GABIT attendees thread

[lame moose (mocha)]

you know, i heard a rumor about some group that did that kind of event oh, maybe a year or so ago and raised a lot of money. i think around $90,000. i wish i knew who that group was. gosh!

[Celandine]

Heh, would be lovely. Last I heard on Twitter from Gabit, AT6 is next on the agenda. UNLESS, they decide to break tradition and host it somewhere else....

[samcarterrules]

Heh, would be lovely. Last I heard on Twitter from Gabit, AT6 is next on the agenda. UNLESS, they decide to break tradition and host it somewhere else....

You know all joking aside, I actually like that GABIT has both events on either side of the pond, it gives everyone a fair chance to attend an event. Especially for those like myself who for whatever reasons are unable to travel long distances or be away from home for more than a few days.


Julia(samcarterrules)

[Chelle DB]

Heh, would be lovely. Last I heard on Twitter from Gabit, AT6 is next on the agenda. UNLESS, they decide to break tradition and host it somewhere else....

Vancouver would be nice!! But London is just as sweet. Been waiting for the date to be announced...highly unlikely my mum will be joiming me but at this stage I'm still hoping to make it back...crossing my fingers, eyes, arms...just hoping RL gets back on track...we're getting there...slowly.

[Celandine]

You know all joking aside, I actually like that GABIT has both events on either side of the pond, it gives everyone a fair chance to attend an event. Especially for those like myself who for whatever reasons are unable to travel long distances or be away from home for more than a few days.

I understand your point. Going to England every year is quite expensive so love when the G4 hosts on on NA soil. My airfare is cheaper (flying time is cut in half, too), Cdn dollar is still holding steady to the American and there is less jet lag involved. I do feel for those in Oz or NZ as it's always expensive and far to either location.

Vancouver would be nice!! But London is just as sweet. Been waiting for the date to be announced...highly unlikely my mum will be joiming me but at this stage I'm still hoping to make it back...crossing my fingers, eyes, arms...just hoping RL gets back on track...we're getting there...slowly.

I figure if a London date is announced, I'd do it up special and perhaps hit Spain or France before/afterward. One of the advantages of going overseas for AT events I guess. I have to save my pennies all the more, but it's always worth it. Already have a little savings account going that I put money in every payday. Not much as the bills still need to be paid, but as long as some future date might be announced soon, I want to have available cash ready to buy my ticket and start the plotting.

Hope you get there again, Chelle! Will be crossing phalanges and other body parts for you!

[Chelle DB]

I'm hoping to hit French soil if I end up over that way again...and of course back to Germany...I"d like to go to Berlin. And maybe if I can swing it, I might travel to Austria & visit Amsterdam...lots to plan.
Oh & when in London next, I'd like to go to see the changing of the guards & go for a walk through Hyde Park.

[Celandine]

I'm hoping to hit French soil if I end up over that way again...and of course back to Germany...I want to go to Berlin. And maybe if I can swing it, I might travel to Austria & visit Amsterdam...lots to plan.

Ooh, if you need a traveling buddy, let me know! Totally up for hitting German soil and missed out on Amsterdam when I was there in Feb.

[hisg1fans]

I'm hoping to hit French soil if I end up over that way again...and of course back to Germany...I"d like to go to Berlin. And maybe if I can swing it, I might travel to Austria & visit Amsterdam...lots to plan.
Oh & when in London next, I'd like to go to see the changing of the guards & go for a walk through Hyde Park.

I'm with you on wanting to go to Berlin. Indulge me while I reminisce about my youth as I haven't thought about Berlin for a while.....

Spoiler:

[SPOILERSOLD]
My apologies to all Germans if I misspell things or forget my geopgraphy. It has been almost 25 years.

I was in Berlin early June 1988, a year before the wall came down. Glasnost was waning and things were heating up between the Soviet Union and the US again.

I went to both East and West Berlin. I was with some friends from several different countries who were all interns at the European Commission. Of course, as the "American" in the group I was the only one that took 30 minutes to pass through the East German checkpoint at Frederickstrasse train station to get into East Berlin. I was with girls from Austria, West Germany, Scotland, France, Japan, and Denmark. I don't know exactly what they were thinking I was going to do as I was only 21 at the time. I was extremely nervous to be going through the checkpoint, so I probably just looked guilty. I guess most Americans at the time went through Checkpoint Charlie. There were only two checkpoints to cross the border. The security guards seemed to want to pay very close attention to me, all 8 of them!

After enduring 30 minutes of sheer terror and seeing my friends off to the side looking at me with big eyes then panicking and forgetting every bit of German I had ever learned, I finally made it out of the checkpoint. After a few big breaths and reassurances I was OK, I started to look around. There were a lot of West Germans being met by East Germans in little reunions. Lots of hugs, tears, and big huge baskets. I asked my German and Austrian friends what the baskets were for. As it turns out, the West Germans were allowed to visit family only every so often and would take foods like sugar, nuts, and other groceries that couldn't be purchased in the East across when they visited. The West Germans could take anything they could carry, hence the big baskets. Dozens and dozens of people were carrying food.

You could only get a visa to visit for 24 hours and had to echange 25 Western Marks for 25 Eastern Marks. And, you were supposed to spend all 25 Marks as it was illegal to take it out of the country. Come to find out, that was rather difficult to do.

I had no idea what to expect. All I knew was I wanted to walk along Unter Den Linden (street called 'under the Linden trees'), just like the characters in the spy novels I had read. That street was right outside Frederickstrasse train station, so I accomplished that in the first 20 minutes. Then my goal was to spend the 25 marks and just look at everthing. I was VERY conscious of the time because we had to be back through the checkpoint by midnight or we would be thrown in jail as spies. Of course, the whole time I felt like somebody was following and watching us. There probably wasn't anybody watching us I have no idea. At least no then anyway. But there were armed guards, with machine guns on every corner it seemed like.

We wondered around and looked at the big spire with the ball on it. There was post office there, but I wasn't allowed to mail anything to the US. I was disappointed, but was too afraid to ask why. The postal clerk wondered off away from somewhere and left two of us standing at the counter. The really old dial telephone rang several times, then stopped. It rang several more time then stopped. It rang again. And, I answered it. Somebody asked if the post office was still open and I told them yes and gave them the closing time. My friend was mortified. By this point I think I was past shock and didn't care. Eventually, the clerk came back and we were able to buy some postcards. Still couldn't mail them though.

We wondered around the general area, saw some not-so-nice looking gardens, then one of the girls decided she wanted to get away from the touristy area and see the 'real' East Berlin. One girl said her feet hurt and went to a museum. I almost chickened out, but when the Austrian, whose father was the Ambassador to the EC and was in law school, said she would make sure we got back and if not would call her Dad, I went along. Looking at my watch.

We hopped on the subway and went to the end of the line. Lots of big baskets full of food all around us. We started walking again and got hungry. There were lots of gray buildings all built the same but very few eating establishments. Finally, we found a place that was serving food. At least I think it was food. It wasn't very good and I knew why the West Germans were bringing groceries over! Of course, they were probably thinking "stupid tourists, we'll give you something to eat!" Four hours into the trip I had only spent 7 marks and was getting worried about what I was going to do with the left over money.

We left that eating establishment and started walking again. There were no cars driving around, which seemed very odd. I saw a little park took off across jaywalking across the middle of the street. My friends yelled at me to stay on the sidewalk and cross at the crosswalk, but I was still very hungry (couldn't eat the stuff at the cafe) and was starting to get worried about getting back. The one girl who was supposed to know 'exactly' where we were was lost by this time. I ignored them and crossed the street anyway. As I looked back to say 'see, nothing happened', I saw this beautiful mural of elephants on the wall of one of the buildings by the park. It was the first color besides gray I had seen all day. So, I took my backpack off and started digging for my camera. I was lifting it out when my Austrian friend said something to me. By this time, they were standing by me but I didn't quite catch what she said. I asked her "What?" as I was fiddling with my camera. She said really slowly "Don't. Move."

I looked up at her then about to ask something else when I saw a black blur out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head to the right and a security guard with his automatic rifle about 6 inches from me. I felt something on the left and whipped my head around to see another rifle about 6 inches from then. Then I heard a click directly behind me and saw a third security guard behind me. It turns out my friends weren't standing by me, three East German Soldiers were. With my eyes, I looked for my friends. I set my hands holding the camera down on my back backpack.

About that time, I heard sirens coming down the street. My second panic attack of the day hit and I just knew I was heading to jail for jaywalking. I looked up and saw motorcycles and big, black Volga limosines coming down the street. I really wanted to take a photograph, but was too afraid to twitch a muslce and just stood there watching them go by. There had to be at least 20 vehicles of different kinds. Motorcycles. SUV-type vehicles. and 3 limos with Soviet flags on them. We all just stood there and watched.

After they went by, I finally had to take a breath. I looked at one of the guards and asked if I could take a photograph of the "things". I couldn't remember the word for "elephants". He smiled and said "OK". So I took my photograph and started walking. After a few steps, I asked the other girls who that was and nobody knew. This was the weekend of the "Allied" parade in West Berlin, where the British, French and US troops marched, drove and flew their military down the main streets of West Berlin. I was wondering if the East had their own parade. The Austrian just said "Keep walking and be quiet." Since our map master was lost and I was in front, I headed back to the subway. We made it in record time. All of us about wet our pants.

There was a pub by the subway station. The Austrian said we had an hour or two before we had to head back, so we stopped and drank some beers. There were lots of young people there and we started talking with them. It turns out they were engineering exchange students from Cuba who were just as surprised to find 'western echange students' running around East Berlin as we were to see them. I figured this was the only place to spend any money, so I kept buying drinks. They were really cheap though and I wasn't getting rid of my cash. I was starting to get worried after the checkpoint the motocade, I just knew I would get if I tried to smuggle some money out.

continued on the next post of mine down....

[/SPOILERSOLD]

[hisg1fans]

If you are interested. Berlin continued.....

Spoiler:

Finally, I demanded we leave at about 9:30pm (2130 hours). I wasn't taking any chances on missing the midnight checkpoint. The Austrian had been speaking spanish with the Cubans and one of them asked her to ask me something. She said "No." He asked again. She said "No." again. When I asked her what he wanted, she said he asked if I would go around the side of the building and kiss him. I looked at him and said "No." He insisted on giving me his address in Cuba. Through my Austrian translator I told him Americans weren't allowed to send mail to Cuba. He believed me! (It's not true, we aren't supposed to travel there, but the mail works just fine!) Finally, my Austrian friend grabbed the address, said she would write him just to get him off our backs, and we took off.

At the subway, we find our train with no problems and have plenty of time. So, we sit and talk and laugh about the Cubans and our naivete of not thinking the 'eastern' countries had exchange programs like we had and the motocade and everything else that had happened. Just being silly young women. All of a sudden, I notice the train switched directions. I panic. "Oh my God we are going the wrong way!!!!" The West German and Austrian girls look at the map and talk really fast in German. None of the rest of us can understand them. All of us are scared. They kept saying "We are on the right train!" At the first stop, I yelled "Everybody off!" figuring if we were stationary at least we weren't going backwards. By this time, everbody was panicking as we had less than one hour before midnight.

I noticed a guy standing close by with an empty basket in his hands and asked if that was the train to Frederickstrasse. He said yes, but only on certain days then asked where we were going. Forgetting to say it in German I blurted out "The Checkpoint". He smiled and asked if I was American. I said "Yes." He said "No problem. I'm going there myself. I just brought some food over for my Aunt and Uncle. I'll see you get back on time."

We managed to get on the correct train and he talked about the differences between the two Berlins and was very interested to hear about me being raised on a farm in America. He was very surprised we had ventured out so far from the 'touristy' areas. As we were walking back I noticed the Brandenburg Gate all lit up. It was beautiful. Except for the razor wire preventing you from walking through it. The day before I had stood on the other side of the Gate and watched the Soviet soldiers come through the razor wire to march at their memorial on the West German side. It made me mad they could come across, but we couldn't. I swore then I would walk through the Brandenburg Gate some day. When I told the German with the basket that, he said "Someday you will, and I will walk with you."

I was so nervous, I forgot to take a photograph of the Gate. When we arrived at the checkpoint with about 10 minutes to spare, we turned the corner and saw this huge line of people with empty baskets. I was crushed. There was no way we would make it through that line in time. I don't usually cry in emergencies. Even then, I was normally OK during an emergency, didn't fall apart until afterwards. But, I had tears in my eyes almost in a full-blown panic. The German gently took my arm and walked me up to the Security Guard at the checkpoint. My friends followed. The line was silent. I figured if the East German guards didn't get me, the West Germans in the line would for cutting in front of them.

When we got to the front, the German looked back at the line and said something I couldn't understand. Everybody stepped back to give us room in front of the Security Guard. He then turned me around and spoke with the Security Guard. The guard's brows dropped and he stared me in the eyes. I stared back. The guard then opened the big gate and waved the other people through. Nobody went. He stared at me again. He asked to search my backpack. He asked me if I had any East German Marks. I had some bills and change hidden in my shoe, but managed to say "No." with a straight face. He stared at me and asked me how I spent that much money. I told him we bought drinks at a pub for some Cuban exchange students. He said incredulously "You drank that much beer?" I said "No, but the Cubans did." He laughed, then waved me through. All this time, my friends, the German with the basket, and the whole line were standing watching what was going on. The guard opened the big gates and waved them all through again. They didn't move. He looked at me, gave my backpack back, said "I know you have some money on you." then sent me through. Everybody else followed hurriedly. When I got to the other side, I looked at my watch and saw it was 12:05am (0005 hours).

In the mad rush of the crowd, I started to thank the German and ask him what he said when my friends started hugging me. In the crush, he left to hop the subway on the other side and was gone. I never got his name or said thank you properly. I took 3 steps, fell to the ground and kissed it. I had never been so relieved to get back to safe ground.

Later that evening after everybody had calmed down, I asked the Austrian what the man had said at the front of the line by the checkpoint. He had told them just as each of them brought food to East Berlin each month, American farmers and war planes brought food to West Berlin every day after the war. Because of that, he wanted to be sure he got me to back safely past the checkpoint and asked them to let me go first. She told me everybody else stayed behind me because they knew the Security Guard would get into trouble if he didn't open the big gates and let everybody through before midnight. That way he could only give me a hard time for a few minutes.

On the news the next day, we saw the Soviet Vice-Premier had been visiting East Berlin and that is who we saw in the motorcade. A year or so later the Wall came down.

I was reminded of that East Berlin motorcade in January 2002. I was working late and walking down Independence Avenue in Washington, D.C. I saw a motocycle cop had blocked off one of the side streets. As I was walking and trying to figure out what was going on, I heard sirens. I stopped and looked down the street. I saw about 30 vehicles coming towards me. There were 10 motorcycle cops, several SUVs, and 3 limos with the United States flag on them followed by several more SUVs and 10 more motorcycle cops. I figured out it was the President going to the Capitol to give the State of the Union speech and waved. The motorcycle cop who had stopped traffic circled by me smiling. He said "You just waved at the President of the United States!" then took off waving at me. I nervously looked over my shoulder in a flashback to the Berlin motorcade, but nobody was there.

I chuckled and reminded myself "Someday I'm going to walk through the Brandenburg Gate!"

And someday I will.

[Chelle DB]

Ooh, if you need a traveling buddy, let me know! Totally up for hitting German soil and missed out on Amsterdam when I was there in Feb.

I'm with you on wanting to go to Berlin.

You're on Cel...I don't fancy the idea of travelling alone much...besides, we had fun in London & Wellington...would be fun!!

[SWMBOTGSG]

Hey Chelle! What happened to the ladybirds? I miss them.

Mumsey

[Chelle DB]

Hey Mumsey...I put her back...have been feeling un ladybug-like lately but I must admit, I have been missing them.
Still twiddling my thumbs waiting for a date...need to prepare the family for a possible departure...need to prepare myself!! Yoiks!

[SWMBOTGSG]

Hey Mumsey...I put her back...have been feeling un ladybug-like lately but I must admit, I have been missing them.
Still twiddling my thumbs waiting for a date...need to prepare the family for a possible departure...need to prepare myself!! Yoiks!

((((Chelle)))) That's better! I think of you every time I go shopping with my ladybird bags. Sorry, can't help with the date yet. Hang in there! We're working on it.

Mumsey

[ames]

Every trip over up to this point, I've spent the rest of my time before and after the event bouncing from friend to friend all over England. I'm thinking this time though, if I'm travelling alone again I'm going to explore some other spots ... I'd love to visit Rome again, and Germany has been on my to-visit list for *years*. On the other hand, I may not be travelling alone this time, in which case we'll be staying in England and not moving around nearly as much as I normally do ;P Either way, it'll be a change for me!

[Chelle DB]

((((Chelle)))) That's better! I think of you every time I go shopping with my ladybird bags. Sorry, can't help with the date yet. Hang in there! We're working on it.
Mumsey

Well isn't that just the darndest thing...I think of you every time I use my Tesco ladybug bags...amongst other times I think of you.
I don't mean to sound like I'm pestering for a date...just letting you know I'm still hanging around...waiting...patiently.