I have officially made it through the first half of the summer abroad program in Berlin. I am just going to ramble about a bunch of things so stay with me here. So far, my experience has been amazing. It is so cool to be across the world and engaging in the German culture. The buildings are beautiful and everything looks so glorious. I LOVE DÖNER. For those of you that don’t know, Döner is a Turkish delight that is extremely popular in Germany. I could eat about 5 a day disregarding what it will do to my health, but at this point who cares. There are also tons of little bakeries that have bunch of pastries and coffee. I faithfully go to one everyday and get a different pastry each time which is fine because I deserve it! Anyways, we have been on a million different tours (I should have worn good walking shoes for some) and each one has taught me something new about Berlin. The most interesting part of Berlin is on the East. It is filled with young adults, artists, and has so much urban history it’s pretty cool. Now…the schoolwork is a little overwhelming especially when you have a busy schedule filled with tours, excursions, and essays due. The classes are pretty short and I had an amazing German teacher (shout out to Wiebke B. you the best). I am slowing learning how to shop in German grocery stores without help, order food, and ask for directions. I have somehow managed to complete everything with my best effort and still enjoy the perks of being in Berlin. We went to Postdam on a castles tour and let me tell you, castles are just….omg they are so pretty. The castles scream history and they are huge! Postdam is a charming and quaint city. It was nice to get out the city for a minute and enjoy other parts of Germany. 
Also…WHY OH WHY…do I have to pay for water in Germany? I caught off guard when I was eating in a restaurant and ordered a glass of water because they charged me for it. Lol I was in shock. I was like “wow”. Another also, you have to pay to use the restroom so I was a little depressed for like a week when I realized all of my small change that goes towards ice cream cones had to go towards using the bathroom. Lesson of the summer…don’t drink water and stay dehydrated so you don’t have to use the bathroom and can get ice cream. Yup, I live by this. We are about to start the Humboldt University classes tomorrow and I am very excited. Stay tuned for my next update!
Hi, Alex!
My husband (Allan) and his mother (Dorothy) are friends of your mom’s. And I feel I know her, too.
Your adventures in Berlin are taking me way, way back to when I was a little older than you and arriving in Heidelberg to student teach at Heidelberg American Elementary School #1. The only German that I knew then was how to pronounce “ei” and “ie” (my dad–who had spoken German before English) had taught me.
We took a field trip to Berlin on the duty train. In the spring of 1967, there was still a lot of rubble in East Berlin. I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like now.
A friend of mine from the UCLA education department was a guest professor at Humboldt University in 1991-92 and later wrote a book about the unification of German education. I wish that I had talked with Professor Rust about Berlin when I had the chance. Now that we’re both retired from UCLA, I don’t get to see him.
Viel Spaß!
Diane
Diane Childs
Santa Monica, California
Hi Diane! Oh wow, such a small world. Well for starters, East Berlin still has some work to do but it is coming along pretty nicely. The area is super urban and is filled with young artists and people of that nature. Sox36 is still in Kruezberg if you are familiar with that place. There are also a lot of Mom and Pop shops which I love. I have been to the East Side Gallery a few times and it is by far one of my favorite places. You should come back for another visit!
Also, German is a difficult language and I still mess up on the ie-ei thing faithfully. I am getting the hang of pronouncing giant words but it is a huge step away from English except for some words like “apfel” or “wasser”. I would live to hear more about your experiences as a teacher in Germany and about time at UCLA. I will certainly let my mother know you reached out. If I can contact you that would be great.
Alex