Last weekend we participated in the Long Night of the Museums.  For €8, one can visit any museum between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m..  We stopped by the Academy of Art, the Museum of the Kennedys, a photography gallery, and the Museum of Medicine, which was interesting but turned me off of a career in medicine.  I would have too much trouble coping with the things I saw.  The photography gallery interested me the most, I would say.  Exhibited were three quite different artists with work ranging from the Sixties to today.

Last night we attended a orchestra concert at the Berlin Konzerthaus in Gendarmenmarkt.  The building itself was beautifully designed in a classic European motif on the inside and added an element of the past to the music.  A few pieces sounded almost predictable and nice, but two of the compositions struck me particularly hard.  My appreciation for classical music has certainly grown as a result.

 I have to get going home for dinner, but I will post another update soon.  Till then,

Andrew

On Thurday we vistited Checkpoint Charlie and the Wall Museum.  The exhibits dealt with the wall itself and showcased the various ways in which people attempted to cross the border into the West.  The means to which some people resorted to was striking, especially in comparison to the nostalgia for the old East Germany that one occasionally sees. 

We visited the Wannsee Conference house on Sunday.  At the Wannsee Conference, Nazi leaders met to discuss the genocide against European Jews.  The house itself is quite aesthetically pleasing, but it certainly had its own disquieting aura about it.  It sits on the outskirts of Berlin on the shore of Wannsee, one of the many lakes around the city.  The neighborhood was imbued with a quietness that was a refreshing change from the huslte of the city.

This weekend I hope to visit Potsdam with other students from DID, so I should have an update soon.  Till then,

My host family experience has been exceedingly positive so far.  My host mother, Marion, is very nice as well as being a very good cook.  She has a son, Christopher, although he is not around the house very often.  She has been hosting another student from my school from Switzerland.  Her name is Amana, although the spelling here is purely conjectural.  She has been attending DID since October, and has been very helpful with getting to school and knowing what to expect.  The house itself is very nice, although it take awhile to feel completely comfortable. 

I am writing this from an internet cafe in Wittenau, the neighborhood of Berlin I am staying in.  I am still trying to sleep off the jet lag, so I suppose I should be going.  Till later.

Andrew

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I am writing this sitting in the Blue Moon, on hold while trying to call the HP service center.  I’m finishing up some last minute business, such as finding out how to use my computer in Europe without frying the battery.  That, and actually packing, which I’m sure cannot take more than a few minutes.

On Saturday, I will fly out of Omaha to Chicago, then on to Germany.  I’ll arrive Sunday morning and meet my host family for the first time.  By Monday morning, I will be in class.  It is finally starting to sink in that in just a few days, I will be gone.  My nerves may be starting to act up a bit, or that might just be hunger.  Either way, I’m anxious to get up in the air and be on my way.

 Please, feel free to contact me at acunning3@gmail.com if you have any questions.  I will reply in as timely a manner as I can manage.  And so, till next week.

–Andrew