best schwarma in town!

(at least in my opinion.)

I think I took just about all my friends in Berlin to this restaurant…at least once, sometimes more. It’s just that good! Thank you to my friend Erica who discovered El-Rief (Schönhauser Allee 47, sort of across from Eberswalder Straße U-Bahn stop) and introduced it to me. A few days ago I took another friend to eat here after a long day of walking, shopping and doing the Electric Slide on Alexanderplatz (there’s proof!).

And you can’t beat the price – 3 Euro for a huge kebab! My personal favorite is the El-Rief sandwich, a combination of falafel and chicken kebab, with lettuce and Rotkohl all wrapped up in warm bread.

I digress. This is not a food blog! (Or is it!? I seem to notice a trend in my posts.) I

I love the atmosphere here – it’s such a nice place to sit outside and people watch, which is basically my favorite pastime ever in Germany. I love being able to look down the street and see Alex from a distance. I never get tired of the sights and sounds of Berlin :)

On a side note, I’m leaving in two days :( I can’t believe that summer is almost over and with it my time here in Berlin. Even though this summer was wayyyy more stressful than last summer, I don’t think I’m ready to say goodbye yet.

berliner dom

i always come back to the berliner dom. it’s simply unreal to look at and one of my favorite landmarks in berlin.

may-ayim-ufer

To be honest, I’ve never cared much for poetry and I can honestly say some of the German poems I’ve had to read have been torture to get through. But not May Ayim. I could read her poems over and over again. Discovering her poetry through one of my seminars has definitely been one of the standout moments of grad school so far. As soon as I found out she had a street named after her, I knew I wanted to visit it and I was dumbstruck to realize it was so close to my Berlin apartment. Without going into a big long spiel about her, I just want to say that it means a lot to me to live within walking distance of this street and to pass it almost every day, because her poems are so beautiful and everything she stood for and still stands for today is overwhelmingly inspirational. I’ll leave you with one of my favorites in the German original and my own English translation:

von einer die noch lebt an einen der schon tot ist gedicht in erinnerung an Martin Luther King die zeit danach (von May Ayim) daß es eines tages anders sein wird besser das hast du geträumt, Bruder schwarz wie mitternacht blutrot und grün wie die bäume die bald nicht mehr stehen – die wahren farben malen vielleicht nur kinder im mutterleib vielleicht –auch ich habe einen traum, Bruder daß menschen eines tages nicht mehr schreiend zur welt kommen sondern lachend lachend in regenbogenfarben ich trage meinen traum hinter erhobener faust gegen den tod und für die zeit danach denn reden hilft kaum noch, Bruder sie nennen das meinungsfreiheit und auch demonstrationen und protestmärsche die brauchen sie für ihre demokratie und machen weiter und machen weiter und machen weiter sie haben deinen traum konserviert konserviert und verkauft, Bruder postkarten und poster dreizeiler in einem geschichtsbuch »I Have A Dream» ein abgeschlossener roman sie haben vergangenheit daraus gemacht weiß wie tränensalz und da wo ich lebe würden sie es »bewältigt» nennen, Bruder ich trage meinen traum hinter erhobener faust in pfefferfarben und fange ganz klein an fange endlich an mit meiner schwester und meiner freundin an der hand mit meinen brüdern und wenn es sein soll auch allein – damit es endlich anders werden muß! ich habe einen traum da kommen menschen nicht mehr schreiend zur welt und eine vision da lieg ich mit friedlichen augen und einen loch im kopf AMEN – A LUTA CONTINUA 1987 für Linton und John

from one still living to one already dead a poem in memory of Martin Luther King the time thereafter (translated by Emily Caskey) that one day it will be different better you dreamed that, Brother black like midnight blood-red and green like the trees that soon won’t stand anymore – the true colors that perhaps only children paint in the womb perhaps –i too have a dream, Brother that one day people won’t come screaming into the world but laughing laughing in colors of the rainbow i carry my dream behind a raised fist against death and for the time thereafter because talking doesn’t help much anymore, Brother they call that freedom of opinion and demonstrations and protest marches too they need those for their democracy and they keep going and going and going they’ve preserved your dream preserved and sold, Brother postcards and posters three lines in a history book “I have a Dream” a closed book they have made history out of it white like the salt of tears und there where i live they’d call it “dealt with,” Brother i carry my dream behind a raised fist in colors of pepper and starting out small finally starting with my sister and my friend hand in hand with my brothers and if need be even alone – so that finally it has to be different! i have a dream that people won’t come screaming into this world and a vision i’m lying there with peaceful eyes and a hole in my head AMEN – THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES 1987 for Linton and John