The title of this blog was something that I thought up months ago after a stroll through Mauerpark at the Sunday flea market. As I look around and do some major people watching, I realize how hipster Berlin really is. Every city has a certain style and identity, and there is definitely a way to pick out the locals from the tourists and Berlin is no different. Whether or not the people I see are locals or are just people that should live in Berlin, I don't know, but they certainly pull off the Berlin style.
Now what is that Berlin style you may ask. Well let me tell you. It's quite simple to imagine because really you just have to picture a hipster. Then you need to build upon that image and think about an 80s hipster. Typically, Berlin hipsters are wearing tight pants, tight shirts, Ked-like shoes, and have thick, black rimmed glasses. A hat may or may not be involved, as well as a scarf. It is also quite common for the pants to be of a bright color and the hair to be either long or with a slight Justin Bieber flare to it. Facial hair is a must, whether it be a full on beard, creeper-stash, or just a 5 o'clock shadow. The reason I mention an 80s hipster is because the hipsters in Berlin seem to look like they are still stuck in the 80s. I know that the flea markets are the places to shop, along with vintage stores, but it really isn't a crime to look somewhat like you're from this decade. I went to an 80s party the other weekend, which was fun, but I felt like the only difference between how some people were dressed was that they just put their hair in a side ponytail or put all of their 80s looking clothes on at once instead of separately. I had to look around for something to wear to the party, but I am pretty sure most of these people had the clothes already hanging in their closets.
If I had to sum up the Berlin style, the easiest way to describe it is hipster all the way.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Truth Hurts
Well after a 3 month hiatus, I have finally returned to write a blog. I can only send my sincerest apologies to the handful of people that follow my blog and to all the people on Facebook that take a look at what I wrote whenever I mention it on my profile. I realized the other day that I have been in Germany for 7 months now, which is the longest I have ever been away from home. Like everyone always says, time flies by and boy has it ever! I can hardly believe that it's been 7 months. Soon it will be October; I will be starting my third semester and starting to figure out my Master's thesis. My life will be dark, literally, since I am so far north that the I will have to sit under lamps during the day to prevent any possible onset of SAD. I can only hope that my "winter coat" can stand up to the task of keeping me warm during a Berlin winter and that I won't gain 30 pounds as I sit in my warm apartment, eating warm food, and refusing to go run outside with Julian. Until then, I can catch you up on what I have been doing for these past three months.
Now for my reason for this three month gap: I would like to say that my hiatus was the result of living in Europe. I was too busy traveling the continent to simply sit in front of my computer and write a thing. In my mind, the greatest excuse is that I have been on vacation, traveling Europe, relaxing on warm, Mediterranean beaches while looking at sexy, Mediterranean men, and just living a stereotypical European life. I am now so German that you would hardly think I was Asian (actually, that will never be true no matter what world I live in) and I can now speak German better than English. Berlin is my new home and I know it like the back of my hand.
Here is the reality: I haven't been on vacation in over 3 months. My life during the semester was actually more relaxing than my summer has been. I don't want this to turn into a blog where I make it sound like my life sucks. No, I am having a great time in Berlin and of course it's not like the first time I was in Europe and could travel every weekend, but that's okay. This summer has been far from that. Since the German system likes to have students work on their papers over the semester break, that is what I have been doing. On top of that though, I have been working at my internship full time. So, these past two months have involved me going to work at 8:30 in the morning, getting home around 6 and then trying to work on my papers. Of course this wasn't always a successful endeavor every night and the weekends were kind of hit and miss.
As to the warm, sunny beaches, I was not at the beach. I was in the lovely city of Berlin where the summertime heat never really took hold. We had a few warm days in the 80s in May, June, and July, but since then those days have pretty much ceased to exist. While everyone in the U.S. was sweating and dealing with terrible heat and humidity, I was most likely sitting in my sweat pants or if I was at Julian's house, sitting in front of a fire. Not what I usually expect to do in early August.
Even though this summer hasn't been the summer of major relaxation and European living, I can say that I have gotten a lot out of my internship. I was lucky in the sense that it is like a real job and I have always had plenty of work to do. My German vocabulary has really gotten better, especially in the area of demography. I can design websites and I can understand German much better. The bad thing, and probably most stereotypical thing, is that I don't really like my boss. This woman is very German and pretty testy. I would say she is what I would think of when I tried to think of someone that was just being a pill.
If I ask too many questions, she gets annoyed. If I don't ask enough questions, she gets annoyed. If I forget things, she will let me know and will do me the honor of doing it even though it was my job to do, which she reminds me of as she completes the unfinished task. If I say yes or okay too soon or just when she doesn't think it is appropriate, she lets me know. She will send me an email giving me a job to do, but that it doesn't have to be done right away. The next day I will receive another email asking me if I have done the aforementioned job yet. I would say about once a week I will receive some form of compliment/pat on the back. Usually though it's just a fight to not shed a tear at work for feeling like I can do nothing right.
I think if she wasn't in the picture, I would love my job even more. What I do wonder about though, is how in the world can these people really talk about demography every single day? I mean I guess I now understand the idea behind mid-life crises and why people just go back to school when they're 40. It's crazy to think about that the guy in charge at my office has been there since the beginning, so over 10 years, talking about population change. Wow.
Even though I didn't have the stereotypical European vacation where I spend my days on a Mediterranean beach and become super tan, I am glad I had this internship. I wasn't too pumped about writing those papers and I still don't appreciate that they took away the possibility of relaxing, summer evenings and weekends. At least they're done now and in 3 weeks my internship will be over too.
There is always next summer for that dreamlike summer vacation...
Now for my reason for this three month gap: I would like to say that my hiatus was the result of living in Europe. I was too busy traveling the continent to simply sit in front of my computer and write a thing. In my mind, the greatest excuse is that I have been on vacation, traveling Europe, relaxing on warm, Mediterranean beaches while looking at sexy, Mediterranean men, and just living a stereotypical European life. I am now so German that you would hardly think I was Asian (actually, that will never be true no matter what world I live in) and I can now speak German better than English. Berlin is my new home and I know it like the back of my hand.
Here is the reality: I haven't been on vacation in over 3 months. My life during the semester was actually more relaxing than my summer has been. I don't want this to turn into a blog where I make it sound like my life sucks. No, I am having a great time in Berlin and of course it's not like the first time I was in Europe and could travel every weekend, but that's okay. This summer has been far from that. Since the German system likes to have students work on their papers over the semester break, that is what I have been doing. On top of that though, I have been working at my internship full time. So, these past two months have involved me going to work at 8:30 in the morning, getting home around 6 and then trying to work on my papers. Of course this wasn't always a successful endeavor every night and the weekends were kind of hit and miss.
As to the warm, sunny beaches, I was not at the beach. I was in the lovely city of Berlin where the summertime heat never really took hold. We had a few warm days in the 80s in May, June, and July, but since then those days have pretty much ceased to exist. While everyone in the U.S. was sweating and dealing with terrible heat and humidity, I was most likely sitting in my sweat pants or if I was at Julian's house, sitting in front of a fire. Not what I usually expect to do in early August.
Even though this summer hasn't been the summer of major relaxation and European living, I can say that I have gotten a lot out of my internship. I was lucky in the sense that it is like a real job and I have always had plenty of work to do. My German vocabulary has really gotten better, especially in the area of demography. I can design websites and I can understand German much better. The bad thing, and probably most stereotypical thing, is that I don't really like my boss. This woman is very German and pretty testy. I would say she is what I would think of when I tried to think of someone that was just being a pill.
If I ask too many questions, she gets annoyed. If I don't ask enough questions, she gets annoyed. If I forget things, she will let me know and will do me the honor of doing it even though it was my job to do, which she reminds me of as she completes the unfinished task. If I say yes or okay too soon or just when she doesn't think it is appropriate, she lets me know. She will send me an email giving me a job to do, but that it doesn't have to be done right away. The next day I will receive another email asking me if I have done the aforementioned job yet. I would say about once a week I will receive some form of compliment/pat on the back. Usually though it's just a fight to not shed a tear at work for feeling like I can do nothing right.
I think if she wasn't in the picture, I would love my job even more. What I do wonder about though, is how in the world can these people really talk about demography every single day? I mean I guess I now understand the idea behind mid-life crises and why people just go back to school when they're 40. It's crazy to think about that the guy in charge at my office has been there since the beginning, so over 10 years, talking about population change. Wow.
Even though I didn't have the stereotypical European vacation where I spend my days on a Mediterranean beach and become super tan, I am glad I had this internship. I wasn't too pumped about writing those papers and I still don't appreciate that they took away the possibility of relaxing, summer evenings and weekends. At least they're done now and in 3 weeks my internship will be over too.
There is always next summer for that dreamlike summer vacation...
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
What Do You Call Home?
The concept of “home” tends to be a tricky one that creates different feelings and connotations for everyone. How would you define home? Is it the place you currently live? Is it the place you grew up? Is it where your parents are? Is it where the heart is? There is no concrete answer to this question and of course it’s up to the individual to define home for himself or herself.
Since moving to Berlin, I have continued to call Carmel, Indiana home; the place where my parents are, where I grew up, went to school, the place my friends are. Now that I have been in Berlin for about 3 and a half months now, I have begun to rethink the idea of home. Prior to leaving for Berlin, I had already begun to contemplate what was home for me and if Carmel still filled that role. As I spent a few months at “home” before leaving I realized that what I went home for was really no longer there. I am at that point where so many of my friends have created new lives for themselves, many of which are not based in Carmel. My friends have gotten married and have created new families and homes with their new spouses. Friends have graduated school; no one is on the same regulated school schedule that guarantees that your friends will be home for Christmas for three weeks and Thanksgiving. When I go home, I go home to be in the house I grew up in and to see my parents. Even this changed while I was at home for a few months and now seeing parents has become a scheduled event. I was sad to leave Carmel in February, but at the same time, I thought about how I wasn’t really leaving home, I was going to my new home.
When I was in Freiburg in 2009 for about 5 months, I began to call that home. That was where I returned after traveling, it was where my stuff was, and it was where my friends were. I knew that city, I was comfortable and I was always happy to return after a weekend away. Now I am in Berlin and I feel the same way about this city. When visiting Berlin in 2009, my friend Liz and I discussed how happy we were to not live in Berlin for our semester abroad because we had no idea how we would ever figure out the public transportation and we thought we would never know how to go somewhere without having to look it up beforehand. Now that I have been here for a few months, I have figured it out and I know where I need to be and how to get there. Of course I have to look at the map sometimes, but I do feel comfortable knowing where to go.
This past weekend Julian and I went to his home to see his parents and to spend time at their lake house. It was so peaceful and relaxing and I was thrilled to be able to leave the city. I think we probably saw the same, if not less, number of people the entire weekend as were in the Hauptbahnhof when we returned. It was great to relax and I was sad to come back, but once I was back home I knew I was home and I felt relieved to be there. It was my space and I was there with someone I care for.
Once I settled back in and checked my email, I learned that my house in Carmel would no longer be my house. My mom had made the decision to rent it to another family because she doesn’t want it sit empty. I was considerably upset about this and couldn’t begin to fathom not having my home any more. As I sat there crying with Julian there comforting me, he reminded me that I had a new home now and it was in Berlin. I don’t even have a return ticket to Carmel. I have an apartment that I am paying for, that is furnished mainly with things I bought and where most of my stuff is (of course some of my valuable shoes aren’t there, but that can be remedied), and it is where I go to relax and feel at peace.
My family is changing, my future is up in the air and I have no idea where life will take me. I am nearing that proverbial and clichéd crossroads in life and all I can do is take a deep breathe and hope for the best. My friends are all over the US and even world. It is sad that we aren’t all located in the same spot so we can easily see each other, but really it’s just another great reason to travel. Those times apart only make the times together better. There is a quote I found in Glamour magazine once about friendship and you may laugh because it was Glamour, but they were still solid advice:
"Separation and distance are natural parts of the friendship life cycle. We grow at different rates and in different directions, and sometimes we are better apart than we are together. And it's tough when your friend has a big job or a great love or a new baby and you don't. Being out of step can be excruciating, but it can also push you to evolve in ways you otherwise wouldn't. If you miss her, be brave; call her. And think of how many more stories you'll have to catch up on when you reconnect - maybe enough to fill a book."
I always think about this quote when I miss my friends and when I think about where everyone else is in their life in comparison to mine, but life isn’t a competition. These are my friends and I want only the best for them. What makes our friendship so great is how different we are and how we connect on so many different levels. When I finally see my friends, I know that it will be like we never said bye and had only been apart a day.
My current home is Berlin and right now I am at home with that special person in my life and I couldn’t be happier about it. Life will figure itself out and we will all find out “home,” whether that is in Berlin, Lincoln, Nebraska, California, Boston, or Chicago. Home is where you’re happy and where those things/people in your life that make you happy are. What was in Carmel served as my home at one point and now it is just a house, a place to stay when I do decide to return.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Neo-Nazis at a Children's Festival?
Living in Berlin has certainly been a different experience from any of the other places that I've lived. Life in Bloomington and Chapel Hill is pretty quiet and they are both peaceful college towns that thrive on the energy from the students and never really have any serious events take place minus an increase in public intoxication arrests due to events like Little 5 and Halloween. Freiburg living certainly had a German feel, but it was still a small town feel with few major events along the lines of of protests during the NATO meetings in nearby France. And of course life in Carmel, Indiana is about as calm and uneventful as it can be. I mean the big news usually centered around where the next roundabout was being put in. Unlike all of these other places I have lived, Berlin is in a league of its own.
I knew coming in that Berlin would always be buzzing and there would constantly be new things to do and see. Besides seeing all of the major tourist sites, there are museums, concerts, festivals, flea markets, parks, and plays to see. I have slowly been chipping away at all of these things and beginning to make my rounds to all of these different cultural offerings of the city. Outside of these great opportunities in such a big city, there are also some dangers to be on the look out for.
For example, where I live is on the edge of Kreuzberg, one of the major neighborhoods of Berlin. It is a great area that has really improved over the years. When I had mentioned to some before I arrived that I would be living in Kreuzberg, I usually received some sort of look from the person and a response of "Oh, Kreuzberg..." like I was making a bad decision. The area is quite a hipster, trendy area that also has a large number of Turks living there and some pretty sketch areas. It has improved in standing over the years and isn't what it used to be (what it used to be is probably the reason I received those responses). A few subway stops down from where I live is Kottbusser Tor, which is known to be one of the biggest drug dealing areas in Berlin. Like any big city, there are parts of Berlin that aren't as savory as say Unter den Linden. But, again, like any big city, you know where these places are and you pay attention to where you are, what's around you, who's around you and what time it is. Obviously I know that I shouldn't be out late at night on my own and that is definitely not something that happens often, if ever. Street smarts are important and I have figured out where to go and where not to go.
But even when you know where to avoid, things will still pop up, even in your own neck of the woods. This past weekend I went to go buy some bread for lunch and walked to the Bio Grocery store that is located right on the corner across my street. I noticed there was a large amount of traffic out, especially on the street I was trying to cross. That was when I saw the police cars/vans blocking the main street by my house and redirecting the traffic down the street I was trying to cross. I thought I heard some noise and what sounded like a protest going on, but I didn't think too much of it and just went about my business. I was a bit curious as to what was going on, but I knew Julian was waiting for me to get back home so we could have lunch. When I arrived back home I told Julian what I had seen and we didn't think much of it. Later he looked online at one of the Berlin newspapers and discovered what had transpired.
Directly around the corner from where I was was a Neo-Nazi demonstration going on that was being met by a counter demonstration by the Leftists. Apparently the Neo-Nazis registered the demonstration for Hermannplatz, which was a little ways away from where they ended up. They had plans to have the police at Hermannplatz and then move to Mehringdamm, which is where I was. At Hermannplatz that day was also a nice children's festival going on and there were plenty of families out and about in the area. I'm sure they really appreciated seeing the Neo-Nazis around that afternoon.
The demonstration moved over to my area and the Leftists came up through the subway station at Mehringdamm. The Neo-Nazis were yelling about foreigners and wanting them out of the country and they were even yelling at people walking by. One example given in the paper was the attack on a black man who was walking by at the time. People were attacked and the police ended up spraying the crowd with pepper spray. Many fled through the subway and others went to the next subway station and began to smash things with the fire extinguishers in the station.
I honestly didn't think much about how close I was to that when I first heard what had happened. The more I thought about it, the more I freaked out a bit. I know that being attacked in the street is not something that should be my first concern when I walk out the door and these demonstrations do not occur every single day. Like many, it's the "what if" that got me. What if I had turned that corner to see what was going on? What if they had moved and come around the corner when I was at the store? What if they had seen me and decided to yell something at me? It was a fairly close call and I am very glad that I just focused on getting bread and going back home (I guess being hungry helps with that). I was a bit more shaken up when we were walking around in that area the next day and I just thought about what if there were still some of those guys out, just waiting to harass someone else.
I know that I don't fit in with the Germans, I don't look German, I don't sound German. This isn't going to become something that makes me afraid to go out and explore Berlin that's for sure. But it definitely has heightened my level of alertness and I've started to be even more observant of who and what is around me. The last thing I want is to get caught up in some demonstration that I want nothing to do with or be surrounded by people that don't really want me around. People like those demonstrators are everywhere, in all big cities, and I would still argue that Berlin is very safe. Germans work hard to make sure Neo-Nazis do not have the last word and that there are more people protesting against them when they are protesting. Dealing with events like these are just part of Berlin city living and something new to add to this experience I'm having known as Grad School.
I knew coming in that Berlin would always be buzzing and there would constantly be new things to do and see. Besides seeing all of the major tourist sites, there are museums, concerts, festivals, flea markets, parks, and plays to see. I have slowly been chipping away at all of these things and beginning to make my rounds to all of these different cultural offerings of the city. Outside of these great opportunities in such a big city, there are also some dangers to be on the look out for.
For example, where I live is on the edge of Kreuzberg, one of the major neighborhoods of Berlin. It is a great area that has really improved over the years. When I had mentioned to some before I arrived that I would be living in Kreuzberg, I usually received some sort of look from the person and a response of "Oh, Kreuzberg..." like I was making a bad decision. The area is quite a hipster, trendy area that also has a large number of Turks living there and some pretty sketch areas. It has improved in standing over the years and isn't what it used to be (what it used to be is probably the reason I received those responses). A few subway stops down from where I live is Kottbusser Tor, which is known to be one of the biggest drug dealing areas in Berlin. Like any big city, there are parts of Berlin that aren't as savory as say Unter den Linden. But, again, like any big city, you know where these places are and you pay attention to where you are, what's around you, who's around you and what time it is. Obviously I know that I shouldn't be out late at night on my own and that is definitely not something that happens often, if ever. Street smarts are important and I have figured out where to go and where not to go.
But even when you know where to avoid, things will still pop up, even in your own neck of the woods. This past weekend I went to go buy some bread for lunch and walked to the Bio Grocery store that is located right on the corner across my street. I noticed there was a large amount of traffic out, especially on the street I was trying to cross. That was when I saw the police cars/vans blocking the main street by my house and redirecting the traffic down the street I was trying to cross. I thought I heard some noise and what sounded like a protest going on, but I didn't think too much of it and just went about my business. I was a bit curious as to what was going on, but I knew Julian was waiting for me to get back home so we could have lunch. When I arrived back home I told Julian what I had seen and we didn't think much of it. Later he looked online at one of the Berlin newspapers and discovered what had transpired.
Directly around the corner from where I was was a Neo-Nazi demonstration going on that was being met by a counter demonstration by the Leftists. Apparently the Neo-Nazis registered the demonstration for Hermannplatz, which was a little ways away from where they ended up. They had plans to have the police at Hermannplatz and then move to Mehringdamm, which is where I was. At Hermannplatz that day was also a nice children's festival going on and there were plenty of families out and about in the area. I'm sure they really appreciated seeing the Neo-Nazis around that afternoon.
The demonstration moved over to my area and the Leftists came up through the subway station at Mehringdamm. The Neo-Nazis were yelling about foreigners and wanting them out of the country and they were even yelling at people walking by. One example given in the paper was the attack on a black man who was walking by at the time. People were attacked and the police ended up spraying the crowd with pepper spray. Many fled through the subway and others went to the next subway station and began to smash things with the fire extinguishers in the station.
I honestly didn't think much about how close I was to that when I first heard what had happened. The more I thought about it, the more I freaked out a bit. I know that being attacked in the street is not something that should be my first concern when I walk out the door and these demonstrations do not occur every single day. Like many, it's the "what if" that got me. What if I had turned that corner to see what was going on? What if they had moved and come around the corner when I was at the store? What if they had seen me and decided to yell something at me? It was a fairly close call and I am very glad that I just focused on getting bread and going back home (I guess being hungry helps with that). I was a bit more shaken up when we were walking around in that area the next day and I just thought about what if there were still some of those guys out, just waiting to harass someone else.
I know that I don't fit in with the Germans, I don't look German, I don't sound German. This isn't going to become something that makes me afraid to go out and explore Berlin that's for sure. But it definitely has heightened my level of alertness and I've started to be even more observant of who and what is around me. The last thing I want is to get caught up in some demonstration that I want nothing to do with or be surrounded by people that don't really want me around. People like those demonstrators are everywhere, in all big cities, and I would still argue that Berlin is very safe. Germans work hard to make sure Neo-Nazis do not have the last word and that there are more people protesting against them when they are protesting. Dealing with events like these are just part of Berlin city living and something new to add to this experience I'm having known as Grad School.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
"Why would you trust a hairstylist in a country where half the kids are running around with mullets?" - Liz
Much has transpired since my last blog entry. The semester is well on its way, Easter has passed, spring has sprung, I now have a German visa, and my hair has survived a long journey. We are in week 3 of classes and thanks to Easter, I only have one class this week, which means I also had a 6-day weekend. I don't think in terms of my schedule I can really complain. I had applied for an internship that would be during the semester for about 10-12 hours a week because I thought I would need something to do besides sit around my apartment and read. Unfortunately I didn't get it, but I think it's still for the best because even though I don't spend all day reading, I do need more time to read and make sure I understand all of the German texts. It's definitely a roller coaster while I read them though because I can tell when my attention is going in and out. There are points where I realize how much I am understanding and following along and then there are moments where I finish a few sentences and think to myself how I have no clue what was just said. It's pretty much like when I read any text for class and at least with the German texts I can attribute the lack of understanding to the language barrier. With English there is no excuse except I was just not paying attention any more.
The weather here in Berlin has been amazing and I really can't complain. We had our first thunderstorm last night and luckily I didn't have to go anywhere yesterday. I know that back home people are just swimming in all of the rain and I'm glad I don't have to deal with that. For Easter, Nick and I went to Julian's house and spent time with his family at their lake house. Every day was a perfect warm sunny day with no clouds in the sky. We all sat outside to eat, played some basketball and sat around and read. We even got to go sailing with his dad and I thought it was great. The only thing that freaked me out was when the boat would lean really far on one side and you felt like you were about to tip over into the water. That water wasn't warm enough for swimming, but I know that when we go back in the summer it will be great.
Easter was a fun day though because I got to experience a traditional German Easter. Like most Easter celebrations a big meal is had and there is plenty of chocolate to go around. Unlike any Easter I had ever had, the family started the morning by going on an Easter hunt and not just for Easter eggs. Everyone that was there hid gifts for each other in the yard and everyone had to search for them. Julian's uncle's mom was there and she was near 90 and even she hid things! At one point, Julian's aunt had to climb up part of the tree to reach one of her gifts. It was a lot of fun and something very different from what I was used to. When I was a kid all I ever looked for were colored eggs and I was really good at finding all of the different colored eggs in the yard. I needed some assistance in finding the few gifts that were there for me though and Julian had to turn it into a game of hot and cold to help me find them.
It was a wonderful weekend though where we got to leave the city and go back to the quite countryside. I didn't realize just how quiet it was there until we came back to Berlin and I heard all of the police sirens again (I didn't miss those at all). I love living in Berlin, but there is definitely something to be said for having a place outside of the city where you can go to escape for a weekend. It's a nice break and I feel much more relaxed now.
In other recent and wonderful news, I have my visa. It was quite an uphill battle with trying to figure out all of the insurance issues and making sure I had the right letters to prove I was receiving financial aid and that I was enrolled at the university here. When we went, my appointment was at 8am, which meant we had to leave our apartment around 7:20 to get there on time. There was a long line as people waited for the doors to open because I think most of those people didn't have appointments. My number was already on the board when we walked in and of course I got to see my favorite fat German guy behind the desk again. This time he liked everything I had and we were probably done in about 15 minutes. That includes the time it took to give him all of my documents, wait for him to print out the visa, pay and then get my passport. I was so relieved to have all of that done and it was the day before we left for Easter break too, so that helped make the break even better!
The other big event that happened a few weeks back was my haircut. I had found a great deal on Groupon for a 20 Euro haircut (originally 44 Euros) and so I finally decided to use my coupon. I had some serious issues trying to find the place and ended up running around Alexanderplatz because I was afraid they would skip my appointment if I was late. Luckily I got there and they weren't ready for me at all, so I ended up sitting there for a bit. When the hairstylist finally came over she explained how at this salon they are all about trying to figure out what they think would be the best cut for your type of hair based on your face shape and all that jazz. She ran her fingers through my hair for a good five minutes and kept picking it up and letting it fall to see how it would fall. By the time she had figured things out, my hair was in my face and pretty poofy. The actual hair cutting part was fine and even though it seemed like she was taking way too much off and doing way too much texturizing, I was okay. Then they suggested we try some highlights just in the bangs (bangs=Pony auf Deutsch) and around my face. I figured that it couldn't be that bad and I am always wanting to try new things so I agreed. When she came at me with the color, I originally thought it looked very orange, but I figured it probably wouldn't be so bright because my hair is so dark. After they washed the coloring out and sat me back down in front of a mirror I had to really make sure I didn't gasp from how bright the color was. To me, it looked quite orange and more like an orange red when I would have rather had something more red or red orange (that color distinction may seem ridiculous, but there is a distinction, look at some crayons). Amazingly all of that only cost 20 euros, but I was definitely not a happy camper. When I got home I put on a hat until Julian made me take it off. I was reassured by a few that it didn't look as bad as I thought it did and it definitely wasn't orange. I waited a few days hoping it would get better, but finally I realized that I didn't like it and I never would. Only 3 days after the cut, I went to another hair salon that was right around the corner and I had them fix it. They were able to dye it and make it darker and I can definitely live with it now. I really don't know what I was thinking when I agreed to let those women color my hair and I have definitely learned my lesson there. That will never be happening again. So unfortunately for me, my original 20 Euro haircut turned into a 60 Euro expense once you add in the second haircut. Lesson learned.
The weather here in Berlin has been amazing and I really can't complain. We had our first thunderstorm last night and luckily I didn't have to go anywhere yesterday. I know that back home people are just swimming in all of the rain and I'm glad I don't have to deal with that. For Easter, Nick and I went to Julian's house and spent time with his family at their lake house. Every day was a perfect warm sunny day with no clouds in the sky. We all sat outside to eat, played some basketball and sat around and read. We even got to go sailing with his dad and I thought it was great. The only thing that freaked me out was when the boat would lean really far on one side and you felt like you were about to tip over into the water. That water wasn't warm enough for swimming, but I know that when we go back in the summer it will be great.
Easter was a fun day though because I got to experience a traditional German Easter. Like most Easter celebrations a big meal is had and there is plenty of chocolate to go around. Unlike any Easter I had ever had, the family started the morning by going on an Easter hunt and not just for Easter eggs. Everyone that was there hid gifts for each other in the yard and everyone had to search for them. Julian's uncle's mom was there and she was near 90 and even she hid things! At one point, Julian's aunt had to climb up part of the tree to reach one of her gifts. It was a lot of fun and something very different from what I was used to. When I was a kid all I ever looked for were colored eggs and I was really good at finding all of the different colored eggs in the yard. I needed some assistance in finding the few gifts that were there for me though and Julian had to turn it into a game of hot and cold to help me find them.
It was a wonderful weekend though where we got to leave the city and go back to the quite countryside. I didn't realize just how quiet it was there until we came back to Berlin and I heard all of the police sirens again (I didn't miss those at all). I love living in Berlin, but there is definitely something to be said for having a place outside of the city where you can go to escape for a weekend. It's a nice break and I feel much more relaxed now.
In other recent and wonderful news, I have my visa. It was quite an uphill battle with trying to figure out all of the insurance issues and making sure I had the right letters to prove I was receiving financial aid and that I was enrolled at the university here. When we went, my appointment was at 8am, which meant we had to leave our apartment around 7:20 to get there on time. There was a long line as people waited for the doors to open because I think most of those people didn't have appointments. My number was already on the board when we walked in and of course I got to see my favorite fat German guy behind the desk again. This time he liked everything I had and we were probably done in about 15 minutes. That includes the time it took to give him all of my documents, wait for him to print out the visa, pay and then get my passport. I was so relieved to have all of that done and it was the day before we left for Easter break too, so that helped make the break even better!
The other big event that happened a few weeks back was my haircut. I had found a great deal on Groupon for a 20 Euro haircut (originally 44 Euros) and so I finally decided to use my coupon. I had some serious issues trying to find the place and ended up running around Alexanderplatz because I was afraid they would skip my appointment if I was late. Luckily I got there and they weren't ready for me at all, so I ended up sitting there for a bit. When the hairstylist finally came over she explained how at this salon they are all about trying to figure out what they think would be the best cut for your type of hair based on your face shape and all that jazz. She ran her fingers through my hair for a good five minutes and kept picking it up and letting it fall to see how it would fall. By the time she had figured things out, my hair was in my face and pretty poofy. The actual hair cutting part was fine and even though it seemed like she was taking way too much off and doing way too much texturizing, I was okay. Then they suggested we try some highlights just in the bangs (bangs=Pony auf Deutsch) and around my face. I figured that it couldn't be that bad and I am always wanting to try new things so I agreed. When she came at me with the color, I originally thought it looked very orange, but I figured it probably wouldn't be so bright because my hair is so dark. After they washed the coloring out and sat me back down in front of a mirror I had to really make sure I didn't gasp from how bright the color was. To me, it looked quite orange and more like an orange red when I would have rather had something more red or red orange (that color distinction may seem ridiculous, but there is a distinction, look at some crayons). Amazingly all of that only cost 20 euros, but I was definitely not a happy camper. When I got home I put on a hat until Julian made me take it off. I was reassured by a few that it didn't look as bad as I thought it did and it definitely wasn't orange. I waited a few days hoping it would get better, but finally I realized that I didn't like it and I never would. Only 3 days after the cut, I went to another hair salon that was right around the corner and I had them fix it. They were able to dye it and make it darker and I can definitely live with it now. I really don't know what I was thinking when I agreed to let those women color my hair and I have definitely learned my lesson there. That will never be happening again. So unfortunately for me, my original 20 Euro haircut turned into a 60 Euro expense once you add in the second haircut. Lesson learned.
Monday, April 11, 2011
And They're Off!
Today was finally the first day of the summer semester. We only had one class today that didn't even last over an hour and a half. This particular class is about variances in governance and the decision-making process in Europe. It seems like it will be an interesting class, the only major hesitation I have is with our professor, which I will go more into in a bit. Tomorrow I am going to check out an elective course on immigration and citizenship. It's at 10 in the morning until 12, but what that really means in German speak is 10:15 until 11:45. Then on Wednesday I will check out yet another elective that's at 8:30 until 12 (every other week) and is about Islam in Europe. After that class I will have our second required course from 2-4 on the external relations of the EU. With any luck these will all be solid classes and I will be quite happy in them. But if it's like any other semester then I will just be super excited for about a week about classes and then quickly realize they aren't as great as they seemed and I don't truly like any of them.
Even though the semester is beginning today, let me assure you that I haven't been a complete bum these past few weeks. Two weeks ago, we started our mini-module course and had orientation. Orientation turned out to be pretty quick and simple and we just introduced ourselves and learned about the university. When I say we learned about the university, I mean we really learned about everything, including the history of the building orientation was being held in (they didn't have a lot of material to work with). The actual course wasn't too terrible, but I definitely wasn't a huge fan. We had three different professors and I only really liked the guy from France. He was very well organized, had things for us to do, and clearly explained what he expected of us and had planned for his three classes. Our first professor, who is now our professor for the class we have on Mondays, wasn't too bad, but she didn't seem overly organized and I couldn't read her handwriting to save my life. She showed up to class with a laptop she borrowed from the university, but she didn't know the password to log in. Then she didn't have a cell phone so that she could call to ask what the password was. Instead, Julian let her borrow his computer and Nick lent her his cell phone so that she could call someone. It was a bit ridiculous. As for her handwriting, it literally is just scribbles. I know that most of what she writes corresponds to what she says, but even if I listen, I still don't know what she writes on the board. I'm not trying to nit pick because any professor/teacher that has terrible hand writing should work on it if they plan on writing on the board, but I just get super frustrated when I have no idea what she's writing. Thankfully though the mini-module is over and we are now doing the real stuff.
Unfortunately for me that means getting back into the swing of doing serious work after pretty much a 4 month vacation. Currently I'm writing this blog in order to put off reading for class (the reading is in German which is even more of a turn off because that requires even more thinking). Once I get settled into my schedule I think I can handle this, but we'll see. It'll be an uphill battle for at least the first two weeks.
One thing that I have noticed, which I was warned about, is this "us" versus "them" feeling in our group. Our group is composed of the TAM kids (Nick, Julian and I) and then the 20 kids from the Euromasters program. They all seem nice and like great people, but they all already know each other. Unlike last semester when TAM began, the urgency and the need to make friends isn't as pressing. We all have people we know and we're not completely alone in the city. There has been some mingling, but nothing too extreme and I can only hope this changes as the semester moves on. I can't blame them either and I know that we say that if new people came into TAM we would welcome them with open arms, but that's really easy to say when we're making assumptions. If we were in this situation I would like to think the best of TAM and that we would make sure to welcome everyone, but you never know. It's not easy making friends though and I almost feel like the new kid that moved to a new elementary school. We all just look at each other, but no one wants to make a move. We just want to be accepted and not look stupid, but fear of rejection and embarrassment are standing in our way from extending the branch of friendship first.
We shall have to wait and see how the semester progresses. I will definitely have more stories to share as time goes on and if this procrastination continues at all, then there will be plenty of blogs to read!
Even though the semester is beginning today, let me assure you that I haven't been a complete bum these past few weeks. Two weeks ago, we started our mini-module course and had orientation. Orientation turned out to be pretty quick and simple and we just introduced ourselves and learned about the university. When I say we learned about the university, I mean we really learned about everything, including the history of the building orientation was being held in (they didn't have a lot of material to work with). The actual course wasn't too terrible, but I definitely wasn't a huge fan. We had three different professors and I only really liked the guy from France. He was very well organized, had things for us to do, and clearly explained what he expected of us and had planned for his three classes. Our first professor, who is now our professor for the class we have on Mondays, wasn't too bad, but she didn't seem overly organized and I couldn't read her handwriting to save my life. She showed up to class with a laptop she borrowed from the university, but she didn't know the password to log in. Then she didn't have a cell phone so that she could call to ask what the password was. Instead, Julian let her borrow his computer and Nick lent her his cell phone so that she could call someone. It was a bit ridiculous. As for her handwriting, it literally is just scribbles. I know that most of what she writes corresponds to what she says, but even if I listen, I still don't know what she writes on the board. I'm not trying to nit pick because any professor/teacher that has terrible hand writing should work on it if they plan on writing on the board, but I just get super frustrated when I have no idea what she's writing. Thankfully though the mini-module is over and we are now doing the real stuff.
Unfortunately for me that means getting back into the swing of doing serious work after pretty much a 4 month vacation. Currently I'm writing this blog in order to put off reading for class (the reading is in German which is even more of a turn off because that requires even more thinking). Once I get settled into my schedule I think I can handle this, but we'll see. It'll be an uphill battle for at least the first two weeks.
One thing that I have noticed, which I was warned about, is this "us" versus "them" feeling in our group. Our group is composed of the TAM kids (Nick, Julian and I) and then the 20 kids from the Euromasters program. They all seem nice and like great people, but they all already know each other. Unlike last semester when TAM began, the urgency and the need to make friends isn't as pressing. We all have people we know and we're not completely alone in the city. There has been some mingling, but nothing too extreme and I can only hope this changes as the semester moves on. I can't blame them either and I know that we say that if new people came into TAM we would welcome them with open arms, but that's really easy to say when we're making assumptions. If we were in this situation I would like to think the best of TAM and that we would make sure to welcome everyone, but you never know. It's not easy making friends though and I almost feel like the new kid that moved to a new elementary school. We all just look at each other, but no one wants to make a move. We just want to be accepted and not look stupid, but fear of rejection and embarrassment are standing in our way from extending the branch of friendship first.
We shall have to wait and see how the semester progresses. I will definitely have more stories to share as time goes on and if this procrastination continues at all, then there will be plenty of blogs to read!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
My Berlin Apartment
For those of you that didn't see the video tour of my apartment, here it is again:
Friday, March 25, 2011
Well I Guess Vacation had to End Eventually
After spending around three and a half months off from school, I can say I am having some mixed feelings about classes starting up again. More than not, I am definitely ready for classes to start and to finally have a set schedule with plenty of things to do. My days have been a blur and it feels like I have just completed the world's longest weekend. Don't get me wrong, it has been great and I am very well rested. I have been waking up to the sun without an alarm (some days it's not as welcome as others) and I take my time in the morning by leisurely eating breakfast and reading the German newspaper. What a life!
But of course, this cannot continue and it won't. Starting on Monday I will head to Humboldt University to have a four hour orientation where I will meet my fellow program (hopefully) soon-to-be buddies. Besides Nick, Julian and myself, our classes will mainly be made up of Euromaster students that are completing a similar program that began in Bath, England. I can only hope these students will be as interesting and as wonderful as my TAM-ily, but I will say that no one will ever replace my TAM-ily.
Following this orientation on Monday, we will begin a two week course, our "mini-module," where we will have class 4 hours a day. The one great thing about our class is that it will be located right off of Unter den Linden, across from Bebelplatz and only a little ways from the Berliner Dom, my favorite building in Berlin. It's very amazing to think that I am right there near all of this and that is one of the aspects of living and studying in Berlin that I was really excited about. Another great thing about these upcoming semesters is that the professors I will have or that are teaching at the university are awesome. This is not to say the ones at UNC were not great, but a number of these Berlin professors are scholars that I have read, cited and read about in my other readings. I think Nick, Julian and I have already found professors that we have used in our bachelor's theses and that is just so cool to me (this is why I am in Grad School, that is my nerd moment).
The one big aspect I am nervous about is that my classes are in German. Granted, I think I know more than I give myself credit for, but it is still nerve-racking. I have a terrible habit where I will zone out in class (something I think we all suffer from), but if I zone out in a German class, then I have an even bigger hill to climb because I am even more lost than I would be in a regular, American class. I know that our professors will be understanding and I think I will be fine, but until that first day of class I don't know what to expect. Plus this semester is like August all over again. I am meeting all new people and I am in a new city again. Last semester worked out quite well, so I'm thinking this semester will too, but if you know me, you know that I tend to get unnecessary jitters about these things. I will keep you all updated with how it goes (I'm sure you'll be on the edge of your seat).
Besides these upcoming events, things have been going very well in Berlin. Nick, Julian and I took a weekend trip to Prague to visit part of our TAM-ily and that was fun. Sadly the weather didn't really cooperate, but we did get to see everyone there and see the city, even if it was in the rain. It was a nice trip to get away from Berlin and to see a new city. We have also been doing a great deal of exploring throughout our city. The weather has been great, so it's nice to be outside and walk around and see Berlin. I have been seeing areas where I have never been and it's so great to know that I will be here for a year and will have the time to see even more of Berlin. It is a great city and I hope that if people have the time to see it, whether I am here or not, they should take full advantage and see the beauty of Berlin for themselves.
But of course, this cannot continue and it won't. Starting on Monday I will head to Humboldt University to have a four hour orientation where I will meet my fellow program (hopefully) soon-to-be buddies. Besides Nick, Julian and myself, our classes will mainly be made up of Euromaster students that are completing a similar program that began in Bath, England. I can only hope these students will be as interesting and as wonderful as my TAM-ily, but I will say that no one will ever replace my TAM-ily.
Following this orientation on Monday, we will begin a two week course, our "mini-module," where we will have class 4 hours a day. The one great thing about our class is that it will be located right off of Unter den Linden, across from Bebelplatz and only a little ways from the Berliner Dom, my favorite building in Berlin. It's very amazing to think that I am right there near all of this and that is one of the aspects of living and studying in Berlin that I was really excited about. Another great thing about these upcoming semesters is that the professors I will have or that are teaching at the university are awesome. This is not to say the ones at UNC were not great, but a number of these Berlin professors are scholars that I have read, cited and read about in my other readings. I think Nick, Julian and I have already found professors that we have used in our bachelor's theses and that is just so cool to me (this is why I am in Grad School, that is my nerd moment).
The one big aspect I am nervous about is that my classes are in German. Granted, I think I know more than I give myself credit for, but it is still nerve-racking. I have a terrible habit where I will zone out in class (something I think we all suffer from), but if I zone out in a German class, then I have an even bigger hill to climb because I am even more lost than I would be in a regular, American class. I know that our professors will be understanding and I think I will be fine, but until that first day of class I don't know what to expect. Plus this semester is like August all over again. I am meeting all new people and I am in a new city again. Last semester worked out quite well, so I'm thinking this semester will too, but if you know me, you know that I tend to get unnecessary jitters about these things. I will keep you all updated with how it goes (I'm sure you'll be on the edge of your seat).
Besides these upcoming events, things have been going very well in Berlin. Nick, Julian and I took a weekend trip to Prague to visit part of our TAM-ily and that was fun. Sadly the weather didn't really cooperate, but we did get to see everyone there and see the city, even if it was in the rain. It was a nice trip to get away from Berlin and to see a new city. We have also been doing a great deal of exploring throughout our city. The weather has been great, so it's nice to be outside and walk around and see Berlin. I have been seeing areas where I have never been and it's so great to know that I will be here for a year and will have the time to see even more of Berlin. It is a great city and I hope that if people have the time to see it, whether I am here or not, they should take full advantage and see the beauty of Berlin for themselves.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
To the Fat German Man Behind the Desk
Dear Fat German Man,
Why do you have to make my life and my time in Germany so complicated? All I wanted from you was for you to sign my forms and give me a German visa! I made an appointment on your stupid bureaucratic website, I trekked all the way over to the other side of town, and I had all of my documents that you asked for. Instead, you tell me that my health insurance letter certifying that I have American health insurance that covers me in Germany is not enough, you tell me that I need to have more proof that I am enrolled in a German university, and you tell me that I need more money in my German bank account. Lets just go down this laundry list of items to express how I truly feel.
First, the letter that I have from a German public health insurance firm should most definitely be enough to prove that I have adequate health insurance. You gave me a form that I'm supposed to fill out according to you asking all of these questions about my supposed health insurance even though right on the first page in bold letters it says that a letter from a health insurance provider will suffice! WTF! Can you not even read the exact documents that you hand out?! Are you that lazy and so bored with your job that you don't even take the time to see what it says on the very first page of what you're handing me?
Second, why would you say that two letters that state I am enrolled/accepted into two universities not be enough proof that I am a student? Just because the semester has yet to begin does not mean that I am pretending to be a student in the near future. I am clearly a student now, I am working to become enrolled into the German university here and therefore I am not lying to you about being a student!
Third, these requirements for a German bank account are just ridiculous and you know it. I understand you don't want anyone living in your country that cannot support himself or herself. Well considering that I brought you a bank statement that clearly states that I have plenty of money in my account, you decided this was not enough. I told you that I was waiting to receive my German bank card, but that I had opened it, but no, still not enough. Instead you tell me that I have to come back and show that I have 7800 Euros in my German bank account at my next appointment?! Are you serious? That is over $10,000! I definitely don't have that kind of money and I don't know of many students that do have that kind of money right now. When I was here two years ago there was never any mention of needing to have a certain amount of money in my bank account and honestly, most of the time I had nothing in my German bank account. WHAT IN THE WORLD HAS CHANGED NOW?!
You sir, have truly added more unnecessary stress to my life and instead of giving me my visa, you are making me come back in a month at 8am to try this again. I can only hope that I will never have to see you again and that I will actually get someone who works there that has a real brain and isn't a complete idiot. You should realize how lucky you are that I don't know how to really yell in German like I would if I could talk to you in English.
You really suck!
Emily
Why do you have to make my life and my time in Germany so complicated? All I wanted from you was for you to sign my forms and give me a German visa! I made an appointment on your stupid bureaucratic website, I trekked all the way over to the other side of town, and I had all of my documents that you asked for. Instead, you tell me that my health insurance letter certifying that I have American health insurance that covers me in Germany is not enough, you tell me that I need to have more proof that I am enrolled in a German university, and you tell me that I need more money in my German bank account. Lets just go down this laundry list of items to express how I truly feel.
First, the letter that I have from a German public health insurance firm should most definitely be enough to prove that I have adequate health insurance. You gave me a form that I'm supposed to fill out according to you asking all of these questions about my supposed health insurance even though right on the first page in bold letters it says that a letter from a health insurance provider will suffice! WTF! Can you not even read the exact documents that you hand out?! Are you that lazy and so bored with your job that you don't even take the time to see what it says on the very first page of what you're handing me?
Second, why would you say that two letters that state I am enrolled/accepted into two universities not be enough proof that I am a student? Just because the semester has yet to begin does not mean that I am pretending to be a student in the near future. I am clearly a student now, I am working to become enrolled into the German university here and therefore I am not lying to you about being a student!
Third, these requirements for a German bank account are just ridiculous and you know it. I understand you don't want anyone living in your country that cannot support himself or herself. Well considering that I brought you a bank statement that clearly states that I have plenty of money in my account, you decided this was not enough. I told you that I was waiting to receive my German bank card, but that I had opened it, but no, still not enough. Instead you tell me that I have to come back and show that I have 7800 Euros in my German bank account at my next appointment?! Are you serious? That is over $10,000! I definitely don't have that kind of money and I don't know of many students that do have that kind of money right now. When I was here two years ago there was never any mention of needing to have a certain amount of money in my bank account and honestly, most of the time I had nothing in my German bank account. WHAT IN THE WORLD HAS CHANGED NOW?!
You sir, have truly added more unnecessary stress to my life and instead of giving me my visa, you are making me come back in a month at 8am to try this again. I can only hope that I will never have to see you again and that I will actually get someone who works there that has a real brain and isn't a complete idiot. You should realize how lucky you are that I don't know how to really yell in German like I would if I could talk to you in English.
You really suck!
Emily
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Finally Feels Like Home
After 5 whole days in my new apartment and almost non-stop work, I think I can say with 95% accuracy that we have finally finished moving in. There is about one big thing left to do and that is just putting in our shower curtain. You may ask yourself why we haven't completed this task yet since in most situations you could easily assume that it just requires us to hang up the curtain on some rings and attach them to the pre-existing shower rod. Sadly, in this case, you would be wrong. According to Julian, when he asked, the former tenants did not have a shower rod or any sort of apparatus to surround the tub. Instead they said they just took baths. I really don't know why, what we believe were 3 adults, would only take baths. We are living in the 21st century when that is just the normal thing to do once you reach a certain age and I am definitely certain these three adults have reached this point (we do live on the 5th floor with no elevator so we know they could walk and therefore stand). Either way, we are living without a shower curtain, which I have come to realize is really an invaluable thing to have.
The first shower I took I had to just hold the shower hose and that was not an enjoyable experience because 1) I had to continuously turn it on and off while I was washing my hair, etc and 2) I did not feel extremely clean afterward and my hair still felt greasy and like there was conditioner left in it, which I am pretty sure there was. After our second trip to IKEA and Bauhaus (German version of Lowe's), we found something that we could use to hang the shower hose on the wall and make it more like a shower I was used to. When I tried it out the next day, still without a shower curtain, I pretty much covered the floor in water. I left the water running like a typical American shower and I think that led to the flooding of the floor. It was like a mini-lake on our bathroom floor and I knew this wasn't going to work without the curtain. My third shower, which I just completed, was a combination of shower 1 and shower 2 (I will say that more showers have been taken, but these main showers I am referring to are about "big" showers in which I washed my hair). With my third shower I had the shower hose hanging on the wall, but I would turn it off in between washing my hair, etc in order to have minimal flooding of the floor. Luckily this worked out and I managed to not get any major amounts of water on the floor and I feel very clean. Even though it was a success, I will say the sooner we get a shower curtain installed, the better. We are just waiting on the former tenants to tell us who was the handyman they used to install their kitchen counters.
Besides the shower sitch, everything else is pretty much good to go. We completed all of the painting and I must say it looks very nice. The hallway was covered in marks on the wall from different things and the walls were in general just dirty. We put a fresh coat of Polarweiss (polar white) paint on them and now it looks as good as new. Julian was also brave enough to install some lights in the ceiling and so we no longer have to depend on floor lamps and desk lamps to light our kitchen while cooking. My curtains have been installed and all I need is just one more curtain since my windows are so big (we forgot to take that into consideration while at IKEA). At least I can now change in my room without too much worry that the old couple living across the street will see me naked. The counter top in the kitchen has also been finished and thanks to my Habitat for Humanity caulking experience I was able to help caulk the sink. It was a bit tricky and worked out okay overall, but the caulk was a bit messy and weird.
With all of this work this past week I think we can say that we now have a nice place to live and I think Julian and I are going to be quite happy living here. The area is fairly quiet, at least at night when it really counts, and I don't really hear the people living next to us. I did hear someone practicing the saxophone, but after last semester and the outrageous cougher that lived right above me, this saxophone player is a walk in the park. We also have a lot of space in our apartment and it doesn't feel cramped at all. My initial concerns of not having enough space in the bathroom have been subsided and thanks to Julian for not having much bathroom stuff, I have plenty of space (no joke, I have about 5 bottles on my corner of the bathtub for the shower and he has 1).
The grocery stores have also been found and I know that soon enough I will have figured out where everything in the store is so that it won't be a stressful situation running around the mid-sized grocery store. I also know where there is a Kaufland if I feel the need to enter a large, American-sized grocery store that can offer me a ton of selection. For every day I think we will be sticking with Niedrige Preise since we don't have to really cross the street to get to that one unlike if we want to go to Kaiser's.
After these first 5 days I can still say that I am happy and I see this semester going well. The next big hurdle will be getting my visa, which will hopefully happen without a hitch on Tuesday. I'm sure that will be quite the experience and I will most likely have a nice blog just about that fun bureaucratic adventure. Until then, schönes Wochenende!
The first shower I took I had to just hold the shower hose and that was not an enjoyable experience because 1) I had to continuously turn it on and off while I was washing my hair, etc and 2) I did not feel extremely clean afterward and my hair still felt greasy and like there was conditioner left in it, which I am pretty sure there was. After our second trip to IKEA and Bauhaus (German version of Lowe's), we found something that we could use to hang the shower hose on the wall and make it more like a shower I was used to. When I tried it out the next day, still without a shower curtain, I pretty much covered the floor in water. I left the water running like a typical American shower and I think that led to the flooding of the floor. It was like a mini-lake on our bathroom floor and I knew this wasn't going to work without the curtain. My third shower, which I just completed, was a combination of shower 1 and shower 2 (I will say that more showers have been taken, but these main showers I am referring to are about "big" showers in which I washed my hair). With my third shower I had the shower hose hanging on the wall, but I would turn it off in between washing my hair, etc in order to have minimal flooding of the floor. Luckily this worked out and I managed to not get any major amounts of water on the floor and I feel very clean. Even though it was a success, I will say the sooner we get a shower curtain installed, the better. We are just waiting on the former tenants to tell us who was the handyman they used to install their kitchen counters.
Besides the shower sitch, everything else is pretty much good to go. We completed all of the painting and I must say it looks very nice. The hallway was covered in marks on the wall from different things and the walls were in general just dirty. We put a fresh coat of Polarweiss (polar white) paint on them and now it looks as good as new. Julian was also brave enough to install some lights in the ceiling and so we no longer have to depend on floor lamps and desk lamps to light our kitchen while cooking. My curtains have been installed and all I need is just one more curtain since my windows are so big (we forgot to take that into consideration while at IKEA). At least I can now change in my room without too much worry that the old couple living across the street will see me naked. The counter top in the kitchen has also been finished and thanks to my Habitat for Humanity caulking experience I was able to help caulk the sink. It was a bit tricky and worked out okay overall, but the caulk was a bit messy and weird.
With all of this work this past week I think we can say that we now have a nice place to live and I think Julian and I are going to be quite happy living here. The area is fairly quiet, at least at night when it really counts, and I don't really hear the people living next to us. I did hear someone practicing the saxophone, but after last semester and the outrageous cougher that lived right above me, this saxophone player is a walk in the park. We also have a lot of space in our apartment and it doesn't feel cramped at all. My initial concerns of not having enough space in the bathroom have been subsided and thanks to Julian for not having much bathroom stuff, I have plenty of space (no joke, I have about 5 bottles on my corner of the bathtub for the shower and he has 1).
The grocery stores have also been found and I know that soon enough I will have figured out where everything in the store is so that it won't be a stressful situation running around the mid-sized grocery store. I also know where there is a Kaufland if I feel the need to enter a large, American-sized grocery store that can offer me a ton of selection. For every day I think we will be sticking with Niedrige Preise since we don't have to really cross the street to get to that one unlike if we want to go to Kaiser's.
After these first 5 days I can still say that I am happy and I see this semester going well. The next big hurdle will be getting my visa, which will hopefully happen without a hitch on Tuesday. I'm sure that will be quite the experience and I will most likely have a nice blog just about that fun bureaucratic adventure. Until then, schönes Wochenende!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
2 Years Ago: Freiburg, Now: Berlin
In my wildest dreams I would have never expected to be sitting in an apartment in Berlin awaiting to start my second semester of graduate school knowing that I will be here for at least a year. I went to Freiburg, Germany two years ago with a ton of butterflies in my stomach and a feeling of nervousness like I had never felt before. Now, I am sitting in Berlin with a strange feeling of calmness and sense that I can do this and I will be just fine. This is what I am supposed to be doing.
Last week I arrived in Frankfurt to meet Julian and spend about a week at his house with his family. My flight went just fine and I was lucky enough to have the seat next to me empty. Sadly though, I just couldn't fall asleep for a long time and probably only slept for about an hour. I did watch quite a few movies and at least had some form of entertainment to help pass the time. Once I landed I was super excited and just hoping that all of my bags would arrive without any problems. I made it through customs and baggage claim pretty quickly and all of my bags were there too. Julian greeted me and then we drove to his house, which was about 2 hours away. His parents were already at home and were making a hot lunch. For the entire day I was out of it and in a sort of traveler's haze. Julian and I walked around the town a bit and even tried the different natural mineral waters that his town was known for. Little to my surprise they were all pretty gross and not something I ever want to drink again no matter how good they are for you.
After sleeping for 12 hours that night, I felt just fine the next day. For the next few days, Julian and I did some sightseeing around the town and a few of the neighboring cities. We saw all of the local castles and many of the churches. The weather was great and it was surprisingly warm for February in Germany. I actually saw the sun every day! I will say that eating meals with Julian's family was like my German class come to life. In class we always had that one unit on German food and eating. Well, we were taught that it's normal for everyone to go home for lunch and have a nice hot meal. Then for dinner they would just snack on things like bread, cheese, and lunch meats. Whenever I have come to Germany that hasn't really happened, but this time it sure did. Every day, Julian's parents came home from work, had a nice hot lunch, and then at dinner we had a lot of bread and cheese. I actually got used it and started to find the things that I liked. I got pretty excited though the first two days this happened because I was seeing my German class in reality.
Moving to Berlin wasn't too terrible like I had suspected. I did have a great deal of luggage, but thanks to Julian, I was able to maneuver everything and arrive safe and sound to our new apartment. I was delighted to see my new place, have real German windows, a cute German kitchen and a very German toilet (it's not a shelf toilet though, thank goodness). After a day, we have completed putting all of our furniture together that's from IKEA and we are slowly getting things organized. Our trip to IKEA involved having 4 carts of stuff, which was just a pain to move around. I honestly think that was worse than all the luggage. Thankfully, IKEA has immediate delivery, so our stuff was delivered the same day and I didn't have to carry it all up 5 flights of stairs (the elevator is supposed to be done sometime in March, go figure).
So far everything is going well though and I can't really complain. I will do my best to continue to update this blog and write about what I've been up to and random things I notice in Berlin/Germany. I have already decided that one of these posts will be about the German stare :)
Last week I arrived in Frankfurt to meet Julian and spend about a week at his house with his family. My flight went just fine and I was lucky enough to have the seat next to me empty. Sadly though, I just couldn't fall asleep for a long time and probably only slept for about an hour. I did watch quite a few movies and at least had some form of entertainment to help pass the time. Once I landed I was super excited and just hoping that all of my bags would arrive without any problems. I made it through customs and baggage claim pretty quickly and all of my bags were there too. Julian greeted me and then we drove to his house, which was about 2 hours away. His parents were already at home and were making a hot lunch. For the entire day I was out of it and in a sort of traveler's haze. Julian and I walked around the town a bit and even tried the different natural mineral waters that his town was known for. Little to my surprise they were all pretty gross and not something I ever want to drink again no matter how good they are for you.
After sleeping for 12 hours that night, I felt just fine the next day. For the next few days, Julian and I did some sightseeing around the town and a few of the neighboring cities. We saw all of the local castles and many of the churches. The weather was great and it was surprisingly warm for February in Germany. I actually saw the sun every day! I will say that eating meals with Julian's family was like my German class come to life. In class we always had that one unit on German food and eating. Well, we were taught that it's normal for everyone to go home for lunch and have a nice hot meal. Then for dinner they would just snack on things like bread, cheese, and lunch meats. Whenever I have come to Germany that hasn't really happened, but this time it sure did. Every day, Julian's parents came home from work, had a nice hot lunch, and then at dinner we had a lot of bread and cheese. I actually got used it and started to find the things that I liked. I got pretty excited though the first two days this happened because I was seeing my German class in reality.
Moving to Berlin wasn't too terrible like I had suspected. I did have a great deal of luggage, but thanks to Julian, I was able to maneuver everything and arrive safe and sound to our new apartment. I was delighted to see my new place, have real German windows, a cute German kitchen and a very German toilet (it's not a shelf toilet though, thank goodness). After a day, we have completed putting all of our furniture together that's from IKEA and we are slowly getting things organized. Our trip to IKEA involved having 4 carts of stuff, which was just a pain to move around. I honestly think that was worse than all the luggage. Thankfully, IKEA has immediate delivery, so our stuff was delivered the same day and I didn't have to carry it all up 5 flights of stairs (the elevator is supposed to be done sometime in March, go figure).
So far everything is going well though and I can't really complain. I will do my best to continue to update this blog and write about what I've been up to and random things I notice in Berlin/Germany. I have already decided that one of these posts will be about the German stare :)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Here We Go Again
So I have decided that I would try this blog thing again. I will be going to Berlin, Germany within the next few months as part of my graduate school program. With this program I have the wonderful opportunity to spend three American semesters abroad and of course I chose Berlin. Originally I was going to spend one semester in Bath, England, but I decided that I would rather pick one place and stay there for all three semesters instead of having to move to a completely different country after one semester. As some of you know, I'm not a huge fan of change and this would be a pretty significant change, so I altered my plans (yes, I changed) and decided to stay in Berlin.
I will arrive in Berlin sometime in March and live in an apartment somewhere near Humboldt University, hopefully, and I should be able to set up shop there for the whole time and not have to worry about moving. Having the chance to live in Berlin is a dream come true and something I have wanted to do since I first went to Berlin in high school. I am very excited about this opportunity, but at the same time, very nervous. I am responsible for completing the visa process, finding a place to live, and taking care of all those technicalities I have never had to deal with before. Thanks to IES and my time in Freiburg, I was given a place to live and my hand was held as I completed all the necessary government forms. This time, I'll have to be the grown-up and figure all this out myself. Eek!
Until I leave, I will be at home in Indiana taking some last minute trips to see those nearby. There are so many of my friends that are all across the country and unfortunately, I don't think I will be able to see them all due to financial reasons and time constraints. I do hope to work on my German grammar skills and try to polish them up before I leave.
I hope to maintain this blog while I am in Berlin to keep everyone updated with how I'm doing, how classes are going, and what life in Berlin is like in general. I won't be doing as much traveling like I did when I was in Freiburg, but there were will the occasional trip, no worries :)
Enjoy!
I will arrive in Berlin sometime in March and live in an apartment somewhere near Humboldt University, hopefully, and I should be able to set up shop there for the whole time and not have to worry about moving. Having the chance to live in Berlin is a dream come true and something I have wanted to do since I first went to Berlin in high school. I am very excited about this opportunity, but at the same time, very nervous. I am responsible for completing the visa process, finding a place to live, and taking care of all those technicalities I have never had to deal with before. Thanks to IES and my time in Freiburg, I was given a place to live and my hand was held as I completed all the necessary government forms. This time, I'll have to be the grown-up and figure all this out myself. Eek!
Until I leave, I will be at home in Indiana taking some last minute trips to see those nearby. There are so many of my friends that are all across the country and unfortunately, I don't think I will be able to see them all due to financial reasons and time constraints. I do hope to work on my German grammar skills and try to polish them up before I leave.
I hope to maintain this blog while I am in Berlin to keep everyone updated with how I'm doing, how classes are going, and what life in Berlin is like in general. I won't be doing as much traveling like I did when I was in Freiburg, but there were will the occasional trip, no worries :)
Enjoy!
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