A flaneur in Berlin
On a typical gloomy Sunday, I finally made my decision to go for a stroll. As winter approaching, I gradually get more indolent just like some kind of hibernating animal. After several shouting wind and screaming rains, all leaves fell off from their mother. The whole city reached a new peak of loneliness. Around 2pm I got on my favorite metro line U3, however, this time I was not ‘going’ somewhere, I am a flaneur.
Ironically, my favorite part of U3 is its above-groundness, which you barely found in other metropolitans. It seems like Metro is destined to be built underneath. Berlin's subways tend to be pretty empty, which means you can find a seat every time, if you don't mind sitting close to strangers. One of my little pleasures is watching the passengers on the subway. If Berlin were a human being, the different districts would be his organs, and the subway would be the blood vessels that constantly transport people to the places to make the city work. The old man sitting next to me was wearing a uniform, but his pants were covered with white stains, which seemed to be paint. Most of the people in the coach didn't seem happy. "Maybe Berliners aren't very good at expressing emotions." With such social norms, I was often afraid to look at strangers in the eye.
Lost in constant motions, my imagination got evoked by the pure color of surrounding buildings. The Kreuzberg is like a Matisse painting, wild and unrestrained. Here the colors start to go out of control, like a painter's splash of pigment. It is a space of conflict and creativity. The various murals between the floors flew into view, and it was like watching a million tinted silent movies, moving through different social realities.
My interest is piqued by the cluster of Soviet-style building in U Prinzenstrase, where My stroll starts.
Walking on the streets simply gives me thrills.Completely forgetting the direction, I arrived at the river shortly after. The city seemed to come back to life here. I accidentally walked into a flea market. Most of the vendors seemed to be young people. Exquisite jewelry, exotic clothing and creative products are all on display. Time seems to stop here, and hurried passersby stop to see if they can strike gold. Kreuzberg is the essence of Berlin, ‘Arm aber sexy’. The vibes here are tempting, alluring and hippy. There are no limits. You can do anything you want. Dreams came true here.
Just like the bunch of teenagers siting on the roof of Aldi,
I bet you would never encounter this in other part of Berlin.
