Day Four: Setting In

The flight over the large pond consisted of me sleeping and coughing the whole way. The food sucked, the movie choices sucked worse, but the woman sitting next to me was very patient with my very sick self.

I barely caught my connecting flight in London, but once inside the plane I was disappointed to find that this plane was even smaller and less comfortable. I finally reach Berlin, feeling like total shit at this point, (you see I never let myself rest enough in the States to get over that nasty cold of mine.)

In the taxi, I pull out the piece of paper that HerrDoctor had given me which the address of his apartment. I point to it, say auf deutsch 'I must go here,' and sit back.

My first impression of the city is that the weather is fucking awful. It's just rain and the most depressing skies that ever hung over part of God's green earth. My apartment on the other hand is large and quite nice.

I have spent the past few days figuring everything out. The public transit, the stores, the streets, the school, everything is different - everything smells different, even the cigarettes taste different. They taste better. The food is amazingly good - even quick things at a small cart in the subway, (U-Bahn.) The beer is of course the best.

I spent last night in a bar called Palm Beach which, in order to capture the feeling of south Florida, they go so far as to cover the floor with sand and stuff the restaurant with huge palm trees that scrap the ceiling. All the music is American but you hear not a word of English being spoken - of course. I decided after my first drink that I would be brave and meet people - so I look to my right and ask a gentlemen if he spoke English. I spent the rest of the night drinking and laughing while enjoying very spicy but satisfying German nachos. This is could get used to.