New York Week [1]
Jurek Becker [2]
Translated by xia23
Day one
New York begins well, the plane has to circle over Kennedy Airport for 50 minutes, because no free runway for us after the snow storm. I watched out from the window and wanted very much my thought to be captured. So, that is New York down below. It is a cloudy evening, I know immediately, that I have never seen so many lamps lighting up at the same time. At a particular bright strip of lights, I think of the word “Broadway”. After 20 minutes of circling, the light is still the light. Not even the children are looking out of the windows anymore.
My visa reveals me as the one, who is not eligible for immigration. The passport officer studies it for a long time. Then he asks me, if I really do not intend to stay here. In his voice there is an unmistakable echo: now come on, say it, we are under ourselves. I’m happy, because I immediately understand the meaning of his words. I smile and shake my head, he can be reassured. But I think in the next moment: how I can know for sure now? …
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Jurek Becker [2]
As the son of Polish Jew, Jurek Becker (1937-1997) came to East Germany to learn German in 1945. After graduating from high school, he spent more years to study at Humboldt University and Babelsberg Film University, Becker worked as freelance writer and screen play writer.
In 1977 Becker left the GDR, worked as a guest professor at various universities, first in the USA and then teach in the Federal Republic of Germany. he published several successful novels and screenplays for film and TV.
[1]. p. 378. New York Woche. Stationen. Ein Kursbuch für die Mittelstufe. 3rd Edition. Prisca Augustyn & Nikolaus Euba. Cengage Learning. USA. 2015
[2]. p. 376. Jurek Becker. Ibid.
Polish-born German writer, screen writer and GDR dissident. 9/30/1937 – 3/14/1997.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurek_Becker
