Berlin [12/31-1/2]

Arriving to Berlin was exciting and overwhelming! The train station was crowded and bright and always moving. You know that training program in the matrix that is a city scene with the woman in red? And how that is like crowded and almost everyone but Neo and Morpheus are going the other way? Okay well it felt like that. Its amazing to me how large Berlin main station was. Just layer upon layer of transportation and food and stores and bathrooms that cost a Euro to use. We were oriented with regards to Alexanderplatz and the TV tower. The Alex Hotel is absolutely fantastic. Well it was the eve of the new year so we got to go where the party was! The party mile main stage was right by the Brandenburg gate and stretched for 1.2 miles down alongside the tiergarten to the victory tower. We had a really great time listening to music, watching performers, and trying authentic Berlin cuisine! The fireworks show was amazing and we met some fellow english speakers as we passed them by in the crowds. For our free day on the first, we walked all around Berlin, seeking out sights and museums and crepes. There were still wonderful firecrackers to be seen and heard and the people of Berlin seemed to be in good spirits. On the second of January, there was a lot of drizzly rain, but we completed our city tour of Berlin without faltering. As usual, our guide was absolutely amazing and he taught us many things. We saw a pretty long strip of the Wall, a lot of remnant propaganda/art, and many memorials. The memorial to the Jews if Europe was striking. In a way, it reminded me of the Houston Holocaust Museum, which shifts its architecture from warmish or neutral colors and tall ceilings and wide rooms to small, dark, and narrow rooms as you move through. This is said to represent the way such an event occurs; world events like this do not happen overnight. They move slowly, creeping into society and making short advancements so as not to alarm the citizenry or spark an idea outside the steady diet of propaganda. As we walked through the stelae, or giant concrete blocks, they rose higher and higher and you lose sight if the way in, the way out, and what is around the next corner. Of course, this memorial is up for individual interpretation, and the above is just a thought that my walk through he memorial evoked. We also saw the Reichstag Building. It was very interesting to learn about the German government and their party system. It really clarified and aided in my understanding of the introduction that Dr.Wasser gave us to German politics. I think the general rule here is that the days are long but the sun is only interested in hanging out for a third of it. Nonetheless, we are making the most of our days and enjoying our experiences here. :)