I’ve been bad. I told myself I would post a reflection to my blog every single day, but that has not happened. So this post will have to summarize nearly a week’s worth of observations and experiences.
Thus far, I have had the greatest sense of déjà vu being here—Berlin, Kreuzberg in particular, reminds me a lot of Lebanon. There are many of the same smells. The way of life is quite similar—walking to the market, buying fresh produce every day. People smoking everywhere. In contrast to the States, people are out and about late at night—the street the hostel is on is quite empty in the morning and afternoon, but when dusk hits a sudden bustle and hubbub arises.
Interestingly, my lack of German language skills has not hindered me so far. I have been able to find people who speak English to point me in the right direction. Whenever I hop onto a subway, for instant, I just ask the nearest person “Kreuzberg?” or “Warschauer Strase?” to make sure that I’m headed the right way. There are also a lot of immigrants from Arab countries in Berlin, especially Lebanon. I have bene trying to eat as much Mediterranean food as possible as I am not a big fan of sausage and sauerkraut. Usually I have been able to get discounts on my food by conversing in Arabic with the owners—this is a very Arab thing to do, discount things for people who are “insiders” as a demonstration of solidarity. My experiences with language have been interesting—the Arabs are intrigued that I speak Arabic, having been born and raised in the U.S. And similarly, the Spanish speakers I sat next to on the plane were interested to know that I took four years of Spanish in high school but hadn’t even been to Mexico.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that there is a lot of graffiti here in Berlin, but I almost hesitate to call it graffiti because it is really beautiful. I think that the line between graffiti and art is quite blurred here in Berlin, and also the line between graffiti and political statements. Many works of graffiti are like murals--in Krezuberg there are also a lot of “Free Gaza” and “Free Palestine” tags. I wonder if graffiti is more tolerated here than in the States, where a conscious effort is made to paint over it—perhaps graffiti in the streets is an extension of the Berlin Wall graffiti? Is graffiti a “Berlin things” like cream cheese on hot dogs is a “Seattle thing?”
Something that is very different from the States is that leisure is built into every day. Even at the secondary school we visited, the classes are much less rigid compared to the U.S. The stores all close here relatively early—usually eight or nine PM and all day Sunday: it is not 24/7 like the States. Maybe we Americans have just become too work-obsessed. Maybe it all comes down to different economic structures—a capitalist Germany that has socialist elements (such as universal health care) versus a fiercely individualist streak in the US. Maybe materialism is not as strong in Germany, limiting the need to make a lot of money to buy expensive cars and big houses.
In terms of my research project, I have been able to get a little insight into the German higher education system and the expectations placed on college students. Entering university appears to be more difficult here, as an entrance exam (the abituer) must be passed. And the chances of passing the abituer if one is not in a gymnasium are slim—your fate seems to be tied to decisions made at a very young age, when your parents decide whether you will be attending a secondary school that will prepare you for college or a vocation. At the university level, students don’t change their major nearly as often as American students, and expected wages for STEM occupations appear to be much lower than in the States. The teacher we shadowed at the secondary school has a wife who is a doctor, and he told us that she does not make that much money, especially in comparison to doctor friends they have in the States. The equalization of wages across fields may mean that there is less pressure to major in something that will pay well. In the United States, STEM fields typically lead to the highest wages/lifetime earnings, so those fields are very appealing to many students.
Thus far, I have had the greatest sense of déjà vu being here—Berlin, Kreuzberg in particular, reminds me a lot of Lebanon. There are many of the same smells. The way of life is quite similar—walking to the market, buying fresh produce every day. People smoking everywhere. In contrast to the States, people are out and about late at night—the street the hostel is on is quite empty in the morning and afternoon, but when dusk hits a sudden bustle and hubbub arises.
Interestingly, my lack of German language skills has not hindered me so far. I have been able to find people who speak English to point me in the right direction. Whenever I hop onto a subway, for instant, I just ask the nearest person “Kreuzberg?” or “Warschauer Strase?” to make sure that I’m headed the right way. There are also a lot of immigrants from Arab countries in Berlin, especially Lebanon. I have bene trying to eat as much Mediterranean food as possible as I am not a big fan of sausage and sauerkraut. Usually I have been able to get discounts on my food by conversing in Arabic with the owners—this is a very Arab thing to do, discount things for people who are “insiders” as a demonstration of solidarity. My experiences with language have been interesting—the Arabs are intrigued that I speak Arabic, having been born and raised in the U.S. And similarly, the Spanish speakers I sat next to on the plane were interested to know that I took four years of Spanish in high school but hadn’t even been to Mexico.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that there is a lot of graffiti here in Berlin, but I almost hesitate to call it graffiti because it is really beautiful. I think that the line between graffiti and art is quite blurred here in Berlin, and also the line between graffiti and political statements. Many works of graffiti are like murals--in Krezuberg there are also a lot of “Free Gaza” and “Free Palestine” tags. I wonder if graffiti is more tolerated here than in the States, where a conscious effort is made to paint over it—perhaps graffiti in the streets is an extension of the Berlin Wall graffiti? Is graffiti a “Berlin things” like cream cheese on hot dogs is a “Seattle thing?”
Something that is very different from the States is that leisure is built into every day. Even at the secondary school we visited, the classes are much less rigid compared to the U.S. The stores all close here relatively early—usually eight or nine PM and all day Sunday: it is not 24/7 like the States. Maybe we Americans have just become too work-obsessed. Maybe it all comes down to different economic structures—a capitalist Germany that has socialist elements (such as universal health care) versus a fiercely individualist streak in the US. Maybe materialism is not as strong in Germany, limiting the need to make a lot of money to buy expensive cars and big houses.
In terms of my research project, I have been able to get a little insight into the German higher education system and the expectations placed on college students. Entering university appears to be more difficult here, as an entrance exam (the abituer) must be passed. And the chances of passing the abituer if one is not in a gymnasium are slim—your fate seems to be tied to decisions made at a very young age, when your parents decide whether you will be attending a secondary school that will prepare you for college or a vocation. At the university level, students don’t change their major nearly as often as American students, and expected wages for STEM occupations appear to be much lower than in the States. The teacher we shadowed at the secondary school has a wife who is a doctor, and he told us that she does not make that much money, especially in comparison to doctor friends they have in the States. The equalization of wages across fields may mean that there is less pressure to major in something that will pay well. In the United States, STEM fields typically lead to the highest wages/lifetime earnings, so those fields are very appealing to many students.