"Everyone is rushing for something, I just don't know what!!!"

Whew! What a day!  I finally slept in until almost 11!!!! It felt great!!! After a refreshing shower and a few episodes of my German soap opera, I was ready to meet Colby and head to IKEA.  On my way down the 4 flights of stairs, I crossed a mom and her precious 2 year old son.  I said "hallo" and they BOTH replied "hallo!" The little baby was sooo cute!!!!

First I headed down to Kaiser's to take my first batch of empty bottles.  Here, you recycle them and you get money for them.  So I had about 2.45 euros worth... BUT, it didn't print the receipt! They also were out of sandwiches and didn't have the drink I was supposed to buy for Colby, sooooo...  I knew it was going to be one of those days.  When I met Colby and told him, I could barely stop laughing.  We headed down to buy my ticket and were going to buy drinks in the kiosk by the train, but... it was closed.  So I bought my ticket and we headed up the stairs to use our 9 minutes before the train was to arrive (to buy drinks/lunch).  Halfway through the stairs we realized that we wouldn't make it... Soooo... we headed back downstairs. While we waited we went to a vending machine and I got a pack of cookies... Way too big to eat the whole thing.  We decided to take the first train that came, which turned out to be the ring.  Which means we have to go half way around the whole city to get to IKEA. As we sat on the train, a little girl around 6 starred at us and hid behind the seat.  I was convinced she wanted the rest of my cookies, but Colby convinced me not to give them to her.... he said the mom would be creeped out.

Once at the train station by IKEA about 30/40 minutes later, we bought (I did) a little pizza bread thing and we walked to IKEA.  I just want to remind y'all that this is my second time at IKEA. The first time I just straight up walked out because it was so overwhelming.  This time, I knew I had to face the immensity.  We started upstairs:
- We started looking at the million rooms displayed
- We start wondering where the heck are the actual things one picks up to put in a cart
- We desperately look for things: hangers, plates, utensils.
- we are so beyond confused and lost that all we can do is laugh... constantly.  Why are there so many things? Why can't we just pick up the things we want? Why is everything just a display???
- Give up on finding most of the things and start grabbing the things that we do see in baskets next to the displays
- sit down on one of the million couches and try to figure out the map
- figure out that we are supposed to write down the item number and then go downstairs to where everything actually is.
- Go downstairs
- find a cart
- realize that there are a million people doing what we are doing
- realize everyone is moving at a very high speed
- everyone is rushing for something, we just don't know what
- I start seeing the necessary things for my dorm
- I start going crazy




- We race the crowds
- there are constant announcements about children being found throughout the store
- With a cart full with: a duvet, a duvet cover, 4 glasses, a 12 set plate/bowl set, a set of utensils, 3 pots, 1 sauté pan, a potato peeler, a pillow, a mattress cover, 16 hangers, 2 huge baskets, kitchen cookware, an extension cord, a lint roller, and more... we headed to the cash register.
- How are we going to take this home you wonder? we were already laughing/panicking about how we would carry this on the train and then back to my apartment and then tomorrow to Potsdam.
- I try to pay
- Worker tells me they don't accept credit cards (WHAT?????)
- Colby to the rescue with some cash
- Colby continues to bag my stuff....
- We leave with 4 HUGE bags and wobble to the train station.

Once at the train station we face our first challenge. I need to buy a ticket, our train is coming, and people are screaming. Why are people screaming?? Why is everyone wearing blue!?!?! Oh well soccer of course!!! We run to get on the train hoping to find some seats, but OF COURSE NOT!!! It is packed with drunk, happy, singing, gross looking soccer fans.  This statement needs some explanations.  Lets just say that 1/4th of the "ring" travels through some unfortunate looking parts of Berlin, and in these parts one can see some pretty "colorful" interesting people.  Today... they were drunk, smelly, dressed in blue, and happy.  After 2 stops, we finally got to sit... the issue was that the amount of bags made it really hard to find a place to sit....


The looks we got were golden. In the sea of soccer fans a lady sat quietly reading a book with a pretty intense cover, it was called "are you experienced?" WOAH!  The whole train was ridiculous.

Once we finally got out... even the kids were looking at us.  I guess our bags WERE ridiculous.  As Colby said, we looked homeless... carrying a home on our shoulders.  A little baby legitimately looked at us for a good 5 minutes in awe.... After dumping all of our stuff, we went out to find A. a pair of boots for me and B. a present for my land lady.  It took forever, but we found a present for her and then ate at a delicious German restaurant.  I had a wiener schnitzel andC Colby ordered a goulash. But we switched half way through and got to eat a little bit of both! After dinner we headed to Rossman to get some cleaning things for my apartment and then to Kaiser's to get food for the next 2 days (since everything will be closed).

I know I have left out a lot of the stuff that caused us to laugh today, but we legitimately laughed ALL day.  On other observations: it is still snowing some.

Disclaimer:  I move to Potsdam today, which means I will not have internet in my apartment for at least 3-4 days.  This means that there probably will not be any post or news... I am alive, just dead to the internet world.  On Tuesday when the university reopens, I will go to the office and try to get the internet set up.  I have put it off for now.  Until then!!!!

To ends and new beginnings!

Yesterday was the last day of class.  I actually don't remember the morning... that's how long the day felt! I think I must have woken up and taken the train... Oh wait! I woke up at 6:00, because I had to prepare for our final presentations !!! I got to campus at around 8:30 and sat in the cafeteria and worked on it.  We have 2 cafeterias: the "Mensa" where they serve lunch, etc and the "cafeteria" where they serve coffee, cakes, little sandwiches, and breakfast stuff.  At 10, we went first and presented our powerpoint about Barbara, a movie we watched about East Germany. I highly recommend it! It isn't toooo heavy, and it gives a bit of history as well.  After us went the other groups and we had great discussions about what it meant to be in the DDR (east Germany).  We also had a deep discussion on how some still to this day believe that they were happier in this communist part of the world. Why?  I in a way think that it is the same as Oma writing down all these positive memories of Berlin.  I can't imagine writing anything positive after having to flee from my home and losing most of my family and friends.  But I guess with time, one is able to remember the good too.... Hard to imagine.

During our lunch break, our group ate together as usual and then a couple of us headed to "Netto," a little supermarket near by where we bought a few sweet things to eat with the class.  We were each supposed to bring something typical of our country, so I bought M&Ms! Hahaha!  In class, Christin had  pushed all the tables together and made a large table.

Our goodies! 

 We sat and read our "Tagebuch" out loud.  This "Tagebuch" is a sort of diary.  Each of us had one day to write about and then she compiled all of it together and made it into a book.  We also have some recipes from around the world!  After finishing all the entries, which turned out to be pretty funny, we each got our copy signed by the others.

A bit blurry, but this is our group.  All giving thumbs up for the poor Brazilian guy that cut his thumb cooking

We had barely begun when the other class joined us and we were given feedback forms for the class.  After quickly finishing those, we were given our certificates and our grades! I got my first 1,3.  The grades go from 1 - 5 with 1 being the highest! I didn't know if this was good, but we were quickly informed that the only person that got a 1 was the native speaker. Bahahahaha, I'll stick with my 1.3!!!  Proudest moment of the day: When Christin gave me my certificate, she looked at me and all she said, "Please believe me when I tell you that your German really is good." I really couldn't stop thinking, "man have I fooled you!"  I will admit that I feel less helpless than I did my first day, BUT I still can't express everything I'm thinking so I found it incredibly humorous to have her constantly assuming that I understood/spoke more than everyone else... Very very funny!  It was kinda sad saying goodbye to everyone... I know that I can see them again if/when I want to, but we won't all be in the same place at once again for a while! We really had a blast together.... so much so that Christin even teared up saying goodbye to our group.  She also told us that we were a very special group and we needed to hang on to our bond, which I'm sure we will.

The trip back to Berlin was very quick, because I took a regional train.  This was my last trip back to Berlin with Mette (the very nice Danish girl).  We talked the whole way, in German, and split ways a block from my house, since she lives very close to here.  We are planning on meeting soon and going to a museum, movie, or concert. (that goes for everyone in the group!)  I quickly went to my apartment and left my heavy backpack, but I rushed back out and met Colby at a coffee shop.  Yesterday was a very important day.  Yesterday was Oma's birthday.  Yesterday she would have turned 89 years old, and for the first time I got to spend her birthday in the place where she was born.  It was sort of a magical realization, so after meeting up with Colby we walked to the place where she was born.  The place where a little past midnight on March 28, Margot Pelzel was born.  It really was magical!

Video of the church on the corner of where Oma lived her last years in Berlin.  The bells were ringing as we made our way to the place where she was actually born.  I thought it was pretty special. 

Video of the corner where Oma was born.  I'm still not sure if this yellow building is the building, or if the building stood next to it and was demolished to build the awesome kid's hands on museum that stands there now

 After a moment of reflection in the cold Berlin air, I accompanied Colby to visit an apartment he is thinking about renting.  He ran into some trouble with the room he is currently renting, so he has been desperately trying to find a new one.  Thing is how that works:

- one searches for room on this online website

- one sends emails

- one gets no replies

- one sends more emails

- one gets some replies with dates to view the place

- one goes to the viewing parties or appointment

- one must have an interviewish visit party, where you can see the place, but you also have to sell yourself to the potential roommates

The place last night was in Charlottenburg and was soooo nice! It was the 3rd or 4th place he has visited.  He hadn't gotten the other places.... This guy was so nice!!! He reminded me of my cousin's husband Nacho, AND he was an engineer (so is Nacho).  The guy and his girlfriend live in the apartment, which they rent from a French man, but they are from Austria (from a part that used to be Italy).  The apartment was great and after a pleasant visit we left hoping he would get the place.

Once back in Prenzlauer berg, we decided to eat dinner at a place called Frida Kahlo.  It was delicious Mexican food, but classy Mexican food... That sounds wrong, lets just say a classier restaurant than the Mexican restaurants one would see back home.  I had some delicious Nachos, which were soooo good!!! I was soooo exhausted once I got home that I quickly fell asleep.

Today started earlier than I thought... my plan: sleep in.  Reality: woke up at 8:30 to a LOT of snow falling outside my window. NOOOOOOO!!! Today's plan: take all of my suitcases to Potsdam. NOOOOO!! That includes 2 suitcases and 1 bag.  All the way to potsdam: 2 train stations, 2 trains, 10 minute walk! All not only THROUGH the snow on the ground, but also THROUGH the falling snow!!!  Let me tell ya... pulling a 50 lb suitcase is already hard, there is no need to have to drag along a foot of snow with it!!! Ugh.. anyway.  I waited for Colby to wake up and then started bringing down my bags.... One suitcase at a time! I had squished most everything in there this morning and was trying to avoid disturbing the masses.  Once I had everything downstairs I waited for Colby and then headed to the U2 stop.

My suitcases ready for Colby to get here and help! 

There we rode the elevator up and then the train to Alexander Platz.  There we rode the elevator and an escalator to get to the platform to wait for the Regional train that would take us to Park Sansoussi. Once at the station we walked... about 10 minutes through the snow (while dragging the snow) to my apartment.  Then... we climbed the stairs and barely made it up to my room.  While I unpacked my stuff, Colby struggled to find something to open his Bionade (German love glass bottles!).  As I have mentioned before, Germans are pros at opening bottles, Colby on the other hand struggled today.... hahah after I unpacked we got it open and headed out.

Today is Good Friday, for all of those who didn't know... Which means that everything, but most of the restaurants, is closed.  Soooo our initial plan to go to IKEA and buy all the necessary things for my room fell through. However we will be going tomorrow and I feel so much better now that I have moved all my big stuff to Potsdam.  Also... the buses/trams/and trains caused a bit of a delay because they don't run as frequently... But we dealt with it and here was our day:

11:45 - start track with suitcases to train station
12:15 - get on U2 to Alex Platz
12:20 - try to maneuver with the huge bags around the huge train station at Alex Platz
12:33 - get on RE1 to Potsdam Park Sansoussi
1: 10 - arrive at Park Sansoussi and start our long walk through the snow
1:20- arrive at apt
2:00 - leave apt walking (without suitcases), since we RAN to catch a bus and missed it
2: 11 - check RE times at Park Sansoussi, no train till 2:47
2:27 - get on bus to South Bahnhof
2:50 - get to South Bahnhof and run to catch RE1 to Berlin
2:54 - get on RE1  --- same one we could have taken at 2:47 at Park Sansoussi

The train ride was pretty entertaining... Colby slept and I.... eaves dropped! I love it! There was a 20 something year old with his parent (clearly from Spain).  It made me think of my mom, because after listening for 25 minutes, I realized that they had spent the whole time talking about food.  Mom always says that it is so "american" to plan a trip and focus on places to eat, but these people.... The son apparently lives in Berlin and is a model... How do I know? Well... the mom was trying to write down what they had done this week while visiting and all they were doing was, "wait, where did we eat monday? where did we eat tuesday night?," "we ate there! remember? That was the night I didn't eat because I had the photo shoot the next day!" Apparently food as a main part of traveling is a universal syndrome. It was hilarious and entertained me all the way home.

Anyway, once we got back to Berlin and our beloved Prenzlauer Berg, we walked to Kreuzburger and had some delicious burgers and fries! Yummy! The Germans do burgers better, I think because everything on it tastes sooooo fresh!  After stuffing our faces, we headed to my apartment, where I was grabbing my book so we could head to a cafe to drink coffee/tea and read.

When I entered the apartment my landlady quickly came out of the kitchen to greet me.  She asked me if I wanted to eat with her and her son who is visiting! How sweet is that!!!!!! I felt horrible, because Colby was waiting on me downstairs and we had JUST eaten, but I had to say no thank you and explain.  She then introduced me to her son, who is here visiting from Switzerland.  She also said she felt sooo sorry for me today when she realized that I had taken my things to Potsdam in the snow.  It kind of took me aback that she noticed things were gone (since they were gone from my room), but when I went in my room I realized she had come in to turn up the radiator to make sure I was warm.  How sweet is she???? After a quick conversation I headed downstairs and Colby and I headed to a coffee place called the Glory Hole (which I mistakenly called the Wonder hole, my bad).

Sooo.. about 2 sentences into my book I discovered that the conversation going on at the table next to us was way more interesting.  This time it wasn't in Spanish, it was in Germany.  Ok, I really am not that big of a creep... but it started by me just trying to figure out if I could understand, and then... their conversation really got interesting.  So this time it was two girls around 20 or 30.  One of them was talking about a long distance relationship that had ended... Apparently it was a long relationship.  Her mom had died and her dad has had 2 heart attacks.  He was dating a Russian woman.  Then her friend asks who he is living now with all this health problems.  The other girl responds that it is too complicate... (oh gosh... I think to myself... I really hope I can understand what's coming because it sounds interesting). So apparently this Russian woman didn't have a permit to stay here, so he married her.  But... she has 2 sons in Russia and a 76 year old mother.  So the mom doesn't want to move and the kids have to finish high school and serve in the army.  Then they can take a language placement test and move to Germany.  But until then... she lives half of the year here and half there... I don't know where the conversation went after that, but I do know that I realized two things: 1. I clearly could understand 2.  how creepy I was being.  After that, we walked back to a little store that was open today and bought some Milka chocolate!!! Whoooooo! Now I am laying in bed!

Now that I have fully revealed my strangeness, I am signing off and going to watch some German tv.
Tomorrow will have to be exciting, because there will be nothing to do Sunday or Monday!! (everything will be closed).

A story told by my Oma

Today is kind of crazy for me, because tomorrow is my last day of class and I have a million things to prepare.  Therefore,  I am sharing with you guys my Oma's words.  Below I am attaching a poorly translated (sorry I did it really fast) letter that I got from Oma on February 17th, 2003.  Here she tells me about Hannele, the friend that I spoke with yesterday! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.  She was one amazing lady...

Hello Martina

I am going to tell you the story of my friend Hanna, who I still call Hannele, which is what she was called when we were kids. 

Hannele’s mother was friends with my mom and you know that when the moms are friends, the kids are generally also friends, or one could even say they are like siblings or cousins, and that was how my, Bubi, and my cousin Adi’s  relationship with Hannele were. 

We played a lot, at my house or at the Rosenthatl house (that was their last name). Hannele always had the nicest toys, which meant that I loved playing there.  I especially remember her doll “rooms” that weren’t quite a house, and a kitchen for her dolls that impressed me because of its modern appliances.  Everything was little but looked like the real ones.  One time we played hairdressers… it turned out to be a bit like that time that Maia cut her own hair that Christmas, remember? And I can’t even tell you in how much trouble we got.  I think the one at fault was actually Bubi and mom got really mad, not to mention how angry “aunt” Edith, Hannele’s mom, got.

The Rosenthals lived on Gartenstrasse, that is where we went to play and from where my mother pulled us on a sleigh through the snow in the winter.  Bubi and I stayed seated on the sleigh, holding on tight, while my mother pulled.  It was beautiful, the snow made the street silence and in some lit windows one could already see a few Christmas trees, so I guess it was close to Christmas.  The only bad part about traveling so comfortably was that since we weren’t moving, our feet would get incredibly cold, and once we got home mom had to warm feet and we had to put ours immediately in warm water because they were like 2 pieces of ice – or it seemed that way.

Later, the Rosenthals moved to Prenzlauer Strasse where “uncle” Bernhard, who was a cook, opened a restaurant.  In reality it only served food for lunch, between noon and 3 pm.  In their apartment he arranged a dining room in one of the big rooms and placed many tables.  The menu was written by hand using a really strance ink.  I mean to say, one wrote every item on a sheet of paper, then it was copied on to a special pad where the ink would transform and look like gold, and then one would bring white pieces of paper on to the pad and … a miracle, the menus would be printed! An example would be placed in glass framed case on the door at the entrance of the house (the restaurant was on the ground floor) so that the possible clients could be aware of the yummy things that were being served that day.  The others were handed out to the clients at the table, like at any other restaurant. 

And there were always yummy things, starters, soups, a meat plate (various) and a dessert to choose from.  My mom helped in the kitchen, since she was also a very good cook. She was in charge of desserts.  She made some “budines” (qhich you guys don’t like and Marianne and your mom don’t either). A budin made out of noodles  or rice, sometimes filled with poppy seeds and apple, something that everyone loved a lot.  Hannele wrote me that she specifically remembers the “budin” made out of noodles, really golden and sweet and wants to know how to make it.  I know that  your mom will not accept eating sweet noodles. 

I went many times to pick up mom from there and they always gave me some desserts.  One time, I got to spend the night at this house for a whole week, while Hannele was sent to my house so that my mom could teach her to eat.  Apparently Hannele didn’t like to eat and I don’t know what my mom did with her, I think she fed her creamy soups with corn starch, flour, and grits, like people did back then so that kids would gain weight.  I didn’t care, because I had the priviledge of being able to pick a different dessert everyday.  I think that must have been during a vacation break.

A bit later the Rosenthals moved again to Klosterstrasse, a neighborhood in the middle of offices.  My mom helped there too.  And Bubi and I would go there after school, because it was close by, and we would help deliver lunches.  We liked this because we always got tips, 5 or 10 Pfennig, which you can imagine left us pretty happy.  For candy or whatever we liked at the moment.  On top of it, we got to eat there.  But the best was the time that we had to wait between deliveries, because I could read.  Hannele had a room like what would be an attic here,  with a staircase, small, and with an angled roof. It only had a bed, a table, and shelves full of books.  All of the kid’s books that one could imagine, Hannele had them.  So, I would always make use of this time to read some, and then I could always take some home to read. And that makes me think a lot of Maia.  I could hardly wait to get home, finish my homework for school, so that I could start reading.  Her room was a library where one went, picked out something, and when one had read it one would return it and pick out another.  Hannele had an aunt Olga that didn’t have children, and she was the one that bought everything any child could ever want, including clothes and toys.

At some point Gina was born, Hannele’s sister.  In the picture that I am attaching you can see her.  It was a Sunday, and evidently in the Spring, just judging by how we are dressed.  They sent Bubi, Adi, and I to get “aunt” Edith’s girls and go walk around.  We thought it was strange, but we were obedient and it was a nice morning, so the three of us went to Klosterstrasse, where Hannele and Gina awaited our arrival. Gina had a little stroller for her dolls.  We headed to Lustgarten, which was a park across from the cathedral (your dad knows this place).  All of a sudden someone called us! We looked and it was my dad: what a surprise!! “Stand together over there,” he said to us so seriously that we though we had done something wrong. We acted immediately without knowing from where my dad had appeared, or what we had done wrong, then he called over a photographer.  Now I think that my dad was always near us watching over us to make sure that nothing happened to us, but we never realized it.  We were very proud to be able to go out on our own.  I must have been 10 years old.  Well, the photo is testimony of that morning.

One summer, “aunt” Edith invited me for a few days to go to Ahrensfelde, a place on the outskirts of Berlin, where at that time there were lots of houses with gardens, fruit trees, etc.  (et cetera – et –and – cetera—what is missing in Latin, and it is used to that one doesn’t have to list a lot of things of the same class).  In this place, that at that time didn’t have streets, just little tiny roads, the Rosenthals had a little tiny wooden house with a terrace, 2 or 3 little bedrooms, a small kitchen, and then a huge yard, which was a lot bigger than the one we had.  In the back there were strawberries and in the front apples… I loved being there, listening to the birds singing in the early morning and hearing the sound of the milkman’s tires that came down the gravel roads… you know, it’s the feeling of being “outside” when you are so used to living in a huge city where there aren’t gardens, like it was then (and now) in the case of Berlin.

I spent a few days there with Hannele and Gina and “aunt” Edith, of course.  We got there by train.  The train kept going after our stop and went by our back yard, so we would stand there and wave…  On Sunday morning my mom came with Bubi.  In the afternoon we climbed the apple trees and took the apples (what else would we take?) and we filled many bags with tiny apples that weren’t fully ripe yet.  After  that we had to carry these bags, and that was no easy task. We made a chain, always carrying two bags at a time.  And we walked like that on the highway until we got to the bus stop.  The bus would leave us closer to home than the train.  After we got home we put the apples one by one on top of a closet, very far apart.  They ripened there until the winter and there were apples to last for a while.  That’s ho things were done then. 

These were just some life experiences that we lived together on top of the normal gatherings between friends.  When my family left Germany, they were still there and after a while we stopped getting news from them, like it happened with almost of the loved ones we left behind. 

The war came and then finally ended.  This happened in 1945.  We got a weekly American magazine written in German called (and I think it is still called) Der Aufbau.  This was the only tie that we immigrants had and the only way we had to find out about others like us.  In this newspaper, one day, Edith Rosenthal’s name appeared.  You can imagine that I immediately wrote her and I got a response.  I am not going to tell you every detail, because this is another story, but I will tell you that found out that Hannele and Gine (who now is named Rina) were sent to Palestine (what Israel was called back then).  “Aunt” Edith went there after the war (she had survived in Berlin illegally, which means in hiding). Hannele got married and had one girl.  Rina went to a Kibuts and then Hannele returned to Berlin.

Now, how did I find Hannele again?  There is a German magazine for Berliners called Aktuell, and in it I read once an add from Hanna Schulze (born Rosenthal) searching for ex-class mates.  Then, I wrote her a letter, telling her that I was not a class mate but we were very close in our childhood and I sent her copies of the picture that I had of her and us together, etc.  I immediately got a happy response.  It was a huge surprise for her and she was sooo happy… And well, since then we are still writing each other… It must be now a year and a half.

Well my love, this is the story of how I found my childhood friend. I hope you find it interesting and if you have questions, go ahead and ask and I will reply!

I love you a lot and love to your parents and Maia.

Yours,

Oma

A conversation with a fairytale character

Today started too early! I got a late start though and rushed to be early! Once in Potsdam, we covered German/Berlin history.  Mostly the Berlin wall, because the movies we watched in the afternoon dealt with the wall and East and West Berlin/Germany.  I was really happy to get a quick refresher on dates and events before watching the movie this afternoon.  Our choices for the movies were: Goodbye Lenin, Das Leben der Anderen, or Barbara.  I had seen the first two many times, so I chose Barbara and actually really liked it! It is a hard to watch as any other German movie, but it actually ended up ok, I think.  I am not sure if I understood all of the relationships going on in the film, but I am about to do some research!  After the movie I headed back to Berlin and stopped by to by a lentil salad for dinner! Once in my apartment, I realized it was only 5! The train was super fast today!!! So I decided I would call Hanne Schulze... my grandmother's childhood friend who she kept in touch with and was living in Germany when my grandmother died.  I dialed the number on Skype and then waited for it to say that the number was disconnected.  However, it didn't and a sweet lady picked up the phone and said "Schulze." To which I answered, is Hanna there? When she said yes I about died!!!!  

She sounded sooo nice! It was as if I was talking to a character in a fairy tale or a book! I quickly told her that Margot Pelzel was my grandmother and she quickly responded "is she not alive?"  I was so taken aback that she had understood me so quickly, that it was hard for me to come up with something to say, and it was really hard to response tactfully in German, so I just had to come out and tell her that she died in 2008...  Then I continued to tell her that my aunt had given me her number and what I was doing, and that I would love to meet her.  It never crossed my mind that today was passover... I felt bad not saying anything... But she told me she was really busy this week, but to call her back next week and we can set up a time to meet and for me to go over there.  She also asked me who my aunt was, because she knew Oma had 2 daughters.  She sounds soooo incredibly nice, and I am so glad she picked up! When I called, I was kind of hoping she wouldn't because I didn't know what I would say or how I would be able to speak on the phone, but she was sooo incredibly nice! I cannot wait to meet her!

After talking with her I was so excited that I went out of my room and told my awesome landlady! She was so excited! We started talking about life and then I went back in my room.  A few minutes later she came back in and told me she wanted to give me a book.  I figured it was a book on Prenzlauer Berg, because she had given me one already for me to read.  But instead... she gave me a book (a novel) that her husband wrote!!! She told me it has two stories, one which is the biography of a lady, who was like their Oma, who lived in Berlin in Prenzlauer Berg and was also Jewish.  She fled to the Soviet Union and was later also persecuted there for being German.  I was so touched.  The lady told me that she only has 2 copies left and the book is out of print! I couldn't believe she was giving me a book that her husband wrote (he passed away I believe)!! I promised her I would read it and return it to her before I leave.  She really has been so amazing!

As I lay in my bed now getting ready to call it a night, I am still at awe... I spoke to Hannele... I spoke to the girl that I've read so much about!!! It was surreal.  Well I am off to translate one more letter before I really call it a night.  Here's a picture of my view from here!

The moon

Stand by me Milka

I'm dedicating today's blog to my dad! It's been one long year, but it is finally over and I'm so proud to call you my dad and look forward to many more healthy years to come!  I also want to share this video with all of you, because you continually "stand by me" from near and far! Click here to watch the amazingness!

I must apologize for skipping days, but I haven't had that much time/material to write.  Today on the train ride back from Potsdam I wrote the following:

Saturday I got to sleep in until 10 for the first time all week! I woke up to the sun on my face and figured that since it was a nice day, I would walk to the market at Alexanderplatz.  It is exactly a 40 minute walk, so I thought it would be very enjoyable with the nice weather.  Nice weather? Did I really just write that.  Scratch that... It was 9 degrees F (which is about -13 C)!!! It looked zoo nice from inside!!! But the wind was brutal! My goal for the morning was to find a scarf... A German scarf! Everyone here wears amazing, huge, thick, warm scarfs!!! On my way to Alexanderplatz, I walked through Oma's street, passed her houses, and enjoyed the market on her street.  Everyone was out, eating on tables (tall ones where one stands while one eats).  If you weren't actually on the street or looking at the snow, you might not believe it was soooo freaking cold!

Kollwitzplatz

Kollwitzplatz

After battling my way through the wind to Alexanderplatz, I finally found my scarf and enjoyed some people watching while eating my first currywurst standing on one of these outside tables.

My awesome scarf!!! 

Alexanderplatz

Alexanderplatz

 After about 15 minutes, I had enough and headed to a cafe to enjoy some hot tea and make use of the WIFI.  Since I have had the hardest time finding internet in this city, every time I find it, I make use of it!!! While enjoying my tea, I researched Prenzlauer Berg some more and began realizing the amount of databases that are available here.  I was so excited and pumped that I rushed back to the apartment to get to working on the letters and stories.  My goal was to look at the narrations and letters and write down any names mentioned or addresses provided so that I could look them up on the databases.  Since I couldn't bring all of the documents to Germany with me, mom helped me from home.  Turns out I only found Taly and Frieda again.... Cousin and aunt that were killed in a concentration camp.  The rest... nowhere to be found.  I also found out that the plaques or stones are updated and I could possibly pay to have one put in from of Oma's house! That might become my next goal.  Along with another big goal.... My aunt Marianne informed me that she had the phone number of my grandmother's childhood friend in Berlin, Hanne Schulze.  We don't know if she is still alive, but we know that Oma was still in contact with her when she died, and we also know that she was never notified that Oma died.   In the next few days I will try to make contact with her.  However, the number is registered to an apartment that is now rented by someone else, and the apartment has a new number, so I am not sure if she died or is perhaps in a nursing home.  

After all of my investigating, I went out to dinner with Colby and Martin.  After dinner we all went to Kaisers (the supermarket) ... and here comes confession time.... I have a  problem... a huge problem... It's an addiction really.  I am addicted to Milka Chocolate, more specifically one with fruits and nuts.  I can buy a bar (100 g) and eat it in less than 30 minutes.  I don't even realize its happening anymore!!! Before coming to Germany, I went through 2 months of near Vegan eating. And it felt great!!! Then the week before coming to Germany I got off the wagon in order to eat "all the foods I would miss." Once here,  I worried less about food, because my primary concern in the U.S. was the chemicals added on to the food... Here, there is no MSG or high corn fructose... so then I can eat whatever, right? WRONG! I forgot one small detail... Sugar is like a drug... but really! Hints the addiction with chocolate.  Since I was well aware of my problem and knew that I would be spending Sunday in my apartment doing homework, I bought some all natural vegetable juice and some all natural fruit juice in order to do a "day cleanse."

I spent Sunday in my room with lots of work! Though I stayed up until 2 am working with the databases, I still woke up early to work on my big presentation about Oxford! A 5 to 10 minute presentation, not so bad, right? WRONG! For some reason I was a nervous wreck.  All I can do is thank Corina for preparing me and teaching me how to do this.  If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't even know what a Referat (presentation) was and what the handout would need to look like.

Since I was inside all day, I thought drinking my juices would be easy! NEGATIVE!!! The vegetable juice tasted like chunky blended up cold tomato soup with salt and garlic.  I tried to mix it with the fruit and ruined both of them.  It was soooo gross.  By the end of the day I just wanted something else to eat... so I went to the only convenience store open and bought something to eat... too bad it was Milka chocolate!!!! I am horrible!! I even bought the wrong kind, but even though I didn't really like the one I got... I totally ate it! It's horrible! The milk chocolate itself is just soooo goo goooood!!!!!

 I woke up today at around 6am to finish, and by the time I got to my seat in class I was ready to go.  Clearly, Cristin noticed, because she asked me to go first.  The presentation went fine, and she seemed to love it! She loved my handout, only corrected 2 mistakes (which in 7 minutes of talking isn't too bad) and said that it was great!  I was so proud! Everyone seemed interested in learning about our southern state and the wonderful town I currently call home. The presentations today were all very interesting and I now have a longer list of places to visit!  My next topic causing my nerves is the placement test that I have to take to get into the classes that are in German.  I have to place at C1 level... so I told Cristin my concerns, and she laughed... she said, "you won't have any problem with that!" Seriously?  Does she know it's a page long fill in the blank!?  Like... they cut words in half and you have to finish them.  And I am horri___ at that!!! Ugh! We shall see!!!

On the train today, I sat in amazement of how beautiful this place is.  There were lakes, snow, graffiti (which I'm growing to learn and now decipher to discover which crew painted it), beautiful houses, and precious kids.... I love the landscapes I get to enjoy from the train.  Across from me, sat a man wearing clothes that were covered in paint.  He looked to have had a very long day at work and was enjoying a beer while listening to some pretty loud music.  Why is he interesting? Because he is one of a million in this country that can open a beer bottle with ANYTHING in sight.  I still don't know what he used, but in less than a second, he had opened his cold beer.  IMPRESSIVE.

Once in Berlin, I headed to Schoenhauser Allee 79, where I had found a post office.  Little did I know that it was in a mall... A mall that has been 3 blocks from me and I was so not aware... Oh well! Better late than never.  Now... the post office.

- Locate the post office/post bank at the back of the mall
- Enter
- Notice a line...
- think... should I be standing in this line?
- think... I need an envelope
- see and envelope pack
- grab envelope pack and start to open it
- wait... should I be opening this pack without paying for it???
- stand there awkwardly thinking about what I will do at the counter without an address on the letter I need to send to the DAAD
- give in and open the unpaid pack of envelopes.
- quickly write the addresses and put the letter inside
- get called to the counter
- ask to mail the letter/pay for the envelopes
- I am given some glue to glue shut the envelope
- I pay and leave pumped to have succeeded!!!!!

In case you haven't figured this out yet... It's the little things that count while here! Once back in my apartment my landlady welcomed me  with a sweet hello  (while on the phone) and then continued to tell the person on the phone that "meine Martina"(my Martina)  had arrived. So sweet! Once she was off the phone she came to my room and we talked about when I will move out next weekend.  She has been soooo nice!  She invited me to a concert last night, but since I had so much homework I had to skip out (don't you guys worry, I have a lot of plans to go to a lot of show/music performances).  Today we talked about how unique this neighborhood is and the meaning that its culture has on my research.  She really has been sooo nice! It's like having a host mom for a month, except I've hardly seen her because I'm barely here (I feel a little guilty about that).

After our chat, Colby and I met at this mall I found and had some vietnamese/japanese food.  I had some sushi (a bit healthy) and then we got ice cream! I am the worst. Once at home I started rewatching my food videos to get re-inspired.   Here (http://www.hungryforchange.tv/free-worldwide-online-screening) is the link to the first movie I watched... It really changed the way I view food.  I also watched another movie tonight dealing with the effects that food has on cancer.  It is all so interesting and scary/exciting, and it makes me want to keep eating healthy (minus the chocolate of course!).  I guess tomorrow is the perfect day to start/start chocolate withdrawals hahah!  Well I'm off to bed because I am exhausted! Sorry for the long post!!!!

Imagine all the people sharing all the world

Imagine: my song for today:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRhq-yO1KN8
This song always makes me think of the one and only Mr. John Morgan King.  He was an incredible teacher and person who challenged me to grow and challenge myself and ideas. I owe him a lot... and today, this song in a way describes my experiences!

When one is comfortable and at home in the U.S. it is so easy to forget how big the world is and how different things can be.  It also becomes easy to be pulled into the idea that different equals worse, crazy, or simply negative. Abroad it becomes incredibly easy to realize how few the fundamental differences between people truly are.

Yesterday was a great day with my usual classroom routines.  Early morning, Potsdam for class, lunch with my class mates, afternoon class, walk to my Potsdam apartment to check the mail, train to Berlin, cake and coffee with Colby and Martin, and home to bed to watch some German TV.  (All in the snow of course!)

Today was different! Today we had a "Berlin city tour." I woke up late (at 8) since I didn't have to go to Potsdam and I walked to Alexander Platz to meet the rest of the people.  The walk is exactly 40 minutes and was delightful! We met by the Fersehturm (television tower) and split into 2 groups.

One was the English tour, the other the German.  Sadly, since the English tour didn't have enough people, a bunch of us had to join in. Oh well, I guess one day off of German is ok!

The tour was very different.  That being said, I know I would have never done this and I am so glad I did!!! Different isn't always bad.  The tour was on street art and graffiti.  Both of these arts are illegal in Berlin, but are everywhere! It has become quite the attraction around the globe! There are "crews" that are well known and there are rules that the crews respect (like not painting or pasting over one another's work).  When the crews break the rules, there can be conflicts...  All of these "arts" are done at night since they are illegal and they tent to be done fairly quickly.  We learned about 3 different types of art: 1. graffiti 2.street art- prints, drawings, or paintings that are done on paper and pasted to the walls 3. sticker art - stickers that crews have and paste on the walls, signs, or columns on the streets.

Our tour guide pointing out some of the signs pasted

Some graffiti on the walls of Berlin

My stencils

It was pretty great! After the tour we got to go and spray paint ourselves! We first picked and cut out our stencils and then we spray painted! Our guy taught us a few tips and then we were ready! 

My masterpiece 

Mine turned out ok, but the fun was in the process! After painting, we headed to Kreuzberg to an Arabic place to eat! Sooo delicious! 

The best part of today was getting to spend more time with the other students! There are some incredible people in the group.  Here is a breakdown of most of the people... The easiest thing for me to do is to go by country... isn't really fair, but it's the easiest! Here is a breakdown of the people I've been around the most:  (disclaimer... I know I am using the word nice a lot, but everyone really is super nice)

Denmark - 4 awesome people! I really have only spent a good amount of time speaking to 2 of the girls.  First observation, they look like they walked out of a fashion magazine! I wish I had their style! They are so pretty and so incredibly nice!

Dutch - There are 5 of them, I believe. 4 girls and one guy.  All very very nice!! Their German pronunciation is sooo lovely and just like everyone else, their English is unbelievable... One is actually German and speaks fluent German, another is prepping for a half marathon... 

Australia - 3 girls.  One of the girls has been here for 6 months.  She is also super nice and has been great about planning activities to get the group together outside of class.  Once I'm in Potsdam I think I will be able to enjoy these plans a lot more.  She really has been great about helping all of us as we acclimate to living in Potsdam. The other two girls are also super nice, but I don't see them as much because they are in the other class.

Czech Republic - 1 guy.  He is hilarious.  He studies sports and biology.  He is here and will be taking these classes: Football, ping pong, swimming, volleyball, etc.  CRACK ME UP! He is very funny and you can tell he is VERY smart.  He is not one of the ones that speaks the most, but there is not one sentence that he forms in German that grammatically incorrect. 

Hungary -  1 guy and 1 girl.  The girl is super super nice and the guy is too, I think... I feel so bad for him.  He does not speak German or English, but he is getting better FAST!!! 

Italy - 1 guy and he is very very nice.  He is also very interesting and interested! 

Portugal - 2 guys... They are the clowns! Haha.. I don't think they speak a lot of German and they are the typical kids in a class that talk while the teacher (or guide) is taking. But also very nice! 

Brazil - 2 guys.  Both again very nice! One cut his finger and now has to have it wrapped until monday.  The other strikes me as very quiet and VeRY smart! Also another one who doesn't say much but always is correct.  

Russia -  1 girl.  Very quiet but very sweet! 

England -- 1 girl. She is very nice and sooo funny! She had the hardest time with the street art today, but laughed the whole time.  She talks and I hear Eliza Doolitle.. She says people at home tell her she sounds like a farmer, I think it's hilarious. 

I could keep going, but it wouldn't make a difference to you... See what all these things have in common?  They are all unbelievably nice. 15 different countries, 4 different continents, and they are all nice.  I've had some really deep conversation about the different education systems, politics, and overall ideals of countries represented in our class, but one thing is for sure... Even though we don't all live in the ideal country or environment, we are all just students trying to learn.  We are all just people trying to better ourselves and the world we live in, and this realization is magical. Wether we enjoy or make street art, act on a stage, play the trombone, or just travel for fun, we are just people sharing all the world... 

After our great bonding experience over lunch, Mette (the Danish girl) and I headed back to Prenzlauer Berg. Here we browsed through a few second hand stores (super cute clothes) and then settled down for some kaffee und kuchen (coffee and cake).  

Mette

This area is truly charming and it was wonderful to sit down with her and talk.  I can't wait to visit Denmark, it sounds absolutely idyllic!!! 

For now, I am going to continue enjoying my time with these awesome people and try to warm up my toes!   

Funny story from todays tour: The tour guide explained to Mette that the graffiti was on one of the sides of Berlin after the wall fell because of the cows that there were... She said, the cows? He said yes... there were a lot of cows! Mette comes to me looking confused and I can't stop laughing.. She asks, do you know the connection between cows and graffiti.  I couldn't breath I was laughing so hard.  I could just picture the wall falling and all these cows and graffiti on the other side.  CHAOS! He meant CHAOS!  But in german, it is pronounces kinda like cows.  Poor guy! Too funny