Week Ten (i) - Tintenfisch and Blind Dinner!

Mon 11.3.13: 

After German I picked up groceries for the week, allowing me to make another salmon and veggie omelette as a post-core workout meal. E40 was cancelled, so after Econ I hung out at the center, finishing some logistical issues and writing a poem for tomorrow's talent show. 

Tue 12.3.13: 

Every quarter, Stanford in Berlin hosts Tintenfisch, which literally means octopus but somehow came to stand for talent show. It's a great way to relax and observe our friends' (and staff's) hidden skills! The line-up:

Susan and Juan played two beautiful violin duets, including Mozart's 'The Mirror' Duet (the second violin's part is obtained by rotating the sheet music 180° from that of the first violin!)

Peter performed a pair of pieces on piano

Rob sung a rendition of Max the Knife

Group mockeries/ guessing game!

Karen churned out a concerto on cello

Nish and co. attempted 'Ich bin morgens immer müde'

Susan performed a solo

I ended with my poem, a half-English half-Deutsch endeavor that summarized our experiences while abroad and included several program-wide jokes (see end of post)

After Tintenfisch, I played some football with Shane, logged a bike workout, met briefly with Wolf regarding my Deutsche Bahn application, and then headed to our blind dinner!

We were led into an absolutely pitch black room (I couldn't even see my hand when I waved it in front of my face), hands on each other's shoulders, and were seated carefully. It took us a few minutes to orient ourselves, but we soon figured out who was sitting where and where our utensils were. Also, in the utter darkness, we felt liberated enough to remove some of our clothes - quite entertaining for the sense of mischievousness, though simultaneously comical and embarrassing when the waiter tapped us on the shoulder (I'm sure they get this all the time though).

We started with a delicious soup, which I tried - successfully - to eat normally, sitting upright and lifting each spoonful to my mouth. Initially it was difficult and disorienting, as I worried about spilling, but I managed quite respectably. At the end, though, I had to resort to awkwardly tilting the bowl and scraping it repeatedly, unsure of when I had finished. I had selected the 'River and Sea' option, so my main dish came with what I believe was a white fish, risotto, and some sort of vegetable. We all had great fun attempting to ascertain precisely what our plates were, as it was quite challenging without sight (this lack of sight enabled Zixiang to troll our table by prowling around and switching seats). Finally, our dessert arrived: a chocolate truffle, a glass full of passion fruit cream (my favorite), and a ladleful of fresh berries - simply superb! All in all, I think I speak for our entire group when I say that not having sight requires significant adjustments - using the bathroom was a nervous but successful endeavor - and definitely widened our understanding of other people's lives. 

Afterwards, we walked to Weinerei, a wine bar with a 2€ entry fee and then a pay-what-you-think-is-fair policy, but it was full so Lulu, Susan, and I just headed to my place for some Bushwhackers before sleeping.

My Reflection upon this Quarter in Berlin

We arrived excited, and partied and sung

Oops, I'm sorry - Entschuldigung

How much to pay? I dunno what to say…

Bitte? Bitte bitte? Bitte bitte? Bitte bitte?

Of chocolate, clubs, cafes, and bars - there is too much to name

Schlafen an der U-Bahn? Kein Problem!

Exploring with Jander - monuments and the Wall

Keine Sonne? Es schneit! Wirf einen Schneeball!

So many sponsors and staff to thank

Und danach wir feiern mit Geburtstag Getrank

The Philharmonie - you must be joiking!

Ich habe keine Annung, was reimt mit joiking

Tequila Tuesday, Turkish market, Brandenburger Tor

Trinken tanzen trinken tanzen trinken some more!

Turkey talks, dumb Americans? - That was a bit of a groaner

Wir aßen ,,Bert with Women'' aber Kreuzberg Döner ist schöner

Hagia Sofia, Grand Bazaar and baklava

Ich bin morgens immer müde und ich fühle so la la

E40 is in serious - "whaddya mean upstairs?"

Oh, wie schön sind der Tiger und der Bär

Weekend trips and Karneval - "Guys, it's 7am!"

Gluhwein, Kostumen, und Viva Colonia

Hertha-Union, Valentines, Museum Island blitz

Hänsel Gretel, Brüder Grimm, Max und Moritz!

Berlinale and a ballet - why was there so much flash?

Museen, Potsdam, Sanssouci - ich war überrascht!

Poor translations: cervical steak; what should that even be?

Und was hat passiert, in der Karaoke?

Econ toured BMW; T. Swift's 'Trouble' played aloud

Dann in Dresden lernten wir über alles, das wurde gebaut

The gold the gems the knights the tents, this collection was the best

In Prague: das Schloss, die Karls Brücke, Altstadt und der Rest

The sun appeared (to much rejoicing) but we won't see tonight

Wir sind gewesen in Berlin für so so lange Zeit

The history, the memories; I'd count this trip a winner

Besonders falls wir sagen können ,,Ich bin ein Berliner!"

Week Nine (ii) - Loooong Run and More Museums

Sat 9.3.13:

Susan's host parents invited Lulu and me over for brunch, so we had a relaxing morning all together. They are the sweetest elderly couple - not only did they prepare a lavish spread, they were happy to help us practice our German and they have tons of old comics! I mentioned my interest and they pulled out several by Gerhard Seyfried, which were fun to skim through, and they have Wallace and Gromit as well! Their house is quite, quite old, so we had a miniature treasure hunt just scouring the shelves looking for goodies; Susan's room is in the attic, which contained Narnia-esque wardrobes, ancient but recognizable board games, puppets, books, and probably much more!

Once I got home, I mapped a running route that would take me through 2-3 parks and end at a subway station (allowing me to explore more of South Berlin, rather than just running an out-and-back). The parks (including the unfinished Templehof Airport) were beautiful, and definitely helped clear my mind from the typical cloistered nature of city running. I continued south for a ways, but must've missed my turn, because I ended up waaaay further than I had intended. I'd only drawn vague directions on my hand, so I didn't realize my error until I asked for directions. It was a beautiful detour, however - I ran along forest lanes in the lightly falling snow :) By the time I'd retraced my steps to a known subway station, I was exhausted, and deservedly so - somehow, I averaged 6:50 pace for 16.74 miles!
Afterwards, I lazed around and then went bar hopping with Keziah, her friend Felitia, and Susan, from Bar 39 to Samira (3.50 per cocktail? yes please!).

Sun 10.3.13: 

I inadvertently slept through our group's 9am tour of the Bundesrat - German constitutional body - and instead met Keziah and Felitia for a buffet brunch (the tour didn't work out anyway, so I didn't miss anything). The restaurant offered an unbelievable assortment, from delicate meats and cheeses on bread to various spreads and vegetables, from a delicious fruit salad with sweet yogurt to scrumptious crepes with you-name-it toppings. Needless to say, we were plenty stuffed throughout the day!

We visited the Berlinische Galerie, featuring primarily new and modern art, including lots of works from the Dada movement (some anti-war movement speaking against social norms). Throughout the gallery, a number of pieces were marked with an orange dot, which indicated works by artists who were persecuted for religious or other reasons during the Nazi reign.

Amazon (ca. 1890), bronze 

Max Liebermann, self-portrait (1912)

Hödicke's Cold Stream: the tar-like bitumen
slowly pours out; its sheen reflects glossily

Arthur Segal - novel for blending painting and frame

Aerial view of Cold Stream 

Arthur Segal's The Artist's Life on Earth "The Painter" 1921
(perhaps this depicts Van Gogh's life?)

Blind Power - the muscular warrior is assailed
by animals representing six of the seven
deadly sins - perhaps the warrior is wrath

The Folly Square - comically depicts generational conflict:
the rigidity of professors (left) and Liebermann vs. the young

A Dada parody of the war-wounded soldier

Hunter and Hunted in the German Woods
Do you see the figures? Look closely!

I then explored the Salvador Dali museum, which I found quite impressive, especially the prints. No pictures were allowed, but my favorite pieces were:

 - green minotaur statue with golden scorpion and, of course, surrealist drawers

 - several different angels: cubist, surrealist, glass

 - cavalier and death, others with very intricate pencilwork

 - der Spiegel Magazine covers and etched olympic coins

Dali!

Any guesses what this means?
My best idea is 'Emergency Gathering Point'

Random sculpture near Leipziger Platz

The Bundesrat

I then met Susan at Zoologischer Garten and we walked through Tiergarten as the snow fell - pretty! We attempted walking on the ice - nope! Not solid enough yet - and played on a few playgrounds beyond the Englischer Garten :)

Checkpoint Charlie, again

Englischer Garten

We met Shane, Anna, and Hector for some excellent schnitzel to honor Shane's birthday, then relocated for some drinks (collective favorite: the Pink Floyd) afterwards, swapping stories from the weekend (they'd gone to Amsterdam).

Week Nine (i) - Springtime Sun, More Cars, and Dinner with Jochen!

Mon 4.3.13: 

We woke up at 4:45, ran into everyone else in the program on the bus, and navigated to the bus station just in time. We caught a beautiful sunrise over the countryside, which translated into a gorgeously sunny day in Berlin! The weather was too good to pass up, so I ran through the Grunewald and around Schlactensee (a lake). It felt relaxing and cleansing to get away from everything urban and just listen to the crackling of branches underfoot and see the sun reflecting off the still frost-covered lakes. I even discovered a 10m tall watchtower on my run! And, since I hadn't run much lately, I was pleasantly surprised to clock a 6:52 pace for 7.42mi, even closing in 6:01 pace for the last 1.58mi!

Bridge just outside of Prague

Incredible sunrise

Then I picked up groceries, did core on the Center's sunny lawn, and rewarded myself with some delicious scrambled eggs w/ salmon, cheese, bell pepper, dill, green onion :D And after Econ and E40, I went home, blogged, and slept.

Tue 5.3.13: 

After a quick football toss around session, I headed home and ran around Mitte and East Berlin, and, upon realizing I'd been there before, connected the dots from previous excursions to orient myself within the city layout. I barely had time to shower before leaving for dinner - our German class had arranged a dinner with Jochen! Having let Jochen decide on his favorite Italian restaurant, we should've perhaps suspected some shenanigans - he must've called and pre-arranged the menu (we didn't realize this until the second round of them just bringing us food). The fare was phenomenal: we started with a mozzarella and tomato soup, followed by two different types of squid, tuna and beef carpaccio, prosciutto and cucumber pizza, and thinly sliced steak as shared appetizers, then we received a blue-cheese and apple ravioli in cream sauce, artfully concluded by two scoops of ice cream - one was a rich chocolate with nuts sprinkled on top, and the other was a hazelnut with raspberry glaze. Scrumptious!

Wed 6.3.13: 

After our German test, our Econ class toured the Mercedes showroom, so we saw their entire range of production models. All of them were unlocked except those above six figures, so we took turns in the driver seats and pretended to live in luxury. However, many of their models still have an 'old-person' feel to them; they're trying to rejuvenate their image and target a younger crowd with their upcoming models. 

Mercedes showroom

From the retro (Dennis - your car!)... 

to the new and sleek (a mere 234,000 Euro)

A convertible - also well in the six-figure range

Maybach 57 - in a separate display room

A roadster? Haha

Possibly the best sign graffiti I've seen :D

The rest of the evening was dominated primarily by the E40 pset and by planning the logistics for The Relay (only two months to go!).

Thu 7.3.13: 

I woke up early and Skyped the rest of Team 1 so we could collectively sort out Relay details - great to see people's faces! We had the second part of our last German test, and then I met with Cemile to practice my German oral fluency and prepare for an interview, if I'm granted one. Wolf sent off my application materials to Deutsche Bahn, a major transportation logistics planning company, and with luck, I'll hear from them next week!

After Econ and E40 lab (our last! best quote from Timur: "Iqbal? That is a strange nickname…" - since we call him 'Balls' so much, Timur must've thought Balls was his real name and that Iqbal was just a nickname!), I went home, ran to Nollendorf again (dodging street women in what is apparently the poor section of the red light district), and then crashed.

Fri 8.3.13: 

Earlier this week, a few of us had wanted to eat at the blind restaurant in Berlin, but since it's expensive for our student budgets, I suggested recreating it with blindfolds at the center. When I mentioned the idea to Karen (program coordinator), she really liked the idea, contacted Stanford about it, and informed us we could go to the actual restaurant! I spent the whole afternoon organizing logistics for the dinner (next Tuesday) and blogging.

Later I ran to a baklava shop, trying to time it to meet others but we missed each other. Then Lulu, Susan, and I hung out and watched some of her films over my recreated Bushwhacker concoctions, which turned out pretty respectable!

Week Eight (ii) - Dresden and Prague!

Fri 1.3. 13:

Our train to Dresden was set to leave at 6:55 and, well, I woke up at 6:50 to a call asking where I was - crud. The next train left in two hours, so I decided to quickly get a run in along the river. I did make that train and arrived in Dresden by 11. I only really missed a tour of the Glasernemanufaktur (transparent assembly plant) and VW production plant, and since I'd seen the BMW plant Wednesday, I wasn't terribly bummed out. I met up with the others right before lunch, but I wasn't yet hungry so I rushed into the Neues Grünes Gewölbe, featuring quite possibly the most impressive collection of gold and jewels I've seen in one place. These were my favorite pieces:
 - a two foot tall rolling-ball clock of intricately worked gold and inlaid gems

 - large plates of clear Venetian reticulated glass (I'm not sure what that is, but that's what the placard said) inlaid with crystal patterns

 - several large cabinets of gold, encrusted everywhere with precious stones

 - an immense tea set lined with - can you guess? - gold and detailed inlays. of course, these were simply for show, and likely not used

 - a golden Egyptian palace, replete with an obelisk, crocodiles and other animals, and treasure troves of jewels

 - and the following items as well

There were two sculptures of Herakles holding the world, one with continents and oceans, one with a star chart!
Also, this huge ship is 100% ivory - the detail on it was insane!

One of the largest items on display - an entire Sultan's palace, with impeccable attention to detail even down to
the facial expressions on the merchants and court-goers. Also, at the top and on the pavilion there are dragons!

The Dresden Green Diamond, worked into its hat clasp of white brilliants.
Specs: 41 karats! Weighs roughly 8grams; measures roughly 3x2x1cm

After only 50 minutes in the exhibit (I still contend it is one of the most impressive collections in the world), I rejoined the others, and we collectively saw the statue of Martin Luther, the Semper Oper (opera house), and the Zwinger palace and Glockenspiel (bell clock). Next we split into groups, and Cemile led our group to the Festung (fortress), which turned out to be mostly the underground remnants. It was cool, but if I'd known what it was, I probably would've opted for a different group.

How do I get out of here?!

The Moritz Monument (1555) honors the fortress's creator

We finished early, so I recommended we all see the Neues Grünes Gewölbe, especially since I'd only snuck a peek in the Rüstkammer (armory), Turkische Kammer (oriental collection), and exhibit from Ivan the Terrible's reign! The Rüstkammer was impressive for a one-room display, featuring eight life-sized horses bedecked out in full jousting attire. Around the room were numerous knights in various combat positions (we found two suits, clearly intended for children, smaller even than Susan!) as well as cabinets upon cabinets of swords, scimitars, shields, and the like.
The Turkische Kammer offered a roomful of weapons (including reflex bows) and several oriental carpets - the most iconic is this 20x8x6meter three mast tent of gold and silk!

The interior design was equally intricate

I was particularly intrigued to see items from Ivan the Terrible's palace collection, and was amused to note that most objects were either military/ceremonial items or plates, goblets, and the like. Everything was beautifully ornate, from the gem-inlaid sceptre and shield to the six-foot tall gold and silver centerpiece. I also was impressed by a magnificent double goblet adorned with a pair of eagles (connected to his lineage, or personal crest, I think?).

The gift shop had Hieronymous Bosch figurines
on display! Dad would've loved these :)

Bookman! (and part of Fruitman) - by Arcimboldo

Everyone met at 5 for dinner at a place featuring specialties from Bavaria, Saxony, and Austria, and of course we toasted our program sponsors, coordinators, and other benefactors that could make this happen. We all enjoyed our dishes - I tried a roast chicken and a light beer - and then we rushed off to catch our train to Prague. En route, our compartment devolved into a four-person cuddle pile as we attempted to sleep - the conductor gave us a strange look when he came by to check tickets!

Building tops near the Dresden main square

Decorative arch at the Semper Oper entrance

Nutcrackers and other figurines in the window of a toy shop!

After changing money and picking up our housekey, we wandered around Prague for an hour, simply appreciating the beautiful illuminated views across the city before crashing.

Memorial to the victims of Communism

Our first glance at Prague Castle!

Sat 2.3.13: 

We got to Old Town around 10 and went up the tower for panoramic views of city. It was sunny so we could see miles of red roofs (strangely reminiscent of Stanford!) punctuated by towering castles and churches. We also learned that the Astronomical Clock features four figures abhorred at the time: Vanity, Greed, Death, and... a Turk? Strange but true! 

Prague crystal-ware

Series of crests and emblems adorning these shields

In Old Town Square, in front of the Astronomical Clock and with Týn Church on the far right 

Overlooking Prague

We snagged some street vendor sausages and then returned to the apartment to let Esther in (she'd left her passport in Berlin so had to go back) but she was delayed so we set off again. We just wandered and wandered, enjoying the gorgeous architecture and hidden monuments. The afternoon's highlights:
 - the Dancing House
 - posing as a K-Pop band in front of a stern-looking monument
 - Wenceslas Square and the National Museum
 - Woodrow Wilson Memorial (I hadn't realized there was one)
 - waiting for the bells to ring at Jindrisska Tower (when they didn't ring, Sarah asked the guy staffing the entrance, "Are there any other places that ring?" - the guy gave us a very confused look)
 - finding a small alleyway with art, stuffed animals, funnily designed furniture, and other random things
 - exploring the foyer of a really fancy restaurant/hotel
 - Old Town Bridge Tower and Charles Bridge (graced by 30 statues)
 - the John Lennon Wall (my personal signature was "Imagine (if) all the people // Across the universe (just) // Let it be")
 - Sarah: "Let's go see some butts!" and Lulu: "You promised me butts but you're only giving me babies!" (artist David Cerny creates strange, provocative installations, one of which is massive butts through which observers can climb up to and peer into; another of which is a series of creepy crawling babies. I'd thought we could find the butts but we never did)
 - peeing men installation (also David Cerny) in front of the Kafka Museum
 - discussing our porn star alter egos... apparently I am Pierre Star. And Sarah, aka Castilleja Cookie, remarked, "Thank you for your services" after Lulu and Molly helped to spank the dust off of her

Dancing house - funky architecture!

Wenceslas Square - business center of New Town

In front of the National Museum

Ads for the British Museum - monocles and mustaches :D

More architectural beauty

An Olliephant!

Sunlight on the Charles Bridge

Sarah, Molly, Susan, Lulu, and me signed the John Lennon Wall

We returned to the apartment at 6, welcomed Esther after her traveling ordeal, and headed out to dinner. Sadly, we were very disappointed with the service treatment - the first place we tried kept shunting us to different rooms and tables, and eventually told us there was no room, and the place we ended up eating at tacked on several underhanded charges and refused to negotiate. That said, our dishes were pretty darn good - I had roast duck with cabbage and apple sauce - so it worked out, though we were quite frustrated by the principle of the matter. Afterward, we basically retraced our afternoon route for Esther's benefit, so we saw Old Town and the Charles Bridge at night before retiring.

Dumplings, croquettes, and Czech cake for dessert!

Esther: "I think it says, 'Watch your kids
because there's pedophiles around here'"

Tyn Church illuminated at night

View of St. Nicholas Cathedral along the Charles Bridge

Last note: at the bridge covered with locks (representing love, often marked with two lovers' names), two different interpretations: 1) "Man, I wish I had a boyfriend," vs. 2) "I wonder how many of these people are divorced."

Sun 3.3.13:

I woke up 5:45 for a morning run, and got several glorious sunrise pictures!

The Moon dances with the Dancing House

Rosy ribbons reflect upon shadowed silhouettes

We found the babies!

Sun spotted over sparkling snow!

Garden entrance at Prague Castle

Moon, tower, red roofs, and castle!

Garden house in the park

Picturesque panorama of Prague!

At 9, we had a lovely, sedate breakfast at The Louvre Restaurant; a few people tried the Czech breakfast (thin slices of meat and cheese with croissants) though I stuck to boring old scrambled eggs, muesli and yogurt. Then we headed to Prague Castle! We arrived in time to witness the changing of the guard - your typical ceremony, with regally-dressed, stoic-faced guards in perfect step to majestic music. One of the guards, the girls decided, was extremely handsome, so they snagged as many photos of their 'Comrade Charming' as they could :)

I'm just as imposing, right?

The troops exit after the changing of the guard

In front of the cathedral within the castle

Saint Wenceslas' crown (1344): gold, pearl, sapphire, ruby, emerald, aquamarine, rubellite tourmarine, spinel, cameo

Once inside, we walked around the expansive courtyard and explored a few of the adjoining buildings. The first featured several house crests and objects from the crown treasury, including the above crown and a bohemian sceptre and orb. We also stood in the room from which the Defenestration of Prague happened! Next we saw one of the castle's churches and then we progressed to Golden Lane, preserved to maintain its quaint feel. The houses on the ground floor were adorned as they would have been: uniforms in the soldier's quarters; skulls, books, and other trinkets in the physic's; and various ales and barrels in the tavern keeper's. The second story featured a collection of weapons and armor and even a torture chamber room! We explored each of the small rooms and shops, checked out the dungeon (with more torture devices), and even the Toy Museum (said to be the second largest in the world of its kind), which featured life-size Star Wars and Superman figures, as well as several collections of smaller figurines.

Skeleton guardian in the church's crypt

Lulu and I play-acting with artillery

Please - be seated!

View from the castle ramparts

After gazing out across the city from our lofty vantage point, we regrouped (after a brief 'ninja' interlude! Lulu and I as joint winners) in a small cafe for 'lunch' - I got a tiramisu haha. Then we walked to Petrin Hill, stopping intermittently in side shops and parks (we got distracted for 15ish minutes by peacocks!), took the funicular up and walked down - great views!

Dungeon rock! We took pictures from the top

Illuminated funicular with Prague Castle as a backdrop

Funicular track as darkness fell

Dessert!

We ended our descent at a playground and laughed at our kid-like tendencies before heading back to the Communism memorial and then to our apartment. After a quick regroup and massage we walked to Old Town for street food (more sausages and potatoes with bacon) and a relaxing evening. We picked up tortes and macaroons from a dessert place, and then finally headed back to the apartment, had an absinth-aided massage party, and then slept.