Week 5


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          This week we spent 4 days in Berlin! Similar to week two in Erfurt, this city was a culture shock as well, but in a very pleasant way. The people of Berlin are very talkative and kind. I went to numerous coffee shops, stores, and restaurants. Our guides, the workers in the establishments, and people on public transportation spoke English! It was so nice to be in a city and not feel there was any real language barrier between myself and the Berliners. In Erfurt, I still have a problem feeling comfortable with interpersonal interaction. Mainly because of the language barrier, but mostly because I haven't felt a real sense of openness and friendliness from the local people. The students in my classes are very friendly but that's a much different setting. Every where I went in Berlin, people were smiling at you as you walked by them and they seemed so much more friendly. Our tour guides were light-hearted and made jokes about Americans and Germans. The atmosphere made me very comfortable as a tourist, but also Berlin is a very touristic area because of it's unique and recent history.
         The city of Berlin has this feeling of "welcomeness" because this city has been through turmoil. The wall divided the people of Berlin into West and East. The West was democratic and the East was socialist, taken over by Communist Russia. When the wall came down in 1989, these two populations that were separated for 30 years had to reunite and learn to live as one Berlin again. This history, as I mentioned, is very recent and they are still learning how to make Berlin a place for every Berliner. I believe this is the reason why they are so talkative and friendly. Their democracy is only 60 years old. They are still coping with their past and striving towards a better Germany. They all have this sense of collective responsibility to never forget, which breeds a climate of togetherness and being kind to your neighbor (in my opinion).
        The population in Berlin is very diverse. It's a busy city with a big population and many tourists. This may be another reason why I felt so comfortable interacting with the people there. It is very similar to the United States in this way in major cities. There are many people with different languages and backgrounds. Overall, I haven't felt that comfortable in a city abroad since Amsterdam, which was also very touristic and English speaking. 

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