no more falafel.ever.again

I just had a big big big weekend.  Despite Friday evening being very quiet, things picked up a lot, and the somewhat ironic thing is i haven't even really used my cell phone. ahahah. 

but on saturday i had planned on going on an excursion with my Vokurs group.  It started off rough because I was very late and almost missed them, but Merce' was there and i met some new people which was cool. So we get on the train and everyone kind of splits up, and the leader never really told any of us where we're supposed to get off.  can you smell the disaster? well, we knew we were going to Potsdam but we weren't exactly sure what we were seeing.

so we see the Potsdam stop, get off despite my reluctance.  I don't see any of the other kids from our group and then i see our leaders head in the window, try to jump back on the train but it ran off without us.  both of our faces just dropped, then we started busting up.

these 4 germans a little bit older than us tried to help and suggested that our group was probably heading to Park Sanssouci.  So we ask a grumpy info lady and take the reccomended bus to the park.  After a few false stop requests we finally get off and try to find our group.

It was a beautiful town so i figured even if we didn't find our group it would be a good time.

we went into the tour office and asked for help, if she had any suggestions, she said (in spanish) that we should go into the park. So there we headed.

sooo many strangers offered us help and direction, i was surprised at how enthusiastic and genuinely friendly everyone was.

so we entered the park, and the asked the gate people (dressed in period clothes, so they looked quite funny...i didn't want to insult them with a picture). they told us the entrance our group probably entered from because it's nearer to the trainstop that they probably got off at.  so we make the 30 minute treck over there and don't see them.  as to not waste this opportunity we decided to take a guided audio tour of the palace and then walk around and explore the grounds.

well, it was a 2 hour tour exhausting tour of the palace. we took a break alowing us to eat a healthy lunch of a candy bar and soda and a cigarette for marce. scratch everything i have previously said about being healthier. hahaha.

we toured the massive grounds. i personally found it more beautiful than Verssailles, it didn't have those weird frog fountains. even after walking around for another 3 hours we still couldn't see it all but had to go home. i was exhausted and had to get my cell phone figured out. at that time it was still 'kaputt'.

it started raining but thank goodness the bus waited for us as we sprinted dangerously down the street trying to catch it.  but we made it home in one piece, exhausted but had seen a lot of beautiful, interesting and historical sites in the day.

however, instead of going home, i had to head to the cell phone store.  and of course, after waiting for thirty minutes i was finally helped by the same guy who sold me the phone.  I explained to him (in all german thank you very much) what was wrong with my problem. i said (in german) 'here, i'll show you', and of course when i take it out and turn it on, the gosh darn thing works perfectly fine.

...

great. well, thats that. at least i have my cell phone.

since i had expected to not have a cell phone marce' and i had planned to meet at a certain ubahn station at a certain time with our group of friends.  

it was such a fun night.

i met lots of new other students and we all went to the club Lido and it was "soul and funk' night. it was a really nice, cool club with interesting people and good music.  i found another beer i like! Becks with green limon.  Not really all that german, but hey, at least it didn't make me cringe.  So we danced and chatted the night away.  But of course, sticking to my grandma roots, i got tuckered out come 12.  So me and some other girls opted out of visiting another club, panorama (which is apparently crazy and is most popular between the hours of 6am-12, and apparently is very druggy, not my cup of tea), and we headed home.

i fell asleep on the S-Bahn, it was so late!, but made it home in one piece through the torrential downpour.

today, after waking up at 11 i decided to explore alexander platz. after of course visiting the deutsche bank atm to withdrawl money.  i only had 1.50euro so it was essential that i go.

i got some cash then visited starbucks to get a soja-latte that tasted like home. there is a flea market every sunday right by my home so i perused through that.  it all looked like something my grandfather and late grandmother would love to have in their house or would have brought back from germany from when they lived here.  made me quite nostalgic.

after a bathroom break at home i headed on the Zug to alexander platz.  Coincidentally, i saw my friend Ida (pronounced eeda)  and Annalie whom i had met the previous night.  They were with their floormate who comes from Portugal and came to germany to learn english. I know, strange huh. I am astounded at her situation. she speaks o.k. english but absolutely no german.

good luck sister!

but they invited me to meet linda for lunch in Prinzlauerberg.  Very fun! Despite walking around for too long trying to find food. i got a bit grumpy, but that is expected from a gal who is completely ruled by her tum, hopefully they didn't notice.  we finally decided upon a turkish place. i got falafel and a mixed salat.  the dude was an aaaaa-hole.  not to me but to the portugues girl.  she hates cheese and couldn't communicate herself in any language.  she kept yelling indecipherable things at him and waving her arms.  and then she would turn to me for help and i would have to speak slow and she would have to gesticulate what she wanted.  i explained that shes from portugal and learning.

he looks her in the eye and yells 'You're in GERMANY, you don't speak german or english, you only speak portuguese. What are you doing here!?"

i snapped back (in german) "she is here to learn, she is learning'

but i actually don't think she knew what he said or even realized how annoyed he was because she was completely unphased.

my food tasted good but made me feel sick for the rest of the day :(

we walked around because we all had eaten ourselves into oblivion. The area was so cute.  it was very indie, young and hip.  definitely the 'up and coming' area.  but a bit expensive :/ ....

we all needed groceries and had heard vaguely of some grocery store at Zooligischer Garten behind the Burger King.  On our way we found a shoe store. Got heeeeck of cute books for less than 25 euro and they're totally vegan :) :)

i don't think they charge tax in berlin, which is aweesome.

but this weekend has been really nice. i've lost that anxiety about not doing enough stuff.  tomorrow i'm going to visit the bürgeramt to register with the city, then alexanderplatz.  all of course after trying to find my dads old place.

so i'm now definitely doing a lot :)

i've taken a lot of pictures in the past few days but need to sleep.

bis Montag!