Top 5 Berlin for Beginners...

Holy.

Shit.

So... turns out these rumours we all hear about how awesome Berlin is are absolutely, totally, 100%...

TRUE.

I can't get enough.  Apparently I am going through a phase of Berlin called the Berlin Adoleszenz- where you go wild exploring it all, before settling down.  I can't actually begin to start writing what I have been up to....A brief run through would include hot tubs in the snow, record label Christmas parties in riverside basement clubs, Fire-punch (a traditional German drink made of mulled wine and rum... together) Turkish markets, reggae jams and a lot of wine.  

And thing is, reading that list makes me feel completely underwhelmed because it doesn't come anywhere close to matching the reality.  Everything basically escapes description.  I have mostly been walking about somewhere between childlike wonder and buzzed up club maniac excitement.

So, in the spirit of helping me get some direction, here are my top five Berlin points so far.



5.  You can do and wear whatever the hell you want.  

The U-Bahn (an initial big fear for me) is full to the brim with absolutely brilliantly weird, stylish insane and creep as hell people.  Its a people watcher's wet dream.  In Ireland, I had a whole segment of my wardrobe which I loved but never had the balls to wear.  Here, not only have a cracked out a few of my favourites, but have been complimented on them too.  

Fashion wise, anything goes. 
Drinking wise, anything goes. 
Party wise, anything goes. 

While waiting for some friends in Schlesishes Tor U Bahn station in Kreuzberg, I was approached and offered a threesome.  It took me a good while to actually figure out what was going on, and weirdly, it was actually a totally good natured, casual conversation.  (The two questions I have had the most with this story- 1.  They were a reasonably attractive couple, yes.  2.  No, I did not take them up on it, but thanked them all the same.  Its a compliment in a weird way, right?)

That said, don't dare jaywalk.  I have never been more obedient to the traffic system in my life, and I still am trying to figure out if its all a massive joke at my expense.  But basically- walk at the red man, and pay the (literal) price.

4. The Germans are absolutely, delightfully and pretty goddamn infectiously friendly.

I seemed to have this idea handed to me that the Germans weren't going to be friendly, and especially in Berlin, where I could fall foul of the infamous Berliner Schnauze. This, I was told, was what I could expect in the form of people being outspoken and rude, telling me what I was doing wrong and generally being pretty ignorant.

Well... stop the presses.  So far, I have experienced nothing but smiles and helpfulness.  Everyone told me registering as a citizen in the Burgeramt was going to be painful and difficult.  Not at all.  First of all, I had the help of this site, who were pretty amazing, but the woman who registered me treated me like her long lost Irish daughter.  Sincerely, I was surprised that she didn't hug me and invite me round to dinner.  In an Indian restaurant, one waiter told me I had to come back after researching the history between Ireland and India (apparently we're great buddies) after giving my table extra spicy food [I took this as a gesture of goodwill, though my tastebuds were sacrificed in a ritualistic burning through accepting it].  I was given free wine as a  'new girl in Berlin'.  Even my local Spati (late night 'buy anything' shop), the owner and I made friends.

I've been given so much help from people, and generally have been charmed wholeheartedly.  

Sure, people are going to get pissed off in the big city, and I've seen some frissons of agitation. Especially on the sardine-packed UBahn in the mornings... but jeez guys.  A smile is met with a smile.  International law #1.

3.  Yeah.... everything is really, really cool.

These guys just get being cool.  Everywhere I look, everything I see...cool.  Intellectual debates, social initiatives, clothing, attitude, street art... people here know how to EXPRESS themselves and explore developing themselves and I love it.  Creativity and intelligence seems to exist in abundance, with jams of all genres happening on an almost nightly basis, lectures about all sorts of topics available free, art popping up everywhere.

Yeah.  I think I fall in love with the place more and more with every passing second.  When I was nestled in the warm bohemian bosom of Belfast, I comforted myself that there was a small core of creative people with inquisitive minds in my otherwise tragically closed minded country.  Here, well, its like jumping into the ocean  of openness after spending your whole life in the paddling pool of creative, political and intellectual expression.

2.  It provides a look in the mirror.  A painful look in the mirror....

It is very very interesting to suddenly be an Auslander (outsider, foreigner).  Suddenly, I am the one at the receiving end of cultural stereotypes.  I'm from Ireland, so I'm a Catholic, anti-abortionist, probably the result of a family of several dozen?  Ummm.... no.  But hearing all these things makes you think.  We spend so much time thinking about others' actions that rarely in our own lands think about what impression we are making on the rest of the world.

This weekend I spent a lot of time trying to defend Ireland, and Northern Ireland. As my home, and a place which despite its many flaws (especially recently) I truly do love, its actually a little painful hearing the truth of what people think about it.  The great aspects of the warmth, friendliness, humour and compassion of the Irish is basically drowned out in stories of abortion-related deaths, stabbings in Belfast of German students, ridiculous riots about flags, political strife and a diet consisting entirely of potatoes and booze.

This is not the Ireland I know, but it is the Ireland the rest of the world knows.  This.... is difficult for me to swallow.  And that's being generous- several conversations really cut to the bone with me actually.  (At one point a friend joked, "Look, she's going to cry!"  Truth was, I actually was just around the corner from tears springing to my eyes... oops. What a dope.)

1.  Everything is not meat!

So little brother, if you're reading this.... I'm still avoiding the German sausage you thought I'd be guzzling.   Hahaha.

Vegetarians are so well catered for, it's like a cheap culinary heaven.  Which certainly beats potato and booze.