, enjoying the company of their four children, and sleeping in their guest room. They were extremely welcoming, generous and ‚warm‘ people, I don’t think I’ve come across anyone like them – regularly asking whether there was anything else we needed. All three of us felt very at home, I think.
(And I said ‚were‘, but they still are.)

Together with Mum and Emily we were taken on a tour of Frankfurt (Oder), and also the neighbouring Polish (but very German-orientated) town Słubice, where many Germans go, even from Berlin, to buy cheaper petrol, cigarettes, and alcohol, amongst other things.

Together, the next day, we also met my new (first!) boss, and later went for lunch in the sunshine at a restaurant (Das Kartoffelhaus - the ‚potato-house‘) overlooking the wide river Oder and the green marshland on the Polish side. Those were good times, despite the several wasps.
After that, we wanted to donate blood, for which you get 14 or 20 Euros here (unlike in Britain where you're generous and give it up for nothing!), but a) we had drunk beer, and b) they don’t accept blood from anyone living in the UK, something to do with BSE (aka Mad cow disease). Schade! (shame)

We also visited Berlin before they took the coach home, going to the famous ‚Brandenburger Tor‘ (Brandenburg Gate) and then enjoying a simple bus tour of the city, with commentary in German and English – and more was always said in German than in English. Then it was straight to the ‚Central Omnibus-station‘ (not sure if that’s a fair translation (but is it ever?) of ‚Zentralomnibusbahnhof,‘ aka ZOB) where we took our time saying our goodbyes, and Mum and Emily set off on their long coach journey back through Brussels (correct me one of you if I’m wrong...?), over the channel, to London, and then on home.

And I set off alone, back to Frankfurt (Oder), and my year as a volunteer (t)here.