Saturday, March 24, 2012

In which living gets larger in Berlin.


Also known as the F-bright conference in Berlin, during which hundreds of Americans were put up in a swanktastic hotel, were fattened with oodles of free food and ego pumpers, discussed both intellectual and practical topics, wore a lot of nametags and shook a lot of hands. A Smithie Compadre and I were treated to a totally pimpin' corner room on the 15th floor with a more than decent view and a glassed-in bathtub. I didn't foresee myself being snuggled with such luxuries again anytime in the near future and made sure to live it up to an appropriate extent. Additionally, the people watching was superb.



A tour to one of the biggest mosques in the city sent my brain/camera hurdling back in time to springtime in Istanbul two years ago. Despite everything being in Turkish, this mosque was a little different from those in that ancient place in that it was only a few years old. Being one of the few visible mosques in the city makes it a symbol for the Muslim community and thus also a target for hate. Immigration and integration are huge discussion topics for Berlin and many parts of Europe (and the world), and it was interesting to finally hear about it from another opinion. My favorite moment of the excursion was being inside during the call to prayer-- a sound that is so strange, chilling, exotic and beautiful to the westernized ear. It reminded me of being atop the Galata Tower in Istanbul on a lovely evening in the past-- a moment preserved in this wee video.    



Now for a few more typisch Berlin stills.










Mingling in the Rathaus after the gvt welcome. We sure were made to feel welcome, constantly, profusely, and with great pride and pompidous. It was one of those experiences that I almost didn't believe was real life. There were just so many sparkles.


One of my favorite sights of the seeing-- a segue tour chillin' with Karl Marx. Talk about Kapital.


Busking bagpipes always make the day brighter.




One detail in this scene made me chuckle heartily in a self-referential kind of way. Winkwink.





Und hier ist deinen Sonnenuntergang. Nicht so spektakulär, aber schlecht ist es auch nicht. Ganz einfach.


I enjoyed being in Berlin again, especially when soaking up all its different flavors. It's still a little too big for my liking, as evidenced by the surprise I felt when realizing that the city map had a very different scale than other city maps I'd played with recently. Where a couple inches is easily walkable on paper elsewhere, in Berlin there was a little more sidewalk involved.

Additionally, now I am in Budapest.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Sunday, March 11, 2012

In which we discover what Google thinks of me.

This ad came up while scouring the web for bran muffin recipes. Umm, lol.

Monday, March 5, 2012

In which we seek out color in a cold, gray place and DJs are the bearers of world peace.



All the snow disappearing has firmly planted the WINTER IS OVER! mindset in my brain, despite the fact that it's still perdy dern chillee out of doors. This brain switch has switched on something I can't turn off (;D), and its making me do silly things like go running and leave the house without three pairs of thermal leggings. According to Mr. Pux. Phil, the Prognosticator of all Prognosticators, I shouldn't be doing these things for another two weeks. Good thing optimism makes me feel warm and cozy.

But before those spring days spring into action, let's relive a few of those snowy days of our past. Here are some Fotos from a northerly visit to Kiel in the not-so-distant Vergangenheit, when the ground was still fluff-colored and the Baltic Sea misted freshness amidst the industry-speckled skyline.
   
















On a much warmer note, Andrew Bird is releasing his next album tomorrow. Thanks to NPR, I've already listened to it more times than an 8 track would ever allow. 
Mr. Bird, you can rest assured that, even after all these years, I am just as smitten with your whistling whimsings as ever. 

And on a somewhat related topic, a recent gem sparkling the spectacular importance of proofreading translations done by non-native speakers:

"Test your readiness to assume a risk in the fully equipped casino or dance through the night while listening to live music. A wide range of entertainment is waiting for you and even next to the pool a DJ will spread an atmosphere of joy by his music."