train to nowhere

I was on the train last night and I ended up in the strangest situation I've been in so far in Berlin.

The Berlin S-Bahn (light railway) 'Ring' line runs in a circle around the centre of Berlin and the trains go round it one way or the other, pretty simple really. So there I was, casually sitting listening to 'The Long Blondes' on my iPod when the train suddenly pulls into a station not on the ring line. This probably should have prompted me to ask someone what was going on if not get off especially as everyone else got off. But I somehow didn't notice this.

Five minutes later the train stops in the middle of nowhere and the engine turns off. Finally dawning on me what was going on and stood up rather quickly in a 'what the fuck?' realisation. Seeing two people at the other end of the carriage I sat back down feeling rather silly about the outburst, thinking everyone must be fine. I then clocked that one of the two people had a suitcase and both of them were looking as confused as I was.

I decided to ask them if they knew what was going on. Though both German they spoke English and explained that one of them (Christoph) was an intern at Coca-Cola and had only been in Berlin for a week and his girlfriend was visiting him from Stuttgart. As we were stood there casually chatting as if nothing was wrong, the driver came out and said that we'd be heading back in the other direction in a couple of minutes.

After getting off the train at the second stop (the doors mysteriously didn't open at the first) I pointed the two of them to the line they needed to go on and found the one I needed. I gave Christoph my number and he said he'd call me on Friday about a party.

The whole situation was so surreal yet I still ended up meeting new people. I hope I find myself in other equally mad events in the next two years.

Ich liebe Berlin.