Today my supervisor organized a brunch for the whole team in a really nice café in Berlin- the Bilderbuch Café. The furniture is antique and the carpets are Persians. The menu is like a children’s book and the different breakfasts are named after fairytales: 1000 and 1 nights, Arielle, etc… really nice- and sooo good. I am sorry, but I forgot my camara…
That you have some idea how it looks like in Berlin, I put some fotos here 
Biz Kathi
Yesterday I went to a concert with Daniel Hope in the Concert Hall Berlin. First of all, the building is really beautiful inside- everything is of white marble and dark red velvet. Very nice, but a bit too cool. We got student tickets, so we had seats in more or less the first rows. Surprisingly it was not sold out- maybe, because it was Wednesday… I observed that in Berlin the audience is slightly younger than in Vienna. There were many people between 30 and 50 and not only 60+. Daniel Hope and his string “orchestra” (it was not a full one) played different pieces of Bach, Händel, Vivaldi, Pachelbel, etc… Between the pieces he gave us explanations about the composers and the pieces- he is quite funny! 
I loved the pieces, he played: Vivaldi: Summer (Four Seasons), Bach: Air, Pachelbel: Canon, etc… I love them all, so I enjoyed the concert very much!
On Sunday is a concert with Daniel Barenboim. He will not conduct, but he is going to play the piano! I hope we can organize tickets for that.
I’ll let you know…
Hi folks,
I am sorry that it takes me so long to update my blog, but last week I had to WORK! ;D Because I had a week full of excitement this blog will be a bit longer…
So, I wanna start with my weekend in Hamburg (Feb. 19th- 21th): Because of my dad’s birthday, I decided to go home to Hamburg for a weekend. Christoph, my younger brother, also came home for the weekend and Alex, my older one, was there anyway. All united at home means a lot of fun. Everyone who already had this experience with us, knows what I am talking about. ) My mum and dad cooked a lot, so I had the possibility to gain some weight- thank you, it was delicious! Marillenknödel (I really cannot translate this!) and some beef with carrot sauce and yummy yummy brunch! On Saturday I helped my dad to move the rest of my brother’s stuff out of his old apartment and in the evening we went to the opera: Don Giovanni. Mh, the staging was kind of funny, but the whole opera was reeeeally long… Maybe I just don’t like the opera house in Hamburg. Have you ever been inside??? It looks like a space shuttle! 
On Sunday we had the birthday brunch. We three kids gave my dad a samowar as a present, so we had a lot of “Turkish” brewed tea. ;=) When I came back to Berlin, my boyfriend had a surprise for me: choclate cake!!!! YEAH! It was like a huge fudge or brownie- I think I have never eaten such a good cake. If you are in need of a good portion of chocolate, call him and he will bake one for you
After this wonderful weekend with my family and a great chocolate cake, I had my first day at work last Monday. For those who did not read the last posts: I am currently working for an outsourced secretariat. We take the calls, which our customers cannot answer, and forward the messages to our customers. It is not a job I studied for, but it gives me the opportunity to look for another appropiate work while I earn some money. In fact, the working environment is quite nice, because all talk really low and we can use the internet. As long as we do not get a call, we can surf and read. Actually I am working right now The first three days I worked on another priority, so I received more calls than I receive now. This was kind of stressful, but I enjoyed it, because I had something to do. I am happy that I have a schedule every week and have something to do beside of writing applications. Especially now, when my boyfriend is not in Berlin.
First I thought I will be lonely while he is away, but it turned out that I had/ have some company so far. My only friend here, Sarah (Biz to you), is taking care of me and Helena was here! YEAH! Helena came last Friday on short notice and spent the whole weekend with me, which was really a lot of fun. On Saturday we had a big breakfast in a café right around the corner, which was great. Before that I went to the gym, so I was allowed to eat as much as I wanted- which I did!
Afterwards we started walking from our street to Prenzlauerberg, which is quite a bit. We passed the Friedrichstraße, the Gendarmenmarkt, we passed the Humboldt University (where I bought some books), the Museum’s island till the Oranienburgerstraße. I tell you: with a blue sky and birds singing, Berlin is a really nice city! There are so many things to see and discover! I already knew Berlin from before, but it is good for me to connect my earlier impressions with them from now, so I can get a better feeling for the city. In the evening we went to the Berliner Ensemble, which is the Brecht theatre, and tried to get some tickets. Life is so much cheaper for a student! I am glad that I still have a student’s ID!!! The play was really good and I enjoyed it very much. It was about the fact how important it is to leave the city in the summer when you are a member of the high society. They are all broke, but spend a lot of money to keep their image. There is a love story as well, because she is engaged with one man, but loves another one. They played really well and funny, but the story was dramatic and makes sense for me. Especially for me! ;=) I am always broke, because I love travelling!
On Sunday Sarah came to us and we had a big big breakfast together. I think we were eating for four hours or so. Later I will post some fotos of Berlin and our brunch. Afterwards Helena and I went to a foto exhibition in C/O Berlin (I like the name) from Don McCullin. It was kind of depressing, but really good. Mc Cullin takes photographs of war situations- victims, soldiers, bombed houses, dead people, etc… All his pictures are in black and white, which expresses a certain athmosphere. There was another exhibition, which impressed me even more. In a huge room were four small rooms or huts installed and everything was more or less dark. Each hut represented a slum in Nairobi, Jakarta, Mumbai and Caracas. The huts were maybe some 4-5sqm. Inside they projected fotos on all four walls of the inside of huts of the respective slum. Their inhabitants spoke about their life in this slum. It was really interesting to hear the voices to the faces and to be inside their home at the same time. Inside we were sometimes 10 visitors at once, so I could really feel the limitedness of the room. After the exibition I was really absorbed in thought about their situation as well as thankful about my life here…
Ok, and now the post, which everyone was hoping about: the Geneva thing!
Well, Alex called me the other day and told me that she organized a job for me in Geneva (thans for your help, Alex!) and that one of the diplomats will call me now. Then Eva called and told me they need someone for the Human Rights Council in March, because they have so much to do. She told me that it would be a contract for one month with 1000 EURs. I was thrilled about that possibility, but I already signed a contract here in Berlin and what would happen after April 1st??? So I decided to turn the offer down and stay here. Furthermore, I would have carried all the travel expenses- it is expensive to go to Geneva. So, this is the reason… my hearth is aching :’(, but I had to turn it down.
Next news this weekend or when something excited happened!
Bye, Kathi
Good morning everybody!
My dad is definitely my best follower! Write me your comments! I wanna hear from you all!
What happend in the meantime: I don`t go to China, but I ll stay in Berlin for a while. My boyfriend had his last exam yesterday, so we are free to move anywhere now. I let you know, when we know…
Yesterday we celebrated in a really good Corean restaurant. The food was yammy (I had a veggy Bibimbap), but it took soo long that I almost starved… Well, what was interesting was the fact that the people there did not speak a word German. We had to make signs to each other to communicate. Was quite a challenge. However, now I know that Bibimbap means: to stir in your pot and mix the food up. I love it when there is non verbal communication and you still can understand each other. I haven´t had that since China last year. (Which is actually sad, because I am supposed to speak Chinese! ) I really miss the feeling of learning things in another language…
So, programme for today: Pool and Sauna!
Wish you a nice weekend (because I don´t work, it has already started for me )
Kathi
Hey everybody,
I am sitting at the library and try to concentrate, because I should write some more applications and find some more job vacancies. Well, I was a good girl and have submitted already three applications today, still… In an hour I will be gone to an exhibition about Picasso. I like his paintings and I think it is interesting to get to know him as a personality better, so I can get an advanced view on his paintings. We will see if it works…
I got a job! hehe… At least something fot 25hs/ week, which gives me the opportunity to earn something at least. I will work in sort of a callcenter, but far better,which is kind of fun. Still I hope to find something serious very soon. So, when you know somebody,who knows somebody, just let me know! I really would love to work in a NGO, at the UN or in an company (HR, CSR, etc…). I take everything as long I have fun and it is well paid. Usal criteria…
The Job won´t start before next week, so I have to come around this week in keeping me busy. You are all not here, so I don´t have so much social life… I might visit the gym more frequently and should stop eating chocolate, because of boredome. Gym is defenitely the better option!
Two weeks ago I borrowed ten books of the public library and I have seven and a half more to read till March 1st, so I think I will be busy. And yes: I will go out and take some pics for you. You should really see the icy pavements here and how people fall down all the time. It is horrible!!!
Well, then: I think I am off to the exhibition!
Bye, Kathi
I haven´t been outside yet and it is growing dark again. This is the downside of being lazy: you don´t see the sun often! ;D I should hurry up and buy some food…
Hey everyone!
Well, I am new in the blogger’s world, so please, be patient with me. :=) I decided to blog, because I am seldom at home and most of you hardly ever see me live. I guess most of you, don´t even know that I am currently in Berlin… So, I hope you’ll follow me to all the places I go.
Berlin, Berlin
I am here for almost a month now and I start feeling at home here. Well, as much as you can feel at home, when you only have two suitcases with you with the most important things… However, I do not complain, because I decided to come here, so I have to deal with that. Still, I miss my books, my clothes, my stuff!
Anyway: There is a lot of snow in Berlin, the streets are icy and it is cold. I am really longing for spring time, but as I heard, we are supposed to wait for it a bit longer this year. 
Don´t get me wrong: I love winter, snow, skiing and ice skating, BUT not for sooo long!
While I am waiting for spring, I started to figure out what I wanna do with my life, what I should do now, etc… I will tell you when I found it out. So far, I probably found a job, which gives me the opportunity to earn some money and to look for a real job in the meantime. I have something to do at least…
Well, this for now. When I know how this whole blog- thing works, I give you some pics from here (means: I have to take some in the meantime.)
Hope you are alright
Hugs, Kathi
