Archive for the ‘culture’ Category

embarrassing

Wednesday, January 12th, 2005

There is a significant connection between human behaviour and the society that influences this behaviour in a positive or negative way. This is analyzed and described in many theories by scientists, for example by sociologists. But what if human behaviour influences society? There are some remarkable examples, one for instance can be observed on Berlin’s streets and public places on a daily basis.

Back to the beginning of it all - at the beginning society reacted with head-shaking or negative in public if a person did something that was embarrassing or deviant from the behaviour that was seen as embarrassing or deviant by the society. That person then tried to stop his or her embarrassing actions in order to not stand out and to immerse into the mass of people.
There was also a time - and now I finally come to the concrete and already announced example, where a person thought it is embarrassing if his mobile phone suddenly started to burpse, make digestition noises, shout “C’mon, pick up the phone, dude!” or play the duck dance.
Apparantly these times are finally over. Lower body part noises, dumb statements and the newest inanities downloaded for much money seem to not impress the public anymore, neither on streets nor in subways (and there it is especially silent and noises are being noticed) or other public places, this noise garbage is accepted.

Boom!town Berlin

Thursday, December 30th, 2004

It seems to me that the propagated action “give money to asia instead that you spend it for fireworks” was not such a big success at all. Whole Berlin arms with that stuff and you can hear it already now - the day before New Years Eve - whistling and banging in all parts of the city. There is the mother who buys a big rocket assortment for her 13 and 8 year old boys (Congratulations mom, you know whats right for your children!), there is the youth who gets that stuff by themselves (Yeah! Just 18, now lets burn some money!)and even older ones can’t hesitate to buy fireworks for their surely perfect New Year Eve’s party.

To make it clear: I am a huge fan of colourful big fireworks organized by professionals (!) on special occasions. But I do not get the sense of these “Gee, I wanna ruin my ears now” fireworks which are *just* incredibly loud. Who really burns them to shoo the ghosts away like in the original sense of the New Years Eve fireworks?

This all reminds me of my first year in Berlin when I wanted to go to the big 1-million-ppl-attending-new-years-party at the Brandenburg Gate (c’mon, you have to be there at least once, right?) and in order to get there you had to walk through a war-like-zone where people burned down the firecrackers that the brought with since they couldnt enter the party zone with them. A genius idea to have those “burn-down-zones” close to the entrances. It was just pure luck that firecrackers landed in front of my shoes and not *on* them.

Anyways, have fun celebrating out there. Its possible to have that without those firecrackers. Just believe me ;)

seldom occasions

Saturday, December 25th, 2004

At Holy Eve you have the unique chance to meet all the neigbours and ppl living in the side streets and part of this city. While they normally don’t appear on the sidewalks they gather in big groups with their family and do some very slow walks through their neighbourhood which increases the traffice on the sidewalk to the size of almost an outdoor mall. Their aim and why they walk around I dont know cause only a small percentage go to church together or have already eaten their fat and greasy meals so that they need to go out.
Speaking of churches. Normally you dont hear them at all here by us but you are surprised to hear church bells ringing from corners of this neigbourhood where you didn’t even know that churches exist in these places.

art

Wednesday, December 1st, 2004

I have to admit that I am not a big fan of modern art. In my view, far too many artists just want to provocate with what they are creating - that is the main purpose of the art they develop. In times where people are already so much used to “provocating art” - so often it’s proclaimed purpose - what is really new and what is innovative? Not much left I would say. When I move around in Berlin from time to time I find some interesting stuff though, this here is one example.

Blinking light installation in Berlin, Prenzlauer Berg

german halloween

Sunday, October 31st, 2004

Ok, Halloween is now really established in Germany. But
a) there is no historical or whatsoever connection that Germany has with this day, it was basically brought over from the US by the candy industry which probably makes a fortune now with Halloween.

b) mainly the negative things were copied, hardly any little kids in cute costumes walking around in the neigbourhood asking for sweets together with their parents but teenagers age 13 - 18, mostly without any costumes behaving very annoying at the doors and throwing eggs and other things at the few younger kids outside - and - probably getting drunk then afterwards in one of the many clubs or pubs of this city.