30 September 2007
I'm alive!!
Sorry for the long absence. I was on a week-long holiday to München (Munich), Wien (Vienna) and Bratislava. I was keeping track of what I was doing and will be slowly filling in the missing days on my blog... they'll be postdated but that just means you've gotta keep reading! :)
29 September 2007
Return to Berlin
At 10 o'clock in the morning, we began our train ride back to Berlin... possibly the longest 10 hours of my life! It was a better trip than the ride to München but I once again couldn't spend the time in peace, reading and sleeping. One of the highlights (in a very silly way!) was that the train went through the Czech Republic and I got a lot of stamps in my passport! Czech Republic is not party to the Schengen Agreement and required passport control from both Austrian and Czech border control officers. It was kind of funny the difference in stamping between the Germans, Austrians and Czechs that I've seen: Germans stamped in the first available space, right side up. Austrians stamped on the first available page, not too concerned with orientation. The Czechs flipped to any random blank page and my entry and exit visas are stamped on different pages--the second to last and fourth to last pages of my passport. Go figure!
At about 19.30 our train finally arrived at Berlin Hauptbahnhof and we were on our own once again to get home. Despite how dreary the weather is and how grumpy the people are here in Berlin, it was so nice to finally get back "home" and to my own space! Great trip but equally great to be done.
At about 19.30 our train finally arrived at Berlin Hauptbahnhof and we were on our own once again to get home. Despite how dreary the weather is and how grumpy the people are here in Berlin, it was so nice to finally get back "home" and to my own space! Great trip but equally great to be done.
28 September 2007
Bratislava, Slowakia
I'd left the windows slightly open overnight (I'm starting to like this German obsession with fresh air) and woke up to the sounds of rain outside. It rained for a little bit into the morning but cleared up while our entire group was walking to the boat to Bratislava. We took a high-speed hydrofoil down the Danube River for 1,5 hours to reach Bratislava. When we boarded the boat, the Austrian officials stamped our passports no Slovakians seemed to care we were entering their country. The boat ride was pretty fun because you could actually step outside into a sheltered area on the side and try to stand up in the very fast winds. It was really hard to keep your eyes open facing into the wind and I was afraid I might lose my contacts... I've got some funny pictures from that.
Once in Bratislava, I went with Marion up to the Castle that dominated the skyline from a hill overlooking the city. We wandered around the grounds, took tons of photos and had a good time. On our way back into the city, we stopped at a Lebanese restaurant for lunch. We both ordered Slovak beers... and I gave half mine away because it was 12% alcohol with 1/2 L for about 1€--very, very cheap! Bratislava was very cheap, in general, and it seemed like the Slowakians were very excited to accept Euros as currency since Slowakia isn't a "Euro Land" state and it's official currency is the Slowak Kröner. The exchange rate was about 33 SK per 1€ ... and things were just very cheap in general!
As we were about to leave the restaurant, a terrible storm blew in and the waitress invited to stay and go back to our table, even though we'd already paid. The wind blew the rain sideways and I felt a little bad sitting in my comfortable, dry space while watching some other program participants running down the streets, getting soaked, while their umbrellas were flip-flopping and wrapping around on themselves.
Once the storm stopped, we left and wandered around a bit until we ran into our program leader, Dirk. He strongly recommended going to the "Hall of Mirrors" museum and we decided to go. Fortunately it was free! Once inside there were about 20 paintings of old leaders of Slowakia and maybe 20 other random paintings that were nice to look at briefly but not something to spend the afternoon on.
After that museum, we went to the Bratislava Municipal Museum because Marion had read in our information packet that it included the old torture chambers that the city used to use in the Middle Ages. We paid our 20 SK (about 60 Euro cents or 85 US cents) and went in. At first, it was just a bunch of old (like 6000 BC old) artifacts, labeled in English with such helpful labels as "Artefact from sand pit". We thought this museum was a bust until we moved on a little bit more... into some very cool rooms from the original city hall (Rathaus) that were designed/built/decorated in vastly different styles--neo-Gothic, neo-Renaissance, etc. Those rooms were a lot of fun to walk through until one of the museum attendants came up to me and started talking to me in Slowakian. I obviously had no idea what she was saying and kind of gave her that look but figured out she was trying to usher us out of there and finally said the word "tower". I just went were I was told and then she pointed at the clock tower that we were supposed to climb.
After climbing up several flights of steep, narrow winding staircases, we reached a door outside of the actual clock on the city hall. We spent several minutes out there (in a strong wind!) looking across and down on the city. I was really hoping we'd see someone from the program to call out to and to have them get pictures of us up there, but no one was to be found. After several minutes, one of the museum ladies started yelling at us from below and we thought we were in trouble for being there so long and hurried down.
Once we got down, more Slowakian was spoken at us until they said "prison" in English and pointed down some stairs. I took that as another clue like "tower" and went down the steps... several flights down and we were in the torture chambers/dungeon of the city. It still smelled very strongly of death and pain. There were a lot of original artifacts, including axes used for beheadings, masks used to torture people, ball-and-chains, finger presses and the grounds had many deep pits that I can only assume people were thrown in with God knows what else! There were also lots of images on the walls showing medieval drawings of the acts being carried out--people being sawed in half and rows of people waiting to be beheaded with the executioner just walking down the line with his ax. After about ten minutes, it got so creepy that I hurried back up to fresh air.
After the torture chambers, the museum moved on to show the way normal Bratislavan residents lived during the 1920s and 30s... basically an entire house of rooms preserved/setup in that historical period. This was possibly the best museum I went to, especially considering the price!
After that museum, we had some time to kill and Marion and I wandered around and came across an Antique shop. The shopkeepers were very, very nice and had some very interesting items for sale... Marion wound up buying a small bust of Franz Josef that was produced in the 1914-1916 years as "Patriotika" to stir up citizens' interests and pride in the military efforts of the First World War. I got a belt buckle of a WWII Luftwaffe crew person... that got carefully wrapped up and buried in my bag before returning to Berlin. (Think about it for a minute and you'll understand!!)
On the train back to Wien, most of my classmates were complaining about how boring Bratislava was and how they wished they hadn't gone. I couldn't really understand that other than they didn't realize just how incredible a "city history museum" could be!
Once back in Wien, we all went with our fearless leader Dirk to a wine tavern (Heurigen) on the northern edge of the city. I didn't stay very long because I was very tired but it was actually a lot of fun to be with the group (for a change!).
Once in Bratislava, I went with Marion up to the Castle that dominated the skyline from a hill overlooking the city. We wandered around the grounds, took tons of photos and had a good time. On our way back into the city, we stopped at a Lebanese restaurant for lunch. We both ordered Slovak beers... and I gave half mine away because it was 12% alcohol with 1/2 L for about 1€--very, very cheap! Bratislava was very cheap, in general, and it seemed like the Slowakians were very excited to accept Euros as currency since Slowakia isn't a "Euro Land" state and it's official currency is the Slowak Kröner. The exchange rate was about 33 SK per 1€ ... and things were just very cheap in general!
As we were about to leave the restaurant, a terrible storm blew in and the waitress invited to stay and go back to our table, even though we'd already paid. The wind blew the rain sideways and I felt a little bad sitting in my comfortable, dry space while watching some other program participants running down the streets, getting soaked, while their umbrellas were flip-flopping and wrapping around on themselves.
Once the storm stopped, we left and wandered around a bit until we ran into our program leader, Dirk. He strongly recommended going to the "Hall of Mirrors" museum and we decided to go. Fortunately it was free! Once inside there were about 20 paintings of old leaders of Slowakia and maybe 20 other random paintings that were nice to look at briefly but not something to spend the afternoon on.
After that museum, we went to the Bratislava Municipal Museum because Marion had read in our information packet that it included the old torture chambers that the city used to use in the Middle Ages. We paid our 20 SK (about 60 Euro cents or 85 US cents) and went in. At first, it was just a bunch of old (like 6000 BC old) artifacts, labeled in English with such helpful labels as "Artefact from sand pit". We thought this museum was a bust until we moved on a little bit more... into some very cool rooms from the original city hall (Rathaus) that were designed/built/decorated in vastly different styles--neo-Gothic, neo-Renaissance, etc. Those rooms were a lot of fun to walk through until one of the museum attendants came up to me and started talking to me in Slowakian. I obviously had no idea what she was saying and kind of gave her that look but figured out she was trying to usher us out of there and finally said the word "tower". I just went were I was told and then she pointed at the clock tower that we were supposed to climb.
After climbing up several flights of steep, narrow winding staircases, we reached a door outside of the actual clock on the city hall. We spent several minutes out there (in a strong wind!) looking across and down on the city. I was really hoping we'd see someone from the program to call out to and to have them get pictures of us up there, but no one was to be found. After several minutes, one of the museum ladies started yelling at us from below and we thought we were in trouble for being there so long and hurried down.
Once we got down, more Slowakian was spoken at us until they said "prison" in English and pointed down some stairs. I took that as another clue like "tower" and went down the steps... several flights down and we were in the torture chambers/dungeon of the city. It still smelled very strongly of death and pain. There were a lot of original artifacts, including axes used for beheadings, masks used to torture people, ball-and-chains, finger presses and the grounds had many deep pits that I can only assume people were thrown in with God knows what else! There were also lots of images on the walls showing medieval drawings of the acts being carried out--people being sawed in half and rows of people waiting to be beheaded with the executioner just walking down the line with his ax. After about ten minutes, it got so creepy that I hurried back up to fresh air.
After the torture chambers, the museum moved on to show the way normal Bratislavan residents lived during the 1920s and 30s... basically an entire house of rooms preserved/setup in that historical period. This was possibly the best museum I went to, especially considering the price!
After that museum, we had some time to kill and Marion and I wandered around and came across an Antique shop. The shopkeepers were very, very nice and had some very interesting items for sale... Marion wound up buying a small bust of Franz Josef that was produced in the 1914-1916 years as "Patriotika" to stir up citizens' interests and pride in the military efforts of the First World War. I got a belt buckle of a WWII Luftwaffe crew person... that got carefully wrapped up and buried in my bag before returning to Berlin. (Think about it for a minute and you'll understand!!)
On the train back to Wien, most of my classmates were complaining about how boring Bratislava was and how they wished they hadn't gone. I couldn't really understand that other than they didn't realize just how incredible a "city history museum" could be!
Once back in Wien, we all went with our fearless leader Dirk to a wine tavern (Heurigen) on the northern edge of the city. I didn't stay very long because I was very tired but it was actually a lot of fun to be with the group (for a change!).
27 September 2007
OSCE
This morning my Integration, Conflict and Security class went to the headquarters of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in a part of the old Hapsburg palace in Wien. Because there weren't any delegates present, we were allowed in without any security checks--despite having to bring our passports for ID purposes. The OSCE works to prevent conflicts from occurring, promotes democracy and seeks to protect the environment. Its member states include pretty much the entire Global North from "Vancouver to Vladivostok". I'm not sure how effective it really is since all its decisions are made by unanimous decision of its 56 member states. When we went to the main meeting chamber, I got to sit at the Chairperson, Secretariat, US and Armenian delegations' seats. (I'm starting to collect a number of "important seats" I've sat in... haha.)
In the afternoon, it rained. First time during the whole excursion that the weather wasn't warm and beautiful. It'd been such a nice break from the grey Berlin. While it was still raining, I went to the Military Museum in the old city Arsenal with a few other people. I spent several hours there and thought it was great. The museum covered the military history of Austria since the Middle Ages through the modern era. Once again, no English signage but a good audio guide and low-priced student admission (only 3€).
Rain cleared up by the time I finished the museum and I went back to the hotel. Once there, I did a little laundry, since I was running out of clean clothing, and then went to an all-you-can-eat Sushi bar (with revolving bar of Sushi). It was 15€ but really good. Stanislava, Paulo, Kim and I made sure to get our money's worth!
In the afternoon, it rained. First time during the whole excursion that the weather wasn't warm and beautiful. It'd been such a nice break from the grey Berlin. While it was still raining, I went to the Military Museum in the old city Arsenal with a few other people. I spent several hours there and thought it was great. The museum covered the military history of Austria since the Middle Ages through the modern era. Once again, no English signage but a good audio guide and low-priced student admission (only 3€).
Rain cleared up by the time I finished the museum and I went back to the hotel. Once there, I did a little laundry, since I was running out of clean clothing, and then went to an all-you-can-eat Sushi bar (with revolving bar of Sushi). It was 15€ but really good. Stanislava, Paulo, Kim and I made sure to get our money's worth!
26 September 2007
More Hapsburgs
After breakfast, our whole program went to the Hofburg (main Hapsburg palace) in the city-center. The program paid for our admission to see both the Royal Silver Collection and the Palace with Residential Apartments. The silver collection was interesting but went on for far too long. It began with some very interesting and intricately decorated dishes made by certain special people... and it wound up being just a lot of dishes from this ridiculously wealthy family. I had an English-language audio guide but skipped most of the descriptions because it was seriously just more dishes.
The tour of the apartments was much better. I learned even more about my friends Maria Theresa, Franz Josef and Sissi. I thinks it's so cool to be in the actual space where major historical events happened. That palace alone included the room where the Hapsburgs forever renounced political participation in Austria and went into exile and another room where President Kennedy met Khruschev for talks in the 60s.
After finishing the tours, I had about an hour to kill before picking up tickets for a guided tour of the Parliament. Marion and I just wandered around a bit and then just sat down for the rest of the time. When we were sitting, another woman sat on our bench and, after overhearing us talking, asked us if we were Americans. After acknowledging that we were, she told us she was too and was here on holiday and then listed all these places she visited and was planning to see. It really made me appreciate the fact that I'm here for long enough that I'm not forced to rush through everything and can actually take the time to just sit on a park bench and wait. I'm also glad I'm not bound to a camera everywhere I go. I'm certainly taking a lot of photos, but when I was at the concert last night I wasn't like my very rude seat-neighbors who were taking photos and videos throughout the performance with noisy cameras.
In the afternoon, I went to the Royal Jewel's museum and saw a lot of old crowns and royal coats. None of this museum was in English except limited items included on the audio guide. Part of the museum was an exhibit on the Order of the Golden Fleece... but I almost missed that since I don't understand the German I was trying to read.
After that museum, I went to the Parliament for a tour. Part of the building was destroyed in the Second World War but one of the wings was untouched and remains in the original style/construction of the first Austrian Parliament during the early 20th century. The second wing was rebuilt after the War and wasn't as stylistically spectacular. We toured one day before Parliament reconvened after their summer holidays and when we got to the main chamber, I randomly sat in the Madam President's chair... unfortunately no photos to prove it but I certainly felt special! Since it was the last tour of the day, I may well have been the last person to sit there before the President herself sat there.
Tonight our whole program went to a performance of the operetta "Gräfin Mariza" by Emmerich Kalman at the Volksoper Wien. I read the synopsis before I went but, since it was performed entirely in German, I really didn't understand anything that was going on. During the second and third acts, there was some dancing that was fun to watch and overall I enjoyed going. I'm also really glad that the program paid for this because Wien is a very expensive city! Museums ranged from 6-12€ with the student discounts. Food were also really expensive and I started buying food and drinks at the grocery store next to the hotel--trying somehow to save money and kind of keep to my budget. (I'm still more than willing to accept donations!)
The tour of the apartments was much better. I learned even more about my friends Maria Theresa, Franz Josef and Sissi. I thinks it's so cool to be in the actual space where major historical events happened. That palace alone included the room where the Hapsburgs forever renounced political participation in Austria and went into exile and another room where President Kennedy met Khruschev for talks in the 60s.
After finishing the tours, I had about an hour to kill before picking up tickets for a guided tour of the Parliament. Marion and I just wandered around a bit and then just sat down for the rest of the time. When we were sitting, another woman sat on our bench and, after overhearing us talking, asked us if we were Americans. After acknowledging that we were, she told us she was too and was here on holiday and then listed all these places she visited and was planning to see. It really made me appreciate the fact that I'm here for long enough that I'm not forced to rush through everything and can actually take the time to just sit on a park bench and wait. I'm also glad I'm not bound to a camera everywhere I go. I'm certainly taking a lot of photos, but when I was at the concert last night I wasn't like my very rude seat-neighbors who were taking photos and videos throughout the performance with noisy cameras.
In the afternoon, I went to the Royal Jewel's museum and saw a lot of old crowns and royal coats. None of this museum was in English except limited items included on the audio guide. Part of the museum was an exhibit on the Order of the Golden Fleece... but I almost missed that since I don't understand the German I was trying to read.
After that museum, I went to the Parliament for a tour. Part of the building was destroyed in the Second World War but one of the wings was untouched and remains in the original style/construction of the first Austrian Parliament during the early 20th century. The second wing was rebuilt after the War and wasn't as stylistically spectacular. We toured one day before Parliament reconvened after their summer holidays and when we got to the main chamber, I randomly sat in the Madam President's chair... unfortunately no photos to prove it but I certainly felt special! Since it was the last tour of the day, I may well have been the last person to sit there before the President herself sat there.
Tonight our whole program went to a performance of the operetta "Gräfin Mariza" by Emmerich Kalman at the Volksoper Wien. I read the synopsis before I went but, since it was performed entirely in German, I really didn't understand anything that was going on. During the second and third acts, there was some dancing that was fun to watch and overall I enjoyed going. I'm also really glad that the program paid for this because Wien is a very expensive city! Museums ranged from 6-12€ with the student discounts. Food were also really expensive and I started buying food and drinks at the grocery store next to the hotel--trying somehow to save money and kind of keep to my budget. (I'm still more than willing to accept donations!)
25 September 2007
Beautiful Wien
Today started with a really good city tour beginning at the St. Stephan's Cathedral in the city-center. The old city is very small (and also easy walking distance from the hotel), so getting around is not a problem at all. The tour hit most of the historic buildings in the area, including the Parliament building, Chancellor's house, old Hapsburg palaces, etc. Also, in the middle of the city, there's an uncovered excavation of some Roman ruins... a reminder of really just how old these settlements are!
In the afternoon, I went to the Schloss Shönnbrun with Marion. That was the Hapsburg family's summer palace just outside the city. After wandering through the gardens for a couple hours, we coughed up nearly 12€ each to tour the palace. The palace was absolutely amazing inside with such a mix of styles from each of the different generations that ruled (or vacationed) there. I also began learning far too much about the Hapsburg dynasty in general--go ahead, ask me about Maria Theresa, Franz Josef or Sissi!!
The evening consisted of a Strauss & Mozart Concert in the Stadtpark. It was a very small concert with some fun musicians--you could tell that most of the audience was tourists and the musicians really had a lot of fun with that. Afterwards I went to an Australian Pub with Kim and Mackenzie and had some terrible Aussie beer... made me miss Germany and Augustiner a lot!
In the afternoon, I went to the Schloss Shönnbrun with Marion. That was the Hapsburg family's summer palace just outside the city. After wandering through the gardens for a couple hours, we coughed up nearly 12€ each to tour the palace. The palace was absolutely amazing inside with such a mix of styles from each of the different generations that ruled (or vacationed) there. I also began learning far too much about the Hapsburg dynasty in general--go ahead, ask me about Maria Theresa, Franz Josef or Sissi!!
The evening consisted of a Strauss & Mozart Concert in the Stadtpark. It was a very small concert with some fun musicians--you could tell that most of the audience was tourists and the musicians really had a lot of fun with that. Afterwards I went to an Australian Pub with Kim and Mackenzie and had some terrible Aussie beer... made me miss Germany and Augustiner a lot!
24 September 2007
Wien!
And we're moving on from München... to Wien, Österreich. Train ride from 9:30ish to about 2 p.m. Unfortunately, no stamps for my passport because we stayed in the Schengen Agreement Zone of Europe. This train was different than the ICE train from Berlin and was individual compartments of six people each in the cars. It helped quiet things down a bit (I don't know if anyone broke any glasses this time) but this car didn't have working air conditioning. I was so tired when we finally got to Wien from the heat that I really just wanted to sleep.
Once we got off the train and on to our hostel, we realized it was a lot better than a hostel. This was more of a hotel that actually had double-occupancy rooms with in-room restrooms. Very nice! After a refreshing shower and change of clothes, I went out wandering through the city with a handful of other people. Wien is such a beautiful city! All the buildings look very old (really many are 50-130 years old). In the 1860s-70s (?), the Austrian Emperor ordered that the old city moat be turned into a Ringstraße (ring street) and he ordered the construction of several hundred buildings in various architectural styles. A lot of neo-Gothic, neo-Renaissance, neo-Classical and neo-Baroque buildings made the street a lot of fun to just walk along. (I'm really starting to both appreciate and like my architecture class!)
Once we got off the train and on to our hostel, we realized it was a lot better than a hostel. This was more of a hotel that actually had double-occupancy rooms with in-room restrooms. Very nice! After a refreshing shower and change of clothes, I went out wandering through the city with a handful of other people. Wien is such a beautiful city! All the buildings look very old (really many are 50-130 years old). In the 1860s-70s (?), the Austrian Emperor ordered that the old city moat be turned into a Ringstraße (ring street) and he ordered the construction of several hundred buildings in various architectural styles. A lot of neo-Gothic, neo-Renaissance, neo-Classical and neo-Baroque buildings made the street a lot of fun to just walk along. (I'm really starting to both appreciate and like my architecture class!)
23 September 2007
Slow Day
I slept a lot today, all this traveling is tiring! I went out for dinner to "Rick's Café" near the hostel and then wandered around the actual Oktoberfest in the early evening. I wasn't really feeling well and didn't even try to find a seat in the tents but can now say I've been to the 'Fest.
22 September 2007
BMW/Olympiazentrum Park
This morning I went with Marion to the BMW museum and factory. Unfortunately, once we got there we found out the real museum was closed for renovations until Spring 2008 but there was a temporary exhibition in the Olympic Park across the street. We went there, paid out 2€ and got to see about 25 BMWs throughout the ages. After we finished, I bought my first BMW straight from the factory... a scale model of an E92 (I think) 2006+ BMW 3-Series Coupe. Even if it did fit in my bag, I still bought my first BMW from the factory, right?
After BMW we wandered around the Olympic Park (site of the 1972 Summer Olympics)... it was funny how it was designed to look "natural" but still had a lot of very German order to the locations, arrangement and shapes of the lakes and trees. Those orderly Germans!
In the afternoon, we met up with the rest of the program for guided tours of the central city. It was supposed to be a three hour tour but our tour guide wasn't really saying anything that wasn't readily apparent ("This is a market. Villagers and visitors can buy fruits and vegetables here.") After about half an hour, I got so bored with the tour that I left with a couple other people. We wandered around the city some more before meeting up with our tour group again at the end.
That night we went back to Augustiner Keller and after a couple Maß a group of Americans at another table invited us to join them. I don't have any idea who these people were or even their names but it was pretty fun to just randomly join with other people like that.
After BMW we wandered around the Olympic Park (site of the 1972 Summer Olympics)... it was funny how it was designed to look "natural" but still had a lot of very German order to the locations, arrangement and shapes of the lakes and trees. Those orderly Germans!
In the afternoon, we met up with the rest of the program for guided tours of the central city. It was supposed to be a three hour tour but our tour guide wasn't really saying anything that wasn't readily apparent ("This is a market. Villagers and visitors can buy fruits and vegetables here.") After about half an hour, I got so bored with the tour that I left with a couple other people. We wandered around the city some more before meeting up with our tour group again at the end.
That night we went back to Augustiner Keller and after a couple Maß a group of Americans at another table invited us to join them. I don't have any idea who these people were or even their names but it was pretty fun to just randomly join with other people like that.
21 September 2007
Train to München
Today my whole program began our week-long excursion to München (Munich, Germany), Wien (Vienna, Austria) and Bratislava (Slovakia). Our train left from the Berlin Hauptbahnhof at about 9 a.m. and we didn't arrive in München until almost 3 p.m. ...
It was a terribly fun train ride... six hours of all of us stuck in the same train car with a lot of people drinking and them all breaking glasses. I thought I would try to catch up on my reading for classes... that didn't really work out too well.
Once we got to München, I dropped my stuff off in the hostel and found food/drink at the Augustiner Keller Biergarten... Augustiner is quite possibly the best beer I've ever had. Delicious. And this place only served Augustiner. 6,30€ per 1L Maß and oh so worth it!
It was a terribly fun train ride... six hours of all of us stuck in the same train car with a lot of people drinking and them all breaking glasses. I thought I would try to catch up on my reading for classes... that didn't really work out too well.
Once we got to München, I dropped my stuff off in the hostel and found food/drink at the Augustiner Keller Biergarten... Augustiner is quite possibly the best beer I've ever had. Delicious. And this place only served Augustiner. 6,30€ per 1L Maß and oh so worth it!
16 September 2007
Laundry
I absolutely hate doing laundry here. You have to buy tokens from the Hausmeister during his office hours of 18.00-20.00h Mondays only. The tokens cost 3€ for each washer load and 1€ for dryer. The dryer fits about 3 times more stuff (at least) than the washer so if the prices were reversed it might make more sense.
But my biggest issue with the laundry is that it's in the basement of another building. The buildings are connected but I have to walk into building 12 which doesn't really keep it's hall lights on. The lights are on timers but in 12 they are very short times and you could be halfway down the hall and the lights go out... plunging you into total darkness in an already rather creepy building. But the laundry is behind a couple more locked doors at the back of a creepy hallway in the basement... those lights are also on timers and I know to just hurry as much as possible when doing laundry. I'm just very scared that the lights will turn out when I'm in the laundry room and I have to just feel my way back to the outer door with the light switch. Of course, I also got quite startled by another person coming into the room to do his laundry... I may have scared him more than me when I jumped.
Ah well, I've already done two of the three required trips... and I think I finally figured out the dryer--full-Sun should be heat... right? Otherwise I'll just hang all my clothes throughout my apartment again.
But my biggest issue with the laundry is that it's in the basement of another building. The buildings are connected but I have to walk into building 12 which doesn't really keep it's hall lights on. The lights are on timers but in 12 they are very short times and you could be halfway down the hall and the lights go out... plunging you into total darkness in an already rather creepy building. But the laundry is behind a couple more locked doors at the back of a creepy hallway in the basement... those lights are also on timers and I know to just hurry as much as possible when doing laundry. I'm just very scared that the lights will turn out when I'm in the laundry room and I have to just feel my way back to the outer door with the light switch. Of course, I also got quite startled by another person coming into the room to do his laundry... I may have scared him more than me when I jumped.
Ah well, I've already done two of the three required trips... and I think I finally figured out the dryer--full-Sun should be heat... right? Otherwise I'll just hang all my clothes throughout my apartment again.
Friendly Berliner??
Just got home from some bars tonight... when I got on the first bus I said "guten Morgen" to the driver... and he actually replied "Morgen". I'm shocked! No Berliner that I've spoken with thus far has actually been kind back... maybe it was because it was 4 in the morning?? But still... I'm kind of excited! :)
14 September 2007
Mosquitoes
All these damned mosquitoes buzzing around my apartment!! I learned in my architecture class last week that Berlin was built on a swamp/swampy grounds and that would certainly explain all these mosquitoes! I've been keeping my window open (but covered with the curtains) because the air gets so stale inside but then I get attacked by bugs. I'm almost ready for a quick hard freeze just to kill them all off! Looks like Wednesday's forecast low is 38º F ... will that be cold enough??
13 September 2007
$$$ < €€€
Oh yay, BBC is all about how the dollar is hitting record lows to the Euro and how it is expected to just keep falling in value... that's just great. My budget already looked bad in Euros at the 1.35 conversion rate. Today it hit 1.40 for the first time in history and the rate difference is expected to just keep growing. Maybe I should go ahead and convert all my money to Euros before it gets worse?? I really have no idea about these things.
I don't have any class today... very nice feeling! My language class meets 2-3 days a week and this week we only met on Monday and Wednesday. Other classes meet every morning Monday-Thursday. My class is an "Experiential Beginners" for people who don't intend to major/minor in the language. We're supposed to be getting a basic crash course in the German language so we'll be able to live with more than just pointing and nodding. There are 10 of us in there and I'm the only one who isn't in the UC (California) system... which means many of them are putting Spanish accents/words in for German since that's the other language that they've learned. It's kind of funny but also kind of frustrating because the instructor doesn't really correct our pronunciation much. I'm also a little disappointed in the pace of the class because several of my classmates don't seem to have picked up any German on their own by just living here. I guess I have an advantage because I'm always going out with stronger German speakers who refuse to speak English but it is frustrating to hear how much further behind than me they are already in the second week of class. Although, I won't lie... Bingo was pretty fun yesterday... :)
I'm taking three other "content" courses (thankfully in English!). On Tuesdays, I have "Integration, Conflict and Security in Europe" taught by the program director, Dirk. It reminds me a lot of what I liked about the IR major before I switched to Justice. Right now it's covering the history of European governments/integration (supra-nationalism) post-World War II and after the midterm break it will focus more on conflict/security issues that have occurred after the end of the Cold War. During our class trip to München and Vienna in two weeks, we're going on a tour and presentation of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) in Vienna. We also have to independently go to the Allied Museum, the German-Russian Museum in Karlshorst and the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and write papers about our visits.
My second class is also taught by Dirk on "Contemporary Germany in European Perspective". So far it's been about the history of Germany from 1949-1990 with a basic overview of the leadership/policies of both German states before Reunification. Something I never really thought I'd study! Because the whole program is a more European Studies focus, this class spends a lot of time applying Germany to Europe and making sure that everything we're learning about Germany is integrated to Europe as a whole. Our independent course projects are on the Deutsches Historisches Museum (German History Museum showing both the FRG and GDR from 1945-1990), an exhibition in the Deutscher Dom called "Wege – Irrwege – Umwege", and either the Erinnerungsstätte Notaufnahmelager Marienfelde (memorial site that used to be used to process East German refugees to the West after 1953) or the DDR Museum showing what "typical life" was like in East Germany.
My third class (along with Contemporary Germany on Wednesdays) is on "Architecture in Berlin from the 19th Century to Today". This will probably be my most challenging class... I don't know anything about architecture and our exams will be recognizing building styles, historical significances, etc. So far we've gone over the history of Berlin's growth from the Middle Ages to the post-Reunification growth projections/realities of today and looked at both architectural terms and a quick history of Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The best thing about the class (I think) will be the walking tours we're taking throughout Berlin. Next week we're starting at the Old Museum (Altes Museum) on Friedrichstraße in Mitte and looking at several of Schinkel's buildings in Berlin. Other walking tours include tours on Onkel Toms Hütte, Hansaviertel and Pariser Platz/Government Quarter area. Our independent course projects are visits to the Bauhaus Archiv's exhibition on "Berlin Settlements from the 1920s", the Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium built by Hitler for the 1936 Berlin Olympics) and a "self-guided walking tour". I also have to write a paper and present on Bruno Taut's "Horseshoe Development" housing complex in Berlin-Britz... I have no idea what that is (I've seen a couple pictures) but I'm sure I'll know a lot more pretty soon. :)
I'm taking three other "content" courses (thankfully in English!). On Tuesdays, I have "Integration, Conflict and Security in Europe" taught by the program director, Dirk. It reminds me a lot of what I liked about the IR major before I switched to Justice. Right now it's covering the history of European governments/integration (supra-nationalism) post-World War II and after the midterm break it will focus more on conflict/security issues that have occurred after the end of the Cold War. During our class trip to München and Vienna in two weeks, we're going on a tour and presentation of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) in Vienna. We also have to independently go to the Allied Museum, the German-Russian Museum in Karlshorst and the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and write papers about our visits.
My second class is also taught by Dirk on "Contemporary Germany in European Perspective". So far it's been about the history of Germany from 1949-1990 with a basic overview of the leadership/policies of both German states before Reunification. Something I never really thought I'd study! Because the whole program is a more European Studies focus, this class spends a lot of time applying Germany to Europe and making sure that everything we're learning about Germany is integrated to Europe as a whole. Our independent course projects are on the Deutsches Historisches Museum (German History Museum showing both the FRG and GDR from 1945-1990), an exhibition in the Deutscher Dom called "Wege – Irrwege – Umwege", and either the Erinnerungsstätte Notaufnahmelager Marienfelde (memorial site that used to be used to process East German refugees to the West after 1953) or the DDR Museum showing what "typical life" was like in East Germany.
My third class (along with Contemporary Germany on Wednesdays) is on "Architecture in Berlin from the 19th Century to Today". This will probably be my most challenging class... I don't know anything about architecture and our exams will be recognizing building styles, historical significances, etc. So far we've gone over the history of Berlin's growth from the Middle Ages to the post-Reunification growth projections/realities of today and looked at both architectural terms and a quick history of Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The best thing about the class (I think) will be the walking tours we're taking throughout Berlin. Next week we're starting at the Old Museum (Altes Museum) on Friedrichstraße in Mitte and looking at several of Schinkel's buildings in Berlin. Other walking tours include tours on Onkel Toms Hütte, Hansaviertel and Pariser Platz/Government Quarter area. Our independent course projects are visits to the Bauhaus Archiv's exhibition on "Berlin Settlements from the 1920s", the Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium built by Hitler for the 1936 Berlin Olympics) and a "self-guided walking tour". I also have to write a paper and present on Bruno Taut's "Horseshoe Development" housing complex in Berlin-Britz... I have no idea what that is (I've seen a couple pictures) but I'm sure I'll know a lot more pretty soon. :)
Second night of birthday festivities is over. On Tuesday, seven of us went to Tarons (an "international" restaurant) in the Rathaus Steglitz area and I had a "Georg Pizza". The pizza has "Schmandsoße, Käse, Paprika, Champignons, Zwiebeln und Peperoni" on it... I still don't know what some of that is but it was really good. It's also amazing how cheap pizzas are here--you can get two meals out of a really good 3-4€ pizza. It's just a pretty significant shift for me to go from using my hands to eat pizza to only using knife and fork (and not in the American switching-fork-and-knife manner). Because it took us so long to find somewhere to eat (accidentally got on an Express bus that went a reallllllyyy long way before stopping), after dinner we called it a night.
Tonight Kim and Shannon bought a cake and we (along with Jill, Marion and Stanislava) had that in Kim's apartment. Good times. And no class tomorrow, so I get to sleep in some! :)
Tonight Kim and Shannon bought a cake and we (along with Jill, Marion and Stanislava) had that in Kim's apartment. Good times. And no class tomorrow, so I get to sleep in some! :)
09 September 2007
Weekends
The weekends are so nice and restful for me here. Saturday I slept in, cooked some lunch, took a nap, fixed dinner, then went out at about 22.00h. We went to a bar somewhere in the East called Point of No Return which was pretty boring and then to an indoor beach bar with sand on the floor. That was more fun but I think most of us are still really tired and we were all back home by 4.00h.
Today was another restful day and after fixing lunch, I went to Balzac in Rathaus Steglitz where I saw three other program participants on their laptops. Tomorrow afternoon I'm going to the Deutsch Bank to get an account and then purchasing DSL for my apartment. It takes about 2-3 weeks after that but I really can't wait! It really is amazing how Internet-dependent my generation has become... not having the ability to look up information on the fly feels so limiting but also results in some nice spontaneous discoveries. Friday night, for example, Jill, Marion and I were wandering around somewhere northeast of Friedrichstraße and came across an outdoor market in the courtyard of several clubs and bars.
That night was also a lot of fun because neither Jill or Marion wanted to speak English... so I got by with a strange mix of German, a little Spanish and even less of Arabic. We also were going by "German" sounding names (or at least less-American) ... Jill became Yulia, Marion got a slightly different pronunciation and I became "Georg" with two hard-"G"s. I guess I am picking up the language here pretty quickly... I've had a couple successful food/drink interactions entirely in German!
Today was another restful day and after fixing lunch, I went to Balzac in Rathaus Steglitz where I saw three other program participants on their laptops. Tomorrow afternoon I'm going to the Deutsch Bank to get an account and then purchasing DSL for my apartment. It takes about 2-3 weeks after that but I really can't wait! It really is amazing how Internet-dependent my generation has become... not having the ability to look up information on the fly feels so limiting but also results in some nice spontaneous discoveries. Friday night, for example, Jill, Marion and I were wandering around somewhere northeast of Friedrichstraße and came across an outdoor market in the courtyard of several clubs and bars.
That night was also a lot of fun because neither Jill or Marion wanted to speak English... so I got by with a strange mix of German, a little Spanish and even less of Arabic. We also were going by "German" sounding names (or at least less-American) ... Jill became Yulia, Marion got a slightly different pronunciation and I became "Georg" with two hard-"G"s. I guess I am picking up the language here pretty quickly... I've had a couple successful food/drink interactions entirely in German!
07 September 2007
YAY!
Last mention, I promise! I have hot water!!!!!!!! I'll be taking a wonderfully long and hot shower tonight and again in the morning!
So today we went to Sanssouci for the morning and toured the gardens and the palace. I accidentally left my camera at home so I don't have any photos... plus they were forbidden inside anyway. It was amazing how much wealth was visible in the designs of the area!
After a Döner lunch in the Mitte of Potsdam, we toured the Schloss Cecilienhof which was the site of the Potsdam Conference in the summer of 1945 between Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin. Much of the site is now a hotel and the tour consisted of just a handful of rooms. It was absolutely fascinating to see such historical sites and to actually be there! One room held the desk where Stalin sat and planned his work, another room held the massive round table where none of the three parties could be at the head. It was also fascinating to look out the windows to the nearby River Spree that less than twenty years ago was hidden behind an extension of the Berlin Wall.
It is so amazing that so many major historical events occurred in the places I am visiting. Where today I walk across a street to get from a café to a movie theater, 20 years ago people would've been shot dead crossing the No-Man's-Land of Potsdamer Platz. Or even to use those U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations because many in that area were the Geisterbahnhöfe (Ghost Stations) that were closed by the East German authorities in the 1960s. Potsdamer Platz has been completely rebuilt and modernized but Unter den Linden is still in much the same condition and appearance as it was in the 1930s when it was built. And for 28 years no one could use those stations. And it's all right here... truly living history.
So today we went to Sanssouci for the morning and toured the gardens and the palace. I accidentally left my camera at home so I don't have any photos... plus they were forbidden inside anyway. It was amazing how much wealth was visible in the designs of the area!
After a Döner lunch in the Mitte of Potsdam, we toured the Schloss Cecilienhof which was the site of the Potsdam Conference in the summer of 1945 between Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin. Much of the site is now a hotel and the tour consisted of just a handful of rooms. It was absolutely fascinating to see such historical sites and to actually be there! One room held the desk where Stalin sat and planned his work, another room held the massive round table where none of the three parties could be at the head. It was also fascinating to look out the windows to the nearby River Spree that less than twenty years ago was hidden behind an extension of the Berlin Wall.
It is so amazing that so many major historical events occurred in the places I am visiting. Where today I walk across a street to get from a café to a movie theater, 20 years ago people would've been shot dead crossing the No-Man's-Land of Potsdamer Platz. Or even to use those U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations because many in that area were the Geisterbahnhöfe (Ghost Stations) that were closed by the East German authorities in the 1960s. Potsdamer Platz has been completely rebuilt and modernized but Unter den Linden is still in much the same condition and appearance as it was in the 1930s when it was built. And for 28 years no one could use those stations. And it's all right here... truly living history.
Wow, I just looked over at my clock radio and it read 0:00 ... I kind of freaked out, glanced at my phone, saw 00:00 and was really startled. Then I remembered where I was. It's those little things that really remind you where you are.
So I just took (hopefully) my last cold shower... and I'll stop boring you with those matters!
Tomorrow our entire program is going to Potsdam to visit Sanssouci and Cecilienhof. A huge group of 70+ Americans... oh wait, not going there. I believe we're going to the palace and site of the Potsdam Conference at the end of WWII. I'm sure I'll take plenty of pictures. (Once I get some time online, I'll start posting pictures on the blog directly.)
Speaking of the Internet, I'm going to be getting some help from Jill to set up a German bank account so I can have DSL in my apartment. If all goes as planned, I'll get the accounts created on Monday and have the Internet installed by the end of the month. Having the Internet in my apartment obviously isn't essential but it would be a lot more convenient than hauling my computer off to an Internet café or the school building for simple email (or posting photos!).
So I just took (hopefully) my last cold shower... and I'll stop boring you with those matters!
Tomorrow our entire program is going to Potsdam to visit Sanssouci and Cecilienhof. A huge group of 70+ Americans... oh wait, not going there. I believe we're going to the palace and site of the Potsdam Conference at the end of WWII. I'm sure I'll take plenty of pictures. (Once I get some time online, I'll start posting pictures on the blog directly.)
Speaking of the Internet, I'm going to be getting some help from Jill to set up a German bank account so I can have DSL in my apartment. If all goes as planned, I'll get the accounts created on Monday and have the Internet installed by the end of the month. Having the Internet in my apartment obviously isn't essential but it would be a lot more convenient than hauling my computer off to an Internet café or the school building for simple email (or posting photos!).
06 September 2007
Maybe I'll get that hot water soon...?
I spoke with Dirk and Marie today and if my Hausmeister doesn't have my hot water fixed by tomorrow (while I'm in Potsdam) then I will have a key to a new apartment. I'm kind of settled into where I am but would gladly give that up for some hot water! But apparently it just took a couple people to call and make some noise to get me some help. Just like in America, hahaha.
But enough of that...
Today for language class we met with an Intermediate level class at the Humboldt Universität for a scavenger hunt in the Mitte/historical city center of Berlin. Let me just say, if I were on Amazing Race, I would win! We finished about half an hour before anyone else! (Of course, at a certain point we just gave up on one clue and kind of filled that in later...) So tonight I don't have any plans yet but tomorrow the whole program is going to Potsdam to spend the day.
But enough of that...
Today for language class we met with an Intermediate level class at the Humboldt Universität for a scavenger hunt in the Mitte/historical city center of Berlin. Let me just say, if I were on Amazing Race, I would win! We finished about half an hour before anyone else! (Of course, at a certain point we just gave up on one clue and kind of filled that in later...) So tonight I don't have any plans yet but tomorrow the whole program is going to Potsdam to spend the day.
05 September 2007
So I just had a great time at dinner at a German-Chinese restaurant with Kim, Shannon and Stanislava... but once I got back to my apartment and realized I still had no hot water... end of my happiness. Am I being really impatient or is the lack of hot water actually an important thing for an apartment manager to take care of!? I'm going to try to visit him tomorrow to find out if he realizes it's still not working and if he knows when it will be fixed. I'll write out a note and hopefully he can write down whatever his answer is so I can have someone else translate it for me. This is absolutely killing me!!
In other news, thank you to everyone that responded to my email!! And especially thank you to any of those (and others) that are actually reading my blog. I'll be working on posting photos as soon as I figure out an easy way to do it! But don't worry, I'm taking a lot of photos!
And did anyone else see about the alleged terrorists the German police arrested that were supposedly plotting to blow up the Frankfurter airport and the Ramstein US Army Base!? Ahh well, I did used to live in DC for a few years, right? :)
In other news, thank you to everyone that responded to my email!! And especially thank you to any of those (and others) that are actually reading my blog. I'll be working on posting photos as soon as I figure out an easy way to do it! But don't worry, I'm taking a lot of photos!
And did anyone else see about the alleged terrorists the German police arrested that were supposedly plotting to blow up the Frankfurter airport and the Ramstein US Army Base!? Ahh well, I did used to live in DC for a few years, right? :)
Cold, cold water! :'(
I still don't have hot water... :'( The Hausmeister came today and replaced a light bulb and hopefully at least figured out what was wrong. I was so heartbroken once I knew he'd been here but it wasn't fixed. I know it will take some time but it is still so hard to just not have a hot shower in your own place. I was able to take a shower at a friend's apartment today but I can't keep asking that of people. Everyone pray tomorrow I get hot water!!
04 September 2007
So a dog just barked in the Balzac Café that I'm in right now... so different than the USA. I didn't have language class this morning and slept in some. Very nice! I went to the Brentanostraße building to meet Kim and Shannon for lunch and as soon as I got off the bus the skies opened up and it poured rain!! I was totally soaked after my 1,5 block walk to the school building. We had lunch in the FU Mensa and then I took the bus back to Rathaus Steglietz to meet Jill to figure out how to get Internet in the apartments... there's a way to have DSL for 24,95€ per month but you must have a German bank account. Jill set up a bank account just for this and I was going to share her account but that is not allowed... so many restrictions and regulations in this country! Yet the term "red-tape" was invented in the USA!?
Yesterday was my first day of classes... despite the holiday in the USA. I had my first "experiential German language" class and the professor is very nice. I'm not too thrilled about some of my classmates because they didn't seem to have learned anything at all in the last few days of being in Germany. I have at least picked up some language and pronunciation clues... I think I'm learning about 5 new words per day. Slow but steady, right? :)
In the afternoon I had a Modern German History class that I may wind up dropping. It seems like it will be interesting but I'd prefer taking another German History class from Dirk, the program director. I was signed up for two history courses that may be very similar and I'd prefer taking a class on Integration, Conflict and Security in the EU. I may have to give up my spot in that class for someone else that needs it to graduate on time.. I'm so nice. :P The Conflict & Security class is my only one today... 16.30-21.00h.
Oh, an important update: I went to the Hausmeister yesterday and handed him my note about the hot water... he said he'd come by today to repair it... or at least I think that's what he motioned. :) Part of my telling him was by shivering to show him it was cold... ahhhh, it's soooo difficult not knowing the native language of a land! I'm really hoping it will be fixed when I get back because the yucky rain today is really making me crave a hot shower! Last night I also figured out an important „feature" of my apartment... since I am on the entry-level floor, my balcony has some very heavy metal shades that pull down outside my windows and I can lock from within. I used those last night to help block the morning sun... plus those combined with the double-deadbolted door lock makes me feel very secure. Germans absolutely LOVE their locks!
Well, I must be going, my battery is dying and I need to get on the bus for class. More later.
Tschüß.
Yesterday was my first day of classes... despite the holiday in the USA. I had my first "experiential German language" class and the professor is very nice. I'm not too thrilled about some of my classmates because they didn't seem to have learned anything at all in the last few days of being in Germany. I have at least picked up some language and pronunciation clues... I think I'm learning about 5 new words per day. Slow but steady, right? :)
In the afternoon I had a Modern German History class that I may wind up dropping. It seems like it will be interesting but I'd prefer taking another German History class from Dirk, the program director. I was signed up for two history courses that may be very similar and I'd prefer taking a class on Integration, Conflict and Security in the EU. I may have to give up my spot in that class for someone else that needs it to graduate on time.. I'm so nice. :P The Conflict & Security class is my only one today... 16.30-21.00h.
Oh, an important update: I went to the Hausmeister yesterday and handed him my note about the hot water... he said he'd come by today to repair it... or at least I think that's what he motioned. :) Part of my telling him was by shivering to show him it was cold... ahhhh, it's soooo difficult not knowing the native language of a land! I'm really hoping it will be fixed when I get back because the yucky rain today is really making me crave a hot shower! Last night I also figured out an important „feature" of my apartment... since I am on the entry-level floor, my balcony has some very heavy metal shades that pull down outside my windows and I can lock from within. I used those last night to help block the morning sun... plus those combined with the double-deadbolted door lock makes me feel very secure. Germans absolutely LOVE their locks!
Well, I must be going, my battery is dying and I need to get on the bus for class. More later.
Tschüß.
02 September 2007
Today I finally got to sleep in!! It was wonderful! :D I woke up at about 13.00h and just lounged around until about 14.30h. I still don't have any hot water in my apartment (going on 4 days now!) and cleaned/shaved myself very quickly! (Don't worry, as soon as I'm out of class tomorrow I'm going to the Hausmeister to get help... I've written out a note explaining my problem.) So after eating an orange I went took the bus to Rathaus Steglietz and used the free Internet at the Balzac Café... I bought a 2,80€ latté and spent three hours online... fair trade, right? :) It was very nice to get online and get up to date with my emails. (BTW, I'm typically writing my lengthy blog posts from my apartment without Internet and uploading them later. But the time-stamps are corrected to match when I wrote them.)
After I returned from Rathaus Steglietz, I went by Marion's apartment and we decided to go find some dinner. We left at 18.30h and went all the way to Alexanderplatz on the S- and U-Bahns. Once there we wandered around some before finding an Italian place... they had some delicious pizza although I wasn't feeling adventurous enough for the tuna and onion pizza. I, of course, had a Berliner Pilsner with dinner. :) We finished dinner and were back at the apartments on Celsiusstraße at about 22.00h... I really need to find some good and varied food shops closer!
Yesterday I went on a group tour of the Potsdamer Platz and Alexanderplatz areas of Berlin. We began at Brandenburger Tür and went to one of the Soviet war memorials in Tiergarten. We also saw many former Nazi and DDR structures that were under „memorial protection" and couldn't be destroyed and were turned into current German or EU government buildings. We also saw the parking lot where Hitler committed suicide... or the grounds where his bunker was. I took a great photo showing that site with the modern cars and two children playing on the grounds. It is simply amazing that all these terrifying acts and actors that I've learned about on the History Channel and in school were actually here. On our tour of the main FU campus the other day we visited the main administration building of the school which used to be the Allied Berlin district administrative building. We also saw the building where the Nazi eugenics studies were conducted.
After visiting Hitler's parking lot, we went to the Holocaust Memorial where I took some great photos showing the cold stones of the memorial with the lush green trees of the Tiergarten and the glass dome of the Reichstag behind it.
After the tour was over, I went to Alexanderplatz with Marion and Paulo for lunch. I took a nice photo of the top of a section of the Berlin Wall with the very modern Deutsche Bank building behind it. It is fascinating that the hugely commercial areas of Potsdamer Platz and Alexanderplatz are all less than 15 years old. Prior to Reunification the areas were totally desolate and either in the path of the Wall or in the No-Man's Land. If you don't look, you won't even notice the subtle markers showing where the Wall formerly stood. That seems to be the common theme of memorials to the terrors of Germany's history: very subtle to draw as little attention as possible both to prevent glorifying memorials and to limit an historical sense of shame.
Later yesterday evening, I went out to a couple bars with a lot of people, including Kim, Jill, Marion, Liz and Sarah (there were more who I don't recall their names). On the S-Bahn ride to Potsdamer Platz for our transfer, there was a group of about eight 60-70 year olds who were very drunk. Two of the old men were making cat calls and yelling at a young German girl who passed them in the car. One of the men also got up to dance on a pole. When one of the old women said something to them the woman sitting next to her covered her mouth with a Band-Aid. It was absolutely hilarious! When we made our transfer, several of us purchased a Pils from the train platform kiosk... so different than the conservatism of the States. Overall, a great night and I'm looking forward to some sleep tonight before classes begin tomorrow. I have my first language class (Deutschunterricht) and a class on Modern German History in the European Context. Classes from 9-16h tomorrow but other days I have fewer classes. Some weeks I don't have class on either Thursday or Friday... can't wait to start traveling! So far, I am planning a trip to Paris to visit Karen, Netherlands to visit Lea, the Canary Islands for Fernando, Munchen/Regensburg for Diana and I also want to go to Greece and Italia. We'll see how much I actually do though, eh?
After I returned from Rathaus Steglietz, I went by Marion's apartment and we decided to go find some dinner. We left at 18.30h and went all the way to Alexanderplatz on the S- and U-Bahns. Once there we wandered around some before finding an Italian place... they had some delicious pizza although I wasn't feeling adventurous enough for the tuna and onion pizza. I, of course, had a Berliner Pilsner with dinner. :) We finished dinner and were back at the apartments on Celsiusstraße at about 22.00h... I really need to find some good and varied food shops closer!
Yesterday I went on a group tour of the Potsdamer Platz and Alexanderplatz areas of Berlin. We began at Brandenburger Tür and went to one of the Soviet war memorials in Tiergarten. We also saw many former Nazi and DDR structures that were under „memorial protection" and couldn't be destroyed and were turned into current German or EU government buildings. We also saw the parking lot where Hitler committed suicide... or the grounds where his bunker was. I took a great photo showing that site with the modern cars and two children playing on the grounds. It is simply amazing that all these terrifying acts and actors that I've learned about on the History Channel and in school were actually here. On our tour of the main FU campus the other day we visited the main administration building of the school which used to be the Allied Berlin district administrative building. We also saw the building where the Nazi eugenics studies were conducted.
After visiting Hitler's parking lot, we went to the Holocaust Memorial where I took some great photos showing the cold stones of the memorial with the lush green trees of the Tiergarten and the glass dome of the Reichstag behind it.
After the tour was over, I went to Alexanderplatz with Marion and Paulo for lunch. I took a nice photo of the top of a section of the Berlin Wall with the very modern Deutsche Bank building behind it. It is fascinating that the hugely commercial areas of Potsdamer Platz and Alexanderplatz are all less than 15 years old. Prior to Reunification the areas were totally desolate and either in the path of the Wall or in the No-Man's Land. If you don't look, you won't even notice the subtle markers showing where the Wall formerly stood. That seems to be the common theme of memorials to the terrors of Germany's history: very subtle to draw as little attention as possible both to prevent glorifying memorials and to limit an historical sense of shame.
Later yesterday evening, I went out to a couple bars with a lot of people, including Kim, Jill, Marion, Liz and Sarah (there were more who I don't recall their names). On the S-Bahn ride to Potsdamer Platz for our transfer, there was a group of about eight 60-70 year olds who were very drunk. Two of the old men were making cat calls and yelling at a young German girl who passed them in the car. One of the men also got up to dance on a pole. When one of the old women said something to them the woman sitting next to her covered her mouth with a Band-Aid. It was absolutely hilarious! When we made our transfer, several of us purchased a Pils from the train platform kiosk... so different than the conservatism of the States. Overall, a great night and I'm looking forward to some sleep tonight before classes begin tomorrow. I have my first language class (Deutschunterricht) and a class on Modern German History in the European Context. Classes from 9-16h tomorrow but other days I have fewer classes. Some weeks I don't have class on either Thursday or Friday... can't wait to start traveling! So far, I am planning a trip to Paris to visit Karen, Netherlands to visit Lea, the Canary Islands for Fernando, Munchen/Regensburg for Diana and I also want to go to Greece and Italia. We'll see how much I actually do though, eh?
01 September 2007
First Friday
I just got in from a bar "Eleven" in Potsdamer Platz. I went with a couple people from AU and one from Georgia Tech and one from UC-Riverside. It was a very American bar with English-speaking waitress and a lot of Rihanna and Justin Timberlake playing. It was some good times... we arrived when it was still Happy Hour (19.00-23.00h) so we got to save some funds on our first round. I still wound up spending about 20,-€ because I owed a friend for earlier.
Today began with a morning language test for german-speakers at school. Fortunately, I didn't have to take the test because I'm a "super beginner"... so I got to watch some silent film of 1920s Berlin and surf the Internet. It was such a nice thing to finally get online again! It is strange how much we are attached to the Internet for keeping up with friends back home and to coordinate outings here among new friends. Since most students here don't yet have cell phones (handy) we have to just say "meet back here in an hour" and hope for the best. It has worked alright thus far but it will be nice when we can call/text each other.
After the test all of us were taken on a walking tour of the main Freie Universität campus followed by our second meal in the Mensa. I had a currywurst yesterday and a schnitzle mit pomme frites today. Not a big fan of the schnitzle... very dried out and I didn't actually finish it.
Following our lunch break, we took about an hour to travel as a group (72 participants plus leaders) to a cruise on the River Spree. We all were about 1,5 hours late and had to take a different boat than the scheduled one. It was a nice two hour cruise through the middle of Berlin. I took a lot of pictures of random old buildings... I kind of wish I'd followed what the buildings were but that would've been very difficult! After the cruise we went to a museum that had several scale models of Berlin showing the changes pre- and post-Reunification.
Afterwards about five of us headed out for the IKEA that is on our S-Bahn line. It rained on our walk from the station to the store... kind of poopy weather here this past day. At IKEA we had dinner then picked up essentials for our apartments... I spent about 23,-€ on sheets to fit my bed (I lucked out with a double bed!), a shower curtain (mine was missing...?) and some other bedding materials. Overall, a neat little trip that once again showed me how much I need to learn to at least order food in German! I got such ugly glares when I ordered dinner in IKEA by just pointing... come on, this is a touristy city, ja? Why can't they be a little more understanding of non-native/learning speakers? Of course, I'm certain the same applies in the US with protests against non-English speakers... I just really need to learn the language of the land I am living in, right?
So yeah, I think I am doing pretty well here. I am going on a tour early tomorrow morning of the Brandenburg Gate/Potsdamer Platz area (I think). Our program director, Dirk, will be speaking into a microphone that broadcasts to half of our programs' students (32) who will be wearing headphones as we wander through the tour. I'm sure we will look incredibly silly but it is just yet another fun experience here. My goal is to not turn down any opportunity (within reason). I am sooooooo tired still from the flights and early mornings but am still making certain to go out each night and keep making friends.
Alright, more later. I must sleep now... I have to get up in just 6 hours! Can't wait for Sunday where I have no plans and may sleep in for once. :D
Today began with a morning language test for german-speakers at school. Fortunately, I didn't have to take the test because I'm a "super beginner"... so I got to watch some silent film of 1920s Berlin and surf the Internet. It was such a nice thing to finally get online again! It is strange how much we are attached to the Internet for keeping up with friends back home and to coordinate outings here among new friends. Since most students here don't yet have cell phones (handy) we have to just say "meet back here in an hour" and hope for the best. It has worked alright thus far but it will be nice when we can call/text each other.
After the test all of us were taken on a walking tour of the main Freie Universität campus followed by our second meal in the Mensa. I had a currywurst yesterday and a schnitzle mit pomme frites today. Not a big fan of the schnitzle... very dried out and I didn't actually finish it.
Following our lunch break, we took about an hour to travel as a group (72 participants plus leaders) to a cruise on the River Spree. We all were about 1,5 hours late and had to take a different boat than the scheduled one. It was a nice two hour cruise through the middle of Berlin. I took a lot of pictures of random old buildings... I kind of wish I'd followed what the buildings were but that would've been very difficult! After the cruise we went to a museum that had several scale models of Berlin showing the changes pre- and post-Reunification.
Afterwards about five of us headed out for the IKEA that is on our S-Bahn line. It rained on our walk from the station to the store... kind of poopy weather here this past day. At IKEA we had dinner then picked up essentials for our apartments... I spent about 23,-€ on sheets to fit my bed (I lucked out with a double bed!), a shower curtain (mine was missing...?) and some other bedding materials. Overall, a neat little trip that once again showed me how much I need to learn to at least order food in German! I got such ugly glares when I ordered dinner in IKEA by just pointing... come on, this is a touristy city, ja? Why can't they be a little more understanding of non-native/learning speakers? Of course, I'm certain the same applies in the US with protests against non-English speakers... I just really need to learn the language of the land I am living in, right?
So yeah, I think I am doing pretty well here. I am going on a tour early tomorrow morning of the Brandenburg Gate/Potsdamer Platz area (I think). Our program director, Dirk, will be speaking into a microphone that broadcasts to half of our programs' students (32) who will be wearing headphones as we wander through the tour. I'm sure we will look incredibly silly but it is just yet another fun experience here. My goal is to not turn down any opportunity (within reason). I am sooooooo tired still from the flights and early mornings but am still making certain to go out each night and keep making friends.
Alright, more later. I must sleep now... I have to get up in just 6 hours! Can't wait for Sunday where I have no plans and may sleep in for once. :D
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