My Berlin Christmas

Last minute surprise packages

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 04:05:32 -0500

An unexpected thing happened the other day. I received three packages from amazon.

Now, I was surprised. Shocked. I had played with the idea of getting piss drink and drunk ordering as seen in my favourite news website:

http://www.theonion.com/video/insidious-worm-makes-unauthorized-purchases-when-c,14399/

But as it turns out, there is a Santa Claus, or in my case, Mlle Noel. I have to wait until Christmas day to unwrap the gifts, but I feel giddy like a schoolboy on a candy high.

Photo

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:44:54 -0500

Photo

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:44:18 -0500

Photo

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:43:44 -0500

Photo

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:38:05 -0500

Pre Christmas party

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:37:28 -0500

Before the not-born-in-Berlin Berliners leave for their holidays, I had a few them over for drinks and some brought along ornaments to adorn my tree. A friend even suggested that I wrap a white sheet around the base to make it look like snow. I even got a surprise gift in the mail from a friend in the beautiful city of Hamburg.

I’m shocked: this Christmas tree is shaping up quite nicely.

Presents

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 07:20:19 -0500

I’ve received some sympathy from a fellow reader in Berlin, and now have a copy of the Zoolander DVD under the tree. As well, I received a bottle of gin from work. Thus, not all is pathetic as a single man in Berlin over Christmas.

Fine print: I have to return the DVD.

Tree now with presents!

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 07:08:40 -0500

Tree now with presents!

It doesn’t light up, but still is a star(fish)

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:43:14 -0500

It doesn’t light up, but still is a star(fish)

Tree decorated with care (to not spend a fortune) — the...

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:42:06 -0500

Tree decorated with care (to not spend a fortune) — the cats are “jumping”

Tree decorated with care (to not spend a fortune)

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:40:59 -0500

Tree decorated with care (to not spend a fortune)

Time to decorate

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:40:08 -0500

After position my 30kg tree to the appropriate spot in my living room, I realized that I needed decorations badly. But being the scrooge that I am, of course I didn’t want to spend a fortune on ornaments. Thus, I scrounged decorative odds and ends in my apartment and made some decorations (my favourite is the starfish from one of my travels in Spain tucked snugly on top). In a moment of pure brilliance, I went to the local 2nd hand store and bought some ornaments.

Decorations for under 10€. You can have fun during Christmas.

The tree unwrapped, shoved to the living room, and before...

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:34:00 -0500

The tree unwrapped, shoved to the living room, and before decorations

Unpacked and sad

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 03:38:44 -0500

I unpacked the tree. Within minutes, dirt and pine needles fell on the floor in a spiraling mess.

It smells like wonderful, like Christmas, like I was at my friend’s cabin in rural Manitoba. On my Sbahn journey, the tree tipped over so the tree leans a little to the left.

But there’s something terribly sad about a bare tree. Should I buy presents just to put under the tree? That’s sad and expensive. What if I just wrap empty boxes for the look? That’s even sadder. It reminds me of meeting a drag queen decked out with a purse made of paper — just without the sass.

I’ll need to think about this one.

The beginning of a pathetic single man's Berlin Christmas

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 07:22:00 -0500

I’m a single man in Berlin, and through bad planning, I am stranded in the city over Christmas. So instead of flying home to have turkey with all the fixings, I am stuck with instant noodles and TV reruns.

This is my first blog, and I attempt to celebrate Christmas on my own, in a foreign country. Berlin is a great city, but I live in Prenzlauer Berg — a neighbourhood with charm, but since no one who was born in Prenzlauer Berg actually lives here, the district is empty during the holidays. Well, empty except me.

First things first. I went to buy a Christmas tree yesterday. No car — but no problem, or at least I thought. 18€ for a small tree bought at the Sbahn station Gesundbrunnen, and I was free to lug that 30kg thing down the escalator to take the train one station further. Of course, the train was delayed, then “ausgefallen”, then full, but eventually I made it with my tree. I then lugged that tree 100m to my apartment, and up 4 flights of stairs.

My arms are still sore. And all that to save 7€ in cab fare.

At least I have more money for booze.

The beginning

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 07:09:17 -0500

The beginning