Christmas pt.1

Christmas in Berlin. I guess you can say that the strong face you put on in your mind is more often than not weaker than you expect. I knew that Christmas was coming; I could see it creeping closer like a giant tsunami wave of impending emotions. Even though the mask you wear seems infallible from the inside, the reality is that it's more holey than Swiss cheese on the outside - the side always hidden.

When I got to Berlin, I stepped inside a warm house and a warmer family, suddenly realizing how chilly the past few months had been. The porcelain face that I had built slipped from my tear stained cheeks and shattered... OK, OK. Enough poetics! I was terribly sad and I did miss family and loved ones very much. But we three girls, tied into spending a Christmas together, were all separated and in pain. The result was a beautiful week of tissues, Audry Hepburn, cookies, Champagne, tears, and laughter. The whole thing was a giant success. By the end, I did not want to leave.

Christmas eve, I was half tempted not to go to church. Traditionally a family event, church on Christmas eve is like green following red at the traffic light. Without family, however, I had no lust to go. But go I did, dragging my feet the whole way, which resulted in me being late. I went to the Church of Memories, quite near Wittenbergerplatz, ironically. The Gedächtniskirche is a ruin of WWII - a bombed out husk of a church that remains standing amidst the wealthiest shopping district of Berlin. Beside the ruins, a new church hall was built and to this church is where I went for service.

It was late and I barely squeezed inside. I came in out of the cold just as the congregation started singing Stille Nacht. It was good that I was pushed underneath a staircase with barely a view of the blue tiled wall behind the crucifix. No one could see the tears. Ah, I have a weak soul for separation and German song! Turned out to be a good choice - church - time to focus on nothing but the ritual of service. No worries, no thoughts. The pastor quoted Thomas Mann. I like literate sermons.

Other highlights from Berlin include a visit to the city opera and a very modern version of Turandot. Let's just say that Kalif summons Turandot by jumping on the keys of a giant cellphone and later sings Nessun dorma in front of a giant stuffed animal that is Turandot's palace(resembling a giant moogle from Final Fantasy). Basically, it was opera meets anime. There was even a Karma Sutra scene. Thank you, Berlin!

My Japanese travel companion came and I showed her the sights. Too soon, Berlin time ended. But what happened next is another story...