A trip to Borough market, London

After Christmas Chris and I went to the UK for a week to visit friends and relatives. We took a trip to my favourite market, Borough Market in Southwark, London. As you can see it was a cold, drizzly day and going anywhere with a cover overtop was welcome! Borough market has lots of stalls selling a variety of food products such as  bread, fruit and vegetables, delicatessan, vegetables, ciders, cheeses and tea. We have a lovely morning sampling the wares (so much good cheese after Germany's bland offerings). 

                         

I loved watching this woman making enormous sandwiches at the Spanish delicatessan. 

I would have bought a heap of preserves if not for the 'no liquids in carry on baggage on plane' rule. 

                                             

        

So much cheese!

I had one of these olive and cheese sticks. So good!

This stall of Middle Eastern goodness made me think of the yummy foods we used to enjoy in Brunswick and Coburg.  Most of the stalls were of proudly British produce but there was also quite a bit from France, Spain, Greece and a little from the Middle East.

And yes, we sampled wine and cider.

It's definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. Lot's of lovely fresh produce and you could easily make the most amazing hamper for a picnic or a hotel room snack dinner. 

                           

We enjoyed orange and zucchini cake and coffee from a gelato bar just around the corner (crowd free) 

We stayed at London School of Economics student accomodation (Rosebery Hall) for two nights which they make available to the public over the semester breaks. It was a good location for where we wanted to go and places we were visiting. We had a perfectly fine room, warm and quiet with a shared bathroom and kitchen down the hall. It was less than staying in a room in someone's apartment through AirBnb and definitely cheaper than a hotel.

10 things to know when you move abroad with a new language*

1. You often feel that people think you are an idiot when you do not understand them or cannot communicate well and you have sympathy for migrants in your home country. Everyday transactions like talking to a neighbour, chatting to a shop assistant or minding someone else's package (common in apartments here if your neighbour is not home) can be fraught with embarrassing opportunities to look stupid and potentially offend someone! 

2. Phone calls are a nightmare. It is extremely difficult to talk to people on the phone in another language when they speak at normal speed and use words you are not familiar with and you cannot see the other person to pick up cues. Sometimes you understand most of the words but not all. Sometimes there are cultural differences you are not aware of. Today I rang a veterinary clinic and was asking for an appointment to see a vet with Mr Pablo after 12pm but the receptionist was saying 'you could come in from 10am-12pm or 3pm-5pm'. We don't really have drop in vets in Australia besides emergencies so I kept saying 'Ja, das is clar, Ich mochte termin nach drei" (Yes that is clear but I would like an appointment after 3pm)*cringe*. It took a while but eventually we got there, but my face was red with embarrassment despite being on the phone.

3. That said, you will embarrass yourself often in public due to the language barrier. Going to the post office and bank are particularly challenging and embarrassing experience when you do not speak the language and the staff speak no English. A lot of people use Berlin as a yardstick for Deutschland, which is extremely inaccurate. Where we live in East Germany, older people are more likely to speak Russian and public service staff were often in the same role pre-reunification and then simply rehired with no option or cause to learn/speak English. Therefore some people at train stations, ticket inspectors on trams, people at information booths often do not speak English. Embarrassing yourself in front of others is a daily occurrence that you simply have to accept as you try harder. The only alternative is to never leave the house, live in a bubble of expats (I have met people who have lived here for several years and never learnt Deutsch) or go home. As my friend said, you will try and fail often. 

                         

2. It's really hard and frustrating being misunderstood especially if you are used to being a highly competent communicator. I used to teach workshops and run events for a living and was a sought after public speaker (if I do say so myself). I now struggle to string a sentence together beyond the basic conversational chatter despite four months of lessons 5 mornings a week. 

3. You'll buy mystery ingredients whilst shopping due to your inability to translate them quickly and easily. Chris bought Meerrettich (horseradish) thinking it was breakfast spread and I bought Kurkuma (turmeric) thinking it was cumin. 

                           

4. You will end up with a massive amount of change in your wallet until you are able to quickly and identify the coins- and understand the verbal currency

 5. Whilst you have some wonderful local friends that you love dearly, most of your friends will be expats. No surprises here, it is easiest to communicate with those who speak your language. This is also because when you are learning a language each day rather than simply working all day you become friends with others who are also learning the language.

6. The problem with being friends with expats is that they are by nature a transient lot. You will make friends that you love dearly and they will leave. 

7. You will be completely floored and humbled by the kindness of fellow human beings. I've written before about the problems with Mr Pablo's trip to Deutschland and the kindness of a Turkish taxi driver. People who live in Deutschland are by nature an extremely kind lot, even when communication is difficult I always find people try their best to help and appreciate your efforts when you are trying but failing. 

* By another country, I mean one where you have not lived before and know very few people. My experience is of course moving to Germany from Australia. By new language, I mean a language you do not know rather than a language that has suddenly been created! 

This post does not suggest that I expect or want everyone to speak English (of course not) it is more about challenges and occurrences that you may not consider before you leave your home country. You should certainly try learning your new language back home ( I did but found a weekly course inadequate considering my appalling memory). 

Ultimately being an expat is full of challenges, but it's also full of adventures, wonderful people and great times. I adore living in Leipzig and am very grateful to Leipzigers for making me feel so welcome.

Everyday Australian products you'll miss in Deutschland.

Don't get me wrong, I love living in Deutschland. It's been six months now, 6 wonderful months but also six months of strangeness and challenges that extend beyond the obvious language barrier. Inspired by Oh God my wife is German, I've been thinking about things in Australia I really miss and what I would miss if I left Deutschland. 

I miss: 

Decent pillows.

I'm talking pillows that are firm not floppy. Spongy rather than feathery. Where your head sinks on the pillow, not in the pillow. German pillows are traditionally the square 'European' Pillow variety. I had some in Australia from Target,  but they were firm not floppy! In case you're thinking, oh you're just stingy, surely you can pay a bit more for a decent one? Well we've looked, you can get higher quality pillows at a higher price, but they are still floppy dammit! You spent a lot of time asleep so a decent pillow is so very important. 

Top sheets.

Top sheet picture 

It's just a bit of fabric, but I really miss having a top sheet. I know duvets, doonas and comforters are all the range but it's great for when it's too hot for a doona or a bit cold without. I like layers on my bed and this is a layer. 

Queen size beds. 

German bed picture 

Here, we sleep together in a double bed. Most people who own queen size beds have two single beds pushed together with two single doonas on top. Nope. Not the same as a real queen size bed. To get even close to the size of a queen size bed that I am used to, I would need to buy a king size bed. You can see the bed size comparisions on this chart. I can see the merits of the single doonas though. No one hogs the doona then. 

Dumplings.

Dumplings pictures from here

I've been seriously craving Asian dumplings since I left Melbourne. I really miss ShanDon Mama and  of course Camy Shanghai Dumpling House! There's a couple of places where I can buy frozen ones here in Leipzig and of course I make my own dumplings and pierogies but it's not the same as a huge bamboo basket of steaming dumplings served with chilli oil, soy sauce and vinegar and a plate of garlic Chinese broccoli! (Eat them fast while the rest are coming and drink your weight in Jasmine tea).  South east asian food here generally is sold from a restaurant which sells a mishmash of Chinese,Vietnamese, Thai, Indian and pizza, most of which contains pork. There's one Vietnamese place we really like but it doesn't do dumplings, probably a good thing. 

Plentiful medical supplies without prescription.

I am a huge fan of pharmaceuticals, they have kept me alive many times. I get migraines and I like to have a plentiful supply of codeine, asprin and muscle relaxants which enable me to treat a migraine straight away and thus prevent a three day headache. I used to buy such treatments at the supermarket and chemist (over the counter) in Australia. In Deutschland you can't even buy paracetamol at the supermarket. And i am constantly confused by all the homeopathic treatments, considering they are derided in much of the developed world as little more than placebos without scientific merit. 

Cheap nuts, dried fruit and spices

So expensive here, besides the spice lady i buy my spices from at the outdoor market. I really don't know why. Apparently this is the case for much of Europe. 

Blocks of Cheddar cheese

Cheese here is generally quite mild. I like a nice big block of vintage tasty. Not so easy to find. 

I would miss

German bakeries.

They are plentiful, smell amazing, cheap and have the most delectable cakes and pastries. The bread is great also. 

Cheap booze.

So cheap compared to Australia! I'd also add the liberal drinking culture where if you want to drink a bottle of wine in public that you've bought with you from Netto, no problem. 

Quark

Quark is a bit like cream cheese and is often sweetened and can be bought in big tubs or in pastries. So good. 

1.5 litre bottles of mineral water

Good idea.

Central heating

Yes it is warmer most of the time in Australia for longer periods and higher temperatures but the houses are poorly insulated. I've met hardy souls from London who have been reduced to tears from working at home in the Melbourne winter. Being able to sit inside in winter without two jumpers, two pairs of socks, a beanie and fingerless gloves is bliss. 

Great public transport

It's more expensive than Melbourne (which is a surprise considering almost everything is half the cost of Melbourne prices) but it is reliable, plentiful and goes late. I can't afford to use it that often but i like that it's there. 

Safe places to bike ride (not a product but a sentiment I guess)

When I learnt to ride a bike again as an adult back in Melbourne, I was advised, "ride like that car drivers are trying to kill you". Helmets are compulsory in Australia. Fear and the hills (and I'm lazy) meant that I didn't ride a bike very often. Here I ride a bike most days, usually in a bike lane, without a helmet. 

In some respects, I can't wait to go back to Melbourne to see if things change but i would be sad to leave here. 

10 things to do in Leipzig: the Cheap and Free

If you look for things to do in Leipzig as a tourist or a newcomer you may initially find not all the much but shopping centres, churches and monuments to long dead men with women getting never a look in. But take some time to scratch beneath the surface and you'll find that there is much to see and enjoy in Leipzig. I'm writing this article to cater for those of us on a low budget that may be looking for fun things to do during the cooler months. 

People watch
If you've spent a bit of time in Deutschland you'll notice the Germans are notorious starers. Staring back is not a deterrent. I don't understand why they do it, but if you smile, they generally smile back. Pick somewhere public and you'll see what I mean. If you're lucky you'll enjoy a parade of cute puppy dogs also, I often see pugs, scottie dogs and french bulldogs strutting around Leipzig with their owners. 

                                             
Bike riding
Go bike riding in one of Leipzig's beautiful parks. Even in the cooler months, bike riding is a great way to get around with most of Leipzig's roads wonderfully flat with a separate cycle path.  There are various bicycle hire options around Leipzig such as Next Bike. It's worth knowing that you need to ride on the left, you don't need a helmet and you can't ride through the market square during the day, there's far too much foot traffic and usually some kind of event on, so plan your trip accordingly. 

Visit the lakes

If you like being by the water, regardless of the weather, take a trip to Markkleeberg See (Lake). Get Tram 11 to the end, and take a short walk to the water. If the weather is fine, you'll no doubt see people swimming without or without swimsuits. Quite unlike Australia where children or adults naked in public is seen as some sign of offence (with parents afraid the naked children might be victims of pedophiles). 

There is also the famous Cospudner See but I've not had an opportunity to visit there yet. 

Visit the Wild Park
If you are Australian like me, you'll definitely enjoy a trip to the Wild Park, to see wild and protected woodland animals in their natural habitat, including some which are endangered. Walk in the spacious woodlands, grab a glass of wine (and laugh at the Germans eating yet another bratwurst), stomp in the leaves. The downsides were the paid farm area (€5 ) which had too small enclosures, especially for the rabbits and that the whole time I visited I heard the sound of rifles shooting from the near by forest which was rather disturbing. Highlights includes friendly deer, owls and otters and these creatures that were like a cross between a huge guinea pig and a rat but I don't know the name! 
(Tram 9 goes to the wildlife stop or it's a nice walk from Connewitz.) 


Go to the Park
Leipzig is lovely and green, so why not take a bottle of wine and a rug to a nearby park. I particularly like Clara Zetkin Park which has a cafe with live music, buskers and a icecream van. It's a great place to do some writing or reading.


Enjoy a Cafe

              

                  

Pick up a table at an outdoor cafe (or stay inside if it's really cold and rainy) order a coffee or mug of glühwein and watch the people going by. You can opt for the cheap and cheerful bakery chains like Lucas or  but the coffee comes from a vending machine, not unlike what you'd see in a hospital waiting room. A couple of my favourite cafes so far in Leipzig are Fleischeri, Goodies, and  Marshalls Mum. There's also Corsoela, which is below my language school. The cakes are amazing but the coffee is the vending machine type I mentioned earlier. Also, in case you're wondering, Konditorei means pastry shop not air conditioning like I first thought when I arrived in the heat of July to discover Europe doesn't do aircon. 

Galleries and Museums

In Leipzig, galleries and museums have a free day each month. The City History Museum ( Old Town Hall , New and Schiller House ) and the museums in the Grassi ( Grassi Museum for Applied Arts , Grassi Museum of Musical Instruments and Grassi Museum of Ethnology ) offer every first Wednesday of the month free admission, the Museum of Fine Arts, every second Wednesday month.We went to the Agyptisch Museum on Sunday for 5€ each, most museums and galleries are low cost when not free. 

              

If you're an art lover I'd also encourage you to check out the work of  Michael Fischer. A football-pitch-sized mural by Leipzig artist Michael Fische to mark the 20th anniversary of Germany’s “peaceful revolution”. The eastern facade is at the Leipzig Marriott hotel, between Richard-Wagnerstraße and Brühl: 

                                   

You can also see a Fische's work in Karl-Liebknechtstraße, surrounded by trendy bars and cafes. If your timing is right, you might score a happy hour cockail.

                                   

                                 

Go to a flea market. 
Unlike Australia and England, second hand shops selling cheap second hand goods (usually for charities) are not so common. We have Oxfam but most of the non-clothing items items cost more than they do new even though they are not vintage. The real action is at flea markets. The AGRA antique and flea market,(last weekend of the month) Alte Messe Leipzig Flea Market (First weeekend of the month) and periodic markets at Cottagwegstraße are especially fun. 

Have a read 
I encourage everyone to buy a kindle for the sheer portability of a library of books in the langauge of your choice. You may not get the smell or tactility of the printed edition but the ease of carriage is a definite plus. Go to one of Leipzig's many bars or pubs and order some pommes frites and a beer or wine. Enjoy the heating and the ambiance, even if you have no idea what people are saying. If you've run out of books (a disaster for a keen reader like me) you can buy English books at Connewitzer Verlagsbuchhandlung in the city centre. 

Go to the movies

The cinema is cheap here (at least compared to Australia) and there are film festivals held regularly. As you are probably aware, most films screened in Deutschland are dubbed in Deutsch. If your Deutsch is not so flash you can see quite a few OV (original voice) films each month. You can even enjoy a glass of wine and some films serve the German version of nachos. 

Leipzig is a great place to live, there's always things to do and lots of free events on from festivals to concerts. I'm not so interested in sports and I find myself more drawn to the outdoors during the day and the indoors at night as the weather cools. I'll add more posts of this ilk to my blog as I discover more things to do and see! I'd love to hear about things others enjoy in their home town. 

A foodie, fun weekend in Berlin (picture heavy)

Last weekend we took a trip to Berlin. I've visited Berlin lots of times and I love the vibrancy of the city. It's noisy, busy, colourful, full of a multitude of places selling food and drink from all over the world  and loads of things to do from art galleries to pop up gigs. We take a bus to Berlin, it takes two hours and costs 15€ ($21AUD) which is half the price of the train but twice as long. No bother, the bus has wifi and we read blogs and listen to talking books. 

                                          

We have been using airbnb for travel accommodation since it opened it is has so many advantages over hotels (I'll be writing another post about this so stay tuned). We stayed in a big one room apartment in Kreuzberg, a great part of Berlin with a great multicultural twist. We were just around the corner from Wienerstraße  and close to some great places to visit. Fancy Japanese, Chinese, African or Spanish food? You'll find it here. It's also one of the greenest parts of Berlin, with the Green Party in office. I get different things about of various trips. The weather was cold and rainy and it was wonderful to just wander around, reading, trying cafes and taking pictures. It was very relaxing. 

                                  

                                

Chris was in Kreuzberg for a conference so besides a couple of drink events in Prenzlauerberg and Mitte, we didn't stray from the suburb. On our first afternoon, after getting our fill of burgers, fries and Club Mate and one of the many burger places in Berlin, we went along to the Museum of Things. It's absolutely torture for a lover of vintage home wares and kitsch like me, so many things you like, and you can't have any of them! 

                                          

There's many things that make Berlin distinct from Leipzig. Firstly, there's so much advertising and writing in general in English. I have gotten so used to seeing everything in Deutsch bar the odd gig poster that it was quite disconcerting. Berlin is far more International that Leipzig, it's a huge tourist and expat destination. I heard many english speakers, quite a jolt when you're used to only hearing people speak Deutsch! 

Secondly the grafitti and street art. It's everywhere, from scribble to tagging to paste ups and murals:

                                    

Thirdly, Leipzig is definitely quieter and cheaper. This makes it a great place to live on a budget. Berlin is still cheap of course, but closer to Australian prices. We also got also repeatedly if we want to buy drugs when near the train station which amused me as it's not happened since I left Melbourne. On the street we were staying was an school which had been occupied by refugees, asylum seekers and refugee activists. I wasn't entirely clear whether this meant people could go and leave freely and the site had security guards and bus load of police there the entire time. Given that Berlin's history of squatting is famous world wide, it certainly was heavy handed. 

Saturday I went along for a Vegan Tour of Kreuzberg, kindly organised by some friendly local vegans. Along with folks from Korea and Belgium we walked around and discovered the latest and greatest eateries in Kreuzberg, getting a great oral history along the way. 

 I had the pleasure of visiting Khartoum, Imbiss, a tiny Sudanese cafe/restaurant serving snack food with a twist. It had a variety of foods, including vegan and vegetarian. We shared a vegan plate which was absolutely delicious and included felafels made of fava beans, spiced kidney beans, salad, fried tofu, baked vegetables and tomato and peanut sauces. It was so good I took Chris there the following evening before we went home! 

                         

                         

We tried bits and pieces at various eateries and really enjoyed seeing Kreuzberg through the eyes of locals. Berlin is not short of vegan eateries, I don't think there would be many restaurants and cafes without options. And if you like Turkish food, you could eat a felafel kebab at a different Imbiss everyday and never get through them all, they are everywhere! 

I had Original Unverpackt on my list of places to visit and we were staying 5 minutes walk away. It's the first supermarket chain which offers food and other household goods without any packaging. You can bring your own paper, cloth or string bags or buy form the extensive range of sustainable packaging from triffin tins to Keep cups. I tried to take some pictures but the lighting made it a bit hard. The store was more like a co-op than I was expecting, with commensurate pricing. I can see this is a fantastic idea (especially as many more supermarket goods are packaged here than in Australia) but out of the price range of most Germans. 

I was delighted to learn of Markt Hall Neun, a collection of eateries and market stalls which included Florists, bars, thai food, a New Zealand butcher and lots of vegan burgers and cakes. 

                                 

I was really interested to hear about  selling a regular community market  stall Wild Gartnerei, who grow and sell fruits, vegetables and edible weeds 30 kilometres North of Berlin.  

                                 

     

I've been seriously craving Asian dumplings since I left Melbourne. I really miss ShanDon Mama and  of course Camy Shanghai Dumpling House! There's a couple of places where I can buy frozen ones here in Leipzig and of course I make my own dumplings and pierogies but it's not the same as a huge bamboo basket of steaming dumplings served with chilli oil, soy sauce and vinegar and a plate of garlic chinese broccoli! (Eat them fast while the rest are coming and drink your weight in Jasmine tea). So I asked my new vegan friends about what options there were for dumplings in Berlin. They suggested a couple of places and we settled on Momos which was Vegetarian and organic. We tried a bit of everything, on the menu going for the platter of 32 dumplings in four different varieties (15€/ $21.50AUD) . Three were vegan and one (spinach and cheese) vegetarian.  Half were fried and half steamed and it's interesting how the variation in cooking works better with different flavours. The spinach and cheese were far better steamed and the carrot and chickpea worked best fried. Dipping sauces of soy and ginger and spiced tomato complimented the dumplings. I would have really liked some chilli sauce for a bit of kick. They were good, but of course not as good as Chinatown dumplings. 

I had a lovely walk Sunday, looking at buildings, walking down by the river, window shopping 

I would have loved to have visited this shop/cafe, but being Sunday, it was closed. 

Coffee and cake- so good to have real coffee! 

I had lunch at Yellow Sunshine. It's a Germany's first Vegetarian eatery and offer a half vegetarian/half vegan menu. I ordered a fish burger (made of chickpeas) but found it a bit bland. Some more dill and gherkins would have fixed this. Excellent chips and I had a mate drink as a concession to health! 

I love old buildings, here's a few pics:

A great trip, we'll be back again soon. 

Place of interest (some of many):

Made in Germany – Politics through Things. The German Werkbund in 1914September 25, 2014 – February 2, 2015Werkbundarchiv –Museum der DingeOranienstraße 250999 Berlinhttp://www.museumderdinge.de

Khartoum Wienerstraße 69 Berlin

Original Univerpackt

Wienerstraße 16 
10999 Berlin 

http://www.original-unverpackt.de/

Markt Hall Neun

Eisenbahnstraße. 42/43

10997 Berlin

http://www.markthalleneun.de/

Momos
Fehrbelliner Straße 5, 

10119 Berlin

http://www.momos-berlin.de/

Yellow Sunshine
Wiener Straße 19
10999 Berlin
http://www.yellow-sunshine.com/