I was decluttering my laptop the other day, which is something I'll probably keep doing as long as I live, and  I found a short piece I wrote in 20 minutes last year just a couple of days after having left Berlin. This was actually a part of the test for a certain job: they wanted to check my written English and I was supposed to write anything at all ASAP. So I let my heart speak.

I didn't get the job eventually; if I recall correctly, I was told the piece is good but then they never bothered to contact me again. I read it now, after more than a year, and decided to publish it. Here's a different love story.

A Foodie Heaven in Kreuzberg, Berlin: Street Food Thursday, Markthalle9

Here's the thing. 

I miss Berlin. I miss it terribly, I miss it like a lover who's shaped me for life, I miss it like a child I gave up, I miss it like the love of my life. Which it is. 

Beware, a personal post with heavy reflections ahead. If not interested, just scroll until you find "Markthalle 9" written in large letters.

The Lungs of Kreuzberg - Prinzessinnengarten

I've noticed lately that healthy lifestyle is becoming more and more popular - which is supergreat, of course! People are getting hooked on exercise (I haven't gotten there yet, but hopefully I will!), riding bicycles instead of using cars and/or public transport, visiting farmers' markets for fresh fruits and veggies instead of getting those in large chain supermarkets... or growing their own food. As someone whose mother has grown her own veggies ever since I can remember, I find it quite funny that it's so hip nowadays - especially when I remember that her veggies had never looked as good as the one in the supermarket, so of course a kid would prefer a better looking bell pepper... (because the kid knows nothing).

Back!

When you change countries and travel and fall in love with places so much and so deeply that you start considering them homes, being "back" does not have a straightforward meaning. So, here's a clarification: I'm back in Berlin!!!

Late, late, late: Instagram Sept & Oct

I feel like the White Rabbit from Alice in the Wonderland: Oh my god, oh my god, I'm so late! I usually post Instagram posts at the beginning of the (odd) month, but this month I just didn't feel... inspired. I don't know. I kinda neglected this lil' online place of mine. Well, soon enough it will be time for another Instagram update, so I better deliver this one! So, September and October. September seems like ages ago. Which is a pitty, because it almost feels like a previous life. And it was the coolest.

Before I start with the photos, I just want to wish a happy Thanksgiving to all the Americans who stop by! I hope you have a wonderful holiday and a wonderful dinner. Have I told you that I had a Thanksgiving dinner two weeks ago, hosted by our American teacher? It was that early because it was the date everyone could make it, and it was my first Thanksgiving ever. I had no idea traditional American food was SO FREAKIN GOOD. I was so full. That turkey, and the sweet potatoes, and the beetroot and apple salad, and the stuffing, and the gravy, and I'm just craving that right now!! What a night. 

Escape from the City: Rostock

Everybody knows how much I loved Berlin and its vibrant atmosphere - but sometimes you just need a break. That's why one day in September I woke up at 5 AM and hopped on a bus to Rostock, a town on the Baltic sea only 2 hours away, and then went to a nearby sea resort, Warnemünde. So calm. Fresh. Relaxing. You cannot believe you'll be back in the city by the end of the day. And when you do, you feel reborn. Energized. Your batteries full to the maximum. Ready to tackle the routine.

Klunkerkranich - Berlin from above

Never in my life have I waited in line to get somewhere during the day (if we count out banks, post offices, doing administrative and paperwork at uni... you get the point, I'm talking about coffee places & bars & such). Well, ok, I rarely even waited in the night (I would usually not go to places that are so popular you have to wait to get in there). I cannot even remember what the last time I waited was... um, maybe six months ago in Paris? So as long as I can remember it seemed to me that these two things go together - actually, I wouldn't ever, not for a second, even think otherwise - lines are for night clubs, and that's it. Then I went to a place in Berlin I read about, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I got there and witnessed a line of about 50 people. At 7 PM. It seemed just crazy. Again Berlin-themed blogs and websites I'm following found a place to tell everyone about - apparently I wasn't the only reader... My flatmate and I weren't sure whether we should stand in the line or not, because I only had time for like one drink. But then we decided that's it, we're getting in after coming all the way there ('there' being Neukölln, not really a neighborhood you visit daily).

See, Hear, Feel Berlin: Video Clips

So far I've been trying to show you Berlin in photos and words, and I hope I've been at least a bit successful in a way that you thought 'oh, this looks interesting / worth visiting'. Today, a few weeks before I'd leave Germany, I'm bringing you some songs with videos filmed in Berlin. I think it started when my friend posted a Seeed video you'll find below, and then I started watching related videos, playlists and such. Over time I've come up with this li'l list of mine of songs I enjoy both because of the music and the videos. I hope you like it!

This video by Alle Farben for the song She Moves (Far Away) was filmed in Tempelhof during a music festival. Doesn't it look just relaxed and as if it's possible not to have any worries in life?! If you like the song, you can also find the official video here.

East Side Gallery

If you come to Berlin as a tourist, this is a place unlikely to be missed. After having seen Alexanderplatz, Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburger Tor, one needs to take a relaxed stroll down this section of the Berlin Wall. It's located close to the center, in Friedrichshein, along the river Spree. It's the longest open air gallery in the world (1.3 km long, which is also the largest remaining section of the Wall). 

After the Wall came down in 1989, artists from all over the world gathered to make this unique and original piece of art. They transformed the former untouchable Wall with bright paintings and activist messages, celebrating life, joy, freedom and hope. 

Welcome to the Hipster Kingdom

I once thought Kreuzberg was my favorite part of Berlin. It's fun - cobblestone streets, cute cafes on the pavements, a lot of greenery, hipsters, immigrants and their stores, what more could you ask for? But then I went to Friedrichshein. Friedrichshein is WOW! While I find Kreuzberg more relaxed and laid-back, with people eating vegan stuff and drinking beer lazily while sitting on the sidewalk, sipping coffee and working on a computer in a coffeeshop, Friedrichshein is so alive. For example, when you arrive at Warschauer Strasse station, probably the first thing you will hear is a singer or a band busking outside of the station. Turn to your right and cross the bridge, you will find punks on their couches on the street with little cardboard boxes saying something like PLEASE DONATE FOR WEED.

Instagram Jul & Aug: It Should Have Been Summer

This time I won’t mourn over the past two months and how time flies and this and that; we’ve entered September so it means New Year’s is just around the corner, and you canot neglect that fact. Moreover, it’s my birthday in few weeks and to be honest, it’s hilarious that I’m turning 26 and I’m still being asked for my ID when buying... ummm, when entering clubs. :) So, if you’re living in Europe, this past summer was probably one of the worst you’ve experienced – weather-wise. Actually, did I just say summer? I don’t know what was wrong with it, but it was summer for maaaybe ten days. Two weeks? Apart from the beginning of June, Germany was cold. I was looking forward to going home to Serbia, wholeheartedly hoping it would be warmer there because hey, it’s in the south, right? – but nope, Serbia bailed on me. I mean, okay, I did experience some sunny days and a few were even hot, but rarely would it exceed 30 degrees Celsius. Which is fine if you ask me, but it’s not normal for this time of the year! In Serbia we’re usually swimming in our sweat during the whole months of July and August, so excuse me, but this sudden change is not normal, no matter how convenient! And back in Germany I had to admit that the fall was here – not later but in mid-August. How awful is that?!

Berlin: The Wall Memorial

I never loved history in school. So many battles and dates and kings to remember, so many things that I could not connect to anything. I did like stories on how common people lived back in the ages and what they did and how they spent their time, but no teacher wanted to teach that. They all had a plan they had to stick to. It wasn't before 2nd or 3rd year in the uni that I realised the awful truth: they were bad teachers - or the system itself was bad, because none of them ever even tried letting us see the bigger picture. They taught lessons as completely separate units, and that's how we students perceived them. We were never told about the connection between things and events that there were. I don't know why that is, but I do feel that I'm lacking an awful lot of knowledge of the world's history. 

That especially applies to the 20th century. In Serbia it is taught in 8th grade of the elementary and 4th grade of high school - both times it's the final year and everybody's concerned about getting to the high school they want to enrol in, or university. The teachers know that, so some of them don't really ask much from students. And here I was last year, in my mid-twenties, coming to Berlin for the first time ever, and having no idea of the Berlin Wall and the post-war events and the GDR and the fall of the Wall... EMBARRASSING or what!

Berlin Bucket List

(via)

I know two weeks' time is short in theory, but my trip back home felt even shorter! Like, didn't I just arrive two days ago? And now I'm back in Germany, I landed an hour and a half ago and here I am, sitting at the uni, waiting for the class. Again, in theory, I have two months here before I move to the Netherlands. But I'm planning to do some travelling in September, and maybe road takes me somewhere at the end of August too. We'll see. So basically, I feel as if I only have three weeks left to enjoy Berlin and Potsdam, and besides attending my Scientific Writing course and writing proposal for my thesis and thinking of what I want to do when I grow up (PhD matter again), I want to do all the things I've been planning to, but just thought I'd do them sometime. Well, a similar thing happened to me in Finland, and in the end I never visited the city museum, for example, so I don't want to leave Germany with a similar feeling of "I should've done that". That's why I have some sort of Berlin bucket list with things to do before I leave.

Living Berlin, Loving Berlin

From time to time I realize it’s not that bad at all not to be in love.

Because then you can fall in love every day. Dozens of times.

And I’m not talking about falling in love with Berlin (but that guy certainly got me!). Even though it definitely has to do with Berlin.

Instagram Spring

It's been a while, again. This semester is actually much more demanding than the previous one - which is good! I've been reading a lot and really enjoying some of my classes. Before I started my master's I had a vague idea about what I wanted to do in the future. But now I feel even more lost, because every week I'm discovering new amazing stuff that can be done in linguistics, and eventually I would have to choose what to do for my thesis, not to mention PhD if I eventually decide I want to pursue one. (That's a really tough decision to make and I keep delaying it, even though it's high time I did it...) Not to mention the fact that there are some really inspiring people teaching us here at the University of Potsdam, and they make even the disciplines I was never much into look waaaay more interesting that I ever thought they could be!

Anyway, the beginning of the semester was a bit more relaxed, so I had the chance to travel a lot. It was hectic, but very exciting and so much fun! Looking at these Instagram photos makes me want to go back to all the marvellous places I had the chance to visit. I'm one lucky girl, I must admit. :)

30 Days, 4 Countries, 6 Cities

The title sounds as if it's some kind of a competition or a mission; but it has been pretty much my life from the end of September till the end of October. And I loved it!

I love Instagram. It captures all the lovely moments that make life. Friends, destinations, coffee. It captures joy.

That's why I love finding new inspiring people to follow. If you do know some cool Instagram profiles, please let me know. I'll gladly share my favorites with you in some of the following posts.

Clokwise: a book about shoes in German. Had to buy this at the Mauerpark market, even though I cannot read it!
Hope I would in spring; eating sandwich without a plate... so internationalstudent-ish; hipster panties!;
water for free in DM.

Berlin vol. 2

Hello,

The past week was a huge mess so that's why I'm running late. But when I say mess here, I mean it in a good way. :) We had an exam back in Potsdam, then there was my birthday, then I had to pack as this first month in Germany was over, and say goodbye to all my Berlin friends, then I had a super-duper weekend about which I'm yet to show & tell, and finally I moved to a completely empty room in Finland and had to buy furniture and other stuff - which I managed to do, and now I live in a really neat place.

Rainy Tidbits of Potsdam, Germany

We had a guided Potsdam tour today. Our guide was a really cool and funny lady and the two hours flew so fast. With the photos I took I'm not as satisfied, though. (Of course, please don't laugh at my photos, you my friends who try to do artsy photography - you know who you are!) I hate taking pictures in cloudy weather, because the lighting is so bad. However, despite the weather and the fact that it is so small and it seems to me that nothing ever happens here, Potsdam is - I must admit - a beautiful town.

Photo above: Sanssouci Palace, summer residence of King Frederick the Great, and its terrace

First Impressions: Berlin

Ok, the camera is here (hooray!) and it's the prettiest little pink baby ever, but I still owe you some snapshots I took with my phone. I didn't manage to update this blog as regularly as I thought I would, because I had to meet a lot of friends who either live in Berlin or have just been travelling so this was their stop. All of them are from Serbia and actually I had a more lively social life in Berlin this month than in my hometown for ages! (I had been living there for the last six months before moving to Germany and had only two friends there, and that is so different from what I was used to in Belgrade, where I had studied. And guess what, I met some really cool people on my very last day in my hometown!)

Anyway, Berlin. I'm not yet sure what I think of the city. I will let myself explore it for few more days before I move to Finland, and then make the final decision. Maybe not even then. I'm coming back here in March, so time will tell. :)

First Impressions: Potsdam, Germany

I don’t have a camera…! I certainly didn't want to begin blogging with this sentence, but hey, a girl cannot control everything. Well, I do have one that I got for my 17th birthday (and that was quite a long time ago), but it’s really old and even my phone camera is better, and that’s why I didn’t want to bring it along. So I’m buying a new camera as soon as I get my scholarship, which should happen soon, and until then I’m going to serve you some Instagram snaps I took since I moved. (If you follow me on Instagram, sorry for doubling, but I inserted more detailed captions here ;))