I've had this post idea for a while, but I'm just now getting around to writing it, so here we go.
Twelve days ago was the absolute halfway point of my time in Germany. I had been here for fifty-five days and I had fifty-five days remaining. Now the numbers are at sixty-three and forty-eight. Eek.
It's incredibly weird to think that over two months ago I was freaking out about coming here. Each day on my TimeHop app, new posts are pulled up regarding my anticipation and nervousness regarding this semester as I choose my location, program, and semester, and then began to sort out details. Back then my mental image of what this semester was going to look like was completely blank. And within a matter of about forty-eight hours after I arrived, it was filled in.
It's insane how quickly you can adjust to such a drastic change. Every day that I'm here, I have to remind myself that where I am is not normal for me, even though it seems like it. When I'm riding the U-Bahn or walking to class, it feels natural and normal, but it's not. All of this is only temporary. I'm only here for about three and a half months. This is only a small quick period in my life and yet it feels so overwhelmingly long and large.
I've wanted to write this post for a while, and meant to do it in the first few weeks. Now, when I'm getting around to it, I'm more than halfway in, and this last month and a half will go racing by. I leave in two days for my spring break. When I return to Berlin, my parents will be here. Once they depart, I go to Hamburg. Afterwards, my grandfather and his wife are also visiting. Potentially after that, other friends are visiting, and I may travel to Dresden or Poland. And fitted between all of this are my classes, excursions, papers, presentations, finals, birthday parties, picnics, and everyday life.
These last forty three days are going to FLY, so here's to making each and every day matter, and allowing nothing to be normal.
Prost, Berlin! Let's make it count. 43 days and counting.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Miscellaneous Adventures and Spring Break Prep!
Greetings, friends, family and strangers of the internet. It's been a while since I've written about what's been happening, so here we go.
Thursday morning was spent in class, and during my three and a half hour break, a friend and I wandered around Pankow, petting goats, and exploring parks on a wonderfully nice day. Afterwards, I had architecture, where we attended the summit of the architecture and design program that also runs out of my study center. It was a frustrating experience, as my class was split up into workshops, where we were supposed to observe, according to my professor. However, the members said workshops seemed to expect us to be able to contribute something to their technical brainstorming, which made for an awkward two hours. Following that lovely experience, I attended a theater performance with my host mother and her friend.
The performance was enjoyable during the first forty minutes, at least for me, and the set design and lighting were absolutely stunning. However, it became quite weird, ending in about three minutes of farting noises from three fleshy blobs on the stage. Did I mention that this was performance of Oedipus Rex?
Like I said, buy me a drink and we can talk about German theater.
However, the evening was enjoyable, as my host mother's friend spoke perfect English having been raised in Scotland, so she had a touch of an accent. Afterwards, I called it a night and collapsed.
The next day was a lazy day, with time devoted to figuring out my courses for my next semester at home, summer work and housing, and just logistically important details for a number of things. I didn't change out of my pajamas until about three and it was wonderful. That evening, I went for a walk around the Tiergarten by myself, and saw the Bellevue Palace where the president of Germany lives. The flags there, and at the Reichstag and other federal buildings were all at half-mast in honor of the GermanWings crash. It was a pretty miserable night in terms of weather so after wandering around the federal district and the park, I headed home.
Saturday, I had another lazy morning and then met up with my local friend and her friend for crepes at a Kreuzberg cafe, which were delicious. It was a nice day to be out, and then I met up with another friend that afternoon, and we climbed the Victory Column in the middle of the Tiergarten. It was the perfect day and time to do it as the sun was starting to lower in the sky, it was fairly clear and you could the far outskirts of Berlin, with the Tiergarten stretching out immediately at your feet. The only downside was the viewing platform was quite small and very crowded, making movement difficult. The base of the column consists of marble and a tile mosaic depicting a Prussian military victory, both are gorgeous, despite having missing chunks in the stone due to World War II.
Following that, we traveled to the Ku'Damn, one of the main avenues in the city, where we ate at Curry '36, the best place in town for currywurst. Then we wandered around a mall at Alexanderplatz to warm up and then headed to a bar for a beer to close the evening. All in all it was a good day. Sunday was my third lazy morning in a row, and the afternoon consisted of wandering around the city via the S and U-Bahn. It was a pretty miserable day and nothing particularly exciting happened, other than the fact that my grandfather and his wife announced that they will be visiting me in late April from their home in England. I haven't seen them in over two years, so that'll be great!
Yesterday, I had class, which was smaller than usual due to the slow trickle of students leaving early for their spring break. It was nice with fewer people, and we played several games and learned about possessive pronouns. My German history course dragged, as my professor is a sweetheart but tends to ramble in a monotone about the topic at hand.
That afternoon, I spent at home being productive. I began to pack for my spring break, vacuumed, dusted, figured out my schedule for next semester when I return home, and applied to be a summer RA at my school (free housing was definitely appealing). I also Facetimed my mother which was nice, especially because in a little over a week, I'll be able to see her and my father as they're coming to Berlin. However, despite my productivity, I did not finish what I needed to get done, in short, my architecture homework. That will be this afternoon's project, as well as laundry.
Currently, I'm sitting in class at the partner college - it's super boring, and I can't really pay attention (sorry, Mom, the stuff isn't important anyway). I just finished my proposal for my departmental honors application, which I'm quite excited about, as I'll be examining the roles of the American Women Air Force Service Pilots, the British Women's Auxiliary Air Force, and the Soviet Night Witches in World War II and how they dealt with gender roles and societal barriers. Next up will be my first architecture response, and then who knows? I may be in a boring class, but at least I'm productive.
Tomorrow is a free day and then Thursday I depart for Amsterdam, my first stop on spring break. I'm quite excited, especially to get away from the miserable weather that Berlin is currently having. This morning I woke up and thought I was in Ohio, as it was thirty degrees, windy as hell and snowing furiously.
I'm sure I'll have more later, as always. I'm sorry this post was fairly rushed and slightly boring, but hey, it's MY blog. Tschüss!
Thursday morning was spent in class, and during my three and a half hour break, a friend and I wandered around Pankow, petting goats, and exploring parks on a wonderfully nice day. Afterwards, I had architecture, where we attended the summit of the architecture and design program that also runs out of my study center. It was a frustrating experience, as my class was split up into workshops, where we were supposed to observe, according to my professor. However, the members said workshops seemed to expect us to be able to contribute something to their technical brainstorming, which made for an awkward two hours. Following that lovely experience, I attended a theater performance with my host mother and her friend.
The performance was enjoyable during the first forty minutes, at least for me, and the set design and lighting were absolutely stunning. However, it became quite weird, ending in about three minutes of farting noises from three fleshy blobs on the stage. Did I mention that this was performance of Oedipus Rex?
Like I said, buy me a drink and we can talk about German theater.
However, the evening was enjoyable, as my host mother's friend spoke perfect English having been raised in Scotland, so she had a touch of an accent. Afterwards, I called it a night and collapsed.
The next day was a lazy day, with time devoted to figuring out my courses for my next semester at home, summer work and housing, and just logistically important details for a number of things. I didn't change out of my pajamas until about three and it was wonderful. That evening, I went for a walk around the Tiergarten by myself, and saw the Bellevue Palace where the president of Germany lives. The flags there, and at the Reichstag and other federal buildings were all at half-mast in honor of the GermanWings crash. It was a pretty miserable night in terms of weather so after wandering around the federal district and the park, I headed home.
Saturday, I had another lazy morning and then met up with my local friend and her friend for crepes at a Kreuzberg cafe, which were delicious. It was a nice day to be out, and then I met up with another friend that afternoon, and we climbed the Victory Column in the middle of the Tiergarten. It was the perfect day and time to do it as the sun was starting to lower in the sky, it was fairly clear and you could the far outskirts of Berlin, with the Tiergarten stretching out immediately at your feet. The only downside was the viewing platform was quite small and very crowded, making movement difficult. The base of the column consists of marble and a tile mosaic depicting a Prussian military victory, both are gorgeous, despite having missing chunks in the stone due to World War II.
Following that, we traveled to the Ku'Damn, one of the main avenues in the city, where we ate at Curry '36, the best place in town for currywurst. Then we wandered around a mall at Alexanderplatz to warm up and then headed to a bar for a beer to close the evening. All in all it was a good day. Sunday was my third lazy morning in a row, and the afternoon consisted of wandering around the city via the S and U-Bahn. It was a pretty miserable day and nothing particularly exciting happened, other than the fact that my grandfather and his wife announced that they will be visiting me in late April from their home in England. I haven't seen them in over two years, so that'll be great!
Yesterday, I had class, which was smaller than usual due to the slow trickle of students leaving early for their spring break. It was nice with fewer people, and we played several games and learned about possessive pronouns. My German history course dragged, as my professor is a sweetheart but tends to ramble in a monotone about the topic at hand.
That afternoon, I spent at home being productive. I began to pack for my spring break, vacuumed, dusted, figured out my schedule for next semester when I return home, and applied to be a summer RA at my school (free housing was definitely appealing). I also Facetimed my mother which was nice, especially because in a little over a week, I'll be able to see her and my father as they're coming to Berlin. However, despite my productivity, I did not finish what I needed to get done, in short, my architecture homework. That will be this afternoon's project, as well as laundry.
Currently, I'm sitting in class at the partner college - it's super boring, and I can't really pay attention (sorry, Mom, the stuff isn't important anyway). I just finished my proposal for my departmental honors application, which I'm quite excited about, as I'll be examining the roles of the American Women Air Force Service Pilots, the British Women's Auxiliary Air Force, and the Soviet Night Witches in World War II and how they dealt with gender roles and societal barriers. Next up will be my first architecture response, and then who knows? I may be in a boring class, but at least I'm productive.
Tomorrow is a free day and then Thursday I depart for Amsterdam, my first stop on spring break. I'm quite excited, especially to get away from the miserable weather that Berlin is currently having. This morning I woke up and thought I was in Ohio, as it was thirty degrees, windy as hell and snowing furiously.
I'm sure I'll have more later, as always. I'm sorry this post was fairly rushed and slightly boring, but hey, it's MY blog. Tschüss!
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Home Away From Home
I realize that most of you will not be interested in this post, as this is mainly for myself, so feel free to skip this (and yes, it's another cheesy generic title).
My room is off the kitchen, requiring me to amble past my host-family each morning with my wonderful bedhead and in pajamas to go shower. The door is squeaky and whines every time I open it more than a foot, something that makes me cringe when I arise early or return late. However, I awake early each morning to kitchen noises, the kettle whistling, the sink running, or my younger host-brother chattering.
The room itself is about twenty long and eight feet wide, with the door located in the left corner of the room and a high ceiling. The only window takes up most of the far wall, and underneath it is the radiator, that often warms my back while I sit on the floor and do homework. Five shelves run about eight feet lengthwise down the right side of my room, with the majority of them being too high for me too reach. Five more shelves, about two feet wide, run slightly behind the door, and are lower than the others, but still high. On the white walls of my room are old posters for the Berlinale, drawings, and artsy photographs. The floor is covered slightly by a large colorful but worn rug, and a smaller faux white fur run.
In the corner by the radiator and window are a blue chair that I hang my wet laundry on, and the opposite corner contains my bedside table, accompanied by my bed. Both are lower to the ground, and the latter takes up the majority of the width of the room, leaving an awkward foot-wide space between the other wall and it's end, requiring me to either step onto the bed to get to the window or awkwardly bend under the shelves that run over the gap.
Past my bed stands my suitcase, which I've turned into a makeshift rolling laptop desk, and my wardrobe, which wobbles a little and stands thin but tall, dominating the room. Next to that is my lamp that is designed to look like cattails and flowers. It is easy to catch clothes on and often rattles when nudged.
Across from said lamp and my wardrobe is my desk, consisting of a glass top supported by two wooden sawhorses. Underneath the glass lie my photos of my family, friends and home. To the right of it, near the door, in the opposite corner is a sleeping mat and pillow which have been turned into a makeshift lounge area on which I read.
The first shelf in the longer system is for my things, and it is from the supports of this that I have hung an ornament I found on the street, my toiletries case, as well as my case for my writing utensils, deck of cards, sleeping mask, earplugs and other miscellaneous items. Above them runs the shelf containing my many scarves, neatly folded and organized according to color. Next to them lies a mirror, surrounded by my jewelry, contacts case and glasses case. Behind them stands postcards, cards and letters from my family and friends. I've received the most letters out of anyone in my program and each one makes me smile.
Further down are:
This is my home away from home. I'm so happy to have my own space, and to be able to customize it slightly to make it more familiar and less foreign and bare. I'm quite fond of it, and will be sad when everything is once again packed into a suitcase.
My room is off the kitchen, requiring me to amble past my host-family each morning with my wonderful bedhead and in pajamas to go shower. The door is squeaky and whines every time I open it more than a foot, something that makes me cringe when I arise early or return late. However, I awake early each morning to kitchen noises, the kettle whistling, the sink running, or my younger host-brother chattering.
The room itself is about twenty long and eight feet wide, with the door located in the left corner of the room and a high ceiling. The only window takes up most of the far wall, and underneath it is the radiator, that often warms my back while I sit on the floor and do homework. Five shelves run about eight feet lengthwise down the right side of my room, with the majority of them being too high for me too reach. Five more shelves, about two feet wide, run slightly behind the door, and are lower than the others, but still high. On the white walls of my room are old posters for the Berlinale, drawings, and artsy photographs. The floor is covered slightly by a large colorful but worn rug, and a smaller faux white fur run.
In the corner by the radiator and window are a blue chair that I hang my wet laundry on, and the opposite corner contains my bedside table, accompanied by my bed. Both are lower to the ground, and the latter takes up the majority of the width of the room, leaving an awkward foot-wide space between the other wall and it's end, requiring me to either step onto the bed to get to the window or awkwardly bend under the shelves that run over the gap.
Past my bed stands my suitcase, which I've turned into a makeshift rolling laptop desk, and my wardrobe, which wobbles a little and stands thin but tall, dominating the room. Next to that is my lamp that is designed to look like cattails and flowers. It is easy to catch clothes on and often rattles when nudged.
Across from said lamp and my wardrobe is my desk, consisting of a glass top supported by two wooden sawhorses. Underneath the glass lie my photos of my family, friends and home. To the right of it, near the door, in the opposite corner is a sleeping mat and pillow which have been turned into a makeshift lounge area on which I read.
The first shelf in the longer system is for my things, and it is from the supports of this that I have hung an ornament I found on the street, my toiletries case, as well as my case for my writing utensils, deck of cards, sleeping mask, earplugs and other miscellaneous items. Above them runs the shelf containing my many scarves, neatly folded and organized according to color. Next to them lies a mirror, surrounded by my jewelry, contacts case and glasses case. Behind them stands postcards, cards and letters from my family and friends. I've received the most letters out of anyone in my program and each one makes me smile.
Further down are:
- small collection of toys I've acquired from KinderEggs
- grey stone from a lake by my house
- miniature Easter Island head, borrowed from my house at school
- photos of myself, my parents and grandmother
- old postcard of my school's campus
- name tag from my room door at school, made from a map
- drawing that states 'Where there is tea, there is hope,' with a small cup of tea
- box of Yorkshire Tea
- old postcard of the skyline of my father's hometown and its three cathedrals
- an anonymous note I received as a freshman that reminds me that I am loved which was accompanied by...
- two paper origami dragons, one pink and one blue
- an ornament consisting of three different sized stars on different axis, hanging from the shelf support
This is my home away from home. I'm so happy to have my own space, and to be able to customize it slightly to make it more familiar and less foreign and bare. I'm quite fond of it, and will be sad when everything is once again packed into a suitcase.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Title To Be Determined
This post is off-topic and a week late but here we go.
Four years and seven days ago, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The news came in the spring of my junior year in high school, right as a frenzy of standardized tests, college visits, and other crazy parts of life kicked off. The next six months were filled with my mother undergoing surgery, recovery, and chemo.
I had gotten my drivers license the day before my mother received the diagnosis, and so she waited until a couple days after to tell me as not to ruin my euphoria of my new found freedom. Funnily enough, it was fortunate that I had gotten it, because I ended up being the one driving her to doctor's and chemo appointments during the summer.
Today, my mother is healthy and cancer-free, and although she's still sporting chemo curls, she's as strong and as beautiful as ever. It's weird not being able to share a cup of tea with her with our cat yowling for attention in the background. It's weird not being able to to call her at any moment when I need advice or someone to talk to. It's weird not teasing her about her hair and having her yell at me when I don't to the dishes. It's weird not to have our normal three-generation breakfast with her and my grandmother. It's weird not walking around the lake near my house and soaking in the beauty with her. It's weird not running errands with her, trading off between driving and navigating. It's bizarre not being home and being able to hug her and tell her how much I love her.
With my grandmother and her, I'm extremely close two incredibly strong women in my life. Between them, they've dealt with tragedy in all forms and yet still manage to have a positive outlook on life, and make instant friends with strangers. If I become even half of a person they are, I will consider it an accomplishment.
Momma, Grandma, I'm so proud of you and miss you both so much.
Love,
Sarah
My mother has a blog about her cancer lessons if you would like to check it out here.
Four years and seven days ago, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The news came in the spring of my junior year in high school, right as a frenzy of standardized tests, college visits, and other crazy parts of life kicked off. The next six months were filled with my mother undergoing surgery, recovery, and chemo.
I had gotten my drivers license the day before my mother received the diagnosis, and so she waited until a couple days after to tell me as not to ruin my euphoria of my new found freedom. Funnily enough, it was fortunate that I had gotten it, because I ended up being the one driving her to doctor's and chemo appointments during the summer.
Today, my mother is healthy and cancer-free, and although she's still sporting chemo curls, she's as strong and as beautiful as ever. It's weird not being able to share a cup of tea with her with our cat yowling for attention in the background. It's weird not being able to to call her at any moment when I need advice or someone to talk to. It's weird not teasing her about her hair and having her yell at me when I don't to the dishes. It's weird not to have our normal three-generation breakfast with her and my grandmother. It's weird not walking around the lake near my house and soaking in the beauty with her. It's weird not running errands with her, trading off between driving and navigating. It's bizarre not being home and being able to hug her and tell her how much I love her.
With my grandmother and her, I'm extremely close two incredibly strong women in my life. Between them, they've dealt with tragedy in all forms and yet still manage to have a positive outlook on life, and make instant friends with strangers. If I become even half of a person they are, I will consider it an accomplishment.
Momma, Grandma, I'm so proud of you and miss you both so much.
Love,
Sarah
My mother has a blog about her cancer lessons if you would like to check it out here.
Sachenhausen - Thoughts
Over a week ago, my program visited Sachenhausen Concentration Camp, located in Oranienburg, about thirty minutes outside of Berlin. It was an appropriate day in terms of the weather, cold, overcast, and rainy.
When we arrived, we sat through a twenty minute presentation about the history of the camp, and then received a tour around the former prisoners area. During this we saw the barracks that the Jewish prisoners were housed in, the isolation unit for special prisoners, the former kitchen, now a museum, the Soviet memorial to murdered political prisoners, the execution trench for resistance fighters, and a building where the executions and cremations of prisoners were carried out.
Sachenhausen was not an extermination camp, but mass murder did occur there, as well as death caused by disease, starvation, overwork and extreme mistreatment. The barracks and the extermination building were both extremely overwhelming to view.
I'm not quite sure what I can really say about my visit, despite having had several weeks to process it now. I'm of the belief that if one has the opportunity to visit a concentration or extermination camp, that it should happen because it does provide an entirely different perspective.
That's all I really have to say on the topic.
When we arrived, we sat through a twenty minute presentation about the history of the camp, and then received a tour around the former prisoners area. During this we saw the barracks that the Jewish prisoners were housed in, the isolation unit for special prisoners, the former kitchen, now a museum, the Soviet memorial to murdered political prisoners, the execution trench for resistance fighters, and a building where the executions and cremations of prisoners were carried out.
Sachenhausen was not an extermination camp, but mass murder did occur there, as well as death caused by disease, starvation, overwork and extreme mistreatment. The barracks and the extermination building were both extremely overwhelming to view.
I'm not quite sure what I can really say about my visit, despite having had several weeks to process it now. I'm of the belief that if one has the opportunity to visit a concentration or extermination camp, that it should happen because it does provide an entirely different perspective.
That's all I really have to say on the topic.
Mixed Days and Migraines
The past two days have been fairly uneventful, but as ever, I will be faithful in recording my adventures.
Monday was, as per usual, spent in class at the study center. I had German in the morning and the rest of the afternoon free due to my history class being cancelled. My friend and I hung out in the center attempting to do a German crossword puzzle together, which was challenging. After we gave up, he feel asleep on the bean bag chairs, and I headed home, since I had nothing else to do. That evening I spent time with my host family, talking with my hostmom and older host-brother about a variety of topics over tea. It was quite nice and soothing.
I also received a belated Valentine from a friend and a package from my significant other, filled with all sorts of goodies. V send me Cheez-Its, English Smarties, Pocky, some type of Asian candy, a letter, a voucher for hugs, a stuffed red blood cell plushie, and other small things. Someone in my program remarked that I'm always getting mail, and it's true. In the nearly sixty days that I have been here, I've received five packages and over twenty letters. At two things a week, that's more mail than anyone else in the program and it makes me feel quite loved.
Tuesday was another day wasted at the partner college across town. I arose early, and made myself a cup of tea to go with breakfast before I left. It was the first morning cup of my personal tea that I've had since I arrived, and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed waking up with it. At the partner college, I sat through two long classes that were quite boring, and when it was finally over, a friend and I headed back to my homestay to chill out before our brewery tour that evening. We spent the time showing each other our homes, schools, homes at schools and other important places in our lives.
Then, we headed to the Berliner-Kindl-Schultheiss-Brauerei by an incredibly crowded train and tram. We met up with the rest of the group and received a tour of the brewery which was pretty interesting. However, the highlight of the night was dinner (schnitzel, gravy, potatoes, peas and carrots) and the unlimited beer tasting. I sampled the Schultheiss Pilsner, and two of their beers mixed with syrup, one pomegranate, the other raspberry. I also traded sips with others, and tried the Berliner Kindl Pilsner, the Berliner Bürgerbrau Rotkelchen, the Märkischer Landmann, the Schöfferhoer Hefeweizen and the beers mixed with black currant and grapefruit.
Overall, it was a pretty fun night, and it was nice to relax a little and unwind over some drinks. A little before the tasting was due to end, my friend and I headed home. I fell asleep pretty early, but woke up a little before two in the morning. I started messaging some people from home, and one of them reminded me that his radio show was going to air at two (nine his time). So, I stayed up, listening to two of my friends broadcast their radio show, while also continuing to talk to others who were up. It was really soothing to hear peoples' voices from home, especially those who I don't Skype regularly. A small bout of homesickness hit, but it was manageable and bittersweet.
This morning, in contrast to last night, was not fun, as I immediately battled a migraine upon awaking. Migraines are never fun, and this one was even less so, due to the fact that the downstairs neighbor is renovating his apartment, and spent most of the morning hammering and sawing. Additionally, my homestay is on the corner of a fairly busy intersection, so it's pretty loud during the day with engines, people chattering and sirens every half-hour or so. Finally, the trifecta of terrible things with a migraine was that my bed is located right next to the window, and my curtain is quite thin, so even when it is shut, the room is light.
However, I managed to make the most of it, by covering the window with a heavy blanket, dousing my winter fleece headband in water for my eyes, and using an eyemask and earplugs to try and block out a lot of the noise and light. Fortunately, I also had medication which also helped relieve some of the pain.
Now, I'm taking it easy, since it subsided about two hours ago. I may go for a walk later, but for now, I'm pretty content to just relax on my bed and do homework. Tomorrow, I again have class, and for architecture, will be attending a summit regarding the land of the former death strip that the city of Berlin is trying to determine what to do with.
Next Thursday, I leave for my spring break, and I'm quite excited. I've been looking at sites in Malta and I couldn't be more ecstatic to be traveling there.
Also, in the past two days, this blog hit over a thousand views. So, thanks, friends, family and internet strangers for keeping up with my adventures and boring days. It means a lot when I hear that you've read even one post, or several.
Monday was, as per usual, spent in class at the study center. I had German in the morning and the rest of the afternoon free due to my history class being cancelled. My friend and I hung out in the center attempting to do a German crossword puzzle together, which was challenging. After we gave up, he feel asleep on the bean bag chairs, and I headed home, since I had nothing else to do. That evening I spent time with my host family, talking with my hostmom and older host-brother about a variety of topics over tea. It was quite nice and soothing.
I also received a belated Valentine from a friend and a package from my significant other, filled with all sorts of goodies. V send me Cheez-Its, English Smarties, Pocky, some type of Asian candy, a letter, a voucher for hugs, a stuffed red blood cell plushie, and other small things. Someone in my program remarked that I'm always getting mail, and it's true. In the nearly sixty days that I have been here, I've received five packages and over twenty letters. At two things a week, that's more mail than anyone else in the program and it makes me feel quite loved.
Tuesday was another day wasted at the partner college across town. I arose early, and made myself a cup of tea to go with breakfast before I left. It was the first morning cup of my personal tea that I've had since I arrived, and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed waking up with it. At the partner college, I sat through two long classes that were quite boring, and when it was finally over, a friend and I headed back to my homestay to chill out before our brewery tour that evening. We spent the time showing each other our homes, schools, homes at schools and other important places in our lives.
Then, we headed to the Berliner-Kindl-Schultheiss-Brauerei by an incredibly crowded train and tram. We met up with the rest of the group and received a tour of the brewery which was pretty interesting. However, the highlight of the night was dinner (schnitzel, gravy, potatoes, peas and carrots) and the unlimited beer tasting. I sampled the Schultheiss Pilsner, and two of their beers mixed with syrup, one pomegranate, the other raspberry. I also traded sips with others, and tried the Berliner Kindl Pilsner, the Berliner Bürgerbrau Rotkelchen, the Märkischer Landmann, the Schöfferhoer Hefeweizen and the beers mixed with black currant and grapefruit.
Overall, it was a pretty fun night, and it was nice to relax a little and unwind over some drinks. A little before the tasting was due to end, my friend and I headed home. I fell asleep pretty early, but woke up a little before two in the morning. I started messaging some people from home, and one of them reminded me that his radio show was going to air at two (nine his time). So, I stayed up, listening to two of my friends broadcast their radio show, while also continuing to talk to others who were up. It was really soothing to hear peoples' voices from home, especially those who I don't Skype regularly. A small bout of homesickness hit, but it was manageable and bittersweet.
This morning, in contrast to last night, was not fun, as I immediately battled a migraine upon awaking. Migraines are never fun, and this one was even less so, due to the fact that the downstairs neighbor is renovating his apartment, and spent most of the morning hammering and sawing. Additionally, my homestay is on the corner of a fairly busy intersection, so it's pretty loud during the day with engines, people chattering and sirens every half-hour or so. Finally, the trifecta of terrible things with a migraine was that my bed is located right next to the window, and my curtain is quite thin, so even when it is shut, the room is light.
However, I managed to make the most of it, by covering the window with a heavy blanket, dousing my winter fleece headband in water for my eyes, and using an eyemask and earplugs to try and block out a lot of the noise and light. Fortunately, I also had medication which also helped relieve some of the pain.
Now, I'm taking it easy, since it subsided about two hours ago. I may go for a walk later, but for now, I'm pretty content to just relax on my bed and do homework. Tomorrow, I again have class, and for architecture, will be attending a summit regarding the land of the former death strip that the city of Berlin is trying to determine what to do with.
Next Thursday, I leave for my spring break, and I'm quite excited. I've been looking at sites in Malta and I couldn't be more ecstatic to be traveling there.
Also, in the past two days, this blog hit over a thousand views. So, thanks, friends, family and internet strangers for keeping up with my adventures and boring days. It means a lot when I hear that you've read even one post, or several.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Teufelsberg, and Wannsee - Closing an Insane Week.
Okay, so I'm typing this up quickly before I turn in for the night because I've had an excellent day and I want to document it.
First things first, today, I got to pet a cat for the first time in months and it was incredible.
Additionally, I went to Teufelsberg, which is German for Devil's Mountain. Located in the forest of Grundewald, It's a mountain created from rubble from Berlin following World War II. As one of the highest points in the city, during the division of the country, the United States constructed a listening station to help eavesdrop in on the Soviets to find out information about troop movements and other important details. Nowadays, the station is in between states, as it is owned by a private investor who cannot do anything with it due to city rules and regulations. So, it sits in a state of disrepair, decay, and spray paint.
Tours are regularly offered and so I accompanied a friend and his host parents on one. Our guide was an American who had previously worked there when the listening post was operational and the entire tour was fascinating. Almost all of the station is covered in graffiti and street art, and while we were there, a group was working on a project, filming, painting and playing loud music that filled the derelict buildings. The course of the tour took us through the main building, and up to the top of the highest radome, where the view was stunning and the aesthetics (meaning: graffiti) were awesome.
The entire place has this wild and free feel to it, something that is very different compared to what it probably felt like more than twenty years ago when it was highly restricted and controlled. Nowadays, street artists and 'free spirits' have taken over, making it an entirely new world. I'm not really giving my visit any justice, but it was pretty hard to describe what it was like there.
Afterwards, I went to the homestay of my friend, and had dinner with him and his host family. They're an incredibly fascinating couple, having lived through the last sixty or more years of German history. Each one had stories about life in divided Berlin, and those, complimented with a delicious dinner, made an excellent afternoon. Afterwards, my friend and I walked along the lake at Wannsee, near where they live, and then returned for cake, after which I headed home.
I took a regional train back to Berlin, and before I switched to the U-Bahn at Alexanderplatz, I took a small stroll around the base of the TV tower, and saw a beautiful dusk stretched out before me. Then, I headed home where I completed homework and did laundry.
Yesterday, I met up with another visiting friend, and between taking the wrong train and helping clueless but funny Brits, we visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the accompanying Information Center (very good, highly recommend it), the Brandenburg Gate, and East Side Gallery. We also had a lovely lunch at Alexanderplatz, where I managed to communicate mostly in German with our waiter, which made me very happy. That evening, I attended a dance performance produced by Meg Stuart with my host brother which was interesting. I enjoyed it mainly because I was able to get to know him even more through our conversations while on the U-Bahn.
Between having three friends visit, painting the East Side Gallery, attending classes, exploring Kreuzberg and Charlottenburg, and visiting Teufelsberg, it's been an insane week that has only confirmed even more something that I've known for a while. Berlin is a city like no other. It's 'sexy but poor' but has an aura all of its own. The people, the cultures, the building, the history, everything contributes to what makes Berlin, Berlin, and even then, you can not fully identify what causes it to feel so special. I picked the right city to study abroad in.
Life is good. Time me to sleep. Gute Nacht.
First things first, today, I got to pet a cat for the first time in months and it was incredible.
Additionally, I went to Teufelsberg, which is German for Devil's Mountain. Located in the forest of Grundewald, It's a mountain created from rubble from Berlin following World War II. As one of the highest points in the city, during the division of the country, the United States constructed a listening station to help eavesdrop in on the Soviets to find out information about troop movements and other important details. Nowadays, the station is in between states, as it is owned by a private investor who cannot do anything with it due to city rules and regulations. So, it sits in a state of disrepair, decay, and spray paint.
Tours are regularly offered and so I accompanied a friend and his host parents on one. Our guide was an American who had previously worked there when the listening post was operational and the entire tour was fascinating. Almost all of the station is covered in graffiti and street art, and while we were there, a group was working on a project, filming, painting and playing loud music that filled the derelict buildings. The course of the tour took us through the main building, and up to the top of the highest radome, where the view was stunning and the aesthetics (meaning: graffiti) were awesome.
The entire place has this wild and free feel to it, something that is very different compared to what it probably felt like more than twenty years ago when it was highly restricted and controlled. Nowadays, street artists and 'free spirits' have taken over, making it an entirely new world. I'm not really giving my visit any justice, but it was pretty hard to describe what it was like there.
Afterwards, I went to the homestay of my friend, and had dinner with him and his host family. They're an incredibly fascinating couple, having lived through the last sixty or more years of German history. Each one had stories about life in divided Berlin, and those, complimented with a delicious dinner, made an excellent afternoon. Afterwards, my friend and I walked along the lake at Wannsee, near where they live, and then returned for cake, after which I headed home.
I took a regional train back to Berlin, and before I switched to the U-Bahn at Alexanderplatz, I took a small stroll around the base of the TV tower, and saw a beautiful dusk stretched out before me. Then, I headed home where I completed homework and did laundry.
Yesterday, I met up with another visiting friend, and between taking the wrong train and helping clueless but funny Brits, we visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the accompanying Information Center (very good, highly recommend it), the Brandenburg Gate, and East Side Gallery. We also had a lovely lunch at Alexanderplatz, where I managed to communicate mostly in German with our waiter, which made me very happy. That evening, I attended a dance performance produced by Meg Stuart with my host brother which was interesting. I enjoyed it mainly because I was able to get to know him even more through our conversations while on the U-Bahn.
Between having three friends visit, painting the East Side Gallery, attending classes, exploring Kreuzberg and Charlottenburg, and visiting Teufelsberg, it's been an insane week that has only confirmed even more something that I've known for a while. Berlin is a city like no other. It's 'sexy but poor' but has an aura all of its own. The people, the cultures, the building, the history, everything contributes to what makes Berlin, Berlin, and even then, you can not fully identify what causes it to feel so special. I picked the right city to study abroad in.
Life is good. Time me to sleep. Gute Nacht.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Prussians and Palaces
As ever, life keeps rolling on, so here we go with my recollection of the past two days. After my make-up class on Wednesday, my friend and I grabbed a beer at a local cafe, and then we both headed home. It was a pretty low-key day and I promise the next two days are more exciting.
Thursday, on the other hand, was filled with adventure due to the good weather. I had German in the morning and then during the three and a half hour gap before architecture, my friend and I explored Kreuzberg. During our walk, I found a wooden star-shaped Christmas ornament, and we encountered a woman who yelled racist things in German with an Italian accent for about a block after a young African man simply passed her on the sidewalk. It was pretty odd. After that, we walked along the Landwerkanal, seeing things such as the Deutsches Technik Museum, older churches, a cemetery, and Viktoriapark
The latter is a park in the south of the city, and consists of a hill with a waterfall running down the side. At the top is the Prussian National Monument for the Liberation Wars, designed by Karl Schinkel. However, although the monument is the main reason for the park, the thing that really stands out is the view, as much of Berlin is spread below the area. We sat on the steps below the monument for a while, soaking up the sun and the city.
Afterwards, we parted ways as I headed back to the study center to attend my architecture class, and then returned home after a long but good day. My back had stop hurting from the previous day, and I received a letter and a package from home. The package was from three of my close friends, and, despite being almost crushed by the postal system, contained Oreos, Welch Fruit Snacks, Twinings Tea and letters from each of the three. It really made my day, and the Oreos have already devoured as a testament to how much I miss American junk food.
Yesterday, I had a lazy morning, catching up slowly with my massive amount of German homework and other minor to-dos. I also saw the solar eclipse the best I could without special glasses (which was odd, how it was dark and light at the same time).
In the early afternoon, I met up with my friend and we explored the Schloss Charlottenburg and accompanying gardens. The castle itself was enjoyable, and although I was wary of the interior tour at first, it picked up and ended up being pretty interesting, primarily due to an interesting audio guide narrator (the Germans love audio guides, it's odd). The exterior gardens were gorgeous, and so was the accompanying area.
Eventually, after a long walk, we ended up in another platz, where we consumed delicious pasta from a chain restaurant that I can only describe as an Italian take on Chipotle. We topped it off with gelato from a place halfway across the city, but it was my friend's first time eating gelato, so it had to be worthwhile. It was, of course, delicious, and made me homesick, but so many things do. The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent relaxing at home.
The past two days I've had this sense of calm and acceptance regarding everything that is going on around me. It's been especially prevalent on my walks and train rides home in the afternoon and evening when the light of the sun has a special tone to it as it lights up the city buildings, roads, trains and people. Also supplementing it has been the music of a friend from my school, which makes me miss home but also almost makes me preemptively miss being in Berlin. I'm not really sure how to describe it. Either way, I'm happy with where I am and in fifty-eight days, when I'm back home, I'll be happy there too.
Today, I'm meeting up with another friend from my home school who is in town and will be once again playing tour guide, as I show off my city for the third time in a week. Tomorrow, I adventure to Grunewald, a forest within Berlin, where a former US listening post stands, which myself, my friend and his host family are getting a guided tour. I'm excited.
Thursday, on the other hand, was filled with adventure due to the good weather. I had German in the morning and then during the three and a half hour gap before architecture, my friend and I explored Kreuzberg. During our walk, I found a wooden star-shaped Christmas ornament, and we encountered a woman who yelled racist things in German with an Italian accent for about a block after a young African man simply passed her on the sidewalk. It was pretty odd. After that, we walked along the Landwerkanal, seeing things such as the Deutsches Technik Museum, older churches, a cemetery, and Viktoriapark
The latter is a park in the south of the city, and consists of a hill with a waterfall running down the side. At the top is the Prussian National Monument for the Liberation Wars, designed by Karl Schinkel. However, although the monument is the main reason for the park, the thing that really stands out is the view, as much of Berlin is spread below the area. We sat on the steps below the monument for a while, soaking up the sun and the city.
Afterwards, we parted ways as I headed back to the study center to attend my architecture class, and then returned home after a long but good day. My back had stop hurting from the previous day, and I received a letter and a package from home. The package was from three of my close friends, and, despite being almost crushed by the postal system, contained Oreos, Welch Fruit Snacks, Twinings Tea and letters from each of the three. It really made my day, and the Oreos have already devoured as a testament to how much I miss American junk food.
Yesterday, I had a lazy morning, catching up slowly with my massive amount of German homework and other minor to-dos. I also saw the solar eclipse the best I could without special glasses (which was odd, how it was dark and light at the same time).
In the early afternoon, I met up with my friend and we explored the Schloss Charlottenburg and accompanying gardens. The castle itself was enjoyable, and although I was wary of the interior tour at first, it picked up and ended up being pretty interesting, primarily due to an interesting audio guide narrator (the Germans love audio guides, it's odd). The exterior gardens were gorgeous, and so was the accompanying area.
Eventually, after a long walk, we ended up in another platz, where we consumed delicious pasta from a chain restaurant that I can only describe as an Italian take on Chipotle. We topped it off with gelato from a place halfway across the city, but it was my friend's first time eating gelato, so it had to be worthwhile. It was, of course, delicious, and made me homesick, but so many things do. The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent relaxing at home.
The past two days I've had this sense of calm and acceptance regarding everything that is going on around me. It's been especially prevalent on my walks and train rides home in the afternoon and evening when the light of the sun has a special tone to it as it lights up the city buildings, roads, trains and people. Also supplementing it has been the music of a friend from my school, which makes me miss home but also almost makes me preemptively miss being in Berlin. I'm not really sure how to describe it. Either way, I'm happy with where I am and in fifty-eight days, when I'm back home, I'll be happy there too.
Today, I'm meeting up with another friend from my home school who is in town and will be once again playing tour guide, as I show off my city for the third time in a week. Tomorrow, I adventure to Grunewald, a forest within Berlin, where a former US listening post stands, which myself, my friend and his host family are getting a guided tour. I'm excited.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Ten Small Things I Adore About Berlin
1) Street performers - from trumpets to guitars to harmonicas, they're everywhere and quite good. Yesterday, one of them performed a Spanish love song on an U-Bahn train, which was very soothing.
2) Turkish weddings - they drive through the city to and from the ceremony in a auto procession, each blaring its horn and waving flags. It's impossible not to feel the enthusiasm and happiness.
3) How accepting everyone is. Recently, a young woman, dressed 'punkishly' with half a shaved head, red and black spiked leather clothing and dark makeup, walked onto a train with baby in a stroller without anyone giving her a second glance.
4) The street art and stickers. Everywhere you look, there's graffiti and stickers, ranging from the mundane to incredible masterpieces.
5) Public transportation. Enough said.
6) Freshness of the history here. Most of it is not centuries old, but rather decades and you can still feel the currents at work.
7) Range of cultures that coexist and integrate peacefully, and how that results in delicious food and interesting overheard conversations.
8) Constant state of construction. Around every corner, there is a crane and a building site, as the city furiously works to improve itself.
9) Friendliness of the locals and how much they love this city. Everyone I've met has been so proud of Berlin and wanted to show or tell me something about it.
10) The ability to walk alone at night and not feel threatened or in danger.
2) Turkish weddings - they drive through the city to and from the ceremony in a auto procession, each blaring its horn and waving flags. It's impossible not to feel the enthusiasm and happiness.
3) How accepting everyone is. Recently, a young woman, dressed 'punkishly' with half a shaved head, red and black spiked leather clothing and dark makeup, walked onto a train with baby in a stroller without anyone giving her a second glance.
4) The street art and stickers. Everywhere you look, there's graffiti and stickers, ranging from the mundane to incredible masterpieces.
5) Public transportation. Enough said.
6) Freshness of the history here. Most of it is not centuries old, but rather decades and you can still feel the currents at work.
7) Range of cultures that coexist and integrate peacefully, and how that results in delicious food and interesting overheard conversations.
8) Constant state of construction. Around every corner, there is a crane and a building site, as the city furiously works to improve itself.
9) Friendliness of the locals and how much they love this city. Everyone I've met has been so proud of Berlin and wanted to show or tell me something about it.
10) The ability to walk alone at night and not feel threatened or in danger.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Avalanching Abroad
Well, it's that time of year where things are starting to snowball, and when you're studying abroad, it's not so much of a snowball as it is an avalanche.
This semester is really picking up and I'm basically halfway through my time here, which is just mind-boggling. I have just over two months left here, which I know will fly by as lots of things are occurring in the next few weeks (more friends visiting, excursions, papers, spring break, parents visiting, trips, etc).
My close friend arrived in Berlin Sunday night, and after picking her up from the airport, I took her out for her first döner kebab, over which we caught up and talked until late (read: eleven) that night in my room. The next morning, I took her to Museum Island, and let her loose on the Pergamon Museum and the Berliner Dom, while I sprinted to make it to my German class on time. After that, I skipped my second class of the day to spend as much time as possible with her and after meeting up, we walked down Unter den Linden, with me showing her the sights and highlights of the area, such as Alexanderplatz, Bebelplatz, St. Hedwig's Cathedral, Gendarmenmarkt, Brandenburg Gate, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and Potsdamer Platz. Afterwards, we headed to the East Side Gallery, walked along the wall and then sat and talked about life at a bench overlooking the Oberbaumbrücke.
Afterwards we headed home to relax for a few hours, and then went to my local friend's apartment for dinner with her and friend from my program. Dinner was delicious, accompanied by apple tea and followed up with the four of us and two of my local friend's friends, going out for a drink in a Kreuzberg Bar. We ordered a three-liter tap of beer, and hung out for a few hours there, covering topics such as weaving in antiquity to a history major drinking game that is currently being perfected.
The next morning, my close friend had to leave for her flight to Paris, so I, being the amazing friend that I am, arose at six am with her, and saw her to the train that would take her to the airport. It was, as always, too short of a time, but luckily I will see her again briefly during my spring break due to an overnight layover in Rome.
Tuesday morning was spent at the East Side Gallery, participating in the reconstruction of Günther Schaefer's Vaterland, the first piece of artwork on the wall after it fell. As stated in previous posts, this was the fiftieth repainting due to vandalism that damaged the piece. The event also took place on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the first paint being put on the wall for the mural after the wall was opened.
There were quite a few photographers and cameras there, as well as the constant swarms of tourist groups that walked past. Lord knows how many photos of random strangers from around the world I'm now in. I also gave an interview to a cameraman for my program and the artist. Here is a link to a video, an article, and some photos of the event and I'm sure there will be more to come. It was a great opportunity to take part in the historic event and it's something that I will always remember.
Afterwards, those of us from my program grabbed lunch at a riverside restaurant, and then split up for the rest of the day. Three of us attempted to go to Alexanderplatz, only to travel one stop up the line and then be stalled. The police had closed down much of the S-Bahn tracks on the main east-west line running through the middle of the ring, from the Zoological Garden to Alexander, as a result of a half-naked man who was on the roof of the Freidrichstraße station.
We didn't know this at the time, so we crammed into a bus that followed the same route, and made it to Alexanderplatz. There I split up from the other two and headed to another station to catch a tram to my study center. At the stop, I waited at least twenty minutes until one rolled up. My local friend had let me know what was happening, and luckily, I had no time constraints. However, for the rest of the day and into the evening, this event messed up the city's public transportation system. Many people were stuck in the city center as there was no train movement for at least an hour.
I waited for the situation to calm down at my study center, where I picked up a long-awaited letter from my significant other, and my passport, fresh with my residence permit/visa (of which my photo doesn't look that great, but honestly what official bureaucratic photo does?). Then, I headed north to a mall on the ring, where I grabbed some long-needed envelopes and gelato and went home for a few hours. That evening I returned to my local friends apartment for another dinner with her and a friend, and then once again, the same group as the previous night (minus my close friend), went out to an Irish pub for a St. Patrick's Stammtisch. The pub was loud, crowded, incredibly hot and essentially hell for someone as introverted as I am. I stayed for about hour and then headed home to crawl into bed.
Today, I've simply spent at home, catching up on homework, emails and other important things. I have a make-up history class later, and have no idea what is going on after that. I realize that I promised a post about Sachenhausen Concentration Camp, which will occur at some point. Ciao.
This semester is really picking up and I'm basically halfway through my time here, which is just mind-boggling. I have just over two months left here, which I know will fly by as lots of things are occurring in the next few weeks (more friends visiting, excursions, papers, spring break, parents visiting, trips, etc).
My close friend arrived in Berlin Sunday night, and after picking her up from the airport, I took her out for her first döner kebab, over which we caught up and talked until late (read: eleven) that night in my room. The next morning, I took her to Museum Island, and let her loose on the Pergamon Museum and the Berliner Dom, while I sprinted to make it to my German class on time. After that, I skipped my second class of the day to spend as much time as possible with her and after meeting up, we walked down Unter den Linden, with me showing her the sights and highlights of the area, such as Alexanderplatz, Bebelplatz, St. Hedwig's Cathedral, Gendarmenmarkt, Brandenburg Gate, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and Potsdamer Platz. Afterwards, we headed to the East Side Gallery, walked along the wall and then sat and talked about life at a bench overlooking the Oberbaumbrücke.
Afterwards we headed home to relax for a few hours, and then went to my local friend's apartment for dinner with her and friend from my program. Dinner was delicious, accompanied by apple tea and followed up with the four of us and two of my local friend's friends, going out for a drink in a Kreuzberg Bar. We ordered a three-liter tap of beer, and hung out for a few hours there, covering topics such as weaving in antiquity to a history major drinking game that is currently being perfected.
The next morning, my close friend had to leave for her flight to Paris, so I, being the amazing friend that I am, arose at six am with her, and saw her to the train that would take her to the airport. It was, as always, too short of a time, but luckily I will see her again briefly during my spring break due to an overnight layover in Rome.
Tuesday morning was spent at the East Side Gallery, participating in the reconstruction of Günther Schaefer's Vaterland, the first piece of artwork on the wall after it fell. As stated in previous posts, this was the fiftieth repainting due to vandalism that damaged the piece. The event also took place on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the first paint being put on the wall for the mural after the wall was opened.
There were quite a few photographers and cameras there, as well as the constant swarms of tourist groups that walked past. Lord knows how many photos of random strangers from around the world I'm now in. I also gave an interview to a cameraman for my program and the artist. Here is a link to a video, an article, and some photos of the event and I'm sure there will be more to come. It was a great opportunity to take part in the historic event and it's something that I will always remember.
Afterwards, those of us from my program grabbed lunch at a riverside restaurant, and then split up for the rest of the day. Three of us attempted to go to Alexanderplatz, only to travel one stop up the line and then be stalled. The police had closed down much of the S-Bahn tracks on the main east-west line running through the middle of the ring, from the Zoological Garden to Alexander, as a result of a half-naked man who was on the roof of the Freidrichstraße station.
We didn't know this at the time, so we crammed into a bus that followed the same route, and made it to Alexanderplatz. There I split up from the other two and headed to another station to catch a tram to my study center. At the stop, I waited at least twenty minutes until one rolled up. My local friend had let me know what was happening, and luckily, I had no time constraints. However, for the rest of the day and into the evening, this event messed up the city's public transportation system. Many people were stuck in the city center as there was no train movement for at least an hour.
I waited for the situation to calm down at my study center, where I picked up a long-awaited letter from my significant other, and my passport, fresh with my residence permit/visa (of which my photo doesn't look that great, but honestly what official bureaucratic photo does?). Then, I headed north to a mall on the ring, where I grabbed some long-needed envelopes and gelato and went home for a few hours. That evening I returned to my local friends apartment for another dinner with her and a friend, and then once again, the same group as the previous night (minus my close friend), went out to an Irish pub for a St. Patrick's Stammtisch. The pub was loud, crowded, incredibly hot and essentially hell for someone as introverted as I am. I stayed for about hour and then headed home to crawl into bed.
Today, I've simply spent at home, catching up on homework, emails and other important things. I have a make-up history class later, and have no idea what is going on after that. I realize that I promised a post about Sachenhausen Concentration Camp, which will occur at some point. Ciao.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Werkbund, Nightime Explorations and Long Days
Guten Abend! It's been a crazy few days since I last left you, so let's get down into it.
Thursday evening was spent in class, and then at home, with nothing particularly exciting to report. Friday morning, I was sick, but fortunately recovered in time to attend my architecture excursion to the Werkbundarchiv and Museum der Dinge (literally Museum of Things).
The Werkbund was a movement founded in 1907 in Munich by influential businessmen and politicians who wanted to fight 'ugliness' and instill values of good form and craftmanship into Germany's rapidly industrializing commercial economy. What the rest of the world considers 'German' today, good aesthetic, well-built, long-lasting, etc, is all a part of this movement. The museum itself incorporates the ideas behind this movement, and displays them as they were produced during the time of the movement, through the present, where it presents objects that it believes upholds these values. Sounds nice, right?
Well, I called bullshit as soon as I saw a cell phone from the early 2000's with a tacky plastic Stars and Stripes pattern on the casing. Or maybe it was the pillow that had a portrait of Hilter on that made me question it. Either way, it was an interesting excursion in a museum that looks like it belongs in a book of I Spy.
That evening, I met up with a friend at Potsdamer Platz and we proceeded to wander around the city. We took turns picking a direction and walking or hopping onto the U/S-Bahn. It was pretty fun, as we saw the North Korean Embassy, Potsdamer Platz, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and other things at night. Was a fun relaxing evening.
The next day was a visit to Sachenhausen Concentration Camp, about thirty minutes outside of Berlin. I'm still processing what I want to write on the topic, so that'll come later.
Today, I met up with a friend from my school who graduated last year and has been living in Cologne as an au pair. We met up at Ostbahnhof and wandered down the East Side Gallery, saw the Oberbaumbrücke, visited the Wall Memorial at Bernauerstraße, viewed the exhibition at the Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears), grabbed lunch at a really nice local cafe/bar, climbed to the top of the French Cathedral, stumbled upon a 'Free Syria' protest down Unter den Linden, and finally bid farewell at Alexanderplatz. It was a really fun day exploring and catching up with her. It also was nice to be able to show of my city.
I'm typing this post up in my spare time before I have to run to Tegel Airport to pick up my close friend who is ON HER WAY TO BERLIN RIGHT NOW (I'm not excited at all). I'm sure I'll have some more adventures with her to report back to you later.
Thursday evening was spent in class, and then at home, with nothing particularly exciting to report. Friday morning, I was sick, but fortunately recovered in time to attend my architecture excursion to the Werkbundarchiv and Museum der Dinge (literally Museum of Things).
The Werkbund was a movement founded in 1907 in Munich by influential businessmen and politicians who wanted to fight 'ugliness' and instill values of good form and craftmanship into Germany's rapidly industrializing commercial economy. What the rest of the world considers 'German' today, good aesthetic, well-built, long-lasting, etc, is all a part of this movement. The museum itself incorporates the ideas behind this movement, and displays them as they were produced during the time of the movement, through the present, where it presents objects that it believes upholds these values. Sounds nice, right?
Well, I called bullshit as soon as I saw a cell phone from the early 2000's with a tacky plastic Stars and Stripes pattern on the casing. Or maybe it was the pillow that had a portrait of Hilter on that made me question it. Either way, it was an interesting excursion in a museum that looks like it belongs in a book of I Spy.
That evening, I met up with a friend at Potsdamer Platz and we proceeded to wander around the city. We took turns picking a direction and walking or hopping onto the U/S-Bahn. It was pretty fun, as we saw the North Korean Embassy, Potsdamer Platz, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and other things at night. Was a fun relaxing evening.
The next day was a visit to Sachenhausen Concentration Camp, about thirty minutes outside of Berlin. I'm still processing what I want to write on the topic, so that'll come later.
Today, I met up with a friend from my school who graduated last year and has been living in Cologne as an au pair. We met up at Ostbahnhof and wandered down the East Side Gallery, saw the Oberbaumbrücke, visited the Wall Memorial at Bernauerstraße, viewed the exhibition at the Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears), grabbed lunch at a really nice local cafe/bar, climbed to the top of the French Cathedral, stumbled upon a 'Free Syria' protest down Unter den Linden, and finally bid farewell at Alexanderplatz. It was a really fun day exploring and catching up with her. It also was nice to be able to show of my city.
I'm typing this post up in my spare time before I have to run to Tegel Airport to pick up my close friend who is ON HER WAY TO BERLIN RIGHT NOW (I'm not excited at all). I'm sure I'll have some more adventures with her to report back to you later.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Strangers for a minute, connections for a lifetime.
Another cheesy title, another normal day.
As stated in a previous post, choosing a homestay wasn't even a debate, and now, after living in one for a month and a half, I feel that I am now able to offer some thoughts on the subject.
Yeah, it was awkward for the first few hours. However, with the three-year old running around, that quickly dissipated and now, I feel like a strange cross between a member of the family and a boarder. I eat breakfast, dinner and sometimes lunch with them, drink a lot of tea with my hostmom, play with my younger host-brother, have increasingly-less awkward conversations with my other host brother and host-father and sometimes accompany them to the park, cafes, market and more. And with that, let me give you a quick overview of everyone I live with.
L - My host mother. Dark curly hair, French-Italian, short, speaks French, English, German and Italian, actress and theater-producer for children, incredibly sweet, go-to swear word: 'oh, shit' with a musical French accent, describes things as 'beautiful' a lot, cute, laughs a lot, wonderful mother, has made me feel at home since day one, easy to talk to, patient
O - My host father. Tall, lanky. Brown short hair. British-German, speaks French, English and German, freelance video editor, very down to earth, friendly, methodical, goofy, great cook, sarcastic, amazing father
M - Older host-brother, seventeen, wavy brown hair to his shoulders, likes language, theater and history, speaks French, English and German, quiet initially, but theatrical, friendly but reserved, wonderful older brother, not around a lot, about to undergo his final exams before he finishes school, not sure what he's doing after
G - Younger host-brother, three, going on four, tiny, curly light brown hair, blue eyes, dramatic, loves cars, quite clumsy, falls down a lot, basically a grumpy old man in a child's body, future engineer, speaks French and German, likes to overact, silly, lots of energy
The family lives on a bustling street corner in Neukölln, a neighborhood that is a rich mix of cultures and ages, but mostly Turkish or Arabic. The building is a little run-down, but quaint, with a hole-in-the-wall döner shop below, a doctor's office on the second floor, and a small courtyard in the back. Their apartment is quirky, and homey, with three theater seats in the living room, and G's drawings, postcards and notes, taped all over the walls. It's cosy but I'm quite fond of it. My room is off the kitchen, and looks out onto the busy street.
Homemade dinners are wonderful, usually accompanied by a very energetic or very crabby three-year old, an overly-theatrical teenager, my cheerful host mom, and grounded host father. I laugh every day in this house at something from my terrible German to one of them being over-the-top dramatic in regards to something. Today, I came home after an evening adventure to find my host-parents curled up on the couch together enjoying a movie and the peace that comes with their youngest child staying at his grandparents.
Although, I do miss the convenience of having a dryer, and a microwave, this is a wonderful family in a brilliant city and I love every minute of establishing connections that will last for a lifetime.
Yeah, it was awkward for the first few hours. However, with the three-year old running around, that quickly dissipated and now, I feel like a strange cross between a member of the family and a boarder. I eat breakfast, dinner and sometimes lunch with them, drink a lot of tea with my hostmom, play with my younger host-brother, have increasingly-less awkward conversations with my other host brother and host-father and sometimes accompany them to the park, cafes, market and more. And with that, let me give you a quick overview of everyone I live with.
L - My host mother. Dark curly hair, French-Italian, short, speaks French, English, German and Italian, actress and theater-producer for children, incredibly sweet, go-to swear word: 'oh, shit' with a musical French accent, describes things as 'beautiful' a lot, cute, laughs a lot, wonderful mother, has made me feel at home since day one, easy to talk to, patient
O - My host father. Tall, lanky. Brown short hair. British-German, speaks French, English and German, freelance video editor, very down to earth, friendly, methodical, goofy, great cook, sarcastic, amazing father
M - Older host-brother, seventeen, wavy brown hair to his shoulders, likes language, theater and history, speaks French, English and German, quiet initially, but theatrical, friendly but reserved, wonderful older brother, not around a lot, about to undergo his final exams before he finishes school, not sure what he's doing after
G - Younger host-brother, three, going on four, tiny, curly light brown hair, blue eyes, dramatic, loves cars, quite clumsy, falls down a lot, basically a grumpy old man in a child's body, future engineer, speaks French and German, likes to overact, silly, lots of energy
The family lives on a bustling street corner in Neukölln, a neighborhood that is a rich mix of cultures and ages, but mostly Turkish or Arabic. The building is a little run-down, but quaint, with a hole-in-the-wall döner shop below, a doctor's office on the second floor, and a small courtyard in the back. Their apartment is quirky, and homey, with three theater seats in the living room, and G's drawings, postcards and notes, taped all over the walls. It's cosy but I'm quite fond of it. My room is off the kitchen, and looks out onto the busy street.
Homemade dinners are wonderful, usually accompanied by a very energetic or very crabby three-year old, an overly-theatrical teenager, my cheerful host mom, and grounded host father. I laugh every day in this house at something from my terrible German to one of them being over-the-top dramatic in regards to something. Today, I came home after an evening adventure to find my host-parents curled up on the couch together enjoying a movie and the peace that comes with their youngest child staying at his grandparents.
Although, I do miss the convenience of having a dryer, and a microwave, this is a wonderful family in a brilliant city and I love every minute of establishing connections that will last for a lifetime.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Cloisters, Castles and Class.
I don't really know how to begin this post other than to jump right into what's been happening in my life. If you're still keeping up with this, than you're clearly fascinated with my adventures, and are eagerly anticipating the next episode, so therefore I will not delay you the pleasure of reading it any longer (and if you think I'm being seriousl than you clearly do not know me well).
Monday morning was spent in class, where I took my first German exam. It went fairly well, as I got ninety percent on it. I'm content. Following that, I hung around the study center for a while working on my homework, and then headed off to explore around Alexanderplatz yet again. I'm not quite sure why I enjoy that area greatly, but there's always something to look at or someone to observe, so maybe that's why. This time I wandered along the Spree River, to the Marienkirche, ruins of the Franciscan Monastery and to a part of the old city wall.
The first site is one of the oldest churches in Berlin and contains a pulpit sculpted by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, one of Berlin's most influential architects. I spent about twenty minutes in the church, soaking up the architecture, and then moved on. The Monastery dates back to the mid-thirteenth century, and was destroyed in World War II, with only the shell of the outer walls left behind. Its gates were closed, but from what I understand, it is used as a venue for summer concerts and events at times. A fifteen-foot long section of the old city wall stood nearby. Afterwards, I called it a day and headed home.
The next day was Touro Tuesday, my day spent at the program's partner college that is a twenty-minute train ride, a ten-minute train ride, a ten minute bus-ride and a ten minute walk away from where I live. The classes weren't particularly exciting, nor was most of the day. However, that evening was Stammtisch, a regularly gathering of the group at a local bar. I met up with one of my local friends and a program friend, and we went there together.
Two new programs have arrived in the past two weeks that are also based out of the study center, so one of the groups was there, doe-eyed and new to the city as one could instantly see by the fact that upon getting off the tram, they were unwilling to leave the station platform at all, as they didn't know where they were located or in what direction they had to travel. Ultimately, some of us in my program had to go fetch them from the stop, as we had been on the same tram with them and had attemped to let them figure it out on their own (hey, it's Berlin, sink or swim).
Anyway, I stray. Stammtisch was fairly relaxed, as my two friends and I had a few drinks and then decided to head to the ping-pong bar that two of us had previously visited in our first week of being in Berlin. The bar was as chill as ever, and soon the three of us were engaging in rounds of Around-the-World, beers (and cigarettes in one person's case) in hand. It was a really fun night, and was nice to get away from the large program group and go off on our own.
The next day, three of us met up, had breakfast together and then headed out of the city via the autobahn. And yes, Porches, Mercedes, BMWs, Audis and other fancy cars constantly zoomed by us in the left lane, despite the fact that we were going anywhere from 140 to 160 km/h - do the conversions, folks, that's 87-100 m/h. I've never experienced that type of speed before and it was awesome. Too bad I'm not allowed to drive while here.
Anyway, we first went to Kloster Lehnin, where we explored Lehnin Abbey, a Cistercian monastery that was built in 1180. The church itself is gorgeous, and is built in the style of Brick Gothic. It's a pretty quite town, which was refreshing after spending over a month and a half in cities such as Berlin, Prague and Copenhagen. Following that, we headed to Burg Rabenstein, a castle built around 1300. There we saw a massive falcon, climbed to the top of the castle's tower to see the amazing view of the countryside and had some food at the restaurant in the courtyard. It was a nice day, and spent in wonderful company. Thanks again to my local friend, Fiona, for taking my other friend and myself there.
Afterwards, we drove back to Berlin and I went to a make-up session for last week's architecture class at a restaurant in Prenzlauer Berg. There I had black lemonade (which was actually red), a light local beer and delicious chicken tikka masala with naan bread, all while discussing the merits of Art Nouveau in Prague and Barcelona. Following that, I went home and called it an early night.
Today's agenda consists of classes, German and architecture, with a three and half hour gap in the middle which brings me to the present. This morning I received two letters from friends, both of which contained something that made me laugh from a fraternity composite photo (Hi, Dan), to fraternity chapter bing to a cut out of a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (Hi, Calvin).
I've received over seven letters since I've been here, and have been incredibly frustrated as I haven't been able to reply due to a lack of stamps. However, on Monday I finally forced myself to wander into my local post office and communicate in terrible German that I needed international stamps. So, friends who are also pen-pals, I'm sorry that I suck at writing back and I promise you will have a reply within the next two weeks, as today I'm going to acquire envelopes.
In other good news, I've found a place to stay in Amsterdam with my friend for spring break, am close to booking my lodgings for Malta, and this Sunday I get to see an old classmate during the day, and my close friend arrives that evening to spend two nights with me. I'm quite excited. Tomorrow, I have an excursion with my architecture class to the Werkbundarchiv, and Saturday the program is visiting Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.
Oh, also, I've been accepted to help with the reconstruction of Günther Schaefer's work Vaterland, on the East Side Gallery this coming Tuesday. So, I will be painting on the actual Berlin Wall, with one of the original artists of the Gallery. Go me.
That's all I have for now. Tschüss!
Monday morning was spent in class, where I took my first German exam. It went fairly well, as I got ninety percent on it. I'm content. Following that, I hung around the study center for a while working on my homework, and then headed off to explore around Alexanderplatz yet again. I'm not quite sure why I enjoy that area greatly, but there's always something to look at or someone to observe, so maybe that's why. This time I wandered along the Spree River, to the Marienkirche, ruins of the Franciscan Monastery and to a part of the old city wall.
The first site is one of the oldest churches in Berlin and contains a pulpit sculpted by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, one of Berlin's most influential architects. I spent about twenty minutes in the church, soaking up the architecture, and then moved on. The Monastery dates back to the mid-thirteenth century, and was destroyed in World War II, with only the shell of the outer walls left behind. Its gates were closed, but from what I understand, it is used as a venue for summer concerts and events at times. A fifteen-foot long section of the old city wall stood nearby. Afterwards, I called it a day and headed home.
The next day was Touro Tuesday, my day spent at the program's partner college that is a twenty-minute train ride, a ten-minute train ride, a ten minute bus-ride and a ten minute walk away from where I live. The classes weren't particularly exciting, nor was most of the day. However, that evening was Stammtisch, a regularly gathering of the group at a local bar. I met up with one of my local friends and a program friend, and we went there together.
Two new programs have arrived in the past two weeks that are also based out of the study center, so one of the groups was there, doe-eyed and new to the city as one could instantly see by the fact that upon getting off the tram, they were unwilling to leave the station platform at all, as they didn't know where they were located or in what direction they had to travel. Ultimately, some of us in my program had to go fetch them from the stop, as we had been on the same tram with them and had attemped to let them figure it out on their own (hey, it's Berlin, sink or swim).
Anyway, I stray. Stammtisch was fairly relaxed, as my two friends and I had a few drinks and then decided to head to the ping-pong bar that two of us had previously visited in our first week of being in Berlin. The bar was as chill as ever, and soon the three of us were engaging in rounds of Around-the-World, beers (and cigarettes in one person's case) in hand. It was a really fun night, and was nice to get away from the large program group and go off on our own.
The next day, three of us met up, had breakfast together and then headed out of the city via the autobahn. And yes, Porches, Mercedes, BMWs, Audis and other fancy cars constantly zoomed by us in the left lane, despite the fact that we were going anywhere from 140 to 160 km/h - do the conversions, folks, that's 87-100 m/h. I've never experienced that type of speed before and it was awesome. Too bad I'm not allowed to drive while here.
Anyway, we first went to Kloster Lehnin, where we explored Lehnin Abbey, a Cistercian monastery that was built in 1180. The church itself is gorgeous, and is built in the style of Brick Gothic. It's a pretty quite town, which was refreshing after spending over a month and a half in cities such as Berlin, Prague and Copenhagen. Following that, we headed to Burg Rabenstein, a castle built around 1300. There we saw a massive falcon, climbed to the top of the castle's tower to see the amazing view of the countryside and had some food at the restaurant in the courtyard. It was a nice day, and spent in wonderful company. Thanks again to my local friend, Fiona, for taking my other friend and myself there.
Afterwards, we drove back to Berlin and I went to a make-up session for last week's architecture class at a restaurant in Prenzlauer Berg. There I had black lemonade (which was actually red), a light local beer and delicious chicken tikka masala with naan bread, all while discussing the merits of Art Nouveau in Prague and Barcelona. Following that, I went home and called it an early night.
Today's agenda consists of classes, German and architecture, with a three and half hour gap in the middle which brings me to the present. This morning I received two letters from friends, both of which contained something that made me laugh from a fraternity composite photo (Hi, Dan), to fraternity chapter bing to a cut out of a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (Hi, Calvin).
I've received over seven letters since I've been here, and have been incredibly frustrated as I haven't been able to reply due to a lack of stamps. However, on Monday I finally forced myself to wander into my local post office and communicate in terrible German that I needed international stamps. So, friends who are also pen-pals, I'm sorry that I suck at writing back and I promise you will have a reply within the next two weeks, as today I'm going to acquire envelopes.
In other good news, I've found a place to stay in Amsterdam with my friend for spring break, am close to booking my lodgings for Malta, and this Sunday I get to see an old classmate during the day, and my close friend arrives that evening to spend two nights with me. I'm quite excited. Tomorrow, I have an excursion with my architecture class to the Werkbundarchiv, and Saturday the program is visiting Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.
Oh, also, I've been accepted to help with the reconstruction of Günther Schaefer's work Vaterland, on the East Side Gallery this coming Tuesday. So, I will be painting on the actual Berlin Wall, with one of the original artists of the Gallery. Go me.
That's all I have for now. Tschüss!
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Dusk Conclusions
Yeah, this is the third post today, deal with it.
After finishing up some things on my to-do list (including an application to assist an East Side Gallery artist with the restoration of his mural on the Berlin Wall - eep), I met up with a friend at Alexanderplatz in the early evening and we walked down Unter den Linden as the sun was setting and the night blanketed the city. It was relaxed and lovely, wandering in and out of tourist shops, under the Brandenburg Gate, and through the Tiergarten.
Overall, we walked about five miles and even climbed on a Soviet tank at the Soviet Memorial in the park. It seems fairly simple and uneventful, but after a weekend with highs and lows, this evening was greatly needed. It reminded me that I am where I need to be and that things can be taken one day at a time. And with that cliche realization, I bid you good night, as I need to study for my German exam, listen to Death Cab for Cutie and Skype my wonderful partner-in-crime.
After finishing up some things on my to-do list (including an application to assist an East Side Gallery artist with the restoration of his mural on the Berlin Wall - eep), I met up with a friend at Alexanderplatz in the early evening and we walked down Unter den Linden as the sun was setting and the night blanketed the city. It was relaxed and lovely, wandering in and out of tourist shops, under the Brandenburg Gate, and through the Tiergarten.
Overall, we walked about five miles and even climbed on a Soviet tank at the Soviet Memorial in the park. It seems fairly simple and uneventful, but after a weekend with highs and lows, this evening was greatly needed. It reminded me that I am where I need to be and that things can be taken one day at a time. And with that cliche realization, I bid you good night, as I need to study for my German exam, listen to Death Cab for Cutie and Skype my wonderful partner-in-crime.
Czeching Out of Prague
Yeah, it's another cheesy blog title but we're going with it.
When I left you last, I was in the midst of recovering from my trip to Copenhagen, mainly by binging the recently released season of House of Cards (thirteen episodes, three days, college has taught me well). Tuesday was spent yet again at the partner college in two of the easiest courses of my life. After my school day was over I wanted to explore, and decided to get off the S-Bahn a stop early and walk across Tempelhof Park.
I didn't realize the massive size of the park, which was stupid as I had been there before and knew that it was a former airfield. The walk across took me about forty-five minutes. My iPod died almost immediately as arrived so I lacked music, but it was refreshing. Standing in an incredibly large flat space, surrounded by a city, with the wind flowing through my hair and jacket, listening to the birds sing and not interacting with other people was incredibly therapeutic and greatly needed. Upon my arrival at home, I spent the rest of the day and the next packing for Prague and finishing up school work.
On Thursday, I woke up at six-thirty and met up with the group at Berlin's main station where we boarded the six-hour train that would transport us to Prague. The train ride was uneventful, and marked with gorgeous scenery. Upon our arrival in the city, we took the metro straight to our hostel, Miss Sophie's (highly recommended) and recovered for bit before heading out on a tour of the city.
The tour was interesting, but failed to present a structured history of the city, nor did it really orient us to the area. Afterwards, we were given free time to wander before dinner, so some of us grabbed delicious pastries and shopped a little. I purchased a deep red scarf, something that I'd been wanting for a while, a beautiful art print, some postcards and a joke present. Dinner was delicious and accompanied by a good light Czech beer. Afterwards, the group headed back to the hostel and most of us crashed fairly early as it had been quite a long day.
The following morning, we awoke to fresh start, and after gorging ourselves on the most delicious hostel breakfast in the world, we headed out on another tour, this one about the Jewish Quarter of the city. We visited three very different synagogues, one quite plain, another quite decorative and the third a memorial to the Czech victims of the Holocaust. Afterwards was lunch and then free time.
After discovering a yellow submarine (a yellow submarine), we crossed the famous Charles Bridge and headed to the John Lennon Wall, which is a wall simply covered in graffiti devoted to, surprise, John Lennon. Every minute it seemed one of us found an awesome quote or piece of art. There was also a street performer who dragged the group in and led them in renditions of Hey Jude and other famous songs. Nearby was also a bridge that held hundreds of padlocks, similar to the one in Paris.
Following that, half the group headed back to the hostel and the rest of us continued on to the Letenské sady, a park that had a great view of the city. We all raced up the very steep path to the top to discover a square with skateboarders, a giant metronome, and many pairs of shoes flung over a cable. The city stretched out below us and even in the dreary day, it was beautiful. Then we headed back to the hostel via one of the city's older trams, and the extremely deep metro system.
That evening, in varying levels of dressiness, the group attended a ballet performance, split into three pieces. I greatly enjoyed the experience, as the theater was gorgeous, the dancing was wonderful and it was an excuse to dress up. I channeled my inner Claire Underwood, with red lips to match my new scarf, and a simple black dress. Following the performance, some of us headed to a late dinner, and then a friend and I had a night-cap back at the hostel before crashing. The rest of the group stayed out till early morning in varying levels of intoxication.
Our last day in the city was unstructured, and consisted entirely of free time until our train left that afternoon. Myself and a friend wandered up to the city's most famous site, the Prague Castle, and explored within its walls, including the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral. We also saw the gorgeous morning sun over the city and its numerous spires. Afterwards, we headed to the Klementinum, which was home to the Mirror Chapel, Baroque Library and the Astronomical Tower. It was a nice lesser-known attraction, and I would give my left foot to explore the beautiful library even more. However, I left with said foot attached, and we ended up back at the hostel about an hour before we were due to meet up, where we relaxed and enjoyed our final Czech beers.
The train ride home was simple, with some of the group remaining behind to explore the city for another day, and the rest falling asleep due to their late night out. I read, listened to some music, carried on interesting conversations with my compartment-mates and fought the desire to nap. We arrived back in Berlin at around 21:20, where we split up and headed home to our apartments and homestays.
I arrived home to an empty apartment, as my host-family is away until late this afternoon. After calling it an early night, I awoke this morning, and have simply been catching up with homework,, laundry, unpacking, and other small chores. Tomorrow, it's back to grind, with a German midterm, but thankfully, no history class following it. The rest of the week contains normal classes, an adventure to the Werkbund Archive for my architecture class, an excursion to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, and a visit from two classmates from my school, one of which is my extremely close friend and travel partner.
This weekend, overall, was a mixed bag. I enjoyed the city. The history is interesting, it has a lot to offer, but it's hard to navigate and get your initial bearings. Additionally, the adventure was marred by personal issues, homesickness, and being burned out from traveling less than week before. However, I am hopeful that the coming days will better. Farewell for now.
On Thursday, I woke up at six-thirty and met up with the group at Berlin's main station where we boarded the six-hour train that would transport us to Prague. The train ride was uneventful, and marked with gorgeous scenery. Upon our arrival in the city, we took the metro straight to our hostel, Miss Sophie's (highly recommended) and recovered for bit before heading out on a tour of the city.
The tour was interesting, but failed to present a structured history of the city, nor did it really orient us to the area. Afterwards, we were given free time to wander before dinner, so some of us grabbed delicious pastries and shopped a little. I purchased a deep red scarf, something that I'd been wanting for a while, a beautiful art print, some postcards and a joke present. Dinner was delicious and accompanied by a good light Czech beer. Afterwards, the group headed back to the hostel and most of us crashed fairly early as it had been quite a long day.
The following morning, we awoke to fresh start, and after gorging ourselves on the most delicious hostel breakfast in the world, we headed out on another tour, this one about the Jewish Quarter of the city. We visited three very different synagogues, one quite plain, another quite decorative and the third a memorial to the Czech victims of the Holocaust. Afterwards was lunch and then free time.
After discovering a yellow submarine (a yellow submarine), we crossed the famous Charles Bridge and headed to the John Lennon Wall, which is a wall simply covered in graffiti devoted to, surprise, John Lennon. Every minute it seemed one of us found an awesome quote or piece of art. There was also a street performer who dragged the group in and led them in renditions of Hey Jude and other famous songs. Nearby was also a bridge that held hundreds of padlocks, similar to the one in Paris.
Following that, half the group headed back to the hostel and the rest of us continued on to the Letenské sady, a park that had a great view of the city. We all raced up the very steep path to the top to discover a square with skateboarders, a giant metronome, and many pairs of shoes flung over a cable. The city stretched out below us and even in the dreary day, it was beautiful. Then we headed back to the hostel via one of the city's older trams, and the extremely deep metro system.
That evening, in varying levels of dressiness, the group attended a ballet performance, split into three pieces. I greatly enjoyed the experience, as the theater was gorgeous, the dancing was wonderful and it was an excuse to dress up. I channeled my inner Claire Underwood, with red lips to match my new scarf, and a simple black dress. Following the performance, some of us headed to a late dinner, and then a friend and I had a night-cap back at the hostel before crashing. The rest of the group stayed out till early morning in varying levels of intoxication.
Our last day in the city was unstructured, and consisted entirely of free time until our train left that afternoon. Myself and a friend wandered up to the city's most famous site, the Prague Castle, and explored within its walls, including the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral. We also saw the gorgeous morning sun over the city and its numerous spires. Afterwards, we headed to the Klementinum, which was home to the Mirror Chapel, Baroque Library and the Astronomical Tower. It was a nice lesser-known attraction, and I would give my left foot to explore the beautiful library even more. However, I left with said foot attached, and we ended up back at the hostel about an hour before we were due to meet up, where we relaxed and enjoyed our final Czech beers.
The train ride home was simple, with some of the group remaining behind to explore the city for another day, and the rest falling asleep due to their late night out. I read, listened to some music, carried on interesting conversations with my compartment-mates and fought the desire to nap. We arrived back in Berlin at around 21:20, where we split up and headed home to our apartments and homestays.
I arrived home to an empty apartment, as my host-family is away until late this afternoon. After calling it an early night, I awoke this morning, and have simply been catching up with homework,, laundry, unpacking, and other small chores. Tomorrow, it's back to grind, with a German midterm, but thankfully, no history class following it. The rest of the week contains normal classes, an adventure to the Werkbund Archive for my architecture class, an excursion to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, and a visit from two classmates from my school, one of which is my extremely close friend and travel partner.
This weekend, overall, was a mixed bag. I enjoyed the city. The history is interesting, it has a lot to offer, but it's hard to navigate and get your initial bearings. Additionally, the adventure was marred by personal issues, homesickness, and being burned out from traveling less than week before. However, I am hopeful that the coming days will better. Farewell for now.
Berlin: An Insiders Guide
Friends and family, this one's for you.
- Don't walk in the bike lanes. They're usually differently patterned from the normal sidewalk, sometimes red. You will get yelled at.
- Visit the Berliner Dom - gorgeous views of the city, a beautiful building. Or at the very least, get to the top of one of the taller buildings to get an overall view of Berlin (i.e. the TV tower, PanoramaPunkt, HighFlyer, French Cathedral, etc).
- There is not really a way to eat German food all the time. Food in Berlin is incredible diverse. Be open to new food from all cultures.
- That weird B looking symbol? (ß) It's called an eszett, and is the symbol for sharp s sound.
- If you're coming in from Berlin Schonefeld Airport, buy a ticket for all three zones of transport. The airport is just within Zone C, and apparently, they like to check tickets on that train.
- Eat döner kebab. And currywurst if you feel like it. But eat döner first. And drink some beer.
- Validate your transit ticket - you can't just walk on the train, you need to get a stamp on it in one of the yellow or red boxes. If you see everyone else pulling out their tickets, get yours out too, as plain clothes inspectors enforce the system, not turnstiles. If your ticket isn't validated its a 40€ fine. Keep your ticket with you at all times on public transport.
- Words to know: Danke/Dankeschon, Bitte, Ja, Nein, Entschuldigung, Ich möchte bitte (Kaffee, Tee, etc), Sprechen Sie Englisch?, etc.
- Do as the Berliners do. Go with the flow. This city is relaxed and nonjudgemental.
- Wander into churches that you see. They're old, beautiful and usually free.
- Be a little self-depreciating about your American self. Try to blend in, don't be loud.
- A lot of exhibits covering the Cold War and World War II eras are free, including the Topography of Terror, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the Berlin Wall Memorial, East Side Gallery, and many others. Take advantage of this, as it's educational and eye-opening.
- Wander around Alexanderplatz, the base of the TV tower, and Unter den Linden.
- Use the public transport as much as you can - trams, S-Bahn, U-Bahn and buses. The BVG app is a godsend, with the system map and timetables at a moment's notice. Also, fair warning, the trains at night can be a little weird, particularly during the weekend.
- Don't be afraid to wander a little too. You can always find a public transport stop to take you back to where you need go.
- Follow the Berlin Wall for a bit. Two cobblestone lines run around the city marking where it stood, as the majority of the structure has been destroyed.
- Keep your eyes and ears open on public transport. You'll never know what'll happen. Beware of pickpockets, and scammers. A common scam is to have someone approach you, ask you to sign a petition, and then ask for money. Don't fall for it.
- The public transport stops all have maps of the city and can help you get your bearings in case you get lost.
- Rules about dogs are pretty lax and it's common to see them on the public transport, in a coffee shop, or off a leash on the street. In regards to petting them, unless you have the express permission of the owner, don't.
- Highly recommended sights: Museum Island, Berliner Dom, Alexanderplatz, East Side Gallery, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauerstraße, Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, and Tempelhof Park.
- Good apps for traveling in Berlin: Triposo, BVG/Fahrinfo, CityMaps2Go, WordLens.
- Bus 100 - Starting at Alexanderplatz, offers a good route of the main portion of the city, as it travels down Unter Den Linden, past the Berliner Dom, Museum Island, Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, and other famous sites in the city.
Monday, March 2, 2015
Housing Decision
Shared apartment or homestay?
When filling out the forms for this whole strange thing I'm doing, called 'study abroad,' and believe me, there were many, this was a question that came up straight away. For me, it wasn't even a question, however, as I had known since day one that I wanted the latter.
The shared apartments offered more independence, living with people in my program, spacious accommodations and well-furnished rooms. In a homestay, I live with a local family, with two meals provided a day and my own room. However, that wasn't what I wanted when I choose it. Living with a host family provided me with a chance to make connections with people across the world, to improve my language skills, to learn about this new culture through immersion, to gain an insiders' advice on living in my new city, and so many other things.
So far, I've achieved all of that and more, in my five weeks with my wonderful hostfamily. I met them on my second day in Berlin, after a long full day of orientation information. Before I left, I received some basic information about them, the family structure, parents' jobs, children's ages, normal day schedule, etc, in a letter that my hostmother had written to through the program. They, in turn, had received an even less informative form about me, regarding my home life, my family structure, my experience abroad, and my interests. Other than that, we knew nothing about each other upon my move-in.
Sure, it was awkward at first. Moving in with complete strangers in a completely new country, yeah, it was strange. However, after the first day passed, I settled into the rhythm of the house and from there, we've started to get to know each other day by day. They have never been anything but welcoming and open, and I adore it here.
When I compare my experience to the rest of the peers in my program (most of whom are in an apartment), I feel like I'm truly experiencing being abroad and cultural immersion. Everyday at dinner, I learn new German words, or information on the city or culture. As their English improves, so does my German, although at a slower pace. On weekends, we have simple outings, to local parks, markets, theater performances, etc. It's the smaller things, but I adore them.
Choosing a homestay is one decision that I will never regret and highly recommend to others.
When filling out the forms for this whole strange thing I'm doing, called 'study abroad,' and believe me, there were many, this was a question that came up straight away. For me, it wasn't even a question, however, as I had known since day one that I wanted the latter.
The shared apartments offered more independence, living with people in my program, spacious accommodations and well-furnished rooms. In a homestay, I live with a local family, with two meals provided a day and my own room. However, that wasn't what I wanted when I choose it. Living with a host family provided me with a chance to make connections with people across the world, to improve my language skills, to learn about this new culture through immersion, to gain an insiders' advice on living in my new city, and so many other things.
So far, I've achieved all of that and more, in my five weeks with my wonderful hostfamily. I met them on my second day in Berlin, after a long full day of orientation information. Before I left, I received some basic information about them, the family structure, parents' jobs, children's ages, normal day schedule, etc, in a letter that my hostmother had written to through the program. They, in turn, had received an even less informative form about me, regarding my home life, my family structure, my experience abroad, and my interests. Other than that, we knew nothing about each other upon my move-in.
Sure, it was awkward at first. Moving in with complete strangers in a completely new country, yeah, it was strange. However, after the first day passed, I settled into the rhythm of the house and from there, we've started to get to know each other day by day. They have never been anything but welcoming and open, and I adore it here.
When I compare my experience to the rest of the peers in my program (most of whom are in an apartment), I feel like I'm truly experiencing being abroad and cultural immersion. Everyday at dinner, I learn new German words, or information on the city or culture. As their English improves, so does my German, although at a slower pace. On weekends, we have simple outings, to local parks, markets, theater performances, etc. It's the smaller things, but I adore them.
Choosing a homestay is one decision that I will never regret and highly recommend to others.
Coping with Copenhagen
Hell yeah, it's a cheesy title. Greetings and salutations, friends, family, loved ones, and complete strangers. I've returned from my travels, safe and sound and this is going to be a fairly long post as I record all of my Danish adventures.
When I left you last, I was in frantic preparation for my trip, while also attempting to deal with classes and theater performances. My last class on Thursday was architecture, in which three of the eight students were present, resulting in a small field trip to the Märkisches Museum, and surrounding area, to look at the architectural style of historicism, as well as models of the city of Berlin, and the home of the Berlin bear (yes, a real bear). Afterwards, I met up with my host father and we attended three theater performances, one of which my host mother starred in. Please ask me about my experiences with German theater sometime over a beer, as they are quite 'memorable' performances.
Friday began in a slow grind of arising at three-thirty in the morning to catch my flight at seven to Copenhagen. Things picked up as one of my companions overslept and arrived to the airport barely on time. Other than that the flight was smooth and easy, and we arrived at around eight, where we promptly boarded a very nice commuter train that whisked us into the city. After checking into our hotel and enjoying a delicious breakfast at a local cafe, two of us decided to wander the city while the third took a nap.
In our wanderings we saw: the town hall, the old stock exchange, the Christiansborg Palace, and the Black Diamond, home of the Royal Danish library. We went into the latter, since I am a library nut, and it was gorgeous. Half of the building is quite modern and recently built, and the second half is an older building, with gorgeous arches, old wooden bookshelves and reading rooms. The two are connected over a roadway by a walkway, and the entire place is heaven for someone like me. I could've spent hours in there. Sadly, we did not, and we headed back to the hotel, where we grabbed our snoozing companion and went on a canal boat tour of the city, which was cold, but enjoyable. That evening, we browsed in some shops, consumed delicious Chinese food (and a lovely local beer that was on tap) and I watched the other two get their feet and legs nibbled on by fish, eating the dead skin. Afterwards, we all crashed in the hotel around seven, and fell asleep at nine due to having been up for nearly eighteen hours straight.
The next morning, two of us wandered to the Church of Our Savior and climbed to the top of it see a stunning morning view of Copenhagen. The church itself has a spiral staircase around the outside of its spire, and it's free to the public. Afterwards, we explored the streets and canals a little more, in the early morning sun, and enjoyed the lovely weather. Then, we joined up with the other person and visited the citadel and famous Little Mermaid statue, honoring Denmark's native son, Hans Christian Anderson. Personally, I found the statue underwhelming, but I wandered along the beach and found gorgeous pieces of sea glass to take home. Following that, we met up with two others from our program for dinner and some beer, and then called it a night.
While Friday and Saturday were excellent in terms of weather, Sunday was fairly typical in what one would expect from a Scandinavian state, cold, windy, rainy and snowy. That morning I wandered around on my own. I visited the Church of Our Lady, or Copenhagen Cathedral, where I sat in on a service for about a half an hour, soaking up the beautiful music and architecture around me. Then I walked past the Great Synagogue, where recent events had taken place. The street was blocked on both ends by police cars, with two police men with large guns standing outside the structure. The building itself was ten feet deep in flowers, and other memorial items, including a couple Je Suis Charlie sign. I don't really know how to describe what it was like to visit the sight, it was an odd feeling, coupled with a sense of a national community in a time of uncertainty.
Afterwards, I visited the Round Tower, and then met up with my friends at Rosenberg Palace and Gardens. We wandered to the Marble Church, and saw the changing of the guard at Amalienborge Palace. Then, the group split up, with some going to the Carlsberg Brewery, others to tour inside the Christiansborg Palace, and myself to visit the top of the tower at the palace as well as the chapel. Both of which were interesting, but cold, causing me to return to the hotel where I relaxed for a couple of hours, studying for my history midterm until it was time to depart for the airport.
Our journey home was marked with massive airport security lines (due to an SAS strike), a smooth quick flight, and a simple train ride. I arrived back in Neukölln at eleven thirty, unpacked and went to sleep. Today, I attended two classes, took a midterm, and now I'm relaxing at home, after a long but good weekend full of adventures.
Copenhagen in a nutshell:
The Good: History, not a lot of Americans, everyone was really nice, old buildings, picturesque canals, the churches, the beer, wonderful receptionists at the hotel,
The Bad: Expensive (6E for one hot chocolate - no), weather on the last day, long line at the airport, communal bathrooms at the hotel
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to binge the new season of House of Cards.
P.S. One of my closest friends and Rome travel partner is visiting me in less than two weeks. Words cannot describe how happy and excited I am.
When I left you last, I was in frantic preparation for my trip, while also attempting to deal with classes and theater performances. My last class on Thursday was architecture, in which three of the eight students were present, resulting in a small field trip to the Märkisches Museum, and surrounding area, to look at the architectural style of historicism, as well as models of the city of Berlin, and the home of the Berlin bear (yes, a real bear). Afterwards, I met up with my host father and we attended three theater performances, one of which my host mother starred in. Please ask me about my experiences with German theater sometime over a beer, as they are quite 'memorable' performances.
Friday began in a slow grind of arising at three-thirty in the morning to catch my flight at seven to Copenhagen. Things picked up as one of my companions overslept and arrived to the airport barely on time. Other than that the flight was smooth and easy, and we arrived at around eight, where we promptly boarded a very nice commuter train that whisked us into the city. After checking into our hotel and enjoying a delicious breakfast at a local cafe, two of us decided to wander the city while the third took a nap.
In our wanderings we saw: the town hall, the old stock exchange, the Christiansborg Palace, and the Black Diamond, home of the Royal Danish library. We went into the latter, since I am a library nut, and it was gorgeous. Half of the building is quite modern and recently built, and the second half is an older building, with gorgeous arches, old wooden bookshelves and reading rooms. The two are connected over a roadway by a walkway, and the entire place is heaven for someone like me. I could've spent hours in there. Sadly, we did not, and we headed back to the hotel, where we grabbed our snoozing companion and went on a canal boat tour of the city, which was cold, but enjoyable. That evening, we browsed in some shops, consumed delicious Chinese food (and a lovely local beer that was on tap) and I watched the other two get their feet and legs nibbled on by fish, eating the dead skin. Afterwards, we all crashed in the hotel around seven, and fell asleep at nine due to having been up for nearly eighteen hours straight.
The next morning, two of us wandered to the Church of Our Savior and climbed to the top of it see a stunning morning view of Copenhagen. The church itself has a spiral staircase around the outside of its spire, and it's free to the public. Afterwards, we explored the streets and canals a little more, in the early morning sun, and enjoyed the lovely weather. Then, we joined up with the other person and visited the citadel and famous Little Mermaid statue, honoring Denmark's native son, Hans Christian Anderson. Personally, I found the statue underwhelming, but I wandered along the beach and found gorgeous pieces of sea glass to take home. Following that, we met up with two others from our program for dinner and some beer, and then called it a night.
While Friday and Saturday were excellent in terms of weather, Sunday was fairly typical in what one would expect from a Scandinavian state, cold, windy, rainy and snowy. That morning I wandered around on my own. I visited the Church of Our Lady, or Copenhagen Cathedral, where I sat in on a service for about a half an hour, soaking up the beautiful music and architecture around me. Then I walked past the Great Synagogue, where recent events had taken place. The street was blocked on both ends by police cars, with two police men with large guns standing outside the structure. The building itself was ten feet deep in flowers, and other memorial items, including a couple Je Suis Charlie sign. I don't really know how to describe what it was like to visit the sight, it was an odd feeling, coupled with a sense of a national community in a time of uncertainty.
Afterwards, I visited the Round Tower, and then met up with my friends at Rosenberg Palace and Gardens. We wandered to the Marble Church, and saw the changing of the guard at Amalienborge Palace. Then, the group split up, with some going to the Carlsberg Brewery, others to tour inside the Christiansborg Palace, and myself to visit the top of the tower at the palace as well as the chapel. Both of which were interesting, but cold, causing me to return to the hotel where I relaxed for a couple of hours, studying for my history midterm until it was time to depart for the airport.
Our journey home was marked with massive airport security lines (due to an SAS strike), a smooth quick flight, and a simple train ride. I arrived back in Neukölln at eleven thirty, unpacked and went to sleep. Today, I attended two classes, took a midterm, and now I'm relaxing at home, after a long but good weekend full of adventures.
Copenhagen in a nutshell:
The Good: History, not a lot of Americans, everyone was really nice, old buildings, picturesque canals, the churches, the beer, wonderful receptionists at the hotel,
The Bad: Expensive (6E for one hot chocolate - no), weather on the last day, long line at the airport, communal bathrooms at the hotel
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to binge the new season of House of Cards.
P.S. One of my closest friends and Rome travel partner is visiting me in less than two weeks. Words cannot describe how happy and excited I am.
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