New Beginnings

I haven't had much time to post anything until now so this post will be a combination of the posts I wrote for my first two days in Berlin.

I didn’t post about my first day because I had zero time to get out my laptop. Sprinting between gates at the Frankfurt airport, only being at the Berlin-Tegel airport long enough to leave, and the general insanity that overwhelms one when being in a different country for the first time kept me from taking some time to post about my first day. I will say it was an amazing experience!
After leaving the airport, Dr. Rinne and I boarded a bus that took us to the S-bahn. We rode the S-bahn all the way to the southwest side of the city where I live. I made it to my apartment, got my key and moved my bags in. We then left to go get groceries and find a bank to exchange/get some usable currency. We went to a little shopping center/district about 4 or 5 blocks from where I live where there are bars, stores, banks, several bakeries, bars, and their large-chain grocery stores. The banks were closed so I ended up just getting money from an ATM. After that we went to a much smaller shopping area where I experienced my first German store. It’s pretty much the same as a small Winn-Dixie or Wal-Mart, until you checkout. Then, it turns into something that I can only compare to those bagging competitions you see on TV. You are expected to put all of your stuff in the checkout line, then move to the end and bag your things as the person at the register slides them past the scanner. You can pretty much put your things down to check out and be walking out of the store in about 1 minute. It is crazy. Oh, and you have to buy a cloth bag (the plastic ones will fall apart on you) to bag your groceries. It is advisable to keep this bag, because you would have to purchase one every time you visited the store. It is also advisable to keep all glass and plastic bottles you buy. If you return them to the store, you can make a little money.
Once I made it back to the apartment, I unpacked and watched some German TV. Scrubs, South Park, and MTV auf Deutsch is really funny for some reason. You laugh at the most random things. Maybe it is the voice-overs I don’t know.
Besides that, everything is pretty simple to get acquainted with here. The public transportation system is extensive and complex, but the signs and general directions help.

Day two. I woke around 7 from a great and much needed night’s sleep. I slept about 11 hours. Some things I learned last night: Berlin doesn’t get quiet at night, so you have to get used to cars and trains zooming by. You should probably leave a window are something open at night. Due to the lack of air conditioning and general air flow, if you completely close everything, your apartment gets incredibly stuffy and uncomfortable rather quickly. I am about to make my way down to the S-bahn station to buy my “Monatskarte” (1 month public transport pass). After that it’s back to my apartment to be picked up by someone from FUBiS and taken to the university for the orientation. Pictures will be up soon now that things have slowed down a little.

The picture is of me at the Holocaust Memorial in Potsdamer Platz right next to the US Embassy.