Sunday, May 11, 2008
update
Our internet is down at our apartment. It's a long story, really involved and annoying, but basically, Deutsche Telekom, the provider, shut down the account without telling the girl we're renting from. So, for right now, we don't have internet, and we don't know when it's going to be back on. I'll keep blogging, but I might be MIA for a little bit, just because the internet is less reliable.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
panic on the streets of berlin
Well, not really. Last week, though, I biked to the gym. This isn't out of the ordinary for me: I try to bike a lot, now that the weather has finally gotten nicer in Berlin, and anyway, for those reading who worry about me biking in the city (grandmothers, De), there are almost always bike lanes on the sidewalks or on the shoulders of the streets. And tons of people bike. It isn't like New York, where you're risking your life to bike; it's very bike-friendly, and I feel comfortable on the roads. Well, maybe not anymore.
So anyway, I biked to the gym. There's a bike lane that goes down the majority of my trip there, on Karl-Marx-Allee (part of which used to be called Stalinallee), and then when I hit Alexanderplatz, the bike lane ends. But I was biking in the bus lane, which was fine. And then I got to the intersection where my gym is, and I turned slightly to go up via a curb onto the sidewalk. And my bike's tires, which are very thin, as it is a road bike and not a mountain bike, got stuck on one side of the curb, and my body wanted to go the other way. And it did. I flew off the bike, somehow landing a good 2-3 away from it, directly onto my knees and hands.
I was embarrassed. I managed to extract myself from an awkward conversation in which a nice German woman asked me if I was OK (in German, of course), and I responded that I don't know. I was so shocked by the fall that my German was worse than usual, and eventually, after me telling her I had hurt my knee, she just switched to English. After being super helpful, she left, and I burst into tears, and called Alex and Sarah, who both showed up a few minutes later.
Anyway, this is getting boring even to write, so I can't imagine reading it. To summarize, right after the fall, my knee was extremely swollen, almost like I had just taped an egg to my kneecap. It was gross. I had inexplicably NOT torn my jeans, and yet I had managed to burn the side of my knee with the jeans instead.
After limping home and icing my knee, having great difficulty climbing into our lofted bed (which was basically the most inconvenient thing I could have possibly imagined, having this injury), it was still huge. So I went the doctor the next day, wondering if it was broken. The doctor took one look at it and said, "You need to get an X-ray right away." I did. It wasn't broken. It might be sprained. It's a week later, and it's all sorts of crazy colors that I didn't know skin was capable of turning: bright, highlighter yellow, dark green, a surprisingly pretty purple. It isn't swollen much anymore, although the burn on the side of my knee is pretty gross, and I'll need to wear tights with skirts for a bit, I think. Anyway, yesterday was the first day I could walk without limping pretty bad, so I took advantage of that and the nice weather and went to the park and the bookstore. And promptly pushed it too far. So now I'm limping again.
Anyway, that's what happened. It was fun. Next week, De and I are going on a trip to Austria, to get all Sound of Music-ed out. I am so excited! And a little apprehensive about the walking. I'll keep you all updated on when I get on the bike again!
So anyway, I biked to the gym. There's a bike lane that goes down the majority of my trip there, on Karl-Marx-Allee (part of which used to be called Stalinallee), and then when I hit Alexanderplatz, the bike lane ends. But I was biking in the bus lane, which was fine. And then I got to the intersection where my gym is, and I turned slightly to go up via a curb onto the sidewalk. And my bike's tires, which are very thin, as it is a road bike and not a mountain bike, got stuck on one side of the curb, and my body wanted to go the other way. And it did. I flew off the bike, somehow landing a good 2-3 away from it, directly onto my knees and hands.
I was embarrassed. I managed to extract myself from an awkward conversation in which a nice German woman asked me if I was OK (in German, of course), and I responded that I don't know. I was so shocked by the fall that my German was worse than usual, and eventually, after me telling her I had hurt my knee, she just switched to English. After being super helpful, she left, and I burst into tears, and called Alex and Sarah, who both showed up a few minutes later.
Anyway, this is getting boring even to write, so I can't imagine reading it. To summarize, right after the fall, my knee was extremely swollen, almost like I had just taped an egg to my kneecap. It was gross. I had inexplicably NOT torn my jeans, and yet I had managed to burn the side of my knee with the jeans instead.
After limping home and icing my knee, having great difficulty climbing into our lofted bed (which was basically the most inconvenient thing I could have possibly imagined, having this injury), it was still huge. So I went the doctor the next day, wondering if it was broken. The doctor took one look at it and said, "You need to get an X-ray right away." I did. It wasn't broken. It might be sprained. It's a week later, and it's all sorts of crazy colors that I didn't know skin was capable of turning: bright, highlighter yellow, dark green, a surprisingly pretty purple. It isn't swollen much anymore, although the burn on the side of my knee is pretty gross, and I'll need to wear tights with skirts for a bit, I think. Anyway, yesterday was the first day I could walk without limping pretty bad, so I took advantage of that and the nice weather and went to the park and the bookstore. And promptly pushed it too far. So now I'm limping again.
Anyway, that's what happened. It was fun. Next week, De and I are going on a trip to Austria, to get all Sound of Music-ed out. I am so excited! And a little apprehensive about the walking. I'll keep you all updated on when I get on the bike again!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
adventures in communism
This afternoon, I decided to make myself a small pasta salad for lunch. There was not a whole lot available to me: some too-ripe strawberries, some oranges that are hard to peel, some brie that we had bought for a dinner and never used. Thus, I decided to make some pasta. Anyway, I put water in a pot, a lid on the pot, and left it to boil. I came back a few minutes later... and the lid was on fire. Yes. The metal lid, which was sitting on top of a normal pot, was on fire. It smelled.
Obviously (maybe not?) I reacted in the appropriate way, by removing the lid and waving it until the fire went out, and then I opened the window in the kitchen. After the small emergency was dealt with, I was left with the burning question: WHY and HOW did a metal lid-- created for the express purpose of sitting on top of pots with boiling water inside-- light on fire?!
Answer: the lid, and the pot, and all the other appliances we have in our kitchen, were made in the DDR. That is, communist East Berlin, before Germany reunified. A lot of our dishes simply have a "DDR" stamped on the bottom of them, or, similarly, "Made in Romania." (Huh?) Our pots, too, are clearly relics of communism, before people had learned of the glories of non-stick pans, or handles that are made of a different substance from the pot (thus making it easy to pick up the pot without a potholder, something we here in East Berlin are unable to do).
I'll leave you at that. Meanwhile, I think I'll go air out my kitchen again.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
budapest
Our final destination. This was a bit of a no-man's-land for us, as Brew and I were able to navigate our way through Vienna, Salzburg and Munich using German, and in Budapest, we were lost. Hungarian is a crazy language, unlike anything I had ever heard! Apparently it doesn't really resemble any other language in the area-- although in some ways it looked Turkish to me, although it doesn't sound much like it. I learned from Brew that it most resembles Finnish, which is weird. It had very few cognates, and I couldn't figure any of it out! I think it has 44 letters in the alphabet, too. So, that was frustrating, but many people spoke English.
We decided that we'd go to the Hungarian baths that we'd heard so much about in Budapest, and the weather was still pretty nice (although still chilly), so we headed to the city park to the neighborhood baths. What an experience. Thank goodness it was coed- we had read that many of them weren't coed (read: nude), and as my mother and I weren't all that thrilled about being casually naked with one another, I can only imagine how thrilled Brew and my dad would have been. But this bath was coed and swimsuit-filled. So that was nice.
The baths consisted of a bunch of small indoor mineral baths, all heated at different temperatures: some very warm, others pretty cold. They're pumped in and contain a bunch of minerals, which the Hungarians (and other cultures that also believe in the healthiness of baths, like the Turkish) believe very strongly can cure just about any ailments. There were tons of old people there, and the great majority were... pretty fat. So, that was fun. Anyway, we spent most of our time the the two heated outdoor baths, which were basically like heated swimming pools. They were great. One of them had a "lazy river" in the middle of it, which was just a circle with a current in it.
We weren't in Budapest for very long, which was partly good because we were all a little tired of being touristy, but also bad because it was a really cool, unique city unlike any other I've been to. There is a great section of town called the Castle District, which is up in the hills of Buda, looking over the Danube and at Pest on the other side of the river, which had a really beautiful palace and an amazing overlook. Apparently there was a labyrinth (that's a hard word to spell) underneath the castle, but I was told by a man who spoke very little English that it was closed. So we couldn't go down there.
We loved Budapest, but we were happy to get back to Berlin. My parents came with us and stayed for two days because we had been planning on running the half-marathon... and then we were both sidelined to injury, me with my hip, and Brew with terrible shinsplints. What terrible athletes we are. We were both pretty disappointed. But Brew is planning on training for another race, so that's good.
Now that we're back, I'm kicking my grad school work into high gear... considering graduation is in like 6 weeks and I still have to revise and add to my thesis, write a paper, and teach a seminar. Yikes! You'll find me at my desk, buried in memoirs-- my own or someone else's. Miss everyone!
We decided that we'd go to the Hungarian baths that we'd heard so much about in Budapest, and the weather was still pretty nice (although still chilly), so we headed to the city park to the neighborhood baths. What an experience. Thank goodness it was coed- we had read that many of them weren't coed (read: nude), and as my mother and I weren't all that thrilled about being casually naked with one another, I can only imagine how thrilled Brew and my dad would have been. But this bath was coed and swimsuit-filled. So that was nice.
The baths consisted of a bunch of small indoor mineral baths, all heated at different temperatures: some very warm, others pretty cold. They're pumped in and contain a bunch of minerals, which the Hungarians (and other cultures that also believe in the healthiness of baths, like the Turkish) believe very strongly can cure just about any ailments. There were tons of old people there, and the great majority were... pretty fat. So, that was fun. Anyway, we spent most of our time the the two heated outdoor baths, which were basically like heated swimming pools. They were great. One of them had a "lazy river" in the middle of it, which was just a circle with a current in it.
We weren't in Budapest for very long, which was partly good because we were all a little tired of being touristy, but also bad because it was a really cool, unique city unlike any other I've been to. There is a great section of town called the Castle District, which is up in the hills of Buda, looking over the Danube and at Pest on the other side of the river, which had a really beautiful palace and an amazing overlook. Apparently there was a labyrinth (that's a hard word to spell) underneath the castle, but I was told by a man who spoke very little English that it was closed. So we couldn't go down there.
We loved Budapest, but we were happy to get back to Berlin. My parents came with us and stayed for two days because we had been planning on running the half-marathon... and then we were both sidelined to injury, me with my hip, and Brew with terrible shinsplints. What terrible athletes we are. We were both pretty disappointed. But Brew is planning on training for another race, so that's good.
Now that we're back, I'm kicking my grad school work into high gear... considering graduation is in like 6 weeks and I still have to revise and add to my thesis, write a paper, and teach a seminar. Yikes! You'll find me at my desk, buried in memoirs-- my own or someone else's. Miss everyone!
vienna
Our apartment in Vienna was amazing. My mom had booked an apartment instead of a hotel, which was a great choice, and very comfortable. We overlooked the Naschmarkt, which is the main food and wares market in Vienna, and we went there everyday to get breakfast: croissants, bread, honey, jam. Yum! We also decided to cook dinner in the apartment one night instead of going out, and we bought fresh, homemade ravioli at the market, along with homemade pesto. Delicious!
Vienna was big, much bigger than Salzburg, and had some awesome art nouveau buildings that I, for one, was not expecting to see, so it was a great surprise to see them. Of course my father and Brew took plenty of pictures. (Speaking of which, check out Brew's picture site, picasaweb.google.com/brewal01 to see the pictures of the trip.) There was also an art nouveau WC, right underneath the city, designed by a famous architect. It cost us 50 cents to get in, but it was pretty cool. I think my dad enjoyed it, and of course he took pictures there, too.
Vienna was full of cool palaces, one of which had been turned into a huge museum, which had lots of Klimt pieces (including The Kiss, one of my favorites), which were breathtaking and a real treat for me to see. We spent a lot of time there. The next day we went to another Residenz, which was much more authentic than the one in Munich. It centered a lot around Sisi, one of the Queens of Austria, who lead a very interesting and mysterious life. The residences themselves were great to see, too, as much of the original furniture was still there, including little decorations and even office supplies on desks. It was great. Unfortunately, to get through the residences, we had to wade through a massive silver and porcelain collection, which was... pretty boring. How many sets of silverware did I need to see? Although we did come across an "ice cream shovel" that I thought would be useful in my own life. There were tons and tons of different sets of porcelain plates, and it got really tedious. But, I guess it was interesting to see. I was pretty done with it after awhile, though, because it was SO excessive and over-the-top. It was bothersome to see how much money was wasted to buy those things-- and still is wasted! Why not sell a few of those dumb collections off and use it for the welfare of Austrian people? Kind of dumb, I thought. Anyway, that's a little sidenote/rant. Excuse me.
By this time in our trip, we had all developed the necessity to stop every afternoon for coffee and cake, an afternoon tradition in Austria in which we were only too happy to imbibe. I'm going through withdrawal without my afternoon sweet. Yikes.
Vienna was too short! There was more to see there, but we jumped on another train and headed to...
Vienna was big, much bigger than Salzburg, and had some awesome art nouveau buildings that I, for one, was not expecting to see, so it was a great surprise to see them. Of course my father and Brew took plenty of pictures. (Speaking of which, check out Brew's picture site, picasaweb.google.com/brewal01 to see the pictures of the trip.) There was also an art nouveau WC, right underneath the city, designed by a famous architect. It cost us 50 cents to get in, but it was pretty cool. I think my dad enjoyed it, and of course he took pictures there, too.
Vienna was full of cool palaces, one of which had been turned into a huge museum, which had lots of Klimt pieces (including The Kiss, one of my favorites), which were breathtaking and a real treat for me to see. We spent a lot of time there. The next day we went to another Residenz, which was much more authentic than the one in Munich. It centered a lot around Sisi, one of the Queens of Austria, who lead a very interesting and mysterious life. The residences themselves were great to see, too, as much of the original furniture was still there, including little decorations and even office supplies on desks. It was great. Unfortunately, to get through the residences, we had to wade through a massive silver and porcelain collection, which was... pretty boring. How many sets of silverware did I need to see? Although we did come across an "ice cream shovel" that I thought would be useful in my own life. There were tons and tons of different sets of porcelain plates, and it got really tedious. But, I guess it was interesting to see. I was pretty done with it after awhile, though, because it was SO excessive and over-the-top. It was bothersome to see how much money was wasted to buy those things-- and still is wasted! Why not sell a few of those dumb collections off and use it for the welfare of Austrian people? Kind of dumb, I thought. Anyway, that's a little sidenote/rant. Excuse me.
By this time in our trip, we had all developed the necessity to stop every afternoon for coffee and cake, an afternoon tradition in Austria in which we were only too happy to imbibe. I'm going through withdrawal without my afternoon sweet. Yikes.
Vienna was too short! There was more to see there, but we jumped on another train and headed to...
salzburg
We drove to Salzburg in the rental car and arrived a few hours later, deep in the Alps. The drive was great, at least the part I saw, considering I have a pretty hard time staying awake while in a moving car. Salzburg was beautiful, and we were all thrilled to see that my mom had booked a bed and breakfast a little outside of the town, in a farmhouse literally right at the foot of the Alps. It was beautiful, and so quaint and... Alpine, would really be the best way to describe it. There was a little dog that sat with us as we ate breakfast, and a few cats (ew) that tried to sneak into our apartment, much to my horror. One of the cats snuck into our car and jumped out and my mom and I when we opened the trunk a few minutes later. I was not pleased.
Salzburg was awesome, but small. Of course the whole time I was singing "Sound of Music" songs, which of course Brew was thrilled about, but even my dad got into the act. We didn't go on a tour, though, which is good, because I'll be back soon enough with Deanna to tour around, and we'll definitely be taking the SOM tour then. The weather got nice, and we really enjoyed going to the fortress and seeing the entire city at the mouth of the Alps from the top-- beautiful. It was awesome.
We decided since Salzburg was pretty small, and there wasn't a ton of stuff to do, we would go skiing in the Alps at Kitzbühel one day, because when would we be able to ski in the Alps again? My mom decided not to go, as the idea was understandably pretty frightening to her, but Brew got up the nerve, bought a pair of pretty groovy aviator sunglasses, and donned a completely waterproof outfit. I, on the other hand, was wearing a fleece jacket and sweatpants, as we needed to pack light, so I was trying my best not to fall.
Skiing in the Alps is nothing like skiing in the US, even out West! We started Brew on the beginning slopes, which bore no resemblance to the bunny hills back home (much steeper!) but he stuck it out, falling a few times but in general doing really well. He did get chastised by an Austrian woman to slow down once, after he had fallen and lost both of his skis in the process. As if he was trying to go that fast on purpose! But we had a great time-- took a lunch break at the top of the peak, eating pretzels and listening to a band that consisted of an accordian and a guitar singing traditional Austrian songs. It was so Alpine, yet again! We had a great time, the weather was fantastic- so warm and sunny, and at the end of the day, we all had raccoon sunburns from wearing sunglasses. Nice.
The next day, we returned our rental car and hopped on a train to our next stop...
Salzburg was awesome, but small. Of course the whole time I was singing "Sound of Music" songs, which of course Brew was thrilled about, but even my dad got into the act. We didn't go on a tour, though, which is good, because I'll be back soon enough with Deanna to tour around, and we'll definitely be taking the SOM tour then. The weather got nice, and we really enjoyed going to the fortress and seeing the entire city at the mouth of the Alps from the top-- beautiful. It was awesome.
We decided since Salzburg was pretty small, and there wasn't a ton of stuff to do, we would go skiing in the Alps at Kitzbühel one day, because when would we be able to ski in the Alps again? My mom decided not to go, as the idea was understandably pretty frightening to her, but Brew got up the nerve, bought a pair of pretty groovy aviator sunglasses, and donned a completely waterproof outfit. I, on the other hand, was wearing a fleece jacket and sweatpants, as we needed to pack light, so I was trying my best not to fall.
Skiing in the Alps is nothing like skiing in the US, even out West! We started Brew on the beginning slopes, which bore no resemblance to the bunny hills back home (much steeper!) but he stuck it out, falling a few times but in general doing really well. He did get chastised by an Austrian woman to slow down once, after he had fallen and lost both of his skis in the process. As if he was trying to go that fast on purpose! But we had a great time-- took a lunch break at the top of the peak, eating pretzels and listening to a band that consisted of an accordian and a guitar singing traditional Austrian songs. It was so Alpine, yet again! We had a great time, the weather was fantastic- so warm and sunny, and at the end of the day, we all had raccoon sunburns from wearing sunglasses. Nice.
The next day, we returned our rental car and hopped on a train to our next stop...
munich
So, I decided the best way to split up my blogging about the trip was to separate each entry by city. The first place we stopped is Munich. Brew and I took a train down from Berlin, about a 7-hour ride or so, and we arrived in Munich around 2 or so, about an hour after my parents flew in. They picked us up at the train station in the car they'd rented for part of the trip. We drove to our hotel, which was literally a block away from Theresienwiese, which is the HUGE area where they hold Oktoberfest every year, and was depressingly empty, just a void in the middle of an otherwise busy and bustling city. The hotel was cool: it must have been a mansion at one point. We had German breakfast every day, and I don't think I need to say how much I love German breakfast, so I was pleased.
Anyway, Munich is pretty cool. I really enjoy the Bavarian atmosphere that is so typical German (at least for us outsiders), and we certainly don't see much of Bavaria in Berlin, unless it's someone who is ironically wearing lederhosen on the subway, which I believe I mentioned before. Either way, it was great; we even went to the Hofbräuhaus one night and ate schnitzel and bratwurst. My parents each drank a beer, too. It was a big day.
There were lots of great museums in Munich, and a beautiful palace, which they called "the residency." I was disappointed, though, kind of. The residency was all refurbished, redesigned, and... well, fake, at least to me. They had put up wallpaper that was supposed to look like what had been there at the time. They had furniture in the rooms that were basically just copies of 17th and 18th century furniture, instead of the real furniture. I kind of felt like I was being duped, a little bit. It turns out that much of it was destroyed by World War II, so I guess they had to replicate what they could, but still, it felt forced, in a way. That said, it also had a pretty awesome treasury, and of course, I enjoyed looking at shiny things. I felt like such a girl. Oh well.
We also celebrated my birthday in Munich. It was great to spend it with my parents, since I don't get to see them that often currently. We went to a restaurant called Der Katzlmacher, which is basically a pejorative term for an Italian. They served us a tasting menu, which was cool, except we got some food that none of us really liked, i.e. calamari, and for me, calf goulash. But it was a cool experience, and we had great fun! I think my parents really enjoyed it, too.
After 5 days there, we hopped in the car to our next destination...
Anyway, Munich is pretty cool. I really enjoy the Bavarian atmosphere that is so typical German (at least for us outsiders), and we certainly don't see much of Bavaria in Berlin, unless it's someone who is ironically wearing lederhosen on the subway, which I believe I mentioned before. Either way, it was great; we even went to the Hofbräuhaus one night and ate schnitzel and bratwurst. My parents each drank a beer, too. It was a big day.
There were lots of great museums in Munich, and a beautiful palace, which they called "the residency." I was disappointed, though, kind of. The residency was all refurbished, redesigned, and... well, fake, at least to me. They had put up wallpaper that was supposed to look like what had been there at the time. They had furniture in the rooms that were basically just copies of 17th and 18th century furniture, instead of the real furniture. I kind of felt like I was being duped, a little bit. It turns out that much of it was destroyed by World War II, so I guess they had to replicate what they could, but still, it felt forced, in a way. That said, it also had a pretty awesome treasury, and of course, I enjoyed looking at shiny things. I felt like such a girl. Oh well.
We also celebrated my birthday in Munich. It was great to spend it with my parents, since I don't get to see them that often currently. We went to a restaurant called Der Katzlmacher, which is basically a pejorative term for an Italian. They served us a tasting menu, which was cool, except we got some food that none of us really liked, i.e. calamari, and for me, calf goulash. But it was a cool experience, and we had great fun! I think my parents really enjoyed it, too.
After 5 days there, we hopped in the car to our next destination...
Sunday, March 23, 2008
european vacation
As Brew says, I've been "phoning in" my blog lately, which is true, and I apologize. I'll be back up and running with long, drawn-out and thought-out blogs soon, I promise.
But not today, or this week, because tomorrow morning, Brew and I leave for Munich, where we'll meet my parents for a 2-week vacation! We start in Munich, then go to Salzburg, then to Vienna, then to Budapest. From Budapest we'll fly back to Berlin and watch Brew run the Berlin half-marathon as I and my gimpy hip sit on the sidelines, sulking and being generally just a bad sport.
Anyway, the trip will be amazing. So check back soon for lots of fun stories about me, my boyfriend, my parents and lots of crazy Europeans and sightseeing.
(And yes, I'll in this picture.)
Sunday, March 16, 2008
for brynnie
So Brynn 'tagged' me to write 7 random things about myself in my blog. Not something I normally do, but let's be honest, it gives me a reason to navel-gaze, and goodness knows I enjoy doing that. I'll try to write things that people don't normally know-- but that might be hard considering I'm not the most secretive person. Anyway, here goes:
1. I really can't go anywhere without Texas Pete's hot sauce. This includes Europe and any breakfast place.
2. I sadly don't go a day without checking perezhilton.com. I hate myself for admitting that.
3. If you're conservative and we've just met, chances are we probably won't be friends.
4. I honestly think that Avril Lavigne was put on this earth to make my life miserable. She haunts my dreams. Not joking.
5. I scream "brrr" really, really loud when I'm cold-- even when I'm in an enclosed space like a car. Brew hates this.
6. I get really uncomfortable when different food touches on my plate. I do not want two foods to mix. If I could legitimately eat off of a sectioned plate without looking like I was in kindergarten, I would.
7. I am a pacifist, but I'm also pugnacious-- which puts me in some difficult situations.
This was actually really difficult. There you go-- if anyone's still reading this!
1. I really can't go anywhere without Texas Pete's hot sauce. This includes Europe and any breakfast place.
2. I sadly don't go a day without checking perezhilton.com. I hate myself for admitting that.
3. If you're conservative and we've just met, chances are we probably won't be friends.
4. I honestly think that Avril Lavigne was put on this earth to make my life miserable. She haunts my dreams. Not joking.
5. I scream "brrr" really, really loud when I'm cold-- even when I'm in an enclosed space like a car. Brew hates this.
6. I get really uncomfortable when different food touches on my plate. I do not want two foods to mix. If I could legitimately eat off of a sectioned plate without looking like I was in kindergarten, I would.
7. I am a pacifist, but I'm also pugnacious-- which puts me in some difficult situations.
This was actually really difficult. There you go-- if anyone's still reading this!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
yay snow! except not here.
I must say that this is the first and last time I will EVER wish I was in Columbus. But I do! 20 inches of snow? Sounds like the best thing ever! I know what you're thinking, that sounds miserable. Not to me! There's really nothing like sitting inside, bundled up in a blanket, seeing nothing but white out of the windows, knowing you aren't going anywhere for awhile. I love waking up in the morning and expectantly looking outside and seeing snow on the ground. Maybe it's the ex-student/ex-teacher of me that loves a good snow day, but there really is something about snow that makes me blissfully happy. I love staying indoors and watching it fall, I love the smell of it, I love it when you walk outside and make first tracks, I love how quiet the street gets, I must say that sometimes I even love driving in it!
Moral of the story: snow rocks.
Moral of the story: snow rocks.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
my favorite things
The Sopranos is seriously one of my favorite things in the world. I cannot get enough of this show.
Ohne Frage, I could watch 10 episodes of this show in a row without getting sick of it.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
MIA
I can't believe I have been neglecting this blog for two whole months! I apologize to anyone that is still checking this... let's be honest, there probably aren't any readers left! I am currently in the final stretch working on my thesis, which is due on 3 March, so I promise I will update RIGHT after I hand it in!
Still lots to say about Berlin and how amazing it is. I can't wait to start posting with renewed vigor very soon! So, please don't be mad.
Still lots to say about Berlin and how amazing it is. I can't wait to start posting with renewed vigor very soon! So, please don't be mad.
Monday, December 17, 2007
christmastime is heeerreee...
Sorry for not posting in so long! I apologize to my dwindling audience-- if I have one left. I realized today that I get annoyed when the blogs I frequent aren't updated enough... and then thought about mine. So, here it is, a long-awaited (by anyone? no) post.
Two weekends ago, Brew and I went on a Bavarian Adventure. We decided that since we hadn't really done much traveling, even though we've been here for a good 3 months now, that we should squeeze in a trip before we come home to the US for Christmas. So, we decided to go on a trip to Wurzburg and Nürnburg to see pastoral, Sound of Music-esque (although yes, I know it takes place in Austria) Germany, which is something we don't see in dark, dingy, DDR/communism Berlin. And also, we figured it was the right time to go, because Nürnburg has Germany's (the world's?) biggest Christmas market. For those that don't know, Christmas markets are a huge deal in Germany. In basically every open place in Berlin and all over Germany, around the first week of December, Christmas markets large and small begin to pop up. They all consist of little huts/tents with red-and-white-striped roofs, and each hut sells something different-- candy/nuts/gingerbread/popcorn, wooden nutcrackers/pyramids with candles/manger scenes, jewelry, sausages, etc. And gluhwein, a delightful mulled wine that they give out in mugs and you sip as you wander around the market. It's really a nice thing to just wander around and browse.
Anyway, Nürnburg has the largest Christmas market. And Brew and I were dumb enough to decide to go three weeks before Christmas. On a weekend. With every other German person in a 500-mile radius. It was packed. I really don't know if I have ever been in such a crowded area before-- I can only compare it to being at a concert with no music or dancing-- and really annoying old women that push at you until you become angry. So angry that you purposely hit people with your bag if they're in your way. Or start pushing back at people slightly too hard. Yikes.
Anyway, it WAS pastoral and nice, even though there wasn't snow like I had hoped. There were some cool castles and an awesome fortress overlooking Wurzburg, but... surprise... they were packed too. So, hopefully we'll have slightly more successful trips in the future!
I'm headed home on Thursday for awhile, and I am very excited! It really hasn't hit me yet that I'm going to be home SO SOON. I'm really going to miss Berlin, though! But Christmas at home will be absolutely wonderful. I'm slightly worried about reverse culture shock! I don't remember experiencing any when I came back from Cork, but I guess Berlin is significantly larger than Cork-- plus, I was going to school in Cork, whereas now I'm actually kind of living an adult life here in Berlin. But I think some things are going to be really strange-- driving, big grocery stores, the 3 acres around my parents' house (!!!), food choice at grocery stores, things not being so convenient and easily walked to, being able to fully understand all the conversations going on around me, being able to EASILY have a simple conversation ordering food, paying for something at a store, etc without struggling through the words and hoping that the person I'm talking to doesn't deviate from the simply dialogue I've worked out in my head. So, yay for being home in a few days! Can't wait to see lots of people!
Two weekends ago, Brew and I went on a Bavarian Adventure. We decided that since we hadn't really done much traveling, even though we've been here for a good 3 months now, that we should squeeze in a trip before we come home to the US for Christmas. So, we decided to go on a trip to Wurzburg and Nürnburg to see pastoral, Sound of Music-esque (although yes, I know it takes place in Austria) Germany, which is something we don't see in dark, dingy, DDR/communism Berlin. And also, we figured it was the right time to go, because Nürnburg has Germany's (the world's?) biggest Christmas market. For those that don't know, Christmas markets are a huge deal in Germany. In basically every open place in Berlin and all over Germany, around the first week of December, Christmas markets large and small begin to pop up. They all consist of little huts/tents with red-and-white-striped roofs, and each hut sells something different-- candy/nuts/gingerbread/popcorn, wooden nutcrackers/pyramids with candles/manger scenes, jewelry, sausages, etc. And gluhwein, a delightful mulled wine that they give out in mugs and you sip as you wander around the market. It's really a nice thing to just wander around and browse.
Anyway, Nürnburg has the largest Christmas market. And Brew and I were dumb enough to decide to go three weeks before Christmas. On a weekend. With every other German person in a 500-mile radius. It was packed. I really don't know if I have ever been in such a crowded area before-- I can only compare it to being at a concert with no music or dancing-- and really annoying old women that push at you until you become angry. So angry that you purposely hit people with your bag if they're in your way. Or start pushing back at people slightly too hard. Yikes.
Anyway, it WAS pastoral and nice, even though there wasn't snow like I had hoped. There were some cool castles and an awesome fortress overlooking Wurzburg, but... surprise... they were packed too. So, hopefully we'll have slightly more successful trips in the future!
I'm headed home on Thursday for awhile, and I am very excited! It really hasn't hit me yet that I'm going to be home SO SOON. I'm really going to miss Berlin, though! But Christmas at home will be absolutely wonderful. I'm slightly worried about reverse culture shock! I don't remember experiencing any when I came back from Cork, but I guess Berlin is significantly larger than Cork-- plus, I was going to school in Cork, whereas now I'm actually kind of living an adult life here in Berlin. But I think some things are going to be really strange-- driving, big grocery stores, the 3 acres around my parents' house (!!!), food choice at grocery stores, things not being so convenient and easily walked to, being able to fully understand all the conversations going on around me, being able to EASILY have a simple conversation ordering food, paying for something at a store, etc without struggling through the words and hoping that the person I'm talking to doesn't deviate from the simply dialogue I've worked out in my head. So, yay for being home in a few days! Can't wait to see lots of people!
Sunday, December 2, 2007
german TV
Thank you, German MTV, for playing Flavor of Love 2 and I Love New York. Thanks for nothing for dubbing the Hills and Laguna Beach.
Friday, November 30, 2007
girl!
My cousins Brynn and Dan are having a girl! Yay. One can only assume it will be named Emily...
Monday, November 26, 2007
american food
Lately I've been strangely craving American food. And by American food I mean burgers. If you know me at all, you know that I love burgers. And Berlin is lacking in the burger department. Well, that isn't totally true. Lots of places attempt to make burgers, but they fail miserably. Apparently there is a good place to get burgers in this place in Kreuzberg called Kreuzburger (clever), but I haven't been. There's an American-ish bar here that plays NFL games, which is pretty cool, and it has the best burgers I've had here, which isn't saying much. They're strangely spiced, and weird in general.
So, instead of blabbing about missing burgers more, I am going to make them tonight! I've been cooking a lot lately, and loving it, so I'm keeping it up. Send me recipes if you have any good ones!!
Also, I want to see as many people as possible over the winter holidays-- so let me know your schedules!!!
The picture I've attached makes me laugh out loud in an empty apartment.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
finally, an update
If anyone is actually still reading this, I'm so sorry for not updating in such a long time. Blah, blah, blah, I won't give excuses that don't matter.
I had an amazing time with my family while they were here. The weather was terrible (very cold rain, snow, freezing temps), so we didn't do as much sightseeing as my very elaborate itinerary called for, but we had a great time eating brunch, walking around, and just enjoying each others' company. Cheesy, I know. I really enjoyed having them here, and showing them the city that I've really grown to appreciate and love-- and I think they liked it a lot too. A highlight was when we were getting on the S-bahn (train), and Brew held the closing door open so my grandmother could get in before the doors closed-- and we all got pulled out by the Polizei, who threatened to fine us 35 euros each. Poor Brew had to translate for everyone-- but got us out of the fine! Smooth operator. Needless to say, my family was very proud to have had a scrape with the cops while in Berlin, and have been telling everyone since they have gotten back (so I hear).
Since then, not much has been going on. We've been making nice, hearty homemade meals with Sarah (ziti, mac and cheese), which has been nice. There's something about making a collaborative meal that is very satisfying and homey to me.
Brew's still trying to get over his stomach issues, and has been feeling a lot better. But he has lost a good amount of weight (yikes!) and is still having some trouble keeping non-bland foods down. He's kind of bummed and still doesn't have a lot of energy. I think he's finally over the hump, though, and won't get another bout of it.
My migraines are still bothering me, but I guess are getting a little less frequent, so that's good. I've been getting physical therapy every week, which I must say is kind of nice and relaxing, and this Friday, I start acupuncture! I am very excited about the prospect, albeit slightly nervous-- will it hurt? I've heard from some that it won't, but from others that it will. I'm just excited in general.
I've been doing a good amount of classes at the gym. I had never given it any amount of thought before-- but it's really surreal to take an exercise class in a language that you struggle with. Obviously, most words used in exercise classes are pretty elementary (lots of counting, words for body parts, etc), but it's still pretty crazy for me. But entertaining. I haven't had the nerve to go alone yet-- I always go with Sarah or Christina, in case I need some translating-- but it's been a lot of fun and kind of funny for me, since my German is, shall we say, a little lacking.
Speaking of my German, I went to a bingo night earlier in the week. Christina asked me to go, and I stupidly had the picture in my head of an American bingo night-- old ladies, numbers called very slowly, etc-- and was slightly taken off guard when I got there. It was at a bar in Kreuzberg, and it was packed, probably with like 200-300 people (although I am terrible at estimating, so it could have been, like 10 people, or 900). And it was drag queen bingo! Which was fun, although of course I had absolutely NO idea what was going on (I also stupidly didn't really consider the fact that it was all going to be in German). But I realized that it would be great practice for my numbers, as well as thinking in German on my feet, very quickly, so I gave it a go. It was so hard! The queens yelled out a number every, like, 2 seconds (not really an exaggeration). Of course my brain had to translate them into English first, so I was slow-moving and very in over my head. When people won, they had to go on stage and get made fun of by the drag queens for a few minutes, and then they win some sort of prize-- dinners for 2, haircuts, bottles of wine, CDs, books, etc. I told Christina and Brew that if I won, they would have to go up for me. And, then, I won. And they both refused to go up for me. So I made an absolute FOOL out of myself. I told them my German was terrible, so they spoke to me in English, and then I won a German book on immigration (thanks, I'll just start reading that now) and a CD called Berlin Extreme Hardcore. Yikes. I was kind of hoping for the dinner for two. But I was so ready to get off the stage-- I was shaking, squeaking into the microphone. Horrible. I was so embarrassed. Brew took pictures.
Well, obviously not much has been new here. I am missing Thanksgiving, wanting to stuff myself with turkey and mashed potatoes and then fall asleep in front of the TV while watching football. Instead, I'll be going out to dinner with my dad's best friend from architecture school-- and then stuffing my face with pie at Athena's Thanksgiving pie party. Awesome.
Happy T-giving to you all, miss everyone! xxxxx
I had an amazing time with my family while they were here. The weather was terrible (very cold rain, snow, freezing temps), so we didn't do as much sightseeing as my very elaborate itinerary called for, but we had a great time eating brunch, walking around, and just enjoying each others' company. Cheesy, I know. I really enjoyed having them here, and showing them the city that I've really grown to appreciate and love-- and I think they liked it a lot too. A highlight was when we were getting on the S-bahn (train), and Brew held the closing door open so my grandmother could get in before the doors closed-- and we all got pulled out by the Polizei, who threatened to fine us 35 euros each. Poor Brew had to translate for everyone-- but got us out of the fine! Smooth operator. Needless to say, my family was very proud to have had a scrape with the cops while in Berlin, and have been telling everyone since they have gotten back (so I hear).
Since then, not much has been going on. We've been making nice, hearty homemade meals with Sarah (ziti, mac and cheese), which has been nice. There's something about making a collaborative meal that is very satisfying and homey to me.
Brew's still trying to get over his stomach issues, and has been feeling a lot better. But he has lost a good amount of weight (yikes!) and is still having some trouble keeping non-bland foods down. He's kind of bummed and still doesn't have a lot of energy. I think he's finally over the hump, though, and won't get another bout of it.
My migraines are still bothering me, but I guess are getting a little less frequent, so that's good. I've been getting physical therapy every week, which I must say is kind of nice and relaxing, and this Friday, I start acupuncture! I am very excited about the prospect, albeit slightly nervous-- will it hurt? I've heard from some that it won't, but from others that it will. I'm just excited in general.
I've been doing a good amount of classes at the gym. I had never given it any amount of thought before-- but it's really surreal to take an exercise class in a language that you struggle with. Obviously, most words used in exercise classes are pretty elementary (lots of counting, words for body parts, etc), but it's still pretty crazy for me. But entertaining. I haven't had the nerve to go alone yet-- I always go with Sarah or Christina, in case I need some translating-- but it's been a lot of fun and kind of funny for me, since my German is, shall we say, a little lacking.
Speaking of my German, I went to a bingo night earlier in the week. Christina asked me to go, and I stupidly had the picture in my head of an American bingo night-- old ladies, numbers called very slowly, etc-- and was slightly taken off guard when I got there. It was at a bar in Kreuzberg, and it was packed, probably with like 200-300 people (although I am terrible at estimating, so it could have been, like 10 people, or 900). And it was drag queen bingo! Which was fun, although of course I had absolutely NO idea what was going on (I also stupidly didn't really consider the fact that it was all going to be in German). But I realized that it would be great practice for my numbers, as well as thinking in German on my feet, very quickly, so I gave it a go. It was so hard! The queens yelled out a number every, like, 2 seconds (not really an exaggeration). Of course my brain had to translate them into English first, so I was slow-moving and very in over my head. When people won, they had to go on stage and get made fun of by the drag queens for a few minutes, and then they win some sort of prize-- dinners for 2, haircuts, bottles of wine, CDs, books, etc. I told Christina and Brew that if I won, they would have to go up for me. And, then, I won. And they both refused to go up for me. So I made an absolute FOOL out of myself. I told them my German was terrible, so they spoke to me in English, and then I won a German book on immigration (thanks, I'll just start reading that now) and a CD called Berlin Extreme Hardcore. Yikes. I was kind of hoping for the dinner for two. But I was so ready to get off the stage-- I was shaking, squeaking into the microphone. Horrible. I was so embarrassed. Brew took pictures.
Well, obviously not much has been new here. I am missing Thanksgiving, wanting to stuff myself with turkey and mashed potatoes and then fall asleep in front of the TV while watching football. Instead, I'll be going out to dinner with my dad's best friend from architecture school-- and then stuffing my face with pie at Athena's Thanksgiving pie party. Awesome.
Happy T-giving to you all, miss everyone! xxxxx
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
sister time
I am so excited for everyone to come visit. It will be interesting to have my sister here, since she just got back from Tanzania, and leaves for Seattle the day after she gets back from here. Also, she doesn't like crowds or culture. It will be an interesting stay. But she is also wonderful and I can't wait to see her!!!
t-1!
Good news and bad news. The bad news is that Brew has the flu-- again! He is so miserable, but his fever has gone down, thank goodness. The good news is that my family is coming tomorrow. Hooray! I need to clean the place and also work on an itinerary that involves lots of sightseeing but not too many museums because my sister will complain.
In a completely unrelated matter, I thought I'd share a website that has been keeping my attention lately. This website (www.myelectionchoices.com) is really cool-- it gives a list of different issues, and anonymous candidates' thoughts on each matter-- and you choose which statements you agree with. It's a lengthy process, but at the end, it tells you how many statements you chose by each candidate-- and thus suggests what candidate you might consider voting for. Interesting stuff, but my result wasn't surprising at all. I've also been reading digg.com and cracked.com, which are entertaining, and of course the usual mindless entertainment (perezhilton.com, facebook, etc). So, if anyone could give me some ideas for cool new websites I can get hooked on-- please let me know! I have begun to bore myself.
Pretty pathetic post-- sorry. But I'd love some feedback.
In a completely unrelated matter, I thought I'd share a website that has been keeping my attention lately. This website (www.myelectionchoices.com) is really cool-- it gives a list of different issues, and anonymous candidates' thoughts on each matter-- and you choose which statements you agree with. It's a lengthy process, but at the end, it tells you how many statements you chose by each candidate-- and thus suggests what candidate you might consider voting for. Interesting stuff, but my result wasn't surprising at all. I've also been reading digg.com and cracked.com, which are entertaining, and of course the usual mindless entertainment (perezhilton.com, facebook, etc). So, if anyone could give me some ideas for cool new websites I can get hooked on-- please let me know! I have begun to bore myself.
Pretty pathetic post-- sorry. But I'd love some feedback.
Friday, November 2, 2007
frauen fitness
Hooray! Joined a gym the other day. It's at Alexanderplatz, which is a bit far from my apartment via the U-Bahn, but I figure that it will be a good reason to get out of the house, since I'm working from home and it can get a bit tedious. I met Christina and Sarah there the other day and we took a crazy German workout class. I didn't think about it before I got there, but it was very interesting taking an exercise class when your language skills are below par. So, it was fun-- but I am so sore from it!
Halloween was Wednesday, and for those who don't know, Germans don't really celebrate it too much. I saw some kids out in our neighborhood with very boring, half-hearted costumes, and Alex got attacked in our hallway by two children begging him for candy. Weird. But, Sarah had a party at her place, and Brew and I dressed up as Steve and Kingsley (Ned) Zissou, which we had fun with-- except no one but Sarah had seen the movie. Bummer. Thus, our costumes kind of went over like a lead balloon. Which is to say they weren't very successful. Oh well.
My parents, sister, and grandmother are visiting on Thursday (less than a week away) and I am very, very excited. That's really all I have to say about that.
Halloween was Wednesday, and for those who don't know, Germans don't really celebrate it too much. I saw some kids out in our neighborhood with very boring, half-hearted costumes, and Alex got attacked in our hallway by two children begging him for candy. Weird. But, Sarah had a party at her place, and Brew and I dressed up as Steve and Kingsley (Ned) Zissou, which we had fun with-- except no one but Sarah had seen the movie. Bummer. Thus, our costumes kind of went over like a lead balloon. Which is to say they weren't very successful. Oh well.
My parents, sister, and grandmother are visiting on Thursday (less than a week away) and I am very, very excited. That's really all I have to say about that.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
visa shenanigans
This week has been pretty brutal. Yesterday I went to get an MRI of my head because of the massive migraines I've been getting which include one entire eye going blind, and also to get a neck x-ray (nex-ray?). It was scary, but I was sooo thankful that Sarah came along with me to translate and for moral support. She made some jokes while I was in the MRI machine-- unfortunately I didn't hear her. Today I went to the immigration office with Brew to try to get my visa to stay here. I had everything in order-- passport, photos, rental agreement, proof that I can support myself financially, and my employment agreement-- and they asked for more. They need my boss to send them a letter (in German, of course, which is great, since my boss is American) saying they need me in Germany. Only then will they give me a visa. FUN. I did get a temporary permit, which I hear is a good sign. Brew was amazing and held his own with the German bureaucracy, while I cried in the waiting room. But he exhausted himself, and now has a fever. Poor Lexy.
After the visa appointment I went to the doctor to discuss the results of my MRI/x-ray, and it turns out I don't have a brain tumor-- good news. Apparently one of the vertebrae on my neck is out of whack, which explains headaches, I suppose. But, the most exciting news-- I am going to get acupuncture. I am super pumped and think I will ask the doctor to stick me in other places that will help me to do things, like only wanting to eat healthy foods, or having a painful need to exercise every day. We'll see.
Anyway, some of you who knew about this whole migraine drama were wondering, so I thought I'd let you know. If you don't care, then continue to not care.
Also, I am officially coming home for Christmas-- hooray. Start planning things now.
After the visa appointment I went to the doctor to discuss the results of my MRI/x-ray, and it turns out I don't have a brain tumor-- good news. Apparently one of the vertebrae on my neck is out of whack, which explains headaches, I suppose. But, the most exciting news-- I am going to get acupuncture. I am super pumped and think I will ask the doctor to stick me in other places that will help me to do things, like only wanting to eat healthy foods, or having a painful need to exercise every day. We'll see.
Anyway, some of you who knew about this whole migraine drama were wondering, so I thought I'd let you know. If you don't care, then continue to not care.
Also, I am officially coming home for Christmas-- hooray. Start planning things now.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
reason #3
Peppermint tea, which consists of hot water and fresh peppermint leaves. Yuuuuum.
Pretty much all I have to say, currently.
Pretty much all I have to say, currently.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
reason #2
So, when I decided to start listing these reasons, I didn't really think about the fact that most of my obsessions/pleasures in life are related to food. That is slightly embarrassing, so I am going to make a very concerted effort to not look like a fatty, and instead concentrate on the other great things about Berlin. Food will only be mentioned every once in awhile. Hopefully.
And I am brought to reason number zwei: Brew and my favorite game, VW Golf Edition Bingo! We have discovered that in the mid-90s, VW put out a number of different "editions" of Golfs. They are identifiable by a few stickers on the car: one on the back and one near the gas tank, that just says what edition they are. Sometimes they are a specific color, but not always. We've looked in the windows to see if there are any extras on the inside, and while they sometimes have crazily-upholstered interiors, nothing else has stood out. So, the game is: if you see a Golf edition, take a picture. There are 12 different editions in all, and some are pretty rare. Others are not, like the Pink Floyd edition, which is purple-y. So, here is a list of the ones we have taken pictures of:
-Pink Floyd (pretty common; always purple)
-Rolling Stones (only seen so far in dark blue; has a weird sticker on the hood, too)
-Bon Jovi (seemingly only in black; the stupidest idea I've ever heard; who buys a Bon Jovi car?)
-Europe (seen in blue and white so far, just says "Europe" with some stars on it)
-Joker
And here are the ones we have seen, but have been unable to take pictures of, due to sluggish reaction times:
-New Orleans (which I saw and Brew didn't, thus rendering me better than him)
-Harlequin (not romantic, as one would think, but rather is painted a different color on every panel, so that the front door is red, the back door is green, the hood is yellow, etc. And this makes me wonder-- shouldn't they have called this one the Joker?) See above for photo of Harlequin, which I found on the internet, since it has cleverly eluded our attempts at photographing it thus far. But not for long!
We still have a good amount more to find. But it has been fun, mostly because of the crazily large amount of Golfs that abound in Berlin, so we are constantly looking. I'll keep you updated if we see the Savoy, Movie, Avenue, or Special editions, or the rare, only-1000-made 20th Anniversary edition. If we find this, we will die two happy people. Only time will tell.
Friday, October 12, 2007
reason #1
Okay, so I think that I may begin compiling a list on here of reasons why I love Berlin. There are so many. They won't be in order, but here is something that is at the very top, if it isn't number one. Frühstuck! I love Berlin breakfast more than most things I've eaten. I put a picture up to show what it kind of looks like, but it isn't too accurate. Yummy bread, tons of different kinds of cheeses and meats, fruits, spreads, and jams-- I seriously cannot get enough of it. I could eat frühstuck for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a little peppermint tea...yum!
Monday, October 8, 2007
actually having friends in berlin?
Weirdly enough, two girls that I went to Bryn Mawr with are actually here in Berlin (plus our middle school headmistress). We met for brunch this weekend and it was so great to actually see familiar faces and feel like now I actually have people to hang out with in Berlin. As much as I love Berlin, it's hard not really knowing anyone, and Brew and I are not exactly the most friendly/outgoing people. So, it was just really nice to see people and hang out with them.
Yesterday, Brew and I went to a fleamarket in Prenzlauer Berg, one of Berlin's neighborhoods, and it was really cool but also completely overwhelming. We met Sarah (a BMS girl) and helped her pick out a coffeetable, and then Brew and I wandered around. We ended up finding some really awesome stuff-- a wooden sculpture of a bird smoking a cigarette, some presents for Dan Schilling, a cool silk-screened t-shirt for me--and generally had a pretty good time until I got overwhelmed by the crowd and had to leave before I started getting violent.
No huge plans this week, just working. Good news, though-- in the middle of the month, Animal Collective is coming to Berlin-- and hopefully we will get tickets. They were on Conan the other night and rocked it, so if you're interested, check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0vrqGg6xQU.
My German is still shady, but it's improving, I think. I generally have conquered ordering, except if the waiter asks me a question about what I'm ordering, and then I look at Brew like an idiot. I hate having to rely on him, even though he's been so helpful and hasn't complained at all. If the situation were switched, I'd probably have left him to his own devices a long time ago, but he's been great. I've also found that I can understand parts of conversations, both on and off TV. Thank you, MTV, for dubbing the first season of the Hills.
Miss you all!
Yesterday, Brew and I went to a fleamarket in Prenzlauer Berg, one of Berlin's neighborhoods, and it was really cool but also completely overwhelming. We met Sarah (a BMS girl) and helped her pick out a coffeetable, and then Brew and I wandered around. We ended up finding some really awesome stuff-- a wooden sculpture of a bird smoking a cigarette, some presents for Dan Schilling, a cool silk-screened t-shirt for me--and generally had a pretty good time until I got overwhelmed by the crowd and had to leave before I started getting violent.
No huge plans this week, just working. Good news, though-- in the middle of the month, Animal Collective is coming to Berlin-- and hopefully we will get tickets. They were on Conan the other night and rocked it, so if you're interested, check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0vrqGg6xQU.
My German is still shady, but it's improving, I think. I generally have conquered ordering, except if the waiter asks me a question about what I'm ordering, and then I look at Brew like an idiot. I hate having to rely on him, even though he's been so helpful and hasn't complained at all. If the situation were switched, I'd probably have left him to his own devices a long time ago, but he's been great. I've also found that I can understand parts of conversations, both on and off TV. Thank you, MTV, for dubbing the first season of the Hills.
Miss you all!
Thursday, October 4, 2007
a discovery
So, the people in whose apartment we're living left behind a great deal of movies in English, about which, at the time, I was really excited. Brew and I watched Blue Velvet, really quite unknowingly (we had only just heard of it from Entourage... embarrassingly), and were shocked at just how strange and frightening it was. Imagine our surprise when we put in another movie, Wild at Heart, to see that it was also directed by David Lynch. And it was ridiculous. Ridiculous and bad.
Apparently David Lynch is, like, a pretty famous director. He did Twin Peaks, which is well-known, but.... umm.... his stuff is totally weird. Wild at Heart may be on my Top 10 Worst Movies I've Ever Actually Sat Through. It didn't help that Nicholas Cage was in it. I. Hate. Nicholas. Cage.
Also, Blue Velvet is scary. I really love Dennis Hopper, mostly for Easy Rider (and maybe Speed...), but he seriously scared the pants off me in this movie. I've included a photo that may accurately represent why. But probably not. Really, though, don't see it.
Just wanted to give anyone reading this a heads-up about seeing any David Lynch movies. Don't. Or, if you want to see something that makes you feel like you've just done acid and are having a nightmare, maybe see it. It's not really my thing. There's something to be said about a movie that makes you feel really, really uncomfortably awkward. And I don't like that sort of movie. Does anyone actually like David Lynch?
Berlin's great, as usual. Just thought I'd share a non-German thing, for once.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
berlin marathon....surprising
Today we walked out of our door to head to the U-Bahn stop and.... were surprised by a large crowd of people cheering, holding various noisemakers, tambourines, and country flags. Apparently today was the Berlin Marathon, and we had no idea. Weird. Unfortunately, the marathon crossed over the only path from our apartment to the subway station... so Brew and I had to rudely cut through the seriously huffing runners in order to get to the station. Brew went first and I got nervous and stayed back. Then I went, and almost ran into a runner. Now I'm worried that I ruined his time. He's probably really mad at me. I feel bad.
Anyway, today we went to the East Side Gallery, the largest expanse of the Berlin Wall that still exists, and has tons of cool famous paintings on it. I was super-excited to see Keith Haring's paintings... but was disappointed that it was nowhere to be found. Good thing I bought a Keith Haring t-shirt at the Checkpoint Charlie Museum last week! I am such a poser.
The wall was really cool. For some weird reason, my camera only has space for, like 10 pictures (even though I only had 10 on there), so I had to be pretty discriminating about what pictures I took. Good thing Brew took 167. No joke! He started a picture website, though, so you can see pictures there: www.picasaweb.google.com/brewal01.
So, pretty cool. We came back to the apartment and I diligently watched a German television show about some Germans moving to the US to become au pairs. I exhausted myself trying to understand German and promptly fell asleep on the couch. Not surprising.
Good news: my cousin Dan and his wife Brynn are pregnant! Which is awesome, and has been a long time coming. I'm really excited and happy for them, and hope it doesn't weird Brynn out when I awkwardly rub her belly over Christmas.
I never thought I'd find myself watching Flavor of Love, but here I am, clinging to the only thing on German TV that they play in English. This is because the language they use on Flavor of Love is impossible to dub, so instead they use subtitles that are so different than what they are actually saying. Oh well, I'm not complaining-- thank you, German MTV, for playing things in English. Even if it is Flavor of Love. Oh, and stop dubbing the Hills. That bums me out. However, Brew and I have really been getting a kick out of Flavor Flav. Ah, what living in a country where you don't speak the language does to you.
My German is coming along at about the speed of...I don't even know, something that moves a step forward and then a step back... maybe like Paula Abdul's song "Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back"? Anyone? Didn't think so. I've found myself merging English and German words, coming up with an amalgam of..... just idiot-ness. People must thing I am really slow.
My job's going well, too. I'm consulting for a US-based company, doing marketing and support stuff, and I'm liking it a lot. I'm making my own hours, which is good, because I worked 10 hours one day last week, and then, to congratulate myself for being such a trouper, I only worked 3 hours the next day... and then went out shopping. I guess karma caught up with me, though, because Brew and I got caught in a ridiculous rainstorm. And for some reason, my shoes won't dry. How frustrating. Anyway, I like my job.
I hope all is well in the US. I am angry about the Ravens and will refrain from blogging about it. I'll try to find myself in more awkward/embarrassing/weird situations so I can blog about it. Yesterday Brew and I went into a Dunkin' Donuts (which is super popular over here, for some reason-- you see tons of people walking around carrying a box of a dozen donuts-- where are you going with those?) with the purpose of me picking out a randomly weird flavored donut for Brew to eat-- and I almost ran into the tallest man I've ever seen in my life. I literally did a quadruple take and questioned whether he was on stilts. Brew laughed at me for like, 15 minutes, and then we didn't get a weirdly-flavored donut. Bummer.
Well, South Park is on, but it's dubbed, thus I have no idea what's going on. Kyle is seemingly writing a letter/singing to Fidel Castro, which I enjoy. Anyway-- till next time. Cheers!
Anyway, today we went to the East Side Gallery, the largest expanse of the Berlin Wall that still exists, and has tons of cool famous paintings on it. I was super-excited to see Keith Haring's paintings... but was disappointed that it was nowhere to be found. Good thing I bought a Keith Haring t-shirt at the Checkpoint Charlie Museum last week! I am such a poser.
The wall was really cool. For some weird reason, my camera only has space for, like 10 pictures (even though I only had 10 on there), so I had to be pretty discriminating about what pictures I took. Good thing Brew took 167. No joke! He started a picture website, though, so you can see pictures there: www.picasaweb.google.com/brewal01.
So, pretty cool. We came back to the apartment and I diligently watched a German television show about some Germans moving to the US to become au pairs. I exhausted myself trying to understand German and promptly fell asleep on the couch. Not surprising.
Good news: my cousin Dan and his wife Brynn are pregnant! Which is awesome, and has been a long time coming. I'm really excited and happy for them, and hope it doesn't weird Brynn out when I awkwardly rub her belly over Christmas.
I never thought I'd find myself watching Flavor of Love, but here I am, clinging to the only thing on German TV that they play in English. This is because the language they use on Flavor of Love is impossible to dub, so instead they use subtitles that are so different than what they are actually saying. Oh well, I'm not complaining-- thank you, German MTV, for playing things in English. Even if it is Flavor of Love. Oh, and stop dubbing the Hills. That bums me out. However, Brew and I have really been getting a kick out of Flavor Flav. Ah, what living in a country where you don't speak the language does to you.
My German is coming along at about the speed of...I don't even know, something that moves a step forward and then a step back... maybe like Paula Abdul's song "Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back"? Anyone? Didn't think so. I've found myself merging English and German words, coming up with an amalgam of..... just idiot-ness. People must thing I am really slow.
My job's going well, too. I'm consulting for a US-based company, doing marketing and support stuff, and I'm liking it a lot. I'm making my own hours, which is good, because I worked 10 hours one day last week, and then, to congratulate myself for being such a trouper, I only worked 3 hours the next day... and then went out shopping. I guess karma caught up with me, though, because Brew and I got caught in a ridiculous rainstorm. And for some reason, my shoes won't dry. How frustrating. Anyway, I like my job.
I hope all is well in the US. I am angry about the Ravens and will refrain from blogging about it. I'll try to find myself in more awkward/embarrassing/weird situations so I can blog about it. Yesterday Brew and I went into a Dunkin' Donuts (which is super popular over here, for some reason-- you see tons of people walking around carrying a box of a dozen donuts-- where are you going with those?) with the purpose of me picking out a randomly weird flavored donut for Brew to eat-- and I almost ran into the tallest man I've ever seen in my life. I literally did a quadruple take and questioned whether he was on stilts. Brew laughed at me for like, 15 minutes, and then we didn't get a weirdly-flavored donut. Bummer.
Well, South Park is on, but it's dubbed, thus I have no idea what's going on. Kyle is seemingly writing a letter/singing to Fidel Castro, which I enjoy. Anyway-- till next time. Cheers!
Monday, September 24, 2007
knut ist gut!
Hooray! Today we went to the zoo in the morning and got to see Knut! He wasn't as small as I would have liked, but I guess he's nearing a year old, so he's more of an awkward adolescent. Anyway, it was great! My face hurt from smiling so much and I'm sure I looked like a real creep, smiling broadly at a polar bear. Also, it was me and about 100 small children. Which is awkward. I am awkward. But I was so happy to see him! Now I can look at my calendar and not feel a void that Knut hasn't filled.
I think Knut and Kody, my parents' huge dog, would be a good match of playmates. They're about the same size (Kody is about 130 lbs.), and extremely cute but seemingly loners. Knut didn't have anyone to play with today, so he played with a ball in a bag. Kody is scared of anyone, including toddlers and puppies. They'd be the best of friends, I can see it.
We've been doing some sightseeing since this is really the first time we've had the chance-- apartment hunting kind of put touristy things on the backburner-- and it's been great. Yesterday we went to the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe-- which is this pretty large (basically a whole city block), post-modern-ish piece of art that really is just a lot of concrete rectangles of different sizes. It was really interesting. I appreciated it way more after going down into the visitors' center and seeing their unbelievable exhibit, which made me cry (is that a surprise?). Either way, it was very thought-provoking.
So, today, to continue in the vein of seeing Jewish-related things in Berlin, we went to see a memorial in Schoeneberg, our new neighborhood. It's in the Bavarian Quarter (which I expected to be full of people drinking beer and wearing lederhosen...no success), and it consists of around 80 signs attached to otherwise used poles on the street. Sounds confusing, sorry. The signs are very easy to miss and very small, but really interesting. Each sign just lists one law made against the Jews during the Third Reich (such as girls and boys being forced to take the second name Israel and Sara, respectively, or not being allowed to purchase shaving cream or soap), and the date that the law was enacted. Again, very thought-provoking. I have been thinking about what a history Berlin has. I've lived in Baltimore, which has some history, albeit probably some history that I'm not all that interested in; Gettysburg, which is full of history, and Columbus, Ohio, which I find to be stupid and pretty uninteresting in general. So, Berlin has been eye-opening in that regard. Even Gettysburg, which is one of the more historical places in the US, has no history on Berlin. It was crazy walking down the street in Gettysburg and seeing bullet holes in houses' facades left over from the Civil War; it's even crazier walking down the street and literally stepping on a line marking where the Berlin Wall stood. It's also crazy to go to the Zoo and walk by a bombed-out church on the corner.
I think it's still too early to really understand the gravity of the city, as it's really been only 2 weeks, and less than 1 since we moved into our apartment; it's not really home yet, even though I know I'll be here for awhile. I'm enjoying getting to know my new home, though; going to the organic bakery across the street from our apartment, walking by the fruit stand at the end of our block and smelling the fresh-squeezed orange juice, almost tripping over the dog that belongs to the owner of the antique store down the street. I'm loving Berlin so far.
I've also begun to fend for myself in German! I now order things independently. Move me up to 1st grade!
If I can figure out how to post pictures, I will: I know how much you all are dying to see pictures of Knut.
Also, just as a sidenote: earlier in this post I mentioned I was disappointed not to see anyone wearing lederhosen in the Bavarian Quarter. This is true; however, I have seen someone in legit lederhosen. He was riding the subway with me this morning.
I think Knut and Kody, my parents' huge dog, would be a good match of playmates. They're about the same size (Kody is about 130 lbs.), and extremely cute but seemingly loners. Knut didn't have anyone to play with today, so he played with a ball in a bag. Kody is scared of anyone, including toddlers and puppies. They'd be the best of friends, I can see it.
We've been doing some sightseeing since this is really the first time we've had the chance-- apartment hunting kind of put touristy things on the backburner-- and it's been great. Yesterday we went to the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe-- which is this pretty large (basically a whole city block), post-modern-ish piece of art that really is just a lot of concrete rectangles of different sizes. It was really interesting. I appreciated it way more after going down into the visitors' center and seeing their unbelievable exhibit, which made me cry (is that a surprise?). Either way, it was very thought-provoking.
So, today, to continue in the vein of seeing Jewish-related things in Berlin, we went to see a memorial in Schoeneberg, our new neighborhood. It's in the Bavarian Quarter (which I expected to be full of people drinking beer and wearing lederhosen...no success), and it consists of around 80 signs attached to otherwise used poles on the street. Sounds confusing, sorry. The signs are very easy to miss and very small, but really interesting. Each sign just lists one law made against the Jews during the Third Reich (such as girls and boys being forced to take the second name Israel and Sara, respectively, or not being allowed to purchase shaving cream or soap), and the date that the law was enacted. Again, very thought-provoking. I have been thinking about what a history Berlin has. I've lived in Baltimore, which has some history, albeit probably some history that I'm not all that interested in; Gettysburg, which is full of history, and Columbus, Ohio, which I find to be stupid and pretty uninteresting in general. So, Berlin has been eye-opening in that regard. Even Gettysburg, which is one of the more historical places in the US, has no history on Berlin. It was crazy walking down the street in Gettysburg and seeing bullet holes in houses' facades left over from the Civil War; it's even crazier walking down the street and literally stepping on a line marking where the Berlin Wall stood. It's also crazy to go to the Zoo and walk by a bombed-out church on the corner.
I think it's still too early to really understand the gravity of the city, as it's really been only 2 weeks, and less than 1 since we moved into our apartment; it's not really home yet, even though I know I'll be here for awhile. I'm enjoying getting to know my new home, though; going to the organic bakery across the street from our apartment, walking by the fruit stand at the end of our block and smelling the fresh-squeezed orange juice, almost tripping over the dog that belongs to the owner of the antique store down the street. I'm loving Berlin so far.
I've also begun to fend for myself in German! I now order things independently. Move me up to 1st grade!
If I can figure out how to post pictures, I will: I know how much you all are dying to see pictures of Knut.
Also, just as a sidenote: earlier in this post I mentioned I was disappointed not to see anyone wearing lederhosen in the Bavarian Quarter. This is true; however, I have seen someone in legit lederhosen. He was riding the subway with me this morning.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
success!
We have an apartment! We are very excited. I took a two-hour nap yesterday in celebration. If anyone's interested (which, let's be honest, you probably aren't) you can see pictures at http://keasphotos.blogspot.com/. Hooray! We move in tomorrow.
On a more depressing note, German tabloid magazines are not so fun as I originally thought. It took me like 20 minutes to figure out that Owen Wilson is out of the hospital. I'll blame the Germans, who use words like Eierschalensollbruchstellenverursacher. That means a device that cracks eggs. Obviously, this wasn't in a tabloid-- but it's still ridiculous. German TV is also slightly ridiculous, and after 10pm or so, shows very explicit ads for sex lines. I was very surprised/slightly grossed out... but watched anyway, much like a trainwreck.
Also, we went to the Berlin Zoo today, for the express purpose of seeing Knut, eine kleine Eisbaerchen (the little polar bear), otherwise known as the German media's obsession, or Berlin's newest mascot, or most importantly, my favorite thing in the whole world. And he wasn't out with the rest of the polar bears!!!! I was very bummed but bought a calendar that is called Ein Jahr mit Knut (one year with Knut) and will stare at it every day. I found out just now that is feeding time is at 10.30am, so I will be there, perhaps Friday. I can't go tomorrow because we're moving in.
I'll stop naval-gazing now.
On a more depressing note, German tabloid magazines are not so fun as I originally thought. It took me like 20 minutes to figure out that Owen Wilson is out of the hospital. I'll blame the Germans, who use words like Eierschalensollbruchstellenverursacher. That means a device that cracks eggs. Obviously, this wasn't in a tabloid-- but it's still ridiculous. German TV is also slightly ridiculous, and after 10pm or so, shows very explicit ads for sex lines. I was very surprised/slightly grossed out... but watched anyway, much like a trainwreck.
Also, we went to the Berlin Zoo today, for the express purpose of seeing Knut, eine kleine Eisbaerchen (the little polar bear), otherwise known as the German media's obsession, or Berlin's newest mascot, or most importantly, my favorite thing in the whole world. And he wasn't out with the rest of the polar bears!!!! I was very bummed but bought a calendar that is called Ein Jahr mit Knut (one year with Knut) and will stare at it every day. I found out just now that is feeding time is at 10.30am, so I will be there, perhaps Friday. I can't go tomorrow because we're moving in.
I'll stop naval-gazing now.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
questionable
1. it's annoying that blogspot now functions in german. i can't understand what i'm clicking on.
2. it was suggested that i read trashy magazines (ex. german InTouch) to help my german. check!
3. we may have found an apartment. NOT the one with a moldy wall. more on this later, hopefully. back to the old folks' home, where hopefully brew will finally fix the shutter i broke.
2. it was suggested that i read trashy magazines (ex. german InTouch) to help my german. check!
3. we may have found an apartment. NOT the one with a moldy wall. more on this later, hopefully. back to the old folks' home, where hopefully brew will finally fix the shutter i broke.
Monday, September 17, 2007
isn't it an urban legend that mold makes you sick?
Today we looked at an apartment that had a wall that was damp, spotted brown with water stains from a leak (although it hasn't rained since we've been here, except for a bit of drizzle), and growing mold. And we're considering it. Wish us luck! If anyone wants to send us a SARS-style mask, we wouldn't be opposed. Jon, this means you.
We're currently staying in the equivalent of an old folks' home in Berlin. Who knew this many old people could live in one area? We bring down the average age a good 40 years. And, last night, I broke the shutters on one of the windows. It was loud, and late, and I probably gave some old lady a heart attack.
We went shopping today in hopes that we would be distracted and thus not waiting by the phone hoping it will ring. It was insane. We went to Alexanderplatz, where a new shopping are has just opened. We had tried to go the other day-- because it's bright pink and shaped weirdly-- but it was too crowded. Literally, Germans were lined up in a snaking path like they were waiting to get on a roller coaster! It was nuts, and I of course refused to go in after seeing the line. So, we went back today with great expectations... and it was just an American-style mall. The Germans are crazy about it. There was a Claire's. Kind of ridiculous. I bought a pair of pants.
So now, we are sitting in a cafe waiting by the phone again. Our old-folks'-home apartment doesn't get internet, of course, because old people generally don't know how to use the internet. German old people do like dying their hair unnatural colors: bright red, pink stripes-- although not blue, as is often American old people's preference. Another reason Germans are a bit weird.
Hopefully next time I post I'll have an apartment. Probably not. Bis dann!
We're currently staying in the equivalent of an old folks' home in Berlin. Who knew this many old people could live in one area? We bring down the average age a good 40 years. And, last night, I broke the shutters on one of the windows. It was loud, and late, and I probably gave some old lady a heart attack.
We went shopping today in hopes that we would be distracted and thus not waiting by the phone hoping it will ring. It was insane. We went to Alexanderplatz, where a new shopping are has just opened. We had tried to go the other day-- because it's bright pink and shaped weirdly-- but it was too crowded. Literally, Germans were lined up in a snaking path like they were waiting to get on a roller coaster! It was nuts, and I of course refused to go in after seeing the line. So, we went back today with great expectations... and it was just an American-style mall. The Germans are crazy about it. There was a Claire's. Kind of ridiculous. I bought a pair of pants.
So now, we are sitting in a cafe waiting by the phone again. Our old-folks'-home apartment doesn't get internet, of course, because old people generally don't know how to use the internet. German old people do like dying their hair unnatural colors: bright red, pink stripes-- although not blue, as is often American old people's preference. Another reason Germans are a bit weird.
Hopefully next time I post I'll have an apartment. Probably not. Bis dann!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
ich bin ein berliner? not really.
Today marks the 5th day that we've been in Berlin, but it feels like more. Our flights over were a little insane-- we took off a good 2 hours late from JFK, and arrived in Iceland about 15 minutes before our flight to Frankfurt was to take off. And then we were forced to go through customs, which was fun. Actually, it was kind of fun, because I took some Dramamine and was completely out of it. Anyway, we finally got to Berlin and took a taxi with a very surly driver to our hostel.
Our hostel turned out to be a pleasant surprise, in a way, but it's very Americanized, or I guess Brit-ified, which on one hand is very welcome to me because people actually speak English and don't look at you weird when you trip over German words, but at the same time, it seems silly, and I feel kind of poser-ish. Oh well.
Tomorrow we're moving out of the hostel, finally, and into a 2-week "vacation apartment" way far away from downtown Berlin (good planning on my part). The apartment search has been absolutely terrible. We've basically exhausted our resources, and now we're just waiting for callbacks from people. It's been very frustrating, and neither of us are dealing with the stress very well... although at least Brew's shingles haven't come back, so that's a plus.
So, the apartment is up in the air right now. Exploring Berlin while pounding the pavement has been fun, though, except for our blisters and general tired-ness, but we've gotten pretty good with the subway system, I think.
I'm really struggling with German, though, and it's been frustrating. Especially in the apartment search, because I can't really say anything (and I'm sure you can understand how hard that is for me if you know me at all), and Brew isn't very pushy when it comes to these things (and I'm sure you can also imagine that, if you know him at all). Either way, we've both made fools of ourselves. In our first apartment visit, we met a man who had a lazy eye and smelled like fried food, above his garage where the apartment was located. He asked Brew where he had seen the apartment advertised and Brew responded, "she's my girlfriend." Right. I've just mumbled stuff, and tonight when a waiter asked me why I hadn't eaten much of my salad, I said "it was good." So, I'm embarrassing myself. Oh well.
Berlin is HUGE. I expected it to be so big, but I didn't expect to find myself so overwhelmed with its size. I get turned around everywhere. The subway system is massive and sometimes gives me a headache. I got a migraine yesterday from the stress of not finding an apartment and found myself nauseous on the subway-- which wasn't fun.
And also, Germans are kind of weird. A blanket statement, I know, but sometimes weird nevertheless. They stare a lot. Sometimes I think I must have spilled something on my shirt or something. Also, some of the stuff they eat is really strange and gross. The waiters are a little scary. And everyone wears weird glasses! I sound like an idiot, so I'll stop.
So, anyway, my experiences here so far have been very on-the-surface. We are going to go to the Berlin Zoo this week so I can see Knut, die kleine Eisbaerchen, and I am very excited. Today we went to a department store in Alexanderplatz (which didn't last long, because it was full of people and I. hate. crowds.), and they were selling picture books about Knut. I was very excited until Brew informed me that he probably wasn't so small anymore. Either way, it's funny how baby animals put me in a better mood. It soon wore off, though, after we went into the Alexanderplatz train station and got run over by a crowd of crazy Germans.
After that, we went to Potsdamer Platz, which is home to the famous Sony Center-- which was cool, but there wasn't much to do there, except eat at an expensive Australian restaurant (why?) or go to a museum that was already closed. So I suggested that we go to Zoologischer Garten. I was, for some reason, under the impression that it was fully of prostitutes and seedy people, and I was pretty excited to see the sights. Unfortunately, it was instead full of high-end shops and about 1,000,000 German shoppers. Well, not that unfortunate, but I need to be in a good mood to shop, and I decided today that I'll need to have an apartment in order to be in a good mood, at this point. So, no shopping. Brew was obviously really bummed.
Well, I'm taking solace in Flannery O'Connor, which as you may imagine, is very delightful during a time like this... in a really messed-up way. Back to Flan and a bloody mary.
Miss you all!
Our hostel turned out to be a pleasant surprise, in a way, but it's very Americanized, or I guess Brit-ified, which on one hand is very welcome to me because people actually speak English and don't look at you weird when you trip over German words, but at the same time, it seems silly, and I feel kind of poser-ish. Oh well.
Tomorrow we're moving out of the hostel, finally, and into a 2-week "vacation apartment" way far away from downtown Berlin (good planning on my part). The apartment search has been absolutely terrible. We've basically exhausted our resources, and now we're just waiting for callbacks from people. It's been very frustrating, and neither of us are dealing with the stress very well... although at least Brew's shingles haven't come back, so that's a plus.
So, the apartment is up in the air right now. Exploring Berlin while pounding the pavement has been fun, though, except for our blisters and general tired-ness, but we've gotten pretty good with the subway system, I think.
I'm really struggling with German, though, and it's been frustrating. Especially in the apartment search, because I can't really say anything (and I'm sure you can understand how hard that is for me if you know me at all), and Brew isn't very pushy when it comes to these things (and I'm sure you can also imagine that, if you know him at all). Either way, we've both made fools of ourselves. In our first apartment visit, we met a man who had a lazy eye and smelled like fried food, above his garage where the apartment was located. He asked Brew where he had seen the apartment advertised and Brew responded, "she's my girlfriend." Right. I've just mumbled stuff, and tonight when a waiter asked me why I hadn't eaten much of my salad, I said "it was good." So, I'm embarrassing myself. Oh well.
Berlin is HUGE. I expected it to be so big, but I didn't expect to find myself so overwhelmed with its size. I get turned around everywhere. The subway system is massive and sometimes gives me a headache. I got a migraine yesterday from the stress of not finding an apartment and found myself nauseous on the subway-- which wasn't fun.
And also, Germans are kind of weird. A blanket statement, I know, but sometimes weird nevertheless. They stare a lot. Sometimes I think I must have spilled something on my shirt or something. Also, some of the stuff they eat is really strange and gross. The waiters are a little scary. And everyone wears weird glasses! I sound like an idiot, so I'll stop.
So, anyway, my experiences here so far have been very on-the-surface. We are going to go to the Berlin Zoo this week so I can see Knut, die kleine Eisbaerchen, and I am very excited. Today we went to a department store in Alexanderplatz (which didn't last long, because it was full of people and I. hate. crowds.), and they were selling picture books about Knut. I was very excited until Brew informed me that he probably wasn't so small anymore. Either way, it's funny how baby animals put me in a better mood. It soon wore off, though, after we went into the Alexanderplatz train station and got run over by a crowd of crazy Germans.
After that, we went to Potsdamer Platz, which is home to the famous Sony Center-- which was cool, but there wasn't much to do there, except eat at an expensive Australian restaurant (why?) or go to a museum that was already closed. So I suggested that we go to Zoologischer Garten. I was, for some reason, under the impression that it was fully of prostitutes and seedy people, and I was pretty excited to see the sights. Unfortunately, it was instead full of high-end shops and about 1,000,000 German shoppers. Well, not that unfortunate, but I need to be in a good mood to shop, and I decided today that I'll need to have an apartment in order to be in a good mood, at this point. So, no shopping. Brew was obviously really bummed.
Well, I'm taking solace in Flannery O'Connor, which as you may imagine, is very delightful during a time like this... in a really messed-up way. Back to Flan and a bloody mary.
Miss you all!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
aside: this has nothing to do with germany.
So, I'm feeling the need to write about things, even though most of it has nothing to do with Berlin. Right now we're sort of at a stagnant point. We leave in less than two weeks, but in the meantime, we're going to the beach with my family this weekend, which should be grand, and I'm working for one of my dad's companies. The latter has been so great, because otherwise, I'd be going crazy with all my spare time-- and by going crazy, having anxiety attacks 2+ times a day, as opposed to my usual 1 every couple of days. How delightful. Brew is currently at BJ's, buying things in bulk for our trip, and I am jealous. I have never been to BJ's, and I imagine it to be a magical sort of place, where I can buy anything my heart desires in bulk, like a bottle full of 300 diamonds, or a 4-pack of clones of my sister, so she never leaves my side. Obviously this isn't the case, but I'd still like to go, because Brew gets to buy fun things. Honestly, a bulk-sized bottle of AdvilPM? That's worth about as much to me as the aforementioned bottle of 300 diamonds. Well, maybe not quite, but it's close.
Okay, so I guess I had a little more to say about Berlin than I thought I did, even if it was pretty pointless and only secondarily related to Berlin. I've been doing lots of stupid things on the internet, like typing "Berlin" into Google Images and seeing what pops up. A lot of pictures of the Brandenburg Gate is the answer, if you're wondering. I've also tried to find out all the stores in which I plan on shopping, but that hasn't been fruitful. At least H&M will be on every corner. This entry is beginning to sound like one of my favorite blogs, Stuff I've Bought That I Love, which is written by Mindy Kaling, the actress that plays the annoying Kelly Kumpour on the American version of the Office. Read it, it's great. (And then thank my friend pseudo-Baltimore-Hon Erin for suggesting it to me).
I actually wanted to blog today because instead of working, I've been busily reading things about the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Blah, blah, everyone's blogging about it, sorry. But I just read an article on MSNBC,, and it made me angry. I guess probably anyone who's reading this (... is anyone? Probably not) knows me at least a little bit and therefore knows that I'm easily angered about politics and just really Republicans/conservatives/idiots/the religious right in general. But I really just need to vent a little bit. How is it possible that there is still this much strife and poverty in the Gulf region? President Bush has completely mismanaged this from Day 1, which I think is an obvious understatement, just like has mismanaged everything that he's been able to get his grubby little hands on since he entered the White House. Sorry, that's not really my point. My point is that we're overspending on a pointless war in Iraq, sending hundreds of people to die for no reason, and we can't give any money to people that are obviously struggling in the Gulf region, and have no future because they have no help. This is ridiculous. I'm angry.
And therefore, I will end this blog by stating my underlying emotions here: I'm glad I'm moving to Germany, if only for a year, because I'm fed up with what America's becoming, and I'm embarrassed to be associated with our administration.
Okay, so I guess I had a little more to say about Berlin than I thought I did, even if it was pretty pointless and only secondarily related to Berlin. I've been doing lots of stupid things on the internet, like typing "Berlin" into Google Images and seeing what pops up. A lot of pictures of the Brandenburg Gate is the answer, if you're wondering. I've also tried to find out all the stores in which I plan on shopping, but that hasn't been fruitful. At least H&M will be on every corner. This entry is beginning to sound like one of my favorite blogs, Stuff I've Bought That I Love, which is written by Mindy Kaling, the actress that plays the annoying Kelly Kumpour on the American version of the Office. Read it, it's great. (And then thank my friend pseudo-Baltimore-Hon Erin for suggesting it to me).
I actually wanted to blog today because instead of working, I've been busily reading things about the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Blah, blah, everyone's blogging about it, sorry. But I just read an article on MSNBC,
And therefore, I will end this blog by stating my underlying emotions here: I'm glad I'm moving to Germany, if only for a year, because I'm fed up with what America's becoming, and I'm embarrassed to be associated with our administration.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
where it all begins
It's crazy how much stuff we have accumulated within one year. Our apartment is filled with random junk that we really have very little use for, but of which we can't get rid. As my dad says, "the instant after you throw it out, you'll need it." I'd like to think that's why I'm a messy housekeeper, with stuff everywhere. It's just what I'll tell myself.
We are moving out of Columbus on Friday, 17 August, to go to Brew's parents' house for a family barbeque, which will be fun. So, in the course of a week, we have to pack our entire apartment into two piles. Pile 1: stuff that needs to go to Germany (books, lots of clothes, deodorant). Pile 2: stuff that needs to stay in Columbus (futon, bed, spice rack, random things given to us by a Mr. Dan Schilling).
The past week has been hectic and surreal, and also very eye-opening about the nature of people and what they're capable of-- namely, lying and other B.S. Hopefully, the trip we're about to take will be even more revelatory, although perhaps to a more positive degree.
We are moving out of Columbus on Friday, 17 August, to go to Brew's parents' house for a family barbeque, which will be fun. So, in the course of a week, we have to pack our entire apartment into two piles. Pile 1: stuff that needs to go to Germany (books, lots of clothes, deodorant). Pile 2: stuff that needs to stay in Columbus (futon, bed, spice rack, random things given to us by a Mr. Dan Schilling).
The past week has been hectic and surreal, and also very eye-opening about the nature of people and what they're capable of-- namely, lying and other B.S. Hopefully, the trip we're about to take will be even more revelatory, although perhaps to a more positive degree.
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