Chaotic, that’s the best way to describe the first day we had in Berlin.
It all started with a good breakfast that was included with our stay in the hotel- something we completely forgot as we have gotten so used to the cheap way of traveling AKA hostels. We had our fill, and then we got going. The noon part of our day consisted of us visiting historical monuments that we never thought we’d be able to see. We visited places that marked the past of Germany. We got to see Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church that remains from the war, we also walked where the book burning of 1933 took place on Bebelplatz, the Brandenburg Gate where normal people, in the past, were never allowed to walk through its central archway. We also had a stop at the holocaust memorial that was interesting to walk through. What I enjoyed the most throughout this tour, however, was the fun facts that Elise was giving.
Visiting these places was a wake up call to what Germany and its people have went through and the struggles they faced.
Moving along with our day, it was quickly turned upside down by the single fact that we were supposed to have lunch and then meet up with the other groups for a photography workshop in 45 minutes.
The only place we managed to find on our way was Indian, we all got ourselves a platter and rushed to the Berlin University of Applied Sciences so that we’re on time cause we’ve gotta give a “good impression”. That plan went to the bin when Asbjørn calls us asking where we are while we’re literally standing in front of the class we were supposed to meet in for the meeting. We found out, the hard way, that the university has multiple campuses around the city, and the running began. We needed to eat, catch the bus, and get to the university that, somehow, was 20 minutes away. And that’s exactly what we did, all at the same time.
We did manage to arrive to the RIGHT class 30 minutes away and we got to learn about the Dérive, a strategy for discovering urban spaces. We got to our exercise, and even though at first we weren’t sure about it, it turned out really interesting and is definitely something I will be trying to introduce when I go back to Lebanon.
The whole day was emotional and overwhelming but we learned a lot. As journalists, we need to have a good grasp of the past in order to better understand and relay the present. The Dérive method can also benefit us journalistically as it might be able to help lead us to stories we didn’t know existed, just by going out of our way around a city.