As sad as I am to
say the Firsichbaums are gone, I am glad to report that Berlin and
their visit was fantastic. We even made our train this time! It was
fun for Alex to be back in Berlin since he studied abroad there for a
semester about two years ago. He seemed really anxious to get back to
his old stomping grounds.
Day 1 Conference
There were certainly
a lot of homeless people and beggars in Berlin. Alex and I aren't
rolling in the Benjamins, so we stuck with our own strategy of
ignoring them. Don't make eye contact and when they ask if you “speak
English,” don't respond! It's not rude... it's not wasting
anybody's time.
We were able to
check into the beautiful Park Inn. We got out own room with a
breathtaking view of the city and TV Tower that was to die for! Thank
you, Fulbright! We walked around the city for about an hour, and then
enjoyed our two hour bus tour of Berlin, compliments of Fulbright. It
drove by many sights, like the Brandenburg Gate, and we saw a lot of
different “Buddy Bears.” My favorite was either the Liberty Buddy
Bear or the French Buddy Bear. After the bus tour, all the
Fulbrighters got ready for a wonderful, and very free, dinner. It was
a delicious buffet with limitless food, beer, and wine. Needless to
say, everyone took advantage of the alcohol. We even found “our
table” that we managed to sit at for most of the meals. When we
finished our dinner, we took an U-Bahn to my first Berlin drinking
excursion. A bar with skulls that decorated the entire place in
Kreuzberg. Cute. One beer was enough for us to call it a
night, which was fine by us since we had the most perfect hotel to go
back to for the next few nights.
Day 2 Conference
There was plenty of
ibuprofen and water involved the next morning, but the two of us made
it to breakfast. It was very American. I mean, the eggs were actually
scrambled. Immediately following breakfast, all the Fulbrighters went
to another hotel that was close by for different workshops that
everyone signed up for in advance to the conference. I lumped myself
in the Fulbrighters category the entire time. Why not? I'm doing the
same job as all of them, and honestly, I think I'm doing better than
some of them.
Lucian Kim, an older
Fulbright journalist who participated in the Journalism Program's
first year, was running this event. As Alex's better half, I went
where he went.... so lucky me, I got to sit in on the most boring
workshop Fulbright had to offer. It was about NATO, which I knew
next to nothing about. That's probably why I found it such a snore
fest. Apparently, the rest of our group didn't know too much about
the topic either. Everyone, apart from Alex, was relatively hushed.
At the end, all of the different workshops regrouped and we listened
to a representative from each unit give a two minute summary of what
they discussed. Once the person hit the two minute mark, Lucian
instructed us to begin the “Berlin clap.” Yes, it does sound like
a foreign STI, but it's really not. It means that the audience must
clap to signify that the speaker's time has run out. Polite and
effective. When the presentations were over, Alex encouraged me to
speak with Lucian Kim about his experience being a journalist, and
see if I could get any helpful hints for my future. He was amazing,
and actually encouraged me to begin a blog. Ta-da!
Everyone had the
rest of the day off, so Alex and I walked around Berlin and, of
course, took a lot of pictures. It started to get insufferable at one
point though because of how cold it was, so we stopped by the German
History Museum. Our timing was perfect because it was free entrance
that day, but we had to be back at the hotel in an hour to get ready
for that evening's events. Thus, we buzzed through history as fast as
we could. In the midst of our buzzing, we spotted one of the younger
and “cool” teachers who sits at the table next to us in the staff
room. She saw Alex when he was trying to get a better look at her,
and it was awkward. Not his stealthiest moment. Neither party knew
how to appropriately respond. I think both of them forced a half
wave. We were leaving anyways, so it wasn't too terrible... for me,
anyways.
Not to toot my own
horn, but I'd say the two of us looked great for the Opening
Ceremonies that night. It was a mandatory event, and everyone was
told to dress up. No complaints on my end, I love dressing up and it
had been a while since I had a reason to. Finding the right clothes
was a bit tricky, though, since I didn't pack anything too nice for
Germany. It's hard to look cute in this cold weather.
Everyone took a bus
over to the event. The speeches were thoughtful, and the performances
with all Fulbrighters were even better. There were piano players, tap
dancers, a singer... she performed a song from My Fair Lady.
The food and alcohol were free again, so all the poor Fulbrighters
were living large.
Day 3 Conference
It was an early
morning again with plenty of snow covering the ground. It's
officially the longest winter of my life... we all faced the cold on
our walk to the Red Rathaus that was only open for Fulbright that
day, which made it especially exclusive! The first part of the
morning was designated to other Fulbrighters living in different
districts of Berlin who emphasized diversity in the city. One girl
walked us through her fictional day in spring. She, along with
everyone else, made a point to tell us it was unseasonably cold in
Berlin this year. In fact, everyone was saying it was the coldest
winter they could remember in Germany... so I'm here to experience
that. I'm definitely missing the Jersey shore right about now.
Then, a Berlin
politician took the time to come and speak to everyone. His spiel was
short, in anticipation of more questions from all of us.
Unfortunately, nobody really seemed to care or have any questions
prepared for him. Alex was the only one to ask an intelligent
question about National Socialism in Berlin. The other questions were
about things you shouldn't ask a politician, like his favorite food
and club in Berlin... I suppose that's what happens when you coup up
a crowd of Fulbrighters for too long. Cabin fever gets the best of
you.
After sitting in the
Red Rathaus for entirely too long, we were all set free into the
world, so Alex and I went to the Museum of Natural History. We saw
the biggest dinosaur fossil in the world, learned about planets,
animals, and saw a very disturbing art exhibition. All I'll say is
that there were baby sculptures in pages. Art can be mind boggling.
On the way back to the hotel, Alex's feet were in pain. His sneakers
were worn down to nothing with holes, and the snow on the ground made
them cold and wet. So as soon as we were back in the room, he took
the hairdryer and attempted to blow out his poor excuse for shoes.
Those holes usually mean it's time for a replacement...
We grabbed our usual
table for dinner. Everything was pretty normal, and right as were
about to leave, Alana invited us to sit with her and Megan for
dessert. We figured it would be good to make some friends since we
hadn't been the most social couple at the conference, so in the
spirit of networking, how could we say no? It was nice sitting and
talking with them about their experiences in Germany this past year.
I didn't realize how hard of a time other people were having, too...
in fact, I'd venture to say that Alex and I adjusted better than
anyone we spoke to at the conference. Alana seemed to be really down
on her luck. She was moving on to her third apartment and dealing
with terrible roommates who only spoke German and didn't like her.
She mentioned earlier in the conference that she was having a hard
time adjusting, but that by far surpassed my expectations. She didn't
even go home once! I was really proud of her. I don't know her
personally, and yet I felt really close to her and know who she is on
some level because we had to go through the same thing this year. I
really enjoyed talking to Alana throughout the conference, especially
since I hadn't had girl time in months. I even let her borrow
my nail polish, which is a big deal for me since I don't have sisters
and I'm not used to sharing. Despite all the setbacks so far this
year, I hadn't realized how charmed Alex and I were to have each
other to lean on throughout the up's and down's. In comparison to
everyone else, everything was coming up roses for us.
Day 4 Conference
Since last night
went so well with our new friends, Alex and I networked some more
with three other girls at breakfast. Two of them were living in
Germany, and the other was staying in Italy. We skipped that
morning’s event to talk to them, and I would say it was worth it to
share more stories and find that these girls were also having
adjustment issues of their own this past year. It was good to vent to
other people going through something similar and who spoke English as
their native language.
We attended the next
part of the conference, led by four of the second year Fulbrighters.
Each second year representative was in charge of a group, so we all
divided up into four quadrants of the room and began talking about
our experiences with our leader, Sarah. It turned into a huge
complaint session, and carried on that way the entire time. More
people were having a harder time this year than I had thought. While
some people had a lot of negative things to say about Fulbright, Alex
and I were able to contribute our positive experience thus far with
our theater group. We were one of the only people there to even start
something at our school, apart from the kid who launched his chess
club, so that was something we were proud of. It was one of my
favorite sessions at the Fulbright conference because I was able to
hear a lot of stories from people about their own personal
experiences as far as getting a visa, working at the school, making
friends, and traveling.
Before the final
educational session of the conference, Alex and I went out to grab
some food. I even ordered in German without my personal translator. I
was starting to get more audacious with my foreign language
abilities... maybe hearing everybody else talk about their
experiences gave me a confidence boost.
The last part of the
conference was about the appeal of a European education. First, we
listened to a rather mundane lecture, and then divided into groups to
discuss our thoughts. It amazes me that most universities in Germany
are free. If that’s not appealing, I don’t know what is. Our
group also talked about how easy it is to travel through Europe. It's
far more convenient for a European student to go to Rome and see the
Colosseum, or even touch it for that matter. American students rely
on pictures in a textbook, or a virtual tour at best, for their Roman
experience. A member from each group recapped what they talked about
at the end of the session, followed by the infamous “Berlin Clap,”
if necessary.
Alex and I lingered
outside the conference hall long enough to talk to Jacob and Randy,
another couple that came to Germany like us. Jacob received a
Fulbright grant, and the school that he was placed at offered his
wife, Randy, a job there, too. Randy and I have a lot in common. We
are both not part of the Fulbright program, but have jobs at a German
school. We also came to this country unable to speak a word of
German. When we were catching up with the other Fulbright couple, we
found out that the school wasn’t even paying Randy. Melle was
treating us like gold, apparently.
That night,
Fulbright hosted a party for everyone that attended the conference at
one of Berlin’s really trendy clubs. Once we arrived, we checked
our jackets and were given two tokens each for free drinks. The club
had such a great atmosphere, and after a few drinks, everyone
loosened up. Someone gave Alex and me more tokens for drinks, so we
didn’t pay for anything all night. Music by the Black Eyed Peas and
Maroon 5 played. All crowd pleasers, of course. Catchy tunes and
intoxication obviously leads to dancing… so much dancing, in fact,
that Alex and I got our groove on in front of everyone on stage. My
fiancé danced so hard that he twisted his ankle, but that didn’t
stop the Lord of the Dance.
In the middle of
this rather exciting night, I took quite a few interesting bathroom
trips. My first stop to the bathroom, I bumped into Sarah, the second
year Fulbrighter who led our group’s discussion earlier that day.
She thanked me for participating during the conference and mentioned
how cool it was that Alex and I were doing the theater group together
at our school. Apparently, she didn’t gather that we were a couple,
so she asked how we knew each other. Before I revealed how I came to
Germany, Suzi, the other second year Fulbrighter, came out of one of
the bathroom stalls, and of course, she wants in on the details. It
turned into a drunken sharing session where I told them how I came to
Germany with my boyfriend after graduation not knowing a thing about
this country, got engaged, and am finally starting to adjust. Sarah
dubbed us the cutest Fulbright couple at the conference, and that
includes the gay couple. One thing led to another, and I heard their
life stories, too. We were all in there a solid 15 minutes, but there
was some serious bonding that went down. When we all left, I found
Alex testing out his German on the bouncer, so he was fine.
Apparently, I was on the same bathroom schedule as Sarah and Suzi, so
we all met up again coincidentally and chatted for another 15 minute
chat session next to the sinks and hand dryers. All night, I
gradually learned about their boy problems and their experiences
abroad. It was really fun for me to have girl talk. They even
suggested that we all meet up sometime before we all leave Germany.
Drunk talk, of course, but we all became Facebook friends. Same
thing. It made me miss my friends at home a lot.
After a fun night at
the club with our new friends, Alex and I were ready to bounce, but
of course there was an issue. He couldn’t find the ticket for his
coat, and the front desk wouldn’t let him take the coat without the
ticket. The only other option was to wait until everyone left before
he could claim it. There were still a lot of people there, and we
could tell it would be a while until everyone was going to clear out.
The two of us thought we should make good use of our time and split
up to try and find the ticket… mission impossible, much? I’m not
sure how it happened since this night makes it into my “Top Five
Drunkest Times in Germany” category, but I somehow found his ticket
in the dark sea of dancing Fulbrighters. It was truly a phenomenon!
Before we left, we said a final goodbye to Alana and Lucian Kim. We
thanked Lucian for everything, and he gave us his business card,
which included a Berlin and Moscow phone number to reach him on…
which automatically makes him one of the coolest people I have ever
met in my life. We most likely looked drunker than we thought we were
because Lucian helped us map a route back to the Park Inn. What a
guy… so we took a bus back and stumbled our way to the hotel. I
think we took the long walk there and walked in circles a few times,
but in the end, we were in our hotel room with döner kebabs.
Officially my new favorite drunk food.
Day 5
Conference/Day 1 Berlin by Ourselves
Breakfast was
coupled with a ridiculous hangover. Once we finished eating, we
packed up our stuff, showered, checked out, and made our way to our
next hostel, Plus Berlin.
Learning about the
city I’ve been running around in for the last few days was
extremely riveting. We went to the DDR Museum and read about the
history of East Germany, particularly East Berlin. We saw how people
lived and how the Wall impacted their lives. Communism is a scary
thing, though I feel like it could be effective if it was properly
enforced. I learned so much more about it at this museum than I ever
had in any textbook or class I took in America.
We saw the jeans
that people wore in East Berlin, and they were much softer. Not quite
as stylish as Levi’s, so I do feel bad that East Berliners were
deprived of the good stuff. The different kinds of jobs people had
and the equal lifestyle that everyone earned was interesting. I can’t
imagine living in that type of world. We also had the chance to sit
in a Trabi, the typical kind of car that everybody drove during that
time. Life for people in East Berlin was drastically different from
anything I knew when the Wall was standing, and nothing in a textbook
would be able to convey that to me as well as this museum. Actually
being in Berlin makes history that much clearer to me.
We also visited
KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens), which is equivalent to the Macy’s in
New York City. We didn’t stay long though because it’s depressing
when you look at all the merchandise around you and can’t afford a
single thing! Some day… Then we went back to Plus Berlin to
nap for about an hour before our big night out. Since I was
travelling with an experienced Berliner, he was going to show me how
to party like a true German would. This is something we’re not used
to doing in our town.
On our way to
Suicide Circus, one of the clubs recommended to us by someone
managing the front desk of our hostel, we bought two beers each from
a stand outside of the S-Bahn. The walk to our destination was just
as ominous as the name of the club. There were some sketchy drug
deals and I saw a rat. I don’t deal well with varmint. That being
said, I chugged my beers, left the bottles in the snow for the bums
to pick up, and went inside to the best club I’ve ever been in.
Everything about Suicide Circus changed my mind about clubs. My usual
standards for clubs in America are set very low; they involve
terrible music, booty grinding... definitely not dancing, disgusting
bathrooms, and the foulest men. Suicide Circus was so kind and
cheery, though… ironically. There was a lot of head swerving
and everyone was really chill. Alex introduced me to the art behind
electro-house music, and I really learned to appreciate it. We
literally spent all the money we had left in our German account that
night, but it was worth it… March really hit us hard financially.
Day 2 Berlin by
Ourselves
Our plan for the
next day involved a three hour walking tour presenting the street art
of Berlin. Since we were utterly broke, this was right up our alley.
We had to break into our American bank accounts for some cash to buy
breakfast on the way over, and then we met up with our tour guide and
a decent turn out of people at a Starbucks.
We weren’t
expecting much from this since it was free, but it turned out to be
the best tour either of us had ever been on. It was absolutely frigid
outside, but worth it to learn all about the underground culture of
this city. Our tour guide became our new best friend for the next
three hours, and she gave us information that we couldn’t get
anywhere else in the city.
Graffiti is 100%
illegal in Berlin, though you would never guess that since the entire
city is covered with it. The artists use a lot of different
techniques. I nearly fainted when the tour guide described the use of
“heaven spots.” It requires an artist to have a friend hold their
ankles while they place their tag on the top part of a building. It’s
called a “heaven spot” because if the friend loses their grip,
the artist goes to heaven… presumptuous name. There
are plenty of deaths related to graffiti each year, which make sense
when they’re pulling stunts like that. Another strategy involves
using a refillable fire extinguisher. The only catch is that you need
to steal one first before you can fill it with pain because you can’t
buy them at your local Tedi. Some artists may even use ropes, but
it’s harder to run away from the cops when you’re harnessed in
good and tight, so they try to use other creative methods.
It was interesting
to hear about the tremendous amount of respect graffiti artists have
for each other and their work. One of the graffiti walls that we
stopped to look at had a picture of animals which could either be
interpreted as sleeping or dead. In my opinion, they looked dead, but
the artist insists that they are sleeping. Before the artist brought
that work of art to life, he called the other artist who tagged his
name on that wall to get permission to utilize the same space. The
artist agreed, and I respected their professional courtesy.
Our tour guide told
us that there is actually a special police force designated to
catching graffiti artists. This scared the artistic city of Berlin
quite a bit, until they realized that this special force was mainly
patrolling the train stations. The streets were safe for now…
She also mentioned
this astounding story about graffiti artists who targeted the trains
themselves. They studied the train schedule, security guard habits,
and other crucial factors for weeks. Once they knew everything there
was to know about how this train functioned, this particular group
went on a mission to vandalize. They all rode the train and hit the
emergency stop button. Since they studied the security protocol of
this train, they knew that they had exactly two minutes to graffiti
the train once it stopped because the police would show up in three
minutes. A successful mission led to a documentary about their
adventure called Unlike You, and I definitely want to check it
out when we have better internet.
Our tour went
through Kreuzberg, one of the most interesting parts of Berlin, in my
opinion, because it changed the least since the Wall fell. When the
Berlin Wall was first built, Kreuzberg was surrounded by three sides
of it in West Berlin. Since nobody wanted to live near the wall, most
people in this part of Berlin just abandoned their homes and moved to
other areas. In turn, many starving artists and Turkish people moved
into Kreuzberg. Döner kebab shops opened up and plenty of empty
buildings became occupied by squatters. Today, it still holds that
same poor image, and they actually strive to maintain it. In fact,
when a McDonald’s was built there, many people protested against
it. Only a few years ago, a Subway moved into Kreuzberg, the number
one food chain in America. People were enraged and protested this
place, too. They wrote things like “Subgay” on the building, and
not a single person stepped foot inside apart from the employees.
Business was so terrible that it shut down after only one year of
being open. That’s simply unheard of. What’s even funnier is that
a döner kebab shop opened up in place of this number one food chain.
There is no doubt in my mind that the people of Kreuzberg will try
and keep it that way for as long as they can.
My favorite story on
this tour was about a Turkish man living on West Berlin’s side of
the wall. When the wall was built, a few corners were cut so that a
very small portion of East Berlin land was not included on their side
of the wall in order to save money. This tiny bit of land was
therefore only accessible on West Berlin’s side of the wall, but
technically belonged to East Berlin. People of West Berlin simply
used it as a space to throw their garbage, and it quickly became a
desolate wasteland. The Turkish man living in West Berlin lived in an
apartment complex across the street from this land and saw it as an
opportunity. He slowly moved the garbage and cleaned the space so
that he could plant a beautiful garden and build a house in the space
using materials that people threw away in the area. One man’s trash
is another man’s treasure, I suppose. His friends and family would
come over for BBQs and to hang out, and nobody could tell him
otherwise because it wasn’t West Berlin’s land and East Berlin
was on the other side of the wall. This Turkish man was probably the
only person in Germany who didn’t want to see the Wall come down.
Of course, we all know how the story ends… the Wall did eventually
fall, and when it did, a united Germany wanted to clean up Berlin and
renovate areas. I think this goes without saying, but they wanted to
give this Turkish man the boot. He wasn’t leaving without a fight
though, and actually cemented all of his furniture to the ground to
ensure that those kicking him out wouldn’t have an easy time doing
so. Then, a miracle happened. The Catholic Church right across the
street uncovered some extremely old documents proving that they owned
the land that the Turkish man built his home on. Since the church
adored the Turkish man and his family, they forbid anyone from
evicting them from their home. To this day, that house still stands
with cemented furniture and the same very old Turkish man. He is
apparently a local celebrity in Berlin.
We also talked about
Berlin after the Wall came down. East Germany was like a big blank
canvas to artists, so it was quickly masked with graffiti in no time.
Moreover, it was interesting to be in Berlin during a protest against
tearing down the East Side Gallery to build corporate skyscapers.
David Hasselhof even made a celebrity appearance.
History is
everywhere in Berlin, but that is rapidly changing as more and more
commercialized buildings are appearing. Many Berliners are opposed to
the city changing because the abandoned buildings that people club in
and the portions of the Wall are what bring tourists to this great
city. It’s what makes money for the city. Will people still want to
visit this “poor but sexy” city if it doesn’t have these unique
things anymore? I feel like I have a deeper connection with the city
after spending so much time there and learning a lot about Berlin on
so many different levels. I’m curious to see what it will be like
in 10 years from now.
Our tour guide
passed on another fun fact about the Berlin Wall bricks placed
throughout the city, marking where the Wall used to stand. If you can
read the bricks, that means that you’re standing in West Berlin,
and if you can’t read the bricks, that means you’re standing in
East Berlin. Those who were from East Berlin were initially offended
by this concept because they felt that since they were the ones who
suffered from the wall, they should be able to read it when standing
on their side. West Berlin found that statement to be true, but
argued that since they were paying for the bricks, they would be
readable from their standpoint. Fair enough.
We ended our tour in
a very trippy alleyway that was plastered with graffiti from top to
bottom and was owned by artists. This area will always remain covered
in art, so if Berlin ever gets “cleaned up,” tourists can visit
this place to see the roots of Berlin’s heart and soul. One artist
we learned about from this place tags the number “6” everywhere…
literally everywhere. People have seen it on buildings, cars,
and even dogs. There are thousands of 6’s throughout the Berlin.
This artist is literally insane, and also tags “http://” wherever
he can because he believes that it will grant everyone better
internet access. Another one of my favorite artists that we saw
created Little Lucy. The artist depicts a little girl killing her cat
in various ways. It started out as a little girl who played with her
cat, but that was not exciting enough for Berlin walls. Why not turn
her into a killer? There were also stores where artists could sell
their work. One was called “The Monster Cabinet,” and it was a
show with robotic monsters held in a basement.
The Otto Weidt
Museum was also part of this artist alleyway, and we took advantage
of its free admission and heated building. Alex and I learned all
about Otto Weidt, who was a German man who became blind and ran a
factory which made brooms and brushes. He mainly employed those who
were blind, deaf, and often times, Jewish. He saved many lives during
WWII by negotiating and bribing the Gestapo. He claimed that his
workers were valuable for the war efforts. He even hid a family in
the factory. Unfortunately, they were found and killed. Visitors can
see this hiding place in the museum. One of his younger female
workers was taken to Auschwitz. Otto Weidt followed her there, and
made and effort to bribe for her life. Though it didn’t work, he
was able to deliver her a message indicating that he left her street
clothes and medicine near the concentration camp. The girl was able
to escape and find Otto’s gift, and she credits her life to him.
When I learned about this man and stood inside his factory where
history happened, I felt instant chills through my body. Berlin is
very open about their WWII history, especially in comparison to
Munich.
Day 3 Berlin by
Ourselves/Day 1 Firsichbaum Visit
The next morning, we
were up early to meet Alex’s family at the Tegel Airport. Our
S-Bahn/bus ride took about an hour total to get there, and we were
proud of ourselves for arriving early. It was much easier than
anticipated. We found them right away and were able to get back on
the bus to bring everyone to the hotel we would all be staying at.
Alex’s sister, Kayla, was sharing a room with Alex and me, while
his parents had a room on another floor. Once the Firsichbaums were
settled in, Alex and I had to go back to our hostel to pick up our
bags, and then bring them to the hotel… it was a little back and
forth, but a nice way for his family to get acquainted with the city.
There was an Easter
Market set up outside the Park Inn, which was similar to the
Christmas Markets that we’ve been raving about since December. I
was happy that they were able to experience German culture in one of
our favorite ways right off the bat.
Since Alex and I had
such a great time in the artist alleyway the day before, we thought
his family would find it interesting, too. We took them inside the
Monster Cabinet, an unforgettable time had by all. The performance
was downstairs with a tour guide who spoke half in German, and half
in English. It was so dark that I couldn’t see, the floor was mushy
at some points, and the tour guide was rushing us from room to
room... and by rushing, I mean shoving. I can’t even count how many
safety violations there were… these kinds of places just don’t
exist in America. The monsters were robotic looking and in your face,
practically touching us. There was one room that was filled with
mirrors, monsters, and eerie music. We were left in there for three
minutes without the tour guide. It wasn’t a handicapped friendly
environment, and Alex’s dad had a cane and back problems. How did
we not have to sign a waiver upon entrance?
Since that was a
pretty stressful show for everyone, especially his family who was jet
lagged and sleep deprived, we took it down a few notches and visited
the Otto Weidt Museum. A few drinks were certainly needed to cap off
the night, too.
Day 2 Firsichbaum
Visit
After breakfast, we
all took a bus over to the Charlottenburg Schloss. We spent a long
time envying the people who lived in this palace and relishing all of
the rooms. Again, it was too cold outside to see the garden. The
palace was enormous though, so we spent a good part of our day there.
Despite our
reservations for dinner at the TV Tower in just a few hours,
everybody was too famished to wait that long after the Schloss, so we
went to an Italian restaurant a block away. It may have been bad
timing, but I know I needed it… I’m not much fun when I’m
hungry! Right after our late lunch, we made our way to an early
dinner.
The TV Tower
provided us with a breathtaking view of the city. We ate around
sunset so we were able to see the city while it was still bright
outside. It was fun being inside the building after seeing it from
our hotel room at the Park Inn. It revolved around Berlin and made a
full rotation in one hour. It reminded me a lot of the Chart House in
Texas.
When we finished
dinner, we all went to Potsdamer Platz and saw a few pieces of the
Wall and went inside the SONY Center. Before we ended our long day,
we had one more stop. We went to the Brandenburg Gate. Seeing it at
night was intimate and more special because nobody was around and the
lights made for a striking scene.
Day 3 Firsichbaum
Visit
The following
morning, we walked around Gendarmenmark and saw the Französischer
Dom, Konzerthaus Berlin, and Deutscher Dom. We also went to Check
Point Charlie. Like I said before, there are a lot of beggars in
Berlin, and we told Alex’s family our strategy of dealing with
them… ignore! One of these women approached Kayla and asked
her if she spoke English. Sweet Kayla forgot our piece of advice, and
responded with a kind “yes.” Kayla got further with this woman
than Alex and I ever did with any of them. We’re essentially prude
virgins when it comes to dealing with beggars, so we didn’t know
their next move. Well, this woman gave Kayla a card, and she didn’t
know what to do with it. So, she went to find Alex. Typical Megan
move. The woman thought Kayla was running away with her very
important card, so she started chasing her. Apparently the
card was asking for money in English… they must have all different
languages in stock… clever. Well, after that traumatizing
experience, Kayla heeded our warning about the beggars.
After all that
excitement, the Firsichbaums had their first döner kebabs and
falafels. It was spicy, but just enough kick to get us through to the
next part of the day. We then went back to the Brandenburg Gate to
take pictures of it in the light, and I can’t say I was surprised
to see a heap of tourists there along with people dressed up as Buddy
Bears and other odd creatures. The American Embassy is right next to
the gate, but they wouldn’t let us go in without a serious problem.
So, we moved on to the Reichstag Building that was also close by.
Once we took pictures from the outside, we walked through the
Holocaust Memorial and visited Hitler’s bunker, which is now a
parking lot. It was frigid outside, so most of our visits to these
landmarks were brief. As cold as it was, we had to see the East Side
Gallery, though. A lot of people wrote their names on one side of the
wall, and on the other that was facing the road, there were beautiful
paintings on them.
By this point, we
were all frozen, so we took a break from the outside world and thawed
out in the shopping mall for an hour. Once we had warmed up, we went
to the Berlin Hofbräuhaus for dinner. It wasn’t as crowded or vast
as the one in Munich, but they got a true Bavarian experience, for
sure.
Day 4 Firsichbaum
Visit
We all had a hectic
morning after rushing for our train to Melle. I think our luck is
changing because we missed that train. Alex and I thought our ticket
said a different time, and that’s what we get for not double
checking. It wasn’t a big deal, though, because another train
brought us back to Melle in time to meet my students who agreed to do
another tour. They enjoyed the first one so much that they didn’t
want any other students to do the next one. I told them that they
were a shoo-in for the Melle Tour since they did such a fantastic job
the first time around.
Once we were in
Melle, Alex’s parents dropped their things off at the hotel by the
train station, which was the same place my family stayed. Kayla was
going to stay in our flat with us and sleep on the mattress we stole
in September. We just wouldn’t tell her it was from the trash… I
always knew that would come in handy!
We met up with the
two girls who were able to take Alex’s family around town at the
Rathaus. It was basically the same tour that my parents went on, and
I think they liked it. They saw the churches, the school, the deer,
and we all enjoyed ice cream at their favorite place. Kayla showed
the girls a picture book of New Jersey, along with her own personal
photos that she brought along from prom and high school. I could tell
they really liked talking to her about her life, and even Gossip
Girl. Judy also gave the girls “I <3 NY” pencils… they
definitely liked those! Anything New York is an automatic crowd
pleaser.
Once the tour was
over, we went to Die Knolle for dinner. Surprise! They
actually had English menus this time!
Day 5 Firsichbaum
Visit
After the memorable
tour guide we subjected my family to in Osnabruck, Alex and I decided
it would be best if we showed his family around ourselves. We knew
enough about the city to do it ourselves by this point. We spent the
entire day there and showed them sights like the Schloss that is now
a university, told them about the witch trials, and actually did some
shopping. Alex finally replaced his poor excuse for sneakers
with two pairs of shoes! It was hard for him to part with his
babies, but I think he secretly likes his purchase. To end our very
fun and relaxing day, we went to the Rampendahl for dinner.
Day 6 Firsichbaum
Visit
We met up at the
hotel early in the morning and hopped on our train to Amsterdam. Our
hotel wasn’t far from the station, so we dropped off our bags and
got lunch. Once we were all rejuvenated, we piled on to the boat for
a canal cruise. The day was young, and it was exciting for his family
to be in yet another new country.
Then… it happened.
I went into a coffee shop with my future in-laws. The theme was The
Doors, and it couldn’t have been anymore awkward for all of us to
go in together. Alex’s dad wanted to see what they were like, and I
can’t blame him. That being said, I was mortified. I think Judy and
Kayla felt the same way! It was a very in and out experience, and one
that will be forever burned in my memory.
Dinner that night
was at the Pancake Bakery. The place never disappoints me… America
should replace a few IHOP restaurants with the Pancake Bakery. I see
an IHOP every 10 miles it seems like, and yet no place like the
Pancake Bakery. IHOP doesn’t even have an international taste to
it, and the food just isn’t on the same playing field as the
Pancake Bakery. Nothing compares to a giant pancake the size of your
plate… Uncle Buck status. I really think business would
boom.
If going into a
coffee shop in Amsterdam with Alex’s parents and little sister
wasn’t embarrassing enough, we also took a light stroll through the
Red Light District together to see prostitution and half-naked women
first hand. I guess Alex felt that way with my family, too. Once that
walk to remember was over, we went to a bar that was The Doors
themed. It was an appropriate way to end the night.
Day 7 Firsichbaum
Visit
We had breakfast at
one of the many food places Amsterdam has to offer. They probably
make the food top notch in this city for all their high paying
customers. No wonder it’s all so delicious!
After we ate, we
walked to the Anne Frank Huis, something Judy and Kayla were looking
forward to the entire trip. It was great my second time around, too.
I was able to see some things I didn’t notice during my first
visit.
Since it was our
last day, we really went from one activity to the next, not wasting
any time. Thus, we went straight to the Amsterdam Dungeon, and I’d
be lying if I said I wasn’t dreading it. Everyone had a good time,
though. Alex’s parents were even selected to participate. His dad
had the power to choose a “witch” in the crowd to be burned, so
it was a good thing we warned him not draw attention to us.
Consequently, he selected a random girl in the crowd. That poor girl
probably didn’t see that one coming!
We had dinner at a
nice Argentinian restaurant, and then took one last walk through the
Red Light District. We even went inside a smart shop. When in
Amsterdam… Before we all went to bed for the night, we dived
into the tastiest desserts Amsterdam had to offer. I had a chocolate
covered waffle with strawberries and whipped cream… like I said,
Amsterdam knows how to appease taste buds.
Day 8 Firsichbaum
Visit
It was difficult
saying goodbye to the Firsichbaums because we knew that we wouldn’t
see their faces until summer time. I’m confident that they all had
a good time, at least. I know I valued bonding with them all and
having a sleepover with Kayla every night. Jimmy is the best brother
in the world, and a surprisingly fine substitute for sister-talk, but
I loved hanging out with my future sister all week.
Today is Easter
Sunday, so we’re spending the entire day kicking back with a
few Amsterdam souvenirs… since we knew that all the stores would be
closed today and we didn’t have any food at home, we did a little
food shopping in the Netherlands. Some of the items we bought
included two boxes of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and Reese’s Puffs.
Great combination.
March Madness. A
whole lot of running around… I’m not sure how we made it alive in
one piece. It’s been a crazy month, but totally worth it to see the
people I love get a taste of how I have been living.
