Clara in Germany!

Berlin is easily one of the most colorful cities I have experienced,both visually and culturally. During this freaky cold-  streak we have been experiencing for the past days (I wore two layers this morning like it was nothing), I welcome the hopeful hues that decorate every doorstep and construction site.                                                                                                                                                                            Pop of sunniness on a doorstep in Kruezberg Watching the S-bahn go by ...

Two brightly colored punks working on the construction site outside of the museum Accidental artwork on the side of an orange truck Walking through Tiergarten Mystery man in the Tiergarten deepness

ACH, NEIN!!!!!! I am still drenched in stress-sweat from the Germany vs. Mexico game. Soccer is a theater-piece, a moving artwork, that sometimes takes a tragic turn. I am learning this the hard way but the right way, in a bar surrounded by Germans, donning a painted Deutschland flag on my ruddy, beer-flushed cheek. I do not hail from this land, and yet, I would flip a table for their soccer team.  At the corner bar, in a lot of pain as Germany gets creamed by Mexico

Berghain, you grimy, glamorous devil. You are lauded by techno-critics as the best club in the world. You turned away American royal Britney Spears for sporting the "wrong look". Admission into your murky depths is like being baptized by the Berlin gods.  And yet I, a couple of days ago, I had the honor of being on the club's guest-list at to see British performer Anna Calvi. Ok , sure, this was not a normal club night and the crowd was mostly composed of middle-aged, musically-informed adults. But Berghain is still Berghain.  The unassuming, grey exterior (I rode past it twice on my bike) hides an interior reminiscent of both ancient Rome and Times Square in the 70’s. Upon entrance, I was greeted by naked marble men, platform swings, and endless red light. Anna Calvi came on an hour later than scheduled, clad in a plastic bra and shoulder-padded suit. Her performance was, however, worth the wait. Oscillating between realms of tenderness and tremendous power, ...

I decided to localize my search for good cafes, and walk down the street to Double Eye, an itty bitty hole in the wall that bridges the gap between young and old customers with the universal language of quality coffee. I opted for a massive Milch-Cafe and fresh pasta de nata to eat out in the sun, all of which cost under 5 euros. Afterwards I went with music supervisor and awesome host Milena Fessmann to the Torrenstrasse  Fest for a special viewing of the film she produced, Conny Plank: The Potential of Noise.   All you need is a 20 euro wristband and a willingness to sweat to enjoy art and music across the entire Berlin Mitte.  I really don't know what is happening here. King Ayisoba, Ghanian musicians at Ballhaus Berlin Young band sound checking at a bar

Mikayla writing at cafe Populus  RED! GREEN! The sun comes down on the kanal in Kreuzberg