Any colder and I'm out of here.....

Yesterday it was -17 outside and -15 inside. I was about to grab bag and passport and head off to nearest warm destination when knock on door by friendly female plumber with hairdryer stopped me. Yes, on the coldest day of the year the heating decides to pack up and for a hausfrau, needing to study this is a complete and utter no no. After all I have been back in Berlin for two days....and would like to complete the week if possible.

So friendly plumber precedes to search flat for a reason. Haben Sie eine Terrasse? Hurrah my German is improving. I took her to the Balcony and she found the problem, 'Ach so, Ach so, Nay ya'. She almost smiled. So, frozen pipe INSIDE flat by balcony is heated up with 10 minutes of hairdrying and heating worked. Wow. I tried to hand her a 100 euro note but she was having none of it and left. She must have been my guardian plumber? I switched up heating to 25 degrees as the H wasn't in and left flat to go to Dentist.

Another story. The Dentist, Herr something lives above us. There are so many dentists here that there is one for approximately every 120 people in Berlin and almost one in every block of flats. As I walked in I was hoping that was the reason why it was so empty and was greeted by three dental assistants. I filled in form which took 30 minutes and involved a panicked scramble through the dictionary and then got called into very clean, very quiet, very white room with only bird and water sounds in the background. Herr something introduced himself, goodness knows what as, and I cracked what I thought was a joke about my broken tooth being caused by the German bread...............lots of silence later. I understood almost nothing except luckily, lift up your left hand if it hurts. Clenching my left fist he preceded to make me a tooth and fit it without me noticing anything. Wow. Second time today. I was truly impressed. So, if any of you need a dentist this seems to be worth the flight......and all for only 10 euro.

Word of the day: die Faust ( fist)