Hausgemacht Cheese Burger

It all started with wondering 'what are frozen burger patties like these days?'

We've been making our own burgers here in Berlin ever since we got here, such as our super taster Blue Burger. We've also eaten a lot of Burgers out and about, with Burgermeister and Burgeramt our faves so far.

But back to these pesky frozen patties. As usual, we had to scour every supermarket chain to find a reasonable pack - that being that Kaufland et al insist on selling the minimum quantity of 14 - 16 patties per box.

Netto was the answer, 8 frozen patties per box, still too many but I can manage...2.49 Euros.

Pre-packaged hamburger buns are atrociously stale in every market I've checked, and I didn't want to eat it our of the normal crunchy Schrippe (small breakfast type rolls). So, we went with an old fashioned option, plain white bread. At least the bread is soft.

To do a cheesburger properly (if its not a blue cheese burger) one needs melty cheese. I am loathe to buy this as every single slice is individually wrapped. At least we recycle.

We had everything else in house.

Removing the patties, they two were semi-individually wrapped, 2 per wrapper. Grr.

These things are 98.8% beef mince, so that's a good start. They looked pretty decent too, albeit a bit thin.

They fried up nicely, much better than the last frozen patty I cooked, maybe 15 years ago. I guess things have changed a bit.

The bread was buttered and toasted on one side, a trick I learnt from the Wendy's burger chain in America. Extra fat..mmm.

When the patties are almost cooked, add melty cheese!

So dirty.

Once melted, assemble with mayo, tomato sauce, pickles, tomato. A double cheese burger and a more modest single cheeseburger. Perfecto.

These things were pretty tasty. The patty, the whole point of the experiment was good enough that I would try them again, but they are not up to the standard of home made of Burgermeister / Burgeramt ones.

After all that we had 4 patties left over. Rinse and repeat for the same dinner two nights in a row.

A funny thing happened on the way to the prüfung

So....

We have been undertaking a language course, which turned into us taking the official 'Integration Course' that some foreigners need. We don't need it, but did it anyway.

We already have had the grammar test, and today was supposed to be the 'Leben in Deutschland' Politics and Culture test.

Our class assembled at the correct place and time, but we couldn't do the test! Why? because DHL had stuffed the language school around.

Apparently our test papers were ordered 2 weeks ago and subsequently delivered by DHL to a depot in Saxony. Umm, we are in Berlin.

The school rang and suggested they send the package to the school in Berlin. DHL apparently delivered the package, but didn't leave a note. The school rang DHL asking where the papers where and DHL was told  the package was with a neighbour - but not which one!! The school went looking for it and none of the neighbours had it.

Then it gets a bit murky, but somehow the package got redelivered today (test day) to the school. But it was delivered early when the office wasn't open. A note on the door from DHL said the package would be available for pickup / redelivery on Monday. The teacher rang and asked if they could redeliver today ASAP, Not possible.

So with all of that, we couldn't do the test!

The teacher then had to ring the Government department responsible for administering the test and arrange something else.

We stood in the stairwell a bit dumbfounded. Everyone was annoyed as we just want this over and are sick of studying!

It was finally clear that nothing could be done about it today and we all could leave. The teacher came out to explain to us what had happened and when he had rescheduled the next test.

So another week to study...which is good for at least one of our lazier classmates who has done no study at all!

Ruckensport Abschluss

 Due to back problems, my German doctors prescribed me a series of 'Ruckensport' sessions. I had something similar in Australia, I was given about 6 sessions there. Here in Germany, 50 sessions!

I started last year and Ruckensport turns out to be going to a training room and doing some group exercises and also individually planned exercises from a trainer.

My trainer was really nice, and so were my fellow back pain sufferers. We've had a lot of fun in the sessions, as well as a few parties, a picnic and also celebrated the World Cup together. It's been quite social - and mostly all in German.

And so this week, my last, 50th session :(

Tradition dictates that the person who's last session it is MUST bring champagne. I've been the beneficiary of this in the past so only naturally I had to bring it this time. Drink of choice - Rotkäppchen.

Nearing the end of the session, the trainer asked 'What do you want to do for the last 10 minutes? Shall we just start drinking?' :)

As I retrieved the bottled from my locker, (out of sight from the rest of the group) I came back to the main training area to see them all on their mats with empty cups neatly placed in front of them....expectation!

Naturally we needed a group mirror shot (all faces obscured because they are Germans. Not sure what that means? just look at Google street view in Germany!)

And for the last time I signed my attendance sheet - with the long running misunderstanding that for some reason the trainer thinks my name is Antony. Its not.

A bit of a sad occasion, but I'm also glad I don't have to keep going there - especially in these cold dark winter months.

Kraftwerk 3D

And so for the second time in my life, I found myself standing outside a Kraftwerk concert.

Over the last few years, the incredibly influential electronic band Kraftwerk have been performing consecutive concerts at selected venues - playing each of their albums in their entirety. One album per night. Berlin concerts were announced in 2014.

From what I have seen, the ticket prices have always been very reasonable yet almost impossible to get. The Berlin gigs were no exception.

The concerts were held at the Neue Nationalgalerie, a classic Mies van der Rohe building which is to be closed for minimum 3 years for renovation following the concerts. Once tickets went on sale they sold out almost immediately. I heard stories of people who lined up for hours for the special midnight release of tickets at the venue itself, and still missed out. When I checked online that following day for when tickets were available to the public...all gone.

Which lead me to stand outside, with no ticket.

So I went on Monday 12 January 2015, which was the night the band would perform 'The Mix'. I hadn't been to earlier nights as the weather has been bad in Berlin. I had hoped to take a few photos of the Galerie with the Kraftwerk sign out the front and hopefully hear a bit of music.

When I got to the Neue Nationalgalerie, I was not so much surprised that others had the same idea as I did, but how clearly I could hear the music. I had already read that the almost all glass structure would be blacked out to shield the concert from outside, so I was even more surprised to find that we outsiders could see inside quite easily.

From several vantage points you could see the large screen, and several of the band members easily in their now well known skintight black with green grid uniforms.

As I arrived, 'The Model' was playing, and being 'The Mix' subsequent hit after hit was played. It was great to hear these songs live (even standing outside!) Like the Man Machine, Trans Europe Express, the encore of 'The Robots' in which the band reappeared as robotic versions of themselves, and finishing with 'Music Non Stop'...which afterwards, ironically, the music stopped. :P

While not ideal to be standing outside, it's all I could manage under the circumstance. Surprisingly it was actually a good experience and in some cases a much better concert experience than many other gigs I've been to (with ticket).

Maybe the third time I got to a Kraftwerk concert I will actually be standing inside the venue.

Proper Snow!

It's been a pretty crappy winter - characterised by rain, cold and grey grey grey. It has been pretty miserable. In German I guess you could say we have had several months of 'Graushleier' - which is a veil of grey over the city. Well that's certainly what it has felt like.

Until yesterday!

Snow bloody snow :) It's unbelievable how much of a mood changer snow can be, and how different the city can look. One day its DDR cold war spy shit and the next day its a fairytale winter wonderland. :)

We made a snowman and he was happy.

And this week is the only week you can buy fireworks...(sale restricted only between 28 - 31 December)

So we went out to get our fireworks and some essentials for the coming days.

The snow is not quite treacherous enough to stop riding, but you do have to be extra careful. Most roads are cleared and this is 100% safe, whereas some of the cycle paths are not so clear - but they do have grit thrown over them which helps. We got a flat tyre today, so I'm suspicious that the grit had something to do with that.

It's always funny to see that people actually use sleds, and have to park them!

Out our go-to supermarket we got our fireworks, our beers for Silvester (New Years Eve) and were super surprised to see how much Stollen (German Christmas bread) had been discounted. The normal ones we buy are usually just under 3 Euros, and these had now been discounted to between 32 and 70 cents. For some reason both of these that we bought cost  35 cents.

For some reason 2L Diet Coke was also discounted...to 10 cents? wha!

Renowned Stollen comes from Dresden and this is usually the pricey stuff. We got one today for 3 Euros that is usually 12 Euros....and it comes in a tin! If it comes in a tin it must be fancy.

Also this time of year is celebrated with 'pfannkuchen'  - German donuts, and the supermarket were selling these, fresh, for 40 cents each so natch we had to get a couple.

And of course we got our bag of fireworks...a 'family' assortment :)

Christmas, Snow, Snowmen, Stollen, Fireworks, Beers, Pfannkuchen, Silvester...this last week looks like it will make up for the dismal winter we have had so far :)

Rixdorfer Weihnachtsmarkt Berlin

It's Christmas Markets time again in Berlin.  This is our third time around in Berlin for this festive season and it brings mixed feelings. On one hand there's the excitement, It's Weihnachts Markt time!, and on the hand there's the cynical view that its the same old crap with over inflated prices.

This weekend we went to check out the Rixdorfer Weihnachtsmarkt. Rixdorf was in old old times a former town of its own, but with various reforms it became subsumed into the greater Berlin and swallowed up by the Neukölln disrtrict.

We have been down near this area before in previous trips (south of Rathaus Neukölln) and didn't find much of interest. We were surprised to find that in this Alt Rixdorf area a very different experience, a place with its own distinctive architecture (think stables and blacksmith shops).

And then on top of that, the Christmas Markets around Richardplatz :)

We were meeting some friends there and didn't realise that the markets were so large. We found one of them and then rallied around a meeting point...the Rixdorfer Getränke Markt (a Späti!).

Just on the edge of Richardplatz, and the Christmas Markets, this Späti offered super discounted Glühwein (hot wine, with or without a shot of spirits) and of course the normal beer offerings inside, without forgoing any of the Christmas Market atmosphere. 

Normally a Glühwein at a Market like this would cost 3 euros plus. Down at the Rixdorfer you only have to fork out 1 euro (or an extra 50 cents for your spirit shot). A bargain for the Berliner on a budget.

The markets themselves are much less gimmicky and tacky as the more central ones (Like the Alexanderplatz ones....errg). For some reason there was quite a bit of Korean food there, and also a whole section of religious stalls....what has religion got to do with Christmas?

We really enjoyed these markets, the aimless wondering around the Richardplatz, the lovely setting, the lack of tourists and of course the pfennig friendly Späti. Recommended :)

Unlike other well known markets that run for a month or more, this one is only on for one weekend.

Open:

05. Dezember - 07. Dezember 2014

Opening Times:

Friday 5 - 9pm

Saturday 2 - 9pm

Sunday 2 - 8pm

The Baseballs

Through the week we went to see The Baseballs in concert. The tickets were a birthday gift from friend L... (Thanks Tiger!)

The Baseballs are a band that were formed in Berlin in 2007 and are known for their Rockabilly reworkings of contemporary pop hits.

The concert was at the Astra Kulturhaus in Friedrichshain - a convenient 5 minute walk from home for us. It was lot of fun and the band were very interactive with the audience.