Hallo Leute!

So this is just a really quick entry about where I went the other day! And that is… dun dun dun drumroll please, Mustafa’s Gemüse Kebab!!!! Now if you are unfamiliar with this establishment, it is (as the name implies) a Kebab Stand that supposedly sells the best Döners in Berlin. Now because I have a strong dedication to food and Berlin, I stood in the line that normally lasts anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes. Luckily, we went on a weekday so it wasn’t as busy and we only had to wait about 45 minutes. Unluckily, having to wait any longer than 10 minutes when you’re extremely hungry is terrible, so by the time we got to the stand to order we were all hangry (hungry and angry)! Naturally there were only about three items on the menu, but quality over quantity, right? When we finally got our awesome 3 euro Döner, we were overjoyed. And honestly, nothing beats that first bite.

Now I wouldn’t consider myself a Döner expert, but I have had a fair amount of Kebabs in my day and this one was definitely in the top three. The sauces (yes plural!) were so delicious and the bread was not too heavy, toasted just right. The veggies are obviously fresh cut and the entire mixture was heavenly. They add fresh Käse on the top as if the rest wasn’t enough. Now I can not definitively say that this is objectively the best Döner Kebab in Berlin, as I have not tried every single one, but it definitely is one of the top. Perhaps even worth the wait! So please do yourself a favour and get yourself a Mustafa’s Döner in Mehringdamm.

Look how long this line was! We waited about 45 minutes!

Can we please talk about how good this looks?

Until then, bis bald!
-Milan :-)

Hallo zusammen!

Today I had a great day at (as you can tell from the title) a Fußballspiel, and I wanted to share my experiences with you all in hopes that you too attend a local Fußballspiel! So the game I attended was Hertha BSC v. Bayern München, which was very difficult because I love both teams! But eventually, I chose to root for Bayern because they’ve been my team for years. So, with my old Bayern sweatshirt that I bought from Karstadt Sports, I made my way to Olympia Stadion. 

When I got there it was obviously incredibly crowded and it took about a half hour to actually get inside the Stadion and sit down. In the Stadion, there is an obvious Hertha side (Ostkurve) and then the obvious Bayern side, and I was seated right in the middle of both with a mix of Hertha fans and Bayern fans all around me. Once the game started, I could automatically feel the incredible energy and adrenaline off the fans in the stands and the players on the field. Both sides were chanting and pounding, swinging their scarves (I didn’t bring one, what a shame) and waving their flag.The first goal was made by V. Ibišević in Hertha (to which half of the Stadion screamed until their lungs gave out) and then a goal was made by R. Lewandowski in the extra five minutes added to the game. Many excellent shots from Bayern were blocked by Hertha’s great goalie and vice versa. Of course in the middle of the match, there were a few falls, and even a few yellow cards to accompany them. At one point in the game, one whole row of fans got into an argument that had to separated by workers from the Stadion.

During half-time, I walked out, amongst the throngs of people rushing to use the restroom and get some refreshments, and got a nice hot really low alcohol content Glühwein, also know as „Stadionpunch“ and some tasty Pommes. Restroom lines, of course, were longer than heck but I managed to get back to my place in time. By the time the game was over, several people had left early (they missed Bayern’s goal at the 90+), but that didn’t mean that there still weren’t thousands of people trying to rush out. When I got to the S-Bahn, I had to wait for four trains by the time I was able to squeeze onto one. Overall, I absolutely loved the game and the experience I had attending it. I hope to go to many more in the future, and I hope you go to some as well! Bis bald :)

-Milan ⚽︎

Hallo zusammen!

It is Friday abend, officially the beginning of das Wochenende! So, today I thought I would write a little history Blog entry. First, let me explain. Four times a week I go to the Deutsch Akademie at WIttenbergplatz. Normalerweise to get there, I take the S-Bahn to Zoologischer Station and walk the fifteen minutes past the church to school. I’ve been past this church at least ten times and I still don’t know the history behind it! I’m sure not all of you know the Gedächtniskirche’s story either, so let’s do this!

So the church, designed in the Neo- Romanesque style by Franz Schwechten, was built in the early 1890s under the rule of Kaiser Wilhelm II to commemorate his grandfather, the first German emperor. It was opened on September 1, 1895.  There it stood proudly for about 40 years before being wrecked by an air raid on November 23, 1943 during World War II. For the next 20 years, there was much debate and controversy over whether the damaged building should have parts torn down, or if it should remain as it, serving as a symbolic reminder for the people of Berlin.

Finally it was decided, that most of the church was to be torn down and rebuilt in a more modern style, while the damaged spire would remain. The new part of the church, completed in December 1963, consists of two newer builds covered in coloured glass. Next to these two buildings, the damaged spire stands out to serve as a reminder of peace. In such a busy city, it is seen by thousands of people daily.

nicknamed der Hohle Zahn, or the Hollow Tooth

Hopefully this little story sheds a new light on the church for you. Bis bald :)

– Milan ♝