Urban75 Home About Offline BrixtonBuzz Contact

The Estonian Philosopher.

Love Berlin for its history etc , but its quite poor job wise etc _which may reflect the economic money recycling mechanism. Spoke to some really nice 18 year old kids in June who sensed Burger King Alexanderplatz was the only real job opportunity.
 
davesgcr said:
Love Berlin for its history etc , but its quite poor job wise etc _which may reflect the economic money recycling mechanism. Spoke to some really nice 18 year old kids in June who sensed Burger King Alexanderplatz was the only real job opportunity.
Click to expand...

Everyone I speak to who lives here agrees it is not a money making/job finding city unless you have special skills.

What I do like is the recycling scheme. All bottled and canned stuffs in supermarkets are priced for what you get (excluding the packaging). You get refunded on your next visit when you return the empties. A beer bottle - 8 Cents. Aluminium can - 25 cents etc etc etc. Doesn't just ensure people actually makle the effort to recycle, it also provides supplementary income for those who need it. Collecting all the empties tourists bin to collect refunds.

I'm still here. I like this city lots, but it is the most difficult place I have worked so far. It is saturated with wannabe artists, buskers, beggars, street performers. As far as artists are concerened it's another Barcelona - it's become a victim of it's own reputation. Galleries here are actually charging artists to exhibit. Cheap place to live, but fuck all money for art.
 
I have found the money here. About fucking time. Commissions tomorrow, then... not sure. The weather has improved, but I am not without complaints about Germany. Today was a mega mission to get a simple salbutamol inhaler. €3.10 and a 5 minute chemist deal in Spain. Here, I had to get a prescription which I was asked to pay €50 for before being asked for €16 for the inhaler. Why the huge difference?

Bayer
Pfizer
etc etc etc

Pharmaceutical companies controlling the government and the market.

I have been invited to join a project that interests me. It's commercial, but I like it. A bunch of young people trying to make good things happen in a small town in Germany. An enthusiastic bunch who came to me to offer help. I know I can help them make the project work. I think I'm going to give it a go. Sleeping in the office and I suspect a limited budget. They all speak English and German isn't nearly as scary to me as Spanish was when I started. Worth a few days reccy at least.

Hanover tomorrow evening. I think I have given up on Russia for this 'summer' at least.
 
This is hard going people :( I think I should be in Russia spending Roublethings.

10 hours today just to cover essentials plus a bottle of wine and packet of cigarettes and a big pint in my favoured late night bar. It's a very quiet, posh bar with WiFi. I'm definitely getting old.

If I don't go stupid tonight I will start the day with half the train fare I need to get to Hanover. Trains are not cheap in Germany. Still can't suss these €39 day pass things.

It is not easy ATM. Berlin is another Granada - lots of 0's followed by a single payday. I suspect/hope hanover will be more reliable like Vienna. Maybe. Possibly. Hopefully :(
 
Maybe a silly question but why don't you get one of the long distance coaches? Slower than the train but a lot cheaper too.

21 Euros this Saturday would get you from the coach stop at stop Berlin's Funkturm to Hannover's main railway station by 1.30pm, and it looks like three coaches a day run along that route in that direction. Got that by googling "berlin" "hannover" and "coach". "einfache Fahrt" is a one way ticket, "ruckfahrt" is a return.
 
Greebo said:
Maybe a silly question but why don't you get one of the long distance coaches? Slower than the train but a lot cheaper too.

21 Euros this Saturday would get you from the coach stop at stop Berlin's Funkturm to Hannover's main railway station by 1.30pm, and it looks like three coaches a day run along that route in that direction. Got that by googling "berlin" "hannover" and "coach". "einfache Fahrt" is a one way ticket, "ruckfahrt" is a return.
Click to expand...

I think you have to book 40 days in advance to get those prices.

It's expensive, but I will have the cash tomorrow to take a fast train. I'll check the buses though.

Thanks :)
 
The rains returned big style last night. Apparently this is the wettest summer in the entire history of wettness in Germany :(

I woke with just €11 in my pocket. I've decided to spend that on a slow chill and pause over a long, late breakfast. It will be money well spent - a good idea will come from it. Possibly??? I am determined to get to Hannover by tomorrow morning.
 
Fuck jahr! 3 hours of sunshine on a Friday afternoon and my pockets are stuffed full of paper money and business cards from architects and graphic designers saying 'get in touch'.

All is good again :) I'm going to enjoy One last evening here, then slum it at the bus station until someone puts me in the luggage compartment for a cheap ride to Hannover.
 
Was there in early June - and in between spurts of sunshine - there were Biblical like downpours. Washing literally everything away - strange weather all over , and crap for tourists and those dependant on them.

Good luck with the journey.
 
I´m still in Berlin :D

Think I got very drunk last night. At about 2am I headed to the bus station. When I got there I realised it was not the bus station I needed. After a couple of bars and currywurst, I woke at about 1pm today in a private garden :confused: with a fizzy bottom problem requiring immediate attention (currywurst).

A mad scarmble to the nearest City WC (50 Cents) I sat for God knows how long listening to ELO, Lionel Richie, Bonnie Tyler, The Commodores etc before my sphincter finally relented and closed voluntarily.

€25 buys a bus ticket to Hannover from the right station. I´ve just eaten a whole jar of pickled eggs and garlic in chilli oil. Poor person sitting next to me. 4 hours :D
 
Stanley bloody Edwards if you ever give up being an artist you should do a comedy tour. :D
 
I'm in Hannova. I am going to stuggle here also. More rain. A very unreceptive crowd for the local Hannova v Berlin derby match.

Couldn't find materials today - German Sunday is a total shutdown. Until, some kind people gave me some big paper and then made a sketch of me.

It's warm. There are dry safe places to sleep. I'm saving cash and staying out. Hopefully move southwards to the small town with place to stay for free and work on Wednesday.

Villa unbeaten after 2 games!
 
There's money here. I suspected there might be. €120 today from 3 sketches. That's pretty good for a Monday. Working here tomorrow, then moving on.

Not a city I would recommend for a visit mind. It's, very, very Conservative and money orientated. Plenty living happily with very little, but it's the sort of place people take their suits to on holiday :(
 
Stanley Edwards said:
There's money here. I suspected there might be. €120 today from 3 sketches. That's pretty good for a Monday. Working here tomorrow, then moving on.
Click to expand...
At least you've got enough cash to pay for your next fare, and a bed for the night :)
 
Greebo said:
At least you've got enough cash to pay for your next fare, and a bed for the night :)
Click to expand...

I am not giving this city €60 for a bed. I really do not like the place. If I'm not happy about staying out, or finding a free bed I'll just hit the bus station.

Locals in bars here still make jokes about the war if you're English! I laughed initially. Have to admit. You'll need a 'sense of humour' if you ever visit.

As for the fucking cheating cunts at extrablatt :mad:
 
Been through there a couple of times - seemed v parochial for somewhere of that size, but so did Hildesheim. Count yourself lucky if you haven't been called an American (as an insult) yet.
 
Greebo said:
Been through there a couple of times - seemed v parochial for somewhere of that size, but so did Hildesheim. Count yourself lucky if you haven't been called an American (as an insult) yet.
Click to expand...

The money is good mind. I have found one bar who are very good to me. Let me charge everything up and stuff etc.

Hannover is possibly worth a day trip if you're into formal gardens. They have a nice big formal garden. They also have a nice new train station. The whole city seems to have been modernised around the new train station. That is what I don't like.

Other than that.... about €350 today :)

It's a very wealthy city despite the poor people.
 
:eek: Can take or leave formal gardens, IMHO too stiff and soulless - they make me feel so scruffy! You know why so much of Hannover looks modernised? Those were the bits burnt out and destroyed by bombing.

London is a very wealthy city too, despite the poor people. Paris too. You'd hate both of them.
 
goldenecitrone said:
While you're in the area, take a day trip up to Wernigerode in the Harz Mountains, it's beautiful up there. Go and see the Hexantanzplatz from Goethe's Faust.

http://www.thisisharz.com/wernigerode.html
Click to expand...

May well do that.

With enough cash in pocket for contingencies I'm heading into the German cuntyside :) Initially, going south to meet up with some people in a small town called Uslar. Plan is to map the entire town with sketches for a web project. Fun! But, it may not pay!!!

---- Greebo. I don't mean modern as in the last 50 years. I mean modernised like last year. It is a very wealthy city, but I see more people taking stuff out of bins than putting stuff in bins. This recycling scheme is a bit of a double edged sword. I see more good in it than bad mind.
 
Ahem - Wernigerode has a somewhat extensive system of narrow gauge steam railways at a very affordable price (as long as you dont go up the Brocken mountain) - lovely little ex DDR Ludlow type ex market town.
 
Did I say "cash for contingencies"?

Just as fucking well. Almighty storms. Flashes in the sky every 5 seconds. I've booked into the poshest hotel yet. Advertised prices €120/night. I'm in for just €39 :)

Pretty little village.

Going to enjoy my posh bed and posh shower. Breakfast is included also - typical 'all you can eat' German buffet affair :)
 
I'm in a very 'after the storms' subdued little town called Uslar. It's a quaint old market town.

I am hungover...

MUST NOT DRINK BRANDY - IT'S BAD FOR THE BRAINS
MUST NOT DRINK BRANDY - IT'S BAD FOR THE BRAINS
MUST NOT DRINK BRANDY - IT'S BAD FOR THE BRAINS
MUST NOT DRINK BRANDY - IT'S BAD FOR THE BRAINS
MUST NOT DRINK BRANDY - IT'S BAD FOR THE BRAINS
MUST NOT DRINK BRANDY - IT'S BAD FOR THE BRAINS

I am now trying to find my contacts. Well, trying to find them in my head. Truth is I'm sitting on a bench playing interent instead of trying to make contact.

Worth a webcam shot this place. I'll try one now.
 
uslar.jpg

This is Uslar.

I met someone in Berlin who introduced me to others. A young bunch of people who want to map their town in sketches to turn into a commercial web project. I like the idea. They've offered a free bed, so I'm here to see how we can help each other. Find out if we all get along etc etc etc.

This is sort of a return to my previous life in Multimedia/Advertising project management. I see good potential in this project - a project which could work in any town, so...

here I am :)

Mixing art and multimedia for financial reward. Nice!
 
Once upon a time I found myself sharing champagne with a beautiful model from California on the penthouse rooftop gardens of the block I lived in. I looked up both the west and east rivers with a view almost directly up broadway, and asked myself "how the fuck did I get here?". How the fuck did this happen to me?

I've had just a few of those moments. Here is another.

I'm somewhere in the middle of Germany in a post modernist office block surrounded by beautiful, lush countryside. Room after room is full of your favourite toys: photo studio with full lighting kit. Design studios full of Macs. Fabulous spaces for creative happenings. It's a bit of a dream. The building has walls of chunky glass bricks and everything. I have keys. I can stay here as long as. Everyone seems cool as.

How the fuck did this happen to me?

There is obviously an investor of some sort here. €50,000 BMW in the carpark.

I like eveything about this set-up so far, but do I want to stay?
 
This is a fabulous postmodern style building.

Everyone else seems to have gone to bed. 4 floors and about 60 rooms with kitchens and showers etc. The guys here now have a fashion company, design company, a few rooms rented out etc.

After a bit of honest talking it seems €280,000 buys all. You get freehold and everything.

This place could accommodate a fair few families.

I'll photograph all tomorrow. It's a fantastic place full of bright, airy spaces with relatively low maintanence. Income is the only hurdle, but...

INTERNET!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom