Big and Beautiful

 Berlin is immense! I knew that already, but now I'm totally convinced...
I can’t help comparing it to a Dutch city, although that is almost impossible… Berlin makes me feel to me like I am the smallest person in the world (and I'm really tall).

 On Saturday we went to the Tempelhof, which is absolutely enormous! An old airport, now used by kites, picnic baskets, runners, skaters and couples. What a life, those Berlin people are so lucky! Oh, right I almost forgot, I'm a Berliner too now, which makes me a lucky person as well!

And then there is something like the Bergmannstraße, you can't find anything like that in Holland (sorry I can't help comparing again). A street full of nice restaurants, second hand stores and greengrocers. And it all is so cheap (compared with Holland). So we went out to eat four times a day, took beers from street shops like Berliners do and we enjoyed life with our picnic blanket at the Tempelhof.
 
I haven't seen much of the art last week, there was so much to do for next week. This week has been a week of learning street names (I already know 3), a week of learning the map a bit better (I finally know in which direction North Berlin is) and this week was a week where I have made extensive use of my Monatskarte, great!

 I live in Schöneberg, so it takes me some minutes to arrive in the nicer areas. I love silence, but Schöneberg is way too quiet! So I'm thinking about moving to Kreuzberg, Mitte or Neukölln. Because Berliners love moving and I'm a Berliner too…Then again my apartment, which I share with a great Spanish girl is very beautiful. It has an old-fashioned elevator, built in 1915 (which amazingly still works) and it has everything you need in it, like a large wardrobe with mirrors. So I will only move out if my future home has something more to offer like a whole room as wardrobe.

 Another great thing about being this city, I don't need to use my German skills (because they are even worse than my English). I tried sometimes, to speak German, but clearly it's so bad, that they always respond in English. At the market a guy was asking me, are you a tourist or a terrorist. So yeah, enough said about my German Skills.

 With Andreas like Andreas (another one than Andreas Helfer) from Atelierhof-Kreuzberg I'm learning to pronounce Atelierhof-Kreuzberg. -Atelier- like French people say and -hof- with a small o and you end the -berg- with a smile.  So now I'm picking up the phone at the gallery and proudly say Atelierhof-Kreuzberg hier Sarie.
The next day Andreas called like six times to hear me saying Atelierhof-Kreuzberg.
 
I like working at Atelierhof-Kreuzberg. Andreas Helfer is not giving tasks do this or do that. He's just having a conversation with me and after it I know exactly what to do. I feel like a little free bird at Atelierhof-Kreuzberg. After 3 days Andreas already has given me the keys to close the doors. He clearly mentioned something like that in a conversation.
 
I'm okay with that.

 
On Mondays and Tuesdays I'm interning at Despina Stokou at Bpigs. When people ask me what I'm doing in Berlin I tell them about Bpigs and mention the name Despina Stokou, they all seem to know her. She's like a walking encyclopedia of the art scene (lucky me).
 
On my first day I deleted accidentally a page on the bpigs website. Or maybe accidentally on purpose because she has just given me the task to take care of that page. She mentioned that it feels like losing her child in the supermarket. Ai, welcome Sarie.
 
Besides that it took me some hours to understand what she was saying to me because I listen very badly when I'm a bit nervous. All in all Despina is so nice and some day she will forgive me that I hide her child in the supermarket and don't remember where I hide it.
 
Sometimes the internet is way too complicated!

 
Right now we are busy with the Speed Portfolio Viewing II, which is coming up this Sunday! I'm looking forward to meet all the artists and curators. I think it’s really cool, I'm getting the chance to know these people.

Lucky me I'm living in Big and Beautiful Berlin!