Week Three - High Culture (and Istanbul and Rome next week!)

Sun 20.1.13: 

I got up around lunchtime and chatted with Anna for a bit before meeting Adrienne, Jodie, and Kayo at Tiergarten around 3. We wandered through the market again and took a different path through the Tiergarten, which granted us views of a few frozen-over ponds and several cute doggies out for walks with their owners (sorry, no pictures). We walked to Victory Column, a monument to the Prussian victory over the Danish in 1864 and revamped during the Nazi rule, in the center of the Tiergarten. Apparently, the French soldiers tore off parts of the column upon seizing Berlin at the conclusion of WWII, and only recently was the tower restored (for historical purposes, yet still left slightly unfinished to remember the losses). 

Whoooooo wants an owl?

Victory Column (you can go to the top!)

We progressed through the Tiergarten until we came upon the same cozy cafe, and this time we each got drinks (yummy chai latte for me) and split an apple strudel and a scrumptious German delicacy called Kaiserschmarrn, which consists of a raisin-filled dough that is halfway between thin pancakes and bread pudding, along with apricot and plum sauces! Far and away 100% amazing :) 

Continuing the theme of wonderful food, we met up with Sherri and Zixiang and went on a 'Food Tour' in which we progressed from restaurant to restaurant, ordering and sharing one communal plate at each place! We began at Angry Chicken, where we sampled the eponymous dish of chicken wings in a cinnamon sauce; next was the Hühnhaus (chicken house), where we got two half-chickens replete with salad, fries, and unlimited pickled veggies (these probably didn't really count towards the 5-a-day target, but they made us feel like we were being healthy); and finally, we ordered the sampler platter at the Moroccan place. All told, everything was incredibly tasty, and all six of us filled ourselves up for just 6€ - quite a deal! The others wandered around for a while afterwards, but I had to head back to get some work done (much distracted by the NFL conference championship games) before sleeping.

Mon 21.1.13: 

After a long day of class, E40 lab, and learning about 'joiking' - a traditional Sami style of singing that sounds similar to Native American melodic chants; we will see a joiking performance at the Berlin Philharmonie on Wednesday - I grabbed dinner with Shane at a burrito place called Dolores at Wittenbergplatz. Slightly afraid of eating Mexican food in Germany, we were very impressed with the burritos - great variety and spices - and plan to return soon! And, that's about all I have time for on Mondays (and Thursdays, I guess) since E40 ends so late - after dinner, I just came home and crashed.

Tu 22.1.13: 
Today was absolutely AMAZING! In a nutshell: improv dance party, snowball fight, desserts, core workout, fancy dinner, and happy hour :D
Right, so after German, as I was preparing lunch, I was called down to the basement game room for an apparent dance party (such a memorable dancing style I must have). The others had found some old CDs that we rocked out to for a good 30-45minutes, just having a blast and happy to be dancing! Then Maria, one of the staff, provided us with a lovely lentil soup that was perfect on such a chilly day. However, the cold made for perfect snowball fight conditions! We got a group of ~8 of us on the front lawn, ducking and dodging each other's assaults, interspersed with other nonstandard tactics like tackling others to the ground (sorry, Bekah!) or ambushing others from behind (Tyler, Josh, you guys win this round), all of which made for great fun.

Before long, we headed back inside and began to disperse in preparation of our Bing program dinner later. But first, Esther, Sarah, and I scouted out the bakery that Dr. Jander suggested on last week's Dahlem field trip, and by retracing our steps we found Aux Dèlices Normands. We shared a pair of berry cakes and a pistachio cream torte, and were suitably impressed - definitely returning to try its other offerings! We stopped over at my house, allowing me to do a quick core workout (sadly, I've been unable to walk, let alone run, without discomfort/pain for the last week or so, as my shoes have raised and aggravated a blister on my heel. Thus, core and cross training will become my outlet for exercise until I am whole again) before we walked the couple blocks to the program dinner at Max und Moritz (reminiscent of the old German cartoons!).
Every Stanford abroad program has a Bing-sponsored dinner that features a delicious meal at a culturally-significant venue during which the students recognize and toast their program sponsors and benefactors. We thanked Peter and Helen Bing, as all programs do, as well as George Will, specific to the Berlin program, as we dined on a lovely spread of salmon with creamed spinach, roasted chicken with mixed vegetables, potatoes gratin, melon with prosciutto, caprese salad, mixed cheeses, smoked salmon, potato soup, fruit salad, and tiramisu. As is typical for these Bing dinners with all 35ish students gathered together, we quickly devolved into taking tons of pictures (and photobombing, of course), which I will upload once I get them from whoever took pictures. 

After dinner, several of us walked around in search of a nice bar, eventually ending up as a group of 10 in Cafe 39. Cocktails were just 4-5€ each, so we sampled everything from the Alabama Slammer to the Bahama Mama, from a Boston to a Mississippi Burning, and were very pleased with each of our selections (and, at relatively good prices, we may just have to return). Though we did feel bad for being that group of 'loud, obnoxious Americans,' we had several great quotes, like, "You guys are like three douches put together" or "How would you rank us, in terms of douchiness?" Eventually, once we felt like we'd overstayed our welcome, we departed and headed home (so far for me! haha I like living at Kottbusser Tor, since it seems very central to many of the main attractions and/or places we meet up).

Wed 23.1.13: 

We started the day with an introduction to Turkey (our Bing program trip is to Istanbul, from the 27th to the 30th), discussing its cultural changes over the past couple decades, its religious disparities and laws, and its ongoing efforts to join the E.U. We gathered that the population of Turkey is divided on several of these issues regarding liberalization and integration into the E.U., and so it is unclear how the citizens will respond if and when Turkey is accepted into the E.U. One of the classes offered this quarter is about the E.U. and its state of affairs, and so Professor Uli is leading this trip to Turkey.

I decided against the field trip today, thinking it was to the East Side Galleries (apparently it was to Bernhauer Straße, where other portions of the wall still stand - I'll have to check it out), choosing instead to do a bike workout (rather difficult in jeans) to help me work off all the chocolate I've been eating. Pleased yet exhausted, I went home and collapsed immediately on my bed for a quick nap.
I awoke around 6pm and dressed up for the Berlin Philharmonie at 8, arriving just barely in time after snagging some Gemuse Kebab (I felt out of place wearing a dress shirt and slacks in the fast-food-feel joint) and coordinating a ride over with Iqbal. Let me first acknowledge the reception area and the concert hall - the reception area was very elegant, with sweeping staircases and high, vaunted ceilings, and the auditorium was even more impressive, with 360 degree visibility and a very ornate layout. As for the concert itself, I was very pleased with the performance. Most of the 2 hour program involved an accordion and a bass guitar, evoking several different themes and imagined scenarios, and these were occasionally accompanied by a pianist and a pair of joikers dressed in traditional garb. Many of us had very low expectations for the joiking, given our brief exposure to it, but I was taken in by it and I could really envision the original spirit and object of the song manifesting its way through the singers' voices. I understand that the Berlin Philharmonie attracts several of the top-notch musicians and groups in the world (last Tuesday, the Vienna Orchestra - considered the best in the world - came and performed), and I felt as though these musicians definitely maintained the concert hall's reputation. 

Th 24.1.13: 
Once again, I saved Thursday morning to write my 300 words of German journals, only just finishing in time to arrive at the center on time (yay procrastination!). Our German is coming along pretty well, though I hope we start speaking more in German in class to help us practice our conversational skills (we've covered lots of grammar, and thus have used a lot of English to help us understand what is what). Anyway, prior to Econ and E40, Brianna, Josh, Kennan, Shane, and I did the Insanity cardio/plyo workout, after which we were absolutely exhausted and sore. Somehow I remained awake throughout both classes (the combination of showering and devouring the loaf of bread Esther brought me from Aldi's must've helped), and afterwards Kayo, Shane, and I went to an Italian place by Shane's house. Each of our pizzas/pastas were quite good, though I had to use my pasta to help me palate the 'Tomate Insalate' I ordered, thinking it was a salad with tomatoes, rather than a salad of tomatoes! Haha well, lesson learned - I'm not Italian enough :) 
On that note, though, we did discuss other sites in Europe we'd like to visit while we're here, and one of Shane's top interests is Rome, so we started tentatively planning that out and getting very excited about that prospect. Once we dispersed for home, we started researching flights - I'm not only considering Rome but also hoping to make it to Munich/Southern Germany as well as to Switzerland! - and gauging whether our ideal plans could indeed become feasible. 

Fri 25.1.13: 

Professor Uli had planned a trip to the Turkish embassy for all of us at noon, so after class several of us scrambled to arrive on time (Brianna and I missed the bus, but fortunately Rob and Brigid were leaving at that moment and offered us a ride. Best of all, this gave us an above-ground view of the city, and allowed me to sort of mentally organize a city layout in which I pieced together several portions that I'd seen independently and never known just how close to each other they were). The embassy itself has just opened three weeks ago, having been relocated and thus newly constructed, so we were some of the first visitors to set foot inside! 

The sun shines through!

At the Turkish Embassy

This installation is half a million Euros!!!

View within the Embassy - very artistic!

After admiring the gorgeous main hall, we sat down for a discussion with the Turkish Ambassador and a few of the other staff members on duty (they were unexpectedly humorous, informing us that most Fridays were 'Casual Fridays,' meaning that they usually left their jackets and ties in the closet, "in case an important official showed up"). They spoke to us about similar issues as we discussed on Wednesday, primarily concerned with the current direction and strategy of the Turkish government regarding its efforts to join the E.U. (and how it plans to meet all the requirements, such as human rights recognition and nonviolation) as well as its religious and political disputes regarding headscarves in the public sphere.

After the discussion ended, Keziah, Susan, and I regrouped at my house to work on our E40 pset, since we won't want to work on it in Turkey, and then caught the tail end of the Turkish market. We cobbled together a quick meal out of the breads and cheeses and spreads we discovered (this time: honey mustard, mango curry, and a spicy pepper salsa) and then they headed out. I supplemented the appetizers by making some tricolor pasta I'd picked up, and practiced my German a bit more with Anna over dinner and while watching the news. Around 10, Sherri, Susan, Juan, Zixiang, and I relocated to Keziah's place for some wine while we decided where to go out, ultimately deciding to try Club Matrix, which is strangely underneath the Warschauer Straße station (which is above ground, so the club is ground level. But still, rather interesting placement). While the music was pretty standard American top hits, we weren't big fans of the heavy smoke, crowded atmosphere (lots of tourists go on weekends), and bad DJing, and we took off before long, stopping at Burgermeister on the way home. 

Sat 26.1.13: 

Today I got up at 1 and researched some ideas for what part of the city I wanted to explore today. Eventually, I decided to join Bekah, Mikaela, and some of the Sprachpartner people at the Nollendorf/Winterfeldt farmers' market at 2:30. We wandered through the stalls (the plaza seemed fairly full, but apparently was only at ~60% of normal capacity since it was so cold, -12º C!) and Bekah and I each picked out a new hat (sadly, I lost my beanie earlier this week, but found this one for just 6€). Several stalls were offering delicious-looking pastries, crepes, or Turkish food, but we decided to sit down in a warm cafe and grab some coffee. We chatted with the Germans for an hour or so while we de-thawed (one of whom applied to study for a year at Cal, UCLA, or UCSC, so Bekah and I encouraged her to come visit Stanford), and then Bekah, Mikaela, and I took off to go thrift store shopping :) We stayed at Sing Blackbird for over an hour, with each of us finding something fun and affordable (despite efforts to turn me into a hipster European, I resisted the call of the form-fitting thin pants and went with the safer faded black jeans). 

Tonight was Sherri's birthday dinner, so we headed home, and I had just enough time to say hi to Anna and Hanna, look up directions, and find an ATM before quasi-jogging the 10 minutes to the restaurant, Jolesch (my heel felt okay, though I've been bandaging it every day and it still isn't fully healed). We had a good group in attendance, and on our end, Esther, Kayo, Keziah, Zixiang, and I had a great time,  discussing several topics at length and a few topics, such as wanting kids, baby philosophy, and various Stanford classes, only briefly before they were silenced by Kayo for being intelligent haha. The food and wine were quite good - I had a savory gnocchi with pumpkin; several people received a huge portion of weinerschnitzel - and we surprised Sherri at the end with a dessert sampler tray that featured a slice of chocolate cake, an apple strudel and cheese strudel, and a dish of Kaiserschmarrn. All in all, everyone had a wonderful time, and we were quick to make plans to do something similar in the near future :)
We need to be at the airport at 10am tomorrow morning, so Zixiang and I made plans to meet at the Kottbusser station at 8am to avoid any hassle. Once I got home, I skyped Mom and Terence (so great to see you guys! The 9hour time difference makes communication difficult) and then worked on packing and catching up on writing my blog, since I know the next few weekends I will be rather busy: Istanbul this weekend, followed by Rome, and then a trip to Koln for the weekend of Karneval! 
So, I'm happy to be all caught up now - and be prepared for some upcoming posts about my travels outside of Germany!

Week Two (ii) - Exploring and Celebrating

Wed 16.1.13: 

After lunch, we had our Berlin vor Ort field trip to the Dahlem area (just a few blocks away from the center). We walked through the Freie Universitat (Free University; free in the sense that it was established by the West during the Cold War - all German schooling is funded by the government) and saw the auditorium in which JFK spoke as well as the Chemistry building which held Einstein's office. Dr. Jander showed us through many of the FU's libraries and a few nearby museums before we reached the Dahlem cemetery, which was truly beautiful, further accentuated by the gleaming white snow that blanketed the paths and gravestones. Interred in this cemetery are Martin Niemöller, a vehement critic of the Nazis who was held specifically as a WWII POW under Hitler's orders, and Rudi Dutschke, who played a vital role during the German liberation movement during the 1960s, akin to the student movement in the US (also a response to the Vietnam War). While this cemetery wasn't nearly as large or renowned as Père Lachaise in Paris, learning about a few of the significant people buried there added an extra dimension that simultaneously personalized it and made it seem much more prestigious.

Finally, Dr. Jander pointed out the "best pastry shop in Berlin," Aux Dèlices Normands (we must return!) as well as his childhood house, and childhood sweetheart's house around the corner. All of us sighed at this cute gesture, especially because Dr. Jander seems very German - usually quite serious but enthusiastic about teaching us about German history (and often subconsciously waving his hands around while talking) - and so this personalization was incredibly touching :)

After the tour, doing some homework, and grabbing dinner, I got home around 10 and, instead of writing my German journals as I should have, decided to start reading Ready Player One. About a geek-fantasy scavenger hunt set in a futuristic society but concerning the 1980s, it was incredibly appealing, and I ended up reading it straight through… finishing at 5am lol. Needless to say, in hindsight this was probably a poor choice on my part, yet I was unable to stop reading in the moment.

Th 17.1.13: 

I arose early (painfully so, after staying up so late) to finish, aka start, my journals and then I settled in for a long day of class and homework in between. The combination of Econ and E40 today was absolutely brutal - by the end of E40, all of us were dead tired and utterly unable to focus on the new and confusing material. Regardless, after E40, Tina, Tim, Susan, and I went to see a street art gallery, which seemed to center around minimalism and/or conservation (though, with my patience for art, I can't really say, as we left shortly after breezing through the rooms). 

Susan and I picked up some Gemuse Kebab for dinner, and this place offered two spices labeled as follows. Bold me accepted two spoonfuls of the Rambo flakes, which added significantly more spice and heat than expected. The entire time, as my pores opened up and my tongue felt like an inferno, the good-natured server kept smiling knowingly at me and suggesting I grab a drink (never!) as I babbled about how good but hot the flakes were. What an endeavor!

Victory picture!

 

Fri 18.1.13: 

After our first test in German class (I think I did respectably), I headed to the Turkish market at my stop with Esther, Molly, Sarah, Susan, and Peter. This market totally meets the recommendations - over a half mile of farmers' market-type stands alongside the river, with great variety, excellent prices, and a fun vibe! We delighted in picking out several delicious-looking cheeses and spreads, which we promptly devoured back at my place for a late lunch. My goal is to sample as many cheeses (and other enticing dishes, of course) as possible while here - today we got a standard hummus, a basil-feta-pesto spread, and a tomato-paprika-spice spread, all of which were delicious :)

Afterwards, Molly, Susan, and Peter left for Museum Island, and Esther, Sarah, and I met up with Adrienne, Kayo, and Nish at KaDeWe, the huge department store by Wittenbergplatz. We browsed a number of the designer stores for fun (according to Sarah, the prices are better than in the US - time to stock up!), found a line of socks called "Sensual Stockings," discovered a number of adorable stuffed animals, saw several entertaining-looking German board games and intricate chessboards and pieces, and browsed the food floor for chocolates and other delicacies. The prices throughout KaDeWe are extraordinarily high (for a student budget, at least), so we didn't get anything, but we still enjoyed looking around and imagining buying multi-hundred Euro boots or an exquisite plate of lobster tail.
We relocated to the Moroccan place in Kreuzberg for an affordable dinner, and we were all delighted with the ample portions of delicious food. It was Nish's birthday, so we picked up a few drinks and chocolates at the store, then headed to Lulu's (a long subway ride, made slightly entertaining when Adrienne, Nish, and I created a beer bottle symphony by whistling across the tops) to meet up with other people. When we arrived safely at Lulu's (Kayo sagely reassured us that our clinking bottles scared away all the urban Berlin bears), we toasted Nish and prepared to head out to Club Soda, a fairly touristy club but it at least plays American music. On the walk to the subway, Kayo decreed we're not allowed to have any 'intelligent' conversations in these situations, and so we hurriedly steered away from a conversation including the word 'economics' in favor of a discussion about Taylor Swift. We had another long subway ride to get to the club, with many of us dozing off, but once we arrived, we met up with even more of the Stanford crew (I also ran into my host sister Hanna) and for the most part had a really enjoyable time. We're still not entirely on the Berlin schedule, though, as we took off around 4am and went to bed - at some point, we ought to try to pull a local-style 2am to 8am or later night :)

Sat 19.1.13: 

I awoke at 3:30 and lazed around the house for a bit with my host family, then realized that I would be hosting an Asian-dumpling cooking party for dinner, since I have a decent-sized kitchen and living room space, and we were trying to cook for ~10 people. People arrived around 6, and we generally just hung out and chatted about our experiences in Berlin so far. Inevitably, stories from last night were pretty popular - some highlights:
  -  Adrienne and Nish falling asleep in Club Soda, and us not noticing when we left, so they woke up at ~7 to an empty club. Then they fell asleep on the subway ride, waking up at the end of the line and having to switch trains to go to their stop... this happened twice!

  -  Kayo bluntly asking me, "Is that always how you dance?" I guess dancing on my knees was kinda memorable.

  -  A few of the girls stopped to use the bathroom in a Burger King, but the layout was such that a certain table had direct line of sight on the bathroom stalls (not sure why there wasn't a bathroom door, with stalls inside)... and that table was the only one occupied, by guys no less, on the entire floor.

  -  Returning home, I was sleepily dozing on the subway, but waking up when I heard the changeover station announced. During the change, two creepy-ish guys started following Susan, Molly, and I, and when Susan and Molly told me to wake up and hurry, I told them they were "being needy."

Anyway, after a few hours of relaxing with delicious Asian-style dumplings with excellent company, we made our way downstairs to Iqbal's place (he lives the floor below me) to meet up with a bunch of the others to decide what to do. Many of us weren't feeling like another night of clubbing, but still wanted to wander around, so Esther, Sherri, Kayo, Adrienne, Nish, and I rode to the nearby Mehringdamm stop and grabbed some pastries from the 24hour Cafe Tinto. Once we'd regained some feeling in our fingers and toes, and before we fell asleep, we braved the cold once again (with me sharing my coat once again - not sure why/how, but I indeed radiate heat and can lend out my jacket for brief stretches, to much amazement) and withdrew to our cozy beds. 

Week Two (i) - Sick, Broke, Yet Adventurous!

Sat 12.1.13: 

Despite the intermittent sleep last night, I arose at 10 today (probably 13-14 hours of sleep total!) feeling a bit better than yesterday. There had been a tentative plan to meet Susan Molly Esther Sarah at Tiergarten at 12, contingent on them waking up after staying out late, so I added money to my phone and headed over, unsure if they'd be there. They weren't, but I wandered along an open market with predominantly arts/crafts stuff like kitchenware, old photos, clothes, and woodwork - my favorite was a stall with woodcarvings of tons of animals, including several owls that I imagined to be various incarnations of Strix Tender Wurm (thinking of you, Daniel and Deborah!)

I returned to Tiergarten at 4 once the others had woken up haha. Molly Susan and I first crashed the Mercedes dealership and had our own version of the Cold War… pun intended :D 

A snowball standoff

We then met up with Esther and Sarah and wandered through the Tiergarten itself, illuminated spectacularly by the gas lanterns. Eventually we found the cafe nestled amidst the trees, which sported a curling area and stage by the back entrance. 

Stunning. Simply stunning

A Winter Wonderland

View of the cafe

Belgian hot chocolate

Inside, we realized the cafe was even fancier than we expected - we were tipped off by not only the decor but also the numerous well-dressed couples on dates giving us brief looks of mild surprise. We shared an apple strudel and a belgian hot chocolate - this came with a huge scoop of chocolate, which we added bit by bit to the cup and mixed in the warm milk - absolutely delicious!

The main dishes were a tad expensive for us, so for dinner we went to Mustafa's, a 3€ kebab/doner stand that consistently has at least a 15min outside wait (aka it's renowned). We crashed at my house for an hour (Esther and Susan passed the f*** out, under my America sheets and on my floor, respectively…) and listened to Taylor Swift music videos, recuperating prior to our Sprachpartner event later. The Sprachpartner program intends to provide us with native speakers with whom to practice our speaking, but it doesn't seem like it's going to work out. This event was at a bar across town, and we did meet up with several Berliners, but for many of us, it just seemed forced and difficult to actually converse because we have so little German anyway. We stayed in the bar for an hour or so and then took off intending to find a club. We didn't have a great sense of where to go though, and a few of us still weren't feeling 100%, so Anna, Susan, and I took off around midnight to sleep while the others adventured around (we later learned they didn't get in anywhere until 2, so we were justified in our decision to go home). 

Sun 13.1.13: Today was a pretty minimalist day - I woke up at 12, joined my host mom Anna in watching some German TV, and caught up with some of my blog until meeting up with people at 4 at a cafe. We attempted to do work until dinner, and then met up with other people for dinner at a Chinese place. There were 17 of us, and we kept arriving in ones and twos and eventually engulfed a second table, so we felt really bad for our waiters, but luckily there weren't many other patrons for us to disturb, being the stereotypical LOUD American tourists :D

Side note: since Thursday, I realized I have been down to just 5€, having spent my cash and as yet unable to withdraw money. I've been abstaining from meals out and/or purchasing a loaf of bread as the day's meal until I can get home and eat. So, I passed on this meal as well (for this one, I also wasn't hungry due to being sick) - it's been very sobering to imagine what this must be like on a regular basis.

After returning home, I nibbled some fruit and vegetables and then hit the hay.

Mon 14.1.13: Another uneventful day, largely occupied by class - our E40 lab ran until 8:30 tonight, leaving me just enough time to come home for leftovers. Fortunately, I finally sorted out banking stuff, so Tuesday I was able to splurge once more on food and other goodies!

Tu 15.1.13: On my subway ride to school, I observed two guys casually swigging some Scotch straight from the bottle - to be fair, they didn't look employed, but still, I guess when it's less than 20 ºF, you've got to warm up somehow in the morning! Anyway, after German we went to Aldi's for groceries, and my new on-hand cash enabled me to pick up several jellies, chocolates, and some fruits and vegetables - yay! Also, Lulu, Tina, Hector and I explored the surrounding area and found a delicious Italian place for lunch, where we each sampled a different type of spaghetti (pesto for me) and browsed their shelves full of various pastas and sauces and desserts (including one beach-ball-sized, five-pound-ish cake).

Around 5, I took off and decided to explore the Mehringdamm/Gneisenausstraße area (3-4 stops from mine, or perhaps a 25-30min walk). I came across several restaurants I'd like to try out at some point, from a Croatian place that offered the same cheese-filled cutlet dish I had last Wednesday, an Italian place with cheap pizzas, pastas, and desserts, and a number of Indian or East Asian restaurants that seem like good fits for large groups. I also picked found several new grocery stores, from the small, ethnic food store to the natural foods chain, allowing me to pick up some tortillas, a variety of cheeses, a few more veggies, and of course several more chocolates :) Finally, I browsed several bookstores, glancing eagerly but incomprehensibly at the German titles but happily finding a few all-English sections - in fact, I picked up a copy of Ready Player One (highly recommended - look it up!).

I meandered back home and had time to set my groceries down before walking down the street to Santa Maria's for Taco Tuesday (1€ tacos and tequila shots). At least 15 of us were crowded around two tables clearly meant for just 8, but that seemed commonplace due to the evening's promotion. I tried the chicken and cactus (yes, cactus!) tacos - quite delicious - along with a few group tequila shots, and then we decided to check out one of the nearby bars. We found one down the street and had some beers (I had some amaretto, remembering how good it was in the BVI Bushwhacker, and was suitably pleased) while inspecting the quite strange artwork - our favorite was a semi-typical waterfront cafe scene featuring an entire corner of rhinos, bears, alligators, wolves, and other dressed-up animals as patrons! Lulu, Shane, Zixiang and I wandered for a bit longer, attempting to find another bar or club, but to no avail, so we settled on some late night Turkish food before turning in for the night.

Week One - Monuments, The Wall, and Snow!

Sun 6.1.13: Today we took a bus tour of Berlin, driving through the center then on to Kreuzberg and then the East Side Galleries. Our first stop was at the memorial for Russian soldiers who died in WWII. The memorial consisted of a pair of soldiers kneeling in duty, a wide open area with planted shrubs flanked by pillars with quotes by Stalin, and a large individual soldier looking out over the entire memorial (pics). 

The kneeling soldier

Up close

The group by this first statue

View of the memorial

Next, we drove along the Tauentzienstraße and saw a whole slew of really fancy stores, culminating with the famous KaDeWe, or Kaufhaus des Westens, which is the second-largest department store in Europe. Most stores in Germany are closed on Sundays (we're convinced that allows everyone to party as long as they want without worrying about work) so we decided we'll have to come back sometime during the week or on a Saturday to check the stores out - and probably just to window shop since most stores are likely well out of our student budget! Next we passed through Kreuzberg (not much narration here, although the subway here was built above ground because this area was predominantly poor when the subway was constructed, and so the city planners didn't bother to build the subway underground. I guess they figured that only the rich areas deserve an underground subway that is out of sight and relatively quiet) on our way to the East Side Galleries along the river, which is where part of the wall remains as a memorial, painted over by over 100 different artists. 

Our penultimate stop before lunch was at a panoramic reconstruction of the Berlin Wall, replete with images of guards on the eastern side and people peering over from the west to the desolate regions across the wall. The gallery also included a voice-over of quotes relating to the Wall (we all recognized JFK's 'Ich bin ein Berliner' speech) and a wall for signatures where we could sign our names (I added the Stanford block S and tree). Our guide Dr. Jander and our Resident Fellows (RF's) Rob and Brigid provided even more context to us young 'uns about what conditions were like in Berlin during the Cold War - how even though it was West Berlin that was enclosed, East Berlin suffered more; how the Berlin Airlift operation by the West flew thousands of flights per day (I'd known the importance of the airlift, but I thought it was on the order of a few flights per day, certainly not thousands!); how difficult working conditions were for East Berliners at the time; and how difficult it was for the East Berliners to find work after the Wall came down, as the GDR economy collapsed and a huge number of East Berlin workers were blacklisted in the West. We also learned that, despite the initial celebrations upon the destruction of the Wall, many Berliners retained their distrust of the other side, further complicating the reunification for years to come. 

Our dessert at Brecht's

One of the bridges next to the East Side Galleries

We broke for lunch at Brecht's, where we indulged in a sedate three-course meal (very European!) of tomato soup, chicken with vegetables in a pear sauce, and this lovely berry dessert. Fortified once more, Molly, Susan, and I returned to the East Side Galleries for a closer look - here are a few of my favorite illustrations. I met Zixiang for dinner at a Moroccan place, where we both got substantial servings of falafel, hummus, tabouleh, and other sides for just 4-6€ - definitely going back!

Great artwork 

A dragon and a giraffe! 

Through the window you can see the river

Mon 7.1.13: After a long, boring orientation, several of us went to Aldi's (a grocery store down the block that's owned by the same people who own Trader Joe's!) to get stuff for lunch. Germans are big on recycling, and charge for plastic bags, so I used my many coat pockets to carry back some jam, bread, salami, cheese, and vegetables. At 4:30 we had our German Economy in the Age of Globalization class (M/Th 4:30-6:15); the professor, Ingo Klein, is very entertaining and interesting so I think I'll enjoy the class despite very little prior experience. Also, he made a wonderful sweet tea for all of us during the mid-class break, further enamoring us of him :) Immediately following Econ, at 6:15, I have E40 (electronics and circuits), which should be productive with just 9 of us in the class. Timur, our course assistant (he leads our discussion sections; we also have videos to the Stanford campus lectures from a year or so ago), is very direct but is hilarious in a dry, German sense (he told us, "Bring stones to class, and if I make mistake, throw them at me. Bring stones because I don't like tomatoes"), and all nine of us will certainly be working together, so we should manage well. 

Since today was the first class, our CA let us go at 7:15 (the class is officially M/Th from 6:15 until 'unspecified' aka however long it takes us to finish material… bleh. Usually we should end around 8 or 9, he said), so Lulu, Esther, Tina, Shane, Tyler, Kennan, and I decided to grab dinner at a sushi place that had a 50% off promotion, and we swapped stories of our travels, interests, and plans for the upcoming weekends. By the time we finished, we were pretty tired so we just headed home and slept.

Tu 8.1.13: On Tuesdays I only have German class from 11 to 1, so I plan to use future Tuesdays to keep exploring the city and adventuring! This time we had to stick around for a few more logistical tasks like setting up our Deutsch bank account, and I used the remainder of the afternoon to crank out most of my German homework (Jochen asked us to turn in our daily journals, new vocab, and review from class by Wednesday) before dinner. Over Italian pizzas and sangria, Adrienne, Kayo, Mia, Susan, Molly, Nish, Kennan, and I played Two Truths One Lie (favorite moment: during Nish's turn, one of whose clues was "I met one of the people at this table by drawing their face," Mia asked, "Won't that person know whether that's true?" and Nish responded, to Mia's embarrassment and general hilarity, "Well, that person was you…" - it had been two years ago, in an art class) and generally having a good time. Finally we took our leave (we've begun noticing our loudness marks us as distinctly American haha) and dispersed to our own houses, where I finished the remainder of my homework and slept.

Wed 9.1.13: After German (M-Th from 11-1, F from 10-12) several of us headed to the southwest part of Kreuzberg for our Berlin von Ort field trip class (W from 2-4). Bekah and I found some currywurst for lunch (sadly, my first stereotypically German food besides breakfast rolls, and already day seven) as we listened to Dr. Jander explain the history of the Platz der Luftbrucke monument,

This one's twin is in Frankfurt

~ 'They gave their lives for the freedom of Berlin'

 which honors those who gave their lives during the Berlin Airlift. We proceeded to Viktoriapark, a good-sized (but apparently sketchy) park surprising for the fact that it is elevated (not much of Berlin is) and so the top grants a panoramic view of the city. Also, it sports this monument from the early 1800s, honoring the German peoples who fought for their freedom, and the cross at the top of the monument became the name of the hill and the entire city district (kreuzberg ~ cross mountain)!

Face 3

Face 4

Face 1

Face 2

View from the top

A castle-esque abode and former brewery

Looking up the water-less waterfall

Hey - I recognize that guy!

We continued onward as Dr. Jander informed us of the German schooling system - apparently in 4th grade the teachers sit down with each kid's parents and decide whether the kid will continue towards university education or a more vocational schooling route, with something like only 40% entering the university path (I think? Anyway, such an early decision seemed quite strange to us used to the American system, but I'm sure each has its pros and cons). Our tour ended at the Marheinekeplatz indoor market, featuring several baked goods, fruits and vegetables, meats and cheeses, and other delicacies - I'll have to come back, especially since it's nearby. 

Some of the other E40ers wanted to start our homework so we went back to the center, finished most of it, and then decided to grab dinner by getting off at a random station and wandering until we found a restaurant haha. It took us a while to find a restaurant, but eventually Lulu Kayo Adrienne Esther Susan Nish Shane and I found - yup, another - Turkish place. We ordered and shared several types of German beer, and I was delighted with my goat cheese-filled cutlet of beef as well. We also learned just how quotable Kayo is - she told Adrienne, "You're like my dog!" which even in context didn't make much sense - so we're starting to write down this trip's best quotes :)

Th 10.1.13: 

Exhaustion is already catching up with me - I slept until 10:15 today, which is usually when I catch the train to school! I hurriedly gathered my stuff and bolted to the station, arriving just a few minutes late to German but otherwise fine. Over lunch, I sorted out a few Running Club tasks and finished my homework before Econ/E40, which were both interesting but got tiring by the end. For dinner, a big group of us went to Burgermeister (though I opted for Turkish food instead), a small stand under the U1 (the above-ground subway, same one that runs by my house), with a positive verdict for both price and taste. A few people adventured around afterward, but I was pretty tired, and woke up kind of sick today, so I just headed home. I hung out with Hanna for a while, speaking some German as best I could and English when I couldn't while she showed me some popular German music videos. Then around midnight I finally finished and submitted my Co-Term application to the MS&E department (hooray!) and then crashed, exhausted.

Fri 11.1.13: 

German is my only class on Friday, and luckily we just reviewed everything from the past week - slowly starting to feel more comfortable bit by bit. After lunch Susan and I finished our E40 prelab and then I went on a run in full cold-weather attire (first time running in leggings).

Beautiful car snow art outside my apt

Sights from my run

The Botanischer Garten

More mid-run snapshots

I hung out at the center for a bit afterwards, hoping someone would want to check out the Turkish open market near my house (T/F afternoons) but to no avail, so I just headed home (too tired even to go myself at that point). I had a pasta dinner with my host family, over which I was entertained with a group discussion about various swear words in English/French/German :) After dinner, even though it was only 7, I felt extremely tired (combination of numerous late nights and being sick) and fell into a fitful sleep, waking every two hours until about 3am, after which I fell asleep for good.

Ich bin hier in Berlin!

Th 3.1.13: Well well well! I have made it safely to Berlin, and even survived a few conversations with a few taxi drivers and storekeepers in semi-passable German! After a long day of flying, I arrived at Haus Cramer, the Stanford student center in Berlin, around 10 and met the faculty and other students as everyone arrived. We took care of logistical issues and toured the Haus as a group (it's huge!) and then I finally left for my homestay around 4. I met my host family - Frau Anna, her son Phillipe, and another exchange student from Paris, Hanna - all of whom are really nice and willing to help me practice my German and learn my way around Berlin :)

The apartment is located in Kreuzberg, which is in a great part of town with lots of international cafes/restaurants (especially Mediterranean and Turkish). For dinner, I met up with Tina and Kennan, and we sampled one of Kreuzberg's Turkish restaurants, ordering in halting German and pointing (the universal language of restaurants), before turning in.

In front of Haus Cramer

Fr 4.1.13: Today I arose at 6:30 (so early!) and went to the local Registration Bureau to register in order to stay to study here). I got lost on my way numerous times (as I expect will continue to happen for my entire stay here) but registered without any problems. On my way to the Haus, I bought a pair of running shoes, which I broke in immediately with a run through the Grünewald (Green Forest) to the Autobahn. The Grünewald has a plethora of trails, so I got in a lovely run around a lake and made it back just in time for orientation. We met the faculty in greater detail and had our first German class with Professor Jochen. He had each of us seven students introduce ourselves, and then we covered the basics of the different verb tenses - finally we can speak in something other than the present!

For dinner, Adrienne, Nish, and I wandered around Kreuzberg and settled on - yep, you guessed it - a mediterranean restaurant. Our meal was fraught with embarrassment and disaster, as seating was a cramped affair and the waitress seemed somewhat impatient with our slow decision-making regarding our order. One humorous aspect: the group next to us left an umbrella on the floor when they left, and - since it was right next to us - we nudged it closer to us, planning to depart with it if the owner didn't return to claim it before we left. Yet, when we were finally leaving, even though we saw nobody come close to our table during our dinner, the umbrella was nowhere to be found! We felt so outraged and cheated as we walked out (simultaneously feeling awkward as we shuffled between the other patrons with our backpacks, attracting everyone's attention)!

We saw six others on their way to dinner as we were leaving, but since us three didn't have working phones, we had no reliable way to meet up with them so we just went back home. I was preparing for bed when Lulu posted in our Facebook group about a time/place to meet to go out and explore, and I figured, "Why not?" (when in Berlin, do as the Berliners do, right?)  So, I met up with Lulu and Esther at Potsdamer Platz around 1, and we found our way to a club with a special 'Ladies Night,' advertising free Prosecco - and male strippers haha. We arrived too late for the special offer, but we mingled in the club and sampled some (expensive) drinks once Susan joined us. The club played lots of American pop music, but unfortunately, they didn't have either of our requests: Macklemore's 'Thrift Shop' or Taylor Swift's 'I Knew You Were Trouble' :( In any event, we enjoyed ourselves, and when we left at 4, it was still going strong. It's common for Berliners to start partying after midnight and return home around ~6-8 once the subways start up again in full swing!

Sat 5.1.13: Anna didn't even blink when I got up for breakfast at 2 (as expected following a night out, I suppose) and then left for the Brandenburger Tor. I was already late when I saw these cars on display, thus diverting me another 15 minutes - 100% worth it :D 

Yes, that is a Bugatti Veyron :)

Even a Bentley looks unimpressive in comparison

Gypsy Memorial

I finally did catch up with the group for the tour, and saw the Brandenburger Tor, the Bundesrat, Gypsy Memorial, and Holocaust Memorial. All were appropriately impressive, but in particular I (and the other students) were struck by the Holocaust Memorial. We felt that its uneven, undulating ground matched the uncertainty the Jews faced, that the gradual descent toward the center echoed the continuous worsening of the Jews' treatment in Nazi Germany, and that the stone pillars (all gray and streaked with raindrops but of differing heights) recalled the sense of foreboding (and the raindrops are reminiscent of tears) and intimidation, especially when standing amidst them at the center and looking up. 

Der Bundesrat (legislative body)

Amidst the Holocaust Memorial

The US Embassy and the Bundesrat are
visible in the background

We then viewed a few sites important during the Third Reich, including the site of Hitler's office and the bunker where he died, a few impressive-looking government buildings and churches, and ended up at Fassbender und Rausch, the "best chocolate store in Berlin," if not Germany (think similar to Godiva perhaps), where I purchased a delicious marzipan törtchen (tart) with raspberry creme filling :)

A chocolate Brandenburger Tor!

It was Tyler's birthday today, so 12 of us went to the Corroboree restaurant at Potsdamer Platz, where we tried their kangaroo - much like a soft steak and pretty tasty. We're fairly certain we upheld the stereotype of loud, obnoxious Americans that night - as soon as we were seated, several other patrons gave us astounded glances as we chatted and cheered for Tyler's birthday - but oh well, we had fun! 

After sampling different types of German beer at Tyler's homestay, we headed out around 1130 or 12, trying unsuccessfully to get into a number of clubs we'd looked at ahead of time (one asked for our passports - who carries those around when clubbing?). At this point we split up, with five of us finding our way into a gay club with recognizable music, so we entertained ourselves and were able to dance the night away, once again returning to our respective homestays around 5 or 6. On the way back, I jogged home rather than wait for the U-Bahn, but nearly gave up and slept at a bus stop when I stopped briefly to read the station map and I realized I'd been running the wrong direction for the last 5 minutes :/ Thankfully I made it without further incident, fortified as it were with some late-night Turkish food :D