Berlin!!

Hello!!!

So last weeks post was really long and detailed and I have a feeling this one will be pretty darn detailed as well. Just a quick overview of school last week: Monday we had class and a briefing for our trip to Berlin (for Art Forum Berlin which is an international Art Fair) where we got our folders with our tickets, our 48 hour travel pass, maps, itinerary, etc etc. Tuesday we didn't have any class so Randi, Alex and I met up with our friend Larissa for drinks in Soho. We found a place that had 2 for 1 drinks and hung out there, and then ended up at a pub. We turned in early so that we didn't have to take the night bus home. Then Tuesday Randi and I went on an adventure to Tower Bridge and London Bridge and then went over to the Shoreditch area. Wednesday we had our Research Methodologies class but instead of our usual professor (David Bellingham, but Randi and I call him DB for short), we had our Art Marketing professor lecturing us on how to read an art fair. We were done with class early so Randi and I ran some errands and did a little bit of shopping. We then got home, made a huge salad for dinner, had a bottle of wine and procrastinated on our packing until 1 a.m. We of course had to be at the airport by 8 and were planning on leaving our flat at 6:30 so we didn't get much sleep that night (and I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before either... silly me).

So we got to the airport, landed in Berlin, got our bags and all that stuff. Then the school had arranged two buses to come and pick us all up and take us to our hotel where we would be able to leave our bags until we could check in. Of course the bus Randi and I are assigned to is driving for 5 minutes and then gets into an accident. It was no biggie, just some woman on her cell phone scraped up against the side of the bus. So we had to wait around on the bus for much longer than was necessary. But once we got to the hotel we were able to check in, freshen up, and have some free time before this gallery opening we were invited to. Randi and I decided that it would be best to hang around not far from the hotel so that we could get back and get ready for the opening in time. We wandered around with our friend Renee and got lunch at this little place that we found. I got spaetzle which was deeeeeelish! Randi got these 2 sausages with this amazing sauerkraut and boiled potatoes, and Renee wasn't feeling very well so she just got some pasta. We had a really nice time just sitting and talking for a bit. We then wandered around a little and went back to the hotel and got ready for the opening. I then got a text from Larissa saying that a bunch of people were hanging out in their room with some Proseco before we headed out. We stopped by and then decided that instead of taking the U-bahn (which we already had passes that were paid for) we would take a cab. I wasn't so crazy about that idea because I didn't want to spend any unnecessary money but when I saw the area the gallery was in, I was quite glad to have taken the cab.

So we get to this contemporary art gallery called Micamoca which had this big gate out front and you walk through this cobbled driveway (not easy in heels) into this courtyard between these two sort of warehouse buildings. In the courtyard there was a little bar with some beer, wine, cheese, and deli meats. There was also a table set up for a DJ but he wasn't there yet. We got some wine and decided to check out one of the buildings. So we walk into this one building and at first I thought we weren't allowed in there because it looked like a construction site... but no.... that was the art apparently. I wasn't such a big fan. It was like piles of dirt and bricks and little dug trench sorts of things and there were ladders and all of that. Meh. There was also a room where there as rotting yogurt or something with maggots in it and like a freeze dried octopus and some other stuff. Not really my cup of tea when it comes to art. So then we went into the other building which had some other contemporary art. Contemporary art in general just really isn't my favorite because I don't really understand it at all. I mean there were some cool things in the gallery like this giant "spider" thing which was really just like a giant robot claw thing that opened and closed. And the stuff was interesting and the venue was great, it's just not really my favorite. So I decided to indulge in the free wine a bit! hehehe. It was cool because most of the people from the program were there and since we were all drinking a bit everyone was a little bit more friendly and open and I was able to meet a lot more people that I hadn't even met before.

We then heard from DB that there was some sort of after party that this gallery owner, Aaron had told him about. Aaron was scheduled to lecture to us the next morning about the art scene in Berlin, he's this young American who opened up a gallery with his girlfriend without knowing any German at all! But anyway, apparently this opening wasn't for a while so a group of us ended up going to dinner with DB and our other professor Iain (the guy that did my phone interview) at this German place that was around the corner from this after party. It was really cool because it was a really good group of us and we were at a table with our professors and it was just really fun. And then EVERYONE from our program ended up showing up at this little restaurant! So this restaurant was packed full of us and it was loud and crazy and the food was great and we had bottles of wine and beer, and it was just really fun. So then, we were all ready to go to this after party (and DB and Iain came!). So we get to this place that looks like a rec center that has been closed for a night. We are shoved into this tiny elevator where we go down to the basement. The doors open and there are neon lights everywhere, music is pumping and there is a bar and a bunch of people. It was so cool because it was this completely underground club- in every sense of the word! It was really fun until the DJ completely changed the music and it was really hard to dance to. But we were all really happy because we had ordered too many bottles of wine at the restaurant that had been opened and paid for but we hadn't had any of it yet so we were all taking swigs out of these bottles of wine that we had smuggled from the restaurant! We then all took cabs home and went to bed so that we could get up in time for breakfast in the morning and then a lecture at 9:30 by Aaron, the gallery guy (who was also at the after party until after we left).

Randi and I got up the next morning, totally exhausted, showered and went down to breakfast which was totally amazing. Lots of meat and cheese and amazing bread... I could have been there all day... and they had very fine tea where they brought out the pot and a little stand with a candle that they lit underneath to keep the tea hot! I was quite happy. The lecture was fine, but he kept talking and ran over the time limit by 45 minutes! It was cute because he was so passionate about it and very excited about everything he was talking about, but everyone was so exhausted and it was hard sitting there for so long. We then went to the room, got ready, snoozed for about 10 minutes, and then went to the art fair. Again, contemporary art isn't really my cup of tea, but being at the fair was really interesting. And I did see some stuff that I liked. It was cool just seeing how its set up and watching how people interact and all of that. Apparently a few of the kids in my program were mistaken for dealers, which I guess is a pretty cool thing! We stayed at the fair for about 4.5 hours just wandering around and looking at all the different galleries that were exhibiting their stuff. We then met up with a group of people and went back to the hotel. Randi and I immediately got into bed and took a hardcore nap because we could barely keep our eyes open. So then we got up, got ready and met up with a group of like 11 other people to go out for dinner in Mitte. Once we finally found a place and ate it was already close to midnight. We then decided to go and check out this after party at this place called the Tape Modern (hehehe). Again, we heard of this party because of the gallery owner Aaron, who was able to get us in for free! We walked into this place where there is some art exhibited on the wall and a scattering of couches in the center of the room. There is also a small bar and a hallway that leads to another room. The other room was a dance floor and a larger bar filled with cigarette smoke. The smoke was really intense, but the DJ was playing really fun 80's dance music which was awesome. It was a really cool place because it was in an obscure spot and seemed somewhat exclusive, especially within the art world. It was really fun!

The next morning we woke up for breakfast and then checked out of our hotel room. We had the hotel hold on to our bags while we went sightseeing. First we went with a group of people from school with DB to the Altes museum and the Pergamon museum which have amazing antiquities collections. I was very excited to be led around the museum by DB because he specializes in Greek Antiquities. I was quite happy, I felt like such a nerd, I almost cried when I saw the Pergamon Altar... its so cool! The picture I added is of part of the more than life size frieze on the altar. It's depicting Athena pulling a giant's hair and this particular giant is the son of mother earth, who is the figure popping up from the ground on the frieze. I love it! I took like 175 pictures at the museums alone. After the museums Randi and I couldn't really decide on what to do because we only had a few hours and we wanted to see lots of different parts of Berlin. So we decided to go on one of those city bus tours where you can hop on and hop off. Though, we didn't have much time to hop on and off so we just took the bus around the city for a few hours and tried to get as many pictures as we could through the windows. It was good to be able to see all the different areas in Berlin, I just wish we had more time to actually experience it.

So all in all I had a really great time in Berlin and it is a really cool and fun city, I just wish I had some more time to really get to know Berlin and not just the "cutting edge art scene." Though learning about that was very cool as well and I'm very glad we did it! It was very cool to feel so exclusive and to know about all of these "underground" parties and such! It was also good because I feel like I got to know some really cool girls and met more people in the program and made more friends! And now I have an excuse to go back some weekend and go all out!

Anyway, Randi and I were very excited to get back to the flat once we landed because we both missed Alex a lot! When we got back she was out with some of her friends from the photography program, so the 3 of us decided to go out for a roomie catch up breakfast! It was very nice, we went to this place Porridge down the street and Randi got an English Breakfast, I ordered porridge with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar with a pot of tea, and Alex got an English Breakfast too. Alex and I were both trying to decide between the porridge and the english breakfast so we decided to each get one and then split them both. It was fabulous and I'm still very full 5 hours later! We also all went to the big Sainsbury grocery store so we could do a big food run. The weather here is gorgeous today so we had a nice time! Though we all seem to still be a bit tired from our respective trips (Alex went on a trip to Bradford with the photography program).

Alright, I think this post is sufficiently long and detailed, so I will sign off. Love and miss you all and I will talk to you soon!!! xoxoxoxoxoxxo!