It has been an interesting week, to say the least: full of plenty of highs and a handful of lows… but nothing that I can’t handle.
On Sunday I headed down to the Hauptbahnhof to meet up with Aimee. She and I ended up in the same German course in 2011, and both moved to Berlin last summer. However, she left the week I arrived, having only lived in Berlin for a summer internship. But in February, having graduated, she moved from California to Halle to live with her boyfriend. The two happened to be in town for the weekend, so we met up before they left to go back home. It was nice to be talking with a Californian who is essentially going through many of the same things I am. While I am not actively seeking out fellow American friends here in such an international city, it’s still nice to reconnect with reminders of home.
On my way home from the train station, I had a hankering for some falafel, so I stopped off at the corner restaurant, Nour, and picked up a falafel wrap to go. Mind you, it is one of the better falafels I’ve had since living in Berlin. I’ve since been back there three times this week, although admittedly two of the times were to accompany M., and only one of them was for another falafel.
Immediately after eating, I decided to do some German work, and went through one of the Willi Wiberg stories, which I had read in bed to M. the night before. I re-read the story, this time focusing not on the pronunciation, but on writing down new or strange words, as part of my vocabulary list for the week. Of course, not all of them are particularly practical words, so working “helicopter” and “toolbox” into everyday conversation hasn’t been entirely easy… but I’ve managed.
On Sunday evening, M. was feeling sick, and he woke up feeling even worse on Monday, so he called in sick to work. After sleeping a bit longer, we made copies of my renter’s agreement, and he went off to the doctor, while I took care of some shopping, in addition to heading over to a little cafe in the neighborhood, New Deli. I was a bit disappointed in the lack of vegan options, but settled for a coffee, which was OK. All in all, I like the concept, but don’t think the place is really my thing. Oh well.
Next, I made my way to the Bürgeramt in order to register under my new address. It’s more of a formality than anything , but it’s still nice to be up to date on my records. With the lease paperwork in hand, it was easy, with the actual waiting time for my appointment lasting longer than the appointment itself. But now, I am officially a Kreuzbergerin.
That afternoon I worked for a few hours while M. napped next to me, and in the evening we made an awesome vegan eggplant lasagna together. Then I headed to see Uh Huh Her at Magnet Club. The show was merely alright, as it was probably the least enjoyable or friendly concert I’ve experienced here in Berlin. Too bad, since the band members are super sweet and the music is pretty good too. But the nice thing about being put on the guest list is that I don’t ever feel like a show was a waste of my time/money.
Tuesday was another leisurely day. In the early afternoon I made some vegan peanut butter cookies, since M. is a fan. Then I worked a few hours, and headed down to Mitte to Roter Salon for an interview with Boy & Bear. Afterward, I had a couple hours to kill, so I headed out to go shopping for some new jeans (and scored a new dress and hoodie too) and took in the sites and sounds of the area.
On my way back, I stopped at Kaffeemitte – which seemed to be the only cafe with wifi in the area that was still open at 8 p.m. There I did some writing and had a beer, before heading back to the venue.
At around 8:45, I packed up my belongings and walked the few blocks back to Roter Salon, arriving just in time for the band to begin playing. The set was lively and enjoyable, and the crowd was pleasant, dancing and singing along. I realized then that Boy & Bear is like Mumford & Sons, only not boring.
When I made my way back home, I arrived to meet a cranky and sicker M. Shortly after, he took a shower and then we went to sleep, hoping to sleep late the following morning, and wake up well-rested.
We woke up to sunshine, and after breakfast together, opted to take advantage of the warmth and walk down to Tanne B, where I promptly devoured vegan chocolate and coconut ice cream. Close by and delicious! After my necessary ice cream stop, we spent the remainder of the day taking it easy, as M. wanted to get better and I wanted to avoid getting sick.
The next two days were relatively uneventful; M. and I both worked. On Thursday evening, he went to band practice, while I finished “The Marriage Plot,” which I loved, and started “Invisible,” which I am 25% of the way through, and also enjoying.
Friday was more of the same, but it was also a particularly significant day, considering that my darling kitty, Ellasaurus Pinot Noir Tortoise (or Ella), turned eight. She may be a fickle and grumpy cat a lot of the time, but she’s my girl, and I love her.
And then, it was finally the weekend…
Leave a Comment