Trip to Berlin 2018 – a report by Sherif and Bradley

 

Berlin Trip

On the evening of the 10th of December 2018, classes ten, eleven and twelve flew with Germania airlines from Hurghada, Egypt to Berlin, the capital of Germany. It was a highly anticipated trip that has been in plan by the school, teachers, and students for several months. In this report we want to share some of the highlights of our trip.

We arrived in Berlin at midnight, all of the girls were really tired from travelling, but the boys were not willing to go to bed and so they went to eat at Durum restaurant. The people that worked there were really funny and they were more than glad to make us food. Additionally, going to that restaurant gave us the opportunity to explore the area around the hotel. After that we went to the hotel and we all hit the hay.

On the next morning we went to the Grips Theater Berlin and watched a play called Nasser #7Leben. It was about a 15 year old homosexual boy that had to deal with his Muslim family which did not approve his sexuality. It was a pretty entertaining play that had some important message embedded within it. After the play we had a discussion about the topic and many different opinions were mentioned and talked about.

On the second day of the trip we decided to visit the Stasi prison in Hohenschönhausen. We entered the main building of the prison and we were allowed to look at all its sections. There was tour guide who accompanied us and explained the long and disturbing history of the prison. Still, it was a interesting place to visit that taught us a lot.

On the third day we planned to go to the Bundestag, which is the parliament building. After we got in there, we were allowed to sit inside where the politicians give their speeches. The main topic of the day was the Brexit and whether it is a good or a bad thing for Germany and the EU. Left-wing politicians were clearly against Britain leaving the EU, while right-wing politicians saw an that the Brexit would benefit Germany a lot. Later that day we had an discussion with a politician who is a part of a left-wing party. We discussed some positive thing about German politics and economy, but we also talked about many issues Germany has to overcome. So in a nutshell, it was a very informative day.

On the fourth and last day, we decided to go and visit the natural history museum of Berlin. There we were able to check out many ancient animals that lived millions of years ago and the museum presented a short film about the creation and the evolution of the earth. The museum also included a section about pollution and how it effects our environment. It gave us an idea of how big industries pollute their surroundings without care about the consequence. After that we had the rest of the day free and we went on a shopping trip.

And soon enough on the 15th of December, we were sitting on the plane back to Hurghada. Overall, Berlin was a fun experience and all of us enjoyed every moment. Berlin is an interesting city and every part of it is rich with history and culture. Therefore, we are excited to visit this city again.

Sherif and Bradley, year 11