U-Bahn surfing in Berlin

An essential part of getting around in Berlin is learning to navigate the BVG, Berlin's public transportation system. Today the group made its first excursion together to the center of the city, which of course meant riding the U-Bahn. After their BVG tutorial, students were able to plan our route both with a paper map and with the BVG app. Some students use public transportation in their hometowns and had a general idea of how the system works, but like most Americans many ciee participants come from smaller cities and towns with limited public transportation. We discussed some basic safety issues (all 42 of us can't get on the U-Bahn through the same door, for example) and we were ready for the Öffentliche Verkehrsmittel (public transportation) experience. The Berlin U-Bahn is a great place for people watching and you're always guaranteed to see an interesting mix of Berliners. One woman overheard some of us speaking, recognized the American accents, and told us all about her experience as an American living and working in Berlin. On the way back to Gneisenaustrasse 27 (the ciee institute), we were lucky enough to get one of the long trains with contiguous cars that allow you to walk from one end of the train to the other. Jason and Shivneet quickly figured out that standing on the connectors is the most fun, especially when you "surf", keeping your balance as the train turns.