Blogs from Germany, Europe - page 680

Forgive me bloggers, for I have sinned. It has been WAY too long since my last submission. Well, let’s pick up where we left off: March ...was cold and rainy. But I was thoroughly enjoying my transition into Berlin lifestyle- European enough to prioritize having long coffees in the afternoon (Work before 11 or past 5? Why?), yet practical enough that the underground trains always run on time (to the second! It's unbelievable. The public transportation here is amazing. Say what you will about the Germans, they're fucking efficient!) I was pretty much just getting out as much as I could, and having my mind consistently blown by all the new experiences (as I still am!) Gallery openings, film screenings, dance premieres, and lots and lots of currywurst, döner, sekt, and strong strong coffee... Berlin is ... read more

Guten Tag, ich bin in Berlin, Deutschland!! It’s about 11:15 in the afternoon right now, and I’m just relaxing in my hostel before I go out and explore a little. My plane landed at Tegel airport at about 2:30 yesterday, and I’m still pretty jet-lagged, but I’m also probably the most excited I’ve ever been in my whole life. My orientation for my study abroad program is tomorrow at 10 in the morning, and tomorrow evening I move into my homestay. Before all the real fun starts, here’s a little rundown of my trip so far - I feel like I’ve already seen so much. My flight took off from O’Hare at 5:30 p.m. Chicago time (which would be 12:30 a.m. Berlin time) on Sunday. I was extremely nervous, excited and anxious before the flight, ... read more

I'm doing another cheater entry again because I happen to have some time to kill. I won't tell you where I am at this moment though as it will ruin the surprise of my long hard struggle. Let us begin: Berlin and My Feelings I feel that Berlin is my favorite German city. The four of us left Prague and our nifty little apartment for Berlin, arguably one of the most interesting cities in the world. I'm not arguing, I do in fact think it is one of the most interesting cities in the world. Orginially, I wasn't actually going to go there. I was going to go from Prague to Italy, but as it turns out, it's hard to get any where in Prague except for Germany... So Berlin seemed like the most logical (read ... read more

6/3/08 Yesterday we met with a professor at the Technical University of Dresden. Someone asked a question that I was sure was ridiculous. They asked if anyone in the community wishes they were still under Soviet control. I scoffed but then felt a little bashful as the professor said that many people do. Here is why… We joke about the ugly apartments that the Soviets built. They are all grey, there is no paint at all on them and they are eye sores. These were given to people when they got married. Well they are small and pretty awful. People during the Soviet era did not care as much however because they had daycare, health care, women’s groups, and other various avenues for social interaction. Women could go to work because their children were cared for. ... read more

6/3/08 Yesterday we met with a professor at the Technical University of Dresden. Someone asked a question that I was sure was ridiculous. They asked if anyone in the community wishes they were still under Soviet control. I scoffed but then felt a little bashful as the professor said that many people do. Here is why… We joke about the ugly apartments that the Soviets built. They are all grey, there is no paint at all on them and they are eye sores. These were given to people when they got married. Well they are small and pretty awful. People during the Soviet era did not care as much however because they had daycare, health care, women’s groups, and other various avenues for social interaction. Women could go to work because their children were cared for. ... read more