Passover in Berlin

I thought Passover here would be weird/sad, since it is probably my first Passover not with my family, but it actually ended up being pretty great (thanks to my mother).

Pre-Passover Apple/Pear/Grape Cobbler (made in a handleless frying pan, of course)

The first Seder I went to was partly sponsored by JDC (a seder that my mom found for me), a Jewish organization I didn't really know about before going, but I wish I had.  It turns out they have a bunch of get togethers in Berlin for Jewish young adults, and it was really really nice being surrounded by them after three months pretty light on the Judaism.  At this seder, there were people from Berlin, Israel, America, Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, and Italy, and everyone was so into it and happy.  It was beautiful!  But (probably) as a result of everyone being from everywhere, the songs sounded very confused and usually ended up overpowered by whatever Nigun the Israelis felt appropriate.  Everyone there was so friendly, I went out with some of them afterwards and we talked until the wee hours.  It was weird hearing Israelis speak a mixture of German/English/Hebrew, and it was cool that they were all in Berlin for different and interesting reasons.  I wish I knew about them earlier.

JDC seder in a Jewish daycare 

For my second seder, the same friend that came with me to the first had it in her apartment.  At this seder we were the only Jews, but we downloaded a children's Haggadah from the internet to make it simpler/more fun for our non-Jewish friends.  Everyone really loved it, and it was nice to explain traditions that usually go without explaining in a typical Jewish seder.  

At the JDC seder, they had an orange on their seder plate, something I have never seen before.  They explained it like this: Susannah Heschel was once giving a talk a synagogue, and in response, one man said, "a woman belongs on the stage of a synagogue like an orange belongs on a seder plate."  Therefore, the orange is supposed to symbolize feminism and the importance of women in Judaism.  However, I just read an article that says that none of that is true ...Oops.

My contribution to my friend's seder, obviously the work of a Schechter graduate 

The weather was insane yesterday...

Happy seder people

Springtime for Germany!

I don't know when the transition happened, but today was the most beautifully warm sunny day yet.  Good thing I had to stay in all day to prepare two presentations.  However, in the evening I went to the opera and saw Macbeth! (and saw happy outdoor children EVERYWHERE on the train ride there) Turns out I don't remember as much from high school as I thought I did, and the German subtitled Italian singing as well as the strange but cool modern adaptation wasn't exactly conducive to a better understanding of why exactly the portrait could suddenly bleed and zoom in.
It was great though!

Ori!

Written on Friday, March 16th... (this is the first time I've had internet in a while)

I just had the most fantastic week with Ori, who made the wonderful decision to come visit me that I am incredibly appreciative of.  Aside from the various delicious eateries, historical attractions, and markets we visited, it was incredibly nice to simply wander around aimlessly with my best friend who I know is enjoying the wandering just as much as me (apart from the cold that he was inexcusably unappreciative of…)

One of the restaurants that stood out was a café called Anna Blume, named after the Kurt Schwitters poem, (the initial reason I wanted to go there) which turned out to be incredible.  We ordered this three-tiered plate of fruit, vegetables, lox, bread, cheese, wonderful things, and more.  All the components were prepared with so much individual delicious care and it was therefore the most beautifully satisfying thing. 

It was a pretty sucky goodbye, but I had to leave Berlin on Friday morning for Nuremberg, so that’s where my current whereabouts are.  In a few days we go to Prague! (I am actually currently in Prague.  More on Nuremberg and Prague at a later date).

So I uploaded these pictures kind of backwardsly, and I don't trust the computer or my computer skills to work together to fix the problem.  They will stay in this order. 

On the second to last day Ori was here I had an excursion with my German class that he joined us on.  We took a tour of the street art in East Berlin, and even though I've been in the general area where a lot of the art was, I still hadn't seen a bunch of it.  It was pretty cool. 

Tacheles is this coool kind of abandoned building, covered in graffiti, that a bunch of artists squat in and display their art.  I've been there a bunch of times and there is always something very interesting and weird on display.  I founds this sticker outside a vegetarian döner place.  I was excited.  

The East Side Gallery... Take two!

Anna Blume and the three tiered plates of wonder

Ori loving the crisp Berlin air

A strange choice on my part- for Ori's first meal in Berlin I took him to a Vegetarian döner place called Vöner.  It was delicious, but consisted of modified Turkish food.  

A random park with nice graffiti in East Berlin

Taking a break from tomatocheesecrackers

All in all, a productive Sunday in Berlin, minus any profound cultural experiences.  I did watch an American movie with Dutch subtitles though.  I even read them occasionally (Dutch=German plus random Js).  In addition, last night I went with some friends to get really delicious Korean food, at a restaurant mostly staffed by non-Koreans. The day before I went to a music festival at which I saw Italian, English, and French bands.  Earlier this week I went salsa dancing and visited a semi-abandoned building filled with artists, so I don't always stay inside and avoid profundity while trying to produce strange concoctions consisting of the various random ingredients I happen to have.  My friend who usually helps me destroy my kitchen is especially talented in the destruction portion of the projects, as well as the creativity. 

I also spent four hours at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Oranienburg on Friday.  It was an interesting experience to walk around and learn about a concentration camp filled with devastating Jewish history with friends who aren't Jewish, instead of my family members who probably have similar feelings when they walk through places like these.  Strange, but interesting.

Possibly Tilapia with potatoes, sauteed onions, and mushrooms 

 As well as...

Apples covered in Nutella, caramelized sugar, and berry müsli

Paris through pictures (with a bit of Italy too)

When I first got to Paris, I made a mistake and bought the incorrect subway ticket.  When I realized, I promptly went to the information desk to ask what to do, since I didn't see any ticket booths or machines around.  I explained my situation.  He plainly told me I was one of the "bad people" that ride the subways for free, and that there was nothing he could do for me, my only option was to stay in the train station forever.  Eventually, he gave me a ticket, but not before nearly making me cry.  The combination of waking up at five in the morning with independent travel with angry mean men is not my favorite.  However, after this incident, I made it to my first CouchSurfing host's neighborhood, went to a cafe.  This already made my day improve substantially. 

Next, I went to my first host.  She was incredibly welcoming and kind and had a very colorful kitchen that I took about a million pictures of. 

That night we went to Centre Georges Pompidou.  This is a picture from the restaurant at the top of it.

Also at Centre Pompidou, we went to a temporary exhibition on dance.  It was one of the best exhibitions I have ever been to.  Usually I don't love taking pictures at museums, but I took so many here.  I also went back a few days later to visit the permanent exhibition which was also really great. 

Another photo from the top of Centre Pompidou

Cool Parisian graffiti

Versailles 

On the last day I stayed with Julia, I went to a market with her and the older couple she is currently living with.  It was a really nice, colorful market with a lot of antiques and produce. 

(Of course)

More street art

Sainte Chapelle. So beautiful.

Love Padlocks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_padlocks

My third host, Giovanni, and some really delicious pizzas

Como, Italy

Pahriss, juhtayme!

I can't upload any pictures while I'm away, which is half the thrill (that I get) from this blog, but I just wanted to check in with everyone/anyone who would like to know whether I'm alive or not. It turns out that I am.  I had a very long day though, but also very nice, which started with the decision that I would not use any kind of public transportation and instead walk to everywhere I wanted to go.

Currently, I am staying with a CouchSurfer named Claire.  She told me that the best falafel in Paris was a place called L'As du Fallafel (The Ace of Falafel) so of course I went there, and it was delicious! They put eggplant on it! It was also in a very Jewish area of Paris, which was nice to visit.  I then walked to Notre Dame cathedral and Sainte Chapelle cathedral, which were both very very beautiful, and cool to see after learning about both of them in high school art history.  My last stop (by this time I was quite tired and my face felt like it was melting into my neck) was Musée d'Orsay, which had beautiful Impressionistic and Neo Impressionistic paintings (and other things but those were my favorite parts).

So, in addition to my various wanderings and getting losts, this was today's journey! I took the metro back though. Oops.

Both my big toes hurt.  I wasn't expecting this.

Also, I went to L'Orangerie yesterday and loved it so much.  Pictures weren't allowed though, so I feel ok posting this one in place of the photo I would have taken of it. 

It is magnificent

Enteric Unknown: Serratia marcescens

The title is what the computer automatically assumed I would be writing about when I typed the letter E.  I decided to let the computer control my future, at least for a couple of sentences. I miss Microbio. And science in general.  Good thing I'm taking Chemistry 1, 2, and Pathophysiology this summer. 

My ticket came today!  I'm seeing The Shins!  In Berlin!  At the end of March!  I am so excited.

But apparently not as excited as I was here...

 

I miss my roommate