Juli 2005

einfach gehen

Liegt es am Alter, dass ich plötzlich die Haßberge als 'Reiseziel' entdecke und freudig zu Fuß erkunde? Vor zwei Jahren war ich mit einer Freundin auf dem Kunigundenweg unterwegs und diesmal durchstreifte ich mit einer anderen Freundin die Haßberge. Die Natur im ehemaligen Zonenrandgebiet ist unglaublich schön, das Essen leckerst und die Menschen nach kurzen Gewöhnungsmomenten zutraulich. C. und ich kamen in einem Gasthof unter; das Zimmer war schlicht eingerichtet. Abends tranken wir ein Bier in der Kneipe. Als wir fast schon am Aufbrechen waren, trat der alte Wirt an unseren Tisch. Er entpuppte sich als Hobbymaler und wollte uns unbedingt noch seine Sammlung an alten Werkzeugen und Mineralien zeigen. Der alte Mann hatte liebevoll einige Schätze (und einigen Schund) zusammengetragen; was aber rührte war, welche Bedeutung er jedem einzelnen Stück beimaß, als etwas, das hergestellt worden war, von jemandem, mit einer gewissen Bedeutung oder für eine Nutzung, oder einfach, weil es es gab. Da er aber an einem Augenleiden litt und nur noch wenige Prozent seiner Sehkraft(zwischen 5 und 30%) besaß, hatte er teilweise fast blind gemalt und zu späteren Zeitpunkten, in denen sein Augenlicht wieder mehr sah, erst sehen können, was er denn gemalt hatte. Wir hörten fasziniert zu und staunten über seine Lust am Machen und Sammeln. Zum abschluß zeigte er uns seinen Collie-Schrank. Collie-Schrank? Auf dem abgebeizten Holz waren schwarze Astansätze zu sehen, die alle so angeordnet waren, dass sie die Gesichter von Collies erahnen liessen. Und wenn man diese Collies einmal gesehen hatte, starrten sie einem immer entgegen, wenn man den Schrank passierte. Am nächsten Morgen liefen wir weiter, bis wir etwa so viele Blasen wie Zehen im Schuh hatten. Und nahmen uns vor, das nächste mal in en Steigerwald zu gehen.

Vorurteile

Vor einigen Jahren barg der Sommer für mich einen kleinen Wermutstropfen- als Liebhaberin ausgiebigster Wannenbäder bedauerte ich, dass mir diese beste aller Entspannungen im Sommer keinen Spaß machte- bei Sommerwetter ins heiße Naß? Hier schüttelt man den Kopf. In Japan, wo der Sommer ja noch heißer ist und die Luftfeuchtigkeit einem das Gefühl gibt, ständig in einem Pudding zu waten, stellte ich mit Erstaunen fest, dass die Badeanstalten in den Stadtteilen auch im Sommer geöffnet sind. Jetzt sind die japanischen Bäder keine Schwimmbäder, wie wir sie kennen, sondern Orte, an denen man sich erst mal mit Hingabe(und zuweilen auch demonstrativ) wäscht und dann in eine große Wanne heißen Wassers legt. Mit großer Skepsis probierte ich dies in einer besonders heißen Sommernacht in Tokyo aus- und war begeistert: Der Körper freute sich über die eindeutig über der eigenen Körpertemperatur liegende Hitze- die Muskeln entspannten sind und durch das vorhergehende Schrubben und Einseifen fühlte man sich danach herrlich entspannt und porentief gereinigt. Eigentlich bräuchte man hier eine Dusche und eine Wanne, um das japanische Badevergnügen zu wiederholen- denn wie sonst könnte man sich gründlich reinigen, bevor man ins vorbereitete heiße Wasser steigt... Aber, wenn die Sonne wie vor ein paar Tagen ganz ungewohnt unbarmherzig vom deutschen Himmel sticht und man nachts eine Entspannung sucht kann ich ein heißes Bad empfehlen.

finally

As a person who does not own a TV I always get nervous on sunday evenings. This is the time when the first channel of the German TV has 'crime-time'. These sunday criminal stories have accompanied all of my childhood and unbelievably the title music of the series has not changed since. 'Tatort'-scene of the crime is the title of the series and there are some teams of investigators in every German city, so one sunday you will see the Hamburg homicide-team and the next day the Police in Munich. Every team has its own charme and humor. It gives a a good image of average Germans, physically and emotionally. In my life without much rythmn, these program marks my week. But as I do not own a TV and there is none in my flatshare I usually call my friends in Berlin on sunday mornign...'hello, what are you doing tonight?' But yesterday my flatmate gave me the solution for my problem. I had been looking for a pub to see 'Tatort' in the internet, but hadn't found it. By chance we were talking about 'Tatort' and THERE IS A PUB CLOSE BY, where 'Tatort' is shown every sunday. We went there and surprisingly it is a kind of left-wing-youth-pub. My flatmate and I seemed like the older(much older) sisters of the young revolutionairies, but the drinks were cheap and the athmosphere was familiar. For all of you who don't have a TV -this is the place to go on sunday evenings to see 'Tatort': Bandito Rosso

INSPIRED!

Yesterday I went to the British Council for the artists talk of Michael Craig-Martin. I did not know his work well and was curious. A painting on the ceiling of the library in the British Council in Berlin welcomed the visitor of the talk. It was especially impressive to listen to this modest artist who spoke of the great opportunities which were given to him and his work. He also spoke of his frustration, when he was still 'just' painting on canvas and did not see that this was leading anywhere. Now, of course his paintings have inhabited huge walls and buildings. When I left the talk (after two glasses of white wine which followed the talk) I was inspired and told myself: GET GOING! Check him out! BBC interview MOMA

just a question of when

British authroities said that a terorist attack as experienced last thursday in London was something expected for years. It wasn't a question if it would happen, just when. Now it happened and it feels a little like having lost some kind of innocence(which actually was already lost in New York and Madrid). I have been in London on 9/11 and there was this big fear that after the attacks in America, there would be some more in London. Canary Warf was cleared if I remember right and I was fixed to TV screens together with some friends. One of them, an American said that someone would have to pay for this on the very day of the attacks. Some bodies have 'paid' and Madrid has paid, Iraq pays, a lot of people paid with their lifes and now Londoners paid. What was the bill? In an article it was stated that London is used to and a little prepared for bomb threats from the IRA, but that the IRA was an enemy, who wanted to talk. The German RAF followed a similar pattern with the aim to force governemts to react. Al Quaida and suicide bombers don't want to talk. They want to injure societies where it hurts everybody, where every single one is a possible target. Everyone has been attacked, but I wonder what can be done from the individual, if anything at all? The hatred and blood thirst,which lead to this deeds is shocking and doesn't give any opportunity for an approach(to whom, where, how?). This might be a point where our democratic understanding is faced with an invisible vis-à-vis who wants to challenge us and our system with a mean and cruel shadow-boxing without pattern and sense. I have no idea, how to deal with that as individual, as governemts, or as whatever.

GORKI PARK

I was starving for watching some TV and having a dinner on my laps,- just relaxing at home. The warm Berlin-summer-evening could not tempt me and as I don't have a TV I went to my video shop and searched for the entertainment of my evening- when I looked around all those costume movies, thrillers and so on I found 'Gorki Park', and took it home. I have seen this film again and again, when it was shown on TV. The story is great and again and again it excites me. How reassuring to see and remember at the same time. I guess this is the reason why children like to hear stories again and again. Sometimes I wonder how we can cope with all the information, news and stories we get to know, hear and see each day. Regularly my eyes long for repetition, for well known images, moving or standing still(because actually the sight of art works you know very well and see again in an exhibition after a couple of years can give me the same feeling). I don't need to own themovies, but to have an inner list, from where I can choose, whenever I am in need of 90 minutes of well know experience. 'Princess Mononoke' is on that list as well as 'Brot und Tulpen' and 'Matrix'. Oh well, when I think about it I will try to get Matrix for tonight, yeah!

ISTANBUL CALLING

Yesterday I woke up from the rustling of the leaves in the tree in front of my window. The sky was grey and I had the strong feeling that summer has gone for this year. In the evening I was ready for a movie and decided to see The sound of Istanbul. I have been told that the movie is great but that was already everything I knew and I found myself in a new and fresh version of 'Buena Vista Social Club'. Alexander Hackmann, musician of the band 'Einstürzende Neubauten'(='collapsing new buildings') has visitedd Istanbul before to record some sounds for a soundtrack and together with the director Fatih Akin they revisit Istanbul to explore the music world. They meet musicians from street-musicians and folk music to Rap and what surprised my eyes was the camera, which always got close to the musicians, who hadn't been in the Make-up before. Usually musicians are shown from the distance of a stage or they are carefully prepared for the bright light of the TV lighting. Here we meet them privately; of course the stars and veterans of music were well prepared for the guests from Germany, but in general the film provoked a homely impression. It is as if you could touch the musicians. The music was striking, but of courese it is often different to listen to it at home; B the soundtrack of Buena Vista Social Club infiltrated our homes- I will search for the soundtrack of 'Crossing the Bridge' in ebay and try it out in my 4 walls-