What a campy evening!

Berlin's Komische Oper has been awarded best opera house of Germany, and "Kiss me, Kate" by Cole Porter is the best musical of the early area (actually, the later area doesn't count, really, it's way too commercial to be good). And parties at the opera house are famous, as well.
So what if all these three components come together in one hot summer night in Berlin? A campy evening!
I was lucky to get to know about this special evening at the end of this opera season, and to book one of the very last tickets. Three weeks ago.
Dressed up nicely with my dear old light olive green dress from Conil, Spain, and matching newly bought summer shoes, I arrived a bit early, to find everybody was already there, with champagne, wine, or water waiting for the musical to start. Didn't take me long to find out, all these drinks were for free!
All evening, during the breaks, drinks and food from huge buffets were offered for free, and a band was playing good summer jazz to top it.
The play was all I had read and heard about it: great, lively, fun, great actors and singers, good musicians. How often will opera houses do musicals? Komische Oper does, and so well!
We all enjoyed every second. I walked home late at night, still filled with all those great songs in my head.
P.S. You wonder what on earth "campy" might be? I didn't know until I read about it in the opera bulletin. It's an expression meaning theatrical, overdone, fun. Musicals of the 40s are said to be campy. And "Kiss me, Kate" from 1948 is definitely one of them. I love it!

Obama was here today!

Berliners crowded around victory column to see him and listen to his speech. Hardly any president had had such an enthusiastic welcome like Obama, who is candidate only. Young people above all were waiting patiently in the hot sun, some had come from quite a distance to be there.
I wasn't, since I had to work, I didn't even watch the event on tv (all the programs had been cancelled because of him), but I saw the speech on the web later in the evening.
Well, it was a great pr-idea to hold the speech in Europe in Berlin of all places, reminding Kennedy's famous speech in the 60s, and the americans flying in food during the Berlin blockade 60s years ago. See and read for yourself on Obama's website.
Will he make it in November? I wonder.

Travelling again

Anna had suggested I should start travelling again during my vacations. She offered to look after Emil, the shy tomcat, and after some pondering about I decided I could and should do it. But where to go to from Stuttgart?
Whilst checking my mail, I saw Acidrongeur from Cannes was online, we chatted a bit, and - yesss! The proud owner of a lemon tree, and movie enthusiast who had spent some days and nights at Berlinale 2007 with me, was at home in August and offered to host me.
I hadn't been to the Cote d'azur since almost 15 years, and even though it is quite warm in summer, it will not beat Berlin hot summer now. It's too late for cheap flights (there are hardly any from Stuttgart to Nice), but I always enjoy taking night trains. So I checked SNCF-offers, and found 1st class was even cheaper than 2nd class on some days. Tickets are booked, and the plan is to go to Strasbourg first by TGV, spend the day there around the medieval narrow streets and the famous cathedral, and after some Edelzwicker and Flammekueche climb on board and relax whilst the train is busy driving along the river Rhone, past Avignon and Marseille, taking me to the blue mediterranean sea.
One week is fine for a start, I can't overdo it with Emil, so I'll be back to Stuttgart for a few days before leaving again to some busy working weeks in Berlin.
Ahhh, looking forward to some lovely french breakfast au bord de la mer with cafe and croissant!

Visitors from Lithuania

Audrone and her family who had invited me to their home in Siauliai two years ago, where I spent a lovely time in the countryside celebrating a huge family meeting with them, had come to Germany this July to visit their daughter who studies in Braunschweig. So of course I had invited them to a weekend in Berlin.
We had a great time with sightseeing, fleamarkets, climbing up the victorycolumn (where later that week Barack Obama will speak), and lots of special places I love, and wanted to share with them. Relaxing at Tiergarten jazz, listening to the music and taking some time off from the hustle and bustle of the hot summer city was just the thing to do in between our seemingly endless walks.
But we also found time for lots of talks, a nice long sunday breakfast, and even cooked together before I took them to the station just round the corner, and waved them goodbye. They had come Saturday from Braunschweig and left again Sunday, both ways travelling cheap with the "Beautiful weekend" ticket, 35 Euro for all five of them one way.
I was happy to have them here. They might come again sometime, and I hopefully will be able to visit them in Lithuania, too. The last time I went there was way too short to get to know this beautifulcountry and the people.

The art I bought

Today I finally went to the gallery to take the work of art home with me that I had admired since January and seen in three exhibitions so far.
I told Steffen Osvath about it, and sent him a pic. Hopefully he'll appreciate the place I chose for his art: between H.A.P Grieshaber, Tina Roth, and Gertrude Degenhart.
It feels so good to have it around!

Vive la France!

Pariser Platz at Brandenburg Gate hosted la "Fete Nationale" today. One day early, but so what? More people to go there, celebrate together, sing, dance on the streets, and enjoy the french way of life with fromage, du vin, and friends. And cheer the revolution.
I had managed to clean my flat in time for the drizzle, and sang and ate and drank with the cheerful crowd, when all of a sudden I noticed my old collegue Sabine Herholz from ver.di at the booth besides me. We had a great time together chatting and feasting.
When leaving we promised each other to meet again, soon.
Sigh.
How often had we tried before...

Russia in Xberg

I knew there were lots of Russians living in Berlin, and I knew as well they had opened up quite a few great restaurants and bars with russian food and drinks and culture. But yesterday was the first time I actually experienced it. And loved it.
The place I went to is "Kvartira Nr. 62" at Lübbener Straße, to the right of Francisco's gallery. It's only a kilometer or two from my office at ver.di, and the prizes are incredibly low, even for Berlin. So just right for an evening snack before going home.
Ahhh, I liked sitting outside the cafe, enjoying home made caramel cake, and reading the new Janet Evanovich. Simple pleasures, but great to start the weekend with!

The art I almost bought

Francisco "Totem" Perez had invited me to his place so often, and today I finally made it. The finissage presenting his and his friends latest works of arts was wonderful, with poets reciting, and musicians performing, and of cause pictures covering all the walls.
You can see the one I almost bought above the door, to the right. The girl admiring it bought it, a few minutes before I decided I liked and want it. 50 € is not much for a fine piece of art. But, sigh, too late. Francisco told me not to worry, he could always create a new one for me. ;)
So I'll go to the next open air gallery at Oberbaumbrücke August 3rd and check.

What's your favourite Beatles song?

Each 10 July, Liverpool celebrates Beatles Day. The event marks the anniversary of the Fab Four’s triumphant homecoming to Liverpool after they conquered America in 1964.
This year, various famous people have been asked for their favourite Beatles song and the leaders of the political parties have answered as follows:
Gordon Brown - "All My Loving"
David Cameron - "The Long And Winding Road"
Nick Clegg - "A Day In The Life"
My favourite is "Yesterday". I heard the song late at night on my very old radio (this poster hanging above my bed) when I was 14, and thought: "Hey, that must be Paul singing". I was a big Beatles fan since a few years already, my first single ever was the german version of "She loves you", and I even learned my English from their songs. Plus, you never know when you meet them, and then it's advisable to speak the language. Amazing how fast my English got better in school. ;)
What's your favourite?

We're world heritage!

Well, not actually "we" as in you and me, but Berlin modernism housing estates in the 20s of last century were included in the Unesco list of world heritage today.
I'm so proud!
The architects Bruno Taut and others did some fine work, and the flats they designed were suitable for workers with a low income. Still the houses are wonderful, and show it can be done: living in beautiful surroundings is not for rich people only.
Check here and here for more informations.
And if you feel like having a look for yourself: Come to Berlin! I'll gladly be your guide.

Happy-Go-Lucky

I went to the movies tonight (on Mondays tickets are cheapest at "Odeon") - I hadn't been since a loooong time. And I enjoyed every second of the movie: "Happy-go-Lucky" by Mike Leigh.
It won quite a few awards, f.e. at Berlinale, and right so!
I'm not gonna tell you the story. Check for yourself. You'll love it!
As did I!
P.S. Just this much: It's about making the most of life. Every second, always. Yup.

Art at Oberbaumbrücke

Two Sundays in July and August, Oberbaumbrücke is closed for traffic, and turns into an open air gallery, with artists, their art, and thousands of enthusiasts taking over. Today was the first this year. I couldn't but go and see what my favourite painters had worked on lately, but was determined to not buy anything. (I had bought the picture that had fascinated me in January from Steffen Osvath already this month, so...)
Francisco Perez, a painter from Chile whose paintings I really love because they're full of life, colours and stories - first time I saw them I had to buy three (!) on the spot -, invited me to their finissage next Friday, and I will go for sure and might get a few of those wonderful small paintings he had done. They're just perfect as gifts for Xmas or birthdays!
Later, I was off to summer jazz in Tiergarten, again. Hmmmm, there's no better way to spend a sunny weekend in Berlin...

Summer Jazz

Today was the first day and evening of summer jazz at Englischer Garten, in the middle of Berlin's greencenter Tiergarten. Since I first heard about it, I have to go there every weekend in July and August, relax on the grass, have some cool wine, a good book (the new Jasper Fforde is out!), freshly made indian or turkish food, and, best of all, listen to great jazz and (so-called) world music. For free, to top it.
Ahhhhhhhh, summer's here at last!

A day to celebrate

It's Independance Day in the United States! And over here in Berlin, we have even more reason to party: The new US embassy building at Pariser Platz was ceremoniously opened today with lots of special guests invited to attend and enjoy the fireworks above Brandenburg Gate, and everybody not as special to watch from the distance.
Tomorrow all Berliners are welcome to a big celebration program. I'll have a quick glimpse and maybe a snack, if the american food is anything like the real american delicacies and not just burgers and steaks. (Comment from Saturday: It was only burgers and steaks, sigh!)
Have a look at the building and the curious partying thousands at "Amerika-Festival" here!

Gone!

Helen left today, I saw her off to the airport, and waved goodbye. I couldn't wait until her plane left, since I had some work to do at home. (It was more than three hours delayed, she told me later.)
Back home in Crellestraße, I found the bench in front of the small museum decorated with flowers, toys, and a print out. Harald, the strange old man who had been sitting here for months, with a bottle of wine, and a glass, reading his newspaper, had died.
The neighbours had been worrying about him, we were used to having him around, and found him dead in his room. Passers-by stop and read the notice now. It's funny how fast Harald had become a part of our lifes, and got a place in our hearts!