005~ Seeing the other side for the first time, from their side

Once again, down the stairs, in a train, out the train, through a tunnel, up and down all those schindler's lists, (which one of them is now captured in my pocket camera).

At some point we get off and climb out from the underground, I am still holding to the remaining memory of the photograph I took, and of a young kid, I decided I just have to take a selfie with. God only knows why I clinged to this kid, it was as if I was looking for a normal interaction...with another survivor...

Thanks, kid, for your cooperation, it was fun to show you how the camera works :D

Random kid in U-Bahn

We walked out to the Zoo Station and as my brother reached the top of the stairs, I saw the massive blown-up roof top, behind him. The rooftop is missing, almost blending with the sky, which really made it look like a set in some Game Of Thrones set.

I could almost hear the explosion and see the fire and ricochet hitting all over. I called Paul to turn around, and got them both in a single shot.

Saint Paul and the Devastated Kaiser Wilhelm Church in the back

Walking around, I began to deeply fathom, for the first time the scale of destruction which has been pounded on this area and it was staggering, it was almost everywhere!

Holes in walls, and now I started noticing that many rooftops where new, relatively, to the buildings they were recovering.

Then I saw all the newly erected buildings, clearly built over total loss plots...It was easy to imagine this massive amount of bombardment. I've seen endless short Air Point of view clips of the destruction from above, but being on the ground I could still feel the horror, this nation had brought upon itself.

With the allied forces slowly closing on this city, and with all their rage, strength and expertise, were now pounding the eye of the storm, which has been blowing all over Europe, and beyond.

That was some massive fire power! nothing I have EVER seen before, and I thought I did!

I know why, of course, I am not forgetting for one second the Evil gospel which spread from here, the perpetration of any other group (mainly Jewish, of course) - A pure message of hate!

I can sadly understand how dirty a war can get. I get it and to be clear here...

I am not being judgmental (phew..! how is that for a disclaimer...!) I'm just saying that for the first time ever in my life, at the age of 38, I felt for Germany and started to wonder about other people, besides the jews, who's tragedy I was very familiar with, and was wondering regarding the larger scale of destruction, the bigger picture...for instance- what was the total number of casualties of WW2?

The rough estimation of 76 Million People in total shocked me!

I mean...I knew there was six, and then maybe another 5Mother civilians? Bring in large numbers of soldiers - say 20M?..30M?...40M??? So, yeah some say 65 I read some places as high as 85..anyway from that height I started looking down, seeing things in general, feeling the need to put the Jewish tragedy in proportion AND context. it was important for me to see the full equation realising incidents from the other side, for example- the short Berlin restoration video clip of women lining up across the rubble, each holding a bucket- up and down they swing those buckets, there is no talk no laugh, stop for short break, each in their own silence, and back to line with the bucket.

I felt I had to sit down for a second. Even then, lifting my eyes from the coffee table I encountered another historic remembrance- a ripped building partially suitable for living.

The remaining of the long ago destruction was everywhere, lurking, haunting.

This was a powerful experience for me...No jokes...

This called for a larger scope of understanding!

resurrected ruins, from my coffee table