Night Life

Going out for the night back home in Michigan is completely different than it is here in Berlin. Back home it is normal to go out for the night anywhere between 9 and 12 and then be back in by like 3 o’clock because bars close at 2. However, if you want to survive a night out in Berlin you better enjoy not sleeping because you wont be doing much of that…. This is what a typical night in Berlin is like.

Here we do not even think about going out until like midnight and it is not uncommon for us to even show up at a bar/club until 2 or so in the morning. Once at the club you just dance the night away and I literally mean the night away. Almost always when we are ready to leave the sun is already up. Also, I think that their clubs are completely different than back home. I personally do not enjoy going to clubs back home but I have fun at the ones here. The music, styles of dancing, and atmosphere are just completely different.

Then, once you are finally ready to call it a night and leave the bar/club you have to make one more stop…. Food time! For me personally, this is the best part of the night. The two most common things for people to get here are Currywurst with fries and Doner. Currywurst, is pork sausage that is cut into slices with curry ketchup and curry powder all on top of it. Also, the fries that are served with them are served with ketchup and mayonnaise.

Then, my new favorite choice is doner, which is a Turkish dish of thinly sliced seasoned meat wrapped in flat bread with vegetable toppings and some type of sauce. It is honestly amazing! It is very similar to a gyro. But once you get in your morning snack of currywurst or doner it is finally time to call it quits and go to bed, which probably isn’t until anywhere between5-7 a.m. However, be proud you have officially completed a night in Berlin.

Birthday in Berlin

Yesterday was my 20^th birthday and after celebrating it here in Berlin I would advise that everyone celebrates at least one of their birthdays in a different birthday. It honestly was amazing and I was so overwhelmed by everything that was done for me.

            Leading up to midnight, my host sister, some of her friends and I went out to pre-celebrate. We started off by going to go to a karaoke bar. As we were walking around going from place to place we kept meeting up with people and our group slowly kept growing. Once we arrived at the karaoke bar we realized that that was a dud so we started to walk somewhere else. We had 15 minutes until midnight and everyone was freaking out that we weren’t at a place and were just walking. Yet, as everyone else was freaking out I was completely content. I was perfectly fine celebrating my birthday on a random street in Berlin because I was with amazing people and in an amazing city. I had no complaints, but no one could let this happen. So we ended up finding a little café probably 5-10 minutes before minute.

When I sat down my host sister disappeared and then her friends started walking around and talking to everyone who was at this café. Once it was almost midnight, the countdown to my birthday began. My table started counting down from 10 and then everyone and I mean everyone at the café started singing happy birthday, which was what Louise’s friends were coordinating when talking to everyone. I honestly could not stop smiling. It was so nice of them to do and I felt so special. After everyone was done singing random people kept coming up to me to shake my hand and say happy birthday. After that we all just sat around at this café hanging out, laughing, and celebrating. It honestly was the best way to turn 20.

Then, the next morning I woke up and went upstairs and I was instantly told that I was not allowed up there for another 20 minutes because they were preparing something for me. So I go to walk downstairs and the doorbell goes off and it’s a delivery for me. My boyfriend from back home had sent me flowers. I was so happy. After waiting 20 minutes or so I was told I could come up and as I was walking upstairs my host family started singing happy birthday to me. As I entered the dining area everyone started to hug and kiss me and say happy birthday. Then on the table in front of me were gifts from them. I was so overwhelmed by all of this. I have known my host family for only 2 weeks and they were so generous and happy for me. It truly was amazing. And then, Nana who is my host mom, made me a special birthday breakfast. She decorated my area with chocolates, gummies, and strawberries, and made me this delicious strawberry, custard tart cake.

            After my morning birthday celebration we went out to the market in Potsdam, which is the town over, picked flowers to make syrup for drinks, and then I came back and napped. However, the celebrations were not over. When I woke up Louise threw me a barbeque. About 10 or so close friends came over and we made food and had drinks. We also watched the Germany vs. Portugal soccer game, which is very important to German people and we won!!!! And finally after the barbecue we went out and just enjoyed the rest of the night.

            I can honestly say though, it was the best birthday ever. I never expected to have anything like this happen to me and I am so thankful and happy for the people I have in my life over here in Germany.

Fubis Language Classes

Here in Berlin I am taking a semi-intensive German language course. When signing up for the class you write down what you wish to take, but just because you choose this class it does not mean that you will get into it. When taking a language course here they want to ensure that you will understand the information and will be able to keep up so they make you go through three different placement tests before you find out which class you will really be in. Before you come to Berlin, you have to take a vocab and a reading placement test. Then on your first day of class you are required to have an interview where they test your speaking skills. After all of this is completed, they go over your results and decide which level class will be best for you. However, if you are placed in a class and you and the teacher both think you should be in a higher or lower class they will switch you out within the first couple of days.

When I first went to class I was completely surprised by it because it was nothing like I expected. I thought that I would be attending class at the main building of Frei Universitat and be in a normal sized classroom. However I soon found out that this was not the case. Instead of being on the main campus we are 3 or so U-bahn stops away from it and we are in a building that one would consider being a house. Then instead of having 20 or so people in my class like I am use to there are only 7 of us. This I thought was crazy, but I actually really like it because I learn more in smaller settings because I get to know the other students and the teacher on a much more personal level and therefore feel more comfortable. Another thing that I like is that my teacher is very young. She is only 26 and therefore she tries to relate to us as much as possible and tells/shows us all the “cool” places to go.

            I have class on Mondays, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9-3. We have a half hour break at 10:30 and almost everyone walks down to the corner to a little store that sells coffee, fruit, bratwurst, croissants, etc and hangs out and talks. Then, we have an hour break at 12:30 where we go either to the cafeteria or a local restaurant for lunch.

Our classes are split up into 6 sections each 45 minutes long, but I couldn’t tell you what those sections are. Oops. What we do in a typical class is play at least one game, do worksheets out of our text book, listen to a tape and then answer questions about what we heard, we learn new sentence structures, tenses, endings, etc and then do worksheets to practice them. We do a lot more than just this, but that’s a basic idea of a normal day. Also, our class is completely taught in German so one must really pay attention to understand what is going. My favorite class day though is Wednesday. Every Wednesday we have excursion days. On these days we meet somewhere around town and then we explore, learn the history of places, interact with people, and do little scavenger hunts to fill out our worksheets. Today was out first one and it was so fun except it is hard to focus because you rather just talk and explore rather than do work.
            Along with what we do in class on a normal basis, we also have to write in a Journal that is due every Monday. Our teacher does not correct anything in it she just wants us to write and practice. Then, we have two individual presentations we have to complete and a group presentation. Also, we have to write two papers, only 150-200, and we have two exams.
            The last thing that I really like about our class is that it is a very friendly environment and we do not have to be serious all the time. On my first day of class a kid in my class said he knew how to swing dance and really wanted to teach people. After hearing this I instantly wanted to learn something, so in the middle of class he just started to teach me. My teacher had no problem with this and actually encouraged it. She liked seeing us interact with each other and was intrigued by some of our culture.

            Overall I think my class experience here is way different than it is back home. There are different things I like and dislike about classes here in Germany and back home in the U.S. However, I actually think I enjoy classes here more than at home. The atmosphere is just completely different

Never Assume...

The other day Dan and I were exploring downtown Berlin when we came across this area that had an assortment of different sized cement blocks. We were both instantly intrigued so we went over to go take pictures with them. Of course I wanted to be difficult and try and take the coolest picture I could think of so I thought it would be a good idea to get on top of them and walk to the middle and have a picture of me standing on them. I did not know if I was allowed to do this or not, but I didn’t really see why I wouldn’t be able to so I went with it.

            As I am hoping cement block to cement I start hearing, “Halo, Halo! Halo!” and then see a security guard walking towards me. I instantly knew to get down and then the man left me alone. After that I had to figure out what this place was because clearly it was important seeing as there is a security guard and set rules at this place. So as Dan and I are walking we find information on it and I instantly feel horrible for my actions…. I had just been walking across the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of the Europe a.k.a The Holocaust Memorial. I felt so disrespectful, but at the same time I just had to laugh at myself because I would do something like that.

            However, after a while I didn’t feel that bad because there were multiple people that were just sitting on it and my host sister, Luise, informed me that a lot of young people come here at night whether drunk or sober and play hide and go seek through the columns.

            This memorial is really cool though. It has 2,711 concrete slabs that are arranged in a grid pattern on a sloping field. 

U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Bus: A Berliner's Means of Transportation

          In order to get around Berlin one must become very comfortable with the transportation system if they wish to go anywhere because the city is so big that walking will honestly get you no where. Now I have used public transportations systems before, both in the U.S. and Europe, but never alone and I got thrown into using them alone real fast here.
            On my first night, I used the S-Bahn, which is an above ground subway, to go to and from a party, but I was with my host sister, Luise, and her friends so I pretty much just followed them around. However, on my second day here, I was not so lucky as to have the comfort of having Luise there to show me around. I had to go to orientation that day at the main campus of Frei Universitat and since I did not know how to get there Luise drove me there. However, we did not know what time it was going to end and I did not have a working phone yet nor did anyone else that I knew so there was no way for me to contact her and it was clear that I was going to have to find my own way back. When she dropped me off she handed me a piece of paper that had directions on how to get back, but when I looked at them I was so intimidated. The idea of me, an American who spoke very little German, trying to find my way around a huge, foreign city without getting lost was so scary, but I knew I had to do it at some point.
             Luckily when I left orientation the other CMU participant, Dan, did not know how to get back to his dorm so we decided it would be best for him to come back with me so my host family could give him directions. Therefore, I was not alone on my first adventure using Berlin’s transportation. After walking for a good 20 minutes and trying to read a map on where the U-Bahn station was, which is the underground subway, we finally spotted it. Surprisingly enough though, once on the U-Bahn it was quite easy to figure out where to go from there. We had to ride the U-Bahn for 4 stops, then hop on a bus and take that for 2 stops, and then walk 10 minutes to my house. I honestly was so relieved and proud of myself when I made it home and my family was too.

            However, that night I was looking at where I had to meet for class and soon realized that it was at a completely different location than where we met for orientation. So once again I started to get nervous because I had little idea on where I was going, but I figured when I woke up I would just ask my family the best way to get there and I would figure it out. Horrible idea though…. When I woke up for class no one was to be seen, so all I could do was just suck it up and attempt to find my way on my own and that’s exactly what I did. It ended up being almost the same route except I had to ride the U-bahn for a few more stops.
            After I found my way those two times I have not had a fear at all of the transportation and am confident in being able to figure out how to get anywhere. If you look at the maps in the S-Bahn and U-Bahn station you can easily pick out where you need to go. The only thing I find kind of confusing is the buses and I don’t really like them, therefore I only end up riding them when completely necessary.
            My commute to class is between 30-40 minutes. I have to walk 10 minutes to the bus stop in Mexikoplatz. From there I ride on the bus for 2 stops to Krumme Lanke where I hop onto the U-Bahn. I then ride that for 6 stops to Bereitenplatz and finally I walk probably about 5 minutes to my classroom. It seems like a lot, but it is really not bad at all. Commuting with public transportation is just a normal aspect of everyday life for a Berliner.

         My one suggestions to people traveling alone and not knowing where your going for the first time, whether being on an airplane or on public transportation, is to stay calm. As nervous as you may be tell yourself you got this, have some fun with it, and know that no matter what at some point you will figure out where you are suppose to be.

Hectic Travel to Berlin

Hallo aus Deutschland!!! I have been in Berlin for the past 4 days and I am loving absolutely every second of it! However, the process of arriving here I did not love so much. What was suppose to be a 14 hour trip from when I left my house turned into a 22 hour trip.

Once Dan and I arrived at the airport, Dan is the other CMU student studying at Freie Universitat with me, and said our goodbyes we were all excited to get our boarding passes and then make it to our terminal. As we were walking to check in the handle on my carry on purse snapped off. I laughed at it and said I would fix it later and said that I hoped this wasn’t a sign of what our trip was going to be like. I think I definitely jinxed us there. When we went to check in we thought this was going to be a simple process, but we soon found out we were mistaken. As we were trying to check in ,it would not let us, so a lady came over to help us. We came to realize that we were not allowed to check in because our flights back in July had been cancelled because the airport we were suppose to be flying out of will not be open by the time we leave. Therefore, we had to book a different flight back before we could get our boarding passes. This process took forever and by the time they had figured this out and printed Dan’s tickets we had less than an hour until our flight and we were informed that there was no way our luggage would make the flight. This was a bummer, but we could deal with it. However, the difficult times still were far from over. When they went to print my ticket off, they realized that I did not check in early enough so my seats for this flight had been given away and thus there was no way I would be getting on this flight. Personally I just laughed because there really was nothing else to do and Dan just sat there all frustrated, which made me laugh harder.

Two hours after we had originally tried checking in we finally got everything figured out and now had tickets for the 9:50 flight out of Detroit to Paris rather than the 6:05 flight to Amsterdam. Once we were on the plane everything was fine and we thought we were good to go. Yet, once it was getting time to land we look at the time and realized that we were landing a half hour later than we were suppose to and therefore we only had an hour to make our connecting flight. Once we got off the plane we were instantly confused on where we were suppose to go. We figured out what gate it was, but we had no idea where that gate was. After asking, we found out that we had to go down the elevator, then walk through the parking garage to the other side of the road where there was another part of the airport, and then go back through baggage checks. So after all of this happened we rushed to our gate and the guy looked at us strange and was like are you guys trying to board? And we said yes and he was like no its too late, but let me call. So he calls and then informs us that yes we had missed the flight…. Of course! So once again I just laughed and Dan got all frustrated. However, as soon as we missed this the other handle on my purse broke! I figured the purse was a bad omen so I just switched everything over to a new bag and threw it away.

So once again we had to go get new tickets. We know had to wait 3-4 hours in the Paris airport for the next flight to Berlin. This was horrible because at this point we both just wanted to be there and we knew we were so close. I felt bad to because I am staying with a host family and the only way I could contact them was email, so I kept emailing them hoping that they received them in time.

I am proud to say though that we did make this flight! Woo! We ended up arriving in Berlin at roughly 5:30 p.m. when we had been thinking for the past month or so we had thought we were going to arrive at 11:20 a.m. We definitely thought wrong. Once we arrived though everything went smoothly. Our luggage was there and once I walked out of the gate my host sister, Luise, and her friend were there waiting for me. From that point on I knew everything was going to be okay.