Life in Berlin with the Coronavirus: March

We’ve had a lot of friends and family wonder how things are in Berlin with the Coronavirus.

{Bars, clubs, pubs, events and sporting facilities have now all closed. As of March 15, many restaurants are closing and those staying open are limiting their capacity or only serving take away.}

In short, we feel very fortunate. We’ve had the ability to weather the storm as a family unit to date, despite heightened anxiety.

However, it is hard to be away from family and live in Europe as we watch country by country imposes more and more restrictions.

Below, I will add periodic insights into life here in Germany as we navigate this challenging time.

Tuesday, March 31

We’ve been laying low in the house. The boys have stayed inside and gotten their exercise with the Nintendo Ring Fit. I’ve been walking each day and look for TP and pick up a bag of groceries when I go out. I haven’t seen any in the stores for days. We are good for now, but who knows how long this will last. Stores are limiting customers to one package.

{Ring Fit Time}

On Monday, we were surprised with our first snow of the season.

{Snow in Berlin}

Ben has become a pro on Zoom and has been perfecting his online look.

{Ben’s many online looks}

We continue to spend Mondays cleaning our apartment. {Boys helping by changing their own beds}

I took my first online course through Kashi Atlanta where I did my yoga teacher training ten years ago. I took Swami’s class.

{Isaac joined me for an online yoga class}

I, like a lot of parents, spend many hours each day homeschooling the boys.

{Home schooling – Learning about clean water}

Our neighbor, Sarah, organized a collective neighbor bagel order that was finally delivered after a week. But worth waiting for. Yum!

{Fine Bagels delivered}

And we are getting quite stir crazy, but thankful we are healthy. Hope everyone else is. 🙏🏼

Saturday, March 28

We were blessed with another beautiful day. I took Ben outside with me for some treats and tree climbing. Isaac was feeling run down and stayed at home with Dave.

{Tree climber at Volkspark Weinberg}

The Polizei were controlling the park and I noticed they were asking those who were sitting in pairs to get up and move.

It seems that even though Berliners are allowed outside for exercise (alone or in groups of two, unless you are a family), they do not want people congregating. That is something new.

{Soaking up the sun at the Wasserturm in Prenzlauer Berg}

Dave and I left the boys at home while we went for a walk, did some grocery shopping, and stopped by Standard Pizza for some pizza to take home.

{Social distancing in line to order to-go at Standard Pizza}

They were selling pizza to go from their doorway (at a safe distance) and we decided to each have a glass of wine while we waited for our order.

{Cheers! Good wine, beautiful weather and some groceries}

{We couldn’t wait to get home – potato pizza}

{Heading home with the pizzas with Zionskirchplatz in the background}

{Happy boys with their pizzas}

{Latest numbers}

Please stay safe everyone. 🙏🏼

Friday, March 27

{Reading their new book about ghost stories}

These past two days have been filled with schoolwork (though less), long walks and flowers.

{Ben recorded a book review video to his MS Teams class website}

These past two days have been beautiful out and I have taken advantage of less school work by taking some long walks.

{Some pictures from my walks}

The streets have been quite empty and people are being very respectful of spacing themselves.

The boys have stayed close to home and have been getting their exercise with the Ring Fit game on their Nintendo Switch.

{Ring Fit time}

I have also found cheer in having fresh flowers in the apartment and by planting some new ones in our boxes on the front balcony.

{Flower boxes on our front balcony}

{Spring Bouquet}

{Here’s the latest}

Stay safe and sane everyone. 🙏🏼

Wednesday, March 25

This morning I vowed to have gratitude with life as it is as best as I could. Instead of bemoaning the things I didn’t like, I imaged my life without them and was more thankful for having them. Though I did still yell (at the top of my lungs twice), I was thankful to have the boys in my life. And even though I have been anxious about all of the homework that has been assigned, today I was grateful that the school was providing so much curriculum to sustain the boys during this uncertainty.

{Another day filled with schoolwork}

Today was spent mostly doing homework. I spent an hour with Isaac working on his English and German. Ben and I probably spent five hours working together today. Whew! But it was really fun at times. And it was nice to bond with the boys (Ben sat on my lap as he read his two assigned chapters for English) and to be wowed by how much they have grown academically.

But good news came in the form of an email from the school this afternoon. They had realized the workload was too much, especially for families where both parents worked, and they have decided to lessen the load.

{Good news from the school came as they will be modifying their expectations to allow for more flexibility}

Around 4:00, the boys and I headed out into the beautifully sunny, yet still chilly at 55 degrees, day.

We stopped by Zimt und Zucker for the obligatory (aka. bribe) €0.10 chewing gums. And then continued in the direction of whatever sun we could find between the buildings.

As we walked, I remembered to repeat the lesson of the Stolpersteine, or stumbling stones.

{Ben remembered the meaning of the stumbling stones when asked. He helped me remind Isaac of their meaning.}

Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) is a project of the artist Gunter Demnig. The project commemorates people who were persecuted by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945. Their names and fate are engraved into a brass plate on the top of each Stolperstein.

https://www.npr.org/2012/05/31/153943491/stumbling-upon-miniature-memorials-to-nazi-victims?t=1585170949867

For many people, this time has brought us back to simpler pleasures. And it was true today for the boys. I don’t think they have even glanced at a construction site in years, something they adored as toddlers. But today, this particular site held their attention for several minutes. This was followed by an energetic game of shadow tag. My heart melted.

{Back to simple pleasures – watching construction sites and playing shadow tag}

As we continued towards Kollwitzplatz, we bumped into our Berlin building neighbors (originally from Atlanta) who had just come from Brammibal’s Donuts – the boy’s favorite donut shop in Berlin. It was open and would be a great place to go as it would require a 4K round trip walk from our apartment.

{Donut time at Brammibal’s donuts today}

As we walked home, we noticed that most bookstores (which are mostly independent shops) were open. When we came upon the shop Love Story of Berlin, an English bookstore, we popped inside.

{Isaac browsing the books}

We stopped in long enough to pick up the latest Dogman book for Ben and headed home.

{Distractions on our way home – notice the fine print on the shop window}

{Don’t bring Corona to Grandma}

We’ve been watching a movie together each night and tonight’s featured film after dinner and baths was Moana, one of my favorites.

{Latest update}

Please stay safe and sane everyone. 🙏🏼

Tuesday, March 24

Ben slept until until 9:00 and is beginning to act more and more like a teenager these days.

I worked with both boys on their math this morning and Ben and I completed his Science homework for the week. We are trying to pace ourselves while staying on task. Ben is now using MS Teams for his schoolwork. Isaac’s teachers are emailing us his work and will work on transitioning over to Seesaw. I swear I am no longer technically savvy for this kind of work. It’s really been quite an adjustment.

I have a foot fungus thanks to a pedicure I got last year and ventured out on my bicycle to get my nails lasered and to pick up some more prescriptions for cream and nagelpilz (nail mushroom – or foot fungus) polish.

{Quiet waiting room at the dermatologist today}

{Protective plastic at the Apotheke. No glows, so don’t ask}

The boys connected with some of their Berlin and American friends via What’s App and played Minecraft together.

{Boys playing Minecraft online and via WhatsApp with Jaden, our neighbor from the States}

Overall, it’s been a pretty quiet day filled with my own personal anxiety about managing the schoolwork. Which is probably masking my anxiety about so many other things right now. I know it’s an adjustment period and will pour myself a glass of wine and try to put things in perspective.

In other news, look what showed up in Berlin.

{Latest update}

Stay safe everyone. 🙏🏼

Monday, March 23

I woke at 7:00 to a quiet house. We will wait for this week’s school assignments and transfer over to the online platform Seesaw.

In the meantime, an update on Germany’s curfew.

Merkel has self quarantined as her doctor came back positive for Coronavirus. But luckily her test has come back negative today. The day before, she was spotted at the local supermarket here in Berlin picking up some essentials, including two rolls of TP and several bottles of wine.

Our Kenyan refugee housecleaner, who lives forty minutes away, will not be coming for the time being. So the entire Lubell gang got together and did the housekeeping.

{Everyone pitched in to clean the apartment today, including the robotic vacuum}

{Fruits is our labor – clean and tidy apartment}

{Boys gaming next to the laundry pile}

Later in the afternoon, I took the boys on a walk to the River Spree to get some exercise and sun. On the way, we stopped by the little bakery/market/candy shop next to our apartment for burger and “camel balls” gum. Ha!

{Candy stop at Zimt und Zucker – Cinnamon and Sugar}

It was a chilly 48 degrees, but amazing to stretch our legs.

{Best buddies on a quiet city – have never seen Hackescher Hof so quiet on a weekday afternoon}

Folks seemed to be following the limit of two people together (other than families) keeping 1.5 meters apart. We did our best passing people on the sidewalk. We even saw the Polizei controlling the area.

{Letting off some steam in James-Simon-Park with the Berliner Dom in the background}

After doing some math homework, Ben jumped on a Zoom call with his classmates. It was chaotic, but really nice for the kids to connect. The boys were most interested in solving their Rubix cubes together.

{Ben’s third grade class on a Zoom chat}

{Latest update}

Please stay safe and healthy everyone. 🙏🏼

Sunday, March 22

I have been taking one boy into bed with me at night to cuddle to sleep together. So that means I have been going to sleep earlier than I might otherwise have. Forgoing my standard chapter or two of reading on my kindle.

So this morning, I woke up just past 4:00, having already slept for seven hours. Guess my body was not used to these early bedtimes and had gotten enough sleep.

With the future curfew uncertain, I couldn’t resist checking the news.

{Sunday Morning News}

I ended up spending most of the day in bed. I was just exhausted and had a headache, I believe allergy related. We all were exhausted and didn’t leave the house. I also think the stress and the uncertainty of having to go on lockdown was affecting me.

Saturday, March 21

Isaac slept in past 8:00 for the first time this week. He was met with the bread I had bought last night and Nutella for breakfast.

I then went for another walk with Sarah. I picked up a few things from DM, the drugstore, including some sunglasses and a much coveted bottle of hand sanitizer.

While out, the grocery delivery that I had booked two weeks before was delivered. When I went both on the computer and my phone to book another delivery, they were all taken for the next two weeks!

{No grocery delivery times available from Rewe for the next two weeks}

I also stopped by Rewe on the way home (I know, major hamstring here) and picked up some tulips, BBQ and lettuce. Again, I encountered tape on the floor keeping people 1.5 meters apart. I also noticed plastic barriers separating the cashier and the guest with little holes cut out to reach the credit card machine. Most stores are only accepting plastic now.

{Extra safety measures at Rewe grocery store this morning}

Since we had so many brown bananas, the boys and I made chocolate banana bread.

{Making chocolate banana bread today}

I swear we are all going to gain 15 pounds each.

Later in the afternoon, Dave and I took the boys to Volkspark (people’s park) Weinberg at the end of the street to let off some steam. We stayed out for about an hour feeding the ducks and climbing trees.

{Isaac and the duck}

It was quite cold (around 44 degrees), but very sunny. There were people socially distancing themselves throughout the park while soaking up the sun.

{Tree climbers at Volkspark Weinberg}

Afterwards, we settled on the couch as a family and all played Mario Kart together. I was terrible, the boys thought that was terrific.

After dinner, we climbed onto our front balcony at 7:00 and joined neighbors as people across Berlin stood outside, mostly on their balconies, to applaud the medical workers who have been working on the front line. Though brief, the act was uplifting.

{Joining other Berliners in applauding medical workers}

{Published number, though they appear somewhat delayed}

Stay safe everyone. 🙏🏼

Friday, March 20

Homeschooling was getting quite tedious, as many people have reported around the world.

So the boys’ first “lesson” of the day was to pick anything they wanted to watch on TV as long as it was “auf Deutsch”, or in German.

{Watching Minecraft on YouTube auf Deutsch}

They laughed at one of the player’s name, Toterkopf, or Deadhead.

Ben had a lot of assignments to turn in so we concentrated on finishing them and emailing them to his teacher.

{Ben finishing his week’s assignments}

Since Isaac has no official grades in school until third grade, we tried to focus on doing something in each subject this week including German, English, math, art and Sport.

The boys were exhausted, so they stayed at home all day.

So I did some paperwork and discovered someone has used Dave’s debit card three times to buy almost $400 worth of groceries. I quickly called our bank to cancel the card and dispute the charges.

Later that day, I received an email that someone in Russia was trying to log into my Spotify account.

Please be careful out there.

{We clearly had not made these charges}

Fearing the Berlin Senate would pass stricter laws to keep people inside when they meet on Sunday, I knew I had to get outside while I still could.

{Fehrbelliner Straße}

I went for a walk with my friend and upstairs neighbor, Sarah. We headed north through Mauer Park and stumbled across some beautiful flowers and flowering trees. The cherry blossoms were magnificent and almost all the way out.

{Cherry blossoms along Schwedter Straße}

I picked up some rotisserie chicken and grape leaves for dinner from the Rosenthaler Grill and picked up some bread from Zeit für Brot. Sarah demonstrated how to stand 1.5 meters back from the next customer using the tape on the floor as a guideline.

{Sarah demonstrating the line spacing at Zeit für Brot}

We bought the latest Star Wars movie and spent Friday night as we always do, as a family on the couch for Movie Night. It was one of my favorite Star Wars movies.

{Latest figured}

Stay safe everyone. 🙏🏼

Thursday, March 19

I woke up at 6:20 this morning as my body still hasn’t gotten the memo that it can sleep in.

So I did some reflection and meditation hoping to keep some sense of sanity.

{Morning reflections}

Luckily, the boys’ bodies had. They both slept until 8:00. Which I was glad about. After trying to kick my coffee habit for about a month, I threw in the towel this morning and brewed a French press.

I’ve really started stressing about getting the school work done at home. Nobody wants to do it and the boys need constant supervision. I really believe the school has assigned too much.

But after many refusals, wiggles and even some tears, we did a fair share worth.

{The boys doing their school work today}

After lunch, I vowed to get the bickering boys out of the house. We were still experiencing pretty decent weather. It would reach the upper 50s today.

{Walking by the fetish shop on the way to the park}

{Märchenbrunnen}

{Closed playground}

{Volkspark Friedrichshain}

{Snack Time}

{Urban Climbers}

Limor brought her boys and met us there for the last hour.

{Feeling like a Hamster these days}

It was so nice for my boys to have a friend to break up their bickering. I really had quite enough of it today.

I really think that the amount of homework that has been assigned has made me so stressed that it has spilled over to the boys’ mood. I pray the school or Senate or whoever is requiring this work to come to their senses and realize that people are stressed enough given the Coronavirus to have to supervise their kiddos through hours and hours of homework each day.

{Heading home}

{Most sit down restaurants that are still open have converted to take out only, including the booze}

After crossing the threshold at home, I ushered the boys into a shower, opened a bottle of red and some cheese and crackers, lit some candles and put on some jazz. It was one of those days.

{My dinner tonight}

Things are looking uncertain in the world today. It’s really unnerving.

{From today’s news}

Should I take the shaggy boys for haircuts tomorrow? What about weekend plans with friends? Will Germany impose a curfew? Should we even be leaving the apartment?

{Tonight’s news}

{Latest numbers}

Please stay safe everyone. 🙏🏼

Wednesday, March 18

The homework assignments started coming in yesterday afternoon rapid fire. I printed all of the sheets and vowed to get started this morning.

{Summary of Ben’s homework for this week}

I wrote up Ben’s homework to make some sense of it. My friend called me a Project Manager for doing it. Ha! So true. The homework was received late Tuesday afternoon via several emails from several teachers and due on Friday.

The boys were dressed, fed, had brushed their teeth and were starting their homework at 8:00 this morning. Dave worked with Isaac for an hour over the course of three hours while I worked consistently with Ben for three hours straight. We finally called it quits to have lunch.

{Ben on my computer after his shower tonight. He now finds connection by checking in with his friends each day.}

After lunch, Limor and Ilay picked us up and we drove forty minutes to Grünewald to go hiking. On the drive there, I was still trying to wrap my head around the massive amounts of homework the boys had been given. I was missing my family. And I just couldn’t shake a feeling of despair.

However, after three hours in the woods with my positive friend, I was feeling much better. Friend + Forrest = The best therapy!

And we lucked out, the weather was beautiful. Sunny and 65.

{Hiking in the Grünewald today}

{Tonight’s Snapshot}

Please stay safe everyone! 🙏🏼

Tuesday, March 17

With no official homework yet sent from the school, I used the boys’ school books and notebooks to creative custom lessons in Math, German and English. They each did an hour of work in their notebooks and on-line followed by watching some videos Ben’s German teacher had recommended.

{Isaac watching Esther und Socke}

With playgrounds closed, beautiful weather outside and the fear that we’d be put on total lockdown, we did what anyone in their right mind would do, we headed to the woods.

Their friend Ilay and his mom (who is also one of my closest friends in Berlin) picked us up and we drove about thirty minutes outside the city center to Summter See for a hike. We found the spot using the app Komoot.

{Enjoying the beautiful day at Summter See}

{Closed playground}

{Silliness in the back seat}

At around 3:30, the emails from their teachers started showing up in my inbox. These teachers are not kidding about the amount of homework that they have assigned. What seemed like tasks for the next three weeks are due this Friday. Time to buckle down and get to work tomorrow.

{Closing with the latest numbers}

Please be safe everyone! 🙏🏼

Monday, March 16

The boys went to school this morning for their last day until 20 April, the earliest.

{The boys on their way to school this morning}

They will bring home all of their books and will empty their coat closets and lockers. Unrelated to the Coronavirus, the school will be replacing the furniture in the lower grades during the Easter break.

Dave and I took advantage of the beautiful day and went for a walk and discussed how to organize the next five weeks with the boys being home.

{Preparations for the Abitur exams at the John Lennon Gymnasium across the street from our apartment}

Meanwhile, the high school students are preparing to take their Abitur exams, which allows them to graduate and move on to Universität.

This is a high stress time and there has been debate on whether or not they should be administered given the Coronavirus.

Traditionally, kids dress in costume and storm through the other classrooms to let off some steam as they mentally prepare for this very important exam.

With the Coronavirus, the John Lennon School students instead congregated outside the school dancing, singing and smoking. It was really nice to see such joy given recent events.

It was a glorious 65 degree and sunny day, but the day ended with more restrictions here in Germany. Only essential businesses will stay open. For now, restaurants will be allowed to stay open from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. Most are only offering delivery or take away.

Sadly, all the gyms and yoga studios are closed (along with my sanity) as well as the playgrounds! For those who care, prostitution, brothels and similar establishments have also been officially shut down during this time.

{New rules announced today}

On the up side, the approved businesses will be allowed to remain open on Sundays to help with crowding. And beverage markets are on that list!

I am closing out the post with the current stats.

{Latest update}

Please stay safe everyone!

Sunday, March 15

{Current Count}