WEEK 1: Orientation
The one word that comes to mind when thinking of Berlin is just sheer coolness. I know that word seems mundane but it is completely accurate. Whether its the stores, people, architecture, or the restaurants, there is something for everyone here. Want to go roller skating on a Monday night? They have that three blocks away. Or sit on a rooftop and see the entire city at night? There’s a place for that too. The city of Berlin is very clean but it also has this lived-in feel because almost every wall and every street corner is covered in street art or graffiti. The only thing that litters the street are old bottle caps that people collect. I have only been here for a week and I already feel like we are all becoming a part of this amazing city.
For our photography class, we have a beautiful studio that is about a half hour commute on the UBahn train which is Berlin’s metro. The studio space has huge windows and tables and I am so psyched that we get to work in such an open and beautiful place. It is located in an area with a lot of restaurants and shops that attract both students and business professionals. A few of us have already made friends with one of the local shops that sells döner which has become a staple in my german diet so far. The student apartments we are staying at are equally as nice. A bunch of other students from all over the world live in the cluster of buildings we are in and our neighborhood Kreuzberg is known for housing artists, students, and young professionals. While It is so easy to meet people. While I was taking out the trash the other day, I met some french students who were interning in the city for the summer.
This past Monday we had orientation that covered safety tips for living in the city and also the introduction for classes. We are going to be spending two days a week going out on excursions with our culture professor Jan and the other two days will be spent in the studio either editing our work or going out to shoot more photographs with our professor Andrea. Each Friday we will be going out on a longer excursion to other German cities in the area for a guided tour. This Friday we went out to Potsdam and explored the town. Its architecture was mainly inspired by Dutch traditions so it had a much more classic, “typical” european feel when compared to the faster paced, hip vibe of Berlin. I had my first schnitzel in Potsdam from a street vendor who barely spoke English, but he was still very helpful when helping me pick which one was the best. And it was definitely the best thing that I have eaten here so far.
