Berlin is generally known as an easy going, relaxed happy place to have fun and take things slow. As much as we enjoy this reputation, it’s not all roses and unicorns here after all. We have our moments of struggles as well, some are Berlin specific and some are the same as in many other big cities in the world. It’s a part of life I guess. Sometimes you just have to stay strong.
The new campaign of the yogurt drink Actimel is all about these moments when people have to bite their teeth, make the best of it and stay strong. It’s quite a relatable sentiment, but as diverse as our world is, everyone gets to these moments quite differently. So the guys from Actimel asked us: when do you have to stay strong in Berlin? The question made us immediately think of the hilarious illustrated comics of Sophia Halamoda who showed us how to get into two of the most impenetrable institutions of Berlin: the notorious Berghain night club and the feared Bürgeramt. So we extended the question to her and together we came up with a list of some typical struggles that we face here in Berlin. We’ve all been there at some point! After the jump you’ll find 7 moments when you have to stay strong in Berlin.
A Never-ending Story
Didn’t your friend tell you that rooms in Berlin are super cheap and easy to get? Well, honey, wake up and smell the coffee. This was like 5 years ago! The game has changed and now the flatmate search is more like taking a swim in a pool of sharks. Your competing hunters are numerous and sharp-teethed and you will have to endure endless interview situations before you even get the slightest chance of a new place to live. But in the end everybody always finds something, you just have to be patient (and strong)!
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Conquering the Bürgeramt
Aren’t Germans supposed to be super organized and structured? Then how come you can’t get appointments at the registration office (we call it Bürgeramt), not even for months in advance? And even when you show up super early for a walk-in, they might have already run out of numbers for the day. Well, if you’re lucky you’ll find someone who is selling their number or appointment at the Bürgeramt or online. And maybe you get in touch with the others who are waiting with you.
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Take a Seat on the Staircase
Full of enthusiasm and hungry for education you start your first day at uni only to realize that there are more like-minded students than there is space in the auditorium. So you end up squeezed on the sidelines on the staircase. Not the perfect conditions to actually learn something other than how to survive hours on a cold stone staircase. Be strong, very soon, hardly any of them will show up for the lectures, so you’ll have all the space you need.
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Not today, baby!
All you wanted was dance the night away and have a good time with your friends. But you chose one of those clubs with a ruthless door policy and after hours of waiting in line you got bounced! The worst thing that could happen to any club kid! All you can do now is suck it up, move on to the next club or go home and try another time. At least you will be fit and not hungover the next day.
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A Gluten-Lactose-Sugar-Meat-Free New World
Waiting used to be so much easier back in the day. Now you have to remember not only the drinks and dishes, but also various food allergies and special dietary requests that your little notepad will be full of. The cook is gonna give you hell and chances that you will get something wrong are quite high. And you don’t want to mess with these gluten and lactose intolerant vegan millennials. But if you do at least you don’t have to deal with them again.
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A Job for the Brave
It all sounded so fancy and fun in the job description and the people at the interview were so nice and enthusiastic. But reality of the job at the flashy start-up is quite a different one. Now you sit in a stuffy small office with a table leg between your thighs, work approximately double of the agreed hours and basically have to chase after your payment. Not fun at all. But maybe the struggle pays out and your start-up turns out to be the unicorn (the one out of 10 that become a success) and you’re climbing up the career ladder faster than you thought.
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The Taxes Chainsaw Massacre
The start-up job hasn’t been as fulfilling, so you made the leap and became a freelancer. Now you can decide about your own time, payment and projects. Enjoy the freedom! But wait until you finally get to make your first tax declaration (after several reminders of the Finanzamt). That’s the moment you will think back fondly to your time of employment. But there is no other way, you’ll have to get through it. But stay strong, once you’ve finished the submission of the completed declaration it will give you an unexpected sense of satisfaction.
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These are our 7 struggles of Berlin. They’ve all had us hold our breath at some point. But as much as these situations annoyed us they also made us appreciate all the good things about Berlin even more.
What moments have you had in Berlin where you felt that you had to stay strong?
Thanks for the collaboration with Sophia Halamoda
Sponsored by Actimel
