inkomprehensibel

[inkomprehensibel]

Another problem with Pimsleur was that it was all in the formal! It would be great for business people trying to learn for work, but apparently informal is very very common. More on that later. 

[inkomprehensibel]

Understanding German in tiiiny bits, bobs, and guessing is no longer enough. So off to class we went!

[inkomprehensibel]

Beh

[inkomprehensibel]

German efficiency/overefficiency/inefficiency

[inkomprehensibel]

Vacation fin (for now)

[inkomprehensibel]

Castle adventures for all!

[inkomprehensibel]

Part deux

[inkomprehensibel]

Another break from Berlin times! (Just take the plane)

[inkomprehensibel]

Happy Holidays from your two new-in-Berliners, and see you with more stories of our trials and tribulations in the New Year. Hugs all!

[inkomprehensibel]

Ever had to put in kitchen counters? Shower curtains or doors? Or even lights (not just the lightbulb... the actual wiring to the lightbulb holder)? Well if you move into a flat in Berlin, you have to learn these things quickly!

[inkomprehensibel]

I’m back! Sorry it’s been a while... every day has been non stop with moving out/in and gathering all our scattered possessions. Filling a huge empty flat and making it functional is hard work! But I’m hoping to be back to our regularly scheduled programming now.

[inkomprehensibel]

Because of the way flats in Germany are let, all of them come completely empty! It’s been an interesting lesson in adulthood - having to now think about buying a washing machine and a fridge and kitchen counters... and all those things you never think about.

And it’ll be quite the contrast when we’re moved in to the ‘living out of your suitcase’ life we’ve been living for the past half a year.

[inkomprehensibel]

We viewed 20 flats and applied to many and finally signed for one yesterday!

[inkomprehensibel]

Flathunting in Berlin continues, day and night.

[inkomprehensibel]

Really, the audio tapes and books need to get more into a real conversation on what actually happens in stores, all that extra stuff people always ask you. Do you want a receipt, do you want this wrapped, are you sure you want this same thing again... You know, all the usual stuff.

[inkomprehensibel]

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this holiday and one of the reasons Halloween remains a hugely loved one is that, when you’re a kid it’s the first time you’re given independence and your own say. “What do you want to be?” (ANYTHING!) “Who will you trick or treat with?” (MY BEST FRIENDS AND NO PARENTS!) As an adult it becomes more of a fun expression of yourself type of holiday, all with no religious or historical connotations. Seriously the saddest thing I saw was a little girl on the S-bahn dressed all in regular kids clothes spinning around and around a pole saying over and over again “Halloween halloween halloween”...

Anyway, soon we’re onto holiday seasons that I’m sure Germans do more extravagantly than Americans: the Yuletide. Gimme ‘til after Thanksgiving and I too will be breaking out my mugs for some mulled wine partaking! In the meantime, enjoy some happy Halloween memories: https://twitter.com/AoifeLockhart/status/925375250833035264

(Btw we were dressed as Kiki and Jiji for a Baths gig, but Seaside Town wasn’t played this time!)

[inkomprehensibel]

Signing up for the local library is one of the first things I do when I move to a new place and Berlin’s public libraries are pretty awesome. Especially this thing.