A few glimpses of life in Berlin this month...

Using my major.

(I studied English/Creative Writing in college, which means that my blog posts should be far more crafty and clever than they presently are.)  I miss things about college... specifically, I'd love to sit in a cafe-- my favorite had mediocre coffee, great tables, and plenty of electrical plugs-- and write something again.

These past few weeks, though, a couple of people asked me to edit papers written in English.  So I get to jump back into the world of writing, albeit semi-vicariously.  I'm really glad they asked.  And I think I might find a cafe in which to read through this next paper...  I'm getting pretty excited as I plan.  I'm such a nerd.

The truly fun things that happen while I'm waiting for an apartment of my own.

I'll admit that I've been quite restless, frustrated, etc. about this apartment thing.  But I'm really trying to trust the Lord, learn from Him, and have patience.  And, as my roommate pointed out, we've done things that we otherwise wouldn't have because of it.

*My roommates and I cleared the furniture to the edges of the living room, dragged our mattresses in, and had a sleepover.  Two days later, we still haven't moved them back.  It's like a camp-in.  We plan for this to continue once a month or so, even after we're settled into our own place.

*About a week ago, I stood outside an apartment building waiting for the real estate agent to meet me.  (She never did-- I'm not sure if this was because of a failure on my part, since our conversation happened in German, or forgetfulness on her part.)  As I waited, an older woman came out of the building, and we began to talk.  What a sweet conversation it was!  She had patience with my German, and her friendliness as we talked about where I'm from and what I'm doing here, as well as her kids and her building, put a bright spot in the otherwise-frustrating night.  And I wouldn't've had this sweet conversation if I weren't searching for an apartment.

*I've found unexpected treasures in the city.  A few weeks ago, I viewed an apartment in an area I'd never visited.  A couple of blocks away, I found a square with a set of columns that had, I learned upon investigation, been there for about a hundred years.  The cafes, restaurants, and old buildings encircling the square and the stone fountain marking the center made it so quaint.  I'd love to return.

*My roommate and I took part in the *first-ever* Lange Nacht der Wohnungsbesichtigungen.  This means Long Night of Apartment Viewings.  This was an actual event, and it's hilarious.

In Berlin, culture and arts abound, and so there's a series of 'Lange Nacht's that give people the opportunity to experience them.  For example, I participated in the Lange Nacht der Oper last year.  You pay 10 or 15 euro, and then you can ride around the city to view little snippets of opera works, dance shows, etc., done by professionals.  This takes place between around 6 or 7 PM until 11 PM or midnight.  There's also a Lange Nacht der Museen (the museums are open till about 2 AM), Langen Nacht der Bibliotheken (libraries), etc.

But this year, the apartment-searching website service that I use jumped in with their own Lange Nacht.  This, I think, speaks better than anything of the incredible difficulty in Berlin right now for apartments.  From 6-11 PM, people boarded buses that drove them around neighborhoods in the city where real estate agents had opened up apartments for viewing.  The buses dropped people off nearby, giving them a chance to look around the apartments, talk with the agents, and decide if they'd like to apply.

I should have probably dedicated a whole blog post to that evening, because it was pretty great.  Turns out that the apartments we visited were far above our budget, but they were beautiful and we loved touring them.  Plus, now we can say that we were there for this momentous occasion.  ;)

Campus, students, and ministry...  The most important part of life in Berlin :)


The semester has begun!  I've loved meeting new students and talking about God, faith, and spiritual things with them.  And I've loved meeting up with students I know, catching up and talking about this new year.  Our first event, a "Welcome Back" party last Saturday, was great, and Alpha Course begins tomorrow!  I'll be writing a newsletter on Friday with more updates about ministry, so if you're not already on my mailing list but you'd like to be, please let me know!