So, moving on about why Berlin is amazing & what all you can do here. I already wrote about how you can socialize even if you are not a party-lover and how you can prevent socializing as well. In the category of having some me-time, apart from reading by a lake or in green gardens, I mentioned before that you can set off to anywhere in Berlin & explore the diversity in its nooks & crannies. Take a camera along, so you can capture everything that you find enchanting. For me, this includes plain walls given life by graffiti, alleys lined with old houses, exquisite glass buildings, flowers by the road-side, blossoms during the onset of spring, chairs arranged outside a restaurant, shedding trees and so much more. You can see the results of my spontaneous explorations on my Instagram page. At the end of the day, when you compare these pictures, you will see how different yet similar Berlin is from end to end. If you have a bike, it's even better (and I am really jealous!). You see a side of Berlin that cannot be afforded by people using subways. The bike lanes' network in Berlin is commendable. Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to get a ride on my friend's bike. Following the route which I take everyday from uni to home by subway, I got to explore it through bike lanes. It was so different & enriching. More like taking a city tour bus. We passed through concrete to cobbled streets, theatres to churches, parks to supermarkets & it seemed as I had never seen this side of Berlin. Some places even looked like certain corners of Mumbai! And obviously each time I exclaimed. So, you see how much of Europe (and sometimes Mumbai!) you can see with just Berlin.
One other thing I like about Berlin which makes it much homier & diverse than other German cities, is the numerous number of languages I hear around me. It's always comforting when I pass by an elderly couple who seem to have been in Berlin for ages & hear them speaking English. Students, of course, especially in my dorm, are from every continent. I hear Spanish, Hindi, English, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese & so many other tongues in the uni, parties, supermarkets & my kitchen. But this doesn't mean you shouldn't learn German. Knowing German is obviously a great advantage. You can participate in numerous Facebook groups for finding Tandems. And this is not only for German, but for any language you want to learn. One of my German friend, for example, is learning about Japanese culture, cuisine & language from his Japanese Tandem & teaching her German. He is also acting as my Tandem for now & teaching me German in exchange for Hindi. It's a win-win & so much fun! You not only learn the language for free, but also enjoy the cuisine of a region other than yours.
In summer, Berlin is even more fun. The sun doesn't go down till 9 pm! So, you have a longer, more productive day than usual. To add to this, it's warm enough to forget your jacket at home. Nowadays, I never want to come back home till it's completely dark & a bit chilly. Even after my classes are over, I just roam around the uni or my house with an ice-cream cone in my hand. You can see that nobody wants to be indoors during this time, by the crowd at the eateries & kids skating in parks.
Also, Berlin is a house of constant festivals. On May 1st, it was Labour Day. Where it started with friendly demonstrations in the morning, it changed to partying on the streets by 12 pm and went on till 2-3 am. For three consecutive stations, you could see all the pubs in the area playing loud music & the streets turning into dance floors. The places lacking lot of pubs, had people performing & music vans rocking some sick beats & people dancing & drinking. It was a whole lot different experience, seeing students & working people alike, shedding their work/study-time masks & donning on party hats. Looked like their agenda of the day was, Party, Drink, Eat, Repeat. I have no idea how my 6 hours got spent there. This was a one-day event, but the whole week celebrated Baumblütenfest, which is a wine drinking festival. Large crowd enjoying all kinds of wine on a huge field with some great music. What can bring down this city....nothing! It's merriment, unpredictable weather, medley of cultures & people, make it an assortment of surprise gifts where each gift is stunning! I think I found my dream place.
PS: Pictures of Berlin & other places I explored - https://www.instagram.com/way_of_eyes/
One other thing I like about Berlin which makes it much homier & diverse than other German cities, is the numerous number of languages I hear around me. It's always comforting when I pass by an elderly couple who seem to have been in Berlin for ages & hear them speaking English. Students, of course, especially in my dorm, are from every continent. I hear Spanish, Hindi, English, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese & so many other tongues in the uni, parties, supermarkets & my kitchen. But this doesn't mean you shouldn't learn German. Knowing German is obviously a great advantage. You can participate in numerous Facebook groups for finding Tandems. And this is not only for German, but for any language you want to learn. One of my German friend, for example, is learning about Japanese culture, cuisine & language from his Japanese Tandem & teaching her German. He is also acting as my Tandem for now & teaching me German in exchange for Hindi. It's a win-win & so much fun! You not only learn the language for free, but also enjoy the cuisine of a region other than yours.
In summer, Berlin is even more fun. The sun doesn't go down till 9 pm! So, you have a longer, more productive day than usual. To add to this, it's warm enough to forget your jacket at home. Nowadays, I never want to come back home till it's completely dark & a bit chilly. Even after my classes are over, I just roam around the uni or my house with an ice-cream cone in my hand. You can see that nobody wants to be indoors during this time, by the crowd at the eateries & kids skating in parks.
Also, Berlin is a house of constant festivals. On May 1st, it was Labour Day. Where it started with friendly demonstrations in the morning, it changed to partying on the streets by 12 pm and went on till 2-3 am. For three consecutive stations, you could see all the pubs in the area playing loud music & the streets turning into dance floors. The places lacking lot of pubs, had people performing & music vans rocking some sick beats & people dancing & drinking. It was a whole lot different experience, seeing students & working people alike, shedding their work/study-time masks & donning on party hats. Looked like their agenda of the day was, Party, Drink, Eat, Repeat. I have no idea how my 6 hours got spent there. This was a one-day event, but the whole week celebrated Baumblütenfest, which is a wine drinking festival. Large crowd enjoying all kinds of wine on a huge field with some great music. What can bring down this city....nothing! It's merriment, unpredictable weather, medley of cultures & people, make it an assortment of surprise gifts where each gift is stunning! I think I found my dream place.
PS: Pictures of Berlin & other places I explored - https://www.instagram.com/way_of_eyes/
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