From Berlin to Nairobi

Giraffes at the Nairobi National Park

The first week in December I set off to Kenya with my German colleague Ute to attend a conference on the creative economy in Africa. The conference brought together creatives from over 30 African countries to discuss the state of the cultural and creative industries. I learned a great deal (if you’re curious to learn more about the creative economy check out this report, for more on the organization that convened the conference, click here). 

The cultural economy conference

 The conference was intense, but luckily Ute and I had a little time to explore. Nairobi was a bustling city with new constructions going up everywhere we turned. This rapid development is happening alongside extreme poverty, which we only caught glimpses of from position as conference attendees staying in a nice hotel in the wealthy part of time. 

Me and my colleague Ute in Nairobi

The highlight of our visit was a tour of the Nairobi National Park, which takes up 117 sq. km. just outside of the city center. Ute and I took a Land Cruiser tour along the park’s rugged roads and got to see all sorts of large animals—several types of antelope, giraffes, white and black rhinos, buffalo, gnus, and boars. Sadly, no lions.

Artist workshops at the GoDown Center in Nairobi

We also got to visit a really cool arts space in Nairobi, The GoDown Center. GoDown converted an old industrial space into offices and studios for nonprofit arts organizations, artists, dance and music companies, etc. It was impressive to see how this cluster of creative enterprises was beginning to reshape and revitalize Nairobi's industrial neighborhood.

Saint Nicholas Day

Today is Nikolaustag or Saint Nicholas Day.  Saint Nicholas was a Greek bishop and patron saint of children, students, marchants, archers, sailors, fisherman, pawnbrokers and thieves, that lived in fourth century A.D. in modern day Turkey.  There are legends of his good deeds and miracles (which may have included magic wheat, would-be prostitutes and cannibalistic homicidal butchers!). Here in this part of Germany there is a big difference between St. Nick and the Weihnachtsmann aka Santa Claus/Chirstmas Man.  Santa Claus is more commercial (think Coca-Cola) and arrives on December 25th to the front door bearing gifts in return for a song from the children.  St. Nick looks similar but is dressed like a bishop.  In Germany, Nikolaus is usually celebrated on a small scale. Many children put a boot called Nikolaus-Stiefel (Nikolaus boot) outside the front door on the night of 5 December. St. Nicholas fills the boot with gifts and sweets overnight, and at the same time checks up on the children to see if they were good, polite and helpful the last year. If they were not, they will have a tree branch in their boots instead. (Other countries tell of Black Petes, Moorish characters who will steal the naughty child in a sack).  Apparently,  I was a good boy this year because this morning I found a chocolate Santa Claus (confusing, right?) on my doorstep!  Happy St. Nicholaus Day indeed!

Riding Black

The transportation options in Berlin are pretty sweet.  If you do not feel like taking your bicycle through the flat city on one of the many bike lanes there is always mass transit.  We have been taking the bus, trams and metro lines constantly since we arrived.  They are new, clean and always punctual (if not early).  This is a stark change from New York City.  The metro is divided up into many segments with the S-Bahn and U-Bahn doing the heavy lifting.  The S-Bahn stands for StadtSchnellBahn or City Rapid Railway and the U-Bahn is the UntergrundBahn even though much of it is elevated.  A passenger only needs a single ticket to ride any of the modes of transportation and it is based on the honor system (again, unthinkable in NYC).  I have been very dutiful to keep my monthly pass on me at all times, but recently I changed up my routine.  This week I also met the undercover ticket enforcement agents that confronted me on the last stop of my route.  Naturally, the one time that my ticket is sitting on my desk at home is the time I need to flash it.  The gentleman was not sympathetic to my plight and I had to pay forty Euros on the spot for "riding black".  That hurts.  I don't know where the phrase comes from, but it sounds pretty nefarious.  I could feel the cold stares from my fellow passengers as I mumbled a mixture of German and English regrets.  Needless to say, I now check hourly that my card is on my person at all times - if I accidentally ride black again I'll be in the red.

Thanksgiving in Berlin

We're still basking in the afterglow of our Berlin Thanksgiving, celebrated at our apartment last Saturday with old friends and new. As other Americans who have lived oversees have experienced, assembling a traditional Thanksgiving dinner can be a challenge. Lucky for us, one of the few butchers that carries whole, fresh turkeys happened to be located in our neighborhood, so we ordered the smallest size they sold (a whopping 15 pounder). The Friday before our big feast, I rode my bike over to pick up my bird and strap him into my bike basket. The cranberries came from our local farmer's market, from our beloved blueberry guy. With no canned pumpkin to be found, Kyle and I roasted and pureed a Muscat pumpkin. American-style pie tins are also hard to come by here, so we used a deep spring-form pan, which yielded something akin to pumpkin pie. Our friends brought some of the usual suspects (stuffing and sweet potatoes) and added some new twists (delicious cream puffs, chipotle cornbread stuffing, and a bottle of Polish vodka). All together we were 10 at the table, with our most honored guest, 15-month old Anna, presiding over the banquet. (Anna and her parents Sarah and Chris, friends from New York, were visiting us from Lithuania and brought delicious local sausages and some very strong mead.) Despite being far from home and family, we celebrated a cozy and delicious Thanksgiving here in Berlin. It was a good opportunity to reflect on the adventures and new experiences of the last few months and to feel thankful for the unique experience we're sharing in Germany.

Our cranberry connection.

Kyle carving up his first Thanksgiving Day Truthahn.

A very thankful (and hungry) crew.

11/11/11

Today is a big day for a lot of folks in Germany and around the world.  First, at 11:11:11am on today 11/11/11 it is the start of Carnival, the big celebrations that occur before Catholic Lent.  Everyone knows about the parties in Rio de Janeiro, but Germany has a long tradition of parades and costumes as well.  Since the festive season lasts for many weeks, we hope to experience more of the fun that is had at this time.

It is also Martinstag.  The day honoring St. Martin, who gained sainthood from his charitable works.  The legend goes that he cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a bitter snowstorm.  I was kinda hoping that we would run around recreating this good deed and shred our clothes but the temperature is just above freezing, so folks celebrate in a different way.  Young children make paper lanterns and parade down the street singing songs about the good saint.  Occasionally, the kids get excited and the lanterns blow out.  Occasionally, the kids get excited that the lanterns burst into a flaming ball.  Luckily, things were very civil we I was walking down the street and nobody was injured.  Folks around here also eat a dinner of goose and red cabbage in honor of the story that Martin was not eager to be recognized for his deeds so he hid in a goose pen from Church officials.  Suffice to say, they found him easily in the ensuing noisy confusion.

11/11/11 is also a special day for many people that follow numerology, Doomsday prophecies, the Mayan Calendar and secret Masonic rituals in the great Pyramids of Egypt.

And finally, today is Veterans Day in the United States, when we honor all the men and women who have served in the armed forces.  Thank you for your service.

Whatever you are celebrating today, we hope you have a good day!

Festival of Lights

This weekend we had the pleasure of showing off Berlin to our dear friends, Maya and Marc, who came over from Brussels, Belgium.  Their visit coincided with the Berlin Festival of Lights so we bundled up and walked through downtown Berlin where over seventy buildings and monuments were lit up in different colored lights.  We made our way through Potsdamer Platz which had numerous sites including a giant sculpted head where everyday German faces were morphing into one another.  Then it was on to the Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate to see the light show there.  It was a crisp, clear night and perfect for viewing the festival, but thirst and cold got the better of us and we made for a neighborhood bar to catch up in more comfort.

Oktoberfest

While we did not get down to Munich for the big Oktoberfest, Karen and I still wanted to get a taste of the festivities that occur all around Germany (and the world for that matter).  So we traveled to the center of Berlin (where we witnessed a breathtaking sunset) and made our way down to a cluster of large tents staked out along the Spree.  Our first stop by the river was Spree Wies'n where the "Neighborhood Boys" were playing traditional German songs (not really polkas) and leading the packed house in raucous call and response chants.  We did not linger long here as it was standing room only and it is hard to hold a sausage and a liter of beer all night long.  Just down the road, near the main train station we found an Oktoberfest at Dream Beach that was just getting under way.  The friendly bouncer waved our cover charges and seated us in the reserved area alongside some German men that informed us that today was "International Suit-Up Day". Karen and I then joined the growing crowd for mighty mugs of Paulaner beers, pretzels and a tasty roast chicken as we sang along with a medley of campy European pop songs from the live band.  We danced alongside lots of men dressed in lederhosen and women sporting the traditional dirndl outfits.  It was a great night and a wonderful way to celebrate Oktoberfest.

Kurbisfest

Today we officially welcomed Autumn into our lives.  After a brisk run in Wilde Park, Karen and I rode our bikes over to our neighborhood pumpkinfest, Kurbis in German.  As we strolled the blocks of vendors and amusement rides our tummies cried out for some kurbis so we shared a hot bowl of pumpkin soup and some hot, spiced wine called Gluhwein.  Karen noticed that all the folks around us were eating something called Kaiserschmarrn, so we got in line to sample the large fluffy chopped pancake bits topped with applesauce.  On our way out we selected a cute little pumpkin that may get some facial surgery, along with a few colorful gourds to decorate our table.  But we couldn't leave without grabbing a Feuer-Kringle, which is a Bohemian pastry roasted on a large spit which looks like a cylindrical cinnamon roll.  We enjoyed all the warm goodies so much that Karen came home and warmed the house with some homemade soup and cookies to last us the week.

Piping hot Feuer-Kringle

Our pumpkin safely belted to the back of Kyle's bike

U-N-I-T-Y

Today is Tag der Deutschen Einheit (also known as German Unity Day) and while the official celebration this year is in Bonn, the former capital of Western Germany, we still managed to take part in the fun to be had in Berlin.  Karen and I biked over to the Brandenburg Gate at the edge of the Tiergarten where we meet a few thousand people strolling down June 17th Street eating food and enjoying the carnival rides as a large stage showcased a men's choir churning out popular tunes from across the ages.  We munched on quarkballchen which turned out to be like tasty little doughnut holes with cheese baked into the batter.  As we walked, Karen and I did not see a single German flag or display of civil pride and we learned that this 20 year old government holiday is not a big time for celebration in the eyes of most Germans.  So we followed suit and left to grab a Hefeweizen at the nearby beer garden in the park before heading home.

Slippers in Style

We have been warned of the cold Berlin winters and so Karen and I set off to get some slippers to pad around in our lovely apartment.  After referencing our Taschen Berlin book we found a small shop that is known for their pantoffeln.  (On a linguistic side note, I thought is was interesting that: pantoffelheld is the German word for a henpecked husband.)  Junemann's Pantoffel Eck has been crafting slippers for decades and the business has been passed down through four generations.  So we trekked through trendy Prenzlauer Berg in the unusually warm afternoon and found ourselves faced with a wall of handmade footwear.  After a few guesses of our European shoe sizes we settled on the felt bottom, open back, classic plaid design.  I've never been so excited to buy some slippers, and we left giddy with our purchase and anxious to break them in that night.  After two days of constant use, I am happy to report that they will be with me at all times as I try to put my best foot forward here in Berlin.

Ice cream culture

Ice cream in Berlin is big.

When I arrived in June I marveled at the amount of ice cream consumed by Germans, young and old, at all times of the day and night, rain or shine. From a simple cone to whopping sundaes topped with cascading fresh whipped cream (Schlag in German), ice cream was everywhere and my resistance was weak.

Not all German ice cream is created equal, however. And after sampling many shops, Kyle and I have chosen a favorite, recommended by the food blog Berlin on a Platter. If I could eat ice cream from Vanille & Marille everyday, I would (only distance and waistlines stop me). And a single dip costs a mere euro. The flavors are sublime: buttermilk honey, spiced plum, strawberry marscapone, to name a few of our recent favorites. Their fruit flavors are some of the most saturated and full-bodied I have tasted--not too sweet and so intensely fruity. Featured below: wild blueberry sorbet with hazelnut crunch ice cream. Yum!

Hello from the balcony

 I moved to Berlin in early June to begin a yearlong fellowship here. Kyle was to join me three months later and it was my job to find us a suitable apartment. After some preliminary online searching and many long skype calls with Kyle, we realized that our criteria were actually quite simple: We wanted a balcony. In New York, we had often lusted after the neglected balconies on neighboring buildings and thought, one day…

After weeks of searching I found it. A young German couple was looking for someone to sublet their apartment while they were in Spain on a post-doc. When I saw the pictures I thought for sure it was some kind of scam (the New Yorker in me!)—it seemed too perfect. High ceilings with ornate molding typical of the turn of the century German architecture, minimal but comfortable furnishings, a big kitchen, and, the crowing feature, a wide balcony filled with plants overlooking a quiet street.

We decided to name our blog after our balcony, the perfect frame for our European adventure. It represents to us a slower pace of life and a desire to enjoy simple things in beautiful settings, of which there is no shortage in Berlin. We’re excited to share our life here with our friends and family through this space. 

Kyle cycles in front of our apartment.