A couple of my favorite things about Berlin are the people and what they can conjure up. I went to such an exemplary party the other night. A friend had the street coordinates to the location of the party. Supposedly these parties are nomadic and sprout up in vacant spaces throughout Berlin. This time it was in the basement of an old abandoned train station.
We got to the correct intersection, but all we found were a handful of confused people. Where’s the party? Everyone stood around in the cold, waiting for a call from someone in the know, or anyone who had a better idea. Once a few people started walking in a certain direction, everyone followed. We ended up climbing through broken fences behind hollowed out buildings with broken windows. If it weren’t for the small mass of people with me, I would have been freaking the fuck out. This place was an inspiration for horror films.
Down dark candle lit stairs and under a heavy hanging carpet, we found the party! Humble colored lights warmed the space, and everyone was drinking one-euro beers. The music could have been much louder (in multiple ways), but the final verdict was an awesome experience. The idea that led to this party, in a small intimate basement via hide-in-seek directions, is pretty noteworthy.
Another pleasant surprised happened last night. Ian and I grabbed a bite at a cheap falafel place as we were on our way home from visiting some openings in Wedding.
We decided to stay and eat inside the restaurant. It was crowded with shared tables everywhere. We sat next to two girls. As we were halfway into our satisfying falafel sandwiches, what seemed to be a verbal argument broke out. The two people spoke German, so I had no idea what the exchange was about. Ian was a little more keen to the situation.
I felt bad for the woman in the argument because some crazy stranger was bugging her. Before this broke out, I noticed her sitting across from me. She had a nice smile.
Suddenly, she started singing. Then the man started singing. Again, it would help if I understood what they were singing about. Then another woman across the room stood up and started singing. OK, ok. I get it. And finally one of the girls sitting next to us joined in. It was pretty amusing. All in all, about 5 “random” people started singing and acting through this preconceived scene.
The style and tune weren’t exactly my taste, but it was fun. I was delighted to see how much effort went into this production. The performers must have ordered food, sat down, and ate, in order to blend in. There was even a hidden camera to document.
