Living like a Berliner!

I started today standing in the same spot that the greatest athletes in the world have been - the Berlin Olympic Stadium! Now, I don't mean to brag, but I did recently qualify for the Duathlon National Competition in Oregon, which is basically one step away from Rio, but due to the very impressive carb load I'm undergoing right now, I had to decline the invitation. ;) Some of my biggest inspirations are Olympic (and competitive) athletes, so visiting this stadium, walking up to the torch, seeing the Athlete's "Village" - cloud nine! And then, to learn how Hitler hid the Nazi propaganda and used the Olympics as a cover for what was about to happen - there is a Nazi symbol on the Olympic Bell on display at the stadium, photos of Nazi rallies just miles away but hidden from the press, and media clips of a happy Germany in attendance, all the while unaware of what was happening in their backyard - unreal! On the one hand, so much history - such an eery atmosphere. On the other, so much athletic inspiration - you could feel the energy still.  It was truly amazing to have this "thoughts divided" experience and I hope to be able to visit more Olympic venues around the world.

We then met up with the group for a visit to the Stasi prison. This afternoon truly, blew my mind. As I have explained before, I have a hard enough time remembering what I did last week in class - there's no way the 1940s are staying in this brain. Here's a little background - after Hitler, the Soviets took over East Germany and became paranoid. Anyone accused of a political crime (speaking out against the government, working with someone on the west, aiding the escape of the Easterners) was sent to this holding facility for interrogation and sentencing. Their stay lasted anywhere from 1 week to 6 six months - and the conditions were horrible. They were interrogated with psychological and physical methods, forced to stand in close quarters with other alleged criminals, strip searched randomly and on arrival, and severely malnourished. You're probably thinking - they're prisoners. Yes, but political ones. Their only danger to society is that they'll become college drop outs and live in their parents basement because they spent too much time acting and not enough time learning. Under the Soviet rule, they are treated as hardened criminals and either sentenced or turned into spies. Personally, I would take the spy route - cyber spy to be exact. :) But in all honesty, I had no idea this period of time existed as it did - another awesome and unexpected learning opportunity! But that seems to be the theme of this trip - little learning opportunities everywhere you look - even from Robert at the dinner table. :) 

We then stopped for a coffee at a a very cute neighborhood cafe and met the nicest Turkish man (did you know that German has an abundance of Turkish people looking for work and a better life - you can guess that I did not!). It was relaxing, simple and a perfect European vacation moment. It's these little details and people I'm trying hard to remember - they are so meaningful and have added a lot to this experience so far. The most memorable ones have been from this guy here - Robert - at the dinner table. He is a walking history novel and I love it!

The younger crowd then headed to dinner and to enjoy nightlife like a Berliner! The history, education, learning is so important, but so is the culture. While in Germany, I want to experience it all! I want to learn as much as I can, see as many classrooms as I can, eat as much as I can, but also, live as much as I can! Tonight I lived like a Berliner and it made me so happy for the next 2 weeks!