was also forced to leave. The emotions are complicated! But every now and then I see or read things that remind me of my grandparents -- hearing a nursery rhyme they used to sing to me, seeing the particular way apartments are furnished here. I now realise how European their suburban Melbourne apartment was! Even the fact the chose to live in an apartment in a city of standalone houses. They both died years ago, so it's lovely to feel close to them. Tell us about your Kiez, and what you like about it. I live on the corner of Neuklln, Treptow and Kreuzberg, which is sometimes described as Dreilndereck ("three border triangle"). My apartment looks over the intersection of two canals and very often the sound of ducks quacking will drift through our fifth floor apartment. There is a bridge over one of the canals and this is a real hub -- people riding to work, walking to school... very often you see two people meeting and sitting on the bridge having a beer. And I love that in my Kiez everything I need is only a bicycle ride away. What are your five favourite things in your neighbourhood? The canal . I like that Berliners like to just get outside -- go for a walk, ride their bikes or just sit in a park somewhere... and all of that happens along the canal outside our apartment. The idea that you can buy a cheap beer and go and