Entertainment - Sundays

    I have been able to experience many Sundays in Berlin to see the way in which Germans relax and entertain themselves. On Sunday, many stores are closed so it is a day when many individuals and families spend time outside. Now that the weather has been getting warmer, more and more people gather in outdoor green spaces to spend their days playing, eating, and drinking. There is an amazing park near my apartment called Volkspark Friedrichshain that I have gone to many times to run during the colder months to run but have been able to enjoy more for relaxing as it gets warmer here. This park has trails for running and walking, lots of green space, basketball, soccer, volleyball, and tennis courts, a track, a playground, a restaurant, a cafe, and a pond.  The past two Sundays I have walked to the park to enjoy it with my friends. Upon entry, I saw many dogs with their owners playing fetch (there are SO many dogs off-leash in Germany!), kids on bikes and skates, people playing guitar in the grass, and people jogging. Deeper into the park there is a playground that was full of kids of different ages climbing and swinging as their parents watched from a distance, and there were many people by the pond and sitting at the restaurant/cafe enjoying a beer or coffee. I sat with my friends at a table and we turned on music, journaled, and chatted. It was fun to sit and watch all of the different people go by doing different things to enjoy themselves. 

    Another Sunday, my friends and I headed down to the River Spree to enjoy "Holzmarkt 25" which can be described as a cultural center. It is hard to even describe so here is a link so that you can see more about it, but it has food, drinks, clothes, and shopping.  The crowd was definitely more of an artsy, alternative younger-ish group (not any older people really) We sat down by the water and just chatted and enjoyed the sun. The day we went was called "Vegan Sunday" so the food being served was 100% vegan and it was really fun to see the unique and creative food being served. One thing that my friend Oscar ate was a carrot hotdog - I am not sure I would enjoy this but it looked decadent and he said it was yummy. Other foods being sold were vegan Pizza, ice cream, and other things I am not sure I could identify. I am not vegan at all so I had to leave to eat other food but spending time there was very cool and unlike anything in America. 

    One thing I noticed that is different in Berlin than in America is that nobody was on their phone at Holzmarkt or the park - when I took a few videos and pictures I was pretty much the only one doing that. Everyone was totally just enjoying the day outside and with their families rather than documenting the experience on their phones. In America, there would be more people using their phones to take videos or record themselves and it was refreshing to see people living in the moment. Berlin also has way more parks which give the city a bigger sense of community and togetherness. Although Americans spend time outside in warmer months and on weekends, there are considerably fewer parks (at least in my experience) where people go solely for leisure. If there are parks they are generally smaller and people are more separate( again, in my experience). The playgrounds are also different because the kids are climbing and given a lot of independence to take risks. In America, there are way more regulations and safety measures so that no kids get hurt, and the parents are watching their kids more closely. The other thing I find funny and am jealous of is how many dogs are off-leash and the owners do not care. The dogs are very obedient and do not run off to other people or other dogs and it is really nice because other people can enjoy the park if they don't like dogs and the owners do not have to worry.     

    The Sundays in Berlin are something I look forward to because they are so laid back and it is a good time to destress from the week and prepare for the upcoming week. It is so nice to emerge myself in the Berlin culture and see how people entertain and enjoy themselves.