Excuse me, I live here

Schloss = castle
Neues= new
Palais= palace

For the past few days, Jack and I have had visitors! His mom Sandy and Aunt Gail have been here since Friday and we have been lucky to have them. We have been seeing many sights, including the Schloss Charlottenburg, Sanssouci, and the Neues Palais. If we had to pick a theme other than walking, we have seen lots of Palaces and Schlosses. At each place that we visited, Sandy, Gail, and I would pretend that we lived there.

Do any of you do that? Every time you visit an old home or Schloss or Palace, do you pretend that no matter what your current status, you were the royal/rich person that lived there? We chose our bedrooms in each of the Schlosses and practically named our servants. We talked about the porcelain or china that we would use when other noble or royal visitors would come and dine with us. We visualized writing at the intricately designed writing desks to our many correspondences.

My favorite was the Neues Palais. It was the palace built after the Seven Year's War as King Frederick the Great's way of saying "Hey everyone! After a war, my country still has money!" This would be my home. My room would be on the upstairs (heating and bathrooms were installed there). My servants would each have bells to ring for tea or baked goods when I want them, and every day, I have a large wardrobe to choose from. Life is good! Check out all of the Schlosses that we visited and that Sandy, Gail, and I live in. Jack chose to be a simpleton and live in a log cabin in the forest. We'll invite him to dinner.

 Schloss Charlottenburg

Neues Palais

Sanssouci and just part of the grounds

Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty, Little Ball of Fur....

If you watch The Big Bang Theory, then you know "Soft Kitty". In The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon teaches Penny a song for her to sing whenever he is sick called "Soft Kitty". It's a childish song, but it makes Sheldon feel better. The words are simply "Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur. Happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr purr purr."

It was this past week that I felt homesick, which to me, is a kind of sick. I miss my family and friends, I miss the brands that I love, and I miss familiarity. Don't get me wrong, I love living here in Deutschland, but I still miss home. It was yesterday that I decided that I was going to do something about this homesickness...I was going to go to KaDaWe.

KaDaWe is a HUGE department store, similar to Karstadt, another department store that I have talked about in previous posts, but on a much grander scale. It's a department store that is so glamorous, that I was surprised that they didn't kick me out just for attempting to enter. No, I wasn't going to shop (believe me...I can't afford anything there...), but they have a food hall that has been raved about by many Americans living here in Berlin. The entire 6th floor is dedicated to foods from around the world, including an "American" section. I went just to see brands that I was familiar with (Hershey's, Jif...), but I was blown away by the whole floor.

I am going to attempt to describe the wonder that was the 6th floor of KaDaWe. When you arrive on the 6th floor via the escalator, you are greeted with counters, aisles, and stands of all kinds. There are gourmet counters for every kind of food you can imagine...cheese, sausage, fish, meat, dried meat, chicken, vegetables, potatoes, wine, champagne, chocolate, cake, ice cream, coffee, tea, thai, hibachi...you name it, it's there. You can purchase the foods raw to bring home, or, at every counter, they have a menu that you can order from and they cook it in front of you, along with a glass of wine (or coffee, or tea, or soda, or water...) Several people would visit these counters for a meal, snack, or drink, and spend time with themselves or friends or colleagues.

Positioned around these counters are aisles and stands of every food imaginable. It was there that I found the "American" section. Of course, there is peanut butter and bbq sauce (actually, there was a ton of bbq sauce), but there was also the America classics like Poptarts, Crisco, and Betty Crocker Mixes. I won't attempt to list every brand that was I saw, but there are some pictures at the bottom of this post and in the "Die Fotos" section.

 The entrance to KaDeWe

 Just a few of the American Brands

Part of the fish counter

Opera Man

das Frühstück = breakfast
das Mittagessen = lunch
das Abendessen = dinner

Jack and I have been enjoying getting into our weekly routines. Every weekday morning, we wake up, eat Frühstück, and mosey around the internet. Jack then goes into his man-cave to work while I workout and complete some of my UVA homework. After, we have Mittagessen together before Jack goes back into his man-cave and I carry on with my day.

On weekdays during our Mittagessen, Jack and I have had the pleasure of listening to Opera Man. Starting around 12:00, Opera Man, the singing instructor that works in the apartment below us, gives voice lessons to a handful of people. It's not hours of constant singing. Usually, we only hear Opera Man and his students complete scales. "La la la la la la la la la." "Mi mi mi mi mi mi mi mi mi. "Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah". Different registers are heard and different chords are accompanied on a piano. Sometimes the scales are staccato, other times, legato. While it may seem annoying, it's become part of our routine. It's comforting to hear.

Today, there was no Opera Man, and Jack and I are worried. We heard no scales, no piano, no music. Where did he go? Is he ok? Is he on vacation? When will we hear him again? He was there yesterday...why was he not here today? We have no idea what Opera Man looks like (we've never seen him), but he is already part of our day. We hope he comes back tomorrow!

Mist

der Mist = poop, crap, dung, rubbish, manure...you get the idea

CAUTION!!! I am about to write way too much information, or as my mom likes to say, "TMI!" If you don't want to read about Jack and my Mist, don't say that I didn't warn you!

We're all friends and/or family here. I'm going to level with you. The toilets here in Germany are crap (pun intended). Not because they don't work...they do, but because it's one of the most convoluted and annoying things I have experienced thus far. Picture the toilets that you are used to in America. You do your business and flush, right? It's simple. Occasionally, you may have had Mexican food the night before, and you need to use the plunger, but for the most part, you go and flush. End of story. 

Not here in Germany. Going #1 is one thing...that's all fine and dandy. The Go and Flush process stands. But #2 is different. The toilets in Germany have what Jack and I call "The Mist Ledge." Sometimes, we say "shelf" instead of "ledge," but the point stands clear. There is a shelf/ledge directly under your dropping point. When you flush, the German toilet shoots out water like a jet in a jacuzzi and supposedly pushes your mist into the small hole at the end of the ledge. Note the word supposedly in my last sentence...the jet stream usually does not push the mist. It stays there...just chillin' on the ledge. The smell stinks up the bathroom and I'm not going to lie...it's gross. 

At first, Jack and I thought that it was just us. Clearly, we're somehow not misting the right way. After 26/27 years of misting, Germany was trying to tell us that we were doing it wrong. Then we learned that we are, in fact, misting the correct way! Phew! Most German toilets have a cleaning brush that sits next to it. You're supposed to take the brush and push your mist with the stream into the hole where it flushes. You use the stream to help clean the brush There is a toilet cleaner that pours into the water when you flush, so the brush gets cleaned and rinsed. 

Gross, right? It doesn't end there...next time you mist, look at it. Does it float or sink? Lucky for you, it doesn't matter because American toilets follow the Go and Flush procedure. If you have a floater here, you have to use that same cleaning brush to push it down while the toilet is flushing. This is because there is not a strong enough water stream to push the floating mist down. So next time you have to take a mist, remember this post, and be grateful for the fact that your toilet does its job, whether it's a floater or a sinker :)

 The toilet and cleaning brush. The yellow thing is the toilet bowl cleaner

Visual on "The Mist Ledge"

die Stadt der Märkte

Die Stadt = city
*(not to be confused with Staat, meaning state, and has almost the same pronunciation)
Der Markt = market
Die Märkte = markets

Paris is the city of love (or lights...take your pick). NYC is the city that never sleeps. Berlin? It is die Stadt der Märkte. Well, I don't know if that is their actual slogan, but according to Jack and I, it is. If you ask my friend Susan, she will tell you that I love markets. I love going to Farmer's Markets, Craft fairs, artisan stands...you name it. Markets are places where samples don't count, and you find yourself "needing" that necklace that costs $10 too much, but you'll never find another one like it, so you have to buy it. However, the thing about markets is that they all happen on the weekends. Susan and I have to wait until Saturday to get the amazing pickles from the Pickleman because he is only going to be at the Falls Church market on Saturdays (or is it the Eastern Market market? I can never remember :) )

Not in Berlin...Die Märkte happen daily, though I cannot tell you when or where. Every (nice) afternoon when Jack finishes his work for the day, we enjoy going on walks. We usually go to Preußen Park (aka the Stripper Park) and walk around the big circle a few times, speaking German to one another. Yes, I know enough German now to hold an elementary conversation. Vielen Dank, dw.de! Every day, whether we walk to Preußen Park, Volkspark Wilmersdorf, or along the side streets to the Ku'Damm, there is ein markt, in some platz or park. Sometimes it is a Farmer's Market (though no samples...), sometimes it is a Thai market where all of the Thai people sell homemade Thai food, and other times it's a flea market. Every day. They pop out of no where, and are usually gone or turning in by the time we finish our walk. Where will the market be tomorrow? No idea, but since Berlin is die Stadt der Märkte, I know that we will find one.

Running Technique

I try to go running a few times a week, and I usually go to Volkspark Wilmersdorf. It is a nice, long park that has gardens, greens, and paths. While I enjoy these runs, I have noticed that people stare at me. I'm not being paranoid; I genuinely think that people are staring. At first, I thought it was because I was/am the only female runner wearing shorts and a t-shirt. While many men wear shorts while running, even on nice days, women are in jogging capris or pants with long sleeved running shirts. I was sure that this was the reason why it seemed everyone was staring at me*.

Jack and I were taking a walk in Volkspark Wilmersdorf this afternoon when I finally realized why we stood out...we were the only normal people there! Everyone else had their own unique way of running or walking. Most of the walkers, even though Berlin is flat as a board, walk with walking sticks as if they were hiking through the Alps. Some runners run with their arms down, flopping by their sides like penguins. Others run like they were a statue of Atlas, posing with each step. A few run with their legs running as if from a horrible creature, but their arms are locked into their bodies, not propelling them at all. With each runner that passed us or walker that walked by, Jack and I couldn't help but stare at the bizarre movements and giggle. Jack joked that I should develop a new running form, perhaps with my arms flailing about and my feet pigeon-toed, in order to fit in. My response? I'm proud to be an American...I'll continue to run normally.

*Footnote, I think it is, in fact, my running clothes, that make people stare...

Tempelhof Park

After visiting a museum and having lunch in an adorable square, Jack and I went to Tempelhof park. Many recommended this park for activities such as biking, roller blading, and running. Seems like your typical park, right? Wrong. This was not your ordinary park. Tempelhof park used to be an airport. Constructed in the 20s, Tempelhof was Berlin's main airport, used during the World Wars, by the American military during the Cold war, and eventually abandoned in 2008. What they have now is a huge park filled with grass and runways. I'm not going to exaggerate here, the place is big. Think of Dulles or Newark converted into a park...it's huge.

Today, unbeknownst to Jack, there was one more addition to the park...a kite festival. More than half of the airport was dedicated to food vendors, bouncy balloon jumpy thingys, music bands, and of course, kites. It took 30 minutes to walk around the airport to find the main entrance, and then down a long runway to reach the festival. Once we finally got there, we roamed the rows of Brotwurst, beer, and pretzel vendors. We watched children and their parents try to fly kites without wind. We listened a German band sing "My Girl" with German accents. While I enjoy walking around parks, this one was truly unique. Next time you're waiting for a plane somewhere, look outside. Picture it as a park, with music, weiners, and beer...