Gaiser- A Berlin Resident
"The place is so cool that it’s disconnecting itself from the reality of what’s normal."
Anytime someone has asked me why I like Berlin I go speechless. I think this is why.
A thought that came up recently; the difference between those who must talk about how great they are, and those who just are. Some feel they have nothing to prove. Just like people all the biggest cities love to brag, except Berlin.
Being in the same resonance of the city at the time, I made no effort to share my experience there. But now I've been dreaming of going back, and today I came across that perfect sentence of why I love the place. So whether it's for my own ego or the hopes that maybe this will come in handy to some lonely traveler who has lost their way, here are some mementos of what I remember.
This city sets a high standard in art, music, and lifestyle. It is largely an international city, and everyone is from everywhere. Its as if every black sheep decided they needed somewhere to be themselves, and the casualness of its brilliance is spine-tingling. To remember that Germany was the start of the Romanticist movement, it all begins to make sense. This is the land of hedonistic indulgence, in the most mellow way imaginable. Because even behind the craziness, there is still an ethical and moral code that people act and treat each other with dignity. It's the land of purpose, and you better know what yours is.
Physics claims that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This is just as valid for the human condition. Think, the fall of the Berlin wall marked a very prominent check point. Before then there was serious repression and torment to those who didn't behave in a certain order- or even for those who hadn't come from a certain bloodline. Now there has been a sling-shot effect that has catapulted the cities demeanor to be one of the most radicley exuberant cities I've ever come across. Yes the people may act a bit ridged and can not fathom bending the rules, but when they let loose no competitor even comes close. And personally it seems to me that's all anyone wanted to do.
In the states the idea is "go hard," because you have three hours to party. In Berlin there is no need, because the parties go for 30+ hours. Most Berliners don't even bother showing up until well after 4 in the morning. And that's fine, becasue each DJ plays 5-10 hours. No one is rushed, over anxious, pushy, or rude. Like I said, they are so extraordinarily casual I could not emphasize this enough. They just do exactly what they want to do without any concern of ever "missing it." It's refreshing seeing a place where no one is trying to out-better anyone else.
Store owners have a ping pong table set up outdoors to play while business is slow. You can be eating outside and the people next to you strike up a conversation just because they noticed something funny. The parks are decorated as if they were an old fashioned garden party out of Alice and Wonderland, with giant benches you must climb into and a disco-balled bus used for seating. Cameras are not allowed in clubs, so people can act or do what they like without fear of someone posting images online. Thinking of an analogy, it's as if the lost-boys of Neverland accidentally grew up and all decided to build Berlin.
While living in the city my bestfriend said the most proufound thing. That here, music emanates off the buildings. It's true.
I decided I want to share some images of the city. None are my own, because while I was traveling I was robbed in my own hotel. Having lost my computer and camera I can not share with everybody what I really saw, but by sharing a collection of images that I believe portray the integrity of this historical city I will hopefully translate that warm fuzzy feeling I get when I think about going back.
This city is for where younger siblings go to be themselves.
Thanks Tech Beats for the opening quote. You really sparked back up that forgotten feeling.
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