Greetings and Salutations, friends. I'm frantically typing this in my spare time between classes, as I have only a few hours of peace to do homework and catch up before my last class, a theater performance and my pending departure to Denmark.
Monday was just a normal day of classes, consisting of German and German History. The former is stepping up its game slowly, and I'm ready for the challenge. Each time I get cocky about how much I've learned, there's always a new awkward or embarrassing situation due to the language barrier to bring my ego down a notch.
Tuesday, however, was a more exciting day, as I kicked it off by getting stuck in the doors of the S-Bahn, which shut on me as I was sliding in at the last minute. First, it was my shoulders, and then my foot, as the people around me helped pry them open to let me through. After that, I had classes for the first time at the program's partner college. Said college is in the far west of Berlin, and the commute is about an hour, including two train rides, a bus ride and a ten minute walk.
It's quite small, and my peers take up anywhere from 1/2 - 2/3rds of the classes that we're in. Both classes that I am enrolled in, History of the Holocaust, and Modern Jewish History, are almost a joke. I have a twenty-minute presentation, and a five to seven paragraph paper due in lieu of a midterm and a final. No homework was assigned for the week, so it seems fairly chill. I also had a delicious ham and cheese sandwich for lunch that I had purchased from a small shop in a train station on the way there.
Once classes ended, a friend and I grabbed coffee and dinner, and then I headed home where I talked with my seventeen-year-old host brother over tea about the educational differences between Germany and America, primarily in the approach of studying history. It was really nice, and the longest conversation I've had with him since I've moved in. Dinner that evening with my full host family was also very fun, as my three year old host brother was quite lively, and everyone was relaxed and goofy. I was the only one who noticed that my host mother had gotten a haircut, and for that, I received a hug from her, as she exclaimed that it was so nice to 'have another woman in the house.'
Wednesday morning I spent working on homework and then met up with a friend last minute. This friend was someone I went to high school with and hadn't seen in over three years. He lived in Berlin for a year as a freshman, and is currently living in Budapest, but returned to visit friends. We chatted over lunch, and then I accompanied him to his former school in the area of Pankow, in the north of Berlin, which was extremely gorgeous.
After a long (and fast-paced) walk to the site, we parted ways, and I explored the area a little. Following my friend's recommendation, I explored Bürgerpark, which was quite beautiful, and had a little pen for goats in the center of the park. It was also under the approach path for Tegel Airport, so there were constantly planes flying overhead. It was a gorgeous day, warmer than the ones in the past, and there were some smaller flowers starting to sprout all around in the gardens. That evening, I grabbed a beer on the way home, and worked on homework for the remainder of the day.
Today, I've just, once again, had class, and am trying to throw things together in preparation for my departure tomorrow to Denmark. Tonight, I'm seeing a play that my host-mother is in, and then will be promptly going to bed as soon as I can. My flight for Copenhagen leaves a little after seven, which means I will have to be up at around three-thirty am. Whoohoo.
That's all I have for now, and you probably won't hear from me until sometime next week. Tschüss!
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Homesickness and Honesty
Homesickness is a bitch.
It's the little voice in the back of your head while you're doing something fun that whispers to you about how much people at home would love it. It's the screaming voice in your head when you have time alone that reminds you how far away you are from the people who deeply care about you. It can come in the form of aches, stabs, waves, flashes, oceans, and more. No solution exists. Talking to those at home both helps and hurts. Staying busy is great, until you're exhausted and full of stories with no way to convey them back to those that you love.
During the summer, and during breaks, I'm okay with this, as I simply miss campus, my friends there and the sense of togetherness. During school, I miss home, my parents, my grandmother, my cat, and some smaller things about my hometown. However, being abroad during the school year is a whole different ball game.
Emotions are amplified and stretched by the thousands of miles of distance, but nothing at home has changed. Your absence is filled, ignored, or not noticed. It's one big party that you weren't invited to, that everyone won't stop talking about or posting photos. On typical days, it's small normal things, like the usual gang of people eating lunch together on the couches of the student center, housemates relaxing in their common room, or close friends going out to eat. On other days, it's bigger things, such as the new member pinning ceremony of the fraternity of many of your close friends, Greek friends getting littles, school events that you always attended, formals, your house gaining new members (one of them being your best friend), and so on.
You miss everything, in four senses of the word.
1) to feel regret or sadness at no longer being able to enjoy the presence of something.
Ex: home, food, people, weather, locations, classes, etc
2) to fail to attend, participate in, or watch (something one is expected to do or habitually does).
Ex: close friend's triumphs and failures, your significant other dressed up (or dressed down), big events, important interviews, teasing new members of Greek life, etc
3) passive voice - you've been missed
Ex: by those who do notice your absence
4) passive voice - you've been missed
I can't help but wonder and be terrified by how things will have changed in the dynamics of my relationships with those at home upon my return. We'll just have to see. To the few who have sent me letters and talk to me regularly - thank you, it means a lot.
(To the few of my audience who will bitch that I'm not appreciating being abroad - I'm not unappreciative of this experience and my location does not have any effect on the validity of what I'm feeling).
It's the little voice in the back of your head while you're doing something fun that whispers to you about how much people at home would love it. It's the screaming voice in your head when you have time alone that reminds you how far away you are from the people who deeply care about you. It can come in the form of aches, stabs, waves, flashes, oceans, and more. No solution exists. Talking to those at home both helps and hurts. Staying busy is great, until you're exhausted and full of stories with no way to convey them back to those that you love.
During the summer, and during breaks, I'm okay with this, as I simply miss campus, my friends there and the sense of togetherness. During school, I miss home, my parents, my grandmother, my cat, and some smaller things about my hometown. However, being abroad during the school year is a whole different ball game.
Emotions are amplified and stretched by the thousands of miles of distance, but nothing at home has changed. Your absence is filled, ignored, or not noticed. It's one big party that you weren't invited to, that everyone won't stop talking about or posting photos. On typical days, it's small normal things, like the usual gang of people eating lunch together on the couches of the student center, housemates relaxing in their common room, or close friends going out to eat. On other days, it's bigger things, such as the new member pinning ceremony of the fraternity of many of your close friends, Greek friends getting littles, school events that you always attended, formals, your house gaining new members (one of them being your best friend), and so on.
You miss everything, in four senses of the word.
1) to feel regret or sadness at no longer being able to enjoy the presence of something.
Ex: home, food, people, weather, locations, classes, etc
2) to fail to attend, participate in, or watch (something one is expected to do or habitually does).
Ex: close friend's triumphs and failures, your significant other dressed up (or dressed down), big events, important interviews, teasing new members of Greek life, etc
3) passive voice - you've been missed
Ex: by those who do notice your absence
4) passive voice - you've been missed
Ex: by those who do not notice your absence
(To the few of my audience who will bitch that I'm not appreciating being abroad - I'm not unappreciative of this experience and my location does not have any effect on the validity of what I'm feeling).
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Spring Break, and Mitte Explorations
Desperately attempting to stay up to date on this blog, as it is my only written (open to interpretation) record of my adventures here, since I've basically given up on journaling.
Wednesday, which is one of my two normal days off per week, consisted of a lazy morning and then some explorations. I viewed the exhibit at the Topography of Terror which was the former site of the headquarters of the SS, and Gestäpo. It's well-documented and explained, and supplemented by the outdoor area, containing the remaining piece of the building, only feet away from a remaining stretch of the wall. Afterwards, I wandered, as I am prone to do, and discovered the Museum for Communication and the North Korean Embassy, both of which were fascinating in their own ways.
Thursday was spent in class, with German in the morning, accompanying a friend on another run to the Apple store, and then had architecture in the evening. The latter is quickly becoming my favorite course, as I may have said before. It takes a cultural historical approach to the topic and I adore it, as I'm finally able to learn about the driving forces and techniques behind so many structures that are a testament to history. Afterwards, at home, I talked things over with my host mom, and gave my youngest host-brother some candy that I had bought, as a token of goodwill so to speak.
With having walked over 18000 steps, Friday won the award for busiest day of the week. My history class had an excursion to the German Historical Museum. The exhibits are quite dense, and detailed, but informative and fascinating. I could have spent days there, but managed to get a general overview after about three hours. Once I had rejuvenated myself with lunch, I decided to continue my excursions in the area, and visited the Neue Wache, St. Hedwigs Cathedral, and Nikolaikirche, among other things. The first is a former guardhouse now general memorial to victims of war, the second is a beautifully designed cathedral that slightly mimics the Pantheon, and the third is Berlin's oldest church. Other buildings I simply observed, as I had just recently learned about them in my architecture class.
The Nikolaikirche is located on what is called the most beautiful corner in Berlin. During my stint there, two street musicians were playing guitars, adding to the quiet neighborhood and cold breeze that whipped through the streets. Although it doesn't sound like much, it was a wonderful moment that I'll remember for a long time. My delight from that soon faded however, as I entered the church, as it was slightly disappointing due to how touristy and kitchsy it felt.
Afterwards, I went home to freshen up and then met several friends for the evening. We went out to dinner at the most delicious Italian restaurant (I actually finished my meal, close friends will attest to how rare of an event that is), dropped in at the gallery opening of the artist who gave us the tour of the East Side Gallery, and then went out for drinks at a local bar. The latter was fairly interesting, as we all ended up talking (some flirted) to a group of German boys. I left early into the night, due to being utterly exhausted from walking all day, and apparently missed the absinthe experience, but alas. I returned home slightly drunk, and went straight to bed.
Today, I didn't even leave the apartment, and simply caught up on things. From transferring photos onto my computer, to pretending to do homework, to starting to book spring break (!!!!), it was a fairly productive but lazy day.
My spring break is starting to shape up, and I'm very excited. I fly to Amsterdam for a couple of days to reunite with two friends, and then head to Malta, but with an overnight layover in Rome, which enables me to see my wonderful travel-buddy and close friend briefly. She's also coming to visit me in March, which makes me ecstatic. I can't wait to share this wonderful city with her, as well as force her to eat döner kebab.
Tomorrow, some exploring and homework, next weekend, Denmark. Ciao!
Wednesday, which is one of my two normal days off per week, consisted of a lazy morning and then some explorations. I viewed the exhibit at the Topography of Terror which was the former site of the headquarters of the SS, and Gestäpo. It's well-documented and explained, and supplemented by the outdoor area, containing the remaining piece of the building, only feet away from a remaining stretch of the wall. Afterwards, I wandered, as I am prone to do, and discovered the Museum for Communication and the North Korean Embassy, both of which were fascinating in their own ways.
Thursday was spent in class, with German in the morning, accompanying a friend on another run to the Apple store, and then had architecture in the evening. The latter is quickly becoming my favorite course, as I may have said before. It takes a cultural historical approach to the topic and I adore it, as I'm finally able to learn about the driving forces and techniques behind so many structures that are a testament to history. Afterwards, at home, I talked things over with my host mom, and gave my youngest host-brother some candy that I had bought, as a token of goodwill so to speak.
With having walked over 18000 steps, Friday won the award for busiest day of the week. My history class had an excursion to the German Historical Museum. The exhibits are quite dense, and detailed, but informative and fascinating. I could have spent days there, but managed to get a general overview after about three hours. Once I had rejuvenated myself with lunch, I decided to continue my excursions in the area, and visited the Neue Wache, St. Hedwigs Cathedral, and Nikolaikirche, among other things. The first is a former guardhouse now general memorial to victims of war, the second is a beautifully designed cathedral that slightly mimics the Pantheon, and the third is Berlin's oldest church. Other buildings I simply observed, as I had just recently learned about them in my architecture class.
The Nikolaikirche is located on what is called the most beautiful corner in Berlin. During my stint there, two street musicians were playing guitars, adding to the quiet neighborhood and cold breeze that whipped through the streets. Although it doesn't sound like much, it was a wonderful moment that I'll remember for a long time. My delight from that soon faded however, as I entered the church, as it was slightly disappointing due to how touristy and kitchsy it felt.
Afterwards, I went home to freshen up and then met several friends for the evening. We went out to dinner at the most delicious Italian restaurant (I actually finished my meal, close friends will attest to how rare of an event that is), dropped in at the gallery opening of the artist who gave us the tour of the East Side Gallery, and then went out for drinks at a local bar. The latter was fairly interesting, as we all ended up talking (some flirted) to a group of German boys. I left early into the night, due to being utterly exhausted from walking all day, and apparently missed the absinthe experience, but alas. I returned home slightly drunk, and went straight to bed.
Today, I didn't even leave the apartment, and simply caught up on things. From transferring photos onto my computer, to pretending to do homework, to starting to book spring break (!!!!), it was a fairly productive but lazy day.
My spring break is starting to shape up, and I'm very excited. I fly to Amsterdam for a couple of days to reunite with two friends, and then head to Malta, but with an overnight layover in Rome, which enables me to see my wonderful travel-buddy and close friend briefly. She's also coming to visit me in March, which makes me ecstatic. I can't wait to share this wonderful city with her, as well as force her to eat döner kebab.
Tomorrow, some exploring and homework, next weekend, Denmark. Ciao!
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Mauerpark, Kreuzberg, and Gendarmenmarkt
Berlin's football team utterly sucks. People told me they were bad, but after attending a game at the Olympic Stadium for Hertha BSC, I realize that they're on whole other level of bad. For those of you who are from Ohio, I'd say they're the German equivalent of the Cleveland Browns. However, the game on Sunday was fun, despite the stale beer and lack of a victory for the home team. The stadium is an incredible venue, and I can't imagine what it would be like when completely full for events such as the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics.
Prior to that, in the morning, I met up with a local my age who took me to Mauerpark Market, which was really cool. It was a huge fly market, with all sorts of artsy and antique things. I purchased two neat postcards and a small pin from the DDR, or East Germany. It has three German flags, each overlaid with the hammer and sickle of communism. It's neat to have my own small piece of history. I'm also quite happy because the local and I hit it off really well and I'm looking forward to getting to know him more. That's one of the things that I love about this city, how welcoming and open they are to foreigners. It's nice to have an insider's view on my new home.
After the day out, I had dinner with my host family, who surprised me with a melon-lemonaide and a Kinder Surprise, which is a chocolate egg with a small toy inside of it. My younger host-brother was the one to fetch it and hand it to me, of course with an adorable look on his face. I shared the egg with him, gave him the toy and we played a little together which was nice.
Monday consisted of classes. German is starting to pick up a little more, so I need to step up my game and use it as much as possible. Afterwards, I met up with my local buddy, who showed me around Kreuzberg a little more, particularly a neat avenue with a variety of shops, cafes and restaurants on it. We grabbed Indian for dinner, and it was delicious.
Today was supposed to be my first day of classes at the partner college, where I would commute for an hour for the first time. However, both courses were cancelled, as the professor who teaches both was sick, hallelujah. So, I slept in, had a lazy morning, completed homework, and then explored some more. I returned to Gendarmenmarkt, and climbed to the top of the French Cathedral to see the city. It was the perfect day for it with the sun shining and a clear sky and honestly, I could've spent all day up there.
Afterwards, I wandered a little more, and then met up with friends at Kurfürstendamm, one of best shopping districts in Berlin. They needed to go to the Apple Store to get their computers fixed, so I was simply there for company. I saw the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, and apparently we were also near one of the two zoos in the city, so I will definitely be heading back there at some point. I also wandered around the block a little in my homestay neighborhood.
This evening, I had dinner with my host father and brothers, learned some new vocab for food from my host-mom and had an interesting discussion about religion with the family. It was direct and open, very German. Tomorrow, we'll see what adventures besides homework await me.
Ciao!
Prior to that, in the morning, I met up with a local my age who took me to Mauerpark Market, which was really cool. It was a huge fly market, with all sorts of artsy and antique things. I purchased two neat postcards and a small pin from the DDR, or East Germany. It has three German flags, each overlaid with the hammer and sickle of communism. It's neat to have my own small piece of history. I'm also quite happy because the local and I hit it off really well and I'm looking forward to getting to know him more. That's one of the things that I love about this city, how welcoming and open they are to foreigners. It's nice to have an insider's view on my new home.
After the day out, I had dinner with my host family, who surprised me with a melon-lemonaide and a Kinder Surprise, which is a chocolate egg with a small toy inside of it. My younger host-brother was the one to fetch it and hand it to me, of course with an adorable look on his face. I shared the egg with him, gave him the toy and we played a little together which was nice.
Monday consisted of classes. German is starting to pick up a little more, so I need to step up my game and use it as much as possible. Afterwards, I met up with my local buddy, who showed me around Kreuzberg a little more, particularly a neat avenue with a variety of shops, cafes and restaurants on it. We grabbed Indian for dinner, and it was delicious.
Today was supposed to be my first day of classes at the partner college, where I would commute for an hour for the first time. However, both courses were cancelled, as the professor who teaches both was sick, hallelujah. So, I slept in, had a lazy morning, completed homework, and then explored some more. I returned to Gendarmenmarkt, and climbed to the top of the French Cathedral to see the city. It was the perfect day for it with the sun shining and a clear sky and honestly, I could've spent all day up there.
Afterwards, I wandered a little more, and then met up with friends at Kurfürstendamm, one of best shopping districts in Berlin. They needed to go to the Apple Store to get their computers fixed, so I was simply there for company. I saw the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, and apparently we were also near one of the two zoos in the city, so I will definitely be heading back there at some point. I also wandered around the block a little in my homestay neighborhood.
This evening, I had dinner with my host father and brothers, learned some new vocab for food from my host-mom and had an interesting discussion about religion with the family. It was direct and open, very German. Tomorrow, we'll see what adventures besides homework await me.
Ciao!
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Closing the Week - One Day at a Time
Thursday, I met up with a local student who wished to improve his English, and was willing to help me improve my German. We wandered around Alexanderplatz and nearby areas for a while, speaking mostly in English, although I did learn some new vocabulary. I learned some new things about the city, and daily life, so it was quite lovely. Not sure if we're going to meet up again, but if we do, hopefully, I'll have more German under my belt to work with.
Afterwards, I headed back to the study center, grabbed a hot drink and relaxed in the lobby until it was time for my architecture class to start. I must confess, I adore this class. The professor is relaxed and the atmosphere is quite casual, with only eight students. Instead of a technical approach, the course looks at buildings and techniques through a cultural and historical lens, which, of course, I love. I'm looking forward to learning more about the topic. Once the class concluded, I ran to the supermarket, Lidl (Aldi's European cousin), acquired some snacks for my room at home and then headed home for the night.
Yesterday, despite my subtle gloating earlier about not having class on Fridays, I had a class on Friday. My German course had been rescheduled due to the Berlin Radio/German Cinema class attending another screening and press conference at the Berlinale on Thursday morning during the class's usual time. So, on a day that I could've slept in, I found myself waking up at eight and commuting to school.
Class is usually interesting and fairly amusing as everyone's terrible butchering of German are always subject to laughter. We learned how to count and practiced with what in the States, is basically a drinking game. Eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn... That afternoon, a friend and I went shopping a little, and then ate lunch at Alexanderplatz. The evening was spent in a friend's apartment with several others, enjoying a home-cooked meal over some beers. It was really fun, and we're hopefully going to make this a weekly 'family dinner,' as the inside jokes have started to bubble up. I also received the news that I had been offered the job (moderator of the house I live in at school) I interviewed for in the previous week, and barring unforeseen circumstances, I will probably be taking. Overall, it was quite a good night.
Today has been quite a good but busy day. Our program visited the East Side Gallery, the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall in existence. However, it's covered in street art, graffiti and murals, some of which are official, others are not. We toured the site with an artist of one of the works, Gunther Schaefer who gave us an insiders perspective on the site, its history and his own life. His mural on the wall, titled Vaterland (trans: Fatherland) combines the Israeli and German flag, and has been vandalized by fanatics and repainted by Gunther forty-nine times in the past twenty-five years. We visited his home slash studio and heard him speak about his life and works. It was definitely an experience to remember, hearing history speak. I recommend checking out his work.
Afterwards, some friends and I had another 'family dinner' at a local pizza place, where five of us demolished three thirty-two inch delicious pizzas in under thirty minutes. The sun was setting, the light was perfect, the company was wonderful and the food was scrumptious. I headed home to drop off some things, grabbed my camera, and headed out for an adventure on my own.
I have a habit of ditching the rest of the group when I travel and going off on my own, sometimes at night, to get perspectives on places that I see during the day. I returned to Gendarmenmarkt, and the Brandenburg Gate and also explored along the Unter den Linden. Additionally, I stopped by Bebelplatz, the square where the Nazi's burned thousands of books in an act of censorship and absolute power. There is a simple monument there, a below ground white room filled with empty bookshelves. It's a very powerful thing to see and process the effects of the control of knowledge and the loss of information and art.
Overall, I've had a very good day. Tomorrow, I'm meeting up with another local to explore a fleamarket, and then attending a football at the Olympic Stadium. More adventures to come.
I'm going to sign off with a quote from a mural at the East Side Gallery that I love:
Many small people, who in many small places, do many small things, can alter the face of the world.
Gute nacht.
Afterwards, I headed back to the study center, grabbed a hot drink and relaxed in the lobby until it was time for my architecture class to start. I must confess, I adore this class. The professor is relaxed and the atmosphere is quite casual, with only eight students. Instead of a technical approach, the course looks at buildings and techniques through a cultural and historical lens, which, of course, I love. I'm looking forward to learning more about the topic. Once the class concluded, I ran to the supermarket, Lidl (Aldi's European cousin), acquired some snacks for my room at home and then headed home for the night.
Yesterday, despite my subtle gloating earlier about not having class on Fridays, I had a class on Friday. My German course had been rescheduled due to the Berlin Radio/German Cinema class attending another screening and press conference at the Berlinale on Thursday morning during the class's usual time. So, on a day that I could've slept in, I found myself waking up at eight and commuting to school.
Class is usually interesting and fairly amusing as everyone's terrible butchering of German are always subject to laughter. We learned how to count and practiced with what in the States, is basically a drinking game. Eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn... That afternoon, a friend and I went shopping a little, and then ate lunch at Alexanderplatz. The evening was spent in a friend's apartment with several others, enjoying a home-cooked meal over some beers. It was really fun, and we're hopefully going to make this a weekly 'family dinner,' as the inside jokes have started to bubble up. I also received the news that I had been offered the job (moderator of the house I live in at school) I interviewed for in the previous week, and barring unforeseen circumstances, I will probably be taking. Overall, it was quite a good night.
Today has been quite a good but busy day. Our program visited the East Side Gallery, the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall in existence. However, it's covered in street art, graffiti and murals, some of which are official, others are not. We toured the site with an artist of one of the works, Gunther Schaefer who gave us an insiders perspective on the site, its history and his own life. His mural on the wall, titled Vaterland (trans: Fatherland) combines the Israeli and German flag, and has been vandalized by fanatics and repainted by Gunther forty-nine times in the past twenty-five years. We visited his home slash studio and heard him speak about his life and works. It was definitely an experience to remember, hearing history speak. I recommend checking out his work.
Afterwards, some friends and I had another 'family dinner' at a local pizza place, where five of us demolished three thirty-two inch delicious pizzas in under thirty minutes. The sun was setting, the light was perfect, the company was wonderful and the food was scrumptious. I headed home to drop off some things, grabbed my camera, and headed out for an adventure on my own.
I have a habit of ditching the rest of the group when I travel and going off on my own, sometimes at night, to get perspectives on places that I see during the day. I returned to Gendarmenmarkt, and the Brandenburg Gate and also explored along the Unter den Linden. Additionally, I stopped by Bebelplatz, the square where the Nazi's burned thousands of books in an act of censorship and absolute power. There is a simple monument there, a below ground white room filled with empty bookshelves. It's a very powerful thing to see and process the effects of the control of knowledge and the loss of information and art.
Overall, I've had a very good day. Tomorrow, I'm meeting up with another local to explore a fleamarket, and then attending a football at the Olympic Stadium. More adventures to come.
I'm going to sign off with a quote from a mural at the East Side Gallery that I love:
Many small people, who in many small places, do many small things, can alter the face of the world.
Gute nacht.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Why Berlin?
Why did I choose Berlin? Why on earth did I choose windy, freezing, and arctic Berlin, when I could have gone to somewhere like Italy or Spain that was warm and sunny?
Well, to be fair, I didn't really have a good answer to that question until I got here. While determining my study abroad location, I immediately eliminated France (been there), Spain (not interested), England (been there too many times), Italy (been there recently), and a good number of other nations. Originally, Switzerland was my top choice, but my school didn't have any programs there. The idea of Germany then popped up, and it just clicked. It was in Europe, central in location, and had a completely new language and culture. It just made sense. From there, Berlin seemed like the best choice, as I hadn't been to Eastern Germany, and I wanted a city. It was as if a dart had been thrown at the map, the realization was quick and sudden. I'd just fallen into it.
Now, I'm here. It's so damn cold, the wind is awful, but I'm in love with this city. It's the most tolerant place I've ever been, with minimal judgment on public transportation. The locals are fascinating and friendly, if you're polite and not an obnoxious American. There are tons of green spaces, parks and trees all over. Street art and graffiti decorate every building, bringing a harsh urban beauty to every street. History is everywhere - in the buildings, art and even in the residents. The public transportation is quick and brilliant. Hundreds of cultures influence the atmosphere here. Every type of food is available. Street performers provide background music. There is so much to see, and I haven't even left the city yet. Germans and their language surround me and nearly every minute I pick up something new.
Today, on my commute home, an older man who looked grizzled and brusque was reading a princess fairy tale book to his five year old daughter on the U-Bahn.
Things just make sense here.
Well, to be fair, I didn't really have a good answer to that question until I got here. While determining my study abroad location, I immediately eliminated France (been there), Spain (not interested), England (been there too many times), Italy (been there recently), and a good number of other nations. Originally, Switzerland was my top choice, but my school didn't have any programs there. The idea of Germany then popped up, and it just clicked. It was in Europe, central in location, and had a completely new language and culture. It just made sense. From there, Berlin seemed like the best choice, as I hadn't been to Eastern Germany, and I wanted a city. It was as if a dart had been thrown at the map, the realization was quick and sudden. I'd just fallen into it.
Now, I'm here. It's so damn cold, the wind is awful, but I'm in love with this city. It's the most tolerant place I've ever been, with minimal judgment on public transportation. The locals are fascinating and friendly, if you're polite and not an obnoxious American. There are tons of green spaces, parks and trees all over. Street art and graffiti decorate every building, bringing a harsh urban beauty to every street. History is everywhere - in the buildings, art and even in the residents. The public transportation is quick and brilliant. Hundreds of cultures influence the atmosphere here. Every type of food is available. Street performers provide background music. There is so much to see, and I haven't even left the city yet. Germans and their language surround me and nearly every minute I pick up something new.
Today, on my commute home, an older man who looked grizzled and brusque was reading a princess fairy tale book to his five year old daughter on the U-Bahn.
Things just make sense here.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Döner Kebab and Denmark.
Yesterday's excursion to the exhibition at the German Cathedral at Gendarmenmarkt was interesting. It's definitely an area I would like to explore more. However, the exhibit itself was fairly average, covering more modern span of German history. There was a nice bonus, as they give out lots of materials on the government, politics, and history here, so many of us grabbed a free textbook, essentially on the exhibit's topic, German Parliamentarianism. I also got a couple smaller thicker pamphlets on related topics which was neat.
After the exhibit, we joined up with the rest of the group outside the Reichstag, and were given a guided tour. Highly recommend it. The building is a rich mix of modern architecture blended in with the original building, with transparency being the ultimate goal. Everywhere there were high windows of glass, surrounded by chipped and graffitied brick wall with writing from Russian soldiers at the end of World War II.
The main parliament room was gorgeous, modern and sleek, and of course, upstairs, the famous dome exceeded all expectations. Visitors can wander around outside of it on the building's roof, and then ascend the spiraling ramps to the top of the glass dome. I'm sure that the view is gorgeous during the day, but at night it's breathtaking. Each direction brings a new wonder into sight, and on the interior of the dome hangs a massive chandelier of mirrors designed to reflect light into the parliament chamber below. Definitely worth investigating if you're ever in Berlin.
Once our visit concluded, I headed out and met up with my local friend, who took me to get my first döner kebab, and then promptly laughed at my while I ate it messily in her apartment. It, of course, exceeded all expectations and went quite well with a beer. In fact, I ate the leftovers as I was typing this entry out.
Today, my program and I attended orientation at the local college where we are also taking classes (two there, three at our program center). Nothing particularly exciting happened. The "campus" (and by that I mean the small lot with three buildings) is on the far west side of Berlin, towards the lake. It will be nice to go there once a week and be able to breath in air that feels fresh and less tainted by the urban sprawl. The main building was built in the early 1900's and was the residence of a Nazi minister who was close friends with Goering and Hitler, both of which had been to the building for receptions.
Other than that, today has been fairly mediocre. I grabbed gelato at a mall with some friends before I headed home, which made me miss being in Rome and my good friend studying there to no end. It did feel nice on my sore throat though, as alas, I am still sick. Tomorrow, I'm meeting up with my potential language partner, attending architecture class (whoohoo! - not sarcastic, genuinely excited) and doing homework.
The sharp stabs of homesickness come and go, but they're gradually turning into a steady ache. I miss a fair number of people, and my house at school, which recently accepted eight new members, one of which is my best friend. I'm overjoyed for him, and would love to be there to celebrate, but, alas, distance is a thing, so I'll have to settle with constant congratulations for him and all of the other new housemates.
Also, I just booked tickets to go to Copenhagen in two weeks with friends from my program, whoohoo!
After the exhibit, we joined up with the rest of the group outside the Reichstag, and were given a guided tour. Highly recommend it. The building is a rich mix of modern architecture blended in with the original building, with transparency being the ultimate goal. Everywhere there were high windows of glass, surrounded by chipped and graffitied brick wall with writing from Russian soldiers at the end of World War II.
The main parliament room was gorgeous, modern and sleek, and of course, upstairs, the famous dome exceeded all expectations. Visitors can wander around outside of it on the building's roof, and then ascend the spiraling ramps to the top of the glass dome. I'm sure that the view is gorgeous during the day, but at night it's breathtaking. Each direction brings a new wonder into sight, and on the interior of the dome hangs a massive chandelier of mirrors designed to reflect light into the parliament chamber below. Definitely worth investigating if you're ever in Berlin.
Once our visit concluded, I headed out and met up with my local friend, who took me to get my first döner kebab, and then promptly laughed at my while I ate it messily in her apartment. It, of course, exceeded all expectations and went quite well with a beer. In fact, I ate the leftovers as I was typing this entry out.
Today, my program and I attended orientation at the local college where we are also taking classes (two there, three at our program center). Nothing particularly exciting happened. The "campus" (and by that I mean the small lot with three buildings) is on the far west side of Berlin, towards the lake. It will be nice to go there once a week and be able to breath in air that feels fresh and less tainted by the urban sprawl. The main building was built in the early 1900's and was the residence of a Nazi minister who was close friends with Goering and Hitler, both of which had been to the building for receptions.
Other than that, today has been fairly mediocre. I grabbed gelato at a mall with some friends before I headed home, which made me miss being in Rome and my good friend studying there to no end. It did feel nice on my sore throat though, as alas, I am still sick. Tomorrow, I'm meeting up with my potential language partner, attending architecture class (whoohoo! - not sarcastic, genuinely excited) and doing homework.
The sharp stabs of homesickness come and go, but they're gradually turning into a steady ache. I miss a fair number of people, and my house at school, which recently accepted eight new members, one of which is my best friend. I'm overjoyed for him, and would love to be there to celebrate, but, alas, distance is a thing, so I'll have to settle with constant congratulations for him and all of the other new housemates.
Also, I just booked tickets to go to Copenhagen in two weeks with friends from my program, whoohoo!
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Weekend Reflections Over Tea
That last post was a bit of a downer, but as stated, this blog is a honest account of my adventures here, from the insanely good to the depressingly bad. The past few days have been more towards the latter part of the spectrum, as homesickness constantly rears its ugly head.
This weekend was a mix of much needed lazy mornings and some minor afternoon excursions with my host family. Saturday, we went to a small market and a French library (here were copies of the magazine, Charlie Hebdo and signs that said "Je suis Charlie"). Sunday, we wandered around a recently built park that incorporated old railway lines. Afterwards, the entire house napped, or in my case, completed homework that needed to be done.
Monday was just a normal day of classes, German and German history. I'm quite proud with how fast I'm picking up the language. Between the class, my hostfamily, personal practice, and being surrounded by it constantly, it's slowly improving. However, I think the cost of that is that my English is going. A few days ago, it took me five minutes to remember how to spell opportunity and a week ago, I couldn't remember for the life of me what a power strip was called.
After classes on Monday, I hung out at the study center until everyone else was done. Five of us grabbed dinner at a Japanese restaurant which was quite good, and then we headed off to kegeln, a German variation of bowling. My team consisted of some Language and Culture students (my program) and the three Global Architecture and Design students, plus their studio teacher. It was all quite fun. Once the evening came to a close, I headed home and called it an early night. (Thank god, I did, because I woke up at 2:30 and wasn't able to fall back asleep until 4:30, as a massive attack of homesickness and emotions hit.
Today, my German history class has an excursion to an exhibition on the history of German parliamentarianism at the Gendarmenmarkt, a tour of the Reichstag, and then I'm meeting up with my local friend to have my first Döner Kebab and a beer. Luckily I don't have to start moving until mid-afternoon, so I've had another lazy morning to write my weekly summary for my architecture class, watch videos about German on Youtube, and have a cup of tea all while leaning up against the radiator in my room. (I must admit, that's one thing I adore about Europe, the open radiators that you can lean against).
It's the first time I've had a cup of the tea I brought from home since I've been here. The familiar smell and taste definitely help with the homesickness. I'm reminded of the advice my mother gives me all the time: 'Everything feels better after a cup of tea.' It's still holding true. Today will be better.
Tschüss!
This weekend was a mix of much needed lazy mornings and some minor afternoon excursions with my host family. Saturday, we went to a small market and a French library (here were copies of the magazine, Charlie Hebdo and signs that said "Je suis Charlie"). Sunday, we wandered around a recently built park that incorporated old railway lines. Afterwards, the entire house napped, or in my case, completed homework that needed to be done.
Monday was just a normal day of classes, German and German history. I'm quite proud with how fast I'm picking up the language. Between the class, my hostfamily, personal practice, and being surrounded by it constantly, it's slowly improving. However, I think the cost of that is that my English is going. A few days ago, it took me five minutes to remember how to spell opportunity and a week ago, I couldn't remember for the life of me what a power strip was called.
After classes on Monday, I hung out at the study center until everyone else was done. Five of us grabbed dinner at a Japanese restaurant which was quite good, and then we headed off to kegeln, a German variation of bowling. My team consisted of some Language and Culture students (my program) and the three Global Architecture and Design students, plus their studio teacher. It was all quite fun. Once the evening came to a close, I headed home and called it an early night. (Thank god, I did, because I woke up at 2:30 and wasn't able to fall back asleep until 4:30, as a massive attack of homesickness and emotions hit.
Today, my German history class has an excursion to an exhibition on the history of German parliamentarianism at the Gendarmenmarkt, a tour of the Reichstag, and then I'm meeting up with my local friend to have my first Döner Kebab and a beer. Luckily I don't have to start moving until mid-afternoon, so I've had another lazy morning to write my weekly summary for my architecture class, watch videos about German on Youtube, and have a cup of tea all while leaning up against the radiator in my room. (I must admit, that's one thing I adore about Europe, the open radiators that you can lean against).
It's the first time I've had a cup of the tea I brought from home since I've been here. The familiar smell and taste definitely help with the homesickness. I'm reminded of the advice my mother gives me all the time: 'Everything feels better after a cup of tea.' It's still holding true. Today will be better.
Tschüss!
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Not Always Rainbows and Puppies
Studying abroad is an opportunity of a lifetime, and it's something that I would never pass up. I appreciate every single second of being here and am trying to make the most of it. But, as with anything, there are times where I hit the wall and want nothing more than to be home again. It's tough leaving everything and everyone familiar behind.
Sure, I'm in the land of great beer, a fascinating language, wonderful engineering, and many more stereotypes and experiences. Berlin is brilliant, and I'm constantly busy exploring it. My peers are nice and we have fun. My hostfamily is sweet as can be and we get along splendidly. However, it's hard to be around people who don't know you as well as your family or your closest friends. I find myself craving to talk to people who know me best, but, when I do, it feels like our connection is off. It's hard to describe everything going on here, while listening to what goes on at home, and trying to balance both simultaneously.
People at home are busy, just like I am here, and I understand that. But there are many times, even only two weeks in, where I feel completely forgotten by them, like I don't even exist. I realize that's not anyone's intention, that people are occupied, and that I'm not on everyone's (or even anyone's) mind 24/7 but not being on campus or even in Ohio is frustrating beyond belief in so many ways.
I think that's one of the most terrifying things about being away. The lives of others don't freeze or go into stasis. They move forward, as does yours, and often enough, in directions that you're not even aware of. I'm scared of what will happen at home while I'm abroad. It's been a fear since I signed up to leave, and it hasn't eased in the slightest since I've arrived.
Sorry for the downer post, but this blog isn't always going to be chipper tales of my adventures, as I want it to be an honest account of these four months. Right now, I'm exhausted, angry, sick, lonely and extremely homesick so I'm going to go to bed and hope that I feel better in the morning.
Gute nacht.
Sure, I'm in the land of great beer, a fascinating language, wonderful engineering, and many more stereotypes and experiences. Berlin is brilliant, and I'm constantly busy exploring it. My peers are nice and we have fun. My hostfamily is sweet as can be and we get along splendidly. However, it's hard to be around people who don't know you as well as your family or your closest friends. I find myself craving to talk to people who know me best, but, when I do, it feels like our connection is off. It's hard to describe everything going on here, while listening to what goes on at home, and trying to balance both simultaneously.
People at home are busy, just like I am here, and I understand that. But there are many times, even only two weeks in, where I feel completely forgotten by them, like I don't even exist. I realize that's not anyone's intention, that people are occupied, and that I'm not on everyone's (or even anyone's) mind 24/7 but not being on campus or even in Ohio is frustrating beyond belief in so many ways.
I think that's one of the most terrifying things about being away. The lives of others don't freeze or go into stasis. They move forward, as does yours, and often enough, in directions that you're not even aware of. I'm scared of what will happen at home while I'm abroad. It's been a fear since I signed up to leave, and it hasn't eased in the slightest since I've arrived.
Sorry for the downer post, but this blog isn't always going to be chipper tales of my adventures, as I want it to be an honest account of these four months. Right now, I'm exhausted, angry, sick, lonely and extremely homesick so I'm going to go to bed and hope that I feel better in the morning.
Gute nacht.
Friday, February 6, 2015
Berlinale, Berliner Dom, and Olympic Stadium.
Hallo!
The past three days have been hectic and exhausting but sehr gut. When I left you last, I was about to depart for the DDR Museum, which focused on life during the existence of East Germany. Adhering to my usual habit of arriving way too early, I ended up at the museum with twenty minutes to spare. Luckily, right across the river, was the Berliner Dom, or Berlin Cathedral which I wandered around to kill time.
The museum is quite good for Kinder, very interactive. It was interesting, but after the tour, I didn't explore that much in depth as the tour gave a good overview. I did, however, head back to the Dom, and for five euro, gained entrance. Worth. Every. Cent. The interior of the building is completely beautiful, and I quickly discovered that there was a walkway around the exterior of the dome. After climbing over two-hundred steps, acquiring wheezing lungs and aching calves, I stepped outside into the cold air and saw my first view of the skyline of this beautiful city that I currently call my home. I spent at least a half-hour up there, snapping photos of my surroundings and the statues along the exterior of the building. Highly recommend it for anyone who visits Berlin.
Afterwards, I wandered home, completed some Deutsch Hausaufgabe, and then went to my new local friend's apartment to have dinner with her and a friend. It was quite fun, as we laughed at stupid things done by my fellow Americans when abroad as well as my attempted pronunciation of the German R (which is quite hard for Americans). It was good fun, and I look forward to getting to know them better (Hallo, Fiona. Danke für Abendessen! Es was sehr gut.)
Yesterday was a normal day of classes, German in the morning and my architecture class in the late afternoon. I've dropped cinema in favor of architecture, as the latter is an amazing class and the professor seems really cool. I'm very excited to start studying it more, especially from the cultural approach that we're taking. We wandered around the Zionskirche, the church around the corner from the study center, which I've been obsessed with since day one. It was amazing to finally learn some background on it - it was built from 1864-1874, funded primarily by the Prussian monarchy, as it fought the three wars to determine it's dominance in Europe. It's a rich mix of architectural styles, Gothic, Romanesque, and others. Also, yesterday, I ordered my lunch in German which was a small victory: "Ich möchte bitte ein Burrito Beef?"The man looked quite impressed, and I was a little proud of myself. Last evening was spent with my host family, chatting over dinner and then completing my first history reading and summary. Whoohoo.
Today, in this exciting chronicle of events, consisted of attending a screening that was part of the Berlin International Film Festival or Berlinale, and a tour of the Olympiastadium. The former required us to be at the theater at 9:30 a.m. which meant a 7:00 alarm for me. I took the S-Bahn there, and managed to pick a line that was under construction. This resulted in me following the crowd to a bus station, where I blindly jumped on a bus, hoping that I would end up at my intended destination, and reminding myself that this was an adventure no matter what. The bus was the correct one, running parallel to the train route, and I arrived early. My friend and I grabbed breakfast and then met up with the group.
The film we saw covered the life of Andreas Marquardt, and was directed by Rosa von Prauheim. Titled Tough Love: Haerte, it chronicles the story of Marquadt as a victim of sexual abuse by his mother, and domestic abuse by his father. The style was entirely new to me, but it is a good film, and I liked it quite a bit. Highly recommend it, however, trigger warning for domestic, verbal, and sexual abuse. Afterwards, we attended the press conference for the film which was also an amazing experience.
Then, we headed to the Olympic Stadium. It's massive, and very interesting, both today and in history. Also highly recommended depending on your level of interest in sports. The light of the sun was just perfect for photos today so I acquired a lot of neat shots. Myself and a couple others also climbed to the highest row of seats which was mind-blowing. We'll be back there later for a football game, and apparently, the Berlin football teams aren't good, but I'm still excited.
Currently, I'm curled up on the comfy floor mat I have in my room, anxiously awaiting my Skype interview with residential life back at my home university, as I'm applying to be moderator of my theme house. Viel Glück to me. I have the weekend off, so it will be spent doing laundry, homework, running small errands and maybe going out for a couple beers. We'll see where it goes. I also may meet up with a language partner, a local who wants to improve his English and is willing to suffer through me slaughtering Deutsch. We're messaging back and forth and it's quite challenging, albeit fun.
I'm loving Berlin more and more each day. From the afternoon commute with smiling children heading home from school, to the street art and graffiti, to my cozy homestay, it's wonderful. I can't wait to explore more and to show of this city I now call home to visitors. That's all I have for now. Tschüss!
The past three days have been hectic and exhausting but sehr gut. When I left you last, I was about to depart for the DDR Museum, which focused on life during the existence of East Germany. Adhering to my usual habit of arriving way too early, I ended up at the museum with twenty minutes to spare. Luckily, right across the river, was the Berliner Dom, or Berlin Cathedral which I wandered around to kill time.
The museum is quite good for Kinder, very interactive. It was interesting, but after the tour, I didn't explore that much in depth as the tour gave a good overview. I did, however, head back to the Dom, and for five euro, gained entrance. Worth. Every. Cent. The interior of the building is completely beautiful, and I quickly discovered that there was a walkway around the exterior of the dome. After climbing over two-hundred steps, acquiring wheezing lungs and aching calves, I stepped outside into the cold air and saw my first view of the skyline of this beautiful city that I currently call my home. I spent at least a half-hour up there, snapping photos of my surroundings and the statues along the exterior of the building. Highly recommend it for anyone who visits Berlin.
Afterwards, I wandered home, completed some Deutsch Hausaufgabe, and then went to my new local friend's apartment to have dinner with her and a friend. It was quite fun, as we laughed at stupid things done by my fellow Americans when abroad as well as my attempted pronunciation of the German R (which is quite hard for Americans). It was good fun, and I look forward to getting to know them better (Hallo, Fiona. Danke für Abendessen! Es was sehr gut.)
Yesterday was a normal day of classes, German in the morning and my architecture class in the late afternoon. I've dropped cinema in favor of architecture, as the latter is an amazing class and the professor seems really cool. I'm very excited to start studying it more, especially from the cultural approach that we're taking. We wandered around the Zionskirche, the church around the corner from the study center, which I've been obsessed with since day one. It was amazing to finally learn some background on it - it was built from 1864-1874, funded primarily by the Prussian monarchy, as it fought the three wars to determine it's dominance in Europe. It's a rich mix of architectural styles, Gothic, Romanesque, and others. Also, yesterday, I ordered my lunch in German which was a small victory: "Ich möchte bitte ein Burrito Beef?"The man looked quite impressed, and I was a little proud of myself. Last evening was spent with my host family, chatting over dinner and then completing my first history reading and summary. Whoohoo.
Today, in this exciting chronicle of events, consisted of attending a screening that was part of the Berlin International Film Festival or Berlinale, and a tour of the Olympiastadium. The former required us to be at the theater at 9:30 a.m. which meant a 7:00 alarm for me. I took the S-Bahn there, and managed to pick a line that was under construction. This resulted in me following the crowd to a bus station, where I blindly jumped on a bus, hoping that I would end up at my intended destination, and reminding myself that this was an adventure no matter what. The bus was the correct one, running parallel to the train route, and I arrived early. My friend and I grabbed breakfast and then met up with the group.
The film we saw covered the life of Andreas Marquardt, and was directed by Rosa von Prauheim. Titled Tough Love: Haerte, it chronicles the story of Marquadt as a victim of sexual abuse by his mother, and domestic abuse by his father. The style was entirely new to me, but it is a good film, and I liked it quite a bit. Highly recommend it, however, trigger warning for domestic, verbal, and sexual abuse. Afterwards, we attended the press conference for the film which was also an amazing experience.
Then, we headed to the Olympic Stadium. It's massive, and very interesting, both today and in history. Also highly recommended depending on your level of interest in sports. The light of the sun was just perfect for photos today so I acquired a lot of neat shots. Myself and a couple others also climbed to the highest row of seats which was mind-blowing. We'll be back there later for a football game, and apparently, the Berlin football teams aren't good, but I'm still excited.
Currently, I'm curled up on the comfy floor mat I have in my room, anxiously awaiting my Skype interview with residential life back at my home university, as I'm applying to be moderator of my theme house. Viel Glück to me. I have the weekend off, so it will be spent doing laundry, homework, running small errands and maybe going out for a couple beers. We'll see where it goes. I also may meet up with a language partner, a local who wants to improve his English and is willing to suffer through me slaughtering Deutsch. We're messaging back and forth and it's quite challenging, albeit fun.
I'm loving Berlin more and more each day. From the afternoon commute with smiling children heading home from school, to the street art and graffiti, to my cozy homestay, it's wonderful. I can't wait to explore more and to show of this city I now call home to visitors. That's all I have for now. Tschüss!
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Cinema, Shopping, and Stammtisch
As this blog is just so thrilling for those who follow it, here is the recounting of the adventures from yesterday.
Tuesday morning was spent, again, in meetings, as we filled out the numerous forms needed to register us with local authorities, prove we had insurance and start the process for getting our residence permits. Afterwards, I talked with the academic coordinator for CIEE Berlin about the classes I'm taking, and all is well: German, German History, German Cinema (may switch to architecture, we'll see), Modern Jewish History and the History of the Holocaust. The latter two are at Touro College which doesn't start until February 16, so for the next two weeks I technically have Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays free, plus weekends, barring the fact that those are all packed with excursions and events. When all the classes are running, I will be in school Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. I'm definitely not complaining.
After the meetings, a two friends and I grabbed lunch and then we proceeded back to the study center to hang out until our next excursion. The center is really nice, with beanbag chairs and couches with blankets and pillows in the lobby. It's fun to relax there in between events. We joked around, talking about German cows, and if they make the sound "moo" or "möö." I know almost no one reading this will understand it, however, for those who can, it was really funny. We also may have pulled one over on another student who was a little gullible, but that's another story.
The afternoon excursion was to the Deutsch Kinemathek: Musuem Für Film und Fernsehen. Although I didn't know anything about German cinema, it was still really neat. The exhibition employs the use of mirrors and televisions really well. Afterwards, three of us went shopping at a nearby mall. I bought necessary items for school, some notebooks and a small planner, as I haven't had a chance to sit down and look at my finances and travel plans.
That evening was Stammtisch, which is a regular informal get-together. CIEE's Stammtisch includes all of the program staff, the Language and Culture students, the architecture students, and our "buddies," local students who want to meet Americans (god knows why) and improve their already excellent English. I got a free beer which was nice, and quite good. One of the local students was sitting next to me and we hit it off. After we finished our beers, we went over to the ping-pong table and played around-the-world, or Chinese.
Chinese consists of all the participants walking in a circle around the ping-pong table, while whoever is at either end hits the ball to the opposite side, which the person behind them doing the same when the ball returns. If you miss, or have a bad serve, you're out. Eventually, when it dwindles down to three or four, people are sprinting around the table to get the ball in time. Once it is at two, a normal game begins, playing to five points, and following that, another round of Chinese. It's quite fun, especially if you have some alcohol in hand. I remained at the bar after most of my peers left, chatting with someone from Portugal and my German friend. Everyone was quite nice, and seemed surprised that I was an American, which amused me to no end. All the while, couples were salsa dancing in another part of the room, which was entrancing. Berlin is a city like no other.
After some more games, I called it quits and headed home, riding a tram for the first time. Once back, I skyped two of my closest friends, one who is back home and the other who is in France, also studying abroad. It was so nice to catch up and hear their voices, despite the terrible connection. This morning is more relaxing, as I don't have to leave until later than usual. Today, the group is going to the DDR Museum which chronicles life in the Deutsche Demokratische Republik or East Germany, and later on, I'm having dinner with my new German friend and one of her acquaintances. I'm quite excited.
That's all for now, folks. Tschüss!
Tuesday morning was spent, again, in meetings, as we filled out the numerous forms needed to register us with local authorities, prove we had insurance and start the process for getting our residence permits. Afterwards, I talked with the academic coordinator for CIEE Berlin about the classes I'm taking, and all is well: German, German History, German Cinema (may switch to architecture, we'll see), Modern Jewish History and the History of the Holocaust. The latter two are at Touro College which doesn't start until February 16, so for the next two weeks I technically have Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays free, plus weekends, barring the fact that those are all packed with excursions and events. When all the classes are running, I will be in school Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. I'm definitely not complaining.
After the meetings, a two friends and I grabbed lunch and then we proceeded back to the study center to hang out until our next excursion. The center is really nice, with beanbag chairs and couches with blankets and pillows in the lobby. It's fun to relax there in between events. We joked around, talking about German cows, and if they make the sound "moo" or "möö." I know almost no one reading this will understand it, however, for those who can, it was really funny. We also may have pulled one over on another student who was a little gullible, but that's another story.
The afternoon excursion was to the Deutsch Kinemathek: Musuem Für Film und Fernsehen. Although I didn't know anything about German cinema, it was still really neat. The exhibition employs the use of mirrors and televisions really well. Afterwards, three of us went shopping at a nearby mall. I bought necessary items for school, some notebooks and a small planner, as I haven't had a chance to sit down and look at my finances and travel plans.
That evening was Stammtisch, which is a regular informal get-together. CIEE's Stammtisch includes all of the program staff, the Language and Culture students, the architecture students, and our "buddies," local students who want to meet Americans (god knows why) and improve their already excellent English. I got a free beer which was nice, and quite good. One of the local students was sitting next to me and we hit it off. After we finished our beers, we went over to the ping-pong table and played around-the-world, or Chinese.
Chinese consists of all the participants walking in a circle around the ping-pong table, while whoever is at either end hits the ball to the opposite side, which the person behind them doing the same when the ball returns. If you miss, or have a bad serve, you're out. Eventually, when it dwindles down to three or four, people are sprinting around the table to get the ball in time. Once it is at two, a normal game begins, playing to five points, and following that, another round of Chinese. It's quite fun, especially if you have some alcohol in hand. I remained at the bar after most of my peers left, chatting with someone from Portugal and my German friend. Everyone was quite nice, and seemed surprised that I was an American, which amused me to no end. All the while, couples were salsa dancing in another part of the room, which was entrancing. Berlin is a city like no other.
After some more games, I called it quits and headed home, riding a tram for the first time. Once back, I skyped two of my closest friends, one who is back home and the other who is in France, also studying abroad. It was so nice to catch up and hear their voices, despite the terrible connection. This morning is more relaxing, as I don't have to leave until later than usual. Today, the group is going to the DDR Museum which chronicles life in the Deutsche Demokratische Republik or East Germany, and later on, I'm having dinner with my new German friend and one of her acquaintances. I'm quite excited.
That's all for now, folks. Tschüss!
Monday, February 2, 2015
Bizarre Operas, Tempelhof and Full Circles.
I lied in my last post. I didn't end up going to Potsdam with my hostfamily yesterday. Instead, my host-mutter decided that we would stay home for the day as the past two have been busy for both of us. So, I slept in, lounged around, and then we went for a walk around our neighborhood, Neukölln.
We walked about ten minutes to Tempelhof, the sight of a former airport, and now a park. It's a massive open space, with everything still in place, runways, terminal, etc. As the daughter of a pilot, and one myself, it was wonderful. People were walking, running, biking, kiting, gardening, wind-skating/boarding, playing football, rugby, and frisbee, etc.
The airport terminal is massive (4,035 feet long), and was completed in 1941, although the site had been used as an airfield for quite some time before. Orville Wright even visited it during his world tour - an Ohio connection, yay! It closed in 2008, as a part of a plan to construct a new airport, and also close Tegel Airport, another Berlin port. However, the new location has not yet been completed.
After wandering around for about an hour, we walked home through the Kiez. I saw a lot of small shops, cafes, restaurants, a church with its spire chopped off, and a Bücherboxx, which is a 'take a book, leave a book' exchange. It was really neat to see. I'm looking forward to exploring this area even more.
That evening, we went to see my host-brother in a performance in a older powerhouse. The building itself was really neat, and the performance itself was very interesting. And by that I mean, I believe it was bizarre, or as they say now, "contemporary," something that was amplified by the fact that it was all in German. Ask me about it sometime when I'm drunk.
Today was the first day of classes, so I officially began learning about the history, cinema and language of this wonderful nation in which I am residing. It's nice to start on learning things again, but Mondays will be long days, with classes from 10-6 with small breaks in between. Today, my small adventures included trying currywurst for lunch, which was surprising to me as it was just be a hot dog, covered in ketchup and curry powder (I thought it was more).
After class, everyone else headed off to find food or office supplies, but I cut off to wander around the church that is down the street from the study center. It was completely gorgeous, of course, it's called Zionskirche. However, it didn't seem to be open to the public, so I kept wandering. That's the beauty of a city like Berlin, you can walk until you find public transport.
I ended up back at Bernauer Straße, and decided to follow the wall, which is marked by a line of cobblestones all around the city. I read more at various info panels along the path, and kept walking until I had unintentionally made a full circle back to the Dr. Pong bar I had been at on Saturday night. From there, it was a short walk to the U-Bahn station at the corner, and I headed home.
Another minor victory, besides the currywurst and the exploring, was that I had another chai tea latte today and am interacting better with the locals. I'm trying to use German as much as I can, so it is a small kind of accomplishment I suppose. I'd like to find a coffee shop and a bar that I can become a regular in. Hopefully, if I acquire a local friend and/or language partner, that will be completed quickly.
This evening consisted of dinner with everyone in my host family, the first time the five of us have eaten together, a frustrating session of fighting with Skype to talk to V, and catching up with emails. Nothing super exciting to a reader of this blog. Tomorrow, a paperwork session to get my visa, an academic advising meeting and a trip to the Film Museum at Potsdamer Platz.
Tschüss!
We walked about ten minutes to Tempelhof, the sight of a former airport, and now a park. It's a massive open space, with everything still in place, runways, terminal, etc. As the daughter of a pilot, and one myself, it was wonderful. People were walking, running, biking, kiting, gardening, wind-skating/boarding, playing football, rugby, and frisbee, etc.
The airport terminal is massive (4,035 feet long), and was completed in 1941, although the site had been used as an airfield for quite some time before. Orville Wright even visited it during his world tour - an Ohio connection, yay! It closed in 2008, as a part of a plan to construct a new airport, and also close Tegel Airport, another Berlin port. However, the new location has not yet been completed.
After wandering around for about an hour, we walked home through the Kiez. I saw a lot of small shops, cafes, restaurants, a church with its spire chopped off, and a Bücherboxx, which is a 'take a book, leave a book' exchange. It was really neat to see. I'm looking forward to exploring this area even more.
That evening, we went to see my host-brother in a performance in a older powerhouse. The building itself was really neat, and the performance itself was very interesting. And by that I mean, I believe it was bizarre, or as they say now, "contemporary," something that was amplified by the fact that it was all in German. Ask me about it sometime when I'm drunk.
Today was the first day of classes, so I officially began learning about the history, cinema and language of this wonderful nation in which I am residing. It's nice to start on learning things again, but Mondays will be long days, with classes from 10-6 with small breaks in between. Today, my small adventures included trying currywurst for lunch, which was surprising to me as it was just be a hot dog, covered in ketchup and curry powder (I thought it was more).
After class, everyone else headed off to find food or office supplies, but I cut off to wander around the church that is down the street from the study center. It was completely gorgeous, of course, it's called Zionskirche. However, it didn't seem to be open to the public, so I kept wandering. That's the beauty of a city like Berlin, you can walk until you find public transport.
I ended up back at Bernauer Straße, and decided to follow the wall, which is marked by a line of cobblestones all around the city. I read more at various info panels along the path, and kept walking until I had unintentionally made a full circle back to the Dr. Pong bar I had been at on Saturday night. From there, it was a short walk to the U-Bahn station at the corner, and I headed home.
Another minor victory, besides the currywurst and the exploring, was that I had another chai tea latte today and am interacting better with the locals. I'm trying to use German as much as I can, so it is a small kind of accomplishment I suppose. I'd like to find a coffee shop and a bar that I can become a regular in. Hopefully, if I acquire a local friend and/or language partner, that will be completed quickly.
This evening consisted of dinner with everyone in my host family, the first time the five of us have eaten together, a frustrating session of fighting with Skype to talk to V, and catching up with emails. Nothing super exciting to a reader of this blog. Tomorrow, a paperwork session to get my visa, an academic advising meeting and a trip to the Film Museum at Potsdamer Platz.
Tschüss!
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