First I headed down to Kaiser's to take my first batch of empty bottles. Here, you recycle them and you get money for them. So I had about 2.45 euros worth... BUT, it didn't print the receipt! They also were out of sandwiches and didn't have the drink I was supposed to buy for Colby, sooooo... I knew it was going to be one of those days. When I met Colby and told him, I could barely stop laughing. We headed down to buy my ticket and were going to buy drinks in the kiosk by the train, but... it was closed. So I bought my ticket and we headed up the stairs to use our 9 minutes before the train was to arrive (to buy drinks/lunch). Halfway through the stairs we realized that we wouldn't make it... Soooo... we headed back downstairs. While we waited we went to a vending machine and I got a pack of cookies... Way too big to eat the whole thing. We decided to take the first train that came, which turned out to be the ring. Which means we have to go half way around the whole city to get to IKEA. As we sat on the train, a little girl around 6 starred at us and hid behind the seat. I was convinced she wanted the rest of my cookies, but Colby convinced me not to give them to her.... he said the mom would be creeped out.
Once at the train station by IKEA about 30/40 minutes later, we bought (I did) a little pizza bread thing and we walked to IKEA. I just want to remind y'all that this is my second time at IKEA. The first time I just straight up walked out because it was so overwhelming. This time, I knew I had to face the immensity. We started upstairs:
- We started looking at the million rooms displayed
- We start wondering where the heck are the actual things one picks up to put in a cart
- We desperately look for things: hangers, plates, utensils.
- we are so beyond confused and lost that all we can do is laugh... constantly. Why are there so many things? Why can't we just pick up the things we want? Why is everything just a display???
- Give up on finding most of the things and start grabbing the things that we do see in baskets next to the displays
- sit down on one of the million couches and try to figure out the map
- figure out that we are supposed to write down the item number and then go downstairs to where everything actually is.
- Go downstairs
- find a cart
- realize that there are a million people doing what we are doing
- realize everyone is moving at a very high speed
- everyone is rushing for something, we just don't know what
- I start seeing the necessary things for my dorm
- I start going crazy
- We race the crowds
- there are constant announcements about children being found throughout the store
- With a cart full with: a duvet, a duvet cover, 4 glasses, a 12 set plate/bowl set, a set of utensils, 3 pots, 1 sauté pan, a potato peeler, a pillow, a mattress cover, 16 hangers, 2 huge baskets, kitchen cookware, an extension cord, a lint roller, and more... we headed to the cash register.
- How are we going to take this home you wonder? we were already laughing/panicking about how we would carry this on the train and then back to my apartment and then tomorrow to Potsdam.
- I try to pay
- Worker tells me they don't accept credit cards (WHAT?????)
- Colby to the rescue with some cash
- Colby continues to bag my stuff....
- We leave with 4 HUGE bags and wobble to the train station.
Once at the train station we face our first challenge. I need to buy a ticket, our train is coming, and people are screaming. Why are people screaming?? Why is everyone wearing blue!?!?! Oh well soccer of course!!! We run to get on the train hoping to find some seats, but OF COURSE NOT!!! It is packed with drunk, happy, singing, gross looking soccer fans. This statement needs some explanations. Lets just say that 1/4th of the "ring" travels through some unfortunate looking parts of Berlin, and in these parts one can see some pretty "colorful" interesting people. Today... they were drunk, smelly, dressed in blue, and happy. After 2 stops, we finally got to sit... the issue was that the amount of bags made it really hard to find a place to sit....
The looks we got were golden. In the sea of soccer fans a lady sat quietly reading a book with a pretty intense cover, it was called "are you experienced?" WOAH! The whole train was ridiculous.
Once we finally got out... even the kids were looking at us. I guess our bags WERE ridiculous. As Colby said, we looked homeless... carrying a home on our shoulders. A little baby legitimately looked at us for a good 5 minutes in awe.... After dumping all of our stuff, we went out to find A. a pair of boots for me and B. a present for my land lady. It took forever, but we found a present for her and then ate at a delicious German restaurant. I had a wiener schnitzel andC Colby ordered a goulash. But we switched half way through and got to eat a little bit of both! After dinner we headed to Rossman to get some cleaning things for my apartment and then to Kaiser's to get food for the next 2 days (since everything will be closed).
I know I have left out a lot of the stuff that caused us to laugh today, but we legitimately laughed ALL day. On other observations: it is still snowing some.
Disclaimer: I move to Potsdam today, which means I will not have internet in my apartment for at least 3-4 days. This means that there probably will not be any post or news... I am alive, just dead to the internet world. On Tuesday when the university reopens, I will go to the office and try to get the internet set up. I have put it off for now. Until then!!!!
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