End of my journeys

Well it's officially time for me to sign off for this Berlin blog. I am now safely back at home in Southern California and returning to the routines and habits of life in America.

Of course there will be things that I miss about Europe. The biggest one will probably be the cafe culture and the slowed-down lifestyle. I really enjoyed sitting in a cafe and ordering a drink and then just taking my time having conversations with the people I was with or just sitting and reading a book without being disrupted by the cafe waiters. In Europe you are allowed to take your time and enjoy the moment that you are spending. I feel that in America we're a little more rushed about things. This isn't to say that Americans don't also enjoy their time and relax, it's just that Europeans have a different style.

I miss that everything was in walkable distance. It's just not possible in America to depend on your own two feet to get you places. Walking to the grocery store may be possible only if you are lucky enough to live within a close distance, but other places, like shops, restaurants, church, etc., are usually not within a small radius of where you live. This is a major difference between America and Europe, due mostly in part to Europe's older foundations.

Overall, however, it has not been difficult for me to readjust to live back at home. This is always where my heart will be and living with the people that I love makes it easy to become reacquainted. I will always hold such a special place in my heart for Berlin and the semester that I spent living abroad. It was a great time to experience a different way of living and to make friends and explore new places. I think that I now realize how important relationships are in my life: whether with family, or Paul, old friends, or now even the new friends that I made in my program or my host family from this semester. It has been important for me to realize what a difference having meaningful relationships makes in life, and especially relationships with people difference from myself. We may all come from different backgrounds or even cultures, but we all share the human desire to have people to close to us that we can share our lives with.

Maybe someday I will write from Berlin again.... Until then, thank you for reading and following my experiences. If you ever travel to Germany or Berlin, shoot me a line. :)

Rowing on Lake Zürich

Now I have a blood-stained shirt, aching muscles, several blisters, but a great memory.

Yesterday I was in Zürich for the day and had the amazing opportunity to row on Lake Zürich with a local rowing club. I must apologize to you guys because I have yet to write about my experiences Couch Surfing while on this traveling vacation. I'll write just a short explanation now.

Couch Surfing is based on an internet network where people can offer travellers their `couches´ for those travellers to stay for the night whenever they are going through different cities. On the website you are able to create a profile explaining things about yourself, you can add friends from within the network, and you can also have other people `vouch´for you as a means of extra security. I think that the network is a fantastic idea because it gives travellers the opportunity to experience local life and meet people who actually live in the city.

This is what I decided to do for my stay in Zürich (I was also motivated for this option because hostel prices were out the roof!). So yesterday I stayed with a Swiss girl named Suzanne who works and lives in Zürich and is also a member of a rowing club. I noticed that she was interested in rowing by looking at her couch surfing profile and explained to her that I also was a rower. Once we worked out the details of meeting up in Zürich, she invited me to row with her team during their practice on Tuesday nights. I was hesitant because of my lack of skills and also out of my desire not to ruin their practice, but Suzanne insisted that everything would be fine.

Yesterday evening we met together at their boat house on the shores of the lake. The club team is a mix of people with ages ranging from 20s to probably 60s. It was great to see people doing what they love to do, regardless of their condition. I was put into a sculling boat with 4 men. It was so daunting! First of all, I had never really sculled before, I was just used to using one oar at a time. Second, these were all strong men!

It was an exhausting practice that lasted about two hours. I was totally out of shape, needless to say. Through prayer and concentration I was able to mostly keep up with the rest of the boat. In the process, the knuckle of my right thumb got ripped open and I bled all over my shirt. My leg muscles are now moving only very slowly and my back is killing me!

I loved the experience although while I was in it I was praying for it to be over. But now I have a great memory and a completely ruined shirt.

Bonjour from Nice!

Bonjour friends, this is my last morning in Nice, France. As I mentioned earlier, this is now the second country on our trip and we will be in France up until Saturday. This morning my friend Anja and I are taking a train to Paris, which is about a 6 hour ride. I'm hoping that it will be beautiful because we'll be traveling through the French countryside.

Anja and I have decided that the overall purpose of our trip is to be outside as much as possible. We both love the outdoors and it was difficult for us to manage in Berlin because we didn't go outside very much due to the cold and yucky weather. Now that it's spring, we've decided to try to be outside and enjoy the beautiful weather whenever it finds us.

So for Ireland our big plan was to travel by bus from Dublin to a small town called Glendalough which is situated in a valley with sloping hills and lots of moss. We escaped the city and were able to enjoy nature. The town was so small that all there was was a little hostel, a hotel/restaurant, and the visitor's center to the hiking trails. It was a great retreat for us! We hiked both days that we were there and it was very pleasant and relaxing. The weather in Ireland was a little disappointing because it was rainy and windy, but not too cold. We were ready for the warmth of the French Riviera.

So on Monday morning, after sleeping all night in the airport, which turned out to be more amusing than uncomfortable, we arrived in sunny Nice. The weather was so beautiful when we arrived: sunny, warm, and beautiful blue water! Nice is a pretty big town on the Mediterranean completely surrounded by hills. I think that's what I love most about this place, there are beautiful orange-roofed houses and villas covering all the hills overlooking the water. And the water here is so crystal blue! It's a bit cold but at least I stuck my legs in!

Anja and I have been staying in an amazing hostel which offers just about everything and has made it super easy for us to travel around the area by providing detailed maps and instructions. On Tuesday we took a bus to Monaco and laid out on the beach and yesterday we took another bus to the little mountain village of Eze. We've gotten a good taste of the Riviera and I can't wait to come back.

The weather here has been up and down. Monday morning was great and beautiful but by the afternoon it was rainy and windy. On Tuesday it was sunny and warm and I got a tan/burn. Yesterday was cloudy and cold again. At least we had one day of warmth.

So now we're off to Paris until Saturday. We're going to be going at whirlwind speed because Anja has never been so we have to see everything in 2 and a half days. Wish us luck!

Travel Travel Travel

I was officially finished with my Berlin semester last Thursday night. Since then I have begun traveling throughout Europe.

My friend Anja and I started our journey in Dublin and Glendalough, Ireland this weekend and this morning we arrived in Nice, France. From Nice we will later travel to Paris, Interlaken (Switzerland) and then I'll continue to Zurich, Salzburg, Vienna, and Budapest.

I"ll try to keep my blog updated when I can.

Oh döner, wonderful döner

I just wanted to write a quick little post dedicated to the wonderful food that is the döner. A döner is a Turkish specialty in Germany (the best are in Berlin) and they resemble a Greek gyro.

You can have it filled with lamb, chicken, or falafel (those yummy chickpea patties). My personal favorite is lamb, but the falafel is also amazing. Along with the meat of your choice, you add lettuce, red cabbage, onions, tomatoes and cucumbers, and a choice of sauces (I usually mix the spicy and garlic sauces).

The students in my program have a favorite döner place located under the S-Bahn at Rathaus Steglitz. It doesn't look like anything special but it's cheap (at only 2 Euro) and delicious. Even though I have tried döners in other parts of the city, the stand at Rathaus Steglitz still remains one of the best.

I really love döners. It's trivial but it's one thing that I will definitely miss about Germany, and Berlin in particular. Döners are delicious no matter the weather, even the ridiculously dreary winter that I've encountered here. Döners are just wonderful all the time.

Learning to be Happy Despite the Gray Weather

Today was an unexpectedly gorgeous day. The temperature was probably around 60 degrees Fahrenheit, the skies were blue, the birds were singing, and there was a nice breeze. Everything was perfect and I was even able enjoy the outdoors today because I didn't have classes. I got a haircut this morning in a cute part of town (Prenzlauer Berg), walked under the newly leafed trees, and finally made my way back to my school building to spend time studying with other students (I have two finals tomorrow). We took a short break from studying and walked to a nearby grocery store to get some chocolate. Walking back to school I realized how happy I was today and how happy my friends were. There was really no reason for us to be happy because of our looming finals which we are all under-prepared for. But I figured out that the weather made me happy. I couldn't get angry or frustrated when it was so beautiful outside.

I have probably mentioned this before, but the weather is Berlin has been terrible. For most of my time here it has been gray, cold, windy, and rainy. I see the sun maybe every few weeks and usually for only a few hours. Needless to say, it's been depressing.

Today it fully dawned on me that my mood is dependent on the weather. Maybe it's because I grew up with the sun of Southern California, but I just feel more alive and more like myself when it's sunny out. Sure there is winter in Virginia, but it's usually just sunny and cold, so I'm able to handle it better than I can here.

I shouldn't let the weather control me. I had a really great weekend this weekend (especially since it was my last in Berlin). On Friday afternoon my friends and I got amazing falafels in Prenzlauer Berg and then found an adorable cafe that served homemade waffles with ice cream (check that off my list of things to do before leaving Berlin). At night we had a program party at a hidden basement in Neukoelln with lots of dancing, drinking, and fun. On Saturday I visited Nikolaiviertel which is the historical center of Berlin and then got a great ice cream sundae at Potsdamer Platz. At night I joined 30,000 other Germans in watching the German soccer championship on a big screen hung from the Brandenburg Gate. On Sunday I walked through Tiergarten (Berlin equivalent to Central Park) with my friend Anja and then made tacos for my host family. My weekend was eventful and fun.

But the weather was bad this weekend and I think I had a bad attitude that effected how I appreciated all those activities. I even noticed that I was a little more negative with people and not as loving. Yet today I felt normal, I felt like the happy person I usually am.

I think the beauty of today was an opportunity for God to show me that I shouldn't be dependent on such silly things like weather. Today was really a gift and I can't say enough thanks for it. I want to be a happy person even if the weather is terrible and Berlin has definitely shown me how easily affected by gray weather I can be. But it's never too late to change and I'm going to pray that I can be happy even with bad weather.

Hertha Hertha!

I am now officially European. This Tuesday I went to my first soccer game which was Berlin Hertha vs. Hamburg. The game was held at the newly remodeled Olympic Stadium and it was huge!

As I mentioned previously, at the beginning of the semester each student from my program had the opportunity to select tickets from a variety of events, such as opera, ballet, or soccer. I had already gone to two operas and a ballet and had saved my last ticket for a soccer game. Coincidentally, many of the other students had the same idea in mind. There were probably about 40 students from my program at the game on Tuesday night and that made it all the more fun. We all had seats about mid-field on one of the upper levels. Not quite nose-bleeds, but almost.

I'm not a professed soccer fan but I was excited to experience the European soccer madness. I learned from my friend Phil, who is a huge fan, that Hertha isn't that good of a team. They're ranked about number 12 out of 16 for the German league. Hamburg is more highly ranked and were expected to win the game.

I had high expectations for my first European soccer game, I expected lots of action, lots of attempted goals, lots of steals, and the typical fan frenzy in the stands.

But that's the soccer of my imagination, not of reality. The final score ended up 0-0 which makes no sense to me. How can you finish a game with no scorers? Well, that's soccer.

Even though the game itself was slow, I had a great time cheering and mildly following the game (at least I'm honest). I admire these athletes because they are able to move constantly for 45 minute halves and to concentrate on passing, kicking, and positioning.

Now I've got that under my belt and I feel like a true European who loves soccer, or as they say, football. Oh and I really like the uniforms!

Countdown to the end

My time here is really winding down. At first it went by pretty slowly but for the past two months it's been on hyper-speed. I only have one more week of German class and one week and then finals for my other courses. I finish school on April 24th.

Since I have very limited left in Berlin, I'm being to feel a little frantic about getting to see and do everything before I leave. I think it would help if I created a list. These are my objectives:

• Find a perfect, cute little cafe with good desserts
• Go out dancing at one of Berlin's many clubs
• Walk around the Wannsee district (lots of little lakes)
• Bike through Tiergarten, but only when it's a sunny day
• Walk around Prenzlauer Berg and find cool shops
• Go back to the German History Museum

Looking back at this semester I'm a little sad because I feel like I haven't really walked around Berlin enough. Why didn't I? When I actually think about it, I have a perfectly legitimate reason: the weather has been SO terrible for most of my semester! It's always grey, usually wet and rainy, and is pretty cold and miserable. It makes me sad though to think that I haven't enjoyed discovering the secrets of Berlin just because the weather hasn't allowed for a lot of outdoor activity.

I want your opinion now. What do you think I should do in Berlin and Germany before I leave in a few weeks? Is there anything you guys want pictures or souveniors of? Are there any questions you still want answered concerning German people, German life, or my adventures in Berlin?

I'll be writing again soon to catch you all up on things I haven't yet mentioned.

FREEZE!

While we were watching the change of the guard at the Royal Palace in Copenhagen some hippie-looking guy rode in on this bike with a huge wood box attached to the front of the bike in which some other guy was sitting and riding. It was a really strange sight. They parked the bike close to us and started looking around and watching the guards. After a while the hippie guy heard us talking and asked where we were from. So we started a little conversation and the wood-box-riding-guy joined in. The box guy was "couch surfing" at the hippie guy's place, which means that the hippie was giving his couch up for someone to sleep on for the night. The box guy was American also. He let us know about this "freeze" happening that evening at the Central Train Station in Copenhagen, which was right next to our hotel.

A freeze is when people go to a public place and just freeze for a certain period of time. Some of us had just learned about this type of "art" during our art history class the week before. We thought this a really awesome opportunity because we had just learned about it and so we thought we would stop by and join in. The freeze was set for 6pm, with a short meeting at 5:45 next to the station.

At 5:45 we met at this little square and the organizers explained what to do: we were to position ourselves all around the station and freeze for 5 minutes straight. We synchronized our watches and headed into the station. I also learned that about 5 other cities around the world participated in this freeze at the same time as us, thus the NYC freeze was at 12 noon EST.

We got into the station and decided on poses and location. Laura and I decided to look like we had just greeted each other and were waving and smiling with a distance between us. Casey and Anja decided to lean against a wall and look like they were in conversation. Tim and Alberto were fighting over a shopping bag. Audrey, Jamie, and Scott were all arguing and about to hit each other. It was so fun!

Fortunately it was all caught by someone on youtube (link here). Look for me at 5:09 on the left (towards the middle-left of the screen, wearing my black jacket) and also see Anja and Casey against the wall at 5:02.

This was the coolest thing I have ever participated in! As you can see from the youtube video, it was an amazing sight to see so many people frozen in such a public place. Thank you Mr. Hippie and wood-box-riding friend.

Trains on boats and so much more!

I just return this evening from my adventures in Hamburg and Copenhagen. We were gone Friday, March 28th, through today, Saturday April 5th. I traveled with 75 other students from my program and we stayed 3 days in Hamburg and 5 days in Copenhagen. Almost every day we had some sort of tour or activity planned but we were also left with a lot of free time.

Our hostel in Hamburg directly overlooked the port on the river Elbe. Hamburg is a port town and the second largest trade port in Europe. It does not lie directly on the sea, however, but on two rivers, the Elbe and Alster, which give Hamburg access to the North Sea. On Friday evening we took a walking tour of the city lead by some local guides. On Saturday we had a free day and then went to the opera at night. Some of us explored a cute little shopping/artsy area around Sternschanze and I ended up buying an adorable dress. At night we went to this small opera house and saw a modern adaptation of Orpheus and Eurydice and it was.... interesting.....

On Sunday morning we took a tour of the harbor and looked at all the docked ships and masses cargo containers. It's always so cool to see how many containers can fit onto the huge ships. There was also a carnival taking place in Hamburg, which resembled something very similar to the types of county fairs we have back in America. Food and goody stalls lines the walkways and I ended up getting a delicious banana and Nutella crepe. Yum!

On Monday morning we left and took the train from Hamburg to Copenhagen. We were unexpectedly surprised to learn that our train would roll onto a boat and the boat would cross the waters to get onto the peninsula of Copenhagen. So yes... I have traveled on a train, which went to the bottom on a ferry, which took us over the waters of Denmark. That's pretty sweet! If I didn't actually experience it I would think that someone had made it up. But no, it totally exists!

Copenhagen was excellent but ridiculously expensive. We took a gorgeous boat tour, saw an operetta at the magnificent Opera House, visited the alternative community of Christiania, took a short train to visit Kronberg Castle in Elsinore, or a.k.a., the castle where Shakespeare's Hamlet would have lived, and then some of us took a little trip to Malmo, Sweden on Friday. My time in Denmark was really a whirlwind and I'll be writing again soon to describe some of the little details of the trip.

Ich fahre nach Copenhagen

I'm about to go incommunicado for a little over a week because I'm traveling with my program to Hamburg and Copenhagen. I can't wait for adventures in Denmark (land of my favorite Hamlet) and some of us are even talking of taking a ferry ride to Sweden. I'm very excited.

Expect a good post when I come back which will explain to you guys all the fun I had today doing an opera workshop with my German class. Hint: We got to dress in costumes and act out scenes from the Barber of Seville. I have pictures to help showcase our abilities as actors and actresses. So look for that soon.

Til then... Tschuess my friends!

Easter Weekend

I always feel pressure to write something profound and interesting on my blog posts. Unfortunately all I have for you is the day-to-day stuff that happens which isn't necessarily very exciting. But I guess that's what living is, just doing the normal stuff: buying groceries, going to museums, stopping in a cafe, walking around different parts of the city with no set destination, spending time with my host family, or even watching tv shows on my computer. This stuff doesn't make headlines but it's the majority of how I have been spending my time in Germany.

As I mentioned in the past few posts, I have been beset with visitors since February 27th. My last visitor, Tiffany, just left last night. She stayed with me from Thursday to Sunday and was thus able to celebrate Easter with me. It was a great time for her to visit because I had the whole weekend off with no responsibilities. We were able to create our own plans without any restrictions. I gave her my now popular tour of Berlin, including the Kufuerstendamm, Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, Unter den Linden, a walk down Friedrichstrasse, Checkpoint Charlie, Museum Insel, Hackescher Markt, and Alexanderplatz. These are all what I would consider the main sites of Berlin. But Tiffany and I also did some things I haven't done before, we saw the Jewish Museum and this outdoor exhibit called "Topography of Terror" which chronicled the SS in Nazi Germany. The Jewish Museum was fascinating and traced the history of Jews in Germany since the time of Emperor Constantine. The architecture of the museum was also really interesting (see picture).

On Good Friday and Easter Sunday we went to church at the American Church in Berlin. It was nice to be able to celebrate Easter in a traditional service and even sing songs in English. What's Easter without "Jesus Christ is Risen Today"? On the way back from the service we bought my host mom flowers. We spent time home eating a great little brunch with my host-family and a few of their friends. We chilled the rest of the day and at night we went over to my host mom's friend's to watch "Lola Rennt" (or "Run Lola Run" in English). After that I dropped Tiffany off at the bus station and headed home. But I think that this Easter was exactly what it should be: a celebration of Jesus' resurrection, along with food, family, and the mid-afternoon lazy/relaxing time.

This weekend and my time with Tiffany was a great time to appreciate God's blessings in my life.

The Joy of Friends

So now I finally have a break from visitors. Since February 27th I have been hosting guests and traveling and now I have my much needed break. On Feb. 27th Kate arrived in Italy and spent time with us in Florence and a day in Rome. The following Friday we picked up my friend Christine from the airport and headed straight to Prague for the weekend. In Prague we met up with my old friend Tiffany Pransky and her new friend Sarah.

We had a really fantastic time in Prague. We spent most of the time walking around the small town and going into cute cafes, which is what the city is also well-known for. The architecture in Prague is the most amazing. There are so many building which come from the Jungenstil art period, or Art Nouveau, which I studied just this semester in my 20th Century Central European art class.

Kate, Tiffany, and Sarah departed on Sunday morning and Christine and I spent most of the day doing some awesome shopping. I ended up buying two beautiful crystal candlesticks. I now feel so adult-like. Christine bought lots of beaded jewelry and we both bought postcards too. On Monday morning we headed back to Berlin, via Dresden, and arrived Monday evening in Berlin.

This week went by extremely fast, as did all the time spent with my guests. This is the first time in over two weeks that I have had alone time, which is proving to be both good and bad. I'm glad to be relaxed and unburdened by playing hostess but at the same time I am sad to no longer feels the comforts of my friends from home. When they were here it was like getting a slice of all the great things I have back at home. In some ways that really makes me miss home more.

My alone time won't last too long. Late this week Tiffany is going to arriving in Berlin to spend Easter weekend with me. This is going to be something very special because we can celebrate Easter together. My host mom is even planning an Easter meal, even though she is un-religious. Having Tiffany and a wonderful and giving host-family will make this time of celebration, family, and gratitude for Christ's death and resurrection all the more wonderful because I can truly appreciate the blessings God has given me this semester. When this time of the year could have been extra lonely because I am missing home and family, God provided my dear old friend to visit and keep me company.

And stay tuned.... in a few weeks I will be traveling with my program to Hamburg and Copenhagen.

The BVG taught me trust

Many of you might not know, but Berlin’s public transportation, run by the BVG, has been going through a massive strike. Since last Wednesday there have been no functioning U-Bahns or busses. This may not mean a lot to those who don’t understand the city of Berlin, but this strike affects everyone on a daily basis. Whereas it used to take me 15 minutes to get to class each day, it now takes me about 45 minutes. It is also no longer possible to get to certain sections of the city without an enormous amount of walking.

Fortunately throughout this strike the S-Bahn is still working and I’m so blessed to live on both the U- and S-Bahn lines. So transportation in Berlin is not completely down, it is only more inconvenient and takes longer to get to the center of the city.

All this would not be so bad if I only had to worry about getting to and from classes. But this is not the case because for the past week and now this current week, I have some American friends visiting me here in Berlin: Kate and Christine. I think I probably put undue pressure on myself because I always feel compelled as hostess to make sure that everything is absolutely perfect for my guests. So this strike hit me very hard because I felt like a bad host even though none of this was my fault. I wanted my guests to have a great impression of Berlin and to love it as I love it but I felt like that wasn’t going to be possible because of the strike made transportation so difficult.

While Christine and I were in Prague for the weekend, I learned that the Deutsche Bahn (or DB, which includes trains and S-Bahn) seemed extremely likely to strike as well. They were planning the strike for Monday, the day that we were to arrive back in Berlin. This was the tipping point for my stress level and I just couldn’t handle the thought of Christine wasting her whole trip coming to Berlin because she wouldn’t be able to go anywhere in the city at all without the U-and S-Bahn!

When the BVG strike first started while Kate was in Berlin, I prayed hard that things would work out and that she would still be able to gain a favorable impression of the city. I should have known right there that the Lord would take care of my worries because my prayers were definitely answered and Kate loved Berlin. But I really allowed myself to stress out during the weekend before the eminent Deutsche Bahn strike and Christine’s and my travel back to Berlin. I felt so out of control. I felt like a letdown to my friend. I was so upset about how everything was turning out.

On Saturday and Sunday night I prayed so earnestly that everything would work out. Late Sunday night I received an email from my program director telling us to expect the strike to start Monday morning and also that it seemed very unlikely that the strike could be avoided. Monday morning rolled along and Christine and I got on the train to go back to Berlin. We stopped in Dresden for the afternoon and were set to arrive in Berlin around 5pm. As we got off at the Suedkreuz stop in Berlin and raced up the stairs to switch lines, I noticed that all the lines were running normally: there wasn’t a strike! I couldn’t help but laugh and smile and say a huge prayer of thanks.

Looking back at my needless worry and stress I can clearly see that God was in control the whole time. I felt stressed because I felt out of control. I never gave trust over to God to take care of the situation himself. Looking back, these verses come to mind, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7).” I definitely needed to humble myself because I thought I could handle everything. I thought that I could control how this week with my visiting friends would work out and that everything would go smoothly and perfectly. I had all these plans in mind and wanted everything to go exactly as I envisioned them. I allowed myself to get anxious instead of trusting that God would work out everything perfectly according to his will. Like the verse says, God cares for us. He loves us; he wants us to be happy. He even takes delight in us (Psalm 149:4). Even though my plans weren’t exactly how I anticipated, everything has gone wonderfully. All of us have been safe after traveling and even the DB strike was avoided last minute.

This strike with the BVG has taught me once again that God is in control and I’m not, and that’s a good thing.

Non-Stop Madness

The past two weeks have been full of all kinds of craziness. I was just traveling in Italy for 10 days, I met up with my friend Kate, traveled back to Berlin with Kate, completed an art presentation today, and am meeting my friend Christine tomorrow and dashing off to Prague until Monday. It comes as no surprise that the time has gone by quickly.

I stayed 6 days in Rome and did the typical tourist things: visited the Vatican and St. Peter's (including climbing up the dome), saw the Colosseum, played in the ruins of the Roman Forum, walked down to St. Paul's Basilica where St. Paul is buried, took pictures by the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, strolled through the beautiful park near Villa Borghese (and visited the museum), and of course ate lots and lots of gelato. I mentioned before that Rome wasn't exactly what I expected and I still hold to that claim but what was nice about staying for 6 days is that we took our time. We were busy everyday but I never felt rushed to see everything.

One of my favorite things about Italy is the "fast-food" options. It was so wonderful when we would stumble upon a little pizza place where they cut the pizza to your desired size and weigh it to get a price. I would usually get a Margharita (just cheese) or spinach pizza. Our first day we went to lunch and got delicious paninis. I choose the mozzarella, tomato, and basil panini and it was so good. I really don't think you could ever go wrong with that combination. Ever.


And since we were on vacation, we ate gelato just about twice a day (which we justified by the amount of walking that we did). It was fun to try new places and flavors. My favorites include chocolate, straciatella (like chocolate-chip), nutella, panna cotta, and hazelnut. On one of our last days in Rome we looked in our guide books and found the supposed favorite gelato place of Pope John Paul II. It's hidden down a little street that was difficult to find but that was part of the charm of it. It was amazing!! The place offered about 30 different flavors and all of them were incredible. Two of my best flavors were banana (literally like eating a real banana) and cinnamon. That combo was delicious. And to top it off, they add a little fresh whipped cream.

On Wednesday night Kate flew in from Connecticut and on Thursday morning we headed to Florence. Florence was wonderful. It has the quaint feel of a Tuscan town on the river and I loved that. It was not nearly as big and urban as Rome and that suited me better. We spent a lot of time shopping, eating gelato, and visiting the important parts of the city: the Duomo (the church), the Uffizi gallery, the Ponte Vecchio bridge, and Piazze Michelangelo which sits above the city and offers a great view of the valley. We only spent 2 full days in Florence but we felt that we saw everything.

From there we traveled back to Rome and caught our flight back to Berlin the next day. I really enjoyed the warm and sunny weather of Italy and it's been difficult to adjust to Berlin's cold and wet weather. I think that I still prefer Germany to Italy because I feel like I fit in better with pace of life in Germany and also Germans' level of cleanliness. And now I'm off to explore Czech culture in Prague.

Return from Italy

Well I'm finally back from my long trip to Italy. It was so nice to be able to take time off from school and to enjoy beautiful warm weather and experience another European culture. And I'll tell you, the relaxed Italians are very different from the more structured Germans.

I'm not sure what kind of expectations I had going into my trip to Rome and Florence, but Italy turned out to be somewhat different than what I thought. I think I believed that Rome would be the romantic city that everyone talked about; that the little Italian piazzas and cobblestone streets would make everyone desire romance and passion. If that happens in Rome, then I know I missed it. In my experience Rome is a great city, but it is far from the romance of, say, Paris. I think that I was most surprised at how touristy Rome was, or rather, that the city is actually catered to tourists. This disappointed me. The sights were wonderful and it was great to get a sense of all the history in the city, but often times my magical Rome experiences were disrupted by harassing street peddlers and large crowds of people.

One thing that did not disappoint in any way was the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica. Holy cow! Are there even words to describe the magnificence and grandeur of that place? I have never seen a church/cathedral/basilica so ornately decorated. And it's not just that St. Peter's is ornate, it's that everything seems larger-than-life and that no expense was spared for the construction of the building. My dad, a wise man if I may say so, wrote to me that (he thinks) the construction of St. Peter's was funded by the money collected from the Catholic church's sale of indulgences (those little pieces of paper that guaranteed your spot in heaven). My dad posed the question to me whether I thought that that irreligious practice was worth it in order to create the beautiful basilica. I mused over this question while I walked within the church. My quick answer to the question would be Yes. St. Peter's Basilica is a work of art and a symbol of the history of the Catholic church. Although I could never condone the sale of indulgences, the outcome turned out to be a gift to the people even centuries later.

I'll continue my Italian impressions and experiences in a later post; there is just so much to tell!

Traveling to Italy

Tomorrow I head out to a new location with a new 'do.

I'm leaving early tomorrow morning to start my spring break trip to Italy, visiting Rome and Florence, and perhaps even some small towns for day trips. I'll be in Rome from Friday-Wednesday and Florence from Thursday-Saturday, returning to Berlin from Rome on Sunday morning. It will be a nice break, especially since it will be slightly higher temperatures.

Yesterday, as promised, I got my hair cut short. Not as short as I wanted or expected (especially since I brought in a photo) but it still turned out great! I also decided to go a darker shade of brown. The crazy colors that people voted for in the poll will come at the end of the semester. I'm going to keep you all in suspense about what I look like until I put up pictures from spring break, so look out for those.

So until I return from Italy.... Ciao!

The Beauty in Music

On Friday night I had the privilege of going to the Deutscher Oper and seeing The Magic Flute (Die Zauberfloete). It was simply fantastic. There was nothing negative to comment on; the stage sets were colorful and interesting, the singers had truly amazing voices, and the theme of the opera was playful and engaging. It was one of the best performances I have seen.

Often during the opera I would find myself getting swept up in the music and turning my thoughts to pleasant memories and scenes. When Pamina sang, "Ach, ich fuhl's, es ist verschwunden"(Ah, I feel it, it is gone), my heart just flooded over with peacefulness and traces of sadness and my thoughts turned to nothing articulate, just the desire to allow my whole body to feel the music. When the Queen of the Night sang her famous "Der Hoelle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" (The vengeance of Hell boils within my heart), I was, first of all, amazed at the power and beauty of the human voice, and second, surprised at how delighted I found myself.

Leaving the theater I began to muse over why music can take such a hold over us. During the opera I was enthralled, I could barely find the words to describe how the music made me feel but I knew that I wanted that feeling again. I think I have always been in love with classical music, from childhood to my college years. Recently, I remember attending a classical music concert by the George Mason symphony orchestra when Kate was still playing and just allowing myself to feel lost in the music. I haven't often had the privilege of going to hear famous philharmonics, but even Mason's orchestra let me feel the emotion of the music. Perhaps you have felt that before. What makes music so powerful?

In my current art history class we have spent time going over some philosophical writings on art. One philosopher we studied was Arthur Schopenhauer. Schopenhauer wrote that in the world of art, music should hold the highest honors. He explained that music is the highest form of art because the artist (or composer) is able to create something beautiful out of non-material, that is, the purely abstract. He called music "pure art", meaning that it cannot be visualized but can nonetheless evoke powerful emotions.

Music has that effect on me. While listening to the opera I could either watch the singers or close my eyes and the effect was the same: the music was captivating in and of itself. The dramatic highs and lows of the music could give me feelings of mounting tensions or catharsis. Try listening to Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings or Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A Major (my two personal favs) and not feeling drawn in and surrounded by swirling melodies and emotions. Music allows us to feel a variety of emotions from the comfort of our seats.

This whole experience has made me reevaluate and newly appreciate the beauty and power of music.

Berlinale!

Right now is a very exciting time for the city of Berlin. It's Berlinale!

Berlinale is a world-famous international film festival that lasts almost two weeks. Most of the events take place in Potsdamer Platz, near the middle of the city, and home to numerous movie theaters. International celebrities and directors flock to Berlin to premiere their new films, ranging from documentaries to big-time blockbusters (Like "The Other Boleyn Girl"). Some of the girls in my program started whispering that even George Clooney is going to be here, although we haven't seen him yet. With or without seeing the rich and famous, Berlinale is definitely something to get excited about.

Theaters are selected from around the city to host different international films. There are films from Thailand, Japan, Iran, Sweden, Canada, Mexico, Britain, Egypt, and also some from the US. I have never been exposed to so many opportunities to see films in so many different language. What's even better about Berlinale is that most of the foreign films come with English subtitles. Score! So this event is really open to everyone.

Tickets are not too difficult to come by, although purchasing them usually involves long lines and disappointment when the film you wanted to see is sold out. You can only purchase movie tickets three days in advance of the screening. Ticket prices run between 7-10 Euro, which makes them affordable for poor students like me.

This weekend I got to see a Swedish film about a man being consumed by revenge after his girlfriend's death. This was a "Forum" category film, which means that the director came on stage after the screening and had a little interview and answered audience questions. It was so cool! The movie was alright (a little amateurish, if I may say so, but the director was young), but the whole experience was fantastic. You really can feel the excitement of Berlinale in the air, especially when walking around the middle of the city. People of all ages get into the spirit of the festival and it's contagious.

Today I went again to the ticket office and was able to get tickets to see a film by an Australian director, set in Pakistan, and spoken in Pashtu. It's about a young boy's struggle to determine which path he will take in life: following his father's profession of manufacturing weapons or following his dream of attending school. And this film is also in the "Forum" category which means the director will speak about the film afterward.

This is definitely a very unique experience and I'm so happy to be in Berlin at this time.

Faschingsdienstag

Fasching Tuesday, or rather, Germany's equivalent of Fat Tuesday. Like America's Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras, Germany too celebrates this time before the season of Lent. Carnival is celebrated the week leading up to Ash Wednesday, with the biggest celebrations happening on Rosenmontag, Monday, and today, Faschingsdienstag. The celebrations are the biggest in western Germany, especially the city of Koeln, or Cologne. Everybody dresses in silly costumes and drinks and parties and joins in the city parades. It is definitely a time of revelry and fun before the sobriety of Lent.

I had learned from my host-mom that during the last few days before Ash Wednesday, Germans load up on Pfannkuchen, or those yummy donuts also known as Berliners. They are either glazed or sugar-coated and their filling comes in a variety of flavors (although plum is the traditional filling). Yesterday I started to notice that all the bakeries and cafes brought out their best Pfannkuchens, ranging from the typical plum donuts (Pflaume) to the more exotic pineapple-filled (Ananas). Many of the bakeries even set up outside stands in order to quickly serve the masses of people who flock to buy these donuts in the last days of indulgence before Lent.

As a donut lover, I took it upon myself to eat some Pfannkuchen in order to get a good cultural understanding of why everyone is obsessed with these cute little donuts. And as a cultural observer, I took it upon myself to try different flavors: the traditional plum-filled and also the unusual pineapple-filled. Both were delicious! I think I understand why the Germans will accept any excuse to eat lots of these sugar-coated num nums.

Save the Environment! (but let me take a guilt-free shower)

I'm sure most of you know the stereotype that Germans are extremely environmentally-conscious. Everywhere you see at least 3 or 4 different trashcans, which are color-coded to help you remember which bin to put your specific trash in. Yellow equals plastic, aluminum, or drink cartons; green equals paper materials; brown equals organic materials; and gray equals general household waste. You can see how an outsider can get very confused.

For me the scariest thing is having to throw something away in public. In the university cafeteria and even in the U-Bahn stations there are two or three bins. My fear is throwing away my trash in the wrong bin and getting evil stares from the eco-conscious Germans. It is also interesting to note that if you buy a soda or water in a plastic bottle (the plastic is much thicker in Germany) then when you are finished you can return the bottle to the vendor for 10-15 Euro cents. And sometimes beer bottles can also be returned for immediate money. I think that's a nice policy, especially if you're just short on a little cash.

My biggest beef with the "green" Germans is their attention to water consumption. Twice now I have come across this particular device, once in southern Germany and now in Berlin. It's really just a basic gauge and counter of how much water is being used at any one time. I took this picture of the water gauge which resides in my bathroom, right on the wall of the shower. Every time I turn on the sink to wash my hands.... BAM!.... the blue gauge on the right of the picture starts spinning and the numbers go up. Every time I flush the toilet....BAM!.... the blue gauge starts up again. When I wash my face....BAM!.... both the blue and red start spinning. There is no end to the count of my water consumption.

The worst part is showering. I know that Germans and Europeans in general bath far less than Americans and I have adapted this lifestyle as best I can. I don't shower everyday like I do in America, but my reasons aren't purely from my desire to adapt to the culture. My real reason is that I hate the way the red gauge spins, always looking at me so patronizingly. Once I turn on the hot water and sit in the tub to take my shower (that's another story I'll save for later), I immediately feel guilty because I notice the spinning dial eying me. How can you enjoy a shower when you actually see how much water you use and you know that that water corresponds to a payment at the end of every month?

I believe that the decision to place this gauge in the bathroom was formed from good intentions. And I know that I am saving more water because of the effect the spinning gauge has on me. But sometimes you just want a relaxing, hot shower.... right?

Lange Nacht der Museum

Last night I had the opportunity to participate in a very cool cultural event that only takes place once a year: Lange Nacht der Museum, literal translation: Long Night of the Museum. Almost all the museums in Berlin were open to the public from 6pm-2am for only a small lump price of 10 Euro. There were probably over 15 museums available for people to visit. Along with the special opening hours, there were also musical and cultural performances and exhibits at some of the different venues.

I was able to visit 4 museums before I had to call it quits for bed: The Museum for Film and Television, the Berliner Dom (gigantic church with catacombs), the Altes Museum (filled with ancient Greek and Egyptian artifacts and art), and finally the Deutsches Historisches Museum (German History Museum). All of these were fascinating and fantastic.

The Altes Museum is quite famous because it holds the bust of Nefertiti (shown here). This is a treasured piece of history that the Germans are very proud to own. The rest of the exhibits on Egyptian hieroglyphics was very interesting and it was amazing to see how well some of the things had been preserved. The ancient Greek pieces were also great. My freshman year of college I took an art history class on ancient art so these pieces always appeal to me because I understand a lot of the mythology and iconography involved with the pieces. I love trying to figure out what mythological figures are represented in vase paintings, it's like a puzzle or game every time you look at the vases!

We ended the night by visiting the German History Museum. This was by far the best museum I have visited while in Berlin. Everything was so clearly and beautifully presented and there was such a variety of pieces. The museum covers the history of Europe and Germany (which only unified in 1871) from about the 8th century to present. I got to pick up a shirt of chain-mail to feel its weight, see the famous paintings of Martin Luther and Cardinal Richelieu, and look at some of the clothes women wore in the 1600s. The museum contained so many important historically interesting items that I didn't have time to finish. We got too overwhelmed with the massiveness of the exhibits that we couldn't even get to WWII. I plan on visiting the museum again so that I can really appreciate all that it offers and I want to take the time to read the exhibits. I highly recommend this museum... I can barely describe how good it was.

It's so nice to be able to visit the little cultural gems of Berlin. Last night was a great experience and I can't wait to explore more. I still need to visit the Neuegalerie, the Pergamon museum, and the Altesgalerie. Too many things to do!

Settling In

What's great about living in a big city, going to class, and also staying with a host-family is that you develop your own rhythm and get accustomed to a schedule for your day. This is now my official second week of class and I have found my rhythm.

Each day during the week starts the same: wake up, get ready, scramble to eat breakfast in time (I always think I have more time than I actually do) , and finally leave the house flustered and in a hurry to be punctual. In many ways this is exactly the same way my school day starts at Mason. From there I catch the U-Bahn U3 south towards Krumme Lanke and get off two stops later at Breitenbachplatz. The walk from the station to our program house on Brentanostrasse takes about 5 minutes, which leaves me just enough time to stroll in and take a seat in my German class. The class is conducted only in German and is scheduled to run from 9am-noon. We usually cover material on one type of topic (we've been doing travel) and also some grammar. She breaks us up into pairs or groups a few times during the period and we work on little projects and exercises together. It's not so bad because we get a half-hour break during the class. And somehow learning German while living in Germany is so much more interesting than attempting to do the same back in America.

After German (which is mandatory for everyone to take during that morning period) we have a one and a half hour lunch break. Most of us go a few miles by bus to the main Freie Uni cafeteria and some also take the bus the opposite direction to the mall area to get doeners for lunch (a Turkish version of gyros). On Tuesdays I continue class at 1:30pm and then later at 4:30pm, and Thursdays I have one class from 4:30-7pm. So most of my school days are short, finishing by noon.

Most schools in Germany get out around 2pm or earlier. My host-mom is an English, geography, and politics teacher at a local Gymnasium, which is the highest level of school before university. There are three tracks for students in Germany after finishing basic grade school: Gymnasium, Hauptschule, and Realschule. Around the age of 10 or 11, students are placed into one of these schools based on their academic performance. Gymnasium is for those college-bound, Hauptschule for those headed towards trade, technical, or administrative professions, and Realschule is for those headed toward craft professions (Partners in Education). Students in Gymnasium typically finish around the age of 19 or 20 and from there pursue a college career. This system is very structured, yet places immense pressure on children to perform well at such an early age, even before they can make an informed decision about which career path is right for them.

I don't have the ability to perform a complete evaluation of the German school system in order to reach a conclusion about whether schools are better in Germany or in America. These countries have very different school structures and it seems to me that Americans enjoy more mobility and freedom in their education. When I was 11 years old, I could not have predicted that I would be studying international relations at a university across the country. For me, these important life decisions took years to shape and were molded by the level at which I studied in high school and even middle school. I know that I am grateful for the American system, but it is still very interesting to be an observer of the German way.

Returning to school life brings repetition and a greatly desired schedule for my day. I enjoy the structure of school and relish in the constraints of having class but still the freedom of having time to explore the rest of Berlin.

City Impressions

Although I have only been living in Berlin for nearly a week, I feel as if I fit in. Of course this feeling is probably supported by the fact that I am thoroughly enjoying living with my host family, but more than that, I feel like I have adjusted to the rhythm of Berlin. This is a very independent and international city. I can't quite place what American city I can compare it to. In some respects it is very like Washington DC, in that much of the population is originally from outside Berlin, or Germany. But the great thing about Berlin is that the people have a great acceptance and tolerance of foreigners.

I could also compare it to New York City where there is an energy you can feel in the air. Berlin has that same feel but has none of the cramped feeling of NYC because it is so spread out. In spring and summer, Berlin is considered one of the greenest urban cities in Germany. There are a multitude of parks, trees, and lakes, even within the middle of the city. The Tiergarten district next to Mitte is primarily a park. It is on the western side of the Brandenburger Tor and was once a place for royal hunting.

As you can see on the map, I live in Wilmersdorf, next to my school in Zehlendorf. Both these districts are primarily residential and have a great number of parks and lakes. The university who sponsors my program, Freie Univeristaet, is like most German universities because it does not have a typical American-stle campus. It has buildings spread out among the residential area instead of a centralized campus. The history of the university is very interesting. It was established during the Cold War as an alternative to Berlin University (also Humboldt Univeristaet) which was slowly being controlled by the Soviets. It was rightly named the "Free University" because students had the freedom to choose their courses, unlike Berlin Uni where the Communists started to determine the curriculum.

This is a picture (sorry it's not very good) of the Allied headquarters in western Berlin. This building is only a few blocks from Freie Universtaet. Many of the buildings in the area have historical and cultural significance, especially for West Berlin.

Each district in Berlin has a unique feel. My host mom was describing some of the different characteristics to me. She explained that Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain, and Prenzlauer Berg were more "hip". The districts of Charlottenburg, Wilmersdorf, and Steglitz-Zehlendorf are more relaxed and have an older population. There is always something happening in Mitte, where you can find most of the tourist sites.

I really like the lay-out of the city. It's almost as if it is many little cities packed into one, except that everyone here feels distinctly like a Berliner. And I feel like I am indeed a Berliner as well.

Herzlich Willkommen!

At the request of many people, I have decided to use this post as a sort of catch up on what has happened to me in the past three days. So forgive me if this is less prose-oriented and more factually based. I am now in the evening of my second full day in Berlin. So far it has been a whirlwind experience but very exciting and energizing. It is all by God's hand that everything has worked out so perfectly. There are so many things that could have gone horrible wrong by everything went perfectly: even me lugging all my heavy bags from one side of Berlin to the other, using only public transportation! If I knew that it would be such a hassle to carry everything from Tegel Airport (north Berlin) to my school in Zehlendorf (south-west Berlin), then I would not have packed so many things. But being a girl that is always hard to do.

Fortunately being stuck in the middle of a foreign language-speaking country by myself has forced me to remember much of the German that I forgot. Yesterday I had to ask for bus tickets, find directions to the school, and speak to my host family. I have encountered some kind strangers along the way who helped me in different ways: a man helping me carry one suitcase up stairs and a woman finding the exact location of my school building. And on top of that I have the sweetest host family. For those who don't know: I am living with a woman teacher and her teenage daughter. Both speak perfect English and live in an enormous flat close to the school. They have been welcoming and engaging and so accomodating! As my host mom says, we will use English when we wish to discuss politics and important subjects and use German for everything else. My German is very limited but I am sure that once the program gets going I will be much more proficient.

Many of the other students in the program are either from California or Washington D.C./Virginia area which gives me a great advantage because I am familiar with both. Naturally I have sort of attached myself with the California crowd and have even met a girl from Mission Viejo. Small world. Tonight a group of us are going with the program assistants to a bar in Kreuzberg to meet some locals. And who doesn't come to Germany to experience the wide selection of beers?

As you will come to understand from future posts, Berlin is made up of several different districts. As I wrote earlier, so districts include Steglitz-Zehlendorf and Kreuzberg. Others are: Charlottenberg, Wilmersdorf (where my flat is), Mitte, and Schoeneberg. On Saturday I will travel to the Mitte and visit Unter den Linden which is supposed to be a lovely historic place. I am still planning out where else I should visit while I am in Europe, but first I must decide what to explore in Berlin. The city has been exciting and I can't wait to discover little cafes and historic places too.

Once More Unto the Breach, Dear Friends...

This is the big plunge. My flight for Berlin leaves in about 5 hours and I am nearly finished packing. I went from a state of dread and anxiety to a state of resoluteness and anticipation. This final plunge is all about courage.

Now while I am not King Henry V leading his army into battle, the words of Shakespeare always give me some sort of comfort:

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood (King Henry V, III.I)

This gives me courage. I will stiffen myself and leap forward. I will "imitate the tiger" and embolden myself for what is coming ahead. I will cast all fear aside. And now fear is my only enemy. The thing that frightens me the most is the thought of landing in Berlin with no one by my side and then somehow managing to get myself to my hotel in one piece. Oh, and while having others expect me to speak German (if not at least initially). I need courage!!

But as King Henry calls out to his troops, I will indeed "summon up the blood." Here goes....