Don’t leave without… Eating local

In the handbook you recieve prior to an EF language course, it says that there are certain things you must complete before you can leave. It is of cause not a necessity – you’ll get your certificate nonetheless – but more of a cultural guide to your stay. The things are described in the book as follows:

Don’t leave without:

• Eating local
• Being amazed
• Exploring your city
• Get out of town

In addition to that there is also a cultural checklist:

• New food
• New architecture
• New friends
• New pastimes
• New clothes
• New greetings

I’m going to stay here in Berlin for two weeks, and on that occasion I’ll do my best to complete all the ‘EF goals’ as well as the cultural checklist. Therefore, here is the first goal: Don’t leave without eating local.
Monday was intro-day at the school, and the new students were taken on a small trip around the center of Berlin. We were shown the nearest S-bahn and U-bahn stations, as well as a couple of the most famous tourist attractions such as Brandenburger Gate, The Holocaust Memoral and the Reichstag Building, before we stopped to get lunch. Normally we have to pay for our own lunch during the schoolday, but this time it was on EF. The lunch featured a traditional Berlin-dish: Currywurst.

While one of my new friends wasn’t the biggest fan of this dish, I must admit I enjoyed it quite a lot. To my own surprice I enjoyed it enough to find myself heading for that exact same Grill the following day, to get yet another Currywurst. This time though, I had to pay the 2,5 Euros myself, but I didn’t mind.

This time I had brought my newly-acquired LEGO-mascot with me, and together we ate Currywurst and went for a walk through the Holocaust Memoral before we headed back for the school. On the way we stumpled across a cafe and bought a (really pricey) piece of Apfelstrudel. It was even pricier to eat at the cafe, so we brought the cake back to the school.

Honestly, I didn’t enjoy the dessert as much as I enjoyed the main dish. It’s wierd because I normally would choose a cake over a sausage any time, but at least I can now get it off my list: I have eaten local. On the other hand I am absolutely positive that this is not the last time a visit the Berlin Grill for a Currywurst!