Newsletter #1
Germany to Dublin!
Dia duith ó Bhaile Átha Cliath! Hello from Dublin!
I’ve discovered that calling people and telling them the same stories 40 times is no longer feasible. So, I’m switching modes of communication and quite literally taking a page out of my good friend Willow’s book. Welcome to Timmy’s Abroad Newsletter - or "Your Favorite Ghai on the Go" (Christian came up with that one)! (I am totally overindulging in the narcissism aspect of my life right now, but just go with it; I’m sure it’ll go away once I get back to the States).
So, I’m sure you’re all wondering what in god’s name I’ve been doing these past few weeks. Well, look no further! You’re about to get a comprehensive list. I am also woefully behind, so you’re getting the weeks of August 17th to about August 29th. More to come, though! Do not fret!
I left our lovely country on August 17th, I think (ask my father for details). Packing was a NIGHTMARE, but we fit all my shit things into three bags which was a HUGE win. From Newark airport, we flew to Berlin, Germany. I had never been to Germany, so this was exciting. We met up with Mom and Kylor, who had come from Sweden and Copenhagen. Berlin was a LOT. So much happened in that city, and we only had four days to absorb it. There were a number of walking tours and museums but I learned so very much.
Mom, Dad, Kylor and I:
Went out to dinner at the Night Kitchen, and Kylor took his first shot
And also his second
Went on a walking tour about the Third Reich and learned about being Jewish in Berlin before, during, and after the Second World War
Swam in the hotel pool
Drank lots of German beer (I’ve been told I need to drink a million beers. I’m working very hard on this task)
Went out to dinner at a place called Kink (Mom and Dad’s recommendation) (Don’t ask) It had great food and an excellent atmosphere.
Went on a walking tour on the GDR and Checkpoint Charlie
Learned about David Hasselhoff saving Germany (true story)
Signed up for my UCD classes
Took many an Uber
Went to the TV Tower and saw all of Berlin from a very high height (not as high as anything in NYC, but still lit)
Saw remnants of the Berlin Wall
Were disgusted by the state they keep their public parks in
After our four days in Berlin, Mom and Kylor took a plane back to the States while Dad and I made our way to Dresden. We took a train from Berlin to Dresden and sat in a Harry Potter compartment with three other young women. I was reading all about love by bell hooks, and the woman sitting next to me was reading a different book also by bell hooks. That was wild. The other woman beside me pulled her computer out mid-trip and started working on an all-female acapella arrangement of Your Song by Elton John. Suffice it to say, the women on the train to Dresden were my soulmates. I also tried to start Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, but that did not last very long. I am still working on finishing it. Dresden was fantastically cool, though.
Dad and I:
Walked around the city
Realized all of the old-looking buildings were rebuilt after the GDR
Further realized that I was older than most of the buildings we thought were centuries old
Freaked out about that fact
Toured the VW Transparent factory
Drove the ID 7 (a new VW electric car that had massage seats)
Got dinner at what we later realized was a chain restaurant and watched a waiter scream into Dresden Square and then tap a keg (our beer came from that keg)
Drank lots and lots of beer in the sun
Went to a museum and saw a bunch of German royal artifacts – many of which had silver, gold, and other precious stones from Asia, Africa, etc. (what Dad calls “the family jewels”)
There was also the Dresden Green Diamond, which was from “somewhere in India” and obtained by “some unknown method,” which was super funny and remarkably upsetting.
And that was it!
Following our 36 hours in Dresden, Dad and I got on another train – this time to Leipzig! That train ride was an actual trip. We could not find our seats and ended up sitting in the dining car until our stop. Once we got to Leipzig, it was time to find the train to Munich! That wasn’t too bad; this time, we found seats, which was lovely because this was a longer train ride. Munich was also incredible.
There is also essential lore surrounding Dad and me going to Munich. A couple weeks before the trip, we walked Winston at my aunt’s friend’s house in Vermont. We were discussing our trip with the people we were walking with, and when Munich came up, Aunt Susanna’s friend Mary became very animated and told Dad and me to wait. She came back out with a ceramic beer stein from Hofbräuhaus. She told us she stole it in the ’60s and has felt terrible about it ever since. She insisted that we take it with us to Munich and try to return it at the Hofbräuhaus. So, we got home, tried to shove it into our wayyy overstuffed suitcases, and then realized the stein could not come with us. The story came with us, though, and that’s what mattered.
OK! You’re all caught up. Now, Munich recap!
Dad and I:
Checked into the hotel
Walked around and found a cool park and other random dope-looking buildings
Found one of the many Hofbräuhaus beer gardens
Went on a very cool bike tour led by an American named Kyle in the torrential rain
Saw the statue of Juliet
Were alarmed at the tradition of holding her boob (She’s supposed to be 14.)
Walked into Hofbräuhaus, got overwhelmed by the number of people, and left
Went to a number of other restaurants in the area
Drank a LOT of German beer (it is fantastic)
Came back to Hofbräuhaus for lunch and got soup and a pretzel
Went to the Jewish Museum in Munich
Got Indian food
Dad tried to order in Hindi because I told him he wouldn’t be able to
It was only a little embarrassing
And then, it was time to leave Munich and head to our final destination – Dublin! We left the Munich hotel, took a shuttle to the airport, frantically repacked our checked bags because they were too heavy (whoops), and went through security. Then, we went all over the Munich airport – like ALL over. Eventually, we found our gate, got on a bus, and boarded the plane. And then we sat on the tarmac for an hour behind two Americans who genuinely could not stop complaining about how long we were sitting there. It was hilarious and made me wish we were not from the same country.
We finally took off and made it to Dublin in time for dinner with one of Dad’s old Bates friends. I had my first pint of Guinness, which wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected (I have had many since then, and it keeps growing on me)! Long story short, I moved into UCD, and you’ll just have to wait (hopefully like a week) till the next newsletter to hear more! I know you’re all on the edge of your seat.
If you read all that, kudos because I just yapped for a while. Anywho, I love you all more than words can explain. Thank you kindly for your time and attention.
With so much love,
Tamrin
Timmy Two Shoes
