Stupid stupid Internet technicians and how I tried to climb down the phone and strangle them

As you may have guessed by the title, I am still without an Internet connection.

Yesterday I rang the company to confirm that the technician could give me 30 minutes notice before he turned up so that I could leave work and get home in time.

Not difficult right? Well. The technician rings me to tell me he is outside the flat. Lovely, cheers mate!

Earliest appointment I can get now is the 7th September!!

I thought Germany was supposed to be so technologically efficient? I mean, I just don't understand why I can't just buy the modem, take it home and bloody start using it?!

By the time I get online, I will have waited a month.

All I want to do is Skype people :-(

Such is life.

But if that wasn't enough today, I also had to go over like a hundred pages of a Chinese document to check it had all been translated and formatted correctly. So when I saw that the translator hadn't once translated the word 'frage' I almost screamed. Word's find and replace function didn't work.

On the way home now and if there is not a pint in my hands within the next hour I will not be responsible for my actions.

Later x

Sent from my Sony Xperia™ smartphone

Internet Cafe Life

Hello!

I can't believe that my first week at work has gone so quickly! Although incredibly surreal, it's really great to be back. I really do feel privileged that not only do I live in the city I love, but that I also love my job.

This is the actual life! Apart from the horsefly bite, of course.

Pettenkofer Straße

Anyway. I am still waiting on the internet to be set up (next Friday!) and I am sat in an internet cafe writing this! Apparently that's how much of a loser I am.

But you'll be pleased to hear that the two other girls at the office are lovely, and last night we went out for dinner after work together. They are funny and helpful, and seem to find my English habits highly amusing. S already knows there is no point asking what tea I want, because the answer is always black, mit Milch. There's already been hilarity r.e. jobs, but I think it wouldn't be funny for anyone else and it would take too long to explain so I won't bore you.

Weirdly, the conversation at dinner turned to, well, mental health. Which I was a bit unnverved by, but it wasn't awkward at all. J saw my tattoo on my wrist, and S asked me if it was to do with self-harm. It was actually so refreshing to be able to say yes and not feel in any way judged by my past!

As for the flat, I am still on my jack there but only until next Sunday! On Monday, I got in from work, went to unlock my bedroom and got the absolute fright of my life when the other bedroom opened next to me. Her name is Carina, she's from Lower  Bavaria and seems very sweet. Also, she brought tonnes of stuff with her so my need to buy stuff for the kitchen has drastically lowered. She doesn't start work until September so only came to unpack.

ALSO, a bloke knocked on the door on Tuesday night looking for Carina (already? bit creepy). She obviously wasn't here and he started talking to me. Somehow, I agreed to be tandem partners with him and he went away. Then he came back five minutes later with his phone number. Okay. So he is either just very friendly and desperate to practice English, or he is a murderer. It remains to be seen.

Looking forward to actually hanging out with these people! 

Bis später

xoxo

Allet jute aus Berlin

Four days in and everything is looking good so far. Apart from the fact that the apartment was like, bare. Sure it's furnished, but I've had to spend the last couple of days kitting it out. A kettle was obviously the first priority. It really is lovely though, and I love my balcony. Note to self: buy a plant of some sort!

View from my balcony

I registered on Tuesday and my goodness what a kerfuffle. I ended up going to the Ordnungsamt instead of the Bürgeramt. So instead of trying to register myself I was in fact attempting to register a trade. Make your jokes now.

I managed to order my internet but now it's a case of waiting for the installation, which sod's law guarantees will be when I start work.

In other news, I have been watching a lot of TV (to practice, I tell myself but really it's because it's too hot and I'm lazy). Current favourites are: a programme about family problems. The last one I watched was about a man whose family were worrying about his health because he took part in schnitzel-eating competitions. The other fave is Adam sucht Eva. Basically it's a bit like our Love Island except everyone is butt naked. It's strangely fascinating.

My new favourite thing in the entire world

I'm sitting in Köllnischer Park feeling rather disappointed, as I came here to see the Berlin Bears but they aren't out. There's only one left and last I heard it was possible that it might be put down. Poor dear. 

Bears?

I'm enjoying time to wander around and soak up some sun before work on Monday!

Bis später x

I have arrived... well only at the airport

Hallo Leute,

So in true Kirsty fashion I got my arrival time in Berlin wrong and so am running over an hour early for my key pickup. I spoke to the caretaker and we agreed I would wait at the airport until he calls me back... So here I am, all excited to see my new flat and I am perched on a bench outside Schoenefeld clutching at my hideously large bags. I'm blogging from email and attached a picture from this morning but god knows if it worked...

Aside from all that, the flight was fine. I did end up sitting in seat A when I should have been in seat C and consequently was on edge for most of the time. Maybe when the German teacher in Mean Girls yelled "Stay in your assigned seat" I took it too personally...

Here's hoping I leave the airport soon!

Ciao xo