Oh, and I almost forgot to say how fabulous Friday was. Yup, had em standing in line to talk to me. No really! I think I finally proved I can hold my own as a writer, so now they all want me to fix up their lines in English. Take a number baby, take a number. Actually, its nice to have impressed a few people, but its nicer that I impressed myself a bit. I wrote some lines I was kinda proud of, and I feel like maybe my headline skills are starting to catch up with my concept skills. Bout time! Okay, so we got three new briefs, two of which were due by the end of the day. The first one, for Duetsch post, I was kinda pissed about because I didn’t get briefed in until after I’d already rewritten a bunch of lines for another writer. No fair giving me less time. But at the end of the day, there were four writers, they narrowed it down to 7 lines, and hells bells three of them were mine. So there. Okay, we also got this funny little piece – basically doing the writing for someone elses concept, but still – where we needed to create a monologue for a guy stressed out about work, and he curses a lot. Moi? Curse? Well, okay, but only cause its for a charity client.
But the best part of Friday was the brief for the Festival06 – we are doing all the ads, stunts, and pr for the street football league festival at the World Cup. SO COOL! There are 24 teams in the league, and in each country it’s a little different, but mostly street football got its start as “football for peace” and as a way for disadvantage youths to get themselves off the streets. Anyway, I love it and I have a million ideas already. Plus, street soccer? How bad ass is that? These guys are so hard core, that fields are too soft. I can’t wait to see how the work turns out!
Rock on!

Look Look! I got a blog shout out! a whole post dedicated just to me! okay, me and boys to men, spoilsport, I'm still awesome! Here is what "Quansworld" had to say about me:
"It took me a while to realize it, but my girl L. is actually a super hero. Hear me out. Besides the whole leaping tall buildings, speeding bullets thing she controls minds and is capable of creating impulses through the simple turn of a phrase. Kind of like a Jean Grey or the Invisible Woman from the Fantastic Four, only with curlier hair and better at Scattegories. And I imagine her skintight purple jump suit to be just as fetching. She's currently stationed in Berlin where she battles the forces of hack writing one spot at a time."
Thanks babe! and yes, quite fetching. stretchy too!

Saturday, Oct 29th
Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach him to fish, he eats for a life. Drop a man a mile from the river without so much as a net, and you’ve screwed him over. Moral of the story? Some kinds of help I just don’t need.
Naturally, yes, there is a story that goes with this confusing lesson, but it involves angry ranting and finger pointing, and I think I’ve about worked that out of my system for the night. Feel free to insert your own story here instead.
In other news, I went to my first Ikea today. Now I want a house. Okay, not a house, but a swanky apartment where I can paint the walls pink and can afford lots of frouffy curtains. And I will have a pullout sofa so all my friends can come over and stay up late to have pillow fights and gossip. And in the morning I will use my stainless steel waffle iron to make breakfast for everyone. With REAL maple syrup, not that aunt jomama crap.
I miss having a waffle iron.

Thursday, Oct 24th, Night Musings

Berlin, I feel humble. You let me walk your streets at night, and keep me safe. You startle me with your stars, and keep me small. You challenge me to find my place, and keep me true. When I consider this city and its place in time, I am overwhelmed with the sense of humanity. Your people have been swept away in what they knew to be true, and then buried under the weight of their own sins. We can neither forgive nor forget, but yet we move on. I walk your streets and at each corner I see growth. The leaves are falling from the trees, flashing golden against the blue sky to remind us: there is a cycle. For better or for worse, we spiral through it every day.

I wonder, though. Each of us has sins in our past we wish we could erase. Each of us has faced hardship, felt stifled, been torn down and been forced to rebuild. This takes soul searching. Berlin had no choice but to own up honestly, and face itself with the world watching. Most cities, most souls, don’t have to be so brutally honest with themselves. So, they aren’t. They cheat the process; they cheat themselves. You can’t build until you’ve found your foundation of truth.

I think berlin and I understand eachother. life is a process.

The lesson is in here somewhere: what is right today may change tomorrow. Follow your heart, and allow it to grow. The Truth always comes back around.

Okay, enough serious talk. Gonna go watch some Jon Stewart clips.

Thursday, Oct. 27th - back off the curls, man

I can’t believe it is Thursday all ready. What have I done this week? Ummm…. Nada mucho? Sat through several long meetings, where I didn’t understand a word. Made sure our viral campaign made the cut, although I feel like it got watered down. Had some new ideas, drew some new pictures, and so on and so on. This one guy here keeps pulling my hair like we’re in first grade and he’s Paul Farrell and he wants to sit next to me for story hour. Sorry dude, I don’t date hair pullers.
Tomorrow there is a big party at work for one of the CD’s who is leaving. It’s at a pretty posh club downtown, and I can’t wait. Guenni still can’t drink until Ramadan is over, but he’s promised to come and keep and eye on me. Oh, and last night he played soccer on the agency team again. They lost 4-3. At least they played better than they did last time.

Sunday, October 23
SUCH a perfect day. Really truly lovely. Drove to Hamburg with Guenni, Oz, and Esra. Guenni drove his father’s Mercedes, which of course means we went way to fast and he completely absorbed in bliss. Oz and I chatted about everything from football clubs to business to the landscape to racism to haribo gummi bears (which are sooo divinely chewy and delicious). The drive took forever and took us through the countryside of both east and west germany. We passed some fat cows, some skinny ones, and even a few honest to goodness scarecrows! I’ve only ever seen them on front porches and on hayrides, never in an actual field scaring actual crows. With the leaves turning, it almost felt like New England. I think trees are very important to me. I love being driven.

Whene got to Hamburg Niklas gave us the official tour of the school. They have amazing amounts of space, and a special upstairs room only for 8th quarter students. They win so many awards in that program, it is amazing. And all I could think was what a luxury it would be to go to school all day and only have to work on my book, for me, and not have to stress about producing it in addition to all of my JVM work. But then again, what an opportunity I have! Our real reason for the trip was to see Renetta, our Quarter Away advisor visiting from Miami. We hung out for a while, had a yummy dinner, and then went to East. www.east-hamburg.de Hotel, bar, restaurant – all beyond posh. Looks like Miami but feels like Berlin. I could have melted into the walls and been completely serene. We were laid back for Sunday, but Saturday the place is absolute scene, electric and vibrant and gilded with golden glimmering guests. Lovely.

Friday, October 21, 2005 - Sukkot

Just for the record, working 12 hours a day on two assignments is way less cool than working 14 hours a day on six assignments. I'm in the 12 hour category. Oh, and one of those projects? Its an ad/christmas card. Sneaky, eh? Plus I find it highly entertaining that out of 20 creatives, they picked the only Jew and the only Muslim to design a Christmas card. Riiiiiight…

So I went to services again tonight at the synagogue, and managed to find myself sitting next to an American couple from San Diego. Now, more than once, I have commented to myself that many Americans do not travel well. Today I drew that same conclusion again. In the twenty minutes total they spent in the building they managed to stick out like a sore thumb and alienate the people trying to help them. “But Lauren, these are nice good people,” you ask, “he’s a doctor, she’s a mom. Aren’t you being a touch hard on them?” The answer is yeah, probably, but since their behavior perpetuates the feeling abroad that Americans are self absorbed and generally oblivious to what’s really going on in the rest of the world, and in my travels I frequently have to disprove that generalization, well, better to hear it from somebody that loves you than from the French.
I’ll spare you the play by play, but this couple managed to invite the three of us on a little tour of the building after services. They asked several times about the synagogues financial sponsors. “Don’t American Jews contibute?” they asked. Our host was polite, and proudly answered several times that the synogogue was sustained by the community it belonged to. Members pay dues. Dinner is Potluck. They run a museum. The Synogogue stands on its own, financially and spiritually. "Huh" was all they said. Adding insult to injury, the only other questions the couple had were about WWII. When they wouldn’t stop talking about Hitler, the woman had had enough. She said, “okay, I’m going to kick you out now. My friends are waiting for me in the Sukkah.” I’m sure they got an earful.

The woman who showed us around, Jaqueline, is one of the congregants who helps keep the community running. I thought she was very nice, and I did learn a few things from her: This temple, I forget how old, managed to survive WWII. Hitler used it as a barn. By the time the Berlin wall went up, it was one of two synagogues left standing in East Berlin. In 1958, there were only 500 Jews in East Berlin. They didn’t need and couldn’t afford two large synagogues. So they blew it up… I’m actually not sure who “they” is, but they leveled the place. Thirty years later someone decided to rebuild it. Again, I’m not sure who, but there was only enough money to rebuild the front. So as it stands today, the building is wide but not very deep; the walls are a patchwork of the old building and the new; and the glass wall that encloses the back interior walls provides a view of the remaining old synagogue foundation, and a gorgeous sunset.

Tuesday, Oct 18th
Okey dokey, today we ran around shooting this crazy ambient idea we had for DHL. Such silliness. Who knew it would be so hard to find packing peanuts in a city the size of Berlin? And, if DHL doesn’t actually have them, why did our cd think it was so important to use them as part of the shoot? And, why did he choose this moment that I am writing about him and not making ads, to come out of his office and ask me how to use the scanner? I don’t know I don’t know and oh, wait… yeah, don’t care ;) So guenduez struts into his office with our photos like they’ve already won at Cannes, and of course the guy is like, um, yeah, did you shoot at other angles, cause this isn’t right…. Oh guenni, I TOLD you to humor me and shoot it both ways! He’s been acting more and more like a little brother lately. What am I gonna do with that kid?

Okay, so today’s excitement is over amazon.com letting me read chapters on line. Radical Careering, and Pick Me! A guide to getting into advertising, both came out recently. Yayayay Portfolio Advice for me, just in time to graduate! I especially like the chapter called, “Putting together a portfolio: like giving birth, only more painful” He he… and I especially like that both of these books are written by famous women creative directors. I know, you never see all of those words used together at once. Famous! Women! Creative Directors! So bonus, maybe they can honestly answer the question about whether having an ad for lipstick in my portfolio (cleverly disguised as an ad for a kissing competition I might mention) is going to doom me to a life of Oil of Olay commercials. Cause yeah, as much as I want a job? Not that one. I’m pretty picky for a student right? Wrong! Mediocrity is never an option.

OH! And a big hells yeah to the American Textor (ahem, ME!) who knows her adverbs! Its fun when the CD’s are asking for you to craft their lines in English! Now how did they ever get along without me???

Monday October 17th
I havent’ written in a while, sooorrrryyyy….! Oh well.
This week I discovered podcasts. Okay, I mean, I new about them before, and I totally threw that word around because I was cool for knowing about them, but actually…but I had never bothered to listen to one. Until now. OMG I love them! I devour them! I am hungry for them on the hour, and the dutifully arrive to let me feast! Oh you good people at Apple once again you have made me so happy. I already subscribe to the npr story of the day, and to one about the weekly episode of lost, and as I write I am already smacking my lips because this afternoon what should appear than the American Copywriter podcast interview with Sally Hogshead…. Awesome! Its like all the sudden somebody started leaving me a plate of chocolate chip cookies to come home to, and each time they are slightly different and more delicious. I don’t even have to download the podcasts, I subscribe and then they just appear. And they are in English !!! remember when you were 13 and you used to run to the mailbox after school dying to get your new seventeen or ym magazine? Okay, this is soooo much cooler than that. And, like, I know for sure, because I totally still talk like that 13 yr old sometimes. Dude! Anyway, I’m off to consume my podcasts and drift off to sleep in happiness. See ya!

Day 10 – Two Ways to Sunday

Dammit. I’m sitting in a friggin internet café and I am not online. And why not? Tmobile are friggin bastards. I was so excited to find a café where I could get online with my own damn computer and it turns out I can’t unless I want to pay 8 euros for an hour. Fuck that. For 8 euros I could pay for the train ride to “surf and sushi” and have sushi and be online. This place is cute at least, I’m eating cheesecake for dinner. But it was a hike to get here and I was soooo looking forward to internet and now I am sad ;( at least they are playing good music. None of which I can download since I am not online. POUT!

Spent the day with Esra. We went to a couple of outdoor markets. They were cute, all handmade stuff. You know the type. I bought a necklace. We had fun I guess. She’s so nice… and quiet… and… yeah. We drove everywhere, so I didn’t get a chance to get lost or find my way around. Actually, I didn’t do that at all this weekend. Sigh. I NEED ADVENTURE! I need to discover this city for myself, not view it from the passenger window. I found a tour I can take on bike next Saturday, that should be great. Wish I could have done it today, but they don’t offer it on Sundays. I guess Sundays I’ll be working from now on anyway. Sigh. I reread this paragraph and I discover I left out all the glamour. Let me try again.

Sunday! Slept so late, by the time I woke up, the sun was streaming through my curtains turning the whole room pink gold. My girl Esra came to pick me up and we headed off for adventure. First stop, the art market. We drove downtown to Mitte, one of the most beautiful districts in Berlin. The architecture there is amazing, especially the Dome. It must be one of the biggest churches in Berlin, and it is just stunning – all the copper has turned green, and is so bright against the cloudless sky. Breath taking. Actually, the weather has been great all week – no clouds, slight breeze, just warm enough with a light sweater, no jacket. Perfect.

The market was very cool. Lots of artisans displaying their handmade wares. Some truly beautiful paintings. Afterwards, I tried a Rostbratworst. Not unlike a hot dog, but very delicious. Esra was so proud of me, I was able to order in perfect German.

The next market we went to also featured a lot of artists, but is better known for antiques. I found a lovely Japanese bowl I would have liked. But at 120 euros, I’ll have to wait a few years! I bought a blue glass necklace instead. I couldn’t resist, the light hits it just right and the colors swirl between shades of blue and green.

After Esra dropped me off, I decide to venture around the neighborhood again. I’m sitting in the sweetest café drinking cappacino with my NY style cheesecake. They have Jack Johnson on their cd player. Its like they knew I was coming ;) I think I could come here often!

Okay, how’s that? Better? You feeling jealous of my sun dappled life again? Gotta keep the perspective on these things. Time to head home now. Its back to work tomorrow.
Kisses! Lauren

Day 9 – Saturday – Pimp my Fahr Rad
Went and got a cell phone, finally! After running around to a bajillion stores, decided to ditch the UK one and get a German one. Ran errands on Karl Marx strasse with Guenni and his dad, and then went to hang out at their house for a while. Spent a good hour watching TV with Guenni’s dad while everybody else cooked. It was cute, we’d watch the news in English for a while, then for a while in Turkish. Back and forth. I think he realized I was a little bored, so her turned on MTV for me. It’s the only other English channel, but I’m pretty sure “Room Raiders” is torture in any language. It was a nice gesture though. Guenni’s brother Oz came over to join us. Not only does he speak English, but he’s just as cool as Guenni. Pimp my Ride came on, which of course I love. But it gets even better… The german version came on next… Pimp my Fahr Rad- Pimp my Bike! How friggin awesome! They trick out these lowriders, and its every bit as ridiculous as the original. Of course its in german and I can’t understand, but still… I love it on principle.

Broke fast with Guenni’s family for Ramadan, with really delicious Turkish breads and soups. Zea gute!

(I have no idea if I spelled that right…)

Day 8 – Friday – Schmand!
I survived a whole week! Take that world! I am freaking out not having internet at home though. Maybe it’s a good thing, maybe I am too dependent? Shall we see what happens if I am cut off? Perhaps being alone in a foreign country is not the time to try such an experiment. Then again, perhaps it is ;)

Schmand! What the hell is this Schmand! I went to the store hoping for cottage cheese, and came home with schmand, which is apparently sour cream. ARRRR! Guenduez is fasting for Ramadan, so I really can’t ask him to come into the grocery store with me. And there are plenty of food words in my dictionary, but mostly for restaurants. So, basically, I am useless when it comes to grocery stores. Lots of stuff I can figure out from where it is in the store and what it is near, and sometimes I am lucky and there are pictures on the label. But even then, I can’t understand the cooking instructions if there are any. Such torture.

Day Seven – Thursday
Well, we didn’t manage to impress anyone with our first DHL round, but that’s okay, we’ll get it next time. We had less than 48 hrs. anyway.

Went wandering around my neighborhood with my American friend from Temple. Actually, not to far from the house is a very “scene” area, tons of little restaurants, café’s some shops, and so on. A perfect Lauren neighborhood. Okay, maybe its about 15 min from the house, but no worries. I like it. Also, there is a church down the street from me that is all lit up at night. I can see it from almost anywhere in the neighborhood. Which makes it very easy to find my way home after a few hours of exploring.

Day Six – Wednesday.
Breakfast is served from 8:30 to 9:00. By 9:00 you are at your desk showing how hard you can work or you are late. I made it in at 8:54. phew!

It sucks not knowing the language. Not that I didn’t know it wouldn’t, but now that I am here, it sucks. I don’t like being dependent on Guenduez, or anyone, to have to help me so much. So, I’m going to learn German. I’ve got my ipod lessons, and I do them everyday on my 20 min walk to work. I’m always asking questions and practicing. Its not like I’m gonna master a new language in two months, but I’ll be damned if I’m not gonna try.

Day Five – First day
Hmm… my first day of work. Not quite sure what to make of it. It seems a little small. The creative department is split between two buildings. How odd. Some people speak English, but not many speak it well. Hmmmm…

Day 4 – L’shana Tova!

I am awesome! I am superhumanly brave! I can do anything! I am master of trains and maps and little cobblestoney streets, yes, even in heels! Today was a good day! Today I ventured out completely on my own, and had a great time. I took the Ubahn from near my house across town to Orianberger Strasse. The area is known for two things – places that stay open late, and the New Synagogue. An unlikely combination, but hey, whatever works. I had a little time to explore the area, and then I went to services for Erev Rosh Hashanah. The temple building is enormous, maybe five stories? Most of the space is used as a museum and is open to the public, but on the top floor they have a very nice space just for the congregation. The Synagogue is listed in most of my tour books as “a fervent symbol of the revival of Jewish culture in Berlin,” which sounds like a PR spin to me, but I did really enjoy services. The temple has two (female) rabbis, but the cantor led services tonight. She had a truly, truly beautiful voice, and led almost the entire service in Hebrew. Between the Hebrew, and a nice woman sitting next to me, I was able to follow along. The tunes were a little different, but the prayers of course the same. There were about just over 200 people at the service, which filled the room. The congregation seemed really young – very very few people over the age of sixty. A few families, and actually a lot of Americans. I met a few students (on their year abroad) who were speaking English, and then a few other English speakers came over to join us. Afterwards, we had apples and honey at Kiddush, and then I went out for a walk with some of the students, to explore a little and grab a beer.

It feels sooooo good to finally see the city from my own two feet! Now I feel oriented and I can start to settle in. Tomorrow I start work. Can’t wait!

Day 3
Todays experience - Lidle – the cheapest German grocery. Okay, I did get a lot of food for 26 euros, but blech! And somebody please tell Visa they are not everywhere I want to be – they wouldn’t accept my card, and neither would that grocery store in Sardinia last month. Anyway, I’ve enjoyed shopping at gas stations more than this grocery store, but Guenni says get used to it, nothing here is super sized like in America. Also, if you want grocery bags, you have to buy them, and you bag everything yourself. Pout. I wish I’d known before I embarrassed myself.
However – I am finally out of the casa de Esra (German word for house???) and into my own apartment. WOOOOOO!!!!! This place is gorgeous! The girl we are subletting from is def some kind of designer and the décor is just so lovely. It’s really a one bedroom, but the living room will be Guenni’s and it will work out fine. I’ve already unpacked, made tea, and only electrocuted myself a little bit figuring out the converters.
There is no internet yet, and of course the TV is all German, but itunes shuffle is in a sympathetic mood so I have good music to keep me company for the time being. Gute nacht!

Day 2
Today’s experience – soccer. 4th league match, tie game. It is much more fun to watch in person than on TV. You can see the players as people, and appreciate their extraordinary talent, instead of as, well, players showing off for fun. Also, the ball! Flying spinning speeding – I can’t think of a word fast enough to describe how it moves. It’s almost a vertical orbit, arcing over the field, twirling around its own axis - the ball itself radiates joy for the game.
However, now is not a good time to be writing. I am cranky. I am cranky over not having seen our apartment, over having to sit while everyone caters to the American guest, over not being able to explore because of the rain, over having to ask Guenduez to translate so I can find the bathroom… grrrr…..