The Way

So I've been talking to Barbara about the twelve step program to finding things in Berlin. Here is our theory:

1. You Google the location and how to get there
2. First location attempt only to come home three hours later to discover you were walking in the opposite direction.
3. Google location again and see what was done wrong
4. Go out again and locate it to find that it is closed
5. Go again the next day during office hours to be told what you need to do and that you have arrived too late. Coming home with a good handful of papers, forms and fliers.
6. Arrive early the next day and get an appointment where they will tell you that you should have done something else first at another building (which will also require the twelve step program) before they can even begin to think about processing your request.
7. Come back with all the necessary paperwork filled out to wait in line and book an appointment to be considered.
8. Go for coffee.
9. Return a few months later to scheduled appointment to find out that you will have to wait to get your results in the mail.
10. Go for another coffee.
11. Stand outside the building in the rain looking like a sad puppy at all the people walking out with smiles on their faces.
12. Receive a rejection.

This is of course an exaggeration but here's my experience with Volkshochschule:

1. Googled by myself to check out the course schedules and requirements, to end up completely lost and frustrated at the fact that it is entirely in German.
2. Googled with Martin present, Martin being an ex Volkshochschule student. Still couldn't comprehend.
3. Walk to the location on Prenzlauer Allee to find course plans for the Pankow location only with no one around.
4.Google the Mitte location where there are apparently people to speak to about registration and placement.
5. Walked to the Mitte location with the hope of registration to be told that we must go to the other Mitte location (which did not appear on the Google list by the way) where we will be assessed and hopefully can sign up.
6. Tomorrow we set out again to find the other school and hopefully by this time in two weeks we will be signed up for a German course!