Meine Eltern kommen nach Berlin!!!

Well, actually my parents *came* to Berlin and have already left.  :*(

Lots of laughing, poking fun, great conversation and memory making (Ritter Sport Soap...  all I'm going to say...)  We had such a wonderful 3 days visit (much too short) but we *really* made the most of our time together!  Here is our jam-packed itinerary:

Day 1:
~ Dada Falafel (for delicious food!)
~ Neue Synagogu
~ Missing House
~ viewing of Stolpersteine Bricks
~ Gedenkstätte Berlin Mauer

Day 2:
~ Fernsehturm
~ Marien Kirche

~ Neptunebrunnen 
~ Rotes Rathaus 

~ Franziskaner Klosterkirche

~ Old City Wall

~ Zum Nußbaum  (for traditional German food)
~ Berliner Dom
~ Pergamon Museum
~ Neue Wache

~ Bebelplatz
~ Brandenburg Tor
~ Reichstag
~ Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas
~ Schleusenkrug  (delicious schnitzel for the rents)

Day 3:
~ Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

~ Papaya  (amazing Thai food)
~ East Side Gallery

Day 4:
~ Treptower Park

~ Zimt und Mehl  (tasty cheese, hummus and veggie plates...  meat too)

Our goodbyes at the airport were close to tearful, but I will be in Vancouver in April, so of course we will meet again!!!  I saw them off to Spain where I hope the weather was much more pleasant than in Berlin.  ;P  Miss them like crazy already.

Next guest:  Miss Rachella!!!

Now that Schule hat beendet... (school has ended)

...  it's time for another post to sum up the month of August.

First I should quickly summarize my time in Köln for the Amphi Festival in July.  After a 6 hour train ride to Köln with 3 really special friends, lots of silly games to pass the time, some teasing and lots of laughter, we finally arrived.  Köln is best known for it's magnificent Kölner Dom in the city centre:

 

Construction began in 1248 and took, with interruptions, until 1880 to complete. It is 144.5 metres long, 86.5 m wide and its towers are approximately 157 m tall. The cathedral is one of the world's largest churches and the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe.

Here are some other sights we took in on our leisurely day wandering the narrow streets of medieval Köln:

The Hohenzollern Bridge was one of the most important bridges in Germany during World War II; even under consistent daily airstrikes the bridge was not damaged badly. On 6 March 1945, German military engineers blew up the bridge when Allied troops started to conquer Cologne.  Since 2008 people have placed "love padlocks" on the fence between the sidewalk and the tracks.

 

Antique shop we passed by, noticing a doll with an iron cross draped around it's neck...  odd, to say the least.

Rather than bore you with a bunch more concert photos, I'll just share with you some of the people and friend I was with and a view of the Dom from the "beach" at Amphi:

Day at the "beach"...

The whole gang!!!  What fun we had sheltering ourselves from the rain with a canopy of umbrellas!

Beautiful Anne and I on day two at Amphi.

In July I also met a very loverly and wonderful costume designer (and her crew of delightful ladies!) who was kind enough to take a chance on an ex-pat and bring me onto her costume team, despite my lack of fluent German.  I am forever in debt to her for her advice and help and patience with me learning to do my job...  in Deutsch!  I learned a lot, met a terrific group of people who appreciated my being there, and expressed their sadness when I was not.  I felt really accepted and loved on "Wechselspiel".  I now have an official German film credit for my CV!!!  Woohoo!  (Thanks to B for the introduction).

August saw the start of another German course...  which I passed...  I've now completed 3 levels of German leaving another 9 more to go!  (eep!)  With any luck my budget will allow me to take at least another 2 levels before year's end.  *daumen drücken* (fingers (well thumbs really) crossed).  Meine Lehrerin (teacher) says I'm the strongest in my class, but I have a hard time believing it.  I know I have *definitely* improved since I landed in Berlin, but still struggle with listening sometimes.  It helps to have wicked friends who are here to help and not laugh at me too.  :)

Now for some eye candy and history:

Reich Eagle on side of Columbiahaus Concentration Camp from 1933. Up to 1936 the Tempelhofer Feld was situated here. Used by the SS and the Gestapo for 8,000 political prisoners. Also was used to train commandrs and personnel how to torture. This building stands across from Tempelhof Airfield and is about 3 blocks from my flat in Neukölln. You can also see the eagles on the Tempelhof Airfield building.

Steel sculpture commemorating the Columbiahaus prison.

Berlin Airlift Monument on Platz der Luftbrücke in front of the airport, displaying the names of the 39 British and 31 American pilots who lost their lives during the operation, and symbolising the three air corridors.

Tempelhof Airfield - 1935-41.  Would have been at the end of the North-South Axis of the Third Reich's new "Germania".  Tempelhof was designated as an airport by the Ministry of Transport on 8 October 1923. The old terminal was originally constructed in 1927. In anticipation of increasing air traffic, the Nazi Government began a massive reconstruction in the mid-1930s.  Today the airfield is closed for it's original use, but was opened in May 2010 as a city park for the people of Berlin.  We have grilled there a few times now and also gone for bike rides.

Tempelhof Airfield - Reich Eagle in "Eagle Square" in front of the reception building. Originally it sat 45 meters high on the roof of the reception area. It was presented to the Americans for West Point Academy, but they returned the head back to Berlin. (where is the body?)

This wraps up July and August.

Things I am currently looking forward to in September:

1.  My parents, Rachel, Kely, Bruce & Maddy arriving in Berlin.
2.  Seeing OMD for the first time with fellow OMD fans Bruce & Maddy.
3.  E-tropolis.
4.  Drop Dead Festival.
5.  Seeing !Bang Elektronika
6.  DJing with DJs BGleiter, Ben Bloodygrave and Ansi @ Blue Wednesday.

It's going to be a wonderfully busy month!!!

<3
Devi

Entschuldigung, bitte. (excuse me, please)

Wow, I'm so embarrassed to realize that I have not posted since my adventures in Bayern.  :O  I must correct this situation henceforth!!!

Where to begin?

Once I returned to Berlin, I anticipated the visit of my loverly friend Jen from London as we were going to travel to Leipzig for WGT (Wave Gotik Treffen), a 30,000+ person music event that has been happening for 20 years.  This was my fourth time going.  But first we exposed ourselves to a little Berlin culture...

The Bodemuseum.  Built between 1897 and 1904.  Houses beautiful Byzantine art.

 

The Holocaust Denkmal.  Constructed in 2003.  Memorial for Jews killed by Nazis between 1933 and 1945.  You can see Jenn in the last one, weaving her way through the undulating field of concrete slabs.

A section of the Berlin Mauer (Wall) I hadn't noticed the previous *3* times I'd been there!!!

The Fernsehturm (tv tower)

 

The Alte Bibliothek built 1775.  Next to Bebelplatz, the site where the book burning on May 10th, 1933 took place.

Bebelplatz. Designed in the 18C was renamed in 1947 after the social activist August Bebel.  Also the location where the Nazi burned around 25,000 books written by "enemies" on the Third Reich. This window exposes a room with empty bookshelves to recognize this horrible event. There is also a plaque on the ground that reads:

"Where books are burned, in the end people will burn." ~ Heinrich Heine

 The Berliner Dom.  Neo-Baroque architecture dating from 1894 to 1905.  Notice the bullet marks in the last photograph.

Caught on surveillance monitors at Potsdamplatz U-Bahn!!!

And now, WGT 2011...  20th Anniversary.  Jenn and I awaiting some good live music, then Covenant, then me in front of a clothing store window display welcoming the people of the festival to Leipzig and finally Homo Futura.

After Jenn returned to London, I continued to do a little exploring on my own.

Olympiastadion built for the 1936 World Games in Berlin.  Designed by Werner March, in the Nazi architectural style inspired by ancient Rome.

The Nothing eats Neukölln...  a huge storm that ransacked Berlin...  came and went in probably 10 minutes.  Pretty common here.

Street art in Hackescher Hof.

The Siegessäule - Triumphal Column 1864.  As well, the Goldelse on top.  The trees in the BG are the Tiergarten.

Cute cat and mouse door handle I wandered past by chance.

Wild flowers back lit by the setting sun  in Mauer Park.

 

A sweet present from Momma!!!  Ginger molasses cookies!  Sehr lecker!!!  Vielen Dank!!!

My Klappfahrad...  collapsing bike.  It's black with red splatter.  And wee just like me!!!

This sums up my July Berlin photographic entry.  However I do have a few other things to add that can't be captured on film.

Firstly, I started Deutsch Schule in the beginning July.  It is an intensive course for 4 weeks, 4 days/wk and 3hr/day.  I have one week left to go...  think I'm learning pretty well, but still having a hard time *hearing* the words.  It's getting better, but I shouldn't be too hard on myself considering I've only been studying for 2 months.  :)  In August I will commence the next level.

Secondly, I got a job!  Although don't get too excited...  it's not paid because it's a student film.  However, it's a start, some connections and experience on a German film set so I can get my feet wet.  The costume crew all seem really loverly and are grateful to have me and are willing to teach me the way...  in GERMAN!!!  And of course in English too, but it's a great opportunity I simply would be stupid to pass up.  It will be challenging especially since I am also still going to school.  From one to the other, when they need me, which might not be all the time.  I've even started a small book to make notes of all the German film terms.  :D

Thirdly, I got to DJ at Dark Markt.  A daytime market catering to the gothically inclined, for lack of better words.  ;)  It was great, and I was DJing along side a Berlin friend and we will both get the opportunity to do it again in August!

Okay, now I'm done.  Coming up next:


~ Köln
~ Amphi Festival


*heart*
Devi