The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 2,000 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 33 trips to carry that many people.
I’m not fluent, but my German as improved a lot since I first came to Berlin. My final post is in the form of a letter that I wrote to myself, reflecting over my four months in Germany. Enjoy 
Liebe Andrea,
kannst du dich erinnern, was du zuerst über Berlin gedacht hast? Du starrtest aus dem Fenster des Flugzeugs, und zwei Dinge kamen dir in den Sinn. Zuerst fragtest du, was habe ich dort gemacht? Erst als die Räder des Flugzeugs auf dem Rollfeld rutschten, hast du endlich damit begonnen, zu verstehen, dass dies wirklich geschah. Du wolltest in Berlin, Deutschland, für vier Monate bleiben, beginnend, na ja, jetzt. Das zweite, was ich auf dem Herzen hatte, waren Windparks. Als das Flugzeug kam und die Wolken verschwunden waren, waren die ersten Dinge, die du sehen konntest, riesige weiße Windräder, verstreut über saftig grüne Felder. Und du dachtest, „ein Ort, der Windparks hat, kann so schlimm nicht sein.“ Warum? Du warst nicht wirklich sicher. Das Gefühl von Komfort war einfach da, und dann hattest du einen zuvor unvorhergesehenen Ausbruch von Mut.
Die nächsten Tage waren eine Unschärfe, wahrscheinlich auf Grund einer überwältigenden Tagesordnung und einem halluzinogen-induzierten Mangel an Schlaf, und du warst in dem Herzen der Stadt. Du sprachst Deutsch, und es fühlte sich merkwürdig an, diese Geräusche aus deinem Mund zu hören. Du hast gelernt wieder Kaffee zu machen und verbrachtest deine Nächte an eine fremde Decke starrend, und versuchtest dich an ein Kissen zu gewöhnen, das quadratisch war. Du warst so weit weg von allem, was du kanntest, und der Abstand schien unermesslich. Nur noch einhundert und elf Tage, sagtest du dir. Aber allmählich begannst du verschiedene Dinge zu zählen. „Ich traf heute fünf Menschen. Ich habe diese Woche dreißig neue deutsche Wörter gelernt. Ich habe drei verschiedene Formen von öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln um an diesen Ort zu kommen, aber ich war niemals verloren.“
Du hast positiv gedacht und umarmtest, was neu war. Berlin hat dein Lachen zurück gebracht. Du hast die besten Parks besucht und hattest fröhliche Picknicks. Du gingst tanzen und trafst viele Berliner. Du verpasstest eine Straßenbahn oder einen Bus und musstest manchmal zu Fuß nach Hause gehen. Du operiertest erfolgreich eine deutsche Waschmaschine und hast problemlos auch ohne Trockner, Mikrowellen oder Fernseher gelebt. Du hast kaltes Wetter überlebt, und wie man richtig eine deutsche E-Mail schreibt, gelernt. Du lasest Berlin-Alexanderplatz und Das Kunstseide Mädchen, zwei Romane vollständig in einer Sprache, die du nur für zwei Jahre studiert hast. Du hast mit einem deutschen Kochbuch gekocht, und es hat gar nicht so schlecht geschmeckt, wenn du zu viel von einer Zutat hinzugefügt hast. Du besuchtest ein Konzentrationslager, wo so viele Schrecken stattfanden und du hast, wie viele andere vor dir, geweint. Du bist das erste Mal mit einem Zug gefahren. Du gingst in Museen und erlebtest ihre Geschichte in einem Wirbelwind von Artefakten, Plaketten und Filmen. Du erfuhrst etwas über das Leben in einem anderen Land und ohne es zu merken, blühtest du. Allmählich lerntest du viel über andere, und du erfuhrst viel über dich selbst.
Und die Leute! Es gibt nichts Besseres als eine gute Gruppe von Freunden und einen schönen Tag. Ihr erlebtet viele Abenteuer zusammen, von denen einige gut waren und von denen einige schlecht waren, aber alle waren wertvoll. Ihr gingten zur „Sangria Nacht“ jeden Samstag, wo jeder ein anderes Essen kochte und ihr trankt Wein und lachtet miteinander. Die Freunde, die du in Berlin gefunden hast, leben in vielen verschiedenen Bundesstaaten in den USA, aber der Abstand ist nicht so groß, weil die Eindrücke groß sind, die sie im Herzen gemacht haben. Sie alle sind mit diesem neuen Land und neuen Lebensstil verbunden, und es bringt uns einander näher. Unsere Erfahrungen in Berlin waren verblüffend, weil du ein Teil eine wunderbare Gruppe warst. Sie alle sprachen über Hausaufgaben, das Leben hier und außerhalb von Berlin, Zukunft, Vergangenheit, Hochschule, Familie, Arbeit und noch mehr.
Es ist einer der besten Tricks des Lebens. Wenn du dich schließlich an einem fremden Ort wohlfühlst, ist es Zeit, dass alles wieder endet. Vor fünf Jahren hattest du definitiv keine Ahnung, dass du für vier Monate in Deutschland lebst, lernst und lachst. Und fünf Jahre ab jetzt, wer weiß? Aber wenn du Angst hast oder unsicher bist, denk bitte an diese Zeit in Berlin. Denk an all die guten Zeiten mit deinen Freunden, und rufe jemanden an, mit dem du eine Weile nicht geredet hast. Lies noch einmal ein deutsches Buch um zu sehen, wie viel du weißt. Hoffentlich wird es eine Menge sein. Und vor allem erinnere dich daran, wie mutig du bist. Jede Herausforderung ist eine neue Chance, und jeder Augenblick ist eine wunderbare Gelegenheit, um zu wachsen.
Beste Grüße
Andrea T. Gannon (12.2.2011)
I’m swamped with papers and projects, so today I’m simply posting photos of my amazing trip to Ireland. I promise to tell lots of stories about Dublin when I’m back in the states!!
Much love!
Andrea
It’s the greatest of jokes in life; whenever you finally become used to something, that means it is about time for everything to change. I can’t pinpoint the exact moment, but Berlin has gradually become quite familiar and comfortable for me. It’s gotten to the point where I’m having trouble imagining what life after Berlin is going to be like. The people, the city, and the language that I have grown so accustomed to in the past four months will suddenly be very much less present in my life, and it will almost be like starting all over again. My thoughts are in German, and it’s sometimes very difficult to switch gears. I fear my English will be a bit rusty when I return, and I may also suffer greatly whilst dealing with the lack of umlauts in my life! All joking aside, I’m really going to miss this place. I am ready to come home because I miss my family and friends very much, but I am having trouble imagining not being here. It’s a paradox of placement that I couldn’t be happier about. Studying abroad is life changing, and Berlin will always hold a place in my heart.
Since I last spoke to you about the Berlin weather, the temperature has been steadily dropping about 1 or 2 degrees a day. It’s currently pretty darn cold, and my friends in the program who are used to frigid climes had a great laugh at the expense of their friends who live in the south. My friend Kelsey pointed out what different approaches Mary, a fellow Texan, and I have employed. Mary purchased a huge coat very early on and wears it nearly every day, along with several layers of turtlenecks and scarves. Some days I think I only see her nose; everything else is wrapped in layers of cloth. I, on the other hand, am learning many new things, such as “sunny does not equal warm.” Even if it’s bright and the sun is a-shinin’, you definitely still need to double layer under your jeans and gloves, a scarf, and a hat are a must. However, a few incidents that involved me not being able to feel my fingers or toes, I was taken on a shopping intervention this weekend, and I am now the proud owner of a heavy quilted winter coat and a fluffy cranberry fleece jacket. I am also no longer in danger of frostbite, and it feels wonderful.
Classes are speeding along, and I’m already preparing for finals. I have about 25 pages of German papers to write as well as a final art project for my art history course, but I feel very ready to tackle it all. These past few months have helped me improve my German abilities as well as my German confidence, so while it seems like a massive undertaking, I am less stressed and more eager to show my professors what I can do. It’s a great realization that German is no longer so foreign to me. If you had asked me in high school to please write a 10 page essay in German, I probably would have laughed and thought you were a little bit off your rocker. Three years later, all I have to say is “Bring it on!”
Lots of love to everyone back home, and Happy Thanksgiving! It feels like the holiday season over here as well. The Germans have zoomed ahead to Christmas and are already playing carols on the radio and setting up the Christmas markets, ice rinks, and sledding hills. It’s extraordinary!
XOXO,
Andrea
Yesterday was very somber and thought-provoking. My friends and I went to Oranienburg to see Sachsenhausen, a Nazi concentration camp. I had never been to a concentration camp, and while it was a tough decision, I think it is very important to see all aspects of a country’s history. One cannot ignore the horrors that took place during World War II, and it is through visiting and learning about difficult things that we can make sure that they never happens again. The weather was cold (about 30 degrees) and gray as we took the train north. We walked about two kilometers to get from the train station to Sachsenhausen, and we were a very quiet and contemplative group. I’m not going to go into too much detail about the experience, but I will say that reading information in a history book is starkly different than standing in the location where it actually occurred. We learned that during the camp’s existence from 1936 to 1945, about 200,000 people passed through its gates. There are many memorials at the front gates, paying countless respects to people from all countries. We spent about 4 hours walking around, seeing buildings, pictures, and artifacts, and reading plaque after plaque about the history of the camp. They have turned some of the buildings into museums, and going inside takes a lot of strength. It was an extremely emotional journey, but it was a memorable and valuable experience for me. In the words of Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate, “For the survivor who chooses to testify, it is clear: his duty is to bear witness for the dead and for the living. He has no right to deprive future generations of a past that belongs to our collective memory. To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.” (from the novel Night by Elie Wiesel).
With solemn gratitude for my family, friends, life, and opportunities,
Andrea
After living here for two months, I have become pretty accustomed to the German way of doing things. I know so much more than I did in August, but some things still catch me off guard. I’m embracing the unfamiliarity, however, and I’m excited to share some of things I’m experiencing with you all!
First, the Ampelmann. At most German crosswalks, you can see this cute little guy. You don’t need to know any German to understand what he stands for, either. He’s signals when to stop and when it’s okay to cross the street, and people are very patient when he’s red. Even when there aren’t any cars, people wait for the green Ampelmann before walking to the other side. It’s wonderfully refreshing to not have to dodge buses or run across the street with other pedestrians. When the green Ampelmann is up, the cars stop, and the people go. Crossing the street when he’s red is a 40€ mistake if the Polizei are around. Even if you’re in a hurry, wait for the green Ampelmann to appear! You can read about his history here: The Story of the Ampelmann
Second, “frische Luft.” Germans love fresh air. They open their windows every day, even in the winter. We were told in August, when the weather was 70 to 80 degrees every day, that this would happen, but no one really gave it too much thought. However, it’s quite apparent when we’re huddled in the cold computer lab trying to type our German essays and Britta, one of our beloved program directors, comes charging into the room and opens the 6 foot window whilst announcing the importance of “frische Luft.” German buildings are really well designed; so well, in fact, that you have to open the windows in order for the air to circulate. Not doing this will result in tons of mold, so we have resigned ourselves to carrying extra gloves and scarves for whenever the classroom is the same temperature as the outdoors, which happened to be 41 degrees yesterday.
Third, self-rising flour. Germany has really great technology and tons of innovative ideas when it comes to food and composting, but they don’t really use self-rising flour, which makes baking a bit of a challenge. I’ve been learning some interesting recipes from Dr. Oetker, who is the German version of Betty Crocker. Another food challenge is refrigeration – Germans don’t really refrigerate things unless they absolutely have to. It’s taken me a while to get used to room temperature milk and butter, but this is less of a problem now that it’s getting to be so cold. I can just stick my milk carton in the window, and it will be frosty and delicious!
Fourth, “Pfand.” “Pfand” is the name for the deposit you receive when you turn in an empty bottle. I know that there’s a pretty okay bottle deposit system in the states, but it’s incredible here. No one throws away plastic bottles. The Germans have machines in almost every grocery store and convenience store that accept bottles and give you change in return (usually 0,15€ per bottle aka 15 cents!). If your bottle is not “Pfand-able” you can still recycle it in the proper receptacle. German trashcans are huge because they have five sections for recycling – compostable material, paper, plastic, glass, and packaging – and then a very small slot for you to throw away anything else that doesn’t fall in those categories. Germany is wonderfully “Umweltfreundlich” (environmentally friendly), and I love it!
Finally, Denglish (Deutsch + English). My friends and I talk in German as much as possible, and it even comes out in English conversations. Sometimes we can’t think of a word in English and have to use the German one instead. Some phrases are perfect but not translatable to English, so we randomly insert them into our sentences. Since the Germans capitalize all nouns and do not capitalize the first person pronoun (ich), it’s so weird to switch from English to German when writing. Sometimes i find myself capitalizing Things that don’t need Capitalization and forgetting the Things that do!
However, despite the differences, I love being here, and it’s wonderful to do things in a new way. Most of them don’t even seem strange anymore. I hope everyone is doing well at home and staying warm!
Best wishes!
Andrea
After checking my calendar the other day, I realized that I only have 49 days left in Germany, which is unbelievable. My time is here is flying, and it’s going to be so strange to go home. My journal is halfway full, and I’m excited to read it on the plane on the way home; this experience has been life-changing, and each day reinforces that coming here was a monumentally good decision in my life. I registered for my spring classes at Southwestern on Tuesday, and it was odd to choose English classes instead of German ones. German classes are taught in a different style than what I’m used to, but I have really come to enjoy it. I don’t know if I have mentioned this before, my classes are as follows:
Literature in Berlin: Berlin in Literature
Art and Architecture: Early 20th Century Architecture in Berlin
Von Lenin zu Lola: Contemporary German Film Studies
Portable Roots: Multicultural Otherness in Berlin
Advanced German Composition and Speaking
Each one of these courses is really fun, and they all overlap and connect to the city in a bigger way. I am not taking any history or political science classes, but I am still learning so much about foreign policy, East and West Germany, the socio-economic climate, and much more. The fact that this is all taking place in German is mind blowing. I am no longer translating things from German to English when I hear or read them; I can understand the ideas and concepts really well, and sometimes I can’t even think of the right English word and I have to use the German one. My language skills are nowhere near perfect, but I am really excited to have advanced so much in the two months that I have been here. Midterms state next week, and I can’t believe I’m over halfway finished.
The weather has cooled down considerably, and trees everywhere have turned red, brown, and gold. No snow yet, but I have a feeling that we’ll be seeing some frost in a couple weeks. I have learned how to layer my shirts for optimum warmth (a skill that is very useful here but probably will not be extremely helpful in Texas), and I can add “German Heaters” to my list of German appliances that I can now use properly and easily. Last night, my friends came over to my apartment, and we made lots of warm, delicious, and healthy dishes from scratch. I am collecting German recipes, recipes from friends, and making up some of my own so get ready for some tasty new treats! I will have plenty of wonderful things to cook when I return home.
I have not done anything particularly tourist-y lately; living, working, and traveling in Berlin every day is an experience in itself. I have taken many photos of buildings, sights, friends, weather, food, art, and more, and I still don’t feel like I have quite captured the essence of Berlin. It’s fascinating and frustrating to try to describe what it’s like to live here; the German mindset and way of living is so unique and wonderful. I could stay here for a year and still not know everything there is to know.
I wish I could write more, but I have many essays and projects to work on. The weather is beautiful this weekend, so I will be listening to German radio, drinking coffee, and reading and writing with the windows open (for lovely fresh air and in order to dry my clothes – it’s laundry day!) I hope that everyone is doing really wonderfully!
XOXO,
Andrea
