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Tag: Berlin

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Blubbering Mess

No, the title of this post does not refer to me leaving Germany soon.  Rather, it is the name of an abandoned building in Berlin that, to me, is a representation of the spirit of the city.  Until February 2005 this structure was a swimming and leisure center.  It has since fallen into disrepair - smashed windows, colorful graffiti and abandoned beer bottles litter the property. The pools have long been empty and the lack of electricity make certain corners of the interior a bit too mysterious for me, but despite its raggedy appearance, Blubbering Mess is beautiful.

It exudes creativity.  Every inch is covered with graffiti or art. Since most of the glass has been smashed or broken over the years, walking outside is like walking over a beautiful mosaic (I would definitely suggest closed toe shoes for this particular adventure).  There are few places in this world I could walk into a building to find a girl with blue-green hair, a long gown and a blow up dolphin meant for a pool posing for pictures in a shattered courtyard visible to the street and no one takes excessive notice. It's cool to be weird and that's awesome.

Berlin is a place where beauty and inspiration can be found anywhere and in anything.  This city has become the master of reinvention - it's history demands it.  In the past century Berlin has been governed by four distinct governments or regimes.  It has been divided, it has been unified. It has been bankrupt and plagued with inflation, but it has also evolved into one of the most stable and wealthy economies in Europe.  It cannot ignore or reject its history, but Berliners also refuse to let their history hold them back and instead embrace the alternative way of life and thinking that they have become so well known for.

In Blubbering Mess I see this spirit: a resistance to letting destruction or disrepair categorize something as useless, a desire to make something many may see as ugly into something beautiful and different. It's creative. It's inventive. It's uniquely quirky and entirely Berlin.

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By kaandle

With only a few weeks left in Berlin, finding the balance between work and play has been a bit difficult.  Assignments from our excursion to Russia, term papers and final exams are tasks that require attention, but the thought of spending my last few weeks inside instead of out and about in newly-warm Berlin is a less than desirable trade off.  But when work must get done and cultural experiences must be had there is always a way to find that happy medium.

At GW, weekends are my savior.  Almost everything that could or should be done can easily be compiled into a Saturday morning and Sunday evening.  However in Berlin weekends are filled with parks, markets and adventures during the day and Berlin nightlife is famous for extending into the late hours of the morning, so it's safe to assume those three days won't be the most productive of your week.  This means that the weekday - emphasis on day - has become my most productive time and it's wonderful. I believe this is partly to do with the structure of my class schedule, which allows me large chunks of time to be productive rather than short and scattered 30 to 60 minute time slots.

Also, while Gelbucks and Tryst hold special places in my study spot heart, I have discovered the study cafe to end all study cafes.  Named St. Oberholtz, it is filled with large tables, plenty of outlets, fast wifi, good food and lots and lots of coffee. After nine pm its atmosphere changes into more of a bar vibe and if a well-priced glass of good Reisling with friends is a positive motivator for you to get off Facebook and actually get your work done you can end your productive day on a socible and relaxing note.

Thankfully, most of my finals this semester are papers so my last week won't be entirely occupied with studying for exams.  But even as satisfying as it is to cross things off my to do list, I know when all this work is done and the pressure of exams has lifted I'll be sad since that will mean my time in Berlin will be over and I'm not quite ready to go.

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By kaandle

"Tschuss" is to Germans what "Ciao" is to Italians.  This word was one of the first I learned (and actually remembered) this semester and three months later it remains among my favorites.  Although my German abilities are far from advanced, being able to throw out a colloquial phrase makes me feel like I can pull of my Berliner status a little bit better.  Even if my German professor hadn't taught us this word early in the semester, it'd be impossible to not pick up this phrase as it's said everywhere from parting with friends to leaving a store.

Pronounced "choo-se" it's a causal way of saying "bye" or "see you later". When leaving a store, it also suffices as a "thank you" and "bye" simultaneously.  If you're more of a "bye-bye" person tschuss can also be pronounced "choo-see", although be warned its mostly 15 year old girls running around with this pronunciation.

As much as I like the word tschuss, I must admit I was disappointed "auf Wiedersehen" wasn't a common phrase. Coming to Germany auf Wiedersehen was my only non-food related German saying - mostly thanks to The Sound of Music - but imagine my surprise when I learned auf Wiedersehen is pretty much only said in very formal situations or Bavaria in southern Germany.  But at the end of the day tschuss is significantly easier for me to pronounce correctly and tends to roll of the tongue.  Of all the German words that have become everyday vocabulary tschuss is more than likely one that will subconsciously follow me back to the United States.

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By kaandle

As much as abroad is about traveling to new places and experiencing new, wonderful things, it's important to realize that every place you visit will not be your new favorite destination.  For my programs second week long excursion we traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia. I undoubtedly saw impressive architecture, learned of a deep history and experienced a unique environment, but I also reentered winter (it was snowing significantly when we arrived and on several mornings) and ate the same mayonnaise covered foods for a week.  But hey - that's Russia for you.  A word to the wise - borsch and Russian salad are a reality of every meal.  Despite the dietary and meteorological challenges, here are some of the highlights of this educational excursion.

Hermitage Museum

This former palace will be recognizable to any person that watched Anastasia as a child. The exterior is covers it a distinct green plaster and the interior is covered with even more impressive paintings and sculptures. Among the treasures of this collection are two completed Michelangelo's, a Rafael sculpture and a recently destroyed painting that was thought to be lost forever from a vicious stack with acid.  Absolutely worth your time. Even if you don't enjoy art, the walls of the rooms are still ornately decorated from its time as the Winter Palace.

Erarta Museum

For those who enjoy contemporary art, interactive exhibits, or things off the beaten track this is the place to go. It's a bit out of the way but the large exhibit - including five floors of permanent and five floors of temporary exhibitions - is a unique approach to curating a museum as well as introduces you to more Russian artists than Kandinsky.

The Ballet

The Mariinsky Ballet is Russia's second most prestigious company, after the Moscow Ballet. It was a wonderful surprise for me that we were going to a performance while in Russia, especially as a dance major. This is definitely an event worth seeing, not only to experience the Russian style ballet in its native land, but for the beauty and experience of a classic performance art.

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By ebetts

There's something to be said for studying in a more isolated place.  You concern yourself with exploring a country rather than a continent. But for many people, part of the draw of spending a semester in Europe is the opportunity to travel to much more than your host country (thank you Eurozone). It's definitely easy to get caught up in and overwhelmed by the myriad of travel possibilities.  Four to six months can go by in the blink of an eye and your weekends are numbered.  But as amazing as seeing everywhere from Bucharest to Oslo to Paris seems, my biggest piece of advice would be to shorten your laundry list.

I think our generation has an addiction to numbers. We make lists of things we've done and places we've been then share that with the world on every social media we like or vaguely understand. There's nothing wrong with this - personally I enjoy living vicariously through people's virtual adventures. My point here is that there's a reason you chose whatever city/town/rural village to study in so you might as well spend a good amount of time getting to know it.

Instead of jet-setting for Easter weekend, I decided to stay put in Berlin.  And let me tell you, Stay-cation 2k15 has been nothing but a success. I realized when I first got to Berlin I was so concerned with acclimating and making this city my new home that I never let myself just be a tourist.  So in the past 72 hours I have gone to the zoo, visited the Victory Tower, explored Easter markets, wandered aimlessly through courtyards, eaten fantastic food and overall finally discovered the Berlin I was looking for.

As amazing as traveling is, it's also time consuming, exhausting and quite a strain on the purse strings.  So to all you current and future globe trotters out there don't forget that staying in place can be just as much of an adventure.

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By kaandle

This weekend has been refreshingly warm so don't mind my emphasis on lazy outdoor activities where lounging on the grass and soaking in the sun is finally do-able without the addition of a heavy down jacket.

1. Mauerpark

The translation is literally wall-park.  The large grassy area is overlooked by a graffiti-filled wall that stands at the top of a hill.  Every Sunday, rain or shine, regardless of holidays, a large flee market opens and holds everything you could possibly desire.  From bags to jewelry to furniture or bratwurst, you can easily spend your entire day here.  Now that the weather is finally getting warmer, the grass lawn and hill just outside the market come to life on Sunday's as well.  There are large ampiltheaters built into the side of the hill where karaoke takes place with an enthusiastic crowd.  Musicians, artists and singers set up all around, performing mini concerts and competing for audiences.  There is definitely a 90s music festival feel to this place and you'll never leave feeling like you've wasted your Sunday.

2. A Drink by the Spree

The Spree is the river that runs through Berlin and creates a small island filled with impressive buildings - both due to their external architecture and their inner contents. This area is revered to as "Museum Isel".  On the other side of the Spree, overlooking one of the most notable museums, the Bode, a casual and relaxing area for pedestrians has been created. There are a few restaraunts and bars along the back that all put out folding chairs and provide blankets incase the weather turns.  If you don't want to perchase anything there is plenty of green and wall space to sit, lounge and make a day or afternoon of hanging with friends.  With all of Berlins alternative and more edgy space, this is an unusual spot where you can momentarily remember Berlin's old anddefinitely European history.

3. Tempelhof

This is another space that has a bit of a retro feel to it.  Built as an airport in 1923, the original layout of Tempelhof, including tar mats, transport roads and terminal structures still remain.  When the site was shut down in 2008, Berliners protested for the area to be open to the public rather than sold to private investers and they succeeded.  Today Tempelhof is a public park, but there have been no structural changes to the property.  With so much free space - both green and black - the activities that go on here are endless.  Walking from one end to the other (a poor decision on my part as I was trying to meet up with people and did it factor in the massive size of an airport landing strip) I passed people riding bikes, skateboards, wind boards and segways, rolling on skates, jogging, lounging, barbecuing and picnicking.  Kites were flying and everywhere you looked there were large amounts of people, yet you never felt like you were running out of room.  Absolutely a wonderful place to spend a beautiful day.

4. People Watch

Personally, I think coffee shops are the best place to people watch.  There's a continuous flow of people and on top of being entertained there is a constant supply of food and coffee.  There are such eclectic people to be found in Berlin.  Sometimes it's just absolutely necessary to sit back and observe the awesomely individual spirit of Berlin.  You see people's personalities through heir demeanor, clothes and hairstyle.  Middle aged women with colorful (and by that I mean colors of the rainbow) hair and innovative fashion grabbing their coffee with a briefcase in their hand that you later realize is for their job as a lawyer or teacher is a very cool dichotomy we don't have the pleasure of seeing very often in the U.S.

5. Museum Hunt

On top of Museum Isel, mentioned above, almost every street has some kind of museum - whether that's one room or an extensive exhibit it to be determined, but my point is museums are everywhere.  For the classics Museum Isel has the ancient and impressive collections.  Nephertiti's famous bust, for example, is on perminant display at the Neues Museum.  Additinally, there are museums for all aspects of Berlin's history - some bring you through the entirety of Berlin's history since the 13th century while others are specifically highlighting the histories of East and West Berlin before German reunification in 1990.  Moreover, apart from historical and archeological museums there are more contemporary hideaways and art galleries sprinkled all around the city.  The Smithsonian museums in D.C. Have definitely spoiled me with free admission, but it's worth the small bill to experience the museums Berlin has to offer.  But if you don't feel like spending a few bucks, just walking around Berlin is an art galery in itself. 

 

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By kaandle

German food is a difficult thing to define. Some will argue that since Germany officially became a state in 1851 and its history prior to that consisted of tribal territories and was included in various empires' borders, food unique to Germany does not actually exist.  Add to that the buzzing metropolis that is Berlin and suddenly finding traditional german food is a difficult task.

That being said, here are five of my favorite eats as of yet:

Frikadeller

This is essentially a round, grilled piece of beef that falls somewhere between a hamburger and a meatball. It's deliciousness has yet to fail me - ranging from specialty flee market food trucks to prepared sandwich sections in grocery stores (yes, it comes in sandwich form too), frikadeller is always top notch.

Spätzel

Imagine mac&cheese made with gnocchi pasta.  Clearly a match made in heaven. If you find yourself in Berlin and craving some spätzel, go to Clärchens Ballhaus.  Not only does your cheesy dish come with apple sauce and fried onions (sounds weird - just go with it) but you can also get a style-specific dance lesson with your meal.

Bavarian Mac&Cheese 

You're probably thinking this will be redundant since I just described spätzel as mac&cheese-like, but that would be incorrect. Markethalle Neun, essentially a warehouse packed with awesome food stands, sells a Bavarian Mac&cheese that will make you never want to eat anything else ever again.  I have not been to Bavaria, but this dish in itself is close to convincing me to take the five hour bus ride just to eat it in its natural habitat.

Döner

Here we have a non-German food item making the list.  Berlin has a large Turkish population and as a result large amounts of döner.  I'm pretty confident in guesstimating that every other street has at least one döner stand.  And it's a good, cheap, filling eat.  Personally, I opt for the falafel döner over more traditional veal or chicken.  Fair warning: your breath will smell strongly of garlic and onions once you're done.

Bratwurst

Basically a higher quality hotdog.  What are Germans known for? 1. Meet 2. Beer 3. Cars (a bit irrelevant, but still very true)  Put your faith in their meet expertise and buy the inexplicably cheap bratwurst off the street and enjoy.

 

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By kaandle

One of my favorite things to do in Berlin is dance.  The best part about this statement is that it has so much diverse potential.  For instance, this past Thursday I ended up in one of the last standing dance halls from the 20s, Clärchens Ballhaus, which keeps its original decoration, serves delicious food, and has an hour before the floor opens to everyone where participants can learn the dance style of the night.  It was truly a unique spot and I've already made a mental note to go back and give tango or salsa a try.

Simultaneously, you can walk down any street, duck into a cellar bar or club and see people bobbing around to whatever DJ/live band/solo act is performing that night.  And while the style and location of your dancing may change, the really wonderful thing about the people dancing in Berlin, the thing I would love to see in the US when my time here is done, is people dancing entirely for themselves.  No one is hindered by what the people around them might think or if what they do is "sexy".  Dancing is mostly a solitary act.  Think of how you dance when you're alone in your room blasting music or when you catch yourself mindlessly moving along to a beat - it's what wants to come out - how your body naturally wants to move.  This is how Berliners dance and it's awesome.  Going to a dance venue is just as fun for dancing as it is for people watching.

Now let's quickly talk about clothing.  I am a person that loves to be comfortable.  Seriously - ask anyone.  I have a Stitch (as in Lilo and...) onesie that can best be described as a blanket that never falls off and I would wear that thing out every night if my housemates would let me.  (Don't worry, it's made its way into public regardless).  But since that's not usually an option, I really love a night where I can wear jeans with a big ol' sweater for a night in the town.  In DC that may not fly everywhere you go, but here in Berlin I've yet to enter an establishment and feel underdressed.  Like dance for yourself, it's dress for yourself.  Maybe this can find its way to the States, but if not I fully intend on doing it anyway.

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By kaandle

In the States we commonly spend weeks every-other year learning about some part of German history. Specifically, WWII and the Cold War are very prevalent in our history education. The shocking thing about being and living in Germany is how recently all this history occurred.

On the one hand, walking down the street you could pass anything from a memorial to a still standing piece of the Berlin Wall. There is definitely a sense in this country of not wanting to belittle their past since so many monumental events did occur - this topic can frequently be read about in the New York Times travel section where an article will explore the dichotomy of Berlin: old versus new, young versus old, proud versus embarrassed. In the past two weeks however, what I found the most interesting was hearing people's personal stories regarding a segregated Berlin and the fall of the Wall.

Saturday night, for example, a group of us were eating dinner at one of the student's houses, partially in honor of Mardi Gras and partially because his host mom wanted to have a dinner party, when we began to hear parts of this woman's experience in life pre-1989. She lived in the East sector and has been learning English over the past few years, because like so many other Germans who lived in the GDR, she was taught Russian, not English, in school. Before Germany united, she earned a degree in mathematical engineering - a degree that was considered invalid when the GDR collapsed so she had to go back to school to earn a West-legitimate degree. She was a very happy woman who, when describing her current job as a teacher, frequently used the phase "I am free" and emphasized the fact that she never would have met her current husband had the wall never fallen.

Other people have shared equally enticing stories. Another host lived on a West-block that was cut off by the Wall. When it fell, her account of the day was being annoyed by the crowds in her street as she came home from work and for the following weeks being constantly begged by people from the East crossing over to the West side for food and money. Professors from the IES center have shared their memories of how transportation within East and West Germany worked - especially coming from the West to West Berlin, which stood like an island in the middle of the GDR. Additionally, when visiting an old Stasi prison the tour guide suddenly began telling us of his experience as an 18 year old man who made several attempts to escape the East, was captured and imprisioned by the Stasi police, and 8 months later sold to the West, where he was able to start a new life. These summaries don't their stories justice, but they can give a sense of the local variety of experiences with and opinions of this infamous time.

People's willingness to share their stories and memories has surprised me. I feel that I have learned a lot from their experiences and I hope to learn of many more during the months ahead. The fall of the Wall was barely before my lifetime, yet I always viewed the end of the Cold War as chapter of history that had been finished and closed a long time ago. But Germany remains a country where people can identify their origins as East or West and their history is very much alive and not forgotten.

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By kaandle

This first week started out rough. The post-Juno snow storm that hit the northeast made getting to the airport a stressful task when an hour ride turned into a three hour one. Thankfully the woman at the check in desk had a heart and let me through quickly and with two overweight bags free of charge. Of course after sprinting through security my flight was delayed as soon as I arrived at my gate. The good news is that from that point on its been pretty smooth sailing.

The week has been filled with orientations about public transportation, living with hosts and traveling through Europe. While most of these sessions have been helpful, what I am most in need of is a crash course in German 101. I came into this whole abroad shebang knowing that language was going to be an huge challenge. I now believe I severely underestimated how different this place was going to be. Please don't misunderstand - I don't dislike or regret coming to Berlin, I merely mean to say I mentally prepared myself for something much different than the reality. Having studied Spanish since 7th grade I have no grasp on German. In hind sight I realize this was very obvious.

On a different note entirely, there are only 19 of us on the program which is great because the group is small enough for us all to get to know each other. However, it is a little strange with us all spread out through the city. I'm really thankful to be in a home stay - my host is a 23 year old university student who is filled with knowledge and advice for a young person in the city and has already introduced me to some of her friends. But with everyone in different neighborhoods there are definitely positives and negatives to the arrangement. Negatively, there can be a lot of alone time with everyone so spread out and since we are guests in other people's homes there isn't really a place for us to all congregate before going out or going to an event. The positive, however, is that we each get to know a different area of the city and help can spread the knowledge to our fellow abroad-ies.

Goals for next week include:

  • not getting lost so frequently on public transportation (or at least not getting lost while confidently leading a group of people)
  • learning some must-have German phrases

Perhaps that's the reason we don't start language classes until the second week - after a week of wandering around we're all desperately ready to learn how to say more than "halo" and "danke schön".

Wish me luck because I have a feeling I'm going to need it.

Stay funky folks.

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