It's now officially May Day in Berlin, which means only one thing—Berlin is about to go crazy. 2009 was the worst year in recent memory, when there were plenty of very violent riots. That's not to say that all May Day gatherings in Berlin turn violent, but it's certainly something the city worries about.
Tonight, my former roommate, Ronny, had his farewell party as he is moving away from Berlin very soon. He had his party at a friend's house in Kreuzberg, which is typically a center of the May Day demonstrations. So, naturally, I felt a bit apprehensive about heading out there late in the evening.
I needn't have worried though. Sure, I saw five police cars with armored police officers within the first ten minutes after leaving my house. But, hey, lots of police patrolling is good, right?
I decided to skip the normal stop to the apartment where the party was at, opting instead for the stop after (with the U-Bahn, I mean). The walking distance from either station was approximately the same, so it seemed better to avoid the one that is typically a center of lots of activity.
The party itself was quite fun. I had originally only planned on staying for an hour, but as is typical, I ended up staying for three. I chatted up a friend of Ronny's from Georgia (the country), and I spoke plenty of German all night. Even the guy who moved into my old room in Neukölln (now a friend of mine) said that my German had gotten even better since I last saw him. Excellent.
It took me a while to get home, but there were no problems at all. I did hear lots of fireworks, helicopters, and police cars, but it was all perfectly normal. I even went to my favorite schwarma shop at the busier U-Bahn station since I was hungry. So worth it—and for only 3€!
This morning started out perfectly. Lenz and I both slept in and woke up sometime after 11 AM. Then we decided to make brunch and eat it on our terrace. The sun was out, and there was a pleasant breeze blowing. Couldn't have been anymore perfect.
I made French toast (first time), and surprisingly, it turned out well. I love spring. The weather is so awesome, and having a terrace is just plain awesome.
I spent my afternoon relaxing at home and working on my research. Overall, just a great day, and I even continued my healthy eating. I had a nice salad with a homemade vinaigrette for dinner. Good stuff.
Finally, what a surprise, these Mariners just keep winning! Let's hope they keep it up. Happy May Day!
Sam
Tonight, my former roommate, Ronny, had his farewell party as he is moving away from Berlin very soon. He had his party at a friend's house in Kreuzberg, which is typically a center of the May Day demonstrations. So, naturally, I felt a bit apprehensive about heading out there late in the evening.
I needn't have worried though. Sure, I saw five police cars with armored police officers within the first ten minutes after leaving my house. But, hey, lots of police patrolling is good, right?
I decided to skip the normal stop to the apartment where the party was at, opting instead for the stop after (with the U-Bahn, I mean). The walking distance from either station was approximately the same, so it seemed better to avoid the one that is typically a center of lots of activity.
The party itself was quite fun. I had originally only planned on staying for an hour, but as is typical, I ended up staying for three. I chatted up a friend of Ronny's from Georgia (the country), and I spoke plenty of German all night. Even the guy who moved into my old room in Neukölln (now a friend of mine) said that my German had gotten even better since I last saw him. Excellent.
It took me a while to get home, but there were no problems at all. I did hear lots of fireworks, helicopters, and police cars, but it was all perfectly normal. I even went to my favorite schwarma shop at the busier U-Bahn station since I was hungry. So worth it—and for only 3€!
This morning started out perfectly. Lenz and I both slept in and woke up sometime after 11 AM. Then we decided to make brunch and eat it on our terrace. The sun was out, and there was a pleasant breeze blowing. Couldn't have been anymore perfect.
I made French toast (first time), and surprisingly, it turned out well. I love spring. The weather is so awesome, and having a terrace is just plain awesome.
I spent my afternoon relaxing at home and working on my research. Overall, just a great day, and I even continued my healthy eating. I had a nice salad with a homemade vinaigrette for dinner. Good stuff.
Finally, what a surprise, these Mariners just keep winning! Let's hope they keep it up. Happy May Day!
Sam
1 comment:
your french toast looks good - and I am terribly jealous of your terrace.. its a great up grade from your once basement room :P
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