Hello, Again
I haven't updated since before London! My sincerest apologies, it's been a busy and exciting time around here. London was fantastic. We went to a few museums (the Tate Modern and the Clink Prison), did some dancing, bought some vintage denim, had some delicious Italian food (and bagels, a delicacy not found in Berlin), and relaxed in a home for the weekend. It's surprising how much having a living room that isn't also your kitchen and bedroom changes how you spend a day! It was exactly what I needed, and with my good friends too! The days following London involved turning in massive piles of terribly written papers and stressing about German tests--the usual.
Since Halloween, it's been Christmas in Berlin. Lights hung up everywhere, candles and pines laid out at markets, and Gluwein being sold all over. I love it. It makes the cold weather more tolerable, and makes gray days a little cozier.
I Don't Like Clubs?
After a few weekends out at small Berlin clubs, I had determined that I am not a fan of clubbing. In Berlin particularly. Which is weird, because it's known as the clubbing capital of the world. The thing is, techno music doesn't exactly lend itself to dancing, just swaying aggressively. You wait until 12 or 1AM to get into an empty club filled with smoke and swaying Germans (wearing only black and making you feel odd for wearing dark blue). If you don't have cash to check your coat (which I happened to not have one night), you just hold your winter coat and continue to sway aggressively. I am excited to go back to Santa Cruz where people know how to dance.
We Got Paid Off
As I mentioned at the beginning of this journey, I had bedbugs in my apartment for two weeks in August. The program housed me in hotels, and switched my room eventually. However, it's come out that someone in the program has scabies (EW EW EW), which prompted a panicked reaction from the program director--200 Euro for each student in an apartment. So I am 200 Euro richer, and excited about it.
Impossible to Avoid
At this point, the end of the program is looming over everyone's heads almost all the time. My three months here have seemed like years, but also like three days. I'm becoming more confident in the city and the language everyday, and just as I'm finding my feet here it's time to go back. I've gained knowledge about what I want to do with my life after school (and during school), and what is important to me in my day-to-day. In Berlin, there's constant adjustment. We're always solving new problems, coming up with solutions to Germany issues with America minds. I feel myself making conscious decisions to challenge myself, especially in social situations, which I didn't expect from time abroad. At home, school has always come first. But after being out of commission last Spring quarter, I realized that my formal education will always be waiting for me. Here I've learned how to prioritize self-care, and how to include others in that process. I genuinely believe the people here have made me a better Maya, and I'll miss them a lot come December.
I'm endlessly grateful to have been here, even if for a short time, but still excited to come home. It's bittersweet, as a good ending should be.
Friday, November 22, 2019
Sunday, November 3, 2019
stuff is happening i am busy
Gettin' Busy
After the midterm break things have definitely picked up in schoolwork (and in fun). We have two research papers coming up, and outlines were due this week so everyone was either very freaked about it, or completely forgot. The program here is weird, in that our classes have basic content that isn't difficult to digest, but the professors don't understand how to teach it or engage students, and the FU-BEST program requires a 10 page research paper for every subject course, regardless of the teacher's desires. Anyways, I've finally focused my topics for both papers (Austrian Holocaust memory and music in female-led Weimar cinema) and am really excited to be writing them.
Random Bits and Bobs
On Sunday after getting home from Paris, I went to the symphony with a ticket from FU-BEST. I was so tired from my trip home I basically watched the whole thing asleep, unfortunately. School was relatively uneventful; on Thursday my German class took a field trip to interview strangers at 9:30AM about the history of their area. This went about as well as you would expect, we spoke to multiple Americans and no one knew any of the answers to our questions. Afterwards, we went to the Graffiti Museum. It was pretty small and nothing really stood out to me, but it was good checking it off the Berlin tourist list.
Sachsenhausen
The long awaited field trip to Sachsenhausen on Friday morning was meant to begin at 10:15, however I didn't double check the time when getting ready, and was pretty late. There were other students running late, and as we were on the longest S-bahn ride of all time I GOT FINED FOR NOT HAVING MY STUDENT ID ON ME. The one day of the entire program I didn't have my card on me is also the one day the BVG security are checking. So as I'm running late to my field trip at a CONCENTRATION CAMP, I get fined SIXTY EUROS. It was a rough start.
The field trip itself was really interesting, we had a walking tour of the grounds which are partially recreated and partially original remains. It was incredibly humbling, more so I would say than Treblinka. Being able to trace where a person would go in a day, what structures were enforced to keep them imprisoned, as well as how they were killed and buried, was moving. When you read history so often, it's easy to distance yourself from the reality of the past.
Other Things Also Happened
I had a little adventure afterwards to pick up my package from America (THANKS MOM). I was really nervous about navigating customs in German, but there was actually very little speaking. That night I went to see the new Joker movie which was very good and very disturbing. On Saturday morning my friends and I tried to make bagels from scratch, and I would say it worked like 70% but we ate them anyways.
Backdate This Post
It took me two weeks to put this up somehow! That might give ya'll an actual idea of how busy I am. I finished one ten page research paper, and will be working like crazy this week to get the other done before my trip to London on Thursday. Hopefully my next update will be coming soon!
Random Bits and Bobs
On Sunday after getting home from Paris, I went to the symphony with a ticket from FU-BEST. I was so tired from my trip home I basically watched the whole thing asleep, unfortunately. School was relatively uneventful; on Thursday my German class took a field trip to interview strangers at 9:30AM about the history of their area. This went about as well as you would expect, we spoke to multiple Americans and no one knew any of the answers to our questions. Afterwards, we went to the Graffiti Museum. It was pretty small and nothing really stood out to me, but it was good checking it off the Berlin tourist list.
Sachsenhausen
The long awaited field trip to Sachsenhausen on Friday morning was meant to begin at 10:15, however I didn't double check the time when getting ready, and was pretty late. There were other students running late, and as we were on the longest S-bahn ride of all time I GOT FINED FOR NOT HAVING MY STUDENT ID ON ME. The one day of the entire program I didn't have my card on me is also the one day the BVG security are checking. So as I'm running late to my field trip at a CONCENTRATION CAMP, I get fined SIXTY EUROS. It was a rough start.
The field trip itself was really interesting, we had a walking tour of the grounds which are partially recreated and partially original remains. It was incredibly humbling, more so I would say than Treblinka. Being able to trace where a person would go in a day, what structures were enforced to keep them imprisoned, as well as how they were killed and buried, was moving. When you read history so often, it's easy to distance yourself from the reality of the past.
Other Things Also Happened
I had a little adventure afterwards to pick up my package from America (THANKS MOM). I was really nervous about navigating customs in German, but there was actually very little speaking. That night I went to see the new Joker movie which was very good and very disturbing. On Saturday morning my friends and I tried to make bagels from scratch, and I would say it worked like 70% but we ate them anyways.
Backdate This Post
It took me two weeks to put this up somehow! That might give ya'll an actual idea of how busy I am. I finished one ten page research paper, and will be working like crazy this week to get the other done before my trip to London on Thursday. Hopefully my next update will be coming soon!
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Little Me in Paris
A Week in Paris
On Friday evening last week I embarked on my solo journey to France with far too much luggage and not enough snacks. After a chaotic sprint through the Berlin bus terminal, I hopped on a 17 hour overnight bus and got comfortable. I listened to the Little Shop of Horrors soundtrack for the first time (and then a second and third) and slept a solid 8 hours through the night. Thankfully no one sat next to me until the very last 2 hours of the ride, but those 2 hours I spent dying to get up and run in circles.
When I arrived in Paris, it was time to take the Metro to my hostel. The bus station is in the middle of a park, and France is TERRIBLE at signage, so I spent a good while walking around trying to find the Metro station. When I did, I couldn't figure out how to use the ticket machine (a weird roller ball controls the menu) and then had a fight with the train doors to get my whole body inside. I was crushed for a moment between the Metro doors, but once I squeezed my way in a very angry French man was grumbling at me. I also speak no French, so who knows what the grumbling meant. I eventually found my way through the labyrinth that is the Underground, to my hostel.
My hostel was very nice and clean, and the girls in my room were from all over the world! I had a brief moment to change my nasty bus clothes before running off to meet a friend from Berlin, so I didn't actually meet my roommates until later. I changed, got back on the train, and spent the afternoon at a flea market that was a mix of typical aggressive tourist stands selling knockoff brandnames, and really interesting vintage furniture and clothes. After the market, we found our way to a long street leading up to the Sacre Coeur, the highest point in Paris. The street was lined with fabulous patisserie and bread shops, produce stands, cheese and meat stores, flower shops--it was unbelievable. We bought a baguette, fig chutney, and fresh goat cheese, which was enjoyed overlooking the city. I also enjoyed a meringue tart with pear and chocolate, and some gelato. The food was the most important part of this whole trip--I won't be ignoring a single meal when retelling it.
Day Deux
I walked from my hostel across the St. Martin Canal for breakfast, which was the best croissant I have ever had. The good coffee was quite a shock to my system after having only German coffee for so long, I knew this would be a good week. I watched a boat going through the lock system on my walk back, which was really cool up close. After a short Metro ride, I had what was meant to be "France's Best Falafel," but was really just okay. What was really interesting, though, was the Jewish quarter we walked through to get to the falafel. There was a synagogue with kids running around, and people were selling "Etrogim," citrus fruits with religious properties, and woven palm leaves. We saw the history section of the Jewish Museum of Art and History, which had some really beautiful artifacts and little English explanation. Afterwards, we met up with another Berliner and had (pear, dark chocolate, caramelized almond, and vanilla ice cream) crepes. Back at my hostel, I watched some sort of coffee pouring competition happening on the rooftop, then headed towards the canal for an unknown adventure. I ended up in a Portuguese bakery, where I had a panini and a strange moment of hypersensitivity (empathy??) towards the meat I was eating, and decided I would no longer be eating meat for the trip. I walked the canal for a while before going to the Seine for drinks and dancing.
Day Three (Felt Like Five)
For breakfast we ventured to an Australian pancake place, which got me way too sugared up (fresh figs, hazelnuts, whipped cream) and eventually led into a tired afternoon at a park. Before getting there, we did stop at a giant food hall (five stories) and search for gifts to bring home. I was stunned by the sheer volume of chocolate and preserves, and had trouble picking anything at all (don't worry parents, I got ya'll a little something). That evening, I went back to the Sacre Coeur street of produce and patisserie and enjoyed a vegan burger and some window shopping.
Day Four, How Many More?
I got up bright and early to go see the Eiffel Tower before the crowds arrived, which was monumental (but it's no Florence Duomo--my point of reference for Western architectural beauty). I had a delicious pistachio swirl pastry in the Champ de Mars park, and set off for the Museum of Modern Art. I had only chosen it because it was closeby, and it ended up having an amazing exhibit on a German (the irony) artist, Hans Hartung. He moved to France in his early life and did most of his art there throughout the 20th century, dying a few days after the fall of the Berlin Wall. He used only pure colors (no mixing) with deep black streaks and splatters over them, I really really enjoyed every single painting. Some took up entire walls, forcing me to sit and stare for minutes. I was lucky to find something I liked so much by accident! After that I wandered around searching for a cafe, and spent the afternoon in the Wine Museum. It was an underground cavey place (for storage purposes wine cellar places are always cavernous like that), filled with tools and technology spanning hundreds of years. I enjoyed a glass of sweet white wine from Toulouse, which was more like apple juice for some reason. I headed back to the hostel area for dinner, where I decided upon a juice bar because HOW MUCH BREAD AND CHEESE CAN A PERSON REALLY HANDLE? I was happy to have a change.
Day Five
Again, I got up bright and early to be the first in line for the Louvre--a very good idea considering I only waited in line for 30 minutes and got in for free as an EU student. The museum was huge, every room leading to three others, impossible to stay on a path. I wandered around for 5 or 6 hours, eventually confused as to how to escape the maze of never-ending art. The highlight was the Islamic section, which had beautiful tiles and rugs (kind of hidden away). After the Louvre I went back to the Lafayette shopping area, and then joined a friend from Berlin for crepes!
Day Six (AGH)
Being my last full day, I had to do everything else on my list on Thursday. However, my list was basically empty at this point, and the one museum I wanted to see was closed. So I walked aimlessly until I found the Pablo Picasso Museum, which was very interesting (but simple). After that, I walked to the Jewish quarter and quickly did the Shoah Museum before heading to my scheduled puff pastry class! This was the thing I had been most excited for during the trip, and it totally lived up to my expectations. We made mille fuilles, palmiers, cheese twists, and savory pinwheels. Everything was delicious. I fell asleep way early that night, and in the morning woke up also way too early, so I headed to a coworking space to do some homework until my bus home.
The Never-ending Bus
The bus left at 4PM and arrived in Berlin at 10AM the next day, with stops more often than I would have liked. There were always people sitting next to me, and I slept from like 4:30-9AM. Luckily, I took a short S-bahn home after the bus and slept until 1PM. It was overall a really fulfilling trip, and left me tired and ready for a day of rest before school on Monday. And Monday went as well as one would expect after being gone for a week--I left all my workbooks at home and took the wrong bus to campus. But I also got good scores back on my midterms (and won first place in German Kahoot, very important). Focus is shifting towards our research papers, and I'm very excited about both of mine. It's going to be a good week!
On Friday evening last week I embarked on my solo journey to France with far too much luggage and not enough snacks. After a chaotic sprint through the Berlin bus terminal, I hopped on a 17 hour overnight bus and got comfortable. I listened to the Little Shop of Horrors soundtrack for the first time (and then a second and third) and slept a solid 8 hours through the night. Thankfully no one sat next to me until the very last 2 hours of the ride, but those 2 hours I spent dying to get up and run in circles.
When I arrived in Paris, it was time to take the Metro to my hostel. The bus station is in the middle of a park, and France is TERRIBLE at signage, so I spent a good while walking around trying to find the Metro station. When I did, I couldn't figure out how to use the ticket machine (a weird roller ball controls the menu) and then had a fight with the train doors to get my whole body inside. I was crushed for a moment between the Metro doors, but once I squeezed my way in a very angry French man was grumbling at me. I also speak no French, so who knows what the grumbling meant. I eventually found my way through the labyrinth that is the Underground, to my hostel.
My hostel was very nice and clean, and the girls in my room were from all over the world! I had a brief moment to change my nasty bus clothes before running off to meet a friend from Berlin, so I didn't actually meet my roommates until later. I changed, got back on the train, and spent the afternoon at a flea market that was a mix of typical aggressive tourist stands selling knockoff brandnames, and really interesting vintage furniture and clothes. After the market, we found our way to a long street leading up to the Sacre Coeur, the highest point in Paris. The street was lined with fabulous patisserie and bread shops, produce stands, cheese and meat stores, flower shops--it was unbelievable. We bought a baguette, fig chutney, and fresh goat cheese, which was enjoyed overlooking the city. I also enjoyed a meringue tart with pear and chocolate, and some gelato. The food was the most important part of this whole trip--I won't be ignoring a single meal when retelling it.
Day Deux
I walked from my hostel across the St. Martin Canal for breakfast, which was the best croissant I have ever had. The good coffee was quite a shock to my system after having only German coffee for so long, I knew this would be a good week. I watched a boat going through the lock system on my walk back, which was really cool up close. After a short Metro ride, I had what was meant to be "France's Best Falafel," but was really just okay. What was really interesting, though, was the Jewish quarter we walked through to get to the falafel. There was a synagogue with kids running around, and people were selling "Etrogim," citrus fruits with religious properties, and woven palm leaves. We saw the history section of the Jewish Museum of Art and History, which had some really beautiful artifacts and little English explanation. Afterwards, we met up with another Berliner and had (pear, dark chocolate, caramelized almond, and vanilla ice cream) crepes. Back at my hostel, I watched some sort of coffee pouring competition happening on the rooftop, then headed towards the canal for an unknown adventure. I ended up in a Portuguese bakery, where I had a panini and a strange moment of hypersensitivity (empathy??) towards the meat I was eating, and decided I would no longer be eating meat for the trip. I walked the canal for a while before going to the Seine for drinks and dancing.
Day Three (Felt Like Five)
For breakfast we ventured to an Australian pancake place, which got me way too sugared up (fresh figs, hazelnuts, whipped cream) and eventually led into a tired afternoon at a park. Before getting there, we did stop at a giant food hall (five stories) and search for gifts to bring home. I was stunned by the sheer volume of chocolate and preserves, and had trouble picking anything at all (don't worry parents, I got ya'll a little something). That evening, I went back to the Sacre Coeur street of produce and patisserie and enjoyed a vegan burger and some window shopping.
Day Four, How Many More?
I got up bright and early to go see the Eiffel Tower before the crowds arrived, which was monumental (but it's no Florence Duomo--my point of reference for Western architectural beauty). I had a delicious pistachio swirl pastry in the Champ de Mars park, and set off for the Museum of Modern Art. I had only chosen it because it was closeby, and it ended up having an amazing exhibit on a German (the irony) artist, Hans Hartung. He moved to France in his early life and did most of his art there throughout the 20th century, dying a few days after the fall of the Berlin Wall. He used only pure colors (no mixing) with deep black streaks and splatters over them, I really really enjoyed every single painting. Some took up entire walls, forcing me to sit and stare for minutes. I was lucky to find something I liked so much by accident! After that I wandered around searching for a cafe, and spent the afternoon in the Wine Museum. It was an underground cavey place (for storage purposes wine cellar places are always cavernous like that), filled with tools and technology spanning hundreds of years. I enjoyed a glass of sweet white wine from Toulouse, which was more like apple juice for some reason. I headed back to the hostel area for dinner, where I decided upon a juice bar because HOW MUCH BREAD AND CHEESE CAN A PERSON REALLY HANDLE? I was happy to have a change.
Day Five
Again, I got up bright and early to be the first in line for the Louvre--a very good idea considering I only waited in line for 30 minutes and got in for free as an EU student. The museum was huge, every room leading to three others, impossible to stay on a path. I wandered around for 5 or 6 hours, eventually confused as to how to escape the maze of never-ending art. The highlight was the Islamic section, which had beautiful tiles and rugs (kind of hidden away). After the Louvre I went back to the Lafayette shopping area, and then joined a friend from Berlin for crepes!
Day Six (AGH)
Being my last full day, I had to do everything else on my list on Thursday. However, my list was basically empty at this point, and the one museum I wanted to see was closed. So I walked aimlessly until I found the Pablo Picasso Museum, which was very interesting (but simple). After that, I walked to the Jewish quarter and quickly did the Shoah Museum before heading to my scheduled puff pastry class! This was the thing I had been most excited for during the trip, and it totally lived up to my expectations. We made mille fuilles, palmiers, cheese twists, and savory pinwheels. Everything was delicious. I fell asleep way early that night, and in the morning woke up also way too early, so I headed to a coworking space to do some homework until my bus home.
The Never-ending Bus
The bus left at 4PM and arrived in Berlin at 10AM the next day, with stops more often than I would have liked. There were always people sitting next to me, and I slept from like 4:30-9AM. Luckily, I took a short S-bahn home after the bus and slept until 1PM. It was overall a really fulfilling trip, and left me tired and ready for a day of rest before school on Monday. And Monday went as well as one would expect after being gone for a week--I left all my workbooks at home and took the wrong bus to campus. But I also got good scores back on my midterms (and won first place in German Kahoot, very important). Focus is shifting towards our research papers, and I'm very excited about both of mine. It's going to be a good week!
Friday, October 11, 2019
I'M BUSY
Midterms!
This week we had our midterm exams. I just had to prep a few essays and review some film vocabulary, so studying for my subject courses went smoothly (as did my tests). I dropped the ball on my German exam by studying only grammar, and then not knowing articles or plurals for super simple words. I've been doing relatively well in German (49/50 three tests in a rowđ), so I'm not too concerned about my overall grade. Anyways, now that tests are over here's a little look back on the week and forward towards what's to come!
Last Weekend
I finally found BAGELS. After months of bagel-less breakfasts, I accidentally stumbled upon a cafe with every kind of bagel you could imagine. I had a sesame bagel with cream cheese and oh my goodness it was so good. I spend most of Saturday morning wandering around Bergmannkiez, where I found a food hall (with Italian fig jam! And peanut butter!!) and a vintage clothes market. That night my friends and I ventured back to the rooftop bar from Week 1, where we FINALLY bought our plane tickets for London! In November we'll be staying for a weekend--right before final research papers are due but it's fine.
Nothing Exciting Happened This Week...
I was guilting myself into writing this update but there's a reason the update didn't feel necessary: nothing really interesting happened this week! I took some tests, hung out with my people, had some good cheesy bread, and watched Big Mouth. I'm leaving for Paris in a few hours, so I've been thinking about that basically 24/7. I reserved a spot in a puff pastry class for Thursday, and mapped out most of my trip. I have not yet given up on seeing King Gizzard, so I'll let ya'll know if that works out in the end. (Once I'm back in Berlin I'll be seeing Steve Lacy!)
In Other News (News Is A Strong Word)
I've been pushing myself to speak German more than ever, and I think I'm getting better when my anxiety doesn't get in the way. I shouldn't expect myself to have a perfect food order in German, when I can barely do it in English. I would really love to come back here after I graduate (or sooner) to work on the language. I have really grown fond of this city and will miss it very much when I come home.
This week we had our midterm exams. I just had to prep a few essays and review some film vocabulary, so studying for my subject courses went smoothly (as did my tests). I dropped the ball on my German exam by studying only grammar, and then not knowing articles or plurals for super simple words. I've been doing relatively well in German (49/50 three tests in a rowđ), so I'm not too concerned about my overall grade. Anyways, now that tests are over here's a little look back on the week and forward towards what's to come!
Last Weekend
I finally found BAGELS. After months of bagel-less breakfasts, I accidentally stumbled upon a cafe with every kind of bagel you could imagine. I had a sesame bagel with cream cheese and oh my goodness it was so good. I spend most of Saturday morning wandering around Bergmannkiez, where I found a food hall (with Italian fig jam! And peanut butter!!) and a vintage clothes market. That night my friends and I ventured back to the rooftop bar from Week 1, where we FINALLY bought our plane tickets for London! In November we'll be staying for a weekend--right before final research papers are due but it's fine.
Nothing Exciting Happened This Week...
I was guilting myself into writing this update but there's a reason the update didn't feel necessary: nothing really interesting happened this week! I took some tests, hung out with my people, had some good cheesy bread, and watched Big Mouth. I'm leaving for Paris in a few hours, so I've been thinking about that basically 24/7. I reserved a spot in a puff pastry class for Thursday, and mapped out most of my trip. I have not yet given up on seeing King Gizzard, so I'll let ya'll know if that works out in the end. (Once I'm back in Berlin I'll be seeing Steve Lacy!)
In Other News (News Is A Strong Word)
I've been pushing myself to speak German more than ever, and I think I'm getting better when my anxiety doesn't get in the way. I shouldn't expect myself to have a perfect food order in German, when I can barely do it in English. I would really love to come back here after I graduate (or sooner) to work on the language. I have really grown fond of this city and will miss it very much when I come home.
Saturday, October 5, 2019
I Just Love Berlin
Unity Day!
This city is perfect. This week we celebrated German Unity Day with a 4 day weekend, and I've been making the most of it. The fun began on Tuesday, when I went to see La Traviata at the Deutsch Opera. It was a long and beautiful show (with German and English captioning). The female lead was one of the most talented singers I've ever seen live. At the end, the cast came out for like a dozen bows, and everyone just kept clapping. I hope to go again before I leave Berlin.
On Wednesday evening, I went to a reading by Holocaust survivor Margot FriedlÀnder. She was an adorable 97 year old woman, who spent an entire hour reading her biography to us. She told her story of her family's arrest in 1943, shortly before she went into hiding for a year and three months. She was hidden by the Berlin Underground (if you've seen The Pianist, picture that sort of hiding). Her family was killed in Auschwitz immediately upon arrival, and she tells her story with clear remainders of survivors guilt. She didn't write her book until after her husband's death in the early 2000's, and moved back to Berlin in 2010. She talked about this controversial decision with us, explaining how she's here not to face her perpetrators, but to connect with 3rd and 4th generations about the issue. She preached empathy; "All blood is human blood, regardless of race or religion or age." It was a really special experience.
On Thursday, I took off on my own to the Babylon (which is my new favorite place ever). I saw "The Threepenny Opera," a 1933 satire musical about class conflict and crime and gender and it was SO GOOD. I've decided it will be the subject of my film class research paper. I also had a kouign-amann for the first time ever--I just love patisserie. I am so excited for France, and French dessert.
Yesterday, a friend and I ventured to the Neues Museum, which features Roman and Greek statues, sculptures, and art. I have so little knowledge on ancient history that places like that always leave me feeling inspired to read more. It was a pretty cold day, so we went for some Vietnamese food and then to Alexanderplatz for shopping. I bought new sneakers, and am one small step closer to being a true Berliner.
This city is perfect. This week we celebrated German Unity Day with a 4 day weekend, and I've been making the most of it. The fun began on Tuesday, when I went to see La Traviata at the Deutsch Opera. It was a long and beautiful show (with German and English captioning). The female lead was one of the most talented singers I've ever seen live. At the end, the cast came out for like a dozen bows, and everyone just kept clapping. I hope to go again before I leave Berlin.
On Wednesday evening, I went to a reading by Holocaust survivor Margot FriedlÀnder. She was an adorable 97 year old woman, who spent an entire hour reading her biography to us. She told her story of her family's arrest in 1943, shortly before she went into hiding for a year and three months. She was hidden by the Berlin Underground (if you've seen The Pianist, picture that sort of hiding). Her family was killed in Auschwitz immediately upon arrival, and she tells her story with clear remainders of survivors guilt. She didn't write her book until after her husband's death in the early 2000's, and moved back to Berlin in 2010. She talked about this controversial decision with us, explaining how she's here not to face her perpetrators, but to connect with 3rd and 4th generations about the issue. She preached empathy; "All blood is human blood, regardless of race or religion or age." It was a really special experience.
On Thursday, I took off on my own to the Babylon (which is my new favorite place ever). I saw "The Threepenny Opera," a 1933 satire musical about class conflict and crime and gender and it was SO GOOD. I've decided it will be the subject of my film class research paper. I also had a kouign-amann for the first time ever--I just love patisserie. I am so excited for France, and French dessert.
Yesterday, a friend and I ventured to the Neues Museum, which features Roman and Greek statues, sculptures, and art. I have so little knowledge on ancient history that places like that always leave me feeling inspired to read more. It was a pretty cold day, so we went for some Vietnamese food and then to Alexanderplatz for shopping. I bought new sneakers, and am one small step closer to being a true Berliner.
Monday, September 30, 2019
Falling Face First into Fall
We went to school this week?
This week has been a blur. After getting home from Poland I had quite a few assignments due, so I've basically been working anytime I'm not in class or sleeping. We are enjoying the first days of rain here in Berlin, and every time I've been caught ill-equipped. I had to buy a child's umbrella at a 1 Euro store to keep from drowning in the rain yesterday. But! No more! I am now ready for Fall and the cold and the rain and whatever it may bring!
Other notable moments from the school week:
- A few friends and I made teriyaki tofu bowls in a real kitchen!
- I watched Brokeback Mountain, Annihilation, and American Psycho, all very good and very disorienting.
- I wrote my first essay in German about my family and am presenting in German about my hometown next week.
- I attended another Stammtisch, which is a weekly event organized by the program where students basically just meet at a bar and hang out on a Thursday.
Friday Oktoberfest
We decided to check out Berlin Oktoberfest Friday afternoon, after the rain cleared up for the day. It was an eerily empty fairground with rides, games, and food--but no people. As we walked around the grounds, we realized where all the people were: in the beer tent. 15 Euro later, we were inside the large beer tent with beers the size of my head. The tent was about half full of very drunk older Germans, dressed in their lederhosen and dirndls, singing loudly and standing on their table benches. We stayed for a beer and pretzel each, and then went off for evening activities (which consisted of drinks and karaoke).
Tevye the Milkman
Our local cinema, Babylon Berlin, hosts free movie festivals--this week was the Jiddische Glikn. I still do not speak German (nor do I speak Yiddish) but assuming it was Jewish films, a friend and I decided to check it out. We saw a German version of Tevye the Milkman from 1929, which was funny and emotional and very Yiddish. I'm really happy to have this theater here, because they only show free movies that you wouldn't normally watch at home! I'm stepping outside of my comfort zone (a little--I did already know the story of Tevye and Shalom Aleichem and this specific shtetl BUT STILL).
Future Plans
We have a short week because of Unity Day, but our research paper preparation is starting for each class. I'll be writing two 15 pagers--one on the Jewish Film League during the Third Reich, and one on memorialization of mass graves in WWII Soviet zones. I also have a German test, and midterms are next week! So, most likely there will not be much fun this weekend. On Tuesday however, I'm going to see La Traviata.
Our deadline for extension is coming up, so staying for the whole year is on everyone's minds. I know staying for the year would help my German so much, but I'm not actually getting subject education like I do in Santa Cruz.
I also cemented my week break plans--I'm spending 8 days in Paris, France! I'll be staying a short train ride away from the city center, so I can do all the tourist stuff. I'm also going to try to take a patisserie class, and I bought a ticket to see King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard on Monday night.
This week has been a blur. After getting home from Poland I had quite a few assignments due, so I've basically been working anytime I'm not in class or sleeping. We are enjoying the first days of rain here in Berlin, and every time I've been caught ill-equipped. I had to buy a child's umbrella at a 1 Euro store to keep from drowning in the rain yesterday. But! No more! I am now ready for Fall and the cold and the rain and whatever it may bring!
Other notable moments from the school week:
- A few friends and I made teriyaki tofu bowls in a real kitchen!
- I watched Brokeback Mountain, Annihilation, and American Psycho, all very good and very disorienting.
- I wrote my first essay in German about my family and am presenting in German about my hometown next week.
- I attended another Stammtisch, which is a weekly event organized by the program where students basically just meet at a bar and hang out on a Thursday.
Friday Oktoberfest
We decided to check out Berlin Oktoberfest Friday afternoon, after the rain cleared up for the day. It was an eerily empty fairground with rides, games, and food--but no people. As we walked around the grounds, we realized where all the people were: in the beer tent. 15 Euro later, we were inside the large beer tent with beers the size of my head. The tent was about half full of very drunk older Germans, dressed in their lederhosen and dirndls, singing loudly and standing on their table benches. We stayed for a beer and pretzel each, and then went off for evening activities (which consisted of drinks and karaoke).
Tevye the Milkman
Our local cinema, Babylon Berlin, hosts free movie festivals--this week was the Jiddische Glikn. I still do not speak German (nor do I speak Yiddish) but assuming it was Jewish films, a friend and I decided to check it out. We saw a German version of Tevye the Milkman from 1929, which was funny and emotional and very Yiddish. I'm really happy to have this theater here, because they only show free movies that you wouldn't normally watch at home! I'm stepping outside of my comfort zone (a little--I did already know the story of Tevye and Shalom Aleichem and this specific shtetl BUT STILL).
Future Plans
We have a short week because of Unity Day, but our research paper preparation is starting for each class. I'll be writing two 15 pagers--one on the Jewish Film League during the Third Reich, and one on memorialization of mass graves in WWII Soviet zones. I also have a German test, and midterms are next week! So, most likely there will not be much fun this weekend. On Tuesday however, I'm going to see La Traviata.
Our deadline for extension is coming up, so staying for the whole year is on everyone's minds. I know staying for the year would help my German so much, but I'm not actually getting subject education like I do in Santa Cruz.
I also cemented my week break plans--I'm spending 8 days in Paris, France! I'll be staying a short train ride away from the city center, so I can do all the tourist stuff. I'm also going to try to take a patisserie class, and I bought a ticket to see King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard on Monday night.
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Quick Rundown of Gdansk
I Am Overwhelmed!
Readjusting to Berlin is more than I expected. I caught something coming home (or the overnight in the train station just made me sick) but I was feeling pretty gross yesterday. Feeling better today, but suddenly there's piles of work to be done! I had an essay due yesterday that I ended up writing at 6AM because I was so tired on Sunday. I got enough sleep last night, so that's most likely why today is a better day. Anyways, here's a little overview of the rest of the Poland trip, which really deserves a whole lot more than it's getting from me.
Absinthe...?
After our city tour of Gdansk and some afternoon touristy shopping, we attempted to enjoy an absinthe bar. However (unfortunately or fortunately depending on who's reading this) it wasn't real absinthe, and overall a waste of 15 Zloty. Zloty are Poland's currency, and 1 is equal to like 25 cents. Poland is very cheap (so I bought way too much stuff).
The next day we went to the WWII Museum which was amazing and overwhelming. Poland is right between Germany and Russia, so they were double occupied during the war. This gave the museum a good balance of histories, focusing on not just Nazi war happenings (like in Germany) but on many perspectives. They had so much to talk about I might make another post about it another day. That night we had Thai food for dinner, and went to an old Nazi bunker for drinks.
The morning of our last day in Gdansk we spent very tired, walking around the castle of the Teutonic Knights. It was huge, and majorly reconstructed like most things in Poland. I was very tired and could not tell you anything about the castle except that they used cabbage to wipe after using the bathroom. After the castle, I went back to Warsaw on the train for my Treblinka trip.
Back to Real Life
While the Poland trip was fun and I made great friends, I'm happy to be home in Berlin. This city is comfortable to me now, and since I finally have an apartment I can settle in like everyone else. More fun to come this weekend, when Oktoberfest comes to Berlin. (I refuse to go to Oktoberfest because EW beer and vomit and camping for three days? 0/10) I also have plans in the works for Prague, Paris, and Madrid trips soon, but first, midterms.
I Almost Forgot!!
Yesterday I went to the old Berlin Jewish cemetery with my class and I saw Moses Mendelssohn's gravestone. Completely unexpected and exciting. This is a city where things HAPPEN. We also visited an old building where a blind German saved a bunch of blind Jews by giving them work throughout the early years of the war. Most of them died after being given up or taken to camps, but it is the last known hiding space of Jews during WWII in all of Germany. An honor to have been inside.
Readjusting to Berlin is more than I expected. I caught something coming home (or the overnight in the train station just made me sick) but I was feeling pretty gross yesterday. Feeling better today, but suddenly there's piles of work to be done! I had an essay due yesterday that I ended up writing at 6AM because I was so tired on Sunday. I got enough sleep last night, so that's most likely why today is a better day. Anyways, here's a little overview of the rest of the Poland trip, which really deserves a whole lot more than it's getting from me.
Absinthe...?
After our city tour of Gdansk and some afternoon touristy shopping, we attempted to enjoy an absinthe bar. However (unfortunately or fortunately depending on who's reading this) it wasn't real absinthe, and overall a waste of 15 Zloty. Zloty are Poland's currency, and 1 is equal to like 25 cents. Poland is very cheap (so I bought way too much stuff).
The next day we went to the WWII Museum which was amazing and overwhelming. Poland is right between Germany and Russia, so they were double occupied during the war. This gave the museum a good balance of histories, focusing on not just Nazi war happenings (like in Germany) but on many perspectives. They had so much to talk about I might make another post about it another day. That night we had Thai food for dinner, and went to an old Nazi bunker for drinks.
The morning of our last day in Gdansk we spent very tired, walking around the castle of the Teutonic Knights. It was huge, and majorly reconstructed like most things in Poland. I was very tired and could not tell you anything about the castle except that they used cabbage to wipe after using the bathroom. After the castle, I went back to Warsaw on the train for my Treblinka trip.
Back to Real Life
While the Poland trip was fun and I made great friends, I'm happy to be home in Berlin. This city is comfortable to me now, and since I finally have an apartment I can settle in like everyone else. More fun to come this weekend, when Oktoberfest comes to Berlin. (I refuse to go to Oktoberfest because EW beer and vomit and camping for three days? 0/10) I also have plans in the works for Prague, Paris, and Madrid trips soon, but first, midterms.
I Almost Forgot!!
Yesterday I went to the old Berlin Jewish cemetery with my class and I saw Moses Mendelssohn's gravestone. Completely unexpected and exciting. This is a city where things HAPPEN. We also visited an old building where a blind German saved a bunch of blind Jews by giving them work throughout the early years of the war. Most of them died after being given up or taken to camps, but it is the last known hiding space of Jews during WWII in all of Germany. An honor to have been inside.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Treblinka (too srs for a fun title)
Today I took a solo trip to Treblinka, the German death camp located an hour and a half away from Warsaw. My driver and guide, Jacek, arrived at 9AM to start the journey with historical facts as we left the city. He pointed out museums and old Soviet buildings, and told me how the current administration changed some parts of the WWII Museum to fit their agenda. It was a good way to begin the day. He told me about how his grandfather died in WWII, and how he loved his & his family’s city. Every year, he explained, on the first day of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, all traffic stops and every citizen sings the songs of Polish resistance. And how during the entire 63-day anniversary of the event, there are celebrations throughout the city of their dead heroes. When we arrived to Treblinka, celebration of heroes continued.
The small museum at the entrance to the camp features two rooms: one with artifacts found in the remains of the camp upon liberation and after, and one with maps and reconstructions of daily life. The latter prominently showcased the work of those who saved and hid documents from the camp, the doctor/orphan-saver of Warsaw (whose name I am blanking on), and Jewish artists who recreated the camp through their art and words. There was a heavy focus on these heroes, however none of them survived. That was what made Treblinka different—almost no Jew who arrived ever left.
(TW: Jewish genocide, murder of children/elderly, religious symbols, murder devices, Maya’s retelling of history which may or may not be 100% accurate so take it with a grain of salt)
Treblinka was built in two parts: the death camp and forced-labor camp (known as Treblinka I). Poles were sent to Treblinka I, where up to 20,000died due to starvation and sickness, and Jews were sent straight to the gas chambers upon arriving. An estimated 900,000 Jews were killed at Treblinka—its first arrivals in July of 1942 and last in November 1943. It was one of the first three camps to be built after the Wannsee Conference, where a group of Nazi officials met and decided the answer to the “Jewish Question.” Treblinka was built on the eastern border of the General-Government (German-occupied Poland). To the east was Soviet-occupied Poland. 300,000 Poles and Polish Jews were sent to Treblinka from Warsaw, where they were sorted by men, women, and children & elders. The men and women received haircuts and were led to believe they were being “washed and disinfected” before transferring to a work camp, while the children and elderly were sent to Lazaret. Lazaret was a small building marked by a white flag bearing a red cross, behind it lay two massive pits. The children, elderly, and infirm prisoners were forced to stand at the edge of the pits before being shot in the back of the head. Their bodies were buried on top of each other, and eventually dug up and burned to make space for more. Those who died in the gas chambers were placed on “barbeque style” grills, where their bodies were burned in the open air.
Today, in place of the (for lack of a more sensitive word) grills, lay two large rectangles made of volcanic rock. They shone in the light rain, and the white stones marked with Jewish symbols of love and loss stood brightly against them. Past these two black rectangles was the main memorial, a large stone statue with faces carved into the top third. On the front two hands reaching upwards are the focal point, while on the back there is only a menorah. Surrounding the memorial however, is the truly breathtaking memorialization of the space. 17,000 stones of varying sizes and colors are planted in the earth, jagged and greyed, 216 of them listing cities from which victims were taken. One stone alone is named after an individual: the doctor who saved orphans in the Warsaw ghetto for much of the war, but died in Treblinka. There are stones of Jewish remembrance scattered everywhere. The area outside of the memorial is completely forested, the train tracks and borders long gone. The Nazis left nothing in their wake.
After seeing the grounds of the camp, Jacek andI enjoyed pierogĂźs and I was dropped off at the train station where I’m writing this from. If anyone is interested in visiting Poland, I highly recommend it. In the States we aren’t told anything about Polish history, just that they were victims in the war. In reality, they had the 5th largest fighting force against Hitler, were the original decoders of Engima (no disrespect to Alan), and ENDED COMMUNISM in the nation without a violent rebellion. They are an empathetic and hopeful people, who do not forget the past but carry it as a light guiding them toward a better future.
Friday, September 20, 2019
I’M ALMOST BACK I PROMISE
She’s BaaAAaAaCk
When I left for Poland it didn’t occur to me to let all of my thousands of readers know that I wouldn’t be able to update ya’ll for a week, and for that I apologize. It has been an amazing trip and I’m going to retell it with fewer words than it deserves.
Po-land of PierogĂźs and Plum Beer
We began in Warsaw, the capital of the country. Our train car held six, so I got to meet new people who I ended up spending the entire trip with. We played a camp game called “Contact,” which kept us laughing and yelling throughout the week (which was very necessary). The city of Warsaw has a difficult history, and we spent a lot of time dealing with the weight of where we were. Most of the city was bombed to nothingness by the Germans during the war, so as we walked along the main streets on our first day the tour guide kept repeating “This reconstruction...”
Chopin was born in Warsaw and is their PRIDE AND JOY. We joked that it was a Chopin tour and not a historical one, but still learned about Warsaw’s most recent history, as well as their post-democratic system.
We had pierogĂź for dinner the first night, which are small potato dumplings with cheese or meat fillings. They were surprisingly terrific. We ended up coming back to the same pub for dinner two nights in a row.
The second evening was spent exploring Warsaw’s nightlife instead of attending a Chopin concert (oops). After many hours of dancing/complaining about old Polish people/being cold, we headed home. The next morning however, was a 9AM tour of a castle—of which I can tell you almost nothing because I was so tired from “clubbing.” Everyone else was on the same boat. We found a small cafe for lunch, then I headed off on my own to the Warsaw Zoo. Famous for hiding escaped Jews during WWII, it was ridiculously spacious and filled with families watching animals (I was looking for historical clues). I befriended a pygmy marmoset, saw some sad looking elephants, and walked amongst singing birds for the afternoon.
“This is the part of our story that gets a little bit sad”
Our last day in Warsaw began with a walking tour of Jewish history in the city. We didn’t have to walk very far before it was clear what this tour was going to be like—upsetting. We walked parts of the ghetto wall, saw the oldest surviving synagogue in Poland, visited the memorial for those lost in the Ghetto Uprising, and stopped at the train station from which 300,000 Jews were sent to the Treblinka death camp from. Lunch afterward was weighed down by the morning’s activities, so I again decided to go off on my own for the afternoon. I took public transportation (which doesNOT run at the same level as Berlin) and eventually found the Neon Museum, which was a small collection of signs from the past almost-century.We had delicious pizza that night, and stayed in to watch “Skin,” a Spanish film with a plot you wouldn’t believe if I tried to explain it. I recommend everyone reading to check it out.
GENQUI
Finally, on Tuesday, we arrived in Gdansk! Gdansk immediately lifted everyone’s spirits. We had Japanese food for dinner (bad. 0/10.) and then watched Borat in honor of the Polish phrase “genqui” which we had been saying all week. The next morning was another walking tour. It was extra chilly since we were along the water, but also really pretty. Gdansk has a definite Eastern European feel, which in comparison to Warsaw is more colorful and romantic. We stopped in an enormous cathedral with rainbow-stained glass and beautiful altars; I had tears in my eyes just being inside the building. Our tour guide told us a story about the assassination of their mayor which I’ll be repeating (to the best of my memory) here:
Every year, Gdansk has a day of charity. There are concerts and parades and everyone donates to a worthy cause. This year at a festival celebrating the giving day of Gdansk, the mayor, Pawel Adamowicz, went up on a stage to speak to his citizens. His last words to them were of love and gratitude for his city, before he was stabbed to death on stage. Our tour guide said she had seen him around before his passing, since they frequent the same areas, and went to pay her respectsto him with other tour guides. They got in line at 8PM to “see him one last time” and waited until 2:30AM. She said now she is more conscious of mental health as an issue, and that she pays more attention to her friends and family in this aspect. It is very visible how much this city values empathy—from Solidarity to the death of Mayor Adamowicz—you can’t miss it.
TTFN
Author’s Note: I wrote this on a glitchy unofficial Blogspot app, sorry for the weird spaces/lack thereof. I’ll fix it when I’m home <3
I have to get up early for my solo Treblinka tour tomorrow, so I’ll be finishing Poland stories either Saturday evening or Sunday. Happy to be writing again, talk to you all soon.
Every year, Gdansk has a day of charity. There are concerts and parades and everyone donates to a worthy cause. This year at a festival celebrating the giving day of Gdansk, the mayor, Pawel Adamowicz, went up on a stage to speak to his citizens. His last words to them were of love and gratitude for his city, before he was stabbed to death on stage. Our tour guide said she had seen him around before his passing, since they frequent the same areas, and went to pay her respectsto him with other tour guides. They got in line at 8PM to “see him one last time” and waited until 2:30AM. She said now she is more conscious of mental health as an issue, and that she pays more attention to her friends and family in this aspect. It is very visible how much this city values empathy—from Solidarity to the death of Mayor Adamowicz—you can’t miss it.
TTFN
Author’s Note: I wrote this on a glitchy unofficial Blogspot app, sorry for the weird spaces/lack thereof. I’ll fix it when I’m home <3
I have to get up early for my solo Treblinka tour tomorrow, so I’ll be finishing Poland stories either Saturday evening or Sunday. Happy to be writing again, talk to you all soon.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Maya's No Good Terrible Horrible Awful Bad Day
To Quote Garfield the Cat:
I hate Mondays. I have class from 9-19:00. I leave home usually at 7:30 for the train, but yesterday I had to pack my stuff from Hotel #2 and move it back to the old apartment, so I left a half hour early. This meant I got less sleep than usual the night following TWO DAYS OF LOLLAPALOOZA. I get on the train, drop my stuff off, and get back on the train to go to school. Oh yeah, and it's raining.
My German class goes smoothly, but I'm so damn sleepy I can barely follow what's going on. We're working on the food vocab, and for some reason only learning how to say foods I don't like (die Banane, die Tomate, die Zwiebel--that one means onion). I get through class with a Club Mate, and then frantically try to figure out how to print the two papers I have due without my computer password, which is in my apartment that I've barely been in for 3 weeks. Luckily a friend let me log in with their info, and I get my stuff printed just in time to be LATE for my 13:30 field trip!
It is still raining, but I walk to the bus, get on the S-Bahn, and trudge to the Holocaust Memorial. My calves are insanely sore from Lolla, but hey, there's enough to complain about already. I arrive at the memorial and my class is nowhere to be found. Like, it's raining, there are approximately 10 people in the whole plaza, and none of them are under the age of 40. A student from my class notices me, and she's sort of in contact with a student who is with the group. Except the group is a mile away. And there's no word as to whether the professor is even with them. So we wait at the Holocaust memorial. Then we walk through Tiergarten to the Gypsy memorial. Then back to the Holocaust memorial. And it is still raining. We find another student, who is also lost. We stand in the rain a bit longer. I'm cold and have to pee and my socks are getting wet. I decide I'm going back to campus without turning in my paper, or finding my class. The other girls decide to take the train to find them. At this point, I'm so annoyed I don't even care about the guilty "you're a bad student" vibes I'm getting from one of them.
I get back to the bus stop after the S-Bahn, buy a pack of Oreos, get on the train, and try not to cry. It was an overwhelming day, and it wasn't even close to being over. I get back to school and sit down for some studying and ASMR to calm myself down before class number 3. But this class is a lot. It's a German cinema class, the professor is an egotistical film snob, and he shuts down all discussion to say what he wants us to think. We're discussing Dr. Caligari, a film I've seen, written, and read about very recently, but I can't bring myself to voice my opinions knowing he'll make a snide comment no matter what. It's a long three hours. I get invited for sushi after class, but my energy is running so low I know I have a limited time to move into my new apartment before I crash.
I get home after the 45 minute commute half asleep, but I am completely reenergized when I walk into the new room. It's clean, has a fan, linens, a working shower and shower door, a Wifi router, a pot and a pan, AND there's no bedbugs. I move everything over in two trips, unpack with some RuPaul in the background, and finally go to sleep.
--
Today is a new and good day. The rain stopped but it's still chilly, and this afternoon I'm going on a mission to find a good bagel with some friends. I'm going to an English-taught Jazz choreo class tonight; this weekend made me really excited to dance again.
Sunday, September 8, 2019
Lollapalooooooooza
WOW
First of all, Lollapalooza Berlin was located in the OLYMPIC STADIUM built in the 1930's. It was huge, and all I could think about was Leni Riefenstahl (and I felt slightly guilty because of that). The festival brought funny undersea animal balloons to decorate the stadium with, there was a lit-up ferris wheel, and there were 5 or 6 stages. Our first show was Gramatik, who was dope and exactly the kind of music I wanted to hear--but he was playing full songs start to finish. It didn't have the right energy. Plus, the sun was still up, so people weren't dance dancing. I was having fun, but after a few songs we had to run to the next stage! Our next show was supposed to be Billie Eilish, but my friends and I ended up at the wrong stage--after watching 15 minutes of a middle-aged man rapping in German. We literally ran, but the crowd was so huge we landed in a crappy spot. The sound quality was trash, but I sang and danced anyways.
Then we waited for Twenty One Pilots, and had some pasta in the meantime. TOP was awesome, they played older songs I knew, and the crowd was much more excited than at Billie. After a few songs we decided to run over to Princess Nokia, but she was highkey bad so we were kinda bummed we had left TOP. It was also raining at this point. I had to buy a sweatshirt in between sets because my Californian brain was like No, you'll be fine in your skimpy festival gear. A hoe never gets cold, right? So wrong. I got a cute Billie sweater though so I'm not too mad about it.
After that we had to run over to Swedish House Mafia, but AGAIN we went to the wrong stage and ended up at the back of the crowd after running in circles to get there. They were great though, they had lights that really made the rain look cool and fireworks in time with drops. The people around me kept grabbing me cause I was dancing (it's a festival, that's what you do), so I was like, "We have to move." And thank God we did, because we found a spot where everyone was dancing, there were 3 mosh pits, and no one tried to grab my head. We ended up leaving before the set was over since it had been a long day, and stopped for McDonalds on the train home. I had a McFlurry with Schokolade something and Sauce Schokolade. And it didn't come in a regular McFlurry cup with the trademark spoon. It was underwhelming. My thoughts are with you Berliners, who will never have the greatness that is chemical-based half-frozen fake Mc-Ice-Ceam with Oreos in it.
It's Not All Festivals and Sunshine
It has officially cooled down in Berlin. We're in the 60s every day, and the cold is dry and crisp. The rain at Lolla was really light, just like heavy mist, but it went for long enough that my hair frizzed up. I'm staying in a new hotel until tomorrow evening (I have a feeling they'll push it to Tuesday cause they're like that), and then I'll have access to all my cute sweaters and warm jackets. Very exciting.
I went for a croissant and coffee this morning, and when I tried to order in Deutsch the guy behind the counter was so nice it made me feel really proud just for trying. He spoke English luckily, and on my way out said, "Thanks for the English practice!" So we're all just out here trying to learn how to communicate with each other. I love it.
I'm going back to the festival in an hour or so, where I've decided I have to just stay at the EDM stage in order to really get my moneys worth. I need at least one head-bang to make this worth it. If anyone from Santa Cruz is reading, I miss dancing with ya'll.
One More Thing!
We had a lovely evening in Kreuzberg on Friday, I can't not mention it on here. We found a phö spot, and I had tofu curry and rice that I had been CRAVING since I got here. Then it was off to do some bar hopping, where I encountered a menu with a Mint Julep, but a waitress who had never heard of it. I received straight whiskey and crushed mint leaves. Bleh. We had gelato as we walked along the river, and mine was walnut and fig flavored. Insanely good. We walked all around the area in the chilly weather, eventually settling into a cute candle lit cafe-bar with cushy chairs and a big window to people-watch through. It was a lovely evening!
First of all, Lollapalooza Berlin was located in the OLYMPIC STADIUM built in the 1930's. It was huge, and all I could think about was Leni Riefenstahl (and I felt slightly guilty because of that). The festival brought funny undersea animal balloons to decorate the stadium with, there was a lit-up ferris wheel, and there were 5 or 6 stages. Our first show was Gramatik, who was dope and exactly the kind of music I wanted to hear--but he was playing full songs start to finish. It didn't have the right energy. Plus, the sun was still up, so people weren't dance dancing. I was having fun, but after a few songs we had to run to the next stage! Our next show was supposed to be Billie Eilish, but my friends and I ended up at the wrong stage--after watching 15 minutes of a middle-aged man rapping in German. We literally ran, but the crowd was so huge we landed in a crappy spot. The sound quality was trash, but I sang and danced anyways.
Then we waited for Twenty One Pilots, and had some pasta in the meantime. TOP was awesome, they played older songs I knew, and the crowd was much more excited than at Billie. After a few songs we decided to run over to Princess Nokia, but she was highkey bad so we were kinda bummed we had left TOP. It was also raining at this point. I had to buy a sweatshirt in between sets because my Californian brain was like No, you'll be fine in your skimpy festival gear. A hoe never gets cold, right? So wrong. I got a cute Billie sweater though so I'm not too mad about it.
After that we had to run over to Swedish House Mafia, but AGAIN we went to the wrong stage and ended up at the back of the crowd after running in circles to get there. They were great though, they had lights that really made the rain look cool and fireworks in time with drops. The people around me kept grabbing me cause I was dancing (it's a festival, that's what you do), so I was like, "We have to move." And thank God we did, because we found a spot where everyone was dancing, there were 3 mosh pits, and no one tried to grab my head. We ended up leaving before the set was over since it had been a long day, and stopped for McDonalds on the train home. I had a McFlurry with Schokolade something and Sauce Schokolade. And it didn't come in a regular McFlurry cup with the trademark spoon. It was underwhelming. My thoughts are with you Berliners, who will never have the greatness that is chemical-based half-frozen fake Mc-Ice-Ceam with Oreos in it.
It's Not All Festivals and Sunshine
It has officially cooled down in Berlin. We're in the 60s every day, and the cold is dry and crisp. The rain at Lolla was really light, just like heavy mist, but it went for long enough that my hair frizzed up. I'm staying in a new hotel until tomorrow evening (I have a feeling they'll push it to Tuesday cause they're like that), and then I'll have access to all my cute sweaters and warm jackets. Very exciting.
I went for a croissant and coffee this morning, and when I tried to order in Deutsch the guy behind the counter was so nice it made me feel really proud just for trying. He spoke English luckily, and on my way out said, "Thanks for the English practice!" So we're all just out here trying to learn how to communicate with each other. I love it.
I'm going back to the festival in an hour or so, where I've decided I have to just stay at the EDM stage in order to really get my moneys worth. I need at least one head-bang to make this worth it. If anyone from Santa Cruz is reading, I miss dancing with ya'll.
One More Thing!
We had a lovely evening in Kreuzberg on Friday, I can't not mention it on here. We found a phö spot, and I had tofu curry and rice that I had been CRAVING since I got here. Then it was off to do some bar hopping, where I encountered a menu with a Mint Julep, but a waitress who had never heard of it. I received straight whiskey and crushed mint leaves. Bleh. We had gelato as we walked along the river, and mine was walnut and fig flavored. Insanely good. We walked all around the area in the chilly weather, eventually settling into a cute candle lit cafe-bar with cushy chairs and a big window to people-watch through. It was a lovely evening!
Friday, September 6, 2019
Maya the Wandering American
AGH
Lollapalooza is this weekend! Two whole days of dancing and fun! I bought new outfits! I'm so excited! Billie Eilish and Swedish House Mafia and Martin Garrix and Hozier and Rex Orange County and Princess Nokia! But also, I am STILL homeless. Today, Friday, I've reserved for doing a weekend's worth of homework, but the fact that I have to move into a new hotel is distracting as ever. Gotta wash a bunch of clothes (for 5 Euros a load), figure out what to bring, pack, and pray that this time I'll have Wifi. Plus, two papers due on Monday, a film to watch, and 100 pages of reading oh my! The program claims I'll have a NEW apartment room to move into on Monday evening, but that is a long ways away.
In Other News
"IT Chapter 2" was really good. Like, surprisingly good for a 3 hour movie about an evil clown. Go see it if you enjoyed the first one, but be warned: it should have about 3 trigger warnings in the first 15 minutes alone (especially for LGBTQ+ people) and is considerably more scary than the first one. I screamed (more than once).
--
I gave a presentation in class last week on the Dachau concentration camp and memorials, which went really well. I hadn't given a presentation in years, and was super nervous because I didn't have notecards written out. I ended up using notes on my laptop, but received praise for not reading off my Powerpoint. I talked for at least 12 minutes, and was even excited to answer questions at the end of presentation.
After my presentation, a friend was doing hers on the Children's Holocaust Memorial in Vad Yashem and asked for thoughts on the memorial itself. I raised my hand (because no one else was) and played Devil's Advocate. "It feels very American to me, the way they almost manipulate your emotions and force this sad catharsis that is disconnected from empathy or history for the people behind the memorial." Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say. I got the discussion going for sure, but people who had been to the memorial (which is in Israel by the way) did not agree with my statement. My professor actually said I had made a good point, and talked about it briefly at the end of class, but now everyone except him thinks I hate dead Jewish children.
--
Speaking of dead Jewish children, I just finished the memoir of Shalom Auslander (thanks Momma G). He's witty and embittered, telling the stories of his childhood in an Orthodox Jewish community on the East coast. He has this personal relationship with his God, which he navigates differently throughout his life. Adding/subtracting sins, tit-for-tat, complete devotion or complete apathy. Even though I don't believe in his God, it reminded me of child Maya; she believed if she didn't think "Dad is not going to have a kidney stone today," he would have a kidney stone. She was making deals with some sort of God before she knew what God was. Anyways, a good read for anyone who likes laughing, regardless of their religious identity.
Author's Note: As I'm typing this in a Starbucks-type cafe, there is a man rolling a joint at the table next to me. Berlin is a strange place.
Lollapalooza is this weekend! Two whole days of dancing and fun! I bought new outfits! I'm so excited! Billie Eilish and Swedish House Mafia and Martin Garrix and Hozier and Rex Orange County and Princess Nokia! But also, I am STILL homeless. Today, Friday, I've reserved for doing a weekend's worth of homework, but the fact that I have to move into a new hotel is distracting as ever. Gotta wash a bunch of clothes (for 5 Euros a load), figure out what to bring, pack, and pray that this time I'll have Wifi. Plus, two papers due on Monday, a film to watch, and 100 pages of reading oh my! The program claims I'll have a NEW apartment room to move into on Monday evening, but that is a long ways away.
In Other News
"IT Chapter 2" was really good. Like, surprisingly good for a 3 hour movie about an evil clown. Go see it if you enjoyed the first one, but be warned: it should have about 3 trigger warnings in the first 15 minutes alone (especially for LGBTQ+ people) and is considerably more scary than the first one. I screamed (more than once).
--
I gave a presentation in class last week on the Dachau concentration camp and memorials, which went really well. I hadn't given a presentation in years, and was super nervous because I didn't have notecards written out. I ended up using notes on my laptop, but received praise for not reading off my Powerpoint. I talked for at least 12 minutes, and was even excited to answer questions at the end of presentation.
After my presentation, a friend was doing hers on the Children's Holocaust Memorial in Vad Yashem and asked for thoughts on the memorial itself. I raised my hand (because no one else was) and played Devil's Advocate. "It feels very American to me, the way they almost manipulate your emotions and force this sad catharsis that is disconnected from empathy or history for the people behind the memorial." Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say. I got the discussion going for sure, but people who had been to the memorial (which is in Israel by the way) did not agree with my statement. My professor actually said I had made a good point, and talked about it briefly at the end of class, but now everyone except him thinks I hate dead Jewish children.
--
Speaking of dead Jewish children, I just finished the memoir of Shalom Auslander (thanks Momma G). He's witty and embittered, telling the stories of his childhood in an Orthodox Jewish community on the East coast. He has this personal relationship with his God, which he navigates differently throughout his life. Adding/subtracting sins, tit-for-tat, complete devotion or complete apathy. Even though I don't believe in his God, it reminded me of child Maya; she believed if she didn't think "Dad is not going to have a kidney stone today," he would have a kidney stone. She was making deals with some sort of God before she knew what God was. Anyways, a good read for anyone who likes laughing, regardless of their religious identity.
Author's Note: As I'm typing this in a Starbucks-type cafe, there is a man rolling a joint at the table next to me. Berlin is a strange place.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
THUNDERBOLT INS KINO
Babylon Berlin Is Not Just a TV Show
Last night I ventured out to Babylon Berlin with a friend to watch "Thunderbolt," a 1929 American film starring Fay Wray. I was expecting it to be silent, but it was a "talkie" with quite a few jokes. The theater was super small, with maybe 20 people. When the ticket-taker introduced the film, he said "This movie is in English, and is not silent. With French subtitles." And the Germans were not impressed; someone in the back went, "We know," and someone else loudly sighed and said "Not German?" (in English, which was weird). The film was fantastic; a romantic mobster relationship goes wrong and two men vying for the same women end up on death row together. Even if you're not a fan of old films, I highly recommend this one.
Technik Museum
Today my German class took a field trip to the Technik Museum, or Museum of Technology. Because I had to be out of my hotel room by 12, and my friend (who kindly let me leave my stuff in his room) was leaving for school at 7:30, I found myself at the museum 2 hours early. I got a coffee and a poppyseed croissant, but there was still an hour and a half to kill. So, I walked to the Berlin Wall. I was aiming for Checkpoint Charlie, which I haven't been to yet, when I got distracted by the wall itself and then a huge shopping center with more pieces of it scattered about. I took photos, walked in circles, and then finally made it to the museum at 9:30.
The museum itself was pretty cool, and I had fun exploring with other people (I've been doing most museums on my own). We learned some German, saw some schiffe and flugzeugen, and then ventured towards a vegetarian cafe. When I was having my pre-field trip adventure, I spotted a vegan donut place--which I *casually* mentioned after lunch was over. Luckily, everyone was down for donuts and we split a "Hibiscus Sprinkle" and a Tiramisu donut. They were insane.
Where's A Girl Got to Live?
I was told a few days back that my room wouldn't be ready until Thursday (today), when it was supposed to be done Tuesday. I arrived home today and it was 1,000,000 degrees inside, with the insides completely torn apart. Like, no light switches, lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling, wall paneling removed, etc. But I thought to myself, It's fine because at least I get to sleep here finally! And then I saw it. A little bedbug on the floor. Alive and crawling. So basically, I'm done sleeping here and am going to throw a hissy fit at my program directors tomorrow morning. (Tonight I'm going to see It Part 2!)
Last night I ventured out to Babylon Berlin with a friend to watch "Thunderbolt," a 1929 American film starring Fay Wray. I was expecting it to be silent, but it was a "talkie" with quite a few jokes. The theater was super small, with maybe 20 people. When the ticket-taker introduced the film, he said "This movie is in English, and is not silent. With French subtitles." And the Germans were not impressed; someone in the back went, "We know," and someone else loudly sighed and said "Not German?" (in English, which was weird). The film was fantastic; a romantic mobster relationship goes wrong and two men vying for the same women end up on death row together. Even if you're not a fan of old films, I highly recommend this one.
Technik Museum
Today my German class took a field trip to the Technik Museum, or Museum of Technology. Because I had to be out of my hotel room by 12, and my friend (who kindly let me leave my stuff in his room) was leaving for school at 7:30, I found myself at the museum 2 hours early. I got a coffee and a poppyseed croissant, but there was still an hour and a half to kill. So, I walked to the Berlin Wall. I was aiming for Checkpoint Charlie, which I haven't been to yet, when I got distracted by the wall itself and then a huge shopping center with more pieces of it scattered about. I took photos, walked in circles, and then finally made it to the museum at 9:30.
The museum itself was pretty cool, and I had fun exploring with other people (I've been doing most museums on my own). We learned some German, saw some schiffe and flugzeugen, and then ventured towards a vegetarian cafe. When I was having my pre-field trip adventure, I spotted a vegan donut place--which I *casually* mentioned after lunch was over. Luckily, everyone was down for donuts and we split a "Hibiscus Sprinkle" and a Tiramisu donut. They were insane.
Where's A Girl Got to Live?
I was told a few days back that my room wouldn't be ready until Thursday (today), when it was supposed to be done Tuesday. I arrived home today and it was 1,000,000 degrees inside, with the insides completely torn apart. Like, no light switches, lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling, wall paneling removed, etc. But I thought to myself, It's fine because at least I get to sleep here finally! And then I saw it. A little bedbug on the floor. Alive and crawling. So basically, I'm done sleeping here and am going to throw a hissy fit at my program directors tomorrow morning. (Tonight I'm going to see It Part 2!)
Monday, September 2, 2019
Weird Times
Friday Blues
Everyone came to the conclusion this weekend that we were sad. Not really sad, but the kind of sad where it's probably because you've been eating only carbs for two weeks now and you miss your mom's cooking and you've been going out to drink too much and not sleeping enough. It didn't hit me as hard as some of my friends, since I haven't been--as the kids would call it--raging. But Monday morning I was more tired than I have been in a while. Anyways, weekend stuff first.
BORING
Saturday was a full day of fun. I woke up early, went to the German Historical Museum, and took some photos for a report I'm doing in my Art and Dictatorship class. We've been assigned a question on Nazi art being represented in German museums, but I got so distracted in the Bismarck era I only had a few minutes to look at post-Weimar. Basically, I have to go back. It was also air conditioned, which was fantastic since Saturday reached a record high temperature since I've been in Berlin. After that, I had a little date with a guy from New York in Alexanderplatz. We found a huge (air conditioned) mall, and an English bookstore! Then, the grand finale of the night, the Rocky Horror Picture Show! A few friends and I made our way to an outdoor theater in a park close to the apartments, where we found a crowded audience (who would later throw rice, flour, confetti, and water at us). The German audience only knew one call-back line, which isn't one we use in California: BORING. During Mr. No-Neck's scenes, they completely silenced him by screaming "BOOOORING" over and over. It was very strange. They also sang and danced more than American audiences I've been a part of, so things evened out. Overall, a great time.
1, 2, 3
Three weird things that occurred on Monday:
1. I had my first encounter with formal racism! On the U-Bahn in the morning a younger girl wearing a headscarf was verbally accosted by a large German woman. I wasn't sure what she was saying, just that it was loud and rude and caused another man standing nearby to get in between the two women.
2. I had my first "What do you think about Trump?" moment. Ordering a döner after class, my friend and I were called out on our bad German accents.
--"Where are you from? Not German?"
--"America. California"
--"America? What do you think of Trump guy?"
--"He's bad." "Very bad guy."
--"Ah."
3. I saw a furry in a passenger seat of a car parked outside of Lidl. I thought it was a real dog so I was staring, until I realized it was not. And then I jumped about a mile into the air, and fast-walked home.
A Roaming Traveller
I was supposed to have my apartment back today, but unfortunately I was notified it won't be ready until Thursday afternoon. And I won't be allowed inside until then. Meaning I have no fridge to keep food in, no clothes besides the ones I've been wearing, and no kitchen. I am more than excited to have my crappy apartment back Thursday afternoon. Until then, I will continue to be Wifi-less, and these posts will continue to be sparse.
Everyone came to the conclusion this weekend that we were sad. Not really sad, but the kind of sad where it's probably because you've been eating only carbs for two weeks now and you miss your mom's cooking and you've been going out to drink too much and not sleeping enough. It didn't hit me as hard as some of my friends, since I haven't been--as the kids would call it--raging. But Monday morning I was more tired than I have been in a while. Anyways, weekend stuff first.
BORING
Saturday was a full day of fun. I woke up early, went to the German Historical Museum, and took some photos for a report I'm doing in my Art and Dictatorship class. We've been assigned a question on Nazi art being represented in German museums, but I got so distracted in the Bismarck era I only had a few minutes to look at post-Weimar. Basically, I have to go back. It was also air conditioned, which was fantastic since Saturday reached a record high temperature since I've been in Berlin. After that, I had a little date with a guy from New York in Alexanderplatz. We found a huge (air conditioned) mall, and an English bookstore! Then, the grand finale of the night, the Rocky Horror Picture Show! A few friends and I made our way to an outdoor theater in a park close to the apartments, where we found a crowded audience (who would later throw rice, flour, confetti, and water at us). The German audience only knew one call-back line, which isn't one we use in California: BORING. During Mr. No-Neck's scenes, they completely silenced him by screaming "BOOOORING" over and over. It was very strange. They also sang and danced more than American audiences I've been a part of, so things evened out. Overall, a great time.
1, 2, 3
Three weird things that occurred on Monday:
1. I had my first encounter with formal racism! On the U-Bahn in the morning a younger girl wearing a headscarf was verbally accosted by a large German woman. I wasn't sure what she was saying, just that it was loud and rude and caused another man standing nearby to get in between the two women.
2. I had my first "What do you think about Trump?" moment. Ordering a döner after class, my friend and I were called out on our bad German accents.
--"Where are you from? Not German?"
--"America. California"
--"America? What do you think of Trump guy?"
--"He's bad." "Very bad guy."
--"Ah."
3. I saw a furry in a passenger seat of a car parked outside of Lidl. I thought it was a real dog so I was staring, until I realized it was not. And then I jumped about a mile into the air, and fast-walked home.
A Roaming Traveller
I was supposed to have my apartment back today, but unfortunately I was notified it won't be ready until Thursday afternoon. And I won't be allowed inside until then. Meaning I have no fridge to keep food in, no clothes besides the ones I've been wearing, and no kitchen. I am more than excited to have my crappy apartment back Thursday afternoon. Until then, I will continue to be Wifi-less, and these posts will continue to be sparse.
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
A Collection of Thoughts From...
The Metro
Germans have a certain awareness of their individual selves as part of a larger whole. On the Metro in the States, you might find people singing the music playing in their headphones, eating burgers, or laughing loudly. Here, almost everyone sits quietly and in their own space, no one throws wrappers on the floor, and the system runs smoothly because it’s understood that for it to work for one person, everyone needs to work together. However, people will body slam you to get where they're going. There are strictly followed escalator rules, bike paths, etc. and it's rare to see deviations from these.
Bedbug Land
I just couldn't take it anymore. Yesterday, after finding a live bedbug in my room that had JUST been worked on by an exterminator, I told the FU-BEST office I needed somewhere else to stay. So, finally, I moved to a nearby hotel called the Good Morning Berlin West; it's right next to Kaufland, the most exciting supermarket I've been to. I did a little shopping, some school reading, and went back to my apartment to make dinner. The walk is slightly annoying, but at least I didn't wake up with any new bites this morning. Plus, free breakfast.
Walking Around
It is insanely hot here. It's been 90 degrees for most of the week, and they have no air conditioning anywhere. Not in public transport, not at school, not in housing. It is HOT. I've been taking multiple showers a day to keep from feeling gross all the time. On the bright side, it doesn't cool down too much at night, so you can stay out without a coat.
Germans have a certain awareness of their individual selves as part of a larger whole. On the Metro in the States, you might find people singing the music playing in their headphones, eating burgers, or laughing loudly. Here, almost everyone sits quietly and in their own space, no one throws wrappers on the floor, and the system runs smoothly because it’s understood that for it to work for one person, everyone needs to work together. However, people will body slam you to get where they're going. There are strictly followed escalator rules, bike paths, etc. and it's rare to see deviations from these.
Bedbug Land
I just couldn't take it anymore. Yesterday, after finding a live bedbug in my room that had JUST been worked on by an exterminator, I told the FU-BEST office I needed somewhere else to stay. So, finally, I moved to a nearby hotel called the Good Morning Berlin West; it's right next to Kaufland, the most exciting supermarket I've been to. I did a little shopping, some school reading, and went back to my apartment to make dinner. The walk is slightly annoying, but at least I didn't wake up with any new bites this morning. Plus, free breakfast.
Walking Around
It is insanely hot here. It's been 90 degrees for most of the week, and they have no air conditioning anywhere. Not in public transport, not at school, not in housing. It is HOT. I've been taking multiple showers a day to keep from feeling gross all the time. On the bright side, it doesn't cool down too much at night, so you can stay out without a coat.
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
First Day of Kindergarten (literally translated: children garden)
Author's Note: This is being posted 3 days late, there's no Wifi where I'm staying at the moment. More on that later.
Today I had a bright and early start on the U-Bahn at 7:45, to get to Freie UniversitÀt by 8:45 (which did not happen BTW). We ran up at 9:05, just on time for Intensive German Language A1. My professor is very kind so far, she speaks enough English that we can understand her, but she can't entirely understand us. There are 7 people, including myself, in my German class. Half of us are from California, which meant there was a lot of accidental Spanish speaking.
Being Itchy Makes Me Bitchy
We had an hour and a half lunch break between our 9-12 and 13:30-16 blocks, so I went down to the mensa and had some food. I wanted to take a nap, but it was incredibly hot and there's no indoor library to hide in, so unfortunately I didn't get to. This meant I was un-caffinated, sleepy, and (don't, forget!) itchy as hell. I have at least 80 bedbug bites now, which were for some reason extra nasty today. My next 6 hours on campus were set to be quite a time.
Art and Dictatorship & German Cinema
Honestly, I couldn't make these 6 hours seem interesting if I tried. We went over syllabi and and watched a 45 minute video on Bauhaus, which I already have 45-minutes-worth of knowledge about. It took everything in me not to fall asleep, but with a dozen people in a classroom you're bound to be caught (embarrassingly).
My cinema professor was an eccentric and snarky film geek who clearly loves what he does. He had us randomly introduce ourselves--most of the class said nothing--by our film experience, not our names. We watched a 60 minute silent film called The Oyster Princess, which was very funny and kept me mostly awake until 19:00 (PS: I'm practicing my international time all the time).
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Fresh Water!!!
Maya's First Lake Swim
Today we ventured to a lake "nearby" the apartments, which we chose without realizing that the buses weren't running today. We took the U-Bahn and walked about a mile to a forested lake, which cost 3 Euro to enter and was packed full of German people. They had little food stands, where I had my first currywurst und pommes--which was too coated in ketchup to be good. The fries were like thick potato chips, an unexpected and happy surprise.
We took a dip in the lake, but since I can barely swim and couldn't see the bottom of the lake, I stayed close to shore. It was very cold, so we had to doggy-paddle to stay warm. The fresh water felt totally different than the ocean, and I didn't feel as gross afterwards. We stayed for a few hours, laying in the sand and people-watching.
Too Sleepy To Care
Leaving later than we had intended, we walked in the heat to catch the train back to the apartments in time for a "reception" FU-BEST was putting on. I had post-beach sleepiness, and was not interested in moving quickly through public transportation. We ended up there 20 minutes late, but it didn't matter because they hadn't begun. Cheers to FU-BEST never being prepared! They had a snack buffet, and drinks that cost money, so we left early. Overall, it was a nice beach day (and free dinner!)
Author's Note: I now have 71 bedbug bites, so forgive my passive-aggressive attitude towards FU-BEST. The exterminator is coming tomorrow after 3 nights of nothing.
Author's Note: I now have 71 bedbug bites, so forgive my passive-aggressive attitude towards FU-BEST. The exterminator is coming tomorrow after 3 nights of nothing.
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Adapting to City Life
Catchin' Up
Things move quickly here. Trains, coins, tours. I've seen so much of the city already, and it's been less than a week. I've adjusted easily to commuting on the Metro system, which is clean, quiet, and always on schedule.
Since I last checked in, I've visited the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe twice, gone through the museum, been to the Brandenburger Tor twice (once accidentally), given myself a tour of the Tiergarten, and done a little socializing. The school hosted a pub night, where I met a lot of my soon-to-be classmates. People are settling into groups and making travel plans together, which is an unexpected dynamic so soon.
I've made a few good friends, who live in both the apartment building I do and in homestays. We're planning on swimming in a lake tomorrow, which will be my first time ever doing so!
In Less Exciting News...
I got a cold yesterday, and spent 20 Euro on 3 doses of NyQuil (which is over-the-counter medicine here). I spent most of the day in my room, which happens to have a case of BEDBUGS. The school brought a contractor in to check for bugs in half of their apartment rooms, and he found some in my mattress covers--which I thankfully hadn't been sleeping on. I have bites, but they're bringing in an exterminator on Monday to take care of the issue. Currently, I would not recommend this program to a prospective student (there's a long list of apartment issues that I won't even mention). On the bright side, German Netflix has RuPaul's Drag Race and I've already finished a season.
Things move quickly here. Trains, coins, tours. I've seen so much of the city already, and it's been less than a week. I've adjusted easily to commuting on the Metro system, which is clean, quiet, and always on schedule.
Since I last checked in, I've visited the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe twice, gone through the museum, been to the Brandenburger Tor twice (once accidentally), given myself a tour of the Tiergarten, and done a little socializing. The school hosted a pub night, where I met a lot of my soon-to-be classmates. People are settling into groups and making travel plans together, which is an unexpected dynamic so soon.
I've made a few good friends, who live in both the apartment building I do and in homestays. We're planning on swimming in a lake tomorrow, which will be my first time ever doing so!
In Less Exciting News...
I got a cold yesterday, and spent 20 Euro on 3 doses of NyQuil (which is over-the-counter medicine here). I spent most of the day in my room, which happens to have a case of BEDBUGS. The school brought a contractor in to check for bugs in half of their apartment rooms, and he found some in my mattress covers--which I thankfully hadn't been sleeping on. I have bites, but they're bringing in an exterminator on Monday to take care of the issue. Currently, I would not recommend this program to a prospective student (there's a long list of apartment issues that I won't even mention). On the bright side, German Netflix has RuPaul's Drag Race and I've already finished a season.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
6:00 to 22:19
My first full day in Berlin! Exceeded all expectations! Wow!
After my sunrise awakening at 6AM, I joined two other students for breakfast at a cafe close by. I stumbled through "Can I have a salmon toast?" in German, which most likely sounded like "Ich muck ter salmon brot bitte???" It was delicious nonetheless. We three ventured off toward a park, ended up in some kind of a gardening community (from what we could translate), and then headed into the chaos of the supermarket.
This time we chose a Kaufland, which was a nice two-story Target equivalent. I bought all three kinds of soap I needed, plus everything else on my list! It was a much more pleasantly exciting experience than yesterday's trip.
The U-Bahn, S-Bahn, and Bus X83
To get to today's only school-related destination, a group of about 5 of us had to traverse the public transport system. Luckily, one person had already taken the trains to a bar the previous night, so he bravely led us to the Freie Universitat campus. There we went through a relatively boring orientation. Not much to say! However, the path home was not as simple as the one there. The school did not give us directions to return from campus, so figuring out which train went in which direction was an added element of surprise. We joined up with another group of students, and shared falafel sandwiches for lunch (which happened to be at 4PM).
On one of our many train rides, we decided to translate posters on the walls without using any technology to help. It was surprisingly easy, given context and the similarities between English and German. I'm feeling incredibly confident in my German; while it's only about 20 words at this point, I keep discovering new ways to use what I've learned from Duolingo and UCSC German history classes to translate regularly. It's an exciting puzzle, and having other people challenging themselves to do the same is motivating me to do my best. By starting conversations with shopkeepers and food staff in German, even just to say hello and do you speak English I get more confident in using the accent and trying new phrases.
Beirgarten and WOW
We found a rooftop beer garden above a mall, which was absolutely adorable; filled with strange art and hundreds of plants, we spent a while planning a trip to Lollapalooza Berlin and enjoying the view. On our way home, someone had the idea to stop at the Brandenburger Tor, which changed my perspective on this trip in an instant.
As we walked up the steps from the U-Bahn, the top of the statue slowly came into view and my heart literally dropped. It was breathtaking. I was IN Berlin, staring at this symbol of strength of the German people. "Dem Deutschen Volke" was then written a few hundred feet from my eyes, carved into the front of the Reichstag building. I was again, stunned. This building still stands after so much destruction, manipulation, and oppression. We sat there, and watched the sun set. I wanted to see the Jewish Memorial, but as it got dark I realized today wouldn't be the day. Meandering around the area, I noticed the memorial for Sinti and Roma lost under National Socialism. I pulled the group inside, where white stones encircled a calmly flowing fountain. Some stones had names of camps and other locations in Eastern Europe where gypsies had been murdered, and I walked and read each one. When the group began to leave, someone asked what the stones were: "Were they peoples names or?" And as I was noticeably crying, I told her. She said it gave her chills, and I was glad she had asked. I didn't plan on visiting this memorial, because it isn't on any tourism bucket list. It was nearly invisible. It deserved all of my attention, and much more.
After my sunrise awakening at 6AM, I joined two other students for breakfast at a cafe close by. I stumbled through "Can I have a salmon toast?" in German, which most likely sounded like "Ich muck ter salmon brot bitte???" It was delicious nonetheless. We three ventured off toward a park, ended up in some kind of a gardening community (from what we could translate), and then headed into the chaos of the supermarket.
This time we chose a Kaufland, which was a nice two-story Target equivalent. I bought all three kinds of soap I needed, plus everything else on my list! It was a much more pleasantly exciting experience than yesterday's trip.
The U-Bahn, S-Bahn, and Bus X83
To get to today's only school-related destination, a group of about 5 of us had to traverse the public transport system. Luckily, one person had already taken the trains to a bar the previous night, so he bravely led us to the Freie Universitat campus. There we went through a relatively boring orientation. Not much to say! However, the path home was not as simple as the one there. The school did not give us directions to return from campus, so figuring out which train went in which direction was an added element of surprise. We joined up with another group of students, and shared falafel sandwiches for lunch (which happened to be at 4PM).
On one of our many train rides, we decided to translate posters on the walls without using any technology to help. It was surprisingly easy, given context and the similarities between English and German. I'm feeling incredibly confident in my German; while it's only about 20 words at this point, I keep discovering new ways to use what I've learned from Duolingo and UCSC German history classes to translate regularly. It's an exciting puzzle, and having other people challenging themselves to do the same is motivating me to do my best. By starting conversations with shopkeepers and food staff in German, even just to say hello and do you speak English I get more confident in using the accent and trying new phrases.
Beirgarten and WOW
We found a rooftop beer garden above a mall, which was absolutely adorable; filled with strange art and hundreds of plants, we spent a while planning a trip to Lollapalooza Berlin and enjoying the view. On our way home, someone had the idea to stop at the Brandenburger Tor, which changed my perspective on this trip in an instant.
As we walked up the steps from the U-Bahn, the top of the statue slowly came into view and my heart literally dropped. It was breathtaking. I was IN Berlin, staring at this symbol of strength of the German people. "Dem Deutschen Volke" was then written a few hundred feet from my eyes, carved into the front of the Reichstag building. I was again, stunned. This building still stands after so much destruction, manipulation, and oppression. We sat there, and watched the sun set. I wanted to see the Jewish Memorial, but as it got dark I realized today wouldn't be the day. Meandering around the area, I noticed the memorial for Sinti and Roma lost under National Socialism. I pulled the group inside, where white stones encircled a calmly flowing fountain. Some stones had names of camps and other locations in Eastern Europe where gypsies had been murdered, and I walked and read each one. When the group began to leave, someone asked what the stones were: "Were they peoples names or?" And as I was noticeably crying, I told her. She said it gave her chills, and I was glad she had asked. I didn't plan on visiting this memorial, because it isn't on any tourism bucket list. It was nearly invisible. It deserved all of my attention, and much more.
Monday, August 19, 2019
First Impressions
Sprechen sie Englisch?
After an 11 hour flight spent completely awake, watching Mindhunter and A Star Is Born, and a short flight from Frankfurt, I arrived completely jet-lagged and confused in Berlin, Germany. Stepping off of my first flight, I immediately wished I had learned more German--or at least practiced what I knew. For the first time in my traveling life, people would not understand if I spoke Spanish to them. Obviously, I knew this coming in. But when my brain didn't recognize the sounds of German-speaking flight attendants and shop keepers, it tried to respond with Spanish. Luckily, most people I've met so far were able to speak English, and I have the whole day today to study up on what I've forgotten from my Duolingo lessons over the summer.
GotthardstraĂe 96
My apartment building is large and industrial from the outside, but quite modern inside. There's a lounge area on the ground floor, and my studio apartment is just one floor above. At first glance, it was cute and clean, with white furniture and wood flooring. I had some trouble figuring out how to unlock my futon, and discovered the shower-head does not attach to its perch above me, but otherwise I was able to unpack and get settled easily. I put up some decorations and the place feels nicer than a dorm at home.
The Supermarket
Who knew a trip to get a few essentials could be so stressful? I set off to the market to buy toiletries a few hours after arriving, trying to stave off a nap, and found a Lidl close to my apartment. They had a great assortment of fresh produce, dry food, and tons of refrigerated/frozen items, plus some weird household things like clothes and kitchen supplies. However, I realized (once again) I could not read any of the German product labels. What was the difference between glass cleaner, dishwashing soap, and laundry soap? My foggy mind couldn't figure it out. So, still in a jet-lagged daze, I left the store with only spaghetti and pesto sauce, toilet paper, and some new reusable canvas bags. (The spaghetti will remain uncooked until I sort out the soap conundrum.)
What's Next?
After waking at 6am this morning, I felt much better than yesterday. I saw the end of the sunrise from my window, and finally figured out how to connect my phone to Wifi using an ethernet cord. I have a public transport pass, so sometime today I'll be taking the leap into the U-Bahn system to get to the university. After I complete some paperwork there, I have free rein to explore the city for the rest of the day. Hopefully I'll have a more successful trip to the supermarket, and make some friends along the way. I'm off to breakfast with some other students in a few!
After an 11 hour flight spent completely awake, watching Mindhunter and A Star Is Born, and a short flight from Frankfurt, I arrived completely jet-lagged and confused in Berlin, Germany. Stepping off of my first flight, I immediately wished I had learned more German--or at least practiced what I knew. For the first time in my traveling life, people would not understand if I spoke Spanish to them. Obviously, I knew this coming in. But when my brain didn't recognize the sounds of German-speaking flight attendants and shop keepers, it tried to respond with Spanish. Luckily, most people I've met so far were able to speak English, and I have the whole day today to study up on what I've forgotten from my Duolingo lessons over the summer.
GotthardstraĂe 96
My apartment building is large and industrial from the outside, but quite modern inside. There's a lounge area on the ground floor, and my studio apartment is just one floor above. At first glance, it was cute and clean, with white furniture and wood flooring. I had some trouble figuring out how to unlock my futon, and discovered the shower-head does not attach to its perch above me, but otherwise I was able to unpack and get settled easily. I put up some decorations and the place feels nicer than a dorm at home.
The Supermarket
Who knew a trip to get a few essentials could be so stressful? I set off to the market to buy toiletries a few hours after arriving, trying to stave off a nap, and found a Lidl close to my apartment. They had a great assortment of fresh produce, dry food, and tons of refrigerated/frozen items, plus some weird household things like clothes and kitchen supplies. However, I realized (once again) I could not read any of the German product labels. What was the difference between glass cleaner, dishwashing soap, and laundry soap? My foggy mind couldn't figure it out. So, still in a jet-lagged daze, I left the store with only spaghetti and pesto sauce, toilet paper, and some new reusable canvas bags. (The spaghetti will remain uncooked until I sort out the soap conundrum.)
What's Next?
After waking at 6am this morning, I felt much better than yesterday. I saw the end of the sunrise from my window, and finally figured out how to connect my phone to Wifi using an ethernet cord. I have a public transport pass, so sometime today I'll be taking the leap into the U-Bahn system to get to the university. After I complete some paperwork there, I have free rein to explore the city for the rest of the day. Hopefully I'll have a more successful trip to the supermarket, and make some friends along the way. I'm off to breakfast with some other students in a few!
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