Dis Wïk's Stuff

Berlin is nice. I went there again this weekend and checked some more shit out. I’m trying to get the vibe of Berlin. I’m not there yet. So far, it’s making me feel pretty damn good. Berlin “is a living city” as one friend put it. It’s not necessarily a beautiful city, but who gives a fuck. It’s really fucking cool.

I’m liking these places that have somewhat recently come out of significant repression — they’re progressing, they’re innovating, they’re interesting, and they’re fun. The memories of this repression are good motivators. I went to a free museum called the “Topography of Terror” near Checkpoint Charlie and I finally understood how fucked up the whole Nazi thing was. Of course, the Berlin wall also has a massive historical presence and I was constantly reading about the division of Germany and even talked to some Germans that had lived in eastern Germany throughout the period. Man, what a time. I’m not knowledgeable enough to "empathize", but I’ve gotten enough of an idea to feel deeply weirded out by it.It’s insane that the whole thing comes crashing down with a misinterpretation of a note and these few words. People do ridiculous things to each other. Incredible.

• For some sort of comp sci thing, there was free Glüwein (hot spiced wine) in the comp sci building. This was an excellent treat after my exam last Thursday. I think they have it elsewhere on campus, but you must pay for it.
• I have finally opened a bank account here. Jeez.
• You are allowed to change your place of birth if it was in a particularly “shameful” place in Germany, for example, Dachau where there was a notorious concentration camp.
• I danced under an indoor community pool! There’s a club in Berlin called “Stattbad”, which is situated under a decommissioned community pool. It’s pretty industrial looking inside as you might imagine — lots of concrete, lots of pipes, some low ceilings, etc. It has a fantastic atmosphere for techno.
• I stayed in The Cat’s Pajamas hostel in Berlin, which is situated in Neukölln (aka a cool hood). I’d highly recommend it. It’s has many accommodation options and lots of new amenities. It’s clean, comfortable, and cheap. While I was there, it celebrated its one-year opening anniversary with free alcohol and food — a nice way to kick off the weekend.
• Coffeeshops a la Amsterdam may open in Berlin in an attempt to curb drug dealing that occurs in Görlitzer Park. That would be quite interesting.