A pleasant day at Schlachtensee (BERLIN)

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Pools and lakes are nice places to partake
when it's hot outside and you need a break.

I am apprehensive of the public pools here in Berlin. The reason is loud and clear: too many rowdy Turkish boys. Their uncouth antics and selfishness only molest the otherwise tranquility and would, undoubtedly, piss me off, besides. Some people just can't be let out of the house.

apprehensive of the public pools...too many rowdy Turkish boys

At a loss of where to go - and feeling hot, hot, hot - a couple of the hostel's staff recommended I travel down towards Wannsee and get off at 'Schlachtensee' (see is German for lake). "You'll like it," they said. "It's quiet...it's green...it's easy to find." Well, I grew up along the lakes and I do like bodies of natural water.

Why not?

It was no problem remembering the train stop -- because nearly the entire train emptied there. Sometimes following the crowd is helpful.  Sure enough, it was pleasant and plenty green and, yes, easy to find. Right out of the train station and - baam! - there you are: at the lake. It was a little hard, though, finding a free spot to lay my towel but that proved to be a minor detail. Plus I got to break out my new bathing suit.

a quiet read under the trees

a natural repose, so at ease

a thumbs-up for Schlachtensee

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Muscle building a la Rube Goldberg?

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I see this and I think, Wouldn't it just be easier and more practical to go to the gym?

This is Crossfit Mean Streets of Downtown L.A.
Guess some folks simply like bearing crosses....

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USA Hostels (San Francisco)

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Now here's a spot to choose when staying in San Francisco! USA Hostel San Francisco is a super clean hostel with a good amount of bath facilities (some are separated e.g., showers from toilets), social space and friendly and organized staff. No attitudes did I encounter. During my stay the lobby and corridors were getting a minor make-over so it should look even nicer now.

It is obvious that care went into structuring the basement to accommodate people traffic as well as encourage socializing. Certainly folks were on their laptops (FREE wifi) - myself included - but a majority were not at any given point. Guests were actually talking and laughing with one another -- like in the olden days when man rode horses and carried six-shooters and women, dresses.

The hostel has a quiet corner for reading...that is so thoughtful!

There is a nice pool table on one side of the room and foosball on the other; a general eating area on one half of the room and the bar, opposite; a movie room with cinema-esque seating, laundry room and, get this, a reading room. The hostel has a quiet corner for reading...that is so thoughtful!

As for the dorm rooms, a private reading lamp (honestly, it doesn't disturb the other people in the room) is installed above the headrest along with a tiny shelf and two working power outlets. I slept wonderfully. When the room became a bit stuffy, as is wont to happen, we cracked open the window, which led to a shaft and the brick wall of the building next door...so no view (but also no noise), or turned on the wall fan. Right outside my room was a bathroom but inside the room we had a sink and mirror, and a closet in addition to the individual lockers (which come equipped with two working power outlets in each).
 
Like its sister hostel in Hollywood, an immense kitchen is stocked for public use. Unlike other places with cute but inadequate space these kitchens are made for commercial use, including more than one huge refrigerator. How professional is it? Think "Gordon Ramsey" without the asshole divo. The FREE pancake breakfast is the best spread I've ever had a hostel offer. Guests (try to) cook the pancakes themselves - I'm surprised at how many girls are downright clueless & clumsy in the kitchen! - from the loads of batter prepared by a hostel employee.

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McDonald's has class abroad

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Here's a classy McDonald's.  The restaurant chains outside of America are unbelievably sleek and stylish. Most are decorated like adult restaurants - often with the atmospere of a mid-range cafe - but this one in Schoneberg near Zoologischer Garten looks rather upscale with its chandeliers, wood floors, leather sofas and faux bookcase.

Definitely makes for a more pleasant and digestive eating experience. And you don't feel fast-food cheap! 

The ones in America are, plainly, too kid-oriented and, I suppose, family-friendly.

thank goodness there's more than currywurt in Berlin!

yes this is an actual McDonald's eating room

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Housing scam on Craigslist?

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I lucked out on renting a shared apt in Berlin because the renter was too cheap to confirm over the phone.

I answered the ad on Craigslist for a nice-looking room priced at 12euros/night. This is equal to or less than the rates of hostel dorms...but private! The first text msg from him informed that he was using another phone since his had no credit. No biggie. I figured he quickly borrowed a friend's cell phone. Then I kept getting replies from a different number -- each time. Hmmm.

On Friday I caught the early bus from Stuttgart to Berlin and sent an SMS of my approximate arrival time. Eight and a half hours on the road and I heard nothing back. Hmmm. My suspicion and doubts mounted. My means to peace of mind was to 'cut my losses' and settle on a Plan B. So that's what I did. By the time we pulled into Berlin I had already decided to book a bed in a hostel for the weekend. Still, I spent an hour at the bus station fiddling around with my luggage and checking room rates online.

And still there came no confirmation.

this smack of the trappings of a scam

So. I checked into the hostel and grabbed a kebab to eat then went to visit a friend. At 9pm the mysterious man sends me a text. It was a very thoughtful msg but, you guessed it, originated from another number. In fact, I recognized this last number as being local to Stuttgart region!

My friend convinced me to check it out all the same...especially since we were nearby the listed address. Long story, short: homeboy was using an online service to send SMS's for free - sort of like a Tor for phone calls - and each time resulted in a very different number on my caller ID. But fuck that. Just pick up the damn phone and call. It was a huge miscommunication, yes, but one fostered by his strange behavior. Had I spoken to the man over the phone it wouldn't have made much difference since his follow-up text msg would show up differently on my caller ID. Does this not smack of the trappings of a scam?
My imagination thought so.

My means to peace of mind was to 'cut my losses' and settle on a Plan B

High-technology has its place; unfortunately, it is encroaching on the otherwise ease of low-tech communication. I'm old fashion that way.

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Thrifty ice cream in Mexico

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Now there's Thrifty ice cream in Guadalajara. I saw a sign for it back in May when I rode through Tepic but it was faded and I figured it was an old signage that the store owner never bothered to take down. Guess I was wrong.
In Guadalajara, though, there's this shop smack in Centro on Ave Juarez (see pic) and, at least, one other in the mall, La Gran Plaza. Dairy Queen's Blizzards had some competition for my money while I was in town!

I had my first taste of Thrifty ice cream in Los Angeles where it's sold in Rite-Aid pharmacies. Back then it cost 99cents. Now I believe it's a $1.98. Besides being tasty I like the signature big block shape scoops of Thrifty ice creams.

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4th of July B-B-Q in Hollywood

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Fourth of July bar-b-que at USA Hostels Hollywood was no token picnic. The owners pulled out all the stops. There were plenty of burgers, hot dogs, and chicken kebabs on the grill; watermelon and plums, salads, pop, potato chips, and - oh yeah - apple pies! Plural. I went out and bought some vanilla ice cream to make mine a la mode. Hello!
After a tiring day of experiencing hot sunshine, fake tans, and bodybuilding at Muscle Beach I made sure to fill my belly. Had seconds. Had thirds. I loves to eat! 

This was, hands down, the BEST spread I ever enjoyed at a hostel. It was bigger and better than I imagined it would be. Big ups to the entire staff for showing (foreign)guests how we party like its 4th of July! 

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