25th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

This past Sunday, November 9, marked the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Since I'm studying abroad in Berlin, I was lucky enough to attend the anniversary festivities!

The fall of the wall signified the end of the Cold War and the decline of communism in Europe. Germany was reunified into one democratic country for the first time since the end of World War II. November 9, the day of the actual "Mauerfall" (fall of the wall) in 1989, is kind of like  Berlin's version of Independence Day, since national pride is in full force. 

By the way, sorry about the blurry pictures. My camera doesn't work well in the dark!

Even that a 25-year anniversary is a huge milestone, Berlin hosted a ton of celebratory events in one giant festival during the weekend. Around 8,000 large white balloons were placed along the path of the Berlin wall, stretching for 15 km (more than 9 miles) through the city. This "border of lights" was the exact height of the former Berlin Wall, and each light glowed when the sun fell each night. Of course, Berlin's most popular monument wasn't left out of the festivities! The Brandenburg Gate transformed into a concert venue with a stage, flashing lights, and German pop artists. Information booths and TV screens relaying images of the Mauerfall popped up in select locations around Berlin as well.

My friends and I stopped by the festival on Saturday night for a couple of hours to see the balloons. We bought bratwurst and hot chocolate at the Winterfest in Potsdamer Platz before listening to some music at the Brandenburg Gate. The singer, who was apparently famous around the time the wall fell, was actually lifted above the crowds in a cage! 

Sunday was the actual anniversary of the Mauerfall, so at 7:20 p.m. the white balloons were scheduled to be released one-by-one into the sky, symbolizing the demolition of the wall. The festival on Sunday was literally the most busy, crowded, and overwhelming place I've ever been. I read that two million people were expected to visit Berlin for the event! I'd say a solid half of that number were gathered in the 750 meter (0.5 mile) stretch from Potsdamer Platz to the Brandenburg Gate. The crowds were so bad that we could barely move through them; we were stuck motionless in the middle of a hoard way more times than I'd like to think about. 

Halfway through our journey to the Brandenburg Gate, the crowd was stopped by the police. Apparently so many people were in front of the Gate that the police considered it a safety hazard and refused to let anyone else through. We were a little disappointed, since Angela Merkel (the German chancellor) and Mikhail Gorbachev (the Soviet Union's president during the Mauerfall) gave speeches at the Gate, and Peter Gabriel performed. Nonetheless, we were able to score a spot next to the balloons and got a front-row seat of their release. I found the event extremely powerful, and I felt so lucky to be a part of such a historic celebration. Perhaps more powerful than the balloon release was the older people crying, probably reliving memories of East Germany, and parents teaching their kids about their childhood connection to the wall. 

I can't believe Germany was divided only 25 years ago, and I can't even imagine living in a separated city. I'm glad that Germany is embracing its past and celebrating a defining moment in its history. 

High Tea and Biscuits: My Trip to London (Part Two)

This is the second post about my trip to London. To read the first post, click here!

I can definitely see why London is one of the most visited cities in the world – I could spent a month there and never run out of attractions to see and museums to visit. My dad and I were only in town for two full days, so I did some major research on London's attractions beforehand so we could pick and choose what we wanted to do. Our first day was spent exploring the area around Westminster, and we ventured down the River Thames toward the Tower of London on our second day. I'm impressed at how much we crammed into one day! And I mean crammed. We must've walked ten miles, which I'd say justified all of the greasy British food we devoured.   

My dad and I started the day at the Tower of London to see the infamous palace and fortress. The Tower used to house the royal family, but it was also home to many violent acts of torture and crime. Anne Boleyn was even beheaded on the Tower grounds. We also braced the crowds to see the beautiful Crown Jewels... now I want Queen Elizabeth's crown for my birthday!

During our visit, almost a million red poppies were placed in the moat of the Tower, each symbolizing a British victim of the World War I. The red roses, which reminded me of blood, looked eerily fitting set against the 1,000-year-old fortress. 

I couldn't come to London without having afternoon tea! After looking through pages of crazy-expensive tea houses on Google, I finally came across the Swan, a cute tea house conventionally located next to some attractions my dad and I planned to visit. Although the tea was somewhat pricy, everything tasted incredible! We devoured English breakfast tea (which we drank with milk, like a true Brit), finger sandwiches, biscuits and jam, and a variety of small desserts. I practically overdosed on sugar!

Since I take way too many pictures, here are some other highlights from our day:

Looking out on the River Thames

A view of the Tower Bridge from the HMS Belfast

The Shard, which is the tallest building in Europe

A replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre 

Since I love food, I thought I'd mention my dinner: cottage pie. I assumed cottage pie would come inside a pie crust, but it was more like a beef stew with mashed potatoes melted on top. I never expected English food to taste so good!

My flight home to Berlin, and my dad's flight back to America, was the next day. We spared enough time in the morning to visit the British Museum, which had some really cool exhibits involving human culture and history. The Rosetta Stone and Egyptian statues were my favorite!

Now for my final verdict on London. England's capital seemed like a mix between New York City and Germany. Crowds of people scuffled down busy streets and tourists were everywhere, like in New York. But London also has its own charm in it's amazing history, cobblestone squares, and sense of British pride. The city also felt somehow less chaotic than New York, and people didn't walk 100-miles-per-hour everywhere they went. The history of London is what amazes me most, though; nowhere in America can you find a one-thousand-year-old castle or 500-year-old pub smack in the middle of a city. Culturally, London has a bit of everything; I'm sure I heard at least 20 different languages while walking down the streets, and I saw a gallery or museum on practically every corner.

I'm also extremely happy that red telephone booths, double decker buses, uniformed men on horses, and British flags are in abundance through the city. I actually felt like I was in England during my stay, which never ceased to take me by surprise. I absolutely loved my trip to London. My only regret was not being able to stay longer. I think I'll definitely be back in the future, but I'll be sure to save up lots of money ahead of time!

Look Left! My Trip to London (Part One)

Three days of my life recently were a blur of high tea, fish n’ chips, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, cottage pie, the River Thames, and the crown jewels. Can you guess where I was? London, England!

I've wanted to visit England since I saw my first Harry Potter movie in second grade, mostly because I was fascinated by British accents and dreamed of meeting Daniel Radcliffe on the street. More than ten years later, England is still on my radar, even though I'm now more fascinated by England's vast history and the royal family (although I still wouldn't object to meeting Daniel Radcliffe on the street). My dad happened to be in Europe for business during my study abroad program's mid-semester break, and he gave me an offer I couldn't refuse: a trip to London or Paris. Both cities are on my bucket list, but I figured London was a better place to visit with my dad. So off to London we went!

As soon as I stepped foot out of Paddington Station, every stereotype of London slapped me in the face. Red double-decker buses. Red phone booths. Cars on the wrong side of the road, which actually freaked me out when we rode in a taxi. Signs pointing toward the "lift" (elevator) and warning of a "diversion" (detour). I was glad to note the stereotypical view of London that I've been conjuring in my head for years isn't too far from the truth.

Since my dad and I arrived in London pretty late, we didn't go anywhere that night except an English Pub. One sip of English Ale made me miss my beloved German Pilsner, but the food at the pub was surprisingly good. We split chicken with black pudding (basically blood sausage) and lamb with gravy. I've always heard that England has the worst food, but everything I ate on my entire trip was delicious. If you haven't already noticed, I'm the opposite of a picky eater. One more random memorable thing about the English pub was the tiny doors, so short that I had to duck my head to climb through! Imagine my six-foot-two dad trying to duck under a five-foot door frame, and you'll understand my fascination with the pub's architecture!

The following day involved an equal mixture of adventure, history lesson, and sore legs. If you ever visit London, be prepared to walk! The underground, like everything else in London, is crazy expensive. All of the main attractions are within walking distance as well, so public transportation isn't always worth the money. My dad and I each bought a London Pass, which is basically a card that gives you access to many of the attractions and museums in London for a flat rate. The pass honestly saved so much money, considering many attractions can be $25-$40 each.

Here's what we saw during my first full day in London:

I can't think of anything more British than this picture.

Westminster Abbey

The Palace of Westminster (Parliament building)

Big Ben

Traflager Square

Fish n' chips with mushy peas

My dad helped a clumsy street performer walk across a tight rope. Absolutely hilarious.

Buckingham Palace

The London Eye

A view of the River Thames

Cars drive on the "wrong" side of the road, so London constantly reminds tourists to "look left" for traffic while crossing the street

For dinner, my dad and I wanted Indian food. Indian food in London is like Mexican food in America: cheap, delicious, and easy to find. I actually researched Indian food online and came across Brick Lane, a street full of authentic and popular Indian restaurants. The area reminded me of Little Italy in New York City, but it also had the feel of Chinatown because people outside each restaurant were trying to convince us to eat there. When we finally chose a restaurant, we ordered lamb masala and chicken tandoori. We also had some naan and fancy Indian sauces. I haven't eaten Indian food much in my life, so I can safely say that my Brick Lane meal was the best Indian I've ever had.

Expect the second half of my London post soon! I decided to break the post into two smaller installments that are easier to digest. Thanks for reading!