One Long Week of Goethe Institute Down and Quick Trip to Berlin

So, for the last week I've been studying with other German-speaking wannabe's from Italy, Spain, Syria, and Switzerland from 9-1330 daily after a 30 minute commute to the heart of downtown Hamburg.
I have a solid professor who brings alot of energy to the classroom. Unfortunately, she says that my accent is horrible; so far, I haven't progressed from saying the German "A" right (ahhhh). At this rate, I'll be luckly if I graduate D before the course expires after 4 weeks.
.....

On Saturday I left midday for the 2 hour express train to Berlin. After arriving at the train station, I navigated my way to pick up my race packet for the 2007 Mercedes-Benz Berlin Half Marathon in the Western corner of Berlin to then have to reach the heart of East Berlin. In retrospect, I should have planned a little better but it forced me to interact and learn my way. My stop for the hostel looked like the dumps from the train station and the walk within, but Warschauer Strasse turned out to be a cradle of hip international bars and restaurants, everything from Sudanese to Thai. There were hundreds of young people, and I'de like to go back there when I didn't have to get up and run the next day.

The run turned out well... As soon as it was done I got my bag and caught the next train back to Hamburg. Was traveling to Berlin for one night worth it? Probably not, considering that one could stay in Berlin for a week and not claim it. However, it did put me out of my comfort zone(again) and force me to end up in a different place where I had to ask questions to get around.

The night in the 8 bed hostel room turned out quite well... I was actually able to get some sleep, and never got stabbed or robbed between the hourly wakeups everytime somebody came or left! Phew!

I feel like a chump now that I haven't utilized hostels better in the past...that bed was 11 Euros....why have I spent 10x that just so that I can have a television, bathroom, and shower. O wait...there is something priceless about locking the door from strangers before one starts counting the sheep! Nah, i figure I'll earn the right to sleep in a hotel room someday.