I have started going to
Schmoozeday Tuesday, an event that happens every other Tuesday, where Jews from all over Berlin get together at an Israeli (delicious)
hummus place. I have met some cool people and have met up with a bunch of them! It's interesting to learn about other people
Jewish experiences and other Jewish impressions of Berlin.
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| A typical East German living room |
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| Special East German lighting found in the Palace of the Republic |
A couple of weeks ago I went to the
GDR (German Democratic Republic) or the
DDR (Deutsches Democratisches) Museum. It was a fasinating museum about a the GDR culture, a life style that I know very little about. I learned through the museum and my classes that there was something called
"ostnostalgie" or "East nostalgia." This meant despite the communist dictatorship in the East, after The Wall fell in 1989, East Germans, longed for the elements of their lifestyle from the GDR. They had ostnostalgie for GDR brands that vanished right after The Wall fell, universal chilcare, virtually free housing and many other things. The museum focused on the special culture that was produced in East Germany and the oppressive things that the GDR did to their people.
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| Palast der Republik |
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| Stadtschloss |
If you do not know what the
Palace of the Republic or the
Palast der Republik, it was a multifunctional building, which is where the parliament was held and many other cultural events. Before the Palast was built, the
Stadtschloss stood there, however, the communists designed to blow up the stadtschloss and replaced it with the Palast, a building that would represent the GDR. After the unification, the Palast still stood and at certain points there were political artistic statements that adorned the facade of the Palast like the word Zweifel which means doubt, done by a Norwegian artist. In 2003, however, the German Parliment decided to demolish the Palast because of its symbol of communist Germany and because it had asbestos in the foundations of the structure. Today, where these two building stood is an gigantic empty lot. There is a Stadtschloss movement to try to get the German Parliment to rebuild the Stadtschloss because of its beauty and granduer, however, many people think it is a waste of money and the space could be put to better use. The space functions as a wide open space where large gatherings can take place. The rebuilding of the Stadtschloss would cost a whopping $4 billion!
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| The open field in the middle of Berlin where the Stadtschloss and later the Palast stood. |
Starting about three weeks ago, I noticed that my host family had a bike standing outside their apartment, I inquired about it, and asked if anyone was using it, and they said no, and that would be able to use the bike whenever I want! Starting the next week, after a few mishaps with the bike in the beginning, i.e. I left my bike locked on a pole in Mitte (center) and I came back and found the light had fallen off, and all the wires for the light mechanisms were broken. I was so confused because it did not look like anyone had stone any part of the bike but just had messed around with it. I was talking to my friend Tori and Robin about my weird situation and how I had to go to the bike shop and payed 30 Euro to get it fixed, Tori started laughing and asked me where this had happened. It turned out by happen chance she was walking on the same street and had past by my bike and accidentally knocked it over with her body! It was such a coincidence! I was a bit annoyed but it was mostly just funny. But anyway, I have really have been using my bike to get around everywhere and I just love riding it. I bike to school there and back everyday and it also has been another way for me to discover the city! It also has been a way for me to lower my carbon footprint and to show my awareness of the environment. Berlin unlike, New York City, and other major cities, has tons of bikers because it is really flat and people are more aware of the environment. It is so easy to bike it Berlin bike there are generous bike lanes on almost every road, bike traffic lights and bike friendly pedestrian and drivers.
