So, here it goes!
Min/Bicycle as a Measurement of Distance
Since I arrived here, I've noticed that the most common way to measure distance in Berlin is in minutes by bicycle. Apparently driving a bike is THE best way to get around, although the public transportation seems to function perfectly well... I guess I will have to go bike shopping as soon as the weather gets warmer!
WG Living
I've discovered that Wohngemeinschaft or a 'Shared Flat' is the most common way to live among Berliners between ages 20-30. Coming from Finland where the only time I've had room mates is the time I studied in Tampere, it was a surprise that even people who have already entered the working life are living in WGs.
As there are different kinds of people, there are different styles of WG living as well. In some WGs the room mates are just that, room mates that you might bump into in the kitchen or on your way out the door. Most often though, flat mates will become your friends that you might enjoy cooking and a glass of wine with from time to time while still having a life and friends of your own outside the apartment.
Although living with four(!) flat mates was quite a change for me after living on my own in a one bedroom apartment, I do have to admit that I actually quite like this lifestyle. Having people around you and (almost) always someone to talk to and joke around with is pretty nice. And also the fact that my flat mates are pretty cool is a big plus. :)
Fire in the Kitchen
Okay, you are going to laugh at me for this one. I have never lived in a house with a gas stove. Or that uses mainly gas for heating. So, on my second day here I was sitting in the kitchen and I noticed a big box on the wall next to the stove. Out of nowhere, it started making noise and WHAT? A fire lit in there...?!
So there I was sitting in the kitchen looking at the fire wondering what the h*** was going on. I had to text my friend at work; 'Is it normal that there is a fire in the kitchen...?' To this day she likes to laugh at this one...
Payment
As it comes to paying, I've had some real learning to do. Back in Finland, I would never have any cash on me since you can pay for everything and everywhere with a card. Okay, well almost everywhere. In Berlin I've discovered that you need to have cash on you at all times. For instance at smaller grocery stores you CAN'T pay with a card for purchases under 5€. This I learned the hard way. I still get mini heart attacks from time to time (the other day at the Turkish grocery store) when I'm not sure they take cards and yet again I failed to remember to carry cash...
Also, as it turns out, Visa, one of the most common credit cards is not widely accepted here... Also learned this the hard way while trying to get a train ticket at the station.
No Makeup Makeup
I have noticed that a lot of girls here seem to be fans of the no makeup makeup. Either this or everybody just has perfect skin. For those not familiar with this, it's a very subtle makeup where you can't necessary tell if one is wearing any. Lately I've been pretty much rocking this look while running errands and well, running around the city!
Eco Living
As far as I can tell, observing as an outsider, I have noted that people here make more ecological choices e.g. taking your own canvas bags to the super market instead of buying the plastic bags (people do this in Finland as well but maaybe not to this extent). Also, recycling and making ecological choices in terms of purchasing food and clothing are big things as far as I can tell. There are Bio (organic) Supermarkets everywhere!
Upcycling, recycling materials into something of higher quality or value, also seems to be a dominant trend here as I ran into two upcycling stores within one walk around the district of Prenzlauer Berg.
Vegan Movement
The Vegan Movement has increased its popularity in Finland, especially Helsinki but here it's on a totally different scale. There are a lot of vegan restaurants around and vegan choices are also often mentioned in the menus at other non-vegan restaurants.
Hausschuhe
Or house shoes. So shoes, slippers, any piece of footwear you wear inside. Not all Germans have grown up with house shoes though but from what I have seen and experienced here and also from living abroad before, they are popular.
Krass!
Popular among younger people, this short, quirky word still continues to puzzle me. The word has probably more meanings than a dictionary. It can mean something very, very good, cool, awesome or something very bad, awful and surprising and literally EVERYTHING in between. I'm still trying to figure out how to use this correctly in a sentence!
This is it so far, I will continue to observe the sometimes quirky habits of the Berliners and report back to you! Haha, I bet the habits of Finnish people are probably at least as weird to foreigners!
Tschau!
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