A Summer Abroad in Deutschland

Hallo! Ich bin Nivi, und ich bin nach Deutschland dieses Sommer besucht. Hier, schreibe ich uber meine Abenteuer und mein Alltagsleben.

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My first encounter with history

Walking through the streets of Berlin is taking a stroll through history. It’s impossible to miss a building constructed pre-war, or a piece of street art that is now famous on a little blog somewhere. For me, everything is astounding. Having spent my finals period in college looking up famous monuments and well-hidden gems of this city, I get excited whenever I come across something.

 My first week in Berlin went by quite quickly – between getting adjusted to the new time zone, not getting lost going back and forth between school and my new home, struggling to speak German, and making friends, the time seemed to disappear before I could even begin to appreciate it. One sunny afternoon, my friend Sabin and I decided to do something with our day and took a casual walk to the Berliner Dom.

 Located on Musee Insel (or, Museum Island), the enchanting cathedral was only about a twenty minute walk away. We found ourselves farther from the bustle of Berlin’s expensive shopping area, to a more pristine, historical platz. On our way we passed Humboldt University Platz and the Theater, and watched as workers continued to renovate and set up the Opera house for the upcoming summer shows.

 Hungry from a long day at school, my friend and I grabbed crepes and sat down on the gardens in front of the Cathedral. The building is awe-inspiring: beautiful and peaceful, but simultaneously terrifying. Sitting in front of the structure allowed me to absorb the power of its domes, which still stand tall (albeit, with a little reconstruction), from the raids of the world war. To my left, stood the Altes Museum, stretched out from the side of the Spree until the Cathedral.

 As I sat there, eating my delicious crepe, sprawled out on the lawn, watching people wander, I lost myself. There were students lounging on the gardens near us, casually drinking beers. There were people hurriedly walking by, late for appointments or about to miss their train home. There were, of course, the tourists, clicking pictures of themselves in front of the church, in front of the museum, and in front of random “pretty” bushels of flowers that lined the roads (and here below, is my toursit-y picture with a friend!)

 But for those who lived here, in this seemingly inspiring city, does the awe of history, which is what the Cathedral was to me, lose its charm? When you ride your bike in your work suit through Musee Insel, as I saw one man do, do you forget to pay attention to what these structures actually mean, to what they have witnessed a hundred years ago? Do the random street art pieces I pass by, that I stop and take pictures of, become a familiar landmark and nothing more?

 I suppose the questions that I asked myself that day will go without answers. In that first week, I was a tourist, escaping my home for the rich culture that I knew awaited me. I was amazed at everything and inspired by everyone. And I bet these are the same feelings a family member from India feels when visiting me at home in New York, a place I consider to be quite dull and boring after living there for so long. 

Maybe some people take these sights for granted, having lived here and grown up around it - as the little children playing in the nearby fountain probably will. But I bet at some points, the history of this culture will hit them, even if it's just for a moment. And I hope that during that time, they get to feel the amazement I felt sitting on the gardens for hours, allowing history to come to life. 

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Eines Tolles Tag!

Berlin is quite an exciting place, and that statement itself is completely underwhelming. As I left my host family's house this morning around eight or so, I witnessed the city slowly begin to wake up - from the local supermarkets and Lebensmittel setting out their fresh fruit outside the stores, to children coming from the U-Bahn station and walking to school. 

Biking and walking is commonplace, especially so now since the weather is warm. There are bike lanes running on either the road or sidewalk, and even the U-Bahn has special places on the train to store your bike if it suddenly started raining. If the people are not biking, they are most likely walking and taking the U-Bahn - most use driving the cars as a last resort, and most are quite reluctant to drive in the busy streets of Berlin and Kreuzberg. 

I took the U-Bahn this morning to get to my classes, and the process was very straightforward. I found it surprising how clean the actual train was, in comparison to the dirt I can find on any New York City subway. The Germans pride themselves on punctuality, and so these trains run exactly on time. The trains themselves are quite special - the doors do not open automatically! There is a button that must be pressed to release the doors (on both the outside and inside), and in a case where no one leaves or enters, there is no energy wasted in opening that door. How mindful, no? 

And if the Germans are anything, they are clever and mindful. Garbage, recycling, and water conservation are important topics. Garbage, for example, is always separated - organic matter, plastic waste, glass/plastic bottles, etc. in every household and in public places. To conserve water, my host family does not wash dishes before putting them in the dish washer! And showers are typically quite short. 

So today, after meeting some new friends and fearfully getting through my first class, I went out into the Berlin Streets to get some food and sightsee. We decided to try the famous currywurst from Curry 36, a small fast food-esque eatery just two blocks from my temporary home. Of course, the Carl Duisberg center is a good 30 minute walk from there, but we decided, that with such nice weather, it would be nice to walk. On the way, we passed by some famous landmarks, small narrow private roads, some bits of greenery, and of course, a grand church.

 We stopped for a quick bathroom break at McDonalds just before Checkpoint Charlie, and I was surprised to find sumptuous baked goods!

Somehow, that 30 minute walk took us two and half hours. But the food was well worth it in the end. I am trying to eat as many famous German foods as I can, from very famous German restaurants and cafes, and 36 Curry Wurst didn't fail to disappoint. It was quickly served to us, and we ate at the standing tables right in front of the store. The wurst was quickly sliced, sprinkled with curry powder, and then doused in a pool of the special 36 Curry Wurst ketchup before being served to me. I stole some fries off a friend's platter, and those were perfect - thick, crispy, and served with mayonnaise and special ketchup. 

 We spent the rest of the day at a local coffee shop - where of course, people were sitting drinking wine and beer along with their coffee. I think it's time I start tasting that combination. 

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Departing and Arriving

There's something really marvelous about airports - and it's not the freshly maxed floors or the sky high ceilings. Perhaps it's the conglomeration of stressed travellers that puts your personal stress to shame, or the fact that, in a few hours, your presence in the room will be replaced by countless others forging their ways to new lands. Or perhaps instead, it's the vigilant emotions of excitement and dread that hugs the air like humidity: for every traveler cannot experience one without the other. 

It was hard to experience that rush of emotions as I hurried my way through the airport. Saying goodbye to home wasn't difficult, not after having done it for college so many times, and the bustle of moving kept me from really getting the chance to let it sink in. The flight was what every flight is - tiresome, cramped, and an overall awful experience - but the landing was marvelous. Everything from hearing German to reading it built an overwhelming sense of joy. The first thing I see leaving the baggage claim, of course, is a waiter bringing a tray of beers to a table of five, eagerly waiting their main drink. I could not think of a more auspicious sign. 

The Germans, they have very straight faces. And they seem to like to look at you - a known foreigner - with a steady gaze, that doesn't flinch when you glance upon it. There isn't an apparent warmth, but that does not mean there is a necessary animosity. It is simply empty air - air that Americans fill up with polite but vacuous formalities. The Germans seem to more or less prefer to leave the air clean. 

My host mother, fortunately, likes to talk - both in English and German. She gave me the day off from German speaking, and helped me settle in. Her house is just above a car garage, tucked away just off the main street of Kreuzberg. I spent the day unpacking, walking around the general area, and then happily succumbing to my jet lag.