Friday started out as most Friday's do. I was dragging from the week but glad to have made it through my first week of lessons. As far as work goes, Friday's will be easy days. I only teach one class for a double period (80 minutes) and so I have enough free time to work in the library and get what I can done. So the school day passed pretty uneventfully. I had a chance to talk with a few more students and get a better feel of the school, but that's about it.
So after I got out of school I headed home to change and then go to the mall. I had a skype call with mom planned and went to Starbucks to make it. We ended up talking for an hour, and while I had planned to go shopping for a few work skirts I ended up just using the internet and relaxing. After a little while Chelsea joined me and we headed to dinner.
Though before going to dinner I did need to buy a new sim card for my German cell phone... Turns out when you turn off your phone and then switch it back on, you need to enter in a pin... Ok no problem, unless you can't remember your pin and you enter it in wrong three times... It then locks you out. Making a log store short, the provider store couldn't help me (since my phone is prepaid) and the customer service hotline only responds in German.... Oh and when the person at the store agreed to help, I didn't have the address I used for my phone... It ended up being easier to just buy a new sim card (it was only 10 Euros, and came with 5 Euros of credit).... Well valuable lesson learned, don't turn off your German cell phone if you can help it!
Anyways, we found a Vietnamese restaurant called Friends & Friends... I'm not sure why it's called that, but it's pretty common to find random English words used as names for places. Anyways, the food was awesome and the prices were pretty good. I got to enjoy a wonderful bowl of soup (it was like Pho and Wanton combined) and it was so filling and good. I also had some spring roles filled with shrimp! Oh and I decided to be adventurous and tried a glass of sherry, not sure I'll do that one again.
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| Dinner! It was so good! I'm willing to go back there without a doubt. |
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| Chandelier made out of wine glasses! |
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| The menu at Friends & Friends |
I'm realizing how often travel involves eating... You really find yourself eating your way through Berlin (or enter any city you are visiting). It's funny, though I do actively seek out food I'd recognize I'm getting a little more adventurous each day. I mean, I will always be a picky eater, but so far this trip I tried Currywurst, Chicken Curry (which I have never wanted to try before) and I have tried eating at a chain that seems to be popular here (Nordsee). I'm doing my best to try new things that are still with in my area of normal. I'll let you know if I become braver as I travel more.
Anyways, Friday ended up being pretty simple and after dinner and visiting for a while, I made my way home and fell asleep faster than I expected to. It was a good day.
So today (Saturday) was a bit more of an adventure. We had intended to go off to one of the small towns that are a train ride away, but because we waited so long tickets were too expensive (instead we are going next weekend). So, instead we decided to explore an area in the opposite direction from where I normally wander. It's called Spandau, and it is west on the train from the apartment I'm in (instead of the normal East I travel in).
Since I have been on a hunt for twizzlers (that I know I probably won't ever find), and I asked if any of the staff knew an area I could look. Someone had recommended the shopping are in Spandau. So Chelsea and I met up at Starbucks and headed up to the shopping area.
It's funny because you forget that Berlin is a very large city, but the idea of city is different than it is at home. I have said it before, that this area is spread out, and has little buildings that are tall. This area of the city felt more historic than I was expecting (not counting the mall we found). The buildings were beautifully detailed, and its just a different world. Wandering in that area was the strange mix of modern and old. There was even a farmers market going on, that gave it still an order feel.
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| In the middle of a city you find beautiful buildings like this. By the time summer hits the green will cover the whole building face. |
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| Streets like this are everywhere. It feels at times like you are traveling back in time. |
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| You find statures everywhere, so Woody enjoys posing by them! |
Now, the most exciting part of my day was the discover in the mall of a store called Real. It is the first superstore I have ever seen here!!! Finally, one stop shopping is actually possible in Berlin. It was a bit like Walmart, but a little nicer quality. You know, its funny because you never realize how at home certain types of stores make you feel until you are in one. It felt like being home for just a little bit, if you could ignore those around you speaking in a language you don't know. I didn't buy anything while there, but now I know where it is and if I need anything I know where I'll be shopping.
Oh and once again while in a store I came across an "American Ethnic" food section... It just cracks me up to see how other countries view us... I giggled for awhile looking at the overly processed junk food. Marshmellows always make me laugh as they are always included in these sections.
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| American food section, in all its glory! |
Anyways, after wandering in the only super store I know of, Chelsea and I decided to go into H&M. I keep hoping I'll find some skirts, but I wasn't lucky. Instead I bought a few tank tops to replace my very tattered ones and a light weight hoodie to wear as it get's warmer, but a jacket is still needed for when it's cooler.
Well so the adventures weren't super interesting, they involved shopping and exploring, but each day I learn a little bit more about this city. I am learning to enjoy my time here, while also learning to appreciate everything I have back home (like super stores, Olive Garden, oh and Twizzlers). I miss everyone so much, but I am thankful for my chance to explore the world a little more each day.
I will end with two words of the day... Wo ist die Toilette? (vo ist dee toy-LET-uh), a pretty simple phrase meaning "where is the bathroom?" Though here the just say toilet... It's a bit strange. The second phrase is... Das verstehe ich nicht. It means " I don't understand." Well all, I'm signing off for the time being. I will keep you posted on my next day, that it mainly involves lesson planning! Good night!
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