Walking around my neighbourhood yesterday morning in search of a bakery, I made a point of taking my time and stopping to explore as soon as anything caught my interest without questioning, sometimes turning around on my heels and going back after I had already passed, rather than rushing by. So much of the time in Vancouver I am in a rush. I am not one of those organized, punctual people, if they exist. I may not be German after all.
For most of my life, I have been so goal-oriented that I tend to zip towards where I’m going without noticing what’s around me. But here in Berlin, I walk more slowly, and I stop when something catches my eye. The Berlin residents on their way to and from work seem to be breathing impatiently down my neck when they are stuck behind me in a narrow passage. In my normal life, most people walk too slowly for my liking too. But this is my chance to enjoy process rather than focus on results all the time.
Even that giant to-do-while-in-Berlin-list is entirely optional. It’s not about checking things off. I am perfectly happy exploring the few blocks in my neighbourhood of Prenzlauer Berg. The slower I move, the more I look, the more I see, the more I get out of it.
When you go to Paris for the first time, you feel a great need to visit the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. I did. The second and third time I went to Paris, I went with other people who hadn’t been to Paris yet, so I went back to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. My fourth time in Paris (I grew up in Germany, so Paris was not that far away), I finally allowed myself to get lost in the streets or sit in the coffee shops watching people go by. It was great to not have to “do” the Eiffel Tower.
The most meaningful tourism is making your own discoveries rather than being spoonfed the official version.
Sketching early in the morning without a plan, being in the process. This drawing may be the processing of my struggle with the laundry.
Poster for a modern play.
“Sie werden sterben.” = “You will die.” An ad for a TV show on the topic of death.
German typography.
From a poster for the play The Name of the Rose.
Curbside water pump. I don’t think it is functional, but I didn’t try very hard.
Poster for a dance performance. “Wut” is German for “rage”.
Hand-lettered text at a store specializing in Czech products.
you summed it well in that last sentence…so, so true!
loving that ‘laundry struggle’ sketch. could easily be a large-scale
painting. thanks for sharing these…I’m living vicariously thru your
lens and words until you come back. : )
eman
I am thoroughly enjoying your account of your experiences in Berlin! I just sat and read the entire thing. I have only been to Berlin twice and both were while the Wall still stood. I was last in Germany in 2002 but lived there for 5 years. Reading this makes me want to return soon and stay as long as possible.
Hi Kate, and eman too – thanks! I am glad it’s interesting for you, Kate, it’s a city of so many upheavals up until the recent past that it seems to create a lot of energy.