I'm going to need some more duct tape...

Samstag, 23 Aug 2008

Arrived yesterday midday local time (3am by my internal clock). The trip went well (minimal airsickness, very yummy food, no awkwardness with teh sercuritaz). Or, at least, for me it went well.

My baggage didn't have quite as nice of a time:

Fortunately, the ladies at the baggage office spoke very good English, and replaced my bag promptly (as the wheels and one of the handles didn't work, this later proved to be a very good thing). Caught the bus and then the underground without trouble.

Turned out that I wrote the address down wrong, however, and spent the next 8 hours hiking through Kreuzburg and Mitte. Note: cobblestones and rolling luggage aren't the world's best combination. Also, should I ever decide to try the whole “backpacking through Europe” thing, I will definitely use a properly framed pack, not a schoolbag. Highlights included getting rained-on and finding a “Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy”-themed hostel (with relatively cheap internet access, yay!)

Reached the apartments on Adalbertstrasse around 8:30 local time. Used a payphone to track down people as my own cell isn't working (really should have stopped at the T-mobile store when I passed it). Slept alot.

The apartments are really cute—and a lot larger than the one in Seattle. Will post pictures when I can. German linens are a bit odd. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out the fitted sheets. Imagine a mattress-sized pillow sham to start with...

Walked around the neighborhood a little this afternoon. There are a number of parks, and a shopping district a few blocks down (with a lot of bars and a cool-looking 2^nd hand clothing store). Was more amused than I should have been at the sign on one bar declaring that it was a smoking establishment, and thus under-18s weren't allowed. Went grocery-procuring with Kristin and Mary Grace later; we got Doner-kebobs from a cool Turkish food stand and had fun chatting with the guys who worked there (they spoke some English and seemed very amused by our German). Forgot to bring shopping bags to the grocery store—not a mistake I will be repeating. Bought some staples (since stores aren't open on Sundays in general). The apartments are pretty well stocked on cooking implements (though we seem to be lacking in bowls—but we do have an impressive supply of wine glasses). Internet access isn't what we expected: will post this on-line later.