When we landed in Berlin the first thing we did after breezing through German customs and picking up our luggage in one of the smallest airports I’ve ever been in (ok not as small as Kelowna but small), we went to the bathroom. Don’t be grossed out, we all do it. And whilst in the stall we (Heather, my travel buddy, and I) heard gross puking sounds. I got out first and saw an old Chinese lady violently spitting into the sink. No puke in site. I felt relieved but then she went into a stall and continued her sick sounds. So I left.
When I left the washroom I walked out into a German man in his 30s, smartly dressed throwing a temper tantrum not 15 meters away. This was not your usual angry customer tantrum, oh no! This was a throw his carry-on luggage to the ground, jump up and down, and fail his arms like a three year old boy who’s been told that he has to leave the ball room at Chuck-E-Cheese tantrum. I have no idea what he was crying about, because I don’t understand German, but it sounded both frightening and pathetic. The long line of Berlin Air travelers behind him didn’t seem as shocked as I was, and security slowly made their way over to the situation. I left before it was resolved convinced that this man was going to walk over to me and punch me in the face for no reason (see my new years eve story for explanation on this fear).
So this was our welcome to Berlin. Oh, no there was also weirdness on the plane. There was an empty seat next to us which was the coveted window seat. The plane was supposed to be quite full so we decided we wouldn’t move over to it (as it was not assigned to us) until the doors had been closed. Just as they were closing a bleach blond stewardess came over to us and said, “This gentleman would like to sit in the window seat, do you mind.” I said something about how we too wanted to sit in the window seat. This was smirked at and a guy climbed over us and took the thrown seat with the view. Hmph. Then he drew the window shade and wrapped his scarf around his head and did NOT lean against the window while he slept. Oh yeah, and the couple in front of us reclined their seats and made out.
Ah traveling!
When I left the washroom I walked out into a German man in his 30s, smartly dressed throwing a temper tantrum not 15 meters away. This was not your usual angry customer tantrum, oh no! This was a throw his carry-on luggage to the ground, jump up and down, and fail his arms like a three year old boy who’s been told that he has to leave the ball room at Chuck-E-Cheese tantrum. I have no idea what he was crying about, because I don’t understand German, but it sounded both frightening and pathetic. The long line of Berlin Air travelers behind him didn’t seem as shocked as I was, and security slowly made their way over to the situation. I left before it was resolved convinced that this man was going to walk over to me and punch me in the face for no reason (see my new years eve story for explanation on this fear).
So this was our welcome to Berlin. Oh, no there was also weirdness on the plane. There was an empty seat next to us which was the coveted window seat. The plane was supposed to be quite full so we decided we wouldn’t move over to it (as it was not assigned to us) until the doors had been closed. Just as they were closing a bleach blond stewardess came over to us and said, “This gentleman would like to sit in the window seat, do you mind.” I said something about how we too wanted to sit in the window seat. This was smirked at and a guy climbed over us and took the thrown seat with the view. Hmph. Then he drew the window shade and wrapped his scarf around his head and did NOT lean against the window while he slept. Oh yeah, and the couple in front of us reclined their seats and made out.
Ah traveling!
TV tower held by a statue.
So we get to our hotel which is near Alexanderplatz and the famous TV tower. We are in the heart of old East Berlin. You can tell: the buildings are uniform with a 60s style architecture. Our hotel room is about twice the size of the one I stayed in, in Paris and it’s even equipped with a couple of stove elements (but no fridge).
That evening we met up with a friend of a friend (yay Facebook!) Sabine, who recently moved to Berlin from Vancouver. We met at a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant called Monsieur Vuong http://www.monsieurvuong.d
DAY 2
We were lucky enough (I guess) to be staying in a place that offered a buffet breakfast. We had planned to wake up for 9 am as it ended at 10, but we were violently awoken by a siren and “Achtung!” and some other words in German. Luckily Heather spoke a little German and said that the voice was saying that everything was ok. I hoped it was.
Art with eyes.
So we went down for our breakfast and discovered a smorgasbord of food. Most of it we couldn’t eat, being vegetarians in Germany (even worse- Heather’s a vegan). But I did have some fruit and muesli. The best thing about our dining area was the art work. It was as if 6 jr high school delinquents were given two canvases each to paint. My favorite pieces were the ones with orange backgrounds, floating eyes and chop sticks. We spent most of our meal dissecting their meaning.
Heather was given some last minute work and had to stay ‘home’ to get it finished so I wandered out in to the snow (yes, it was snowing!) of Mitte, the sort of hipster area we were close to. I saw lots of cute boutiques with clothing I couldn’t afford. I managed to buy a pair of black boots, as I’ve been looking for a pair since I got to London. Horrah!
Later that day I met up with Sabine and tired to find the Uber Store I had heard so much about. It’s a store which changes its inventory monthly according to a theme. Apparently November was “melancholy” and was stocked with black crows, depressing books and Morrissey albums. Sadly the Uber Store was no more. Boo internet searches for cool things to do in Berlin not being updated!
Sabine and I then went for the obligatory coffee and cake time treat before she went back home to her hubby.
I met up with Heather and rested my back for a while. Apparently I have a disk injury and until 2 weeks ago seemed to be getting slowly better but the week before I was limping a little and days before I got to Berlin I was limping a lot. After my first day in Berlin my limp was constant. As my disk injury has caused my muscles in my right back to grip, to avoid the injury on the left, I am putting pressure on my nerves which is radiating down my left leg.
Heather and I went for dinner at this cool California Burrito place then for drinks at the recommended White Trash Fast Food. WTFF is a cool place, but we should have been there for dinner - cause then we could have sampled the “Fuck You Fries” they offer on their menu.
DAY 3
This was our tourist day. We first went to the DDR Museum and learnt about the hell of living under the governments regiem. Here’s a quote from their website about the museum: “The DDR Museum offers you a hands-on experience of the everyday life of a state long gone, the life in socialism. Visitors are welcome to broaden their knowledge in different thematic areas, to reconsider existing clichés and to have a hands-on experience of history. Exhibits are there to be handled - few are kept in glass cabinets. Everything waits to be touched and experienced: Open the drawers and closets, rummage through them and discover!”
It was interesting but came across a little bit pro -socialism. Everything except for the part where they had to wear polyester because cotton wasn’t available. That was the true hell. ;)
Reichstag
Next stop the Reichstag. Kinda pointless going on a overcast snowy day but a definite tourist must. It’s been renovated with a Dr Who like orb on the top which you walk up a spiral ramp to see views of Berlin.
Brandenburg Gate
After the Reichstag- which was the first parliament of the German Empire, dating back to 1884 or something. We wandered down the road to the next important monument the Brandenburg Gate. Impressive, lots of tourists around.
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Then just down the road a little further and we visited the Holocaust Memorial as it’s more commonly known, the real name is “Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.” It’s a large site, about the size of a building (which is very vague I know) full of concrete slabs. When you walk into it the slabs begin to grow in height quickly as the grown begins to descend. Now, as it was winter and snowing and many people had visited the monument before us this slanted floor had another element of danger because it was very icy. The monument is impressive, it’s frightening, haunting and incredibly powerful. If you’re ever in Berlin go. I wish I could have sat in it for longer but the young teenage couple chasing each other shooed me away from lounging in sorrow.
Sushi!
Next we were cold and hungry and found ourselves in Potzdam Platz eating sushi. I haven’t had sushi yet in London as the prices are ridiculous. 4 pounds for a california roll! That’s about $8 for only 6 pieces. Back home you’d pay $2.50 for 8 pieces. I just can’t rationalize it. But in Berlin we got a decent priced for some okay sushi- it was maki- I wasn’t going to touch the sashimi. Oh, sushi makes me so homesick for Vancouver...
Moving on... That evening we met up with Sabine and her husband Josh for a concert at the Jewish Museum. I wish we had had more time to explore the museum as it looked to be a beautiful and fascinating place, but it was closed except for the concert, which was of Jewish chamber music, very interesting. Afterwards we went for tapas and drinks in Mitte and had long conversations about our families histories, about how we all made it to Canada and where in the world we were all from. I’m not sure, I’d have to check with my mother but I have a feeling my family on her side has been in North America since the Mayflower.
DAY 4
The Statsi Museum. This was a very interesting museum - and very hard to find- as it’s in the actual building that the Statsi’s headquarters originally were. Now it’s next to a bunch of physiotherapists and a sausage shack. Inside the Statsi museum it feels like you’re walking in the 60s, from the chairs to the wallpaper, even though it’s been preserved in the condition it was left in when the wall came down in 1989; that alone tells you a lot about what it must have been like to live in East Berlin. The museum is full of propaganda, displays of secret cameras and listening devices (in rocks, buttons, and post boxes), there was even briefcases which were used to cover loaded guns.
I can’t remember what we did after the museum ... Oh I know. We went to Check Point Charlie and the Topography of Terror, which has become such a tourist trap/ Disney land.
Then after a coffee and cake break we went back to our hotel because of my sad injured back. That evening as it was our last we went to this bar called The CSA, as my internet searching told me it was supposed to be the best bar in the world from a few reviewers. It was designed like an airport lounge in the 60s. It was nice, very fancy and the drinks were good. The worst thing about it was that everyone there smoked. Ugh. I thought we were over smoking. I am, I’ve been allergic to it for years now. But the artsy people of Berlin, who take their wiener dogs into swanky bars apparently haven’t received that memo yet.
One thing I will say about being in Berlin was that I am so incredibly thankful that they spoke English. I felt like such a chump asking if they spoke English. There was a bunch of French tourists we crossed paths with and they seemed to be having a hard time as the Germans only spoke German or English.
The other thing I noticed was the style of European women. I’ve noticed this in London but in Germany it was doubled. Some women out here are very... styled. They love their fake tans, their bleached blond hair (or jet black), their fake nails, and detailed skimpy clothing. Lets just say that their style is not subtle. I found a funny show the other day on tele where they give people ‘make-unders’ which I think is a brilliant idea as so many women out here give high maintenance a whole new meaning. But then again, I’m just a West Coast hippy, what do I know about style?
DAY 5
On our last day I took it easy and went to an art museum, where I hobbled around and watched a lot of art films. Heather went to the Berlin Wall Museum which she said was very informative. I wish I’d gone because aside from the East Berlin architecture being vastly retro compared to the West side, you would never really know that this city was divided and that people were killed escaping from a city that put up walls practically over night.
It’s a fascinating city with a great vibrancy. I can understand why so many artists make it their base. I’d love to go back when I’m in better physical health and when the weather is better. But it was on my must visit list while I’m living in London. It’s been nearly 6 months now and I’m still not sure what will happen when my MA is completed and if this poem I wrote in the art gallery is any indication- I’m getting a little homesick (but there’s still so much to explore and do!).
Fishing on a Jetty
Fishing on a Jetty
In an art gallery
In Berlin
I am standing in front of a photograph
of a man fishing
dressed like Leonard Cohen
-or so I think-
The background is a city
my city
my home
-I think-
Amongst strangers
and the cute German guy
who keeps catching my eye
emotions spill
for home
I think it is
I don’t know for sure
But it does looks like
Home
Right in front
yet far out of reach.
Karl Lagerfield Bear. This sells for 1000 Euros.
Angst graffiti. Tee hee hee.
There were so many bikes around Berlin but this one was so sad. Oh poor beautiful bike!
More art and coffee at breakfast.
East Berlin City by our 'home'
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