Articles
Four days in Berlin: a multicultural injection
Some alternative punks, old-fashioned ladies, American tourists, British businessmen, Turkish salesmen, Nigerian kids, Muslim girls, Jewish families, and many, many more. The list of different and diverse perspectives in Berlin is endless. As a young Lithuanian journalist in Berlin, taking part in the M100 Youth Media Workshop, I just got a true multicultural injection.
“I like Berlin, it’s a perfect city for me to live in, mainly because of the many different people that I meet every day”, says Jan, a 27-year-old engineer from the south of Germany. “I am proud that I am German and I am happy about the tolerance we have here towards immigrants.” Well, I am happy to be in Berlin too, mainly because I can have a bite of the delicious Turkish, Tunisian, Persian and Iranian cuisine which is absent in my country. Really, when it comes to eating, there is big variety to choose from, indeed.
Learning process
Beyond eating, Berlin is also the perfect city to enjoy a good night out. My friends and I opted for Jaam, a Jamaican bar on the bank of the river Spree, with real sand and Jamaican hippies. Then we moved for some beers to a Spanish restaurant in Kreuzberg, where the two lesbian waitresses couldn’t stop kissing. We finally ended up at the concert of the Icelandic band Mum, together with some French students and Greek tourists.
Obviously, Berlin has not been always so multicultural. What we see now is the result of dynamic changes of German society in the past decades. Today, 15 out of the more than 80 million people living in Germany have a multi-ethnic background. Despite the conservative public approach, Germany is in the process of learning what integration really is. Politicians, media, blue-collar workers: everyone has to change their attitude. So do I, for instance, when I see so many Muslims around, and get to know more about Ramadan. Next time I meet a Muslim person, I will simply avoid misunderstandings related to false stereotypes.
After four fruitful days, having spoken English, Italian, German, Lithuanian and Russian, I leave Berlin in a nostalgic mood. I will not find such diversity in Lithuania (not yet, at least!). However, I have to admit I have become more open-minded, and ready to meet the challenges of immigration that my country will probably face in the coming years.
Posted in | 08.09.09
powered by
cooperation
developed during
