The Berlin Diaries Week #4

My last week in Berlin has finally come. There aren't much time left, and yet I still have much to see, learn, and experience from the gorgeous, bustling capital of Germany. On my last week I decided to seek out not only buildings or places that are tied closely to the history of Berlin, but also experiences that I can only attain if I live in the city.

Berlin Zoo and Aquarium

Elefantentor am Zoo Berlin

I have never been to a zoo in Europe before, and as the Berlin Zoo has the only pandas in Germany, I decided that it is a must stop for me before I return back to Greifswald. I was also interested in seeing the difference of species that the Berlin Zoo would have in comparison to the animals that I have seen in Asian zoos.

I was surprised at the number of species that the Berlin Zoo has, considering its location is right in the heart of Berlin, and only a stone throw away to the most prestigious shopping avenue in the city I visited in my first week. I enjoyed walking through the zoo and seeing the various animals, especially the ones I've never seen before, such as the pandas, polar bear, and the alpine marmots.

Berlin Aquarium

However, the Aquarium was less than impressive when compared to the zoo. The Aquarium holds not only aquatic animals, but also amphibians and reptiles. The best part of the aquarium was the two stories high crocodile captivity, which was climate controlled to a tropical environment.

Festival der Riesendrachen

Some of the giant kites flying at the Berlin Giant Kites Festival

Flying kites is a popular past time for children back in Indonesia, especially to those living in a more rural area, as the densely populated cities offer less space required for the activity. However, the ones I'm used to seeing are usually made simply.

The Festival der Riesendrachen, or the Festival of Giant Kites, offers far more to see. Held in the disused Berlin airport, the Tempelhofer Feld, the festival's participants came from not just Germany, but all over Europe as well. Many of the kites flying has been more than a year in the making, with most teams having constructed their kites themselves. Considering some kites were over 20 metres long, this was no small task.

Berlin Human Rights Film Festival

I have never been to any kind of film festival before, and I learned about the Berlin Human Rights Film Festival purely by chance - I saw a poster of it on one of the subway station, and decided to learn more about it. I was intrigued by one of the film on its program, and I decided to buy a ticket and check it out.

The film was titled We are Humanity, a documentary about the Jarawa people who live in the Andaman Island. After the screening, I had the opportunity to discuss the film with the film director. I'd like to write a more in depth blog post about my experience later on.

Oktoberfest am Alexanderplatz

Oktoberfest stall on Alexanderplatz

Late September is the time for Oktoberfest, not just in Munich, but all over Germany as well. On Alexanderplatz, Berlin offers its very own Oktoberfest experience. Blue and white, the colour of the Bavarian flag, decorated the stalls, which were serving traditional Bavarian food, and of course, beer.

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

Memorial to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp victims at Station Z

I took a day trip out of Berlin, about 40 minutes with the S-Bahn, to Oranienburg, where the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp was once located. I realise that this is a somber location for me to spend as my very last activity in Berlin, but I felt that it was important for me to visit it, so that I can understand more about them.

As I boarded my bus back to Greifswald, I looked back on my time in Berlin and took stock on the experiences that I had over the month-long period. I realised that there is no comparison between the two cities, as they are radically different.

My life in Greifswald is quiet, whilst living in Berlin won't give me much opportunity to just sit quietly at home. There will always be something going on; a festival, a concert, a celebration. I don't consider that as a bad thing, as it will provide me with many opportunities to learn and be cultured, to seek out experiences I have never had before, and overall be more daring than usual. Nonetheless, I can't deny that as much as I love exploring and traveling, I'm a homebody at heart.

I do not mind the busyness of the city or the crowded places. I love the thousands of shops and museums. But at times I do not enjoy racing for the bus, or having to spend an hour on and off the public transport just to get across town.

In a way, I do enjoy living in Berlin, but at the end of the month, I still wasn't sure if I would move there. The thing is, I can see myself living there, but I don't know if I want to leave all the comfort I have right now.

At that, I left Berlin, and head home.

xo,
Maria