Saying Goodbye

Honestly, if it's not for the cloudy sky blocking the sunset on the last day, I would say that these last five weeks was phenomenal. I was really saddened by that fact that our boat trip did not go as well as the Professor had planned. With that out of the system, let's get started with my final remarks about Berlin.

My first impression of Berlin is that it is a short city. Compare to other metropolises I've been to, Berlin is not impressive. I was surprised that the capital of the most influential country in Europe lacked skyscrapers. I soon learn of the reason behind it: there's simply no need for tall buildings. Unlike many U.S. cities, Berlin has a mature and reliable public transport system. Not only does this lowers car usage, it also decreases the population density by spreading the population across a wider area. Speaking of cars, I don't happen to recall I've ever gotten into a traffic jam while in Berlin. That might be because I used the trains a lot, but I like to think that the demand for cars just isn't that high. Given the fact that Germany had been a central player in both world wars, much of Berlin's buildings are quite new. Compared to Prague, which I was fortunate to go visit during the seminar, and its more classical and baroque Berlin is filled with modern style buildings. Even within Berlin, the style varies due to the years of separation. The buildings in the east tend to have more blend and light coloring on their facades, while those in the west favors more elaborate designs. And that is just one of the many differences between the two sides of Berlin. 

Berlin is such a great city, and I was actually quite surprised that I wasn't as emotional as I thought when leaving it a few days ago. Perhaps it is because of my unfinished paper for MMW making the whole process stressful rather than sentimental. Or, I knew that I would so return in the future. There is still so much of Berlin and Germany I haven't had the chance to experience. Either way, passing the class seems to be more important right now so I will sign off from here. Thank you for the wonderful Berlin, I will see you soon.