Moving to Berlin: Part 1

It's been a busy week for me. As mentioned in my last Food for thought, Chris has started his dream job in Berlin this week. However the last weekend before he started he was asked to work in Austria for the first week so I've been flat chat trying to organise Berlin rental viewings. I went to Berlin yesterday and saw four places.

I thought I would document a little bit about our challenges/experiences moving to Berlin as they happen. It might be of interest of helpful to anyone who is considering the same move. If you read anything about renting in Berlin, all you hear about is how difficult it is, especially for expats. It's worth stressing that we are already living in Leipzig and have our apartment until the end of April though we/I will move as soon as we find a place and have everything finalised, keys in hand. We've been living in furnished rentals up until now, so we will have to buy bed and all the other furniture!

We are looking at Prenzlauer Berg, Neuköln, Tempelhof and Kreuzberg as potential places to live. I have made lots of enquiries yet most vacancies seem to be in P'berg.

Part of moving is making lots of enquiries (in Deutsch). Today I have made one phone call and received two. Doesn't sound like much but it is a big deal when you are learning a language. I've finished A2 and yet to finish B1. I generally understand some of what people are saying, probably less than half to be honest. Of course context helps so you can get the gist. It's worth mentioning this in case other people don't speak much Deutsch. I have been learning for 6 months but we only did half an hour in this time on phone calls so they are still quite difficult for me. It's harder to understand what someone is saying without visual cues, all you can do is pick out the words you know and make an estimated guess.  Ironic, I used to be a crisis counsellor volunteer supervisor so I was quite comfortable talking on the phone!

                                        
This is the car wash next to the bus station, I love the logo! 

I always get the bus to Berlin from Leipzig as it's half the price of the train ticket although it takes twice as long (two hours). As an Australian, that kind of travel is nothing! I boarded the bus yesterday at 5:35am and read a bit then fell asleep. We had a rather eccentric bus driver who woke everyone up 15 minutes before our destination by singing on the speaker and saying something about health.  I arrived in Berlin about 7:45 ready to travel to my 9am appointment. I'm not completely au fait with Berlin so I needed a bit of travel time. I was pleased to be able to help a new visitor to Berlin with their train ticket :).

The first place was in Prenzlauer Berg. The second time we stayed in Berlin many years ago we stayed in this suburb. It's a previously East German DDR suburb, but it's pretty much unrecognisable given the plethora of bright cafes, shops and markets. This is a suburb for children, with loads of parks, children's clothing shops and child care centres. I can understand how it makes some people's teeth gnash with cries of gentrification, it really is lefty monied hippie meets hipster. To give a Melbourne (Australia) reference it's more Fitzroy than Coburg. It's monied so you'll sit in a real seat not a milk crate whilst enjoying your craft beer/cafe and vegan cake.

The apartment was a good location, not too far from Mauer Park but sooo dark. All the light fitting had been ripped out (the thought of dealing with a sparky in Deutsch would be another challenge for me). Further, each of the rooms had the old coal heaters still installed (but presumably defunct) which I can't help finding rather creepy. They are certainly nice from a retro view but I found them rather creepy to be honest. Doesn't it make you think of WWII? Notably they were not featured in any of the photos on the real estate site...

                                     

As I've mentioned earlier, it is common in Deutschland to rent apartments without fitted kitchens. A kitchen may have anything from nothing except holes in the wall to an oven, sink, benches (if you are lucky). Several places (including this one) I saw had a lid on the stove tops which I thought a great space saving device although I assume it's not meant as a permanent fixture. Some places have no light fittings or floor boards, the renter has to bring their own.

The second apartment was basically my dream apartment. Gorgeously light with brand new floor boards, large rooms and a little courtyard patio which would be perfect for a little kitty to sun itself. I miss Mr P terribly and can't wait to get a fat lady cat from the animal shelter to love. The real estate staff person spoke English and she kindly gave me some advice for getting an apartment in Berlin. It was really appreciated, as i have mentioned previously, I am constantly blessed by the kindness of Deutsch people. (Every day I meet someone in my day to day life who makes me life as an expat better).

The next wohnung was actually a sublet via the Ebay classifieds but wasn't advertised as such which was a bit annoying, so I won't go into it too much. I got lost on the way and was very late which is annoying for all concerned but the tenant was gracious about it.

The fourth was in an up and coming Berlin area. Fifth floor walk up with a rather narrow staircase which would make moving hell.  Nice 3 room place (as in 2 bedrooms and a living room) although you'd struggle to fit a double bed in two of those rooms). Lovely big brand new kitchen.

I've since spoken the woman from the second property and she's advised me to submit our CV's and the last three pay slips (bit hard when you are self employed as they don't exist) with our application. So far we've included:

• Introduction letter (in Deutsch) detailing a little about us
• Work contracts (I am doing a little contract editing work but not that much)
• Bank statements
• Photocopy of our passports
• Photocopy of my Aufenthaltskarte (basically a residency card that gives me living and work rights) 
• Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung (Rent arrears freedom certificate. We've subletted since we came to Deutschland so we have a letter from landlord indicating we caused no damage and owe no money) I still don't understand why Deutsch words are so long! 

We are due to get SCHUFA credit reports (these basically verify that you have no debts). I tried to apply for ours online but have been unable to complete the forms online (keep getting an error notice) so I am visiting a Buro to get one tomorrow.

Chris is back from Zurich tomorrow so we are visiting three-four properties on Saturday before he flies off the Spain. We'll keep you posted. 

 Ping pong tables in one of the public spaces in Prenzlauer Berg. 

Review: Vleischerei, Leipzig

On friday night it was a bit cold here in Leipzig. It had been snowing a little during the day and the streets were quiet. It was a good night to stay at home and watching telly and drink something hot. But I'd be busy all week which included lots of cooking and recipe testing, so we decided to pop out to Vleisicherei for dinner. 

Vlesicherei is an old vegan fast food cafe with a generous selection of drinks (even cider) and a menu where fake meats are prominent. The name is a pun on Fleischerei which means butcher in English. Gyros, sausages, burgers, seitan steaks, fries and a choice of sauces including mayo, hommus and garlic sauce. I'd read reviews that the service was slow and surly but it must have been a good night as our food was fast and fresh and the staff member I spoke to was friendly. As well as the hot food, there's also a small range of deli items to buy like vegan cheese and seitan sausages and homemade cakes. This is not everyday food unless you have an amazing metabolism and immune system but is delicious every now and again. 

We paid around 6,50€ ($9.20AUD) for heaving plates of food: fresh salad, tasty chips and our choice of sauces. I had garlic sauce and mayo, both of which were blissfully free of the nasty soy aftertaste of a lot of sauces I have tried. I'm not sure if the gyros meat I had comes from Vöner in Berlin originally or a company that makes mock meat products, but it was delicious if a little too salty. I can't eat a lot of seitan products, but now and again they really hit the spot. 

                                         

Chris had salad, chips and Thuringer sausages with hommus and plenty of salad. He declared them excellent. 

                                        

The cafe is small with big steps at it's entrance and a strange layout which fails to make adequate use of the space. There's also stairs to the counter where you choose food and order. Square tables would work better than round and would mean more people could sit. We were happy to share a table with others but it's a place that seats about 15 max.

My pictures aren't great as it was so dark and gloomy with the weather, but you can see more pictures on Happy Cow. 

Vleischerei
Zschochersche Street 23
04229 Leipzig

Vegan ingredients resource list

I've written a little vegan ingredients resource list to coincide with my vegan ebook, Australian classics veganised. I'll be adding to it when I write my next book. 

For convenience I use the terms cheese, butter and egg. There are loads of different terminology but I find a lot of it rather clumsy and annoying to edit although I appreciate some people prefer words without animal product connotations.. 

Custard powder

Custard powder is not dried, powdered custard. It is made up of thickeners, colours and flavours and resembles traditional custard when combined with sugar and non-dairy milk. It should not be confused with 'just add water' instant custard which contains eggs and milk. 

Dairy free butter

Dairy free butter is readily available in most supermarkets. It should not be confused with margarine which has whey and casein. A true dairy free butter is made from plant oils such as canola, olive and coconut oil. Nuttlex is readily available in Australia and Alsan S in Europe. 

Dairy free cheese

Dairy free cheese have undergone amazing growth and innovation in the last ten years. You can choose from tofu, nut and coconut oil based cheeses. It's worth reading the labels though because at least one tofu cheese in Australia contains rennet (an enzyme produced in the stomach of mammals).  You can also of course, make your own. Violife is probably the most popular cheese of late that is widely available in Australia and Europe. 

Dairy free chocolate

 Dairy free chocolate can be bought in some supermarkets and all health food shops. Dark chocolate is generally dairy free but check the ingredients list. 

Dairy free milk

Dairy free milk is easily available in most supermarkets and includes rice, soy, oat and nut milks. I use oat milk mostly in cooking because I like it, but any of these are fine. 

Egg replacer

 Egg replacer is made from a variety of raising ingredient like potato flour and corn flour. It can be used as an alternative to eggs in pancakes, cake, biscuits, burgers etc. Powdered egg replacers cannot be used to create egg recipes such as scrambles or omelets. (Tofu and also Chickpea flour work well though, stay tuned for a future recipe!). 

I've bought Australian company Organ's egg replacer in Australia, England and Europe. 

Golden Syrup

Golden syrup is a thick, amber-coloured form of inverted sugar syrup, made in the process of refining sugar cane or sugar beet juice into sugar, or by treatment of a sugar solution with acid. It is used in a variety of baking recipes and desserts. It has an appearance similar to honey, and is often used as a substitute by people who do not eat corn syrup. Some people make their own but I've never tried it. It's easily found in Australia and the UK and in some international shops in Europe. Agave and maple syrups work well as substitutes but treacle should be avoided due to it's overpowering taste. 

                                   

Jackfruit

The jackfruit tree is a widely cultivated and popular food in tropical regions of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, SriLanka, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Phillipines. Jackfruit is also found across Africa and throughout Brazil. Jackfruit is the national fruit of Bangladesh.

You can buy jackfruit in large Asian supermarkets. It most commonly comes tinned and is available in the tinned fruit section.Make sure you buy the one that comes in brine water than syrup as the syrup is really sweet. The sweet one (not suitable for savoury dishes) looks like this:

This is the one you want:

 It has a stringy texture that when cooked and shredded resembled shredded meat. Thus the fruit is a great option as an alternative to meat in vegan dishes. You could use it in tacos, pies, pasta, casseroles...many options! I like to use it to make jackfruit bournignon. You can also of course use it in desserts once sweetened with other fruit or sugars.

                            

Macadamia nuts and oil

Macadamia nuts and oil come from a species of tree indigenous to Australia and native to North eastern New South Wales and central and South eastern Queensland. They are available in most supermarkets and delicatessens everywhere. 

Soy granules/TVP

Soy granules (also known as textured soy protein and textured vegetable protein) are a dried soy product which can be soaked in stock or water and when cooked resemble minced meat. They are pretty bland so lend themselves well to herbs, spice and sauces. 

Stock cubes/stock powder

there are lots of stock products which are animal and msg free but resemble the spicing of meat dishes. These can be used in soups, sauces and all kinds of dishes. Massel is probably the most well known brand and is available in all Australian supermarkets. 

Vegemite

Vegemite is a dark brown Australian food paste made from leftover brewers' yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives. It is wonderful on toast or when added to casseroles and curries to create a rich umami flavour. It should not be confused with Marmite and Promite that are vastly inferior products. It is readily available in all Australian supermarkets, Tescos in London and expat shops around the world. If you are an expat overseas it is worth noting that it cannot be carried onto planes, customs will confiscate it as a liquid! 

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.

Festive salutations

                            

I hope that everyone had an enjoyable (or at the very least tolerable) Christmas. 

Christmas in Leipzig has been a lot of fun. Unfortunately snow has been pretty much non-existent besides the odd flurry but there's been much to enjoy. Weihnachten Market, gluhwein, eating stollen and pfeffer nuse, I've really been enjoying Christmas in a cold climate. 

Germany has some lovely Christmas traditions with old fashioned religious undertones.  First there's St Nicholas Day on December 6th, Many children put a boot called Nikolaus-Stiefel (Nikolaus boot)outside the front door on the night of 5 December. 'St. Nicholas' fills the boot with gifts and sweets overnight, and at the same time checks up on the children to see if they were good, polite and helpful the last year. If they were not, they will have coal in their shoes instead courtesy of a goat like beast called Krampus. 

                          

pic courtesy of Wikipedia

Pretty weird! That said, Eastern Germany in general is not very religious at all. According to friends of mine who lived through DDR times, to be religious was to be viewed with suspicion by the Government and thus subject to increased surveillance. Churches in Leipzig (specifically Nikolai kirsche) were involved in peaceful resistance against the totalitarian state which of course resulted in the Peaceful Revolution of October 1989. But I digress, my point is that many more people are atheist like myself than I've met previously so Christmas is more about celebrating friends and family than a religious occasion per se. 

 It's become more of a tradition in Australia and the UK to join friends for drinks on Christmas Eve, an occasion we enoyed with some Welsh friends here, although the streets were pretty quiet as the Deutsch traditionally have their gifts and festivities on Christmas Eve (the 24th December). We did our present opening on Christmas Even in Australia when we were young children, more so Mum could enjoy the stress of cooking on Christmas Day without the added bonus of sleep deprivation. 

Christmas Day here we enjoyed leftovers from the last Leipzig Apartment Supperclub, tofurkey and Veg Wellington (which we'd frozen) along with roast veggies, red wine gravy and broccoli. Dessert was Christmas Pudding although we were too full to eat it as usual. Quite different to a traditional Weihnachten meal here which usually involves goose, potato salad and cabbage. Far more effort is put into Christmas sweet treats here, we went to Chris' coworking space Christmas party a couple of weeks ago and despite the time of 6pm, everything was sweet! From chocolate to biscuits to gluhwein. Quite different to the dip, cheese and biscuits of Australian Christmas parties but great fun. 

                             

Christmas decorations were kept to a minimum. I used to have lots in Australia but of course these went when we got rid of everything except two suitcases, 5 boxes and two bicycles to move to Germany. And as we're moving in mid February, we don't really want any excess baggage. 

It's certainly cold here (-8 today) and I'm waiting/hoping for snow. We're off to the UK tomorrow for a week to visit friends and relatives. I'm looking forward to hits the cafes and pubs to enjoy fry up and roast dinners that I haven't had to cook myself! It will also be lovely to spend time with people, and enjoy the novelty of a fully English country (in the sense that I don't have to mentally translate things). I have to stress the absolute bliss of having central heating. It makes such a difference, especially as our Apartment has excellent insulation and double glazing. I can remember winters in Melbourne where I'd work in bed with gloves and a hat, constantly freezing cold. 

It's with sadness that I write that Mr Pablo is definitely feeling his age these days. As an 18 year old senior kitty he is of course, beyond much medical help and we are trying to make his remaining time with us as warm and comfortable as possible. We're having a lovely house sitter come and stay when we're away which certainly is a great relief. 

                         

As I finish this, it's just started snowing! 

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.