Berkeley, at home, Hong Kong

hksusanita susanita_loca@yahoo.com Posted Jun 2, 2008, 6:24 pm	Hola! My "friends-and-relations"!
hksusanita susanita_loca@yahoo.com Posted Jun 12, 2008, 7:42 am	Berkeley is heading to Malaysia!!!
aliah Posted Jun 18, 2008, 4:59 pm	Finally, I have arrived in Malaysia
aliah Posted Jul 1, 2008, 3:03 am	I am now staying in Shah Alam. Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque is the landmark of Shah Alam. It is the largest mosque in Malaysia. I was told that its architecture is a combination of Malay and Modernist style. It is nicknamed as 'Blue Mosque' for its blue aluminium dome covered in a rosette of verses from the Qu'ran.
aliah Posted Jul 11, 2008, 10:05 am	Mousy Mouse, Little Ro & I are saying goodbye to Mukhsin. He's going to London.  Bye Mukhsin!
aliah Posted Jul 16, 2008, 5:27 am	I want to help Aliah organize her notes but it's too heavy. Mousy Mouse offers a hand but still... Maybe I can help fold the laundry. They are much lighter yay! finished Aliah treats us to Chocopie because we help her today! yummy~
aliah Posted Aug 1, 2008, 1:17 am	Went to Putrajaya for a conference, well at least Aliah did. Hopefully you can see The Prime Minister Complex & the Putrajaya Bridge at far because it's kinda hazy yesterday. --- On Putrajaya Putrajaya, a planned city located just south of Kuala Lumpur, is the new federal administrative centre of Malaysia. Several Government offices have re-located there to gain relief from the overcrowding and congestion of Kuala Lumpur which is Malaysia's largest city. However, Kuala Lumpur still serves as Malaysia's national and legislative capital for now. Putrajaya is a Federal Territory just like the city of Kuala Lumpur and the island of Labuan. The city is named after the first Malaysian Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra. In Bahasa Melayu, the Sanskrit-derived words "Putra" means prince while "Jaya" means excellent or success.
aliah Posted Aug 3, 2008, 12:52 pm	Went to Kuala Lumpur and visited Kuala Lumpur Tower (KL Tower) today. There's haze in KL right now but the Petronas Twin Towers still visible from the deck.
aliah Posted Aug 3, 2008, 1:01 pm	Petronas Twin Towers, a pair of 88-story buildings, are the world's tallest twin towers. The designs on the towers are based on geometric patterns common in Islamic architecture.
aliah Posted Aug 23, 2008, 4:29 am	At Kuala Lumpur Chinatown, also known as Petaling Street.
aliah Posted Aug 23, 2008, 4:34 am	We're taking a train to visit Aliah's grandmother. While waiting for the train, I saw Kuala Lumpur Railway Station (first picture), KTM Headquaters (first picture) and Dayabumi Complex (second picture). Third picture was while we're in the train.
aliah Posted Aug 24, 2008, 6:54 pm	We are taking KL Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour today. Now, I am listening to the commentary of the history of Kuala Lumpur and places that we will visit today. [KL City Hall from the bus open deck]
aliah Posted Aug 24, 2008, 7:01 pm	“The brainchild of Alfred Venning, the British State Treasurer in the 1880s, this botanical garden in the heart of Kuala Lumpur is the city dweller's favorite rendezvous retreat. Nestled deep in the city center near Jalan Parlimen are these sprawling green lawns, rolling hills and blooming gardens.”
aliah Posted Aug 24, 2008, 7:03 pm	“Close to Parliament House stands the National Monument--a great bronze sculpture erected to commemorate the soldiers who gave up their lives in the triumph over the Communists. Constructed in 1966, it is reputed to be one of the world's largest free-standing bronze sculptures. Standing 15.54 meters tall, the sculpture was designed by the American sculptor Felix de Weldon and portrays seven men from the Malaysian Armed Forces holding the national flag, each symbolizing one of seven qualities: leadership, unity, strength, vigilance, suffering, courage and sacrifice.”
aliah Posted Aug 24, 2008, 7:08 pm	“Set atop the hill in the scenic Lake Garden (Taman Tasik Perdana) , Parliament House is a symbol of democracy in Malaysia. Officially opened in 1963, the complex accommodates two houses of the Malaysian Parliament, the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) and the Dewan Negara (the Senate). One of the prominent features of the 20-level tower is an open-sided terrace commanding a magnificent view of Kuala Lumpur.” Can you spot the terrace?
aliah Posted Aug 24, 2008, 7:24 pm	At Taman Tasik Titiwangsa taking a ride on "Eye on Malaysia". Istana Budaya (Palace of Culture), the main venue for theatres including from local and international performances also located at the lake. The building was designed by the local architect, Muhammad Kamar Ya'akub. The inspiration for the design is based on a traditional moon kite in flight
aliah Posted Aug 24, 2008, 7:33 pm	“The Dataran Merdeka, or Merdeka Square was once a focal point— and cricket pitch—for the British colonial presence in Malaysia. The structures bordering the Dataran Merdeka resemble the physical environment of the colonists' native land. Situated on one corner of the square is the Selangor Club [2], replicating the Tudors of merry old England. It was at this square in 1957 that the Union Jack was lowered and the Malayan flag hoisted, signaling Malaysia's independence as a nation. A 95-meter flagpole [3], one of the tallest in the world, marks the spot.” “Sultan Abdul Samad Building [1] is the distinctive landmark in KL. Moorish in design, this building, completed in 1897, was formerly the seat of the British colonial government. Perhaps the most photographed building in the city, it features a 40-meter clock tower affectionately dubbed "Big Ben", topped with a golden dome and flanked on both sides by two domed towers. At night, colored lights twinkle in the arches, making it look like a scene from an Arabian Nights' tale.”
aliah Posted Aug 24, 2008, 7:39 pm	“Consecrated in February 1895, the church in this early English Gothic-style cathedral was designed by A.C. Norman, and was elevated to the status of cathedral on September 8, 1983. This century-old building is shaped like a cruciform and can accommodate 200 worshipers. It consists of the nave, which has an open, timbered roof and the chancel, which is raised above the nave floor level, paved with tessellated tiles and lit by three stained-glass windows.” [far right: Kuala Lumpur City Hall]
aliah Posted Aug 24, 2008, 7:44 pm	Suria KLCC is the shopping mall adjacent to Petronas Twin Towers.
aliah Posted Aug 24, 2008, 7:51 pm	“Built in 1910, this stunning Moorish-style terminal is a delight for photography buffs. It was designed by architect A.B. Hubbock, who also designed the Jamek Mosque. Across the street is the Malayan Railway Building, another Moorish extravagance from the British colonial period. It is linked to the station by an underground thoroughfare.”
aliah Posted Aug 24, 2008, 7:55 pm	“This building is another fine example of the British colonial adaptation of Moorish architecture. A.B. Hubback's work features arches, domes and minarets, creating a somewhat Byzantine "Arabian Nights" fantasy land. Completed in 1917, it underwent major renovations in 1986. The building is linked to the General Post Office at Dayabumi Complex by an underground thoroughfare. The railway station that used to be housed here has been transferred to the new Kuala Lumpur Central building.”
aliah Posted Aug 24, 2008, 8:10 pm	SURPRISE!! We have not forgotten about your birthday(although it's a few days late)! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BERKELEY!
aliah Posted Sep 6, 2008, 2:36 pm	Berkeley is heading to Germany!
fam-united Posted Oct 12, 2008, 10:05 am	Petra's husband bought something for dinner at Aldi, while we sat in the car waiting for him.
fam-united Posted Oct 12, 2008, 11:21 am	This morning Petra's family received a call from the ostrich farm, which they visited during their summer holidays. Petra had asked to call her, if they have an ostrich egg for her family. So we headed to Rülzheim and while Ralf bought the egg Petra took us out of the rucksack and showed us the ostriches. I can tell you, it is a really big farm with many many ostriches.
fam-united Posted Oct 12, 2008, 11:38 am	We wanted to visit the Japanese Garden in Münzesheim and I hope, that we will go there someday again, because it really is nice. This photo was made at the place, where Petra's camera dropped down. Sorry for the blurry photo, but it is a photo with history, you know - it was the very last with my old camera.
fam-united Posted Oct 12, 2008, 11:40 am	It's a busy Sunday morning, because Petra has to prepare the batter for many many buttermilk waffles. Each year they celebrate a feast at their church. It is the feast of the patrons St.Damian and Hugo. Since many years it is tradition for the family club, in which Petra and her family are members, to bake and sell waffles. Each family brings batter for about 70 waffles. This morning we helped her to  get ready with everything, before she had to run to the parish hall, where they always sell the waffles in a tent. We asked, whether we could join her, but this time she had to say no
fam-united Posted Oct 12, 2008, 12:28 pm	On our way home Petra wanted to show us the Rhine. So we stopped in Rheinsheim just to take photos of the Rhine and us.
fam-united Posted Oct 12, 2008, 1:26 pm	Today we asked Petra, whether we possibly are allowed to see the ostrich egg and get a photo taken with us. Wow, this egg is really really big. At first Ninni tried to bring it to me. Here you see her working. Then she called me and I tried to help her. Can you see me??? Here I am. I'm really very very small and I have no chance to carry this egg away. It seems to be too big as an Easter egg.
fam-united Posted Nov 1, 2008, 8:44 am	Today we watched the football /soccer match between Wales and Germany. I'm sorry for the bad photo. It seems, that I still have some problems with my new camera.
fam-united Posted Nov 1, 2008, 8:58 am	Today Nori from Canada arrived at my host's place. She will stay here, because she takes part at the toyvoyager exchange challenge.
fam-united Posted Nov 1, 2008, 9:06 am	Because Petra has to be off from work for a while, she isn't allowed to go out so much. So she watched many movies on dvd. Here it is a Miss Marple movie. She seems to like it.
fam-united Posted Nov 1, 2008, 9:13 am	Today we played Monopoly. Being so many toyvoyagers it wasn't that easy to receive many streets, that belong together. Here you see us right at the beginning of the game. A bit later we bought our first streets. Petra wondered, why we all payed with the 10 000 DM - they all name it Euro now.
fam-united Posted Nov 1, 2008, 9:31 am	For afternoon tea we had some Strudel today, which was filled with apples and some red marmelade. It was not selfmade, so no recipe of this one.
fam-united Posted Nov 1, 2008, 9:45 am	Four grass parakeets live with my hosts' family: Clowny, Fleckchen (both blue), Wolke (white) and Lilly - Lilius (thought it was a girl, but seems to be a boy , the green one)
fam-united Posted Nov 1, 2008, 9:59 am	It is time to bake some cakes now, because tomorrow it's Fabian's 18th birthday. Of  course we toyvoyagers helped Petra, because she still isn't allowed to walk so much or just stand on her feet for a too long time. And she still has to be careful with her back. At first we helped to make a biscuit. For lunch we had Käsespätzle (cheese spaetzle), because it was easy to cook. Then I helped to cook the cherries for another cake. Do you know, which one is my favourite cake? It is the carrot cake. In my back you see the one with the cherries. Then I helped with the Chocolate-Mango-Coconut-Cake.
fam-united Posted Nov 1, 2008, 10:39 am	Today is Fabian's 18th birthday. Then first thing that I saw, when I came into the kitchen in the morning, was the Quiche lorraine, which Fabian baked yesterday night for his birthday dinner. Then I helped to prepare the table for breakfast. Petra loves to eat honey. They have many different selfmade marmelade too. Of course they don't eat bread rolls every morning. Usually they eat bread, but always with marmelade, honey or nut Now I helped to prepare the cakes for the afternoon. Here is the Cherry-Amaretto-Cake and here the Mango-Coconut-Cake
fam-united Posted Nov 8, 2008, 11:05 pm	Bruchsal seems to be a really foggy place during November. Petra told me, that Bruchsal is located at the edge of the Rhine Valley to the Kraichgau. So maybe the Rhine causes this fog, that is all around during the last few days. Petra told me, that usually you see a church, when you look out of this window. Looking out of a window on the opposite side of the house, you see a walnut tree in Petra's neighbours garden.
fam-united Posted Nov 9, 2008, 11:24 am	About two weeks ago Petra and her family bought an ostrich egg. They were told, that they can keep it without a problem for about 4 weeks, but today was the day, that they decided to scrambled eggs. So we all had to help to empty this big ostrich egg. Wow, I can tell you, this was hard work
fam-united Posted Nov 9, 2008, 11:50 am	This morning we read the newspaper, because we wanted to know, who will be the new president of the USA. It is Barack Obama. Then we took a look, whether we will find something, that we should buy at Aldi.
fam-united Posted Nov 9, 2008, 12:21 pm	Today a new toyvoyager arrived here: Mousy Mouse. Here we sit all together at our place in the living room
fam-united Posted Nov 13, 2008, 2:37 pm	While Petra was waiting for Ralf, she decided to show us a small part of this small city Bretten. She hasn't been here since years and at first she didn't find the right way, but then we arrived at the market place with its beautiful half-timbered houses. This house shows the house of birth of Philipp Melanchton. It burned down in 1897 and was rebuilt. The "Hundles Brunnen (doggie fountain) / Brettner Hundle" -  a pug is the town's landmark.
fam-united Posted Nov 16, 2008, 1:51 pm	In the afternoon we waited for Sabrina, who sang in her musical project choir in Forst.
fam-united Posted Nov 16, 2008, 2:46 pm	Then Sabrina and Petra showed us the palace of Bruchsal and some of the many buildings, which belong to the palace area. The palace was destroyed during the second world war, but was rebuilt in the 70th. Only the church doesn't look baroque inside anymore, which is a bit sad of course. Here you see the backside of the palace. The church tower belongs to that church, in which Petra and her family go on Sundays. Here you have a great view over the palace garden with the colourful leaves now. On the other side of the palace you can see the Damianstor (gate). There are art exhibitions every now and then. Here you see the entrance of the palace. The left wing of the building is the church. We walked back to the palace garden again and turned around to take a photo of the county court (the building with the little tower) Here we are on the backside of the palace again. One the wall of one building, which belongs to the palace, you see a sundial. Then we drove to the Belvedere, but it started to get darker now and so it wasn't too easy to take good photos. The Belvedere was a former hunting lodge. Now the park around it is used as a school yard for a grammar school, which is next to the Belvedere. During summer there is an open air theatre. Here you see the St. Peterskirche (church), which is only a few hundred meters from Petra's home. It is a nice baroque church, located next to the graveyard. In Petra's garden I asked her to take a last photo with me and one of the last flowers (Aster).
fam-united Posted Nov 16, 2008, 2:57 pm	It is time for me to leave Bruchsal now. I'm excited, because soon I will meet my new host: BlackCat in Essen.
BlackCat Posted Dec 16, 2008, 10:36 pm	Hello? Is there somebody outside? I can hear your voices! HELLO? Can somebody help me out? It's really uncomfortable inside this envelope. HELLO? I can hear you! HELLO? Help me off, please! Oh, there's a light. And a head. Hello? Here I am ! I arrived at my destination finally and I hope I will have a nice time here.
BlackCat Posted Dec 16, 2008, 10:39 pm	Today we had to say Goodbye to Dieuwerke. She is going to England soon and we all said Goodbye. She was a really nice Toyvoyager, even if we didn't spend much time together. Byebye Dieuwerke. Hope to see you soon again !
BlackCat Posted Dec 16, 2008, 11:10 pm	Today is the first advent, so we had one burning candle on the advent wreath. After that we drove to Manderscheid for a "Burgenweihnacht" (a christmas market at a castle). We made some photos for you =)!
BlackCat Posted Dec 27, 2008, 9:22 pm	Today we visited Wittlich. It is a nice small city with nice old houses and everywhere pigs. We saw so much pigs, it was crazy. I have some photos for you of that day. I hope, you like them. Here you have an overview. Isn't it nice there? pigs... ...and more pigs.
BlackCat Posted Dec 27, 2008, 9:26 pm	Back in Essen BlackCat started to decorate the living room with nice little christmas decoration. First she put the nativity scene out of the package and we helped her to make it ready. After decorating a little bit we sat down and watched the candles on the advent wreath. It is the second Advent today. So 2 candles are on. It was really nice and romantic.
BlackCat Posted Dec 27, 2008, 9:32 pm	Today we went on the christmas market in Essen. It is a really big one and we saw a lot of nice things. First we saw the big christmas tree in front of the main station. It wasn't as decorated as the years before, but we loved it. Then we saw the statue of William I. and the big wheel behind it. What a nice look. When you are standing behind the statue you can see the cathedral of Essen with the town hall in the background. It is a nice picture to see the big black town hall with all its windows and the small nice cathedral in the front. Then we saw the live nativity scene. Just the animals were living, but they were so sweet. We looked at them for a long time. It looked so sweet. Such a nice walk around the city.
BlackCat Posted Dec 27, 2008, 9:34 pm	Today is the 3rd advent. We sat again in front of the advent wreath and watched the candles burning. What a nice view.
BlackCat Posted Dec 27, 2008, 9:50 pm	Today we went into the city again and just visited two placed. BlackCat had to go to the bank, so we went with her. First we saw the carillon in Essen. It was built in 1928 on the Limbecker street. 1940 the bells were hidden because of the second world war. They didn't want them to be melt down for weapons. The original place of the carillon was destroyed in 1943. 1949 the carillon was built again at the Kettwiger street where the new building of the company which made the bells was. It is still located there and in the shop under it you can get a little information about the carillon. It's just in German, so we have no one for you, sorry. Next to the bank there was a christmas bear. We sat on his shoulder and told him our deepest wishes. Maybe we will get one present of him. I really hope as christmas will be soon.
BlackCat Posted Dec 28, 2008, 12:21 am	Today it's the fourth advent. We decorated the christmas tree with BlackCat and it was a lot of fun. So now we took a photo of us with the advent wreath and the christmas tree in the background.
BlackCat Posted Dec 28, 2008, 12:27 am	Today is christmas evening here in Germany. It is normal, that most of the children got their presents of the parents today. BlackCat was visited by her parents and her brother. We all spend a nice evening together. All things BlackCat got for christmas (a lot, or?). Me sitting at the christmas tree. Selfmade marzipan potatoes. They are really good. Muffins, gingerbread and cookies. Jummie... Santa even thought of us. Me with my little present. Can you see what was inside? A little pin with the emblem of Essen. Everybody got one ! Please send BlackCat your address, so that she can send it to you. I think it won't be good travelling with me. Maybe it will be lost then !
BlackCat Posted Jan 4, 2009, 5:40 am	Hello ! Today we went together with BlackCat to the next mailbox. It is around 10 minutes from here. Some years ago BlackCat had a mailbox right in front of her actual living room window, but the post office put it away. Now the next is 10 minutes away. So we went there and it was really cold outside. We were freezing a lot. We saw some ice on the cars and we could see our breath. It was sooo cold. But we loved it. What a nice walk. Berkeley BlackCats house from behind. ice on the cars... The mailbox !
BlackCat Posted Jan 4, 2009, 5:55 am	Wow, the last day of 2008. We went to BlackCats parents and ate some Fondue with them. It was really funny to sit around and wait for our food. After eating we saw Angela Merkel in TV. She told everybody about her wishes for the next year and about the political situation. It was really interesting. And then the Countdown came... 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
BlackCat Posted Jan 4, 2009, 6:21 am	HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!!!!! The woman in TV was still talking while the countdown was already over and the firework behind her was starting. We watched the firework in TV, as outside it was too cold for us. We stayed inside while BlackCat and her family made some firework outside. It was funny.
BlackCat Posted Jan 4, 2009, 6:39 am	Today we helped BlackCat make some cards ready for postcrossing. She is a really active member there (her username there is Fabi) and we hope to show you some postcard she is getting soon !
BlackCat Posted Jan 4, 2009, 6:47 am	Today we sat around on the desk and watched the whole flat, when BlackCat brought us a big envelope. First we didn't know why she brought it to us, but then we heard a voice from inside. And then Thiele came outside. He said Hello to us. And then he showed us the postcard he was bringing for BlackCat. What a nice card. So, welcome Thiele. I hope you'll have some great moments here =)!
BlackCat Posted Jan 5, 2009, 6:28 am	Today we visited the Zollverein coking plant in Essen. It is one part of the World heritage Zollverein. I first would like to tell you something about it: The Zollverein coking plant in the Essen suburb of Stoppenberg was built between 1958 and 1961 as a working link with shaft 12 at the Zollverein Pit next door. The coking plant took huge amounts of coal from the pit, as well as from other collieries in the region, and processed them into coke. Soon the maximum daily production of 5000 tons of coke was insufficient to meet demand. For this reason the plant was extended in the 1970s, when it became one of the largest and most modern coking plants in Europe. The Zollverein coking plant employed 1000 persons and produced amounts of coke well in excess of 7000 tons per day. Because coke ovens should never be allowed to get cold, production continued non-stop around the clock for 365 days a year. During the 1980s and 1990s demand for coke steadily declined as a result of the crisis in the steel industry, and on the 30th June 1993 the Zollverein coking plant was finally closed down. It was really interested to see how such a coking plant looks like. I will show you the photos now and I will try to tell you, what you can see on the photos and what it was for. That's the shaft 12 at the Zollverein Pit from behind. We went through a forrest when we made this picture. That is a hoist. It can be moved on trails. It is so big, you can't believe it until you see it. You can see a part of the coke oven batteries on this picture and behind it you can see the "Sonnenrad". It is a big wheel where you can see the coking plant from above and you can drive in it with this big wheel. It wasn't opened. This photo was made in front of the ice skating parkour. It is always in front of the oven batteries in winter. It will be close again on the 11th January. There were a lot people skating. Again two photos in front of the oven batteries. I am sitting on the coping of the conveyor band. That's a machine which brought the coal into the oven batteries. It is really big for a little one like me. I hope you like the pictures and the informations about the coking plant. Maybe we will go there again and show you some other areas of it. But now we have to get warm again. Greetings, Berkeley
BlackCat Posted Jan 13, 2009, 4:55 pm	Hello ! This night it snowed a lot and now there is so much snow outside. We have made some photos of it for you. BlackCat said, that there are 10cm new snow. Wow, or? Berkeley
BlackCat Posted Jan 15, 2009, 12:19 pm	Today we went with BlackCat into the city centre. She had to go to the doctor and we went with her. As we had not much time she just showed us the church in the city. I really like this little church !
BlackCat Posted Jan 15, 2009, 12:33 pm	Today I had to say goodbye. I wasn't the only Toy that has to travel on. Margarida is on her next travel, too. So we said Goodbye to Tilda and Thiele!
Pandamao Posted Feb 1, 2009, 9:28 pm	I have arrived - let's see what Munich will look like!
Pandamao Posted Feb 8, 2009, 10:03 pm	We went for an early morning walk with the dog. The sun was not yet fully out and in the dim light we crossed the brigdge alongside the German Museum and went down to the Isar river. When we arrived we saw that all was covered with ice.
Pandamao Posted Feb 8, 2009, 10:07 pm	We walked over the ice - very carefully because it is easy to slip and fall. On some areas the ice cracked when we crossed over.
Pandamao Posted Feb 21, 2009, 9:00 pm	Then we took a rest on a tree and in the Rosengarten, sitting on a bench in the morning sun
Pandamao Posted Feb 21, 2009, 9:22 pm	Sometimes we take Maggy, our host's dog, for a walk close to the European Patent Office. We are wondering why all those straw bales are tied around the trees?
Pandamao Posted Feb 21, 2009, 9:56 pm	We passed by the Königsplatz today. We saw the Lenbachhaus (museum for art - they are showing Kandinsky right now) and the Propylaeum.
Pandamao Posted Feb 21, 2009, 10:22 pm	The weather has changed and it snowed a lot. Now all the ice along the Isar river is covered with snow.
Pandamao Posted Feb 22, 2009, 9:54 pm	I passed the European Patent Office again and guess what the bales of straw are for - they're used as bumpers for the kids of the neighborhood going down the little slopes with their toboggans so they do not get hurt (if bumping into a tree)
Pandamao Posted Mar 17, 2009, 8:42 pm	Today the weather was cold and rainy - so I refused to get out of the nice and comfy backpack and get a photo taken at the Stachus (Karlsplatz).
Pandamao Posted Mar 17, 2009, 9:10 pm	As usual I went for a walk with Maggy, our host's dog. We were very surprised when the meadows along the Isar river was suddenly dug up. Later we heard that this part of the Isar close to the German Museum is "under renaturation". In the seventies many rivers were put straigth, now they are put back into the previous natural state.
Pandamao Posted Mar 17, 2009, 9:41 pm	I accompanied my host to her home town. Sulzbach-Rosenberg is a small town in the North-East of Bavaria. Pandamao showed me the town centre, a former cloister, the castle and town-hall.
olgamaus Posted Mar 23, 2009, 6:33 pm	Hi Mummy, I went with my new host today. Pandamao and olgamaus met here in Munich, in the Englischen Garten, in the beer garden at the famous Chinese tower. Bye Berkeley
olgamaus Posted Mar 24, 2009, 7:40 pm	Hi Mummy, I'm with my new host Katja now. Katja does not live here in Munich, she is visiting the town for a few days. She is living in Remscheid, a town in Northrhine Westphalia, which is lying more in the north of Germany. Today we planned to walk through the old town and than visit Westpark. We started at Sendlinger Tor, which is a city gate at the southern extremity of the historic old town area of Munich. From here we walked along Sedlinger Straße to do some shoppings. Of course we also visited Marienplatz with the famous new town hall. On the next photo you can see the Mariensäule (Marian column) and also the towers of the Frauenkirche (Cathedral of our blessed lady). From here we went to Westpark by metro. Westpark is a large urban public park in Munich. It was completed in 1983. It hosted the fourth International Garden Show (IGA 83) that same year. I saw a bush which seems to consist only of thorns. They have an area here which is called Little Asia which consists of a Chinese garden, a Japanese garden, a Thai sala and a pagoda. Unfortunately the part with the Chinese garden was closed for visitors at the moment. So let me show you the Japanese garden. This is the pretty Thai sala. We took a long walk in the park and went back to the town centre than. This is Karolinenplatz, an important intersection here. From here we walked to Königsplatz. The square is framed with the "Ionic" Glyptothek and the "Doric" Propylaea (Propyläen) and the "Corinthian" State Museum of Classical Art. That's enough for today, my little feet are aching. Bye Berkeley
olgamaus Posted Mar 24, 2009, 7:45 pm	Hi Mummy, today Katja joined a meeting of a rat keeper's association. She only took Louis the rat with her, so it was a little bit boring for us. In the evening we took a walk through the old town and along the river Isar. This is Isartor, one of the historic city gates. Bye Berkeley
olgamaus Posted Mar 24, 2009, 8:10 pm	Hi Mummy, we visited Tierpark Hellabrunn today. We saw lots of interesting animals. Have a look at those giant turtles! We also watched a show with raptors. They showed a barn owl, a peregrine falcon and a golden eagle. The girl is showing the peregrine falcon here. They let the birds fly and they came back after performing how to kill their prey. This is the golden eagle. We had to leave to zoo than to get back to the airport. Here we are on our way to Katja's home. We'll fly to Düsseldorf where we will be picked up by her brother-in-law. I had a fantastic time in Munich. Now I'm looking foreward to see more of Germany. Bye Berkeley
olgamaus Posted Mar 29, 2009, 4:59 pm	Hi Mummy, I am now in Katja's hometown, Remscheid in Northrhine-Westphalia. we had very bad weather here this week. It was raining like hell and on Thursday we even had snow. But it melted away within the next day. Today the sun came out, but only for a few minutes. We went out immediately to see if there are any signs that spring is coming. We decided to walk to the municipal park. We saw the first signs that spring certainly is coming in front of Katja's friend's house. On our way to the park we had a look at another really small park which is situated in fron of the local police department. Here I saw crocus. We found more signs in the park, have a look at this rhododendron. Here you can see allotment gardens and the outskirts of Remscheid in the background. The weather worsened again, it started to rain once more. We are pacified now, it seems that spring will be here soon. Bye Berkeley
olgamaus Posted Mar 30, 2009, 9:22 pm	Hi Mummy, today we had the first sunshine day here since at least half a month. Katja took us to her working place in a law firm to show us a little bit more of the town centre after work. First I'm going to show you the town hall. In front of the town hall there's a large open space. Here the farmer's market is helt twice a week. They have a pillar on this place, showing a lion, the heraldic animal of Remscheid. This is the main entrance of the shopping mall. In the shopping mall cute little gardens are shown an the moment. I liked this one with a pond and a water wheel. These giant forceps are marking the entrance of the shopping street. They are meant as a symbol for the local tool producing industry. Katja promised to take a walk with us in the afternoon. Bye Berkeley
olgamaus Posted Mar 30, 2009, 9:30 pm	Hi Mummy, in the afternoon Katja met a friend and the two ladies took a walk with us, like Katja has promised. We started in Hasten, one of the oldest districts of Remscheid. Here you can see Haus Cleff, a beautiful patrician villa which was built in 1778/1779 A.D. Today a museum is situated here. We walked downhill to the valley, here you can find an area called "Clemenshammer". "Hammer" means sledgehammer or blacksmith's hammer. Here you can find some of the oldest buildings in town. We walked into the forrest here and soon we reached a fishing pond. Not far from here you can find this pretty restaurant which is here for more than 100 years now. Due to the heavy rainfalls last week every creek in the forrest is carrying lots of water at the moment. From here we walked to a little dam which belongs to the neighbour town Wuppertal. The concrete dam was renovated some years ago. They have information panels here where you can read a lot about the building of the dam and also about the renovation. This picture is showing construction works in the year 1899 A.D. This house is a typical one for this region: Houses are often covered with slate, they have green shutters and often a green painted front door. It's really exhausting to take walks with Katja. We had to walk for more than two hours, uphill and downhill. My feet are aching ... Bye Berkeley
olgamaus Posted Apr 1, 2009, 6:42 pm	Hi Mummy, today we took a walk with Katja's friend Kerstin and her family dog, Pepe. We went to Wuppertal, Scharpenacken, which is a former army training area. This area was used for military purposes until 2004 A.D as a shooting range. Today there is a local recreation area with vast open areas. Many people are coming with their dogs to let them play with others. There are also people flying model aircrafts or kites. The complete area has a size of about 185 Hektar (or 457 acres). There are open ranges, trees, creeks, you can walk steep uphill or downhill. Nothing but green and the blue sky! We were resting here close to the creek while Pepe was playing with some dogs. We are all hoping that the weather will stay like this. Bye Berkeley
olgamaus Posted Apr 4, 2009, 12:34 pm	Hi Mum, today we took a walk along the Trasse des Werkzeugs (route of tools). It is a lane for pedestrians and cyclists through the town, made on a closed railway route. It was financed by many local industrial firms, most of them tool  producing companies. Along the lane you can find signs of those producers. At a crossroad you can see these large signs. The first one is showing the crest of Remcheid and a few explanations about the route of tools, the other ones are showing brand labels and products of famous companies in Remscheid. When you walk along the route you can see the rear sides and gardens of houses. We saw a blooming willow here. You can finde some artwork along the route, usually made of tools. I'll show you a bench which was made of a large screw clamp. We reached the district Hasten now, one of the oldest districts here. At this part of thr route you can see imprints of tools, stamped in to the tarmac. We are now in a part of the district with really old housings. Those houses are built between 18th century and the end of 19th century. I rested for a while in this pretty Easter decoration. On our way back home we went shopping. Katja will make a mojito for us tomorrow, so she had to buy limes, a bottle of Havana Club and fresh mint. I'm looking foreward to taste a mojito. Bye Berkeley
olgamaus Posted Apr 5, 2009, 11:23 am	Hi Mummy, we went to the town centre today. There is a spring market (the last years it was called Easter market and it was there for two weeks). This year it is taking place only this weekend. There are some booths for food and also some where they sell Easter decoration. There is also an exhibition of local artisans. They are showing their work which is related to gardening and construction of houses. The owner of a local restaurant wants to set a new world record: He wants to sell the longest bruschetta which was ever sold. It is about 800 m long, sold in the shopping street. Bruschetta is an Italian delicacy, grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. When we went there, we walked along the town hall. Here we are on Alleestraße, the shopping street, a pedestrian area. Here you can see a few metres of the world record bruschetta. All portions were sold, they are bringing more. Here you can see a slater working. We bought two hearts made of slate later, they can be used as a blackboard. They are also showing animals, chicken and goats. Bye Berkeley
olgamaus Posted Apr 5, 2009, 11:34 am	Hi Mummy, in the afternoon one of Katja's friends called and asked if she wanted to take a walk with her. What a question to ask! Of course she wanted to take a walk, so did I. We started our tour in Kueppelstein, a district in the southwest of the municipal area. It's a rural area. From here we went into the forrest. I thought a forrest had to be more green than brown and gray ... Katja told me that it will be very green here in a few weeks. We reached river Wupper than. We found a rock which has a engraved board game on his top. Do you know this game, mills? Katja promised to take 18 gaming pieces when we should come here again. Then we would be able to play here. In the background you can see Muengsten bridge. Muengsten Bridge is made of steel. It is 107 m high and  spans the valley of river Wupper, which is marking the border between Remscheid and the neighbour town Solingen. The bridge is 465 m long and was completed in 1897 A.D. We had to walk uphill again ... ... and reached the bridge. We rested close to a small waterfall for a moment. We reached a pretty outlook pavilion than. From here you can take perfect photo of Muengsten bridge, as long it is not late afternoon like now and you have to take care of backlight. Almost perfect Bye Berkeley
olgamaus Posted Apr 5, 2009, 11:47 am	Hi Mummy, in the late evening we helped Katja to prepare a mojito. The mojito is one of the more famous rum-based highballs, originally from Cuba. You need five ingredients: white rum, lime juice, fresh mint leafes, cane sugar and carbonated water. First you put the juice of a lime into a large glass, add two or three teaspoons cane sugar and mint leafes. Than mash with a muddler, so the sugar dissolves and the mint leafes will be bruised. You fill in 6 cl white rum, carbonated water and crushed ice or ice cubes. It's delicious and refreshing. Bye Berkeley
olgamaus Posted Apr 9, 2009, 8:11 am	Hi Mummy, we took a walk today in Eifgental, a valley which is following the creek Eifgen in the neighbour town Wermelskirchen. We went with Katja's friend Kerstin, a girl named Tina and four dogs. One of them is Pepe, Kerstin's dog, and Kira, Bonny and Pino, Tina's dogs. The valley itself is a nature protection area with only few houses. Here is one of them. We walked along meadows and through forrests. The forrest soil was covered with anemones in some areas. Doesn't is look pretty here? We even managed to take a group photograph of the dogs. From the left they are Pepe, Pino, Bonny and Kira. This is our last photo for today. The dogs had to clean their dirty feet and legs in the creek before getting into the car. Bye
olgamaus Posted Apr 9, 2009, 10:48 am	Hi Mummy, today we made a trip to the Eifel. The Eifel is a low mountain range in western Germany. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia and northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate. It's close to the border of Belgium and the border of Luxemburg. We went to the northern part of the Eifel. We had planned a hiking tour and a visit of Monschau, a little town with a beautiful old town, situated at the river Rur (not to be confused with the river Ruhr). We parked the car at Perlenbachtalsperre, a drinking water reservoir dam. We started our hiking tour here.
olgamaus Posted Apr 9, 2009, 10:55 am	We reached to small town Hoefen than, part of the so-called "Monschauer Heckenland" (country of hedges), an area around the town Monschau. Here were large beech hedges planted from the 17th century to protect houses from cold winds, coming from the Hohen Venn (High Fens). Many of those hedges are as high as houses. We reached the small town Rohren than. Here we saw something really special: A small replica of the grotto of Lourdes, a major place of Christian pilgrimage and of alleged miraculous healings.
olgamaus Posted Apr 9, 2009, 10:59 am	We drove to Monschau finally. The historic town center was not destroyed in World War II, so the many half-timbered houses and narrow streets nearly unchanged for 300 years make it a popular tourist attraction nowadays. Historically the main industry of the town were cloth-mills. Monschau is also famous for its historic mustard mill. They have steep stairs everywhere to reach the streets which are lying at the hill. What a pity that the weather became so bad, we would have liked to sit down on the market place to have a coffee. On our way back home we saw this base load power plant next to the motorway A4. Not a pretty sight! Bye Berkeley
olgamaus Posted Apr 9, 2009, 11:42 am	Hi Mummy, we visited Katja's parents today. They are living in the district Lennep, the second largest urban district. Lennep has a historical old town, rebuilt afer the last devastating major fire in 1746 A.D. Many houses are under preservaton order. We saw a blooming tree in a park. A part of the town centre is still surrounded by remains of the former city wall. We are sitting on this wall. Typical for the townscape are narrow lanes. This is the market place, the farmer's market is taking place today. When wee took our photos the sun was shining. In the afternoon it started raining again. Bye Berkeley
Pandamao Posted Apr 10, 2009, 8:56 pm	Today I passed by one of the old town gates of Munich - the Isartor. These days a museum is inside.
Pandamao Posted Apr 10, 2009, 9:12 pm	Soon I'll be leaving Munich and my host said that I have to see at least Marienplatz in the city centre before moving to a new location. I especially liked the glockenspiel in the town hall's tower.
olgamaus Posted Apr 16, 2009, 2:12 pm	Hi Mummy, we took a walk today. Katja told us that now the forrests are nearly green, so we should have a look. Yes, she seems to be right. This is Muengsten Bridge, which I already showed to you. Katja knows a walking path which is directly beneath the tracks. It's hard to believe that this bridge is 107 m high. This is a blooming apple tree. If I would still be here in late summer I could eat some apples here. Bye Berkeley
olgamaus Posted Apr 20, 2009, 9:02 pm	Hi Mummy, we took a walk today through the outskirts of the neighbour town Wuppertal. First we had to walk downhill to the valley of Morsbach, a creek which is marking the border between Remscheid and Wuppertal. From here we had to walk uphill to Wuppertal. Here we are in the middle of the forrest. We left the forrest here and walked through some streets. From here you can see part of the municipal area of Remscheid, the hill in the background. We walked into the forrest again and returned to Morsbachtal. We rested close to the creek for a while. We decided to walk to Muengsten Bridge again, because today we could take pretty sunshine photos. Here we are on the way to Muengsten Bridge. This time we went to the leisure park which was built beneath the bridge a few years ago. Bye Berkeley
olgamaus Posted Apr 22, 2009, 5:06 pm	Hi Mummy, it's my last day here in Remscheid. We took some photos on our way home from work. Here you can see the shopping street. When we go home we see many pretty old houses, like this one. A pink magnolia! I was living in this street, now when it's time to leave, the tree is blooming. There's already an envelope waiting for me. Bye Berkeley
olgamaus Posted Apr 22, 2009, 5:07 pm	Hi Mummy, I'm on my way to my next host now, only about 80 km away. Bye Berkeley
Tine1969 Posted Apr 22, 2009, 9:11 pm	Hi Mummy! I arrived already at Tine's home in the old quarter of Bedburg - and I am not alone - another toyvoyager stays here too - her name is Lady and she is a nice ladybug. Tine took some nice first photos - you will be able to have a look soon. Bye for today, I am very tired and it's time to go to bed... Berkeley
FosterCareHome FosterCareHome@web.de Posted Jun 6, 2010, 8:13 pm	I've arrived in Porvoo, Finland - at the FosterCareHome! My host promised to take care of me untill my mentor gets in contact with my host It's sunny and warm and the people (and toyvoyagers) here are very nice
FosterCareHome FosterCareHome@web.de Posted Jun 13, 2010, 9:09 am	My Foster Mom took us Foster Toys on a field trip to the Old Town of Porvoo! The Old Porvoo is a small part of the city, the part that was built first. Those red shorehouses are the most wellknown sight of Porvoo. Porvoo got its town rights in 1346. Now it has a bit under 50 000 inhabitants and an area of 654 km2. It's situated only 50km (less than 1h drive) east from the capital, Helsinki. It was a fun trip!
FosterCareHome FosterCareHome@web.de Posted Jun 13, 2010, 9:11 am	Berkeley will travel back home tomorrow!
hksusanita susanita_loca@yahoo.com Posted Jun 30, 2010, 6:46 am	Yuppie!!!! Berkeley has gone back home FINALLY!!! Thank you for the excellent hospitality of all the hosts!!!!

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