Lemback Blog » Berlin

Your Time On The Weltzeituhr

Marlene — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 22:38:24 +0000

We are turning the clock forward for daylight saving time (DST), though I don’t need to do it manually, thanks to our radio-controlled wall clock that shifts to summertime or wintertime automatically. Otherwise, I may have to get up at 2:00 AM tomorrow to turn my clock forward. But I couldn’t possibly do this, who could anyway, when everybody’s in deep slumber at this hour. This is another change that I find myself quite hard to get used to in the first week. It feels like my sleep is abruptly one hour short and everything will be affected. If I get up tomorrow at 10:00 AM the real time is already 11:00 AM. But it doesn’t matter much cos I normally sleep in on Sundays. The week ahead is more of an adjustment period.

Speaking of DST, this Weltzeituhr (World Clock) in Berlin shows the local time of different countries. The first time I saw it, I thought it was nothing but a unique design of a clock.

The Weltzeituhr at the Alexanderplatz in Berlin

It was summer when we were there and I noticed that the clock showed the exact time in Manila at that time in Berlin. The local time is shown on the wall clock while the world’s time is shown on the 24-hour clock. Tourists will never lose track of their own local time.

Behind me is the Weltzeituhr

Check your time on the Weltzeituhr when you’re in Berlin!

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The Public – PhotoHunt

Marlene — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 11:53:53 +0000

This is what I found for PhotoHunt challenge today. The public at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin were all in position to take photos of these camouflaged but pretend soldiers. The bear mascot was also in place to smile on the cameras. They welcomed tourists to this spectacular presentation that depicted the old West and East Berlin. And it all happened at the Brandenburg Gate where the militaries stood divided to guard their own posts, making sure no one from east would cross west and west to east. But now it’s only a scene so don’t be scared and get your cameras ready when you’re in Berlin.

At the Brandenburg Gate

The Brandenburg Gate

The woman in the middle of the guards had nothing to do with them. She was among the public who wanted to be photographed and be a part of the scene of the day. Anyone could actually come forward and pose with the performers. It might be scary for children to see men in camouflage but the bear mascot was there to lighten them up. That’s how open Berlin to the public these days. I don’t know if they do this all year round but it was summer when we witnessed this reenactment of the past.

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The Fall Of The Wall

Marlene — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:21:12 +0000

It will be 20 years tomorrow since the Berlin Wall was torn down amidst the protest of the east side for freedom. My morning newspaper is making a big deal of the history of the Berlin Wall, with ten pages of stories and illustrations from the day it was built, torn and how significant it is now for the people. Darn, I wasn’t born yet when the east side of Berlin started to build the wall in 1961. And by the time it was razed in 1989 I was already in college studying to be a teacher. But my mind was not completely focused on the event when the people shouted in jubilation because it was the same year when my beloved father died. A month and a few days after the fall of the wall, my father succumbed to death. Not because he was devastated or overjoyed about the event, I wouldn’t know he’d feel about it but he died due to prolonged illness.

I didn’t think of relating this event with my father but somehow, reminishing the fall of the wall has led to another event to be reminisced. I was trying to remember where was I and what did I do during that time when the year 1989 suddenly poked me and I exclaimed in the back of my mind, “Oh, my God!” and started to recall the days that were. How ironic how the fall of the Berlin Wall reminded me of my father when today is also Father’s Day here. Jesus Christ! How all these things just popped in my mind while writing.

Anyhow, back to the Berlin Wall, part of it is still standing in the city and tourists visiting there can imagine how thick and high the walls that used to divide the city of Berlin. Now it’s there to remind the history behind it.

The Berlin Wall in the background

Ruins of the Berlin Wall

That’s how the ruins of the wall looks now. My father could have seen me with these pics if he’d still be alive. But I’m really surprised how that year gave me a back-to-back memory of the past, both of the world and of my life. How about you? Where were you and what did you do when the Berlin Wall was fallen down on November 9, 1989?

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Men In The Tube

Marlene — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:42:08 +0000

This sight greeted us one early morning in Berlin while we were on the way down through to our breakfast. It’s not the view we normally get to see when we are riding an elevator, and that day was by chance a view of two men cleaning the Aquadom in Berlin. While the hotel workers under the tube were busy tending their guests, the two divers in the tube were having a good swim while feeding some 2600 fish in different species.

According to Wikipedia, this Aquadom in Berlin is the largest acrylic cylinder in the world. I didn’t know about this but what I knew was that it was the largest aquarium I have ever seen. Hubby and I didn’t know and haven’t heard about the said Aquadom before. It was a mere coincidence of discovering this fascinating attraction in Berlin when we stayed at the Radisson Blu (formerly Radisson SAS) Hotel where the AquaDom is located. It is the center of attraction in the hotel’s lobby but the entrance to the Dom is next to the hotel through Sea Life Berlin which maintained it . The Dom offers a two storied-elevator ride where one can experience deep-sea diving without actually being in the water. The ride is both fun and educational as one gets a closer look of the sea life (especially the tropical fish) at the same time learning about them.

Two divers in the AquaDom cleaning and feeding the fish

Accordingly, these professional divers are working full time and they are cleaning the Dom everyday. Unfortunately, we’d seen them just once, maybe because we slept in most.

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Gone Too Soon

Marlene — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:00:54 +0000

Incidentally, Michael Jackson’s Gone Too Soon song can now be dedicated to him. Life’s irony cannot be anticipated and it’s sometimes painful, sorrowful. Michael’s supposed to be concert tour in England in July could have been his revanche for the lost years. The 750,000 tickets were sold in minutes and with this huge crowd, his career could have been revived. He said it would be his last concert tours and then no more, but ironically, his life ended so soon and there would be no concerts, not anymore. May he rest in peace…

Jacko’s wax and hubby at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Berlin

Jacko and the wacky me.
The tall and short, lol!

When I am in all spirit to sing any song and without thinking which, the songs “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” and “Heal The World” easily get me into the tune. These are not my favorite songs, but the lyrics and the melody have been stucked in my head like forever. We all know that Michael Jackson had left quite a number of phenomenal songs. Which one do you remember well? Except the Thriller, everybody who grow up with Michael Jackson knows it’s unforgettable.

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Finding Solitude In A Bathroom

Marlene — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 22:53:25 +0000

How long can you stay in a bathroom? I’m ashamed to admit that I’m not a water-saver. I can spend an hour or so in the shower and I can let the water run till I feel like it’s shouting at me to stop. But if I have a bathroom like this, I’d be more willing to sleep in and perhaps spend time reading, eating (lol!) and blogging inside. This hotel-bathroom is quite lavish in look despite it’s little space. Moreso, I liked the sink a lot. I could fill it with water and soak my face in it.

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Berlin Cathedral

Marlene — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:05:10 +0000

If you like old architectures you would surely admire the Berlin Cathedral. This huge architecture was built between 1895 and 1905. It had survived the test of time when bombed and damaged during World War ll but later restored. Am totally wordless, can’t find any words to describe more.

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Madame Tussauds In Berlin

Marlene — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:05:46 +0000

I learned about Madame Tussauds wax museum when my Thai friend showed me photos some years ago on her visit to the said museum in London. I thought it was the only place where this museum can be found. But Madame Tussauds know where it should stand among the crowds. Just recently opened in Berlin, my illusion of posing with prominent figures has finally come true, hahaa! Hubby and me didn’t exactly know it was there at all, but at any circumstance he found out the next day we were there. And even not too long from the hotel we were staying.

Look who’s happy to see Dalai Lama. They can be good friends, am sure of that. They must have talked about many things like the future of Tibet or the Olympic Games, who knows, hehee.

No matter what they’ve talked about, I was busy posing with my fave George Clooney, hahaa. Is Ocean’s Fourteen coming yet?

But don’t be fooled by these pictures as if we really have met these prominent icons. They’re only wax, human-sized and alluringly real-looking. Perhaps it’s fascinating to visit Madame Tussauds when you’re in London, Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, New York, Shanghai, Washington D.C. and Berlin.

By the way, we’re back from the holiday. We decided to just stay in Berlin as the weather hasn’t been so good. The rains almost stopped us from going out of the hotel. And hubby has got flu. But it’s always nice to be back at the comfort of home after being away.

The Fall Of The Wall (43)
It will be 20 years tomorrow since the Berlin Wall was torn down amidst the protest of the east side for freedom. My morning newspaper is making a big deal of ...
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This sight greeted us one early morning in Berlin while we were on the way down through to our breakfast. It's not the view we normally get to see when we are ...
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How long can you stay in a bathroom? I'm ashamed to admit that I'm not a water-saver. I can spend an hour or so in the shower and I can let the water run ti...
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It's our third day in this full of history city, yet we can't decide when to leave. There are a lot more to see so we extended our supposed to be two days stay....
Your Time On The Weltzeituhr (7)
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