Berlin: Fulbright Conference

The annual Fulbright conference for student and scholar grantees living in Europe is hosted by the German Fulbright Commission in the amazing city of Berlin. Nice, a great excuse for more European travel! So we packed our bags (yes, Charlie tagged along as Fulbright "spouse"), boarded the AirBerlin flight, and next thing we knew we were sitting in a trendy tapas restaurant located in the funky hipster neighborhood of Friedrichshain. This area used to be East Berlin or the Soviet sector of Berlin from 1949 to 1990. Since the wall came down in November 1989, many neighborhoods in "East Berlin" have been gentrified and are now they are the place to be! We rented a studio apartment in the neighborhood through only-apartments (highly recommended!), which meant we had the opportunity to take public transportation (train, trams, buses) to attend the conference sessions. All the better; taking public transportation and living in a local's neighborhood allowed us to experience the local rhythm of Berlin life firsthand.

Berlin wall painted by Fulbrighters in '89.

The conference was great, but I was pulled in many directions because I was working on a project for the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council, with a tight deadline, and I was still fatigued from the bad-ass influenza that zapped Charlie and I. Oh, AND we were in the stunning city of Berlin--so much to see! We did, however, manage to attend a good portion of the conference, hang out with our fellow Fulbright crew from Finland (love them!), and celebrate 60 years of the German-Fulbright relationship. Very cool! (It is also 60 years of the Finland-Fulbright marriage.)

The Finnish Fulbright crew with the Executive Director of the Fulbright Association.

During our down time we toured a lot of the city, Charlie more than me, but I managed to get out from underneath my computer and research duties to enjoy the city and sunshine. Highlights, for me, included the Holocaust Memorial (a.k.a. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe), 2711 slabs of concrete forming a maze-like, yet somber, visual depicting an ordered system that lost touch with human reason. Of course visiting the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall, and Checkpoint Charlie, with the golden arches (McDonalds) serving up Big-macs on the same street (no joke), all topped the list of my highlights. While I was working at a local cafe Charlie went with a group of Fulbrighters from Finland on a tour of the bunkers--from his stories and photos I think the tour might hit his list of highlights. Finally, on our last sunny day in Berlin we went on a boat trip on the Spree River (with groupon coupon--oh yeah!) and we toured the German Parliament building, the Bundestag and Reichstag building. I have to say the tour of the Reichstag dome was fantastic--imagine 360' views of Berlin on a sunny blue sky day. Plus, the dome itself was so cool, especially if you are a photographer. We had to register on-line prior to visiting the dome (for free). The visit came with an audio-guide in English that walked us through the dome one level at a time and gave history on certain landmarks throughout the city. If you go to Berlin, you gotta DO THIS!