Last weekend, Alina, Ethan, and I took a trip to Dresden. Our train there and back was covered under our DeutschlandTicket, so it was a pretty affordable trip. However, because we were using the DeutschlandTicket, we had to transfer trains a few times to get there. Luckily, we had an early start and arrived in Dresden by about 9 in the morning. The first thing we did after arriving was get brunch at this cafe called UrBean. The food was very unique, much of it Turkish-inspired, and their matcha was amazing. After brunch, we started walking around to explore the city. We started by seeing some statues, then moved on to see a few castles, city hall, and the opera house. We spent some time by the canal as well, and there was a beautiful garden area with a small fountain that we sat by for a while. I think out of all the places I have seen in Europe so far, Dresden was one of the most beautiful. The architecture was very impressive, the layout of the city and public transportation was all amazing, and the surrounding water only added to the vibe. Because the first part of the day was a lot of walking, we decided to check into our hostel and relax for a little while before heading out again. After regrouping at the hostel for some time, we went back out and got dinner at a ramen place. Afterwards, we saw some nice rooftop restaurants and went back to the canal, as it is quite lively at night. There was an outdoor movie playing and lots of people were hanging out by the water. We left the next morning after brunch, and arrived with time to relax, unpack, and get ready for the week ahead.

Throughout the week, I explored a few cafes and just brought along a book to read. I focused on cafes that are believed to have good matcha (because I absolutely love matcha). I have seen a lot of different combinations of flavors with matcha here. Normally at home I have seen strawberry matcha, but here they also have mango, coconut, and blueberry matcha as options. I have been working my way through a list of places that come recommended for their matcha. I also have been exploring the area around my work more, and I did some shopping at Zara and Mango. Although I did not buy anything because I do not have room in my luggage to bring anything else back with me, it was cool to see such large stores especially because I have heard Zara is a lot better in Europe than in the United States (which I can confirm is true!). I am realizing that my time in Berlin is flying by, and I want to plan out my last few weekends so that I can take full advantage of my remaining time here. I am deciding last minute travel spots, and debating going to a music festival. Berlin Lollapalooza is in a few weeks and Gracie Abrams is headlining—because she’s my favorite artist, I think I may have to attend the festival! I am excited to see what these last few weeks hold for me, and although I cannot wait to see my family and friends, I am avoiding the thought of having to say goodbye to this city.

Through my experience in the workplace, I have noticed that communication styles vary greatly between the USA and Germany. Although I would categorize the communication styles in both countries as pretty low-context (communication that relies heavily on explicit verbal messages and there is less emphasis on non-verbal queues), I think Germany’s communication is lower-context than in the USA. This has been quite obvious to me especially in the workplace, where my supervisor, boss, and colleagues all seem to say exactly what is on their mind without sugarcoating it. Although at first glance this blunt communication took me by surprise, after witnessing it everyday I learned that it is overall more efficient. By communicating one’s thoughts, feelings, and preferences more directly, there is less room for miscommunication and things are not as likely to be lost in translation. Additionally, I have noticed that in Germany, most people do not simply assume you have some knowledge about a certain topic of conversation. Rather, they give a lot of context and information on a subject before engaging in a conversation about it to make sure that everyone is on the same page and there is mutual knowledge and understanding.