Berlin Week 1

The vibrant city of Berlin has welcomed me back into its loving arms by turning on some balmy temperatures. The last week has averaged about 7’C, and being as it is only October, has served as a warning that I am really going to need some serious winter clothes to survive in this place over the next 6 months. My pathetic scarf, hoodie and jeans combination are about as much competition for the cold wind storming from the Siberian wilderness as the Polish army were for the Germans all those years ago.

All that being said, it has been absolutely fantastic being a resident of Berlin. There are obviously some teething problems, for instance, I took the 40 euro I saved by talking my way out of a fine on the train, and bought a two week gym membership. Yes, that’s $AUD80 for a two week membership. Making matters worse is that I have only gone twice and I doubt I will go again, due to the fact that the gym is located near Paula’s work and she hasn’t got any shifts for the remainder of the time I am here. Oh well, easy come, easy go. Going to the gym has confirmed one rumour, and that is that yes, they are big motherfuckers in Germany. On an average I would say that the guys at the Berlin gym were about 10kgs heavier (not fatter) than the people at my old gym in Cannington. So now I look even weedier than before. Great.

Another issue that I have had to get over while being here is my obvious lack of any German language skills. Germany is great for the tourist because everyone speaks some level of English, and most are fluent. This is great when you are travelling through and want to be able to eat, drink and play wherever you like without wondering how you will make people understand you, however, as I am now trying to become a Berliner, it only serves as a reminder of just how not German I am. This will hopefully change over time, and I have my beginner German course starting in mid November, so I would hope once I can at least have some simple conversations in German I will feel less of an outsider. Another possibility is that I should just shut up as I have only been here a week and if it didn’t feel foreign and different I probably wouldn’t love it so much.

Throughout my travels I have always said that I start to love a place once I feel comfortable in it. Berlin and Budapest were the exceptions to that rule, as I loved them within the first 3 hours I was there. Berlin is, however, growing even lovelier in my eyes. While the past week has been tough in some ways, with the cold, the expensive public transport, the lack of German and what looks to be the imminent impossibility of me ever getting a job here being the prime examples. I find myself still amazed by the culture, design and history of the city at every turn. Even the simplest things, such as a few days ago when Paula and I went out to Pankow so she could look at a prospective rental property. We walked from the flat back to the nearest train station and just as we got to the train station, we walked over the double line of bricks that marks the spot of the old Berlin wall. I found myself being hugely excited about the fact that I would have to walk over that hugely historical site every day on my journey to and from work should we live in that apartment, and it is moments like that which separate Berlin from any other city in my eyes.

The last week has been full of going around Berlin, to areas I hadn’t been before, in search of apartments. I am staying in the very hip Friedrichshain in the cities east, but it’s a little expensive so we are looking in up and coming (and slightly dodgy areas) such as Neukolln. It has good to get away from the typically touristy things that one does in a city and move into something more based in reality such as finding a flat, or going to the supermarket, or just cooking a meal in a house instead of a hostel.

On Saturday night Paula and I were getting ready to go out to an as yet undecided club, when her housemate invited us along to go to a party at the Villa nightclub. The tram ride alone was hilarious, as it was filled with beer swilling party goers at 1:30am, all heading out to party. As I was told by a local, that tram is the party tram as it goes through a few of the nightlife areas and runs regularly and all night on the weekends. By the time we got the the Villa I was ready to dance, both because I was excited, and freezing. The Villa is (surprise surprise) an old Villa. It is a massive old house that is filled with graffiti, lights, bars and minimalist techno sounds. Unfortunately the music was not to my liking, but everything else about the place was uber cool, and depending on DJ’s I will definitely have to head back there some time. Although,. With the huge array of nightlife option in Berlin, I may spend a while experiencing everywhere I haven’t been, before I start going to place I have already seen.