2303 - Berlin, Germany

Bridget (I think) is a nurse and was born in East Berlin in the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany. East Berlin, if you aren't familiar, was one of four sectors of Berlin that the United States, France, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union occupied after the Second World War. The four countries administered Berlin together until the Soviets decided to leave the group. East Berlin became the de facto capital of East Germany from 1949-1990.

Berlin was separated by a wall from 1961-1989. East German soldiers had shoot to kill orders for anyone caught in no man's land.

On 3 October 1990, Germany reunified into one country again which meant Berlin also became one city again. Since reunification, Germany has poured a lot of money into the former East Berlin side to try to bring services and infrastructure up to German standards. There is still a visible difference in architecture on the east and west sides of Berlin. East Berlin still has evidence of war damage.

Among the older generations, they use sometimes derogatory terms to describe someone from the east side or the west side. If you were Ossi "from the east," you would be stereotyped as lacking ambition, having a poor work ethic, and was chronically bitter.

If you were Wessi "west," you would be stereotyped as arrogant, selfish, impatient, and pushy.

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3584 - Blaine, Minnesota, United States of America

The sender was in Las Vegas recently and bought this card from The Mob Museum. The Mob Museum, officially known as the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, is located in downtown Las Vegas. It open in 2012. It features artifacts, stories, and the history of organized crime in the United States, but also the actions and initiatives by law enforcement to prevent such crimes. The museum is found at the former Las Vegas Post Office and Courthouse, which was built in 1933. The quote on this card was from John Gotti. John Gotti (1940-2002) was the mafioso and boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. After ordering the killing of Gambino boss Paul Catellano in 1985, he took over the family and led what was the United States' most powerful crime syndicate. He was known as The Teflon Don after three high profile trials in the 1980s resulted in acquittals. Later it was revealed that the trials had been tainted by jury tampering, juror misconduct, and...

3564 - Kassel, Hesse, Germany

A wonderful message on this card that translates to to those wh o can wait, everything comes with time.

2346 - Iwate, Iwate, Japan

Keita is a junior high science teacher in Iwate 岩手町. He sent me a photo of the Tokyo Sky Tower during a fireworks display. The Tokyo Sky Tower is a broadcasting and observation tower in Simide, a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis. It became the tallest structure in Japan in 2010. In 2011, when it was completed at a height of 634 meters, it became the tallest tower in the world, and the second tallest structure in the world, after Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE.

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