Yes, I landed in Berlin. Now the summer could begin. And indeed an incredible heat welcomed me.
I first crashed at my aunt's place, and I actually mean crash with my 40 kg of luggage (don't judge, I'm a girl!). It was now time to find a flat... in Berlin, people don't look for a flatmate, no, they look for a friend. I didn't quite grasp that concept when I visited the first flat. Indeed, I found ten people crowding around me asking me not only about my studies, my hobbies, my kind of music or my origins, but also about the situation in the Middle East and its future outcomes. I was slightly taken aback. Obviously this one hadn't gone that well... It took a few attempts until I found a nice flat, with a guy from Chile in the East of Berlin. It might be far from my work place, but the flat, my flatmate and his frequent guests are awesome. So I don't mind the many hours I spend on the S-and U-bahn.
My variable working shifts allow me to do quite a bit of sight-seeing as well as to have good nights out. And I haven't found a more amazing sensation than coming out of a club in daylight. Maybe for most of you this is not such uncommon a thing, but for us, doomed to party life in the UK, this was an extraordinary feeling. In Berlin every night is special and unique in its genre: be it a Russian Disco, Latino moves in La Havanna, a Balkan Party or some mainstream in an old factory building, you know you can have fun anywhere. I have as yet avoided the ultimate tourist experience, called The Weekend, situated on a high building, showing off a terrace with view on the famous TV Tower... the shameless price, the electro music and the fairly arrogant party-goers have kept me away from that place and hopefully will do so in the future.
In my weeks here, I have realised one thing about Berlin. It's all about making new from old, about recycling... and I don't mean the nearly maniac German habit of sorting the rubbish. So many places here have served as other things before. Let me quote some examples. The Kulturbrauerei used to be a huge brewery, now there are loads of bars, a few clubs and all sorts of things in there. Tempelhof used to be an airport, it now is an enormous park. Old factory buildings are frequently used as clubs, such as Postbahnhof and other places around Warschauer Straße. The old Mail Building has become a museum for contemporary art. Berlin's most famous squat Tacheles used to be part of a huge Shopping Mall. I am discovering more and more examples every day. I love this feeling that something has had a different function before, it gives places and buildings a soul...
...
These were my first impressions of Berlin, but as you know: I have miles to go before I sleep...
More on Berlin: Take 2 and Take 3.
I first crashed at my aunt's place, and I actually mean crash with my 40 kg of luggage (don't judge, I'm a girl!). It was now time to find a flat... in Berlin, people don't look for a flatmate, no, they look for a friend. I didn't quite grasp that concept when I visited the first flat. Indeed, I found ten people crowding around me asking me not only about my studies, my hobbies, my kind of music or my origins, but also about the situation in the Middle East and its future outcomes. I was slightly taken aback. Obviously this one hadn't gone that well... It took a few attempts until I found a nice flat, with a guy from Chile in the East of Berlin. It might be far from my work place, but the flat, my flatmate and his frequent guests are awesome. So I don't mind the many hours I spend on the S-and U-bahn.
My variable working shifts allow me to do quite a bit of sight-seeing as well as to have good nights out. And I haven't found a more amazing sensation than coming out of a club in daylight. Maybe for most of you this is not such uncommon a thing, but for us, doomed to party life in the UK, this was an extraordinary feeling. In Berlin every night is special and unique in its genre: be it a Russian Disco, Latino moves in La Havanna, a Balkan Party or some mainstream in an old factory building, you know you can have fun anywhere. I have as yet avoided the ultimate tourist experience, called The Weekend, situated on a high building, showing off a terrace with view on the famous TV Tower... the shameless price, the electro music and the fairly arrogant party-goers have kept me away from that place and hopefully will do so in the future.
In my weeks here, I have realised one thing about Berlin. It's all about making new from old, about recycling... and I don't mean the nearly maniac German habit of sorting the rubbish. So many places here have served as other things before. Let me quote some examples. The Kulturbrauerei used to be a huge brewery, now there are loads of bars, a few clubs and all sorts of things in there. Tempelhof used to be an airport, it now is an enormous park. Old factory buildings are frequently used as clubs, such as Postbahnhof and other places around Warschauer Straße. The old Mail Building has become a museum for contemporary art. Berlin's most famous squat Tacheles used to be part of a huge Shopping Mall. I am discovering more and more examples every day. I love this feeling that something has had a different function before, it gives places and buildings a soul...
...
These were my first impressions of Berlin, but as you know: I have miles to go before I sleep...
More on Berlin: Take 2 and Take 3.
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