Murals Murals (East Side Gallery)

The sun is shining gloriously today.  Alles ist so perfekt!

Because since I spent the whole of yesterday inside, writing and recharging, it was time for a bit of exploration.  I am starting to countdown the days before I leave Berlin and there are a few things I want to make sure I do/see/experience before I move on.  

One of them was the East Side Gallery:

The 1.3km long section of the Berlin Wall was turned into a "international memorial for freedom", after the reunification of Germany, in 1990.

Perhaps my favorite mural...

... and it was actually based on a real picture!

These are two communist leaders, Erich Honecker (East German) and Leonid Brezhnev (Soviet), in the midst of a brotherly kiss at the celebration of the 30 year anniversary of the GDR. 

The caption translates: "My God, help me to survive this deadly love."  I'm not quite sure what it's supposed to mean.

I walked along the Wall, soaking in the sunshine while trying to imagine what it could have been like...
though I know that there is no way I could relate.  I have always lived in such freedom.

I haven't been to many fine arts museums in my life, and I don't know much about painting or murals, but I sure could appreciate these pieces!

Murals... make me feel good inside.
It was certainly one major reason why I loved living in San Francisco.  For murals give visibility to the socio-political realities of the people.  In San Francisco, the movement is largely and directly influenced by Mexican and Latin American artists.
 
In Berlin, there is a slightly different tone.
For instance, I found that many pieces had a tone of agony.. of drag.. of heaviness and alienation.

This one reminded me of Butoh :)

Although, other ones focussed on hopes and visions...

Nevertheless, dare I make a comment, that I found what is perhaps an underlying theme:

Inter-Connection?

And what better medium than a wall!

When I reached the end of the Gallery I decided to keep walking for a while.  I was in Kreuzberg, the newest hip(ster-ized) neighborhood of Berlin.  Perhaps I could find a special pair (read: cheap) of leather boots in some second-hand store...

I walked the streets, tantalized by the amount of posters and graffitis that make up this urban landscape.  I wondered how much of my experience came with the fact that such things just naturally draw my attention.  Perhaps other people do not notice how Berlin is plastered with images and slogans... 

Nah.  I bet they do.

That's why they love it here.

Edelweiss Cafe, in Görlitzer Park

After a while, I found the perfect little spot to sit down and read, sipping a cappuccino.  It was called Kjosk, and I had never seen anything quite like it.  There was a double-deck bus/trailer in a big yard, and a bunch of tables outside with picnic tablecloths and parasols, plus a ping-pong table, and a bunch of kitsch art pieces... complete with a huge mural on the adjacent wall!

Kjosk @ Oranienstrasse 1
Kreuzberg

This Fall season is blessed.  I am blessed.

I'm going to ZirCouplet Cabaret in a couple of hours.  (Harvey got both of us some free tickets!)  After that, I'm supposed to meet up with a new friend I made at Beatriz's party: David, from Mexico.
!