The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Well, it’s been a few days since my last update, and I have a lot to catch you up on…

Monday was another day on the town with our very own tour guide, Professor Freeman. We walked around in the shopping district, visited KaDeWe (where I picked out my future Vera Wang wedding gown, hah) and eventually made our way to the Allied Museum in Professor Freeman’s old neighborhood. He showed us where he used to pop popcorn (the museum was once a movie theatre) and sneak some out to his friends. Then, once we were released for the day, I was dragged to a museum whose name made Freeman blush. He wouldn’t tell us what it meant and neither would the Germans we stopped to ask directions, but one step inside and there were no questions what it meant. But, hey, they say “when in Rome, do as the Romans do”, and I guess you could say we at least needed a glimpse of the Berliner’s promiscuous culture while we were here, and believe me…that glimpse was an eye full!

My food experience for the day was also one for the books. I tried currywurst for lunch and I will never travel that road again. I can’t even walk past it anymore without getting a sick feeling (in fact just writing this now is making me sick). Then for dinner, I was talked into trying Indian food, which wasn’t all that bad, but definitely not what I needed. So I retreated to the bar in the hotel for two-for-one Monday (and reliable McDonald’s for the next couple of days) and enjoyed a delish Berliner Pils and another Kindl Weiss. Then we played some pool, and surprisingly, I didn’t suck. Thanks to Andrew for taking a chance on me and letting me be his teammate.

Yesterday was a free day and Jennifer and I went to find our subjects for our photo stories. I went to Esmod School of Design and met with David Ubl, a third-year student. Stepping into the school was amazing. I felt like I was in the company of dresses that would one day walk down the red carpet. David was so nice to us and took us back to his flat for mango ice cream, orange juice (which we have been deprived of since coming here) and homemade strawberry tarts.

Last night we went to see a musical, whose name is too German for me to recall, where I saw my first attractive European man (it seems they are as few and far between here as they are in the States, hah). Then it was off to Tacheles, an art exhibit with what, oddly enough, I would never consider art. I decided enough was enough when I discovered the creepy man with dreads staring at me was smoking something questionable.

So after a much-needed night of peaceful sleep (or as peaceful as possible when the suns comes up a 4:30 a.m.), Jen and I trekked to a fashion photo shoot with Stefan Kraul (her subject for the photo stories and, conveniently enough, David’s roommate). We definitely enjoyed blending into to the background and shooting some photos like professionals.

Tonight is our mid-trip dinner, and I can’t believe I only have one more week here. There is still so much to see and photograph. But, hey, with my project well underway, I may just see it all…maybe even some things better left unseen.