Back in Berlin

Aurora is now on the blogroll. Everything she says is truth, so read her words.

I just got back from Easter Europe. I got to see Arnab, most other things are only really well told verbally, mostly so that there is no record of my actions.

Revolution Does not Happen on Buffet Tables

The past week has been spent with courses in the morning, city exploration in the afternoon, clubs and pubs at night, and war protest on the weekend.

Yesterday, as many Americans were marching in Washington D.C. to call for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 people attended a rally and march through the streets of Berlin under the slogan “Bundeswehr raus aus Afghanistan.” I met up with my friend Loren at the Rotes Rathaus where the rally started. He had already met some members of the student group of die Linke, the recently formed leftest party of Germany.

After a few speakers and some music, the march started and we made are way through the streets. Somewhere on Unter den Linden after anti-imperialist chants in front to the American embassy, Loren turned to me and said Tariq Ali was standing next to him. Loren had seen him speak at Northwestern last year so he recognized him. I shook Ali’s hand and talked to him a little bit, he is in Berlin for the Literature Festival. Loren talked to him more about subcontinental politics at depth far outside of my knowledge.

The march ended at a stage on Platz des 18. März just west of the Brandenburg Gate; the same place where Kennedy said “Ich bin ein Berliner” and Reagen said Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

The message being recited yesterday, although being given by people with political conviction far from those of Kennedy and even farther from Reagen’s still carried a same thread. One of peace, unification, and anti-Imperialist agendas. Tariq gave an impromptu speech in English which a young woman attempted to translate into German, but she had a bit of problems. Tariq spoke of the last time he had spoken at a protest in Berlin: 1968 against the war in Vietnam. He told us that at that a vast majority of West Germany was for the war, but that now over 80% of Germany was against having troops in Afghanistan. The end of his speech was probably the most powerful moment of the day. He spoke the one line of German he had learned that day, “Bundeswehr raus aus Afghanistan!” At which point the entire crowed stared chanting the slogan, Tariq walked off the stage and the translator stood confused attempting to finish her job, but Tariq had struck a chord with the people and we didn’t want to here anything from the microphone, just the voices of everyone around us calling for an end to imperialistic politics and wars created by the western powers.

Zu Jung

I shaved off my beard today. I had to show ID to prove I was 18 at a club today, a bit different then people assuming I was already 21 as was the case with beard in the USA. My friends say I look 10 years younger, I’ll post more about my life soon.

This will probably be the only picture of me without a beard, because I don’t like not having it and thus am getting it back.

A Week is Gone

A week in Berlin, I’m comfortably adjusted and can comfortably find my way around my Kiez. I have been going out most nights with my friends from IES on various excursions into Berlin night life. Although we found a number of enjoyable places we realized that we would have to change things up in order to save money.

Along the same lines I decided I needed to fill up the fridge in order to not spend all of my money on 2,50 Euro Shwarma and Falafel, which are much better then the more well known Döner. The grocery store in Germany has a number of differences then those in America. For one thing they are much smaller and much more cramped in the aisles, of course the selection of food is different, but one of the big difference is that you have to pay around 50 US cents for every grocery sack you want. I find it to be quite a good idea, since it makes people spend more money in order to get more waste material, something that makes them at least ecologically conscious if not active; something the Germans have perfected in doing not only with grocery sacks but many other things: recycling, water usage, electricity use, etc. Another difference and one solution to my earlier problem of going out is that there are 6 packs of beer for just about a Euro at the same supermarket, which helps make up for the somewhat unfriendly staff at the checkout stand.

In the greater scheme of my traveling to Berlin, my academic pursuits are slowly starting. I began a three week intensive German course yesterday, which involves me making a presentation over das Rotes Rathaus, tomorrow with my new buddy JC. I’m much looking forward to my course in October, but I have some fun traveling and more city exploration to conclude before then.

…von Jeder Wahrheit ist das Gegenteil ebenso Wahr! Nämlich so: eine Wahrheit läßt sich immer nur aussprechen und in Worte hüllen, wenn sie einseitig ist.