We left for Berlin super early on Monday morning on a comfortable high-speed train. When we got there, it was SO. INCREDIBLY. COLD. It was somewhere between 0-5 degrees Fahrenheit for the duration of our stay. I brought my gloves and hat as usual, but even those items could not protect against the wind. Even so, we tried to get going and enjoy the experience as much as possible. We checked into a hostel (in former East Berlin - it was still really nice) and immediately went on a bus tour. The tour was OK, but I think a walking tour would have been better even though it was freezing. After the tour, my German class went to the Stasi Museum for our group project.
Even though we only had an hour, the tour was really amazing. We were in the actual buildings that housed the Stasi during the entire existence of the DDR. They looked just as you might picture them - brown, utilitarian, and sketchy. There were different examples of surveillance equipment on display, including secret cameras that could fit into coat pockets and into the door of a Trabant. It was seriously disturbing to imagine the life of average East German citizens who often had no choice but to cooperate with a secret police force that was bigger than the KGB. Check out the link to my Berlin album to see some of the pictures of the different museum features (I'll put it at the end of the post).
The next day, we got up and had the morning partially free. I chose to go on the tour of the Reichstag, which was really cool. Germany has done an excellent job of preserving the historical foundations of the building and combining them with a completely modern, energy-efficient, transparent design. The building could not be more different than the U.S. Capitol, but it was really cool to see. We got to sit in the visitors' section and watch staffers prepare for the Israeli President's speech for Holocaust Remembrance Day. Security was super tight because he was there, but it was worth it to be in the middle of the action like that.
After the tour, we attended our first information session. We got to hear from Mr. Dietmar Nietan, a member of the Social Democrat Party in the German Bundestag (Parliament) and a member of the Committee of European Affairs. I really enjoyed hearing him speak, and I also noticed a strong difference between the way he answered questions and the way American politicians answer questions. Mr. Nietan answered directly even on tricky issues, such as potential Turkish accession to the European Union (which he and his party support) and didn't try to dodge anything we asked, whether it was about the Middle East, energy, or whatever. I made it a point to ask a question at nearly every information session. Mr. Nietan was emphasizing the need for cooperation with other countries (especially the ones that provide the EU with oil) during his speech, so I asked, "Given Germany's interest in maintaining a special relationship with Israel, is there a point where you should stop seeking cooperation with countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran and begin focusing more on energy independence?" He answered by saying that cooperation would still be the ultimate goal, but that Germany would not accept refusals of Israel's right to exist. He serves on multiple committees that focus on Israel and Germany's terrible wartime past, and he seemed very eager to emphasize the point that Germany is completely committed to Israel. Overall, I thought the speech was great, and most of my fellow students really enjoyed it as well.
My other favorite session was at the Ministry of Defense. We got to hear from a high-ranking official in the German military, and what I really enjoyed was how he talked to us about policy rather than giving a vague overview. He jumped right into Afghanistan, talking about how it is much more of a coalition effort than Iraq and how he was the one responsible for writing the mandate calling for more German troops. It was so cool to see him give us the speech and then leave to go present a highly important request for more troops, which goes against Germany's constitutional limitations on military size. We were truly in the presence of a leader, and I was super happy that IES gave us that opportunity. This time, I asked, "Considering the context of President Karzai's government, does Germany consider the pursuit of democratic legitimacy in Afghanistan an important goal in the war?" Surprisingly, he said no. He said that Germany recognized that it would not be able to win the war by focusing on ideology, and that other solutions that suit Afghanistan better would be more appropriate and effective. It seems like such a contrast to the U.S.'s war in Iraq, and it was really interesting to hear that perspective in the form of straight talk.
We had some other meetings, but those two were by far my favorite. We had a boring meeting on our last day in Berlin, but what was really great was walking back to our hostel. I was wearing heels and a skirt and was not a happy camper in the cold and on the icy sidewalks (some random guy stopped, looked at my heels, and said, "That must be the hardest thing in the world!" as we walked), but it started snowing really heavily as we left. I relied on my friend Ethan to avoid slipping on the ice, but we really enjoyed how gorgeous Berlin looked with huge snowflakes falling all around us as the group made it back to the hostel. I didn't have my camera that day, but if Ethan posts his pictures, I'll steal them and post them here. After we made it back, I got to change out of those godforsaken heels and into comfy clothes for the train to Prague.
The train looked a tad rundown, but we had a comfy compartment and had lots of fun chatting for the five-hour journey. We stayed in a nice hotel with English signs (thank God) and got prepared for our sessions the next morning. I won't bore you with details about the sessions this time, especially since they weren't my favorite part of Prague.
I absolutely loved the entire Prague segment of the trip. The city is beautiful and filled with original architecture since it was never bombed during the war. It has that sort of classic European look to it with the statues, narrow streets, arching cathedrals, and cafes filled with local character. We spent a lot of time walking around the city, and we got to see so many amazing sights that Berlin lacked. Berlin has incredible history and energy, but it just doesn't have the breathtaking cityscape like Prague. We also didn't have much free time in Berlin, but there was plenty of time in Prague. That was really valuable, and it was just great to be able to walk around with friends, enjoy relaxed (and cheap!) traditional Czech lunches, and go out in the evening without being exhausted from hours of info sessions. I feel like I got to know more friends from the program a lot better on this portion of the trip. Plus, we were all in better moods all the time because it wasn't as unbearably cold. Basically, the trip was filled with laughter, friends, good food, and fun. It was a great introduction to Central Europe, and even though Prague itself was the real highlight, we learned a lot about the Czech Republic as a whole in the information sessions as well.
Overlooking Prague (photo credit: AG)
At the top of the clock tower (AG).
At the top of the clock tower (AG).
Last night, we boarded a train from Prague to Freiburg. This train sort of sucked. It was slow, clunky, and didn't have reclining seats (even though it was an overnight train). I had fun with the friends I was sitting with, but it was pretty hard to get comfortable enough to sleep for the 12 hours we were on board. We had people on the floor of our compartment as well as in the train hallway. It was so bad that it was actually fun, though. We got back at 7 this morning and all headed back to our rooms to crash for a few hours. Then, I did laundry, homework, dinner with my flatmate, and this blog post :)
Classes officially start tomorrow. I have Foreign Policy Analysis at 9am and then German at 12:30. In between, I have a doctor's appointment to follow up on an abnormal test result from my last physical in the U.S. I'm not pumped about having more medical concerns, but I'm excited to try out German health care. I'll post a review tomorrow and see how it compares to my average experience in the U.S.
Here are the links to my photo albums:
Berlin: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=152145&id=599810215&l=6beaedc73d
Prague: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=152161&id=599810215&l=88541efa82
Until then!
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