#fuck you honecker

[tanadrin]

"i know you can turn right on red in the US (you can in Germany too), but i've never heard of turning into the more distant lane of traffic on a red light" Actually I don't think this is allowed in Germany. Sometimes there is a traffic sign of a right-facing green arrow on black square ground which explicitly allows to turn right on a red light. I don't think that's allowed if no such sign is posted.

I mean yes, it's only allowed when a sign is posted, but signs are frequently posted (at least here in Berlin). Fun fact from Wikipedia:

In Germany, right turns on red are only permitted when a sign is present at the traffic light, after a complete stop. This rule was first introduced in 1978 in East Germany. It was derided as the "socialist right turn" in West Germany, which planned to eliminate it after German reunification in 1990.[45] However, a public backlash put an end to the plans, and the practice spread to the rest of Germany in 1994. Half of the 5,000 turn-on-red intersections that existed in 2002 were located in the former West Germany.[46]

Nice to know I can blame the SED for that time I got hit by a car.

[postoctobrist]

Alice will you join my heist crew? I just found out Honecker had a Citroën CX and I need it, but the fascists at the Dresden Transport Museum won't give it to me :((

fuck yes, count me in

[thomotomo]

“Oh shit”

Pairing: Zach Dempsey x Trans Male Reader

Summary: You get caught by your crush in your binder in the changing room.

Words: 2.3k

You walked inside the changing room, having waited for everyone to leave it. Luckily for you after PE class you had a hour hole where you didn’t had class allowing you to wait until you were sure that everyone had left the room until you could change in peace.

You walked inside and went straight to your locker, the faster you did it, the faster you could go do something else. You took off your clothes and reached for the one you usually wore. You heard a bang echoing through the room along with footsteps going quickly.

You tried to put your shirt above your naked torso but the stress along your internal prayer for that person not being Bryce had made you end up in a tangled mess with nearly nothing covered, especially not the one you wanted to hide. The person stopped in front of you and you barely kept a sigh of relief when you noticed it was only Zach, your crush. Great.

You then remembered that you still didn’t put your shirt on and you turned your back to him to change quickly, face burning with shame. He had hidden his face in his hands, it was

“I-I’m sorry I didn’t knew there was s-someone else!”, he spoke up first and you could feel that he was at least as ashamed as you were.

“I-It’s nothing.”

“No no! I’m really sorry. Erm I-I just forgot something in my locker..”

He quickly went over his locker as you finished to put all your clothes on.

“Are you decent?”, he asked, still not facing you and you were glad he respected your boundaries.

“It’s… It’s okay. Erm thanks for not… looking.”

“O-Of course! It’s normal! It’s your privacy after all!”

You smiled at him shyly before remembering that you could do anything and you were craving a hot chocolate from Monet’s. You opened your mouth just as he did and you looked at each other and smiled awkwardly .

“Maybe we should go outside first?”

He agreed and you left the room, Zach right behind you. You walked in the corridor and went outside the building in silence, which was quite awkward in your opinion. You stopped once you were far enough from the school building.

“I didn’t knew you were hum…” he stopped himself when you dead panned at him and he flushed a bright red.

“I- No I didn’t mean like that because of course you don’t want anyone to know about it but… Okay I’m going to shut up.”

“Yeah.”

Both of you stood there awkwardly and you were shuffling your feet but as it seemed he wasn’t about to say something more.  You took a step backward and smiled at him.

“I’ve gotta go… See you later.”

“See you later!”

You left him there and went to Monet, ordered a hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows on the top. You sat at a table hidden in a corner as you thought about the strange interaction you just had with Zach. You really hoped he wouldn’t say anything about it because if he did you were in deep shit.

At least he had seemed a bit flustered and pretty with what he saw so maybe it was a good sign? You really didn’t knew but hoped nothing wrong was going to happen following that.

You decided to bury these bad thoughts by drinking and listening to music allowing yourself to relax a bit before your last period. You sat here, comforted by the coffee’s atmosphere, really this was your favourite place in the whole town. Your phone rang, indicating that it was time for you to leave for class.

You took your backpack, leaving a small tip for the waitress and went back to the school meeting up with Alex at your locker. Both of you discussed heartily about the last exams you had to take in that class which was AP Biology. You sat inside the classroom next to each other, hoping that you won’t get a bad grade. You tried to ignore the feeling of someone watching you as you were pretty sure it was Zach. You never hated more the fact that he was in your class than right now.

The teacher walked inside and you shut up as she started talking about the exams you passed few weeks back. She pulled them out and went to distribute them around the class. You grinned at Alex as you see your mark, it was above what you had hoped for: 96!

He looked a bit disappointed as he got “only” 78 but you offered to help him to work on the points he might not have fully understood. Right after that the teacher decided you had to do an assignment in duo. You waited until he told more, hoping that maybe you could do it with Alex but sadly she was going to partner you with someone. You listened as Ms. Honecker paired people together and sadly/luckily for you, you ended up with Zach. From one side you were happy because you knew he was working well on the other side you knew it was going to be awkward.

You heard that Alex was paired up with Monty you smirked at him and watched Alex turn a bright shade of red until he swatted you on the arm.

“Shut up. You’re no better!”

“Firstly, I didn’t say anything and second, that’s true. But I’m not the red one!”

“You were thinking so loud it’s practically the same! Of course, you teased me first!”

“Now please go with your partners! This work has to be returned to me for the first week of next month! Good luck everyone.”

You took your backpack and went to meet Zach where he was seated and you nodded at him feeling a bit awkward (just as you predicted, congrats you can now open a fortune teller salon!). You sat next to him and took out your textbook.

“Do you want to come to my house after class? We could start writing a bit more about the subject.”

“Yeah good idea… So… What do you want to start the searches on?”

Both of you worked for the two hours, searching through the textbook interesting info about genes and evolution, sometimes discussing about what particular species you wanted to concentrate on to talk about their evolution and genes that had been kept or not through their evolution.

It was quite interesting and Zach seemed really into Biology and you liked that he was as much a fan of this subject as you were. You were clearly going to have fun for this assignment with him. The two hours went quickly and you packed up your things.

“I…Have to go to my locker and talk to Alex. Do you mind if we meet each other in say… 10 minutes?”

“Good for me!”

You left the classroom, meeting with Alex in the corridor. He grinned smugly at you and you sticked out your tongue at him.

“So? You seemed quite cosy with Zach back there huh?”

“Shut the fuck up Alex! You seemed quite at ease yourself if you want to know!”

“Mmh yeah. And fuck his arms are huge if you want to know!”, he recalled, licking his lips.

“Nope! I don’t want to know more! Especially if you want to describe me some kind of fantasies about him!”, he laughed at you as you reached the lockers.

“I won’t be able to walk with you. Zach and I are going to work on the project.”

“Yeah sure thing “work” I know what kind of work you want to do!”, he did quotation marks with his hands as your face was feeling quite hot at the thoughts of it. You swatted his arm with your hand.

“You’re not better! So, I’m going to go, see you tomorrow Alex and you better tell me that you got that dick instead of harassing me.”

He flipped you off as you walked away to meet Zach. He was scrolling on his phone and straighten out when he noticed you walking toward him.

“You good?”

“Yep we can go!”

He grinned at you and oh my god that was such a beautiful smile. You stood there stunned for a few seconds before following him to his car. You went in and he drove you to his house in a comfortable silence.

When you reached his house, you were quite in awe, it was quite big and pretty fancy (at least on the outside but you were betting that inside it looked quite as beautiful). You walked inside and woaw the inside looked fancy as fuck too, more in a modern way but you were sure that this sofa costed as much as you manga collection. There was a girl seated on said sofa and Zach ruffled her hair.

“This is May, my little sister! May this is Y/N he’s my partner for an assignment.”

“’Sup! So, you’re Y/N? Nice to meet you!”

“Likewise.”, you smiled at her, wondering if Zach talked about you seeing as she seemed to “recognize” you.

You followed Zach to his room and both of you sat on the ground and took out your things. He put on some music in the background and both of you started working on the evolution of the whale and you had fun debating on what interesting part to chose to speak about and more generally discussing about biology.

At a moment you were quite close from each other as you showed him something on your phone. You felt your face burning, trying to ignore this proximity as he read the article on your phone. You had worked for an hour when you decided to take a break from the work.

As Zach was to the bathroom you sent a message to your dad, telling him you won’t be back before 7pm because you were working with Zach. You closed your phone as he walked back in the room with cookies.

“I took some cookies if you want to eat.”

“That’s awesome thanks Zach!”

You took one and ate it as you looked at the room. It was big and a lot of basketball and baseball stars, a classic jock room in your opinion. You felt Zach’s curious gaze on your face and you looked up at him.

“You want to ask something right?”

“Ah! Erm yes… I mean only if that doesn’t bother you…”

“It depends if it’s invasive or not.”, you shrugged, trying to play it cool.

“I was wondering… Does anyone else know?”

“Apart from Alex and my parents nope. I mean that’s kinda the point?”, the question seemed a bit weird because that was obviously the point for nobody to know about that except people with whom you felt wouldn’t do anything to you because of this. But you “let it slide” because it was probably the first time he was faced with this situation.

“Yes… Sorry I… I’m curious but yeah I should shut up.”

You laughed quietly and went back to your cookie you noticed on a shelve the Attack on Titan manga. You quickly finished to eat the cookie and pointed at the shelve, deciding it would be a good way to change the conversation and make it less awkward.

“You like manga?”

“Ah yes! My mom bought me the 1st tome for me to try and at first I was sceptic but I really enjoyed it! Did you read it?”

“Obviously! It’s like in my top 10 favourite manga!”

You grinned as you found another common interest apparently. You discussed about manga for a good ten minutes before you continued to work on the assignment. You had found maybe like 2 pages of sources when the time came for you to go back home. You started to gather your things and Zach did the same, putting everything on his computer.

You took your backpack and Zach accompanied you downstairs and to the front of his house.

“Hey, I can bring you back to your house if you want?”

“Oh, that would be awesome, really thanks a lot.”

He nodded and took his car keys and you sat next to him in the passenger seat, giving him your address so he could drive you. The ride was spent in discussing contrary to the earlier ride.

Once you arrived in front of your house you took your backpack and got out of the car, Zach doing the same. You looked at him curiously as he fiddled with his car keys.

“So… Y’know I wanted to say that erm… I don’t mind who are…”

“Zach what the fuck does this-“, you frowned at him, clearly he was acting weird and this sentence’s formulation was definitely a bit offensive. You weren’t being yourself for people to mind it.”

“I-I’m sorry. Shit I didn’t mean it like that! What I meant is like… I- fuck that.”

“Wha-?”

He took your face between his hands and kissed you. Your eyes widened comically, you didn’t knew he arbored those kind of feelings toward you. After a few seconds he freed you and was visibly blushing, just like you were feeling your face burning.

“I didn’t knew how to say that so… I really like you and-”

“Me too!”, you blurted and put your hand in front of your mouth as you saw him laugh gently at you.

“I’m really sorry if I hurt you earlier… I really didn’t want to say things like that…”

“I understand.. But be careful next time…”

“Yep I’ll do my searches to avoid any mishaps ever again! Can… I have your number maybe?”

“Of course!”

You took out your phone and exchanged numbers, you were biting your lower lips, happy with the ending of the day. His phone vibrated with what seemed with a message of his mother and he looked sadly at you.

“I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“See you tomorrow Zach;”

You smiled at him and he took you once again by surprise by giving you a peck on the lips before getting back in his car, leaving you here with a giddy smile and a fast-paced beating heart.

________________

A/N: Thanks for reading it! I hope you enjoyed my fic don’t hesitate to like and reblog!  And if you want to support my writing please think about leaving me a tip on my Kofi

[herzlak]

Honecker und der Pastor

Radio Doria Film? Is aber jetz n büsschen... n büsschen neh... also so... nEh

Yo this movie is freaking me out

Da rennen immer mehr neue Typen ins Bild und murmeln nur so kurz ihren Namen and I'm fucking confused like ARE YOU IMPORTANT BRO? DO I NEED TO MEMORISE THAT?

Ich hab hierfür Love Island geditched nh, don't make me regret this Jan

OMFG AXEL AHAHAH

HERR SCHIMKE MY BELOVED

Anna Loos ist auch da, voll die Familienveranstaltung

Kinda offended ChrisTine isn't here.

Kornelius voll das gossip girl

No one: ... My dad: *rennt mit nem Meterstab durchs Wohnzimmer und misst jetzt im Dunklen was im Garten aus*

Es ist sieben Uhr abends PAPA BITTE-

Leider bin ich eingeschlafen und jetzt sind nur noch 8min vom Film übrig.

Suddenly there's country music??

Honecker aka er ist wieder da

Hä wie weird dass Jan das am Schluss selber einspricht

[msfbgraves]

Tainted media

"Hey look. That creator is racist/classist/sexist/terfy/ableist/nazi/homophobic/colonialist/supremacist/what have you and it really shows in their work. Best not engage with it."

Sounds appealing, hm? If you read something that presents something bad as good, you might start believing it. You might become it. We cannot have that. Protect yourself.

What a sad, scared view of our own intelligence.

We're not helpless sponges for other people's evil!

If you find out that the creator of something you encounter has beliefs that you feel are harmful, or has done things that you find despicable, this does not mean that everything they do or say or create is automatically going to make you absorb that evil trait. If Pablo Picasso is a misogynist asshole, appreciating Guernica does not mean you will become an asshole or agree with him. It also doesn't mean that this piece of art is automatically worthless.

Is it, perhaps, preferable to support creators that are not misogynist assholes? Sure! Do your research and look for them. But if you do end up engaging with, even appreciating something by someone you know has done or said harmful things, do you know what that does to you? Absolutely nothing.

Hitler has some interesting things to say about the flaws of the democratic system. Polanski has made a fine film with The Pianist. I promise you, watching that will not turn you into a rapist; it will not make you believe that rape is somehow justified or offset by it. Not if you don't let it.

And - newsflash - it is possible to both be a member of a marginalised group and express harmful views! A queer, disabled Latinx creator may still say something antisemetic. It happens! They're not immune! An intersex Jewish person can be a believer in American exceptionalism. A Roma woman could say something xenophobic or racist. So even if you were to only consume media by oppressed groups you can still encounter things you know, from your lived experience or from listening to other people's lived experience, to be actively harmful.

You are not destined to become what you're exposed to. You can second guess ideas. And even though Socrates was, in my view, sexist toward women, does not mean the whole socratic method is thereby inherently useless. Reading Calvin has not turned me into a Calvinist, it is entirely possible that Mao has had some wise things to say, and that wisdom is not rendered moot by the fact he comitted crimes against humanity. This purity movement in media engagement runs the risk of not letting us develop our own skills of discernment. The fact that Susan B. Anthony was a raging racist does not mean that what she has to say about women's suffrage is no longer worth noting, or that by reading her you can no longer recognise or seek out the perspective of Sojourner Truth. The fact that Martin Luther King was an absent father, an adulterer and a cheating scholar does not render what he has done for the Civil Rights Movement obsolete. Reading Angela Davis will not make you a Honecker apologist (who? Look em up, and also fuck them; but I believe even Margot Honecker may have said a wise thing or two in her time).

You do not need to stop engaging with people and media who have harmful ideas, however you define that. I think that is impossible. What you need to do is learn discernment.

Is what this person says based in fact? Can I check that?

Does this piece of media contradict something I know to be true? But then why do they say that?

Am I even right? How do I know?

If you do that, you will not be tainted by something. You can read Hitler without becoming anti-semite, really you can.

If you artificially limit your information intake based on a desire to remain morally pure, you will

Probably fail. No piece of media is a hundred percent woke, we all have bias

Not hone your thinking skills - you need to be exposed to their techniques to recognise them

Miss out on fun and beauty

Miss out on new ideas. You can even find something good by thinking: this piece of media is so bonkers wrong, I am going to look up the opposite out of spite.

And, you know - if you want to watch Disney, you can. It won't stop you from watching studio Ghibli, or emerging animation. You can even watch the Dumbo cartoon, or Song of the South, and still support Black Lives Matter. Because you can see why those films are racist and reject the racism.

Stop censoring yourself out of some moral obligation to "pureness." Learn to think, and you're not a defenseless victim to misguided ideas. Active exposure to different ideas, even harmful ones, will make you less likely to get brainwashed. It will not make you evil.

And reading Enid Blython will not turn you into a Stepford Wife. Reading Peter Pan will not suddenly blind you to Native concerns.

The best defence against brainwashing is using your brain.

[thecultoftill]

Im probably slow but I just realized that Till attacking everyone with kisses in the Deutschland mv is actually an hommage to the Socialist fraternal kiss (which became especially popular bc of Erich Honecker and Brezhnev)

I don’t think that you’re slow at all. There’s so much detail in Deutschland that it’s hard to catch everything, even after multiple viewings, and I wouldn’t expect everyone to be familiar with that so if you realised it you’re far from slow. I do love that detail although part of me thinks that Till also just wanted an excuse to kiss his bandmates onscreen.

Speaking of Deutschland, the scene where Till is fucking the bear rug, part of me thinks that with the bear being the symbol of Berlin it’s depicting Honecker screwing the city, and another part of me thinks that Till took one look at the bear rug and thought “I could put my dick in that.”

[lithugraph]

Glory Days

Fandom: Hetalia

Characters: APH Lithuania, APH Prussia, APH Russia

Rating: T

Summary:  Amid a dying empire, nearing the end of the Cold War, Toris and Gilbert listen to Bruce Springsteen on a stolen radio and re-live their own “glory days.”

Written for Pruliet Week 2019, prompt: regret.

This is a work in progress.  I didn’t get it all finished by the deadline, but I figured I’d go ahead and post what I’ve got so far.  I will post the whole fic once it’s done.

April 1986

Toris hated dinner parties.   

He could remember a time when that wasn’t always true.  Could remember a time when he found them enjoyable.  Surrounded by men in furs with swords at their hips, ladies in richly embroidered robes.  Amber light cast by the fire roaring in the castle’s great hall warmed the cold stone and the guests as they conversed, intimate and raucous.  Of course they hadn’t been called dinner parties then.  Banquet or feast would have been more appropriate.  If he closed his eyes, he could sometimes still smell the roasted boar.

As the world lurched ever closer to modernity, these dinners became less celebratory and more formal.  Crystal and porcelain replaced wood and pewter.  Tables grew in length, not to seat more people, but to accommodate the sudden swelling of place settings.  Who decided forks and glassware should come in threes?  What was wrong with a simple knife and fork? Toris sighed, looking around at the feting guests.  That was the thing with being immortal – the catch.  You could always remember a time that was far simpler than the current one.   

But even memories were subject to fault.

Toris’ eyes swept the dining room once more.  At the head of the table sat Secretary Honecker, East German head of state.  To his right, Secretary Gorbachev.  Next to him, of course, sat Ivan.  Other East German Politburo members and their wives rounded out the gathering.  Ivan had gone over their names during their flight from Moscow to East Berlin, but Toris was too preoccupied with not throwing up as the plane dipped and climbed during its turbulent trip.  

 They were there for the eleventh congress of the Socialist Unity Party.  Well, Ivan was.  And Gorbachev.  Toris was brought along to act as Ivan’s security detail.  As always.  

Even at the dinner party.  He kept to the room’s perimeter. Occasionally stealing a moment to check the rest of the house for “threats.”  Really it was a chance to sneak a shot of vodka or a quick smoke.  There was no need for additional security.  The Waldsiedlung compound, which housed the most senior state leaders, had that covered. Nicknamed Wandlitz after the nearby town, the compound existed as its own walled utopia in the lush forests north of East Berlin.  In addition to the wall that, Toris thought, greatly mimicked the much larger one surrounding West Berlin, troops from the Stasi’s paramilitary wing kept the grounds under tight guard.  Didn’t want ordinary East German citizens discovering what luxuries their leaders indulged in.  Even Toris managed to relax a little as he and Ivan secretly enjoyed the amenities of the elite – tennis courts and a shooting range, a cinema and department store that only sold Western goods.  Ivan was bound to denounce it all the moment the dinner ended and they were on their way back to the guest house, but Toris saw the smile spreading across his lips as he did backstrokes in the pool that afternoon.

“Join me for a smoke?” a voice said from behind, making Toris jump.

“Dammit, Gilbert.”  

The Prussian’s face appeared in his periphery.  Toris could practically feel the grin radiating off him.

“Is that a yes?”

Toris feigned disinterest.  “We’re supposed to be on duty.”

Gilbert clicked his tongue.  “Like that’s stopped you.”

Toris watched him from the corner of his eye.  

“C’mon, Liet.  Two of my guys can cover for us.  ‘Sides, I got something I know you’ll like.”

“And what might that be?”

 “You’ll have to come with me, to find out,” Gilbert teased.

Toris took another look at the guests.  Everyone was deep in conversation – talking, smiling, enjoying their drinks.  Even Ivan.

Gilbert nudged his shoulder.

“All right,” Toris whispered.

The Prussian’s grin widened. He signaled behind him.  Two guards appeared, as if condensing from the surrounding air.  Toris shuddered, glad the light was dim, and followed Gilbert out.  

Wispy clouds streaked the evening sky, pulling their veil over the setting sun, its ember glow softening in pale oranges and purples.  The black pavement shimmered beneath in bronze and silver.  A rainstorm had passed while they’d been inside. A damp chill hung in the air.  

Gilbert lit a cigarette the moment his foot was outside.  He handed Toris his pack and lighter.

“Marlboros.”

“Only the best Western tobacco for our glorious Eastern leaders,” Gilbert said sardonically.  “Let’s go for a walk.”

Gilbert shoved his hands in his pockets, only to pull them out moments later to return a salute from a couple of passing guards.

“Fuck,” he muttered, shoulders rounding.  The spark that lit his face the dining room had noticeably dimmed. And Toris knew why.

Gilbert had been put in charge of his government’s secret police.  A role he never much relished but one he carried out as only his duty-bound nature would allow.  And it was the only way to ensure his cooperation.  Gilbert was not like the other satellite states.  Whereas Erzsebet and Feliks were content to live the proletarian life among their citizens, Gilbert was the perpetual soldier.  He needed structure, command, discipline, or else his misdirected energy would have erupted in chaos. Therefore, the only way to keep him in check was to grant him some measure of power, perverse as it was.  

They walked on a few silent moments.  The streets were deserted, save for them.  Everyone was at the dinner party.

The street ended at an intersection, beyond which stood a small forest.  A path was just visible through the opening in the trees. Gilbert made his way toward it. Toris followed, tossing away his cigarette, drawing a deep breath the moment he was under tree cover.  A wistful smile crossed his face as he gazed up at the canopy above.  A cathedral of wood and greenery.  The branches like rib vaulting.  The leaves like stained glass.  

An even light lit the forest as twilight fell.  The shadows of night had yet to emerge as they traipsed through the undergrowth.  All evidence of suburban paradise faded away.  No streets, no lights, no houses.  Toris felt himself grow taller with each stride.  His stretched, back straightening with another slow inhale. He removed his cap, scratching his fingers over his scalp as locks of brown hair, free from their binding, tumbled down around his face.

Gilbert came to a halt and turned.  A dark green wall stood in front of them, nearly camouflaged by the undergrowth. It stretched in either direction, running the perimeter of the forest.  

“I’m surprised Ivan didn’t have you cut it,” Gilbert said, gesturing at the Lithuanian’s hair.

“He’s mentioned it.  Several times.”

Gilbert smirked.  “He likes it too much.”

Toris glanced away.  Suddenly the forest canopy seemed a whole lot closer.  The tall feeling he’d had moments before was fading.

“If all you wanted was a smoke and to talk about my hair, we could have stayed at the house.”

Gilbert dropped his cigarette.  It hissed out on the wet ground.

“Why’d you drag me out here?” Toris pressed.

“I thought you’d like the walk.”  Gilbert shrugged.  “Or maybe I’m just…sick of walls.”  He aimed a petulant glare at the one in front of them. “You and I — we’re not made to be kept inside.  We need this.”  Eyes lifted heavenward, to the cathedral of leaves. “You felt it, didn’t you?”  An earnest look, almost pleading.  “It feels right.  Being out here.”

“Yes,” Toris said softly.  “But things are different now.”

Gilbert sniffed, wiping the back of his hand across his nose.  The curve of his cheek glistened.

A gentle wind tugged at their uniform sleeves.  A subtle reminder.  They really ought to return.

Toris tucked his hair back under his cap.  Gilbert kicked the wall with the toe of his boot.  Above them, the leaves twisted and swayed like hands, inviting.

They left the woods in silence. Toris felt himself catapulted back to the present the moment they emerged.  Houses and cars – all of suburbia – screamed at him under the electric glare of streetlights.

Gilbert fished his last cigarette out of his pocket.  They shared it as they walked along the empty street, their booted heels scuffing the pavement.  Neither was in any hury to get back.  

“I got a new radio,” Gilbert said.

“Oh?  And what did that cost you?” Toris asked, thinking of the Western store in the village 

Lips unwound in a mischievous grin – one that revealed he had not paid a cent for his new radio.

“You’re despicable.”

Gilbert waved the comment away.  “They were a couple of Wessies.  Students. Tryin’ to sneak stuff in for black market sales.”  

“Hm.  I’ll bet they shit themselves silly.”

“You have no idea.  I swear, border patrol beats the hell out of this state dinner crap any day.”

Gilbert finished the cigarette as they reached the house.  “You should come over.  We could listen to it.  That is, if you can ditch dear old Vanya.”

Toris glanced at the door.  The sound of a piano and singing could be heard.

“Shouldn’t be a problem.”  

Ivan was most likely a few drinks in by this point, Toris thought.  He would be useless in the morning.

“Tomorrow, then?”

Gilbert grinned.  “Tomorrow.”

.

 .

 . 

Toris paced in front of the guest house gates, half expecting to be summoned back any moment.  A part of him hoped it would happen.  Except Secretary Gorbachev was not likely to need him for anything.  Besides, the Secretary preferred to use his own men.  Toris was only there because of Ivan.

He looked back over his shoulder, back at the guest house.  Did anyone even care he wasn’t there?  Ivan hardly noticed his extended absence last night.  And the Russian was deep asleep when Toris checked that morning.  He knew from past experiences that Ivan would keep to his room the day after any celebration.  But that knowledge did nothing to allay the twisting in the pit of his stomach.    

Toris drank a cup of coffee before leaving.  The serving staff paid him no mind as they bustled about their morning routines.  He learned long ago to move with a sense of purpose and power to negate suspicion.  Back straight.  Eyes forward. Head level.  People were less likely to bother you if you looked like you couldn’t be bothered with them.  It granted a certain degree of anonymity, a freedom to come and go as he pleased.  It was a power Toris knew not to abuse.  And he was all too aware of how suspicious he might look, standing outside the guest residence, if Gilbert didn’t hurry the fuck up and show soon.

At that moment, the hammering sound of an engine could be heard echoing in the still morning air.  Toris glanced back at the house, sure the racket was bound to bring someone outside.  None emerged.

A car appeared at the end of Tschaikowskistrasse.  The yellowing color of spoiled milk, it rattled toward the guest house gate.

Gilbert pulled up, grinning from the driver’s side window.

“What took so long?” Toris hissed.

“I had to make a pit stop,” Gilbert said, motioning at the back seat.  On it rested a case of beer.  “I doubt Ivan let you bring anything.”

Toris shook his head.  “It wouldn’t have been good anyway.”

“Trust me, this is not my best work either.  Are you gettin’ in or what?”

The engine gave a loud clank.

“Is it…safe?”

“Only the GDR’s very best,” Gilbert smirked, thumping a hand on the side of the car.

Toris opened the door and slid in, wincing as his knees knocked into the dashboard.  He and Gilbert sat shoulder to shoulder in the tiny, two door coupe.

Again Toris looked at the house, his gut churning with excitement and nerves.  

“Everything okay?” Gilbert asked.

“Yeah – no.  Fine.  It’s fine. Could we just go already?”

Gilbert shifted the car into gear. “You didn’t clear it with him, did you?”

“I shouldn’t have to,” Toris muttered.

“You want a beer?”

Toris reached in the back, popping the top off a pilsner as the car drove from the guest house.

“I miss that farmhouse ale you used to make,” Gilbert said.

“…So do I.”

.

.

.

Notes:

The title is in reference to the Bruce Springsteen song “Glory Days”

Waldsiedlung was the secure housing zone for leaders of the GDR.  Nicknamed Wandlitz for the village nearby, the people of East Germany had no idea it existed or what luxuries their leaders lived in.  It was surrounded by a fence proclaiming it to be a wildlife research facility.  There was an interior wall beyond that.  The community had, among other things, a cinema, restaurant, and department store that specialized in selling western goods.  It was guarded by the paramilitary unit of the Stasi (East German secret police).

The official guest house of the GDR was called Niederschoenhausen.  Located in the Pankow district of East Berlin, it was the former Baroque palace of Schoenhausen.

Gil’s car is of course a Trabi (Trabant)

Lithuanian farm house ale - there’s a great beer brewing tradition in Lithuania that, until recently, has largely gone unnoticed by the rest of the world.  During Soviet occupation, beer, like everything else, was heavily relegated and home brewing was outlawed.  

[piritskenyer]

Science officer M1. C. Kort, personal log, entry 1011

I am slightly inebriated. The Human crew has finally accepted me as a member of the crew, despite me only being on an observation mission. To celebrate this, some of the marines and seamen have invited me to “drink”. I thought they were talking about simple rehydration, but I was quickly reminded that Humans consume ethanol (and other mind altering substances) for recreational purposes. The terms seem to be interchangeable somehow.  When I entered the mess hall, I was cheered for some reason, and someone shouted “Kort, you are right on time, it’s happy hour!” to which someone reacted “It’s always happy hour, you retarded cunt!”. A minor verbal exchange ensued, to which I feared there would be a violent incident, but all that happened was that a group of Seamen (I found out they are also called “sailors”) and a group of Marines were exchanging verbal abuse and challenging each other to a “drinking contest” (the point of the excercise is to ingest the highest possible amount of ethanol while remaining conscious. There seem to be no physical price awarded for this activity). Before I realised what had been happening, Iwas shoved into a seat and Staff Sargeant Elektra Mobal jumped on top of the table and screamed “Alright you ingrate shits, it’s Kort’s birthday, you better pay the fuck up”. I was confused and asked her what she meant to which Lieutenant Ariadne Kistev explain to me that Humans, registering every single revolution of their planet around their star keep records of an individual’s life cycle and use it as a reference point to determine maturity, unlike us who use the Horm test to determine that. I hadn’t realised, but they were actually right, it was actually 40 revolutions of Raydan around our star since I hatched. Before I knew it, there were literally 32 small containers, called “shot glasses”, in front of me, each containing what they called “hard alcohol” (which seems to mean 30% or above v/v% concentration) of different kinds. They were all synthesised on board by the drink dispenser, but they all had different names: yaeger, a black liquid, vodka, a clear liquid, “white rum” another white liquid, “dark rum” an yellowish.brown liquid (which supposedly bears kinship to the previous liquid), palinka and schnaps, both clear liquids I could make no difference between, but Lance Corporal Fekete and Machinist’s mate, first class Honecker swore they were nothing alike. There was also “Ouzo” to which Private, First Class Sarakis said was unrivaled, but Sargeant Bouchard came up with “Pastis” that seemed to have the exact same composition. Chief Torpedoman Higgins approached me with a clear liquid he called “Moonshine” while the rest of the crew was laughing and calling him “fucking redneck” (a nickname that I found quite disrespectful but that he seemed to shrug off and even take pride in). I drank everything the Humans gave me, despite knowing full well, it is qualified as poison. My sense of balance has regressed, but I can still walk. The people present were cheering me on as I was consuming the “shots” (they apparently called them that way because of how they have to be gotten over with like a shot to the head - a clear example of their dark humour tied to death and suicide), and I think, I am not sure, that I have earned a macabre sense of respect for having been able to drink the poison they gave me without losing consciousness. Apparently 32 (+5) shots are a lot.  To my utmost shock, the ship’s commander and first officer stopped by the mess hall to drink with me, as seemingly “gaining years” remains important in human society even after reaching percieved maturity. They both wished me a long and full life, I assume tat is a standard “birthday” greeting. Before I knew it, the people present split to two groups, “sailors” (Seamen) and “rocking horses” (Marines) and started shouting insults and taunts at each other. They also started singing songs where one group would start a verse and then stop and leaving the other to finish. I cannot describe it any other way but this: It was a display of love between two groups divided by the pride of rivalry. After they had consumed enough ethanol (and some other substances) the two groups playfought, where they stood at the two ends of the mess hall, and then ran at each other. when the two groups met, some rolled on the floor hugging each other laughing, while others would be grappling on bigger counterparts only to be shaken off. This playfight was interrupted by the appearence of Major Henriksdotir, commander of the Marine contingent on the ship, at which point everyone, no matter how drunk, just stood upright, silent and unmoving (I am told that is the state of “standing at attention”) until Major Henriksdotir said “Fuck off, don’t stop on my account” at which point all of the Humans standing in perfect stillness and silence just collapsed to the floor laughing. The Major came to me to drink for my birthday. She deprated after having a single shot, stating that she had to “keep her head” (another one of those strange Earthling expressions) because she was on watch. I got away from the drinking after most of the company present had been overcome with ethanol stupor and were in stasis emitting strange noises on the floor of the mess hall. I am going to conclude this log entry with the statement that we should probably stop thinking of Humans as bloodthirsty, as they seem to have enhanced bonding reactions under the influence of ethanol.

PS: I am told that the substance called “yaeger” is written as “Jäger” and the full name is “Jägermeister”

EDIT: This is a note I am adding two days after the events described above. I am told by SSg Mobal that Ethanol may influence humans differently. It would enhance whatever their current emotion, namely if angry, would make them more aggressive and destructive either towards themselves or others, if cheerful, it would make them happier, if sad it would make thm suicidal or angry as in the first point.

[lemmeg0]

2 days in Berlin, Germany

Let me be very clear first. 2 days in Berlin is far from ideal, but hey, if you are running tight on the schedule, a couple of days in Berlin would give you a good impression of how this city is. We were in Berlin on christmas day and the day after. The christmas spirit was super high, as we expected. 

Berlin, a city with so much history!

After having spent a day in Dresden, we took a bus (flixbus) from Dresden at 8:30 AM and reached Berlin at 10:45 AM. We had booked an airbnb room and wanted to dump our bag before exploring the city. The very first thing we did was that we bought a day pass for zone A and B for 7 euros/person. Zone A and B ticket (together) is good for anywhere inside Berlin and you could use any public transportation you want. On the other hand, Zone A, B, and C ticket is good for taking you even in the surrounding region of Berlin including Potsdam. That ticket costs 7.50 euros. Make sure you validate your ticket via the yellow box found near your ticket machine/trams/buses. The public transportation in Berlin is excellent which makes it very comfortable to get from one part of the town to another. 

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

After dumping our bags at our room, our first destination was the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. As the name suggests, this memorial in the center of Berlin, is dedicated to all the Jews who lost their lives during the Holocaust. 

Rest in Peace!

The memorial site is made up of rectangular concrete blocks. Started in 2003, the memorial was finished in 2004 and opened to the public in 2005. Though we did not visit the exhibitions as the information center was closed, these exhibitions portray the conditions of the various groups of people who were the victims under the Nazi regime. 

Address: Cora-Berliner-Straße 1,10117

How to get here: Take U6/S1/S2/S25/BUS 200

Official website: http://www.stiftung-denkmal.de/en/home.html

The Brandenburg Gate 

Our next stop was the Brandenburg Gate because it is only a few minutes walk from the Holocaust memorial. The Brandenburg Gate symbolizes not only Berlin but the whole Germany. Being the most important landmark of Berlin and standing for more than 200 years, it’s been a witness of many historical events. 

The Brandenburg Gate

The Brandenburg is the heart of Berlin. In the past, it symbolized a divided nation and now it is an icon of peace and unity. 

#Syria Berlin. Seen near the Brandenburg Gate

Address: Pariser Platz 110117 Berlin

How to get here: Take S1/S2/S25/U55/BUS 100/BUS 200/BUS N2/TXL

The Reichstag building

The Reichstag building is the Parliament building of Germany and the second most visited place in Germany. Just like many other buildings in Germany, this landmark is rich in history. Its famous glass dome is more than beautiful and can be visited for free. 

The Reichstag building aka the Parliament building of Germany

This building has seen everything from catching a mysterious fire to being used by the Nazi regime and getting destroyed during the WW2. The Reichstag dome was designed by Norman Foster in 1993, and now this glass dome is a symbol of unity for Germans.

The Reichstag dome

The tour of the dome can be done free and if you are going during summer, make sure you register online because it is very likely you will not find a spot if you have not booked in advance. And you have to do it at least 6 weeks ahead of time. If you go during winter, like we did, you could register at the service center. 

We registered around 3:30 PM and were able to find a spot for 7:30 PM tour. The dome is beautiful and we also got free audio tour which described not only about the history of the Reichstag building, but also the other buildings in Berlin we were able to see from the dome and the dome terrace. Berlin was lit up and the dome served as an excellent observation point. 

Address: Platz der Republik 1, 11011 Berlin

How to get here: U55/BUS 123/BUS 100

Official website:http://www.bundestag.de/en/visittheBundestag/dome/registration/245686

Christmas Market at Gendarmenmarkt

The recent terror attack in one of the christmas markets in Berlin could not hold me from visiting the biggest christmas market of Berlin on Christmas day? Our tour to the Reichstag building was at 7:30 PM. So, we decided to visit the christmas market at Gendarmenmarkt. 

Welcome to Zauber Gendarmenmarkt

Situated between Französischer Dom (French Church) and Deutscher Dom (German Church) in one of the most popular squares of Berlin, it has a perfect location. Unlike other christmas markets we visited which had no entry fee, this one costs 1 euro though. 

The market is full of unique things from fancy restaurants to comb makers , but something which really impressed me was their stage performance by a group of people and a girl performer took juggling to another level. The whole market stopped by to have a look at it. 

How pretty!!

If you are here during christmas, Gendarmenmarkt is something worth visiting and don’t miss their stage performance.

Address: Gendarmenmarkt 2, 10117 Berlin

How to get here: U2/U6/BUS 147

Before visiting the Reichstag building from the christmas market, we stopped by at Mustafa's Gemüse Kebap for dinner. It is a pretty famous spot and considered to have the best kabab. Honestly, I found it alright, but hey you might find it delicious. There is a long waiting line here usually. After our tour of the dome, we headed our airbnb room and that’s how our day 1 in Berlin ended. 

Berlin Wall Memorial

Our very first destination on day 2 was the Berlin Wall Memorial. As the name suggests, this wall is a memorial to all those people who were impacted during the division of Berlin.

The Berlin Wall Memorial

There are many information posts through out the site and we were able to hear the audio commentary in English which helped us understand the history better. There are videos too showing the attempts people made to escape from one side of Berlin to another.

The symbol of unity

If you are interested in Germany history, Berlin Wall is the right place. It is interesting and at the same time, it shows what Berliners had to suffer a lot as if the WW2 was not enough.

Address: Bernauer Str. 111, 13355 Berlin

How to get here: Take U8/M10

Official website: http://www.berliner-mauer-gedenkstaette.de/en/

East Side Gallery

Our next stop was East Side Gallery and it took us about 20 minutes by tram to get there. East Side Gallery is the longest open air gallery consisting of more than 100 paintings by the artists all over the world. This gallery symbolizes freedom, hope, unity, and a better world. 

The most famous image of the East Side Gallery, where the Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev is kissing passionately the East Germany President Erich Honecker

More than 75% of the paintings have been vandalized or damaged by graffiti, East Side Gallery is a wonderful place to be if you love to walk and love artwork and graffiti, and yea, it is FREE. 

Fuck Wars!

Address: Mühlenstraße, 10243 Berlin

How to get here: S5/S7/S75/BUS N65

Official website: http://www.eastsidegallery-berlin.de/

Topography of Terror

This exhibition, as the name suggests, would leave you terrorized. It so clearly depicts the brutality of Hitler and the Nazi party. This exhibition is located on the same site where the centers of National Socialist terror used to be, and there were ruins of the prisons and the headquarters bombarded by the Allied group.

The ruins of the National Socialist Terror

This place is packed with lots of information, more than we were able to digest. The texts are well written and informed. You could watch the videos too. The exhibition forced us to reflect what humans could do to other humans and I can’t even imagine how it felt to be a jew, Sinti and Roma, disabled, or homosexual back then. This museum is free and if you have a weak heart, do not go here.

The fate of disabled people during the regime of Nazi

Address: Niederkirchnerstraße 8, 10963 Berlin

How to get here: U6/RE/RE3/RE5/BUS M29/S2/S25

Official website: http://www.topographie.de/en/

Checkpoint Charlie

Checkpoint Charlie is only a few minutes away from Topography of Terror and we decided to have a peak at it for few minutes. It was the crossing point between the East Berlin and the West Berlin during the cold war. 

The division of Berlin

After the reunification of Germany, this point is used as a tourist spot located in the Allied museum. We were too tired to go tour the museum, but hey we covered the Checkpoint Charlie.

Seen at Checkpoint Charlie

Berlin in two days left us exhausted. We wished we had more time in this city, but we were able to cover many interesting things in Berlin. So, do not back out from here even if you have less time. Berlin is a big city and if you are a history lover, you must pay a visit to this place.