Die Wahlen

9PM -
My attempts to find a party to watch the election was unsuccessful; the main party at Democracy Abroad has been sold out for weeks. A woman I met over the weekend invited me to watch with her American studies class at the Kennedy center; but my attempts to get in touch with her failed. So now I’m at a very crowded, smoky bar, sitting at the butt end of two benches pressed together and surrounded by foreigners. I’m suddenly feeling very jingoistic, like somehow I deserve a to be here more than they do. I’m about two hours early from when the real fun starts, but even now the place is cramped and noisy. The fact that I haven’t eaten isn’t helping – all I want to do is read election commentary online, watch the polls (CNN is on, but the sound is off – not a problem for now, as they’re still repeating the same things over and over again, judging by the b-roll and chryons) and tear into a cheeseburger.

9.30 PM
My luck changes – apparently, the crush of people in the bar is partly due to the dinner rush, and as a couple leaves a space at their table becomes available. I sit with a man from Munich, one from Cuba, and one from Rumania, and am able to chat with them fairly well in German. They speak English, so I switch over during the more intense discussions, but I am able to explain the electoral college, auf Deutsch, to some girls one table over. (I also ordered a very delicious cheeseburger)

2AM - Holograms? Seriously? It’s like CNN just watched old movies about the future and followed their lead.

4 AM
Being in Germany for the election makes me really homesick, especially as I watch the videos of Americans celebrating in the streets. At the bar, everyone cheers when Obama was declared the winner, then quickly cleared out - off to bed! There was no real spontaneous, ongoing party. My friend James just moved to DC from Canada and is hosting an inauguration party; I think by going to that I can feel a little more a part of this momentous event.

5AM
The waitress is serving those of us who are left victory chips ahoy cookies in bowls. Thanks?
When Obama made his speech, I stood on the bench and put my hand over my heart – a very unstaged and unconscious gesture, which is ironic, as I’m usually always thinking about the photo-op. (His mention of the Berlin wall received scattered cheers from the few of us left at the bar)

6 AM
My roommate went home earlier, feeling sick, and I offered to ride her bike home. I pedal back home on the bumpy cobblestone streets just as the sun is rising and a new day begins.

New York hat mir gefalht wann…

Ich sehe der Staadt zum dehn ferhsehn
Ich will gut Chinese essen
Es ist wahlen Nacht
Ich bin alein
Ich denken zu viel uber mein arbeit

Hunden

Just for fun, a picture of the two dogs. There are so many dogs here in Berlin - I keep think that I've stumbled on a stray that I can take home for a bit, but it turns out it's master is normally just several yards away. All the dogs here are very well trained and usually go ahead of their master, off leash, and can be trusted not to jump up on anyone or run out in traffic. I think I even saw one cross the street on it's own once. The dogs trot alongside their person on a bike, and wait patiently outside a store (again with no leash) while their person goes shopping. I have yet to see any dog poo anywhere, either, though locals tell me it's just a matter of time.

Umgezogen

Last week I moved into a new apartment in Neuköln , which I like to think of as the Washington Heights of Berlin. When I told this to Lester, who actually lives in Washington Heights, his first question was, "There are Dominicans in Berlin?" Actually, there are turks, and living in this neighborhood has given me a better appreciation of the food, music, and culture of Berlin's biggest immigrant population. It's also given me INSANELY cheap rent and a much faster commute.

Prior to this, I was living in Mitte/Prenzlauerberg, which is super-hip and lovely and full of great cafes and shops. But it was about a 45 minute train-ride to class. Now it takes me about 20 minutes.

I live across the street from the Neuköln Oper (above), an old opera house that now houses a late-night cafe, an arthouse cinema, and a performance space for concerts and theater. Down the street is the Alter Post (old post office). Last night my roommate and I went to a fashion show there.

My roommate! She's fantastic. A Finnish performance artist named Mimosa, she's also a great cook and hostess, and her impropteou dinner party and rotating cast of visitors has helped both my German and my lonliness. She speaks English but lets me practice my furchtbar Deutsch with her, and is sehr gedeldung when I have to run to the dictonary for the right word.

The place itself is very big and grand, with high ceilings, floor-to-celiing windows, and plaster molding around the light fixtures. There floors are made of wide hardwood, and in my room alone I have two doors (actually 4, as they are french doors) with big gold handles that open into my room in a very dramatic fashion.

The place is light on furniture, but it does have a washing machine and a dishwasher. The neighborhood, aside from the cultural outposts I mentioned above, is full of cheap electronic/knockoff fashion/chintz gold jewelery stores. It's also, for the next month of so, home.