It is amazing how this trip has gotten real in such a short time. Just yesterday, I was having diner food with Paul in Porter Sq, and today I have been walking along the East Side Gallery by the side of the Spree river in the old East Germany!! Seeing these graffiti wall arts about the lives behind the Wall was a bit touching in a way. I grew in the 80s, there were lots of world events happened in the year of 1989: Tienanmen Square massacre and the Fall of the Berlin Wall, they will always have some significance in me, and to be able to be here seeing it in person, it is an interesting feeling, like I could almost feel its power over the people. Tomorrow, I hope to visit the actual Berlin Wall Memorial, that is a museum, so will see if it brings me a different feeling.


Extremely exhausted. I did not really sleep much on the plane as planned, because the plane duration was just not long enough. I have not taken any naps today neither, and been walking all day. Aside my legs are bitching at me right now, I am actually feeling ok, a little spacey in the head... :P but I will definitely get some good sleeps tonight. The airbnb location is fantastic, it is literally behind the TV tower, and a few mins walk from the main boulevard (Unter Den Linden) where all the landmarks are located.


Funny when I was on the flight about to arrive Berlin, I looked out of the windows, I felt that all the concrete buildings looked so icy cold (partly due to the rainy weather too), like the city people and its culture has been so repressed and conformed. Until I got to the main touristy areas, then I started to grand boulevard, marble building, amazing structures that its culture started to infiltrate me. I think I really like Berlin so far. People are generally funny and not Midwest in your face kind of funny. When you help them for help or locations, they generously interested to help. That's how I felt.


Aside from the East Side Gallery, I also visited the Charlie Checkpoint (other than its historical significance, it's really not that special). I walked to the Brandenburg Gate at sunset, the colors was glorious! As I walked back to my room, I found Deutsches Historisches Museum (I LOVE that building), even before I came, I knew I would have to see this structure at night, oh the god, the light, and the quiet street. The picture couldn't be better. The Berliner Dome was great. There was a street band, playing in the garden in front of the Berline Dome in the dark. I mean they are really good, there are a couple guitar solo, I was like WOW. I don't give money to street performer much (or ever), but I gave them some money. Other than the East Side Gallery, I have not really done anything too in depth today, my body was just still catching up with times, and I try to get familiarize with the locations. Tomorrow, I hope to visit a few museums, and I hope the weather will be too. It have been rainy cold, I had to bring out my Kenny's jacket!


Dinner, I thought I would be brave, I wanted some German foods, not wurst (sausages), I already had that for snacks after East Side Gallery today. So I have looked at the restaurant guide I got from the airport, and picked this one restaurant called Sophieneck, a 5-10 walk on this quiet street, but it was good good good, definitely no regrets!! Even though I was put in the kid table by the entrance instead of the cozy interior area because I was by myself. The waiter was super friendly, and I had pumpkin cream soup with pumpkin seed oil which was good, but the half rosemary roasted duck, red cabbage and Thüringer style dumplings was divine. There was a funny story happened in the restaurant, when I was almost eating, the restaurant started to get quite busy, on my left, there were these two gay guys from America, on my right, there were two straight couples, both spoken English, the two closer to the door were definitely American. They put their jackets on the nice wooden cloth rack, sat down, and looked at the menu for a while, it seemed they couldn't find what they wanted, so they stood up and wanted to escape before the waiter came back, they really handled it really poorly. The guy got his jacket and walked out, the woman followed, probably the moment was so intense for her, she forgot her jacket on the rack, as well as her bags. She just went out, crossed the street. The other couple showed the jacket on the rack, they chase her down to come back to get her stuff. She was really embarrassed. I mean, people, grab a grip! It is not a crime to change your mind. I think all those people sitting at the kid tables by the front entrance were smiling or laughing.


See other photos from Day 1 here.