Берлин

Dag allemaal!

So it's been a while, but only because my internet has stopped working chez moi, so I haven't had nearly enough time to update the old blog on my happenings.  The title of this blog is "Berlin", written in Russian/Cyrillic - I was simply curious as to what it would look like.

As previous posts indicate, I went to Berlin to visit some friends. That's Lukas (Looookas).

It was simply fabulous. However, not fabulous in the way that I expected. It was quite quite different to the Berlin I had created in my head - crazy people with purple hair and nose rings everywhere, artists and hippies lining the streets, grungy electro clubs and shit loads of currywurst.  All stereotypes I'm sure you wouldn't have to try very hard to find, but nevertheless it is always refreshing to find that this is not the mainstream.  I guess I know that stereotypes that apply to a majority are rarely realised when you visit a country/city, but it's always nice to not be so educated (by yourself or taught) about a place before you go there, and just be innocently surprised and enlightened. Put simply; don't read too many guide books, just enjoy it.

I thought of this as we were cycling on the runways of the old Tempelhof Airport one day - it felt great to be enjoying such a wide open space on a sunny (yet excessively windy) day, bang smack in the middle of the city. It also made me realise that I'm glad that I have various friends dotted around the world - it's nice to go and spend time with them and do the things that they do, sampling their lifestyle alongside all the great sightseeing we enjoy as tourists.

Windsurfing on the runways at Zentralflughafen, as you do. You can see the ball tower in the distance.

On the Friday night, we went to Lukas' flat for a barbecue (cold but the sun had been shining) which was fabulous. We drank and ate and I spoke terrible German, but more of that later. Holly came over (a friend from uni who also lives there now) and got suitably fresh and had a great catch up.  Afterwards we adjourned to a club not far away. A great little place in someone's cellar, you had to walk through this old living room and downstairs. As we walked in a 30s style cabaret band was just finished and then the dj started up playing similar music. It was great! It was old fashioned music but it had a great beat behind it which just made you want to dance, and not even in some "alternative/ironic/look-at-me-I'm-different" douche bag kind of way, it was just good music. It slowly developed into some deep/tech house which was cool and the we spent the rest of the night dancing. I met some nice people who I am sure I will never meet again, but I will remember this girl's cool red hair. I remember being told to make sure I was quiet with Holly outside, as the place didn't have a licence and had been shut down once already. Fab. 

If you want to go here, ask Lukas or Catherine.

The next day Catherine and I went for a walk and visited the Berlin Gallery, as there was a new photo exhibition on from a photographer who took some cool photos in New York and Berlin during various points in the late 20th century (I know that's recent-ish but it's easier than saying "between the 60s and 2000s/noughties/whatever the hell we call them). That night we went over to one of their friends' flats for a birthday meal - we brought brownies, which we named "chocolate squares" as they were too much like cake. After eating a very tasty risotto and other things, we spent the evening drinking and talking and listening to music. I spoke a shit load of terrible German this time, but only because at the beginning of the evening, it was clear that I was the only one there that wasn't German/had studied German. I remember thinking that I could sit here and wait for someone to speak English, or I could just get on with it and have some fun with it. It felt like when I started my year abroad and felt that I couldn't speak a word of French or Spanish despite having studied it, which is, contrary to how it sounds, extremely invigorating and stimulating. I enjoyed that evening a lot and reminded me that I do have the balls to just go for things, as lately I feel like I have been holding myself back (only slightly) from certain things. So big up to Deutschland and the guys at the party for making me feel welcome and speaking some German with me!

The last day was spent cycling at the Zentralflughafen as I mentioned before, then in a cafe with coffee and bagels.

Catherine and I then went for a cycle along the canal (the weather was beautiful the whole time I was there) before stopping off for the rest of the afternoon in a bar for a extended catch up and gossip. 

That evening we went for some great tapas with Holly at Maria Mulata and then on to a bar across the road for the rest of the night. The hangover kicked in on the plane the next morning, by the way.

Thanks to Catherine, Lukas, Holly and everyone who showed me a lovely time there. I can't wait to go back. Eurovision party chez Foster is calling...