Going to Berlin: What to Expect

When I first saw the flyer advertising the summer abroad trip to Berlin I remember telling everyone around me that I would attend that trip; and here I am! I assume that many other students on this trip will say the same thing: they have been to various other European countries and vaguely knew what to expect from Germany. I felt the exact same way to a certain extent. When I was younger my family and I went on a European road trip and I remembered a variety of things: from the beautiful architecture to the lack of friendliness from the locals. Essentially, I prepared myself for the worst.

In Miami, as that is the only U.S state that I can relate to, finding a smiling face is extremely rare and difficult. Most people live under the motto, “survival of the fittest.” It is common to see people trample over each other to get ahead in life. Knowing your neighbor is unheard of in most places and helping them with any need would be considered insane. Just the thought of doing so puts people in an uncomfortable position and forces them into therapy. God forbid anyone is too nice; there must be some underlying problem that only a licensed psychologist can determine, for the right price of course. In such a consumer society, life revolves around work, the mall, and sitting in traffic.

Coming from the island of Curacao, I had grown accustomed to smiling faces and neighbors lending a helping hand. When I moved over to Miami, I had already gone through the biggest culture shock of my life. Moving away from a place where the beaches are gorgeous and inviting, the rainbow colored houses come to life, and the cooling breeze never fails is a very hard thing to do. Miami, with its constant promotion of movement and change, will never seem as beautiful to me. With such negativity in mind, I could only imagine what Germany would be like! Naturally, I began to do some research about the country with specific attention placed on the city of Berlin.

From what I could remember from my prior trip to Germany, foreign features and mannerisms are usually cause for scorn and different treatment. The locals tend to keep to themselves while constantly keeping an eye out for the “strangers.” However, the city itself is surrounded by amazing architecture and rich history that just oozes out of every corner. It is as if the environment makes up for the unfriendliness. With over 82 million inhabitants, Germany thrives as Europe’s largest economy and second most populous nation. One would expect that a city with such a high presence of mass media and that overflows with schools and universities would have intelligent people that are more tolerant about other cultures.

However, regardless of the differences within the many cultures found around the world, Berlin will always appeal to both the young and the young at heart.This picture was taken at the Babel Platz in front of the Humboldt University. This is the infamous place where the Nazi's burned mountains of literary works that did not correspond with their specific beliefs. Presently, there is a humongous flea market devoted to the written work in that exact location.

1. http://www.nationmaster.com/country/gm-germany