A Wonderful Way to Live

We have had such a serendipitous perfect Berlin weekend. They are easy to come by in a city that has something happening at every hour on every corner. You start out on a vague adventure that gets flushed out to a full scale ambush on fun. To just briefly sum up what the weekend has entailed

I became addicted to Yelp in foodie Seattle and have let my use slide while in Berlin. An event this Friday may have changed all that as Ian, our friend Kyla, & I were invited to a collective of cafe, bubble tea, and cooking club in Prenzleauerberg - Babbel T. We were champagne'd, taught how to make spring rolls, fed crepes made from a organic vegetable, and collected awesome swag.

 

Next we wandered to Bar 23 where we got second hand smoke, then stood outside a bar talking to a hilarious bunch of couchsurfers, and finally to my new favorite bar in the hood, Frollein Langner. The signs of hipsterdom were unmistakeable - ironic facial hair, seating in a bath tub - but we couldn't resist. I absolutely loved it. And will be back. A lot.

The next day brought us a lazy "Sex in the City" (oh yes - Ian has grown to enjoy it) delicious fruit salad, and a bike ride out to feed our friend's cats. Since we had to leave the house anyway, we figured we would stop by the Huhnerhaus. It's official - we are roasted chicken addicts. We continued to their place in Treptower, taking a leisurely loop around Spreepark. This abandoned amusement park has been broken into & photographed with glee by many, but we were basically able to roll around the entire thing and even check out the cafe that now has seats made of the swan boats. (There are great shots of the park in the movie Hanna.) I need to come back for the official tour, but my interest is temporarily sated.


That night, we ventured to a Sporkful meet-up where the saturation of English speakers was almost alarming. And people were friendly! We were a little put off. We wandered back towards our place, stumbling upon a funky 5-piece band playing to the street, a share shed of for people to leave things (like candle eyeballs) and take things, a communist street festival, Asian noodle shop for 3.50, and .40 cent beers. Good god I love Berlin. Awesome is less than a stone's throw away. Ian & I celebrated with said friend Kyla over a spirited game of uno. With pictures. (I love it when we discover Shmidty hiding under the couch & promptly incorporate him in our picture making.)

Despite the awesomenest of awesome weekends, there is a heaviness that weighs upon us today. No matter that we don't have any sad personal stories about 9/11 (luckily),  or that we currently live abroad and have not been forced into daily media reminders about the anniversary, we feel the solemness. That kind of tragedy, it's something you feel in your bones.

There is a storm tonight in Berlin. It tantalizes and terrifies.Thunder like this doesn't happen in Seattle.



Thinking about the turns life can make, how certainties can become an illusion in an instant, I just feel thankful to have today. To have my family & friends and this life to keep looking froward to. I think about the level of personal loss & realize all my pettiness and worry has no place in the larger scheme of things. I am free to be silly. I can be irreverent. I'm here. And I am thankful.


Spree Park pics from:
http://berlin.unlike.net/locations/451-Spreepark
http://www.travelettes.net/berlins-urban-legend-spreepark/