Ich Liebe Berlin

alternative post title: The Time I Went to Germany and Hung Out with a Filipino Transexual
subsequent disclaimer: for the more conservative of my readers, you've been warned

me in front of the Reichstag.

Last night I slept a solid 13 hours.  How, you ask?  4 nights in Berlin can do that to a person.  This week was Spring Break and instead of heading to Ibiza or Greece for a serious American-style student vacation, I chose to visit one of the most bustling art scenes in Europe: Berlin.  I originally planned to go with a friend now living in England, but her schedule didn't allow it and my friends from school were planning an all-too-expensive jaunt across 3 countries.  So I decided to do a solo trip, my first actually.  Not that I haven't explored places by myself, but I've never gone on vacation alone.

part of the East Side Gallery on the remains of the Berlin wall.

I utilized my CouchSurfing (CS) membership online and found a free place to stay.  For those of you who aren't familiar with the website, it's an online network of people traveling and/or hosting people who need a couch to crash on for a night or two.  You're able to view a person's profile, read about their experiences hosting as well as reviews by people they've hosted - they can even have their identity and location verified, so it's generally a secure network.  I went out on a limb (and decided to initially omit this fact from communication with the parental units) and decided to trust the system, and honestly I couldn't be happier that I did.

michael (germany), diane (philippines), phil (england), me and tomas (germany)

I arrived in Berlin late Monday night, managed public transportation and found my host's apartment in the center of the city.  I was greeted by Leonardo, a Brazilian bodybuilder/advertising specialist living in Germany and another fellow surfer Diane, an openly transsexual Filipino touring Europe for 4 months.  They were both incredibly friendly, and Leo gave me everything I would need: sheets, blankets, pillows, towels and the freedom to help myself to whatever I found in the kitchen.  We talked about our native countries and experiences in Europe - Leo has hosted over 50 people in his apartment from all over the world without asking anything in return, just to meet new people and understand other cultures.  I didn't get to hang out with him that much because he was working during the week, but Diane and I spent time touring Berlin together.

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

She told me about a free tour the next day and we were able to see quite a few things on my list: the Brandenburg Gate (built as a sign of peace by the king of Prussia and initially one of the only gates to enter the city), the Holocaust Memorial (2,711 "non-symbolic" concrete slabs of varying heights to honor the 6 million murdered in the Holocaust), the Berliner Dom (incredible cathedral), Humboldt University (Einstein taught here and Marx studied here), Checkpoint Charlie (touristy recreation of the checkpoint between East/West Berlin), and even a few things I didn't expect to see including an dirty parking lot which, as it turns out, is 15 meters above Hitler's barracks during WWII - where he hid for the last 2 weeks of his life, where he married, where he killed himself; the former home of the Luftwaffe where 200 workers were gunned down in the 1950s because they were protesting their low wages; and I even learned about the history surrounding the Berlin Wall and what would happen if anyone attempted to traverse it.  I saw the monument beneath the square near Humboldt University with shelves and shelves of empty books in memory of those written against Germany/by Jews/concerning sexual research which were burned by the Nazis.

Kunsthaus (art house)

Berlin is truly a place of rebirth, as the city (or rather the country) has such a dark past but there is a sincere attempt at memorializing and acknowledging those tragedies.  In addition, the very recent fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 means the city is rife with political activism, diversity and therefore creativity.  It's nearly impossible to walk anywhere in the city without seeing murals or street art and I decided to use my second day to take advantage of an "alternative Berlin" tour and learn about life post-wall.  We walked around the city tracking artists and styles, then explored the Kunsthaus Tacheles which is an occupied artist squat where Berlin's creatives live, exhibit and practice art.  The entire place reminded me of something you could find in South Austin, but on a larger, more rebellious scale.

another work from the East Side Gallery

As for the nightlife (and reason I caught up on so much sleep last night) I must say it's the most active I've ever seen.  Europe in general is crazy about starting the parties at midnight or later, and even though I'm still in my early-20s (convincing myself 24 is still early- and not mid-) I am a wimp when it comes to partying for days until the witching hour.  What's great is that Berlin's CS scene is thriving and each of the nights I was there I was able to meet fellow surfers and hosts from around the world!  I met a guy from England who plays online poker professionally, a Russian who studies power engineering and once successfully hitchhiked to Amsterdam, a German who's leaving April 1st on a 3 year trip to ride his bike solo across the world, I conversed with an Irishman in Italian, told a French girl about Texas (she'd never heard of it), and even met a guy from San Francisco who was wearing a t-shirt with "Austin, Texas" on it.  I can't even express to you how great this experience was - talking to people from all over the world with entirely different backgrounds and somehow we all had a mutual understanding and ability to relate to one another.

me in front of the Berliner Dom

This post is already getting lengthy, but suffice to say my trip to Berlin was unforgettable - I visited the Island of Museums, tasted the best currywurst in the city (and ordered in German!), stayed out dancing until 6AM when the birds started chirping, made instant friends with the most diverse group of people you could imagine, and essentially had the time of my life.  I think there's something unique, even primal about going somewhere alone without knowing what to expect and managing to survive in the given circumstances.  You learn so much about yourself, what you're capable of and most importantly what exists beyond your understanding.

For believe me: the secret for harvesting from existence the greatest fruitfulness and greatest enjoyment is - to live dangerously. 
--Friedrich Nietzsche