Class Trip to Berlin, Germany

*from 31 May 2012
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Train time...again.. Journeying to Dublin.

May 15: Fluids, machine design, heat transfer, lunch in the mensa with friends. Our afternoon machine design class was canceled, so I studied for fluids. Had leftover pizza for dinner.

May 16: Fluids midterm--didn't feel confident about the test. Germany within Europe was canceled. I packed for Berlin, and then had lunch in the mensa with friends. We had to skip our heat transfer class because we had to catch a train to Berlin for our Germany within Europe class trip. The three of us went to the train station and were on our way. We arrived in Berlin...in a slightly sketchy area, around 10:30pm. We took a taxi to the hostel. We checked in, and my friend and I were in the same room--we were the 1st ones to get there; the 6 others came later. The main light and the lights on one side of the room didn't work. they said they would bring up fans, but they didn't. The walls of the hostel were decorated with some weird graffiti/murals...there was a demonic looking rabbit on the wall in our other friend's room. Anyway, we then got ready for bed. SLEEP.

May 17-May 20 (morning): Refer to our teacher's itinerary. [hopefully I'll be able to find it and update this!]

17: Our teacher's uncle and aunt came with our class. For lunch, we had sausages/hot dogs in the park--along with Pepsi Twist! Then our class split off and were free to roam to museums and such. Three friends and I went to Dunkin' Donuts and then went to the History Museum. We reconvened with the class and had dinner at a restaurant. After eating, we went to the basement of the restaurant where they had 2 alleys for 9-pin bowling (Kegelbahn).

Yummy reminder of America :P

At the history museum

Kegelbahn

18: Our class went around the city on bikes all day, and biked along the path of the Berlin Wall. After our full day of adventure, some of us stopped by a convenience store on our way back to the hostel, and then got on the tram. Back at the hostel, we got ready to go out for the night. Two of my friends and I hung out at the hostel, and then decided to go out with the rest of the class. Our teacher was going to join us. While waiting, some of our classmates were singing outside--one classmate in particular kept singing "Oh, Canada!" We all walked to get döner kebab. After that, we went to a club with a 7 Euro cover. I hung out there mostly with the 3 friends I went to the museum with the day before--we danced and had a great time! The four of us headed back to the hostel and stopped by a food stand to get some fries. When we arrived at the hostel, I got ready for bed after the fun but tiring day.

Berlin Wall

Bikes!...Mine may or may not have been the smallest one in the bunch. :)

...this was the ceiling of the hostel we stayed at...there were stuffed toy cows stapled on to it

19: The four of us went to the Technical Museum--It was a really hot day and we were all tired. Later on in the day, our class did our simulation game where we were representing different branches of German politics. 

Technical Museum

20: We made clay models of different Berlin landmarks that we learned about during our trip and painted them and laid them out in a map-like design. 

Our class' version of Berlin

20: After the class trip was officially done, I was able to get in touch with a family friend. He said that his sister would meet me after church. I went to St. Hedwig's for Mass, and waited...but no one showed up...and I didn't have credit on my phone to make outgoing calls. I went to a market area and bought wurst & walked around the market, which mostly sold art. I sat down, looked up when I heard a bell ring, and finally saw a pay phone.

St. Hedwig

Wurst at the market

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Well, that actually wraps up all of my hand written journal entries! Phew! I somewhat "caught up," but definitely still have more adventures to fill you in on--adventures from Europe and adventures from North America. It'll all be based off of memory and pictures, so please bear with me!


Peace. Love. Happiness.
--TR