I had a hard time figuring out exactly what I wanted to do. At first I wanted to create a program for an event in Berlin. Now, I'm thinking about doing a Berlin Wall walking tour. It would start at the Markisches Museum. Then visitors and locals would walk to the Engelbecken, St. Thomas Church, Schilling Bridge and Heinrich-Heine-Strasse U-bahn station. Lastly, they would take the U-bahn to the Berlin Wall Memorial.
For the media part of the project, I am going to make a short film based on the experience of a person on the tour. In addition to including what the individual sees, pictures and texts are included to bring context to the site of what it used to look and the events that occurred there. All these combined will inform them of how the Wall affected the landscape, Berlin residents, and Germany's representation of itself to the world.
For the written portion, I am going to create an information packet for the tour guide. It will include the route, the meaning of the Wall and the history and importance of each site.
Picture: VOICES
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Dresden
10:13 PM
Melissa
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View from Inner Vordstadt
Dresden is a beautiful city lined with baroque and rococo style buildings in Old Town. Based on panoramic pictures of the city, you wouldn't have guessed that it was heavily destroyed by Allied firebombings near the end of WWII. Major landmarks destroyed include the Frauenkirche, Zwinger Palace and Semperoper. Years earlier, the Nazis burned the Dresden synagogue to the ground during Kristallnacht. With so much destruction, it was imperative for the German Democratic Republic (GDR) to commemorate the sites and rebuild the baroque landscape.
After German reunification, city officials and residents wanted to restore the city to look like it was before WWII and the GDR. To promote tourism, city officials were driven to bring back the city’s culture and beauty. They accomplished this as I explored Dresden. The Frauenkirche, Zwinger Palace, Sempereoper, New Synagogue and the Dresden Military History Museum were fascinating. Some of my favorite sites were the grand Frauenkirche, the porcelain collection at the Zwinger Palace and the breathtaking view from the top floor of the Military History Museum.
Frauenkirche
Inside of the Church
Zwinger Palace
Palace Grounds
Semperoper
Dresden Military History Museum
Top Floor Viewing Platform
View from the Top
New Synagogue
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Prenzlauer Berg
10:41 AM
Melissa
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Once I got off at Schonhauser Allee U-bahn station, I wondered around. Not knowing exactly where I was heading, I arrived at a park at Seelower Strasse and Paul-Robeson-Strasse. It’s a safe, neighborhood park with a soccer field and two playgrounds.
If you sit quietly and take the time to see what people are doing and what's going around, you can hear birds chirping, see the colorful autumn leaves falling from trees, a group of friends having a picnic, people playing with their dogs, and people sitting at the benches talking or lounging away. It felt very peaceful as I absorbed everything around me. It was different from all the other places I’ve posted in this blog. No tourists were around and it was wonderful to see another facet of Berlin.
The next place I wondered to was Gethsemane Church, on Stargarder Strasse and Greifenhagener Strasse. At first, I thought it was a normal church; however, information panels inside and in front of the church let visitors understand the historical events that have occurred there. For example, Pastor Walter Wendland, his family, and the community offered a safe haven for persecuted Jews and thousands of protestors gathered here during the Peaceful Revolution (1989). It made it more clear to me the various impact churches have. In my mind, I’ve always associated them with mainly helping the poor. Learning that churches and their community have protected diverse groups and encouraged human rights activism expanded my appreciation of what churches and it's community has accomplished.
After looking around I left and walked along Stargarder Strasse. That’s when I saw Eispatisserie Hokey Pokey. Since I did some research about amazingly delicious restaurants and shops in Prenzlauer Berg, I knew I wanted to try Hokey Pokey’s ice cream. The guy was really friendly. He was great because he explained any questions I had and even had the patience to translate and describe around 25 flavors. I got a scoop of Tonkabohne mit Weißer Schokolade (Tonka beanswith chocolate) and Hokey Pokey (vanilla with crispy caramel bits). Tonkabohne mit Weißer Schokolade was absolutely delicious, especially the chocolate. It’s the best chocolate I have had so far in Berlin. As for the caramel in Hokey Pokey, it looked like molecular gastronomy was used to make it. How fun and cool!
Overall, I like Prenzlauer Berg a lot. I will be coming back!
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First Soccer Game: Hertha vs. Borussia
9:56 AM
Melissa
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Olympic Stadium
Thrill, excitement, and anticipation filled the air with thousands of roaring fans. Hertha Berlin was playing against Borussia Mönchengladbach at Olympic Stadium.
I was so happy to get the chance to go to the soccer game with my classmates. My first soccer game ever, and it was in Berlin! I learned the rules of the game as the players played offense and defense. Sporting my white and blue, I cheered enthusiastically for Hertha. The bright lights, enormous green field, crowd’s energy, and beautiful stadium made my experience that much better. You wouldn’t have known it, but the current stadium was built 75 years ago for the 1936 Summer Olympics. I’m sure the renovations for the 2006 FIFA World Cup had a part to do with that too.
Surprisingly, the time passed quickly and before I knew it, the game was over. I really enjoyed being there and would recommend anyone to go a game.
* On a side note, I have to admit I’m not a big fan of soccer. Since I don’t know much about soccer, I give huge props to those who can play it well.
Olympic Rings
Fans at Olympic Stadium
Soccer Game
Borussia Fans
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Asian Film Festival Berlin
11:56 PM
Melissa
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The Asian Film Festival in Berlin was the first film festival I have gone to. I attended a panel discussion called “Imagine(d) Kinship: Gender, Sexuality, and Kinship in Hong Kong Independent Film” and went to see Banga Banga – He Is On Duty.
I was really surprised with the number of guests at the lecture. There were about 15 people there. When I imagined a film festival, I always thought there would be at least 50 people at each lecture and screening.
During the lecture, views of LGQT by Hong Kong residents, representation in the media, funding for producing and distributing films, sexuality and social discourse were discussed. Gum Gum, a lesbian film producer, was specifically mentioned. Her short film iD is an animation of a clay figure deciding on which of the 3 chairs to sit on. In the end the figure puts all three together and lays on them. My interpretation is that the chairs represent fitting into one heterogeneous sexual identity. The film shows viewers to go beyond the limited options of heterosexuality.
Guests about to watch Banga Banga
On the last night of the festival, I went to the Koreanisches Kulturzentrum (Korean Culture Center) to see Banga Banga. I HIGHLY recommend the film. It not only talks seriously about deeper social issues of immigration factory workers, power relationships between supervisors and immigrant employees, discrimination against immigrants, worker rights, identity, globalization and morals, but also the movie is a comedy that will make you laugh and cry from one moment to the next.
My favorite quote: "If you can’t give to the poor, don’t steal from them."
In addition to what I learned from the festival, I enjoy that independent films speak to social issues a lot more than commercial films.
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The Bauhaus School
12:09 PM
Melissa
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Bauhaus Museum
Over the weekend, my class went on a trip to Weimar and Dessau. We learned more about the foundations of the Bauhuas School through seeing close-up examples of the style and understanding in-depth about the school’s history. Walter Gropius, founded and designed the Bauhaus. He developed the latest design style, which incorporated “new” materials of the period. This includes glass, iron and concrete. A fundamental objective of Bauhaus design is creating simple, functional objects that effectively use space, material, time and money.
Tour
At the Bauhaus School in Dessau, we had a wonderful informational tour. On campus, we visited the theatre, cafeteria, dormitory and Director’s room. The tour was my favorite part of the day because I got to appreciate Bauhaus principles and aesthetics as a saw its purpose more clearly through creations.
Bauhuas School in Dessau
One principle is that the use of color has to be understandable. A more vibrant color, such as a bright orange, immediately grab student and visitor attention. Therefore, the bright orange outlines the door they should enter, such as the door leading to the workshop building. In comparison, a door leading to the cafeteria’s kitchen is outlined in grey, which makes it less noticeable and inviting, because it is only for kitchen staff to enter. As I thought more about Bauhaus principles, it not only incorporates clean, new materials, but it also considers people's natural instincts of color.
On the same night, I attended the Festival of Lights, a citywide illumination event at major Berlin monuments and landmarks. Since the festival center is at Potsdamer Platz, I went there to check it out. As I walked up the stairs from the U-bahn station, I could feel my excitement rising as crowds passed by. I’ve been wanting to see it for a while.
Once on the street, I immediately noticed Faces of Berlin, a mask with a video projection of Berliners, the city, monuments and animations. It was amazing to see because the light installation helps you understand what makes Berlin Berlin through the eyes of the artist. Of course, you can interpret it differently from the artist’s original message. Art is completely subjective.
Additional installations and activities in the area include a tree-lighted street, a pond filled with brightly-lit origami boats, colored penguins surrounding a light sculpture, a light motion-sensor screen and a neon floor game.
The Ritter Sport Schokoladenwelt and Festival of Lights revolve around branding, identity and consumerism. The executives at Ritter Sport are using the store strategically to promote and market the company. The store is located a block from Unter den Linden, a buzzing street lined with numerous tourists throughout the year as they visit museums, monuments and landmarks. Also, the store is specifically designed to make visitors feel welcomed and happy as they enter the colorful, bright shop filled with chocolate. Creating the store advances Ritter Sport’s identity as a legitimate international company and teaches customers its history, philosophy, non-profit collaborations and current projects.
The Festival of Lights entices tourists and locals to enjoy a night on the town, while advancing Berlin’s identity to be the city of the 21st century. The festival is a contemporary celebration of the city, its history and people. In addition, the event celebrates and makes the structures and monuments highlighted even more important. It’s a way for Berliners and visitors to create new memories of Berlin. The wonderful, eye-boggling event is inspiring and showcases Berlin, production companies, sightseeing tours and artists. Keep in mind that it increases revenue for corporations and local businesses too.
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Berlin: Oktoberfest, the Reichstag, and Kreuzberg
2:36 PM
Melissa
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This past week, I went to Oktoberfest at Alexanderplatz (Berlin), laid out on the grass and read near the Reichstag, and went on a local tour of Kreuzberg.
Oktoberfest is a Bavarian beer festival that is originally from Munich. Today it is celebrated in cities all over the world, such as Berlin. The culture around drinking is much more open in Germany than in America. It was a pleasure to see the community come together and enjoy themselves in a healthy environment as people young and old drank, ate, sang and danced the night away at Alexanderplatz. Also, it was fun to see traditional Bavarian clothes, such as the lederhosen and dirnl. One of my favorite memories of the night was at the dance hall where young and older Germans were shaking it and happily singing German songs.
A couple of days later, my classmates, Roxanne, Libby, and Anna and I, went to relax and did some reading at the huge lawn by the Reichstag. When I was there, the sun was out and the sky was as blue as can be, so naturally many Berliners and vacationers were also enjoying their time outside. The Reichstag is where Germany’s parliament meets and was rebuilt after the reunification of Germany. The Reichstag was completed in 1999. One highlight of the building is a glass and metal dome, which gives viewers a 360-degree view of Berlin. How amazing is that? I am so excited to go explore it on a class field trip!
The big, flat lawn in front of the Reichstag was lined with trees and shrubs on the edge. People were playing frisbee, picnicking and laying on the grass. Even though I am sightseeing in Berlin, it felt so good to just take my time and relax because usually I want to fit in a bunch of activities in one day. I don’t always take time to really appreciate what I see. I got to people-watch, read, and soak up the sun. Ohhhh, yeah.
On Tuesday, the class went on a tour of Kreuzberg. This was definitely one of my favorite things I have done so far. Manuela, our tour guide, was engaging, thoughtful and knowledgeable. In our neighborhood, She showed us the little things, such as the “stumbling stones” and symbols of where the Berlin Wall used to be. Even though we pass by them daily, some of us may not have noticed it until she pointed them out. The tour was so meaningful because the memorials, art and buildings we saw speak to Berlin’s history and its people. Thanks Manuela, John and Nara for such an incredible tour!
Hello! I am in my 20s living in the Bay Area and originally from Seattle. I enjoy sharing inspirations, experiences and creativity to foster joy, self-awareness and action.
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