Saturday Night, in East Berlin

I know this entry can't be too long, because I'm in the middle of my midterms, as of this morning. They are similar to finals, in terms of the fact that we don't have classes on the alternative sessions, but we should be using that time for review and study. Anyways, I'll surely come back to make a few revisions to this entry.

I really enjoyed the East Berlin presentation of the Indie experimental band, Animal Collective. I'm not saying that much had to do with the venue, Berghain, although the hollowed out and renovated power plant was quite impressive as well. I was a bit worried that my friend Samantha would not be able to make it into the show, because the agency had suffered a computer problem and could not deliver her ticket in a timely manner. Due to the fact that she brought proof of purchase, she was allowed entry. It was great, but I didn't want to spend the whole night out on the town afterwards, because I knew that just after noon the next day would be arriving my UNH friend who has been playing the role of au pair in Dusseldorf for a little over a month.

My UNH friend, named Kate, arrived at the main Hauptbahnhof station in central Berlin. She was really excited after more than 3 hours on the tracks, and I was surprised when she wanted me to lead her around on a brief walking tour. But I knew the way, after a few tours I had seen myself. So I made sure we had the proper direction, and we set off to see the Reichstag, the Gendarmenmarkt, along with a number of other interesting sights around Unter den Linden.

Being able to lead someone else through a city is a good enough signal that you are at last finding your way. Of course, tour guide books are heavily relied upon for any visitor staying for a short number of days, but for a semester or so, there can be no argument that it is necessary to gain a perspective of your cardinal directions. For me, I'm not certain what exactly I have been using as a landmark for navigation, because the TV-tower is often shifting. So too is the Spree River. I suppose I simply register in the back of my head which portion of Berlin I am standing in and where the nearest U-Bahn can be found. It's a learning experience, and I'm trying to take it for all that it is worth.

As Kate will be in Dusseldorf through the Spring, I wondered if I might come to visit and see the Rhein River and Cologne (Koln) some time close to the holidays. That trip would of course depend upon the success in the US economy, and let's not forget my ever-shrinking bank account.

Today's exams did not throw anything unexpected in our direction. But because they are worth a mere tenth of our final grade does not mean that I won't try as hard. As I don't have classes tomorrow, I will still be going in to Mitte for the purpose of studies.

I'll try to get in another post before I head off to St. Petersburg. I'll be flying over there on the 19th.


"Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself."
Miles Davis