Gesehen: Partner Look

I grew up hearing "Partner look!" squeals from my mom and aunt whenever any two people in the family or on the street happened to be wearing something similar. It's two English words, but when put together somehow becomes a German phrase. Just like lots of other English words that pervade German language, particular in the pop culture scene and the professional work environment (yay for me!).  I spotted these two - sisters? twins? equally sized and styled friends? - on my walk home from work yesterday.

p.s. These outfits may seem strange to you, but they are common fare in Berlin. I should start another sequence called "So Berlin" to highlight some of the weirder ones but then I'd probably have to write less about food, and that's just not realistic.

Gesehen: Back to School

Storefront window

It's back to school time in Berlin, right as our "summer" here is really beginning, at least weather-wise. This kids clothing storefront window says "We wish all schoolkids a successful beginning of the year." The cone shaped bag that the kids in the drawing are holding is called a Schultuete or Zuckertuete (schoolbag or sugarbag) that kids get on their first day of the first grade, full of goodies like chocolates and candies. That's one way to get kids to like school!

Gesehen: Talented Kids

Stilts in Tel Aviv

Street performers in Berlin

Gesehen: Strawberry Shame

That's not what LSD stands for...

I took a slightly different route to work today and found myself in Wilmersdorf's own little Red Light District. We all know Euros love a good sex shop, but somehow I was completely unaware of the sex strip right around the corner from my house. Have I mentioned before that Wilmersdorf has the highest proportion of elderly people in the city?

Karaoke is XCiting!

So there I was, strolling by posters ranging from flat out topless women to the more discrete and ehm, artistic, shots of women in bras balancing strawberries in their cleavage. Good morning, Sophia!

Gesehen: When Language Goes Bad

Faux friends!

I know, I know, this isn't entirely appropriate. But does it make it a little bit better when I tell you that "dick" in German means "thick"? And that this was a sign I spotted at an innocent sausage stand at a family-friendly festival? I guess "thick" and "sausage" don't help much, either.

But come on.. it's pretty damn funny.

Gesehen: B&W at ESG

ESG, or East Side Gallery, is one of those major Berlin sights that everyone who visits the city should see. It's the longest stretch of the Berlin Wall that still remains (1.3 km) and was preserved as a form of outdoor/interactive art gallery. Since the Wall came down in 1989, artists from all over the world have been invited to paint a section and leave messages of peace and hope. It's also one of those fantastic "see Berlin history/culture without paying to go into a museum" things to do, which I am particularly fond of.

Clearly the scene itself wasn't black & white, that was courtesy of newly discovered color settings on my camera. But it's a serious message, and b&w seemed appropriate. For my Anglophones, look closely on the left for the English translation.

Gesehen: Rule-Breakers

I don't need to translate verboten, do I?

Gesehen: Humbold Box Expo

I thought it could be fun to launch a sort of series. Basically, a cuter way to organize mini (i.e. lazier) posts that include a photo or two and a couple lines. It will be called "Gesehen" which means "Seen," as in, "I've seen this and want to share it with you!" (I think I may have watched too many Gossip Girl episodes that generally begin something like, "Spotted: Serena traipsing around town with a mystery beau"). The above quote I spotted on a wall at the Humboldt Box.

"The study of languages is the world history of human thought and perception." - Wilhelm von Humboldt

Fun things ahead this week: a recap of the MPI Immigration & Identity plenary, my impending encounters with German bureaucracy, and a trip to London!