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.
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