It almost feels as though I have been here forever! We started classes on Monday and have been going nonstop since then! We are already chin deep in studio work and floundering about in German class. They have kept us fully booked and running around like crazy American headless chickens. Cultural immersion, I guess?
Quick summary of the days thus far:
Monday: Studio intro and first "Intensive German" class. We also made a pilgrimage to Potsdamer Platz to get phones so we can contact each other. I was rather glad about this, as I live across town from everyone else. We visited a mall there, had Currywurst, browsed through some great European shoes (yes I basically loved them all! and no, sadly I did not partake...), and heard some American music... sigh. This was also where I saw my first piece of The Wall, as well as the path through Potsdamer Platz where The Wall used to be. When I got home, my host grandparents invited me to sit and eat ice cream with them and chat!
Tuesday: Program overview and more German. Most of the days are consumed by traveling- From "home base" to German and back and to various other places. Berlin really is pretty large. After German I walked with a friend across the Tiergarten to the Brandenburg Gate. The walk was long and I'm sure beautiful during the daylight, but we get very little of that here. The Gate was worth it, though. So majestic!
That's me!
Wednesday: A real life palace! We visited Scholss Charlottenburg in the middle of Berlin. One wouldn't have thought such a huge palace could be in the middle of a city, but every day I realize how big Berlin really is. My favorite part was most definitely the plethora of chandeliers! Each room had a different design and each was magnificent and elaborate.
Thursday: Thursday seems like a lifetime ago and I am having a hard time remembering what I did that day. I'm sure, though, it involved good food (been eating a lot of doner kebabs- fabulous Turkish food) rushing around (lots of class intros and "Intensive German") and new and exciting places and things!
Friday: We visited the site for our studio project for the semester which is right next to Checkpoint Charlie. I was super excited to find my first smashed penny, I mean 2cent, machine. They are much more expensive here but definitely worth it.
Intact stretch of wall by the Typography of Terror museum.
Madness
It's an interesting experience being in a place so full of recent and polarized history. Throughout the semester we'll be facing the question of how to react to that history, yet design for the future as we work on a design for a hotel with a ground floor to be filled with whatever we think would add to the value of the neighborhood and give back to the community. What would you want in your building if you lived here?
By Typography of Terror I really mean Topography of Terror... haha
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