Exciting Schanzenviertel

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Blog 13 by Shin Shin Lung

Schanzenviertel is one of the coolest and trendiest neighbourhoods in Hamburg. There are many cool bars and restaurants here. It is certainly a nice alternative to the Reeperbahn. Loads of young (and not so young!) people hang out here at night. If you do venture there at night for a pub crawl, do check out Katze on Schulterblatt 88. It is a cool bar and I feel most people have been there at least once! At the end of the night, if you need some food to ease the hangover (haha!), check out Erika’s Eck (www.erikas-eck.de) on Sternstraße 98. They serve “belegte Brötchen” (German sandwiches) from midnight for just 1€!

Elbphilharmonie: Hamburg’s Newest Landmark

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Blog 12 by Shin Shin Lung

 

The Elbphilharmonie ( www.elbphilharmonie.de ) is a must-see landmark in Hamburg. Affectionately called Elphi by Hamburgers, it is a beautiful concert hall in HafenCity. Elphi is one of the largest and acoustically advanced concert halls in the world. It is also the tallest inhabited building in Hamburg, standing at 108 metres.

 

It is free to visit Elphi and it is relatively easy. Just obtain a free ticket from the ticket counter on arrival.

This ticket enables you to enter and walk around the building.

The views are spectacular.

 

By the way, it is another story if you want to attend a concert there; I heard the waiting time is very long (up to a year for some concerts) as Germans from afar are interested in attending concerts here too.

Jawa Restaurant: A Taste of Indonesia

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Blog 11 by Shin Shin Lung

 

Are you looking for a new cuisine to try out with your friends?

I highly recommend trying a great family owned Indonesian restaurant called Jawa. It is situated on Wendenstraße 29, 20097 Hamburg.

 

Their lunch menu is catered for office workers in the area which is very simple and slightly underwhelming. I feel it is designed for the inexperienced European palate.

The authentic menu is only available after 1:30pm weekdays, during dinner time on weekdays and all-day Saturday.  They are closed on Sundays.

 

I highly recommend their satays (BBQ skewered meat with peanut sauce) and rendang (spicy braised meat in coconut milk). Nasi goreng (fried rice) is always a favourite too! These of course are from their authentic menu! 🙂

For all the Malaysians out there, there are no Malaysian restaurants in Hamburg.

This is as close as it gets! 🙂

 

 

Handy Hamburg Hints: 5 Tips to Know When You First Arrive!

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Blog 10 by Shin Shin Lung

 

Chances are if you are here learning German at DeutschAkademie, you are a newbie in Hamburg! So, Willkommen!

 

Moving to a new country is always an exciting adventure but also challenging. You are faced with a new environment, culture and language. To help you settle in, below are 5 Handy Hints to ease you into living in Hamburg:

 

  1. Shops are CLOSED on Sunday and Public Holidays: When I say shops, I mean virtually ALL shops including grocery stores! Only restaurants are opened. This is a day where you can catch up with family and friends, go for walks and reward yourself with a slice of cake! 🙂

 

  1. Hamburg is still predominantly a Cash society: Unlike some countries like Australia and the UK, where you can walk out of home with just your bank card, this is not the case in Germany. You will still need cash as some places only accept cash, particularly for low cost transactions.

 

  1. Pack your own groceries: Grocery stores here do not pack your groceries for you and there is usually a line of people behind you. So, start packing your groceries into your bag(s) as the cashier put through your items. If you have a lot of items, I recommend putting them into your shopping cart first, and then packing them into your bag(s) afterwards.

 

  1. Bring your own shopping bag(s): Grocery and department stores do not give free bags. You can however purchase them at the checkout if you wish. It can get a bit expensive after a while, so I recommend bringing one with you at all times.

 

  1. Pfand your used plastic/glass bottles and drink cans: You pay an additional cost for any bottle/can that has the “Pfand” logo on it. This cost is refunded to you when you return the empty bottles/cans. You may return them at any grocery store in an automated Pfand machine.

 

I hope these Handy Hints help you settle into Hamburg. Good luck settling in! 😀

Majestic St. Michael’s Church

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Blog 9 by Shin Shin Lung

Europe is famous for its beautiful churches and St. Michael’s Church ( www.st-michaelis.de ) is no exception. Known affectionately as “Michel” by locals, it is Hamburg’s largest church with a 132m bell tower.  It offers a stunning view over the city.

Once you step inside, you will be amazed by the beauty of the 20m high altar.

The Michel has 5 different organs and can house 2,500 people.

My favourite time to visit the Michel is on Christmas Eve where I can sing along to lovely Christmas carols. I fully recommend it – it is not to be missed if you are here for a German Christmas! 🙂