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I knew I was in Berlin when; I heard the techno beats waiting for the SBahn at the graffiti covered station and the wurst/sewer smell intermixed with the Berliner's voices conversing in German. Many of my preconcieved notions of Germany were true, but much of what I encountered over this weekend I would have never thought was going to happen.
Friday, mainly a day of travel. Ashley and i set off from Cannes, Flew out from Nice, Switched plains in Munich, and landed in Berlin. Lufthansa does a good job. We had comfortable seats and ham sandwhiches. Upon arriving in Berlin we found our hostel- The Generator- the biggest in Berlin. Our room was with 14 other beds and Ashley and I were in different sections of the room. No problem, except the other men that I was with didn't speak english. Friday evening Ashley and I walked to the TV Tower, it was a good location to first search out cause we could see it getting larger as we were getting closer.

After our walk, we got back to the hostel with just enough time to head out with the infamous bar crawl that we were recommeded to by our friends at the college who had stayed at the Generator before. Ashley and I were excited to take on the night, just us two- 'Don't worry we got each others' backs' ... The bar crawl included 3 different bars and then - Matrix, a night club. Much happend this night including beer and jager shots, we met lots of people from different places. Worth noting was the tall guy and Geegle, his friend, from Switzerland, an actor from Dollhouse on Tv- who Ashley was a fan of and he bought us plenty to drink after we told him we recognized him from such as amazing show, the Australian tour guide- who Ashley quickly worked her charm on and ended up leaving with him. Now, this would seem a problem, leaving me in a country where i dont speak the language, intoxicated enough, and alone.

However I was not alone:

Admist the techno beats, drunken laughter, and Germanic Language, I hear: "Portland, Oregon"
I just turn around
"Did you say Portland?"
"Yeah, Portland, Oregon."
"Not Poland?"
"Yeah, we are from Portland."
"No way, me too!!!!!!!"

Then I wasn't alone.

In Berlin German, I happend to meet two guys from Portland, Kurt and Tyson. Quickly bonding over Portland love, peace, and harmony, we had a fantastic night of meeting other people, learning about Germany, drinking, dancing, and the like. To my delight Kurt left and Tyson and I spent the rest of the time together, and once the club scene died out, we managed to take on the city streets and find our way back to the hostel. Unsure if we will ever see each other again, it was a fantastic night. I would have never thought I would have gone to Berlin and end up connecting with Portland.

I have found this to be a reoccuring situation in retrospect throughout my time abroad, the more I learn about other cultures and countries the more I learn about my own.

Saturday Ashley had not returned, and my phone was locked in her locker, concerned, but not wanting to waste the day, I set out for a walking tour, hoping that when I came back to the hostel she would be back. I hoped the Australian tour guide was worth this.

Once I arrived at the meeting spot I happend to run into MarK, who I know from the college international, who also happend to be in Berlin the same weekend as me. Again surprised to see such a familiar face in a foreign country, we were happily reunited. He introduced me to the British and German friends he met at his hostel and we all set off on the tour. It lasted all day, the entire time I felt myself plunged into such a rich and open history, completely lost in the complexity and importance of the world. Brandenburg Gate, The Reichstag, Over Hitler's Bunker, Holocaust Memorial, Book Burning Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, Potsdamer Platz, SS Headquarters, The Berlin Wall, TV Tower, Gendarmenmarkt, Museum Island, Pariser Platz, Luftwaffe HQ, Bebelplatz. Overwhelmed and inspired I returned back to the hostel to find Ashley happy and safe. Together that night Ashley and I went to a lounge bar called White Trash Fast Food, upon the recommendation of the hot Australian Tour Guide. Outside we timidly waited in line along the velvet cord, greeted by friendly German bouncers, we curiously entered to find a basement like-Candle-lit-mirrored walls-cave like lounger, where the beer was cheap, friends were chillin, and everyone was under the control of the really loud modern alternative rock. We had fun dancing to North American Scum and Nobody Move.

Sunday we managed to wake up and hit up the Film Museum- after such a success in Amsterdam I felt inclined to see what Berlin had to offer- I was glad we did- it was a Hitchcock Exhibit- and once again I felt the urge of excitement and anxiety to direct my senior thesis next year. After we went to the Kennedy Museum. It was cool to see how another country percieves one of the most influential of our countries political families. And the museum even wall comparing the Obamas and the Kennedys. I will admit the museum was pretty empty when we were there. Sunday night- the reason we flew to Berlin to begin with - the Lilly Allen Concert. It was a fun concert, the venue was just big enough, the people were all feelin it, and Lilly was cute and rockin. After the concert Ashley and I went back to The Matrix club to see if we could run into some familiar faces again- but the club on that Sunday night wasnt that happening... Back at the hostel I was able to take a quick nap before I had to wake up at 5 in the morning, get online and register for my classes next year.

Monday we took a long walk, and eventually got back to Cannes, where it was sunny, and our friends all wanted to hear what had happend.

Needless to say I really like Berlin. I think going to Berlin was a necesary experience for me to witness first hand how change is completely possible.