Neighborhoods in Berlin

Berlin will be my home for the first two weeks in August, so I have started to become familiar with the neighborhoods. I want to be able to find the best local cafés, trendy art galleries, and historic sites. Due to the 40 year division of East and West Berlin, the city’s center today is dispersed into vibrant individual boroughs. I will be dancing and living in the Mitte district, but I plan to explore as much of Berlin as possible. Below I’ve listed three Berlin neighborhoods that strike my fancy (with their respective photos and links).

Popular Cuisine from Germany

Food is one of my passions and I want to dedicate this post to it. The idea of endless combinations of ingredients to create delicious dishes is so exciting. I love trying new ethnic cuisines and experimenting with new recipes. I’m quite adventurous when it comes to food. I have tried a pigeon stew in Italy, a cow's tail in France, and a crocodile sausage in New Orleans to name a few. So you can imagine that when I travel, my taste buds are in heaven!

Germany will be no exception. I’m looking forward to going to different regions and tasting their unique cuisines. Each state has distinct ingredients than vary their dishes. 

Germans are known for their hearty and meaty dishes with tons of sausage and potatoes. Below, I have chosen four regions I will be visiting and explored their local foods dishes. The links on a few of the foods will lead you to a recipe. Maybe you will want to give one of these German specialties a try.

Oktoberfest in Munich

Everyone knows about Oktoberfest, but do you know how it started?

The First Oktoberfest was held on October 12, 1810 when Crown Prince Ludwig was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities on the field in front of the city gates. That land was renamed Theresienwiese (“Theresa’s fields”) in honor of the Crown Princess, which the locals later abbreviate to “Wiesn.” The public occasion was such a success that it became an annual event.

1810's Oktoberfest

Today's Oktoberfest Festival

Top Ten Tips to Polite German Etiquette

When traveling, one of my biggest fears is to offend the culture of the country I am visiting. I don’t want to follow the stereotypes of “a dumb American” or “a clueless tourist.” I want to blend into the society as much as I can. With that said, I want to share the top ten ways to polite German etiquette.

1.  Correct Address 

---  The correct address of a person’s title is the key to a good first impression. There is nothing worse than starting on the wrong foot!

- Herr (Mr.) or Frau (Ms.) + title + last name. Example, Frau Doktor Meier.
- “Du” is reserved for friends, family and younger people.
- “Sie” is used for strangers, casual acquaintances, business partners, and elders.

 2. Don’t be late 

---  Germans are very punctual and do not enjoy people who are “fashionably late.” Even if you are a few minutes late, they might be offended. Plan to arrive 5-10 minutes early to an appointment.

3.  Hand-Shaking 

---  Germans are great hand-shakers, so go ahead and give them a shake.

Reeperbahn District in Hamburg

Reeperbahn Street, Hamburg, Germany

Although I’m not keen on strip clubs or erotic theaters, I still must mention the Reeperbahn District, Hamburg’s most visited Hot Spot. It is Europe’s biggest red light district and is home to the legendary nightlife mile. I seem to be reminded again of New Orleans’ Bourbon Street, as I did with Dresden’s International Dixieland Festival. (On the right, I have two comparative photographs of the two cities.) The street transforms at night with bars, restaurants, cabarets and clubs popular for locals and travelers.

You might be wondering where its name came from. In the 18^th century, heavy hempen ropes, that were used for sailing ships, were produced on this very street. So, Reep translates to “heavy rope.”

Heidelberg Castle in Heidelberg

I recently found out that I have distant relatives in Heidelberg, so I have added a destination to my trip. When I started telling my friends I was going there, they told me unanimously to make sure the Heidelberg Castle is on my must-see list, or as I call it, Hot Spot. With an entrance fee of only 3 euros, there is no excuse!

The castle is perched 300 feet above the town, so you can only imagine the breathtaking views. It began construction in 1300 and was at the peak of its glory in the 16^th and 17^th centuries during the Wittelsbach dynasty. Interestingly enough, each building highlights a different period of German architecture. Sadly, the Heidelberg Castle was never completed, but the magnificence of its former glories are reflected in its grandeur . You can stroll the castles interiors, the Otto-Heinrich pharmacy wing, the pleasure gardens and endless scenic trails that help you relax in the solemnity of country life.

There is a humorous legend that circle the castle walls. In 1751, the world’s largest wine barrel, known as the Heidelberg Tun, was constructed to house the wine paid as taxes by wine growers. The court jester who guarded the cask was supposedly a big wine drinker. Legend has it that he died when he mistakenly drank a glass of water.

Below is a short video introducing Heidelberg and its magnificent castle. The views are astounding.

Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin

Berlin’s Hot Spot is Friedrichstadt-Palast. It is Europe’s biggest and most modern show palace with quite an interesting past. It opened in 1867 as Berlin’s first market hall. Then in 1873, it converted into a circus arena. After World War II, the abandoned building reopened, but had to close a few decades late due to the building’s unstable foundations. Finally in 1984, Berlin opened the doors to this spectacular new entertainment venue.

International Dixieland Festival in Dresden

I am going to jump into one of the biggest German events in May called the International Dixieland Festival. This post was inspired by my recent trip in March to New Orleans, LA. If you are unfamiliar, Dixieland is a music style developed in the 1910s from the imitation of New Orleans jazz by white musicians. To the right, I have included a video that shows you the crowds gathered to hear the incredible jazz music in 2009 for the 39th Annual Festival.

Viktualienmarkt in Munich

The Hot Spot for today’s post is Munich’s Viktualienmarkt, meaning “victual (food or provisions) market.” Located near the Marienplatz Square with the New and Old Town Hall, the bustling outdoor food market is the heart of the city’s old town. With 140 stalls, it truly is a feast for your senses. Each stall is decorated to its liking, such as with garlands of sausages or pyramids of vegetables. You can fill your basket with flowers, Bavarian specialities, exotic fruits, local cheese, fish, and so on. Bargaining has no place in the Munich conduct, so don’t be tempted to haggle with shop owners.

City vs. Rural Germany

Tourists naturally gravitate towards big cities with famous landmarks and bubbling social scenes. Visitors to Germany are no different. As seen in my last post, my key places to visit are Berlin, Munich and Cologne. So, what happens to the rural villages outside these big centers?

In the 20^th century, rural cities that had local industries in mining, steel, shipbuilding and traditional produce were the foundations of Germany’s economy. Now in the 21^st century, the era of technology has marked the decline in such companies. The transition from factories to offices has not treated small cities well. As a result, villages are draining in people, money and life, while the big cities are swelling.  Young, educated, professional people want to have culture at their finger tips, such as having an opera house, a first-division sports club, or a trendy fashion scene. As a result, that leaves only vacation homes in the countryside. Is there a way to save these once-booming historic towns?

Top 3 German Cities

Fun fact: Germany is the 5^th most traveled to country in Europe and the 7^th more visited worldwide. It is one of the safest travel destinations worldwide.

The goal of this post is to give an introduction to three major cities in Germany I plan on visiting. I will be in Germany’s capital, Berlin, for two weeks attending a contemporary dance workshop at the State Ballet School of Berlin. I am looking forward to this exciting opportunity to explore a country I’ve never visited before and dance in a country I never have before. Following the program, I plan on traveling to several of Germany’s other great cities, including Munich and Cologne.

Berlin is the capital of Germany and indeed the largest of its cosmopolitan cities. Its population is close to 3.5 million and has become the center of politics, culture, media, and science of the country. It is the home of the renowned Berlin Opera and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The city’s most famous landmark is the Brandenburg Gate; it used to be a symbol of separation, but now the gate is the scene of artistic and cultural inspiration. I look forward to wandering the charming streets of Berlin and making feel like home for two weeks.

Introduction

Hello Blog Universe. I welcome you to my creative and informative blog about an American (me!) in Germany. I am taking a trip there this August (2013) and I want to get aquainted with the country and its culture, history, and society. In my opinion, one of the most important things about traveling is being able to adapt to a place's customs without hesitation. As a native New Yorker, I am used to the thousands of the tourists blocking pedestrian traffic and frustrating the lives of locals. As a tourist, I want to blend into the native scene and become immersed in the new culture, as opposed to staring at it from the outside.

The goal for this blog is to educate myself and others on the German lifestyle from varying perspectives, for example food, social etiquette, neighborhoods, or museums. I want to learn and explore their customs so that when I am in Germany (or when you go in the future), I (we) can be educated tourists and live life like a German.