Boogie down Berlin, my home away from home.
While there, I made a lot of fast friends and amongst it all met up with Malor TNC courtesy of an email hook up from Rusto. Malor proved to be a host who was quick to deliver and also a little bit crazy. Which is a combination I generally tend to like. We did a day spot and then ended up at a weekend long party in a club that was built like someones house. If a house is strobe lighting, that electronic music which only Berlin produces, bon fires and assorted poison.
Here are the pieces we did,
Vokills
Malor
Roughly a week later, I was walking into the first day of the yearly riots which happen around May Day in order to take some photos. There was a large crowd, some of whom were quite angry, others stood there and talked. Bottles were being thrown and there was a lot of yelling in German. In the middle of the throng, there was something which had been set on fire and to go with it, a reasonable police presence which were the main target of the occasionally airborne beer bottles. I walked in cautiously while keeping an eye on the sky for any projectiles which might of come my way. To my suprise when I reached the center, I found Malor. He was in his pyjamas and casually smoking a cigarette with his reading glasses on. I asked him what he was up to, he just replied "Ahh I hear all this um... noise and see the fire so I come to look". We chatted a little more but unfortunately I had a party to go to.
Here are some photo's I took from the yearly Kruetzberg riots (these are from 2007).
This guy obviously caught a bottle, his reaction was very casual. As was the reactions of all the people I met who were caught in the cross fire. For example, I also met a guy in the middle of the riot who had just been pepper sprayed and wanted to discuss Australia's stance on Aboriginal rights with me. Unfortunately, he wasn't so keen on having his photo taken.
Aside from going to riots I also went to parties. My friend Julien took me to this one at the Art School of Berlin...
The night started out meeting some of Julien's friends. As you can see, they were good people.
Being the naked guy at a dress up party is very brave, but you need to be ready for the fact that no one is going to want to talk to you...all night.
Several hours and lots of beer later, it's all over.
I ended up catching the train back east with these kids.
End game, we met some older punks and laughed a lot with them while drinking out sunrise beers. All in all it was a good night.
Lastly, when I wasn't going to parties, I was jumping off cranes...
You can just make the bungee jump platform out in the distance. Short lived, but worth while. A big thanks to Leonie who drove me out there and held my belongings, ready to spring into action in the off chance I went kaput!
It's amazing how many people went well out of their way for me in Berlin (as with more or less everywhere I've ever traveled). Thanks to Julien and Leonie for taking me in, feeding me, being great company etc. Malor for all the painting and partying, and Helvi for giving me a backpack as well as minding half of my shit for months on end while I galavanted around Eastern and Central Europe!
That's it for now. Fin.