Berlin is Window Lickin' Good!

Guten Tag,
For shocked novice readers, I do not mean that anyone actually applies a tongue to glass.  It's an expression I picked up in France--lecher le vitrine--literally to lick the window--but idiomatically to gaze longingly at the goods on offer, i.e. window shop.
As it is rainy and blustery today, I opted for a favorite stormy day activity--snooting around shopping malls.  I like visiting grocery stores and other shops to see what's there.  In my experience this can be as good as a museum as far as culture goes.
Armed with my umbrella and stout shoes, I U bahned out to Potsdamer Platz, home to two big malls.  Ironically this bastion of conspicuous consumption used to be split by the Berlin Wall.  When the Wall came down the city planned exciting developments, and it is a pretty nice place to spend a rainy day.
Both malls--the Arkaden and The Berlin Mall feature a combination of brands you'd recognize--as many in the United States and elsewhere (Zara, H and M, etc) are European, but others would be new to you.  Some are Pan European chains.  Others are German.
And the visitor cannot possibly starve. Both malls have comprehensive food courts, and by comprehensive, I mean German, Italian, Pan Asian, and (bleah) American fast food.  I was pleased to see that the McDonalds was not busy.
So I had a very pleasant time looking.  I was accosted by a guy selling skin care and given a sample.  I think they are told to look out for older women who look like they are making an effort.
I came across a post office at The Berlin Mall, and I figured that I was going to make a fool of myself buying stamps anyway, so I might as well get it over.  The charming man who waited on me claimed not to speak English, but I can ask for Briefmarke in German, and hold all my fingers up for Zehn, and say Vereingite Staaten and Carte Postal.  But when I said my very basic German words, he echoed in English.  My stamps have vintage automobiles on them.
I got off the U bahn at Zoologischer Garten.  This is the place where I got off the bus my first night here, and I retraced my route to Kurfurstendamm.  If it was not too blustery (and it was not) I was going to walk home from there--now that I know where things are!
I visited the Karlstadt department store--you can find one in any German city--and visited the basement where I knew the gourmet grocery store would be.  I was dissatisfied with the tea selection at my local grocery, and I was going to run out of tea, so I came away with some Twinnings.
Then I strolled back along Kurfurstendamm.  Name any luxury brand, and I can truthfully claim on my way to have passed a store dedicated to it.  Although Berlin is a casual city during the summer the Germans dress very well when they need to, and I saw a few things in the windows that I would actually wear.  Mind, I wouldn't buy the items, but I would wear them.
I like Berlin a lot, but I am puzzled by one thing.  The city seems very low key and mellow.  Central London, Paris, Rome are all intense and sometimes frantic.  I have not come across this in Berlin, but maybe I've just been in the wrong places at the right time.
Time for Apero. Apparently the Germans have borrowed the expression as well as the thing.  I have my nice Sour Cherry wine and some nuts.  I'll check back in for dinner.
The beer of the day is Berliner Kindl, but I got the dark brock. Nice!  It's almost chocolately with a sort of roasted flavor and will stand up nicely to the Maultaschen.  It's a good hearty dinner for a blustery day.