The good, the bad and the beautiful

Well there has been an enormous change to the world in which I am in - snow has arrived and with it a new brightness to the sky and environment I am in.

The following blog will be a bit of a list as I have done so much in the past week that to write on every day will no doubt bore you! 

The good

There are so many beautiful museums with amazing history, arts and ideas

The people are so friendly - met Ulricka Licket, an architect running the new community library building project, she was amazing to speak with and we got along so well that a 30min interview went for 3hours! This is her office and she invited me for dinner afterwards! An authentic German family meal on a Sunday night - something I will never forget.

This week has seen me manage the U and S Bahn on my own and all I can say is that time and practice bring confidence. There are four different kinds of transportation - tram, bus, U Bahn and S Bahn is it can get tricky! These stations alone are historic and this one has hitlar's marble in it!

The bad

There might not be enough time to see them all - over 180 here in Berlin

The class I am in have already done one month and have completed A1 so A2 is challenging for me in so many ways. I have noticed that these students can party hard and often have only returned home after 2am and on the weekends 5-6am getting up for 9-10am cultural tours that are a part of the program! Maybe it is age! No more to say!

There are only ten more days here and I want to stay for the launch of the architects library plans for a new regional library - quite a contentious issue! 

Libraries here require you to be a paid member so extreme difficulties were experienced when I went to Humboldt Universität and the staatsbibliothek where entry was refused! It felt horrible but to have it open in winter for all would lead to homeless coming in - more on this issue in a separate blog as this was such a sad day! Needless to say the empty library was equally as disappointing!

The beautiful - everything - the sky is so blue, the sights so full of history and the friends so amazing!

What do you think?

Where is Prenzlauer? I know, do you?

Today I went on a walking tour of the former east Berlin area called Prenzlauer Berg. Yet again another amazing area full of history and authentic cobbled streets filled with an amazing mix of new and old architecture and hints of GDR times too! This are is now known now as a family friendly, central and affordable location close to Berlin! I'd like to buy here Tim! (€150,000 with rent coming in - might have miss read the sign in German!)

We started out from the Goethe Institute with our tour guide, Matthias Rau, an expert in Berlin culture, heritage and owner of authentic primary source evidence from the last 100 years! Leaving Alter Straße we made our way to Tor Straße and walked uphill (not at all steep maybe 1m above sea level as Berlin is surprisingly flat) along schönhauser alle until we arrived at Senefelderplatz and also known as Pfefferberg and was known for beer and is still a famous beer garden! 

Next we went along to Belforte Straße where there was a huge red brick wasserturm (water tower) built in 1875 where a pre industrial windmill once stood. This site is also the site of ww2 atrocities. Amazing histories surrounded us as we kept walking we were standing in front of the synagogue with four politzi officers in front, built in 1904-5 it survived the kristallnacht and is an operational Jewish school and current day synagogue.

We made our way to Rykestrasse where I saw the restaurant called 1900 and stumbled into a park filled with kids playing. There we saw a statue of Käthe Kollwitz, a political activist and pacifist who loved nearby from 1891-1943 (dates might be wrong as I heard them in German and wrote notes as I was walking) and has a museum (there are over 180 in Berlin) dedicated to her! 

W saw the Friedhof spot - the place where 183 Berliners were killed by the soldiers of king Frederick Wilhelm IV during the revolution in March 1848 and then 33 in the November revolution of 1918. 

A quick left to Worther Straße and a right to Husemann Straße saw us discover so much more than just houses, we saw the development of new facades and renovated signage, lights and beautiful streets! So want to live here! Now to find a job! 

This led us to the end of the tour. We were at the Kulturbrauerei, a funny place where old meets new, kino and cobbled stones make for a unique quadrangle where there is live music in summer and many bars and clubs. I found myself deciding upon a currywurst for lunch at the oldest sausage kiosk called Konnopke's but decided upon my new favourite sandwich bar - they serve then with this amazing salad and mayonnaise - something I have never tasted - sweet, cruncy, yummy and it has to be bad for you! And on that note, it is Green Living week and Berlin Fashion Festival, Germans love a party, the people here are surprisingly health conscious and trim, fit and active! Not what I had assumed! So this is what I learnt today...hope this inspired you to learn more too!

Ten days in - 6 out of 20 things done

I can hardly believe that I have been here tn days! Berlin is eight times bigger than Paris and I fear I will not see everything I want to due to my studies! But I can proudly say that I have managed to see a lot in the mornings before my language lessons.

The Goethe institute is located in the Mitte near Alexanderplatz and this photo shows the sky line near Karl liebknecht straße. On the left is the Fernsehturm TV tower and is the highest structure in the Eastern Berlin skyline. It is a 365m transmitter built in 1960s and has a retro feel about it and can be accessed by a very fast elevator - a great view on a fine day. 

On the right is the Marienkirche and is Berlin's oldest parish church. The stone dats back to 1270 and is th church that Martin Luther brought the first Christmas tree to. This was a beautiful church and the interior amazing to see in real life!

Every day brings new and amazing sights and I can not believe the rich history!

Berlin - alles gut

I am here. Alles gut! My destination is in front of me. Alles gut! Having navigated lost/found luggage and gone through the paper work for my bag that was broken into I feel that I have conquered the airport logistically and linguistically! Alles gut! Although I did ask if anyone spoke English when dealing with the broken case. Alles gut! It is an old case in any case and the lock has been broken and the whole mechanism is now unsafe. If it works out that it can be repaired then it is a waste but if it can be replaced that will be a bonus. Will keep you posted as to what the outcome is.

My next challenge was to get the taxi from the airport to Frau Hille's home that based upon my research on google maps is only 34min away via taxi. As she will not arrive from work until 6:30pm and the fact that the Goethe institute closes at 5pm I decided to wait at the airport and get tourist information and then make my way out. This has turned out to be a blessing as I had all the time in the world to find the right place and take my time dealing with the situation mentioned above. The bad part now is that there is no wifi at this airport...that I have found today...the good part is that all my addresses and locations are book marked into google maps, written in my documentation and printed in the confirmation material so once alles gut!

Well all I can say is that I am so happy to be here! I am staying in a new three storey home and have a lovely view of the gardens, Christmas trees have been taken out of homes and await pick up, I have never seen so many real spruce trees in one place. I am staying in Lichtenberg and am only 6 stops from the Goethe Institute via the U-Bahn. Maren Hille my host took me on a late night tour is that I could make my way there independently tomorrow. This is an eastern suburb area that was part of East Germany. This is onto noticable as you walk around as the gas mains are above ground and this was not the case in west Germany. There is this strange mixture of architecture and the old sits beside the new and I am pleased that this home is a new home in this area. There is a power station near by that looks like it never stops. Maren has a doctorate in green energy and is working on reforming the energy needs used in Germany. They have a plan to be using green energy by 2050.

Bis bald

Michelle

Munich - Guten Tag

The gate says it all! I am on the way.

I have been flying with Etihad who claim to have won the best airline of the year award for the last ten years and were "named the World's Leading Airline for the fifth consecutive year at the world trade awards" and "were also delighted to be honoured with titles of worlds Leading first class and worlds leading airline cabin crew" (James Hogan, Etihadinflight, jan 20414) however, I have to think about why so much pressure is placed on one assistant and that they don't back each other up! Must talk to Nicola about that one!

Well another flight done! And here I am in Munich. What an entrance we made coming down through the clouds...all of a sudden I saw ridge caped mountain ranges popping out to surprise me. As we defended the country side turned from shades of grey and blue to greens and golden brown all neatly sitting in rows. The houses seen as we flew in were red roof topped white buildings, authentic towers and even a turret! I was expecting ever green trees and have been surrounded on all sides of the glassed airport with these disiduous trees must unexpected!

This airport has surprised me the most, I have spoken my first German utterances as I needed directions to terminal A and found it some distance from the international arrivals where I landed. I was also taken aback by just how many people only speak German and how the announcements are sometimes only in German. My knowledge of numbers and letters was good enough to know that I was gate 16 and have found myself there! I can hear ABBA playing in the background and smell good coffee and can not wait to try one, just not yet as I am boarding in fünf minuten.

I experienced an interesting time with the security scanning guy who only spoke German! He was asking me for my zeat - das zeat - and I now know he didn't want my passport, bag, case, jacket or jewelry! He was simply asking my destination! This was the beginning of my confidence and I have been able to ask directions to terminal A, apologise for taking u space opening my bag and ask if I had enough time to get a taxi to Munich and come back for this flight! The answer was simply "nein" so I decided, in hindsight for the best, to make my way to terminal A gate16 and I am very glad I did as I had 30min spare!

Some notes on what not to bring during flight:

- water bottle as you can only have 100ml

- guide books as who was I fooling that I'd read them when all these great movies are on

- zango powder (sorry dad but I had good intentions on using them but just didn't do it)

- shampoo and things like that to shower as you just don't 

Things to take on the flight home: (must remind myself to do this!)

- ear phones (these are awesome they block out so much engine noise)

- e reader with books and audio books downloaded before you go (loving my Kerry Greenwood audio books thanks Heather for introducing me to her might even get to match Daniel's goal of reading a book a flight at this rate)

- lip gloss, brush, hair tie, (these items were in my hand luggage until Munich which was much too late)

- make up (I have no idea why I packed it into the checked in luggage)

Abu Dhabi international airport is huge...

After fourteen hours and five minutes I have arrived at the most amazing airport I have ever been too. Leaving Melbourne at 11:05pm was glorious enough with the lights and amazing geographical patterns that these make. But arriving here at 5:40am (local time - good advice to wind watch to next time zone Tanya) was just awesome. The lighting seemed picturesque and glowed in a different way there were colours of many brightnesses and hues that made this landing quite spectacular. In fact Tim would have loved landing as the pilot camera was screened inside for us to enjoy.

I won't lie, the flight is hard but I have had advice from many and think I sould share these as I am feeling fine dispute only having 7-8 hours of broken sleep and being placed at the rear of the plane next to a fellow passenger who was a snorer!

Hint 1 - take 1-2 L of tomatoe juice in the 12-24 hours before travel ( thanks Suzette as this worked in France)

Hint 2 - take jet ease tablets (made in New Zealand and available at herbalists)

Hint 3 - drink water every time it is offered - or juice as you like

Hint 4 - pack a wrap as it gets cold - well I am a cold fish

Hint 5 - invest in quality sound reducing headphones - I am proof they work

Hint 6 - this should be 3 in priority - take vitamin C and eucalyptus drops to prevent getting coughs and colds during the flight (thanks Heather as this I have been doing and so far so good - just forgot the eucalyptus but have a really nice perfume to block bad smells!)

Thanks to everyone for their great words of wisdom as you can tell I have tried to use them all!

Did I tell you my luggage only weighed 16kg? This was another tip gleaned from my fried Nathan. I also used the Pack my Bag app and read up on this here - http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/pack-clothes.htm

So now as I await my flight to Munich if can only imagine what the next 24 hours has in store for me. But I have been encouraged by my friend Chris who blogged this quote today and this will be my stretching out to be all that God has made be!

There are so many display ideas here this honey comb dome leads up onto the ceiling and I love this concept a circle of shops and cafés surrounds it. So much to see - and this is only the airport!

Here I go! And what I can say now that I have left the airport and am writing as we take off - I missed the beautiful Arabic architecture upon my arrival as in the dark you only saw a glow. Now in the morning light there is so much sand - why didn't I expect that? The homes and buildings are amazingly  different to what we see in Australia. Wow...

Germany here I come!

Well here I am - my last few hours at home finishing off the to do list!
Tonight I fly to Berlin in order to complete a four week language intensive course at the Goethe Institute, a scholarship that I applied for with the help of John and David.

I can not wait to see Berlin and after 28 hours flying will no doubt feel tired.

For my whole life Germany has seemed to me in a state of transformation. Events have often mirrored or determined what has happened in the rest of Europe. I saw the fall of the Berlin wall on TV as a teenager and know that the scars or war will be evident in museums and can not wait to piece together my understanding of such an important event while I am there.

I hope you enjoy reading about my journey!

Cheers!
Michelle