01 January 2009

We are at the epicenter


of the firestorm of fireworks (or so it feels. Kreuzberg is probably worse, of course). So far it has been 40 minutes and it still continues unabated. An apartment kitty-corner to us just burnt out. It was amazing how fast it went. The firemen were here but they seemed to be moving in slow motion and meanwhile the constant explosion of fireworks continued all around us. The windows rattle occasionally and every now and then there is the sound of something hitting the glass. I can't believe that people are driving in this: all our streets have fireworks exploding in them.

Next year I will learn how to take pictures of fireworks: this year they are all orange and flames and look like a picture of the inferno rather than the gorgeous things that they are.

50 minutes later and the corners of my street seem to be dying down... The firemen are about done putting out the fire although smoke is still escaping. The mini Cooper and the red car parked (illegally) on the curve look a little worse for the wear. Our car is (knock wood) fine so far (by chance we had a spot not in the way).

New life on our corner and the wind is shifting- they are hitting our windows (which you had better believe that we have closed!)

75 minutes later and it seems to be over bar the three firepots still flaming outside the door and the occasional crack. The firemen across the way are rolling up their hoses and starting on their way to the next call (tatoo-ta-ta, as the Germans say).

We had planned on going to Brandenburg Tor to do the tourist thing, but a combination of Thing2 still having a croupy and bronchial sounding cough after her several days of high fever, and my starting to have a similar cough, made us tell the babysitter that we would pay for the sitting (as an apology and because of the late cancellation) but not use it. I am glad to be home. Perhaps next year we can try for a more elegant Silvester Ball (now that we know we can get sitting) which will be indoors: yesterday and today were the coldest days so far here in Berlin.

2 comments:

honeypiehorse said...

Bummer - we missed Sylvester fun too only knock on wood it was me sick, not the kids.

Alex said...

The apartment across the street of a friend of mine in Dresden burned down too this year. I'm actually surprised it doesn't happen more. I would like to see stats of the carnage from NYE in Germany. With lost eyes and fingers. It is truly a war zone. So odd it is still not regulated.