RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

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Never go to bed with a really drunk stranger. If she is white, she'll cry "Rape!"; if she is black, she'll rename you "Child support!" and if she is brown or therearound  a shot-gun marriage is going down.

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Sunflower Hostel (Berlin)

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A hippyish hostel reminiscent of burgeoning internationalism in the immediate wake of the Berlin Wall osmosis. But, then again, "dated" has its appeal. Sunflower Hostel lies on a long stretch of residential street that is otherwise empty. It is pretty much a stone's throw from the Warshauer train station (near the O2 Stadium) and you know you've arrived when you spot the giant metal sunflower blooming from the front of the building. Inside, an eclectic - or typically Berlin - decor of psychedelic murals and plush toys epoxied to all sides of walls; purple cows hang from the ceiling! Staff are tight-knit and, oh what's the word, organic. You know, caravan clothes probably fashioned from hemp, Rastafarian dreadlocks, tattoos, females with unshaven armpits and, very probably protest nuclear energy on their off days. But nice. Male employees were nicer than their female counterparts. 

The hostel offers wi-fi, bed linen, a huge luggage storage - all FREE! - a licensed bar and coin laundry. The all-you-can-eat breakfast for 3 euros is worth taking advantage of; a buffet of fresh seasonal fruits (apples, plums, pears, etc) salami, cheese, rolls, cereal and milk, tea and coffee. 

arrogant French couple inconsiderately commenced copulating

I frequently stay here owing to their low - and upfront - rates, comfortable surroundings and, at the risk of sounding corny, memorable short-term friendships. One winter I lodged as a long-term guest in a shared room of 8 beds. Luckily the roommates were sociable and pleasant which made the stay not an insufferable or trying experience -- except for the time this arrogant French couple inconsiderately commenced copulating and had the gall to hate us for being disturbed by it. Frogs! Otherwise it was all civilized and sunflowery.
I'm definitely not of the hippy mold but Sunflower Hostel is still groovy by me.

Sunflower Hostel Berlin
Helsingforser Str. 17
10243 Berlin

E-Mail: hostel(at)sunflower-hostel.de

Tel: +49 – (0)30 – 440 44 250   

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Winter scenes in Berlin

Christmas time in Berlin

 Berlin Haupbanhof (Main train station)

 yeah it's a big ass multi-level station

 City-Weihnachtsmarkt (outdoor Xmas market)

Europa-Center near Zoologischer Garten

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Blue Sky Hostel (Glasgow)

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I chose Blue Sky on three consecutive weekends due to the weekend price hikes in Edinburgh. Plus I wanted to check out Glasgow. The dorm rates were a simple 10 euros (by the third visit the price had went up to 11 euros). I had no problem making a reservation over the telephone and its location is not so difficult to find from the Buchannon bus station although it would be a bit more helpful to list their proximity to the Mitchell Library. All in all it comprised about a good twenty minute walk.

The facilities are not bad. There is a community kitchen on the ground floor and free wi-fi downstairs -- if your laptop corresponds to a certain bandwidth or something. Mine didn't. The owner knew of this problem from previous American guests but nonetheless was inconsistent in fixing the set-up. That was just one thing that irked me about Blue Sky Hostel.

the owner is a skinny caricature of an '80s punk rocker with foul-mouth and smokes like a chimney! 

I found this place to be terribly familiar; as in informal and crass. Owned and operated by a Canadian (and his dear old mother) - it took me a while to understand why I found their accents so unnerving - the hostel is run more like his personal frat house or school project. A skinny caricature of an '80s punk rocker, the man is loud, foul-mouthed and rarely shuts the hell up; and smokes like a chimney! 

On one of the wall murals was the word "Nigga" distinctly written in marker...and, no, it was not in homage to my book. The owner's reaction was indifferent. "Oh," he shrugged, "these #%@! people write so much #%@! on my #%@! walls, man." Really? I didn't see Canada Sucks scribbled anywhere.

Oh? I should look behind me, eh!

 What's that you say, eh?

 Dontcha know, eh!

65 Berkeley Street
www.blueskyhostel.com
(Same owners of West End Backpackers Hostel on 3 Bank Street)

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Romeo & Juliet (Berlin)

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Romeo und Julia (German) is being performed at the Deutsche Oper by the Staatsballet Berlin. I saw it over the weekend and wore my new bow tie and velvet jacket. The play, as we know, is by Wm Shakespeare but this ballet adaptation (in three acts) is by the late John Cranko. And as a ballet there is only dancing and leaping and twirling on tippy-toes -- not a stitch of dialogue!

Easy enough feat, you may think, but in watching it I was amazed at just how precise the choreography must be in order to 'speak' volumes between the characters; and then when I re-considered this is a Shakespearean work known by everyone under the Sun I had to admit: maybe Cranko's ballet wasn't such an easy feat. The performance was absolutely stirring and moving and utterly beautiful! It's probably owing to Mr Cranko that Eugen Onegin is one of my favorite ballets.

At the ballet..dapper as ever

Deutsche Oper Berlin (Intermission) 

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Art Roch Hostel (Edinburgh)

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Located on the Grassmarket (West Port Street, to be exact) beneath the grand, imposing Edinburgh Castle, Art Roch Hostel is a converted old Salvation Army barracks with three floors, a cool upper Rec room, an outdoor smoking patio - because everybody in Europe smokes! - and long-term guests who couldn't be farther from salvation if they died and went straight to Hell. I have never met so many socially inept people under one roof -- and I've been inside a penitentiary and mental hospital!

a jerk who put the looey in LOSER

In particular there was one Portuguese jerk who put the looey in LOSER. Everybody hated this fat, friendless turd. But this much can be said of the hostel: it offers great rates, colorful characters, and not a dull moment. Plus there is an old school video game in the lobby (see pic). I got addicted to playing Burger Time.

PS: It is also supposedly owned by the fifth wealthiest Scotsman, Malcolm Scott, a useless point of trivia the long-term guests never failed to impart like Scott was their drinking buddy.

PPS: Considering Powers was threatened and given 24hrs to vacate the premises by the head janitor - in other words, thrown out...by the ugly janitor - I regard the following news updates with a pinch of schadenfreude. Oh yes, y'all, my German is improving....  

• http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2012/07/24/backpackers-are-being-ordered-to-leave-hostel/
• http://www.ehap.org.uk/about-ehap/news/hostel-sit-in.aspx

some of my old buddies...and the fat turd

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