LIKE LAMBS WE JOY: Socialist Sunday

So the new year is under way. I've learned that the way to dispose of your Christmas tree in Berlin seems to be to just leave it in the street, or not to take it down at all. By 13th January, lights trees and decorations were still going strong in some homes.

I'm trying to establish a routine again now that the festive interruptions are behind me, beginning with the resumption of my language classes.

On Sunday (12th) there was a march in Friedrichshain to commemorate the socialists Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht who were murdered by the far-right Freikorps in January 1919. It began at 10.00 at Frankfurter Tor where the participants gathered. The atmosphere was reminiscent of a festival with music playing, and vendors selling everything from pretzels to left-leaning newspapers and magazines to red carnations. Once under way, we walked down Frankfurter Allee to the socialist memorial at Lichtenberg. Accompanied by waving flags and with socialist anthems belting from loudspeakers, we drew a fair contingent of curious onlookers from flats and hotel bedroom windows.

I was heartened to see so many people still committed to the ideals of socialism. Coming from the UK, it's easy to despair with Cameron's coalition demonising the poor, dismantling the NHS and curtailing entitlements to welfare while simultaneously cutting taxes for the super-wealthy.

The LLL march (Luxemburg, Liebknecht, Lenin) was truly uplifting and inspiring.

Berlin Fashion Week is now under way so cue an invasion of hipsters. I won't be turning into a fashion blogger though!