One thing I’ve learned about Berliners is that they have a strange fondness for fresh air. This might appear to not be such a strange fascination, but when it’s 35 degrees outside, I didn’t think it would be a priority to open windows to alleviate the stuffiness. It is. For every class I’ve taken, the professor always insists on opening the windows during our break for this “fresh air.” I guess the significance of fresh air isn’t as emphasized in America, but I did have much appreciation for it recently. Yesterday was the first day in a while that the sun made an appearance for longer than three minutes, and me and a few friends celebrated by going to a market with both artistic and antique stands. It was so nice to be outside and for our clothes to maintain their state of dryness, as well as see all kinds of interesting displays. After the market, we went to the Neues Museum (I had gone to the Altes Museum the previous day), which had really impressive architecture and interior design, and that is all I will comment on it.
Last night I went with a friend to an authentic German concert, we saw the band In Golden Tears after I conducted a very thorough search of “live music Berlin January 14” on Google. Although it was a rash decision, it ended up being a successful one. The band was great and high energy, and it also just felt nice to be surrounded by real Germans instead of a crowd of fellow Americans, who tend to frequently remain close by.
As far as classes go, I’m pretty excited for all of them, especially Perspectives on 20th Century Art in Central Europe. Like the few art history professors I’ve experienced, my teacher seems so passionate about the subject. I couldn’t help but wildly scribble down many of his casual comments I found to be wonderfully profound. With teachers who immediately make a positive impression on me, I have to consistently remind myself to think about what they say subjectively, and not immediately mark it as a definite noble truth. Anyway, I think I will enjoy.
In the time I’ve been here, my culinary skills have been devoted to cooking pasta with store bought pesto as well as the occasional toast with melted cheese and paprika. Since having my own kitchen and ability to make something other than popcorn was one of the things I was really excited for, I’m hoping that my culinary ventures will get slightly more advanced in the weeks to come.
Market next to Museum Island
A German experience I may have to skip
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