It was about 9 pm when I walked into a youth hostel in Berlin. It's a funny thing living in a dorm room with seven others. Suddenly you're experiencing the most vulnerable moment of your day - sleep - with people no more familiar than strangers at a bus station. What I felt in the first few moments in that hostel made the prospect terrifying. What I discovered over the next twenty-four hours shifted my perspective completely. The room smelled like dirty clothes and junk food. On the top bunk by the window, there was a guy, but I couldn't see … [Read more...]
Is Oktoberfest Worth It?
For a few days in October, bars across the globe go Bavarian. They put sausages on the menu, make their staff dress in traditional German clothes and throw a few decorations up on the walls. Quite frankly, I've never been a fan of the Oktoberfest theme. It always felt like a marketing ploy and I really didn't see the point. You'll never guess who tried to change my mind. "Will you be going to Munich," my hair dresser asked with her hands woven in my hair. What I love about Ms. Ayten Farrel is that she is a child of Turkish parents, but was … [Read more...]
Travel Porn: Berlin
Every four days I change cities. Last night I landed in Vienna and it was hard for me to really grasp where in the world I was. Somewhere, lost in Europe.Days and nights are starting to blend. Accents and languages are all unfamiliar, but this sense of unknowing has become a constant, comfortable companion. Sometimes I need to pause and review where I've been to confirm it really happened.These are a few pictures from my first night in Berlin, which was now only ten days ago, but feels like a foggy, distant past.If you ever find a … [Read more...]
Berlin: An Open-Air Museum
What at first appears to be old posters layered on top of each other is actually someone's deliberate piece of work. I've never been a big museum-goer, but street art really speaks to me. It's immediate and tangible. It is subject to the environment, making every person or thing that walks by a part of the finished product. … [Read more...]