Stuff in general
Sometimes one must write about everything to conclude nothing. To say whatever you are thinking, without any coherence or order, just words on paper. Given so, I simply feel like writing about the things I’ve come to discover and think here in Berlin.
About the Germans! Berlin is different from the rest of Deutschland or at least that’s what Germans say. I might say they are quite interesting to observe. First, they have something with rules and safety. Freaking hell most bikers here are a bunch of pussies! Most have helmets and color ribbons to be seen. They stop in every dam red light and believe me every single one! This is ridiculous because they have some horrible street signaling here that make no sense. However they bike pretty dam fast. Drivers are the worst here. You put a German on a car and suddenly they believe they own everything. They cross red light without giving a shit and still have the nerves to honk at you! I usually show my figure at a driver every day and that makes them pretty pissed. Bikes are not tolerated by these idiots….
Another random curiosity is when Germans go out for a drink they usually give a tip. That is quite the opposite from latinos! Night life here is quite crazy. Germans start a party late, go to a club around 2am or 3am and only leave in the morning. Every Friday and Saturday night berlin is full of drunken students. The morning after is common to see puck in every bike road or metro station. Clubs have a deposit thingy for the beer bottles you had so you can have the luck of not wasting so much money or just buy and drink some more.
They don’t eat toasted crackers, only kids or when you are constipated. So guess the face of the grocery lady when I was buying a full package.
I’ll try to think about more stupid curiosities in the meantime. So, on my actual job. Work is… well could be better, more exciting to be honest. More challenging or more significant for me. I work a lot for a small wage and every time I get home I am just tired and feel like doing nothing. I am basically a headhunter. That’s right I hunt people! I feel like a spy sometime trying to find experts contacts and the right person for the job.
People at work are all pretty nice and fun to talk with but I don’t have the same feeling of connection has I had in Amsterdam. In the Netherlands I maid amazing friends and what we experienced together can never be done again with other people. I like my work colleagues but perhaps I don’t connect that much with them. However it is also something that I don’t want to. It is not being rude; I actually think I am quite nice! I just feel like I’ve met a lot of people already and my good friends I already know whom they are. From Portugal and from my international studies I know in who I can count to be always there to talk or to share great experiences. Of course I am always open to meet new people but developing new friendships sounds like a lot of work sometimes. Perhaps I can change my mind about all this in the future, we never know what will happen tomorrow right?!
I want to learn German but it is rather difficult to find an appropriate time to learn it. I’ve been looking for some schools but most are quite expensive. After my wage revision I will decide if I will continue to be here in Germany. If so I will definitely learn this funny language. Most of what I have learned can be summarized to shopping and asking for simple stuff. How much is this and how much is that. Big coffee, small coffee, I like it and all that. Also know how to count however groceries people need to say the price slow so I can get it properly. An expression I got quite fast riding the bike was: Spinnst du?! (Are you crazy?!) Ahahah people here are NOT used to proper bike riding, Amsterdam style.
About the city itself. It’s dirty. Perhaps because the town hall is broke or I am too used to the Netherlands. The Mitte is nice and all but to posh for my taste. Nice building indeed and very modern but I feel no connection to that neighborhood. It is too expensive and I am not a guy of going out and buy crap. What I like here is Kreuzberg and Neukoln. The anarchist clubs and underground culture. The Turkish neighborhoods and their living. They all seem to me more alive and with passion than that posh Mitte.
However this view may be because of my Political views. I feel a greater connection with the working class. More than ever this feeling grows. I have no identity with the luxurious lifestyles of the rich and will never wish to have, for it is vain for me. The life of the working class is much fuller of passions and desires, of hopes and dreams of change than anything else. The life of the working class is to me richer in truth and in meaning. More pure of desires and humanity. I define myself as a socialist, always have since a kid but only now I started to take a more acting perspective.
P.S: Following the american tradition of no shave november! I know you will enjoy that mister Sam!
