Half term.

There seems to be a lot of fuss going on about the snow. It makes me quite amused how much fuss there is. Facebook statuses and all over all the UK news sites. The Germans didn't cancel the buses when we had -22 ... but maybe they're more used to it. Or maybe they drive more carefully? No idea, but the Brits sure seem to find it hard to cope.

I was thinking today about public transport as I was sitting on the tube. I do love how in Berlin pretty much everything is connected by some sort of bus, tram, tube, s-bahn, you name it. It's more than efficient. But there is one thing I don't like, and that's getting off. I don't know why, but I always think that the Germans stare more than the Brits (or at least the Germans don't look away awkwardly when you catch their eye) ... and so whenever I get off the train/bus whatever I always feel pairs and pairs of eyes following me and that is quite unnerving. No idea why. I'm so normal I almost stand out here. I mean, I don't wear odd combinations of clothes or talk loudly about politics or look disturbingly under-the-influence ... so people have no reason to look. Maybe I just look at them to see if they're looking at me which makes them do so. Hmm.

I had a wander around the area I'm moving to today, mainly out of necessity because (again) it's near an appropriate bus stop. I was intruiged by the whole place. It's defs the Berlin "ghetto" but is a fascinating, vibrant, multi-coloured ghetto ... somewhere where you don't here much German spoken but certainly lots of Turkish. And the shops are cool ... cheerful and extraordinarily cheap.

I'm also excited because on Wednesday I'm going to Potsdam with Ellen and on Thursday until Sunday we're going on team retreat to look over last semester and plan the upcoming one ... and also to SLEEP and enjoy the Ostsee (Baltic) coast. Chilly but FUN.

I like half term.