This last week we had a couple of group trips through DiD. We have to participate in 14 programs with DiD. It's required, but I don't think I'll have a problem with getting that done! It's been 3 weeks and I'm sure I'm close to that requirement.
On Tuesday, we went to KaDeWe. It's short for Kaufhaus des Westens (Department store of the west). It has things from around the world. A couple of people in our UNL group were missing some American items that we haven't had any luck in finding here in Germany. For example, Melinda loves her Dr. Pepper, but can't find it anywhere. Who has it? KaDeWe! I was able to find my white chocolate covered Oreos as well! =) People stocked up on their soda and other goodies from home. It's a huge store. We had to go to the 6th floor for the "grocery" items. They even sell Duffy beer from the Simpsons! It's ridiculous what is sold there! After shopping around there for about 45 minutes, Anja, our tour guide, took us to a church.
It was the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche (the Wilhelm Kaiser Memorial church).
It had been bombed badly during the bombing raid of 1943. The remains of the
church are surrounded by walls made of a concrete honeycomb containing 21,292 stained glass inlays. It's incredible to see! We then were set loose by Anja to either continue walking around the famous shopping street Kurfürstendamm or head home. I needed to get a pair of tights to go with my skirt for a concert our group would be attending on Sunday. Emily and I headed to H&M and then walked home from where we were. Kurfürstendamm is the street directly behind the street I live on. It was only about a 30 minute walk home from there.
Wednesday was a normal day of school. It was a very long day, but normal. Thursday was another group trip with DiD. We went to the Berliner Unterwelten. The Berliner Unterwelten (Berlin Underground) consists of the bunkers that were created underneath the city for protection. Pictures weren't allowed, so I was only able to take a few from the inside before our tour began. It was very interesting, to say the least. The bunkers were ABC protected. This meant they were protected from Atomic weapons, Biological weapons, and Chemical weapons. The structure of the bunkers were very interesting. The walls go in a zig-zag pattern. Why? It was believed that if the city was bombed, the impact of the bomb would spread out over this pattern and decrease it's feeling of impact. It wouldn't feel as strong as if the walls were built in a normal straight line pattern. There is a network underground. We were in the Wedding section. This was the part of town named Wedding. There isn't lighting everywhere. Some of the rooms have it. Everywhere else, there is glow paint to light the walls and help guide you along the way. We saw the only kitchen that was there, the infirmary, the generator room, and another room where the emergency air supply was. That room had a tiny square cut out of the wall about 6 feet up from the ground with blocks blocking off the door. The door behind the blocks is air sealed so that no chemicals can get into the room. The blocks also help keep any radiation out if the room needed to be used. The tour took us to one of the U-Bahn stations that was used as well. Thousands of beds would have lined the station platforms. We went into a room where the door is pressurized and the room had a microphone, but no window or camera. This way, the guard of the door could let in the allowed number of people into the bunkers and then shut off the microphone and close the door. He wouldn't have to hear the people screaming, crying, and begging for their lives. Our guide told us, "Back then, you had to do your job. You'd let it the allowed number and then shut the microphone off and close your eyes and ignore what was going to happen next as soon as you push that button." When the bunkers were redone, they made sure that only curtains were used for bathrooms and not doors. Pipes that could only hold some much weight were used as well. There were no knives or anything else sharp in the bunkers. Why? Suicide. All of these things were done to prevent the number of suicides that were committed. The pipes would break right away if someone tried to hang themselves and curtains replaced doors so people couldn't lock themselves in and commit suicide. The tour was a great experience even though it did have its sad moments and information.
On Friday night, our UNL group went to a puppet show. It was definitely... interesting. It was a parody of Orpheus and the Underworld. This show was certainly not appropriate for children! Even though it was entirely in German, most of us understood what was going on due to the actions of the puppets. It was pretty amusing. Once again, we weren't allowed to take pictures of anything and I would only butcher the story and the description of the puppets if I tried!
Yesterday, Saturday, was another group trip with DiD. We went to Wittenberg, also known as Lutherstadt. It is the city where Martin Luther lived, worked, and preached. We saw his house where he worked on his theses and other writings. It was really interesting to see that. We were in Martin Luther's house seeing the robe he wore, the books he wrote, the people he fought against in the Reformation, and other important artifacts. I got to see the first cup that was created and used for communion when the Reformation happened and communion started being taken in both forms, the wine and the bread. I saw the very first Bible that was written by Martin Luther in high German. That was a really huge deal back then for it to be brought into the German speaking world. I saw the first catechism and other documents that played huge rolls. I saw on Ablass! It was a document sold to people telling them it would save them and put them in Heaven if they bought it. It was the selling of indulgences.
We took the tour of the house, which is a museum now, and then walked to the church where Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses. The door is now a replica of the one he posted his theses against. Our group also walked to the church where he preached. That church was the very first to convert in the entire world because of the Reformation. The pulpit inside is known as the "reformation pulpit". I was able to take pictures in there! I saw Martin Luther's grave inside the church. He was buried inside the church where he posted his 95 Theses instead of the church where he preached.
It was so cool seeing history like that. I absolutely loved it! It's one of the reasons I love Germany. There is history everywhere you go. I go by buildings that were built right after the reunification of Berlin! I see places that still exist after the war and the wall. It's so different compared to living in the United States. I'm constantly learning about something here! There's never a dull moment.
Today our group is seeing an opera in a palace or castle. We have to dress up for it. It'll be another great experience! I have my test on Wednesday to move onto the next level at school. It's a huge test and will take place over two days. Hopefully I can do well enough to pass onto the next level! We'll see how much my studying pays off!
WOW! You really have been busy! I'm so glad you're taking advantage of all of the outings through DiD! Have you been speaking in German while on these trips? Good luck on your upcoming test! Mom = )
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