Berlin | David Bowie Exhibition

Last week I spent a few days in Berlin as birthday present to myself. Aside from seeing friends, the David Bowie Exhibition at the Martin-Gropius-Bau was at the top of my wish list. I’ve been on a total Bowie kick for the last couple of years, and since he has such a strong connection to Berlin — living for three years in Schöneberg in the late 70’s and recording three albums there — I did not want to miss the exhibition!

And I definitely was not disappointed. Unsurprisingly, it’s a complete multimedia experience. You can take a close look at Bowie’s handwritten lyrics, costumes, and paintings while listening to the audio guide that automatically plays songs and interviews that correspond to your specific location in the exhibit.

It was fascinating to see how completely Bowie integrated his love for painting and theater into his music. I walked away with a real sense of how he progressed as an artist over the decades — as well as the extent of his influence on music, fashion, and culture.

David Bowie Suit — David Bowie in brown suit (featured in the exhibit).

David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust (costume in exhibit). Photograph by Masayoshi Sukita.

If you’re anywhere near Berlin between now and August 10th, I highly recommend taking some time to visit the exhibition. If not, you may still be in luck! Here are the next stops on the tour:

20 September 2014 to January 2015: Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
2 March to 31 May 2015: Philharmonie de Paris/Cité de la Musique, Paris
15 December 2015 to 15 March 2016: Groninger Museum, the Netherlands

Tips for your visit

Since the exhibition is popular and the lines are long, purchasing an online ticket (€14 + €1.20 booking fee) for a specific time window is absolutely the way to go. I didn’t have to wait in line for even a second before being let in. That being said, the online timed tickets sold out a couple of days in advance — so plan accordingly! Or if you’re flexible, check out ebay Kleinanzeigen for spare tickets for sale, (which is what I did).

Another thing to keep in mind is that the exhibition is totally packed on the weekend, so if you can manage to visit during the week, you’ll probably have a much more relaxed experience.

Martin-Gropius-Bau – Niederkirchnerstraße 7 – U-bahn or S-bahn Potsdamer Platz

Are you a Bowie fan? What’s your favorite album?

July 4, 2014

InstaFriday | Independence Day

Green Motorbike — Green Motorrad. Via Instagram.

Happy Fourth of July to all my American readers out there! Hope you have perfect barbecuing weather and that the fireworks are beautiful. Today I get to combine the best of both worlds — decked out in stars and stripes for an Independence Day barbecue and then cladding myself in black, red, and gold for Germany’s quarter-finals World Cup match against France. Luckily the sun is shining, the sky is blue, and the air is warm. Couldn’t be more perfect.

How are you kicking off the weekend?

June 25, 2014

Expat Life: Six Years and Counting

Oberbaumbruecke — Berlin: Oberbaumbrücke

It’s hard to believe that this week marks my sixth Germanniversary. Six years is the exact same amount of time that I lived in New York. It broke my heart to leave the city behind, but I was really ready for new adventures. It feels like a lifetime ago that I arrived in Bonn, before eventually making my way to Hamburg. I couldn’t have imagined how attached I would grow to this country. For all of my foreignness — some of which I resolutely refuse to give up — I feel at home here. My cultural boundaries have blurred and my frame of reference has shifted significantly. Days can go by without ever speaking or hearing a word of my native language. And I realize how much my life has changed in just a few short years. Even so, I will still be cheering for the US during tomorrow’s game against Germany — crossing my fingers and pressing my thumbs and hoping against hope, as us Americans are wont to do! Ach, ja. In any case, a Germanniversary is the perfect opportunity to share some of my favorite photos of Deutschland since I arrived. As I was sorting through them, it was really hard to choose just a few! So if you’re curious, you’re more than welcome to check out my Flickr albums.

2008

Cliffs at Sunset — Helgoland: The cliffs at sunset

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

For more about my journey, check these posts out:

June 20, 2014

InstaFriday | Geburtstag

Birthday cake — Running birthday cake. Via Instagram.

Last night I was thinking about my life this past year — which was definitely full of challenges, but plenty of adventure too. I moved full-time to Bremen, settled into a new neighborhood, and have gotten to know a whole other side of the city. I also traveled to three new countries, two of which I had never even dreamed of visiting before: Finland, Malta, and England. On the training front, I’m the fittest I’ve ever been in my life, and ran my fastest half-marathon ever in Bonn this past spring. I really can’t help but feel grateful for everything that’s come my way and the friends and family that have supported me throughout. Somehow I know that this next year is going to be even better than the last. Let’s get it started!