Photography

A Penny For My Thoughts

Magdeburg was great yesterday – I’ll blog once I have the 400 pictures I took processed. No, not all of them came out, but I have some good thoughts to share about my little day trip.

Meanwhile, I thought I’d share this nice little blerb – which (knock me over with a feather) aired originally on Fox News. Truly, this says so much about the state of the American government – and what our politicians and leaders in office are doing. It counts as a Penny for his thoughts – and a Penny for mine… because it truly reflects what I think too. I guess that makes it worth a full 2 cents.


I guess my question is – WHY as AMERICANS are WE NOT OUTRAGED? I know I am – and I’m living abroad because I can’t stand the way things are being done in my own country. I deal with very subtile Racism, genderism, a glass celing and a very real dislike of “auslanders” (foreigners) here in Germany – but honestly, I feel safer, more protected, and less like the German government is out to get me – than I currently do in the USA. What does that say – overall? Somewhere along the line, Germans seem to have more COMMON SENSE than those in the USA – despite the bureaucracy, despite the subtle racism, despite everything.

Things that make you go humm….Time for a Change – Attitude adjustment – via VOTES. If that doesn’t work? well… I’m sure as a population we’ll force an attitude adjustment and make that change.
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Lost in Translation (take 6) – Halloween Edition

Happy Halloween Everybody!

It’s my favorite holiday because well, you can dress up as anything you want to be – good, bad, or ugly. Plus, you get to go banging on your neighbor (and complete stranger’s) doors and beg for Candy (beer, food – whatever). Oh.. and then there’s the whole scary part. I like that factor too.

Anyhow, in honor of the holiday, I thought I’d do the Halloween Horrorfest version of Lost in Translation. Signs seen along the way….

First up.. there’s a production here called “Tanz Der Vampire” (dance of the vampire) that’s apparently a huge hit here in Berlin. I keep seeing signs for it everywhere and they have a great setup in Alexanderplatz where as you’re going through a tunnel, haunting singing is triggered (at night only). One of their advertisments contains a warning for all of us:

The Vampires love Berlin
Literally, it says “The Vampires LOVE Berlin” then it has a vampire warning sign with the words “Sundown to Sunrise”. Personally, I love the concept of the flying vampire about to get me. *evil grin*

Adding to the horrorfest is the “heine bakery and pastery shop” that’s near where I live. Beware when going in – you might not make it back out again…. (Not to mention what exactly ARE in those baked goods/pasteries anyhow?)
Heine Bakery and Pastry shop

Next would be the Kaos Tattoo & Piercing Parlor. Another location in the town I live in that makes me wonder… would I entrust my body to a place named KAOS? Yikes…

Kaos Tattoos & Piercings

Speaking of strange places…. Apparently there’s an erotic museum in the city. Over the weekend I did find it. Not so bad – except for the signs that say “erotic Museum” sponsored by “beate uhse” (beat us – pronounced in english) clothing. Don’t blame me for the puns below – this is really a street which goes to Wedding, has parking, and well… an erotic museum where everyone wants to be “beaten”.

Erotic Museum (pun-ny)
Last but not least… (and perhaps the most frightening of all) ..

You can’t have Halloween without an ELVIS. Yes, yes, ladies and gentlemen, this was seen in a store window on the Ku’Damm over the weekend. No kidding…
Glamour
Happy Halloween, this has been the Halloween Horrorfest version of “LOST IN TRANSLATION”. Now back to your regularly scheduled Scream….
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Lost in Translation (Take 3)

And now for today’s edition of Lost in Translation – strange and funny signs – only this relates to fashion. I’m often in Prenzlauerberg and absolutely love the people watching there. The only place that is comparable in the city is Potsdamer Platz (which has so many different walks of life going thru it’s really interesting.)

Anyhow, while in P-berg for sunday brunch, the lot of us decided to go over to the flea market and see what was available. Traditionally, flea markets are the “bottom of the barrel” and end up with lots of bad fashion. I’m used to that and fully expected to see lots of vintage *cough* and *cough* retro crap that was in good shape. What I never expected was to actually pass by a shop selling BRAND NEW bad fashion mistakes waiting to happen.

As seen in a shop window

Yes, darlings, this IS the shop window. Let me give you a few close-ups….
First we have the horrifying electric blue lame (lamee?) stretch with droopy butt hammer pants. They’re skinny leg, but designed to hang so far off your ass that you have the gansta look going. Or maybe not… perhaps it’s that you pull them up and do the “steve urkle” nerd thing? God only knows….but they’re pretty hideous.

Blue Lamee pants

Then there’s the bag dress designed to make you look like you just tied up the ends of a burlap sack to go the party.

Closeup of
Of course, we can’t have you going around with people thinking that you’re making your own clothes – so we made sure to put lovely little cloud type design on the front – so we can charge you designer prices! (yee-ha! – note the reflection of the guy passing behind us as proof this REALLY IS a busy street with traffic!)

Mannequin

And finally, as if those two weren’t enough, we thought we’d show you just how good you can look in our styling. Seriously – doesn’t this model look great? She is sporting a khaki fishing cap, leopard print leotard top with black trim – and because black goes with EVERYTHING – a pair of flashy spandex stretch silver and black checkerboard patterned leggings. Oh – and don’t forget that accessories make the woman!! Yep – check out our wide black cuff style bracelet – with the big white star!
Maria, Danielle, and I stood there horrified looking at this shop window, wondering if they were serious. We then continued walking. In the end, Danielle and I wound up going back just so we could go take pictures because we decided NO ONE would believe us without photographic evidence.
Somehow, this is definately one of those things that is lost in translation…..
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