Possible new home

Today we viewed an apartment in Friedrichshain that I really, really liked. It wasn't flashy and white, but comfortable and homey with a big balcony. We have to wait until at least Monday to hear if we have been short-listed for an application interview with the owners.

We have seen 18 apartments and now have two and a half weeks to find somewhere to move. Panic.

The life of the neighbours

Would I want an "Erdgeschoss" apartment? To have your own garden but to be on display like this? We can hear all their conversations, too.

Artsy with a side of beer

I haven't been to very many art galleries in Berlin yet; I need to find someone to go with. A doesn't hate it, but exhibitions are also not his favourite. So far the best place I have found to enjoy art is MMX Open Art Venue, a gallery on Linienstraße in Mitte. We had a work related event there a few months back, and last Friday we met there for the opening of "Show IV" with S and a few interns from the office. I was most impressed by a video piece called Papillon d'Amour by Nicolas Provost and a really clever little installation with string in the backyard, called Stiller, by Michael Ebert. The trick is to know that the gallery has many more rooms than you think so you don't miss out. They also have a great garden and a bar, and so in true Berlin style you can enjoy the art while drinking your beer from a bottle. There's membership fee of one euro to get in, and the opening hours are a bit finicky, but I still like it.

...with a cherry on top

This is what I have been missing since last autumn... It's nature's candy, for sure. Lidl sells Turkish and Italian sweet cherries now for 6,60 or 7,60 per kilogram – I'm hoping the prices drop soon or I'll eat myself broke.

O brother, the weather just got nice

Ironically, just after my brother's visit is over, when it was about +13 every day and rained most of the time, it seems like summer has arrived. We did have some fun without the sun and we got hold of a third bicycle, so we could zoom around the city together. I'd say we did about 25-30 kilometres in four days. We also ate a lot to make up for it :) We took M to our favourite pizza place, we had sushi twice and some middle-of-the-night-falafels (kebab for him) and of course, in proper Berlin-style, we ate breakfast out every morning. The most glamorous breakfast was the Sunday brunch at Pasternak on Knaackstraße, the most random one a traditional German flammkuchen in Café Sibylle on Karl-Marx-allee. I think his favourite things were chilling in Mauerpark, playing Kicker (foosball) in bars and seeing the prices of food and beer. It was sad to let my little brother travel on on Wednesday morning – now he's at Rock im Park in Nürnberg. We haven't heard from him since he left, and I'm a little worried that his "Mitfahrgelegenheit" car-share turned out to be with an axe-murderer... But then again, the men in my family suck at keeping in touch.

Other than that, we are looking for an apartment. I'm starting to panic a little. We just came home after seeing a cute 55 square metre apartment on Gubenerstraße in Friedrichshain, but there were about 30 other people there to see it too... Yesterday we sent an application for an almost perfect apartment on Weidenweg, also F'hain, only to hear back that the realtor isn't sure we make enough money between us, and asking us if we would consider getting a guarantor for our lease... And we're in our thirties, for god's sake! So we keep searching.

Apartment in a distant corner of Prenzlauer Berg, 74 m2, 600 euro: too child friendly, thus too far away from all other forms of life.

Shopping for men

I hate buying gifts for boys: it's always so difficult! Men are a little bit like kids: they want toys and gadgets with buttons and cords. Clothes and books can be popular, but how do you know which ones? I bet most women end up buying men bestseller books, colourful socks or funny t-shirts as presents – I know I do. Every Christmas, every birthday. It's my dad's birthday on Friday, and because I've been working hard, I didn't get around to even buying a card yet.

Not far from our house is a funny shop called Männer Gift, gifts for men. I've always thought it's a bizarre concept, but today I decided I have to go in and see if they have a quick fix for me: a nice card and something I can mail in an envelope. I was pretty impressed: it's a big shop and they sell kitchen knives, frying pans, chocolate, towels, bathrobes, books, notebooks, underwear, bags, interior design knickknacks and jewellery. I bet I could have found many presents for my dad, my brother or boyfriend here – but nothing very cheap. I ended up buying a card and some "Louisiana Barbecue Spice Rub" for fish and meat (€9,50) in a convenient metal tin, because my dad loves to barbecue all summer long. Phew, I'm glad that's sorted (until next Christmas)!

Overtime

It's production week in work again which means long days and a tightened atmosphere at the office. It also means we eat more meals at the office, mostly in the shape of cookies. But usually, at least once every issue, we treat ourselves with food from Dolores, our favourite Mexican food joint. I think tomorrow might be the day! Mmm... quesadillas with guacamole or maybe the new soft tacos I hear they started doing...