Understanding Berlin

I have a confession to make.  After three days in Berlin, I was ready to move on.  I did not understand all the hoopla surrounding this city.  A bad case of jet lag, in retrospect, contributed to my indifference.  Yes, the Brandenberger Tor, the Gendarmenmarkt, the museums, were all impressive and monumental, but left me with the feeling, "Been there.  Done that.  So what?"  I thought maybe Checkpoint Charlie would stir something inside me but even that historic spot seemed so bogged down by obsolete diplomatic quagmires that I simply snapped a photo and moved on.  What was wrong with me?

And then I remembered a quote from one of Rick Steve's guidebooks:  "If your trip is low on magic moments, kick yourself and make things happen.  If you don't enjoy a place, maybe you don't know enough about it.  Seek the truth."  So I packed my suitcase, hopped on the U-Bahn and moved across town to a charming little hotel on Auguststrasse.  Little shops, art galleries and currywurst stands lined the neighboring streets.  Locals were riding bikes, drinking beer and engaging in animated conversation--many of them interchanging French and Russian with German.  Everyone said, "Guten Morgen" to me and I replied in kind.  I stayed in Berlin another three days.

The easy accessible metro became my initiation to a more real and vibrant city.  In shop windows I watched young fashion designers illustrating and sewing their clothes and bought a one-of-a-kind tee for a friend.   I drank way too much beer at night and ate way too much plum cake in the afternoon   I bought a bracelet from an artist and finally (finally!) found Mimi-worthy clothes for myself.  Tears came to my eyes when I stumbled across a whole store of vintage Wunderkind.  Something began to stir inside me.  I began to feel my German roots and I thought of my father often.  I remember asking him why he never talked about World War II and he replied, "Because I want to forget."

It hit me.  Berlin wants to forget.  No wonder I felt so disoriented.  Unlike other European cities, Berlin of yore no longer exists.  It belongs to a new generation and many of them are immigrants.  They stay in Berlin to live creative lives as artists, musicians and writers. They open up restaurants.  Teach in the many language schools around the city.  Berlin is not tied to the past, but dedicated to the future.