Dec 29, 2011

The Kids are Alright: Coolspotting in Berlin

My final day in Berlin I ego-tripped following a trio of Aussie Coffee enthusiasts as they sampled specialty Coffee Shops in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin. It was a fascinating learning experience.

The girls described the rituals they undergo for work to preserve a neutral pallette for gauging their coffee creations. They mentioned having a coworker who was allergic to everything, interestingly her allergies made her sensitive to sensations allowing her to enjoy food by merely smelling it.

I can identify, I have a similar ability to appreciate things on a cerebral level. For instance, I love basketball kicks but rather than take up space and spending money to own them I'm content simply collecting sneaker JPEGs.

On my final day in Berlin I spent the day browsing, hovering and missing out on things but please don't consider it a failure. For me the process of exploring a city whether things pan out or not is the fun in and of itself. Anything else is a bonus.

Modern Museums
I find it difficult to fully appreciate experiences when they're passive. It's why I enjoy live music over nightclubs and despite being comfortable solo only go to museums when accompanied. The ceremony of discussion plays a big part for me enjoying the museum experience.

I stopped by the 'Computerspiele' Museum and was content browsing through the Video Game exhibition's gift shop. The 'Hatch Sticker' Museum had shut up shop for the Christmas Holidays though I managed to leave some propaganda for their neighbors' VICE Magazine.

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Miranda July in February unveiling 'The Future'

Eating like the stars
I invited people via CouchSurfing to join me as I Ego-Tripped as indie darling Miranda July. I walked around baffled wishing I'd written down the address to the restaurant she mentioned on her blog. When I finally managed to check online my suspicions were confirmed. The Mexican eatery had been replaced by an Italian joint, cheekily its official website and GoogleMaps street view persisted with the outdated reality
'Miranda July' blog (Sept 28, 2011)
Berliners! Remember the Mexican restaurant in Kreuzberg I mentioned? So many friends asked me for the name of the place that I re-found it, by finding my old apartment on Google maps and then "walking" there using street view. I felt very modern. To have the best appreciation for this restaurant you might have to be an American woman who has spent the entire day working with German men in a windowless room...
Streetwear
torstrasse, Berlin, streetwear, stores
I like looking for Streetwear and comic shops in each city I visit. It gives me my bearings of a place, these stores are usually situated in the cool districts of town where you are likely to find the artistic set hanging at swanky cafes. I would bet Berlin has more streetwear stores per capita than the other major Capitals of cool, New York and Tokyo. I spent the day windowshopping around Torstraße having visited other cool districts Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg the days previous.

The Kids are Alright
- Coolspotting in Frankfurt and Barcelona
- Coolspotting: Subculture in the South of Spain
- Coolspotting in Netherlands
- Coolspotting in Netherlands Pt II
- Coolspotting: Nerding out in England - Comics, CosPlay, Video Games and Wrestling
- Coolspotting in Berlin
- Coolspotting in Istanbul
- Coolspotting in Sydney
- Coolspotting in Melbourne

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