Holiday Concerts

.
My a cappella group, Jaco de Musio, gave a joint Christmas concert on Friday evening with another local a cappella group called Vocal Chords (original name, huh?). I was honored to have 17 of my 30 classmates and one professor in attendance at the concert. We will sing another shorter concert at the downtown cathedral, Lambertikirche (St. Lamberti Church), this evening. Then we have two concerts next week and one in the following week. No rest for the weary...

Berlin Trip

Things have been uncomfortably busy lately with schoolwork, so I'm only now finding time to post pics and comments about my sightseeing trip to Berlin (two weeks ago). I went with a group of around 50 international students from Oldenburg University on a bus on Friday, Nov. 23, and returned on Sunday. It was a whirlwind trip, with activities planned throughout, so I returned more exhausted than before I left. But at least I got a glimpse of Berlin. Here are some of the sights I captured on my camera:

.

Berlin street scene

.

Berlin street scene2

.

Front of Kaiser Wilhelm Church. This war-damaged church has been left unrepaired as a reminder/memorial

.

Ceiling of Kaiser Wilhelm Church

.

Afternoon break for drinks

.

Reichstag (Parliament Building)
.

Brandenburg Gate

.

Jewish Memorial from bus window

.

Jewish Memorial from within
.

Many signs like this are still place throughout the city

.

"Checkpoint Charlie" - the former crossing between East & West Berlin

.

A remaining section of the Berlin Wall (through the bus window)

.

Avant-garde photo art near Checkpoint Charlie

.

Ancient Babylonian edifice in Pergamon Museum
.

Berlin dance club in the wee-small hours

.

The "TV-Tower" in daylight

.

TV-Tower by night

.

Berlin at night from the top of the TV-Tower