Graduation 2006

Summary of Graduation holiday 1...

Finished exams earlier compared to my other flatmates and was bored shitless ...

14/06/06
The holidays started of with going to Berlin (Germany) with my flatmate Jon. What did we do? I remember having to take the S-Bahn S9 (city train) then taking the U-Bahn U2(?) (underground) to the hostel (BaxPax) What we did in Berlin? We arrived pretty late, so we just went about the immediate area around the hostel, but it was in such a small suburb-ish kinda area we got bored and then headed back to the hostel and then took the trains back out into the city, just to get a few of what we're going to do the next few days. However, we did manage to head to head to the local market. It was closing, but it was so quaint...hahaha, maybe in reality it wasn't, but then again, there's nothing wrong being a romantic, is there?

Anyways, moving along from there, as we toured the city on the S-bahn, we saw a huge football and some departmental stores. I can't remember whether it was the draw of the football or retail therapy, but we got off at the following stop and walked around a bit. We saw some departmental stores (didn't go in) but we saw what the football was. It was a screen but what really got our attention was right smack next to it was a large fool's ball machine, with 'life-sized' berlin berl (bears) in place of the dummies. Me and Jon took turns playing the fool, taking pictures like the Oriental tourists that we were as well as drawing attention from the locals. Haha. Oh well, live life, right?

We then walked and walked till we found the main shopping high street (I forgot the name!) but this is the commercial area of Berlin, and flanking both sides of this street are high street stores, as well as higher end designer stores like Hugo Boss (This lable is German, did you know that?) as well as other international labels. We weren't expecting to do much, having arrived late. We were just walking around to get the hang of the place and to orientate ourselves to the layout of the city. As we were walking along, I came up with the idea to watch a movie. Having not seen The Da Vinci Code and seeing the posters EVERY where we went, I asked Jon about it and we both decided to roll with it. We happened to walk by a small cineplex and walked in. The lady was really nice to us, and reminded me of a slimmer packaged Bridget Jones - all the sweet London girl look minus the 'muffin toppin'. She spoke good English too, but alas, she's not a Londoner as previously thought. She's a German girl through and through and chatted with us for a bit. Turns out the movie's already started, but it was in German. I thought it would be a) a laugh and b) an experience to watch it in German without subtitles, but Jon thought otherwise. Anyways, the nice lady then proceeded to find us a cinema in Berlin that was airing said movie and in English and recommended us to go near the SONY centre. We didn't leave immediately and chatted a little more with her. She lamented that she'd rather be watching the German-Poland game instead of manning the cinema when there's only 3 patrons! We smiled, and told her we'd love to watch the game too. However, we have yet to find the elusive screens (we know that near the Brandenburg Gate or other tourist attractions, there were screens set up for people to watch the footie matches, but we've yet to find one yet) so we could only resort to Tom Hank's follies onscreen.

We of course then proceed through the S-Bahn to the Sony centre. However, on approaching it, we found there was some sort of commotion or crowd gathering. We saw then that it was in fact massive screens set up to watch the game! However, it seems that we needed tickets to enter, so we had no choice but to give it a miss. However, as we were walking pass the nearby bars, me and Jon could not help but sneak peaks in to see what the score was and to glean any action that was onscreen at the time. The guards around the 'stadium' (arena set up with screens to look like a stadium - trust me, the place may be fake, but the atmosphere is REAL!). Anyways, back to said guards. They must have seen us looking really sad, trying to watch TV through the glass and the mass of people in between the screen and us. One of them called out to me, and asked me something in German. Obviously, with my limitted understanding of the German language, I elicited a 'huh' expression. So he repeated in simple English "Watch football?" And did the whole Robert de Niro "I'm watching over you" act...you know, the one you place two finger shaped in a V over your eyes and then pointing at the person you're 'doing' it to? We said yes, then what do you know? He gave us tickets to enter! Apparently the tickets are free, but you need to do stuf to redeem them, or like call the radio stations up.

Anyways, we had problems finding seats at first, then when we were seated (me and Jon separated because we were late and they're weren't many seats left). The game was great, rivetting, even for a football-idiot like me. The atmosphere was spot on and the usual beer with the game was observed...a lot! But within reason, of course ;-)

Then this guy came along and sold pretzels. You must think I have against people peddling or with pretzels. Truth is, I don't with either. But it was really funny how later me and Jon talked and both of us remembered him. Jon called him Pinocchio and I called him 'sad-boy-looking-like-Master-is-going-to-whip-him-if-he-doesn't-sell-any" but for short, we just call him Pretzel guy. You'll see later why he remains a topic of interest later (and how sad me and Jon really are :'(....) Anyways, Germany won...Go, Deutcshland! and everyone was hugging and having loads of fun.

As we left the screens, we decided it was getting late and that we should head back to get some rest for an early start. However, fate has it that I must break my 'seal' then. We then walked around the massive underground in search of a WC. The guards stationed there to watchout for hooligans informed us that there was no toilets there or nearby. Not good news when you've got a good few pints in your bladder excluding water I drank earlier for hydration purposes. We went back to the place where the screens were and following a mob of ecstatic German supporters and the not-so-elated Polish to a local bar.

After that business was attended to, we finally boarded the S-bahn again. But, more and MORE people started squeezing in. This guy kept giving the others in the train crap, and was decidedly rowdy. Some guards came and tried to reason with him and then to remove him gently from the compartment. But he and his friends started attacking them. What follows is anyone's good guess. They radioed in more help and got them off...by hook or by crook. It was only a day or two later that I realized that the guys in green fatigues were not soldiers but the local law enforcers (I thought blue is a universal police colour, but oh well, it does add variety to our world).

All in all, that was a rather productive day for what we thought would have been a day lost. I also realized that the hostel operates strictly that after 8pm, the kitchen really is locked. I learnt later the janitor sleeps in a room off the kitchen on the other side, and locks the kitchen so that rowdy/drunk/noisy hostellers don't bother her. Anyways, I learnt this because I was so THIRSTY when I woke up in the wee hours. When I tossed around enough, I walked out to the lobby and found the bar was still operating, so I bought some water and chatted a bit but tiredness got the better of me, and it was back to the room again.

I can't remember what room number it was...though I can still see in my minds eye the layout of the place. It was co-ed, which doesn't bother me, having slept in another hostel before that had the same style. But I was a bit 'paiseh' because I would walk in and a female tenant would be changing. I don't stare, mind you! But I do feel awkward, because I don't want to give the impression that I was pervy and ...you get what I mean! Most of the hostels I've stayed at separates the sexes in different dorms. Oh well, that was just a separate note, random as it was...for the ending of part one for my Graduation holiday...

Stay tuned for more!

Trying to get the pictures into the same pages as well but that would have to wait as I'm not that good with all this web things yet. Please be patient...

Brand new start~~~

This is my new blog! Its a new year (sort of) and what more to jump start this 'new year' but with new practises and habits - blogging one of them!

I'm going to start posting pictures of me and my friends and may our memories float around the internet forever. And yes, if you're wondering, I'm corny like that.

And when you read this after I wrote it, where ever we are, our hearts are one...

;-)