Fall Break

Before we headed out of Berlin for a couple of weeks, I received a visit from another good friend from back home in New Hampshire. This friend stayed at a hostel near Alexanderplatz during the few days spanning through 4 November, when many US students as well as a majority of Europeans celebrated a change in American political regime. Let us all hope that Obama and his administration can manage the enormous weight that will soon be placed upon their shoulders.

On Sunday 9 November, the rest of the IES students and I flew off to Paris.

In our course of studies, we found that Parisians have a great sense of pride, not only refusing to speak English (although the majority of them are taught in school), but viewing in themselves a version of the world which they hope to expand outwards. In other terms, they are setting a model for what they want to offer the rest of the world. I speak a little bit of French from middle-school and high school, so I found it somewhat easy to make my way around. I do not wish to say that this was a horribly high-brow society, that is not my intent. I believe, on the other hand, that this society does not preach the proper methods of justice through education. France established a great number of colonies in Africa, and some time ago officially invited all members from these nations to move back to the original country. While nations like Britain harvested natural resources and left the culture as it was originally, the French imposed their customs and culture, including language, in addition. Colonization into the 20th century, starved out many native cultures from their natural practices and forced them to rely on the French. This is exactly what I speak of when I refer to globalization. I suppose the people were friendly enough, but expected unusually high standards of propriety in public.

On a lighter note, we went for a boat tour, which was very enjoyable, however quite chilly.

The following day was the armistice holiday, and we took our free opportunity to visit Versailles. It was another sunny, chilly day, and our legs were beginning to grow tired. I realized how much better the experience might have been if we had been able to travel in the spring. Oh well. In the evening, we made our way over to the Eiffel Tower, which sparkled in bright lights for five minutes, every hour on the hour. The tower itself was in blue light, with golden stars, to represent the European Union. Our organized tour made a trip up to the very top, where I captured a photo. It was quite exhilarating, walking around a calm corner to be confronted by a wash of icy cold rain, as though we had just walked into a cloud -- which in fact, was very possible.

Later in the week, a smaller group of us headed over to the Louvre. No, I have not yet grown tired of museum visits. I found especially intriguing the Venus de Milo. I also made my way over to have a look at the inverted pyramid of I.M. Pei, as I know he worked on a couple of other interesting pieces in Berlin as well.

One of the last places we visited was the bar near the Moulin Rouge where the film 'Amelie' was shot. I have yet to see the movie, but I have heard mixed reviews on the quality.

On 14 November, our date of return, we heard news of an Air France strike, which held us up at the Charles de Gaulle airport for a few hours. I believe the pilots had been protesting against restrictions, forcing those at 60 to retire. I feared that my travel plans around central Europe, which had been organized since the end of September, may not even see a chance to begin. I was fully prepared to leave on the Deutsche Bahn railway towards Prague the next morning, but if we were not back in time all anticipation and preparation would have been a waste.

However, as we students were traveling in a group, we were given priority over others. We made our way back to Berlin via Munich, arriving later in the evening than expected, but everything else went according to plan.

Prague (Praha) was a city where my younger sister worked on an internship for just over a month earlier this summer. I knew that I had spent a few too many late hours out on the town in Paris, because I found myself congested on the warm train headed down through Brandenburg. I acknowledged that it would have been a great idea to rest up. All of a suddent I found welcoming me some of the more beautiful sights of the Czech coutryside, following the rails down past Dresden and into the east. In the city, I was careful to navigate my way around, wary that not everyone was very open to English-speaking tourists. I eventually found my hostel, the Czech Inn, which turned out very nice (as the first hostel in which I have ever stayed). It was here that I met a few other Americans from California. Later in the evening, I headed out with a couple of Australians to the Charles Bridge, near a club with 5 stories open -- playing different styles of music on each level. It was called Karlovy Lazne, and the entrance fee was about 200 Kc, unless I am mistaken.

The next day I slept in a little bit, then sprang awake to gave myself a guided tour around the old city. I led myself from the Powder Gate towards the Old-New Synagogue in the area of the Astrological Clock, across the same Charles Bridge and up the royal hill towards the Castle. I have to say that it was quite exciting, but I cannot profess myself to be any kind of master of Czech history, as I merely gave it a brief overview. I also had a look at an art exhibition with Alfons Mucha and Salvador Dali, which was quite impressive.

Vienna (Wien) was a beautiful destination where a friend from the staff had recommended a hostel to stay. I quickly met a couple of Austrians, who came from the Western part of the country and were spending a short week in the city. I must admit, if I had not met them, I probably would have been able to see more of the city. At least I caught up on a little bit of rest. But I was disappointed not to see the Belvedere, or many other popular attractions in the city. On the other hand, you might say that this was my destination to mingle with other young travelers, rather than exhaust myself sightseeing. We did see the Ringstrasse, and very near there, we stopped by an old celler out of which excellent food and wine was served. This location was called Zwolf Apostelkeller (Celler of the Twelve Apostles). You could easily walk past it, so it was a lucky find.

I also made a visit to a Van Gogh exhibition, showing his progress through life and sanity. Although I knew the Austrians also spoke German, it was such a different dialect that each time I went out and encountered a clerk for a transaction or a separate question, I found myself asking a second time, and having to hold back from calling attention to my English crutch.

Upon thinking about it now, I realize that the French only did what they had to do in order to preserve their way of life. This pride, I think, takes the form of a national morale boost so that the greater amount of shame is done away with.

Munich (München) was a very nice city to make as my last stop. I met a family friend named Eric Hanfstaengl, who spoke English very well. I drew a number of interesting connections between him and my immediate family back home, one example of which is Eric's love for American baseball. He sat me down and we would talk for a few hours about it, until I felt ready to head outside and throw a few tosses. It was too bad I didn't have my mitt. Unfortunately, I took a tumble and headed into the hospital, with a few stitches needed for my left eyebrow. It was a shame because I couldn't get out and enjoy as much of the city as I had initially hoped to, spending an evening in the krankenhaus. On the other hand, I was glad to be with a friend when the accident occurred, and in Munich, with a very advanced medical system.

I ended up feeling good enough to head out the next evening, with two of Eric's children, named Emil and Else. It was a very enjoyable occasion, and I hope to return back again some time in the near future. I feel like I created a strong bond with Eric, also serving as a bridge of communication between my family back in the states and the Hanfstaengl clan here in Deutschland. I felt like this was my time for me, and me alone. I took a walk through the falling snow along the Isar River, the first of the winter, and admired the emerald-green color of the water. I took my time to enjoy the food, provided by Eric and his partner Astrid, specimens from German culture and history. It wasn't so tough to depart on Sunday 23, but I want to think I left a small part of myself there.

"Knowledge is not simply another commodity. On the contrary. It increases by diffusion and grows by dispersion."

Daniel J. Boorstin