These are my "Must-Sees" of Germany and you might not like them.

My last few days in Berlin really brought the whole trip home for me. There were 2 activities in particular that are now among my "must-sees" of Germany, though fair warning, they aren't pub crawls or bike rides.

The first activity I ended up doing spontaneously with my roommates Brenda and Shayla. It was rainy so, naturally, we Googled things to do. We found the Underground Tours of Berlin or Berliner Unterwelten. The one with the best timing for us in English was an underground tour centered on the Wall. (Note: GET THERE ON TIME.)
I have to say honestly, besides seeing the Wall, and trying to envision East and West Berlin/Germany, I was having a really hard time comprehending the whole thing. I knew it was a difficult time in the country's history. People suffered, some died, and it was a great joy to the people when the Wall came down. But, I wasn't feeling it like I wanted to. I know I will never truly understand it. The lives of Berliners straddling life in a city straddling a concrete wall. However, being taken underground and shown what the resulting railway system looked like, the Soviet infrastructure, and learning about the tunnels that people built to get out of East Berlin was amazing. Shayla, Brenda and I all felt that we came away with a portion of the puzzle providing some explanation of life in Berlin post WWII.


My family came to meet me in Berlin to continue this Euroventure. We did a bus tour and they got a glance of many things in the city. I tried to fill my family in on what I'd learned from my two weeks in the city. I ordered them Doner Kebabs, of course, and made sure they got to see a part of the Wall.

My mom was insistent on us going to see the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp just north of the center of Berlin, near the Oranienburg stop on the S1. I wasn't sure whether or not I truly wanted to see it, but decided to take hold of the opportunity while was in Germany.
My friend Michael, and classmate in Berlin, interviewed our walking tour guide Darren for his project. Darren tried to explain the "allure" in going to visit these places. They aren't pleasant.  But, as Darren explain, people want to be shocked.

Prison Gate. Rough translation: "Work sets you free."

Was I "shocked" at Sachsenhausen? I'm not really sure. I have, of course, had extensive education on WWII and the atrocities of the Holocaust. Seeing this all in person, however, brings this closer to a reality as you see it in your mind. It allows you to marry an education with tangible objects to better focus the picture of the thing. I would recommend this for visitors who are interested. There is a TON of material to read and items to see. You could spend an entire day on the grounds looking at what the foundation has created for visitors to understand life in the camp. There are guided walking tours as well as comprehensive audio tours. When the weather permits, go.

Memorial on site built by Soviets after Liberation.

A single poppy springs up from where one of the barracks once stood.

One of the watch towers at the edge of the prison.

American Expat Finds Artistic Challenge in Berlin

As part of my class requirements for this photojournalism course here in Berlin, I am required to find a Berliner and profile them. We want to learn where they came from, what they do, what makes Berlin special in their eyes. We follow them around for a bit to collect photos, interview them, and make a Soundslide project. Eventually, those Soundslides will appear on a website and our work also appears in a published book that our professor puts together.

I've mentioned Pascal to you before. Pascal is my subject. I met Pascal when our group visited Dr. Pongs, a sort of simplistic, underground bar that has a ping pong table. Pascal bar tends part time at Pongs. We hung out a couple different times, sampled cappacinos and espressos together from a variety of cafes around Berlin. He also took me to his studio where I got to see a sampling of his work. Here's my little narrative on him. Soon, I'll post the Soundslide version as well:


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By day, American expatriate Pascal Folly paints, teaches English, takes walks, drinks coffee at his favorite cafes and volunteers with the homeless. By night, he bar tends, dances, parties and enjoys the vibrant techno-infused nightlife of Berlin. After living abroad in Brazil and Japan, Folly returned home to Washington, D.C. where he and his artwork felt stagnant. 

“I had no lady, no sword, no shield and no quest,” said Folly. After hearing many positive things about the city, Folly decided to just pick up and go. He ventured to Berlin in 2012 for the first time to challenge himself and his artistic approach in a brand new environment. He didn’t know anyone in Berlin and didn’t speak the language. For the first time, Folly felt failure. But he also experienced a city that was open and full of potential. Folly was newly inspired to develop his paintings in his shared studio space, experimenting with abstract circles and lines. He also admires the sense of community he found in the city. “In Berlin, people respect what you assign value to,” Folly said. “So, if you want to be an artist, you be one.”

What is Weiner Schnitzel? And Other Questions From a Non Meat-Eater

-->Those of you who know me well should have seen this post coming.
Today, I'll talk about one of my great loves in life.
Food.

A bratwurst and potato salad with a red (rot) Berliner Weiser.

I identify as a pescetarian, meaning I only eat fish and no meat, not even chicken or turkey.
Except for when I travel.
I've been eating a pescetarian diet since my senior year of high school, broken only by my trip last year to Argentina, where missing out on their beef is more sinful that breaking your self-imposed dietary restrictions.

So that's one of my flexibilities and something I encourage other people to do when they travel- sample the local cuisine! Something you are sure to find in Berlin are the typical "German" items like bratwurst. If you don't have a sensitive stomach or an aversion to street food, I recommend you at least try sampling a street vendors brat. They carry their grills on their front, the propane on their backs, and usually have an umbrella conveniently located over their heads so they are free to serve you hands free.

Aaaannnndddd Weiner Schnitzel.

 
You'll also find a variety of sausage usually served with potato salad on the side. Curry wurst is another anomaly. As our biking tour guide Sophie said, when the British got curry powder, they made tikka masala. When it reached the Germans, they mixed it with ketchup and put it on sausage.
And it's pretty good. For a sausage in ketchup that is.
And Weiner Schnitzel? It’s actually DELICIOUS. The other night as a group we visited a very traditional restaurant in Friedrichshagen where I sampled a pork schnitzel. It’s just a thin, breaded slice of meat, usually veal. But it is so good. 
 
What I didn't expect was how much Eastern food I would find. Aside from a variety of Thai food, which is slowly becoming my favorite, there is also a ton of Doner Kebab(p)s. To be honest, I don't always know what's in them. But if you're here, get one. They usually have a lot of veggies packed into this great bread, reminiscent of nan bread for your Indian food fans. They include some sauces and meat, which is usually lamb, which is mounted in a round-ish shape, heated from one side, and slowly spun, cooking the meat. Someone comes and slices pieces away. The overall impression is actually magical. You’ll also find your felafel, humus, halloumi, and other typical assortments.

Berliner Pilsner. (A little too watery for my taste.)

Beverages:

I’ve recently become interested in beer production and how certain brewing techniques affect the taste and quality of beer. I’ve sampled a few here, and I make a point of trying something different when I can.

I’ve tried Warstiener, Berliner Weisse (rot/red), Berliner Pilsner and, my favorite, Hefeweizen which is a wheat beer. 
All in all, some of the best parts of these long, busy days are the meals and drinks shared with these lovely people; my friends.

Enjoying drinks and scenery at a beer garden in Wannsee.

Warsteiner beer in Wannsee beer garden.

Berlin is for Lovers and I Feel Creepy

I never thought I would be "creeping" on people as much as I have these past few days.
Peering at the world from behind a camera lens alters your perspective of the things around you. 

I find myself examining moments that I would look past as a tourist.

A couple shares a moment together in the Berliner Dom.

I look at people when they think they aren't being watched, and I try to capture that moment. Instead of focusing much on the buildings and monuments, which are definitely worth capturing, I'm instead looking at the people around me. Other tourists, Germans, my classmates, etc.
It can get awkward, I'll be honest. Sometimes you have to fake another photo at something in the distance behind your subject and hope for the best.

A couple stops for a selfie at Alexanderplatz.

But doing that allows you to examine people in a different way. You become aware of acute differences between people. But more importantly, you become aware of the similarities.

My favorite moments are moments shared with strangers. A smile, a chuckle over their cute kid, or even discontent and an audible "Scheiße" as the tram stops because of technical difficulties and makes you walk. 

 I'm enjoying having the excuse, or rather, the opportunity to do this, to be "creepy", in a foreign city. And I am very excited to really begin work with my subject Pascal today. I'll be traveling to his art studio to take pictures of him working and also interview him about his experience in Berlin.

Berlin is for writers, artists, tourists, history buffs, mechanics, students, teachers, lovers and everything in between.
And I love being creepy.

Another pair pauses to embrace in the cool afternoon in Berlin's Tiergarten.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of public transportation,
this couple hugged before saying goodbye at a platform in Alexanderplatz.

A man looks at a woman on a boat trip across the lake in Wannsee.

A father and son watch ducks swim by at a pond in the Tiergarten.

Berlin: Poor but Sexy

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Willkommen to Berlin!
This blog post is long overdue.
I'm supposed to be blogging while I'm here in Germany, as part of a Photojournalism study abroad trip I am doing with my college.
But each time I tried to sit down and write about this city and my ongoing experience in it, I got stuck.
I have found Berlin really challenging to describe. It truly is unlike any other major city I've been to, and it hasn't at all aligned with my expectations.

Shayla, me and Amanda stop for a selfie at the Wall.
You can follow Shayla's adventures here.

Not only do you have a Berlin that was once separated, now converged, but you have a Berlin that is constantly changing.

Professor Freeman, the photojournalism teacher leading our trip, says each year he comes, he seems buildings and stores come and go.

I'm liking the city so far though, I have to say.
I compared Berlin to someone who you "meet" for the first time on Facebook. You think you've got them figured out. Then you meet them in "real life" and the impression totally changes. You know at least one of those people, right? Yeah. That's Berlin.

We've done walking tours, biking tours, spent decent chunks of time on public transportation, and still this city was throwing me for a loop.
It wasn't until I separated from my group, and met up with my subject, Pascal, that I felt like I was getting to know Berlin on a more personal basis, from a different point of view.

While we're in the city, our project is to meet someone who lives in Berlin and do a profile on them. I ran into Pascal, an artist who bartends at Dr. Pongs and teaches English in his free time. I'll introduce you to him later.

For now, you can check out my photos here, and my album on Facebook.
Auf Wiedersehen!

A woman meditating near a memorial by the Berlin Wall.

A stop for ais or ice cream under a pretty
Berlin sky.

An example of "Old" Berlin and how some parts of the city
haven't changed in some time.

Prater Biergarten. You can order a beverage and complete
your meal with a bratwurst and potato salad.