Pretty good. That’s my verdict having nearly completed two month-long intensive German courses at language school DeutschAkademie, Berlin. I’ve been living here for a year and a half, but as every English speaker knows, it takes dedication to learn German when every German wants to practice his English. It is really only over the last […]

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The Dong Xuan Center lives on the eastern outskirts of Berlin, just shy of the Germo-Vietnamese border. Three huge hangars house hundreds of vendors hawking every oddball item you never realized you needed, along with some excellent viet-food.  You will be immediately bowled over by the scope and scale of odd, seemingly useless stuff for sale. […]

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I thought I’d share my review of Herr Lehmann, an entertaining German film I might never have discovered were it not for my classes at Deutsch Akademie.Der Film Herr Lehmann von Leander Haussmann öffnet ein Fenster zu der Welt Berlin Kreuzberg vor dem Mauerfall. Christian Ulmen spielt überzeugend den melancholischen bier-süchtigen Herr Lehmann der versucht […]

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In the no man’s land between Potsdamer Platz and Checkpoint Charlie, in the shadow of the ruined Anhalter Bahnhof, lies a hobbitish Kneipe named Stadtklause. The warm atmosphere in this seemingly ancient building is excellent–as is the dark Klosterbier on tap and the homemade pub food. The place also boasts a cellar museum dedicated to […]

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To the not faint of heart, I recommend visiting one of Berlin’s most striking modern ruins: the former listening station towers atop Teufelsberg. The berg itself is a man-made mountain assembled from the wreckage of World War Two. The listening stations, which resemble giant golf balls, were built by western forces to intercept radio communications […]

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“Prince Denmark” is a funny sort of brand name. I’m not sure if it is meant to evoke the most famous prince of that Nordic land, but one might free associate “mass tragedy”, “untimely death” or “ear poison”. The play is a blood bath, after all. Turns out it’s cigarettes. That took a while to […]

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Going to the lost-and-found in Berlin is quite a trip. To begin with, the office is located in a corner of the now closed Tempelhof airport – a giant structure which once satisfied the Nazis’ desire for Monumentalism.  
At the front door, you are welcomed by this sign.  It says:
Due to the “new flu” we […]

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I’ve always understood granola to be a more or less healthy type of breakfast cereal rather than a brand. “Choc-Blop”, by contrast, is like a generic term of derogation my parents might have improvised in the supermarket aisle. As in, “I’m not buying you any ‘Tootie Frooties’, or ‘Choc-Bloppers’, or ‘Count Flatula’. That stuff is junk.”Anyways, if I was […]

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I always liked the name “Ape” for this miniest of mini-transport vehicles. It seemed so incongruous.
Well I found out the Ape is actually made by the Italians who brought you Vespa and is pronounced “ah-pay”, which translates to the more fitting “wasp”.
The orange box can be removed to reveal a quick and dainty chick-corral. That […]

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Here is our local bulk wurst counter. The bold scent of sour pork permeates the entire market hall in which it is housed. The women running the place, who look like addled car hops, are normally either frazzlin’-out behind the counter (pictured above) or smoking cigarettes in front of it. Who can blame them for […]

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