My Weekend!

FRIDAY:
I went to see a play for my drama class called "Einsame Menschen." This translates to "Lonely Men" but I think the english adaptation is called "Lonely Lives" The play itself, which we had to read prior to the show, was written in 1891, and was not the most enthralling work I've ever read. It was a bit antiquated, and I was afriad the show was going to be rather boring. However, the adaptiation was actually quite super, and very modern. I think the way that it presneted the characters and monologues really worked, because I left the theatre feeling a wave of lonliness come over me. We've been talking in my drama class about dramatic vs. epic theatre - and how in dramatic it is all about feeling with the characters, whereas in epic its about not really relating to the characters as much, but having to think about them after, and how their position might reflect a position that one might be in, but unaware of. (nachdenken.) Of course I prefer epic theatre (that of brecht and beckett), and I was a little quick to dismiss the dramatic theatre (it seems like more of an escape, or high-brow soap opera), but I was moved by this play, which is good, because now I might understand the value of both types. After the play I went to one of my favorite places to hang out in berlin called Tacheles. It is an "arthouse" or art colony, that has a big field where lots of art pieces stand, and workshops and galleries in the building upstairs. There are also bars along the first floor, and a sandy area behind them where there are extensions of the bars and lots of cool art to sit on, and a stage. My friend cindy and i went there, and got some fresh squeezed orange juice, and listened to an electric cello player, who was playing over electronic music tracks. It was probably the coolest thing musically that i've seen in a while. He would switch from bowing to finger picking, and he made this instrument sound like a bass, a wind instrument, and even a voice at one point. He also had a pedal so he could make loops on the spot. Once it got a little darker, three fire dancers appeared, and "fire danced" to the music for a while. (they held these contraptions with fire balls on the end and swung them around). It was really cool, and it reminded me of LA for some reason. After we left tacheles, I met up with my friend Ned, and we went to some pretty lame party near franzosiche strasse, the only cool thing about which was that is was off the platz where the nazi's burned all the books in 1939. But the music was terrible poppy american music, so we quickly left. After that, we went to this club called Tresor, which we got into for free because my friend was on the guest list (hurrah!) and we stayed there until the night was the morning, at which point I finally made it home. I've realized it's always better, if you have it in you, to stay until it is light outside, instead of leaving in the middle of the night, because 1)you will not get lost on the way home and 2)eateries are open and 3)it is probably safer. SO, conclusion is, redbull or club mate is always a good investment.

SATURDAY:
I had my first "date" with a real german. His name is steven, and I met him at my favorite club about a month ago, when we met. I had somewhat forgotten about him, but then I got a call from him a couple days ago, and we arranged to meet up saturday at 8.
He was 15 mins late, (boo), and when he got here he hadn't really planned anything to do, exactly. Or maybe he was trying to keep it a surprise. We ended up walking all over Berlin for about two hours, when we finally got to this park, Trepptower Park, which had a small carneval/festival inside. We made it to the part of the park by the water at around 10:30, and then he told me that we should wait here, because there would be fireworks.
Of course this made me totally excited, because I haven't seen fireworks in a really long time. And these would be shot over the water of the river there - it was pretty picturesque.
The fireworks themselves weren't that great (i've probably seen better ones at baseball games),
but seeing fireworks is always cool even if the show isn't.
After, we walked back and he tried to find this bar that he wanted to go to, and after asking a few people we finally found it. (Steven has a car here, so he doesn't know how to get places on foot as well, from the station.) The bar was called stereo33, and was very chic, and was NOT your typical beer-laden berlin bar. I think it was my first time getting an actual mixed drink at a club. But it was a caipirinha, and it was very good. After that, it was probably after midnight, and I was really tired, so I went home, and I think (in true berlin fashion) since Steven wasn't tired he went to a club to "start" his real night. Hilarious.

Island Influence Creates Magic in Streets of Berlin

Hello all,

This weekend was a holiday weekend here - Pfingsten.
I'm not exactly sure, but I think it has to do when the Holy Spirit came and spread his presence through the world.
This weekend is celebrated also by a huge "karvenal der kultures" - which is a festival that happens to be located right by my apartment. I heard sounds of it from friday afternoon until monday night.
The festival is actually influenced hugely by latin america, jamaica, cuba, etc. There were tons of island beats, reggae shows, and caipirinhas. My host woman started out the weekend by making jerk chicken legs, which were probably the best thing i've eaten in a while.
During the festival I saw:
-a talking parrot
-a girl with a pet mouse on her shoulder
-more than 100 people with dredlocks
-more black people than i've seen in berlin this whole time put together
-fire dancers
-traveling drummers
-fortune tellers and henna painters
-lots of old german men dancing to carribean music.

It was probably the most entertaining and cultural thing i've done in berlin so far, it was a blast.
I did take a couple of photos, but again, have yet to get them developped, so they'll be on the flickr as soon as it's up and running!

Also, I realized it's already JUNE! that means i only have a month and a half let here! yoikes!