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.
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| 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
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| Yes, that is a Bugatti Veyron :) |
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| Even a Bentley looks unimpressive in comparison |
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| Gypsy Memorial |
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| Der Bundesrat (legislative body) |
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| Amidst the Holocaust Memorial |
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| 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 :)
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| 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
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