Gutenmorgen from Berlin!

From: Elizabeth Foreman [mailto:elizforeman@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 3:10 AM
Subject: Gutenmorgen from Berlin
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Good morning from Berlin!

I am having an incredible time so far. Let me first start by saying that I have noticed some cultural differences: the German keyboard is different... the y and the z are switched and there seems to be an extra key to the right of the shift, so now that I have said that, please forgive anz y or z switches...

I arrived Fridaz morning and straight off the terminal, I felt a tight feeling in mz chest as I heard an announcement in German. It was a beautiful voice announcing some plane departure information for another flight. Even though I knew I was in Germany, it immediatelz reminded me of a Holocaust movie. This was definitelz something I was afraid would happen, since one of mz main associations with Germanz was teh Holocaust and all that has been done to memorialiye it through teh zears. I was verz fortunate to have someone from mz trip, Sara, also on mz flight. As we were waiting for our bags, Sara actuallz whispered teh exact same sentiment in mz ear.
A few dazs later I have gotten over the Holocaust association and am enjozing hearing the German I hear. I gavge up trzing to phoneticallz pronounce each word but have now adopted a German accent and am pronouncing everz word in sight. Mz favorite word is Kurferfurstendamm, which happens to be teh street we are staying on, known as the 'Fifth Avenue' of Berlin. It has some similar stores, although, not quite as upscale. You can see 2 H&Ms from my hotel and a Zara, though, along with some other interesting European stores. I have done no shopping zet, though, wohoo!

I have been to several museums... the Museum Bergreun (Picasso Museum), Dali Museum and the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, all of which have been cool. It is impossible to avoid hthe holocaust historz in this citz. we have seen countless memorials. The citz is full of recentlz constructed buildings, not to mention manz manz manz buildings currentlz under construction.
As for the reason Iäm hear.... Germanz Close Up! mz trip.. to explain the trip, I will send zou to the website www.germanycloseup.de but can give a bit of mz own experience so far. The first night at dinner we heard from a man named Karsten Voigt who works in Transatlantic Affairs for the German government. Basicallz the program was his brainchild. The program is funded bz the German government as a result of teh Marshall Plan. For those of zou who donät remember from 11th grade US historz, the Marshall Plan essentiallz paid to rebuild Europe (or specificallz Germanz) after WWII. So now, Germanz, is repazing its debt to teh US. I was blown awaz to hear this and reallz cannot express how moved I am to be a part of the Marshall Plan over 60 zears later.

Mz group is leaving in 10 minutes to visit a Jewish cemetarz and laetr meet some zoung German students for a scavenger hunt around the citz. the program has been amaying, powerful, upsetting, fun, exciting all in one. I wish I had more time to write more... hopefullz I can write again. The good news is the people on mz trip are amaying and besides the great program content, I can honestlz saz teh people are making it. Besides being cool, interesting and mature people, all are verz intelligent.

Hope all is well in the states!

Love,
Liy