"This is where Hip-Hop lives, man."

After riding Berlin's equivalent of the subway yesterday , J comes home flush with excitement. We're finally living in a place that truly appreciates music, he says.

"I was walking out of the subway station and as I was rounding the corner, I started hearing this music blasting. I thought, "Wait a minute. Is there a music store in here?" But as I continued walking, I realized, it wasn't a store but some dude listening to DMX on his radio. It's not the version you've heard though, it was the uncensored version. They don't play here, man. They're not down not with that mainstream, Erikah Badu, John Legend, stuff. They like their music raw, unedited, and for mature audiences only. This is where Hip-Hop lives, man."

No, I told him, this is where you live, man.

It really is such an interesting place. The music we call "Hip-Hop" and "R&B" is called "bleck music" here. It's not meant to be derogatory, though it's easy to perceive it as such. It's just the most direct category the Germans could give it. Music loved by black people (many others but I suppose that's besides the point.) Directness is an art here and we're getting schooled in its subtleties.

Already we have had so many "foreigner" moments....times when we so obviously have no idea what we're doing. There's the language barrier, of course, but that's a known quantity. What gets us are those little things that are part of a culture that no one ever tells you about. The simple things that go unnoticed to the initiated take the uninitiated a lot of time and energy. Plus, deep down I'm a bit afraid to ask for help. You never know whether you'll be smiled at or shut down. "Sprechen sie, Englisch?," I'll ask. "Nein," and a brisk turn of the head is many times the response.

I keep telling J that I want a shirt that says "I'm not a Tourist. I live here." These are some of the things we've learned the hard way since moving here:


Parking is complicated. Always assume that what you're doing is prohibited and be prepared for a ticket.

You weren't a perfect driver in the US so you certainly won't be one by German standards. Welcome the angry honks. Become one with the preceding rants.

Bring cash everywhere. No one wants to have to wash the restaurant's dishes after their meal.

You'll never learn the language if you don't speak it. Prepare to make lots of mistakes and be open to learning something new each time.

No matter how great the weather looks when you wake up in the morning rain, snow, sleet, or hail could occur. Never leave home without an umbrella.

Hot water comes standard in the kitchen. Light fixtures and curtains do not. We lived without running hot water in the kitchen for the first three weeks because we couldn't figure which way to turn the faucet to make it come out. Turns out we forgot to turn on the hot water heater. Ah, ha. But we still have dangling light bulbs and no curtains.

You can make a really comfortable life for yourself if you work at it. There is never a shortage of things to do here. Between entertainment activities and tasting all of the types of bread, cheese, and wursts, oh my, you can remain occupied for quite some time.

Still, some of us are working harder on making themselves at home than others. Maybe Ramsey can give me some pointers.....