Week 5 Berlin

     Reflecting on my time in Berlin I would say that there were some definite differences in my interpersonal interactions while being there. As Im sure the rest of my classmates will state about the Locals of Berlin compared to those of Erfurt being that they were much more kind hearted when it came to just day to day interactions. They were all so welcoming especially all of our tour guides, I noticed every single tour guide we had said the same thing right before they left us, " I hope you love your stay in Berlin and I hope to see you again". They did not have to say that they could have just say goodbye and enjoy your stay but instead they wanted to go that extra mile and show sincerity to make us feel more comfortable. Its little things like that, that really stand out when experiencing a new city or country, also having the majority of the city speak english always makes things 100 times easier on our end and relaxes us. When in Erfurt i get the sense that everyone goes about their day and dont take the time to even just crack a smile when making random eye contact with someone, this was not the case in Berlin, i had much more comfortable interpersonal interactions with them while exploring their beautiful city.
      On the second day we took a tour of the government district and had a exhibition of the DDR museum. Now i will gladly say that i was aware of the history of the Berlin Wall and the situation that happened during the 80's, but i did not quite feel the severity of it until learning from peoples personal experiences when in the DDR museum. Having the wall come down closer to two decade's  ago really made me think about how far the city has come and advanced since then. With the locals i feel that they all understand how tragic of a time that was for them and now that those conflicts are resolved they will always be keeping a positive mindset when interacting with each other no matter on which side of the wall they grew up on. Almost a mutual understanding with the community and a realization that they are the future of Berlin so they are responsible for how the future unfolds, and i think you dont really have that kind of connection anywhere else in Germany with the locals. Everyone who is from Berlin it seems has such pride of being from there because of their rich history and how far they have come.
       Berlin is extremely diverse with it being a major city with many government buildings representing other countries from around Europe and The U.S. but it also is a tourist heavy city so that is why i feel is the reason behind the majority of locals speaking english primarily. This reminds me of major cities in the states, specifically New York. In New York you walk around and see people from all around the globe because of its popularity and significance in the business world. The same is said about Berlin but just instead of the business world being the center its the government that seem to reign and brings people from all across the globe as well.




       

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