from Dec. 7th, 2007: Friends of Friends

For a couple of days I was feeling a bit whinny. Well, maybe that is not the word but perhaps a now-we've-been-here-two-weeks phase when 'Oh, not knowing the local language is so hard!' and 'What is it exactly we are doing here?'. Not that I had any major crisis about it, but I think being here is about navigating these things.

I am feeling a lot better now...after a few things were accomplished and R and I had a nice talk about our thoughts and feelings about our situation here. A sort of re-grouping. I think that I learned two things. One, I had the idea that once I got here I would put a lot of energy toward trying to learn German, but what ended up happening is that I was thinking about it constantly, what I could or could have said in any given situation. Once I realized this was starting to really stress me out I worked to the point of deciding not to care if I was trying hard or not and then it became easier and more fun to try.

The second things was about dealing with the fact that we do have all this time with no major obligations...and the question becomes, How do you spend that time? We came to do our studio work and experience Berlin (and Germany). Where is the balance of that? What are the overall priorities, in terms of time versus money spent?

It seems as much as one might daydream about a time with no obligations people will inevitably fill that time with things to do; working, eating, having kids. Sure, everyone has to make a living and there are some things that simply must get done, but ideally, and hopefully, most of that time is filled with things you like to do. That is the point, right?

I have realized I am just not someone who lives all willy-nilly without a plan, but actually enjoys and possibly needs some structure.

This all comes at a time when I am ready and able (it arrived by mail) to start a regular workout routine and accompanying 'meal plan'. This I plan to all start on Monday, including a general sense of what we might do what days (cleaning on Sundays, etc.). I think this move will definitely clear up days dedicated to our own work and seeing the city. Of course, this is all flexible, but I think that realizing that we want to start setting up a plan, or rough calendar, is the first step.

------

After sharing a 1/2 meter long wurst (a baguette about 10 inches long filled with a wurst folded in half) from the Alexanderplatz Weihnachtmarkt, R and I met SS and B at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien for an opening where they were meeting a friend of a friend who is in town for a couple of days. (So, ultimately, that makes him a friend of a friend's friend of a friend, right?) PD is an artist from Milwaukee who is considering moving to Berlin.



The opening was good. We especially liked the work of Marianne Vierø. At first you were confronted with a bright white room with six photographs of brick walls on each side. Seemingly boring...but after spending some time with the work you discover that each of the brick walls has different pattern, that is repeated on the brick wall opposite it, so there are 6 brick walls with two different perspectives each. Then you discover that the photographic prospective of each wall is arranged in a specific pattern: first straight-on shot, opposite a side shot...then two side shots, etc. All of a sudden this boring room with photographs of brick walls became a system of patterns within patterns. And finally, on closer examination of the walls themselves you wonder how they were built...and find random pins left in the walls on a few shots which reveals the image is likely twice the size it was taken at, or the walls are actually half the size that they appear and were printed at the size of actual bricks, which they are not...?
It has been a long time since I have seen a piece that unfolded continually this way.

Then we went for drinks and R and I split an order of Pommes Fritz (French Fries).

Tonight I came home and took a bath with the best new soap. We finally got our US money transfered to our new German bank accounts and to celebrate, earlier in the evening, I decided to go by a nearby Lush store for some long awaited conditioner and body soap. After a bit confusing, but ultimately OK, half-English/half-German conversation with the shop keeper, I ended up buying a small bar of "You Snap the Whip". I wanted something that both exfoliates and heavily moisturizes my newly acquired dry and flaky winter skin. This soap does both jobs amazingly well! You can probably imagine just by considering some of its following ingredients, which include: Coco Butter, Macadamian Nut Oil, powdered charcoal and pumice. This was a fantastic scrub and smell-good moisturizer, especially on my endlessly walking feet.

------

...however...as off as I have been feeling the last week, I was sleeping though most of the night (finally), but here it is...5am yet again.

------

We have a lot more to write but have fallen behind! more soon....