saturday song

woodkid, brooklyn.

these days, i'm actually living here :)

saturday song

frank sinatra, new york new york.

my man played this song for me when i booked my flight.

no need to say more.

NYC here I come!

i am so excited! Only four more days to go before i leave for NEW YORK! in my mind, i'm already packing my bags and picturing myself in the big city. i can't wait. the main excuse to go was/is iGDN, the founding conference of the international Gender Design Network, which will take place at Parsons and is hosted by my former professor Dr. Uta Brandes. and she asked me and two of my friends (also co-workers) to give a talk! it's only a short input session, but i am still ... nervous.

and then there's catching up with an old friend, getting to know jenni's new york, going to the moma, ps 1, coney island to re-experience childhood memories and just taking it all in!
do you have any special recommendations for me?

image above via maquimk

a weekend in berlin

this weekend, after this very cold and especially annoying onset of winter the last two weeks, the sun finally decided to show her face again. so we used the chance to go for a long and sunny walk on the tempelhofer feld, the old airport field that is now being used as a park and recreation space. there were people skating, running, playing soccer, flying kites and just walking enjoying the sun. it was so refreshing and reminded me of how amazing this unique park really is in summer.

afterwards we checked in geschwister nothaft, a small café in neukölln run by a couple of siblings, for waffles and hot chocolate. it was delicious!

saturday song

home, edward sharp and the magnetic zeros

have a great weekend, everyone!

rotterdam

do you know the feeling of having relationships not only with people but also with cities? it happens to me on a regular basis. and spending a lot of time at home (go away you nasty flu) lately made me especially think of the city relationships that ended last year. rotterdam was the easier one to let go of, for many reasons, but it's a nice and exciting place to visit, and i've been missing it these days.

we had the chance to spend our final weekend there at the wonderful hotel new york. seriously, if you ever have the chance to visit, do! even if it's just for breakfast or tea time in their restaurant. it's definitely worth a walk to that side of the (old) harbour and the wilhemina pier. take a peek into the old barber shop as well!
once your there, the museum of photography with a very recommendable interactive exhibition, and the lantaren venster where you can watch english movies, are near.
i can also recommend lebcov & sons for coffee and a hummus sandwich close to the central station.

letters

Last night I stumbled upon this amazing blog letters of note, correspondence deserving a wider audience. I got so immersed in reading these personal, deep and lovely letters, time just slipped away. Finally I lay awake in bed thinking about the great value of receiving a hand-written note from a loved one in the distance. And how lucky I am to receive one every once in a while. It also left me with the intention of writing letters and notes more often. But what stuck with me most was the notion of being especially thankful and emotional about the letters from my parents.
So here's a small collection of letters from parents to their children.

Ted Hughes to his 24 year old son Nicholas: Live like a mighty river
Ronald Reagan to his 26 year old soneMichael before his wedding: Love, Dad
F. Scott Fiztgerald to his 11 year old daughter Scottie: Things to worry about
Leo Babauta: Advice to my children

image via

marina and ulay

'Marina Abramovic and Ulay started an intense love story in the 70s, performing art out of the van they lived in. When they felt the relationship had run its course, they decided to walk the Great Wall of China, each from one end, meeting for one last big hug in the middle and never seeing each other again.

At her 2010 MoMa retrospective Marina performed ‘The Artist Is Present’ as part of the show, where she shared a minute of silence with each stranger who sat in front of her. Ulay arrived without her knowing and this is what happened.' (via zengarage)

touching. and lovely. oh. without words.

saturday song

james vincent mcmorrow, higher love.

here comes the sun ...

 

the sun is back! it seems like the longest time since it's been a sunny day in berlin. the people obviously have been craving sunlight - they stop on the street to take it in. it really feels like a relief after this long cold and grey winter and it makes me fall for this city all over again.

today, i felt like seeing a different part of the city and went to markthalle 9 in kreuzberg to buy some fresh pasta and flowers for the weekend. so many nice little stands, organic food, lovely flowers and good coffee. compared to neukölln this place seems posh, but then again a lot more friendly and inviting. anyway, i love markets.

let's hope the sun is here stay. here's the song.

saturday song

me and my drummer, you're a runner