Band of bros

Today is my friend’s birthday. And, this is my birthday gift to her. Well, it’s a gift that was demanded. J

I think it’s great. Asking for something you know, you want. What better gift is there than getting that? And, it makes me happy, that she is comfortable enough to ask me.

I have never been someone who could ask and demand. Well, of course excluding the times when I am the boss. I hate making anyone feel that they are obligated to do something for me. If they care about me and love me, they should want to do something by themselves, right? Wrong! It’s unfair to expect and think that. Maybe they suck at planning, (After all no one can be as great at it as I am!) maybe they aren’t sure what you would like or maybe (the majorities) are so wrapped up in their own lives that they do not notice and realize.

I have tried spelling it out what I felt, expected and wanted a couple of times in my life. It didn’t really work out well. Maybe I wasn’t very clear or my choice of the people I shared it with was wrong. I have this horrible habit of imprinting. I hate to use this term, especially after the movie Twilight. When Jake talks about imprinting on Bella’s daughter, it reminded me of a dog peeing on a tree to mark his territory. But, this being a real, logical, scientific term, I am gonna go ahead with it.

 So, sometimes, for reasons unknown I get extremely attached to certain people. I become dedicated, committed and loyal to a fault. I remember telling one of such friends once, that even if he committed a murder one day, I will stand by him. I might not approve of it, I will give him hell (a torturous, private hell) but I will hold his hand and stand with him when the world is against him. Its’s almost impossible for me to give up on such relationships. The only way it can happen is either when hell freezes over or when the person turns out to be an absolute a****** and a d*** of the first order. Fortunately, I have come across a few such j****. After all, you do need people like this to jolt you back to reality. To slam you down, sucker punch you and to open up your eyes.

Luckily I still do have a few people in my life who have reciprocated my love and loyalty. Unfortunately, they are scattered all over the world and I get to see and talk to them once in a while. But, all your relationships in life can’t and shouldn’t be this passionate and intense. This is the minority. You have to fill your life with positive, happy and grounded people. People who get where you are at, if they don’t, they try to.

Meet my band of bros. I was introduced to them through some other common friends. We had a crazy first year. Going out almost every weekend, partying till the sun came up (not exactly, a few hours before that but, this sounds better. ;) ) I loved it! I had been home for more than three years through my pregnancy, child’s birth and his early growing years. I am someone who enjoys dressing up and getting out and dancing the night away. Most of my friends love staying home and having a few drinks. Don’t get me wrong, I love doing it too but being at home for years, I wanted to get out. And, like me almost all my other friends were caught up with their families and babies. I was thrilled to make new friends who enjoyed the same things I did.

The second year was crazier than that.  My life went through a huge turmoil, I was spun 360 degrees and thrown flat on my face. Relationships I thought to be the essence of my life, abandoned me and walked away at the first sign of trouble. Life as I knew, ceased to exist. But, my band of bros stayed on. I might not have shared my troubles with them. I might not have asked them for help. But, they saw me go through the struggle, saw me go insane and manic about things which made no sense. They might not have agreed with what I was saying or doing but they gave me the benefit of doubt.

Except for during my masters, I have never had my group of girlfriends. I can easily relate to and get along with boys. I have never actively sought out for girlfriends. I did make a lot of great friends who were women, but it happened by chance. I was happy to be a guy’s girl. I miss my group from my Masters, I can’t wait to have a little reunion with them soon. But, I didn’t realize how much a woman needs other women to understand her and just be there, no questions asked till I got my band of bros.

I was recently at a party (hosted by a new but super close girlfriend) and met a lot of new people. And, later in the night in a conversation, when I was slightly (ahem) high, I said that I need to hangout with friends of my own age cause everybody I meet nowadays was there in their 20s. Someone sounded surprised and slightly offended/upset at that. But, it’s true. I am not saying I didn’t have fun. I had a great time and met some wonderful people. But, here I am not talking about making new acquaintances, I am talking about my band of bros.

We are all at similar places in life. Been through a lot, but holding our heads up high and moving on. We are secure, positive, happy women. Not like we don’t have our insecurities. After all we are human. But, we are secure in our insecurities. You know what I mean? We know what we are, who we are and what we are capable of. We make mistakes, we do some very stupid things, and we do fall down in the pits sometime. But, we get up, brush the dirt off our shoulders, laugh at our stupidity, learn from our mistakes and come out as better people.

I might not go to them when I am going through a dark time. I might not share what I am feeling. That’s because of the person I am. But, they are my bros and I know they will be there when I need them. I know I wouldn’t have to explain. They will get it that I want to be happy, cheer me up and just be the simple silly girls that we are. And I am going to be there for them. Always.

I am going to go out tonight to celebrate this crazy girl’s birthday. I haven’t decided what I am going to wear, I don’t care about my bushy baby bear like arms, my angry caterpillar eyebrows or my unpainted toes.

Cause you know?

I am going out with my bros.

In love. Again. (Cont)

Finally the 3^rd and last day in Berlin. I had to see as much as I could and I was completely rested after my 11 hour long “nap”. I was talking to Ange in the morning, about my plans for the day when I was introduced to Stephen. Stephen is an Australian artist who has been travelling for the last 6 months. He was in a car crash which made him question the meaning of life and so decided to go ahead and live it to the fullest. I wish I had the courage to do something like that.

 I decided to start my day with the Museum Island but I ended up in front of Markisches Museum. This was founded as the museum of the city. This hosts artefacts relating to the culture and history of Berlin. You could see the original working table and microscope of Alexander von Humboldt, something I was thrilled to see. The Humboldt brothers have contributed a lot to Germany and to the world and they are celebrated in the first room of this museum. There was the sweetest old man here, who was a museum staff. He spent a lot of time showing me around and giving tidbits of information.

Deeper inside you can see the troublesome images from World War 2 and during the division of the city. There was a room with various musical instruments and another staff member played a turnkey music box for me. I couldn’t stop smiling looking at it, felt like a little kid. He told me that I had one of the most beautiful smiles he had ever seen!! I love German old men!!

Next I started walking towards the Museum Insel and on the way stopped by at the Nikolaikirche, The Museum Knoblauchhaus, Ephraim Palace and Berliner Cathedral.

Nikolaikirche was beautiful but you had access only to the outer ring unless you paid an entry ticket of 5 Euros. This would let you go close to the altar and climb up the stairs to the spire which gives you a great view of Berlin around the Spree. I had a lot more places of interest to cover, so I decided to skip it. Next, I went to the Museum Knoblachhaus. This is a beautiful typical Berliner home erected in the 1760s. Surprisingly this escaped any damage during world war. The Knoblauch family was a very prominent member of the Berlin society and contributed multiple merchants, politicians and scientists. Alexander von Humboldt was a very close friend and you can see the room he used to stay at, still with most of his possessions and furniture. 

I was shown around by the gorgeous Natalia who had the cutest accent. She was extremely friendly and told me about Ephraim Palais which was exhibiting photographs from the time of the city’s division. She told me stories about the personal suffering of some families separated during the division. She told me about how the Nazis, the world war and the division are still very dark topics for Germans and probably would never be able to completely leave it behind.

When I was leaving, she asked me if I was an Indian. When I answered in affirmative, she said, that’s why I was so beautiful. See!! Why are we Indians so stuck up on fair skin and trying to look like something we aren’t meant to? We are gorgeous! And, what makes us more gorgeous is our values and traditions which are imbibed in us. I am not talking about religion or practices. It’s about the manners, the readiness to help, the love for our family and friends. And, somebody please shut me up now!!

Phew! Control! Well, back to the topic. Ephraim Palais was built in the 1760s and is considered one of the prettiest buildings of Berlin. And, I thought so too, with its golden gilded balconies and the grand staircase, it does look like a house out of fairy tales. The exhibition was wonderful. To see real images and videos from the most infamous times of not only Berlin, but the entire world. To see, how people lived, felt and went through was incredible. Unfortunately I wasn’t allowed to take my camera inside but they did give me a booklet with all the images. There was a small section where you could hear a collection of songs, German and English from different eras, through the World War to the fall of the wall. It was great!

Next I walked up to the Berliner Dom or the Berlin cathedral. What a gigantic, splendid structure! The central cathedral is humongous with gorgeous ceiling frescoes and stained glass windows. You have to pay an entry ticket, with which you can access the higher levels and see some of the models of the various buildings. You can take a walk on the outer walkway which gives a splendid view of the city, but unfortunately the day I visited it was extremely windy and was deemed dangerous to walk on that. I had a great time standing on the park opposite to it and playing with my camera lenses to get pictures of the dome. The park was full of people relaxing and having a picnic. It would have been ideal to do that if I had a companion.

Next to the Museum Island or Museum Insel. There are five museums here. Altes Museum, Neue Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Bode Museum, Pergamon Museum. The tickets for each range between 18 to 22 Euros. I decided to skip all this and move to Yaam, the reggae bar.

Yaam is one of the most famous hangouts in Berlin. A super chilled out reggae bar on the banks of the Spree. Its bang opposite the Berlin Ostbahnof or the main train station. Situated in the Kreuzeberg area which is hailed as the alternative district of Berlin, this place is a must visit. My day was already going great and now it got better.

There is a very nominal entry, I think 3 Euros, I don’t remember anymore. As you enter you are welcomed by multiple mini restaurants. Well, they aren’t exactly restaurants. Each serves 2-3 dishes but all serve Jamaican food. I walked in towards the beach area, wanting to explore first. The walls are completely covered with some kick ass graffiti which were made as a part of street art competition earlier this year. There is a cute little robot made of scraps and is a favourite for photographs. Two Italian men walking right in front of me were trying to take a selfie with it, I offered to take their picture and as a thanks they returned the favour.

The seating inside is great. You have wooden benches to sit and drink at or lounge chairs and beach beds. There is a kiddie corner and a mini basketball court. Young kids were making bubbles and playing around. People were having a great time there. Sundays are special days at Yaam with a special event, DJ or concert. I was instantly in love with this place. Frankly I don’t know much of the new age reggae bands. My knowledge is limited to Bob Marley. But, reggae just makes you feel like you are sitting in the sun, happy, grooving to music. You don’t need to know the artists. But, everyone apart from me, knew each and every track and were lip syncing to it.

I decided to grab something to eat and went back to the eating section. I ordered a Jamaican shrimp curry with Cassava and Rice. One of the guys working at Yaam came and joined me at my table just chit chatting. He had come to India couple of decades ago and was happy to talk about it. He dubbed me “pretty lady”and refused to call me by my name. I had a “Hello pretty lady”  “How are you pretty lady” etc etc by almost everyone at the bar by the end of the evening. Once back at my table, the Italian man, whose picture I had clicked offered to buy me a drink. I protested a bit. I really didn’t know what one is supposed to do. Is it rude to completely refuse? In India, I won’t think twice. Refusal is usually the smartest thing to do. But, I was not in India. I gave in and he bought me a drink. And, then the deluge began. I had more drinks on my table than I could count. I decided to leave before I got drunk and completely lost my mind.

Next onto my final place to see in Berlin, Checkpoint Charlie. Checkpoint Charlie is the famous Berlin wall crossing point between and East and West Germany. This became a symbol of the cold war. After the reunification of Germany, this has become a tourist attraction. You have struggling, immigrant actors pretending to be American soldiers. For 1 Euro, you can pose with them and take pictures, which I obviously did. They have standard three poses. Arm linked (if a woman or arms around the shoulder for a man), Salute and a thumbs up which they call “Facebook Like”

 After I was done with my pictures, as I was packing my camera in, a man comes and says hello. And, then the usual, “How are you?, Where are you from?”. I politely respond. He tells me I am gorgeous and asks me out for a drink. And, this is where my stupidity began. You see, I was quite buzzed and very high on all the attention I had gotten at Yaam. I keep refusing. He is quite persistent so, I agree to have a coffee in a café right opposite to Checkpoint Charlie. We go in and sit and I have a hot chocolate. We are generally talking about our families and country. This mad man was a Macedonian, and after a while started trying to act extra comfortable. I tell him I got to leave and get out of there. And then the psycho stalker comes out. He followed me to the subway station, in the subway and up till my hostel, begging me all the way to just let him give me a kiss. My hostel did not have a board outside as the building was undergoing renovation and, after 2 in the afternoon the hostel door was locked and we had to enter from the adjoining store’s entrance. When I went into that store, he kept standing outside for a good 10 minutes cause he thought I was trying to fool him. He expected me to come out after a few minutes. Well, not my first stalker, but been a while since I had one. :D

When I reached the hostel door, I couldn’t unlock it with my key and I had to ring the bell. The face that opened that door!!!! Can I wrap up that face and take it home? Can I keep that smile with me and celebrate Diwali everyday? I am welcomed by this gorgeous smile! Take my word my friends. The most gorgeous smile you can find. Well of course, excluding babies, no one can compete with that. It was like I got high again. Phillipe has one of the most infectious smiles and personalities you can find. I seriously can’t remember what we spoke about in the first minute or so, but I do remember telling him about being the center of attention in Yaam. He can make you extremely comfortable and at ease. At least that’s what I felt. He offered me to come and hang out with him if I was getting bored. I thanked him and went back to my room and started packing my stuff. I had to leave the next morning.

After a while I could hear loud music. I peeped out and realized it was coming from Phillipe’s room. I decided to join him. There I met Rudiger. Rudy and Phillipe make music together. I had a good time sitting and listening to them for a while. Then we all spoke about our travels. Rudy is an Austrian and was telling us about the natural beauty of his country and some memorable travelling experiences. He is in the tech/design field (I am sorry if I am wrong Rudy) Phillipe is a lawyer from Brazil and now is a musician in Berlin! How crazy is that? His stories were a world apart. Insanity is the word to describe them.  He had lived and travelled through India for six months and had done the craziest things imaginable. Trekking through jungles alone for days, coming across leopards and tigers. We had a good laugh. Rudy had to get back home and he promised to visit India soon with his wife. Phillipe suggested we go out and grab some dinner. We picked couple of bottles of beer from the store downstairs and walked towards the subway station. How liberated I felt!! Drinking and walking through streets and in train, coming across street dancers performing and the passer by jumping in. I almost thought about doing it too.

I am glad my key didn’t work. I am glad Phillipe opened the door. I finally did something out of the ordinary (For my Indian standards) in Berlin.

 I am in love. So in love with this city. The Berlin vibe, the energy is something incomparable. The last day was like my love being reciprocated. It’s perfect for me. Fun, beauty with a dollop of madness. Like lovers, I am longing to see it again, to be with it again. No matter how long it takes, I know I am going to be with you one day and it would be like we were never separated.

Cause what we have is LOVE. ( I am sounding like that Macedonian stalker)

LIEBE

In love. Again.

Have you ever been in love? Remember the initial days? Nothing can compare to that. The perpetual euphoria, sleepless nights, the deep longing. Everything in life is colorful and bright and you can never have enough of your beloved’s face and voice. Looking for excuses to see them or talk to them. Day dreaming of your love. Believing that it can conquer all. No one can take it away. Life can throw as many hardships as it wants, you will bear it all and your love will shine through.

Some people are lucky enough to find love once in their life. I have been lucky more than once.

So, this is my love story. When I found love again.

Meet my love. Berlin. Berlin Love.

It was almost like I knew. Butterflies in my stomach when I left Munich. I had an early morning flight from Munich to Berlin. The flight was just 15 Euros more than the train and 5 hours shorter. This was recommended by a friend who is a globe trotter and I would ever be thankful for this tip. I had a lot more (much needed) time in Berlin and I met the awesome Nadine on my flight.

I was tired and groggy. I hadn’t slept well the night before. Late from the opera, an early morning flight and an insomniac over worrying personality equals to a super lost and confused Deepika (Yeah, more than I already am.) My backpack seemed to be a lot more heavier than it did on my arrival. What else did I expect after that manic shopping? I grab a quick but super yummy breakfast at the airport and reach my boarding gate. 

When we are called out to finally board, after my check in I start waking behind a man. I don’t even see who he is, whether a passenger or an airport staff. I am a half asleep zombie just waiting to plonk in my seat and sleep. And there are some unfortunate souls who take the wrong call to follow me. We suddenly notice that we are in a passage which sure doesn’t lead us to our plane. We try to turn back and realize that the door we entered through can only be opened by an employee. Great. I get dirty looks from these people and I give back my gorgeous disarming smile. (Modest much?)  We all laugh and start looking for a way out of that maze. We finally figure out and find ourselves in front of the checking gate. The staff is baffled to see us again, I give an apologetic smile and explain.

I can’t wait to sleep but as usual sleep eludes me just when I need it the most. I don’t remember how but the lady next to me and I start talking. Nadine is a resident of Berlin but works in Munich now. We discussed the cities, the differences between north and south Germany, and above all India. She had worked in Malaysia for a long while and had a few Indian colleagues and friends. It was an incredible experience for me to see how a westerner sees our culture and traditions. How the things we don’t even think twice about is actually leaving a profound effect on someone. We discussed how I was the minority of Indian women who have the freedom to do what I was doing. Leaving a family behind to travel by myself. I have friends who have to take permissions from their families, even to go for a coffee.

So, am I supposed to feel blessed or angry? Not blessed. It’s not something extraordinary that I don’t have to ask for permission. Yes, it’s great that my family is very open minded and not one of the majority, typically patriarchal, controlling Indian family. But, it’s more to do with me. My parents weren’t thrilled with my idea of travelling alone, my father actually upset about it. They couldn’t understand why I would want to do it. (Something I discussed in one of my earlier blogs) But, I am a grown adult and I have the right to make my own decisions. But, that again can be credited to my upbringing and my parents that I turned out be a confident, independent woman. All in all, an argument which is going to rage on for a very long time in our society.

When we reached Berlin, I was shocked to see the airport. Absolute chaos. That was the last thing I expected at such a major international city. Actually, last thing I expected with anything associated with Germany. This is when Nadine tells me about the embarrassment this construction has turned out to be. I was gobsmacked. The whole situation is so plausible in most countries, especially India. But, to have that in a country known for its efficiency? I didn’t know now that I would question this a few more times in the next few days.

Nadine was here to participate in the Hash House Harriers’run. We both decide to take the bus into the city. Standing in the long queue for the ticket, I decide to give my back a little rest and keep my backpack on the ground. Wrong decision! When it’s time to leave, I have to search for a higher surface to keep my backpack on, so I could easily slip it on. This process got me a lot of looks and smiles. People probably laughing at the little girl carrying a bag almost as big as her.

When I got in, I noticed there was only a driver apart from the passengers which got me wondering about who would check my ticket. Then, I was introduced to the ticket punching system. I alighted the bus at Alexander Platz and Nadine moved on. I really hope to see her again soon. I saw the TV tower right there and took a few pictures of it. The tower is listed as one of the places to see in Berlin. You can also climb it up and have a bird’s eye view of Berlin. The other option for the same experience was going into the Reichstag. I had already arranged to do that.

I had booked myself in a backpacker’s hostel. I really wanted to experience what it was to live in one of them. The hostel had sent me a very detailed route map with the tram, bus, train numbers and the fare. After I alighted at Alexander Platz I took a U-bahn to Rosa-Luxemburg Platz. Exit, a little walk and I was at my hostel. I couldn’t open the door. It was cold and I stood shivering calling the hostel phone hoping someone would answer. But, no one did. After a while, the door was opened by someone checking out. My first impression of the hostel was not great. It looked dingy and dirty. I had to go up to the 2^nd floor. The passages and staircases were filled with graffiti and messages. Some of them made the “nice little Indian girl” in me cringe. But, as I walked up I could feel the energy which later I realized was synonymous with all of Berlin. I was welcomed by the ever smiling and happy Ange. He showed me around, introduced me to the other residents and helped me with planning my day.

I quickly changed and was out of the hostel towards Unter den Linden. I didn’t have a lot of time for sightseeing today as I was going to attend the Berlin music festival in the evening. I follow google maps and get out of a metro as close as possible to the Brandenburger Tor. But, this wasn’t Munich. Berlin is a big city and there are multiple lines of buses, subways, metros and buses connecting the various locations. You should be aware of these connections to be able to use them optimally. Unfortunately, I wasn’t. I wasted a lot of time and energy in walking. I stopped by at a restaurant on the way for lunch. Had a glass of Lager with a Rostbrat’l, in Shawrzbier mariniertes Kammsteak, mit Bratkartofellan under Rostzweieben. I know!!!!! Which translates to Pork steak cooked in black beer with caramelized onions and potatoes. I couldn’t even wait to take a picture. After gobbling a few bites down, I tried to make the plate look neat (unsuccessfully) and took a picture.  I paid a whopping 20 Euros for this meal. Much better experience than Munich but still expensive. Unfortunately because of the weather I was being completely discouraged to sit at the open cafes where the food was way cheaper. Also because of the time constraint I was unable to go hunting for the places on my list. I ate at any place which came on my way, when I was too hungry to postpone my meal any further.

I passed by the Holocaust memorial and decided to come by later. Bad decision. I never got around to going there again. If I knew, I would have happily exchanged it for Unter den Linden. At the tourist center at Unter den Linden, I buy a few souvenirs (all for myself) and a few toys for my son. Unter den Linden is a boulevard lined with Lime trees on both sides. Before you enter this, you come across the massive Brandenburger Tor or the Brandenburg gate. This has been a witness to the tumultuous history of Berlin. This originally led to the city palace. The gate saw Napolean, Prussian rulers and the Nazis use it as their symbol. It was considerably damaged during World War 2 with holes and bullet marks. The governments of East and West Berlin in a joint effort tried to restore it but was finally restored in 2002.

I took a walk along the boulevard and stopped by a few monuments and lakes. Just sitting and doing nothing. What an amazing feeling!! On my way out, in front of the gate I suddenly come in front of a group of Italian men posing for a picture. I try to walk fast so that, I don’t ruin their picture when the photographer calls out to me. I stop and turn, he clicks a picture of me and says “bellissimo!” I am shocked, all his friends laugh. I tell him that he just had to ask and I would have been happy to pose with them; which then I did. :D

I had almost spent couple of hours in here. I had to get back to make it to the festival. Reached the hostel and it was time to doll up. The festival timing said 6 onwards. I aimed to reach there by at least 7. I hate missing out on anything and so try and reach everywhere on the time mentioned. And thanks to this, I am usually the one at a place even before the hosts are.

The Berlin music festival was at the Arena in Treptower Park. This place was quite far from where I was staying. I had to take a metro and then a subway to get there. And, then a very very long walk. Thanks to google map, I knew where I was at. And thanks to this walk, I saw a lot more places of interest. As I was walking, I came across the 100 foot Molecule man on the River spree and the Oberbaumbrucke or the Oberbaum Bridge. I was happy that I could cross of two things off my list.

When I reach the festival, the security doesn’t let me enter saying I have to enter through the other gate. I walk to the other gate, where there is a ticket counter. I am confused cause I already have the ticket. Being who I am, I had bought the ticket 2 months ago. But still, I think Germans know what they are doing and I wait. When my turn comes they tell me to go back to the earlier gate as I already have this ticket. This goes on for a few more times and just before I lose my temper, I see cops with two guys handcuffed and sitting on the sidewalk. That for sure calms me down. I know, I was being silly. I wouldn’t be arrested for raising my voice, but being in a foreign country all by yourself is probably the best time to learn some patience. Finally, I decide to explore and walk around, when I come across  the security check and entrance for people with online tickets. Another time when I was surprised with this confusion. Completely expected in India, but come on! This is Germany!

Anyways, entered the festival. Now finally, I started feeling nervous. What was I supposed to do? All alone, not a single person I knew. We had to pre pay for our drinks and food. This was possible only at a few counters and luckily I was there pretty early and didn’t have to stand in the humongous queues I saw later in the night. I pay 25 Euros and tell myself that I shouldn’t spend more than that. I get myself a beer and sit on a bench. Most of the stalls were still coming up and I was having a good time watching them all. Suddenly a group of drunk Italians come and sit on my table and start making small talk. One of the guys is in that place beyond drunkenness and gets fixated on my smile. Refuses to leave till I give my phone number. I tell him that I am not a local and my number is from India. I obviously wouldn’t want to give him my German number) He doesn’t know English and I don’t know Italian or German. Finally, I give up and give him my Indian number. He calls it to make sure I am not lying and funnily some man answers it. My phone is right next to me. I am baffled. I recheck. The number, the international codes are all correct. He keeps calling and some man keeps answering. Thanks to my short attention span, I have lost interest now. I excuse myself, tell them I need to use the washroom and disappear.

I get myself another beer and go to the Mainstage area. There’s barely anyone around. It’s still just 9 in the night. The music is great and I stand there wondering what to do. And then, I tell myself, “Deepika, this is not Hyderabad. Not even India. No one knows you. Not a single soul. You can do what you want.” I keep my bag down, and start dancing with the drink in my hand. In a while the place starts filling up and this bunch of guys from London are next to me. One of them comes up, strikes conversation and we all end up having a blast and hanging out together all night. I had an insane time. Yes, insane is the right word. I danced for probably 6 hours straight, felt like I was part of a Hollywood movie where you see the subtle flicks of hand, and money disappearing and little packets appearing. The group from London was shocked to hear that I was not under the influence anything apart from alcohol. They couldn’t believe that someone could have so much energy and madness without a little help. I took that as a compliment.

I left the place at 6 in the morning. The exit was on the other side of the street. My phone was switched off and I had no clue to where I was. It was drizzling, not a soul on the road. I start walking towards the same direction I had come the evening before. After a while, I see an old man on a bicycle coming towards me. I stop him and ask for Treptower Park. Now, I meant the Treptower Park train station and he thought the real Park and told me to turn back and walk. I am not sure, so I keep asking him again. He doesn’t know a word of English. He tells me to walk with him and I do. Thanks to my need for constantly wanting to talk, I just generally start telling him about the place I have to go to. He doesn’t understand anything but picks on the location, Alexander Platz. He starts screaming “Nien Nien Nien!!!!” and waves at the opposite direction, the direction I was originally walking towards. So, I turn around and drag myself. But, it’s one of those rare times when my constant talking actually helped me out. Yes, I talk a lot. I need to talk. So, if I am quite and not making a conversation, I don’t like you or I am pissed at you, which also is a step towards not liking you.

 I reach an intersection where I see a guy and ask him for the directions for a train station. He tells me there are two and he is going to the one closest and I can come with him. Just then, I notice this colorful wall and I realize I am at the East Side Gallery!!! Woah!! I can’t hear what that guy is saying and I start taking my camera out, all I can see are the paintings on the gallery. He confirms that it indeed is the East Side gallery and the Ostabahnof or main train station is at the end of it. I thank him and walk towards the wall.

Now, suddenly I have all the energy in the world. The East side gallery is a 1.3 km long section of the Berlin Wall. The East side is covered with 105 paintings by various artists. Most of them were destroyed by graffiti and vandalism but some of them have been restored. I was thrilled that I saw some of the main attractions and all of this, without any planning!!

Once I got back to the hostel, I went up for breakfast where I met a lot of people. People were from all over the world. Spain, Malaysia, Australia. Everyone would express surprise that an Indian girl was travelling alone, but would be outright shocked when they realized that I was an Indian girl from India. The questions would be, “Where are you from?” and then, “So where do live/are coming from?”  I wouldn’t lie, I did feel a sense of accomplishment.

After breakfast, I tried sleeping, but gave up after a while. The girls sleeping on the bunker opposite to me had the wristbands from the festival. We start talking after a while. Laura and Sophie were backpacking across Europe. I had a great time listening to their adventures and the plans. I wish I had a friend like this who I could travel around with. They expressed their wish to visit India and I hope we meet again.

First stop, The Topography of Terror. Laura and Sophie had asked me not to miss this at any cost. This is an indoor and outdoor history museum depicting the terrors of the Nazi regime. This housed the headquarters of the SS and the Gestapo which were destroyed by the allies. The outdoor museum also has sections of the Berlin Wall. You can read about the rise of Hitler, the ideology of Nazis and short stories of regular people being the target of Nazi atrocities. It broke my heart to read these. I get affected by other people’s pain very easily and these stories were something that would even break a heart made of stone. I did not go into the indoor museum as I had to be at the Reichstag at 4.

Eating Currywurst was on top of my list. Luckily, there was a currywurst outlet right opposite to Topographie des terrors. I was asked if I want it spicy, ermmm.. Yaaa!!  Well, the “Spicy” I got was at the same level of spiciness as of an Indian baby. But, I really enjoyed it. A must in Berlin.

I had a 4ó clock booking at the Reichstag. I had booked this almost two months in advance. You can enter the German parliament or Bundestag on certain days at certain times. This is free and it’s better if you book it online. You can visit the terrace roof and the dome of the Reichstag building which offers a spectacular view of the city. You can also attend the plenary sittings if they are in session. There are guided audio tours in almost every language. I am glad I did this. I got a bird eye view of almost every important site of Berlin, places I couldn’t visit.

Neue Synagogue

Today was the match between Dortmund and Wolfsburg. Berlin was a sea of Green and yellow. I had never seen something like this. The whole city was out supporting one of the teams. From infants to oldies, everyone cheering. There were a lot of stag parties going on too. Berlin is a favourite destination for Stag’s and Hen’s parties. The streets were full of drunken revelry, but I didn’t feel unsafe for a second.

There was so much more to see and do, but it started raining and I just didn’t have the energy to go on. Last night’s partying was catching up to me now. I went back to the hostel and decided to take a short nap. Ange had said that most of the hostel mates would go out tonight, it being a Saturday night and had invited me along. I wanted to be fresh and rested for it. Went to bed at 6 in the evening and woke up at 5 the next morning. L I remember hearing the noise outside my room and telling myself to get up before I would slip back into dreamland. Next morning people couldn’t believe that I was in the room right there and slept through all that noise. There was a club downstairs which was still playing music at 8 in the morning!! The party was still on! I was disgusted with myself for sleeping through a Saturday night in Berlin!

Today is my last day in Berlin and I have to make the best of it. But, asusual the blog has already become very long. I would have to continue this in a new post. 

Es tut uns leid!!