I can’t believe this is my second to last week in Berlin! Crazy how it feels like yesterday and forever at the same time! I didn’t get to do much in the first half of the week because I caught a cold after my trip to Amsterdam and have been sick since then. I felt unwell and took a sick day at work. It warmed my heart to see the email my boss sent to me, telling me to not worry about anything but my health and that health is always a priority. Everyone was so nice that they all asked if I was okay the next day I went into the office. Even though I’m not completely fine a week after, I’m getting better with my symptoms, with just some nose congestion and coughing.

I was in a brunch\cafe mood this whole week, so I went to a Jederzeit café for brunch Friday after work. I got to walk around the area for a bit and drenched myself with sweat because it was so hot that day.

I accidently walked to Pick and Weight, a really cool second-hand store that I had seen on tiktok and been wanting to go for a while. It’s different that it charges you based on the weight of the items you pick. I got some cute scarfs and a tshirt. I found out that I’m not really a good second-hand shopper, like I can’t find good stuff at vintage stores. It’s not that they don’t have nice pieces there, but it’s me that some items are just not my style. It still doesn’t stop me from going second-hand shopping tho.

On the weekend, I went to the Pergamon Museum because I saw the news that it’s going to be closed in October for remodel and reopen after 14 years. Of course I cant wait 14 years when I can just visit there anytime with a half an hour subway ride. However, I was told that the tickets were sold out for the day unfortunately, so I got a ticket for next Saturday and visited the Neuen Museum that’s next to it instead. I did not expect to see the Egyptian exhibition at Neuen Museum, and it was really interesting to see the cases used to put mummies inside. On Sunday, I started the day pretty late in the afternoon, and me and friends went back to the Strandblock Wannsee lake again for some tanning sessions. It was chill until a medical emergency helicopter landed for a guy passed out in the water. I hope nothing happened to him and that he’s doing better.

Reflecting on communication differences between Germany and the US, I don’t really see the stereotypical straightforward, harsh communication style in Berlin, or in the company I’m interning at least. One thing about communication difference I noticed is the way my boss explains or shows how things should be done to me and other co-workers. He would guide me through the computer system we are working with along with questions for me to think and solve even if it’s my first time using the system. He would kind of like throw in quizzes for me to think for the next step and the logic behind it. I feel like his way of communicating is more like guiding rather than leading in terms of navigating work projects. The way my co-workers communicate is no different from what I’m used to both in the US and in Taiwan. I wouldn’t say there’s too much of a difference between the communication styles in Germany and the states.