Navigating my Way through Berlin with only English

 On May 21^st, the day I finally made my way into the Berlin Empire of Germany through Tegel airport, felt a bit exciting but intimidating. Arriving In Berlin, I was now faced with the challenge of finding my way to Professor Cartmill who was chilling and having tea at 65 Oranienburgerstrasse, which was the place I had to meet with him. I took a bus to Oranienburgerstrasse where I thought it was like the American bus system where I handed the ticket to the bus driver but it was not like that. I sat in the bus still confused and contemplating where I was. I was nervous about who to talk to because I could not speak Deutsche, but I had to ask or I would be even lost in the city that I wouldn’t find my way back. I took the risk and asked a man where I could find Oranienburgerstrasse and the man couldn’t speak English. At that point I thought I was in trouble and that I was not going to make it to my address but luckily he knew what I was talking about and told me in German that he would show me where it was, which I got from what he said. He led me and guided me from the bus to the train station. He somehow looked completely lost as if he didn’t know where he was going but I thought to myself that he must know this city more than me so I continued to follow him. He continued to lead me and we both took two connecting trains to a certain train stop where he had to come to a stop in his journey told me to take the next three stops to Oranienburgerstrasse and I would be at my destination. I got to my stop, called up Professor Cartmill and met him sipping tea with a croissant at the Gladiator hotel and I was finally happy to see him.

               Having to communicate with a German speaker who couldn’t communicate was the most nerve-racking but interesting experience I have had coming into Berlin. It taught me that there is always a method to communicate even with body signals and that taking most risks to ask questions and open  yourself to other people is beneficial in various ways. I think that if I go through that experience again now, it would be less nerve-racking.