We are still wearing scarves and coats as spring tries to sneak in unnoticed, but increasingly I see the crocus blooming and feel the sun on my cheeks. She’s coming soon and she’ll be beautiful!
I’ve been trying to clean a lot and get a lot of midterm projects finished so that I can focus on my friends when they arrive in a few days. Despite this, I’ve somehow managed a few adventures since last writing.
Interesting insights from German class: When we practice using the phrase “You should…” my teacher drills us by having us give her advice. She says, “I have a headache.” Somehow all the American students respond with 5 different ways of saying, “When you have a headache, you should take [a pill/medicine/pills/tablets].” When she says she is tired, they tell her to drink coffee and when she says she is sad they respond with “Call your mother” or “Go to a bar” or “Quit complaining.” I could comment, but you can probably tell already why I was amused.
One of my other professors started a conversation about how upset he is that the Turkish politicians are suggesting the Turkish population in Germany teach their children Turkish, “because it is important to have a strong mother tongue.” Yikes. That conversation went on to debate language acquisition, bi-lingual education, German “migration” issues and “dead multiculturalism,” national identity based on language, state censorship, the purpose of elementary schools, double-speak as an accepted national dialogue, and (of course) racism towards immigrants. It was a pretty intense class.
Then it was the weekend again. I got a new tram pass and, unlike in Prague, the program director here wrote us official letters explaining that we’re affiliated with a German university and therefore do qualify for the student discount on transit passes. A lovely surprise.
One of the RAs organized a trip to see the Berlin fußball team play against the Frankfurt team at Olympic Stadium. Watching the sun set above the match was beautiful. Meanwhile, the fans were as fun to watch as the game and I really had a good time. Of course, the Berlin team won 3-1. Then we went out for dönor (since I hadn’t tried any before that, because of my vegetarian tendencies and such) and discussed spring break plans a little.
The next morning I went to Tempelhof airport to do culture observations for one of my classes. The pre-WWI airport was rebuilt in Nazi times and then was vital during the Berlin air-lift. It was shut down in 2008 and the city re-opened it as a park. Since they’re indecisive and broke, they didn’t landscape beyond putting up a few fences and signs that say “relic of historical use”…and the result is that there is this huge open airfield for people to use. Since my architecture class seems to be focused on public space more than anything else, I wanted to observe how people responded to a mostly open public space. It turns out that they do the same things they do elsewhere: walk, bike, talk, and play. The park does have a different feel because the space is SO huge and open, so I’m glad to have seen it. Michelle came with me so we then came home for lunch and homework before heading out again.
We went to a burlesque show in Kreuzberg. At a punk-rock bar. And we’re doing a presentation on it as one of our midterms. The assignment was to go as a group and explore a place of knowledge production. I’ll post my paper when I get it finished, because you will be surprised at how much knowledge production we witnessed in those few hours. But then we got tired so we went home to sleep.
The rest of the weekend was quiet. Angel and I explored a cool playground, but my other time was mostly spent doing homework. Yesterday was Azzuré’s birthday so we went to a vegan/vegetarian burger place called Yellow Sunshine and then went out for a drink after school. With all our work, we didn’t stay out late, but some other friends had birthdays yesterday too so we were all together. This was nice because it drew people from a few of the different cliques out of their groups and around one table. Really fun. Although one of the students is an exchange student from Mexico who put me in a reflective mood at the end of the night. He told me stories about the prejudice he faced in America, but how he loves Canada and Australia. He’s enjoying Berlin, but he misses Mexico because the culture there is friendlier. He commented that it’s harder to make friends here because people are more reserved, and that people here (like in America in some ways) work too hard to enjoy life. Mexican culture, as he explained it, prioritizes family and friends and celebrations. Beyond that, things are expected to work themselves out in time. I can see why he would be homesick.
I’ve been having a lot of these thoughtful conversations lately, about memory and time and relationships and change and conversation and socialization and the concept of home. Maybe eventually I’ll write a paper about something interesting stemming from one of these talks. Who knows?
One of the more academic conversations was at a field trip today. I went to a museum for one of my classes. To be honest though, I need to make dinner before I can focus on writing any more. Sooo this will be enough for now. Part II coming soon!
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