After a long day with German class in the morning and my midterm for my transatlantic relations class...I had to go to the dentist. I did NOT want to go. When I got there, she pretty much assumed that I needed a filling for one of my teeth and she had everything prepared. Then she asked me if I wanted novocaine (I truly hope it was novocaine because she just called it "spritz"). Do Germans like beer? Of course I wanted anything that would keep me from feeling pain, but I politely said yes. When it was setting in, she asked where I was from and I said California. After probing what county and city I was from (Orange County - Anaheim), my dentist who was pretty formal and to the point the last time I saw her, suddenly opened up and started telling me how much she loves the Real Housewives of Orange County and New York. And how she watches the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills illegally on her computer since Germany has strict copyright laws. When I told her that I had met Jeanne's sons (from OC), she went on to say how cute they are but that the oldest son is a bitch and complains all the time.
It was just a funny experience that reality television is so relatable worldwide, especially the Real Housewives! Also making my experience at the dentist not as horrible. I was also extremely amused when I saw that there is a Coke vending machine IN the dentist waiting room.
Friday, September 30
Wednesday, September 28
Such a long week.
This week is turning out to be longer than I thought. Since next Monday is a holiday in Germany (I haven't figured out which one yet), I don't have school on Monday! The downside is that next week is my midterms week, so my morning German class and my afternoon midterm got moved up to this Friday.
Instead of having nothing on Friday, I have my morning German class, a midterm in the afternoon, and a dentist appointment at night. I've been having some issues with a tooth since June and unfortunately, its gotten to the point that I have to go to a dentist here in Berlin. Hopefully its nothing major and the dentist can fix it easily and without pain. I went to the dentist on Monday afternoon and German dentists seem to be more time efficient with patients, as I saw many of them go quickly in and out of the office. She was also very formal and distant with me, which is pretty typical for Germans.
But most of my weekend will be spent studying and preparing for my midterms...
Instead of having nothing on Friday, I have my morning German class, a midterm in the afternoon, and a dentist appointment at night. I've been having some issues with a tooth since June and unfortunately, its gotten to the point that I have to go to a dentist here in Berlin. Hopefully its nothing major and the dentist can fix it easily and without pain. I went to the dentist on Monday afternoon and German dentists seem to be more time efficient with patients, as I saw many of them go quickly in and out of the office. She was also very formal and distant with me, which is pretty typical for Germans.
But most of my weekend will be spent studying and preparing for my midterms...
Monday, September 26
KaDeWe and Oktoberfest (kind of..)
My weekend was definitely a good one and I am once again, sad for it to be Monday. After getting some of my homework out of the way on Thursday and Friday, I hung out with some friends on Friday and decided to go to KaDeWe on Saturday. KaDeWe stands for Kaufhaus Des Westens (Department store of the West) and I thought of it as South Coast Plaza on crack. I believe it was 6 stories and it had everything! All high end fashion designers, jewelers, electronics, chocolatiers, along with restaurants, cafes, butchers, bakeries and grocers. And it was so fancy! I definitely want to go back and wander around more, especially on the food/candy level, where there was a good sized section of Jelly Bellys! We happened to stumble upon an "American" foods section in the grocer and I was so ready to stock up on my favorites!
Naturally, I made no such purchases there. There was also Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (that has only 3 cups) for 3 euros. And Pop Tarts for 6 Euros. I'm still in shock over the 13 euro oatmeal.
Due to unfortunate circumstances and not having a money tree...I wasn't able to go to Oktoberfest in Munich. Which was totally fine because I was actually able to attend an Oktoberfest festival in Berlin that was so much fun! Fun fact: Oktoberfest actually starts in the middle of September and does occur during October, but only the first week or so. I know the name is misleading, but most of the Oktoberfest festivities happens in September. We decided to trek it out to Tegel Airport and check it out. It seemed a little bit like a mini county fair with food, rides, games. And then there was a huge beer hall. When we got inside, it was already super crowded. After getting our Paulaner beers (which I liked!) we were trying to find a spot to sit when a few people invited us to their part of the table. As it turned out, the tables weren't really for sitting as much as they were for dancing on top of. Patrick and I had such a great time dancing and singing to traditional beer drinking songs and a couple of American hits. Apparently to the Germans the Rolling Stones song (I cant get no) Satisfaction, contains no other words besides "I cant get no satisfaction...And I try", repeated over and over again. It was such a cool atmosphere and I even got a Lebkuchen! Hopefully I can go to it again this weekend.
I'm still debating whether I should post some of the videos I took from inside the tent!
 |
| Mmm oatmeal, I wanted it so bad! Oh wait, its nearly 13 Euros. |
 |
| American cookies..I miss baking! |
 |
| Yup, pure maple syrup is 24 Euros |
 |
| For 18 oz of peanut butter, its ONLY 8 Euros. Only. |
Oktoberfest in Berlin
 |
| Heaven! Lebkuchen and roasted/candied nuts. |
 |
| Inside the beer tent |
 |
| I have the "little" beer |
 |
| With my Lebkuchen...this was after the beer |
Gedaechtnis Kirche
This church is right in the middle of one of the most touristy-shopping areas in Berlin in the neighborhood of Charlottenburg. It was actually bombed to ruins in 1945. Berlin rebuilt the church next to the ruins and is so stunningly beautiful inside. It is all stained glass and the walls were built so thick, that you cannot hear a sound from outside. The real ruins of the church is now preserved with a memorial hall, but it looks like they might be restoring the towers of the church.
 |
| Inside the rebuilt church |
 |
| A view from outside |
 |
| Inside the memorial section of the old church |
Wednesday, September 21
School!
I know all of you think that I'm on this fabulous vacation, but that is false. Well, it's half true since I am in Berlin and traveling in Europe can be ridiculously cheap. As in after taxes and fees, one of my flights cost 13 Euros. And it's legit. RyanAir and Easyjet are very popular over here.
But I actually have to learn while I'm here. This week was kind of rough in my classes, probably since I haven't been feeling 100%. I just haven't been sleeping well and I might have a little cold. My german language class can be a little overwhelming. This semester, I will be completing 2 semesters of German, so i'm learning at an accelerated pace with a teacher that is less than accommodating. Also 3 hours of this class 4 days a week can be a bit much! Which is why I am SO thankful for being able to start my weekend on Thursdays at noon! I don't have any major plans for this weekend, just getting ahead on my homework and papers, hopefully getting to see a museum and going out with friends.
I'm off to go mosquito hunting...this is always a nightly ritual!
But I actually have to learn while I'm here. This week was kind of rough in my classes, probably since I haven't been feeling 100%. I just haven't been sleeping well and I might have a little cold. My german language class can be a little overwhelming. This semester, I will be completing 2 semesters of German, so i'm learning at an accelerated pace with a teacher that is less than accommodating. Also 3 hours of this class 4 days a week can be a bit much! Which is why I am SO thankful for being able to start my weekend on Thursdays at noon! I don't have any major plans for this weekend, just getting ahead on my homework and papers, hopefully getting to see a museum and going out with friends.
I'm off to go mosquito hunting...this is always a nightly ritual!
Sunday, September 18
1 Month (almost!)
It has almost been 1 month since I have been in Berlin. In some ways, it felt like I just got here last week and in other ways, it feels like I have been here for a few months. I feel like I have done so much here! And that I can't really get away with considering myself a tourist (I like to think of myself as a tourist when I'm confused or in a situation where I have a possibility of getting into trouble). I love my long weekends....
Homework? Check. Clean apartment? Check. Laundry? Check!
Oh wait, about laundry. So I fully and completely did laundry for the first time since I've been in Berlin. I can practically hear each and every one of your sighs of disgust. But hear me out, please! First of all, I am a clean person and I packed more than enough clothes to wear, I have not been wearing the same clothes everyday. And I did not pack a month's worth of underwear, but I have been handwashing them! And you know what else? To wash and dry 1 SINGLE load of laundry costs 4 euros. Right this moment, that amounts to about $5.50. Now I know that most of you do not pay that much to do one load of laundry. Don't worry about me, I am clean and hygienic and I usually smell like coconut and Dove.
I also came to the conclusion that I have 3 months until I am literally back in California. I have already made arrangements with my parents that my first meal will be In-N-Out followed by Wood Ranch the next day. But really, I already feel like the time is going by so quickly! And looking at my schedule in October, I am going to be seeing a whole lot of Europe and I will truly live up to my status as a tourist.
This weekend has definitely been a good one, I got a lot of work done on Thursday afternoon and I went back to the concentration camp of Sachsenhausen with my program. Then on Friday night, we celebrated Patrick's 21st birthday and I got to meet more of his friends from his program at Humboldt University. It was a great night and I know that Patrick had a good birthday. And apparently, cakes are difficult to come by in Berlin. One cafe was almost appalled that I asked how much it was to purchase an entire cake, not just a slice. Most of Saturday was spent relaxing and I ended up watching this History Channel series about WWII. It was actually not my first choice of what to watch, it was actually my last choice, but ironically, that was the only DVD that would work in Patrick's German DVD player. It was really interesting to watch, especially being in Berlin. A lot of the native Germans speak with pride about present day Berlin, but they also mention that there is a scar over Berlin. Being here and studying Germany's dark past really helps me to understand what they mean when they say Berlin is scarred. There is a ton of construction going on in Berlin right now and the director mentioned a quote that has stuck with me: "Berlin is a city condemned forever to becoming and never to being." It is just very interesting to live in a city that has experienced such drastic changes in the past and see how it is progressing now.
Homework? Check. Clean apartment? Check. Laundry? Check!
Oh wait, about laundry. So I fully and completely did laundry for the first time since I've been in Berlin. I can practically hear each and every one of your sighs of disgust. But hear me out, please! First of all, I am a clean person and I packed more than enough clothes to wear, I have not been wearing the same clothes everyday. And I did not pack a month's worth of underwear, but I have been handwashing them! And you know what else? To wash and dry 1 SINGLE load of laundry costs 4 euros. Right this moment, that amounts to about $5.50. Now I know that most of you do not pay that much to do one load of laundry. Don't worry about me, I am clean and hygienic and I usually smell like coconut and Dove.
I also came to the conclusion that I have 3 months until I am literally back in California. I have already made arrangements with my parents that my first meal will be In-N-Out followed by Wood Ranch the next day. But really, I already feel like the time is going by so quickly! And looking at my schedule in October, I am going to be seeing a whole lot of Europe and I will truly live up to my status as a tourist.
This weekend has definitely been a good one, I got a lot of work done on Thursday afternoon and I went back to the concentration camp of Sachsenhausen with my program. Then on Friday night, we celebrated Patrick's 21st birthday and I got to meet more of his friends from his program at Humboldt University. It was a great night and I know that Patrick had a good birthday. And apparently, cakes are difficult to come by in Berlin. One cafe was almost appalled that I asked how much it was to purchase an entire cake, not just a slice. Most of Saturday was spent relaxing and I ended up watching this History Channel series about WWII. It was actually not my first choice of what to watch, it was actually my last choice, but ironically, that was the only DVD that would work in Patrick's German DVD player. It was really interesting to watch, especially being in Berlin. A lot of the native Germans speak with pride about present day Berlin, but they also mention that there is a scar over Berlin. Being here and studying Germany's dark past really helps me to understand what they mean when they say Berlin is scarred. There is a ton of construction going on in Berlin right now and the director mentioned a quote that has stuck with me: "Berlin is a city condemned forever to becoming and never to being." It is just very interesting to live in a city that has experienced such drastic changes in the past and see how it is progressing now.
Thursday, September 15
Interview
For a few of my classes, we have independent projects that typically consist of visiting a particular museum or historically significant place in Berlin and writing a short paper that deals with the themes of the class. For my Transatlantic Relations class, our teacher is requiring that we interview a German (preferably a Berliner) either about 11/9 or 9/11. I was planning on interviewing my friend Cari, but Patrick told me that his host mother actually lived in the GDR.
Betty was gracious enough to allow me to ask her a few questions and she ended up telling me about how she got to Germany, life during the Wall, and life after the Wall came down. For a quick summary, she was born in Czechslovakia in 1939 and came on a train to Berlin in 1945. She was supposed to be on a ship that ended up sinking, killing 1,000 people, and also, the train she was on was bombed by the Allies. Before the Wall went up, both of her parents left separately to West Germany, each with a couple of her sisters. That was the last time she saw either of her parents because by 1965, both of her parents had died and she was not allowed to visit them or even attend their funerals. In the days leading up to the fall of the Wall, everything was happening so quickly with the riots and the announcement of unlimited travel, Betty was in disbelief and couldn't understand how all of it was happening. After the Wall fell, she said everyone was celebrating and happy, East and West Germans alike.
I was curious to see her honest opinion of the United States, and she told me that she really likes the United States and has traveled there the most (out of the over 70 countries she's visited!). She likes how much freedom we have but does not like everything about the US (but who does?). I was a little bit surprised, especially since her train had been bombed by the Allies and had always been given propaganda about how bad the US is. It was a very humbling and insightful experience to speak with someone who has witnessed so much history and seen such great changes of a country in a single lifetime. The interview was very interesting and Betty speaks no English, so Patrick had to help me translate a little!
I'm done with classes for the week and I'm very thankful that it's the weekend! For the rest of the day, I'm planning on working on a couple of papers and homework so that I can keep all of my weekend free. I have been here for almost a month, I can't believe how fast the time is going by!
Betty was gracious enough to allow me to ask her a few questions and she ended up telling me about how she got to Germany, life during the Wall, and life after the Wall came down. For a quick summary, she was born in Czechslovakia in 1939 and came on a train to Berlin in 1945. She was supposed to be on a ship that ended up sinking, killing 1,000 people, and also, the train she was on was bombed by the Allies. Before the Wall went up, both of her parents left separately to West Germany, each with a couple of her sisters. That was the last time she saw either of her parents because by 1965, both of her parents had died and she was not allowed to visit them or even attend their funerals. In the days leading up to the fall of the Wall, everything was happening so quickly with the riots and the announcement of unlimited travel, Betty was in disbelief and couldn't understand how all of it was happening. After the Wall fell, she said everyone was celebrating and happy, East and West Germans alike.
I was curious to see her honest opinion of the United States, and she told me that she really likes the United States and has traveled there the most (out of the over 70 countries she's visited!). She likes how much freedom we have but does not like everything about the US (but who does?). I was a little bit surprised, especially since her train had been bombed by the Allies and had always been given propaganda about how bad the US is. It was a very humbling and insightful experience to speak with someone who has witnessed so much history and seen such great changes of a country in a single lifetime. The interview was very interesting and Betty speaks no English, so Patrick had to help me translate a little!
I'm done with classes for the week and I'm very thankful that it's the weekend! For the rest of the day, I'm planning on working on a couple of papers and homework so that I can keep all of my weekend free. I have been here for almost a month, I can't believe how fast the time is going by!
Monday, September 12
Ireland
Wow, I could probably go on for a few pages about Ireland but I'll try to condense it! Ireland is beyond beautiful and everyone I met there (including cabbies and random strangers) were nothing but friendly and helpful. It is truly an unbelievably gorgeous place and I was very sad to leave it. Now I think I will have to return before I go back to California.
Dublin - Patrick and I spent Friday night and most of Sunday in the city center. On Friday night we got to have a few drinks with my Aunt Patty and Meighan and some of my family Tom and Freida. Even though my aunt has insisted that they would already be asleep when we landed, we stayed up pretty late drinking.
Ballyhaunis - Located in County Roscommon, is where some of our family lives. Veronica graciously welcomed us into her home, which is a beautiful farm with acres and acres of land. I couldn't quite get an American answer (acres/miles) of how big it actually was. There were horses, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats, and even a cow. It was so rich, green, and peaceful there; I really felt like I was looking at a postcard. We had taken the scenic train ride to the village of Ballyhaunis, which actually turned out to the on the opposite side of Ireland, literally western Ireland. And it was cold! I am so spoiled with the sunny SoCal weather, everyone thought it was funny how cold I was and kept trying to give me more sweaters and blankets. It was really nice to visit with all of them and see their land. It was really fun seeing all the animals, especially the 1 month old kitten that I was ready to take with me! On Saturday night, we went into town and ate a perfectly cozy restaurant/pub and just enjoyed each other's company. Ballyhaunis is such an amazing place, so far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, I was incredibly sad to leave.
Dublin, again! - After the train back into Dublin, Patrick and I checked out the rest of Dublin for a few hours. We walked over to the Guinness Factory where you could literally smell the beer a couple of streets over, it was pretty overwhelming too. Before we had to take the bus to the airport, we managed to get in a couple more sights that we had missed on Saturday morning (St. Andrews Church, Trinity College..) and had an awesome burger and fries. That is something that I miss from America...its hard to find a real burger here in Germany! Which reminds me: when walking down the main street of Dublin (O'Connell Street) there were 2 Burger Kings and 2 McDonalds within probably 70 yards of each other. Which is a little ridiculous but useful for the free bathrooms!
Airplane "Ride" - I love to fly and view flights as fun rides. But this "ride" was a little bit scary; we had pretty rocky turbulence most of the flight back to Berlin. When we got close to Berlin Schonefeld Airport, we had to taxi in the air since there was a storm passing through. It felt more like the storm was passing through us and that we weren't avoiding it at all! It felt like I was in a movie because the lightning was flashing all around us and the ride was so bumpy. Do you know how in the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, the car lurches all around and feels like its skidding? That's exactly how our commercial jet landing felt like. A few people threw up but luckily, no one around us. Our flight was actually diverted to Berlin Tegel Airport (which is actually Berlin's small, crappy airport) and we got to wait an hour and a half on the landing to just get off of the plane and get into the airport. It was a longer flight than I wanted, but we got home safe and sound.
All in all Ireland was so beautiful and amazing, I felt really attached to it. I honestly did not want to leave. If my program wasn't so intense and allowed for class absences, I probably would have stayed another night. Well I have a few more months to figure out how I'm going to get back there!
P.S. It's Patrick's 21st birthday tomorrow, he's a little bummed since turning 21 isn't as big of a deal as it is in America, but don't forget to wish him a happy birthday!
Dublin - Patrick and I spent Friday night and most of Sunday in the city center. On Friday night we got to have a few drinks with my Aunt Patty and Meighan and some of my family Tom and Freida. Even though my aunt has insisted that they would already be asleep when we landed, we stayed up pretty late drinking.
 |
| He always lets me have the window seat! |
 |
| At the Ballyhaunis train station |
Dublin, again! - After the train back into Dublin, Patrick and I checked out the rest of Dublin for a few hours. We walked over to the Guinness Factory where you could literally smell the beer a couple of streets over, it was pretty overwhelming too. Before we had to take the bus to the airport, we managed to get in a couple more sights that we had missed on Saturday morning (St. Andrews Church, Trinity College..) and had an awesome burger and fries. That is something that I miss from America...its hard to find a real burger here in Germany! Which reminds me: when walking down the main street of Dublin (O'Connell Street) there were 2 Burger Kings and 2 McDonalds within probably 70 yards of each other. Which is a little ridiculous but useful for the free bathrooms!
Airplane "Ride" - I love to fly and view flights as fun rides. But this "ride" was a little bit scary; we had pretty rocky turbulence most of the flight back to Berlin. When we got close to Berlin Schonefeld Airport, we had to taxi in the air since there was a storm passing through. It felt more like the storm was passing through us and that we weren't avoiding it at all! It felt like I was in a movie because the lightning was flashing all around us and the ride was so bumpy. Do you know how in the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, the car lurches all around and feels like its skidding? That's exactly how our commercial jet landing felt like. A few people threw up but luckily, no one around us. Our flight was actually diverted to Berlin Tegel Airport (which is actually Berlin's small, crappy airport) and we got to wait an hour and a half on the landing to just get off of the plane and get into the airport. It was a longer flight than I wanted, but we got home safe and sound.
All in all Ireland was so beautiful and amazing, I felt really attached to it. I honestly did not want to leave. If my program wasn't so intense and allowed for class absences, I probably would have stayed another night. Well I have a few more months to figure out how I'm going to get back there!
P.S. It's Patrick's 21st birthday tomorrow, he's a little bummed since turning 21 isn't as big of a deal as it is in America, but don't forget to wish him a happy birthday!
Friday, September 9
Off to Dublin!
Never have I ever packed for a trip (that included flying on a plane) on the day that I was leaving. Nor have I ever JUST packed a backpack for a flight, with no actual luggage. Today I am going on a field trip to Potsdam, which is just outside Berlin. It's supposed to be beautiful and hopefully the weather will be decent enough. Then I am off to the airport tonight and flying out to Dublin. I'm so excited to go to Ireland and meet the rest of my family!
Wednesday, September 7
Technology is awesome.
I'm so thankful to be able to skype with people who are thousands of miles away from me. 6,000 to be exact. It was so entertaining to skype with my aunt, especially since she unknowingly started a video chat with me, but for some reason could not hear or see me. But I could see and hear her. Good thing she didn't say anything bad about me! :]
Speaking of skype, if you're reading this blog, I most likely would like to skype with you at some point. Or email. Or Facebook. Pretty much any technology besides texting or calling. My skype name is Speake1317 and (one of my many) email is speake13@gmail.com. I'd honestly love to hear from you! Even though I'm in Berlin doesn't mean that I don't miss you or home or even California! Keep in mind that I am 9 hours ahead of California...
Speaking of missing things...I'm not exactly complaining, but there are a few things that I appreciate more, because they are things that are either not here or difficult to get:
Laundry - no wonder Europeans are known for being smelly! All washing machines I've seen are tiny and everyone air dries their clothes. Apparently, the washing machine/dryer combo in my apartment complex costs 4 euros for a small wash. I think I'm going to go the more domestic route and try to handwash everything I can. Please, please let me know any tips on handwashing. As in can you really handwash a towel?
Screens - Germans don't like screens either. They love windows. Mosquitos love coming in my open windows. They also love buzzing around my face when I try to sleep.
Credit Cards - it's so rare to be able to use a credit card when buying things here, at least for me.
Military time - Everything is in military time and for some reason, I always have issues with the 14:00 - 22:00 hours. I can't even give you a reason why, but I'm constantly counting on my fingers to figure out the time.
I know, these are such little things! I'm really not complaining, just expressing my appreciation for these things back home. I'm very excited because right now, only a German test and a field trip stands in the way of me and Patrick going to Dublin on Friday!
Also, if anyone has an advice on staple foods I should stock up on or easy dinner recipes, it would be much appreciated! I do not have a crockpot or a microwave. And I can't find any frozen chicken breasts, which is what I was depending on...so any advice would be great!
Speaking of skype, if you're reading this blog, I most likely would like to skype with you at some point. Or email. Or Facebook. Pretty much any technology besides texting or calling. My skype name is Speake1317 and (one of my many) email is speake13@gmail.com. I'd honestly love to hear from you! Even though I'm in Berlin doesn't mean that I don't miss you or home or even California! Keep in mind that I am 9 hours ahead of California...
Speaking of missing things...I'm not exactly complaining, but there are a few things that I appreciate more, because they are things that are either not here or difficult to get:
Laundry - no wonder Europeans are known for being smelly! All washing machines I've seen are tiny and everyone air dries their clothes. Apparently, the washing machine/dryer combo in my apartment complex costs 4 euros for a small wash. I think I'm going to go the more domestic route and try to handwash everything I can. Please, please let me know any tips on handwashing. As in can you really handwash a towel?
Screens - Germans don't like screens either. They love windows. Mosquitos love coming in my open windows. They also love buzzing around my face when I try to sleep.
Credit Cards - it's so rare to be able to use a credit card when buying things here, at least for me.
Military time - Everything is in military time and for some reason, I always have issues with the 14:00 - 22:00 hours. I can't even give you a reason why, but I'm constantly counting on my fingers to figure out the time.
I know, these are such little things! I'm really not complaining, just expressing my appreciation for these things back home. I'm very excited because right now, only a German test and a field trip stands in the way of me and Patrick going to Dublin on Friday!
Also, if anyone has an advice on staple foods I should stock up on or easy dinner recipes, it would be much appreciated! I do not have a crockpot or a microwave. And I can't find any frozen chicken breasts, which is what I was depending on...so any advice would be great!
Monday, September 5
New Week
I definitely had a restful weekend...on Saturday I went around town with Patrick and Michelle, attempting to utilize the wonderfully sunny weather. On the River Spree there are a ton of beach bars that are literally beach lounge chairs in real sand surrounded by heavily advertised alcohol. They looked much more appealing on my boat tour. On Sunday I had another lazy morning and then I planned and booked my entire mid term break vacation. It was definitely difficult coordinating flights, accommodations, and prices but in the end, we figured it out. I will be going to Rome for 4 days with Michelle and seeing everything I possibly can in that area of Italy and then its off to Ibiza, Spain for 3 days. I'm actually really excited about Ibiza because it's actually an island off of the coast of Spain and is supposed to be gorgeous! And at the end of tourist season, the prices looked gorgeous to me.
And I am super excited because this weekend, Patrick and I are flying to Dublin and meeting up with my aunt! We're going to head out to my family's farm on Saturday where I actually get to meet that entire side of my family. I'm so happy to be able to go but a little bummed that I only get to spend 2 days there. Maybe I can convince them to let me come back and visit for longer at the end of my program in December... :]
Hopefully this week will fly by and Friday comes fast! I am already starting to work on some big projects and papers in my classes so that I have less worrying about schoolwork when all my travels come around. Today after my morning and afternoon classes, I headed over to the DDR Museum, which detailed the daily life in the former East Germany (aka GDR). It was so interesting and I enjoyed spending time there. I know that I mentioned it in passing, but I did visit Checkpoint Charlie. Which is probably one the most touristy things I have seen, it's a little sad. The actual location of the original Checkpoint Charlie has been turned into a beach bar, but an informative historical wall surrounds it. I wanted a picture just of the station, but there was an "actor" there who forced me to pay for a picture. I still feel like it was necessary. And the immediate surroundings of the area are a McDonalds (the fancy one!) and tons of cheap souvenir shops that sell the ugly bags and t shirts.
And I am super excited because this weekend, Patrick and I are flying to Dublin and meeting up with my aunt! We're going to head out to my family's farm on Saturday where I actually get to meet that entire side of my family. I'm so happy to be able to go but a little bummed that I only get to spend 2 days there. Maybe I can convince them to let me come back and visit for longer at the end of my program in December... :]
Hopefully this week will fly by and Friday comes fast! I am already starting to work on some big projects and papers in my classes so that I have less worrying about schoolwork when all my travels come around. Today after my morning and afternoon classes, I headed over to the DDR Museum, which detailed the daily life in the former East Germany (aka GDR). It was so interesting and I enjoyed spending time there. I know that I mentioned it in passing, but I did visit Checkpoint Charlie. Which is probably one the most touristy things I have seen, it's a little sad. The actual location of the original Checkpoint Charlie has been turned into a beach bar, but an informative historical wall surrounds it. I wanted a picture just of the station, but there was an "actor" there who forced me to pay for a picture. I still feel like it was necessary. And the immediate surroundings of the area are a McDonalds (the fancy one!) and tons of cheap souvenir shops that sell the ugly bags and t shirts.
Checkpoint Charlie
Delicious Doner Kebap!
In a fancy chocolatier (like Godiva) - they made all these giant sculptures made out of their chocolate
A portion of the Berlin Wall in the Deutsches Historisches Museum.
Saturday, September 3
Oh! The Places You'll Go
After having the more typical start to my weekend, I have to say its very nice not having Friday classes! Yesterday felt like Saturday to me and I literally just double checked my phone to make sure it was Saturday. I definitely need to do some homework for my classes but the rest of my day is probably going to be spent figuring out my travels across Europe for the next 3 months.
This is beyond exciting for me because everything is so close and much cheaper than a $1600 flight from Los Angeles. I have a few destinations in mind that I would absolutely like to see, but I'm really just open to going anywhere. My program has blessed me with 3 awesome things : A week long mid term break in October, a week long excursion included in my program fee, and I'm allowed to live in my apartment until December 22, which is 2 weeks after my program ends. This is perfect because on my mid term break, I will probably be able to go to a couple different destinations, which I'm hoping ends up being somewhere near the Mediterranean. The week long excursion is to Poland - Gdansk and Krakow. I have never been to Poland and it will be really nice to have my program leading us on tours and showing us the sights. Even though I'm flying home on December 16th, only a week after my program ends, I still have an extra week with nothing that I have to do! This is really nice - any place that I didn't get to see that I really wanted to, I can travel to in that week. Besides those traveling times, all my other travels needs to be on my weekends. Other than those set destinations, I would love to see London, Ireland, Paris, Rome, and anywhere in between.
Yesterday I tried a doner kebap and it was so delicious! I can't wait to have another one and I have a feeling that is going to be my cheap dinner when I don't want to cook :]
Last night, we had a welcome dinner for the program at the restaurant on campus and afterwards I went out with a few girls. Berlin is definitely a night life culture, in that people of all ages are out (really) late eating dinner and drinking on the weekends. Its supposed to be really nice weather today -- low 80s! Hopefully it stays nice today and tomorrow :]
This is beyond exciting for me because everything is so close and much cheaper than a $1600 flight from Los Angeles. I have a few destinations in mind that I would absolutely like to see, but I'm really just open to going anywhere. My program has blessed me with 3 awesome things : A week long mid term break in October, a week long excursion included in my program fee, and I'm allowed to live in my apartment until December 22, which is 2 weeks after my program ends. This is perfect because on my mid term break, I will probably be able to go to a couple different destinations, which I'm hoping ends up being somewhere near the Mediterranean. The week long excursion is to Poland - Gdansk and Krakow. I have never been to Poland and it will be really nice to have my program leading us on tours and showing us the sights. Even though I'm flying home on December 16th, only a week after my program ends, I still have an extra week with nothing that I have to do! This is really nice - any place that I didn't get to see that I really wanted to, I can travel to in that week. Besides those traveling times, all my other travels needs to be on my weekends. Other than those set destinations, I would love to see London, Ireland, Paris, Rome, and anywhere in between.
Yesterday I tried a doner kebap and it was so delicious! I can't wait to have another one and I have a feeling that is going to be my cheap dinner when I don't want to cook :]
Last night, we had a welcome dinner for the program at the restaurant on campus and afterwards I went out with a few girls. Berlin is definitely a night life culture, in that people of all ages are out (really) late eating dinner and drinking on the weekends. Its supposed to be really nice weather today -- low 80s! Hopefully it stays nice today and tomorrow :]
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)