boring by day great by night:kreuzberg

thurday evening we have free time. I had asked half the class if they wanted to go to kruezberg with me. my room wanted to go back to the hotel, and though t kreuzberg was too dangerous-k i had expected that. qunetin wanted to do something with the guys andcharlotte had to warm up after the cold rain shower this morning. so after a shopping spree through all the shops you can also go to in stuttgart, the two girls i was with decided to go to the hotel. I mumbled something like "meet with cousind" "meet with alice" or something.as we were not allowed out by ourselves, but at that point i had already given up. i fi wanted to go to kreuzberg i would hsve to do that all by meselves. so after a detour in mitte i took the u and s bahn to morizplatz in the middle of oranienstr. in the middle of kreuzberg.

I walked out expecting a colourful pulsating community of international people. I see a scruddgy imbiss, aldi and grey communist era living blocks. but i dont give up yet. If i have learned something about berlin it is that you have to look around a bit before you find the truely cool places. so i continued my hunt for something edible and preferably oriental. I came across a bio store, several turkish pubs, and suddenly stood before a cinema. the "babylon" had heard of it before, as i had conducted some internet research for "off cinemas" which my driving instructor had ranted on about for half an hour. the notice that had stopped me was the following poster:
followed by Spanish OmU 19:30. it was 19:15. I quickly figured that id theoretically have enough time. and almodovar definately seemed to be interresting enough- he is famous enough in the spanish speaking world that no beginners course can pass without his mention. I decided I wanted to have a look. curiosity had won over my foodthirsting stomach.

I entered a corso sized dark red cinema room wiht a good meter distance between the rows of chairs (plenty!) with my becks lemon (common if you break the rules you might as well do it properly). and saw a really good film. I cant explain what made the movie so good from the contenct or the message, its jsut the sort of movie where you pay 7 euros to sit behind a 2 meter giant where you have to twich each time you want to read the subtitles and dont regret a moment.

I jumped out of seat the moment the movie was over- a pity because i actually enjoy watching credits in cinemas, it feels like part of the movie, and gives a bit of time to think and ponder before the world comes back. well i went back to the ubahn and the district was as transfrmed: the lonely frightening bars and restaurants had transformed to lively locations for evening diversion. I was intrigued to sit down, get a strange sounding food and keep my senses open, but due to time constraints I had to adjourn the session to...to? well to when?me at the alexanderplatz on my way back to the hotel after my detour.

we dont want to be upscaled

the rebellion of survival of the suburb culture against the evils of commerce is on

I walk along an absolutely great neighbourhood. Cute cafés, restaurants from all around the world and independant clothing boutiques flank the read. It's cozy, familiar, cool. and not too high priced.
Prenzlauer Berg, "prenzelberg" is a berlin district that has experienced the first stages of gentrification. It has become a hip artsy neighbourhood.It has attracted atention and enough money for renovation, and most importantly it has attracted a mix of sors: od DDR remaining elderly, families, hip artsy students. All the old truely bohemian stores are of course all moved out it already is too expensive for that due to the second wav of gentrification. but the places of commercial exchange, more, of entertainment have an independant enough flair compete with the boring, unimaginative and expensive coffehouse milieu found "unter den Linden". but surely enough gentrification will not end here. estate prices are still nowhere near maximum, especailly so close to the center. the dilemma is born: an indepted city whith over 15% unemployment, a financial crisis, and more. In the middle of the city you nw found a vacant brown feld site. what to do? of course the government is going to take the most logical step: sell and get money.
A 700 people new upper class neighbourhood is now implanted into prenzelberg.
it is a great solution for you, who has the money to buy a flat, send you kids to the private school at the other end of town and boast at the next champagne ball about the flairfull independant district you live in. but mercedes and co. do not really fit in. more money means higher prices, not only in estate but also in cafés, restaurants ect. the living of the "indigenous population" is at threat for they cannot afford the 2 euro more for a starbucks that you can summon on a day to day basis. the original charme of the district is lost. upstriving artists get replacedby the everyday brands, students get pushed away, and once starbucks moves in everything is officially known to be lost to the well to do middle aged population with pseudo coolness and a porsche.
in gentrification a district only as a small speck of light in which it really is cool: when a artist scene has been established, the money starts to flow and themiddle class starts coming. gentrification on the one hand means a better living: better apartments, a nightlife and coffeeculture. on the other hand it contains an inbuilt mechanism of self destruction. so why dont the people just live with it and get out when the prices get too high or when the luxury apartments make them feel like animals in a zoo? well, its their life and culture these people have made for themselves. of course they will defend what they love! (the theme of the other half of the world literature). if not its just a mask to cover up that gentrification has eaten itself long ago.

long time no write

I guess the italy parts never are going to get finished. anyhow I have done pretty uch nothing in the rest of my holidays...well, I did work at the hopital in Esslingen... no internship, it was real work! but other hand, that is not interresting, and eats quite some time too. so now school has started agan and I have spent a week in berlin, on a class trip, which I WILL write about