“So, this is what Europe looks like.”
When I boarded the bus from the airport to downtown Berlin I studied the world outside of the window through jet lagged eyes. Everything is so clean. Where are the street dogs? Everyone appears to be following the road rules. Maybe I have just been in Asia too long, but these were my first thoughts of Europe. I was shocked at how civilised everything was. It may take me a while to get used to this. But I like it.
Yet in a city that I thought would be vastly different to what I am used to there were still interesting similarities that confronted me constantly. It was refreshing to walk down the streets and not be worried a renegade scooter would take me out, but instead it was the renegade cyclists I had to watch out for. Deciding to explore a graffiti-infused alleyway resulted in me being yelled at in words I didn’t understand by a passionate yet deranged lady. I even caught a glimpse of a tuk tuk that operated by pedal power. Flashbacks of Asia with a twisted dynamic.
Normally I am not a fan of big cities. I tend to find them more or less the same as whatever other busy cities I have discovered. Berlin seems different however. It has a rawness that oozes out from the streets. The history here is quite intense and still fresh in the local’s memories. The political vibe floating in the air is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Perhaps it is not as civilised as my first impression. This city longs for further exploration.
