Visual Assignment #2 Fantasies of our Travels

When thinking of Germany, I think of a uninviting, mundane clockwork nation that is famous for its engineering and durable goods.  I expected to see a highly industrial country even more so than the United States.  However, this was my perception of Germany.  My perception was mostly formed by the huge presence of the automotive industry and the textbook depictions of the country.

When I first arrived in Germany, I saw empty city streets, closed shops, highly efficient buses and subways, and no people. That had me thinking, I was exactly correct in my presumptions of Germany! Little did I know that it was a Saturday night and that Sundays are typically a day of rest in Germany.  During the week, the true Germany emerged, it was bustling with locals making their way to work or play.  Although this conformed to my perception of Germany, there was a rich culture underneath.  

When we first went out, the graffiti was everywhere.  Although I expected some graffiti in Berlin, I did't expect to see almost every house and building to be covered in it.
I chose the picture of a typical city street in Berlin as an example of the intersection between fantasy and reality because sums up my perception of Germany along with the unexpected.  In the photo, you can see that  it is a typical city street in Berlin, however I didn't expect to find as much graffiti as I found.  It was surprising to find that Berlin had such a large urban influence.  It became more evident as we explored more communities in Berlin.  I found that as a foreign student studying in Germany, it was interesting and exciting to find new and unexpected things and to me, this image represents this experience.