Berlin On Blast

Before I arrived to Berlin, I never knew what to expect aside from the popular history of the city and its reputation as a clubbing hub of Europe with kick-ass electronic music. As a newbie to living abroad and to good music in awesome clubs where even the lighting fascinates me, I was really excited.

Clearly, this year, my nightlife experiences have been quite flavorful and diverse, aside from the fact that everything closes at 2:00 AM in Boston.

And then I landed in Berlin. Here are some of my observations…

My first thought was, “cheap” – and I thought Southern Europe was cheap. I actually paid 10 Euro to use all forms of transportation for a whole week! Even back and forth from the airport.

I was taken to a very good Thai restaurant. The quality was great, the setting, the people, the hot sake was my favorite part – the price? 12 Euro! I can’t eat that well for that price in Portugal or Cairo.

Youth. Everywhere I looked, I saw young, hip people. It was fun – well, until sunset when the booze came out and suddenly the entire city reeked of alcohol and was littered with empty bottles.

Pub crawl: This was a first for me. I met up with expats, tourists and locals for a night of bar hopping that ended up in a club. Needless to say, I was so happy when I reached my friend’s doorstep that night.

Currywurst: A juicy pork sausage (which comes in vegetarian options, too, for non-pork eaters), with some ketchup-curry sauce and oily fries with lots of mayo. Germans were never known for their cuisine, but I bet their food is the best cure for any hangover in the world.

Fun Factory! Yes, yes, a sex toy shop with a crazy interior by Karim Rashid as well as toys from his design collection. Every step through the place felt like I was seconds away from witnessing a re-enactment of the tips on lovegasm.co, and the design of the place was more than a little exotic to say the least – especially Rashid’s own personal works. Which reminds me – if you are in a sex toy rut and need some product inspiration, check out ewsingles.com for news and reviews of all the latest sex toys and sex dolls. The best thing about sex toys is that they come in a wide variety of styles to suit your desires. For example, people who are into pet play can find a wide variety of products using specialist websites like loveplugs.co. No matter what your tastes, there is always a way to find the perfect sex toy for you.

I went on brief sightseeing tours and one of the things that really got me thinking was the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe. What controversy! What about the gypsies? What about African Europeans? Even Roman Catholics were persecuted and Communists were sent to the concentration camps as well as homosexuals, political prisoners, Protestants and many more.

So why is the memorial only dedicated to the Jews of Europe? Does that make any of the other victims less human? I will never understand how in this world, some lives matter more than others.

Concept stores in Berlin are also fascinating. I have never seen a city oozing with product design and awesome local fashion, promoting no-labels and encouraging creatives. It truly is the place to be for any aspiring artist or designer.

The Wall. I was really excited, being a tourist and all, to visit the Berlin wall and see all the art that was commissioned to be on it. And as beautiful as it was, I couldn’t help but notice the amount of vandalism destroying the artwork, the insults spray painted all over, not to mention Egyptians marking their territory in a horrifying manner. People have lost respect for history, beauty, nature and life.

Chocolate! I went to Fassbender & Rausch, where the menu is full of delicious food – with chocolate. I had the Chicken Orange Salad with Chocolate Dressing then a nice warm hot chocolate with liquor. It was amazing.

Another first-time experience for me was going to an open-air cinema that was set up in a public space with foldable beach chairs. I brought a bottle of wine and took in a twisted vampire movie.

I also watched another movie up in an attic, where they showcased a silent, scary German film from the 1920s along with live eerie music. It was a great experience, but for me I just enjoyed the music and drifted to sleep… I just don’t get silent movies at all.

Egyptian friends. I haven’t been amongst an Egyptian bunch for a while and that was the best part in Berlin. It was home, but away from all the ugly things back home. Not to mention that being hosted at an Egyptian’s house means you are well fed and pampered as a guest!

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss 10 Risks You Absolutely Must Take When You Travel.