The first day in Berlin marks the start of a tightly packed agenda. Betahaus in Kreuzberg is the meeting point. Scholarship holders have the chance to get to know each other and talk about their expectations from the Internship Programme. But, everything is running on schedule, and soon Matilda Schmidt takes the stage and starts “taming” the Balkan spirit of the young scholarship holders and teaches them the “German way of doing things”. Antje and Sascha jump into the discussion and soon it is all about taxes, recycling and Ruhezeit. But don’t let that throw you off. The carefully planned agenda has plenty of time for fun activities and exploration of Berlin. The team activity, a city rally named “Ab durch die Mitte” got the interns up on their feet chasing landmarks around town. After the tour, the Biergartens of Berlin provide safe haven for exhausted interns and local beer seems to be more than comforting.
The peak of the week was the visit of the German Chancellery. Excited crowd waits at the gates of the Bundeskanzleramt. Following a strict security control, interns got to walk the corridors of the building in which today’s European and regional policy is tailored. Shortly after a debate, on their way out, the interns caught a glimpse of Angela Merkel while hosting a reception for the Ukrainian prime minister.
No doubt, the week in Berlin was once in a life time experience. Friends were made and people fell in love. Whether it was the magic of the city or the positive vibe surrounding the youthful gathering, one thing is sure – each and every intern will carry those precious moments deeply embedded in their memories. Sad but true, all good things must come to an end. Excited for the challenges that lie upon them, interns get together at Brauhaus Lemke for the last time before they embark on a very, very serious internship.
Nino, Generation 2016