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Rain and the Trabrennbahn

Rain- so many countries complain that they don't get enough rain. So many people die because of droughts, lack of water... well people, come to Berlin- it's all here.

It has been raining incessantly for two days now. The city is covered in a thick film of leftover rainwater that is slowly running down the streets into the sewers where a natural cylcle of life can continue for the water. The cities cyclists are all covered by multicolored and multishaped rain protection gear while sitting on their bikes, braving the flood that is breaking down upon us from above, making sure that no patch of dry stays untouched.

I used to love rain when we lived in Cairo, because it rained maybe two or three times a year. Here in Germany, a country that is not so famous for having the best weather in the world, I grew to understand why people walk around with faces all the way to the ground sometimes. It's a gray country, this one, and it pours when it rains. It makes for a very monotonous day, as you don't get sunrises or sunsets you just get gray clouds changing from on shade of gray do a lighter or darker one.

Now, it is raining in torrents.

In contrast, on Saturday, it was also raining, but the sky was intersped with some small benificial patches of blue and sun. I was in a part of Berlin that I had hitherto not visited, in a place that I knew existed, but had failed to visit either.

I was on a horse track, working as a promoter, getting people to give me their phone numbers, so that my employer could call them and find out anything they needed to know- not the best of jobs. The people were relaxed, some even had exchaned their prenial scowl for a smile for the day, everyone was excited at having placed their bets on a horse and jockey and were now waiting for the beginning of the race.

Meanwhile, we were perambulating in the aisle, doing our jobs, surprised by the wide openness of the locals to our inqueries into their private lives. But the setting was even more amazing- lika a day at the races from My Fair Lady- minus the amazing Hats worn in that film....

The Music was right, the feeling was right, the people with binoculars and some telescopes, the elation and frustration at the wins and losses... beautiful.

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