July 26th 2012
How cool is this building? It is filled with offices, apartments, and a giant fish tank!
The elevator even goes through the tank. It is called the AquaDom.
The video gives a better commentary then I ever could, so enjoy the video, and make sure to have your sound on! The ride is really quick (like most elevators, I suppose), but it was so cool to watch all the fish go by.
If I had enough money I would totally have a fish elevator in my building. Maybe with sharks in it...
The elevator even goes through the tank. It is called the AquaDom.
The video gives a better commentary then I ever could, so enjoy the video, and make sure to have your sound on! The ride is really quick (like most elevators, I suppose), but it was so cool to watch all the fish go by.
If I had enough money I would totally have a fish elevator in my building. Maybe with sharks in it...
July 25th 2012
Look! It's Poland!
I went on a little train adventure to find cute German towns and ended up really close to the Polish border. When I saw a walking bridge connecting the two countries I knew that I had to cross!
There were police officers on both sides, but they were just watching people coming and going. This tiny taste of Poland was nothing overly special, just a few bright buildings and some pretty doors (my long time readers may have noticed that I really love a good door photo).
I will definitely have to take a real trip to Poland at some point to see what else the country has to offer!
I went on a little train adventure to find cute German towns and ended up really close to the Polish border. When I saw a walking bridge connecting the two countries I knew that I had to cross!
There were police officers on both sides, but they were just watching people coming and going. This tiny taste of Poland was nothing overly special, just a few bright buildings and some pretty doors (my long time readers may have noticed that I really love a good door photo).
I will definitely have to take a real trip to Poland at some point to see what else the country has to offer!
July 24th 2012
I am going to give everyone fair warning; the site will be changing format. No need to panic; this version will always be available at www.globaljaunt.weebly.com , however all new content will be on the new site. Nothing will change for you, lovely readers, if you keep coming to www.globaljaunt.com you will continue to stay up to date with my travels.
The new format will focus on articles based on my best experiences, rather than daily dated posts. Why? As the site gets more and more popular I need to make the best decisions for the site. I truly believe that presenting you only with my top experiences will be best for everyone involved. Plus, there will be new commenting and 'liking' sections, which you can use in the place of sending me daily e-mails.
Stick with me readers, I appreciate you guys coming along for the ride! Lets keep living the dream!
The new format will focus on articles based on my best experiences, rather than daily dated posts. Why? As the site gets more and more popular I need to make the best decisions for the site. I truly believe that presenting you only with my top experiences will be best for everyone involved. Plus, there will be new commenting and 'liking' sections, which you can use in the place of sending me daily e-mails.
Stick with me readers, I appreciate you guys coming along for the ride! Lets keep living the dream!
July 23rd 2012
I've shown you the famous Berlin doner, now it's time to see the currywurst!
This special Berlin sausage (okay, it is also popular in Hamburg) is boiled pork, which is then fried. It makes for a weird consistency because the outside is crunchy, but the middle is so soft. I really don't know how I feel about the famous food stand meal. Aside from the strange feeling, it also is covered in a ketchup-like sauce, which is quite strong tasting. The curry powder on top comes in various strengths, but I went with the mildest version (I am a wuss!).
The meat comes with a side of fries, which also brings up a point of note. I've only had fries a few times in Germany, but they always come with mayo on them, rather than ketchup. I find this super strange, and kind of gross, because often the mayo is drenching the fries, so you really get a mouthful when you eat it.
If you go to Berlin, give the currywurst a try! Then, let me know what you thought!
This special Berlin sausage (okay, it is also popular in Hamburg) is boiled pork, which is then fried. It makes for a weird consistency because the outside is crunchy, but the middle is so soft. I really don't know how I feel about the famous food stand meal. Aside from the strange feeling, it also is covered in a ketchup-like sauce, which is quite strong tasting. The curry powder on top comes in various strengths, but I went with the mildest version (I am a wuss!).
The meat comes with a side of fries, which also brings up a point of note. I've only had fries a few times in Germany, but they always come with mayo on them, rather than ketchup. I find this super strange, and kind of gross, because often the mayo is drenching the fries, so you really get a mouthful when you eat it.
If you go to Berlin, give the currywurst a try! Then, let me know what you thought!
July 22nd 2012
Spinning wool
I've wanted to take a trip to Baden-Baden for several weeks now. However, the timing of the trains means that I would have to leave home at around 4:00am and arrive back home at around 1am. Seeing how the trip from my apartment to the station requires a twenty minute walk and transfers at two unpatrolled metro stations, it just didn't seem smart to do that alone, in the middle of the night. Therefore, I decided to have a different kind of adventure!
At 9am I headed to the train station. Without a plan in mind, I chose the next train that pulled into the station. It happened to be going to Cottbus. The ride took less than an hour, but it wasn't over once I got to Cottbus. As soon as I got off the train I saw the next train to arrive was in less than a minute to a place called Gorlitz. The name reminded me of a combination of 'gold' and 'glitzy', so I decided to take one more chance and hop that train.
The chance definitely paid off! Gorlitz is a really cute, old looking town, with lots of charm. I was lucky enough to visit during their annual festival, so got to tour a pottery market and watch locals demonstrate their traditional way of life. I even had a regional dish for lunch, which consisted of beef and potatoes in a horseradish sauce. It certainly tasted traditional, although I don't know if I would order it again!
Enjoy the photos! Hopefully you find the town as beautiful as I did!
At 9am I headed to the train station. Without a plan in mind, I chose the next train that pulled into the station. It happened to be going to Cottbus. The ride took less than an hour, but it wasn't over once I got to Cottbus. As soon as I got off the train I saw the next train to arrive was in less than a minute to a place called Gorlitz. The name reminded me of a combination of 'gold' and 'glitzy', so I decided to take one more chance and hop that train.
The chance definitely paid off! Gorlitz is a really cute, old looking town, with lots of charm. I was lucky enough to visit during their annual festival, so got to tour a pottery market and watch locals demonstrate their traditional way of life. I even had a regional dish for lunch, which consisted of beef and potatoes in a horseradish sauce. It certainly tasted traditional, although I don't know if I would order it again!
Enjoy the photos! Hopefully you find the town as beautiful as I did!
July 21st 2012
I went base jumping today! How cool is that?
A few of my friends went base jumping about a month ago, but I was already planning on going to Prague that weekend. Although Prague was awesome, I was quite jealous of their experience. Thanks to an amazing friend, I got to take my turn today!
It was petrifying. It was exciting. It was one of the coolest things that I have ever done! My biggest fear is falling from heights, so this was a real accomplishment for me. The scariest moment was the few seconds before I fell. Thankfully, you are automatically dropped; I am not sure that I could have made myself jump. There are a few seconds of free-fall speed, which are also quite petrifying!
Watch the video and take a look at the pictures to get more of an idea of what it was like!
A few of my friends went base jumping about a month ago, but I was already planning on going to Prague that weekend. Although Prague was awesome, I was quite jealous of their experience. Thanks to an amazing friend, I got to take my turn today!
It was petrifying. It was exciting. It was one of the coolest things that I have ever done! My biggest fear is falling from heights, so this was a real accomplishment for me. The scariest moment was the few seconds before I fell. Thankfully, you are automatically dropped; I am not sure that I could have made myself jump. There are a few seconds of free-fall speed, which are also quite petrifying!
Watch the video and take a look at the pictures to get more of an idea of what it was like!
July 20th 2012
I love aquariums! I try to go to them whenever possible on my travels.
Berlin is home to the well-known SeaLife exhibit. The lines have always been extremely long when I have walked by in the past, so when I received a VIP skip the line pass this week, I jumped at the chance. Boy am I ever glad that I did! Although it is not the best that I have ever been to, it is certain in the top 5. The exhibits are well lit, well labeled, and well cared for. It turns out the long line is due to the fact that they monitor how many people are in the exhibit at a time. This is really nice, as it stops any of the areas from being too claustrophobic.
I really enjoyed this aquarium, it is definitely worth the line if you are ever in Berlin!
Berlin is home to the well-known SeaLife exhibit. The lines have always been extremely long when I have walked by in the past, so when I received a VIP skip the line pass this week, I jumped at the chance. Boy am I ever glad that I did! Although it is not the best that I have ever been to, it is certain in the top 5. The exhibits are well lit, well labeled, and well cared for. It turns out the long line is due to the fact that they monitor how many people are in the exhibit at a time. This is really nice, as it stops any of the areas from being too claustrophobic.
I really enjoyed this aquarium, it is definitely worth the line if you are ever in Berlin!
July 19th 2012
Even in the exciting life of travel, there are days where you just cannot make yourself get out of bed. Today was one of those days.
I had a bad headache, so I spent the day in bed. I spent most of the day sleeping, which thankfully helped to eliminate my headache. The new episodes of Big Brother likely helped as well...
My roommate brought home ice cream (it turns out that her day wasn't too great either), which was the perfect way to end a bad day.
Time to go to sleep, so that tomorrow, I can go back to living the dream!
I had a bad headache, so I spent the day in bed. I spent most of the day sleeping, which thankfully helped to eliminate my headache. The new episodes of Big Brother likely helped as well...
My roommate brought home ice cream (it turns out that her day wasn't too great either), which was the perfect way to end a bad day.
Time to go to sleep, so that tomorrow, I can go back to living the dream!
July 18th 2012
I've been using my German rail pass for around a month now, so it is the perfect time to review it.
For around $200 non European citizens (sorry EU people!) can get a pass that is valid for 5 days of travel (choose any 5 days in a 30 day period) anywhere in Germany. The trip I am planning on taking this weekend would have cost over $300 round trip and counts as 2 travel days. Therefore, there is no question that the pass is a great value.
However, it is a real hassle to book some of the tickets. For example, the train I am planning on taking on Friday requires advanced seat reservation. Therefore, I have to go to the train station in advance, pay 4 Euro to book a seat, and then come back on another day to catch the train. You can also reserve online, but the 'English option' has an extremely long wait time, charges you to call, and in my case resulted in no reservation, as the person answering the line did not speak English. The customer service was equally as bad when I tried to buy the actual pass. The website says the pass will arrive at your German address within 2 days of purchase, but I got an e-mail 2 days after booking saying it had not even been shipped yet. Considering it is a small piece of paper, this seemed a bit silly. Therefore, I was forced to buy the pass at the station, where I waited in line for about an hour before finally being served by a rude woman.
The verdict? The tickets can be a bit of a hassle, but if you plan on traveling to any cities in the South or far West of Germany, then it is a stellar deal! Just don't expect good customer service.
For around $200 non European citizens (sorry EU people!) can get a pass that is valid for 5 days of travel (choose any 5 days in a 30 day period) anywhere in Germany. The trip I am planning on taking this weekend would have cost over $300 round trip and counts as 2 travel days. Therefore, there is no question that the pass is a great value.
However, it is a real hassle to book some of the tickets. For example, the train I am planning on taking on Friday requires advanced seat reservation. Therefore, I have to go to the train station in advance, pay 4 Euro to book a seat, and then come back on another day to catch the train. You can also reserve online, but the 'English option' has an extremely long wait time, charges you to call, and in my case resulted in no reservation, as the person answering the line did not speak English. The customer service was equally as bad when I tried to buy the actual pass. The website says the pass will arrive at your German address within 2 days of purchase, but I got an e-mail 2 days after booking saying it had not even been shipped yet. Considering it is a small piece of paper, this seemed a bit silly. Therefore, I was forced to buy the pass at the station, where I waited in line for about an hour before finally being served by a rude woman.
The verdict? The tickets can be a bit of a hassle, but if you plan on traveling to any cities in the South or far West of Germany, then it is a stellar deal! Just don't expect good customer service.
July 17th 2012
Berlin is a strange place. It is a thriving metropolitan for start-up businesses and artists, but there is no real industry outside of that. The default style is shabby chic, for everything from clothing to buildings. There are hints of New York, Hong Kong, and a little Silicon Valley, but Berlin certainly isn't 'German'. These are some of my favorite observations about this unique city:
You know you are in Berlin when...
-You get more stares for wearing a girly dress than the girl with the pink Mohawk does
-You see more men in skinny jeans than women in skirts
-You hear 5 different languages in a restaurant, none of which are German
-There are more people drinking beer on the subway than in a bar
-You get yelled at for crossing the street on a red
-When the subways comes, you have to be prepared to push back or end up on the floor
You know you are in Berlin when...
-You get more stares for wearing a girly dress than the girl with the pink Mohawk does
-You see more men in skinny jeans than women in skirts
-You hear 5 different languages in a restaurant, none of which are German
-There are more people drinking beer on the subway than in a bar
-You get yelled at for crossing the street on a red
-When the subways comes, you have to be prepared to push back or end up on the floor
July 16th 2012
There are certain questions that I get asked again and again.
-"Is Sudan safe?"
-"Was there food in Ethiopia?"
-"How can you enjoy the food while traveling and not become obese."
Today, I will be addressing the last point. While I am certainly no expert, I have found a trick or two that helps to stave off a few of the extra pounds. While a 10km run may be efficient, it is unlikely to mesh well with your sightseeing itinerary. I suggest doing a 20 minute work out every morning in your hotel room. While it may not earn you a bikini body, it will help keep you limber, fit, and healthy during your trip. My favorite in room routine is written on the left. It takes about 7 minutes per round, so depending how much time you have, you can do multiple rounds.
When it comes down to it, you need to decide whether or not bringing a few extra pounds home with you is worth the opportunity to try all the unique and special foods abroad.
Tzatziki anyone?
-"Is Sudan safe?"
-"Was there food in Ethiopia?"
-"How can you enjoy the food while traveling and not become obese."
Today, I will be addressing the last point. While I am certainly no expert, I have found a trick or two that helps to stave off a few of the extra pounds. While a 10km run may be efficient, it is unlikely to mesh well with your sightseeing itinerary. I suggest doing a 20 minute work out every morning in your hotel room. While it may not earn you a bikini body, it will help keep you limber, fit, and healthy during your trip. My favorite in room routine is written on the left. It takes about 7 minutes per round, so depending how much time you have, you can do multiple rounds.
When it comes down to it, you need to decide whether or not bringing a few extra pounds home with you is worth the opportunity to try all the unique and special foods abroad.
Tzatziki anyone?
July 15th 2012
It's moving day!
My new neighbourhood is awesome! It has a totally different feel, albeit grungier, vibe than my old area. I spent the evening with my friend Antje exploring my new neighbourhood. We started in Görlitzer park, where hundreds of other people were sitting around enjoying the sun. After walking through the park, we had a drink at Club der Visionäre. We sat by the water enjoying the view. However, a boat soon arrived at the dock and we were forced to move away from the water. But, the fun wasn't over, since we were invited aboard the boat. It was a great way to end the night, especially because of the gorgeous views!
My new neighbourhood is awesome! It has a totally different feel, albeit grungier, vibe than my old area. I spent the evening with my friend Antje exploring my new neighbourhood. We started in Görlitzer park, where hundreds of other people were sitting around enjoying the sun. After walking through the park, we had a drink at Club der Visionäre. We sat by the water enjoying the view. However, a boat soon arrived at the dock and we were forced to move away from the water. But, the fun wasn't over, since we were invited aboard the boat. It was a great way to end the night, especially because of the gorgeous views!
July 14th 2012
Does this modern building fit into the architectural of Berlin?
Nope! But it was constructed to symbolize something special. This modern building is called the Humboldt Box. It is a temporary landmark, which is meant to serve as an education centre for the Berlin City Palace. The Palace was destroyed by the communist East German government, but now is being rebuilt. The government has contributed 440 million euro to the project, but the tab has risen much higher. To supplement the project, the Humboldt box was created. This box marks the future position of the Palace, but also educates visitors about the project. The hope is that enough visitors will donate to the project in order to complete the project.
The project is set to be finished in 2016, but is extremely conversational. I cannot wait to see what it looks like when it is finally completed.
Nope! But it was constructed to symbolize something special. This modern building is called the Humboldt Box. It is a temporary landmark, which is meant to serve as an education centre for the Berlin City Palace. The Palace was destroyed by the communist East German government, but now is being rebuilt. The government has contributed 440 million euro to the project, but the tab has risen much higher. To supplement the project, the Humboldt box was created. This box marks the future position of the Palace, but also educates visitors about the project. The hope is that enough visitors will donate to the project in order to complete the project.
The project is set to be finished in 2016, but is extremely conversational. I cannot wait to see what it looks like when it is finally completed.
July 13th 2012
The photo on the left has it right- German summer is nothing but rain!
Although it doesn't rain all day, it does rain every day. It really is a bit of a bummer, because it can put a damper on plans. Every Friday we celebrate the start of the weekend with pizza and beer. We were hoping to have a BBQ today, but the mid-afternoon rainstorm put an end to that plan. I must say, weather-wise, I may have been better off going to Spain!
I am moving to a new apartment on Sunday, so I spent the evening packing up my stuff. The flights that I have booked from this point onwards only allow one checked baggage, but I brought two to Germany. So, I had to do some serious down sizing. Getting rid of about a third of my clothes was a hard choice, but it will be cheaper and more fun to buy more clothes when I get back to Canada!
Although it doesn't rain all day, it does rain every day. It really is a bit of a bummer, because it can put a damper on plans. Every Friday we celebrate the start of the weekend with pizza and beer. We were hoping to have a BBQ today, but the mid-afternoon rainstorm put an end to that plan. I must say, weather-wise, I may have been better off going to Spain!
I am moving to a new apartment on Sunday, so I spent the evening packing up my stuff. The flights that I have booked from this point onwards only allow one checked baggage, but I brought two to Germany. So, I had to do some serious down sizing. Getting rid of about a third of my clothes was a hard choice, but it will be cheaper and more fun to buy more clothes when I get back to Canada!
July 12th 2012
Although the German food scene in Berlin is a bit sparse, the fast food is plentiful!
A prime example is the photo on the left. This is a donair in a box. This box is literally full of garlic sauce, french fries, and donair meat. I can only imagine how bad it is for you, but I do know how delicious it is! The donair meat is supposedly made of lamb, but I have my doubts. It doesn't look like any lamb I've seen! However, it sure is delicious!
Another great Berliner snack food is an Asia box (the Berliners sure do like their food in a box!). It is a box full of noodles, sprouts, and some chicken. It is really good, and so fast!
No matter the choice, everything is so cheap! Either option costs 3 euro max, which is a great deal! It is going to be hard to go back to subway and McDonalds after experiencing all the delicious take-out options that Berlin has to offer!
A prime example is the photo on the left. This is a donair in a box. This box is literally full of garlic sauce, french fries, and donair meat. I can only imagine how bad it is for you, but I do know how delicious it is! The donair meat is supposedly made of lamb, but I have my doubts. It doesn't look like any lamb I've seen! However, it sure is delicious!
Another great Berliner snack food is an Asia box (the Berliners sure do like their food in a box!). It is a box full of noodles, sprouts, and some chicken. It is really good, and so fast!
No matter the choice, everything is so cheap! Either option costs 3 euro max, which is a great deal! It is going to be hard to go back to subway and McDonalds after experiencing all the delicious take-out options that Berlin has to offer!
July 11th 2012
I booked my plane tickets to London today!
I haven't planned anything for my visit yet, with one exception; I am going to go see the Olympics! By some stroke of amazing luck I got a ticket to see the rhythmic gymnastics event on August 9th. I am extremely excited, and not only because it is another thing off my bucket list!
Have you been to London? I have around two weeks in England, so I would love to hear your suggestions on the best things to do and see!
I haven't planned anything for my visit yet, with one exception; I am going to go see the Olympics! By some stroke of amazing luck I got a ticket to see the rhythmic gymnastics event on August 9th. I am extremely excited, and not only because it is another thing off my bucket list!
Have you been to London? I have around two weeks in England, so I would love to hear your suggestions on the best things to do and see!
July 10th 2012
I love a good art project!
This project has been going on for quite a while in East Berlin. It is in a poor housing area, and is meant to help boost moral in the area. There are a lot of immigrants in the area, who have satellite dishes so they can watch their favourite programs from back home. A local artist created a project that encourages the residents to decorate the satellite dishes. While the project's original design was for participants to decorate the dishes in a way that celebrated where their owner is from. Of course, many people took the project into their own hands and did something unique with it.
Want to participate in your own art project? Some friends are working on something special involving postcards. Check it out: http://mayoli.weebly.com/
This project has been going on for quite a while in East Berlin. It is in a poor housing area, and is meant to help boost moral in the area. There are a lot of immigrants in the area, who have satellite dishes so they can watch their favourite programs from back home. A local artist created a project that encourages the residents to decorate the satellite dishes. While the project's original design was for participants to decorate the dishes in a way that celebrated where their owner is from. Of course, many people took the project into their own hands and did something unique with it.
Want to participate in your own art project? Some friends are working on something special involving postcards. Check it out: http://mayoli.weebly.com/
July 9th 2012
As many of you know, since November 2011, I have been planning to go to Central Asia this fall. However, sometimes plans change, and this is one of these times.
I have discovered that it is really difficult to get a visa for many countries when you are a nationality other than the location where you are. In short form, Canadians in Germany cannot got visas without spending a lot of additional money, all with no guarantee of it working out. It got to the point where it really seemed that someone was trying to tell me that it wasn't the right time for me to go to Central Asia.
That being said, I am going to the United Kingdom, Iceland, Nepal, and India in the coming months, so things wont be boring! I think the quote to the left really sums up the experience perfectly; sometimes the thing we are really pushing for just isn't right- but if we give it a chance than something better can come along!
I have discovered that it is really difficult to get a visa for many countries when you are a nationality other than the location where you are. In short form, Canadians in Germany cannot got visas without spending a lot of additional money, all with no guarantee of it working out. It got to the point where it really seemed that someone was trying to tell me that it wasn't the right time for me to go to Central Asia.
That being said, I am going to the United Kingdom, Iceland, Nepal, and India in the coming months, so things wont be boring! I think the quote to the left really sums up the experience perfectly; sometimes the thing we are really pushing for just isn't right- but if we give it a chance than something better can come along!
July 8th 2012
I had not originally planned to go to Dresden, however, earlier this week someone I met on a tour spoke very passionately about it. He said that he greatly preferred it to both Berlin and Hamburg. I loved Hamburg, so I thought I should give Dresden a try if he liked it that much more!
Am I ever glad that I did! I went to a friend's birthday party last night and only got 2 hours of sleep before I needed to leave home to catch the train to Dresden. I might as well of stayed up all night! the early morning train was surprisingly full, even more so because the drive between Berlin and Dresden would have been faster than on this train. The transit network in Germany is so vast and uses so many different styles of trains that you never know what you are going to get! So far my preference is the ICE trains, which move so quickly it is hard to look out the windows.
Anyways, back to Dresden! I liked the city a lot! I found it to be the perfect compromise between Berlin (which was destroyed and rebuilt in a modern way) and Prague (which has barely been damaged and looks like a fairy tale). Dresden was very badly damaged, but the reconstructions are historically accurate. Even the new buildings suit the style if the older buildings around them. Ironically, it is also geographically situated between the two cities as well.
I decided to do a Segway tour in order to maximize my time in the city. This is the second Segway tour I have done, and it was just as good as the first. Before trying a Segway I laughed at how dorky they looked, but I adore using them now! The amount of ground that you can cover in a small amount of time is amazing. It is like taking a driving tour, but you can stop anywhere, anytime to take lots of photos.
Some of the top sites included the opera house, city hall, Our Fair Lady Church, and my favorite, what looks like a mosque, but was actually a cigarette factory! One of my favorite things about Dresden is how artsy it is. Everywhere I went there was a gallery, exhibit, or exhibition of some kind. Porcelain, gold, limestone buildings, opera and paintings are just the tip of the culture iceberg!
It was a very quick visit to Dresden, but I would happily come back again! If you want to read more or see more pictures click here!
Am I ever glad that I did! I went to a friend's birthday party last night and only got 2 hours of sleep before I needed to leave home to catch the train to Dresden. I might as well of stayed up all night! the early morning train was surprisingly full, even more so because the drive between Berlin and Dresden would have been faster than on this train. The transit network in Germany is so vast and uses so many different styles of trains that you never know what you are going to get! So far my preference is the ICE trains, which move so quickly it is hard to look out the windows.
Anyways, back to Dresden! I liked the city a lot! I found it to be the perfect compromise between Berlin (which was destroyed and rebuilt in a modern way) and Prague (which has barely been damaged and looks like a fairy tale). Dresden was very badly damaged, but the reconstructions are historically accurate. Even the new buildings suit the style if the older buildings around them. Ironically, it is also geographically situated between the two cities as well.
I decided to do a Segway tour in order to maximize my time in the city. This is the second Segway tour I have done, and it was just as good as the first. Before trying a Segway I laughed at how dorky they looked, but I adore using them now! The amount of ground that you can cover in a small amount of time is amazing. It is like taking a driving tour, but you can stop anywhere, anytime to take lots of photos.
Some of the top sites included the opera house, city hall, Our Fair Lady Church, and my favorite, what looks like a mosque, but was actually a cigarette factory! One of my favorite things about Dresden is how artsy it is. Everywhere I went there was a gallery, exhibit, or exhibition of some kind. Porcelain, gold, limestone buildings, opera and paintings are just the tip of the culture iceberg!
It was a very quick visit to Dresden, but I would happily come back again! If you want to read more or see more pictures click here!
July 7th 2012
It is really difficult to describe how I feel about today. I spent the day at the Sachsenhausen memorial, one of the former concentration camps in Germany.
It is relatively close to Berlin and was used for. Earlier prisoners, including a large number of political enemies of the Nazi's, as well as criminals, Jewish people, gay people, and anyone else that was deemed to being there. It was primarily a work camp, but as I learned, many of the work details might as well of been death sentences, as they were extremely harsh. One that really stood out was the boot testing details. These prisoners were suited up with a pair of boots, often in the wrong size, and made to run for 12 hours a day with a 20 pound backpack on. The average life expectancy for a prisoner who got this detail was six days. This number was greatly skewed, as many of these prisoners were also on performance enhancing drugs, as they were being used as subjects to test stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine. I found this medical testing to be very ironic as the Nazis decided it was fine to test the drugs on the prisoners because they were 'sub humans'. On the other hand, they were doing the testing in order to use the drugs on their own men in the future. If the prisoners were not humans, than there is no medical merit in using them as subjects. However, the testing was not done in complete secrecy, the Red Cross visited this site and deemed it 'harsh, but fair'. I imagine that the prisoners would have begged to differ.
We saw the bunkers where hundreds of prisoners were forced to live together. They were the size of an a enrage summer camp room for about twelve teenagers. There were two water basins and a half dozen toilets for everyone living there. They were given only thirty minutes every morning to get ready, with the only opportunities to use the washroom being during this time and over twelve hours later when they returned to sleep. There were many instances of drowning, either by accident or by sadistic means.
We also saw the shooting trenches, the pretend medical facility (where they searched if the prisoners had any fillings worth taking), the room where they systematically murdered the prisoners, and the ovens where the bodies were burnt. This area was station Z. The entrance to the camp, where the prisoners were first registered, stopped naked, shaved, and renamed as a number, was called station A. It has been said that the guards often made the sick joke that the only way out of the camp was from A to Z. Sadly, for tens of thousands of people, this was the case.
Overall, it is difficult to express how to feel about the camp. It was shocking, sad, and all too real, even in today's world. It is horrible to think that despite all the time that has passed since then and everything that has been learned since that point, that genocides still occur today. As we were heading back to Berkin on the train I took the time to look my group. There was a very small number of pele who fit the 'Master Race' build. On the other hand, there were many gay and Jewish people on the tour, as well as a man with no hands. I don't know what brought each of the people on my tour to the camp today, but I think it is commemorable that so many pele took time out of their vacation to visit such an important historic site.
It is relatively close to Berlin and was used for. Earlier prisoners, including a large number of political enemies of the Nazi's, as well as criminals, Jewish people, gay people, and anyone else that was deemed to being there. It was primarily a work camp, but as I learned, many of the work details might as well of been death sentences, as they were extremely harsh. One that really stood out was the boot testing details. These prisoners were suited up with a pair of boots, often in the wrong size, and made to run for 12 hours a day with a 20 pound backpack on. The average life expectancy for a prisoner who got this detail was six days. This number was greatly skewed, as many of these prisoners were also on performance enhancing drugs, as they were being used as subjects to test stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine. I found this medical testing to be very ironic as the Nazis decided it was fine to test the drugs on the prisoners because they were 'sub humans'. On the other hand, they were doing the testing in order to use the drugs on their own men in the future. If the prisoners were not humans, than there is no medical merit in using them as subjects. However, the testing was not done in complete secrecy, the Red Cross visited this site and deemed it 'harsh, but fair'. I imagine that the prisoners would have begged to differ.
We saw the bunkers where hundreds of prisoners were forced to live together. They were the size of an a enrage summer camp room for about twelve teenagers. There were two water basins and a half dozen toilets for everyone living there. They were given only thirty minutes every morning to get ready, with the only opportunities to use the washroom being during this time and over twelve hours later when they returned to sleep. There were many instances of drowning, either by accident or by sadistic means.
We also saw the shooting trenches, the pretend medical facility (where they searched if the prisoners had any fillings worth taking), the room where they systematically murdered the prisoners, and the ovens where the bodies were burnt. This area was station Z. The entrance to the camp, where the prisoners were first registered, stopped naked, shaved, and renamed as a number, was called station A. It has been said that the guards often made the sick joke that the only way out of the camp was from A to Z. Sadly, for tens of thousands of people, this was the case.
Overall, it is difficult to express how to feel about the camp. It was shocking, sad, and all too real, even in today's world. It is horrible to think that despite all the time that has passed since then and everything that has been learned since that point, that genocides still occur today. As we were heading back to Berkin on the train I took the time to look my group. There was a very small number of pele who fit the 'Master Race' build. On the other hand, there were many gay and Jewish people on the tour, as well as a man with no hands. I don't know what brought each of the people on my tour to the camp today, but I think it is commemorable that so many pele took time out of their vacation to visit such an important historic site.
July 6th 2012
It's cloudy, humid, and I'm still sick! On top of that, my roommates have decided that they need the room I'm staying in, so I'm on the hunt for a new place to stay. It is all part of the adventure, but it is unfortunate how these things always seem to come down at once!
On a bright note, my package from my mom finally arrived! It took around 8 weeks for the package to make it's way from Ottawa to Berlin, which is a very lengthy time. I had two other packages mailed to me, but I have little faith that they will ever make it to me at this point. I'm not sure how to postal service between two first world countries is so bad, but there is certainly room for improvement based on what I have experienced.
On a bright note, my package from my mom finally arrived! It took around 8 weeks for the package to make it's way from Ottawa to Berlin, which is a very lengthy time. I had two other packages mailed to me, but I have little faith that they will ever make it to me at this point. I'm not sure how to postal service between two first world countries is so bad, but there is certainly room for improvement based on what I have experienced.
July 5th 2012
It's raining and I am sick. That is hardly the July afternoon in Germany I was hoping for! Alas, here we are, so how about a post inspired by my friend Mark?
Mark and I were in Hamburg last weekend. We went out on Friday night and had a wonderful time. When we were finally ready to go home, I headed right for the underground transport network. Mark was confused, as he was convinced that the trains would not be working at that time of night. It turns out that in London, the trains close at 2am. The comparison was particularly interesting when we analysed the demeanour of the people waiting for the train. The digital information board clearly stated that the train would be arriving in 7 minutes. Many people seemed quite irritated by the wait, but they got quite upset when the train was a minute or so late. So, next time you are getting irritated about waiting for tardy public transport in a clean, well-ventilated station at 4am on a Saturday, think of all the poor saps in London. They either had to go home at 1:30am or spend 50 pounds on a taxi. Hardly seems it would be worth going out!
It is was really great seeing Mark this week, and it seems to be a real trend for me this summer. I have already seen Mark and my friend Eric, who I knew in France 6 years ago. In the next two months I will be seeing my friends Chris and Kelly (who I met in Africa), Michael (who I've known for two years), Francine and Marina (both of who I met through my exchange program). It is amazing how much easier it to to connect with my old friends this summer than ever before.
Mark and I were in Hamburg last weekend. We went out on Friday night and had a wonderful time. When we were finally ready to go home, I headed right for the underground transport network. Mark was confused, as he was convinced that the trains would not be working at that time of night. It turns out that in London, the trains close at 2am. The comparison was particularly interesting when we analysed the demeanour of the people waiting for the train. The digital information board clearly stated that the train would be arriving in 7 minutes. Many people seemed quite irritated by the wait, but they got quite upset when the train was a minute or so late. So, next time you are getting irritated about waiting for tardy public transport in a clean, well-ventilated station at 4am on a Saturday, think of all the poor saps in London. They either had to go home at 1:30am or spend 50 pounds on a taxi. Hardly seems it would be worth going out!
It is was really great seeing Mark this week, and it seems to be a real trend for me this summer. I have already seen Mark and my friend Eric, who I knew in France 6 years ago. In the next two months I will be seeing my friends Chris and Kelly (who I met in Africa), Michael (who I've known for two years), Francine and Marina (both of who I met through my exchange program). It is amazing how much easier it to to connect with my old friends this summer than ever before.
July 4th 2012
I've posted a few photos of the painted and renovated Berlin Wall; time to show you another side. These photos are much more indicative of the way the wall looked back in 1989.
The wall was constructed in four stages. Firstly, they put up the barb wire fence overnight. Next, concrete was added, followed by metal inside the walls. Finally, sewer pipes were added to the top, in order to make it too slippery to climb over. Ironically, the pipes were actually given by East Berlin to try and encourage the West to improve their sanitation.
In the last photo, you can see a row of trees. These represent the location of the death strip that once stood there. Anyone who dared cross the wall was shot while the attempted to navigate through the death strip. Many people tried, mostly to try and reunite with their families. Due to the fact that the wall was erected overnight there were many people that found themselves separate from their friends and family; some were even desperate enough to risk their lives to reunite with those people.
The wall was constructed in four stages. Firstly, they put up the barb wire fence overnight. Next, concrete was added, followed by metal inside the walls. Finally, sewer pipes were added to the top, in order to make it too slippery to climb over. Ironically, the pipes were actually given by East Berlin to try and encourage the West to improve their sanitation.
In the last photo, you can see a row of trees. These represent the location of the death strip that once stood there. Anyone who dared cross the wall was shot while the attempted to navigate through the death strip. Many people tried, mostly to try and reunite with their families. Due to the fact that the wall was erected overnight there were many people that found themselves separate from their friends and family; some were even desperate enough to risk their lives to reunite with those people.
July 3rd 2012
Checkpoint Charlie is one of the most famous sites in Berlin. I was quite excited to see this iconic place, but I must admit, I was quite disappointed when I finally saw it.
I rarely write complaints about places I visit, as I find that they all have their own attractions and reasons that they are worth visiting. However, Checkpoint Charlie was a real disappointment for me. It is a little shack in the middle of a very busy street. There are 'American Soldiers' there who as posing for photos, but they are very clearly neither American, nor German (the heavy Italian accents were a pretty big giveaway). The charged you to take photos, and for getting a checkpoint charlie visa stamp in your passport. I thought this was particularly silly, especially because it technically is defacing your passport. Finally, the view of McDonald's behind Checkpoint Charlie really sealed the 'tourist trap' image I had developed about the site.
I recommend skipping out on Checkpoint Charlie, or at the very most, not devoting more than five minutes to the visit.
I rarely write complaints about places I visit, as I find that they all have their own attractions and reasons that they are worth visiting. However, Checkpoint Charlie was a real disappointment for me. It is a little shack in the middle of a very busy street. There are 'American Soldiers' there who as posing for photos, but they are very clearly neither American, nor German (the heavy Italian accents were a pretty big giveaway). The charged you to take photos, and for getting a checkpoint charlie visa stamp in your passport. I thought this was particularly silly, especially because it technically is defacing your passport. Finally, the view of McDonald's behind Checkpoint Charlie really sealed the 'tourist trap' image I had developed about the site.
I recommend skipping out on Checkpoint Charlie, or at the very most, not devoting more than five minutes to the visit.
July 2nd 2012
Look German food!
The delicious meals are all typical German meals (abet from different regions of Germany). They were all massive and came with lots of potatoes. It was impossible to finish all the food on the plate. But, it was so good, we definitely made a serious effort!
I have been waiting 1.5 months to eat some real German food, so I was really pleased to finally get the chance!
The delicious meals are all typical German meals (abet from different regions of Germany). They were all massive and came with lots of potatoes. It was impossible to finish all the food on the plate. But, it was so good, we definitely made a serious effort!
I have been waiting 1.5 months to eat some real German food, so I was really pleased to finally get the chance!
July 1st 2012
Mini Las Vegas!
Despite only having a quick power nap, we had to get up really early in order to see a famous Hamburg sight- the Fish Market. Historically, it was the place where the fishermen auctioned off their fish to the highest bidder. Today, it is much more of a flea market than anything else. We heard a saying that 'anything that isn't nailed down can be sold'. This certainly seemed like the case, as everything from t-shirts to candy was on display. True to history, there was an extensive fish section. There seemed like there was a lot of goods that were meant for the stag party crowd, as there were more brightly colored stockings, tiaras, and colored wigs than should ever be for sale in one place. There was also a band and beer garden for anyone who wanted to continue the party at the market.
After the market, we headed to the Hamburg Dungeon. This company has locations throughout Europe. They tell the history of the city in a funny, scary, and entertaining way. Sadly, the only tour available on the day that we were there was in German. It was extremely difficult to understand, but somehow, we got the gist of the majority of the stories. It was a really fun way to experience a history tour, and there was even a ride at the end!
Next door to the dungeon is the Miniature World. It the home of the world's largest indoor railroad model. I had mixed feelings about it. There is no question that it is a very impressive piece of work. The amount of time and effort put into the construction is clear. However, the building was packed with people. Although this is an indication of the sight's popularity, I found it overwhelming to be close that that many people.
By the time we finished in the mini world, it was time to head to the train station. In comparison to the high speed train I took on the way to Hamburg, the regional train on the way back was hot, slow, cramped, and extremely uncomfortable. It stopped every fifteen minutes and we had to change trains several times. for the sake of saving a few dollars, it just wasn't worth the hassle. I will not be repeating the experience again- it's ICE Sprinters only for me from now on!
After the market, we headed to the Hamburg Dungeon. This company has locations throughout Europe. They tell the history of the city in a funny, scary, and entertaining way. Sadly, the only tour available on the day that we were there was in German. It was extremely difficult to understand, but somehow, we got the gist of the majority of the stories. It was a really fun way to experience a history tour, and there was even a ride at the end!
Next door to the dungeon is the Miniature World. It the home of the world's largest indoor railroad model. I had mixed feelings about it. There is no question that it is a very impressive piece of work. The amount of time and effort put into the construction is clear. However, the building was packed with people. Although this is an indication of the sight's popularity, I found it overwhelming to be close that that many people.
By the time we finished in the mini world, it was time to head to the train station. In comparison to the high speed train I took on the way to Hamburg, the regional train on the way back was hot, slow, cramped, and extremely uncomfortable. It stopped every fifteen minutes and we had to change trains several times. for the sake of saving a few dollars, it just wasn't worth the hassle. I will not be repeating the experience again- it's ICE Sprinters only for me from now on!
June 30th 2012
A quick power nap was all we had time for after the Reeperbahn; Hamburg is a big city and we only had a weekend to cover it all! We decided the best way to get started was to take a walking tour of the city. Thankfully, Sandeman's New Europe hosts one; we even got the same guide as for our pub-crawl. He was certainly surprised to see us still awake, but we were equally impressed- it seems the pub-crawl was the beginning of his full-day of work!
We went to tons of important sites, and learned lots of interesting facts about them. The most important thing being that, like Berlin, Hamburg was greatly damaged in the past and has been renovated since then. Although Hamburg was damaged in the war, a great deal of damage was done by a massive fire in 1842. The fire started in a tobacco warehouse and burned through the city for a number of days. Hamburg has more canals than Amsterdam and Venice combined (or so they say), so it should have been easy to put out the flames. However, sailors whose boats were in the harbour got so scared that their boats would catch on fire that they threw any burnable cargo overboard- including barrels of petrol. Needless to day, this hampered the fire fighting techniques. No worries though, as the fire chief had a brilliant and innovative way to stop the fire. He decided that a fire break needed to be constructed. He figured that the best way to do this was to blow up the houses in the path of the fire. When he finally got permission to do so, it was not houses in the way, but the town hall! After all the important documents were removed from the hall, it was loaded with dynamite and blown up. Sadly, the plan failed miserably and the fire burned on. When it finally ran out of fuel, most of the downtown was destroyed. Although most of the city has been long since renovated (such as the town hall, seen in the 3rd photo below), the St. Pauli's church is still charred (photos 11 and 12).
Mark participated in an international MBA program and one of his old classmates lives in Hamburg. We met up with Michael and his wife Sibine and they were gracious enough to take us on a tour. We started in the Hafen City, which is an inner city development project (Europe's largest). I loved this area. Everything is modern, shiny, and new. It is like the kind of apartment I dream to live in, except every other apartment around is just as cool. It is a very cool and modern area. In it's heart is the Opera House. It is still under construction, and the glass building has cost 500 million euro to date. After walking around the Hafen City Sibine and Michael took us on a driving tour of the city. We visited the areas not covered in the tour, and when we had finished, we discovered by looking on our map, that we had been to the majority of the city today! We had a delicious typical German dinner (they DO exist!!) and had drinks by the lake. It was relaxing, pleasant, and really nice to meet some Germans! The majority of people I meet while in Germany are not locals, so it was a welcome change.
I managed to get to bed just after 4 am, which was just enough time for a nap; our next adventure started at 5am!
We went to tons of important sites, and learned lots of interesting facts about them. The most important thing being that, like Berlin, Hamburg was greatly damaged in the past and has been renovated since then. Although Hamburg was damaged in the war, a great deal of damage was done by a massive fire in 1842. The fire started in a tobacco warehouse and burned through the city for a number of days. Hamburg has more canals than Amsterdam and Venice combined (or so they say), so it should have been easy to put out the flames. However, sailors whose boats were in the harbour got so scared that their boats would catch on fire that they threw any burnable cargo overboard- including barrels of petrol. Needless to day, this hampered the fire fighting techniques. No worries though, as the fire chief had a brilliant and innovative way to stop the fire. He decided that a fire break needed to be constructed. He figured that the best way to do this was to blow up the houses in the path of the fire. When he finally got permission to do so, it was not houses in the way, but the town hall! After all the important documents were removed from the hall, it was loaded with dynamite and blown up. Sadly, the plan failed miserably and the fire burned on. When it finally ran out of fuel, most of the downtown was destroyed. Although most of the city has been long since renovated (such as the town hall, seen in the 3rd photo below), the St. Pauli's church is still charred (photos 11 and 12).
Mark participated in an international MBA program and one of his old classmates lives in Hamburg. We met up with Michael and his wife Sibine and they were gracious enough to take us on a tour. We started in the Hafen City, which is an inner city development project (Europe's largest). I loved this area. Everything is modern, shiny, and new. It is like the kind of apartment I dream to live in, except every other apartment around is just as cool. It is a very cool and modern area. In it's heart is the Opera House. It is still under construction, and the glass building has cost 500 million euro to date. After walking around the Hafen City Sibine and Michael took us on a driving tour of the city. We visited the areas not covered in the tour, and when we had finished, we discovered by looking on our map, that we had been to the majority of the city today! We had a delicious typical German dinner (they DO exist!!) and had drinks by the lake. It was relaxing, pleasant, and really nice to meet some Germans! The majority of people I meet while in Germany are not locals, so it was a welcome change.
I managed to get to bed just after 4 am, which was just enough time for a nap; our next adventure started at 5am!
June 29th 2012
Germany has a reputation throughout the world for being efficient. I experienced the opposite during my experience with a German government office today. I do not have the guts to both name the office and complain about it; but I will tell you that I've never seen an official office where so many more employees seemed to be wasting time than actually serving patrons. It took forever to get everything done, and it ended up costing more than planned. Not efficient.
When I finally got done, it was time to get on a train and head off on my nest adventure! This weekend, it is Hamburg! I took the intercity express, which was fast, clean, and comfortable. It made no stops between Berlin central station and Hamburg central station, which really cut down on time. Upon arrival, I was pleased to find that my hotel was literally a block from the station. Although in many cities the area near the stations are a bit sketchy, this one was quite lovely. The hotel was nothing of note- a good place to store my bag and catch a bit of sleep.
My friend Mark flew in for the weekend from London (those of you who have been following along from the beginning should remember him from my trip in Jordan). Since we both got in so late, there was little time for much more than a quick snack before meeting up with our group from Sandeman's New Europe. We signed up for the pub-crawl and it was an absolute blast! The tour moved from bar to club to pub in the famous Reeperbahn (red light district) of Hamburg. The tour lasted well into the night (as you can see from the photos it was still light out when we started the night, and the sun was up again before we finished). The group consisted of about twenty people (although many got lost as we moved from one place to another). We met some very interesting characters and made new friends from Russia, New Zealand, and Ireland (although, none from Hamburg). The pub-crawl was an absolute blast, I recommend it to anyone who visits Hamburg.
When I finally got done, it was time to get on a train and head off on my nest adventure! This weekend, it is Hamburg! I took the intercity express, which was fast, clean, and comfortable. It made no stops between Berlin central station and Hamburg central station, which really cut down on time. Upon arrival, I was pleased to find that my hotel was literally a block from the station. Although in many cities the area near the stations are a bit sketchy, this one was quite lovely. The hotel was nothing of note- a good place to store my bag and catch a bit of sleep.
My friend Mark flew in for the weekend from London (those of you who have been following along from the beginning should remember him from my trip in Jordan). Since we both got in so late, there was little time for much more than a quick snack before meeting up with our group from Sandeman's New Europe. We signed up for the pub-crawl and it was an absolute blast! The tour moved from bar to club to pub in the famous Reeperbahn (red light district) of Hamburg. The tour lasted well into the night (as you can see from the photos it was still light out when we started the night, and the sun was up again before we finished). The group consisted of about twenty people (although many got lost as we moved from one place to another). We met some very interesting characters and made new friends from Russia, New Zealand, and Ireland (although, none from Hamburg). The pub-crawl was an absolute blast, I recommend it to anyone who visits Hamburg.
June 28th 2012
Fireworks can be seen as a goal is scored.
You win some, and you lose some (although, as my friend Chelsey pointed out, you rarely use that saying when you win); tonight Germany lost. Tonight's game was the semi-final match between Germany and Italy. The loss means Germany wont be in the finals, which is sad, because I was really looking forwards to seeing Germany play in the finals; I am planning on watching at Brandenburg Gate. I am not much of a soccer fan, but I wanted to experience the atmosphere of a million people watching a game together.
This morning, I went to the German registration office for the third time. The first time I didn't last more than five minutes, as I got yelled at in German for who knows what when taking a number. The second time I went with my friend Dominik, who translated for me. Things were going smoothly, until after two hours in line the power went out. Thankfully, they gave everyone in line an appointment for a later time, and mine was today! It took about five minutes for the woman to look over my papers, and give me a printed piece of paper that declares me as a registered person in Germany.
This morning, I went to the German registration office for the third time. The first time I didn't last more than five minutes, as I got yelled at in German for who knows what when taking a number. The second time I went with my friend Dominik, who translated for me. Things were going smoothly, until after two hours in line the power went out. Thankfully, they gave everyone in line an appointment for a later time, and mine was today! It took about five minutes for the woman to look over my papers, and give me a printed piece of paper that declares me as a registered person in Germany.
June 27th 2012
This plaque sits in the famous Humboldt University in Berlin (home of many famous people, including Einstein). It reads "where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people also." These words were written by Heinrich Heine. In a moment of irony Heinrich's books were burned on this very spot. Of course, we all know what happened in Berlin after that point in time.
On a less sad note, it has been raining all day. When heading home today, it was clear that the rain wasn't going to stop. I walked to the closest tram stop, missing the tram by 30 seconds. Thankfully, according to the screen, the next tram was only 3 minutes away. Yet, the Germans who had also missed the tram by a few seconds were clearly very unimpressed at having to wait. You know you're spoiled by a high quality transit network when... in Ottawa we would have been waiting half an hour! Of course, I shouldn't talk, I took the tram two stops to cut down on my time walking in the rain...
On a less sad note, it has been raining all day. When heading home today, it was clear that the rain wasn't going to stop. I walked to the closest tram stop, missing the tram by 30 seconds. Thankfully, according to the screen, the next tram was only 3 minutes away. Yet, the Germans who had also missed the tram by a few seconds were clearly very unimpressed at having to wait. You know you're spoiled by a high quality transit network when... in Ottawa we would have been waiting half an hour! Of course, I shouldn't talk, I took the tram two stops to cut down on my time walking in the rain...
June 26th 2012
The Berlin Wall is the most iconic symbol in the city. For something that they torn down a long time ago, there sure are bits everywhere!
Although the wall has a sombre history, citizens are trying to make it into something different. These painted bits of wall can be seen all over Berlin.
I find it really moving how something that literally ripped families apart is now used as a form of artistic expression.
My favorite piece is the men with the long legs. Although the works of art have no names on them, this piece looks very similar to a street artist whose work is painted around the city. Maybe it is the same person!
I do wonder how one gets the opportunity to paint one of the wall pieces. Hopefully they never ask me, as I cannot even draw a stick man... that would just be embarrassing for everyone!
Although the wall has a sombre history, citizens are trying to make it into something different. These painted bits of wall can be seen all over Berlin.
I find it really moving how something that literally ripped families apart is now used as a form of artistic expression.
My favorite piece is the men with the long legs. Although the works of art have no names on them, this piece looks very similar to a street artist whose work is painted around the city. Maybe it is the same person!
I do wonder how one gets the opportunity to paint one of the wall pieces. Hopefully they never ask me, as I cannot even draw a stick man... that would just be embarrassing for everyone!
June 25th 2012
Germans are very serious about their recycling.
My favorite kind of yogurt costs 0.78 euros, but when I get to the cash register it costs 1.03 euros. Why the extra fee? It' a recycling deposit. They charge 25 cents per yogurt so I will bring back the empty containers. I bought 6 yogurts. That is 1.50 euros extra. If I don't bring them back, they keep my 1.50 euros. If I do bring it back, I get 1.50 euros.
I have no interest in carry around a bag of empty yogurt containers.
However, I have a high level of interest in cake. My favorite flavor of cake costs 1.50 euros.
You do the math.
My favorite kind of yogurt costs 0.78 euros, but when I get to the cash register it costs 1.03 euros. Why the extra fee? It' a recycling deposit. They charge 25 cents per yogurt so I will bring back the empty containers. I bought 6 yogurts. That is 1.50 euros extra. If I don't bring them back, they keep my 1.50 euros. If I do bring it back, I get 1.50 euros.
I have no interest in carry around a bag of empty yogurt containers.
However, I have a high level of interest in cake. My favorite flavor of cake costs 1.50 euros.
You do the math.
June 24th 2012
First, I can't help but point out... how cool is the photo to the left! Considering it was taken in an eerie location, I think it is particularly interesting.
Where is this location? It is the Memorial to the Murdered Jews in downtown Berlin. It is a really cool monument (well, as cool as something that is related to the Holocaust can be...). The stelae range from 0.2 meters to 5 meters tall. They are spread out along a grid (the original idea was a maze, but the city did not allow this). Most interestingly, the creator has never explained the meaning of the piece. Although there have been many suggestions, no one is sure. Myself, I believe it has something to do with how you feel when you are inside the maze.
Oh, and before anyone panics upon seeing the second last photo, you are allowed to sit on the stones. On the other hand, it is not allowed to stand on them. However, I imagine that has more to do with the hazards of falling 5 meters onto concrete.
One interesting point- the concrete is covered in a substance that makes it impossible to graffiti. Neat, right? Not so much since the company that coated the concrete also made Zyklon B, which was used to kill many of the Jewish people being memorialised by the monument. They now provide free coating of the monument as a sign of their remorse.
Where is this location? It is the Memorial to the Murdered Jews in downtown Berlin. It is a really cool monument (well, as cool as something that is related to the Holocaust can be...). The stelae range from 0.2 meters to 5 meters tall. They are spread out along a grid (the original idea was a maze, but the city did not allow this). Most interestingly, the creator has never explained the meaning of the piece. Although there have been many suggestions, no one is sure. Myself, I believe it has something to do with how you feel when you are inside the maze.
Oh, and before anyone panics upon seeing the second last photo, you are allowed to sit on the stones. On the other hand, it is not allowed to stand on them. However, I imagine that has more to do with the hazards of falling 5 meters onto concrete.
One interesting point- the concrete is covered in a substance that makes it impossible to graffiti. Neat, right? Not so much since the company that coated the concrete also made Zyklon B, which was used to kill many of the Jewish people being memorialised by the monument. They now provide free coating of the monument as a sign of their remorse.
June 23rd 2012
Look at me! I'm riding a Segway!
This afternoon I headed off on an adventure with City Segway Tours. The clouds were promising rain all day, but they managed to hold off so that I could enjoy the afternoon.
This was my first time on a segway, and I really enjoyed it! Although it was a bit intimidating at first (the segways have licence plates, and count as vehicles in Germany), learning the ride was really easy. For the first few minutes I moved slowly around the practice area, but it didn't take long to feel comfortable enough to zoom through the streets of Berlin. In fact, I felt much safer and more in control than I did during my Trabi car tour!
We toured through downtown Berlin, visiting many of the famous landmarks. Although I have been in Germany for a month, I had not been to most of the places before. Berlin is a massive city and there is just so much to see!
My guide Rob was undoubtedly the best tour guide that I have ever had. He was confident, knowledgeable, and hilariously funny! He managed to address sad historical events in a way that was respectful, yet kept us interested. I learned a lot and had a great time too!
This afternoon I headed off on an adventure with City Segway Tours. The clouds were promising rain all day, but they managed to hold off so that I could enjoy the afternoon.
This was my first time on a segway, and I really enjoyed it! Although it was a bit intimidating at first (the segways have licence plates, and count as vehicles in Germany), learning the ride was really easy. For the first few minutes I moved slowly around the practice area, but it didn't take long to feel comfortable enough to zoom through the streets of Berlin. In fact, I felt much safer and more in control than I did during my Trabi car tour!
We toured through downtown Berlin, visiting many of the famous landmarks. Although I have been in Germany for a month, I had not been to most of the places before. Berlin is a massive city and there is just so much to see!
My guide Rob was undoubtedly the best tour guide that I have ever had. He was confident, knowledgeable, and hilariously funny! He managed to address sad historical events in a way that was respectful, yet kept us interested. I learned a lot and had a great time too!
June 22nd 2012
Another day, another EURO 2012 soccer game!
Tonight's game was between Germany and Greece, which was a really dramatic pairing. The tournament is now in the semi-final range, so the games are much more important now.
The recent Euro zone drama surrounding Greece and Germany bailing them out, has created a lot of tension between the countries. In the end, Germany was victorious, which was great news for me; more games! It is awesome to see how patriotic German's get during these games! It's fireworks and German flags everywhere!
Go Germany Go!
It is also the Fete de la Musique right now! That means lots of outdoor music, art, and interesting dressed people (yes, even more than normally)....
However, Germany efficiency was widely viewable; as the crowds passed through various streets, they left a mess of confetti and paper behind them. Trailing them a few blocks behind were the street cleaning trucks! Berlin sure knows how to keep its streets clean!
Tonight's game was between Germany and Greece, which was a really dramatic pairing. The tournament is now in the semi-final range, so the games are much more important now.
The recent Euro zone drama surrounding Greece and Germany bailing them out, has created a lot of tension between the countries. In the end, Germany was victorious, which was great news for me; more games! It is awesome to see how patriotic German's get during these games! It's fireworks and German flags everywhere!
Go Germany Go!
It is also the Fete de la Musique right now! That means lots of outdoor music, art, and interesting dressed people (yes, even more than normally)....
However, Germany efficiency was widely viewable; as the crowds passed through various streets, they left a mess of confetti and paper behind them. Trailing them a few blocks behind were the street cleaning trucks! Berlin sure knows how to keep its streets clean!
June 21st 2012
Photo from: http://myberlinblog.com/chelsey
Happy summer!
Normally you celebrate the first day of summer with something outdoorsy to enjoy the weather. Perhaps a BBQ. Maybe an afternoon swim or a walk in the park. This was not the case today. The skies are grey and rain is coming down. It is a rather dim start to summer.
Therefore, I decided to invest some time in washing my clothing. I have done it a few times since getting here, but this was the first time I really noticed the lack of a dyer in my apartment. The weather was nicer then, so putting my clothes out to dry was a breeze. Today, the damp weather left my clothing damp as well. I truly miss having a dryer.
I think Germans are too energy conservation-aware to use 'useless' appliances. Why have a dryer when you can lay the clothing out to dry? I remember when I was in France, it was a similar story. I
lived in three separate houses during my time there, none of which had dryers either.
Never the less, I still miss warm, fabric softener smelling, clothing.
Normally you celebrate the first day of summer with something outdoorsy to enjoy the weather. Perhaps a BBQ. Maybe an afternoon swim or a walk in the park. This was not the case today. The skies are grey and rain is coming down. It is a rather dim start to summer.
Therefore, I decided to invest some time in washing my clothing. I have done it a few times since getting here, but this was the first time I really noticed the lack of a dyer in my apartment. The weather was nicer then, so putting my clothes out to dry was a breeze. Today, the damp weather left my clothing damp as well. I truly miss having a dryer.
I think Germans are too energy conservation-aware to use 'useless' appliances. Why have a dryer when you can lay the clothing out to dry? I remember when I was in France, it was a similar story. I
lived in three separate houses during my time there, none of which had dryers either.
Never the less, I still miss warm, fabric softener smelling, clothing.
June 20th 2012
I have been living in my apartment for well over a month now. This morning I was dancing around in the hallway, as I had to pee and one of my roommates was taking far too long in the shower. A second roommate saw me in the hall and asked what I was doing. After I told him what I was waiting for, he laughed at me. He opened the door next to the bathroom, which I presumed was storage.
There is another toilet in there! There is a bathroom beside the bathroom!
How did I not know this? How embarrassing...
There is another toilet in there! There is a bathroom beside the bathroom!
How did I not know this? How embarrassing...
June 19th 2012
I am hosting a contest! I have had the opportunity to work with some amazing companies over the last 8 months and it is time to share the wealth with the rest of you!
http://www.globaljaunt.com/ultimate-travel-summer-contest.html
There will be new prizes all summer, so hopefully there will be something for everyone!
Check it out and best of luck!
http://www.globaljaunt.com/ultimate-travel-summer-contest.html
There will be new prizes all summer, so hopefully there will be something for everyone!
Check it out and best of luck!
June 18th 2012
Back from Prague and back to work!
Everyone in the office was supposed to bring a food from their home country (there are about a dozen nationalities represented in our office with no more than 2 per country on average). With a few Germans around, that meant that I actually got to have some German food! Who knew the elusive German cuisine could be found in Berlin!
On a similar note... what is Canadian cuisine? Other than maple syrup, beaver tails, and poutine I'm lost of what Canadian cuisine actually consists of... what is our national dish? I went out on a limb and bought some watermelon. It is not Canadian, but it is delicious!
These kinds of meals are exactly why I love working in an international setting- so many cultures to learn from and enjoy!
Everyone in the office was supposed to bring a food from their home country (there are about a dozen nationalities represented in our office with no more than 2 per country on average). With a few Germans around, that meant that I actually got to have some German food! Who knew the elusive German cuisine could be found in Berlin!
On a similar note... what is Canadian cuisine? Other than maple syrup, beaver tails, and poutine I'm lost of what Canadian cuisine actually consists of... what is our national dish? I went out on a limb and bought some watermelon. It is not Canadian, but it is delicious!
These kinds of meals are exactly why I love working in an international setting- so many cultures to learn from and enjoy!
June 15th-17th
We're going to Prague!
Watch out- Canadians on the road!
5 people. 1 rental car. 3 days. Prague isn't going to know what hit it!
Head over here to read about the weekend!
Watch out- Canadians on the road!
5 people. 1 rental car. 3 days. Prague isn't going to know what hit it!
Head over here to read about the weekend!
June 14th 2012
My favorite word!
I might need to learn some German.
When trying to get info about bus tickets I wrote the this message using Google Translate:
Hallo,
Ich suche Informationen über den Bus morgen. Ich reise ich nach Prag. Ich habe drei Freunde in meine Taschen. Mehr Information für Zeiten ist so schön für mich.
It was supposed to say that I am looking for tickets for myself and my friends, there will be three of us in total with a bag each. Instead it came out saying something along the lines of 'I am bringing 3 friends in my bag.' They are going to think I am a serial killer...
Oops?
When trying to get info about bus tickets I wrote the this message using Google Translate:
Hallo,
Ich suche Informationen über den Bus morgen. Ich reise ich nach Prag. Ich habe drei Freunde in meine Taschen. Mehr Information für Zeiten ist so schön für mich.
It was supposed to say that I am looking for tickets for myself and my friends, there will be three of us in total with a bag each. Instead it came out saying something along the lines of 'I am bringing 3 friends in my bag.' They are going to think I am a serial killer...
Oops?
June 13th 2012
Chelsey, Sarah, and I
Another day, another round of Euro 2012 football!
This time we watched at a beach bar on the river. My friend Antje was celebrating her birthday, so we joined in on the celebrations. The game was Germany vs Netherlands, and Germany came out as the victor! Every time German scored a goal it sounded like the entire city was yelling. There was fireworks, flags, and lots of beer! Just a typical Wednesday night!
What better way to finish the night then with a racing bike ride through the city? Although there were dozens of traffic lights, there were practically no cars on the road- likely because everyone uses the underground transit methods! It was an exhilarating ride!
This time we watched at a beach bar on the river. My friend Antje was celebrating her birthday, so we joined in on the celebrations. The game was Germany vs Netherlands, and Germany came out as the victor! Every time German scored a goal it sounded like the entire city was yelling. There was fireworks, flags, and lots of beer! Just a typical Wednesday night!
What better way to finish the night then with a racing bike ride through the city? Although there were dozens of traffic lights, there were practically no cars on the road- likely because everyone uses the underground transit methods! It was an exhilarating ride!
June 12th 2012
Go Team Germany!
It's the EURO 2012 Football Tournament (that's soccer for all you North Americans). The Germans are more patriotic then I've seen them before!
Flags are out on cars and houses, people are walking around in jerseys, and there are public viewings everywhere. Since the actual games are being held in Poland, Berlin is hosting dozens of public showings, where Berliners can watch the game on a giant screen with thousands on their closest friends.
One of the matches started before work ended yesterday, and so the game was projected onto a wall, so no one would have to miss out on football because they were still at work.
The Germans sure do love their football!
Flags are out on cars and houses, people are walking around in jerseys, and there are public viewings everywhere. Since the actual games are being held in Poland, Berlin is hosting dozens of public showings, where Berliners can watch the game on a giant screen with thousands on their closest friends.
One of the matches started before work ended yesterday, and so the game was projected onto a wall, so no one would have to miss out on football because they were still at work.
The Germans sure do love their football!
June 11th 2012
It's Monday night- let's go to a party!
Felix High Society Club celebrates Ladies Night on Mondays, so I went there with a couple of girlfriends. A new friend of mine invited us, which allowed us skip the line access, a private section, and unlimited drinks. We were treated to glitter covered men in underwear, a strip show (complete with a patriotic German flag) and a giant bottle of vodka.
The club has been frequented by the likes of Vin Diesel, Uma Thurman, Halle Barry, and Paris Hilton; sadly none of whom were present tonight.
We had a great time and met some cool people. If only we could live this lifestyle every day!
Felix High Society Club celebrates Ladies Night on Mondays, so I went there with a couple of girlfriends. A new friend of mine invited us, which allowed us skip the line access, a private section, and unlimited drinks. We were treated to glitter covered men in underwear, a strip show (complete with a patriotic German flag) and a giant bottle of vodka.
The club has been frequented by the likes of Vin Diesel, Uma Thurman, Halle Barry, and Paris Hilton; sadly none of whom were present tonight.
We had a great time and met some cool people. If only we could live this lifestyle every day!
June 10th 2012
Amidst the fun of the city, it's easy to forget the sad aspects of Berlin's history.
My tour with Alternative Berlin featured spots in the Jewish Quarter. In this area the history is more evident then ever. The picture on the right is from the Jewish cemetery. There was a large hill, grown over with grass in the middle of the area. This is a mass grave, created after World War II, with an unknown number of Jewish people buried in it. It was extremely sobering to contemplate the size of the mound.
All along the tour, we came across gold stones embedded in the ground. They are part of a global project, where communities come together to research the families that once lived in their neighbourhoods. Any individuals who died during the war are commemorated with a gold stone that is funded by the community.
Berlin is such a beautiful city that it is easy to forget that 90% of the city was destroyed only a few decades ago. There are still some buildings that have yet to be renovated. The second photo below shows how some buildings still bare the marks of war.
Other buildings will never be renovated. The third photo below shows a house that was so demolished that only a small wall remains. A local artist marked the wall with the name of the families who once lived there.
Of course, we cannot forget the other groups of people who suffered during the war. The final photo is of a a commemorative plaque for homosexual individuals who were killed during the war.
Berlin is certainly a different city then it was a few decades ago, yet, the evidence of its past still remains.
My tour with Alternative Berlin featured spots in the Jewish Quarter. In this area the history is more evident then ever. The picture on the right is from the Jewish cemetery. There was a large hill, grown over with grass in the middle of the area. This is a mass grave, created after World War II, with an unknown number of Jewish people buried in it. It was extremely sobering to contemplate the size of the mound.
All along the tour, we came across gold stones embedded in the ground. They are part of a global project, where communities come together to research the families that once lived in their neighbourhoods. Any individuals who died during the war are commemorated with a gold stone that is funded by the community.
Berlin is such a beautiful city that it is easy to forget that 90% of the city was destroyed only a few decades ago. There are still some buildings that have yet to be renovated. The second photo below shows how some buildings still bare the marks of war.
Other buildings will never be renovated. The third photo below shows a house that was so demolished that only a small wall remains. A local artist marked the wall with the name of the families who once lived there.
Of course, we cannot forget the other groups of people who suffered during the war. The final photo is of a a commemorative plaque for homosexual individuals who were killed during the war.
Berlin is certainly a different city then it was a few decades ago, yet, the evidence of its past still remains.
June 9th 2012
Dress courtesy of: http://something-old-clothing.myshopify.com/
Spending so much time in Berlin has unearthed an interest in me that I didn't know existed; street art
I had the pleasure of going on a tour hosted by Alternative Berlin. Among other sites, I had the chance to view more of the street art Mecca that is Berlin. This time, I was accompanied by a street art expert. This made all the difference, as I got to know the stories behind the pieces, rather than just appreciate them. Here are a few of my favorites listed:
#1: An old Czech cartoon featured a little girl named Lucy and her best friend, a cat. Lucy was reinvented and is now found all over Berlin, however, she is not as loving towards her cat any more....
#5: This mechanical monster moves! There is an entire gallery of monsters that is only open at night. I hope to go back at some point!
#8: The Portuguese artist who makes these pieces has an extremely unique style- he uses explosives to blow out the pieces! Do you recognize the phrase written on the piece? It's actually a giant commercial for Levi's! We saw three of them in down town Berlin.
#9- Recognize this? It's MTV's logo! The piece has been around longer than the logo, so there is no question which came first!
#12- This is a portrait of one of the most prolific street artists in Berlin. He always does the same thing- the number 6. He spends 6 hours a day riding around Berlin painting 6's. When questioned as to why, he states "to improve the internet signal".
I had the pleasure of going on a tour hosted by Alternative Berlin. Among other sites, I had the chance to view more of the street art Mecca that is Berlin. This time, I was accompanied by a street art expert. This made all the difference, as I got to know the stories behind the pieces, rather than just appreciate them. Here are a few of my favorites listed:
#1: An old Czech cartoon featured a little girl named Lucy and her best friend, a cat. Lucy was reinvented and is now found all over Berlin, however, she is not as loving towards her cat any more....
#5: This mechanical monster moves! There is an entire gallery of monsters that is only open at night. I hope to go back at some point!
#8: The Portuguese artist who makes these pieces has an extremely unique style- he uses explosives to blow out the pieces! Do you recognize the phrase written on the piece? It's actually a giant commercial for Levi's! We saw three of them in down town Berlin.
#9- Recognize this? It's MTV's logo! The piece has been around longer than the logo, so there is no question which came first!
#12- This is a portrait of one of the most prolific street artists in Berlin. He always does the same thing- the number 6. He spends 6 hours a day riding around Berlin painting 6's. When questioned as to why, he states "to improve the internet signal".
June 8th 2012
It's Friday, which means pizza and beer day with my new friends!
It has been great meeting so many different people in Berlin. By a stroke of irony, the two girls I spend the most time talking to are both Canadians. Maybe the Canuck bond runs deeper then I knew!
The girls and I have been planning a road trip for next weekend... so stayed tuned to find out where we are going! I've spent 4 weeks in Berlin, it's time to go capital hopping and make the most of the beautiful European summer!
It has been great meeting so many different people in Berlin. By a stroke of irony, the two girls I spend the most time talking to are both Canadians. Maybe the Canuck bond runs deeper then I knew!
The girls and I have been planning a road trip for next weekend... so stayed tuned to find out where we are going! I've spent 4 weeks in Berlin, it's time to go capital hopping and make the most of the beautiful European summer!
June 7th 2012
Who would have thought that it would take me a month to have some German food?
I went out for dinner with a couple of girlfriends and ended up in a German restaurant. It was pretty clear that the restaurant is for tourists (the menu being available in every language but German was a hint), but the food was certainly not typical North American fare.
My dinner of sausages, sauerkraut and potatoes was quite good. The other girls had a veal sausage with pretzel meal and an egg, cheese, and bread mix. Although nothing was out of this world, it was all good. It was a fun experience to finally eat some 'typical' food.
I went out for dinner with a couple of girlfriends and ended up in a German restaurant. It was pretty clear that the restaurant is for tourists (the menu being available in every language but German was a hint), but the food was certainly not typical North American fare.
My dinner of sausages, sauerkraut and potatoes was quite good. The other girls had a veal sausage with pretzel meal and an egg, cheese, and bread mix. Although nothing was out of this world, it was all good. It was a fun experience to finally eat some 'typical' food.
June 6th 2012
The TV tower is an iconic symbol of Berlin. I was able to visit the tower today, courtesy of GetYourGuide! They had three VIP passes, and I had the pleasure of going with two friends.
Although the weather left much to be desired, the view was still very beautiful. It was very cool to be able to see a 360 degree view of Berlin! The city sprawls for what seems like forever. Monuments, refurbished buildings, GDR buildings, and modern fixtures mash together in a metropolitan mess that could only be a European capital. It is astonishing to think that a large part of this city was flattened only decades ago.
Enjoy the panoramic images from atop the tower! Welcome to Berlin- it's a beautiful place!
Although the weather left much to be desired, the view was still very beautiful. It was very cool to be able to see a 360 degree view of Berlin! The city sprawls for what seems like forever. Monuments, refurbished buildings, GDR buildings, and modern fixtures mash together in a metropolitan mess that could only be a European capital. It is astonishing to think that a large part of this city was flattened only decades ago.
Enjoy the panoramic images from atop the tower! Welcome to Berlin- it's a beautiful place!
June 5th 2012
Most of the places that I have visited have been very different culturally from Canada in comparison to Germany. Perhaps it is for this reason that the small differences seem like such a novelty. Neither country is doing it the right or wrong way- it is just different and I love pointing those things out.
Why are the eggs stored on the shelf next to the cereals? Don't they need to be in the fridge?
Why does the milk cost 50 cents? Why is it not refrigerated prior to being opened? Why does it not expire for three months?
Why can I find chocolate yogurt, but not plain?
The mysteries of living in Berlin...
Why are the eggs stored on the shelf next to the cereals? Don't they need to be in the fridge?
Why does the milk cost 50 cents? Why is it not refrigerated prior to being opened? Why does it not expire for three months?
Why can I find chocolate yogurt, but not plain?
The mysteries of living in Berlin...
June 4th 2012
There are people drinking beer on the subway!
Lots of them! Almost every day! I have a feeling that if a group of people walked onto a Canadian bus drinking beers they would have to deal with the police.
If drinking on public transport isn't your thing, you can join a beer bus! Pictured on the left, these tours drive you around the major sights in Berlin. You can sit back, enjoy a beer, and watch the world go by.
Lots of them! Almost every day! I have a feeling that if a group of people walked onto a Canadian bus drinking beers they would have to deal with the police.
If drinking on public transport isn't your thing, you can join a beer bus! Pictured on the left, these tours drive you around the major sights in Berlin. You can sit back, enjoy a beer, and watch the world go by.
June 3rd 2012
History is everywhere and no where at the same time.
Although the Berlin wall came down in 1989, relics still remain to help us remember the times when Berlin was a captive city. A 1-mile section of the wall exists today, but the rest of the wall is long gone. In it's place is a cobblestone path marking the path the wall once covered. The path goes through walls, parks, and huge intersections. The city has changed a lot in 13 years.
Although the Berlin wall came down in 1989, relics still remain to help us remember the times when Berlin was a captive city. A 1-mile section of the wall exists today, but the rest of the wall is long gone. In it's place is a cobblestone path marking the path the wall once covered. The path goes through walls, parks, and huge intersections. The city has changed a lot in 13 years.
June 2nd 2012
With the exception of about 2 years of my life, I have always had pets. I miss having one now, but, thankfully, there are a lot of distract me here!
Dogs on the tram, dogs in bars, dogs in the bakery, dogs on the subway, dogs everywhere! Many are off leash and most are silent. I don't think I've heard a dog bark since getting here!
My body is very sore from the run yesterday. I tried to take it as a sign to go to the gym, but Groupon rejected my foreign Visa. Maybe that's a sign not to join a gym?
Dogs on the tram, dogs in bars, dogs in the bakery, dogs on the subway, dogs everywhere! Many are off leash and most are silent. I don't think I've heard a dog bark since getting here!
My body is very sore from the run yesterday. I tried to take it as a sign to go to the gym, but Groupon rejected my foreign Visa. Maybe that's a sign not to join a gym?
June 1st 2012
My body hurts!
There was a massive corporate race hosted near Brandenburg Gate today. Around 6000 runners participated and I was one of them! I managed to finish the run without walking too much, but it was definitely one of the most physically difficult things that I have done in a while. The route was similar to the Trabi route I took yesterday, but it was harder to enjoy the sights when running than it was driving.
There was a massive corporate race hosted near Brandenburg Gate today. Around 6000 runners participated and I was one of them! I managed to finish the run without walking too much, but it was definitely one of the most physically difficult things that I have done in a while. The route was similar to the Trabi route I took yesterday, but it was harder to enjoy the sights when running than it was driving.
May 31st 2012
1 month into my 2012 Mega Vacation! How to celebrate? Maybe a driving tour in a famous Trabi?
Somehow I was enticed into becoming the driver of our Trabi. Not only do I not drive standard/manual cars, but Berlin cyclists make driving a nightmare! The gear shift was on the wheel and the three petals were intimidating. By some miracle I only stalled about 5 times, although that was 5 too many on the busy Berlin streets.
Driving an old GDR car was a really cool way of seeing the city. We saw a huge number of sites during a very short amount of time. Since I was driving, photos are limited, but we were participating in a video shoot, so I will provide the video link as soon as I can!
Somehow I was enticed into becoming the driver of our Trabi. Not only do I not drive standard/manual cars, but Berlin cyclists make driving a nightmare! The gear shift was on the wheel and the three petals were intimidating. By some miracle I only stalled about 5 times, although that was 5 too many on the busy Berlin streets.
Driving an old GDR car was a really cool way of seeing the city. We saw a huge number of sites during a very short amount of time. Since I was driving, photos are limited, but we were participating in a video shoot, so I will provide the video link as soon as I can!
May 30th 2012
What food is Berlin well-known for? That would be the Döner Kebab, of course!
Although there is a Curry Wurst stall or two, the main food offering is the döner kebab. The most well-known stand is Mustafa's. The line tends to extend far down the block, regardless of the time of day. Traditionally, Berlin's kebabs normally consist of salad and slow-cooked meat. Mustafa adds in roasted carrots, potatoes, zucchini, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, cabbage, garlic sauce, sauce, lemon juice, and feta cheese. Mmmmmm!
Although there is a Curry Wurst stall or two, the main food offering is the döner kebab. The most well-known stand is Mustafa's. The line tends to extend far down the block, regardless of the time of day. Traditionally, Berlin's kebabs normally consist of salad and slow-cooked meat. Mustafa adds in roasted carrots, potatoes, zucchini, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, cabbage, garlic sauce, sauce, lemon juice, and feta cheese. Mmmmmm!
May 29th 2012
Berlin has the most amazing public transport system that I have ever experienced. Having recently lived in Halifax, where the bus system is very limited, and Ottawa, where strikes and late buses are common place, Berlin's system is more than welcome!
There are 5 main systems; Deutsche Bahn (intercity system), S-Bahn (above ground trains), U-Bahn (underground trains), trams, and buses. Between these systems, you can get anywhere in the city, rarely waiting more than 8 minutes between connections.
There are no toll-booths when getting into the systems or on the vehicles. An honesty policy is employed, and people are expected to buy tickets before using the systems. However, rumour has it that there are policemen who troll the subways looking for people that don't pay. If the value of honesty doesn't make you think twice about not paying, then the 40 Euro fine might!
There are 5 main systems; Deutsche Bahn (intercity system), S-Bahn (above ground trains), U-Bahn (underground trains), trams, and buses. Between these systems, you can get anywhere in the city, rarely waiting more than 8 minutes between connections.
There are no toll-booths when getting into the systems or on the vehicles. An honesty policy is employed, and people are expected to buy tickets before using the systems. However, rumour has it that there are policemen who troll the subways looking for people that don't pay. If the value of honesty doesn't make you think twice about not paying, then the 40 Euro fine might!
May 28th 2012
It's a holiday and the weather is beautiful; what better time to see the iconic Brandenburg Gate?
Berlin was once surrounded by 18 gates, but Brandenburg Gate is the only one that remains. Although it was badly damaged in World War II, it has been restored to its former glory.
The gate names represent the towns that could be reached by following the roads outside the gates. The area is closed to cars, so it would be a long walk to Brandenburg!
Berlin was once surrounded by 18 gates, but Brandenburg Gate is the only one that remains. Although it was badly damaged in World War II, it has been restored to its former glory.
The gate names represent the towns that could be reached by following the roads outside the gates. The area is closed to cars, so it would be a long walk to Brandenburg!
May 27th 2012
Woohoo! Party time!
The second day of the Carnival of Culture was celebrated with a giant parade! The different cultures were even more evident as they made their way through the streets of Berlin. The parade lasted hours, and the different groups were endless!
Check out the third photo below this post to get an idea of the crowds that where present.
The photo to the left is priceless. It seems not everyone is completely accepting of the different people living in Berlin...
The second day of the Carnival of Culture was celebrated with a giant parade! The different cultures were even more evident as they made their way through the streets of Berlin. The parade lasted hours, and the different groups were endless!
Check out the third photo below this post to get an idea of the crowds that where present.
The photo to the left is priceless. It seems not everyone is completely accepting of the different people living in Berlin...
May 26th 2012
Berlin is a haven for expats from a variety of countries.
This weekend is the Carnival of Culture. This festival celebrates the different cultures present in Berlin; the variety of peoples represented was astonishing. There was a variety of food, clothing, and decorations for sale. I went to the carnival with six people, most of who are friends from work.
One of the most interesting parts of the day was seeing all the different Berliners out and about. Berlin is such a cosmopolitan city, and the dressing style of the inhabitants show that. There are more people with bright hair, leather pants, and hippy clothing here then anywhere else I have been. It truly is a melting pot of culture, language, and style.
This weekend is the Carnival of Culture. This festival celebrates the different cultures present in Berlin; the variety of peoples represented was astonishing. There was a variety of food, clothing, and decorations for sale. I went to the carnival with six people, most of who are friends from work.
One of the most interesting parts of the day was seeing all the different Berliners out and about. Berlin is such a cosmopolitan city, and the dressing style of the inhabitants show that. There are more people with bright hair, leather pants, and hippy clothing here then anywhere else I have been. It truly is a melting pot of culture, language, and style.
May 25th 2012
Maybe I should rename this blog "Weird Things Germans Do". Things do keep getting weirder...
When I checked the mail there were three package notification slips. They were from three different companies. I got quite excited as I am waiting for a few packages to arrive (speaking of which, there are some exciting things coming for the blog...). After some Google translating I realized that the notifications said "signed for by neighbour ______" with a hand written name. I thought I recognized one of the names from walking by their door daily, so I headed down the stairs. Sure enough when I knocked on the door marked with that name the habitant produced my package. Unfortunately, the other two slips had different last names marked on them. It took me a good amount of time to find the other two neighbours. Sadly, none of the packages ended up being for me (Eric got a lot of things from Amazon though!). So, my news will have to wait...
Could you imagine if Canada Post dropped your packages off at your neighbour's house if you weren't home? Just another thing to add to the list of things that are different in Germany!
When I checked the mail there were three package notification slips. They were from three different companies. I got quite excited as I am waiting for a few packages to arrive (speaking of which, there are some exciting things coming for the blog...). After some Google translating I realized that the notifications said "signed for by neighbour ______" with a hand written name. I thought I recognized one of the names from walking by their door daily, so I headed down the stairs. Sure enough when I knocked on the door marked with that name the habitant produced my package. Unfortunately, the other two slips had different last names marked on them. It took me a good amount of time to find the other two neighbours. Sadly, none of the packages ended up being for me (Eric got a lot of things from Amazon though!). So, my news will have to wait...
Could you imagine if Canada Post dropped your packages off at your neighbour's house if you weren't home? Just another thing to add to the list of things that are different in Germany!
May 24th 2012
My roomates enjoy watching economic debates and talk shows. Although it is near impossible for me to keep up the the dialogue, one thing is certain- in unsure economic times, Germany is considered one of the strongest economies. However, there are a few things that may contribute to this.
There is no minimum wage in Germany. There are thousands of recently graduated people working for less than $500 a month. However, the average apartment is around $300 per month. It is not a good situation when it comes to saving for your future, but it is more than possible to live off $500 a month in Berlin. I'm not convinced that it would be so easy in other cities. That being said, I imagine that it pigeon-holes people from being able to move away. Someone making a typical wage here would have a lot of trouble saving up enough money to moved to a city with a higher cost of living. However, university is virtually free, which means students have no debt if they manage their spending well.
There is no minimum wage in Germany. There are thousands of recently graduated people working for less than $500 a month. However, the average apartment is around $300 per month. It is not a good situation when it comes to saving for your future, but it is more than possible to live off $500 a month in Berlin. I'm not convinced that it would be so easy in other cities. That being said, I imagine that it pigeon-holes people from being able to move away. Someone making a typical wage here would have a lot of trouble saving up enough money to moved to a city with a higher cost of living. However, university is virtually free, which means students have no debt if they manage their spending well.
May 23rd 2012
Before I write this post, let me say, I know I have no right to complain. I am living in a beautiful city, in a foreign country, enjoying opportunities that most people could only dream of. However, I believe that everyone is entitled to a bad day and today is mine.
I haven't been sleeping well. I blame the German pillows. What could be wrong the an entire nations pillows? Take a look at the photo next to this post. The pillowcase in the left of the photo is a typical North American pillowcase. On the left is a German pillow. A big square pillow. They are thin and soft, which makes them bunch up in their bases. I wake up five times a night to adjust mine. Ironically, my bed is way to hard, which makes for a weird comparison. I hope to find a method is dealing with it soon, as the lack of sleep is starting to wear on me. Seriously though, tonight, put two 'normal' pillows side by side above your head and try to sleep. If you find a comfortable position, let me know. I may even send you some German beer as a thank you gift.
I haven't been sleeping well. I blame the German pillows. What could be wrong the an entire nations pillows? Take a look at the photo next to this post. The pillowcase in the left of the photo is a typical North American pillowcase. On the left is a German pillow. A big square pillow. They are thin and soft, which makes them bunch up in their bases. I wake up five times a night to adjust mine. Ironically, my bed is way to hard, which makes for a weird comparison. I hope to find a method is dealing with it soon, as the lack of sleep is starting to wear on me. Seriously though, tonight, put two 'normal' pillows side by side above your head and try to sleep. If you find a comfortable position, let me know. I may even send you some German beer as a thank you gift.
May 22nd 2012
I hate to reinforce stereotypes, but Germans do like to follow the rules.
The crosswalks in Berlin feature the Ampelmannch, a green (and sometimes red, of course) man who is supposed to represent a good socialist worker heading to support his nation. However, it is not the design that is so surprising, it is how people react to it. In most places I have ever been, people cross the road (assuming there are no cars) when the red signal is present. In Berlin, massive groups of people will stand on the corner waiting for the signal to change, even if there are no cars in sight.
After getting yelled at my an older German lady when I J-walked this morning, I think I will be taking a page out of the Berliner book.
The crosswalks in Berlin feature the Ampelmannch, a green (and sometimes red, of course) man who is supposed to represent a good socialist worker heading to support his nation. However, it is not the design that is so surprising, it is how people react to it. In most places I have ever been, people cross the road (assuming there are no cars) when the red signal is present. In Berlin, massive groups of people will stand on the corner waiting for the signal to change, even if there are no cars in sight.
After getting yelled at my an older German lady when I J-walked this morning, I think I will be taking a page out of the Berliner book.
May 21st 2012
Weird fact: The apartments in Berlin aren't numbered. Instead there is a plaque with the last name of the family living there. Or, in my case, the person who signed the lease as the primary tenant.
When my friend showed up to bring me to language class this evening I told him I was in apartment 9 (I'm the 9th on from the bottom and hadn't realized that my door didn't have a number on it). I found him wandering the halls aimlessly. I suppose that I should have told him that I was living in the apartment "Eric".
When my friend showed up to bring me to language class this evening I told him I was in apartment 9 (I'm the 9th on from the bottom and hadn't realized that my door didn't have a number on it). I found him wandering the halls aimlessly. I suppose that I should have told him that I was living in the apartment "Eric".
May 20th 2012
Berlin is a haven for artists of every kind, including street artists. These artists have decided to use Berlin's buildings, vehicles, and street lights as their mediums.
These photos were taken on a photo tour that I went on with a few new friends. It was really cool to see a different side of Berlin; one that represents the vibe that you feel when walking down the street. Berlin is fun, cool, and young; these artists express that.
Take a look at the photos- click on them they will enlarge.
These photos were taken on a photo tour that I went on with a few new friends. It was really cool to see a different side of Berlin; one that represents the vibe that you feel when walking down the street. Berlin is fun, cool, and young; these artists express that.
Take a look at the photos- click on them they will enlarge.
May 19th 2012
Who knew grocery shopping would be so hard?
The fruits and veggies are easy. Although it is a bit hard knowing which items are local (compared to imported), there is no mistaking a potato and an apple. 7
However, things got more difficult in the dairy isle. There was milk in the fridge and milk on the shelf. Which was the kind of milk we have in Canada?
I thought finding yogurt was easy, until I looked closer. The options were cherry, raspberry, and chocolate. Chocolate??
Finally, the meat department; things didn't go well at all. I was looking for ground beef, but the poster in the section had photos of cows, chickens, pigs, rabbits, and horses on it. Since I was not looking for a surprise flavor of meat, I decided to skip the meat.
I think I may need to bring a dictionary next time...
The fruits and veggies are easy. Although it is a bit hard knowing which items are local (compared to imported), there is no mistaking a potato and an apple. 7
However, things got more difficult in the dairy isle. There was milk in the fridge and milk on the shelf. Which was the kind of milk we have in Canada?
I thought finding yogurt was easy, until I looked closer. The options were cherry, raspberry, and chocolate. Chocolate??
Finally, the meat department; things didn't go well at all. I was looking for ground beef, but the poster in the section had photos of cows, chickens, pigs, rabbits, and horses on it. Since I was not looking for a surprise flavor of meat, I decided to skip the meat.
I think I may need to bring a dictionary next time...
May 18th 2012
I lasted 2 weeks without a cellphone.
I wasn't terribly bothered, but my roommates were worries about me being out and about without one. I laugh when I consider some of the places I've been alone- they are likely much more dangerous than downtown Berlin.
My roommates are all gone for the long weekend, so to placate them, I went to get a phone. It was SO easy! The Media Mart (equivalent of Best Buy) has bins full of phones. They vary from simple $18 phones to $400 smartphones. The phones are bought at the cashier with no need to purchase a contract. To get a SIM card you pay 9 Euros, but it comes with 10 Euros in free credit! No $30 activation fees, no commitment to a contract, less than $18 gets you a fully functioning phone that you can top of with credit any time you need.
The most shocking part? Calls and texts to anywhere in the world is 10 cents a minute. The costs and commitments are so different in Canada, that I have to wonder, why is the Canadian system so expensive?
To celebrate the weekend, many of the people of my office had pizza and beer together. Happy Friday!
I wasn't terribly bothered, but my roommates were worries about me being out and about without one. I laugh when I consider some of the places I've been alone- they are likely much more dangerous than downtown Berlin.
My roommates are all gone for the long weekend, so to placate them, I went to get a phone. It was SO easy! The Media Mart (equivalent of Best Buy) has bins full of phones. They vary from simple $18 phones to $400 smartphones. The phones are bought at the cashier with no need to purchase a contract. To get a SIM card you pay 9 Euros, but it comes with 10 Euros in free credit! No $30 activation fees, no commitment to a contract, less than $18 gets you a fully functioning phone that you can top of with credit any time you need.
The most shocking part? Calls and texts to anywhere in the world is 10 cents a minute. The costs and commitments are so different in Canada, that I have to wonder, why is the Canadian system so expensive?
To celebrate the weekend, many of the people of my office had pizza and beer together. Happy Friday!
May 17th 2012
Happy Father's Day! Confused? You should be!
In Germany Father's Day is celebrated on Ascension Day. In Berlin, they refer to it as Men's Day (Mannertag). It is a national holiday in Germany. Traditionally, groups of boys spend the day physically pulling a wagon full of wine and beer along a hiking path. I'm sure that you can surmise what happened when they reached their destination. Today, most men skip to the end part and have a party. These gentlemen's parties are especially common in Berlin, where the majority of people take Friday off as well, making it a 4 day weekend.
I celebrated the day by going to a party for international people living in Berlin (commonly known as expats). It was hosted at a bar within walking distance from my flat. There were about 50 people in attendance. Although I didn't get the chance to meet everyone, it was great to get to know more people in the city!
In Germany Father's Day is celebrated on Ascension Day. In Berlin, they refer to it as Men's Day (Mannertag). It is a national holiday in Germany. Traditionally, groups of boys spend the day physically pulling a wagon full of wine and beer along a hiking path. I'm sure that you can surmise what happened when they reached their destination. Today, most men skip to the end part and have a party. These gentlemen's parties are especially common in Berlin, where the majority of people take Friday off as well, making it a 4 day weekend.
I celebrated the day by going to a party for international people living in Berlin (commonly known as expats). It was hosted at a bar within walking distance from my flat. There were about 50 people in attendance. Although I didn't get the chance to meet everyone, it was great to get to know more people in the city!
May 16th 2012
Home sweet home!
I thought that I would share some photos of my flat. Like my office, it is themed red, which I love! It seems the people around me have the same style as me when it comes to colors.
I had a great day at work. From now on I will not be writing about my work, unless it is something exceptional in order to respect the privacy of the company.
I am still a bit ill from last week, so I am heading to bed early. Tomorrow is a holiday, so I need to rest up so that I can make the most of it!
I thought that I would share some photos of my flat. Like my office, it is themed red, which I love! It seems the people around me have the same style as me when it comes to colors.
I had a great day at work. From now on I will not be writing about my work, unless it is something exceptional in order to respect the privacy of the company.
I am still a bit ill from last week, so I am heading to bed early. Tomorrow is a holiday, so I need to rest up so that I can make the most of it!
May 15th 2012
Please forgive my vagueness in the following post. It is necessary in order to respect the privacy of the company for which I am freelancing.
Today was my first day working for an international travel company. Berlin is one of their multinational offices and I have the pleasure of working here. The office is on an upper floor of a building that is well-known for its architecture. The office doesn't disappoint in the design department. The office is red and white, which are my favorite colors. The meeting rooms are encased in glass, which gives the office a really open feeling. There is also a kitchen, complete with island, and a living room with comfy red couches.
Why is there a kitchen you ask? The food is catered, which is nice, since the work hours for me are 9am-6pm. Meals are particularly enjoyable since everyone in the office is very friendly! The staff is very international, which makes for a real great vibe!
I spent the evening watching football (soccer) with my roommates. It turns out that this game decides whether one of Berlin's teams (they have two) will continue in the first league or move into the second league. It all seems terribly dramatic...
Today was my first day working for an international travel company. Berlin is one of their multinational offices and I have the pleasure of working here. The office is on an upper floor of a building that is well-known for its architecture. The office doesn't disappoint in the design department. The office is red and white, which are my favorite colors. The meeting rooms are encased in glass, which gives the office a really open feeling. There is also a kitchen, complete with island, and a living room with comfy red couches.
Why is there a kitchen you ask? The food is catered, which is nice, since the work hours for me are 9am-6pm. Meals are particularly enjoyable since everyone in the office is very friendly! The staff is very international, which makes for a real great vibe!
I spent the evening watching football (soccer) with my roommates. It turns out that this game decides whether one of Berlin's teams (they have two) will continue in the first league or move into the second league. It all seems terribly dramatic...
May 14th 2012
I find myself repeating the mantra 'I must not spend money on unnecessary things' far too often. When packing everything up to move here, I came to the realization that I own far too many things. After leaving 90% of my material items behind (and still ending up with two suitcases and two smaller bags packed to the rim) I decided to try and curb my purchasing. Today, this was a real struggle.
The bright pink building in my photo is 'Alexa', the shopping mall in the middle of Berlin. The mall is several stories tall and filled with many different types of stores. I spent the afternoon here with my friend Marie. Things got difficult when we found the Zara store. Prices were a fraction of what they are in their Ottawa store. It was the same story in H&M and MANGO. The summer clothing is out and colors are bright! I had a very hard time keeping my wallet closed, but somehow I succeeded.
The bright pink building in my photo is 'Alexa', the shopping mall in the middle of Berlin. The mall is several stories tall and filled with many different types of stores. I spent the afternoon here with my friend Marie. Things got difficult when we found the Zara store. Prices were a fraction of what they are in their Ottawa store. It was the same story in H&M and MANGO. The summer clothing is out and colors are bright! I had a very hard time keeping my wallet closed, but somehow I succeeded.
May 13th 2012
Happy Mother's Day (in particular to my wonderful mother)! I had the pleasure of spending this special day at the Berlin Zoo, which was shockingly bare. I suppose most mothers would rather relax than walk the massive park.
I went with my roommate Eric, Eric's friends Anna and Anselm, and my friend Marie. The park is amazing! We managed to cover two thirds of it during our six hour visit. The highlight of the visit was seeing the newborn elephant. He was born four days ago, making him the youngest elephant that I have ever seen (I never thought I'd see one younger than the four week old one in Africa). His is unnamed at the moment, but he is very cute! There was also an impressive variety of big cats and an interactive monkey area.
It was a really great day! I loved seeing a new part of Berlin. It was also nice to take the tram, which was a great way to see my surroundings. Plus, it was great to see my two friends, and make two more!
I went with my roommate Eric, Eric's friends Anna and Anselm, and my friend Marie. The park is amazing! We managed to cover two thirds of it during our six hour visit. The highlight of the visit was seeing the newborn elephant. He was born four days ago, making him the youngest elephant that I have ever seen (I never thought I'd see one younger than the four week old one in Africa). His is unnamed at the moment, but he is very cute! There was also an impressive variety of big cats and an interactive monkey area.
It was a really great day! I loved seeing a new part of Berlin. It was also nice to take the tram, which was a great way to see my surroundings. Plus, it was great to see my two friends, and make two more!
I'm travelling to Croatia from May 3rd to May 12th 2012. Head over to the Croatia 2012 blog to read all about it!
May 2nd 2012
The tight timing (less than an hour) between landing in London and leaving for Berlin didn't end up being an issue, as the second flight was delayed an hour. Marie (the girl I met in Montreal) and I joined the boys for breakfast while we waited. Time started to get short, so the two of us headed off to the departure gate, while the boys stayed to finish eating. Marie and I were some of the last people to get on the plane. The boys never made it to the plane, I can only imagine that they were still upstairs making videos about English Breakfasts when the plane took off. That might just end up being a very costly blog post for them!
Customs in Berlin was amazingly simple. I handed over my passport and got a stamp- no questions, no bag searches, nothing! Marie and I found a taxi and headed to her hotel in downtown Berlin. After storing our bags in her room we took some time to walk around Berlin. It is beautiful, clean, and has such a fun vibe! Everyone we saw seemed to be under 40 years old. There are bars, clubs, and restaurants everywhere. We had lunch at a little restaurant (luckily our waiter spoke English, because I don't know how to order anything other than a beer in German). Ein Bier bitte!
At 7pm I headed to my new apartment. It is very close to the downtown and minutes away from the Metro. I will be living with a friend whom I met in France and his two roommates. The flat is adorable, and surprised clean for having three boys living in it! We had dinner and got to know each other. Two of the boys speak excellent English, which will make things a lot easier for me until I improve at speaking.
This is just a quick stopover in Berlin- tomorrow I am heading to Croatia for a sailing trip!
Back to living the dream!
Customs in Berlin was amazingly simple. I handed over my passport and got a stamp- no questions, no bag searches, nothing! Marie and I found a taxi and headed to her hotel in downtown Berlin. After storing our bags in her room we took some time to walk around Berlin. It is beautiful, clean, and has such a fun vibe! Everyone we saw seemed to be under 40 years old. There are bars, clubs, and restaurants everywhere. We had lunch at a little restaurant (luckily our waiter spoke English, because I don't know how to order anything other than a beer in German). Ein Bier bitte!
At 7pm I headed to my new apartment. It is very close to the downtown and minutes away from the Metro. I will be living with a friend whom I met in France and his two roommates. The flat is adorable, and surprised clean for having three boys living in it! We had dinner and got to know each other. Two of the boys speak excellent English, which will make things a lot easier for me until I improve at speaking.
This is just a quick stopover in Berlin- tomorrow I am heading to Croatia for a sailing trip!
Back to living the dream!
May 1st 2012
Here we go again! After 4 months in Canada I am heading off on my next adventure. First stop, Dubrovnik, Croatia! I have a bit of a round about route to get there (spanning over 3 days, 7 cities and a layover in Berlin), but it will be worth it when I arrive!
I left Ottawa at 5:30pm. I took VIA rail to Montreal, which was amazing efficient. Although it takes longer than flying in terms of actual transit time, you only need to be there a few minutes in advance and there is no need to wait for your bags at the other end. In my case, it was easier to take the train to Montreal and then take a shuttle to the Montreal Trudeau airport. I had a lovely Shuttle driver named Steve, who helped me to manage my 4 bags (Hey! You need a lot of stuff for seven months on vacation!).
My British Airways flight was direct to London. By some stroke of odd luck, the 3 boys in front of me and the girl behind me were all continuing onto Berlin. The boys are starting a backpacking trip from Berlin, while the girl is living in Berlin all summer. None of them speak German either, yet will be looking for employment; there might be hope for me after all!
All kidding aside, for those who do not know, I will be working as a freelance Internet content writer for an international travel company. It affords me a lot of travel, while getting me in the door of the industry. Is it the perfect job for me or what?
Well, it's and overnight flight and dinner has already been served (a surprisingly good chicken, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and Carmel cheesecake; someone remind me to add British Airways to my list of tasty airplane foods). That being said, it's time for a nap!
I left Ottawa at 5:30pm. I took VIA rail to Montreal, which was amazing efficient. Although it takes longer than flying in terms of actual transit time, you only need to be there a few minutes in advance and there is no need to wait for your bags at the other end. In my case, it was easier to take the train to Montreal and then take a shuttle to the Montreal Trudeau airport. I had a lovely Shuttle driver named Steve, who helped me to manage my 4 bags (Hey! You need a lot of stuff for seven months on vacation!).
My British Airways flight was direct to London. By some stroke of odd luck, the 3 boys in front of me and the girl behind me were all continuing onto Berlin. The boys are starting a backpacking trip from Berlin, while the girl is living in Berlin all summer. None of them speak German either, yet will be looking for employment; there might be hope for me after all!
All kidding aside, for those who do not know, I will be working as a freelance Internet content writer for an international travel company. It affords me a lot of travel, while getting me in the door of the industry. Is it the perfect job for me or what?
Well, it's and overnight flight and dinner has already been served (a surprisingly good chicken, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and Carmel cheesecake; someone remind me to add British Airways to my list of tasty airplane foods). That being said, it's time for a nap!
