The reality that study abroad requires studying has set in. The German 102 class is exempted from much of the activities today, however, many of us chose to join in on the Reichstag tour (because it's the Reichstag).
*Edit: Going from the Reichstag in Germany to the Capitol Building in the U.S. within a matter of a week was amazing. Differences in architecture is one thing, but looking at what renovations and updates do and do not get done speaks volumes on the culture of the government. I.e. Germany has fleshed out their building with glass throughout. You can view voting members from almost all sides. On the other hand, I can only see half of the Senate floor even with staff-level security clearance. Physical transparency in parliament buildings and capitol buildings is both a physical and, often times, a metaphorical symbol of how transparent a government is. Interesting.
*Edit: Going from the Reichstag in Germany to the Capitol Building in the U.S. within a matter of a week was amazing. Differences in architecture is one thing, but looking at what renovations and updates do and do not get done speaks volumes on the culture of the government. I.e. Germany has fleshed out their building with glass throughout. You can view voting members from almost all sides. On the other hand, I can only see half of the Senate floor even with staff-level security clearance. Physical transparency in parliament buildings and capitol buildings is both a physical and, often times, a metaphorical symbol of how transparent a government is. Interesting.