One of my voluntary jobs is straight forward despite the language barrier, I have five main tasks: issue media cards, input text/reading books on the system, update the data bases, give and take books from students and lay down the law as stated by my Mentor Tatjana!
But there are instances when I regret my lack of German these are mostly when the announcements come on the train. Most of the time I can guess the content but not so this week when a very serious sounding message was transmitted. There was no obvious reaction so I wrongly assumed this would not affect me - boy was I wrong. I arrived at the school and just two hours later I was told to lock up the library and leave as there was a Red Alert storm warning. I set out to leave as soon as possible but had to wait for the pupils parents to come for them. The route back to the train station is not far but it felt a lot longer due to the water pouring from the heavens and the fact that I have to hold my hood closed as the wind kept whipping it off - what a palaver! I made it to the station and after half an hour I embarked on the trek home. The wind had really picked up by then alongside the rain so by the time I got home I was soaked but glad to get into the warm and dry. The storm picked up in the afternoon and I watched the wind blow down branches and annoyingly the roof cover of my rabbits enclosure. The best part of the storm was going back out into it to check on the rabbits I am caring for this year and I provided them with new straw which they promptly dragged upstairs and ate. Their names are Ivo, Nemo and Fibbs and they are absolutely adorable.
The next day the after effects made themselves known, all trains was cancelled as a state of emergency had been called due to storm Xavier. So I needed an alternate route to get to work. After a bit of research a bus was found close to the train station so that became my way to travel. Finding it was pretty easy but the route it took unsettled me a little as I was in Berlin right, the capital city and while I may be on the outskirts I am still in an urban area. Wrong, I went through farmland into an isolated village and then through a forest, it was surreal as it was still dark out at 6.30am and the rain was misting up all the windows in the bus, but still quite fun. I had a fright when I got to my stop as I tried to get off but so many people were pushing their way on to the bus I could not get out I had to wait until the next stop. I eventually made it to work but I cannot say the same of all of the pupils due to the multitude of transport problems as trees falling on train lines, entrances and roads But despite these eventful times, life goes on and I am having fun here even if the weather is a lot crazier than I am used to.
TOP TIPS:
1: Event Brite is worth going on for finding lots of free events happening in Berlin.
2: Subscribe to the Ex Berliner email newsletter for what’s on this week plus lots of chances to win free tickets to events, concerts, bands, days out.
3: Visit hairdressers and ask if they need free hair models (often signs on the doors), they offer free haircuts for both men and women with their apprentices.
