Weekend Tips

What to Do, What to Do...

Free time can be a daunting reality for some.

Some feel like it is slipping away after doing one thing on the weekend while the "Sunday Scares" wait around the corner.

Others let their daily demands dictate their schedule as a way to avoid confronting the reality that they don't even know what their free time needs are.

If I'm honest, I find myself falling into the two examples often enough. Maybe that is most people?

I get a little overwhelmed with options and end up only eating a donut and going for a walk (which can be great too!). Other times, I have an amazing Friday, close my eyes and it is Sunday evening. Sometimes I feel guilty, sometimes I revel in it.

Regardless of which, the prospect of free time itself can cause stress. Why?

Bad Influence(rs)

Though I keep social media to a minimum, a part of the problem is being swamped with how I should be improving something in my life, leading me to think that my free time should only be used for this purpose (which would make it not "free").

For example, productivity and mental health pop up often in my social media feed, claiming I should wake up at 6am, drink salt water, then go for a walk before doing anything else, or that I need to be "mindful" and do a silent retreat in the woods after skydiving while doing 30 hours of meditation every day. Something like that...

So the cause of spoiled free time is sometimes the feeling of my own unproductivity, because I am told I need to be productive.

If you understand that feeling, I highly suggest Byung-Chul Han's Müdigkeitsgesellschaft ("Burn Out Society"). It is a short high-level philosophical work, but cuts deep:

...Han outlines the pathological landscape of today's society, which includes neural disorders such as depression, attention deficit syndrome, borderline personality disorder, and burnout. These are not infections but infarctions, caused not by the negativity of an immunological other but by an excess of positivity.

Though perhaps academic philosophy isn't really necessary.

It is generally enough to remember that social media is just marketing or trying to be. Whether here on LinkedIn or in the wastelands of TikTok, everyone is running a game, though some are more genuine than others!

Plan, Plan, Plan!

So coming back to enjoying your free time: the content doesn't matter, just structure and plan what you want to do!

Ignore the rest.

If every Sunday you do a crossword puzzle, drink a coffee in a cafe, and then go for a walk and enjoy it, you are mentally more fit than 90% of the population.

Find what you want to do in your free time and plan it into your routine!

So as you look through some of the tips below in Berlin and whether you do one or none, I hope it gives a little ease to your weekend planning ahead.

Weekend Ideas

1. Grunewaldturm

The Grunewald Tower is unsurprisingly located in the Grunewald and was finished in1899 by architect Franz Heinrich Schwechten - who also designed the Anhalter Bahnhof and Kaiser-Wilhelm-Memorial Church . The tower was constructed to commemorate the 100th birthday of Kaiser Wilhelm I. and offers a view of Berlin, the Wannsee region and Gatow across the Havel River. Access costs 5€.

Whether you choose to go inside is up to you. The real reward of getting there is a nice Biergarten with overall fair prices, good food options (plenty for vegan and vegetarians), and a great view. There is also a coffee and cake styled cafe, though don't get there too late if you want to try this out.

I suggest exiting at Heerstra?e or Grunewald S-Bahn and going for a leisurely ~1.5 hour walk (bring mosquito spray) though the Grunewald. Otherwise it is accessible with the Bus 218 from Heerstra?e S-Bahn.

2. Night Time Telescope in Treptower Park

The Archenhold Observatory was founded by Friedrich Simon Archenhold in 1896 and is home to the world’s longest refractor telescope. It became a permanent installation in Treptower Park after the Berlin Trade Fair and a new building was constructed in 1908, which interestingly enough is where Albert Einstein first publicly lectured on his theory of general relativity in 1915. It is today Germany’s oldest and largest public observatory.

Though the location is generally quite interesting, I suggest the night time visit.

For 3 hours this Friday and Saturday at 21:00 you can look and see planets, stars, and galaxies in the sky. This with either their Cassegrain Reflecting Telescope or smaller ones also available.

If the weather turns out poorly, they also offer a digital sky, which is great that they have it, but isn't the same. For 9.50€ it is worth the gamble though.

Be aware this is only offered in German, so don't expect any explanations from the experts in English.

Check it out here

3. Gamestate - Classic Arcade

Gamestate is a chain arcade that opened a few years ago in the renovated Potsdamer Platz Arcaden and offers a classic arcade experience.

There are two negatives I will say outright:

• Generally younger crowd - if you get a crowd
• Potsdamer Platz - subjective I know

But if you haven't been to an arcade in years and want to kill a few hours, you won't regret it. There are over 70 different stations with a lot of classics, especially for those who went to arcades as kids. But nostalgia only goes so far, so don't expect to need 1€ and 2€ coins.

Everything is done with special Gamestate cards - I'd suggest at least springing for the 27,99€ one. And naturally like any good arcade depending on the amount of points you earn per game you receive tickets that you can redeem for prizes. (14,000+ for a juicer might take you a while)

It is opened everyday until 00:00 and on Wednesdays offers 50% off on all their games, though I could imagine it might get busy.

Check it out here

Extras

A Great Walking Route Between Kreuzberg and Sch?neberg

Some Highlights

• Roman styled pizza in Crellekiez (Closed Sundays!!)
• A pastry at Gorilla Bakery
• The graves of the Grimm Brothers
• Beer Garden in Naumannkiez

Stand-Up Comedy: Breaking Bed - Love & Dating...

The Stand-Up Comedy scene in Berlin is a strong hit or miss - with a lot of miss - but the stand-up at Oblomov Bar has in my experience been good fun. Generally very expat-heavy humor, so if that isn't your thing - or laughing isn't your thing - you can probably skip it!

Check it out here