Living in Deutschland

Greetings from Berlin!

I am FINALLY writing again to bring some updates about what life in Berlin has been like for the past two and a half weeks, which has been nothing short of FABULOUS!

I have been preoccupied with school and adjusting to the busy life of a Berliner.  Each day when I arrive home I literally blop down and restrain against the thought of putting time or effort into a blog.  Now that I have a little time this evening I decided to get busy with a few updates! :)

This would be Kaiser's.  One of the places I like to go for groceries.

Last week was my first full week in Berlin and I automatically felt at home (most of the time).  Some aspects about life in this city are not very different from life in America, but then again there are other things that are completely at the other end of the spectrum.  For example, as most of you know punctuality is a quality that I am ever seeking to improve.  I think God knew that Berlin was the place to help me do just that.  Of course I had to learn the hard way after making a mad dash to the S Bahn to find out that it had pulled off 2 minutes prior to my arrival.  Also, there are no Wal-marts are 24 hour Kroger’s to run to for a last minute food run.  Everything here has to be planned strategically when you use the public transit.   At the grocery stores in Berlin you are not given the option of plastic or paper bags to take your purchases home in, if you want one you have to buy it.  Therefore, everyone always has a reusable bag handy.  This is actually something I love- it is eco-friendly and it also steers me away from unnecessary purchases.  Back home I would spend way too much time perusing the aisles of Kroger and I always end up with a few extra items because it was easily thrown into my cart and I never had to consider how much I would have to carry on my journey home.  However huffing and puffing as a tread towards my apartment carrying my bag of food is a great reminder of the workout regimen I still need to begin...oops. :)

 

Here are a few more differences I have noticed:

-         Water IS NOT free! Yes, as sad as this is for an avid water drinker to hear it is true. This was a bit disturbing at first but I have grown use to the feeling of always carrying a 1.5 liter of water around.

-         Public bathrooms are also not free.  You have to pay 0,50 euro to use a public bathroom.  However, I haven't had a problem with this yet. 

-         Everything is closed on Sundays.  I love this idea...except for when I am hungry.  However, I have had this same feeling in the States when I am craving Chic-fil-a and then I realize it's Sunday.  :) 

-          No one wears yoga pants in Berlin unless they are working out.   Glad I left mine at home. :)  I love how fashionable people are in this city.  Everyone ALWAYS looks nice.  I have only seen one person walking around in sweat pants since I arrived.    People watching is something that I enjoy and being here as put me on an entirely new level.  Almost everyone looks like they just stepped out of a magazine and they have the most AMAZING shoes here.  I will NEVER be bored here. :) 

-       I have also seen very few people who are overweight.  I suspect it is because all of the walking and biking that is used as a form of transportation. Not to mention the diets that most people have seem to be healthier than most people in the States.

-        I have come to find a new food love already.  Quark.  One word, amazing.  It is difficult to make it sound as appealing as it truly is.  I often find myself explaining it like this "Well, it has the consistency of sour cream and it's a little bland but you can add ANYTHING to it and it's AMAZING, you just have to try it."  My favorite way to eat it is by adding a little milk, honey, and dried oats.  I also enjoy dipping dark chocolate in it. :)

There are so many topics to talk about that it’s overwhelming but one thing I have to say is that I can’t imagine how much I will change while living in Berlin for these few short weeks.  It seems crazy, but to speak truthfully I feel that I have already been exposed to more in the past 14 days than I have been in my entire life.  Every day I find myself looking at the world around me as though it is all brand new (because it is).  I’m in this remarkable city that holds SO MUCH history and yet it is extremely modern and unlike any place I have ever been.  I am totally in awe and have already been swept off my feet by the lovely German people, the fascinating history, the beautiful architecture, and of course the mouthwatering food.  I can’t begin to express how thankful I am to have this opportunity to student teach abroad in a place like Berlin and I am even more thankful for all of the people who helped in making this wish come true. 

I still have an enormous amount of information to tell about JFKS, my walking tour of Berlin, my tour of the Sachsenhausen Memorial, my weekend trip to Poland to visit some wonderful friends and the crazy planning that I have been trying to finish for my two week spring break that will begin this Friday.  For now I am a bit exhausted and hungry (again) so I will sign out and fill you in on those details next time.

 

Gute Nacht! (Good night) :)