Wir müssen nie vergessen...

Upon walking through the front entrance, you are immediately bombarded with feelings of fear, tension and anxiety. You feel it in your gut. Like going into a dark alley in the wrong part of town, you really shouldn't be there. Then you notice something else. When one is outside of the camp, the birds are chirping and people are talking. Once you walk through the gate, there is dead silence. The sound of the wind offers little to break the tension. It was incredibly creepy. There were birds all around but none of them where chirping. It's like they knew what happened there. The uneasiness only gets worse the further you pace into the camp. It is worst when you stumble upon the crematoriums and the mass graves. Again, you are instantly stricken with an overwhelming sensation of anxiety, sadness and fear. The only thing I can compare it to is the fear you experience during a fight-or-flight episode; but you can't move, and it doesn't go away. To try and get a sense of what they felt, I walked into the execution pit and looked up and the people walking by. Blank, expressionless faces with a black, overcast sky behind them. This must have been what many saw in their last seconds of life. There is so much evil there; so much evil that even 65 years later, it still cripples and overwhelms all who cross that gate. I have always wanted to visit one of those camps. Now that I have, I'm a little afraid of going back to one.

The title of this post translates to, "We must never forget".

Two Faced

When traveling from west to east, it is like traveling back through time. The east is still in the midst of change, whereas the west and most of the city enter are almost completely modernized/westernized.

Yesterday marked to farthest east in Berlin that I have traveled. I went to the district of Kreuzberg, at its most eastern side. One can see the changes that were made to this place after the wall, but it still bears the scars of eastern domination. There is an eerie vibe here, one of new life and quiet acceptance of the demons of the past. The people still carry on their daily trials just as in the west, but with significantly different surroundings. It is as if they are almost blissfully unaware of what was; only looking ahead to what will be.

But that is part of Berlin’s character. Everywhere you look, Berlin shows pieces of her past. Whether it be the lifeless, square buildings of the eastern sector, the bullet holes in the Reichtag, or the line of bricks that represents the stitching of an old wound, she is a city that moves forward without forgetting her past; good or bad.

Rules

There are some unspoken rules to follow while living in Berlin, and one must learn these rules quickly or else be viewed as a “typical tourist”. Many of them have to do with moving around in the city, but some are basic generalities. Here are the rules I have learned so far, listed in order from memory, not importance:
1. When walking down the sidewalk, always stay to the right.
2. Do not walk in the little lane between the sidewalk and the street. This is the bicycle lane. They will not stop.
3. When riding on a bus or train, it is proper to sit in the seat farthest away from the aisle if both are open.
4. When throwing trash away, always check the symbol on the outside of the bin. If you throw glass away in a paper bin, plastic in a glass bin, etc. you will be looked at as if you just stole a car.
5. When you see a friend down the street, wave with your left hand. If you must wave with your right hand, do not raise it higher than your shoulder, cuz that’s what the Nazis did.
6. Try not to mention anything about the Third Reich or WWII. They have owned up to it and moved on, so no need to rub it in.
7. When buying groceries, it is imperative that you have your money ready before the cashier begins the checkout process. See previous blog post for further explanation.
8. When preparing to cross the street, even if no cars are present and it is completely safe, DO NOT cross when the pedestrian light is red. It is more than just following the rules. It is also one way to easily identify an American.
9. Most if not all Germans wear a watch to keep track of time. This is a good idea considering if you do not arrive at the train station when you are supposed to, depending on the time of day and what day it is, you may have to sit at the stop for some time.
10. Berlin is a HUGE city. Familiarize yourself with the train, subway and bus system. If you do not take the right line, you can get very, very lost; very, very quickly.
11. When sightseeing in the city, the farther you travel to the east side, the earlier you need to leave.
12. Buy enough groceries to last you through the weekend. Many shops close around 8 or 9 p.m. on Saturday, and do not re-open until Monday.
13. Pick up the pace when you walk down the street. Germans like to get where they are going with some haste. Regular walking speed for a typical American is what the senior citizens do here regularly. (I was strolling down the street at an average pace and got passed up by an elderly woman a few days ago.)
14. The farther you move into the city center, the more people are able to speak English. If you cannot speak any German, moving around is easiest in the city center.
15. Do not answer in English if a gypsy lady with a fake baby asks you. They will ask for money to feed their starving children and bother you to no end. Just answer with a simple German “Nein”.
16. Punctuality is in every facet of life here. When your teacher says class is at 9 a.m. that means that they will begin their lecture at that time, not when you are expected to show up. If you are early, you are on time. If you are on time, you are late. The same goes with ordering food. If you are not ready to order, say so. A good way to get bad service is to do a bunch of “uhhhhh well I guess I’ll take….. no….. ummmmmmm maybe……. Ok yea I think I want…… uhhhhhh……” when the waiter asks if you know what you want.
17. If you do not know, just ask!!!! The people are very friendly and are more than willing to help if you just ask politely.
That is all I have for the rule book now. I’m sure I will have more to come as I learn something new about this amazing place every day. Viel Spass!

New Beginnings

I haven't had much time to post anything until now so this post will be a combination of the posts I wrote for my first two days in Berlin.

I didn’t post about my first day because I had zero time to get out my laptop. Sprinting between gates at the Frankfurt airport, only being at the Berlin-Tegel airport long enough to leave, and the general insanity that overwhelms one when being in a different country for the first time kept me from taking some time to post about my first day. I will say it was an amazing experience!
After leaving the airport, Dr. Rinne and I boarded a bus that took us to the S-bahn. We rode the S-bahn all the way to the southwest side of the city where I live. I made it to my apartment, got my key and moved my bags in. We then left to go get groceries and find a bank to exchange/get some usable currency. We went to a little shopping center/district about 4 or 5 blocks from where I live where there are bars, stores, banks, several bakeries, bars, and their large-chain grocery stores. The banks were closed so I ended up just getting money from an ATM. After that we went to a much smaller shopping area where I experienced my first German store. It’s pretty much the same as a small Winn-Dixie or Wal-Mart, until you checkout. Then, it turns into something that I can only compare to those bagging competitions you see on TV. You are expected to put all of your stuff in the checkout line, then move to the end and bag your things as the person at the register slides them past the scanner. You can pretty much put your things down to check out and be walking out of the store in about 1 minute. It is crazy. Oh, and you have to buy a cloth bag (the plastic ones will fall apart on you) to bag your groceries. It is advisable to keep this bag, because you would have to purchase one every time you visited the store. It is also advisable to keep all glass and plastic bottles you buy. If you return them to the store, you can make a little money.
Once I made it back to the apartment, I unpacked and watched some German TV. Scrubs, South Park, and MTV auf Deutsch is really funny for some reason. You laugh at the most random things. Maybe it is the voice-overs I don’t know.
Besides that, everything is pretty simple to get acquainted with here. The public transportation system is extensive and complex, but the signs and general directions help.

Day two. I woke around 7 from a great and much needed night’s sleep. I slept about 11 hours. Some things I learned last night: Berlin doesn’t get quiet at night, so you have to get used to cars and trains zooming by. You should probably leave a window are something open at night. Due to the lack of air conditioning and general air flow, if you completely close everything, your apartment gets incredibly stuffy and uncomfortable rather quickly. I am about to make my way down to the S-bahn station to buy my “Monatskarte” (1 month public transport pass). After that it’s back to my apartment to be picked up by someone from FUBiS and taken to the university for the orientation. Pictures will be up soon now that things have slowed down a little.

The picture is of me at the Holocaust Memorial in Potsdamer Platz right next to the US Embassy.