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I will never forget the feeling.

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We landed at 
Schönefeld Airport

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and as we went down
the escalator, I thought 

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wow, you’ve done it.
You’ve arrived in a paradise.

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On 16 June 1981,
at 5:11 a.m.,

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we landed at 
Schönefeld Airport.

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Then we were picked up
by a bus.

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I looked out the window
and saw the tall buildings

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and the very, very wide street.

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Everything so clean, so modern.

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Everything was quiet, not like
back home, where everything is loud.

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And everything so organized.

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Someone stood either side of us
and gave us each

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a bag of food. There was

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an apple,

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a sandwich

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and a chicken drumstick.

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They greeted us there

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and took us straight to a welcome
function in a large room with food.

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We had only the uniform that they
had given us, and a few items of clothing.

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We were not allowed, even if we had things,
we were not allowed to bring anything.

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All in the same clothes
given to us by the state

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with the same suitcases,
we all looked the same.

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I came just as I am now,
in suit and tie,

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and I was cold, 
and I put my jacket on.

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Then we went to our accommodation.

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It was the first time
in my life

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that I ever used an elevator.

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I spent the whole night 
going up and down.

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I was thrilled.

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I wasn’t 100 percent
sure about everything.

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But we were happy we
had come to a socialist country.