by Eman Al-Nafjan aus Riad

I was invited by the German Foreign Ministry to spend ten days in Berlin as part of a blogger tour initiative. I’ve never been to Germany before as a tourist, let alone a guest of the government. It was an educational experience in which I learned a lot about Germany and also the countries of the 14 other bloggers who were invited too.

As a Saudi coming from a strict Islamic country, it took me a couple of days to get into the swing of things–like walking around without my mandatory black cloak on and not stopping to wonder when the next prayer break is when everything has to shut down for thirty minutes.

Berlin is a marvelous city. The metropolis offers an endless array of cultural events and is admired by many for its international diversity. Every year, Berlin welcomes a large number of tourists from all over the world. And sometimes, they fall head over heels for Berlin, decide to stay and call this their new home. For example the Turkish. Over the course of time, a large number of Turkish immigrants have settled in Kreuzberg, making this the second largest Turkish city by population after Istanbul. Or look at the Swabians, who’ve “invaded” the oh-so-loved Prenzlauer Berg, making it hard for Berliners to find an apartment there anymore. Nonetheless, most Berliners embrace their new neighbours, and in the future we’ll likely grow closer and all live together as one big family…

Music.  Street fights. Parades. Pagans. Peace.

Across the globe countries celebrate the International Worker’s Day on the first of May. In Germany, this day has a delicate background that still has a strong impact in 2010.

If we take a brief look at German history, May Day was first celebrated in 1919 as a one-time holiday under the leftist revolutionary government. Only in 1933 under the Nazi dictatorship did this day became an annual national holiday. After the end of World War II in 1945, the allies decided to keep the holiday on the calendar as an anti-nationalist, peaceful day.

To all karaoke fans, this one is for you.

Having lived in Berlin all my life I thought I had seen everything worth seeing, but I was mistaken: Last Sunday I experienced the time of my life at the Mauerpark (wallpark), a park in my new favorite district, Prenzlauer Berg.

The former grounds of today’s Mauerpark were split by the Berlin Wall, but after the fall of the wall the area became the most popular “outside-in-nature-gathering-area.” Sunday at noon, I jumped on my bicycle and headed toward the park while enjoying the warm spring breeze.

Everyone has been talking about the volcano in Iceland, but let’s see the positive side: Thousands of tourists are stuck in Berlin and are allowed to spend more time seeing just how beautiful this city can be in spring. Thank you, volcano!

Many international students who should have been on a flight back home now can linger around Humboldt University and learn about exchange programs. At the cafeteria, I meet Luba Levkina and her friend Inga Matalinova, two girls who decided to do an exchange program without the help of the infamous ash cloud. Both went to school together in Russia. Read on to hear their experiences coming to Berlin.

Young Germany: Hello Luba, hello Inga, what brings you to Berlin?

The other day, a friend invited us to the bar Madame Claude in Kreuzberg to celebrate his birthday. Never having been to this bar, I was not too sure what to expect because it is named after France’s most famous prostitute of the 60ies. From outside, however, Madame Claude looks like a small and rather nondescript location. Unlike what I had in mind, there were no bright flashing lights on it, and as I entered I was relieved to find a rather normal bar, the name only a misleading gag.

Upon walking into the main room of the location, I heard someone in the back yell “Red Hot Chilli Peppers.“ People around him applauded, while some guests groaned at his speed. The DJ congratulated him; he had just earned a point at what I learned is Madame Claude weekly music quiz. The person with the most points at the end of the game wins a bottle of wine and everyone was trying to get that bottle. The bar was full, every seat taken. Then I noticed some free tables and chairs – on the ceiling. Suddenly, everything was upside down.

There’s one thing my coach never tired of saying to me: “Hau den Ball ins Tor hinein!” – best translated with: “Just slam it into the back of the net!” What did yours used to say to you? What about this one: “I want to see you struggle!” Well, professionals in the Bundesliga are hearing this one a lot at this decisive point in the season: and it’s their own fans who are saying it.

The relationship between players and fans in the Bundesliga is simmering just below boiling point this season. After Hannover’s goalkeeper Robert Enke, suffering from a severe depression and trying to hide it from public view, ended up committed suicide in November of last year, Bundesliga officials, players and fans have been talking a lot about developing an atmosphere of respect, care and recognition – but these last six months have not seen these words become reality.