Havelland’s starry nights
This hiking and swimming hub gets even better after sunset Havelland is an area known for its outdoor activities, lakes, parks, hiking routes and, of course, the eponymous Havel river, which has recently been restored as part of Europe’s largest river restoration project. However, our focus here will be on nocturnal matters in this region. […]
Alexandrowka Haus 1 – Historical Russian tea house
Alexandrowka Haus 1 Just a short tram ride from the central station in Potsdam, there’s a Russian colony that was built by Friedrich Wilhelm III in 1826 for the members of his all-Russian choir. The colony has a collection of imitation “Izba” houses (Slavic cottages) as well as a church, a museum and our destination: […]
Eisenhüttenstadt: the flagship socialist city
Welcome to the largest monument in Germany – a sleepy city steeped in history. Founded in 1950, Eisenhüttenstadt is technically the newest city in Germany. It was known as Stalinstadt between 1953 and 1960, and was built to be a shining example of the socialist doctrine. Although the city resembled many of its Baroque predecessors, […]
Corona Pandemic: the UK Govt’s response
Throughout the Corona pandemic, the UK government have perpetuated a state of fear and confusion among the populous so strong that many more people are starting to question their motives, as well as their capabilities. It’s worrying and laughable in almost equal measures. The actions taken by those in power seem regularly to contravene the […]
Working from home during the pandemic
Dreams come true, and thoughts materialise. Many times I imagined myself working from home happily, and here we go. The self-isolation mode started almost exactly when I got my new job after five endless months of search. So, when I began working again, everything was new to me – the company, the industry, and the […]
Coronavirus lockdown: Hiking in Berlin
On March 12th 2020 I had tickets to see a gig with friends in the evening, and no plan to change that. I even bought wine and snacks to have at my flat before heading to the concert together. Outside my flat, people had been buying toilet paper, pasta shelves were starting to look pretty […]
Lockdown – just get through it?
I interview Poppy Roberts, producer, vocalist and DJ on her thoughts on creativity and productivity during lockdown. As the Conservative-dubbed lockdown rules to ‘Stay Home, Save Lives’ were clamped down on the UK, Covid-19 officially rid us of our daily routines, jobs and any chances of socialising for what was the foreseeable future. It was […]
Lockdown productivity: Shamelessly Lazy
How did you spend your time during the Corona crisis? This is going to be a big question in the future. Whether it’s asked compassionately or judgmentally is important. If there’s one thing that is deeply rooted in many of us, it’s the feeling that we haven’t done enough. Millennials grew up with a lie […]
Working on the Front Line during the pandemic
Is this a temporary change or a permanent shift in the way we work? In early February I got a mini-job offer working in an organic supermarket in Berlin. My landlord, who owned the shop, reached out to me and asked if I was available to work for a two-week period as a cashier. It […]
Dating during Corona
“What is being built is architecture of oppression” [regarding tracking phones]. A global sabbatical – a stressed system, where the leadership is clearly out of its league. – Edward Snowden How incredible is this feeling, of waking up every morning, at first with the feeling of slight panic and anxiety, to then experience the realisation […]