It was Saturday morning and we took our first trek toward Museum Island’s Pergamon museum. It is deceiving to the eye as it is recognized as a popular museum yet it is covered with scaffolding and white Tyrex covering. I had high expectations for this museum because people told me that it would be amazing. I had high expectations for this museum because people told me that the museum was Berlin's equivalent to Rome's Vatican Museum or France's Louvre Museum. I was somewhat disappointed by how small the collection was. It was almost like visiting the Ara Pacis in Rome as it was more of a monument to quickly look at and move on.


Although, the tour guide (who would talk for hours one just one thing) did touch on one of my favorite parts of art history which are the friezes on the victory memorial. There is a focus on the small details as each carving, impression, and ridge has a purpose. The focus on the small details is amazing. The artist took every part of the artpiece in consideration as each detail plays a significant role on portraying a meaning or message. The eyes show so much emotion as Zeus shows his strength and determination through his eyes while the giants and mother Earth have fear and despair. The fact that there is so much focus just in the eyes is quite astonishing. The art definately represents the Hellenistic style with the natural body posuture of the statue or the contro posto position. The togas and dresses drape and flow naturally and smoothly. The imagery is amazing as There is a lot of symbolism through animals that represent the gods. There is even harmony within the frieze as the artist displays a balance between the giant being lifted off the ground to become mortal and Lady Victory landing on the group to signify triumph. Was this just a coincidence or did the artist intentionally do this? I am always surprised by how detailed the artists get not just with the sculpture but also the universal implications that are portrayed. The anatomy of the body is accurate as every muscle is defined. All the friezes display scenes at their climaxes as they show seconds before the gods reach their victory. Truly, I am always amazed by how people could produce these friezes so realistically as figures come out of the walls and integrate the viewers into the scenes.
The rest of the day was spent in Alexanderplatz going around the shopping malls. Although I didn’t buy anything this time, it was nice to just absorb the Berlin culture. It seemed this was the social meeting place, which was different from Rome. In Rome, the places to be were piazzas, steps, and fountains. People would just sit and relax – very leisurely in their activities. However, Berliners are quite different as I notice that everything is always very fast paced. The malls seem to be where all the teens hang out in groups as they sit around, talk, and laugh. Adults usually sit around at the food court with a beer as they make small talk with each other. There was so much to do and so little time as I went from shop to shop. Most interestingly, I noticed that store owners would think that I was German and start taking in German. I mean I can understand that they are used to a lot of immigrants in Berlin but do I really look like a Berliner? That makes me think of what causes people to look like tourists versus locals – minus the language. Is it the way I walk? Does it seem like I know where I’m going? Is it the way I look at things or is it the fact that I’m not with a large group of people with fanny packs and backpacks? I definitely am going to look more into this and see any trends.