things to like about berlin

• like japan, it seemed like a city of contradictions which makes the place a particularly interesting place to visit..
  
• the pavements are nice and wide so you can walk at your own pace without fear of irritating those behind you

• unbelievably tasty turkish food
• german boys are very handsome
• the city has so much fascinating history it's thoroughly absorbing for a history nerd. this is the topography of terror museum situated in ruins of the gestapo headquarters with a length of the berlin wall just behind it
• people aren't as intimidatingly stylish as they are in london
• the city is fairly flat and has lots of bike lanes so its enormous fun to ride around on a bicycle (not as much fun when you're nearly killed 8 times because you're expecting the traffic to come from the opposite direction)
• the way they have managed to sensitively and powerfully memorialise aspects of a pretty unpleasant past. this is the holocaust memorial and walking through it makes you feel as disorientated and confused as the prisoners in concentration camps must have felt
  
• you can fall asleep in a museum and are not disturbed by some over-zealous museum employee.. the poorly laid out and confusing checkpoint charlie museum would send anyone to sleep.. though it might also have something to do with the cold and flu tablets and the beer i had with lunch..
• german is quite satisfying to pronounce, particularly 'ich möchte ein glas weiβwein bitte'
• amongst the enormous amounts of graffiti there is some that is lovely
• there is a lot of open, public space perfect for falling asleep on the grass on a sunday afternoon
• the germans seem like a very honest people, there are honour systems everywhere which makes for a lovely sense of community
  
• the efficient public transport system THAT DOESN'T STOP AT MIDNIGHT!
• 'art' that reminded me strongly of 'gloomy the naughty adult bear'

all in all i had a lovely time in berlin despite staying in the strangest hostel/hotel in the world.. i have more to say but have a load of marking to get through before i can indulge in blogging. but lastly, just for linley: my best joel northcott impression (my 'hollywood' sunglasses would particularly impress mr marx and mr engels methinks..)