Contemplated between visiting Berlin or Munich and after getting a lot of mixed responses from friends, Hazel and I booked an impromptu trip to Berlin (so much for "see you next year"). So we found ourselves checked into Lukas' 2-bedroom apartment, with a swanky projector and minimal furniture - talk about #housegoals. I must say, the duvet was extremely comfortable we wanted to stay in and hide from the cold every morning hahahaha. 

Berlin was nothing like I'd expected. We weren't greeted by the best weather (thank god we both brought our 10 euro-H&M umbrellas) and it didn't help that the buildings were grey and gloomy. But having learnt about European history (although not the best), I was mostly intrigued by the lieux de memoir (a term I learnt in Sociology that literally translates to 'places of memory') that could be found everywhere in the city. The walking tour was the most fascinating one because suddenly I found myself standing right where something significant happened decades ago.

Hazel and I deduced that the people of Berlin are rather hipster. Okay a clarification: I found out from my Italian roommate that being called hipster is not seen as a compliment in Europe because it means you are eccentric and mildly weird. But to me (and maybe to us in Singapore, just maybe I'm not generalising!!!!) it means contemporary and cool. Anyway, Lukas was one example. We wanted to go out and have fun on our last night in the city and Lukas immediately shot down the place we mentioned to him. He recommended this hole-in-the-wall bar and we took his word for it. It was cozy and the music was... hipster, 'namsayin? 

We spent 4 days in Berlin but on hindsight, 3 days would've been just right. Nonetheless, whenever the two of us are together, our top priority would be trying ALL the food the city has to offer us. And we did... 

The Fernsehturm de Berlin -- the TV tower so passionately spoken of in Berlin

Had a very filling breakfast of pastries and sandwiches here at Zeit Für Brot

I was very intrigued by the shape of their green-man hahahaha

Everywhere we went was rather momental: this is Checkpoint Charlie (the most famous division between East and West Berlin)

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust Memorial) was a wonderfully-thought out design

We went into the Reichstag Building while it was pouring outside and this is where the Berlin parliament holds its meetings 

This was the meal that satisfied grumpy Hazel because she was very hungry hahahaha

The Brandenburg Gate

Markthalle Neun -- a hipster food market a walking distance from Lukas' apartment

CAKE! CAKE! CAKE!

And of course, the Berlin Wall

Kinder Bueno.... Maxi????

The very common European supper grub: the doner kebab

While having this meal at Burgermeister, we sat next to a national English Football player!!! Only realised he was famous after we Googled his name when he left hahahaha ignorant Asian girls

Chinese New Year came early hahahaha

And of course the best part of Berlin imo (*to me*) would be the the fotoautomats! Hazel and I lost count of how many 2-euro coins we put into the slot machine and I can never seem to find the camera when it clicks hahahahaha

I almost met with a tiny mishap leaving Berlin because I took Lukas advice to take the first bus to the airport at 4am alone... Don't worry everything turned out alright but it taught me a huge lesson: never yolo, if you have to, hobo (at the airport). Leaving Berlin also meant that the next time I see Hazel would be in 2017 (now) and it made me rather sad. She's been looking after me like an older sister (hehehe) and we got so much closer on our trips together. Completely no regrets dragging her out of the bed every morning at 9am because she's annoying af and wants to sleep in all the time on holiday (plus she spends way more time on her make up than I do but I have to wake up first what logic was that???) But thankful for the memories we created together because I'll look at our black-and-white photo strips and remember the extra Snickers bar that dropped out of the machine and our bewildered/excited/super happy faces that night :')