I think growing up in America provides excellent exposure to different cultures not necessarily available to those in other countries. My maternal grandparents coming from a German occupied town in Norway gave me a first hand account of what World War II was like, and because of that, I've always harbored reservations about wanting to travel to Germany at any point in my life. But as I became educated and befriended Germans and honestly, acquiring a taste for beer and wanting to go to Oktoberfest, the preconceived ideas that I had about Germany began to dissolve and I realized that the horrific tragedies that happened in WWII were of no reflection of those of the current generation. A good friend of mine from college was born in Germany and has provided excellent suggestions of where to go and what to do. I’ve been so excited to come here for so long and embraced the idea of putting politics aside and submerging myself in German Culture.
This has not been the case for several reasons. While I like to think of myself as the "bigger person" and not bring up politics, unfortunately that seems to be the most popular topic local people here want to discuss. Presidents Bush and Obama are brought up almost immediately and I find myself discussing topics that are typically taboo when first meeting a new person. I was actually yelled at by a German man in Munich saying that Americans are thieves and steal from other countries around the world. Really? Cause I’m not running around Europe in a ski mask robbing banks. Thanks for the ignorant, blanketed statement. That’s like me calling him a Nazi just because he is German. I thought we, as citizens of advanced nations, had come farther than that. So while I originally thought it was going to be me having the problem with the people here, the reality is that many Europeans have problems with Americans.
Additionally, I expected Berlin to be a completely modern city, with no signs of World War II. Being that Berlin was bombed for years during WWII*, the city needed new construction and I thought most traces of the damage would have vanished. But interestingly enough, they have kept an outline of the Berlin Wall throughout the city, parts of the wall remain intact, and I even saw a sniper tower complete with original, broken windows. There is also a Holocaust Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie is a huge tourist place and they still offer stamps for your passport in different areas of town as a souvenir. I suppose I just expected Berlin to be a metropolis and if you wanted any reminder of World War II, you would have to go outside of town to a concentration camp. But I’m pleasantly surprised to be able to have accurate exposure to the events that took place not so long ago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Berlin_in_World_War_II
Berlin Wall
Sniper Tower
Outline of the Berlin Wall throughout the city
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