Ich bin ein [Texas-Born] Berliner

I believe I told at least some of you at one point or another that although I’ve long since collected the handsome certificate (now beautifully framed, for a prominent place on the wall of my Berlin apartment’s entry hall) proclaiming me a citizen of the Federal Republic of Germany, the formal ceremony for us Neudeutsche takes place only at quarterly intervals (”with champagne and canapés“, to quote the civil servant who handled my file).

Yesterday, from my borough’s mayor and her city councilor for various things, came the invitation to the next one - no mention of food and drink but promising a “kulturelle Umrahmung und Gelegenheit zu Gesprächen in zwangloser Umgebung” (cultural [probably musical] framework with occasion for conversations in an informal setting - actually in the (so to speak) Borough Hall for the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf part of Berlin that again became my home after returning to Berlin for good twelve years ago).

The form for faxing my response makes it clear they expect me to bring a maximum of one (1) person, but I plan to ask whether they’ll make an exception in my case because of the prominence of the two I’d most like to bring, who’ve provided the most important help and support during this long procedure: the one-time Berlin Senator for Cultural Affairs Anke Martiny and the former Berlin Kulturdezernent (departmental head for all Berlin’s opulent cultural activities) Peter Nestler.

I just thought some of you might like to know what I have to look forward to three weeks from yesterday, on November 29th.

Mit NEUdeutschem Gruss!