Week 2 in Germany, I am getting local

I can’t believe it’s already Week 2 in Berlin. Last week, I could only order coffee in English, but this week I’ve gotten so used to visiting the coffee shop in front of our hotel every morning that I can proudly say, “Ich hätte gern einen Latte und ein Schokoladencroissant.” (“I would like a latte and a chocolate croissant.”) The waiter then replies in German, “Alles?” (“Anything else?”), which feels like a small sign that my German is improving, and I no longer sound like a complete foreigner. I simply reply, “Ja, danke.” (“Yes, thank you.”)

My favorite day this week was our visit to the Bauhaus. Bauhaus was an art school founded in 1919. It was revolutionary for its time because it welcomed “every person of good character.” When I think of Germany, especially Berlin, I always picture minimalism and functionality. Visiting the Bauhaus helped me understand why Germany has earned that reputation. I was amazed that many of the pieces designed over 100 years ago still look modern today. The Bauhaus philosophy of “form follows function” continues to influence furniture and design all over the world.

Another memorable day was our visit to the Jewish Museum. The most striking installation for me was the room filled with rusty iron faces covering the floor. There was no way to reach the other side without stepping on them. With every step, the heavy iron pieces clanged together, creating an unsettling sound that made the experience impossible to forget.

Over the weekend, I took a solo trip to Munich. Munich felt completely different from Berlin. While Berlin is diverse, vibrant, and modern, Munich is much quieter and more traditional. There are also many more historic churches and old buildings in the city center, perhaps because the city was less heavily affected by World War II.

One of my favorite places was the English Garden. It was peaceful and relaxing. Along both sides of the river, people were reading, playing games, sunbathing, chatting, napping, drinking, kissing, and jumping into the water. In the river, people and ducks shared the same space—some were swimming while others were surfing the famous river wave.

At sunset, I visited a biergarten and enjoyed my first authentic German beer with roasted chicken. There wasn't a single word of English on the menu, so I wasn't sure what to order. Fortunately, a friendly German grandfather struck up a conversation with me while we were waiting in line. When he realized I didn't speak much German, he happily recommended a beer and even ordered my meal for me. It was one of those small acts of kindness that made traveling alone feel much less lonely.

I came back to Berlin on Sunday just in time to watch The Threepenny Opera at the Berliner Ensemble. Before the performance, we attended an introductory workshop where we actually acted out parts of the plot ourselves. It was my first theater experience, and it turned out to be a lot more fun than I expected.

The funniest part was seeing some of the guys in our program wearing high heels. Somehow, our group collectively decided that a gender role reversal would be the best way to perform the story, and everyone fully committed to it. It was hilarious, and honestly, it made the workshop much more memorable.

I’m excited to see what Week 3 in Berlin has in store!