Once I got back to Berlin, I was happy to be back. Somehow even after London it seemed nicer. I can’t really explain it, perhaps after a rest I was just ready to see it differently. With two weeks left, crunch time basically began. Not only for finals but doing all those things you wanted to do but haven’t done yet. Living in London did help me to realize how impossible it is to get everything done, so I had a much more relaxed attitude about it in Berlin. I’ve seen lots of stuff, but still have left some things to do if I ever come back. Commuting everyday, going to the TU, and doing the everyday activities like grocery shopping and going to the internet café and things like that have given be a good flavour of Berlin.
But after London my adventures here were far from over. I’ve already mentioned some of the stuff I’ve done, specifically the awesome football stuff, but there’s more.
I’d like to tell you a story of the girl who forgot her wallet. I have had a monthly card for the underground system here for June. Unlike most systems, you don’t tap in/out every time you use it, it’s like a trust system, and occasionally you get checked as you’re on the train my plain clothed people. You may recall my mishap in Munich when I tried to cheat the system. Well, anyway, I wasn’t trying to do that this time. I had a final Wednesday morning, my mind was elsewhere, wasn’t planning on buying anything and I just forgot my wallet. I didn’t realize this until I had gotten to the TU, and there is no getting back from the TU without money or using the S-Bahn. I mentioned this in class, and no one volunteered a few cents for a ticket, even when the teacher said she would give me money, she didn’t, so I had to risk it. To get home, I take the S-Bahn about 7 stops, then the U-Bahn 2. I got through the S-Bahn nerve-wrackingly, being extremely vigilant the whole time, then switched to the U-Bahn and took a breather. Well, I should not have let me paranoia slide. I was suspicious of these people who came on on the last stop, but didn’t get worked up enough to get off the train in time. Well, I got checked. Never happened before. Never. And of course, the one time. Soooooo annoying. But the guy was nice about it and just told me I had to take my monthly card down to this place within a week to avoid the fine. I did that today, and it wasn’t too bad at all. Although, obviously I would have preferred not to do it. Unbelievable and totally just my luck.
Steve was here last weekend (for the last time… ) and we weren’t as efficient as we were the first time he visited but we did see some important stuff.
Most importantly, we went on the school sponsored tour of Sachsenhausen, the nearest concentration camp. The tour was excellent and the place was impressive (in the aweful kind of way) and we learned a lot. Honestly, I think you only need to go to one concentration camp in your life to really get the picture. And after going and seeing so many Nazi/World War 2 things in Germany, you really get inundated with awful stories and start to grow immune. I think it was good to go though and see it. It was sobering to say the least.
We also went to the East Side Gallery which is the longest stretch of preserved wall in Berlin. It was painted after the wall was opened by a bunch of Eastern Artists, but 18 years later is just that normal hodgepodge of touristy graffiti. But it was still interesting to see and there were some cool things. I won’t be able to put pictures up until my internet works, so stay tuned.
I showed Steve the Hotel Adlon (Michael Jackson hotel), the Brandenburg Gate, and the Reichstag. On the walk up Unter Den Linden, we saw the Memorial to all the victims of war, which was sort of meh, and the memorial of the Nazi Book Burning in 1933 (perhaps a little too modern art for me) and then we peeked around the Berliner Dom. I made sure we got in all the important stuff.
We also went to this really nice Indian restaurant down the street that I had just gone to with Julie and Corina. It’s probably my favourite restaurant in Europe. Which is weird, because it’s Indian (Asian fusion) but it is sooo good. Although, when I went with two girls we got free Naan bread. I did not get free bread with Steve there, not surprisingly. But he paid so it evened out :-P
Being with Steve was of course really nice and we made sure to utilize our last days together and not be lame and sad, so that was good. Won’t say too much more on the subject.
I’m not entirely sure what it is, I think just being constantly on the go for 6 months, but I am so tired. My only break was the two weeks at home which was consumed by pain of wisdom teeth removal. I am just so tired and need a break so badly. School is over now thankfully, and finals went OK, not as well as midterms but OK. Thank goodness it’s over because my motivation is just completely shot. Completely. I am so tired and drained and all-around knackered. It was so hard for me to get motivated to write the cover letter for my Fall internship and I’m sure it’s crap. I still have a ton of packing and cleaning to do, and just need to give myself one final push to get it done.
On that note, I’m tired of writing… I’ve been doing it all afternoon. I will write more when internet works again here. As that’s not likely, I will obviously make sure to post when I get home with the sum up.
One last Tschüss!
-Kate
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