Karlshost (Berlin)

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  Berlin, Germany
Tuesday, April 15, 2008

One week nearly...wow, kind of forgot to update in some time methinks!

Still, been very busy here.  Since running out of cash in Berlin, we three decided to start busking in the street and selling CDs we have created.  So far we have earned about 140 ish Euros (in about 4 days) of selling CDs to people at events and the like, quite respectible I think :)


On one day, I set out to central Berlin (Alexander Platz) armed with signs in German and English, CDs and provisions for food and drink, ready to make it a productive day.  So, with high expectations I set out, fueled by coffee, DnB in my ear, everything was good......

Street party/action day 01

Untill only 2 stops away from Lichtenburg, the ticket controlers boarded the train...bugger!  So, got a ticket, to be sent to my london address, and if not payed, then Police (from Germany) will be knocking at my door (in London) although when I made the point that I would not be back in London till at least December, and voiced my doubts at the possiblily of German police flying to the UK for me, the ticket inspector realised I had no intention of paying it...Although still did not budge from giving it :/

Still, good start eh? ha!
High spirited (or not perhaps) I made my way to Alexander Platz and set up the stall.  It was cold, raining and gray...perfect weather for selling on the street..so naturally I sold one CD :-0 still, it was a good experience, even just standing there, a man came along, looked at me, spoke somthing which I had no idea what was said in German, then placed a euro in my hand and walked off!

Still, its not all bad eh, later around 2pm Cimi turned up with her guitar and for the next hour and a half (and two smokes later) we had made about 10 euros, an ok rate I thought.  Paz net us outside as we decided to leave back to the house in Lichtenburg

Street party/action day 02

.  We took a detour to marks house, in Pankow and chilled on his sofa's smoking and chatting for a time, always a good time!

That everning Paz and Cimi both left for "Midnight Poetry" an event in Berlin that was run from 11:45pm to 1:00am and provided a stage for anyone that wanted to perform, Paz was on stage and also set a small stall selling CDs (selling about 10 or so)  Later they both traveled to the accud (to meet an Israli rainbow group called the Genetic mistakes) and also sold a few more CDs!


Still....what else has happened in the last week?



On saterday, Anika's Birthday, I awoke early with the rest of the house, and together we prepared Anika's birthday breakfast, waking her up with strawberrys, bread, cheese, candles, sekt and her favorate song playing as we entered :)

that same day we were invited to a street party, hosted on Rigaer Straße, near Frankfurter Allee

Street party/action day 03

.  Nora and myself had begun to cook cakes to take with us, as we waited for the rest to get up and moving, she had gone for an apple cake, whereas I had decided to bake the easyest thing I could think of and infact still checked the net for directions to make it...Still it came out ok in the end, although not vegan!

at about 1:30 everyone assembled outside the house and collected all our items, the bag of cakes, a folding table and for some reason, still unknown to me, two big rolls of wallpaper (which after were taken back home).
We all left for the party and after a slightly stressful U-Bahn  trip (after my last experience) we arrived at the station.

The party was already underway when we arrived, although not at its peak (about 30 people around on the street), and we set up our stall and left the cakes on the table (for all to eat, donation if you wish).  Since we were in Rigaer  straße I decided to pop down the road and see if Stuart wanted to join us for the party (since it was his road!).  I left the group and walked towards East of Eden to see who was around, and smoked outside with Martin, while chatting about tickets on the U-Bahn, and his own experiences, later I will go back and trade a book I have finished reading for a new one :)

After waking Stuart up (he was having an afternoon nap) we chilled round his, sharing a pipe and speaking about the party up the road, and German women :0  Although he had a party to go to later that everning, and so didn't have time to come :/

Walking back to the party, sirens sounded in the distance, and police cars passed by, for a split second I had visions of police raiding the house and pitched battles outside and quickened my pace to gat back quickly

Anika

!
The police had now arrived, and had 4 or 5 van loads and lined the side of the street watching the party.  Tension was in the air, but we just ignored the police and continued to party!  The two squats were oposite each other and even managed to hang a banner across the street between them, while on a balcony live music was blasting out!

After a while, Alex and Inga arrived, and we chatted in groups, selling the odd CD and enjoying the company we were in!  Later, Paz, Cimi, Alex and Inga left to play from the balcony onto the street, and soon Alex's blues floated from the balcony :)

Anika and a some of the others left back for the house, feeling tired, but we stayed with the stall and music!  Later on when Alex and Inga had finished on the balcony, they came back to the stall and soon had unloaded their own small amps and started kicking out the jams!  No words can discribe the music they could play, but it was amazing and only 1/2 a meter away from me!  Really feeling the music and vibes, we jamed untill they broke their strings!

Later in the day, the police started to move in to clear the street, since we had reclaimed it from the cars for the day

Street party/action day 04

! they came in two groups and moved everyone to the side of the street on the pavement.  The violinist from earlyer had taken a position in the middle of the road, playing a melancholy turn, as lines of police closed from both sides (reminding me of the story of the band playing on the Titanic as she was sinking) untill he was forced to the pavement too.

Since now the police were enforcing the street, so that no one could occupy it, the people decided to take the next step.  People started to cross the road, embracing each other and playing with the police, by crossing the road, they still practally closed the road to traffic but did so in a way that police could do nothing but aid our block!

We packed our equiptment soon after and made ready to return, although we stayed while the violinst and his friend (who brought out a home made cello!) played on the pavement,  could not understand the lirics, but I was sure it was quite political or at the least concious!

While at this street party, we also met Jenny, who's house we are staying at the moment! (south of Lichtenburg in Karlshost)

The following day, we had to move, the house in Lichtenburg had another guest coming that night, and we had been there for a week already and it was taking its strain on the house (although great experiences were made!)

Street party/action day 05

.

We found our new palce realtivly quick, then after the dumping of bags (again) we made some pasta quickly and set out for the nights missions.  On our list was a open jam session at the be-bop bar, only a couple of doors from Anthonys house in south (ish) Berlin, where we hoped to sell some CDs, and vist Anthony too!

Well, we visted Anthony and shared a couple of smokes with him, while listening to the CD we had produced (which he liked!).  Then we set out for the massive trek to the be-bop bar (about 5 doors down) only to realise that we had arrived to late to play :-/  We sat down and waited for the owner to finish a conversation he was in, although from my observations it seemed that the only way it would finish, would be if they had some conflict although I very much doubted that (he seemed to be attracted to his fellow conversationalist).

After leaving the bar, without the conversation with the owner (we left a assortment of red stones spelling the word Love at least :) we started back, to find the U-Bahn closed...bugger...and it seemed we were in for another 3 hour walk across Berlin...although not as bad as it sounds! 

Street party/action day 06

  Good exercise, and we get the know the streets of Berlin...step by step... :-0

The following day we awoke at perhaps 2:pm and after cooking a small meal with Jenny left for Alexander Platz to start busking...  We found a nice spot, for selling CDs although not so great for busking, since we were right next to the street. 

since we had arrived later then planned (due to massive walk last night) we only spent a short time on the stall, before leaving for Bethianen.  Walking towards the squat for a film screening and vegan food (donation) we drummed our way through the streets of central Berlin continuously untill we arrived :-)

After eatting the food (rice, coconut curry and a great salad) Cimi and myself planned to head for a jam session at a jazz bar and leaving Paz behind to continue at Bethanian.  We headed out, armed with drum and guitar north of Alexander Platz, arriving at the Jazz bar, to find it was thrusday night for the open mic, not the monday night.  Still, everything worked out amazing after this set back (or what seemed like one).  We walked towards Hackescher Markt planning to busk to the night Berliners, along the way, spotted an intresting cinema and after walking inside met an American, who told us about a place we could obtain a 30 day Russian visa with no problem (no its not the Russian embassy), just what we needed to hear

Street party/action day 07

!

We walked down the road and straight into the musical vibrations of Sebastian, a French musican busking the streets of Berlin!  We shared a smoke and sat down to play music together, he is amazing! Crafted his own instiments, and playing countless others!  Of notable intrest was his sax, crafted from bamboo, and a saw he carryed, played with a violin bow, bringing memorys of American 50's B-Sci-fic films!

I stayed untill the last S-Bahn to Karlshost, and Sebastian taught me an african drum rthym from Senagal ( Tat tum, Ta Ta)

amazing experiences I thought, and really enjoyed the time we spent together, twas magical! (of course we shall meet again!)

Anyway, now is another day, we are planning on visting Mark in Pankow again and after that...who knows what lays ahead!

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Street party/action day 08	The stall	Street party/action day 09	Street party/action day 10
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Street party/action day 15	Street party/action day 16	Street party/action day 17	Alex and Inger
Alex 02	Street party/action day 18	Alex 03	Street party/action day 19
Street party/action day 20	Street party/action day 21	Street party/action day 22	Street party/action day 23
Street party/action day 24	Street party/action day 25	Street party/action day 26

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