Fotos vom 2. Stammtisch im Juli

Liebe Teilnehmer,

gestern hatten wir wieder einen sehr schönen Abend mit euch bei unserem Stammtisch im Café Berio.
Wir freuen uns schon auf den nächsten Stammtisch am 11. August und möchten mit euch noch paar Erinnerungen teilen.

Euer DeutschAkademie Team

 

How to Order Food in German

Going to a restaurant it’s always fun. Speaking in German might be not that fun :p So in order to make your experience enjoyable it’s good to be prepared with few important basic phrases. Most of the personal in German restaurants and bars speak English but you will have a really authentic experience when you can order your yummy food yourself.

Here there are some important phrases which can help you:

  • Kann ich einen Tisch reservieren, bitte? (Can I please reserve a table?)
  • Ich möchte einen Tisch um 20 Uhr reservieren. (I would like to reserve a table at 8 p.m.)
  • Wir sind zu zweit/dritt/viert. (There are two/three/four of us.).

To help you reading the German Menu here are some useful vocab you might need:

  • die Speisekarte(menu)
  • das Menü(set meal)
  • das Essen(food)
  • das Hauptgericht(main course)
  • die Vorspeise(starter)
  • der Nachtisc(dessert)
  • das Frühstück(breakfast)
  • das Mittagessen(lunch)
  • das Abendessen(dinner)
  • vegetarisch(vegetarian)
  • Zum mitnehmen, bitte.(To take away, please)

How to Order in German:

  • Ich hätte gern zwei Brötchen bitte. (I would like two bread buns please.)
  • Ich möchte einen Apfelsaft. (I would like an apple juice.)
  • Ich hätte gern 200 Gramm Käse. (I would like 200 grams of cheese.)
  • Ist das Gericht glutenfrei/nussfrei?(Is the dish gluten free/free from nuts?)
  • Gibt es etwas Veganes?(Is there a vegan option?)
  • Ich möchte es lieber ohne scharf. (I’d prefer it not too spicy.)
  • Ist es möglich, das Gericht ohne das Spiegelei/die Pommes/die Bratensoße zu haben?(Is it possible to have the dish without the fried egg/french fries/gravy?)

During the meal you could say:

  • Guten Appetit! (Enjoy your meal!)
  • Mahlzeit! — This word literally means “mealtime” and comes from the archaic phrase gesegnete Mahlzeit (blessed mealtime)
  • Kannst du mir das Salz geben, bitte? (Can you please pass me the salt?)
  • Schmeckt es dir?  “Is it tasty?”
  • Können wir mehr Wasser haben, bitte? (Can we have more water, please?)

 

Have fun and enjoy German food !!!

10

Grünes Berlin

Did you know that Berlin is considered the greenest capital in Europe? Its visitors and habitants can enjoy a variety of beautiful parks and colorful gardens. Every park offers lovely sights and romantic lakes. Berliners love being there. You could see business people having lunch break there, mums with kids playing until late afternoon, couples having picnics and people riding a bicycle all across the Berlin’s oasis.

 

If you have the chance to visit Volkspark Humboldthain near Gesundbrunnen center you should check the Rosen Garten there. It’s a magic place with beautiful rose bushes and gorgeous atmosphere. Take a book and spend your afternoon in a bench there. The silence and the rose aroma will bless your day. In the same park during summer you could enjoy swimming in the Sommerbad Humboldthain.

 

As you can see there are many options for you to enjoy Berlin’s nature. Take the chance and have fun 9.1 9.2 9

Green and beautiful West Germany

Last weekend Philip and I were visiting Gummersbach – a beautiful lovely town near Cologne. The area is called the land of the 1000 lakes. Everywhere you look, you can contemplate green pastures, crystal clear water lakes and beautiful forests. Such a heaven place!!! I think living in a big city like Berlin is the best experience ever, but I also agree that from time to time human been needs to go out and be in contact with the nature. Fortunately Germany offers many green and wonderful places which you could enjoy with family and friends.

There are so many fun things to do in the forest. Philip and I really love being there. We went for a walk, we had a picnic near the lakes, we took many pictures and of course we tasted the unique bread from the local authentic bakery. There is nothing that tastes better than German bread in the morning.

Gummerbach is a lovely town which apart from its stunning nature is famous by its first league handball team. And as we know this year Germany won the Europe Handball Championship. So this is another good reason to visit Gummersbach 😉

8.1 8

Monkey Bar

One nice Friday night our friends Sara and Vasco invited us to go for a drink. They took us to a place which really surprised us with its beautiful views. The venue is called Monkey bar and it offers a cool atmosphere of music, cocktails and Berlin sights from above. On one side you are able to contemplate Berlin’s zoo and Tiergarten while from the other side you can admire the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.

We had a nice evening full with good conversations and laughter.

Life tastes better when you share it with family and friends

P.S If you are planning to visit this place during weekends we recommend you to book in advance 😉

7.2 7

Gesunder Lebensstil

Let’s be healthy!!! Sometimes life could get really busy and then we are threatened with not enough time so we end up eating fast or unhealthy food every day at any time. But being healthy doesn’t require sophisticated or time consuming recipes.

A simple bunch of fruits and vegetables mixed together offers a nice combination and it could bring you all the necessary “Gesund” for the day.

Every day I prepare myself quick smoothies, one in the morning and one for a snack during the day. It’s easy, fast and tasty.

There are so many things that a simple smoothie can bring to your day:

  • Energy
  • Getting your 5 servings a day
  • Fiber
  • Antioxidants
  • Lots of nutrients at once
  • More fun – its easier to drink a cool smoothie than eat carrots alone :p

One of my favourite recipes is the next:

  • 1 banana, sliced
  • 1 kiwie, sliced
  • 1 apple, sliced
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • few nuts, sliced

Combine and Blend until smooth.

 

There are millions of combinations. Just be creative and use your imagination.

Have fun while being healthy.

 

6

Berlin Carnival

Have you ever been in Berlin during the Berlin carnival? It’s an international explosion of cultures, folklore and colors. I had so much fun during these 4 special days.

The festival culminates in a colourful street parade with music and dance on Pentecost Sunday. Every year in early summer, the Carnival of Cultures celebrates the cultural diversity of Berlin.

Are you fan of street food?  If yes, this is the best time of the year for you. Berlin’s streets get flooded with food markets from all over the world. Everywhere smells YAMMIIIIIiiii. At more than 300 stands you could try exotic rare dishes as long as delicious fresh cocktails. And the desert is beyond your imagination.

Every corner cherishes its own music and unique Berlin style as well as international band concerts. People enjoy their time with family and friends.

Feel invited next year. It’s gonna be fun!5.2 5.3 5.1

Meine Klassenkameraden

Studying German for me was not only an opportunity to learn a new language but also an opportunity to make so many new friends. I am so happy to be able to study with people from all over the world. In class I am seating next to people coming from India, America, Ukraine, Syria, Morocco, Italia, Iran, Netherlands, France, Palestine. Such an international classroom full with so much potential.

I am so glad that these people had decided to step out of their comfort zone and learn a new language. To cross new borders and to learn about new cultures. The world is your oyster.

Many times after class we go for a coffee together. It’s a privilege to learn about the world through its people.

I belief that every person has a unique story. Every time I meat a new person I am always surprised. Life is written in a creative way.

The next lines are a brief introduction of my classmates:

Hala – from Morocco is making documentary films

Jenifer – from America is HR who is doing MBA in Germany

Inna – from Ukraine is learning programming by her own

Rayan – from Syria is going to study master in Civil Engineering

Alaa – from Palestina is doing internship in Berlin

Nicola – from Italy is working as a waiter in a bar

Haithan – from Syria is studying architecture

Nice mixed isn’t it?

Life is full with these and many more interesting life stories ….

Enjoy discovering them!

4

Tegeler See

Have you ever visited Tegeler See? If not you should go, if yes you should comeback :p Tegeler See is the second largest lake in Berlin. It’s located near Tegel airport. So, if you have flown using that airport I am sure you have already seen it from your airplane. It’s a lovely place with beautiful green areas colored with millions of flowers. There are soooooo many interesting things to do here. People come on a sunny day and enjoy many water activities like hiring pedal boats, kanu-kayaking, sailing, etc. Kids are feeding the swans and ducks while others are enjoying sunbathing on the beach of Tegeler See. People could enjoy wonderful walks along the shore as well as having a picnic with friends and family.

I recommend you to go and enjoy a nice sunny day in this magnificent place. There the time stops and the fun begins.

3

Backen mit Spaß

On Sunday 8th of May Germany celebrates Mother’s day – Muttertag. Two days before this special day my friend Sara and I decided to bake muffins as a gift. We wanted to honour our mums and the mums of our friends with a little but sweet surprise. That was a really nice and fun idea.

We used the next very easy recipe. Even if you have never baked in your like we recommend you to have a try with this very simple and basic formula.

You will be surprised how easy and yammi 😉

Have fun and enjoy !!!

Ingredients

  • 2 medium eggs
  • 125ml vegetable oil
  • 250ml semi-skimmed milk
  • 200g golden caster sugar
  • 400g self-raising flour (or plain flour and 3 tsp baking powder)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 100g chocolate chips or dried cherries

Method

  1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line 2 muffin trays with paper muffin cases. In a large bowl beat the eggs lightly with a handheld electric mixer for 1 min. Add the oil and milk and beat until just combined then add the sugar and whisk until you have a smooth batter. Sift in the flour and salt (and baking powder if using) then mix until just smooth. Be careful not to over-mix the batter as this will make the muffins tough. Stir in the chocolate chips or dried fruit if using.
  2. Fill muffin cases two-thirds full and bake for 20-25 mins, until risen, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the trays will not fit on 1 shelf, swap the shelves around after 15 mins of cooking. Leave the muffins in the tin to cool for a few mins and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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