People watching

I love to people watch. It's probably amongst my top 5 favourite things to do. Just to watch people passing, living their lives. Making up stories in my head about where they're going, what they do, what kind of person they are. It's my favourite type of story writing and hence this blog will present just that. Snapshots of people's lives.

The woman on the ubahn

I'm sitting on the Ubahn taking Conor to the airport and a woman gets in holding something wrapped. She sits opposite me and puts the package on the seat next to her. The wrapping says 'Eis Bessler' (Ice Cream, Bessler.) I am immediately intrigued. Why has she brought ice cream with her on the ubahn? It's kinda normal in Germany to wrap ice cream up like that so peoople can take it home. But on the ubahn?

Won't it melt? It's fairly hot in here. How long is she traveling for? Logistics aside, her life starts to intrigue me. Who is the ice cream for? Why has she made such an effort to take it home? Is it really, really delicious? Is the ice cream just for her? Is it so good she occasionally indulges so much she orders two portions? Or is it for her and her boyfriend? Will they enjoy it while watching a film? Or perhaps it's for her children. She's only got two portions. What a selfless, caring mother. I see her carefully touch the ice cream to see if it has melted.

With a phone call all my questions are answered. Her boyfriend, I assume that's who's on the other end, calls and she asks him to pick him up from the ubahn. Not just yet though honey, she says, I've got 10 more stops. Ten more! Surely the ice cream would have melted by then?

She tells him she wants to be picked up because it's raining out, and besides, the ice cream will melt.

Riding the ring s bahn, Berlin

The city's architecture doesn't seem to adhere to any system or style. Amongst grand buildings that are in keeping with each other, there will suddenly be a bright red modern complex right in the middle. Rather than being a punch in the face, it actually caters for a 'wow effect'. Whilst sitting on the Ubahn going from West to East one drives past hundreds of houses. Some are built in the normal European style (although what counts as 'normal' these days?), some are modern, some are ueber-modern, graffiti on the walls that are in fact, impressive. They add character, a reminder that you're amongst the creative capital that is Berlin.

It doesn't portray bad taste, it isn't disrespectful. It makes you think. Why is this building here? How does it fit in with the rest of the block? It doesn't you realise, and your awe is heightened. Amongst thematic buildings, stands a modern building. The architecture is daring. It stands out. Glass, steel, wood; all combined for a breath-taking design.

Berlin. A city of life, culture, design and colour. The autumn trees add to the nostalgia and the sun reflecting off the building adds the finishing touch to a picture perfect sight.

The creative restless eye

'I began to like New York, the racy, adventurous feel of it at night, and the satisfaction that the constant flicker of men and women and machines gives to the restless eye.

I liked to walk up Fifth Avenue and pick out romantic women from the crowd and imagine that in a few minutes I was going to enter into their lives, and on one would ever know or disapprove. Sometimes, in my mind, I followed them to their apartments on the corners of hidden streets, and they turned and smiled back at me before they faded through a door into warm darkness.

At the enchanted metropolitan twilight I felt a haunting loneliness sometimes, and felt it in others- poor young clerks who loitered in front of windows waiting until it was time for a solitary restaurant dinner- young clerks in the dusk, wasting the most poignant moments of night and life.'
-The Great Gastby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

DJ

I like to make lists. Here is a list.
If I were in some far groovier life I’d like to be a DJ. This is what I would play.


DJ List.

Kraftwerk
Metronomy
Errors
Crystal Castles
CSS
Soulwax
Hot Chip
2ManyDJs
Explosions In The Sky
LSD Soundsystem
Le Tigre
M83
Santagold
Jacko
Born Ruffians
Starfucker
Simian Mobile Disco
Digitalism
Death From Above
The Field
Let's Wrestle
The Temper Trap
Arcade Fire
Goldfrapp

Dictionary

Orator- a person who delivers an oration, a public writer. Oppose to an

Auditor- a person who listens and hears. Somebody who receives information.

I'm working in a translation agency, these are common terms.

First Entry

Everybody has to start somewhere. Even Hemingway. Although I heard he wrote on Moleskine rather than fancy blog sites.

Golly what a kuffule trying to set this up was. Turns out I have 3 different blogs and I couldn't access any of them. (Forgot the usernames and passwords.)
So,...
I'm not good with introductions or first words, too much pressure so I'll just start with a creative writing entry. Then post some more and see where the world takes me. At the moment, I’m in Berlin. That’ll be the theme for now. I like themes.
Strange, I didn't think I would say this but I don't like writing about myself. It's like I'm two people: my hands are typing my thoughts and my conscious is frowning at what I'm writing. I’ve never been scared of a blank page but the fact that someone might be reading this makes me hesitant.
So farewell, auf wiedersehen, I’ll regain my confidence and see you soon.