Hello Berlin, Goodbye Berlin

Bradenburger Tor at festival

Settling back into Berlin was easy; I even missed it while I was gone. Midterms went fine, mostly A's. It is hard to gauge my German proficiency because my German class is a joke; I learned way more in Berkeley. My teacher is new and the people in my class and way below my level. Most of the Germans I have met speak English. My attitude for learning it has been up and down, sometimes I have no motivation but then Christine will practice with me which boosts my spirits.
My first night back I visited the Berlin Festival of Lights. Every year artists come and decorate the city and famous structures/buildings with lights. My expectations were too high. I have seen a better light show on my Christmas tree, but nonetheless it was nice to explore the center of Berlin again. There was also a LightRun at KuDam, the high end shopping street of Berlin. People ran through the beautifully lit street while many participants were dazzled with glowsticks. During the week I got back into the cycle of homework and day-to-day life. I went on a run by my neighborhood and found a beautiful park with original Prussian statues. Berlin is filled with so many secret crevices; one can never stop exploring.
  Antonia came back from school for the weekend. Her and I actually had some good bonding time. We made dinner together and watched a movie. The awkwardness has diminished, however she still picks fights with Christine.  
That weekend I explored the abandoned amusement park,"Spreepark". Spreepark flourished during the time of the DDR, but after unification, the park got into financial trouble and had to close. Some Fubis and I travel to east Berlin to check it out. The park was in the middle of a forest right next to the river. I think the German's have a different meaning for "abandoned". We arrive and the front gates are open with several beer gardens calling our name. People could not walk around the park but you could take a train around for 2 Euro. Wanting to explore by foot, we walk the circumference of the park, trying to find a way to sneak in. Populated foot paths and security guards prevented us from doing so. But, right next to the park there was a boarded "Eierhause" or Egghouse. We see many doors open and windows broken. We sneak to the back side of the house which was facing the forest and hop the fence. We were about to try and sneak inside when we hear some people from the nearby footpath. We turn around and they were looking right at us. We initially pretended to not pay them any attention, but when they took their phone out we decided it was best to leave. We see the rest of the park from outiside the fence; broken down rides, dinosaurs, and clowns. I had read in a blog that the park was very spooky at night. We also noticed that there had been many attempts at sneaking in, broken and reinforced fence surrounded the area. Heading back to the S Bahn, I see a little gem I had never seen before. (see picture)

Germany has condom and cigarette vending machines!

Before heading home we stop for a beer in Schöneberg. If you recall, in my previous post "A great way to recover" this was the infamous gay area of Berlin. In the pub a crazed German sat down with us and ranted about "changing the system" and the "damn American government".  Later that night I go to sushi with the same cute German guy I met at Club Goya (Blog: Wir tanzen in die Disko). The sushi was suprisingly good, I was skeptical because Chinease and Mexican food has been questionable in Berlin. We then watch Family Guy in German, which I highly recommend. Even if understanding is impossible, listening to the angry German accents is hilarious. 
The following night I checked out a bar with a classmate. It is common for Turkish people to walk around with roses and try to sell them in public places. The seller comes over and lays a rose down on the table and tells me its from the bartender. I go over to thank him. He is impressed with my German and gives his business card: Spa manager! Bartending is his "hobby job". He was way to old but I still thought it was exciting to write about ;).
  During the next week I decided I had been lacking in culture time. I visited the Pergamon Museum, supposedly Berlin's best, and the Bode Museum. The Bode is holding Da Vinci's 
"Lady with an Ermine". I believe it will only be displayed in Berlin and then New York. I have tried to get tickets but it has been sold out for months! After several failed attempts we decide to check out the permanent exhibitions since that had not been done yet. I also visited the "Weinerei". What made this place special was its style of service. You pay 2 Euro for a glass then self serve however many glasses you want. They had a huge selection and you just went to the front and poured yourself more when desired. When you are finished, you do not receive a bill. Instead, there is a jar and you are supposed to donate as much as you think you have drank. This place questioned morality, as many students told me they just left without paying. A local told us that several places similar to the Weineri have gone bankrupt becuase people did not pay. The atmosphere of the place was cozy and laid back. It was designed as a huge living room with couches.
A few Fubis came back from the break and started spreading scabies. They think they got it from a hostel in Italy. No symptoms for me though!
After being back from my vacation for 2 weeks, I leave for another week long program excursion tomorrow. Half the program is going to Munich/Vienna. The other half if going to Gdansk/Warsaw in Poland. I am going to Poland and am a little frightened about not knowing ANY Polish. Wish me luck!