Coughing through Excursions

I think it's probably a good sign when I don't have time to update my blog, but I am literally exhausted.

I have been battling a ridiculously irritating cough for the past three weeks and am overwhelmed with reading, excursions essays, and class, so I'm sorry it's taken me a while to say hi. Very interesting things going on here, however-- I've give a bit of an update!

Two fridays ago we went to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp just to the north of Berlin in Oranienburg. Sachsenhausen was the third camp I had visited, but I am still always so moved by the emotionally charged energy that surrounds such historically important places. I was fortunately enough to explore the camp with a German friend of mine and gave me a new perspective through which to see. As much as I learn and read about the camps and their history, I will never fully understand the hatred, pain and shame that is connected with visiting these sites. Part of me is glad that I cannot feel relate, that I cannot hold the disgrace many Germans deal with even today.

This past Friday we traveled to Potsdam, close to where I live now, and spent the day learning about the historic village where not only the Potsdam conference was held post WWII, but where the Kaisers/Emperors had summer/weekend houses to retreat to when Berlin was getting too crazy. I kind of wish I had a castle there right now. I could invite all my friends and we could spend our days wandering through the English gardens of Sans Sousi. I wouldn't mind that at all right now.

This past week I also went to the Haus am Checkpoint Charlie for my European Integration class. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, and in fact, found it less touristy that I expected. Instead of it being a political museum about the relationship between the Allied forces, it was dedicated to the people whose lives were affected by the Berlin Wall. What surprised me especially was that it not only recorded the stories of DDR-citizens who attempted, successfully and not, to flee their capital into the democratic West, but also told about the East German soldiers who felt trapped as well and how much some were willing to risk to help people flee or flee themselves. As I said, I was surprised by how much i liked it, but was truly moved by the entire exhibit.

Added to my exhaustion was unfortunately my weekend! All day Saturday, my host parents took me our to explore Berlin a bit more than I had seen and showed me their favorite baker, a cute market, and a bar about which I am reading! I just finished this book, Herr Lehmann (I'm super proud of myself to have finished my first German book), and the main character always goes to this Kneipe (bar) in Kreuzberg. We had a great time together and even went to a little kuchen shop owned by an American woman and I got to have a piece of original NY cheesecake!

In terms of class stuff, we're coming close to the end of our courses, which is so ridiculous! I finished my paper about European and American balance of power and am almost done with another one about German culture and society. It's an interesting topic, because i get to incorporate my own experience here, but the paper is literally a ten page book report. Oh well it's over tomorrow.

The past few weeks have made me excited to stay for the summer. And have made it more of a reality. The flowers are starting to bloom, I have an apartment to move into in three weeks, and I've started choosing summer semester classes-- more about those later!

We did have a blustery day today and I'm jealous of the beautiful weather I've been hearing about from Seattle and even Juneau!! Whhaaaa!? oh. and my parents are in Hawaii. I wore my green windbreaking kodiak coat today and my parents are on maui. Geeez.

Love you all,
Tess