Unrealistic Expectations

Picking myself up and moving to a Foreign country for an unlimited amount of time? Sure, I'll have a job within two weeks and be fluent within a month. I will have the best time of my life and will always look back fondly on these memories.

These are a few of the thoughts that occupied my mind whilst daydreaming about travelling the globe. I'll have a blast and get to experience the world. However, reality has sunk in and I've had to remove my rose-tinted glasses. Learning another language is hard, coupled by the fact that German itself is one of the hardest latin-based languages to speak. Most other latin languages (including English) have lost finicky details that German insists on keeping.

I feel like a pre-school child, both in terms of what I'm learning and in my inability to express myself. I can speak the basics, but as a friend quite correctly pointed out - it's a matter of age. If we were pre-schoolers, it would be fine, as we would only have childish thoughts. However, as adults, to go back to having the vocabulary and understanding of a 4 year old is, at the very least, challenging.

Also, finding a flat is turning into quite a mission. I am still stunned by just how many manically crazy people are out there. I am often reminded by others though that I'm in Berlin, and so anything goes. For example, strolling through one of the main parks in Berlin to discover the park-goers were all naked was quite a shock to the system. However, it doesn't stop there. Some of the antics I've seen people get up to in bars, down alleyways and even in public train stations never ceases to amaze me.

There are also lots of Gypsy beggars everywhere. I found out today that they are taken from their homeland by some form of 'mafia' with the promise of having work in Berlin, to support their (usually jobless) family back home. They crowd about 20 women and children into a single room to live/sleep, and during the day they go out and beg for money, usually with children that aren't theirs. With the money that tourists give them, it goes directly back to this form of 'mafia' who use it to buy more women to come to Berlin. It's sad, but the only way you can really do anything about it is to refuse to give them money.

However, it's not all bad. Trying to find a flat with somewhat sane people this week has put me in a bit of a bad mood. I do have lots to rave about as well. My roommate and I went to the Unsicht Bar (Blind restaurant) for dinner the other night. It was simply amazing. I could not see a thing, or do anything on my own. We even ordered surprise menus, so we had no idea what we were eating. The bonus was, I found something on my plate I didn't like - so I kept just picking up the stuff I didn't like and putting it on his plate. None the wiser. Fantastic.

There are also markets/street festivals/concerts every other weekend, and there is just so much to do it is impossible to become bored. There is a movie cinema that screens movies on a Monday night without telling you what you'll be seeing. Basically, you buy a ticket for four euros, and hope for the best. Went to Potsdam on Thursday, which was also just fantastic. I saw the Sanssouir Castle, and the surrounding ones as well. The palace lands were simply awe-inspiring. I can only imagine what it would have been like to walk these lands back in the 17th Century. I also went to the History museum yesterday, and absolutely loved it. It covered Germany from 100B.C to 1994A.D. I will definitely have to return as there was so much to see I didn't get through all of it.

People keep saying that Berlin is a decadent city, and I'm starting to see why. There are parks everywhere, so you can just buy a couple of beers and go drink in the sun. Generally, whereever you go there are also fantastic historic buildings/monuments to gaze at, I sometimes get the feeling of 'what have I done to deserve all this'. Also, the fact that it's now summer also helps.

Well, I have to find a flat and enrol in a new language school by Saturday, so fingers crossed it all works out. Will post again soon.

More than I can chew?

So I've been a little bit slack in keeping this updated - I have just been so busy since I started school I have not been able to keep up.

Learning a new language, as it turns out, is not as easy as first thought. The more I learn, the more I realise I don't know. I'm starting to think that the idea of being fluent after one year is not entirely feasible. I guess only time will tell. I'm trying to learn about 20 new verbs a day currently, along with grammatical structure and everything else that goes with learning a new language. Seems a little daunting.

I am constantly tired after school, and I also have to find a new flat and job within the next few weeks. Along with trying to explore the city and socialise as much as possible to network, I find myself continually exhausted.

Berlin is constantly full of surprises. I am in a homestay at the moment in a particularly awesome part of the city. There are quaint parks and statues everywhere, along with cafes and wine and cheese bars. The more I explore, the more I can see myself staying here. However, finding a flat seems to be another issue. People here are odd, and naturally have odd adverts. There are adverts such as "We only want a 24 year old female vegan native french speaker". Talking to other people I've met here, I have heard all sorts of other horror stories.

I'm also trying to familiarise myself with the cheap travel websites - as if you book at the right time you can travel incredibly cheaply. As much as I love Berlin, there are so many places I want to visit around here. The idea of driving for a couple of hours in any given direction and then being in a new country, with a different culture and a different language is still quite hard for me to get my head around.

The cultural difference isn't huge, but there definitely are differences. Even little things, like the way people phrase sentences come off a bit abrupt to me. Not that this is the intention, but it's just a different mindset. Also in the supermarkets, milk generally isn't refridgerated and anything slightly expensive (for example: Handheld shavers) are kept in locked cabinets. Which then also means trying to approach staff and ask them for help. And then trying to understand what's going on.

Anyway, I'm heading off tonight to watch one of the football matches at some bar with mates from my school. The world cup is huge here - I think I'm going to have to learn to like the game very quickly. Even at my school they've put a draw table up.

That is all for now. Life seems to be slipping back into a loose routine again, which is nice but I am also worried about beocoming complacent and not seeing much more of the continent.

I will write again when I have more substantial news. Ciao.