Berl-inexplicable

Good morning, Good afternoon, Good evening; wherever (whenever) you are, I am so happy you're here. I come to you from a simple Basel balcony, soaking up the fresh rain smell and drinking orange juice from the carton by candlelight. I am in a fleece right now, so it's hard to believe it's summer, and that it is quickly waning. I remember thinking, wow, it it'll be awhile until my parents arrive... it is now the middle of their European journey. One of the coolest things was that they packed a few bags for me! Mainly so that I can send some things home with them (my bag was 49.5lbs. on the way here, so it'll for sure be over on the way back), but also to restock my book supply, and to bring some American "delicacies" to my roommates here in die Schweiz. Check out these happy Swiss!  

Believe it or not, you cannot find white marshmallows here! A colored marshmallow is available in the candy store. Daniel picked some up on the way home from work, and we compared the two. I think I am still partial to the classic white. We turned off all the lights, and roasted marshmallows over candles in our dining room, holding them with corn-on-the-cob spikes. It was such an amazing time, and good bonding. Daniel said that he had only ever seen Pop-Tarts on TV. Wow. And, I must mention... we took a look at the nutrition facts... I haven't seen such high numbers in a long time. Also partook in some fluffernutter-making, watching the marshmallows grow to 5x their size in the microwave, nearing explosion. Oh, the small pleasures.

Friday, I had work off, and was able to travel to Berlin with my parents. What an awesome city! It is an oxymoron of a place, really, old and brimming with history, yet also young because of history... and its divisive destruction. In one area of the city, there are buildings with black sootmarks and patched checkered marble, where the evidence of a battered Berlin is still present, while in another area is donned by skyscrapers by signature architects trying to prove themselves... giant phallic symbols, really. 

After a quick flight, we had just a little time before our bike tour of the city, and guess where we went...

AAAH! So. Very. Awesome. This wasn't the Bauhaus building, but a fantastic museum documenting the design approach of the Bauhaus, and archiving its history that has become my present. Remember Sources second year? Remember J.A. Chewning's emphasis on the Good Design exhibition? Well, I was greeted with original documents from this, and my eyes lit up (they didn't light up like this when we had our quiz, that's for sure). A whole room of Breuer metal tubing chairs. There was early student work of grayscales and paint chips and bristol that sent shivers down my spine. Here they were, Gropius and Bill, Albers and Klee and Kandisky...all of these guys that are the Grandfathers of DAAP! We had such little time, (and let's face it, with the way I approach museums and my interest, I could have spent all day), but I am so glad I got to experience this Mecca. I literally felt like skipping down the street after seeing this. My heart was skipping, at least. 

The bike tour was awesome. I am not usually one for organized tours, but this was really great because the tour guide was young, and a history undergrad, architecture masters grad who knew his stuff. And not to mention whipping around the city by bike. It is actually embarrassing how much I had forgotten about the history of WWII and the Cold War, at one time pounded into my head with AP American History, but it was great to have someone there who could just tell it to you, and also point out the architectural details of the city. We visited the Reichstag, Brandenberg Tor, the Tiergarten, Hitler's Bunker (where Hitler took his life), what is left of the Berlin wall, Potsdamer Platz, the square where Hitler held his book burning, Checkpoint Charlie, the Hotel Adler (the hotel where Michael Jackson dangled his baby)... and many other historical (or in the case of MJ, random) landmarks of the city. There was an Egyptian musuem that had a neon light sign outside of it (behind some corinthian columns, an interesting mix) that read, "All Art Has Been Contemporary." I liked that.

Modern architecture I liked by IM Pei.

One of the most moving pieces was the Eisenmann memorial for the Jewish people of the Holocaust. The blocks differ in height; they begin just peering over the ground, and as you travel further into the memorial, the ground slopes downward and the blocks grow to tower above you. It is interesting, because similarly to how Hitler took power, the blocks seem harmless and manageable at first, and then before you know it, you're trapped and alone; overcome. 

Saturday morning, we went to Sachsenhausen concentration work camp. I cannot fully talk about it on a blog; it was too graphic. I can tell you though, that I had an intense feeling of guilt, just by trodding the same ground that was once ridden by death, and still feels darkly obliterated. I felt guilty of being part of a humanity that could commit such crime against its own. I began to see how very real this part of our history is... and then remembering that haenous crimes such as these are still happening today, with no erected memorials and no guided tours, as they have not ended yet. 

Our train to Orienenberg traveled the same tracks as the prisoners' trains did. We arrived at Tower A, the highest watchtower and gates to the camp. Here, the gates read:

"Work will set you free." If only they knew "free" was the last thing they would get. We went into some original barracks, completely overwhelming. They smelled like the 40s. Do you know what I mean? My arms went numb, and my heart hurt, bleeding tears. There were small museums inside the buildings with documents and pieces found at the site. There were stories begging to be read and remembered, as not to be repeated. And then there were the drawings and paintings. I think this is when I let my lip quiver and I surrendered to emotion. Some 2o year old kid like me, with much different scenes to paint. 

The guide, who was very good, by the way, asked us to congregate in the once common room so that she could tell us some more information about the time period. She asked if everyone was comfortable. Comfortable! And if we weren't, she could get us some wooden boxes to sit on. COMFORTABLE! Nothing would make this comfortable! And I hope it wasn't, for anyone. This feeling should never be comfortable. Never.

I would love to share more with you about this experience, one-on-one. Just ask me.

Berlin was a great experience, and I am so happy that I could take this trip and recall old facts and learn more. I am not sure if I could see myself living there, but it is a city full of hope, and will most certainly be different in the next 10 years, and again 20 years. Art (and time) will rebuild this city.

On Sunday evening, I made some traditional Swiss foods for my parents, and then we went to church at ICF. The sermon this week was about Matthew 28:19, "Go and make disciples of all nations..." I cannot tell you how much the words "all nations," "global," and "around the world" scream these days in praise songs and passages. People in Switzerland are on fire for God, too. Sometimes it is hard for me to grasp the idea of time passing in the U.S. while I am here, that the Swiss and the Americans are praising God simultaneously. How Freaking Awesome! To see God's church spread like wildfire around the world, and to see opportunities arise in my life to begin to share God "with all nations." I feel this calling, to reach out to others here and beyond! Now, I have no clue as to what this really entails, and I am not going to try and decipher it too much. Sometimes I get caught up in trying to plan, and trying to see how graphic design fits into all of this, but I know that God will lead if I will let Him. So much easier said than done, but I am excited to see where He takes me next.

Guten morgen, Guten tag, Guten abend. After a liter of orange juice, laundry washed and candles extinguished, I end this post with my sincere missing of you all. I love you and so does He.

Linds.