Exploring Berlin
Since I have Hercules the bike, I am combining training/fitness with exploring the city of Berlin in an hours' ride every day.
Today, my aim was Kantstrasse, or that part of Kantstrasse which is known as Berlin's "chinatown". There are just a few Chinese shops and restaurants, but it the area has a very nice international feel with Arab, Spanish and Italian places as well. There is a huge Chinese art shop, with - I think - a huge number of original Chinese art (I was wondering whether it's actually legal to sell all this), with beautiful sandstone Buddhist statues, jade statuettes and antique furniture and pottery items. Lovely Daoist, Buddhist and Konfucianist deities on sale - I gotta go back and ask for the prices, at least some are bound to be cheaper copies... But what made me laugh and regret I dod not have my camera with me was that among these assorted deities, there stood several statues of chairman Mao in bronze :o)) The absurdity was fabulous.
Then, as I was hungry after the long ride in the chilly weather, I ordered a large chicken noodle soup in the tiny Lan Men noodle bar, run by a Taiwanese lady with Chinese/Taiwanese helpers (they all chattered happily in Chinese as I ate so I took it as a bonus lesson). The food was great, and the soup bowl HUGE, but I only left a tiny bit (not leaving anything is impolite for the Chinese, it means they did not give you enough). Yummy.
I guess only in Berlin is it possible to eat chinese noodle soup in the company of two Arabic-speaking guys :o))) I love the multi-culturality of this place.
Along the way, btw., I discovered the local Buddhis temple, which offers kung fu and sanda courses. I'd love to start sanda, but I wonder if I still have the stamina and the guts.
Today, my aim was Kantstrasse, or that part of Kantstrasse which is known as Berlin's "chinatown". There are just a few Chinese shops and restaurants, but it the area has a very nice international feel with Arab, Spanish and Italian places as well. There is a huge Chinese art shop, with - I think - a huge number of original Chinese art (I was wondering whether it's actually legal to sell all this), with beautiful sandstone Buddhist statues, jade statuettes and antique furniture and pottery items. Lovely Daoist, Buddhist and Konfucianist deities on sale - I gotta go back and ask for the prices, at least some are bound to be cheaper copies... But what made me laugh and regret I dod not have my camera with me was that among these assorted deities, there stood several statues of chairman Mao in bronze :o)) The absurdity was fabulous.
Then, as I was hungry after the long ride in the chilly weather, I ordered a large chicken noodle soup in the tiny Lan Men noodle bar, run by a Taiwanese lady with Chinese/Taiwanese helpers (they all chattered happily in Chinese as I ate so I took it as a bonus lesson). The food was great, and the soup bowl HUGE, but I only left a tiny bit (not leaving anything is impolite for the Chinese, it means they did not give you enough). Yummy.
I guess only in Berlin is it possible to eat chinese noodle soup in the company of two Arabic-speaking guys :o))) I love the multi-culturality of this place.
Along the way, btw., I discovered the local Buddhis temple, which offers kung fu and sanda courses. I'd love to start sanda, but I wonder if I still have the stamina and the guts.