Hoppla!

So I’ve missed telling you about 4 weeks of my program and have once again only made 2 posts to my blog during that 6 week period. My class with Fubis is ending in the morning (I’m writing this at midnight Wednesday night/Thursday morning). I have my final exam in the morning and then my creative project is due Friday. Then I am done with FUBiS... as an enrolled student this summer anyway. I am moving out of my prisoner-like living conditions at Goerzalle Student Wohnheim (this is a running joke with those at our dorm, we visited an actual Stasi/Nazi/Russian torture prison and in the Stasi portion of the prison it actually seemed as nice if not a tiny bit nicer than our dorms. The main difference being we were not forced there, we can sleep on a mattress and in any position we choose, and have quite a bit more fun and human contact… Although, our communication outside of school prior to people getting handys (cell phones) was almost as bad as the prisoner’s knocking communication system.) on Saturday at around 1ish and into my knew and unknown apartment in Shöneberg. The new apartment is on the same street Marlene Dietrich was born and Albert Einstein lived in Shöneberg when he lived in Berlin.

It has quite an awesome history, which you all know is my favorite part of Berlin. I’m not far from a lot of really amazing historical sites in my new apartment and as my prof. Claudia showed us on one of our excursions (which I will blog about later I swear) there are tons of signs all over Shöneberg that depicted laws against the Jewish community, which was quite a large part of the population in Shöneberg. The signs are absolutely ridiculous and truly horrifying when you think of how many there are and all the small things that were prohibited that added up to a horrendous life in the ghettos and then deportation. People just let these laws occur to their neighbors and friends. It is really hard to comprehend that thought process. Anyway there is a LOT of history in this area and well in Berlin in general.

I love this city so much, because it has such a deep and fascinating history. Although I’m already just a bit homesick and DESPERATELY wish to see my friends, family and MY RUBY, I don’t know how I’m going to get myself to leave this city. I really love it. It works like it should, it makes sense, it has a ridiculous counter culture attitude that fits perfectly within the main culture. That sounds like it doesn’t make sense, but I promise you here it does. The main culture of the city is so open and accepting that counter culture becomes a celebrated norm. Of course even with this open attitude, a good deal of these Germans have a stick up their butt. I was actually told to shut up on the bus ride home last week, and I was VERY cognizant of the fact that the bus was quite quiet and kept my tone low. The crazy man who sat in front of me just was ridiculous. Others on the bus were on my side and told me he was an idiot, but he still is not alone in his curmudgeoniness (btw this man was in his late 30s not an old dude!). My friend Hillary has been accosted by 2 older Germans while trying to get off the bus. The first of which stood in front of her as her stop came up and told her she wasn’t going anywhere “Sheißkind”! What you should know about Hillary is that she is possibly the shiest, quietest and most polite girl you could ever meet. She is small and blond and wears almost exclusively black. There could be nothing that she had done to offend this man except for existing. HA I started this paragraph looking to praise the wonders of Berlin and all the things I love about it, but instead I talk about the curmudgeons! Alles in Ordnung!!! Typisch Deutsch! They say Germans don’t have normal small talk they just complain and talk about their wars. I don’t think this is really accurate since I don’t believe I have ever heard my uncle Marco talk about the wars, but it’s kind of funny.

I really do love the city. It’s kind of dirty and backwards, but it is truly amazing to behold. When you think of what the city was less than a century ago, it really is quite amazing to see what is here now. There are literally 2 mountains of left over rubble from the war in the city limits! I think what I love most about this city is that everything has a purpose and meaning. I feel like that is something missing in my life. There is no “meaning” in sterling and as much as I say it to anyone outside the city I’m not actually from DC so any meaning that city has prior to my birth doesn’t quite feel like it belongs to me. My parents aren’t from the city. My dad grew up around it just like I did, but his family was in the city quite a bit more than ours is. Still I don’t feel like there are parts of the city that are mine and what belongs to me in sterling I have quite literally outgrown, my schools in particular. My friends have mostly moved away, (minus the awesome new ones I have acquired through Justin & Katie J) and I pretty desperately want to move out of my parents house and begin my life. I really would like to hang with my rubes (poppy I don’t care what that word means, I am going to call her that anyway!) forever and ever, but unfortunately as a new to the adult world and an entry level position worker, I don’t think a dog would work well in that environment. Anyway I love that this city has so much that means something! There is just about nothing here that isn’t the ghost or relic of something from their past. I’m living in this dorm and I’m quite sure this must have been US army barracks during our Berlin occupation. If I was offered a job here tomorrow I would take it and just not come back. That is how much I love this city and its history and color, and nature, and art!

Schöner Tag!

Wow that ended up being a little sad.... I'm not depressed I swear. I was a bit delirious, because I had spent the entire night editing video... but other than that I am ok. Today was a bit of an odd day. It was the the last day of real class and we took our final. I'm going to miss everyone in my class so much! We just are getting to know one another and there is no real drama, which is refreshing to say the least. B2 Class kicked major butt! Hopefully I will see some of you again! Ok well I must go work on my creative project again! Tchüssi!!