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Posted Oct 31, 2009 by Wand'rin star
I was teaching on a residential course in northern Poland. We used to tape the BBC news to use it as a post-breakfast listening and discussion practice.When the Berlin Wall came down, I had to get up very early and tape the news while everyone else ate breakfast, frantically writing questions while gulping awful coffee. So much happened between one day and the next.
My younger son was staying with his German penfriend in West Berlin. I had had to sign a permission for him to go to the East if possible. By the time he got there the wall was down, but his penfriend had saved him a very small piece, which is still upstairs in my study. 
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Posted Oct 31, 2009 by Galaxy Babe - welcome to the MMXs
Marvellous, thanks for sharing
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Posted Oct 31, 2009 by lil~ACE/Scout {Auntie Giggles}
A wonderful piece of history
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Posted Oct 31, 2009 by Sho (I can't be asked)
I'd appreciate it a lot more if we weren't still "donating" a hefty slice out of our monthly salaries to pay for it all. Solidarity tax...
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Posted Oct 31, 2009 by AlsoRan80
Oh wandering star
I did not know that you came from that part of the world. !! What a historical period to have lived through.I still do not remember the exact date, but I know that my son went through by train whilst the wall was still up after he had gained his first degree.
Wonderful. Thank you for sharing it - abd great to catch yo with you again,
With affection
~Christiane
AlsoRan80
31/10/09 18 25 GMT
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Posted Oct 31, 2009 by Wand'rin star
Dear Christiane,
I'm English but have taught at universities in Ethiopia, Malawi, Lesotho, Cameroon, China, Poland and Hong Kong.(in that order) I also taught at schools in England and Switzerland, and colleges in Australia and Bulgaria.
I do seem to have got caught in some interesting things en route.
Dear Sho,
It's amazing how once a tax has been imposed it never goes away. We took a pay cut in bad times in Hong Kong which was never reinstated even when the financial situation improved greatly and now, of course,it's back to bad times.
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Posted Oct 31, 2009 by Sho (I can't be asked)
Well, I can't really complain - and the lowest earners don't have to pay it at all. (so if you have to start paying it, I suppose it means you've achieved a relatively good salary)
But with so many people in the West part of Germany now out of work, it would be nice to have the aid it provides to the poorest parts and not just those in the East.
Btw, you know what I used to do, right? The night the wall came down I was on duty, and not being connected to the outside world by means of regular radio or TV, we hadn't a clue what was going on!
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Posted Oct 31, 2009 by Sho (I can't be asked)
Oh and WS - when when when are you writing up your life story?
NaNo 2009 starts tomorrow...
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Posted Oct 31, 2009 by Wand'rin star
I think I'd better get started - otherwise my grandchildren will be able to read before I get it done
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Posted Nov 1, 2009 by Sho (I can't be asked)
Check out National Novel Writing Month.
50,000 words between now and 30th November...
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Posted Nov 2, 2009 by Trillian's Child "German Meet Spring 2010 A61150628"
Some people were in tears at the ceremony held in Berlin to commemorate the 20th anniversary. Any mention of it still has me reaching for the Kleenex, too. Unfortunately, the euphoria soon wore off and it was "business as usual".
As so many people have said - it might have been a peaceful revolution, but, seen from this end of the time scale, it wasn't very effective. Despite the fact that we still have Solidarity Tax, as Sho has said, things have still not evened up. Within a generation, all prejudices will (Let's hope!) have disappeared in people's minds, but the practical and economic side of it is proving a hard slog.
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