Ich bin ein Berliner

After an orientation at the clinic, Amanda, Sarah (Amanda’s sister), and I headed to Berlin for our first weekend in Germany.  Berlin is just a few hours north of where we are in Schweinfurt.  Amanda booked us a nice hostel near the train station that had 3-person rooms.  We basically dropped off our  stuff, grabbed some food, and headed out for the day. 

We decided to do a bike tour of the city Friday evening to get an overview of everything and pinpoint what we wanted to focus on the rest of the weekend.  While waiting for the bike tour in Alexanderplatz we got to see a lot of Berlin walk by us.  I know this town isn’t your typical beirgarten Germany with polka music and dirndl dresses, but we did get to see lots of fluorescent colors, army combat boots, and gypsies full-on breast feeding their baby while asking you for money.  Aside from the gypsies, Berlin looks like a crazy version of Forever 21 exploded all over it. 

No, I’m just kidding.  I love how ridiculous and urban the city was.  Berlin was at the top of my to-do list for this trip and I’m glad it was one of the first things I got to do while the weather was still nice here.

The bike tour was approximately 6 miles long and took about 4 hours (including a stop to drink some beer).  Our tour guide showed us many buildings and explained the history behind the Nazi rise to power in Berlin, the construction of the Berlin wall, and how the city has changed since the fall of the wall.  It’s so strange to stand in a place where there is a Nazi building, part of the crumbling Berlin wall, and a variety of ethnic food and billboards all in once place. 

Highlights of the tour:

1)   The bunker where Hilter killed himself is now a parking lot for some condos right next to a Jewish deli.

2)   The communists built a TV tower in East Berlin that was supposed to be the epitome of communist architecture.  After it was completed, they noticed that when the sun shone directly on the tower, it reflected a cross over Berlin.  After a ridiculous amount of money to fix it (including anti-reflective coatings) they still couldn’t get rid of the cross.  That God is pretty clever. 

3)   Riding the bikes through the park in Berlin with perfect weather.  The whole time I couldn’t believe that this is my life right now. 

Saturday we went to the Topography of Terror, which is a free photographic exhibit about the Nazi SS in Berlin 1933-1945.  It still amazes me how something like the Nazi agenda still happened.   Then to the other end of the political spectrum…..we went to the East Side Gallery which is the longest section of the Berlin Wall that is still standing.  Artists from all over have painted sections of the wall pertaining to religion, the effects of the Berlin wall, or current political issues.   We also saw Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Currywurst Museum (but at 8,50 euro we didn’t go inside).

Since it was Sarah’s last day in Germany (sorry you are back at UHCO), we decided to hit up another beirgarten by the river.  I think it was the perfect way to end the weekend in Berlin….sitting in the sun, by the river, at a beirgarten, drinking some weissbeir with my favorite sister couple (other than Leah and I, of course). 

Oh…and I wouldn’t recommend the curry wurst.   

5 Star Living Conditions

So...we are living in the enlisted barracks.  Let's just say I would probably rather live in the Jester dorms at UT.  After buying some bedding at the PX and Swiffer-ing the floors, it turned out pretty cozy.

When we first arrived, Amanda and I described the odor as "urine and cigarette smoke....and broccoli?"  Also, the first rule of thumb is never use the enlisted men's kitchen.  I'm pretty sure I'll get the herp if I try and cook food in there.  Although, someone did try and spruce up the place by leaving a picture of their parents (?) on the counter.

Pro:  We get free laundry

Con:  It's one of the dirtiest rooms I've seen in my life. 

I do appreciate the US Army providing us with free housing for 3 months in Germany.  It's like being in college again.  Amanda and I are sharing a room and the PCO students are next door.  We also have access to the Rec center and food halls on base.  

Currently the barracks are quiet because most of the soliders are out in the field.  I hear it should get pretty interesting once they all get back to post.  

Guten Tag!

So after 17 hours of travel including 2 planes, 2 trains, and layovers, I made it to Schweinfurt, Germany to start my fall externship rotation.  Don’t worry, the plane did not crash due to my reading of “The Gospel According to Lost.” 

There was some slight confusion about housing when we arrived (please read Amanda’s blog (amandaeyedoc.blogspot.com) for full details.), so the Quelley’s and I stayed at hotel in downtown Schweinfurt for the night.   

Schweinfurt is a cute, little German town on the north edge of Bavaria.  You know it’s a good European town when the first things you notice are an H&M and a BrauHaus with really good German food and beer. 

Contrary to popular belief, restaurants in Germany do not accept Hungarian Fornit coins from 4 years ago as appropriate currency.  Especially when Hungary is now in the E.U. and uses the Euro.   I will just blame the jet-lag. 

On Thursday, Amanda and I began our orientation at the clinic and got our ID cards, etc. 

We made our first trip to the PX in order to buy bedding and towels.   Due to our superb natural sense of direction, we got lost on the way back to our dorms and proceeded to walk backwards though the Popeye’s drive through with our huge bags while people laughed at us.  

I would write about the pre-WWII clinic and barracks we have, but my computer is about to die.  Auf Wiedersehen! 

   

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