Berlin, the city where ive learned to meditate, learn & relax. It just dawned on me that the past 4 years since University, life has been a rollercoaster of events. From Concert organizing, pageant-random-joining, projects, filming & supporting different organizations, I dont really know the last time I sat down and was allowed not think about - anything. Call it lazy but the breather in a city so foreign allowed me to practice a part of my brain which didnt function in a long time. DIRECTION. Sigh, my sense of direction, my fiance will attest to this as he knows for a fact that direction and I are at opposite ends of the pole. My almost- 3 months here in Germany has taught me how to be a little bit more independent. With the limitations of my parameterized visa I can only do certain things, or in other words, I cant legally find a job yet. So im here, writing, mood boarding, reflecting and the like. Despite the limitation, things happened and friends came along, like Isa who came up with this wild idea that perhaps we can make a gig here in Berlin. And yes, we did, this Saturday will be my first time to co-organize a small mini festival in a city I know very little of. Spring Peace Festival a extension of a project we supported in the Philippines called Summer Peace Festival. My curiosity came in waves, I guess my bodys plea to sleep took its toll, and I had days where all I did was sleep and listen to music. It had its advantages. My mind feels refreshed now. It was in February when I decided to brave the roads and use a bike to go around, I relied on the GPS on my phone to keep sane and not get lost. Of course I did get lost. Perhaps its the lack of training, maybe we need more map training in school. Or maybe its just me. Exploring Europe was quite a surprise for me too, I was miss-tag-along with my fiances activities, and yet each trip was a learning curve for me too. Seeing Munich for the first time and its grand palatial streets made me appreciate Europe as it was, people have so much time to create and to beautify because they dont have to deal with bipolar climates like in the equatorial group of islands, A.K.A the Philippines, despite its beauty, it has a temper no one can predict. My knowledge on architecture was awakened like a kid who was woken up by a bucket of water. Munich was grand, it was a city where people could gallivant in splendor and women were glamorous in all aspects. Italy was not far from different, the streets of Udine were old and full of history. It was like walking through a movie scene. For some reason the vibe was calm. I felt a stronger connection to people, and over a cup of coffee people really talked. Rarely did I experience a disconnected feeling where someones cellphone was a direct competition for attention. It was wonderful to really speak and meet people. Venice was also a delight, despite the fluctuating buzz of tourists, you kind of isolate yourself with the beauty around, then the voices just become murmurs, and if I concentrated more, the noise disappeared. I dazzled with daydreaming that men like Giacomo Casanova roamed around the city of Venice, or so they say. But what amazed me the most was the diligence of a society that was bound by limitations, yet, found the means to rise above it. Venice was built out from nothing, a desolated lagoon of mush and mud rose a city of great splendor. Leipzig, Berlin, and the whole Germany in a whole struck my stomach a hundred times as I really absorbed what this Country went through as a Nation. Branded negatively by the whole world because of the History of the Nazis the World War domination, they surpassed stereotyping and rose as one of the strongest economies in Europe until today. With a very steady working class and growing population, Germany goes beyond great in any standard today. Its interesting how the different cities around this country are also very distinct. Presently I stay in Berlin, and for this area it is considered as a capital of art, music and alternative thinking. Two months is not enough to really indulge but I had a taste of the street life. Yes, theyre very creative indeed. So this brings me to my last thought, these three images represent my contemplation and journey. Its just the beginning, and theres so much to see in this vast city / country. I have to just take the bike, my camera and map and perhaps keep filming. I dont know what other things I will discover, all of a sudden I have an urge to write a book. A book of thought and growth. If theres anything im looking forward to, is moving forward. In a few weeks I go home to my loved ones, my country, the Philippines. Tears me up to think it will be a trip that bids goodbye to the people i grew up with and the people who shaped how I am now. After this trip I migrate back to Europe with my Husband to be, and wow will it be a different life by then... Perhaps goodbye is non-existent these days because of the internet, but the space widens and thats hard for me to imagine now. Above all, im grateful. Again, to anyone reading, enjoy your lifes travels.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Apr 2014 13:16:49 +0000
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