auf wiedersehen!

So my dear friends, it is time for me to fly away from the land of beer and sausage, and make my way back to NYC! Of course, first I will spend 3 glorious days in England with my Ginny no doubt giggling and being silly as always :) I am both sad and excited as i leave here today. Sad to leave of course, and there is always the feeling that you didn't quite do everything that you wanted to do. Excited because I have learned a lot (about Berlin, Europe, and myself) and hope to allow this experience to affect my life back home. This blog was actually very important to me while I was here. It made me happy to feel like i was communicating with you all, and that even though I am far away, there are still people who care :) So, some parting thoughts, feelings, ramblings before i go........

-- I highly recommend Berlin as a city that you must see at some point in your life! The history here is astonishing, you could spend an entire day in just one museum or memorial and still not see it all. The architecture is incredibly diverse ranging from 13th century churches, to Nazi and Socialist era bleakness, to modern sleek glass structures. Of course, scattered around are remains of buildings that were bombed in the war, as well as tons of more modern buildings that are just empty, waiting to be rented. (Probably we should all buy real estate here while it's cheap! No doubt it will take off one day!) The thought that was continually on my mind as I wandered around here, was that so much of what happened here in Berlin happened within the last hundred years! Some of it happened while we were alive, and still life goes on here. Berlin is changing for sure! One gets the feeling that the Berlin you see right now is a fleeting thing. In 3 years, 5 years, 10 years, it will be a whole different place.
--Not just culturally, but also socially is Berlin such an intriguing place. Of course you can party any day of the week, and there is always something going on. Also, just the everyday way that you notice people behaving. Friends meeting for coffee and stying for hours, chatting and laughing. Nobody seems to be in a rush, and honestly, nobody looks stressed out or uptight. Everyone seems to just go with the flow. Of course, I'm sure this is not always the case, it's just what i noticed.
--In my conversations with dancers and other artists here, I have come to really be envious of their lifestyle here. In Europe it is possible to make a living purely pursuing your craft. None of the dancers I met had other jobs. Dancing was their job. Dancing was their work. Sure they don't make so much money, but also, they pay the equivalent of $350 a month to live in a 3 room apartment in the center of town, including everything with a balcony and new appliances. For those of you paying NYC rent, that is astounding! And they all have health insurance. Enough said.
--I really recommend, if you are visiting another country even for a short period of time, that you learn a bit of the language. It really opens so many doors for you! You feel not so afraid to enter a shop or bar, or to ask a question. It also allows you to speak with the local people and get some information that maybe a guide book would not provide you with. It is also interesting (at least to me) to notice the different colloquialisms that are used. You get a sense also of the rhythm of life here by listening to the language.
--Getting hit on at a nude beach is a very interesting experience.
--If there is a German Bakery anywhere near you, run, don't walk there and get some brotchen (rolls) or other pastries.
--If you look like you know what you are doing, people will approach you and ask you questions...mainly "how do I get to......?" If you are lucky, you might even be able to help them :) Also, if you speak to someone in German, they will assume that you know the language and talk very fast to you, prompting the embarrassing "Sprechen sie langsamer bitte. Ich spreche deutsch nicht sehr gut!" (Please speak slower, i don't speak German very well.)
--You can learn a lot from watching episodes of Baywatch and Dharma and Greg in German. Oh that crazy Hasselhof!
--It is so important to get out of the touristy areas when you are vising a place, and to explore a bit where the locals live, and how the locals do things. I think that it really begins to breed tolerance and acceptance of other cultures.
--Americans are loud (me included)

Ok, so there are many more things to say, but I will tell most of you in person when I see you!!!
Thanks for reading my blog.

Schon Tag!
Tschuss!
Jen

Fancy Meeting You Here!

As we all come to realize at some point in our lives, the world is a very small place. The circles we run in are rather intimate, and you never know what person from your past, or present will show up at any random place. So was the case last night for me! I went to go see a dance performance which was a collaboration between Lucky Trimmer in Berlin and Dance Off in NYC (some of you might know them). Even though some of the dancers were from NYC, I wasn't expecting to know anyone. However, upon reading the program I came across a familiar name.....Erin. Erin and I used to work together at Chelsea Movements and she now dances with Doug Varone. So I was very happy to see a familiar face after being among strangers for a month! The show was great, a bunch of short sketches in the dance-theatre genre. The performers for the most part were very committed and the work was pretty inspiring.
After the show, I met up with Erin, and spent a few hours talking to her and a few of the other performers. It makes me a little bit embarrassed to be a dancer in NYC and not know any of the other dancers from NYC, but so it goes. There is time. Then a bunch of us moved on to a gay bar nearby called Sharon Stonewall. Yes, it is a tribute to the Stonewall bar in NYC, and it is very pink inside. So I spent the rest of the night talking to gay men from NYC.....just like back home. We all agreed that we would move here in a heartbeat! There was one very cute young man from Bavaria whom I was talking with for awhile. He was the epitome of what I think a man from Bavaria looks like, sounds like, and acts like. He was great and telling me all about his favorite Bavarian foods (Blue Sausage--sausage cooked in vinegar with dumplings in a brown sauce) and about the natural springs in his village that many people come to for rest, rejuvenation, and healing. So now I want to go to Bavaria! Next time :) I left the bar pretty late/early and miraculously found a bus that was going where I wanted it to. So a fun night out with unexpected old friends and hopefully many new ones :)

Strandbad Muggelsee

In other words, I went to the lake today. A short S-Bahn ride from my apartment, and an even shorter tram ride from there (well, it would have been short if I hadn't gotten lost and gone the wrong, way on the tram!) brought me to the Muggelsee. It is still technically in Berlin and therefore was included in the month long train ticket that I have. Woo Hoo! It is a huge lake and on the northern end of it are a few public beaches. There is a nice family beach and about 300 meters away, a nice nude beach. Guess where I went? That's right my friends, my first real live experience with a completely nude beach! Let me tell you, you haven't lived until you've seen naked men playing volleyball! I tried to laugh only on the inside. Everyone was totally comfortable, sprawled on their chairs or blankets. Naked people eating apples, naked people reading books, naked people sitting on public park benches (this seems just a tad unsanitary to me...no?) As I imagine all nude beaches to be (except on South Beach) the majority of the people there were old men. By the looks of it, everyone at the beach was a regular, judging purely by lack of tan lines. I was a little embarrassed by mine. Nothing says nude beach virgin like a white ass! It was a very relaxing and freeing day. I even swam in the lake, which was cold, but refreshing. The lake looks brown, but when you put the water in your hands, it is crystal clear. Probably not the purest lake in Germany, but for being that near to Berlin, I think it was pretty OK. Best thing.....no tourists! Just me, and a bunch of old naked people. OK and some young cute gay men. maybe I'll go back tomorrow and see what the weekend crowd is like :)

This and That

The last few days have been particularly lazy ones for me. I think I am feeling settled and comfortable. However, that doesn't mean that I haven't been having fun ;) I wandered around last Sunday with no plan in my head. I encountered some street musicians in Prenzlauerberg who were so great! They had a bunch of different instruments and were switching off whenever they felt like it. One man was also singing. It was a kind of jazz-reggae if you can imagine that. They were playing at the foot of the Mauer Park (Wall Park) which, as it's name states, is encircled by a remaining piece of the Berlin Wall. It's incredible to me how normal life goes on around this incredibly powerful symbol. People are picnicing, swinging on the swings, making out with their partners, while behind them is this amazingly grafittied wall. Then I wandered along by the river Spree until I came to the Nikolai-Viertel, which is an area with lots of cobblestone streets, churches, shops, and tourists. However, it was quiet and beautiful and I enjoyed winding my way through it. I ended up in the Lust garden, which sounds kinky but is not. It's merely a large grassy area in front of the Berliner Dom. On that day there happened to be a live African band playing, so i crashed there for awhile. The band was great, and they played until the bells of the Dom started ringing. The bells here ring for about 20 mins around 6:30 or 7, calling us all to worship. I finished the night with a dinner of Spatzli at a place in Kreuzberg. Sehr lecker (very tasty) and cheap. I walked home along the Kanal totally satisfied with my relaxing day.
Monday night I went to a jazz club in Mitte called A-Trane. The house band plays every Monday (free entrance!) and they are great! I reserved a seat thank God because the place got packed. The trio is called Andreas Schmidt and friends (Piano, bass, drums) and they had 2 guests with them, a saxaphonist and my personal favorite, a vocalist. This vocalist did some amazing German freestyle!! I understood only a little bit, but he was a great performer, and the crowd was laughing a lot. I have a mini crush on him now.
Yesterday after class i had another marathon lunch/coffee/beer session with my new friend Elly and 2 of her friends Daniel, and Katya. They are all dancers by profession, and very nice to talk to. It makes me really want to be a dancer here!
Finally today! There was a freak hailstorm, just long enough to completely drench me as I walked to class. Luckily, a kind soul let me borrow her pants so that I didn't have to dance in wet clothes! Now it is bright and sunny, and in a few hours I will go to another jazz club for a jam session. For some reason, jazz music seems to be incredibly appropriate to how I'm feeling on this trip.

Shopping

As most of you know, I'm not really a big shopper. I don't generally enjoy it, mainly because I can never find anything that I want. Oh yeah, and because I never have any money. I've got to say though, yesterday it was my favorite thing ever!
I went shopping in Kreuzberg, which is essentially split up into two parts. One part, where I am staying, is a little grittier, tons of places to go out at night, lots of punks with tattoos, a little more non-conformist, and the shops reflect it. The other part is a bit hipper, trendier, for lack of a better word, cleaner. It's kind of like Williamsburg (New York :)) but not nearly as annoying or filled with hipsters. Or at least, Berlin hipsters don't annoy me as much as NYC ones. I had a blast shopping in both parts.
The main reason that i like shopping in these areas is the predominance of Second hand Stores!!!!! There are so many here and they are good quality (although the prices do reflect this) Also, you can get lederhosen and other traditional German costumes. Becca, I thought of you in one of the dresses I saw! The other stores were the usual mix of interesting knick knacks, music (lots of independent music stores! Not a Virgin Megastore in sight!), books, and Berlin Designers. In some of those designer stores, I wanted to buy everything! Luckily for my credit card, i did not. I had a hard time convincing myself that who you are is more important then what you have! Doesn't sound like me huh? I've got to say though, I really enjoy the European fashions more then American ones. I don't know exactly what it is, but it seems much more like me. Also, when I entered a small shop, I didn't feel like the owner was judging me. They didn't come and hover over me and ask if I needed help, they just let me browse.
I think this blog is not necessarily conveying how happy I was yesterday during my 5 hour shopping stint. The streets were so cute, everyone was sitting outside in cafes eating and drinking. It was the complete experience that I enjoyed, not just the actual shopping part. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, that I am going again today! I'm going to a different area of town called Prenzlauerberg which is also meant to have some killer second hand shops, and some typical Berlin designs. I'm trying to get a sense of what is available before I start buying too much! I went last Sunday to a great flea market in this area, and think I will go back tomorrow to get some of the things I have been thinking about all week! This concludes the awesomely superficial part of my trip! I love Chocolate Muesli!

new friends

After I took class yesterday, I was hanging out in the courtyard with a few of the dancers, just chatting. One of the girls, Ellie, and I decided to go for a coffee.....4 hours later we decided to go for dinner........4 hours later we decided it was time to go home! We talked about everything from the dance scenes in NYC and Germany, to her experience with Buddhism, to Gyrotonic, to Slovania, to Japan, to contact improv. It was exactly the kind of experience that I wanted to have while I'm here in Germany! Getting to know a complete stranger over coffee and wasting the entire day talking! Life is good!

Nightlife

It's taken me a little while, but I've finally ventured out into the Berlin nightlife scene. It was a bit overwhelming at first because there are SO MANY places to go and going out alone in a strange city is scary at first. I started easy, going out to get some food the other night in my neighborhood. Only a five minute walk from my house is a very happening street called oranienstrasse. Tons of restaurants, bars, shops, clubs, etc. I ended up at the place where the Doner Kebap was born, a restaurant called Hasir. It was very crowded and I was siting outside at a huge table by myself. Naturally, a man who was also by himself asked if he could share my table. We ended up talking for a few hours through dinner and a few beers afterwards! I have unfortunately forgotten his name, as per usual, but he was a really cool 38 year old from Frankfurt. He was in town on business and had decided to ditch his friends and come to Kreuzberg (my neighborhood) for dinner. We spoke in English which allowed us to have a significantly more intellectual conversation then if we had spoken in German. We talked about war and world politics, about travel and music. His parents are Iranian so we talked a bit about life there (even though he was born in Germany). He loves Berlin and told me a few places that I have to go to. It was so easy to talk to him! He was so friendly and interesting, quickly mentioning that he had a girlfriend, so I didn't feel as if he was hitting on me. We ended the night with a friendly hug and went our seperate ways. One interesting fact that I learned from him is that they call Frankfurt "Main Hattan" because their river there is the Main, and it is the only city in Germany that has skyscrapers...just like Manhattan , cool.
The next night I went also to a club nearby to get a ticket to see CocoRosie ( I know, they are American, but I have missed all of their shows in NYC, and thought they would be significantly weird enough to see in Berlin, I was right :)) The early show was sold out, but they had added a midnight show, so I got a ticket for that. I talked to a guy in line, a very tall, very cute guy. So then I had about 4 hours to kill before the show! My first stop was to a kiosk to buy a beer and drink it in the street. Well, I actually walked to the river Spree which was a block away and sat on a wall to drink it. My view from there was across the river to the Eastside Gallery, which is a long stretch of the Berlin Wall that remains intact. Artists and other locals have grafittied pictures and words all over the wall. Needless to say it is a pretty amazing sight. I was struck by how small the wall looked (it's only like 10 feet or so). I could clearly see the city behind the wall, and it was so hard to imagine that that concrete wall affected the lives of so many people!
When i had finished my beer, I went in search of another bar. I found a punk bar called Franken again on Oranienstrasse. Sweet! I was sitting alone for mere moments when i struck up a conversation with a guy who was buying shots next to me. I joined him and his friend at a table outside. They were two Swedish guys in their early 20's who had come to Berlin to hang for a few days. They so reminded me of Ginny and I when we were 21 and travelling through Europe together :) I realized then that I am such a different person and in such a different place then i was back then (thank god!) They were fun though and gave me the name of the club where they were going that night to see some local punk bands. I will have to check it out one night! After they left , the two girls sharing our table started talking to me. They were Germans, and were laughing a little at the 2 young Swedish boys (and probably at me too, having loud conversations in English!) They are both students, late 20's, recent implants to Berlin from Heidelberg. We had a lot of fun talking and they invited me out tomorrow night to an after work Rock club that is in an U-bahn station, cool.
My last stop that night was of course, the concert. I didn't talk to anyone there, I was just drinking in the scene. I've got to say that German concert goers seem to be much better behaved then Americans. At least in this case. CocoRosie were great, and the venue was small and intimate. I caught the night bus home, and even though it was 2am on a Monday night, the streets were still packed with people. Gotta love it!

These are a few of my favorite things!

It's a rainy Saturday here in Berlin, so I thought I would take this opportunity to share a few of my favorite Berlin things so far! In no particular order......

1. Breakfast! It's a big deal here, and not just on the weekends. Most places serve breakfast until 2 or 3 pm 7 days a week. A typical breakfast consists of fresh bread and rolls, a soft boiled egg, assorted cheeses, assorted meats, fresh fruit, and some sort of herb spread. YUM!!!!! I'm a big fan of the big ass breakfast!

2. The Kaiser-Wilhelm Gedachtniskirche. It is the remains of an old church that was bombed in 1943. It sits admist the part of Berlin that to me is most like times square (in that it is central and touristy) But the church is so beautiful, and you can see the places where the bomb did it's damage. It's an amazing monument smack in the middle of commercialism.

3.. I mentioned it before, but the Berliner Dom. It's just freaking gorgeous.

4. The Berlinische Galerie. An art museum near to my flat that houses the works of Berliners from every artistic period. You can really get a sense of the city from the works of these artists (Otto Dix, Max Lieberman, Kathe Kollwitz etc.)

5. The lack of any skyscrapers here. I just never feel like I'm in a big city here. I can always see the sky and consequently never feel claustrophobic.

6. The architecture! So many different styles, so many odd shapes and colors. I never know what to expect when I turn a corner. I even love the grafitti that is EVERYWHERE.

7. Everyone rides their bikes everywhere. I'm so jealous.

8. The fact that it's OK to drink beer here at any time of the day or night. On the subway, for breakfast, in a beer garden, wherever and whenever you want. No one gives you a sideways look.

9. There are trees and parks everywhere! People's balconies overflow with flowers, ivy covers many buildings, you are never far away from nature!

10. It's cheap here! Not 3rd world country cheap, but I'm not totally breaking the bank and still doing everything I want to do.

OK, that's enough for now. There are so many other things that I am enjoying about this city (including watching Little House on the Prarie in German) and so many other thing to explore in the coming weeks!

Alone in Berlin

So here i am, alone in Berlin. I sent my mom off this morning on a flight back to the states. I'm hoping she makes it without too much hassle because she is flying through JFK and from what I hear, you all were crazy flooded yesterday! I hope no one was too put out. Now it's serious, now I have only myself, which is a new venture for me. I freaked out only a little today when I realized that if I get into trouble, or need help, I have no one to call! I know no one in the city, and no one knows me! Crazy huh? But then I got over it and went about my day.
I took a dance class (the second one since I've been here). Class is cheap and close by. The studio is big and free from pillars(unlike NYC). Most importantly, the classes are good and the dancers are down to earth without even a hint of pretension! It is a pretty international crowd. I heard equal parts Spanish, English and German being spoken. Everyone is friendly and while the skill level is professional, no one is TOO good. Unfortunately though, there is no air conditioning in the studio. Today was blazingly sunny with temperatures in the mid 80's. The windows in the studio were merely cracked open, and as you might expect, there were pools of sweat everywhere! Now I like to be warm when I dance, just like the next person, but my god! I think I sweated out every beer I've ever drank! Good Lord!
Needless to say, I had to come home and shower after class. By that time, I was totally pooped and realized that this was the first day in 3 weeks that I was alone and had no plans. SWEET!!!!! I took my time getting ready and then headed to a nearby park in Kreuzberg....Victoria Park. There is a man made waterfall in the park which is actually pretty nice. It is so quiet there and the sound of the water is quite soothing. I found a shady spot on a grassy knoll and conked out for a few hours. I did the usual park things....read, napped, people watched. Most interesting was a man in a speedo playing a ukelele with utmost passion. Germans are so crazy.
I decided later that it was time for a beer, so I searched for a beer garden that I had heard was in the park.....Golgotha. I found it with ease and was pleasantly suprised with the atmosphere. The usual picnic tables underneath umbrellas, as well as beach chairs and porch swings. There was also a fussball table and an indoor area that housed the bar and a dance floor (?) I killed a few more hours there drinking the house brew....Berliner Pilsner ,and eating some sausage from the outdoor grill. Some more people watching ensued.
I finished the day by truly falling in love with the sunset as I stood on the U-bahn platform waiting for the train. The mellow sounds of the Shins were in my ears as I watched some swans float lazily down the Landwerk Kanal. I glanced up and admired the sunlight bouncing off of the gorgeous apartment buildings flanked by weeping willow trees. Folks, you can see the sky in Berlin and it absolutely makes all the difference. Again, I am in love :)

Der Man mit dem Stock

After a great day of seeing the sights here in Berlin....namely the Pergamon Museum, the Berliner Dom (which is as of now my favorite landmark in Berlin), and shopping at Hackescher Hoffe, my Mom and I decided to cap off the day by checking out the Berliner Gauklerfest. Gaukler means juggler in German, so you get an idea of what we were in for. It seemed that the fest only took up a small area, so we wandered in and started to look at the arts and crafts that were for sale. Little did we realize that the fest wound around in several directions and went on for quite some time! There were a few stages set up where randomly people would be playing music (smooth jazz, Brazillian music, red hot chili peppers, you know, the usual. ???) Also, there were street performers, men on stilts, jugglers(of course) and clowns of all sorts. I must say that the performers were pretty mediocre. Most of the festival consisted of places to eat and drink ranging from sausage stands and beer halls to upscale lounges with disco balls and VIP areas. I've gotta say, when German's do anything, they are freaking serious about it! People were coming in in droves, ready to party! I have a feeling that the festival lasted well into the night. The best part was that during one of the juggling acts, a man was pulled from the audience in order to "help" the jugglers. The Jugglers made him put a stick in his mouth for unknown reasons, probably explained in German. This caused my Mom to be able to use the one line that we both remember from our German learners guide........Der Man mit dem Stock! (the man with the stick). So you see my friends, you never know what stupid phrase in a foreign language you might actually need one day!!!

Hamburg

I have just spent the weekend in Hamburg with my Mom, visiting the sister of one of her co-workers. We took an ICE train (inner city express) about 1 hour and 45 mins. north west to get there. The tickets were wicked expensive (mom payed...sweet) in fact, they cost more then my flight from England! However, the train ride was smooth and comfortable. Gosh those Germans just really know how to travel! We arrived at Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (main train station) and realized that we had told Helga (our friend) the wrong time to meet us. So we had no idea what platform she was going to be on, or where we should wait, as the station is pretty big. Luckily, only 5 mins. after we arrived we practically banged right into her on a main walkway. Phew! I should preface this by saying that neither my mom or I know Helga, so it was a question as to how the weekend would go.
So Helga was ready to go, had bought us transportation passes and had a plan for the day. The trains in Hamburg run the same way as in Berlin. There is an S- bahn, an U-bahn and busses that you can use with the same ticket all day. First we headed to Helga's house to drop off our stuff. She lives in a 4 floor walkup nearby the train station. She is almost 70, can you imagine walking up all those stairs at her age? She had some apple strudel and coffee waiting for us, honoring the German tradition of Coffee and Cake in the afternoon. I've gotta say, Germans really know how to do breads and pastries! So we were refreshed, and we were off!
I should tell you about Helga! First off, she has lived in Hamburg her whole life. She grew up in the building right across from the one she lives in now! She doesn't speak that much English, but with our German, her English, and 1 English/German dictionary, we managed to communicate just fine! She is so nice, very energetic and just so positive about life! She has travelled all over and continues to do so every year. She chooses to spend her money on travellling rather then new and fancy things. Her philosopy on life is so wonderful, and you can see it in her eyes...she is so young! She was married twice, has no kids, but is not alone in the world. She told me many times that she likes not having a man now. She makes money, and she can spend that money how she chooses. She doesn't have to cook if she doesn't want to , and she can leave on vacation whenever she wants to . She has tons of friends and she is happy! So for me, being a single girl, she is inspiring!
We set out to see the sights of Hamburg. Hamburg is a port town on the Elbe river, so at first, we took a boat ride. It was a nice way to see the city, to really get a feel for it. We got off after about an hour and proceeded to walk around the city center. It had all the things you might expect a European City to have, City Hall, wide open squares paved with cobblestones filled with people sitting and drinking coffee, beer, having a snack etc. We passed some churches, shops, rivers and canals with swans. I think Helga told us that Hamburg has more bridges then Venice! It's definitely a town for those who like the water! We ended the day at a really old restaurant on the outskirts of town. Typical German fare, beer, etc. So yummy!
The other thing of note that I have to share with you is the FischMarkt! Every Sunday from 6am-10am an area along the river turns into a bustling market selling fish, bread, pastries, fruit, souveniers, clothing, you name it. The sellers are yelling and kind of putting on a show for the buyers. Everyone is jovial and loud and it is just so fun! A Hamburg specialty is Fischbrotchen. This is a very delicious roll cut open and stuffed with fish (in my case, a type of herring) and finished with onions and pickles. Washed down of course with a large beer! At 10 in the morning on a Sunday it is OK to drink here, in fact it is encouraged! We joined the masses inside a huge hall filled with picnic tables. There was a live band playing really bad renditions of Rolling Stones songs, the Beatles, etc. Everyone was having fun though, singing and rocking out! What a fun morning that was!
I think the best thing about Hamburg though was Helga. What a treat to meet such a nice woman who so graciously took 2 strangers around and filled us with information (and food). She put up with our fledgling German, and bore all of my questions on how to say things correctly. It was so great to have to speak so much in German! There were even some times where she would rattle on for a good 5 minutes and I was still following the conversation! Ha! So I had a great time and can only hope that I am half as cool as Helga when I get older!

It Begins

Ok friends and foes, I am in Berlin! I can't believe that I have been away for 2 weeks already. All thoughts of normal life in New York are out of my head. I even forgot the name of the Brooklyn Bridge today. (Obviously I remembered it at some point). Anyways, the 2 weeks in England were amazing. I was with Ginny, my most favorite person to travel randomly through countries with. We managed not to get caught in any of the flooding that was happening, but managed to see mountains, beaches, and everything in between. Suffice it to say that I was blissfully happy for 2 weeks. Details later, possibly (if I don't get lazy). So now ends my very first day in Berlin! I knew the trip got off to a good start when the cute guy I was eyeing in the East Midlands Airport sat next to me on the flight (we got to choose our own seats and he plopped himself down right next to me :) We talked the whole way. This is what I love about traveling on my own, specifically through out Europe. I just end up talking to anyone and meeting some really cool people. He was a Polish Bodyguard complete with muscles and tattoos. Yummy. So then I had to navigate trains to get me to my flat. A Man entered the train I was sitting on and asked me a question in German. I actually understood him, and helped him out! In return, he talked to me the whole trip mostly in German, with English when necessary. I wouldn't say it was the most intellectual conversation ever, but I was proud of myself for just going for it. I got lost getting off of the train, walking around a roundabout not being able to find the street I was meant to be on. Finally a sweet soul took pity on me after watching me walk around in circles for 10 minutes. Turns out I was 1 block away, and the street was not on the map that I had. Funny. After that, found the flat with no problems. My mom was waiting for me inside! The place is perfect. Clean, comfy, everything I need complete with monster sized bathtub and gorgeous balcony! I'm currently in love with the laundry detergent that my host uses. I'm contemplating bringing some back to the states. Slept like crap due to the fact that I was super excited to be here, doubled with the fact that I was sleeping on a tiny air mattress with no pillow because I have just dyed my hair pink and didn't want to dye this guy's pillowcases!
So my mom and I woke up this morning and took a long walk around Kreuzberg, which is the neighborhood we are staying in. OK, I'm in love. So many cute cafes, shops, weird architecture from every imaginable time period and style, etc. etc. Berlin really is green, huge trees everywhere and parks every few feet it seems! Punky boys riding skateboards and everyone riding bikes in the BICYCLE LANES! It's really fun to people watch and to try and understand other people's conversations. We ended the trip with a currywurst (sausage cut into bits and doused with ketchup and curry powder) which is a super popular street food here. Ordered in German of course. Bad German, but i got the point across. We met up with a friend of the guy who's house I'm staying at so he could help me set up my internet connection. He was a super sweet guy, a student from Tehran. Very cute in the European "I wear Adidas and am very sleek" kind of way. Ended the day eating at a German Restaurant on the Spree River, outside of course since it was a gorgeous day. Drank BEER. Georg Pils-Hell to be exact. The Hell part means that it is light, not dark (I think). Walked home passing various monuments, fountains, and churches. None of which are labeled, so the details of them are fuzzy. Must find out why things are not labeled here. Must have something to do with WWII. Now I am comfy cozy in my Berlin Flat. Got lots of German groceries in my fridge and German words in my head. And we're off..................

Still in the US of A!

Well OK then! My Blog is set and I am almost out of the country! Many thanks to the ones who inspired me to create this crazy blog.....first to Beth for lighting a fire under me and giving me the tools to begin. You can all either thank or blame her for what's to come :) Second, to Jenny who inspired the name of the blog. I was trying to come up with a name that described perfectly the journey I am about to embark on. After 20 mins. of staring at the screen with a blank mind, I gave up. Then Jenny suggested, in fact insisted, that I keep a beer and sausage journal, documenting the many types of beer and sausage that were about to enter into my digestive system within the next 6 weeks. All of a sudden it was clear to me. Keep it simple. Beer and Sausage it is! So you can expect many meditations on beer and sausage, as well as some deeper ruminations on life and my experiences with it as I rumble through the pastures of England and navigate the party scene of Berlin. Hopefully not too much of a snore! I also feel like having a word of the day category. Since I am not so "blog savvy" yet, I will include the word of the day within the body of this text. Today's word is HAUSFRAU . It means housewife in German, and It's one of my favorite words to say! So wish me luck as I embark on a trip that is one year in the making!