How to celebrate Berlins most important Day
which is mine as well
Dear readers, everyone in between and beyond,
the days until the final destination are getting fewer, the sun is rising higher and staying longer, and the temperatures are also climbing up the thermometer.
Movie
I don't want to keep this from anyone: I saw the film Luckiest Girl Alive and really didn't like it. 2.8 out of 10 stars.
Traumatised teenager finds her place in high society until - due to a documentary request about a school attack in which she was involved - her whole house of cards collapses.
I really like Mila Kunis - a very beautiful woman who has also aged beautifully - but I think such topics should be treated with less drama and more sensitivity. Maybe that's what happens in the book?
Anyway, the weekend kicks off with Pilates, coffee on the balcony and a lunch date with the bestie, which deservedly ends in Aperol at the pavilion.
Music
I woke up with Take Me to the Pilot - I would have liked to stay with Sir Elton John, but then, yes then, I saw that Alligatoah had released a new song, and poof, I was 15 again, singing Trostpreis to myself and finding So Raus: a song so absolutely fantastic that Elton has to take a back seat.
The good old rock playlist is playing on the Tempelhofer Feld.
And in the evening...
Movie
Watched Sommer vorm Balkon. My dear Mr Dresen is an East German director with his own brand. There's nothing bad or extraordinary about it. It's not bad. 6.7 out of 10 stars.
Saturday was dedicated to my short film again.
Not without bad news from the family, which you can only survive with table tennis and hip-hop. And ice cream or beer - but both were postponed until later. Classic. So you sit by the canal with a healthy breakfast, stroll through sunny Neukölln and dedicate yourself to the task of finding a good outfit. Support from the Bestie really helps.
You throw yourself into the BVG chaos and are first confronted with technical problems. People know how to create thrills. I've already seen myself on stage with my laptop open, telling people what they're going to see in the film.
Thank God everything went well.
There was no nervousness, because the second time around you're suddenly so incredibly experienced... And although the part of the audience that had already seen the film thought it was better the second time around, there was still no pride, no adrenaline and no joy at what had been created. Maybe I've just seen it too many times...
In any case, we celebrated. And how. The sun was back by the time we made our way home. Sunday was spent hungover in bed with ramen.
Movie
Watched as much of the new series Your Friends and Neighbours as Apple TV would allow, to put us off until next Friday.
Ordered pizza and wished that the next day was also Sunday.
April 28
It wasn't. I rarely have two hangover days. This Monday is a hangover day.
Music
Jan and Olli drag me through dull Berlin, Jim Kroft's new music video cheers me up and gives me hope for the return of the anticipation of 1 May. Kurt Krömer is nasty to Jannik Schümann. Uurgh, not all that easy today.
Other Inspirations
The age seems to have passed when it's easy to get through office days, no matter how you feel.
Movie
We've started Adolescence. There was a lot of hype about it and so far we're happy with what it promised.
Gaslit is a fantastic series! 9.3 out of 10 stars. Two episodes to go.
Pretend It's a City works insanely well as a podcast. I love her, Fran Lebowitz.
Music
Oh, and if you want to get at least something productive done, you clean your flat while listening to Louis C.K. What must be, must be.
April 29
What a marvellous day it would have been if you weren't still hungover. What was going on on Saturday?
This time Louis C.K. joins me on the long journey to Charlottenburg.
Movie
Although I was a little intimidated by all the reviews of Adolescence, especially how deeply the series deals with the subject of misogyny and infanticide, I've now taken the plunge. You have to keep up with the times. I'm neither blown away nor insanely shocked. I think the narrative style is very good: four episodes, four different perspectives, the dilemma of the completely overwhelmed teachers at school, a fantastic 1:1 episode without editing in a therapy session and the topic that is told the least: What happens to the relatives. Easy is something else, it's fantastically done and I love the accent. 8 out of 10 points.
Music
You have a date in Kreuzberg and - for a change - you don't listen to the rap playlist, but the German pop playlist, which didn't really make me happy...
Other Inspirations
...because you meet the person directly in the underground. What a nice reunion after almost nine months. You can't tell anyone that you were almost neighbours back in the days of Moabit. We stroll along the canal with a non-alcoholic shandy in our hands (boy, we're getting old), the air is buzzing and humming, the people are relaxed, playing boules, table tennis and chess on the park benches. Once again, you can feel the love for this city, which is often hard to find and is often overcome by doubt. But on this Tuesday by the canal in Kreuzberg, you feel so full again.
Even when the Ringbahn takes 12 minutes, asks everyone to leave after the first stop, only to announce its return a minute later with an annoyed ‘All aboard again, Ringbahn to Südkreuz’.
Movie
This is Us is my favourite side series at the moment. I love the back story of the parents, but I can't really do much with the adult children. It's too overplayed for me, too superficial. The supporting actors are good, the main actors leave a lot to be desired.
April 30
Tomorrow is the 1st of May!
I jump out of bed, Peter Fox's letzter Tag on my mind. I don't care who might be in a bad mood today - I won't let them get to me.
Taking on something is nice. But when your colleagues decide to simply pretend that you're no longer part of the team, you feel left out. Then I don't have to come at all. At least we win at table tennis during the lunch break. The day didn't want to end and didn't want to end. And yet we were so full of vigour.
Music
The Mission Impossible theme accompanies me out of the office. That's it. 10 days off, 10 days of carefree Berlin existence, short trips, euphoria!
Movie
Three Sisters was recommended to me by my colleague on the dreamboat, and I'm a big fan of this film idea. Due to their father's deteriorating health, all three daughters decide to look after their father together. All people with siblings can relate to the conflicts and will not fail to recognise themselves here and there. 8 out of 10 stars.
Other Inspirations
Shopping is underway, preparations are in full swing and I've never had to queue so long at a supermarket checkout. Gorgette Dee's My Grocery Shop was my companion.
And then, yes, the time has finally come.
1st of May
What can I say - it feels like a birthday and Christmas all at once. I'm awake at 8 a.m. and happy as a lark. Today is simply going to be wonderful. The guests are still asleep, so I yoga into the day and then set about the preparations with 100% energy. Traditionally, there's a brunch with 16 bottles of sparkling wine - and only girls allowed. The soundtrack? Seeed live album and only that.
What a party! We dance, we sit on the balcony and let the sun shine on our faces, we sparkle and we make new friends. Together we head towards Treptower Park, sit in the sun and I'm thrilled. Everyone - but really everyone - is outside and wants to party together. We move on towards Schlesisches Tor. There's music everywhere, dancing everywhere. What a marvellous festival. My heart shines like the sun over the city. Traditions are observed, deep conversations held, joking, laughing and yes, even a tear shed here and there. It's a long day - all emotions are welcome. You're still sitting on a friend's balcony when the concentrated energy seeks its way out. You run into friends who then play their music on the bus - and you fall into bed. Blissful. Happy. Keeping an eye on next year.
Thank you, you great, great people, that we were able to spend this festival again with so much joy and harmony.
I'll leave it at the nice things this week and say goodbye to freedom.
See you next week.
Bussi Baba