tv Check-in Deutsche Welle December 19, 2020 8:30am-9:00am CET
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bloodlines usa is on its way to bring you more conservation playground to mixed signals greener how can we protect habitat and so we can make a difference global warming genius fundamental series again global $3000.00 long d.w. and all mine. it's impossible to overlook the holiday season is in full swing there are sparkling lights all over berlin but that's about the only thing that's just like years past
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and the run up to christmas and times of covert 90. there are hardly any tourists and the grand goal of ours may be merry and bright but there are a few people around to enjoy them. plenty of christmas trees though like this one in front of the brandenburg gate. the difference this year is especially apparent on john diamond one of the most beautiful squares in the city this place is usually hopping in december it's the site of a popular christmas market but due to the pandemic it was of course canceled this year. and spite of it all i'm on the hunt for a berlin's christmas spirit are people in
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a festive mood at all where does the city shine brightest and with christmas markets canceled where do i get my annual fix of gingerbread boy let's find out. we're going to pay a visit to $1.00 of berlin's most elegant hotels the atlanta. will also make a stop at the a story of the morial church. and we'll catch up with globe trotters steve heinous and the portuguese capital lisbon. traditional christmas markets were called off even before the most recent shutdown was announced but individual booths like these are still permanent. side of it how
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do you feel about christmas markets being canceled it's sad yeah really a shame this. one i'm a big fan of christmas markets for now we'll have to make do with what we've got and hope things will be better next year 1st of all couldn't get an alternative set up like this substitute for the real thing no of course not this is just a compromise it's better than nothing but it's nothing like a traditional christmas market so feel fresh it's really sad that we don't have the regular holiday markets this year. but under the circumstances to protect our health and safety i think it is absolutely acceptable. and so are you doing anything special to try and get into the spirit of things do you have any tips for us. everything that we just moved into an apartment together. and we've decided to put up decorations and stuff like that out a little christmas cheer. us from sometimes. we need an advent calendar things like
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that to get into the spirit on the 1st sunday of advent we had waffles coffee and cake just like always but we're sticking to our usual traditions i used to give. the difference in many spots around town the striking it's so quiet potsdamer platz normally bustling with crowds is almost deserted usually you'd find a colorful christmas market here too complete with ice skating rink and sled run. the major traditional christmas markets and might not take place this year but when it comes to the festive season people in germany can get quite inventive here's a look at some socially distanced alternatives to germany's time honored christmas
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favorite. snow christmas lights will suggest not this may look like a typical christmas market but there's at least one major difference in the varying town of launching this year the traditional christmas market is right through. what . we just had to come christmas is our favorite holiday and we want to make the most of it i might be right we're looking forward to christmas and want to get into the spirit of the season and we're hungry. whether they come for traditional treats or to just soak up the atmosphere it's been a huge hit patrick smith had the idea to close in this restaurant to take over restrictions. and everyone is so happy we're doing this even when they have to work with no one seems to mind so i'm actually like waiting it gives them a chance to hang around and enjoy themselves 10 or 15 minutes longer for the
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meeting or to do some going to. visitors can pick up traditional broad worse cotton candy and a lot of other traits without leaving the walk in safety of their own vehicles there's even more line in thermos flask on offer for those who want behind the we'll of course some travel quite a distance for the pleasure of a trip to the drive in market. we want to support this market and there's not much else around going to come for dinner and some old one well not for me the driver we're here to give our kids a. christmas get them in the holiday spirit. the restrictions to curb the spread of the corona virus have gravely affected the
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tourism sector hotels are among the businesses hit the hardest at berlin's luxury hotel adlon there are more employees than guests these days but that didn't stop them from decking the halls. in these empty chairs there usually people from all over the world enjoying afternoon tea. i have an appointment with hotel manager costs that. has already been sold beautiful you decorated but for whom do you have any guests at the moment ya be on that's if you do have guests as many normally have this time of year that's one thing about 20 rooms are booked that's a 6 percent occupancy rate. nice to create christmas you happiness for your foreign guests and staff to spread a little joy that's how it's. going to get through the so very few guests how do
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you sustain a hotel this size during a crisis financially. we're not breaking even of course but a hotel like this would also cost a lot of money to operate even if you close temporarily but decided to make a statement of sorts to make it clear that the open. that are still able to come and want to send to our regular customers business travelers for now that we are there for them and we will provide our usual service and you came up with a very special thank you for the pandemics frontline heroes tell me more than once it's been hard on us sure but the. take a moment to think about the people who are really making the difference in these difficult times it is clearly those working in our health care system people who work in to save other people's lives and nursed them back to health so we thought what can we do to shore appreciation and to give something back the answer was obvious as
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a hotel you could offer them complimentary stays but that's what we did i mean how was the response in norm over of well being within 34 days a 1000 overnights days of you offered were all booked and the waiting list was started half of the states have already been redeemed more than half of our healthcare heroes have come to stay here in our hotel from by that everything be could to ensure they enjoyed themselves it's been incredible on this one against one of the things like the pandemic in the restrictions that followed for tourism and berlin on hold but that's not entirely true in the midst of the 2nd lockdown the long awaited new berlin airport opened its doors to the world and you can also now visit the reconstructed berlin palace my colleagues look at stake i went and checked out. my 1st stop the so-called b.t.r.
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berlin's major airport it has only been in operation since oct 31st. so touristic me speaking this is the very latest berlin has to offer. this is the terminal building and i've got to say it's neither beautiful nor ugly it's just an airport and it's not particularly big if you consider that the whole thing was designed for around 46000000 passengers a year. me and you however as you can see it is of little use at the moment there are only a handful of travelers. feet. the pandemic the airport hard in addition it was opened with an unbelievable 9 years dealing.
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and on the runway hardly any movement. and you can see there is hardly anything going on here so let's see if it's different in the city center. people are looking for people. and that's the new old palace the so-called home board form to me it kind of looks like a film. set a little bit of a real. 3 for thoughts of the palace where once prussian rulers resided or built in a historical start only one side is very modern. i like this story called facades better
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but many people have a completely different opinion. so the reconstruction is controversial mainly because of the reproduction of the historical facade. i am permitted to enter the courtyard the head of the opening the once completely destroyed palace has been rebuilt since 2012 there are only a few scaffolding left who would who vote for women or limb palace what is it actually as a business is primarily a center for culture and science there are exhibitions will hold events and have a culture education program focuses on world cultures it's the whole level it's our questions were leading to democracy and the environment there's an exhibition on how berlin and the world are interconnected another about the fascinating history of this site over the course of 700 years 4 different buildings including the whole form of these were located at this site of the 1st dominican monastery in the whole
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solar palace in this east germany's parliament and now the humble foreign home which is now almost part of this history there what's the biggest attraction for tourists here what is there to see and to give me here you come on as i don't know if there are you know the bronx logic courtyard reconstructed on 3 sides is a brand new part of berlin just waiting to be discovered then there's the north-south passageway and the palace itself so that. allegedly the homeward form will open soon and that's a glimmer of hope jury was locked out. until mid december stores in germany were still open for christmas shopping. always making sure to keep that distance between mask shoppers and i'm in caddy probably berlin's most famous department store. it 1st opened its doors over
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a 100 years ago. on the 4th floor it's christmas the lower every kind of decoration imaginable everything you could wish for and more. it seems like business as usual to me but this is nothing compared to what they're used to according to store manager team of eva. anyway how noticeable is the absence of tourists in the store had to be met by a. very bare leaners those from the surrounding areas account for about 50 percent of the revenue the rest is generated by visitors from elsewhere in germany europe
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and the rest of the world so we are noticing the difference at the moment we're flying the christmas flag so to speak for billionaires to come here and feel and enjoy a sense of normality. no money of normality but only to some degree only 3000 people are allowed in the store at a time how do you keep track digital monitors at the doors count people as they comment that shows us how many are inside at any given time and our team also keep a close watch on things. you know right now barbara lynn are still coming here to davey or have you noticed a reluctance in people to spend time indoors during the pandemic once inside the pony. no i feel that their leaders are supporting us standing by us. we see plenty of evidence of that it is wonderful when 1st thing in the morning you see someone had 2 words the cheese counter for a little chat because they may spend most of their time at home and have very
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little social interaction i don't hear the seals deficit cheerful have to do engage in conversation find out how they're doing that's what we're here for to. keep in touch talk to people and offer our customers nice things to take home but not with an insecure i think then what's the biggest challenge for the store in the current situation to think of i think there are many different kinds of challenges the 1st thing is respecting the regulations and yes the standards to safety is priority number one and i think we're doing very well at maintaining safety as being that you can tell that from the feedback we're getting them gets be that from the authorities or i guess it's and then of course our goal is to fill the store with the magic of christmas so that the visitors feel good when they're here relaxed and happy. setting off to discover foreign lands is not really an option for most people due to the coronavirus pandemic but our globe trotters steve payne ish just couldn't wait any longer and headed to portugal and the capital lisbon he wanted to
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know what people there are doing to get in the mood for christmas. welcome to portugal where i'm spending winter this year due to the pandemic today i am in lisbon in the run up to christmas with my local friend who actually met 8 years ago travelling through bolivia and now he's going to show me how the portuguese celebrating this time of the and that's why we are actually here in front of a church it's usually all the traditional portuguese christmas starts right now actually still largely we're very catholic country and so the traditional way to learn to leave it is you should fostering today and then you meet with all your family and see all the community inside the church for a special service called me. and then after the service you can go to your respective family house and they have a feast we do your own families ok so we go in and check it out let's go right.
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christmas wouldn't be risking this without christmas pastries and what we have done in germany you have the balls i will bring bull's eye is a super traditional christmas red. that's usually made with crystallise fruits on top so it's very colorful and he also has tried treats and raisins and so it's and it was invented right here at the factory in us you know but you know hard to believe. well flits finally try it so let's try that. while.
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just all german christmas break. week christmas eve not. just. in germany we have christmas markets do you have anything like this you. mean not in the same sounds but there's a lot happens is this whole downtown area where it's very much shopping and tourists quite here every shop gets decorated and then you can see that's all this special why it's in the christmas tree so usually people just revel all the time enjoy the christmas episode. let's talk about christmas dinner some might say the most important part about the whole christmas eve and then we actually came to
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a more traditional restaurant here in this venue to try something you would actually have for christmas dinner but not in a restaurant i would i would say read never in the restaurant you always have the christmas dinner with your own family but still this is it would be exactly what you have wild caught fish we just some vegetables around chick peas potatoes some cabbage sometimes. very down to earth and very typical and this was actually in the past some expensive cuts so families would really save up. so they could afford but i don't know for the christmas you know even so it's not christmas eve i would say that's him right that's against. drunkeness hold chris. in this experience we have a tradition move the right to sleep surely could call this using a nonsense so that i felt they should all. know.
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for many people around the world the christmas season is a time of contemplation and celebration of their faith. and friend of the kind of the home memorial church star shaped ornaments with personal wishes written on them remind us how quickly the ordinary can become something extraordinary this person wishes they could spend christmas with their grandparents.
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for many going to church isn't it revokable element of christmas but will services be possible in the midst of a pandemic. gamma has been the memorial church's pastor for 15 years as one of our none of us has ever experienced a christmas season quite like this one how has it been for you. fortunately we were allowed to worship together and that's what we wanted to on christmas eve a lot of it will be our only service is a mid day and so midnight of something we have already been doing during the advent season on weekdays we hold mid-day prayer services there are fewer people in attendance the usual that those who come on are really appreciative it means a lot to them and we think it will be the same on christmas eve the thing we have.
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the. service like in times of the coronavirus what can and what can't be done. from what i met on does it was 1st of all we maintain one and a half meter distance between chairs no one sit side by side as you're only good but that's the sort of quality of it's own you focus more on yourself and perceive those around you differently with the thought of we're not allowed to sing so instead we have the organ sing for us if you will the and then we can either sing along in our heads or i read the words aloud to the music. it's interesting this gives us a new sense of protection which can be very positive. and i think in the volume of my the fix currently our services are shorter than usual because we leave things out that would normally be part of the services but that in turn helps us focus more intently for those who were on board the come on our thought of what was quite
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simply on this count among all this can you even get in the mood for christmas or is there something missing in the dustbin if not really well i'm curious to see how things develop from my experience as a pastor i can say that true christmas spirit is when we really began to celebrate it before that we're busy organizing preparing everything and that's not the same as the christmas celebration itself i think we reach christmas eve and christmas day we will find ourselves in a festive mood realist. then hopefully we can leave the hustle and bustle of a few of our troubles behind and focus on what christmas is really about as i pleased his important to remember that it was some christmas thank god became man born as a child in a manger what's in a makeshift shelter cooper begun considering that things here are still pretty home on this it all began under normal circumstances well that's what's nice about it but doesn't so should all of the dam provide thing already way back when happy
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holidays thank you to. the. one bright church plots right next to the church some scattered stalls are doing their best to spread a little christmas cheer. and again i think what mulled wine please. and at least some things haven't changed. after all that 2020 has put us through i almost didn't believe it possible but my little stroll through berlin really didn't get me in the mood for christmas there's something comforting about all those shimmering lights although of course the
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. thing. spin. everything revolves around christmas. sharon a german village famous for its handcrafted toilets candle arches. incense smokers once more. we find out what magic it's all about. the woman. 90 minutes want to. how does a virus spread. why do we panic and when will all of this. consider through the tax the. weekly radio show is called spectrum if you would like and information on the coronavirus or any other science topic you should really check
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out our podcast you can get it wherever you get your podcast you can also find us at dot com slash science. story of producer and propaganda. they were called the rhineland bastards born after the 1st world war. their mothers were germans living in the occupied rhineland their fathers were soldiers from the french colonies. least half of the german children had a hard time because they were a reminder of the german defeat. exclusion and culminated in forced sterilization under the nazis. this documentary examines the few traces that remain of their existence. they call them the children if she. starts january 11th on d w. m
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