Goodbye Berlin

Becky Scarborough Dear Germany,

We both knew this wouldn't last. I'm leaving to go back to the states, and you're remaining in Europe-- but maybe I'll come visit you again someday. I enjoyed our time together, all of the bakeries, museums, the art everywhere. I know you'll miss me me wandering around saying "Entshuldigen, wo ist _____?*" all the time because I've been going in the wrong direction.

Goodbye Berlin. Goodbye Germany.

Liebe,

Becky

In all seriousness, I'm going to miss this city. I mean, sure, I'm looking forward to free bathrooms back at home, but I've had fun exploring Berlin. Today, I went to the Hamburger Bahnhof (art gallery thing) and popped into local galleries before going out for a free concert with my host family. The contemporary art was actually pretty weird.

(dancing kinetic shelf thing, evil guitar hero, and Mao by Andy Warhol)

For an artist, I should probably be a bit less judgmental, but, really, the museum smelled like a hamster cage because one of the featured artists had put live reindeer and things in the exhibit hall. Also, one of the art pieces was what I'd like to call Guitar Hero From Hell, because the game consisted of holding down two notes forever. That was the game. Two notes. The person who holds them down the longest wins the high score and my confused admiration. There was also a video clip of a grown woman imitating a crying baby, and somehow, this noise was even worse than hearing a real crying baby.

The free little galleries outshown the Hamburger Bahnhof for me. I got to see an entire gallery devoted to free speech, a value that has a down-trodden history in Berlin from the war and the wall. I also got to see a gallery with little monster paintings, sculptures made from recycled plastic cups, butterfly photographs, and one with figures surrounded by gold.

I also really liked all of the graffiti. I don't know why there is so much graffiti around the city, but it's really everywhere. Perhaps, since Berlin citizens have had to hold their tongue on issues in the past, now they're going crazy with spray paint?

Okay, the last one of those is actually mine...

Anyway, I'm really going to miss my host family too. Tonight at the bar where the band was, my host mother revealed her unexpected talent for pinball. She was a complete pinball wizard at the Lord of the Rings pinball machine (bad pun). Also, if you can imagine Gollum's voice in German, you will now know what will be haunting my nightmares.

Part of my wonderful host family

And Germany's food is great. I have had a high bread-content diet for the month, which is cheap and delicious. Our class had dinner at the Schwarze cafe, where I devoured pesto spaghetti and we chatted about our trip.

Here we are!

And here's Professor Christensen since she was taking the other photo.