Lovely Lausanne

This past weekend I was in the French part of Switzerland to visit my good friend Jess. Other than one perilous hour at a foam club (story maybe coming soon, if I can handle reliving it), we did proper, adult things like check out an art museum, eat brunch with her friends, and on Sunday afternoon before I left, take a leisurely stroll by the water. According to those from Lausanne, that body of water is called Lac Léman. For those just slightly southwest in Geneva, it's Lac de Genève. Either way, I think we can all agree it's quite lovely. 

Off the Map

Midday sunbathers at the Lietzensee by my office

I won't really be "off the map" this weekend, but I am going to try my hardest to be off Facebook and adhere to a no-internet rule for my upcoming weekend in Lausanne, Switzerland. I'll be visiting my friend Jessica, who was in Berlin back in May and who I've visited quite a few times in Switzerland in the past. Since I've been there a handful of times already I anticipate limited sightseeing but plenty of relaxation, giggling, and girl chat in our weird mishmash language of French, German, and a sprinkling of English. All that plus stern looks from Jess if I reach for the iPhone. Yes, very relaxing, indeed.

Until next week, friends!

Gesehen: Talented Kids

Stilts in Tel Aviv

Street performers in Berlin

Birthday Lesson

Birthday trio still smiling at the brewery

Last weekend I celebrated my first birthday in Berlin. Well, my 27th birthday, but my first one in Berlin. A bunch of my friends here also have birthdays in July, so my buddies Keighley, Max, and I decided to throw a joint party on Saturday the 14th. Keighley's bday was the 13th, mine the 15th, and Max's the 22nd. Now it's important to know that in Germany, celebrating before your actual birthday is just not done. Germans believe this is very bad luck, indeed. So much so that when we celebrated my Opa's 80th on Memorial Day Weekend, a couple days before his actual birthday, we were only allowed to call it his "Pre-80th birthday celebration." So much so that when I cooked for my office on Friday (it's customary here to supply treats for your own birthday), everyone complimented my food and asked about my weekend plans, but did not dare to wish me a happy birthday.

Celebrating my birthday at the office

There is one exception to this rule called "reinfeiern" which translates loosely to "celebrating into," basically celebrating through midnight when it becomes your actual birthday. So Friday the 14th I was in the clear, and as is tradition, no Germans wished me a happy birthday until the stroke of midnight, when I was accosted with kisses, hugs, and gifts.

I was accosted by something else at midnight, namely the bar manager who decided he didn't like our group and threw us out shortly thereafter. We had picked a brewery called "Brauerei am Rollberg" for our shindig in Neukoelln, a neighborhood which is heavily populated by Turks and one of Berlin's poorest and most "dangerous." Many of my friends live there (if not there then only slightly north in Kreuzberg) and the area has become quite hip in recent years, with more and more young people moving in and cool bars and restaurants with them.

Two Americans, a Brit, and a Belgian!

We (I) had called the bar the day before to warn them we were a slightly larger group and to ask if it was ok if we brought cake. Right away I noticed the guy was an ass, but he claimed it would be fine if we were outside and that they just couldn't put tables together. So on the night of the party we started outside as promised, but when temps dipped into the 50s (yes, 50s in mid-July, my coldest birthday EVER) we moved inside, with the waitress' assistance. Our group grew over the next couple hours, to be expected when 3 people share a celebration, and we took up about 40% of the place, some of us at tables and some at the bar. We were a pretty lovely group though, if I do say so myself. Very diverse with Americans, Brits, Germans, French, Turks, Eastern Europeans, etc., and we all bought plenty of drinks to justify our presence without getting rowdy or too loud. But for some reason, the (portly, white, middle-aged) manager did not like us. So about 4 minutes before I could properly "reinfeier," he pulled me aside and very aggressively claimed I had not listened to him on the phone, that we were too big of a group, that he wanted us out. Mind you, there was no line at the door of people trying to get in. No inappropriate behavior from our group. But as he "reasoned," this was his place and he could do as he saw fit, which in this case was get rid of us.

So we left. As we trickled outside and waited for the last few paying out their tabs, he shut off the outdoor lights and locked the door from the inside. A guy from another group (with lots of piercings and tattoos) came out and started chatting with us, explaining that the real reason for us getting kicked out is that we seemed "rich." Oh? The same guy who warned me on the phone that if we nursed an apple juice for 4 hours he would kick us out because he had to make money thought we had too much money? Yes, too much money. Too much education. Too little "typical Neukoelln." We represented the gentrification this man hated and as a political statement, he had kicked us out of his establishment to make room for the real Neukoellners: the poor, the immigrants (though we were the only immigrants there that we could see), the down-trodden. I guess my sparkly tank top and birthday smile gave me away.

Celebrating at another bar after the drama

The next few days, a slew of my friends left nasty reviews on Yelp, Qype (Germany's Yelp), Facebook (which they promptly deleted), etc. Probably exactly what they expected from us "affluent, educated consumers" and all. But it felt good anyway.

So, lesson learned? Maybe celebrating before your actual birthday really is bad luck. Or maybe, I just really live in Berlin now, and have to take the bad with the good. Others deal with far worse after all!

How to Befriend an Israeli Cat

Wake Kitty up from her nap

Ooh and aah at Kitty's cool tricks

Help Kitty hydrate in the 100 degree heat

Success!

Sad Schland and their Soccer

Spotted morning after the loss to Italy

When Germany lost to Italy in the Euro Cup Halbfinale a few weeks ago, one of my American friends who hates soccer sneered, "Well good, let someone else in Europe win at something for once." I'll admit a teensy (teensy!) part of me wanted Greece to beat Germany in an earlier game, but I love Germany during soccer tournaments, and honestly, I think they deserve any and all soccer success and more importantly, all the excitement that goes along with it.

Pringooooooals

Not all German snacks are American

Here's why. Germany has a dark, horrid, and painful history, and as a result, is very averse to signs of patriotism. Insert requisite comment about them deserving it entirely. Soccer is the one safe outlet Germans have to put up flags, eat patriotic snacks, and cheer for their fellow countrymen- what Americans do every freaking day.  So yeah, it warms my heart to see cars with those red, black, and gold covered rear-view mirrors and baby flags and people wearing jerseys and screaming "Schland!" and "Schweinsteiger!" Oh wait, that last part was just Daniel.

This is about as intense as it gets

Watching the game from a Thai restaurant

Another thing I like is that game viewing is such a public affair here. In the US, sports viewing seems somewhat private. Especially big games like the Superbowl, which people tend to exclusively watch at home with friends and family.  (I'm sure public drinking laws play a large role here.) The Euro Cup in Germany was like an extended outdoor party. Berlin's immense amount of bars and restaurants with outdoor seating were packed with people for every game. Not to mention the "Fan Mile" by the Brandenburg Gate.

Euro Cup eggs

"Fan Mile" for public viewing

But man, even after a goal (and lots of beer) the cheering is pretty subdued compared to American standards. So I ask you to let the Germans have their soccer. They need it.

Erholung

View of the Bosphorus from dinner

Erholung means "rest' or "rebound" in German and that is exactly what I'm doing today. After a 6 day work trip to Istanbul, I was beyond excited to sleep til 10am, take a yoga class, treat myself to 7 euros worth of fresh strawberries and blueberries from a nice lady off the street, make myself a delicious brunch of cheesy scrambled eggs, berry salad, and coffee, and catch up on mindless TV shows (and Kaffee & Suchen of course!). I didn't even mind the storms this afternoon, because it gave me an excuse to be that much lazier.

Refreshing Turkish limonata

So, Istanbul. I'm very glad to have visited the city for the first time back in March with Julia and Jonathan or it would have been torturous to be in such an incredible city with no time for sightseeing. Even people on business trips have to eat though, so I at least got my fill of Turkish food, Kahve (Turkish coffee), and some language lessons along the way.

Eggplant Kebab

Künefe, one of my Turkish loves

It looks like I'll be in Istanbul pretty often for work, and I'm pretty pleased about it. The city is vibrant, buzzing, and just crazy enough, and the Turks are some of the friendliest people I've ever met. In a way, it's also connecting me more to Berlin by helping me understand the culture and history of a people who make up such a considerable part of the German capital. Every trip to Kreuzberg and the Turkish market will have a little more meaning as I start to use some of the language and know exactly what to order off a menu. I'm sure I'll have more to say on that in the future, but for now, I plan to get back to my relaxing Saturday. Enjoy yours!

Bosphorus and full moon