Protests and demonstrations are intended to increase social awareness and help induce change in a system. Their bastardization into routine parties in Berlin has degraded their effectiveness and helped to prevent change in the system. Trying to understand can indeed see the common ausländer facing a repelling discharge of half-baked beliefs and arrogant fixations. However, I do not believe this to be the necessary state of things.

To begin with, methods could be taken to discourage trouble makers from even showing up. Building a formality, a rule system, perhaps with participation tickets would work if implemented well. By reducing the appeal for those who seek conflict, opportunity would open for more creative expression and more effective action. The factor of the police could be eliminated if the participants were serious and (perhaps over time) developed a type of demonstration that was consistently peaceful and not destructive of private and public property.

For the serious change seekers, as much effort should be put into writing letters to the senators as is put into demonstrations, and public protestors need to realize that passionate energy is meaningless without control and direction. By blurring the line between protest and party, organizers attract people with little care for the cause at hand, who can’t be controlled or relied upon and thus ultimately help the police bring the event to an end.

Perhaps this city is in need of a new approach to political thought. The action-packed demonstrations and the passion for them makes Berlin breathe with fury. But perhaps what it really needs is to just to calm down. If people want to change this city, they have to put some thought into it. Supporters of a common cause need to create forums to discuss and develop their views. Groups who continue to be nothing more than a loose collective of half-baked ideas will help keep Berlin as it is: an unending promise of change.

Addressing the Republicans’ unending effort to stop his new healthcare bill during his first State-of-the-Union, President Obama recently said, “Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it's not leadership.” If you want to be popular in Berlin, throw a party and call it a protest. But if you actually want to make anything better, put down that empty Sternburg and begin that manifesto you’ve been talking about, because, weather you want to believe it or not, revolutions are born, grown and realized with, more than anything else, the pen.

It could have easily been successful had the majority of ‘protestors’ cared about the cause. Instead, this large Berlin crowd consisted of a few anti-fascists putting on a show for the camera toting tourists. All the anti-fas just wanted to fight the police and the tourists just wanted to see some action and conflict. As a result, the crowds concentrated at two airport entry points where they were more than easily held back, and all attempts at making the originally intended symbolic gesture were lost.

A third reference to the failure of Berliner protests needs no explanation, for on the first of May, all political meaning disintegrates, and lefties and righties alike band together to remind the old rich conservative Germans who actually run the government, that a large and aggressive police-force is still required to keep the ‘ever threatening chaos’ at bay.

This city could be so much more revolutionary if it would stop fighting with itself. The potential for political development can be likened to medical advances during war. So much is happening all the time, so many social experiments are acted-out daily, that Berlin could be a political role-model for the world. Instead, demonstrations have become a routine of disorganization: the crowds arrive and the organizers begin their speeches. However, this also attracts the ‘chaos supporters’ of Berlin, who begin to throw shit at stores and harass traffic. Then the police arrive with a huge intimidating force, which excites the trouble-makers and pisses-off the real protestors. Aggression escalates, and the ‘Bullenschweine’ use the excuse to shut down the demonstration.

When all is said and done, the police happily go home to polish their shields and bats, the trouble-makers happily return to their dens in Freidrischein, and the real protestors and organizers leave frustrated and discouraged, barely having made a blip on Berlin’s political radar. Are there exceptions? Of course, but this is so often the repeating trend that finding them usually requires an ancient map, a mysterious key, and the personal aide of Indiana Jones...

...concluded in part 3 of 3

Perhaps Berlin is a little too awe-inspiring for the new arrivies; often times sweeping us off our feet to the degree that we become rapidly boxed in its illusions. But at some point, if we really wish to stay and grow with this city, we must smash the impressionary glass. We must make the effort to get to know these ‘Berliners’ and develop an understanding of what is believed and what is not, what is said and what isn’t, and just how distinctly unique and routine the behavior of this city is.

The following observation is a generalization and means no offence, for this Italian-Canadian loves this city and its inhabitants and would offer no less harsh a criticism of his fellow British Columbians. However, it is now the dead of winter, fourteen below for the past week, and previous illusions cannot persist through the crisp clear air that blows down Berlin Boulevard...

...continued in part 2 of 3

We rode by Josi Table Dance Bar and decided to hit the ATM and come back. We both have wonderful men at home, but who could deny a girl some dancing titties from time to time?! The entrance fee was 5 Euro and so was the beer. No surprise there. It is not the finest establishment, but simple and clean. We sat down at the long bar with poles in the middle. A few seats away were a group of young, giggling Italians and on the other side a couple. We bought “Dollars”, (well, thin paper that represented money) to slip into the remaining clothes of the girls (not that many places to put it). We were drunk enough to roll a doobie and smoke it right there, waiting for the girls to start.

All in all there were 3 girls. All pretty, all thin and all in high heels. They had a special song they danced to and it was fun watching them. You can only truly appreciate a girl’s ass when you see it from that perspective. Beautiful. After a few beers and lots of dollars disappearing into thongs, we rode home and crashed on Liz couch. A night to remember. If you want to do something nice for yo’ man, take him there. He will be forever thankful.

Josi Table Dance Bar

Köpenickerstr 176, 10997 Berlin - Kreuzberg

The entrance is Free!

Hours: April-October: Mon., Tues, Thurs, Fri 10-19, Sat and Sun 11.-18. October-April: Mon., Tues, Thurs, Fri 10-17, Sat and Sun 11.-17.

www.kinderbauernhofberlin.de

Today, the announcement was taking place at Tempelhof airport, and as predicted, there would be a demonstration. Grande. I had been looking forward to this all year. There was a surprisingly complex security system when I arrived at the gate. Fortunately I had acquired a Carpeberlin press pass and passed through quite easily, but most were not so lucky. General citizens had to be screened thoroughly to insure that spies from NASA or other competing space agencies were not afforded the opportunity to steal SLURP secrets.

I don’t believe I was the only one feeling the cold that day. It seemed that both the organizers of the convention and the representatives of SLURP were in quite a hurry to begin. Unfortunately, their very demonstration interrupted their announcement as a series of small, strange looking rockets ignited behind them. “Meine Damen und Herren!...” was all I could hear before the ominous roar of the engines took over.

I was not concerned, for I had an interview with the announcer, Tobias Merlin Graf von Bentinck und Waldeck-Limpurg. Outside, in the freezing cold, I was only really interested in the rockets. The unheard speech was good by my standards, it was just six minutes long. Just in time for the steaming engines to finally turn green and light up the air. Then, faster than I could’ve imagined, up they went, the jackrabbits of the sky, with more magnificence than a blizzard of Shakespearian metaphors.

Three hours later, I was standing on the bridge by Treptower Park drinking a large mug of Glühwein and staring out across the city. Why had I not become an astronaut? Why hadn’t I joined SLURP when I was still young enough? Where had all the time gone? My head was filled with wonder and regret. My interview had gone very well, but it had filled me with too much excitement and too many questions. There were many things on which to report, many new projects in development, but I was too far away from all that now. All I could do was listen to the stars calling out to me, their ancient chants stirring my desires. I looked over the city to the shining T. V. tower, then out on the river to the Molecule men. Then I finished my drink and turned back to my humble earthy existence.

Stay Tuned next week for Marlene’s exclusive interview with SLURP program director, Tobias Merlin Graf von Bentinck und Waldeck-Limpurg.

After days of research, we stumbled over an ad for the “Botanischer Garten”. That was it! They had just finished the huge tropical house. The garden is located on the other side of the city, which means a trip through Berlin in one of the nice “doppeldecker” busses. We were lucky enough to score a place right in the front, with a perfect view of the streets and the people up ahead. The first stands of the Weihnachtsmarkt were already open and we were looking forward to the beginning of the Glühwein season.

The bus stop is right in front of the garden, and after paying a student-friendly fee we passed the entrance and found “das Landhaus”, a restaurant/Bar. We decided to warm our bellies before the endeavor. We sat between seniors having their lunch and sipped our first (and not to be last) Glühwein; fish filet's and potatoes passing us by. And, as a side note, I must say that those decent seniors were also drinking wine and schnapps before 12a.m.

Warm and drunk, we were on our way through the park. Autumn was not the prime time to come visit. I bet in the summer everything is full of color and sweet smells. But we found some romantic nooks and niches: a pond with a heron (it´s a bird, my fellow city kids) standing on one foot, thinking about quantum mechanics. The beautiful old stone bridge, with a view of a little white gazebo right at the edge of the pond was a must to enjoy a romantic kiss.

Our path was surrounded by palm trees and we followed it in a Hänsel und Gretel fashion. Quiet a big assortment of trees I might add.

When we came to the top of the hill a huge glass dome came into view. At the right time too, because we were freezing. It reminded me of an Asimov story out in space. I wondered if S.L.U.R.P had ever been here. After passing some lonely fishes in the hall we reached the tropical garden, protected by a two door system. The heat hit us in the face, new smells entered our noses. Swampy was squeaking with joy and I had to get him out of my jacket as fast as possible. While tiny droplets of sweat formed on my face Swampy ran underneath the banana trees. We walked up the stairs to see the green wonder from above and it hit us both: this would be the perfect place to live. Sunlight around the clock, enough space for a whole tribe and even a small pond with three lazy, huge Koi´s.

After the fourth night we had our routine down quite well: around 9 p.m. the security guy would make his last round and lock the doors. We would crawl out of our little, hidden cave and begin our jungle night on a little foot bath in the pond, followed by a stroll around our garden and ending on top of the stairs, laying on our backs and looking at the stars. We loved our new home and survived by stealing food out of the visitor’s pockets. Sandwiches, bananas and the occasional flask, filled with whisky from the older dudes in sweaty vests. A good life!! Come visit us at the Botanischer Garten. We will be there, happy and warm.

I don’t remember how the night ended, but I can tell you that there was no dude in our bed. Just a major hangover and a smile on our faces. Go! Visit the Lovelite and make out. Bombard yourself with life as only you can in Berlin. Be happy, be wasted, be Berlin.

A singer/songwriter coming from the north of Germany, once he was the number one graffiti artist of his little home town. He improved to become a serious musician with production spots for MTV. Today, Norman spends half of his time in Mexico City and the other half in Berlin.
Hearing his songs is a trip into a parallel world. The songs try to explain the world for the inhabitants of a parallel world who have never visited this earth.

More information is available at: http://www.normanpalm.com/project/about/

Oh, but that is just the beginning. At 10pm, you may delight in the likes of Zachov:
A one man orchestra and a member of several bands, this part time theater musician, producer, and noise artist is said to enjoy putting literary texts to music, playing the eight instruments he may have learned as a kid, and jumping in cold, dry water. He can be found in Berlin, Bern or at zachov.com.

Later…

If you’re not exhausted from the awesome music at this stage, the beat will go on as Dj Matjes and Mare will climb up to the Dj station and swing their feet to the electro beat. Beware though, as there are also rumors about the mysterious lurkings of the dangerous Karen The Whip. A Berlin Domina who helps the people by using her tool…

Saturday, January 9^th, 2010

9pm

3 €

popobar.de

If you wanna join, just show up at any time, be it Premier League, FA Cup or Champions League, no matter what, grab a pint and come down to see it.

Directions: Irish Harp, Giesebrechtstrasse 15 

U-Bahn station: Wilmersdorferstrasse; Adenauerplatz

Internet Site: http://www.kilkenny-pub.de/index.php?location=harp-pub-berlin-charlottenburg&page=home

"I'll be doing a set for New Year’s that is very special because it will feature music that I really love, from Electric Miles to Detroit Techno to originals off of my upcoming record (shhhhhh... still a secret). I’ll be Djing from my laptop, with my Mashine Drum unit, and my Novation X-station too. You know how I do, it will be spontaneous and so fresh that you’ll not be able to tell whether it’s live or Memorex. Now, for those who missed my set at Club Tausend, Badeschiff and Raw Temple and complained because you heard about it- you now have no excuse not to show up and show us how funky you can get. My set is from 2am until... I stop. C’mon, inspire me, I dare ya!"

www.kelvinsholar.com

And don't forget to check out Carpeberlin's exclusive interview with Kelvin Sholar from earlier this year.

PoPo Bar | Sa | 5.12. | 21 Uhr | 3 € | Tell-8 | NK