Berlin
... is a fantastic city. I didn't really know what to expect, but turns out I love this city. It's got a really laid-back feel to it, and after Paris I was definitely in the mood for laid-back. I also loved the fashion in Berlin, but when you have maybe 5 outfits for 2.5 weeks (all using the same pair of pants), I think you will like the fashion anywhere...Since most of my time in Berlin was conference-going*, I'm not going to do a day-by-day account. Instead, I will list some highlights.
Highlight #1: The conference.
Haha okay so maybe I just put that here to make fun of myself and my nerdiness. But in truth the conference was fun and my work was well recieved. The comp neuro community is pretty chummy because they, as a general rule, get a lot of flak from biologists. So they are supportive of eachother which makes for a productive, laid-back, collaborative atmosphere. Yay, science! Here is a picture of my coworker Tomasz presenting at one of the workshops:
Yes, that is an actual slide in his presentation and that is an actual serious 'thinking' face on Tomasz. This is during the Q&A after his presentation. Which means that someone actually asked a serious question pertaining to this slide. I love my job.
#2: Beer.
The beer gardens were a lot of fun. Does anyone know why beer plus manicured landscaping does not equal good times in the states? It seems like someone could make some money off of this obvious oversight.
The above pictured beer garden had some live jazz while we were there. I got a crepe here with orange liquor as the filling. I don't think I'll be making that at home, but it was interesting.
#3: Mosaics.
So there are statues and public art all over Berlin, and they are all very impressive. However, I think my favorite works were all mosaics. I was really, very impressed by the quality of the colors, contrast, etc that can be achieved by glass and stone. I think I embarrassed my fellow travelers when we got to the top of the Victory Column and instead of looking at the view of the city like a normal person, I just gawked at the mosaic on the building itself. They had to tear me away. Some examples shots:
Amazing.
#4: Shopping.
Okay so maybe this wasn't so much the city as it was the fact that Nick and I no longer had to carry all our belongings on our backs, but I was nevertheless entertained by the shopping districts. We stopped by KaDeWe, a department store of second-largest-in-Europe fame, and were awed at their rediculous assortment of... everything. On the top (7th) floor they have an impressive food court. We didn't really eat there. No, I was impressed by appearances alone. Behold:
Notice that this fanciful display is mostly mushrooms (a large variety of mushrooms, but still). There were displays like this for all sorts of fresh foodstuffs: fruit, veggies, legumes, you name it. And it was all worked in seamlessly with the wares.
I swear their decoration budget has to be more than the kitchen budget. Well, maybe I am being naive. Do they use the veggies that the tourists have gawked at, sneezed on and fondled? (the other tourists... I only gawked...)
to be continued...
*and eating - the falafel was amazing and I actually found a roadside currywurst stand that had some fish sausage!!
posted by Amber @ 3:38 PM
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