http://www.stadtentwicklung.
When I get a little more settled and get some furniture I will take some photos. This new place is my *own* place and unfurnished so there is a lot to get. I have been cooking at my boyfriend's house and using various friends' internet as well as internet cafe's. Those two necessities have been the hardest not to have. Tonight I was lucky to get pretty much everything I needed for my kitchen (plates, silverware, glasses, mugs, coffee press, kettle, toaster, and so on) for only 12 euros from an American woman who is moving back to the states and just getting rid of everything. well kitchen related. she lives in a furnished flat. So now 12 days in, I can cook!!! And enjoy a cup of coffee (have had the beans already :)). Which reminds me of what we take for granted. what I have taken for granted anyway. And all of the stuff it takes to live. just the simple things. necessities. are heavy. cumbersome to move around. can add up in price. And the running around to different places for different things has made things feel overly hectic and nerveracking to say the least. Though I know it won't be like this for long.
And now I am at my boyfriend's house sick on the couch. looking at my new loot. and trying to rest and get over this cold. He is at the Berlinale. I went to 3 films there but just didn't feel up to tonight. I went to 'Help Gone Mad' (Russian), Winter Ade' (German documentary), Kill Daddy Tonight - something like that - (German). The Berlinale is pretty neat for lack of a better adjective. People take it real seriously. no popcorn or snacks because of the noise. doors to the theater close at precisely the start time and no late comers.... and many of the theaters are so lovely. pink velvet curtains and so on. and all seem to have cool a cafe/bar/restaurant. But if they didn't it would not be Berlin.
A couple other notes on the subject of culture -
Saw Paul Klee show before it went down and got lost in his universe of Klee'. Huge huge retrospective with hundreds of pieces almost too much to take in. And Ali took me to a modern dance performance. which neither of us cared for that much except that some of the movements the dancers made looked like Francis Bacon positions. we both got that which was interesting. It seemed like most of the time people weren't dancing, it was more theatrical and about dialogue. and I can't remember the name of the performance or the director just that he is a big name and from NYC and based in Europe now....that probably doesn't mean anything to any of you. sorry I am rambling a bit!
Also, I will be planning a trip home this summer. Sometime around August. 1 week to 10 days in Peoria. 1 week Chicago and two weeks residency at Ragdale Foundation in the countryside outside of Chicago...hope to see as many of you as possible. I will let you know dates when I figure it out.
More later on the job situation - which is at the moment okay and not a situation - but nonetheless keep sending me good thoughts, prayers, energy - whatever you believe in. That would be great. The shaky economy is felt here and everywhere I suppose.
So that is it for now...take care.
Hope you are well.
All the best!
Sarah
