To start: I have never been much of a blogger. Aside from the initial escapades in the world of the internet at the tender age of 12 or 13, the idea of a blog was something reserved in my mind for those who were being and doing and seeing a million things, and knew what to say about each and every one of them. However, I think that I am now fortunate enough to say that I will be doing and being and seeing in the city that I will call home for these next few months. I don't know how much I will have to say at any one point in time (on here, at least), but I wanted to create a space that I could share with the people that I do love and miss and want to share as much as I possibly can with. So here it is! Excuse the title, I've never been one for those either.
It's been almost a week now that I've been here. It's 10:33PM on Monday September 9th here, and so 4:33 NY time judging from my watch (thanks, Mom! :) ). This time a week ago I was falling asleep in a chair at Newark airport waiting for my layover. The giddiness of movement was starting to set in, and I was still unsure whether or not I was ever going to make it here. A delirious (and later sweaty) 9 hours later I arrived intact and still in a dream. All is well and good and a taffy of time so far. My apartment and host is everything that I could have wanted it to be. There are at least 15ft ceilings and lanterned lights and candles and flowers everywhere! I'm sitting in bed now with a candle and wine and sunflowers in the dimly-lit corner; it was raining all day today.
 |
| Window in my room |
 |
| The kitchen (Simone made the whole counter!) |
 |
| My room |
Simone is a kind and open person. I feel bad that I have not been speaking German with her, but will start this week (as we are starting German classes again). Although I do feel blatantly like an American (and avoid showing it as often as possible), the attempts that I do make at speaking typically end in an English response. All things in time I suppose, but I really do need to dedicate myself more to upping my effort. She is fluent in English though, and we communicate well and have a lot in common. Our hours as of yet are mostly the same, so we've had a good amount of breakfasts and dinners together. Breakfast is simple and more quiet, and dinner is generally longer (though simple) and filled with more conversation. I can't wait to start learning in class again because so much of what I want to share and talk about are the things that I have learned at school. She does Architecture but in part in the same way that I want to "do anthropology"; to have that opportunity and venue and mindset to be the wall that listens and learns. Tonight I shared some pictures of Mom's family that were on Facebook - to Aunt Julie and Aunt Terri: expect emails soon asking for recaps of family genealogy! I'm more curious than ever.
This is already getting long eek. For some highlights of the past week, I'll use more pictures:
That was the first walk back that I took from a morning bakery excursion on my first or second full day. There are bakeries/cafes EVERYWHERE. The world of pastry is a lot bigger than I ever could have expected, and steamed milk is a given for any kaffe you'll buy. The neighborhood that I live in is a more quiet one, in Schoneberg just west of Kreuzberg (the hipper, more Turkish area). I'm close to tons of restaurants and bars and cafes and bakeries and apothekes though, and S- and U-Bahn stops, buses, etc. Public transportation is ridiculously easy and takes you everywhere. When in doubt you can go to any station and figure out how to get home from there too, which is of course reassuring.
Döner and streetfood: All fantastic, all cheap. I went to the most touristy place for my first Döner (Mustafas). It's similar to a gyro but much, much better. There's also a lot of currywurst (sausages, of course), Thai/Vietnamese/Singapore food, Italian, and even chicken boxes(!!!!!). Although I have yet to be as frugal as I should, it's definitely easy to live cheap here. I've yet to walk out of the grocery store spending more than 10euro, even with wine (also: cheap!!)
The first week was a lot of orientation. We took a bus tour which was too much to remember at all. I recommend doing some googling if you're interested though, and I plan on doing a bike tour in the near future as well so will probably do a post about that. The city really is fascinating from what I've gleaned so far though. I feel as though everywhere I walk (or take the above-ground S-Bahn through) is a shifting landscape, almost out of an anime movie. Nothing is too tall or really obvious though- aside from the Fernsehturm which is a completely out-of-context tv-broadcasting tower that should have been at the World's Fair and/or in Men in Black.
Saturday was my first day for venturing. I needed a coin purse (so many coins!) and so I went to a fairly commercial place nearby called Wilmersdorfestrasse. Admittantly I went to a Starbucks there in desperation for a bathroom and internet access, but otherwise just walked around. Afterwards I went to Alexanderplatz, which is a large Bahnhof (train station) and just food/shopping/generic city center. I came across some rollerskating street performers, a bungee jumper from a skyscraper (still don't know what was going on), and a protest though. The protest was "Freihiet statt angst" - so freedom instead of fear. It was protesting the NSA and essentially the USA from what I could tell of posters and such, but didn't know what anyone was saying. I ambled around trying not to look American, and walked alongside through the crowds and later the march a bit. Elections are coming up and so although I don't know much about politics here yet, it's definitely an interesting time to be here.
Afterwards I grabbed lunch and people-watched some more, then took the train to Potsdamer Platz. Potsdamer Platz is especially interested because it was completely destroyed during the war, and so now almost everything is completely modern and I suppose western. Potsdamer is also near the East-Side gallery (and remnants of the wall), and part of the pipe that represents where the wall used to be goes through the plaza (Checkpoint Charlie is also nearby). I haven't had the opportunity yet to do this sort of sight-seeing yet, but plan on it soon. There was an Italian Festival that I came across which was perfect though, and convinced me to go to Italy during our break at the end of November. Glasses of wine were 2 euro and free salumi and olive oil sample amuck.
Feeling like a lucky duck, I returned home for a bit, then went back out for dinner with a couple of people from the group. We had dinner at a Singapore restaurant in Kreuzberg, and then met up with another girl from the group whose host is a student just a couple of years older. We went to a club/gallery nicknamed "Stattbad" near Wedding. It was a three-story converted pool complex, with two dance floors, a gallery, and another pool that just had stadium seating and music alongside it.
As per Berlin-nighlife, we stayed there dancing until 5AM, and arrived home in a blue but not dewy morning. Stamina is apparently something acquired during mosts' time in Berlin. I woke up around 11:30 to go to one of the larger Sunday flea markets though. Most shops are closed on Sundays, but flea markets erupt in their place. This one at Mauerpark was overwhelmingly huge. Likely also a tourist trap for the untrained eye, but on my next excursion I plan on not being so shockingly overwhelmed (I got lost IN the market), and arriving at 7 when it opens with a double-shot of coffee in me. Regardless the ambiance was nice though - with food and drink and music all around, as the market is lined by a park (Mauerpark) where people are eating and sleeping and reading etc. The mix of grungey and international and otherwise was healthy and welcomed though, and I hope to go back and meet people perhaps the next time around.
Considering that was much longer than I intended, here it must end. Hopefully the blog will give a sense of the city as my nose and ears and eyes adapt and evolve. Aber fur jetzt, alles ist gut! And I am missing you all very much and hope that all is well :)
<3 Julia (Yoolia? lol)
