Berlin Part 2: Es Geht um Beziehungen

 

Taken outside of the Hau Hebel am Ufer theater on Stresemannstraße.
The show's title struck a chord with me.

 

 

 

 

 

"You're still haunting me. It sounds unfounded. Although it's apathy, what goes around you see, breaks the boundaries. Walk with a smile, and it's all just a style since you put me on trial today." - 'The Other Side' by Drab Majesty

Touching down at the BER Flughafen in mid-April, I had no idea what to expect in Berlin this time around. Living here from 2018 through 2020 was an emotional, action packed experience with not much time to pause and reflect.

Though in hindsight, as I get older, I see it as one of the most important periods in my life.

For various reasons when I left Berlin at the end of September 2020, I felt that I had let myself down. Fallen below the high standards I set for myself. I spent the following 4 months in Saskatchewan, which at the time felt a bit like Purgatory.

Three plus years, some Therapy, and many emotional Band-Aids later, I had no idea if Berlin would have anything left in store for me.

I made a pleasant discovery within 2 days of arriving - Der Stadt Spricht. The city itself will speak to you if you're willing to bitte Ruhe sein.

Places that spoke to me the most this time included Hansa Tonstudios at Kothener Straße 38 (a Recording Studio that was used in the past by David Bowie, Depeche Mode, and U2), and an Ehemaligen Frauengefangnis that is currently used as an Artist's Atelier. 

Through walking and biking around the city, all the while putting my ear to the ground, I got a strong impression that Berlin had missed me a little. I certainly missed the city while I was away. Part of what I had yet to figure out in 2018 - 2020 is that es geht um Beziehungen. Hence the importance of the entry I wrote shortly before leaving Berlin on how life is the giving and receiving of Respect.

Meeting with old friends again felt like putting the pieces of a Puzzle together. It helped me create meaning from the 2 years I spent living in Europe, and is currently giving me optimism for the Zukunft. 

Particularly nice was re-connecting with echt Berliner und Berlinerrin, such as Chantal from the weltweit bekannten 'Chantal's House of Shame.' These people taught me about what really matters in life, and how to get the most out of it. 

Surprise! Es geht nicht um Geld.

Wir mussen unseren Beziehungen in dieses leben shutzen und verteidigen. Manchmal haben leute mit der Macht die Beziehungen benutzen für Selbstbereicherung. That kind of behaviour has lasting consequences. Namely vergiftet Beziehungen.

My personal feeling is that the more we must contend with the Erde's rapidly changing weather and the hard choices that are surely coming, Selbstbereicherung will become less and less important. We have already taken more than our fair share of resources from the Erde. 

Instead, the quality of our relationships will become ever more important. I think of the ending of the 1999 film American Beauty. At the end of his life, Kevin Spacey's character recalls his relationships with his wife and daughter as having been the most important things in his life. 

While nice to have, a Pied a Terre in another country, the sports car, the fancy clothes... you can't take it with you.

Es geht also um die Beziehungen, die wir zueinander haben. 

I want to end this entry by thanking all the Berliners who extended their hospitality to me this time around. Also - the food is still delicious. Highlights include Mustafa's Gemuse Doner und Kebap, and Scheer's Schniztel unter die Oberbaumbrücke.

Berlin - ich liebe dich. Bis Nächstes Mal. 

The Author at BER Flughafen on 27.04.2024.

'Life is the Giving and Receiving of Respect' - Berlin, Deutschland. 13.08.2018 - 30.09.2020

 

Tempelhofer Feld am Sonnenuntergang, 30.05.2020

"Ich weiß nicht wohin ich als nächstes gehe, aber ich verspreche es wird nicht langweilig sein." - David Bowie

In the course of just over 2 years of living in Berlin, one of the best pieces of advice I received came from an established Artist friend in early September this year: "Life is about the giving and receiving of Respect." The advice resonates particularly in Berlin where 'Respect' and 'Distance' are words to live by.

Since 1900 Berlin has survived two World Wars, division by the Berlin Wall, and much more. The city has lived through more than its' fair share of trauma. So it makes sense that Berliners would place a high value on the concept of Respect. As for the Distance part of the equation - that's even more important since the Corona Virus arrived in Germany.

I'll come back to the concept of Respect later in this entry. First I want to say a few thank yous to my favourite city for letting me live through certain experiences over the last two years. In no particular order:

Thank you for letting me experience Berlin alone. Many places, such as Tempelhofer Feld at Sunset, or the Sowjetisches Ehrenmal in Treptower Park, were experienced this way. I enjoyed being left alone with my thoughts in the shadow of History.

Thank you for the small signposts and nudges you gave me along the way. Reminding me to slow down and enjoy being a Flaneur in my adopted home. Sometimes the signposts were on a wall in the form of Gedenktafel (placards that mark historically significant buildings). At other times these signposts were directly underfoot - as is the case with the Stolpersteins that give the names, as well as birth and death dates, for Jewish people who were persecuted by the Nazis.

Thank you for letting me experience Berlin in my own time, and in my own way. As the locals say, "Alles kann, aber nichts muss sein."

Last but not least, a big "Danke Sehr" to all the parties I was lucky enough to shake my ass at. These were consistently Fabulous even through Corona times.

Anali Goldberg (with Headdress at left) and her Dancers. Else Open Air Club & Biergarten, Berlin, Deutschland. 24.09.2020

I want to give a shout out here to Anali Goldberg. By far one of Berlin's best, and most original performance Artists. Yesterday he performed in an open air venue near the Spree. The short musical number with his backup Dancers was hilarious. It had a very Berlin feel to it. Spontaneous and Fun.

At this point I want to return to the idea of Respect and why it's so important. In a world where Capitalism sometimes distorts our understanding of the important things in life, the idea of Respect reminds us that other people are what comes first. When we treat each other with Respect we make each others' lives better. A positive feedback loop is created.

When we treat each other Disrespectfully a feedback loop is also created. But this one poisons our relationships and creates a rather dark and unpleasant cycle that can be difficult to escape from.

Walking through Berlin one becomes aware of the patched together Hasslich quality of some neighbourhoods. The city is by no means a unified whole. It has been shaped and defined by many different peoples - Russians, Turks, Americans, and Canadians - to name a few. This diversity of Nationalities and life experiences means Respect is critical if people are to live together peacefully.

Berlin somehow manages to do this. It is one of the most resilient cities on Earth. For readers who want a better understanding of Berlin's rich history, I recommend reading Berlin: Imagine a City by Rory MacLean. He tells the stories of Berliners who made their mark such as Frederick the Great, Marlene Dietrich, and David Bowie among others.

I have been lucky enough to feel the Magic in Berlin more than once. I attribute some of this Magic to something left behind by significant events that took place here. The feeling isn't something I can really describe in writing. But when you experience it, you will know what it is. 

Even as I prepare to pack my suitcases for a return to Canada, I know that I will return to Berlin. Being here fuels my creativity and desire to grow as a person. The city surprises me when I least expect it. The parties are inventive, sometimes intense, and always great Fun to be part of.

I am very much in love with Berlin. Berlin is my Home.

I will be back. But first a few Chapters (and hopefully this damn Corona Virus) need to pass.