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 :-)