Halle/Saale: The birthplace of Händel
:-P
Martin Luther on the side of the beautiful, gigantic cathedral pictured above. This inscription dated back several hundred years.
Everything in Halle is so colorful!
So, I realize that all the pictures make for quite a disjointed blog post, but that's ok. Pictures can sometimes express more than words, anyway, and for all my friends and family out there reading, I'd like you to get a literal view of the things I've seen.
But the bottom line with Halle is that it was really a sweet and great town that seemed pretty safe, as well. The concert was, as mentioned previously, absolutely fantastic. But if I ever had the chance to go back to Halle "just because," I'd do it in a heartbeat. Though there is definitely not as much to do there as there is in Berlin, the people were extremely friendly--everyone, from the hostel-keepers to the random passers-by who helped guide Matthew and me as we tried to navigate the city--and the shops and homes all looked so unique and totally European. Although English was still on some advertisements and things, there seemed to be less of an "American presence" in Halle/Saale, which, as an American seeking the treasures of a foreign culture, was somewhat refreshing. :)
So, to use a picture to illustrate my final point about this town:
Saturday evening: Mass
Once again, I went to St. Hedwig's Cathedral for Mass, and once again, it was an excellent experience. Only, this time, I found the Mass guide in German, so I was able to follow along and respond appropriately throughout most of the Mass, which was really nice. :)
There was a different priest this time, but I saw some of the same people I saw last week. I've already caught on to a few of the "regulars" and their preferred pews, haha. So, everything was fine, and then after Mass, as I was leaving, a woman held the door open for me. As soon as I walked through the door, I heard, "Entschuldigung. Entschuldigung?" ("Excuse me.") I turned around to see that she was talking to me! Then, in German, she asked if I was an international student. Embarrassed that she caught me red-handed (I still don't know how she could tell. ::sigh::), I replied that I was, and that I come from the USA. We talked for several minutes, during which time I learned that she's a big "church personality"--people kept walking out of the church and waving to her or stopping to say hi, including the priest and one sweet old lady, both of whom I had the pleasure of meeting. But anyway, so it turns out that there's an international student group that meets every Thursday evening for Mass and then Catholic conversation (in German...?), so she got my e-mail address, entered me as "Monika Amerika" in her phone, and told me she'd send me more information soon, so I could decide if I wanted to join them for the rest of the time I'm in Berlin! I am definitely interested, and it was a very great surprise to get "recruited" to this group. However, I've still not received any e-mail from her, so I hope she hasn't forgotten. But that's what's new on that front.
Sunday: Meeting with Olli and Elisa
Yesterday was a day I've looked forward to for a long time--I got the chance to meet up with my German teacher from last semester, Oliver (who is a native Berliner), and his girlfriend, Elisa (also a native Berlinerin), and just hang out for a day. When I heard about the Vanderbilt-in-Berlin program, it was already the second semester, so I was in Oliver's class. One of his students from the previous year had gone on the trip and came to talk to us about the program and all of the opportunities it affords participants. One of the things he mentioned was that he got to meet up with Oliver while he was in Berlin, and Oliver, as a native, showed him around a bit. I just remember thinking how awesome it must have been for him to take a class in German, go to Germany, and then hang out with the person who taught him the language and actually apply that knowledge in a real-life setting. Well, fast-forward several months, and now, dear readers, I announce that I, too, have had this privilege! It was just such a cool feeling, knowing that five months ago Oliver was still teaching me the grammar rules of his language, and now yesterday I actually hung out with my teacher and used his language in his city and understood it. I also got the pleasure of meeting his girlfriend, Elisa, who is really nice and is also a Vanderbilt grad student--at Peabody!
So, first, Oliver, Elisa, and I went to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, which of course commemorates the history of the Berlin Wall. There was information literally plastered on the walls from top to bottom. Though overwhelming, everything was really interesting, especially the displays of the different vehicles or objects people used to escape, or hide and escape, into West Berlin.
Next, we went to Curry 36, Oliver's favorite Currywurst stop, on Mehringdamm. It was sehr lecker, and I think it may now be at the top of my list as well...good stuff.
After lunch, we went to Tacheles, which is a giant art house with an incredible history. Most of the art was not quite my style, and I smelled marijuana for the first time, but it was really a cool place, and So. Different. from anything you'd see in Nashville.
From Wikipedia, here is a brief description of Tacheles (and its whole story is really intriguing):
"The Kunsthaus Tacheles (Art House Tacheles), is an art center in Berlin, Germany, a large (9000 square meter) building on Oranienburger Straße in the district known as Mitte. Huge, colorful graffiti-style murals are painted on the exterior walls, and modern art sculptures are featured inside. The building houses an artists collective which is threatened with eviction.
Originally called "Friedrichsstadtpassagen", it was built as a department store in the Jewish quarter (Scheunenviertel) of Berlin, next to the synagogue. After serving as a Nazi prison for a short while, it was later partially demolished. After the Berlin Wall had come down, it was taken over by artists, who called it Tacheles, Yiddish for "straight talking." The building contained ateliers and workshops, a nightclub, and a cinema."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunsthaus_Tacheles
After this, or maybe before this--after classes, I can't even think--we went to a park where, up a hill and some outdoor stairs, there is a natural high-point, and you can get an outstanding view of the city. I'll have to get the name of this place from Oliver and Elisa, as I've forgotten where exactly it was, but below are some of the photos of the view.
This, which says "Leipzig" on it, stands at the top of the hill/peak and may hold a clue as to what/where exactly this was. I shall do some research...
I'm always on the look-out for the Fernsehturm!
Ok, so my photos aren't all that great, but just trust me--breath-taking view of this ginormous city!
Finally, Oliver and Elisa and I went to a Mexican restaurant called Que Pasa, where we sat, hung out, and drank Bier. It was great, haha. While we were in the restaurant it also began to rain for the first time since I've been in Berlin, and ever since then it's been pretty cold. But anyway, awesome day hanging out with Olli and Elisa, even though I was exhausted from travelling, and I can't wait to see them again before I leave for Nashville!
Today: And Week 2 of classes begins...
Not much new today, but I had my first Aufsatz (essay) due today, which only had to be 300-450 words. What was difficult about the assignment, though, was that I had to write my own Märchen, or fairy-tale. I'm not good at so-called "creative writing," I don't think, so I really struggled to come up with an idea, but after a very long while, inspiration struck me, so I wrote it. I can't believe that the first of two Referats is already done, and the first of three essays is now already done.
To be honest, I'm still feeling a bit unsure about classes, though, because this is a different method of learning for me: lots of new words being thrown around, the textbook is all in German and is structured weirdly, and I just feel like I'm going to go through the next five weeks listening but being so overwhelmed with new language input that I won't actually be able to speak or spend time learning the new vocabulary. The idea of thinking in another language sounds great, and I can't wait to get to that point, but unlike some of the people in my class who've had German for years, I just can't do that yet. Maybe and hopefully by the end of the month, I'll be there, but I'm not yet. And admittedly, I'm not used to feeling completely insecure about my language skills, so this is a new and scary thing.
I'm going to bed now, so after a long and hopefully somewhat informative post, I must now say Tschüss! Mach's gut!
-Monika
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