Hallo Leute!

I write to you with a sad heart, as this is my last entry for the month. Unfortunately I will not be back to write for you next month either :'( ! I had a great month with Deutsch Akademie. I had the same awesome teacher that I had last level and even some of the same students from my last level as well! I can honestly say I learned so much, and I know I say that every month but it’s true! The amount of information that I was able to cram into my brain is incredible and I am so grateful to have done it with Deutsch Akademie.

I also really enjoyed writing for you all and hopefully some of you read this fondly and take some of my suggestions! At least some! I explored Berlin just to be able to write for you all! (I’m just kidding, don’t feel pressured…. or am I?) I am going to take a month break from blogging to focus on more intensely studying my Deutsch and seeing more of Berlin! Hopefully by August, I should be back, full of new Deutsche Wörter and new Blog content! I will miss writing. But until then, it’s me Milan, signing off…
Until then, bis bald
-Milan :-)

Hallo Leute!

So, if you know me in real life, you know that I am not a fan of studying! At all! Even in middle and high school, I was notorious for not studying, as I just don’t have the Lust to ever do so. That and my attention span is a bit shorter than normal haha! Now unfortunately when you’re studying a language, especially one as difficult as Deutsch, it is imperative that you study. Grammar rules and Vokabeln are not going to be learned just by going over them once! You need to study them every night, or every other night. It is even good to do a little learning on your own. For example, listening to Deutsche Radio Programme or even Deutsch Podcasts can go a long way. Even if you don’t recognise all words, which you probably won’t because we’re all still learning here, its good to just familiarise yourself with the language. Some swear by listening to Deutsche Musik, but personally that never helps me because songs are way too fast for me to be able to pick out individual words.
If I am being completely honest, one of the best ways that I study is by watching a Deutsche TV Serie. At the moment I am watching a comedy (sort of spin-off of Tatort, but not really… actually no it’s not at all lol) called Der Tatortreiniger. Basically in this show der Tatortreiniger cleans up crime scenes and meets people along the way, creating and getting into a whole bunch of crazy and hilarious situations. While watching the show I put on the Untertitel option and decipher as much as I can. The words I don’t understand, I write in a list (which becomes quite long by the end of the episode) and translate/study them after. I know this doesn’t sound to helpful but it actually is, and I highly recommend this method with any Deutsche Serie that you enjoy.

Until then, bid bald!
-Milan :-)

Hallo Leute!

This entry isn’t really going to be about a place or thing you can visit here in Berlin, but rather a few tiny things you can do to help yourself while you live here in Berlin. Going grocery shopping is perhaps the most important thing you can do to keep yourself alive haha, but let’s be honest its not the most diverting activity to do. Sometimes it can even be a nuisance, but hopefully some of these tips make grocery shopping less of a drag.

• Tip 1: Make sure to always take Einkaufstaschen with you when you go to the Markt. Nothing is worse than forgetting your bags and having to buy a Papier or Plastiktüte. It is also better for the environment, and arguably hurts your hands a lot less than bought Plastiktüten.
• Tip 2: Bio Obst and Gemüse is way better for you than conventional. This should seem obvious, but not everyone knows and thats ok! Now if you don’t want to spend the big bucks at the Bioladen (because honestly no one does), there is always a huge selection of Bio Obst u. Gemüse at Rewe! The other day I found a Bio Aubergine for 79 cents! Now that’s what I’m talking about! Another great place to find fresh produce is a local Markt near you. You can find regional food at great prices.
• Tip 3: I know it is a bit difficult here in Deutschland, but if possible (for example with rice or pasta) buy bulk! You end up getting a lot more bang for your buck. (sorry that is an American expression lol)
• Tip 3: Speaking of Rewe! A whole bunch of stores and companies throughout Berlin (such as DM, Rewe, Fressnapf, and many many more) have joined together to become a group of Payback Karte stores. If you sign up for a Payback Karte (which is completely free by the way) you can receive points every time you buy something at one of these stores. The list is extensive and even includes online stores! If you sign up with your E-Mail and address, they even email and mail you coupons! With these points you can receive discounts in the future, and I mean euros, not cents, off your next purchase! Also it sounds like I’m an advertiser for Payback haha, oops!
  

  I’m a major coupon-er now!

• Tip 4: Never Einkauf when you’re hungry! You’ll end up buying too much food and wasting money! haha
• Tip 5: If you absolutely hate going to Rewe or Denn’s or wherever you normally buy Lebensmittel, you can get some stores to deliver the food to your door! Now I have never tried it, but I see the advertisements all the time around Berlin. I even have a friend who tried it when she got sick and couldn’t go out for a week! It is way easier, and even though you have to pay for delivery fees, I have heard es lohnt sich!

Until then, bis bald!
-Milan :-)

Hallo Leute!

So if you follow up with this blog, or even know me in real life, at all, then you know that I absolutely love and adore Berlin. I have moved around a lot and lived in quite a few different cities and out of all of them Berlin is my favourite. But… with that being said, I want to bring up this famous saying „Hate and Love are two sides of the same coin“. Although I utterly love Berlin, I have to say there are a few things that really grind my gears. I am sure you all have those things that you can’t help but get annoyed about, maybe we even share a few!

-Bathrooms: Ok, I know you all know exactly what I am going to say here… Paying for bathrooms. I still can’t get over this, no matter how hard I try. I will never embrace it! It irks me so much that I have to spend 50 cents to a whole Euro just to use a public restroom! But alas… At least they’re decently clean.

Ampelmann: Yet another thing that I do not love about Berlin is der grüne Ampelmann. Wait hear me out! I’m not completely heartless when it comes to this cute little symbol. It’s not necessary him I hate, but the social Regel that comes with it. The mandatory (yes mandatory if you don’t want to be publicly stared down and shunned) social custom of waiting until the walking light has turned a bright green to cross the street, even if there are no cars in sight! Now of course I adhere to this unspoken rule, but unfortunately, I do so begrudgingly.

Indoor smoking: If you’re a smoker, then I do apologise and mean no offence in what I’m about to say- uh, write. I can not stand the fact that in some places, mostly bars, smoking indoors is erlaubt. I have nothing against the smokers, just against the horrid stale cigarette smell that lingers in your hair and clothes for hours after you leave. And of course the opaque gaseous cloud of exhale-smoke that is sometimes strong enough to burn your eyes! I’m just not used to it because indoor smoking is illegal in the U.S., but I’m sure I’ll get used to it eventually.

Those are obviously only a few things that I can’t stand. But it’s good that the list is so small, in the U.S., the list is ganz größer. I know I eventually find a few more things along the way, but hopefully not too many! Until then, bis bald!
-Milan :-)