SarahSaeger's Blog

You cannot visit Berlin without taking the time to see Knut the famous polar bear.  Well, I guess you can, but something would be missing from your trip!  Yes, I visited the not so tiny bear anymore.  If you do not know the story of the furry four pawed one, let me give you some background.  In 2006, Knut became the first polar bear to be born at the Berlin zoo in more than 30 years.  He was rejected by his mother at  birth, and then raised by the zoo.  But Knutmania only started after animal rights activists said Knut should be killed, because he would become dangerous when he grew older.  Even though the white bear needed a bath, I must say Knut is still cute. The once tiny cub is now more than 200 pounds.  But he was still kind of playful at the zoo, sticking his head in and out of a little cave.  That said, Knut is not the only interesting animal at the Berlin zoo.  I was impressed at how close you are able to get to the animals. I almost touched a giraffe!  I did not find this zoo, as depressing as others, where the animals look sad and caged.  The gardens and walkways also add a beautiful touch to the scenic walk.  So I will say again, you cannot visit Berlin without seeing the famous Eisbar Knut.

So last night me and several others in the RIAS group hung out in the middle of Berlin during the Germany versus Turkey soccer match.  We wanted to sit outside, so we ended up Ironically at Andy's Diner and Bar.  We got there about an hour before the game to try and get a seat.  There were few left when we arrived.  Everyone was crowded around one TV, and even before the game started people started standing behind us all the way back to the street.  Between the cheering, singing, and beer drinking it was hard to concentrate on the game. But all eyes were on the TV set when it broke due to storms in Switzerland during the second half.  But after about 10 minutes things were back on.  No one got too upset during the glitch, which was good because we were right in the middle of it all.

After visiting two television stations, one radio station, and meeting with several German reporters one topic that comes up again and again is the cost each household here must pay for the media.  That's right, each family or single person must pay 17 euros a month even if they don't have a televison.  This money goes towards the public television and radio stations.  As you can imagine, folks at the private stations do not think it's fair.  But besides that issue, it is amazing how alike the media issues are for those working in the industry in the United States or Germany.  In speaking with reporters at a local Bavarian Restaurant in Leipzig last night, I learned their jobs are a lot like mine.  We also had the pleasure of telling one reporter his job in the U.S. would actually be translated to assignment editor, something he found hilarious.  Tonight is Germany versus Turkey in the European Cup Semifinals.  Germany is being picked to win, but it should be interesting to see what happens in the streets either way.

It's been another productive day for the RIAS journalist group in Germany.  Today we are in Leipzig, a place that holds great history for this country.  It is here where the movement to unite the east and west turned successful nearly 20 years ago.  Our group enjoyed the nice weather and took a walking tour around the city.  We also met with Leipzig's Deputy Mayor.  He told us one big problem here right now is unemployment.  16 percent of the city is without a job.  But the larger issue is many make more money unemployed than they do working.  After two years of searching for a job, unemployed citizens receive 400 euros a month to live on, plus more money for housing.  It sounds similar to the welfare system in the United States.  Our group also toured the Stasi Museum here in Leipzig.  If you have not seen the movie The Lives of Others I suggest watching it for a background on the Stasi.  It was interesting to see the smelling jars.  The officers used to try and collect the scent of the people they were following by wiping up a spot where the person was just sitting.  We also got to see the machines which sorted through everyone's mail.  Tomorrow it is back to Berlin.  Germany plays Turkey in the European Soccer Cup, which may turn into mayhem in the streets!

 

Riding the trains between the different cities we have visited on our RIAS Journalist excahnge in Germany and Belgium has proven to be an interesting experience. You only have about five minutes to pile on or get off, or else you are out of luck and left behind.  Apparently this has happened to several people in our RIAS group in the past.  One fellow forgot something on the train, went back on, but didn’t get off quick enough and ended up taking an unexpected trip to the next stop.  Nothing quite as dramatic as that has happened to our group.  Although on Saturday we took a trip to Bruges from Brussels.  On the way there things went fine.  But on the way back a few of us got off a stop too early.  I will admit we were lost in a different part of the city, but this experience turned out to be good.  We stumbled upon a street festival where merchants were selling everything from jewelry to dresses to fruits and vegetables.  It was also comforting to hear Minnesota’s own Bob Dylan blasting from a nearby apartment window.  Like a Rolling Stone made a nice soundtrack as we were trying to navigate our way back to the hotel.  After a run-in with an interesting man in the subway station, we managed to ask directions and walk back.  I must say I have had several run-ins with strange people coming up to me on the trip. Some of my colleagues think it is pretty funny; I am still undecided on the amount of humor.   Sunday was another train ride from Brussels to Frankfurt.  While walking from the train station to the hotel, my suitcase wheels gave out.  On further inspection, it looks like they melted!  It felt like about 110 degrees that day.  It was not a dry heat.  Today, as I am taking the train from Frankfurt to Leipzig I have a brand new red suitcase, with bigger and better wheels.  Hopefully this one lasts through the next two train trips.  But all in all I do enjoy the trains.  It’s a good alternative option to get from city to city, something that more people should take advantage of in the United States.

      Today was a day I was looking forward to the whole trip. My RIAS group visited the European Union or European Commission. At the daily press briefing the topic of the day was Ireland. The country has rejected the Lisbon treaty, which could now threaten to postpone plans for change at the EU. Among other things, the Lisbon treaty aims to create a full time president of the European Council, but all 27-member nations must ratify it. The council members are expected to talk about the high cost of fuel and food prices at tomorrow’s meeting.

     Another hot topic right now for the European Council is the possibility of Turkey becoming a member. Today we were lucky enough to hear from Mr. Riccardo Serri who is a technical worker trying to make Turkish membership possible. This is something they have been working on for several years and it seems there is still a lot to do. For instance, Turkey currently does not have free trade with Cyprus, a country that is a member of the EU. France has also stated that Turkey is not really a member of Europe and therefore should not be part of the EU. These are just a couple of the many issues at hand. There maybe even bigger problems, as the country still does not have freedom of religion, minority or social and economic rights. But Mr. Serri says he believes one day Turkey will become a member of the European Union.

    Tomorrow our group will visit the NATO Headquarters here in Brussels. This is another opportunity that should be very informative.

On arriving in Brussels one word comes to mind, beautiful.  We took a taxi from the airport to our hotel and on the way the driver took the back roads to try and beat traffic.  For once I am happy there was traffic, because it gave us a chance to see areas outside the city that we would not otherwise have had the chance.  The ride included beautiful brick and stone homes, winding streets, and wonderful flowers just hanging from the light posts.

Upon entering the city, I was once again amazed.  There is such interesting architecture that it is hard not to stop and stare.  It is difficult to take in everything from the intricately designed statues, to the buildings, to the different cobblestone on the streets.  Just think how much work it would be to place each block there.  I am really looking forward to spending more time in this city.  We also got the chance to walk by the famous Mannekin Pis.  There are many theories about the little statue, but it was good for a laugh. 

Tomorrow is all business. During the day we will be visiting the European Union. I imagine the Fuel protests will be a topic that will come up during the morning press conference.  But hopefully there will be more time for testing the chocolate afterwards!

 After watching soccer fans cheer on their favorite teams here in Germany, I have come to a conclusion; no matter how many thousands of miles you travel from home, some things never change.    For instance, last night I watched Italy take on France at a biergarten tucked away in an alley in East Berlin.  It sort of felt like being back in Minnesota in more ways than one.  First of all, how ironic that there was a French fan wearing horns and face paint.  Resemble anything you’ve seen before? Then of course the beer drinking, hot dog eating, and questioning the calls from the referee.  If only there was a dome over my head, I may have been back at the metrodome.  But all kidding aside, getting the chance to watch soccer in Germany is very exciting.  It is great to see people so thrilled about competition.  After Germany won earlier this week, there was a lot of celebrating in the streets.  Fireworks went off, and fans were waving the German flag while cheering from their cars. I also enjoy the lack of commercial breaks in the television broadcast!  I believe no interruptions make the game flow smoother.

Today, my RIAS Journalist group will travel to Brussels. There have been many protests in the streets there lately over the high cost of fuel, something that is also a reminder of home.  I look forward to getting a different perspective on the problem.

Day two of my RIAS Journalist exchange trip has been filled with interesting appointments.  We spoke with a senior political editor for a newspaper, met the Parliamentary State Secretary, and also had lunch with a member of government at a Turkish restaurant.    One main topic came up in each session, and that is the United States presidential election.

 For instance, editor Mr. Thomas Habicht, said that most Germans are hoping for Barack Obama to take the top spot at the White House.  He said he recently met former candidate Hillary Clinton and is glad that she was not elected.  Habicht said when Clinton entered the room the temperature dropped “below the freezing point”.   But Habicht also pointed out that if Obama is elected, most Germans do not realize all the problems will not be fixed right away, and that Obama would need an adjustment period after taking office. 

 During our Turkish lunch, Ms Bilkay Oney stated that Hillary Clinton was not portrayed well by the media.  Oney says there is an aggressive aspect to Clinton that many people do not like because she is a woman.  Contrary to Clinton, Oney says German Chancellor Angela Merkel is not aggressive.

 

Enough politics. The most exciting topic in Berlin right now is soccer.  The Turks won last night and Germany is playing tonight.  I will be watching the game from a location somewhere in the city, and hope to write about it tomorrow!

Hi everyone.  Typically, I am the producer of the 5 o’clock news for Fox 9, but for the next two weeks, I am in Germany and Belgium as part of a journalist exchange program called RIAS(Radio in the American Sector) Berlin Kommission.  During this time, I will be blogging about my trip, the experiences we have, and life as a United States tourist in general. 

 

 

Day 1:

 

 

Let me just start out by saying, I am going on little sleep, so hopefully this first blog makes sense!

 

 

Anyways,  I arrived in Berlin three hours late today after sitting on the runway in Newark due to storms. Thank goodness for movies on demand on the plane!  After checking into the hotel, I ventured out into downtown Berlin.  One of the first tourist attractions I found was the Holocaust Memorial actually titled the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.  It consists of more than 2,700 slabs of concrete, made to look like different sized coffins.  You get sort of an eerie feeling walking through as some of the slabs get higher and surround you.

 

 

I also passed through the Brandenburg Gate, the only remaining gate of a series that used to go between the East and West.   And close to the gate is Checkpoint Charlie, which was surrounded by tourists.  There was even a fake military member giving people the amount of stamps and check they would have needed in the past to make it across to the other side.

 

 

Can’t wait to see how the rest of the trip turns out!