Why does one whisper when they speak another language they don’t really know? I know all of you have done it before. I have been cracking myself up while in Berlin because even though I know the German words for please, thank you, and your welcome, it never fails that every time I have to use one of these words I end up whispering it at the person, so they never hear it. I must seem like a rude American. I guess I just have foreign language stage freight. When Paul and I were in Italy 3 years ago we would do they same thing and we laughed about it all the time.
Anyways, yesterday was the Cold War Tour. We had a fabulous tour guide who was quite the academic and highly knowledgeable about the history of Berlin. We were able to see the Berlin Wall and the display of the death strip. I was in awe at the stories he told and how horrible it must have been for the people living in East Berlin that were willing to risk death to leave the communist reign.
I saw a poster for Rammstein (some heavy hard core German rock group that my husband likes) and they had a concert last night. I wanted to go just to make Paul proud but we couldn’t figure out where it was-sorry honey. I can only imagine how scary the concert would have been.
The city is very beautiful. The architecture is amazing-lots of neoclassical, baroque, modern, it is a fun mix of styles, but somehow it goes together nicely.
Today we had to do one of 4 museum observations. It was a lot of work. We were at the New National Gallery for over 4 hours. The Gallery is interesting. Meis Van Der Roe designed it, kind of like Frank Lloyed Wright style. The gallery is very modern art with different colored walls for different exhibits and lots of propoganda art pushing an ideal and very political. I found it fascinating and thought provoking.
I also got to go to the KaDeWe which is the Harrod’s of Berlin (think the fanciest department store you have ever seen.) It was fun but I couldn’t afford a single thing. We also went to the Berlin Philharmonic and saw an amazing concert of Handel’s Water Music (I think that is what it was called---it was in German, sorry Mom I know you will be disappointed that I don’t know what stuff Handel did). I was so tired from the past few days that I kept nodding off, the music was so beautiful that it was putting me to sleep.
I am off to bed now. I am exhausted- a big day ahead tomorrow. We have a tour of Museum Island and another museum observation.
Love
Leah
2 comments:
DANKE!
BITTE SCHON!!
Come on you can do it :) My German teacher from high school Mr. Vanderlinden or something like that would have been able to get it out of you. Love the blog and especially love the pictures. You are a lucky duck :)
I should be there with you. I would whisper things like "Schwarzenegger" and "Schwartzkopf" and fool everyone I was German. Have fun!!
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